RENGA at GAME: THE FUTURE OF PLAY

RENGA
100-player game, 2011
wallFour [UK]

For the first few thousand years of their existence, games were live social experiences, but video-gaming has changed the perception of what a game is. While many video games in the past 30 years have had a social element, for the most part they did not involve people in the same space, instead being split into multiple solitary experiences across many separate screens.

This custom installation game for 100 players was played on a single giant screen multiple times in the opening days of GAME. With a compelling dramatic arc and 90-minute running time, Renga delivers complex co-op strategy gameplay within a movie-like experience using a highly abstract visual style. The show mixes new technology with adventure drama and a wry sense of humour to bring the audience together and leave them feeling a deep sense of camaraderie.

Renga is about finding a way home. Attacked and left for dead, our hero must carefully marshal their resources to build a new ship, confront their nemesis and finally return home. Only this hero isn't visible on the screen—it's an entire theatre audience, working collectively to control the action using laser pointers. Turning the traditional hero's journey on its head, Renga asks the question—what if the ultimate reward can only be grasped by many hands?

Видео RENGA at GAME: THE FUTURE OF PLAY канала Science Gallery Dublin