artists wants help making a 2600 game

[trans_am]

hey. im an artist based in san francisco (http://thinkcontext.com)

and would like to work with a programmer to build a 2600 game.

 

im looking to create an installation in an art gallery for a show

centered around the trans am project I've been working on

since 1998. def. not interested in hearing how dumb or lame

my idea is... im just looking to build this game for a specific

purpose of the art installation and not for general consumption

or some commercial distribution or whatev.

 

 

PM me for more details.

thanks!

Edited December 7, 2007 by trans_am

[+batari]

hey. im an artist based in san francisco (http://thinkcontext.com)

and would like to work with a programmer to build a 2600 game.

 

im looking to create an installation in an art gallery for a show

centered around the trans am project I've been working on

since 1998.

 

PM me for more details.

 

thanks!

Before someone posts the link to the "Non-programmer idea peddler" thread, I say hold off a bit, it looks like this one might be different - like Paul Slocum's 2600 art?

 

To the OP: Is this going to be an art display in a gallery?

[trans_am]

Before someone posts the link to the "Non-programmer idea peddler" thread, I say hold off a bit, it looks like this one might be different - like Paul Slocum's 2600 art?

 

To the OP: Is this going to be an art display in a gallery?

 

yeah. it's an art installation in a gallery.... an environment to explore and interact with art

 

 

here's a quick pass on the environment :

----------------------

space size: approx 1000 sq ft.

approx 7-8 feet above the floor custom designed silver mylar helium filled 8-bit style smoke clouds populate the ceiling.

audio of the game play is delivered by speakers spread throughout the space. ambient lighting is sourced and reflected throughout the space by a large video projection of console game play

semi enclosed console station [pod] houses the console, projector, monitor speakers, and seating

 

--------video-------

|....\............../....|

|.....\............/.....|

|.......\........./......|

|.........[pod]........|

|.........................|

gallery................|

entry...................|

|.........................|

----------------------

 

here's a quick pass on the game play :

----------------------

the game idea is centered around doing burnouts with a smokey and the bandit trans am and trying not to get caught by the cops. overhead view of a smokey and the bandit style trans am car (phoenix on hood / t-tops) where the player moves the car around the screen; joy stick control up/down/left/right and press the red button to create smoke as if you're doing a burnout. the objective is to fill the screen with smoke to advance to the next level. the opposition is the cop (black and white car with red / blue lights) who enters from random points on the screen and as it passes thru it takes away any smoke you've created. if you are in the path of the cop then you're busted - game over. otherwise you revisit / navigate to the the area and fill it back in with more smoke by pressing the red button. as each level advances the pace picks up and the frequency of the cop increases. after several levels (#?) it simply becomes impossible to fill the screen leaving no way to finish the game (enter metaphor). the game ends and if you're a high score you get to leave your 3 letter/number in the leader board. i would also imagine a time limit per level? not sure about this but I could see how this might add to the experience of game play.

 

 

 

I totally get the "Non-programmer idea peddler" deal

don't punk me on this. im totally down and totally serious.

 

i'll work on game screen shots. thanks!

Edited December 7, 2007 by trans_am

[Cybergoth]

I totally get the "Non-programmer idea peddler" deal

don't punk me on this. im totally down and totally serious.

 

You could possibly team up with the guys from The Knight Rider 2600 project then

[BigO]

I'm curious how the 2600 in particular fits into the project. Is it a 2600 specific nostalgia thing? Blocky graphics representative of the period? Will the 2600 itself be a feature of the exhibit?

 

While it would be cool to use the 2600 for something like this, I imagine a PC based game could be done with blocky 2600 or NES graphics but be easier (i.e. quicker/cheaper) to program.

 

Again, not dissin' the project, just curious.

[trans_am]

I'm curious how the 2600 in particular fits into the project. Is it a 2600 specific nostalgia thing? Blocky graphics representative of the period? Will the 2600 itself be a feature of the exhibit?

 

While it would be cool to use the 2600 for something like this, I imagine a PC based game could be done with blocky 2600 or NES graphics but be easier (i.e. quicker/cheaper) to program.

 

Again, not dissin' the project, just curious.

 

good questions.

 

the project foundation is based around the 1977 smokey and the bandit trans am... so there is def. a nostalgic theme that can't go unnoticed. the nostalgic is not at the root but does play an important role. the appropriation of cultural icons of the 2600 platform, the trans am among others are nostalgia gateways to allow entry into an open dialog about the media influence on culture and the individual.

 

i do see the controller, console and cartridge as an important and appropriate aspect to the project. the hugely impossible 6502 code hurdles and sophisticated inventiveness to create the amazing games for the 2600 work on several levels that parallel this project; there is absolute heroism and pride that is achieved creating the ultimate metaphor between life and machine.

 

true, doing this in action scripting would be -way- simpler but it doesn't speak of the tireless dedication and learned craftsmanship in the same way.

[Mirage]

Looks like a graphics-modified Rally-X. Wasn't there a Rally-X demo/game in progress?

 

To the poster: do you have a weblink for this project? I have a friend who is extremely into T/A's and would be interested in learning more about this project (I'm interested myself), totally apart from the Atari aspect.

[+batari]

Looks like a graphics-modified Rally-X. Wasn't there a Rally-X demo/game in progress?

 

To the poster: do you have a weblink for this project? I have a friend who is extremely into T/A's and would be interested in learning more about this project (I'm interested myself), totally apart from the Atari aspect.

There were a couple, one of which was mine (screenshot posted.)

 

First off, the 2600 can't display detailed graphics like that. Look at the screenshot for a better example of what the game may actually look like.

 

Also, on the 2600, the smoke probably couldn't be more than just flickering blocks if you want them to fill the screen, and even that would require some sort of RAM cart, as the RAM requirements of the smoke alone, never minding the rest of the game, would exceed the 2600's available RAM.

 

EDIT: The cars look funny in the shot, probably due to Stella's phosphor effect - they bodies actually align with the wheels when you play the game.

Edited December 8, 2007 by batari

[Mirage]

First off, the 2600 can't display detailed graphics like that. Look at the screenshot for a better example of what the game may actually look like.

 

Yeah, I thought that mockup looked more like an NES game, or maybe 7800. Certainly not 2600!

 

 

Also, on the 2600, the smoke probably couldn't be more than just flickering blocks if you want them to fill the screen, and even that would require some sort of RAM cart, as the RAM requirements of the smoke alone, never minding the rest of the game, would exceed the 2600's available RAM.

 

Aye, good point. I wonder if the original poster would consider a C64 game instead? Granted, it sounds like he's looking for late '70s rather than early '80s, so probably not. Nothing late '70s can really do graphics like that. I wonder if it would be possible on a 2600 to just turn the "smoked" areas of the road white instead of an actual graphic?

[+batari]

Nothing late '70s can really do graphics like that.

Maybe the Atari 400/800 could, but I don't know much about them.

 

Either that, or I would suggest a different game idea or a modification of this one. The 2600 is good at some things and bad at others.

Edited December 8, 2007 by batari

[Atari-Jess]

The 800 should be able to pull of that game idea in my humble opinion.

[Mirage]

The 800 should be able to pull of that game idea in my humble opinion.

 

Ahhh, true, it could probably come pretty close. I don't think the colors would be that pure, but I could be wrong about that too.

[trans_am]

Looks like a graphics-modified Rally-X. Wasn't there a Rally-X demo/game in progress?

 

To the poster: do you have a weblink for this project? I have a friend who is extremely into T/A's and would be interested in learning more about this project (I'm interested myself), totally apart from the Atari aspect.

 

yeah, that's correct, i mod'ed a rally x screen shot to explore how it would look.

seemed like that was the closest to what I am imagining.

 

my web site is http://www.thinkcontext.com in there you'll find

a bunch of art work, interviews, reviews, etc. based around the trans am...

[Mirage]

Looks like a graphics-modified Rally-X. Wasn't there a Rally-X demo/game in progress?

 

To the poster: do you have a weblink for this project? I have a friend who is extremely into T/A's and would be interested in learning more about this project (I'm interested myself), totally apart from the Atari aspect.

 

yeah, that's correct, i mod'ed a rally x screen shot to explore how it would look.

seemed like that was the closest to what I am imagining.

 

my web site is http://www.thinkcontext.com in there you'll find

a bunch of art work, interviews, reviews, etc. based around the trans am...

 

That's great! I showed my friend the inflatable T/A and said he could make one of those instead of a real one. Easier to store!

[A Sprite]

Looks like a graphics-modified Rally-X. Wasn't there a Rally-X demo/game in progress?

 

To the poster: do you have a weblink for this project? I have a friend who is extremely into T/A's and would be interested in learning more about this project (I'm interested myself), totally apart from the Atari aspect.

There were a couple, one of which was mine (screenshot posted.)

 

First off, the 2600 can't display detailed graphics like that. Look at the screenshot for a better example of what the game may actually look like.

 

Also, on the 2600, the smoke probably couldn't be more than just flickering blocks if you want them to fill the screen, and even that would require some sort of RAM cart, as the RAM requirements of the smoke alone, never minding the rest of the game, would exceed the 2600's available RAM.

 

EDIT: The cars look funny in the shot, probably due to Stella's phosphor effect - they bodies actually align with the wheels when you play the game.

 

What about if you reverse Pac Man, and lay down a fading trail of smoke colored bricks? I know it's cheap, but back then, they didn't have internet message boards to share notes. You hotdogged the game in order to ship it in time and keep your job, then you trusted in the imagination of your audience to carry the concept through, with an able assist from the cover art.

 

It makes a worse game, but it's more authentic to the times.

 

Edit: Other possibility would be to design an arcade game with steering wheel based on the 6502 or the better known (by programmers) 68k chip.

 

 

Atari was using both at the time, and judging from the amount of time the arcade division put into race game crashes (this crunch appears in another game) and chases with the law while smuggling moonshine, they would have loved to have had the license.

 

Your design would be no trouble.

 

Another edit: Only handicap is both were in b/w. The only color in arcade games came from screen overlays, until Namco released Galaxian in 1979.

Edited December 12, 2007 by A Sprite

[trans_am]

Looks like a graphics-modified Rally-X. Wasn't there a Rally-X demo/game in progress?

 

To the poster: do you have a weblink for this project? I have a friend who is extremely into T/A's and would be interested in learning more about this project (I'm interested myself), totally apart from the Atari aspect.

There were a couple, one of which was mine (screenshot posted.)

 

First off, the 2600 can't display detailed graphics like that. Look at the screenshot for a better example of what the game may actually look like.

 

Also, on the 2600, the smoke probably couldn't be more than just flickering blocks if you want them to fill the screen, and even that would require some sort of RAM cart, as the RAM requirements of the smoke alone, never minding the rest of the game, would exceed the 2600's available RAM.

 

EDIT: The cars look funny in the shot, probably due to Stella's phosphor effect - they bodies actually align with the wheels when you play the game.

 

What about if you reverse Pac Man, and lay down a fading trail of smoke colored bricks? I know it's cheap, but back then, they didn't have internet message boards to share notes. You hotdogged the game in order to ship it in time and keep your job, then you trusted in the imagination of your audience to carry the concept through, with an able assist from the cover art.

 

It makes a worse game, but it's more authentic to the times.

 

Edit: Other possibility would be to design an arcade game with steering wheel based on the 6502 or the better known (by programmers) 68k chip.

 

 

Atari was using both at the time, and judging from the amount of time the arcade division put into race game crashes (this crunch appears in another game) and chases with the law while smuggling moonshine, they would have loved to have had the license.

 

Your design would be no trouble.

 

Another edit: Only handicap is both were in b/w. The only color in arcade games came from screen overlays, until Namco released Galaxian in 1979.

 

i'd totally be down for that... those trees could pass for burnout smoke.