By Brian Corrigan
Updates
OhHeckYeah launches in two weeks. From June 7 - July 26, every Thursday and Saturday, we will transform the Denver Theatre District into the first iteration of the street arcade. With this launch, we hope to gain new insights into how play can help break down social barriers that exist on the street. With this goal in mind, we framed the design of the video games around the question: How can we build technology to connect people in the psychical world?
We’ve also released two of the three trailers for this summer’s video games:
CATCHY
CATCHY: An Original OhHeckYeah Street Arcade Video Game from OhHeckYeah on Vimeo
THE GAME PLAY
Catch only the good stuff while avoiding the bad stuff. Players control the game's characters by moving their body side-to-side. To win, be the one with the most points at the end of the time period!
The Good Stuff (+1pt): Apples, Diamonds, Coins & Ice Cream
The Bad Stuff (-1pt): Bricks, Swords, Bombs & Dirty Socks
BIG BLUE’S HOOD SLAM
BIG BLUE'S HOOD SLAM: An Original OhHeckYeah Street Arcade Video Game from OhHeckYeah on Vimeo.
THE GAME PLAY
Guide Denver's famous Blue Bear along the journey from the mountains back to Blue's home at the Colorado Convention Center. Players must avoid the obstacles placed in the way by the mischievous flying saucer.
We also launched the Twitter accounts for the two games. The accounts exist as a tool to bring the video game characters to life. They are being managed by improv comedians from Bovine Metropolis Theater. Since our work exists in the Denver Theatre District, we see this as the next generation of theater. Participants are able to interact with the characters online and then come play with them on the street.
Catchy and Big Blue can be followed at:
@catchy_OHY
Challenge
One of the flatter learning curves I’ve encountered during this project has been with the permitting process. As an individual working with multiple groups to complete this project, I’ve been fortunate to have lots of support from the City and partner organizations. They have played an extremely important role in helping move the process along. But how do other individuals who don’t have this support go about it? Does this process create barriers for artists wanting to develop creative placemaking projects? Could the permitting process be reimagined to make it easier for artists to work in public space? Can technology be developed to act as a bridge?
Reent Wins
Creative Mornings Features OhHeckYeah
http://creativemornings.com/talks/brian-corrigan-and-matt-fajohn/1
OhHeckYeah at the Denver Art Museum’s CultureHaus Event
http://www.denverartmuseum.org/article/staff-blogs/ohheckyeah-bring-street-arcade-culturehaus-event
TEDxMileHigh Writes about OhHeckYeah in their Round-up of Innovation, Social Impact and Design
http://www.tedxmilehigh.com/wednesdays-on-the-web-may-7th/
OhHeckYeah Talks about Building Maker Communities at Boulder Startup Week
http://boulderstartupweek.com/schedule/the-age-of-makers-a-fourum-on-building-a-maker-culture-2/
OhHeckYeah included in the Colorado Creative Industries Innovation Summit
http://www.themountainmail.com/free_content/article_7725bcda-d13d-11e3-994d-001a4bcf6878.html
Doors Open Denver Includes OhHeckYeah in Architecture Tours
http://doorsopendenver.com/tours
The Denver Egotist Covers the Launch of CATCHY
http://www.thedenveregotist.com/news/local/2014/may/7/look-one-games-youll-be-playing-denvers-immersive-street-arcade-summer
The Denver Egotist Covers the Launch of BIG BLUE’S HOOD SLAM
http://www.thedenveregotist.com/news/local/2014/may/19/look-second-game-youll-be-playing-denvers-immersive-street-arcade-summer
Colorado Public Radio names OhHeckYeah a Must-See Family-Friendly Cultural Events
http://www.cpr.org/news/story/family-friendly-cultural-events-colorado-during-may-and-june
Summer 2014: Glass, Bronze and Video Games Go Grand
http://www.denverpost.com/entertainment/ci_25817858/glass-bronze-and-video-games-go-grand-aspens?source=pkg
Justin Gitlin Speaks about OhHeckYeah at ConvergeSE
http://convergese.com/tracks-gaming.php
The Arts Affinity Group: Youth on Record, OhHeckYeah, Buntport and Downtown Aurora Visual Artists
http://www.confluence-denver.com/features/arts_affinity_group_050714.aspx
Insight/Provocation
PACKAGING A COMMUNITY IDENTITY: How do places communicate what they are in an authentic way? It’s a big and complicated question. A place can represent everything. It seems that the most successful places have figured this question out. As creative placemakers, how can the arts package the community’s identity? What types of questions need to be asked? How does this story integrate into the built environment? How can it be constructed to allow for updates as the community changes?