The Convergence of Alternate Controllers and Musical Interfaces in Interactive Entertainment

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Speaker
Tina Blaine
Entertainment Technology Center, Carnegie Mellon University

When
-

Where
Newell-Simon Hall 1305 (Michael Mauldin Auditorium)

Description

This talk will investigate a variety of alternate controllers that are making an impact in interactive entertainment, particularly in the video game industry. Since the late 1990s, the surging popularity of rhythmic and musical performance games in Japanese arcades has led to the development of new interfaces and alternate controllers for the consumer market worldwide. Rhythm action games such as Dance Dance Revolution, Taiko No Tatsujin (Taiko: Drum Master), and Donkey Konga are stimulating collaborative gameplay and exposing consumers to custom controllers designed specifically for musical and physical interaction. We are witnessing the emergence and acceptance of these breakthrough controllers and models for gameplay as an international cultural phenomenon penetrating the video game and toy markets in record numbers. Therefore, it is worth considering the potential benefits to interface designers and developers of alternate controllers in light of these new and emerging interactive entertainment opportunities.

Speaker's Bio

Tina Blaine teaches in Carnegie Mellon University’s Entertainment Technology Center, developing collective experiences that integrate sonic discovery, game design and interactive media. Inspired by global traditions and spontaneous music-making, Blaine has a history of building electronic MIDI controller instruments and large-scale audience participation devices for live performance. As a musical interactivist at Interval Research, she led a development team in the creation of a collaborative audiovisual instrument known as the Jam-O-Drum, now on permanent exhibit at the Experience Music Project in Seattle. Her subsequent research and project teamwork with ETC students has been featured at SIGGRAPH’s Emerging Technologies, Zeum’s Youth Art and Technology Center in San Francisco, and Ars Electronica’s Museum of the Future in Linz, Austria. Blaine has written for numerous publications including the Journal for New Music Research, and is co-chair of the New Interfaces for Musical Expression (NIME) conference to be held at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, May 26-28, 2005. ETC website.

Speaker's Website
http://www.jamodrum.net/