Drift the Video game is educational gameplay that encourages exploration of the soundscapes in the environment. The player should come away feeling they know the environment they have experienced and understand how the effects of society contribute to noise pollution that interferes with natural sounds. By exploring and clearing all the sound areas the player leaves the environment in its natural state.
Design Goals
Drawing on The Situationist International for narrative and inspiration, I proposed to explore their notion that each space contains its own innate atmosphere.
I hoped to capture the concept of the Dérive or drifting envisioned by Guy Debord. Drifting through space and time with no objective other than to experience and voyeur was the goal for my player.
My vision was further inspired by the Acoustic Ecology of Sound and the historical association of sounds to time and space.
The Machinima below gives a view into the gameplay and sounds of Drift.
The Situationists believed that sensations are created from space’s innate utility and how it was used created turbulence that determined entry into spaces.
The combined ambience created by those who occupy the space, the visual aspects of the area and the sounds which are created during its use are what makes up the psychogeography of a city.
For instance a space such as the commons which is designed for the people’s enjoyment may contain physical traits that allow for gatherings and protest but without the ambient sounds of a protest its use as a public common might remain undiscovered to an observer.
Contact Karin for a copy of Drift for educational purposes.
