It was a beautiful day
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….
After carefully checking out the Cannes boulevard for the best gamespots and checking connectivity, all preparations were done.
We planned the event just after coming back from the amazing boot trip with the Amsterdam clipper, so players would have some proper entertainment before loosing themselves in the evening program. So the entire team grabbed the microphone just before docking to rally up the Dutch.
On the docks we explained how the game was to be played and set up teams – 5 in total – team Tetris, team Pong, team Space Invaders, team Snake and team Pacman. All teams had just one mission: turn there classic game title into a modern hit game.
And then it almost seemed that the game had already started right there. As Micha was filling water balloons he couldn’t resisting surprising people that were still on the boat, but in return the crew on the boat returned fire with their fire hose blasting Micha. The perfect warm-up!
Now all teams headed to their first location navigating on their mobile phones. At the first location each team had to re-enact the core gameplay of their game, which led some very amusing spectacles as you can see in the video.
more: gameplay vid 1, gameplay vid 2, gameplay vid 3, gameplay vid 4
Now on to the entrance of the Cannes Lions venue where teams used chalk as their weapon of choice. They each drew three slides on the ground that would help them pitch their game to ‘innocent’ bystanders.
Check out some of the pitches:
more: pitch vid 1, pitch vid 2, pitch vid 3, pitch vid 4
Next part was about distribution techniques and it was up to the teams to illustrate their strategies using water balloons. Most teams chose to create a circle of people and pass around a water balloon and expand the circle as much as they could until the balloon broke.
And finally there was only one thing left to do – beat the competition! The competition in this case represented by Micha in his Taekwondo gear. Objective – pick two people from your team to pass Micha without getting caught as many times as you can.
Finally, based on a unanimous decision, team Space Invaders won because they scored the highest and involved the most people from the boulevard.
More photos and videos? Check out this Flickr set.
We have arrived…
The flight was way too early, but adjusting to life in sunny Cannes makes up for everything of course. About to go to the play field to check out the different spots for playability. Also just checked mobile connectivity here in France and we’re all set to go.
All ready to go…
Yes, it’s almost time. Everyone’s getting ready for an early 06:45 flight from Amsterdam to land in Nice at 08:40. All game elements have been implemented in the 7scenes software, all props have been purchased at the local Toys’r'us, all mobile phones are loaded. We’re all ready to go!
Yes it all came together!
Today, powered by some good’ol’ cafeine, we put all the pieces together! We merged all of our previous ideas into one concept full of fun and entertainment but also very much inspired by how the game industry works. So here it is:
Players form teams of 3 to 4 people and each team has only one assignment. They are told that they have just acquired the right to a classic game and now have to make that game a succes in this day and age. Games include classics such as Pong, Donkey Kong, Pacman, Tetris, Space Invaders and Snake. Making the game a success means knowing how the game industry works and dealing with all different aspects, so this is what teams will have to do.
They have a mobile phone with which they navigate different locations on the Cannes boulevard where upon arrival they will receive their task. Performing these tasks does not only draw upon the knowledge of the team, but also on the creativity and ingenuity. Step by step they will go from ‘designing new gameplay’ to ‘pitching the game’ to ‘distribution strategies’ to finally ‘beating the competition’.
Weapons of choice: mobile phones, chalk, big game objects, classic game tunes, water balloons and the clueless public on the boulevard.
Each team will be accompanied by a jury-member, so after playing the jury can get together to determine which team mastered all tasks the best. Who knows the game industry the best and will win the amazing price package consisting of 7scenes, White Bear, Little Chicken, Hansnel, Gamewise and Lightmaker goodies? Come and see on june 25th in Cannes!
During the brainstorm session AT5 shot their first part of their ‘making-of’ item on this project. Next part will be shot on-site with live game action at the Dutch clipper and the Cannes boulevard.
Real life snake – Come Out & Play ’07 commercial
Evolution Geek 1.0 to 2.0
Hi,
This one helps us ;0)
We have started!
Yes, we had our first brainstorm this monday (june 15th ’09)! But first let me introduce the team. We have Ronald Lenz from Waag Society & 7scenes, Pascal Haakmat from Lightmaker, Michiel Sala from Little Chicken, Micha vd Meer from White Bear, Allain Silbernberg from the Hansnel groep and Demian Sepp from Gamewise. Quite an impressive allstar team as I may say so…
After a short introductory round – not everyone knew each other just yet – Allain kicked off by suggesting Dance4Life as a brand to promote. Emails had been going around the days before about the idea of taking a good cause to promote in the game. Allain pictured players getting the local crowd on the boulevard into all kinds of dance moves and filming and photographing that. You needed to find your dancebuddies and maybe hand out condoms. Some guys in the group were imagining their own shame in that scenario and felt a little reluctant, but that turned around quickly as everybody decided that a game in Cannes should be ludic.
Then Michiel took us on another route, thinking more about the actual character of the event in Cannes: networking! What if we could make a game that would give players the opportunity to pitch to a number of seriously interested clients. You would have to find these them using your mobile phone and the player that would have done the most pitches and collected the most (virtual) businesscards would win. A matchmaking game. We could even have different roles in the game Demian said, who also really saw this game as a podium for companies and would therefore have the right incentive for them to play.
Pascal mentioned that Cannes has a lot to do stereotypes, fast cars, film industry mogols, the rich & famous, beautiful women. Should we do something with that? But Micha from WhiteBear flipped it around. Yes let’s keep the stereotypes, but let’s make it about the stereotypes of the gaming industry. Let’s use those archetypal views and have players discover the history of the game industry. But let’s take it all to the absurd. Now everyone joined in. During the game you would evolve into the ultimate gamenerd while on a treasure hunt on the Cannes boulevard. And finally the game would come together at …. where the twist in the plot will be ….. Ok we can’t give everything away just yet of course, but we did decide on the winner’s price. A price package consisting of company goodies coming from all of us – a game design book, free advice and much more.
Can’t wait till next friday how we shape the concept further…
A little insight into the game industry to get you in the mood.
Hello Cannes!
What happens when a group of creatives put their heads together to come up with a location-based mobile advertising concept? We are about to find out! The first short brainstorm will start today, june 15th, and next friday, june 19th, we have one day to pull it all together.
I can’t wait to see what comes out, but I’m sure it won’t be anything we expected it to be…
Headquarters? See pic below..
Check out this blog to keep updated on the creative process and the grand finale in Cannes.
