Link:
https://noahwc.itch.io/objects-in-motion
Art is dead is a simple 2d sidescrolling platformer where every asset in the game is a company logo taken from the internet. Using the J and L keys, the player can manipulate the rotation of the platforms around them arranging their unique geometry in such a way that allows them to progress. At the end of the game, the player must choose to continue receiving stimulus or finally rest.
When designing this game, I wanted to capture the feeling of growing up in a digital era and tackle the commodification of attention. The two factors of the digital age I chose to highlight are the use of product placement making free entertainment lucrative, and how easy access to the internet at all times often distracts from mundane but necessary tasks such as sleeping. I’m sure we all have had late nights spent on YouTube or Netflix not realizing how many hours it’s been until the sun starts to poke through the window. The constant need to be stimulated isn’t a new experience, but the introduction of the internet has ensured that our engagement with the mediums that are the most stimulating can be commodified and engineered. This work was largely inspired by the Conceptualism movements anti-commodification of art sentiment as well as Vulture’s interview with comedian Bo Burnham where he talks about his take on growing up online (themes also present in his songs “Art Is Dead” and “Welcome to the Internet”).