Game Art: Marnix De Nijs' "Exercise in Immersion 4" (2006-2007)
"Together with a specially designed ‘crash-suit’ fitted with headset, EI4 takes place in one of the industrial warehouses in 'Pakhuis Meesteren'. Once the headset is placed in position, the participant is introduced to a combined reality: a cinema-graphic, parallel world where the partition between the real and the surreal is interrelated with the progress of the game itself. Reality will gradually disappear in the ‘pakhuis’ warehouse, but if you crash into one of the pillars, for example, then you will be cast abruptly backwards in the game and towards reality.
The headset is equipped with a sensor system that can couple the exact position of the user in reality with previously designed imagery. On the display built into the headset, a combination between the real world and the virtual-constructed world becomes visible.The virtual world corresponds with the existing environment through a number of clearly marked reference points, such as walls, pillars and doors. Without movement, the player remains in reality and there is no possibility to take part in the game. Movement and game progression results in the manipulation of the existing space that in the long run will transform into a virtual environment. In the most extreme case, the representation of the existing space will be completely replaced with a new and unknown world." (Marnix De Nijs)
link: Marnix De Nijs
Submitted by Matteo Bittanti