Mr Joe Hahn Featured With Re-creating Classic Games Of Yesteryear For Exhibit
More than a dozen artists reinvisioned games such as Pac-Man and Mario for Gallery1988 showcase.
As the trend in video games moves toward releasing less-than-stellar games focused more on making money than providing quality entertainment, there is one exhibit that looks to bring the focus back to when video games meant something: the '80s. More importantly, a time in the evolution of video games when high-definition graphics and superior sound quality didn't mean anything, but instead the focus was on something more important.
"Modern games lack character," said Jon Gibson, co-curator of I Am 8-bit, the second annual gaming exhibit at Gallery1988 that takes a look at the gaming icons of yesterday. "Back in the day, all you had were a few pixels and an imagination to take you to that magic place. You didn't just play Mario, you were Mario. His personality was yours."
The exhibit consists of dozens of artists - whose backgrounds consist of animation, comic books, illustration, sculpting and design, among others - contributing their re-envisioned works of classic games from yesteryear. Some of the featured artists are Gary Baseman, Tim Biskup and Linkin Park's Joseph Hahn. There will also be a special sale of a poster featuring the art of the late Seth Fisher, with all the profits being donated to his wife and 1-year-old daughter.
"(The exhibit is) not just an ode to games of the '80s. It's a fist to the gut for all those geriatrics that refuse to accept that Mario and Pac-Man are celebrities - no, cultural icons - on par with the Jolies and Cruises of the world … but maybe just a little less crazy," Gibson said.
Aside from the artwork and sculptures that will last throughout the exhibit, tonight's opening will feature such specialties as an open bar, classic Capcom games to play, 8-bit theme songs from "Mega Man" and "Ikari Warriors" made exclusively for the show, DJing by 8-Bit Weapon and a modified version of the critically acclaimed and highly addicting "Guitar Hero."
Despite any new influences featured at the exhibit, its main focus will always be the games of the '80s. "Games of the old-school set, they've got charm, and that charm comes from their limitations. When all you got is a dude 10 pixels tall, it's a different experience than when everything is photo-real," Gibson said. "Think about it. If a game ended in two hours 15 years ago, we wanted to play it again. Now, if a game ends in two hours, we're ****** and unsatisfied. Games today have been stretched out with meaningless **** to make us think that we're playing something substantial. A really amazing two-hour experience has been yanked into a really average, incredibly unimaginative 20 hours.
Gibson blames money as the biggest contribution to the downfall of the quality of games.
"The bigger an industry gets, the more crappy product bogs down shelves," he said.
Despite seeing any chance for a change to this trend, he looks at it with a positive outlook: "You need **** to set apart the good stuff."
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"I Am 8-Bit" opens today and runs until May 19. A special book release and signing by Gibson of "I am 8-bit: Art Inspired by Classic Videogames of the '80s" will take place Saturday. For more information on the exhibit, visit
http://www.iam8bit.net or
www.gallery1988.com.
SOURCE:
Here
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Gosh I remember the days of Pacman, Super Mario, Alleyway and Wonder Boy and the article I thought was very true about how games have evolved and how the focus has changed :S! This sounds like an awesome opportunity for Mr Hahn
