Artist Statement #1

Making Gaming Systems Cheap & Accessible

Hack #1 that was assigned for this course wanted us to use the MakeyMakey device in a creative way. At first, I was unsure of what to create because I thought my ideas were too simple and predictable. However, after looking at the examples that were provided on the MakeyMakey webpage, I began thinking of ways in which the MakeyMakey could be used for fun, thinking similarly to more expensive games such as consoles like the Nintendo Switch & the Xbox 360’s Kinect. The MakeyMakey made it possible to elevate a free game and provide a new experience for users that they previously would not have been able to experience. As was mentioned in class, this usage of the system provided accessibility for people who may not have the opportunity to purchase a high end device such as the Nintendo Switch, since the MakeyMakey can be purchased for $50 + tax (which could be seen as expensive but is quite a price cut from the hundreds more that are needed to purchase a more advanced setup.

Trial & Error

This hack was a bit difficult for me and I presented late because of the fact that I was sick and unable to work on it during the initial work period. However, once I recovered I was able to work more on my idea and hash out any issues. Another issue I had was working by myself. Since I was still recovering and didn’t want to get anyone else sick, I had to do trial and error by myself, making things a bit difficult as observation of another person would have been much easier than trying to test the device while also taking notes. Finally, I feel as though there wasn’t much help on the official website for the device to help make changes such as changing which letter would correspond to which arrow or so forth (though I probably could have searched on YouTube), so it was just up to my intuition to figure it all out.

Changes or Elevations

At the end of my presentation, I was asked how I would elevate my project if I had more time and one thing that I feel would help is to develop better aesthetics for it. The wiring being exposed takes away from the game and can even make it feel less fun. Originally, I had created colorful sheets of paper to act as the pads players would step on to signal the step in the game, but this caused issues with the detection, so I had to make changes. However, if I had more time to try and change this, I would try and make the pads colorful and maybe even incorporate lights to make the game feel fun and entice people to play.