Arcade Science Day of Play

the advanced math, engineering, and physics required to make their games do what they imagine—all for the love of play. On this day, hear from soft robotics innovator Kari Love about the ways fabric, plushies, and other non-traditional materials can become controllers for computer robotics. Then, game designer Andy Wallace discusses where math and game design intersect, and the geometry principles inherent in his games—and offers audiences a chance to test play his latest game, Rocket Dog. Meet the creators of HOVERBURGER ( Nick Santaniello) and MASSIVE (Matt Fry) after playing their astronomy-themed games. These creators tell us about the inspirations for these games, as well as their creative and technical challenges. This will be followed by a conversation among these four designers—and a chance for your questions. Also on this day, Arcade Commons leads hands-on circuit crafting with real arcade components—showing some of the basics of physical computing that go in to building a video game cabinet. Plus, draw your own video game, soft robotics demos from NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP) students alumni, and more. Following the program, all Arcade Science participants are invited to join us for a reception to celebrate the close of another successful season of Open Worlds: Science. This program is presented in partnership with Arcade Commons. Schedule of Events 11 a.m.–6:00 p.m. Play indie games HOVERBURGER and MASSIVE (first come, first served) 11:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m. All-ages hands-on activities, including circuit building with real arcade components and “Draw your Own Video Game” coloring 1:00–2:30 p.m. Conversation: Arcade Science with soft robotics innovator Kari Love and game designers Matt Fry, Nick Santaniello, and Andy Wallace (RSVP here) 2:30–3:30 p.m. Demo of select indie games and soft robotics students and alumni of NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program 3:00–5:00 p.m. Open Worlds: Science series finale reception Special Guests Matt Fry is a multidisciplinary designer with a background in architecture and more than a decade of experience creating experiences, campaigns, objects, interactive technology, and spaces. He began designing and developing games alongside his agency work, and through years of involvement with Brooklyn’s Arcade Commons community has designed and built more than 15 original arcade cabinets. He recently founded MODE MODE, an independent creative studio spanning game design, creative technology, fabrication, and experiential work. His longstanding fascination with science, space, and physics—from Carl Sagan to PBS Space Time—comes together in MASSIVE, where those ideas become the basis for interactive systems, visualizations, and arcade play. Kari Setsuko Love is a Brooklyn-based artist who makes tech-enabled mixed media pieces that demystify technology and ask the question “Who does technology belong to?” Drawing on her wide-ranging professional experiences, her projects engage all five senses and sometimes even become a part of the user. Costuming has been central to her career for over 20 years, and the Spider-man costume she led the team to build for the Broadway production of Spider-man: Turn Off the Dark was inducted into the Smithsonian collection. As a puppet costumer and builder she has worked on productions such as Sesame Street and Helpsters. Kari served as a technical expert on 5 NASA research contracts. She co-wrote the book Soft Robotics: A DIY Introduction to Squishy, Stretchy, and Flexible Robots and teaches soft robotics to artists at NYU-ITP. Nick Santaniello, creator of the game HOVERBURGER, is a NYC-based game developer and creative technologist who has been creating games and interactive art for over 15 years. Under the label ROBYSOFT, his works have appeared on both digital storefronts and at physical venues across the world. He developed Just Rain, a pioneering audiovisual interactive rain simulation that has garnered over 3 million downloads. As a founding member of Arcade Commons, he seeks to evangelize a social, accessible brand of in-person play. He also led the development of GIPHY Arcade, a web-based platform allowing users to easily create, remix, and share their own sticker-powered microgames. Andy Wallace is a NYC-based independent game designer and creative coder, whose work has been shown in museums throughout the world. He is a founding member of the non-profit Arcade Commons, and as faculty at Long Island University, he helped expand the Digital Game Design and Development program, eventually becoming Department Director. More recently, he is a co-founder of the EMMA Technology Cooperative. Arcade Commons is a non-profit (501c3) collective of artists, designers, fabricators, and game developers based in New York City. Since 2013, they ve built indie arcade cabinets and creative installations to engage people with social and tangible modes of play and share skills and resources in a variety of disciplines. Open Worlds: Science is funded by Simons Foundation International and administered by the Simons Foundation’s Science, Society Culture division.