Wired reported on Ishac Bertran’s experimental game consoles that let you make only one move a day.
Slow Games from Ishac Bertran on Vimeo.
From his Slow Games page:
I’m using Slow Games as a platform to experiment with low pace, long lasting gameplays, and explore game mechanics that keep players engaged throughout weeks of play with simple rule variations
At first, I thought, “Apparently Bertran hasn’t played games such as Diplomacy or chess by mail.”
Recently I started playing Neptune’s Pride after a long break, and I was telling a coworker. He hates the idea of a game that doesn’t resolve for weeks. And he hates the idea of even slower action games such as what Bertran’s consoles provide.
So, as actual games, they’re not for everyone.
But this project is meant to explore our relationship with technology. We expect instant feedback, and if that feedback mechanism was slowed down dramatically, how would it change our interaction?
Focusing so intently on the technology only gets you so far for these games, so would we start paying attention to our surroundings more? Or would we get antsy?
No matter what, these consoles are tiny, can fit next to anything on my shelf or desk, and I want one for Christmas. I don’t see any indication that they are going to be for sale, though. B-(