TIGSource: Poppenkast: 3 Hours to Fame

Poppenkast: 3 Hours to Fame

Derek Yu — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 14:29:00 +0000

The Poppenkast have finished their second competition, called “3 Hours to Fame,” and put up a single download that includes all the entries. There are 15 games by 14 developers.

I probably don’t mention the Poppenkast enough. A collective of 33 developers; mostly experimental, mostly using Game Maker. Their ranks include the likes of cactus, messhof, darthlupi, and Radnom, to name a few. In my mind the group embodies a movement in game development and design that is typified by quick development, heavy abstraction of graphics and mechanics, and a focus on the sensory, rather than the narrative.

If I can get artsy-fartsy for a moment, they really remind me a lot of the Impressionists, both in spirit, style, and the way they are perceived by the gaming public – you either love them or you love to hate them (or you haven’t heard of them… yet). The criticisms are the same, too. Of Claude Monet’s Impression, Sunrise (now widely considered a masterpiece), early critics derided it as sloppy and unfinished, “barely a sketch.” Sound familiar?

History obviously vindicated the Impressionists, and their fresh vision and spontaneous style became more or less universally accepted as invaluable to art as a whole. I think the same will be said of these lads, too. And anyone who ever made a game with this kind of spirit (B-Games included). But the context, of course, will be games, and not fine arts.

(Another parallel: it’s interesting to note that the Impressionists took advantage of a new invention in the art world – pre-mixed paint that came in lead tubes. This technique was introduced in the mid-19th century and allowed them to “work more spontaneously, both indoors and outdoors.” Are Game Maker and similar programs the 21st century equivalents?)

"Poppenkast: 3 Hours to Fame" by Chris L

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 20:32:13 +0000

Indie gaming movement as recursive art history? Derek, I- I think I love you.

What would this make Tarn Adams? Seurat?

"Poppenkast: 3 Hours to Fame" by BeamSplashX

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 20:22:20 +0000

So right now you’re more like a Brandon ripoff?

"Poppenkast: 3 Hours to Fame" by robolee

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 11:01:58 +0000

I don’t get sterf, kutzombies.

The zombies can’t hurt or kill you and you can mow them down easily… and then nothing but wiggling blobs, I’ve been waiting but nothing is happening.

"Poppenkast: 3 Hours to Fame" by BMcC

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 08:25:47 +0000

No second coming just yet – this is me sticking my toe in the water.

"Poppenkast: 3 Hours to Fame" by JW(aap)

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 05:50:28 +0000

New compo:

http://www.thepoppenkast.com/forum/index.php?topic=813.msg16209#new

All join!

"Poppenkast: 3 Hours to Fame" by This is Houston

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 05:23:45 +0000

Get back to earth.

"Poppenkast: 3 Hours to Fame" by Tr00jg

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 04:10:34 +0000

HOLY CHEESE. BRANDON!

On to post. I quite like this “movement”. Inventive and very intriguing. I’d like to head into that direction myself. As a hobby its much more fun to do it than producing full-blown games that takes ages.

"Poppenkast: 3 Hours to Fame" by FISH

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 02:34:50 +0000

i cant wait for the druggy surealist part.

i wanna be game-magritte.

"Poppenkast: 3 Hours to Fame" by ron carmel

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 01:18:10 +0000

i like the painting analogy and certainly prefer it to the film comparison we so often hear. along the same line, i think mainstream games are now in a realism period similar to the realism movement in painting. in the end, it will hopefully take its proper place in history without becoming the be-all and end-all of video games.

"Poppenkast: 3 Hours to Fame" by FISH

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 01:06:27 +0000

also, holy shit at brandon’s 2nd coming.

"Poppenkast: 3 Hours to Fame" by FISH

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 01:05:52 +0000

its all about the digital renaissance, yo.

i didnt know these guys had a collective, tho. that’s pretty awesome.

"Poppenkast: 3 Hours to Fame" by 0rel

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 22:22:28 +0000

great analogy.

…and not to forget that Impressionism was kind of a (counter) reaction to the upcoming photography, which is rather comparable to Poppenkast vs next-gen too.

"Poppenkast: 3 Hours to Fame" by BeamSplashX

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 22:00:24 +0000

Claude Monet’s “Story du Cave” is a wonderful piece of work. I hear it was remade into a game in Japan.

"Poppenkast: 3 Hours to Fame" by sinoth

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 21:11:35 +0000

cactus! masturbates

"Poppenkast: 3 Hours to Fame" by Cow

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 20:33:08 +0000

That caption is the best.

"Poppenkast: 3 Hours to Fame" by Dusty Spur

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 20:28:38 +0000

I was about to be all “cool I see im9today’s game in that picture [/plug]” but then I see the lastest comment is by him.

p.s. You totally should link to Poppenkast more often. Like, just make random words in your articles hyperlinks to Poppenkast.

"Poppenkast: 3 Hours to Fame" by im9today

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 19:54:23 +0000

If only it was actually like this article makes it sound.

"Poppenkast: 3 Hours to Fame" by Petri Purho

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 19:03:53 +0000

BRANDON!!! You’re back for good?

Also, great article.

"Poppenkast: 3 Hours to Fame" by Gutter

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 17:53:22 +0000

hahah the caption on the picture (where else?) is hilarious!

"Poppenkast: 3 Hours to Fame" by ZereoX

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 17:25:04 +0000

Anyone got it to work on Vista. Right now Only Vectro works.

"Poppenkast: 3 Hours to Fame" by BMcC

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 17:08:26 +0000

P.S. I’m alive.

"Poppenkast: 3 Hours to Fame" by BMcC

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 17:07:15 +0000

Well written, Derek! Very cool.

"Poppenkast: 3 Hours to Fame" by Flamebait

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 17:07:05 +0000

Such programs are similar to the paint tubes, but only because both they can cause brain damage.

Unfortunately the range of expression in every piece of rapid game development software I’ve seen is extremely limited. Or, it’s just goddamn impossible to create fairly simple mechanics. But I do believe that one day they’ll rule supreme (even might try my own hand in a few years’ time).

"Poppenkast: 3 Hours to Fame" by GirlFlash

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 16:54:37 +0000

I think the comparison is a pretty cool one, though the movement in the arts took a loooong time to emerge, whereas its just a few years since the first computer games.

though I don’t know if its a case of games are just growing and developing faster, or merely ‘catching up’ with the other arts.

either way, these guys are making tracks and at the very least, will get a paragraph on the ‘history of art games’ on the wikipedia of the future.

but its not enough yet, MORE FORWARD! :D