////furminator
Volker Morawe, Tilman Reiff Fur Collective / 2005 / Germany
Described by Fur Collective's Volker Morawe and Tilman Reiff as “first person pinball,” “////furminator” is a remarkable hybrid of gaming technologies past and present. Standing upright, a player inserts his head into the game's encasement, which resembles a gigantic virtual reality helmet grafted to an arcade console. Once inside, the player's face is mere centimeters from a modified “Terminator 2” pinball machine, which is controlled by using repurposed Commodore 64 “Quickshot II” joysticks. Several cameras installed inside the machine allow multiple vantage points for both gamer and onlooker, with live feeds visible on monitors both in and outside the game. Creating a fully immersive environment through mechanical means, “////furminator” succeeds in evoking the familiar perspective of first-person shooters without a digital interface.
