Digital Media at York University
Computational Arts, York University, 235 Joan & Martin Goldfarb Centre for Fine Arts M3J 1P3 Toronto, ON, Canada

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Last of Light Last of Light is an action platformer game with procedurally generated elements such as levels, enemies and power-ups. You play as a wisp of light. Your goal is to collect the last remnants of light while trying to desperately survive in a world overcome by darkness. Last of Light explores the connection between game replay value and procedurally generated design as well as other elements such as permanent death. It presents an argument that if a game wants to d...eliver its entire experience to the player, it can be achieved through shortening the playing time while increasing its replay value. Therefore, the player has a choice to leave after getting the default basic understanding of the game or continues playing it in order to improve and discover new and unique experiences. Eldo Gonio and Alexei Sizov (2016) http://dmgallery.apps01.yorku.ca/last-of-light/

Keyblade Synthesizer Musical instruments (particularly Western ones) have historically been based on binary systems: press a key, pluck a string, hit a drum. Despite all the minute expressions one can create with traditional instruments, its bare foundations deny increments that contradict its hypothetical ruler of playability. The Keyblade Synthesizer is an exercise in accepting the idiosyncrasies in expression. At the core of the instrument, four photoresistors detect varia...tion in light and relay the information to an Arduino microcontroller. Through Max MSP, the signal is processed to produce four separate waveforms. Optionally, an ultrasonic sensor can be used to manipulate pitch. Four knobs control volume, tone, reverb, and scale. By manipulating light as a universal constant, the player reaches into the non-binary space between silence and sound. Faadhi Fauzi, Dolgormaa Battur, Brady Rhora, Keon Rastgoo http://dmgallery.apps01.yorku.ca/keyblade-synthesizer/

Today Our project explores the issue of gender inequality in everyday life. At the beginning, the player will be asked to select the option of female or male, and their response determines the events and interactions they are faced with throughout the story. The two characters exist within the same universe and are often seen in each other’s scenes, however, when the player experiences the game through the male character, they are oblivious to what is happening to the female ...character. In the public transit scene, the male character notices she is upset but brushes it off. In the workplace, the female character being pestered by her supervisor is out of view unless the player chooses to walk to the left of the scene and, even then, they appear to simply be having a conversation. While shopping, the male character does not interact with the female products or note the inequality in prices. This reflects the real-life ignorance or indifference that often exists in issues of inequality-not just of gender but racial and economic. When you are a part of a privileged group, it is easy to be oblivious to the hardship of others. We thought it would be interesting to have the player only grasp the message once they have played through the female character’s perspective and put themselves in the shoes of someone on the disadvantaged end. Hiba Faisal, Hong Pham, Anita Zeng http://dmgallery.apps01.yorku.ca/today/