Description: The Thing Growing, is a work of fiction implemented in virtual reality, in which the user is the main protagonist and interacts with computer controlled characters. The Thing, the main character, falls in love with the participant. But it is a bullying and coercive love, the Thing insists that the participant should dance with it. The main conceit is to create the experience and emotions of a stifling intimacy. The Thing Growing originally built for a CAVE VR system at the Electronic Visualization Laboratory between 1997 and 2000. A Japanese language version was built in 2001. We believe intelligent agents are crucial elements for dramatic VR applications. The Thing was our first attempt at building a responsive character – a manipulative creature designed to encourage the user to jump through emotional hoops. (more information)
Collaborators: Josephine Anstey, Dave Pape
Soft/Hardware: XP + custom programming, Performer, CAVElib, Bergen, CAVE or projection-based VR system