Members of the public play the new video game, developed at Epic Westport, on Christchurch's Tuam St. Photo / Supplied
Members of the public play the new video game, developed at Epic Westport, on Christchurch's Tuam St. Photo / Supplied
Two Westport-based companies have produced a public art installation as part of Christchurch's Gap Filler project.
CerebralFix and Vertigo Technology, based at Epic Westport, are behind the video game that's been installed on Tuam Street.
Members of the public stand on one side of the street with the giant-sized controls and the game plays out on a big LED screen on the new Vodafone building on the other side.
Co-founder of CerebralFix and Epic Westport, Natasha Barnes Dellaca, said CerebralFix made the game and Vertigo provided the computer, wireless networks and programming.
"The collaboration actually happened in Westport, which is really exciting.
"For us the really exciting thing is that it's not just supporting companies on the Coast but we're supporting new business coming through because the companies can work together," Mrs Barnes Dellaca said.
Donny Harris, of CerebralFix in Christchurch, said CerebralFix made the game for free.
"It was a really fun, cool project to work on. We felt like it wouldn't be the worst thing if we had our name on a massive building."
Christchurch pedestrians try out the game Attack of the Cones, based on an 80s game called Moon Patrol. Photo / Supplied
The collaboration with Vertigo wouldn't have happened without Epic Westport, Mr Harris said.
CerebralFix had scored the job initially, and co-founder Ben Dellaca brought Vertigo in because he thought it would be great to work together.
"They told me 'we're going to make this controller and put it on the street and put it on a massive TV on the side of a wall'. I genuinely thought, that's not going to happen."
The game was based on an old 80s game called Moon Patrol, Mr Harris said.
"We just started throwing ideas around - you could be cruising along Christchurch and there's all these hazards because there's been an earthquake, there's holes in the road etc and people are whinging about the traffic and all the cones there.
"We thought, that would be quite fun. Then we just came up with a game called Attack of the Cones."
The game was "awesome", he said. It was tested yesterday and officially launched today. "There were a lot of people driving past thinking, what the hell's going on?"
Brett Cottle of Vertigo said the company took about a week to design the wireless gear, working with CerebralFix throughout the process.
"There's nothing new to what we're developing. It's just making something do something it's not meant to do."
The game will remain on Tuam St until the tram tracks are extended up High St, which may be late next year. It could become a permanent part of the city.
