pacman plus | About

pacman plus is a real world interpretation of the 1980's video game Pac-Man. The maze, approximately 5m x 6m in size, was initially installed in an exhibition space at the Plus International Design Festival 2007 and is under consideration for inclusion in the http://myfiercefestival.co.uk 2008 festival.

The work has been designed for all those people who have ever wondered what it would be like to actually be inside a computer game, and for all those people for whom the thought has never even entered their minds, but like to experience unique events. What would it like to be under control, or control someone, or maybe even be a ghost for an afternoon?

Trapped in a physical manifestation of a virtual world, players will chose which role they take on in this homage to a retro classic. Take your opportunity to become Pacman, where an amalgamation of quick reactions, physical presence and pure luck will uncover your inner talents.

A player dressed as Pacman will enter the maze, lying in wait will be two ghosts - Blinky and Inky. Pacman's movements will then be directed via a one way headset linked to another player, who will be watching and reacting to the unfolding action on a large projection of the overhead maze. The goal of the game for Pacman and his controller will be to collect the four Powerpills that will be inside the maze.

Pacman Plus has been developed by Pete O'Donnell and Joy Armitage, but would never have seen the light of day if it wasn't for LOADS of help from.. Emma C, Peter Z, Pam K, Dean S, Carl J, Jamie F, Matt M.

Q & A

Q: How many players are needed for Pacman Plus?
A: 5. There are 3 players in the maze (Pacman & 2 Ghosts) and 2 players outside, the directing proceedings. One of the players outside the maze is linked to Pacman via a one way headset, so the player can control Pacman, but as we all know, Pacman can't speak back to the player. The other player outside the game controls the Ghosts.

Q: Is there any skill involved in Pacman Plus?
A: The game controller is the key person in the game. They need to give the directions to Pacman in a quick, but clear manner, and always from the perspective of the Pacman, not from what they see on the projector.

Q: How many lives does Pacman get?
A: This is the real world, where there are no second chances, Pacman only gets one life, then it's 'Game Over'.

Q: Are there real 'dots' in the maze?
A: Nope. The lack of dots is a change that we've had to make from the original game. However we've added a few gameplay elements that will make up for the lack of dots - this is Pacman Plus after all.

Q: Are there really "Powerpills" in the maze?
A: Yep. There are physical power pills, that Pacman must deal with as he journeys round the maze.

Q: How do the ghosts 'eat' Pac Man?
A: The ghosts simply have to touch Pacman to effectively 'eat' him and end the game.

Q: How do the other ghost know when Pac Man has eaten a Powerpill?
A: A sound will be played that will notify the Ghosts that Pacman has eaten the powerpill.

Q: How long does a game usually last?
A: Like in real Pacman the game can last from 5 seconds to 5 hours, however I'm confident that if the ghosts and their controller work together Pacman won't last for more than 10 minutes

Q. What is the objective of the game?
A: The objective of Pacman Plus is to collect all the powerpills and then survive for as long as possible.

Q: Can I play?
A: Of course! If you can make it to the Plus international Design Festival 2007 http://www.youplusus.net/ you can take your turn.

Q: Are you planning on doing Pacman Plus at other events?
A: We would love to do Pacman Plus at other events across the UK and even across the world. Please feel free to get in touch if you can think of an event that would suit the project. Email us at pacmanplus [at] mail.com ? (Make sure to replace the [at] with @ in the email address)

Q: What about Ms. Pacman Plus?
A: We're all for gender equality at Pacman Plus, so we will have a bow on hand, to turn Pacman into Ms. Pacman.

Q What is next for the Pacman Plus
A: At the moment the projection of the game is a direct presentation of what is happening in the real world - in the future we would like to combine the real world game with computer technology to produce a augmented reality version of the game, complete with dots!