June 7, 2000

Computer Game Experts will Demonstrate Method Behind their Magic at MASS MoCA

(North Adams, MA--June 7, 2000) On Saturday, June 24, at 8 pm visitors to MASS MoCA will literally travel into some of the hottest new computer games at Cybernations: Designers of Cyberscapes. Using much larger-than-life projected images and surround sound, the artists and designers of the most popular - and most anticipated - games will guide a trip through their virtual worlds. Visitors will learn how the games are created and will participate in a discussion of the future of high-end computer gaming with leaders in the field.

"With Designers of Cyberscapes, we're continuing the tradition begun last year with our behind- the-scenes look at the making of Dinosaur, the just-released Disney film which broke new ground in computer animation. The top creators and designers we've assembled will unveil the technique used to create these amazing games, and in the process we'll get an look at some of the newest and most compelling of the next generation of virtual worlds," commented Joseph Thompson, MASS MoCA Director.

Robert Gehorsam, creator of Sony Online's EverQuest, and Harvey Smith, a key designer of the much-anticipated Deus Ex from Ion Storm, will take viewers step-by-step through the creation of these sometimes alarmingly realistic virtual environments. Carl Goodman of the American Museum of the Moving Image will moderate the event. Visitors will see a live online demonstration of the latest game craze, EverQuest, as well as a presentation of the design and creation process for the game, and preview the brand new game, Deus Ex.

EverQuest has racked up record-breaking numbers of "Best of 1999" awards from industry experts. Among the most noteworthy awards are Entertainment Weekly's Top 10 of the '90s, GameSpot UK's rank of 14 out of 100 Games of the Millenium, and 989 Studios' announcement that EverQuest had broken industry records for the number of pre-sold orders. This innovative online game features smooth social interaction between characters and players, well-balanced and diverse game play, and a vast and detailed virtual world brought to life by graphic quality previously reserved for single-player games. According to Cindy Yans of CDMAG.COM, EverQuest "will certainly influence the way online RPGs are handled from now on."

Deus Ex is an exciting new kind of computer game involving an advanced level of player freedom. The design team hoped to create a game that would "tune itself (however slightly) to the player's play style rather than forcing a designer's play style on players." The game is described as "James Bond meets the X-Files". Bond is the lead character - a nano-technology augmented anti-terrorist agent who travels the world. The X-Files comes into play with the hundreds of pages of research the team put together documenting conspiracy theories going back decades.

Robert Gehorsam has served as Vice President of New Media at Scholastic Inc. and as CEO of Golden Branch Interactive Productions. He founded and managed the entertainment and education groups at Prodigy Services Company. He has worked with Sony Online Entertainment Inc. as Senior Vice President of Programming and Platform Development, responsible for all programming, product development, technology and operations for The Station@Sony.com, a leading online entertainment network. Gehorsam has worked with Sony's The Station creating a number of games including the cutting-edge 3-D game EverQuest.

MASS MoCA will also present The Game Domain at 4 pm on June 24.

These programs are funded in part by the Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities.

Tickets to Designers of Cyberscapes are $12. Tickets are available through the MASS MoCA Box Office at 87 Marshall St. in North Adams from 10 am until 6 pm daily. Tickets can also be charged by phone by calling 413.662.2111 during box office hours or purchased on line at www.massmoca.org.

MASS MoCA, the largest center for contemporary visual and performing arts in the United States, is located at 87 Marshall Street in North Adams on a 13-acre campus of renovated 19th-century factory buildings.

For Immediate Release
Contact: Katherine Myers
(413) 664-4481 x8113
katherine@massmoca.org