New York University’s Center for Urban Science and Progress and experiential design agency Urban Matter Inc. joined forces to create a playful pop-up game experience that takes over street-facing store displays. The project dubbed Play Array features a huge panel made up of circular bulbs that light up with LEDs. Despite the elaborate looking setup, it's put together quite economically with polyethylene lenses and milk crates.
To interact with this display, people passing by in public are encouraged to visit the companion website. Once connected, a user is able to indulge in a game of pong from a smartphone, until they miss five times and reach "game over."
The interactive installation will remain on display for a few weeks, bringing awareness to topics like urban innovation, citizen science and technology as art.
Gaming Retail Windows
The Play Array Project Turns a Retail Storefronts into a Pop-Up Game
Trend Themes
1. Pop-up Games - Creating playful pop-up game experiences using LED lights and companion websites.
2. Interactive Retail Displays - Using technology to create interactive retail displays to enhance customer experience.
3. Mobile Gaming - Encouraging mobile gaming through interactive displays and companion websites.
Industry Implications
1. Retail - Retail stores could use interactive displays to enhance the customer experience.
2. Experiential Design Agencies - Experiential design agencies could use LED lights and companion websites to create unique pop-up game experiences.
3. Urban Science and Innovation - Urban science and innovation centers could use pop-up games to educate and increase awareness of topics like urban innovation, citizen science, and technology as art.