Androidify - Puppeting Giant Characters in Times Square

Google Androidify

Google Creative Lab assembled an army to pull off a 2 day event in Times Square to celebrate all that is Android. During the event, the public was invited to create custom characters that could be played in a series of games on the largest screen in North America. Its true resolution is 2,368 x 10,048, measuring over 77 feet tall by 323 feet long- the perfect playground for Red Paper Heart.
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We created a series of unique and interactive games specifically for the massive screen that melted peoples faces with fun.

Users first created their Android character in order to play 1 of 4 games. Each game allowed a participant to become their character on the big screen through live motion tracking. As people jumped, posed, and swam, their onscreen character traveled through lively illustrated environments. Over the course of this project, we designed 15 games which involved: log-rolling-lumberjacks, head-banging metal heads and crab-piñatas. We ultimately arrived at 4 game concepts to put into production.

Google Androidify Kinect Game: Fashionista
Google Androidify Kinect Game: Fashionista
Google Androidify Kinect Game: Fashionista
Google Androidify Kinect Game: Fashionista
Google Androidify Kinect Game: Fashionista

Fashionista

In the final games, people struck model poses on a runway in “Fashionista,”

Google Androidify Kinect Game: Soccer
Google Androidify Kinect Game: Soccer
Google Androidify Kinect Game: Soccer
Google Androidify Kinect Game: Soccer
Google Androidify Kinect Game: Soccer

Soccer

Players bounced balls on their heads as many times as they could in “Soccer,”

Google Androidify Kinect Game: Swimming
Google Androidify Kinect Game: Swimming
Google Androidify Kinect Game: Swimming
Google Androidify Kinect Game: Swimming

Swimming

Waved their arms to float upward and avoid electric jellyfish in “Swimming,”

Google Androidify Kinect Game: Balance
Google Androidify Kinect Game: Balance
Google Androidify Kinect Game: Balance

Balance

And tried to keep stacks of elaborate hats from falling over in the game, “Balance.”

Google Androidify Kinect Game in Times Square New York City
Google Androidify Kinect Game in Times Square New York City
Google Androidify Kinect Game in Times Square New York City

Each game was a gut simple interaction that put participants in friendly competition with 3 others.

In a location full of passive advertisement, these physical competitive games were a huge drawn and a lot of fun. Plus—the Naked Cowboy played, and may or may not have lost to a group of children.

Behind the Scenes - Google Androidify Kinect Game in Times Square New York City
Behind the Scenes - Google Androidify Kinect Game in Times Square New York City
Behind the Scenes - Google Androidify Kinect Game in Times Square New York City

Team

  • Zander Brimijoin - Creative Director
  • Daniel Scheibel - Technology Director
  • Lisa Walters - Senior Producer
  • Adrià Navarro López - Developer
  • Matt Kenefick - Developer
  • Georg Fischer - Developer
  • Phil Sierzega - Designer
  • Pedro Piccinini - Designer
  • Nathan Punwar - Documentation
  • ---
  • Ohrenkunst - Sound Design

For Google Creative Lab