Laserati

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SIGGRAPH officials announced details for the world’s first known use of a state-of-the-art laser projection system designed to show real-time vector graphics in vibrant, non-pixelated color to play several classic arcade games on a giant projection screen nightly at the San Diego Civic Center from 6-8 August 2007. The classic arcade games of “Asteroids®” and “Tempest™” (courtesy of Atari Interactive, Inc.), and “Star Wars” (courtesy of LucasArts) are three of the ten most popular arcade games of all time, and the only three to use vector graphics, drawn with lines instead of pixels.
The unique video game event will feature celebrity players exhibiting their skills in front of a live audience prior to the nightly unveiling of the SIGGRAPH Computer Animation Festival – known as the world’s premier event for computer graphics and animation. Groundbreaking films presented at the Computer Animation Festival have amazed audiences for three decades. Since 1999, the Festival has also been an official qualifying event for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences "Best Animated Short Film" award.
“Playing these classic games like they’ve never been seen before is the perfect nod to the early days of the video games industry as well as to the early days of computer graphics,” says Paul Debevec, SIGGRAPH 2007 Computer Animation Festival Chair from the University of Southern California Centers for Creative Technologies. “With our festival showcasing the most groundbreaking computer animations from around the globe, including a record number pieces from the video game industry, it’s a thrill to be able to start the show with faithful, larger-than-life versions of the games that helped attract so many of the SIGGRAPH audience to the field of computer graphics.”
The games will be played through the original arcade machine microcode via an arcade emulator system specially customized by Matt Polak from Cleveland-based Raven Systems Design. The customizations convert the game’s original vector lists into lighting-fast laser beam motions. The light will be supplied by a groundbreaking high-powered color laser system by San Jose-based Novalux aimed into a special dual-scanner mirror system assembled by laser systems expert Steve Heminover of Chicago-based Aura Technologies. In addition, Clovis, California-based WestControls has built authentic custom-built controllers using original arcade machine components.
Celebrity players include Jim Blinn (renowned computer scientist who is widely known for his work at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory), Ken Perlin (Academy Award Winner for Scientific and Technical Achievement), Glenn Entis (SVP, Chief Visual and Technical Officer, Electronic Arts), and John Knoll (Industrial Light & Magic Visual Effects Supervisor on the “Star Wars” prequels, the “Pirates of the Caribbean” series and Academy Award Winner for “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest”). Nightly tickets to the pre-show video game event and the Computer Animation Festival are available to the public at the door of the San Diego Civic Center for $50. Each viewing is expected to sell out.
About SIGGRAPH
SIGGRAPH 2007 will bring an estimated 25,000 computer graphics and interactive technology professionals from six continents to San Diego, California, USA for the industry's most respected technical and creative programs focusing on research, science, art, animation, gaming, interactivity, education, and the web from 5-9 August 2007 at the San Diego Convention Center. SIGGRAPH 2007 includes a three-day exhibition of products and services from the computer graphics and interactive marketplace from 7-9 August 2007. More than 250 international exhibiting companies are expected. Registration for the conference and exhibition is open to the public. More details are available at www.siggraph.org/s2007.
About ACM
The Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) SIGGRAPH sponsors SIGGRAPH 2007. ACM is an educational and scientific society uniting the world’s computing educators, researchers and professionals to inspire dialogue, share resources and address the field’s challenges. ACM strengthens the profession’s collective voice through strong leadership, promotion of the highest standards, and recognition of technical excellence. ACM supports the professional growth of its members by providing opportunities for life-long learning, career development, and professional networking.
About Infogrames Entertainment
Infogrames Entertainment (IESA), the parent company of the Atari Group, is listed on the Paris Euronext stock exchange (ISIN code: FR-0000052573) and has two principal subsidiaries: Atari Europe, a privately-held company, and Atari, Inc., a United States corporation listed on NASDAQ (ATAR). The Atari Group is a major international producer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment software for all market segments and in all existing game formats (Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony) and on CD-ROM for PC. Its games are sold in more than 60 countries. The Atari Group’s extensive catalogue of popular games is based on original franchises (Alone in the Dark, V-Rally, Test Drive, Roller Coaster Tycoon, etc.) and international licenses (Matrix, Dragon Ball Z, Dungeons & Dragons, etc.). For more information: http://www.atari.com
About LucasArts
LucasArts, a Lucasfilm Ltd. company, is a leading developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software worldwide for video game console systems, computers and the Internet. Based in San Francisco, Calif., as well as on the Internet at www.lucasarts.com, LucasArts was created in 1982 by George Lucas to provide an interactive element to his vision of a state-of-the-art, multifaceted entertainment company.
Lucasfilm Ltd. is one of the world's leading film and entertainment companies. Founded by George Lucas in 1971, it is a privately held, fully integrated entertainment company. In addition to its motion-picture and television production operations, the company's global activities include Industrial Light & Magic and Skywalker Sound, serving the digital needs of the entertainment industry for visual-effects and audio post-production; and Lucas Licensing, which manages the global merchandising activities for Lucasfilm's entertainment properties. Additionally, Lucas Online creates Internet-based content for Lucasfilm's entertainment properties and businesses. Lucasfilm's motion-picture productions include five of the 20 biggest box-office hits of all time and have received 19 Oscars and 53 Academy Award nominations. Lucasfilm's television projects have won 12 Emmy Awards. Lucasfilm Ltd. is headquartered in San Francisco, Calif.
Contacts
SIGGRAPH 2007
Brian Ban, 773-454-7423 cell
773-382-5706 fax
media@siggraph.org