FLOAT LAND

Factsheet

Developer:
FLOAT LAND
Based in Los Angeles, California

Release date:
October 22, 2019

Platforms:
Steam
Oculus
Viveport Infinity
Itch
Google Play (Coming Soon)

Website:
http://float.land/screensaversVR

Regular Price:

Description

Screensavers VR is a nostalgic playground where viewers can explore new, infinite realms of the classic screensaver. What was once a two-dimensional barrier is now an explorable, redefined landscape. Viewers will not only be able to witness fully spatialized versions of their favorite, classic screensavers, but they will also be able to reach expanses of the CRT previously unimaginable. A part-parody, part-tribute to the emerging pop-tech aesthetic of the 90’s, Screensavers VR is a deep dive into surprising layers of interactivity.

The project was first demoed at Glitch City’s Cyber Cafe art show at LA’s iconic Cinefamily in 2014. After a few year hiatus, the FLOAT LAND team (Irrational Exuberance, Liminal Realities) launched a new version of the project at IndieCade’s E3 booth in 2018, receiving favorable press coverage with BBC News, Hollywood Reporter, and Venture Beat.

Now, Screensavers VR has turned into a multi-media collaborative project, launching across the VR ecosystem on Steam, Oculus, & Viveport on PC devices, with mobile & standalone VR to follow shortly. In the coming months, FLOAT LAND will add new screensavers contributed by contemporary artist and animator luminaries.

Essays, prose, and flash fiction pertaining to screensavers, generative animation, and how we interact with media are being developed by prominent cultural critics to be embedded within the experience when we launch. The writing contributions will then be compiled into a print publication to be released in fall 2020 through the award-winning publishing house Not a Cult.

To many, the screensaver signified a portal to another realm, and the magic of these small generative animations seemed to be magnified by their autonomous nature. For those in business, the calming look and sound of a digital aquarium served as a respite from a hectic day. Those in more rural settings could enjoy the exoticism of an ever-growing citiscape.

What began as a tool to prevent CRT monitor burn-in of static pixels became a dynamic canvas for whimsy and experimentation. Virtual reality allows for a spatial experience that lets us honor the visual language of this classic software and pay tribute to this moment in media history.

Features

• Passive, active, and exploration-based spatial play.
• PC VR, Mobile VR, 6DOF & 3DOF, and Mobile AR (With support from Google)
• Extreme customization of all screensaver worlds, right inside the experience.
• Virtual office simulation with CRT portal leading to Screensavers and desktop delights.
• Artist and Writer commissions from folx such as Casey Kauffmann (UncannySFValley) and Joanne McNeil (Rhizome).

Screensavers VR 1.0 Credits

Ben Vance
Lead Engineer, Additional Design & Sound Design

Kate Parsons
Director, Head of Design

Daniel Lisi
Producer

Taylor Shechet
Sound Design

Contact

Inquiries
pr@float.land

Web
http://float.land

Instagram
http://instagram.com/float.land

Twitter
http://twitter.com/float_land

Facebook
http://facebook.com/gotofloatland

Youtube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5Lxxz7Nl4uNiGFP74SDiPg/featured

Twitch
https://www.twitch.tv/float_land

Discord
https://discord.gg/zyuQhkg