Codename: TIGRAC

The Toronto Indie Game Retrofitted Arcade Cabinet project is underway, and hopefully will have a better name before its fall launch. Jph has sourced a place in Oakville that sells cabinets for $100, so now we have to find the following hardware. Anyone want to donate or know where we can get a really cheap:

• monitor (LCD or CRT, let us know screen size and dimensions)
• PC (preferably above a P2)
• speakers
• keyboard
• powerbar

The project, if it’s not entirely clear, is to retrofit an old arcade cabinet and put modern indie games by Toronto creators on it and make it available to the public in a bar/gallery/coffee shop. As Jph said at the last Social, “you’d walk by a bunch of familiar games, and then there’d be this game you’d never seen…”

Colin has offered to look into sponsorship/venues for it, and Nadine has offered to do interface and cabinet design, so we’re on our way with this. But feel free to get in touch if you’d like to contribute in some way… maybe you have a large, arcade cabinet sized vehicle for instance?

Announcing: The Socials

Over some drinks at the Cameron, the Hand Eye Society membership decided it’d be a good idea to have a bimonthly meeting where game makers and players can hang out and talk about the craft — more of a cultural than a business event. Each Social will have a host who will invite someone to do a talk/presentation and act as G.J. or Selector, bringing a bunch of games they like to get people to play. There’ll also be an “open mic” component, where people can sign up at the beginning of the night to get some projector time to show what they’re working on.

Jim Munroe will be hosting February, which will feature Paolo from Molleindustria. If you’d like to host April, June, August, October, or December 09, please say so in the comments. We are currently looking for a projector and a venue for these events, so if you have any suggestions please leave a comment.