memetics simulation no. 2 - unfinishedby Joseph Hocking 2006
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Although it was never completed beyond development of the software simulation, memetics simulation no. 2 is the second in the series. As with the first piece in the series, this work uses interactive 3D graphics and a recombinant narrative system, with interaction done via a touchscreen. Evolving from the metaphors of memetics simulation no. 1, the community this time consists of human figures, instead of imaginary creatures. These figures are overlayed with an abstract pattern of colors that shifts along with the memes stored in each character.
- clip depicting piece running on a touchscreen
Inspired by experimental game design that was being done in parallel, the characters "shout" at each other by expelling words in a manner similar to breathing flames. When a character comes in contact with a stream of words being expelled by another character, they incorporate these words into their store of ideas. Over time more and more characters will be saying the same thing, and eventually a tipping point will be reached after which the entire community will rapidly end up saying the same thing. When the simulation detects that this endpoint has been reached, the screen fades to black and everything starts over from a random distribution of ideas, repeating the process of the society's homogenization.
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