Update: 24th of December - Merry Christmas
Now that all the banner artwork/logo is in place, along with my original inspiration sources that came from old Commdore 64/500, Atari games and a movie have been revealed, here's a quick re-listing:
Prologue (00): Stjernegris (Time Machine) from TV-Series: Brødrene Dal og Spektralsteinene (1982).
01: Asteroids from Arcade (1979) and Atari 2600 (1981).
02: Spikes Peak (1983) on the Commodore 64.
03: Choplifter (1983) on the Commodore 64.
04: Maggot Mania (1983) on the Commodore 64.
05: Hangman on Commdore 64 in basic.
06: Winter Games on Commodore 64.
07: Defender of the Crown on Amiga 500.
08: Uninvited on Commdore Amiga 500.
09: Take 'Em Out on Commodore Amiga 500.
10: Stunt Car Racer on the Commodore 64
11: The Lawnmower Man (Movie on VHS tape)
12: My own child/youthhood room!
Christmas Calender - 24 days of revelations!
Starting on 1st of December the Title Banner will be uploaded, then the next day the reveal of the original game/movie that inspired that episode will be given out until 24th of December. Meaning every day, there will be an minor update for you to enjoy in my progress of this unique VR Game/Experience targeted for Oculus Quest 2 devices (2023? I have no idea, maybe 2024, who knows. It will be done when its done, basically!)
Presented below are the most likely final versions of official title graphics for all 12 VR based episodes along with the original reveal of the games and movies I draw my inspiration from. All in all, including the project for the font types research/extration + AI generation of images, some photoshopping and more this entire ordeal took about a couple of weeks to finalize. Phew!
If I'm gonna market this VR Experience (Moment In Time), there would of course have to be some graphics to spark interrest on the App Lab in Oculus Quest, along here on my website to give each episode an unique "face", "setting the mood", "building expectations" and title font to go along with it all.
I will also play around with AI upscaling of these banners, as their original resolution is currently set at 1024 x 512, while the square ones will be 512x512.
Here is the planned list of "Stone Oakvalley's Moment In Time" episodes:
The month-year in [] brackets are an internal reference and "nod" to the original game and movie releases that inspired me to create each and every VR episode and for me personally have a smaller or bigger history of how they where remembered by me since child/youth hood. Naturally, my VR episodes draws the insipiration of these yet unnamed game and video titles, but if you are an old-schooler like me, chances are that you may have already guessed which ones where used as inspiration.
I should stress that my VR episodes is not an attempt to re-create these copyrighted original works as they once were, nor will it feature any graphics, sounds, music, names, code etc. related to that original creation.
As you can see the year spans from 1979 to just 1992, which means in 2022, these things are 30 years already making them vintage objects. The games references chosen as inspiration actually does not have any unique elements to them as their content is basically just a emulation or representation of typically public or historic nature, in which in themselves they too could be considered copyright infringement themselves - only that you can not copyright infringment an inspiration taken from a car race, skiing, castles, vietnam war or space amongst others. :-)!
Prologue [02-1982] - Time Machine
Inspired by: Stjernegris (Time Machine) from TV-Series: Brødrene Dal og Spektralsteinene (1982).
Personal reference: I loved this show when it was aired on NRK (Norwegian TV Channel) early in the 80's. I believe it was my first introduction/understanding what a "Time Machine" could do. It stuck in my mind forever, and it will be the main "portal" in which players will travel through the episodes described below. We could basically call this the "main menu". There's isn't much to do inside this, but via diamonds placed on a panel you will get access to the "next level", or next episode in our case. You will also be awarded a trophy after each successfull played-through episodes. The last artifact will be a special key that will gain access to the door to the very last episode (Enter That Room) which is a recreation of my childhood/youth room with lots of goodies.
Episode #01 [11-1979] - "Occupation: STARCLEANER"
Inspired by: Asteroids from Arcade (1979) and Atari 2600 (1981).
Personal reference: I played the original at Arcades, but mostly on my own Atari 2600 back in the 80's in which we lent the cartridge from a friend. I played this version every day before and after school, afraid that someday we would have to return it. Those memories got stuck on my mind forever.
Episode #02 [01-1983] - "Shelton's Kjort Endeavour"
Inspired by: Spikes Peak (1983) on the Commodore 64.
Personal reference: I had several bad named turbo tape versions on multiple copied tapes from local friends. Some had load errors. Once I got one randomly to work I was hypnotized by the "knattering" running/walking sounds when you move the main character. Also the mountain looked similar to a mountain outside my window seen from my childhood room. These memories stuck with me forever.
Episode #03 [09-1983] - "Copter Hike Rescue"
Inspired by: Choplifter (1983) on the Commodore 64.
Personal reference: I had this game on a copied turbo tape only, but it was named something else (people could save program/games in whatever name they wanted). I really loved playing this on the Commodore 64, and also got the chance to play on a arcade during the 80's. The game was so different from anything else, and the smooth animation and gameplay on the C64 version just stuck on my mind forever.
Episode #04 [12-1983] - "Larva's Lazy Frenzy Invasion"
Inspired by: Maggot Mania (1983) on the Commodore 64.
Personal reference: I had this game on copied turbo tape only, but whoever named the saved games on tape choose all kinds of names, not to mention a gadzillion of clones scattered all over the place (Centipede, some Mushroom titles). Just for that reason alone, this game was "hated" by me because it was very confusing how many versions and names it had during loading. The funny thing is that I though it was a space invader clone with mushroom aliens, spider aliens flying down from the sky to the ground, where the player was looking up. As it turns out, when seeing the cover 40 years later, the player is actually shooting spiders and mushrooms on the ground! The game itself is actually pretty addictive and combined together with my brief notes above, it just stuck on my mind forever.
Episode #05 [01-1984] - "I, Thesaurus Lyncher"
Inspired by: Hangman on Commdore 64 in basic.
Personal Reference: This was one of the first basic games I found on borrowed turbo tapes and I was shocked to see the source code if you pressed RUN STOP. This is how I learn programming on the C64 (either reading the user guide, trying out examples, or RUN STOP all programs I find on turbo tapes). I started experimenting first with my own text, then numbers until I slowly learned BASIC this way. Just for that reason alone, this game has always been stuck in my mind.
Episode #06 [12-1985] - "Cross-country Scope Challenge"
Inspired by: Winter Games on Commodore 64.
Personal Reference: This was 1 of 3 first original tape games I got when the C64 was bought second hand in the late 80's. I really loved this game, especially the Biathlon, Ski Jump and Bobsled sections. The other sections I hated, generally I hate sports. What I also loved about the game was the introduction sequence and the large number of national themes with their national songs. Since this was one of the first games I ever played on my own computer this game just stuck on my mind forvever.
Episode #07 [11-1986] - "Slingshot Their Citadel"
Inspired by: Defender of the Crown on Amiga 500.
Personal Reference: Defender of the Crown was part of my first 10-disk games some local guy copied to me for use on my newly bought Amiga 500 the same month (June 1989). The graphics of this game blew me really far away. My favourite part of the game was when we could catapult the castle. I can never forget how great this game was and has been stuck in my mind ever since 1989.
Episode #08 [04-1987] - "Trespass The Mansion"
Inspired by: Uninvited on Commdore Amiga 500.
Personal Reference: I remember seeing this game presented in the VHS tape that followed my first Amiga 500 and I thought the graphics and game looked so good. It took 2-3 years before a local friend got hold of it and I drove home late at night on my scooter to try out my copy. I got shocked and scared by the sudden sharp thunder that occurs in the start of the game, so had to turn down the sound. Really, the sound effects in that game are 200% boosted and loud!. Eventually I came into the hallway of the game and tried opening a door, a lady emerged with her back turned, so I went forward and got scared yet again as her face was just a skeleton, did not expect that. can never forget that game, and I must say I loved the point-n-click type of GUI the creators did, really nice. Its just one of those games that have stuck on my mind forever since.
Episode #09 [12-1989] - "Took 'em Down"
Inspired by: Take 'Em Out on Commodore Amiga 500.
Personal Reference: This was just a random unknown "first person" shooter that I copied from some local friends back in the early 90's. When I started playing it, me and my friend got really hooked on it. The game reminded me of an arcade game called "Empire City" that I loved to death and played only 2 times on a real arcade machine in a local VHS Rental shop. I was hypnotized by that Empire City arcade game, and only years later I found Take 'em Out and Operation Wolf which or both classic profound gaming memories for me. For some reason, Take 'em Out is sometime more fun to play than Operation Wolf and is why I can't get this game out of my mind.
Episode #10 [12-1989] - "Dangerous Switchback"
Inspired by: Stunt Car Racer on the Commodore 64.
Personal Reference: I got hold of this game on a red cartridge in 1990 from a friend which I bought his Commdore 64 while also having the Amiga 500 for a year in addition. Eventually I also got it on Amiga 500. But, for the Commodore 64 version I remember this was one of my favourite games as the first times I played this and especially the "Ski Jump/High Jump" track I could actually feel butterflies turning in my stomach! I was so shocked that a game could make me go "oohhh, shitt. Tat is really far and high up! How can I survive this?". I really felt the action on that game unlike any other game before or after it. For these reasons alone, this game has always been stuck on my mind ever since!
Episode #11 [04-1992] - "Escape The Hedron"
Inspired by: The Lawnmower Man (Movie)
Personal Reference: Since I was interrested and wanted more regarding Virtual Reality when the dream started back in the early 90's, in 1992 this movie came along at the right time for me. I did not watch it on cinema, but bought it on VHS as soon as it arrived. I really loved this movie, it gave us a visual and "animated" experience on what and how Virtual Reality would look like for the first time. Up to that point, the only Virtual Reality I came close to, was reading magazines and looking at still 2d photos of both headset and its graphics. Naturally, 30 years later, this movie is still on my mind and will never be forgotten, as it was a true gem in my Virtual Reality journey, which at this point in time is in FULL EFFECT - proven by this very project!.
Episode #12 [06-1992] - "Enter That Room"
Inspired by: My own child/youthhood room!
Personal Reference: I thought it would be good to keep this as the very last Episode of Moment In Time. It basically goes full circle back to all the other episodes that have been explained above. In this room, everything above was experienced for the first time regardings games and movies, not to mention what made me into what I am today, my hobbies, my experiments, my music, videoes, programming etc. The list is just too long :-). Naturally, one can never forget their own favourite room, which now can be revisited with the help of Virtual Reality.