The exhibitors of the “Space Invaders” exhibit that includes a 9/11-themed re-mix of the game at Games Convention in Germany knew they didn’t have permission from the original arcade game’s creators to showcase all the artwork at the event, according to a document found by MTV Multiplayer.

Computer Game Museum Berlin knew it didn’t have expressed permission from Square Enix and Taito for the controversial “Invaders!” art piece.

Continuing a story broken at Kotaku this week, I’ve discovered a text file in the press materials for the exhibit noting the “Space Invaders” publisher had never signed off.

“”The artwork “invaders!” is not approved by Square Enix/ Taito,” read the short note.

Whether Computer Game Museum Berlin or artist Douglas Edric Stanley will face any of the legal challenges threatened this morning remains to be seen. A statement issued by Taito noted:

“TAITO is seriously considering all available options-including legal actions against the infringer and, if necessary, the Games Convention exhibitor involved-in order to end this unauthorized and impermissible misuse of the Space Invaders content and to protect TAITO’s intellectual properties.”

Meanwhile the artist, Stanley, has said, in an interview with the AFP, he considers his art to be a “unusual … though obvious” metaphor for the 9/11 attacks.

MTV Multiplayer has attempted to contact Computer Game Museum Berlin. We’ll let you know if we hear back from them.

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‘Space Invaders’ Vs. World Trade Center — Creator Explains 9/11 Project

Today Kotaku reported and posted an image about a “Space Invaders” mod that, of all things, sets the famous arcade game against the backdrop of the destruction of the World Trade Center on September 11.

The game is being presented as an art installation at the Games Convention in Leipzig, Germany as part of a 30th anniversary celebration of “Space Invaders.”

Who would make such a thing and why?

I did a web search and found a full explanation on the GC site that’s suddenly slow to load.

Here’s the deal:

Installation for the exhibition “30 Years of Space Invaders”
Invaders!
Invaders! (2008), Douglas Edric Stanley (USA/F)

The World Trade Center attacks mark a deep cut in our recent history that is still being processed. The French-American artist Douglas Edric Stanley has found an unusual – though obvious – metaphor with his work “Invaders!”, which is based on the 1978 arcade original. In his interactive large installation, the players must prevent the catastrophe by controlling the well- known cannon at the lower screen border with their bodies and firing it using arm movements. Like the original, this trial is ultimately
unsuccessful, thus creating an articulated and critical commentary about the current war strategy. In this regard, Douglas Edric Stanley sees Space Invaders as “a social tale that can be related to historical tales without losing its poetic power” (D.E. Stanley).

You can watch a video of people playing “Invaders!” and judge it for yourself at this YouTube link.

Read more from the creator and even download the game at his blog.

Are you the kind of person who looks for a video game influence in everything? I am.

So when my girlfriend forwarded me the details on a new gallery in San Francisco for artist Ferris Plock called “Slay The Giant,” I couldn’t help but scrutinize his work for gaming clues.

I thought I’d found one. Doesn’t the artwork look a lot like “Shadow of the Colossus”? Sure, they’re more robot-like than the giants in Team ICO’s revered PlayStation 2 title, but the similarities between the two are uncanny. It’s a game exhibit in disguise!

But I was wrong, as Plock, who is a gamer, told me over e-mail… Read more…

“This is art,” Sony producer Rusty Buchert told me in Los Angeles last month as he showed me what looked and played like an interactive real-time cut-scene on the PlayStation 3. He was showing me “Linger In Shadows,” the product of a handful of Polish programmers and artists who have created an artistically ambiguous and technically ambitious nine-minute controlled flight through a digital dreamscape.

“Linger In Shadows” is partially personal, though I can’t yet interpret what the flying dog may represent, nor the floating mask and tendrils. It’s partially a programming tour-de-force, something that Buchert said is ” making the hardware stand up and beg.” (Advanced oil-painting effects; procedural fur; other things that are said to wow tech people within Sony, etc. — see some of it here.) It’s all art.

So… how do you sell art on the PS3? Buchert had a neat idea.

Read more…

Starting today on GameTap, you can watch “Pre-teen Raider,” the latest episode in the site’s Re\Visioned: Tomb Raider Animated Series crafted by various writers and artists. The eighth animated short in the ten-part series, “Pre-Teen Raider” was written by comic scribe Gail Simone (formerly of Birds of Prey and starting Wonder Woman in October), designed by Six Point Harness and features Lara Croft as a mischievous 12 year-old at the Croft Academy. Simone took some time to talk about turning a video game sex symbol into a tween, how it was almost “Kindergarten Croft” and how things are going with a certain Amazon princess…
Read more…

When we registered for our E3 badges at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica, we also attended the reception held outside that featured the 2007 Into the Pixel exhibit, a collection of video game-inspired art. This year’s collection had work from artists all across the world and from games spanning all genres. The one pictured above is a rendition of Viva Pinata (note: a favorite game of mine from last year that was highly under-rated) created by Ryan Stevenson of the U.K. Can you spot the Fudgehog? (I can!) Read more…

Okay, so I have problems. Number one: I?m a nerd. Number two: I collect things. Number three: I try to do my best to be creative when combining the first two things. Case in point: when the opportunity arises for me to have a few minutes with the creator of one of my all-time favorite video games, I seize it and then go the extra mile.

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You may know Arthur Suydam for his brilliant, blood-drenched cover work on the Marvel Zombies comic book series, which featured zombified versions of Spider-Man, Captain America, Wolverine and other Marvel superheroes. But the A-list artist has also delved into making cover art for another zombie venture — namely the DS rail shooter/survival horror game Touch the Dead. Recently, Arthur took the time to answer some questions about his undead artwork, his favorite zombie flicks, and why he’s just so damn awesome...

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I collect a lot of things — mostly NES games — but a variety of other systems’ games as well, in addition to DVDs, CDs, video game-related toys, some comic books, and so on and so forth. Because of these collections, I have a certain affinity for shelf space. However, as awesome as these DIY Tetris shelves above are, they just aren?t functional enough for today?s modern-day collector. But they’re still pretty cool. Find out how to build them yourself (if you?re into that kind of thing).

The most amazing thing I?ve seen today? at least until the Smash Bros. site goes live. If Pac-Man were real, this is what his skeleton would look like:

The sculpture was done by artist Le Gentil Gar殮 in 2004. One more step towards my dream of making Pac-Man a reality…

Pac-man is, without a doubt, one of the greatest games ever made. So great, I proudly wear my Pac-Head around the office (even when people are looking). However, even going to that level of devotion, I can?t even come close to this Malaysian fan?s love for the game. His full back tattoo rivals only a few others in its size and dedication? as well as possible insanity.

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While your local mall rats are busy pawing their greasy fingers over Emo 1-UP Mushroom sweatbands and run-of-the-mill “retro gaming” T-shirts, feel free to turn your nose up and stroll on over to the I am 8-bit exhibit as a cultured alternative. I am 8-bit, originally displayed in 2005, serves up the more refined examples of gaming culture through a collaborative display of paintings, sculptures,and interactive art inspired by the classic games that have deeply impacted gaming pop culture over the past few decades.

A recent Game Informer interview with curator Jon Gibson reveals what to look forward to at I am 8-bit�s exhibit in its third year, with mention of a work that�ll match the awe of the giant 8-foot NES controller from the premiere show. …

[Painting above titled Soda Popinski by artist Jeff McMillan]

Read more…