Playlab is a modular input device that captures the playful nature of gaming, expanding play to not only the game but how it is controlled. Players can be creative with how they control their games, experimenting with a variety of inputs. Playlab is the output of a semester-long mentorship with Meta Reality Labs 3D artist, Tim Zarki, to build skills in art direction and storytelling.
Playlab features 6 distinct input modules. By having a variety of inputs that range from traditional to absurd, players can explore creative ways to control their games.
Process
Art direction takes a major role in conveying playlab’s narrative. It emphasizes the inherent qualities of play and how they are realized in the product. This is broken down into two main themes: whimsical and experimental. The product itself is toy-like and colorful, and the expressive characters add to the whimsical nature. The setting, on the other hand, is that of testing facility- with cold scenes and materiality.
Sketch ideation for how the modules connect
The technicians are fully rigged- even down to small changes in facial expressions. This lets the characters convey a diverse set of emotions, and makes the posing process easy. The arms are rigged with splines to achieve a classic "rubber-hose" style of motion, making the characters less rigid and more alive. These models are even ready for animation, as seen with the walk cycle test below.
Rig demonstration
A selection of graphics made for playlab- including hand-designed numbers and some unused posters.
Sometimes it takes a lot of trial and error to get the right feel!
Thank you!
