Folk music about Halo? Dramatically read stories about Tomb Raider? I've just watched the TEDxExeter talk by Andy Robertson @GeekDadGamer and he brings up a variety of good points about video games as being culturally important, despite often being overlooked or discounted as mere "entertainment." (Watch the video, ~11 minutes)

A few statements or ideas that really stuck out from Andy's TEDx talk:

- To be human is to be a storyteller. 

- Video games address our hearts.

- To be a player is to be a creator. You are invited into a story.

- Video games keep us in touch with engagement and ownership as opposed to exclusion and silence.

As Andy mentions, there is little discussion about these topics, at least in the mainstream. The conversation is growing though, thanks to geeks, gamers, and thinkers such as Andy, the folks at CGDC, and God at play. (What would Andy Crouch say about video games?)

We're glad to be a part of the conversation, and even though Weiv isn't a "game" it is built on the Unity Game Engine, uses Wiimotes, and encourages collaboration….which brings up the question "What is a video game, anyway?"   

How would you use a video game in politics? In worship? In education? In environmentalism? Can gaming becoming a new method of macro-collaboration or are we just trying to save the princess? Speak up!

Dear friends in the Northwest...we'll be spending time between Memorial Day and June 7th in the Portland, Oregon area (including Newberg). Let's get together! We'd love to have a cup of coffee, sponsor a Weiv jam, or get together and talk about videogames, faith, and creativity.

DM us on Twitter (Weivco) or email hello@weiv.co...let's hang out.

Just for fun...here's a little video we put together one of last times we were in the Rose City - Trans-Portland.

Brand new...hot off the presses...here's why you should download the new FREE Weiv Demo that we have just released today:

1. The updated demo works on Bluetooth enabled Macs…both on OSX Snow Leopard and Lion. Just download, install, and open the software…you're ready to go!

2. In the updated demo we have improved the Wii remote connectivity and responsiveness, making Weiv Scenes even more expressive. Your connection will be more reliable, and you'll feel more connected to the scenes. 

3. We've updated our Syphon and Quartz integration, making layering text or manipulating graphics a snap when using Weiv with thirdparty tools such as VDMX, Resolume Avenue, Madmapper, ProPresenter or Harmony.

4. Single, double or triple wide…every Weiv scene is supports multiscreen projection, perfect for environmental projection, video walls, and multi-screen auditoriums.

5. We've tweaked our scene configuration parameters, giving you even more control over colors and scene elements. Every Weiv Scene provides incredible flexibility, allowing you to create the themes and color schemes that are just right for your show, service or event.

6. It's FREE! 

So don't delay, download the updated FREE Weiv Demo today!

Questions? Feedback? Connect with us on our support forum - GetSatisfaction.

Follow Weiv on Twitter for latest updates: @Weivco

Email hello@Weiv.co if you'd like to meet us in Portland, Oregon in early June 2012, at CGDC2012, or at #Echo12 in Dallas, TX.

Slowly, but surely there seems to be a few "explorers" pushing the edge of using videogame technology in unexpected places. It turns out that an upcoming service in the UK at Exeter Cathedral will include Playstation and liturgy in a church service. 

While we're glad to see some outside the box thinking in terms of visual worship, we hope that in the future we can convince the folks at Exeter (and elsewhere) to use a platform developed with precisely such an idea in mind...it's called Weiv!

Sometimes we come up with really cool animations, but aren't exactly sure which elements in a Weiv Scene should be made fully interactive with Wiimotes. For instance, the scene "Smokestream" is one that we've been playing with for quite a while (we had a demo at #Echo11) but we haven't settled on the "gameplay" yet.

So, we thought we'd ask you, what kind of interactions do you want to see in Weiv Scenes…and even more specifically, if you could make elements in Smokestream interactive, what would you want to control with a Wiimote?

To help you brainstorm I've posted the basic Smokestream animation in a variety of colors below.

DM us at @Weivco or email your ideas to hello@weiv.co!

It's an incredibly fun job, and someone has to do it...so thank you to our team of dedicated beta testers who are helping to hasten the upcoming Free Weiv Demo, to be released in mid-May. If you missed out on joining our beta test team, don't worry, the Free Weiv Demo will be available soon, with the full version of Weiv 1.0 hot on its heels. For the latest updates, follow us here on the Weiv blog, or catch us on Twitter.

Would you like to help us test incredible new interactive visuals, receiving access to Weiv software before pretty much anyone else on the planet? It's your lucky day! We're looking for Mac users who can give us timely feedback on our latest version of the Free Weiv demo.

Do you have what it takes? The Weiv demo works on Macs which are bluetooth capable and running Snow Leopard or Lion. Also, it helps to have at least a handful of Wiimotes available, since Weiv is an interactive platform, allowing users to "play along" in a live music or collaborative performance setting.

Do you use VJ tools? How about presentation software? Weiv uses both Syphon and Quartz to layer into other software packages. That means your interactive visuals can be easily piped into Propresenter, VDMX, Harmony, CoGe and other popular software packages using Syphon or Quartz.

Interested? Let's talk! 

Message us @Wevico or email at hello@weiv.co, we'll put you on the short list.

It's fun to share what we're doing, and we're awfully grateful when others take notice and help us get the word out about Weiv. Daily Tekk just included Weiv in a list of "75+ Music Industry Tech Tools for Artists, Bands, Managers, and Execs"  There are a lot of great tools listed, Weiv being one of them...so check the article out!

"Hello," you say, looking over my shoulder. "What are you working on?"

"I'm thinking about the upcoming Weiv 1.0 release, asking myself 'Why should a band or church use Weiv?' The answer I keep coming up with is that interactive visuals encourage engagement. If I was at a rock show and I was invited to help run the visuals for a song I'd think it was really cool…I'd feel more connected to the artist and to the vibe at the event. If I can stay focused on the 'why' then it helps drive 'how' we build Weiv."

"C'mon. Really?" you say. "You're thinking about it too hard. Just make it already!"

"Listen, beauty leaves a mark on the soul. As artists and engineers we want to be true to ourselves, making each decision with intentionality. After all, many of our first customers have become close friends, and they want to use Weiv to craft meaningful expressions. We want to give them the best tool we can create…we really care!"

"Blah, blah, blah. It's all just entertainment for people to consume. Stop trying to be so deep, you'll hurt your brain. Just schlep some pixels on the screen and be done with it already," you retort, waiving your hands in the air.

"Yeah, it's entertaining to play with Weiv, but we've seen such play lead to moments of transcendence. Weiv is designed to create freedom within a form. It's open ended, allowing for deep play. Sure, you can just wave a Wiimote around without a thought in your head, but when talented experience designers begin using Weiv we believe you'll start seeing a new kind of event, an event where the audience is part of the show."

You laugh. "I hate to tell you this, but you're not really doing anything new. I've seen the Flaming Lips and Phish. Dan Deacon does this kind of stuff all of the time."

"You're right, audience participation and interaction have been happening since the invention of music. For years people have been holding lighters, dancing, chanting, and banging drums. The difference is that nowadays many large venues depend on large screens to communicate to audiences, which often limits opportunities for interaction," I say, outlining the shape of a 16:9 screen with my finger in the air. "In the future we believe in addition to lighting lighters and singing along, crowds will be be transforming feathers into fire, choreographing streams of smoke, and exploring new worlds." 

"Flaming feathers?" you say, scratching your head.

"What Weiv does is allows audience members to become a 'visual band' on the big screen. When production experts and experience designers recognize the power of including the crowd in the show we think they'll use Weiv to craft engaging events. It's kind of like what has happened with the internet and user input, Web 2.0. Think of Weiv as being at the forefront of "Events 2.0."

"Well, I'll have to see it to believe it," you say, crossing your arms. "Managing audience participants…that sounds like a lot of work." 

"Then I guess you'll have to wait and see. Who knows, it might not be overnight, but we believe Weiv, and tools like it will help shape the future of performance."

"Determining the future of live performance art, eh?" you smirk. "That's a mighty high bar you've set for yourself."

"We think we can play a part. We have a strong vision, and we have had a lot of encouragement from leaders in the industry. Besides, it's fun! Since you're here would you like to try the free demo? You might even like it." 

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FREE DEMO

CLICK HERE TO KEEP THE CONVERSATION GOING

One of the simplest Weiv scenes projects a profound beauty...Trinity Orbit has no Wiimote input, yet by changing the colors, speed, and orbit, a peaceful animation is created.

As we prepare to release Weiv 1.0 we're looking forward to seeing how you make the pixels dance. :)

If you're using the free Weiv demo for performance or in a church service please take video and share! You can "friend" us at the Weiv account on Youtube or send us a link at hello@weiv.co; we'd love to see how you're using Weiv!