Plasticity Team
(Showing at South Hall Booth #633)
Plasticity is a 2.5D cinematic platformer about sustainability. Play as Noa, a young girl who explores and decides the future of her post-oil plastic ridden world. Players will make choices that either help or harm the environment and then return to those same areas ten years later to see how their decisions have shaped and altered the future.
Set in the year 2140, in a world where plastic consumption never ended, leaving lifeless cities, flooded towns, and widespread disease in its wake, players will navigate a dangerous terrain in search of a new home. Players will encounter many different ecosystems, environments, and get the chance to aid or ignore an endearing cast of animals- dogs, cats, sea lions, seagulls, and whales. Through play and direct interaction with the game, players will discover the pitfalls of single-use plastic production and learn about renewable solutions to the problem. Together, on the screen and off, we can move towards a more sustainable future.
Plasticity is about an important issue. The project was inspired by research from National Geographic and Cornell University documenting the startling amount of plastic pollution in the world’s ocean, and how it has come to affect places, plants, people, and animals. The project additionally was inspired by the documentary, A Plastic Ocean, Playdead’s game, Inside, and Miyazaki’s film, Nausicaa.
Plasticity is currently being developed for PC and Mac, in partnership with the USC Games program, the USC Environmental Studies program, and the USC Sustainability program. The project is a Green Engagement Fund recipient and the demo showcased at the 2018 Intentional Play Summit. It has been play tested with over 200 people, including at Westridge School for Girls in Pasadena, California, and Carisbrooke Elementary in Vancouver, Canada.
Credits
Aimee Zhang – Creative Director
Michelle Olson – Lead Designer
Justin Lu – Lead Artist
James Collins – Lead Engineer
Timothi Lim (Timothi Ellim) – Lead Producer
Dalton Chancellor – Lead Usability
Zi Woythaler – Lead Audio and Tools Engineer
Alejandro Villero – Lead Marketing
In partnership with the USC Games program, USC Environmental Studies program, and the USC Sustainability program.
