Here is a link to my mood board.
The mood board ranges from Gregory Crewdson photos to Minor League Mascots.
I’m interested in the dilapidated suburbia vibe. Not one with nefarious, Lynchian undertones but one with an awkward, painful sort of hope; one that doesn’t take itself too seriously and has a DeLilloesque sort of absurdity to it. In this vibe exists the fictional town of Equator, MO, an oppressively hot suburb where a minor league pitcher is trying to work his way up the minor league ladder. In his way is a slew of mechanical issues that only the user can fix.
As of now there are effectively two baseball video games on the market: MLB The Show and RBI Baseball. The latter features minimal pitching mechanics while the former takes it a step further but fails to take specific atmospheric steps. For example, an entire pitchers arsenal is open to you in MLB The Show, but the mechanics that go into that arsenal are in no way covered. This is the void I am interested in filling.
I want to work with actual minor league pitchers, capture their movements and develop a game that focuses on the minutia. I’m not sure if you’re familiar with the mechanics of pitching but so much goes into it: arm slot, foot placement, grip, etc. This game would not only explore those fields but also serve – I think – to explore the depth in which motion capture can go. The more in tune you get your mechanics, the more success you will have.
As of now, I’ve made contact with the New York Mets affiliate, the Brooklyn Cyclones, who appear to be interested in working with me in making this project. If their interest appears to be as sincere as they let on, I may pivot to helping them use motion capture to establish a training tool to make their pitching staff more effective.
BONUS: Calibratin' the space!
