Now here’s something that I’ve never seen before. An artist named Andy Cavorta is working on a project for a client that involves him producing the world’s first five player simultaneous pinball machine. Check this thing out. It’s HUGE…and pretty awesome looking. Here’s a description of the project from Reddit:
“How it works:The machine is an interactive exhibit about the Dual Coincidence of Wants - an economic concept explaining the limitations of barter. There are some just-in-time instructions that light up on the playfied, explaining the rules at the right moments.
Players produce their own 'goods' through gameplay. The big circle in the center of each playfield lights up as the ball hits each of the playfield targets. When the circle is whole, the player receives one 'good' in the form of a ball in the left tube.
The carousels at the top represent goods received from others. The goods expire (are ejected from the carousel) and must be replaced in order to keep playing.
A player can trade their own accumulated goods (in their own left tube) for others' goods (stored in their own carousel). But trades can only happen when both players need what the other has. This is the Dual Coincidence of Wants. The computer that controls the game will ensure that the dual coincidence happens. But there is a human component. Both players must push their Trueque buttons within a few seconds of each other. And one player may have to wait until another player is ready to agree.
In the original design, the goods were staples - corn, shoes, medicine, etc. So the game represents a small, interdependent economy. This was changed by the client to fruits for some reason - which makes less sense. Hopefully, we can change it back to staples after I finish the last of the technical details.”
Hat tip to the Cointaker Facebook page for bringing this story to my attention.