The space invaders took off in their spaceship shooting their lasers at some ships. A laser hit their ship; it crashed. The space invaders got out just in time! When the ship blew up, the fire was so bright it looked like a sun! They built a bigger and better ship. It took 10 weeks to build. As time went by, the ship got bigger and bigger! The time came when the space invaders invaded earth! There were no bad things, like fires or stealing. They made some friends and had to get their computers help to take off. They went to ziron home base, 50,0000 miles from earth.

Whew! So glad to know that when the space invaders finally do come, there will be no bad things like fires or stealing.

Nov. 2, 1980 [Alt Japan]

space invaders bendiboard keyboard [technabob]

We love, of course, when games have themes and messages, when they offer the player a choice - this equates to more complexity, we feel, this places a game on level with other media that aim to make us feel. There's an entire segment of the audience that devotes itself to finding the emotional moments in games; we write essays, post blogs and have forum discussions about Little Sisters, about holding hands with Yorda or getting rid of GLaDOS.

And many of us have even accepted, to some extent, that games are currently a little bit self-referential and insular. They often tread dangerously in the direction of comic books, which by giving comic book fans only and exactly what they wanted, ended up being of interest only to comic book fans and no one else. We see that games, as an interactive medium, have much greater potential than this.

But what happens when a game doesn't create the message from inside its fictional world, but uses a message that already exists?

What if "games as art" in the real world actually looks like something we really, really don't like?

Let's talk about Invaders!.

Anatomy of a Firestorm

By now you've heard the story - at the Games Connection Developer Conference in Leipzig, Germany, digital artist Douglas Edric Stanley presented what he calls an "art installation" - a Space Invaders mod that has players trying to fight off the destruction of the World Trade Center's Twin Towers. And it's not winnable; based on the hands-on impressions by Mike McWhertor, it seems deliberately engineered to be an exercise in futility.

According to McWhertor, the exhibit - since closed down by the artist himself amid a firestorm of controversy following Kotaku's initial report - was also accompanied by video clips of American films and President George W. Bush, additional peripheral elements that let us know we had a nebulous "political message" on our hands.

McWhertor's report on Kotaku garnered over ten thousand comments fairly rapidly - Fox News, who can often be said to be on the hunt for a sensational controversy, rapidly picked up the story. Stanley says he's received death threats.

Amid all this, Stanley doesn't appear to have ever stated why he made the game; in the statement he made when he voluntarily closed his GC exhibit, even the artist admitted there was "uncomfortable ambiguity." But a day on which thousands of lives were lost in a tense political climate is a topic so broad and raw as to constitute a wound which might never wholly heal, and emotions are running high.

It doesn't, at a glance, seem like appropriate subject matter for a "game."

Is It Art?

Especially because, if there was ever a time when the "relax, it's just a game" defense was wildly inappropriate, it's now. In a case like this, many of us are so bred-in to defending games against Fox News that we reply that Stanley's work is "art" without thinking much about it - without knowing why it's art, without knowing how we feel about it or what its value is or is not.

It has "messages," people say. It's "making a statement," and that alone is a reason why it ought to exist, why someone with criticisms of American policy is justified in taking one of the most painful days of the modern American's life and making it into an arcade shooter.

It's offensive. It's upsetting. Those who are angry with Stanley have a right to be.

However, that doesn't exclude having a basic respect for his right to have an opinion - and that he found an innovative way to express himself. The artist's statement says "it was never created to merely provoke controversy for controversy's sake," and in taking responsibility for the "ambiguity" he mentioned, Stanley seems to be suggesting that he intends for those who view the piece to discuss it.

Self-expression in an attention-catching way with the aim of presenting a viewpoint with numerous possible angles of discussion. That's pretty much the definition of modern art.

What's The Point?

In fact, Stanley's work is obviously far more "art" than it is "game." The entire issue begs comparisons to Danny Ledonne's Super Colombine Massacre RPG!, an unsettling and involved title that tasks players on the most basic level with acting out the 1999 Littleton, Colorado school shooting in the role of killers Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold. Ledonne told the Washington Post that his intention with the title was never to glorify the tragedy, but to "confront their actions and the consequences those actions had." Super Columbine RPG! contains several elements that suggest themes of game violence, the connection (or disconnection) between fantasy and reality, and the influence of culture on behavior.

Like Stanley's Invaders!, Ledonne and his title stopped short of providing a direct interpretation - neither artist has been especially specific about "what it means," or in instructing players on how they should interpret their work or what "message" should be taken away.

Art, by definition, is subjective and open to interpretation - that it is a collection of images and themes designed to mean something different to each person who looks at it is part of its nature. Some people were pained by Stanley's Invaders! Some people supported the messages they thought they saw inside. Still others became angry, and in the resulting discussions surfaced many questions along the lines of, "what is the purpose of this game? Why did he make this? What's the point?"

"Contrary to previous reports, I am an American, and it saddens me that we as a people remain so profoundly unable to process this event outside of some obscure, but tacitly understood, criteria of purely anesthetized artistic representation," says Stanley in his statement - by taking issue with so-called "pure anesthesia," he seems to suggest he intends for people to use his game to confront and "process" the events of September 11th in a new way.

Some would say he's been successful in his aim - it's a new way, all right, and it's not "anesthetized." Others will disagree - but the fact that there's no right answer, no pass or fail, no win or lose, is the strongest argument yet as to why Invaders! is art.

The more interesting question, however: Is it a game?

Well, Is It?

It can be argued that a game that's impossible to win - that has no achievable objective whatsoever - is not a game at all. Remove the "art" aspect and pretend we're talking about an image-neutral Space Invaders mod that was designed so that defeat is an inevitability. It defies the logic innate to game design, doesn't it?

Games need rules and they need an achievable objective. It helps if there are rewards and penalties, and information that helps players learn how to interpret and interact with the game environment. Even if the "rule" is something simple as "player needs to go from point A to point B," there is a task, a start point, an end point and a result, even if there's not an end game.

Invaders! isn't a "game with a message." The tasks the creator intends players to undertake have nothing to do with what's on the screen. The real "gameplay" takes place away from the exhibit, in the arena of private thought and public discussion. Ultimately, it has little to do with the game itself at all.

It's a tough call to even call it "games as art" — Okami's brushed-glorious landscape, Braid's radiant, strange skies, BioShock's meticulous Art Deco are "games as art." This is more like "art as game."

Still, semantics aside, Invaders! actually accomplishes everything we've constantly asked games to achieve - it draws mainstream attention. It provokes thought and discussion. It deals with a real-world issue. It's open to interpretation. It's independently-created art.

And it stings, doesn't it, to see our hopes for the medium twisted into such an uncomfortable, painful shape. But let's not let the pain force us to dismiss it. This is an achievement.

And in a way, by embracing Invaders!, we use it in the way the artist intended - we take away from it what we choose. Because there's no way to win Stanley's game - except to take away only the valuable lessons on games, art and ourselves as players.

Leigh Alexander is news director for Gamasutra, freelances and reviews often for a variety of outlets including Variety and Paste, and maintains her gaming blog,Sexy Videogameland. Her monthly column at Kotaku deals with cultural issues surrounding games and gamers. She can be reached at leighalexander1 AT gmail DOT com.

In place of the Invaders! exhibit, Stanley's full statement in English and German was projected on the massive screen. We're still waiting to receive comment from Games Convention organizers on their reaction to the removal of the art installation.

On his website Stanley says simply that he's given the group permission to turn off the exhibit, and then hours later writes that a statement on his website can be considered his official reason for taking down the display. Stanley also mentions on his site that he has received death threats since his exhibit first appeared on Kotaku and then in national and international press.

The decision comes the day Taito said they may be seeking legal action against the artist.

“After three days of a steady downward spiral in public discussion of the piece, I have just given my agreement to the organizers of the Leipzig Games Convention to simply turn off the installation Invaders! While I realize the dangerous precedent of allowing the lowest common denominator dictate what is and is not a valid form of expression, unfortunately the current tone has totally obfuscated the original aims of the piece. While I take full responsibility for the uncomfortable ambiguity of certain aspects of this work, it was never created to merely provoke controversy for controversy’s sake, and unfortunately, this is what the piece has now become. The American response to this work has been, frankly, immature, and lacking the sophistication and consideration that other parts of the world have so far shown the work. Contrary to previous reports, I am an American, and it saddens me that we as a people remain so profoundly unable to process this event outside of some obscure, but tacitly understood, criteria of purely anesthetized artistic representation. Due to these profound misunderstandings, I simply feel that from an artistic point of view, the work has lost the ability to have any valuable impact, poetic or otherwise. I have not been pressured by the Leipziger Messe, nor by the Computerspiele Museum in this decision — to the contrary, they have offered their support in defending the right of artists to speak freely, and in whatever context they may choose.”

While I don't get exactly what Stanley was going for, I didn't have a chance to interact with the exhibit. Mike McWhertor, who did play through a chunk of the game, called it an unsettling exhibit that delivered a complex message with simple means.

I'm not sure where I stand on the piece itself, but I do feel strongly that art, no matter how seemingly crass or insensitive, should be protected.

Games Convention officials were unavailable at press time, but we will update the site if and when we can get a response.

++30 Years of Invasions! [Abstract Machine]

Spending more time absorbing and, of course, playing Invaders! gives one a better perspective on what Stanley was aiming for. Invaders! is a two-player motion controlled spin on classic Space Invaders gameplay. Your best tactic, swinging your arms from side-to-side to fire a spread of bullets from your off screen cannon, is tiring. And futile.

The towers will always fall, along with dozens of of its anonymous inhabitants.

No matter how quickly you'll attack the air with movement, the alien invaders will always cause enough destruction to the World Trade Center towers to make them fall. In addition to raining down bullets, suicide UFOs will occasionally crash into the towers. You'll always fail, as clearing a screen full of invaders will simply be followed by a freshly restocked swarm.

The Invaders! installation features a video loop that runs alongside the playable game. This video features scenes from the films Taxi Driver, Independence Day, Air Force One and Die Hard — all of which are American made films with a xenophobic streak — interspersed with stills of George W. Bush in his flight suit and John Wayne pointing a gun at the screen. Peppered in are brief clips of people playing Invaders! with a ticker listing "hi" and "lo" scores in red, white and blue text at the bottom of the screen.

The artist's statement describes Invaders! as "an articulated and critical commentary about the current war strategy."

Invaders! may be unsettling, with its blending of archaic gameplay and modern day catastrophe, but it's also an impressive accomplishment in that it delivers complex messages via simple means. Despite its perceived insensitivity, Stanley's ability to use video games as a medium of artistic expression will likely be an important step in the form being taken seriously (by people who take things seriously).

This hits three years after the first and last game to take on the World Trade Center hit Brooklyn.

Honestly, we're not quite sure what's going on here quite yet, as we didn't know the German translation for "What the fuck?" We do know, however, that the 8-bit tower jumpers and the negative score applied to each WTC tower to indicate damage aren't going to sit well with, we're thinking, everyone we know who doesn't hate freedom.

Update: It is an art exhibit, according the the French-American artist.

Thankfully, for the more boutique focused Japanese consumer, Taito has teamed up with the many designers who set up shop in the Laforet Museum, a multi-tiered shopping center in Harajuku that caters to the discriminating shopper. They're selling Space Invaders branded tees, parkas, underwear, dresses, ties bejeweled frilly things, all at outrageous prices, all in sizes that don't fit you.

Taito X Laforet Harajuku "Space Invaders 30th Anniversary" Collaboration [Game Watch]

In the tournament players will be drawn from the 194 nations represented and "pitted directly against each other." Not sure what that means, but I think they mean that they will be tracking scores. Real-time progress reports will be provided throughout the tournament on the Yahoo! America and Yahoo! Japan sites.

The tournament itself seems sort of pointless, what with seemingly no prizes or real individual winner, but I'm kinda loving this new take on the game. My only issue with it is that there's some lag for me when I play. It would be great to see this show up on the Playstation Network and Xbox Live Arcade. Hey they could even drop it in for free!

Hit the jump to give the game a try.

To celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the famous shump precursor, Taito has been going hog wild with bizarre Space Invaders products, which is pretty awesome. The latest in the slew of bad merchandising that I still plan on buying are these headphones featuring the bitty bad guys. No details on who actually made the guts of these $20 cans so I'm thinking they're absolute crap... and yet I still want them when they hit in October.

Space Invader Headphones [ShopNCSX, thanks NCS]

Created by German designer Moritz Waldemeyer, Pong Effect uses 2400 LEDs and two track pads to essentially recreate a game of air hockey. The best part, it looks like it was created for 4-year-olds. Oh, I know how absurd that is, but does it sound like I care? It doesn't.... for those of you who can't detect the waves of enthusiasm rippling off my keyboard right now.

Pong Updated for the 21st Century [The BBPS]

[Thanks James]

So keep one thing for yourself. Drink His coffee out of your own damn cup. Available in 3 different colors, the Space Invaders Tumbler will cost you $10.90 of His money. Enjoy.

Space Invaders Tumbler [NCSX via Play Gadgets]

Space Invaders Pillow [NCSX via ALBOTAS]

It's sounding like a fun Space Invader-y mash up of Pikmin and Rampage, something we could definitely get behind. No word yet on whether Space Invaders Get Even is a full-fledged disc release or a WiiWare title, but we hope they clear it up soon.

Taito Announces Space Invaders Get Even [Game Watch]

Space Invaders 30th Anniversary Bath Towel [NCSX via Bits Bytes Pixels Sprites]

[via Wonderland]

It was dwarfed by some of the larger creations there but was still very cool to see. A lot more cool than the Al Gore snow sculpture that looked like Kim Jong-il.

Items like this Asteroids coffee table balance that gaming yin with having a house that doesn't look straight out of a Pokemon episode yang. It's subtle, classy and will match just about any couch you can throw at it. But only 50 will be produced in a limited run this year, proving once again that anyone who says happiness comes free is a fucking delusional bastard. Check out the "Invasion" version after the jump.

Brand New, Your Retro [Mostly This: via Wonderland]

Interloper From Beyond The Heavens [Threadless]

Space Invader X New Era [Cap Collector via Strictly Fitteds]

"Taito has the skill and the quality of arcade machines, so they could develop an arcade version of Cooking Mama. A virtual knife and cooking board or something..."

Revitalizing The Legacy: An Interview With Taito's Keiji Fujita [Gamasutra]

It might be a bit too late to buy these as presents, but that doesn't stop you from just picking one up for yourself. If you're interested hit up the site below, but make sure to contact them directly at info [ at [ idolwear.ch if you want a custom pattern.

Idol Wear

Don't get us wrong. We're not asking nor begging for a confrontation—we're just saying that if that little alien decides to animate, go rabid and go on an office-destroying rampage across the US, who are we to use our mad Space Invaders skills to stop him?

CUBESDAY: Win a USB Missile Launcher! [via hawtymcbloggy]

The three-way collaboration will give Space Invaders fans a chance to bedeck themselves with bitmapped aliens on backpacks, wallets, messenger bags, totes and more. How much? Don't concern yourself with that. You either can't afford it or simply don't care.

Gallery1950 × Space Invader × PORTER [Conope via Hypebeast]

Vote for Interloper From Beyond The Heavens at Threadless.

Product [via textually]

Space Invaders [rainybayart]

I really like the pattern and all, but something about the shape reminds me of the sweaters you see at the thrift store with teddy bears or Christmas trees on them. Personally I prefer something a little more fitted, but it's pretty cool nonetheless. And in case you were wondering it was made in a nice one-size fits all XXL. Doesn't anyone make anything in medium anymore?

Video Game Sweater 1 [Etsy]
[via Wonderland]

For those of you that would like to make the pilgrimage to see what's sure to be the hottest thing since the Virgin Mary appeared on a taco shell, Baltech sends along the location of this wonder which is in the city of Klagenfurt at the intersection of Perhartgasse and Dr. Hermann Gasse. And you better hurry because it looks like someone's already trying to scratch it off.

But for $150, I will probably stay dressed like that emperor guy who streaked everywhere, too cheap/stupid/unhip to buy clothing I actually want to wear.

Space Invader Hoodies [thecoolhunter]

Kotakuite Stefan sends news Vienna, Austria of a Space Invaders inspired bathroom in an art gallery called INOPERAbLE. The bathroom is cool, but even more interesting is the site that is hosting the video footage of the fancy can. It's a museum/shop dedicated to video game culture called Subotron. We've posted a few tidbits about it here and there, but if you are unfamiliar allow me to enlighten you with one of the only portions of the shop's website that's in English.

The SUBOTRON SHOP is positioned at the cutting edge of electronics, gaming, music, and design and explores the historic and future development of computer, video, and telegames in a sociocultural context.

The permanent exhibition of handhelds and consoles from the Neufeld collection forms the basis of its inventory. All devices can be played and purchased and the shop also sells textiles, literature, music, and gadgets from around the world.

The SUBOTRON Association for the Promotion of Electronic Game Culture organizes lectures, workshops, exhibitions, and concerts on gameculture since 2005. It started the scientific and artistic studies of computer- & videogames in Vienna.

Sounds like a pretty sweet place and if I ever get out to Vienna I will be sure to drop by for a look see. But, if you would like to explore the wonder of INOPERAbLE's Space Invaders themed bathroom, check out Subotron's website for a video. Flynn De Marco

Space Invaders inspired bathroom [Subotron.com]

Contrary to popular belief, I'm not really a heartless person. Helping old ladies across the street, saving Hallmark cards and crying — I'm so occasionally there. And these 8-bit alien plush toys? Adorable! Indie toy artists Amy and Jude Buffum created these very cute Space Invaders at limited edition run of 25 with each selling for US $25. That's easy to remember. Brian Ashcraft

Space Invaders [Daddy Types via Alice]

Thanks Invaderbacca for helping me develop yet another gaming-based obsession. Michael Fahey

That's right baby: I got my new kicks today. They're a little tight, but I'm sure they'll break in just fine. And the look, the look's so spectacular even my game-hating wife had to admit that they were "pretty cool."

Just what I needed after a long, stressful day at the house. Brian Crecente

Crecente's New Space Invader Kicks [Kotaku]

This definitely falls into the "For the gamer who has everything including a lot of money" category. This Space Invaders inspired (read: ripped off) doormat by La T te Au Cube is more than your normal ordinary doormat, it moves! Those little green invaders are actullay displayed on an LED screen and is run by two AA batteries. Before you go rushing to order one though, be aware that this puppy costs a whopping $110. Plus shipping!

Perhaps we can all pitch in and get one of these for Crecente's birthday so he'll have something to wipe his fancy SI shoes on. Throw in an Space Invaders t-shirt, pants, jaunty cap and man-purse and he'll be ready to hit the town! Flynn De Marco

Back Off Door Mat [Charles & Marie]
[via Wonderland]

Remember those fancy Nintendo shoes that Pandamanda made with fabric pens and a pair of plain white shoes? I loved the art so much I paid her to make a pair just for me featuring what else but Space Invaders.

I haven't received them yet, but she just sent me a slew of pictures and I nearly passed out from how amazing they are. I like how from a distance they almost look like those checkered Vans. I had a pair of checkered Vans when I was in high school, but the cool just didn't take. Maybe it will this time around.

These set me back $130, which includes the price of the shoes. A very fair price for such ass-kickery. Pandamanda says she is taking orders, so if you're interested hit her up at PandaSneaks [ at ] gmail.com

Now the only question is will I have the nerve to wear these in public. And I think you know the answer. Brian Crecente

One of the greatest things about blogs is that they entertain you while still making it look like you are kind of doing work, so it's always nice to see something on the web that can actually do the opposite and make your work entertaining.

NetQoS has made a little program called Netscom that monitors the traffic on your network and remodels them into fun little game-like scenarios. Right now the program is only running on their systems, but it's always better to see some one else's server blow up instead of yours. Kim Phu

Watch Your Network Play Space Invaders [Tech Crunch]

10,000 years from now, when future archeologists dig through the ruins of our once proud and mighty planet, they'll assume that this is an image of some ancient god worshipped all around the world, bringing together people from every cultural, racial, and economic background.

The nifty thing? Wouldn't be too far from the truth. Michael Fahey

While we hate to post eBay stuff, this is too good to pass up: A Space Invaders mahjong set. Know that in Japan mostly men play mahjong. Men who smoke. And like Space Invaders, apparently. Brian Ashcraft

Space Invaders Mahjong [eBay via Siliconera]