MatLab and TomAvatars

MatLab and TomAvatars are together Concrete Games from France. They received an honorable mention for their Game Janga, which was created for the Stoner Games Game Jam and was showcased at A MAZE. / Berlin 2019.

MatLab and Tomavatars are Concrete Games

A MAZE.: How would you describe yourself?
MatLab: I'm a life lover! I love the simple beauty of existence, of the universe, of the fact that everything around us and within us is so complex and infinitely fascinating.
TomAvatars: Someone that is pushed by the will for creation and by friendship. I'm also fond of discovering new technologies and instruments, I love gadgets and I love to play to anything that is playable. I like to argue about many topics. I'm quite chaotic.

A MAZE.: Are you a wild heart? If yes, what makes you think you’re a wild heart?
MatLab: Not really, I'd call myself more of a sensitive heart. To the advice "life is hard, be strong" I say "no thanks". I'm working on my childlike sensitivity and innocence. My weaknesses and humility are my greatest pride and define what makes me unique!
TomAvatars: I need experimentations. Wild heart though, not sure, more a wild spirit. I never really accepted authority. I learned very late to accept knowledge legacy from elders. I still have a an anarchist spirit but if I feel that there's a selfish dimension in this. I like collectivity and feel it's so important those days!

A MAZE.: Why did you start making games or playful media works?
MatLab: I fled food marketing to do work that is less "useful" directly, which for me is much more "useful" indirectly: art! Video games are for me an art that brings together many others by adding an exciting new component, interaction. I'm also a gamer! ^^
TomAvatars: I tried to live as a musician, but I think that I was too wild to accept market compromises. So I decided to make sound and music for games. Then, I began to make games. The endless possibilities of expressions are the main reasons why I want to create games.

A MAZE.: Who (or what) is your biggest inspiration? Think beyond games too - musicians, writers, filmmakers, artists, scientists, …
MatLab: Monkey D. Luffy! Even though he's very violent, I love his unconditional love, honesty, innocence, fighting spirit, debility, honour and the fact that he always finds crazy solutions when everyone thinks it's impossible (as Mark Twain would say).
TomAvatars: Terry Gilliam and the Monty Python's for humour and dreamy worlds. Science Fiction in general, K.Dick, Greg Egan and Ian M. Banks above all. Any onirical creation actually. I also love black humour. Frank Zappa. Utopias, real and fictional.

A MAZE.: Where can we find this in your work?
MatLab: Everywhere, especially in GD. I try to make games that are always generous, innovative, exciting, funny, surprising, that make people live adventures they've never felt before. It's up to you to tell me if the mission is accomplished! :D
TomAvatars: In the way I try to experiment, to express dreams, humour, weirdness. I want and need to push my own boundaries and the media ones. I want to create unique worlds.

A MAZE.: What message(s) are you sending out with your works?
MatLab: Life is a wonderful game! So let's live it with all our senses and have fun together!
TomAvatars: Search simplicity in complexity and the other way round. Have fun. Dream. Be fair and lovely.

Screenshot of Janga

A MAZE.: Is there a repeating pattern in all of your works the players may experience?
MatLab: All (our) my games are arcade. When I play, when I put a coin in, I want to be captivated right away! That's why I put a lot of emphasis on instant immersion.
TomAvatars: I always compose semi procedural music. My music has a lot of gimmicks. I also make a lot of buccal sounds. Simplicity. I never try to make things perfect, there are many accidents in all my works, in designs, systems, visuals or sound.

A MAZE.: What influences your work more: Past (history), present (contemporary) or future (scifi) and what are your sources?
MatLab: I played Nintendo games all my childhood, then spent a lot of time on old console and arcade emulators. I also have a strong sensitivity for nature (accentuated by my girlfriend) and I did a burnout that made me even more sensitive.
TomAvatars: My associates, friends and relatives, how they like my work are my main influences. Games I played or artists that I like also. Legacy from humanity, both in knowledge and in art. Present technology and tools. Contemporary politic and actualities. Scifi literature for the mind.

A MAZE.: What does responsibility towards your players mean to you as an artist?
MatLab: I've been learning about the human brain. Getting players to do actions optimizes their brains to reproduce them. So I avoid mindless destruction, domination, monetary rewards... I promote creation, expression, friendly competition... values I love!
TomAvatars: We must make our best to create enjoyable games, new experiences. I need to say and express something, give meanings. Avoid easy violence or just make games for money. However money is a problem in my life so I would say that players could also have a responsibility towards me? 😀

A MAZE.: What impact is the current pandemic having on you and your work?
MatLab: It doesn't change anything because I've been on a break since the beginning of January, I'm exhausted and it's difficult to project myself, I'm in a phase of rest and reflection on the whole world, which is particularly adapted to the situation.
TomAvatars: Not much. I'm at home, making bread and good food for my son and wife. I have less time to work on Janga, but I'm still trying hard with the little time I have, to work on the prototype. I take the time to regenerate. I think a lot of the future of humanity.

A MAZE.: If there is something wrong in the field of games / playful media, what would you fix first?
MatLab: Diffusion, because of the current algorithms (especially Steam's for us) there is no more wandering (the real one), and they bury the games that didn't work when they were released.  I think it's a big problem that pulls the little ones down.
TomAvatars: Market, players, formats. This is war, between aggressive business, noisy selfish and immature players and content quantity. I'm happy that there is a big community of caring players, but they haven't really heard of us, so, hello! I would make a store for short and artistic games.

Screenshot of Janga

A MAZE.: What are the three games someone who never played a game before should play? Why those?
MatLab: Chrono Trigger, for its bewitching universe that makes me cry and vibrate. Journey, for its timeless poetry and relaxing minimalism. WarioWare: Smooth Moves, for laughing out loud and having an unforgettable time for up to 12 players!
TomAvatars: Inside, because it is a very deep emotional experience and it is gorgeous. Final Fantasy 7 for the world, the story and the mechanics, and because it is a cult game for me. What remains of Edith Finch because it is a perfect example of experience and jam spirit. It is also very emotionally deep and dreamy.

A MAZE.: How do you relax and find balance?
MatLab: Slow down, listen to your body, then your heart, then your brain, so take care of yourself and step back, then work on your unconditional love for yourself and for life. I advise everyone to write a private daily diary. It's an incredible experience.
TomAvatars: I think of game systems, code, compositions etc... When I go to sleep, I generally relax and dive into night while thinking of creative problems, objectives and systems.

A MAZE.: What are the main challenges for artists in your country to sustain themselves?
MatLab: Money! It's difficult to get national support for production. So I decided to take the problem in reverse: I have reduced my standard of living below the minimum support of 490€ (by doing a vegetable garden, collecting unsold food from shops...).
TomAvatars: Having enough money to live a decent life without being distressed. We shipped 2 games and other free games but we don't sell enough to pay ourselves. We work hard but are buried, this makes me angry when you know that big shareholders don't do good to the world and get too much for so little effort!

A MAZE.: How do you see interactive arts in 10 years from now? In 2030! Tell us your vision.
MatLab: Honestly, I don't see how we can avoid VR. I <3 low tech, I think there will always be screens, more AR and innovation, but I think the future will be above all composed of Cloud and VR as in the basic, but perhaps premonitory, "Ready Player One"...
TomAvatars: If there is not a big general collapse of society, I think that AR could be awesome. I often think of this strange game in the Ian M. Banks novel The Player Of Games, which a game that role society. It is a fascist game in the novel, but as it is described, it gives a lot of ideas for real-time and real space augmented games!