“Log Drive Runner” is a game in the endless runner genre, and is released on Steam – the world’s largest gaming portal – Thursday the 8th of September 2016.
The local log flume in Notodden, which is now on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, inspired the visual and the idea behind the game, and has thus already attracted a lot of attention in Notodden.
The press release took place on the Live Scene in Notodden’s culture house, The Book & Blueshouse. Besides the game developers Siri Camilla Torset and Njal Frode Lie, the following guests attended: The Mayor of Notodden Gry Fuglestveit Blochlinger, Chair of the Standing Committee for Culture Terje Malm, Chair of the Standing Committee for Economic Development and the Environment Aslaug Sem-Jacobsen, and the Director of The Norwegian Industrial Workers Museum Runar Lia.
- It is not often that there is a world-wide release in our city, and it is obvious that the game developers have based their game on something that they have a relationship to, said the Mayor Gry Fuglestveit Blochlinger.
Photo: Mayor of Notodden Gry Fuglestveit Blochlinger gives flowers to the game developers Siri Camilla Torset and Njal Frode Lie from the indie game company ProudCamelGames
(Photo: Rita Engedalen)
Photo: From the press release. From the left: Game developer Njal Frode Lie, Chair of the Standing Committee for Economic Development and the Environment Aslaug Sem-Jacobsen, game developer Siri Camilla Torset, Chair of the Standing Committee for Culture Terje Malm, and the Director of The Norwegian Industrial Workers Museum Runar Lia.
Game developer Siri Camilla Torset explained: “The final version of the game as we now see it is a simplified version of the log flume. Initially we were working with a photorealistic 3D model, but as our work progressed, we realised that we needed to make it simpler to make it function better.
Everybody who has grown up in Notodden has somehow a relationship to the log flume. "- We are thrilled about the log flume being listed as a UNESCO World Heritage, and the response to our game is overwhelming.”
Right now, there is an ongoing rescue operation, where a part of the flume, which has been neglected for years, is being restored. I was so happy to hear about the game, and hopefully the publicity around the game and our log flume will contribute to that we in time will be able to walk and run in it once again, said Chair of the Standing Committee for Culture Terje Malm.
The Director of The Norwegian Industrial Workers Museum Runar Lia explained the history of the log flume and why it was built in the first place, and the link between the flume and Notodden’s industry: “When the power plant were built, the water in the river disappeared, and log driving was no longer possible. A new way of transporting timber was needed, and the log flume turned out a perfect solution.”
Chair of the Standing Committee for Economic Development and the Environment Aslaug Sem-Jacobsen stated that it might be difficult to find the means to restore the log flume at its full length (4193 meters) in one operation, but it could be possible to make a full restoration in stages. In time, we are hoping for the possibility to arrange different activities in our log flume, and it is great that this game is making publicity about the world heritage and the flume.
Njal Frode Lie: “The log flume was in use for transporting timber until 1976, and after that, it was used by Notodden’s youngsters, - who either walked, ran, bicycled and even gone fishing in it. Now, however its condition is so poorly that it is no longer safe for recreational purposes. Now you can at least run in a digital version of it!”
In addition to the game’s idea and theme based on the log flume, there is also a “Notodden-button”; by pushing this, 250 photos from the Notodden area are displayed on billboards alongside the flume, photographed by Siri Camilla Torset.
Why? – “Well, this is one of the advantages of being an indie developer”, says Siri. “We wanted to make that, and so we did, without having to ask anyone. We decide everything ourselves”.
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