TESLA TECH IN VIDEO GAMES
Variants of Tesla’s technology are often used in games and other entertainment media because of its ability to produce broad, snaking bolts of plasma for dramatic effect. Tesla coils in games are often used as weapons, they exists in two forms, A portable lightning gun and a turret. (BeachThunder, 2014)
Here’s some examples of Tesla Tech in Video games, in no particular order...
COMMAND AND CONQUER: RED ALERT (1996) starts when Einstein invents a time machine and uses it to kill Hitler before he can come to power. Russians, rather than the America, had access to Tesla's blueprints., The Tesla towers that appear in this popular RT are based off of a proposed death ray.(SinisterPorpoise, 2012)
Perhaps the most widely known example is the Tesla Coil defence structure, capable of sending short electric arcs towards oncoming units, also in their arsenal are Tesla troopers, who carry portable tesla coil based weaponry and tesla tanks, which have a large glowing blue sphere that ejects great bolts of electricity (Wiki, 2017)
ALIEN SWARM (2010) is a top-down multiplayer co-operative shooter
IAF Tesla Cannon - (unlocked at level 5) Electric weapon that stuns enemies before killing them, arcs to other enemies, and avoids friendly fire.
IAF Tesla Sentry Coil - (unlocked at level 12) Deploys a tesla coil that stuns enemies within a certain radius. (Mento, 2015)
In WOLFENSTEIN (2009 remake) B.J. Blazkowicz is trying to stop the Nazis from harnessing the power of an alternate dimension known as the Black Sun. Some weapons are traditional World War II era Nazi guns and others are based on Veil technology, ostensibly created by some Nazi secret weapons project. This includes the Particle Cannon and the Tesla Gun. (xMP44x, 2014)
Tesla Gun - This is the second Veil-powered weapon discovered in Wolfenstein. It shoots arcs of electricity.
Mk.2 Generator ($500) - Decreases the time it takes the Tesla Gun to spool up
Arc Nodes ($500) - Gives the Tesla Gun's melee attack stun properties
Coil Upgrade ($2000) - Makes the Tesla Gun generate more arcs of electricity, increasing damage.
RETURN TO CASTLE WOLFENSTEIN (2001) sees B.J. Blazkowicz return to fight elite Nazi troopers, supernatural creatures, and mechanized super soldiers in this reboot of the original 1991 classic Wolfenstein 3D.
FALLOUT 3 (2008) sees the player is forced to leave Vault 101 and venture out into the irradiated wasteland of Washington D.C. to find his or her father. The historical background of the Fallout series of computer games is based on Tesla's inventions all working as expected and as if his physical theories were correct. Tesla Armour has high resistance to laser and plasma weapons.
The BROKEN STEEL DLC added more weapons and armour, such as a Tesla Cannon, a Tri-Beam Laser Rifle, and Hellfire armour, and more challenging enemies, (TooMuchCraig, 2017)
VIVISECTOR: BEAST WITHIN (2007) is a FPS retelling of 'The Island of Doctor Moreau', this game pits you against an army of heavily armed genetically engineered half-man half-animal soldiers. The player is given a number of weapon types throughout the game: Including Energy weapons (Tesla gun, Plasma gun).
Hyena Soldiers: are the least intelligent- generally relying on their numbers in attempts to swarm the player. They are equipped with Tesla guns, and are relatively accurate with them at medium to low range (GiantBomb, 2017)
BLOOD (1997) is a horror-themed first-person shooter that brings plenty of blood, gore, and dismemberment to the Build engine courtesy of its less-than-savory protagonist, Caleb.Tesla Cannon Primary Fire: A rapid-fire stream of electrical energy emanates from the gun. Secondary Fire: Charges the device in order to release a massive electrical blast. Ammo: Tesla Charges (Reilkin 2015)
TOMB RAIDER LEGEND (2006) During the Kazakhstan - Project Carbonek mission, Lara journeys to an abandoned top-secret Soviet research facility where experiments on the paranormal were reportedly carried out. Here, she encounters her old friend and current nemesis Amanda, whom she had earlier thought to be dead. Lara recovers the third sword fragment used to power an experimental Tesla gun while fighting the unknown entity that Amanda now controls. (Wikiraider, 2017)
The 2014 adventure game TESLA EFFECT: A TEX MURPHY ADVENTURE deals with many of Tesla's inventions such as the Spirit Radio, Tesla's Egg, the Death Ray, and a recreation of the Wardenclyffe Tower. It also includes an organisation called the "Tesla Legacy Society" dedicated to solving the problems of humanity through the works and inspiration of Tesla.
“Motivated by lost love, revenge, and the world’s strongest coffee blend, Tex must retrace his own steps into a maze of unsolved murders, hidden agendas, and lost technologies of Nikola Tesla. Only by solving the mysteries of his past can Tex hope to regain his memory in time to restore what’s been lost and stop a terrifying future.” (BigFinishGames, 2017)
"LIGHTNING GUN" BASED ON TESLA'S COIL AND DEATH RAY
Appears in: Reflex Arena
Van Helsing Unreal Tournament Quake
LIFE IMITATING ART
While Nikola was unable to reach the consumers the same way Edison had, his legacy continues to live till this very day. Combined with Tesla's vision and inspirations taken from games, the Tesla Coil Gun has come into existence. One YouTube channel called Smarter Every Day has turned the Tesla coil, into a handheld gun that blasts out arcs of lightning.The Tesla Coil Gun is a transformer circuit that pumps out AC electricity in high voltages, spider webbing through the air like lightning. It even comes complete with a water cooled pack to keep the internal temperatures under check. (Muhummad, 2016)
Tesla’s design of the alternating current (AC) electrical supply system and the AC power generators at Niagara Falls are arguably his most famous contributions to society, but the Tesla coil remains one of his coolest, and most beloved by Tesla fans, which is why you continue to see the concept in stories and games.
An interactive tesla experience is a relatively untouched concept in VR gaming especially with a musical focus/contex which verifies and validates our game's concept integrity and originality.
IMAGES (by appearance)
https://tesla.stractest.org/nikola-tesla-cartoon/
https://www.giantbomb.com/tesla-coil/3055-442/
https://www.giantbomb.com/tesla-cannon/3055-4477/
https://www.giantbomb.com/command-conquer-red-alert/3030-249/
https://www.giantbomb.com/alien-swarm/3030-32098/
https://www.giantbomb.com/wolfenstein/3030-21119/
https://www.giantbomb.com/return-to-castle-wolfenstein/3030-19181/
https://www.giantbomb.com/fallout-3/3030-20504/
https://www.giantbomb.com/fallout-3/3030-20504/dlc/
https://www.giantbomb.com/vivisector-beast-within/3030-17386/
https://www.giantbomb.com/blood/3030-11381/
https://www.giantbomb.com/lara-croft-tomb-raider-legend/3030-8554/
http://guides.gamepressure.com/tombraiderlegend/guide.asp?ID=935
http://www.bigfinishgames.com/games/tesla-effect
http://texmurphy.wikia.com/wiki/Tex_Murphy_and_the_Tesla_Effect
https://adventuregamers.com/articles/view/26429
https://www.giantbomb.com/lightning-gun/3055-3169/
https://www.techworm.net/2016/12/tesla-coil-gun-inspiration-taken-video-games-brought-real-world.html
REFERENCES
BeachThunder (Apr 2014), Tesla Coil, Object
Retrieved from: https://www.giantbomb.com/tesla-coil/3055-442/
BigFinishGames (2017), Tesla Effect
Retrieved from: http://www.bigfinishgames.com/games/tesla-effect
GiantBomb (2017), Vivisector: Beast Within, Game
Retrieved from https://www.giantbomb.com/vivisector-beast-within/3030-17386/
Mento (Dec, 2015), Alien Swarm, Game
Retrieved from https://www.giantbomb.com/alien-swarm/3030-32098/
Muhammad (Dec 2016), Tesla Coil Gun Inspiration Taken From Video Games and Brought Into the Real World
Retrieved from: https://www.techworm.net/2016/12/tesla-coil-gun-inspiration-taken-video-games-brought-real-world.html
Relkin (Oct 2015) Blood, Game
Retrieved from https://www.giantbomb.com/blood/3030-11381/
SinisterPorpoise (Apr 2012), Video Game Appearances of Nikola Tesla
Retrieved from: http://www.alteredgamer.com/pc-gaming/67468-video-game-appearances-of-nikola-tesla/
TooMuchCraig (Feb 2017), Fallout 3, Game
Retrieved from: https://www.giantbomb.com/fallout-3/3030-20504/
Wikipedia (2017), Nikola Tesla in Popular Culture
Retrieved from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikola_Tesla_in_popular_culture#Video_games
Wikiraider (2017), Kazakhstan - Project Carbonek
Retrieved from: https://www.wikiraider.com/index.php/Kazakhstan_-_Project_Carbonek
xMP44x (May 2014), Wolfenstein, Game
Retrieved from: https://www.giantbomb.com/wolfenstein/3030-21119/
