Published: Dec. 31, 2019

Three players with hands on analog phones play the game Buy! Sell!.A game developed by ATLAS听Senior Instructor and TAM Program Director听Matt Bethancourt, his partner, Lisa Bethancourt, and ATLAS Instructor Danny Rankin听will exhibit听at alt.ctrl.GDC, a coveted showcase of alternative game controller schemes and interactions that happens听during the world's largest professional game developer's conference held in San Francisco, March 16-20.听

Buy! Sell!, created under听the Bethancourts' creative firm, Mouse & the Billionaire, is听one of 21 games to be听exhibited at听the 2020 Game Developer's Conference (GDC).听The听fast-paced, multi-player, stock-trading game uses analog telephones as game controllers, and players watch a terminal full of charts, graphs and breaking news to听make split-second decisions whether to听buy or sell stocks like, pizza, candy and gold. The goal is to dial the phone number for a stock and shout 鈥淏uy!鈥 or 鈥淪ell!鈥 before competitors; transactions affect the stock prices, and the player with the largest portfolio at the end of the trading day wins.

Matt Bethancourt and Rankin听also co-direct听the ATLAS 奥丑补补补迟!?听尝补产,听which explores new ways to "bring more delight to the world through games and experimental interactions." Two years ago听the two also started the Whaaat!? festival in order to "geek-out with a group of like-minded game developers." This year the event attracted听250 participants, and 5280 magazine designated听it as an "Editor's Pick" in听its听"Best things to do in Colorado in October" listing.