The Exit 8

Umdlalo i-The Exit 8, owaklanywa yisitudiyo esincane saseJapane i-KOTAKE Create waphuma ngasekupheleni konyaka ka-2023, ubonisa uguquko olumangalisayo emikhakheni yemidlalo ethusayo neyokuhambahamba (walking simulator). Ngokuhlanganisa ubuhle obuyinqaba bezindawo ezingaphansi (liminal spaces) nemithetho yemidlalo yokuthola umehluko, lo mdlalo udala isipiliyoni esethusayo nakuba usebenzisa indlela elula. Uqeda ukulandisa okuyinkimbinkimbi nezinhlelo zokusinda ezivamile emidlalweni yethusayo yanamuhla, kunalokho uthembele enkumbulweni yomdlali kanye nokungabaza okwenza umuzwa wokukhathazeka ujule. Isisekelo salo mdlalo silula, kodwa sithusa kakhulu. Umdlali uzithola ebhajwe emhubheni ongaphansi komhlaba, okhanyiswe ngokugqamile, olingisa isiteshi sesitimela saseJapane. Indawo ijwayelekile kakhulu, inezindonga ezinemathayili, amaphosta ezikhangiso, amalambu ophahleni, iminyango yabasebenzi, nomhambi oyedwa ohamba njalo ngendlela ephambene. Lesi simo esiyiqiniso nesijwayelekile sisebenzisa umqondo wezindawo ezingaphansi (liminality), lapho izindawo zokudlula zizwakala zixaka uma zingenabantu. Ukujwayeleka okwedlulele yikho okwenza ukwesaba kusebenze ngempela. Awekho amadonga anegazi noma izincithakalo, kukhona nje ukwesaba okuthulile kwendawo ejwayelekile ezwakala sengathi ayilungile. Ukudlalwa kwe-The Exit 8 kuncike emithethweni eqinile ebhaliwe ephepheni eliseduze nendawo yokuqala. Umdlali kumele ahambe emhubheni abuke indawo yakhe ngokucophelela. Uma ebona noma yini engajwayelekile, kumele ajike abuyele emuva ngokushesha. Uma umhubhe ujwayelekile, kumele aqhubeke phambili. Ukuphumelela ukulandela le mithetho kuthuthukisa umdlali aye esigabeni esilandelayo, esikhonjiswe ngenombolo ephuzi ophahleni. Inhloso enkulu wukudlula ezigabeni kuze kufike ku-Exit 8, ukuze umdlali akwazi ukukhuphuka izitebhisi aphumele ngaphandle. Nokho, uma umdlali ephuthelwa yinto engajwayelekile noma ecabanga ukuthi ubonile kanti cha, isibali sibuyela ku-zero, simvalele ekujikelezeni futhi. Ubuhlakani bomdlalo bulele ekwenziweni kwezinto ezingajwayelekile. Ezinye zibonakala ngokushesha, njengamanzi abomvu agelezayo, amehlo amakhulu abuka ephahleni, noma umhambi othulile oqala ukugijima eza kumdlali enobuso obumomothekayo obuyinqaba. Nokho, ukwesaba kwangempela kuza ekushintsheni okuncane. Iphosta ingase ikhule kancane, iphethini yamathayili phansi ingase ingahambelani, noma isibambo somnyango singase sibe sephakathi hhayi eceleni. Lokhu kwenza abadlali babe sesimweni sokubhekisisa ngokwedlulele, bengathembi inkumbulo yabo. Njengoba umdlalo uqhubeka, ingqondo yomuntu iqala ukudlala imidlalo, ikwenza uzibuze ukuthi umthunzi wawuhlale unjalo yini noma amalambu ayekade ehumula ngaleyo ndlela. Ngemva kokuphuma kwawo, i-The Exit 8 yaba yinto edumile kakhulu ku-inthanethi, ikakhulukazi kubasakazi ababukhoma nabadali bokuqukethwe kwevidiyo. Isikhathi somdlalo esifushane, esivamise ukuthatha imizuzu engu-30 kuya ehoreni, kanye nokulinda ukuthola izinto ezingajwayelekile, kwenza kube mnandi kakhulu ukubukwa abanye. Ngaphezu kwalokho, impumelelo yawo yaveza uhlobo olusha lwemidlalo ethusayo. Kwase kuvela imidlalo eminingi esezitimeleni, ezibhedlela, nasezindizeni, yonke ilingisa indlela yokudlala i-The Exit 8. Ekugcineni, i-The Exit 8 iyisifundo esiphelele ekuklanyweni kwemidlalo elula nokusebenzisa izingqondo zabantu. Ifakazela ukuthi ukwesaba akudingi ngaso sonke isikhathi izilo ezimbi ezicashile ebumnyameni noma izindaba eziyinkimbinkimbi. Kwesinye isikhathi, ukwesaba kwangempela kutholakala emhubheni okhanyiswe kahle, lapho ukuchezuka okuncane kwento ejwayelekile kwanele ukudala ukwethuka nokushabalalisa umuzwa wethu weqiniso.