IT’S SO BAD. The Power of Glove is a feature documentary that chronicles the history and legacy of the Power Glove, a 1989 Nintendo controller that promised to forever change the way humankind interacted with technology. Originally released by Mattel, the Power Glove was the first mass-marketed, gesture-based video game controller, and its hype was immense.
Immediately after its release, however, gamers were disappointed by the Power Glove, and critics panned it as a worthless gimmick. Yet unlike many gimmicks and critical failures of the past, the Power Glove has not been simply swept under the rug. Nearly three decades after its release, the Power Glove continues to resonate with video gaming and technology fans, becoming the focus of art pieces, songs, videos, hacking projects, and other forms of cultural repurposing.
The Power of Glove is the story of how and why the Power Glove lives on.
Christopher Gentile (Hardware Development)
Thomas Zimmerman (left), DataGlove Hardware Development
The Power Glove’s history is one which covers a vast array of interesting characters, complexities, and compromises. In order to uncover the multifaceted history of the Glove, the film features interviews with with the Power Glove’s developers in its hardware, firmware, game design, and marketing departments. The film traces the Glove from its beginnings as an expensive high-tech V.R. device designed by VPL Research, through its re-imagining as a toy product by Abrams Gentile Entertainment, all the way to its appearance under Christmas trees at the end of 1989. By approaching the Glove from such varying angles, The Power of Glove is faithful in revealing the full journey of the Power Glove from its original concept to on-the-shelf reality.
Dan McMillan (Arcade Owner)
Side Brain (Musician)
Isaiah Triforce Johnson (Power Glove Enthusiast)
Brad Garton (Power Glove Modifier)
Over 30 years after its release, the Power Glove has been culturally repurposed and reinvented by a small but dedicated legion of fans. The Power of Glove features those artists and hackers who have refused to let the Power Glove die. Witness how these passionate enthusiasts have transformed the Power Glove from a nearly-forgotten piece of technology into a cultural phenomenon.
Long live the Power Glove!