Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Xbox 360 Lightsynth

Posted by Zonk on from the trippy dept.

Ophion writes "Renowned digital artist Jeff Minter of Llamasoft has created a new lightsynth that will be built into the Xbox 360. More information on the console's music player is available from Microsoft." From the post: "I believe it finally begins to achieve the potential that I saw all those years ago when I first made Psychedelia... and I am happier with it than I have ever been with anything I've created in my entire career. And we got it into the firmware again... Microsoft firmware. Of the Xbox360 for goat's sake. At last... after more than 20 years' work, one of my lightsynths is going to reach a decent sized audience. Millions and millions..."

7 of 129 comments (clear)

  1. 30 Million Xboxs sold by lake2112 · · Score: 1, Informative

    According to the article on CNN.com, there have been about 30 million Xboxs sold world-wide.

    1. Re:30 Million Xboxs sold by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      According to the Microsoft trademark guidelines, the plural of "Microsoft Xbox" is "Microsoft Xbox game consoles."

  2. Re:millions... by SoVeryWrong · · Score: 2, Informative

    According to Microsoft, they've sold approximately 20 million Xboxes as of year end 2004.

  3. Redpoint (artists in the video)'s record label by Acronym · · Score: 3, Informative

    If you like the music in the demo video, visit http://www.hiddenmusic.co.uk/ - the website of Redpoint's label.

  4. Re:Let me be the first to say something POSITIVE by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    furthermore, his previous work is basically the foundation for much of modern audio visualization programs (iTunes; WinAmp, WinMediaPlayer, various xmmc plugins). this software is likely to further influence the field, given it's unique qualities. there has been some experimentation with 3d visualizations and various filters and effects, but this is pretty much state of the art. it's running in HD, and quite fluidly. it's realtime interactive, and it should be pretty accessible being in ROM and using a wireless analouge controller. 4 people can control the thing simultaneously using a variety of control inputs (buttons, sticks,.. I don't know the exact mappings). impressively, this thing is under a half meg of code. check out the video's, which are compressed, low resolution, low framerate relative to the actual realtime xbox360 HD output...

  5. Re:I wonder... by einTier · · Score: 3, Informative

    I don't think the point is to make a game. There's two ways I see this program. One, it's just a cool screensaver to use while you're streaming MP3's during a party -- and hey, you can play with it. Two, it's meant to be used under the influence of really heavy hallucinogins. If you've never used psychedelic drugs, then that might be hard to understand, but let me assure you that combined with the right drugs, that "meaningless crap" could be the most profound thing ever.

    --
    -------------------------------------------------- $665.95 -- retail price of the beast.
  6. Re:Wow... by torpor · · Score: 2, Informative

    Dude. I've been around gaming since PONG, and I've never heard of either of those games!

    hello dude, you must be american. minters' big successes in the early 80's were .. mostly .. for early UK 8-bit scenery ...

    i was always pretty surprised, personally, by the secular nation of american video game markets in the 80's.. a lot of really cool shit happened that the average american video junky missed out on because of the different 'scene' in the states ..

    --
    ; -- the corruption of government starts with its secrets. a truly free people keep no secrets. --