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Philips amBX: For Ambient Gaming
JamesO writes "Philips has announced amBX, a technology which is said to extend the gaming experience out into the real world.
amBX, developed by the Surrey based Philips amBX Group, is a technology that will take gamers a step closer to a full sensory experience, with amBX enabled games providing gamers with the ability to use light, colour, sound, heat and airflow in the real world during gameplay. The technology uses a scripting language to enable games to send signals to compatible hardware such as lights, fans, heaters, and even furniture. This means that in a game the lights in your room will match up to the environment you are gaming in. E.g. Green for jungle and blue for the ocean. Strobes of while light could simulate a lightning storm and a burst of air from a fan could make huge jumps feel more realistic." Finally, my master goal of a game called "Bacon Fryer" can be brought to the level I've always: wafts of pork smell in the air, grease burns on your hands for bad flipping. And just wait until you have to pour the grease out of the pan!
It could also apply to movies :D
Be or ben't
When I'm truly immersed in a game, my surroundings tend to get pushed away from my consciousness. Having glare-inducing lights or jets of hot air would likely be things I'd try to ignore rather than welcome. The same happens when reading. Never underestimate the power of imagination to create an appropriate mood. Visual and auditory cues work pretty well for that. I don't think Smell-o-Vision is necessary for a good gaming experience.
How thy hell is this going to work in the consumer world ? Is there going to be a standard hardware base or will each "ambient game" require its own set of props ? The theory is mildly entertaining if one ignores the practicality issues.
"ambFarCry requires at least two ambPalmTrees to run. Go back to the store, punkass!"
We already have force-feedback controllers that either suck, or are poorly utilized by developers/designers. Now we're going to have a buttload of props that all suck, and take designers' attention away from the actual gameplay even more than the current orgy of ultra-excessive graphics and gee-whiz sound.
-Billco, Fnarg.com