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amBX, Philips Promises Gaming Revolution in 2006

Posted: Sat Dec 31, 2005 1:16 pm
by Bas
Philips today introduced amBX to the world of computer gaming, spotlighting a technology that, the company claims, will revolutionize the gameplay experience and extend the gaming world out of the screen and into the real world.

Due for release in May 2006 and coming from the Surrey-based Philips amBX Group, amBX is a step towards a full sensory surround experience and enabled games will provide gamers with the ability to use light, colour, sound, heat and even airflow in the real world during gameplay. For Joost Horsten, who has headed up the unit, this is another example of ambient intelligence, following up on his work on Mirror TV. Ambient intelligence is Philips' vision of the future of electronics, he explains. The amBX unit was born ... after a series of Friday afternoon brainstorm sessions. It aims to stimulate the senses beyond just audio and video - think smells or vibrations when watching TV, or dynamic and intelligent lighting.

Imagine the room of the future, where all electronic devices are amBX-enabled. The treacherous road to Saigon will turn your room jungle green, swimming with dolphins will splash it deep blue, 'Halo' jumps will turn your fans on full, lightning storms will strobe your white lighting, and attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion will blast on your heaters.

Incorporating a scripting language, software engine and architecture, amBX has been designed to deliver all-new player experiences through enabled devices such as LED colour-controlled lights, active furniture, fans, heaters, audio and video, which are all placed in the user's room. amBX goes even further to provide the support framework for peripheral manufacturers to develop these enabled products, empowering both developers and publishers to amBX-enable and enhance their games. In the future, game players may even be able to author and share their own personal amBX experiences online.

The networked home is rapidly becoming a reality for many, through the introduction of low cost wireless technologies such as Wi-Fi and BlueTooth. amBX has embraced this changing future by allowing content authors a language in which to describe and recreate experiences in an Ambient Intelligent Environment. Within a location the devices controlled by the amBX language act as parts of a browser. Together they render the experience and the player's room, in effect, becomes the browser.

Through amBX, Philips has forged a common language for the creation, distribution and sharing of totally new experiences and the launch into the games industry is merely the start of a shock wave that will boom across film, music and mass market entertainment as a whole.

Philips is currently in the advanced stages of talks with a number of leading computer games developers and peripheral manufacturers regarding amBX-enabling leading games and devices, and will be officially launching the technology to the market in May 2006.


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Posted: Sat Dec 31, 2005 2:21 pm
by tgn_rogue
Hmm the feeling vibrations sounds familiar to the old backpack style unit for the CD-i.

Sounds like a nice peace of kit though, and it would be interestingt o see what it makes of CD-i titles.

Posted: Sat Oct 14, 2006 6:46 pm
by Bas
It feels very nostalgic to read the Philips copyright again on todays Game releases with amBX. As of now, Broken Sword is the only game utilising the full effects of amBX, and while I've never played it or experienced it, just the logo in place looks lovely.

Welcome back, Philips.

You know with Nintendo being all innovative and stuff with their new consoles, I feel they should team up with Philips again to vibrate the consoles as well. If this is no innovation, what is!

Posted: Sun Dec 17, 2006 7:56 pm
by Ruekov
Is expectacular, but looks very expensive :oops:

The idea remembers to Philips Ambilight, a lcd-tv ambient technology.

Posted: Sun Dec 17, 2006 8:05 pm
by Bas
Today, only one game is compatible: Broken Sword

They should try to team with Nintendo or something, as the development process at Philips goes veeeery slowly. The idea is very neat, but without support the system is doomed to fail..... (again!)

They (philips) prove it one more time: While great at innovation and developments, their marketing sucks.....

Posted: Sun Dec 17, 2006 8:42 pm
by Erronous
Bas wrote:their marketing sucks.....
Senseo? Philips markering does NOT suck, it's a bit erratic sometimes :).

Posted: Sun Dec 17, 2006 9:11 pm
by Bas
That's because they teamed up with Douwe Egberts/Sara Lee for that! If they did it alone, I'm sure it wouldn't be as succesful as it is now. Other collaborations with known companies show Philips is learning: Nike, Jordan...

If only Sony and Matsushita didn't exit the CD-i Team as soon as they did, who knows how the world would look today!

Posted: Sun Dec 17, 2006 9:33 pm
by Erronous
I'll try again with philishave :).

Posted: Sun Dec 17, 2006 9:41 pm
by Bas
That's a mysterious patent I don't understand. Even the patent on Audio CD expired, but somehow even nowadays no other company is allowed to copy this technique.