Game Industry Support Grows for Philips amBX Technology

Philips will use its special scripting language in various Codemasters and Introversion titles, partnering with the game makers to “amBX-enable” popular Codemasters title ToCa Race Driver 3 and Introversion’s upcoming Defcon and Darwinia, it said. All titles will be available for PC CD- ROM.

Previously announced games to be scripted specifically to work with amBX peripherals include THQ’s Broken Sword: The Angel of Death and Kuju’s Rail Simulator, being published by Electronic Arts. “Additional announcements are forthcoming as Philips is currently in the closing stages of agreements with a number of other high profile companies regarding amBX-enabling games in a variety of genres,” it said Tues.

Codemasters and Introversion “recognized both the creative and commercial value that amBX can add” and the deals with them show that “even back catalog games can be amBX-enabled, extending product shelf life in the future,” said Philips amBX Chief Mktg. Officer Jo Cooke. “These are three totally different titles that will use amBX in very different ways and, added to existing amBX-enabled adventure and simulation games, demonstrates how adaptable and striking amBX can really be across all genres of PC gaming,” Cooke added. Of ToCa, Philips said scripted amBX effects delivered via amBX peripherals “will make the experience of playing the game even more immersive,” adding gamers “will feel the wind in their hair through the amBX fans and see the flash of lighting through tree lines, tunnels and landscapes via the amBX LED lights all in the real world around them.” Defcon, an online, multiplayer strategy game simulating global thermonuclear warfare, was inspired by the 1983 film WarGames. Adding amBX technology to it “will allow armchair generals to actually see the blinding light, as their intercontinental ballistic missiles land; feel the ground rumble through the amBX rumble pad as fallout rains down around them; and quite literally blow their enemy’s wigs off, through the force of the explosion entering the room via the desk fans,” Philips claimed. Darwinia “will also take full advantage of the amBX LED light, desk fan and rumble peripherals to extend the game world out of the screen and into the player’s game room,” it said.

To date, Philips only has announced deals for PC games but it’s “in the middle of gaining middleware licenses” to use the technology in PS3 and Xbox 360 peripherals, Bolu Akindoyin, senior mktg. asst. for Philips amBX U.K., told us in late Oct. Philips is “confident” amBX will reach game consoles in 2007 after its 2006 launch for PC gaming, Chief Technology Officer David Eves told us at E3 Expo in May (CED May 12 p4).

Philips said over the summer the initial amBX peripherals “are on target to ship this fall [but] no specific month has been announced” for launch. But launch was delayed slightly, Philips revealed in late Oct. Initial amBX PC game peripherals now will start appearing at “select U.S. stores as a sneak preview before the holidays,” Philips said. Products will be displayed, not sold, this year; the official U.S. and European amBX PC game peripheral launch won’t come until Jan., it said. At launch the company will offer 4 kits: A $99 Extension Kit with desk fans and wrist rumbler pad; a $199 starter kit with a directional wall washer light, controller and satellite lights; a $299 Pro- Gamer Kit including the wall washer light and controller unit, plus satellite 2.1 speaker lights and subwoofer; and a $399 Premium Kit with all the components.

When the peripherals launch, about 6 amBX-enabled PC games will be available, including The Angel of Death, Rail Simulator, ToCA Race Driver 3 and Defcon, Akindoyin told us. Rail, one of Microsoft’s Windows Vista launch titles, will let players “drive steam, diesel and electric trains on real routes throughout the U.K. and Germany,” Kuju said.