Mad Catz® Announce New Range of Cyborg® amBX™ Compatible Products for PC
amBIENT XC in Pittsburgh Home & Garden Show Dream Home
amBIENT XC makes TV debut in Welsh Talent Show
Mad Catz® Announces amBX™ Hardware Development Kit
amBX and Immersion join forces to create an SDK standard
amBX sponsors this year’s Dare To Be Digital competition at Edinburgh Fringe Festival
amBX and TMB Sign Exclusive Distribution Agreement
amBIENT XC set to revolutionise RGB lighting
amBX teams up with ETC at Carnegie Mellon University
amBX declares EndWar

Latest News

Philips injects amBX into Project Torque

Tuesday, 09 October 2007 00:00

Redhill, Surrey, United Kingdom - Philips today announced an agreement with Aeria Games & Entertainment to amBX-enable the upcoming MMORG (Massively Multiplayer Online Racing Game), Project Torque.

Shorthand for ‘ambient experiences’, amBX evolves the gaming experience by extending the gameplay world out of the screen and into the real world. amBX delivers a full sensory surround experience by equipping game developers with a tool kit to use light, colour, sound and even air flow through enabled peripherals, such as the Philips amBX PC Gaming Peripherals range of LED colour-controlled lights, rumble peripherals and desktop fans.

eaturing hot graphics, 32 player races, a whole host of online community features, vehicle upgrades and tournaments, Project Torque is the first MMORG to be released in North America and embodies the essence of competition, alongside the fun of casual gaming. Racers are able to tune and modify their cars and then show off to everyone on the track.

To register and play Project Torque for free, go to http://project-torque.aeriagames.com

Injecting amBX into the Project Torque mix will allow racers to really feel the rush of wind in their hair as they accelerate, see the strobing sunlight effects as they glide under bridges and trees and feel the rumble of tyres as they power over different road surfaces. The amBX-enabled Project Torque is no game for wig wearers or travel sickies.

“Aeria Games, in partnership with Invictus Games, is pleased to offer the world's most intense, free to play MMORG,” commented Etienne Grunenwald, Producer, Project Torque, Aeria Games & Entertainment. “The addition of amBX effects, particularly wind, sun light and road rumble, will add a whole new level of realism to Project Torque. amBX will really take our players to another racing dimension.”

“Aeria Games is joining a really strong game developer line up and Project Torque is the first opportunity for gamers to experience amBX effects through free massively multiplayer online gaming,” commented Jo Cooke, Chief Marketing Officer, Philips amBX. “amBX provides all kinds of ambient experiences for all kinds of games and racing gamers, in particular, really benefit from feeling the wind rush past their faces.”

Philips is setting a global standard by licensing the amBX technology to computer game developers, publishers and peripherals manufacturers and Aeria Games joins a rapidly growing list of companies supporting amBX-enabled games and peripherals, including Brain in a Jar, Codemasters, Gearbox Software, Instinct Technology, Introversion, Invictus Games, Kuju, Philips Peripherals & Accessories, Revolution, Riot Games, Rivers Run Red, SpectraVideo, Sumo Digital, THQ and Zombie.

Philips lights up world cyber games final with new amBX games

Thursday, 04 October 2007 00:00

October 4, 2007 - Seattle, WA, USA – Philips will be showcasing its new amBX PC Gaming Peripherals and several new amBX-enabled versions of games to members of the press and invitees at the World Cyber Games 2007 Grand Final in Seattle. As a global sponsor of the event, which runs from October 4-7, and sees 700 elite gamers from 74 countries compete for a share of $500,000-worth of prizes, Philips will be holding demonstrations of the Philips amBX PC Gaming Peripherals and the latest amBX game software.

This will include the first press showing for the integrated amBX version of Supreme Commander, the award-winning strategy game from Gas-Powered Games and THQ, which will be available before Christmas, and is soon to be bundled with amBX kits. In Supreme Commander, the feeling of immersion is greatly enhanced by the use of amBX-enabled sensory effects.

Also being showcased for the first time, Overlord, the new action-based RPG published by Codemasters, shows how amBX can be incorporated seamlessly within a game to heighten a dark and twisted atmosphere. In Overlord, amBX scriptwriters have created multiple layers of amBX effects using all of the sensory output possible for events triggered by environmental factors, in-game events, and player actions. The amBX version of Overlord will be released later this month.

The eagerly anticipated Quake 4 amBX mod will also be shown at the WCG event, and, to give a further glimpse of games to come, an amBX-enabled trailer of Clive Barker’s Jericho, which blends all the thrills of a cinematic horror movie with the fast action and tension of an FPS. Jericho is due to be released on October 26, 2007 by Codemasters, and the amBX version of the game will follow one month later.

Finally, journalists and invited gamers will also see how the amBX FXGenerator brings immersive light effects to many existing and readily available PC games. Philips amBX’s ongoing amBX testing program has already identified 112 PC games which are amBX compatible without the need for any modification, which means that many of the games in a player’s existing collection will be amBX-enhanced as soon as they set up their amBX hardware system. The testing program is ongoing, with new games being added each month – check www.ambx.com for details.

Philips amBX technology is a milestone in the development of ambient intelligence and has revolutionized the gameplay experience by extending the virtual world outside the screen and into the real world. amBX provides gamers with a full sensory surround experience by delivering amazing light, wind, explosion and rumble effects that flow through enabled devices to coincide with gameplay elements.

The Philips Peripherals & Accessories amBX hardware is now available in selected territories, with the range available worldwide in the next few weeks. Kits comprise the $199 Starter Kit, with the controller unit and lights; the $299 Pro-Gamer Kit, which includes speaker lights and a sub-woofer, and the $399 Premium Kit, which includes the lights and adds a wrist rumbler and fans as well. An Extension Kit at $99 effectively upgrades a Pro-Gamer Kit to a Premium Kit, and can also be used in combination with a starter kit.

Philips will be holding demonstrations throughout the World Cyber Games 2007 Grand Final, October 4-7, in room ID31 on the first floor of the Qwest Field Event Center, Seattle. The demonstrations are open to all accredited members of the press attending the WCG Grand Final.

DEFCON amBX tournament winner announced

Tuesday, 04 September 2007 00:00

After three months of searching for the UK’s top DEFCON gaming experts, the DEFCON amBX-enabled Grand Final was held on Saturday 1st September in the impressive new Omega Sektor gaming centre. Thirty of the best DEFCON players from IGUK centres based around the UK ventured to Birmingham to compete for a jackpot of prizes worth up to £10,000, including a 50” Philips plasma screen TV.

Each finalist took part in a series of matches throughout the day, using different DEFCON game modes to test their overall expertise at nuclear warfare strategy.

“The tournament was deliberately designed to test a player’s overall competence at DEFCON,” said Chris Delay, the creative brains behind the game. “Speed DEFCON requires a very different set of skills compared to a full 45-minute game. You have to react a lot faster, think on your feet and it’s great for seeing which players can handle the pressure best!”

The whole tournament final was supported by Philips amBX PC Gaming Peripherals. amBX was also used to drive the lighting effects throughout the centre, creating a chilling atmosphere of suspense and impending doom in combination with the melancholic DEFCON soundtrack.

The six finalists with the highest aggregate scores from their matches were then chosen to compete in the final. The final was a tense affair requiring an extremely skilful use (and abuse) of diplomacy. The eventual winner, Abdul Mojid, 15 years old, had demonstrated with ease his ability to betray the rest of the team in earlier matches as he swept his way to final victory.

Mojid was delighted with his winnings, which included a whole host of goodies including a 50” Philips plasma screen TV, Premium Philips amBX PC Gaming Peripherals kit, Logitech keyboard, mouse and speakers. The rest of the 30 finalists didn’t go home empty-handed for their endeavours either, as all finalists received an Introversion goodie bag, complete with MP3 player, t-shirts, Introversion’s back catalogue and much more.

The day’s events were recorded by HEXUS TV. For access to photos and information about where to obtain videos of the day please contact Mark Morris of Introversion Software: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Philips and THQ Announce Supreme amBX Bundle

Wednesday, 29 August 2007 00:00

Berlin, 29th August 2007 - Philips Electronics today announced an agreement with THQ that will see Gas Powered Games’ Supreme Commander amBX-enabled and bundled with Philips amBX PC Gaming Peripherals.

Conceived and developed by Philips, amBX is a giant step towards a full sensory surround experience and revolutionises the gameplay experience by extending the gaming world out of the screen and into the real world through the use of light, colour, sound and even airflow.

Supreme Commander is the first real-time strategy game to receive the amBX ‘ambient experiences’ treatment and will allow THQ to offer realistic light, wind, explosion and rumble effects. amBX lights will enhance the feeling of immersion by reflecting the environmental colours of the landscape and sky, as well as pulsing with the searing light of explosions. The rumbler will let you feel every nuke and salvo, with fans providing the whoosh from the nuclear charged wind and the sensation of floating in the slipstream above battle.

“Supreme Commander is the perfect title to accompany and showcase the Philips amBX Gaming Peripherals effects,” commented Engelbert van Pelt, General Manager New Business Development, Philips Consumer Electronics. Supreme Commander’s real-time strategy gameplay has gone down a storm with the gaming media and across land, sea and air, will maximise the lighting, wind and rumble effects that the amBX PC Gaming Peripherals are capable of delivering. War gaming has never been so realistically scary.”

“Supreme Commander was more than just pushing the boundaries of the existing RTS genre, it was about experimenting with new ideas that had never been tried before, ” said Chris Taylor, CEO of Gas Powered Games. “Teaming up with Philips to utilize amBX Gaming Peripherals allows us to continue to push into new areas, raise the bar even higher, and give players an experience they have never had before... this is what the future of gaming is all about! ”

The launch range of Philips amBX PC Gaming Peripherals includes a pair of left and right satellite lights, a pair of left and right satellite 2.1 speaker lights and subwoofer, a pair of desk fans, a ‘wrist rumbler’ and a directional wall washer light and controller unit.

Capable of representing a staggering 16 million different colours, the left and right satellite lights will change colour and intensity in the context of the Supreme Commander gameplay onscreen. The left and right satellite 2.1 speaker lights and subwoofer also offer 160-watt multidirectional sound complete with dynamic bass boost, adding realism while reducing the clutter of separate speakers.

Compact, adjustable and with variable rotation speed, the desk fans allow both slow and fast airflow, up to 5000 RPM - simulating a variety of in-game experiences, including wind, collision impact, acceleration, velocity, airflow from an airplane propeller or even a drop in ambient temperature.

With two integrated motor drives and variable rotation speed, the wrist rumbler enables Supreme Commanders to actually feel movement, experiencing the action through vibration. The rumble will work simultaneously with the light and air movement to - allow gamers to truly see hear and feel more of the game.

Serving as the central control unit, the directional wall washer light and controller unit flood the wall behind the PC or laptop screen with different coloured light through three powerful banks of LEDs. All amBX PC Gaming Peripherals are linked to the central control unit through USB 2.0 connections.

Philips has established a global standard by licensing the amBX technology to computer game developers and publishers, including THQ, Gas Powered Games, Codemasters, Kuju, Introversion, Revolution, Sumo Digital and Rivers Run Red. Philips is currently in the closing stages of agreements with a raft of other high profile companies regarding amBX-enabling all kinds of games.

Philips amBX enables Defcon final

Monday, 13 August 2007 00:00

Redhill, Surrey - Philips today announced that it has teamed with Introversion to amBX-enable the final of the 12-week DEFCON tournament, due to be held on 2nd September in the all-new Birmingham Omega Sektor, the largest gaming centre of its kind in the world.

DEFCON is an online, multiplayer strategy game simulating global thermonuclear warfare. The game, inspired by the 1983 cult-classic film Wargames, superbly evokes the tension, paranoia and suspicion surrounding the Cold War era.

A total of 30 finalists from around the UK will be invited to play three DEFCON matches, including two speed matches and one full 45-minute game, which will be fully amBX-enabled. The finalists will be competing for an impressive £10,000 prize fund, including Philips amBX PC Gaming Peripherals kits and a 42” Philips ambilight LCD TV, to be presented by the Directors of Introversion.

Former professional gamer Sujoy Roy will be on hand to provide online commentary and live streaming of the tournament over the Internet, whilst gaming VIPs and the media will spectate from a dedicated amBX-enabled VIP lounge within the venue.

“This will be a really exciting event in which to participate and spectate, not only for our core fans but also for those who are entirely new to our games,” said Mark Morris, Managing Director at Introversion Software. “We welcome everyone to come down and join us for the day, either to watch the battle for global domination unfold, or to take part in your own nuclear Armageddon by playing DEFCON on one of the hundreds of PCs available at the Omega Sektor.”

“The DEFCON LAN tournament is a great opportunity for us to showcase amBX to press and public alike, particularly as this game’s ambient experiences are very different to other game genres we’ve demonstrated so far,” commented Jo Cooke, Chief Marketing Officer, Philips amBX. “Introversion is a young and dynamic team and it’s genuinely exciting to be working with them on such a popular release.”

Shorthand for ‘ambient experiences’, amBX is a giant leap in the development of ambient intelligence and revolutionises the gameplay experience by extending the gaming world out of the screen and into the real world. amBX provides gamers with a full ‘sensory surround experience’ by equipping developers such as Introversion with a tool box to use light, colour, sound and even air flow through enabled devices, including the Philips amBX PC Gaming Peripherals range of LED colour-controlled lighting, rumble peripherals and desktop fans.

Philips is setting a global standard by licensing the amBX technology to computer game developers, publishers and peripherals manufacturers and Introversion is part of a rapidly growing list of games industry companies supporting amBX-enabled games and peripherals, including Gearbox Software, Zombie, Riot Games, Brain in a Jar, Invictus Games, Instinct Technology, Codemasters, THQ, Kuju, Revolution, Sumo Digital, Rivers Run Red, Philips Peripherals & Accessories and SpectraVideo. Philips is currently in the closing stages of agreements with a number of other high profile companies regarding amBX-enabling all kinds of games.

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