Augmented Reality Branding: greater, larger and more intense

Gaming in a true and living way

Mon, 16 Feb 2009 16:48:07 +0100

The media landscape is now more fragmented then ever before. We moved from a time where the media was in control on when and how to reach a consumer. It’s the other way around now. We believe in embracing the new landscape and let people decide for themselves when and how to connect and interact. Gaming as a tool, as a medium even, is one of the most powerful interactive tools around. Not gaming in a console sense of the word, but in a true and living way. We believe that Cultural Oil is far ahead and truly connected. That’s why we are very proud to be connected to them via our “collaborative creativity network” of 60 layers of cake.

Rodger Beekman - creative director 60 layers of cake
rodger@60layersofcake.com

How reality games and ‘normal’ games differ (1)

Fri, 30 Jan 2009 10:07:45 +0100

Reality Games are vastly different from your average console or PC game.

Let's look at the story structure for a minute.
If you compare Reality games with console or PC games, one of the most obvious differences is the way the story is constructed. "Normal" games often have a chronological storyline.
One might argue that, since the game is interactive, the story is not chronological. However, if you investigate the games that do this -Mass Effect for instance- you'll see that the overall storyline is mostly chronological in nature.
Only on the smaller levels will players experience a different story; the big overall storyline will mostly be the same.

Reality games, because of their real-time nature, often
have a completely different structure. Rather than chronological, the Reality game's storyline is more fragmented in nature. Some have even called it archaeological. This is because the players discover the story bit by bit, rather than watch the story unfold through
a certain course of time, as you would a movie.
Those words alone imply a greater interaction possibility.

Writing an archaeologically constructed storyline is a great challenge. But I think, when well written, it forges a stronger bond with the players than a chronological storyline. And that's one of the most important aspects of a good story.

Remy@culturaloil.com

New intern

Tue, 6 Jan 2009 09:23:48 +0100

My name is Rémy van den Wijngaart. I am an intern at Cultural Oil, where I will be working on a Reality Game project: The Experience Run.

I study DVTG (Design for Virtual Theatre and Games), at the HKU (School for the Arts Utrecht), in Utrecht. DVTG combines game techniques with theatre, and theatre techniques with games, to create new and exciting things.

As for a specialty, I focus mainly on writing the concept; the game design itself.
I am convinced that the narrative is one of the most p
owerful ways to achieve immersion, but that you also mustn’t underestimate the power of image and audio. The real trick to a great product is finding the perfect balance between the two, I think.

With the Experience Run, we will strive to reach this balance. The run will offer its users and exciting, immersive experience and will make them more aware of our client at the same time.

-Rémy van den Wijngaart

CulturalOil.com: low wattage web design

Thu, 6 Nov 2008 11:54:28 +0100

Magazine Ode besteedt deze maand aandacht aan Black Google: een energiebesparende toepassing van Google.
Het witte beeldscherm van Google geeft veel licht en verbruikt ongeveer 74 watt. Google Black verbruikt ongeveer 59 watt, en werkt hetzelfde als de normale Google. Cultural Oil’s website is ook een “low wattage web design”. Deze designs zijn de toekomst, volgens The Futures Foundation. Zo is er al een “low wattage palette” voor webdesign ontwikkeld. Google Black had op moment van live gaan van dit bericht 913.160.133 watt uren bespaard.

On & offline campagne voor NBC Universal

Tue, 4 Nov 2008 13:36:58 +0100

Digitale televisie maar nog nooit de crime & thriller zender 13thSTREET gezien? Daar komt verandering in want eind dit jaar brengen wij de programmering van 13thSTREET via een on & offline campagne onder de aandacht. De campagne is gebaseerd op een “kinetic” aanpak waarbij de beste scènes uit series als Monk, House, Dexter, Law & Order grafisch op je netvlies worden gebrand. Eind dit jaar te zien op digitale televisie en diverse sites.

Weer even helemaal duurzaam

Mon, 3 Nov 2008 18:27:55 +0100

Het herfst/winternummer van het interne MVO magazine is in de maak voor ABN AMRO. In dit nummer onder meer een interactieve duurzaamheidstest over milieubewust forensen. Zelfs het toekomstige ruimtereizen voor de zaak wordt kritisch onder de loep genomen...

Toekomstvisie in Code Magazine ondersteund

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 09:34:01 +0200

In december vorig jaar gaven wij onze toekomstvisie op het gebruik van avatars in het dagelijkse leven in Code Magazine, onder de titel “Het Doppelgänger effect”.
Nu, ruim een half jaar later, is deze visie ondersteund door Metaverse Roadmap: een onderzoek naar de toekomst van virtuele werelden. Naar verwachting zal 50% van de internetgebruikers straks een avatar hebben, en zullen de virtuele en echte werelden steeds meer versmelten.
Het artikel uit Code Magazine is hier digitaal op te vragen.
Op http://www.metaverseroadmap.org/overview/ staat het onderzoek, in aanvulling op het artikel.