Audio surf

notability

This game uses audio tracks to build the 3D gaming environment and the temporal game play. It is therefore novel and notable, in being a first of its kind.

Audio Surf

Audio Surf is a video game, for the PC where a space craft like vechicles are driven along a track, suspended in space, with obstacles placed on it. In general, points are scored by hitting the coloured obstacles and points lost for hitting grey.

What is novel about this game is that it uses music tracks to create the shape of the track, the placement of the objects and the tempo and beat structure to determine the speed of play. Where the music becomes intense, colours change and graphics ques, such as intracate roofs appear over the race track. An mp3 collection can be used, or a music CD. Attempting to upload tracks to it from an ipod has so far not been achieved.

Typically playing a fast heavy metal track, for instance some metallica will result in a very fast ride. Playing a slow beat peice of folk music results in a slow leasurely game.

Playing a samba track is quite a strange experience as the speed of the ride slows and quickens at a rythmic rate. Compay Segundos song maria en la playa results in a very difficult to play track for this reason.

Internet accessed high score database

The game automatically links to a database, where high scores are kept for each artist and track combination. You are also notified by e-mail if your top score has been beaten.

references

http://www.audio-surf.com/