AmBX
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- The correct title of this article is amBX. The initial letter is shown capitalized due to technical restrictions.
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amBX is a system developed by the Surrey based Philips amBX Group which aims to produce a full sensory experience for games, movies, music, websites and other media through the use of furniture and accessories including fans, lights, heaters, rumble-packs and other potential devices. The amBX system utilizes scripts built into games, DVDs and other media, but will most likely include an automated option for providing basic lighting effects for non-amBX enabled content, similar to how Ambilight, another Philips Technology, works. The first amBX-enabled game, Broken Sword: The Angel of Death has already been released, and the first amBX peripherals will ship in time for Christmas 2006. Philips has said that we can expect more amBX technology later this year, primarily for the PC Gaming market, with other media and kits being supported/sold in 2007.
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[edit] Timeline
1998 Ambient Intelligence defined as a vision for Philips.
2000 amBX concept begins development at Philips.
2002 Philips Homelab opens in Eindhoven.
2004 Ambilight TV launched by Philips.
Miravision Display launched by Philips.
Ambient Intelligence Research Group set up at MIT Media Lab.
2005 amBX technology officially announced.
Content developers, publishers and device manufacturers start coming on board.
2006 amBX market introduction continues with an initial focus on PC gaming.
State-of-the-art amBX-enabled apartment suite is designed and opens at Redhill, UK.
amBX technology is demonstrated again at the GDC Show in San Jose (March), E3 Expo in Los Angeles (May), Develop in Brighton, UK and IFA in Germany (October)
September 2006 First amBX enabled game released - Broken Sword: The Angel of Death
[edit] Peripherals
The first range of peripherals, manufactured by Philips, have been announced for launch in November 2006. They will be available in kits of various combinations to suit different budgets, which are expandable and will automatically reconfigure when new peripherals are added. The advanced kit will include a pair of fans, 4.1 speaker system, 4.1 colour-changing light system and wrist-rumbler. Ranges from third-party manufacturers are expected shortly, and products aimed more for the lounge or living area as opposed to gaming are planned.
[edit] Price
The issue of cost has not been properly addressed by Philips, but they have said that starter kits for amBX will be available at reasonable prices first (an Edge feature puts a basic bundle at ca. £200), with future add-ons and kits of various qualities and price points available in the future to satisfy a wide range of budgets and markets. However, it should be noted that Philips is licensing the amBX technology, and therefore prices are in the hands of the distributors and manufacturers of respective products, which may rend Philips' statement incorrect.
[edit] Demos
Philips have demoed the system to specialist press such as Edge magazine and publicly at trade shows and expos. The system has been demonstrated in both gaming and movie scenarios, with the first available home theatre setup (incorporating fans, multiple light sources, and large-scale rumble effects) and a more modest laptop-based arrangement (incorporating a few smaller lights and a "rumble strip" located near the user's wrists). A Broken Sword game and a Roller Coaster Tycoon title, which will support amBX, were used to demonstrate the gaming aspects of the system.
