"Honey, the TV is leaking again"
While the rest of us are still struggling to come to terms with the HD era, Philips is pressing ahead with the next generation of home entertainment technology, amBX, which consists of a TV that sends out ambient light around the screen, as well as other enabled devices. Like a desk fan. These apparently work together to increase the sensual impact of the experience, combining 'surround lighting, sound, vibration, air movements and other effects.'
To spread the curious message about amBX, the company is signing up developers left, right and centre to support the technology. The latest are Codemasters with Toca 3, which will now send wind through the players' hair, and two titles from Introversion - Darwinia and Defcon. The latter is the most understandable of the iterations, the glowing screen surround adding an extra spook factor to those haunting retro graphics. Stick the game on auto and this could almost qualify as art, the apocalypse playing out in the corner of your room, the white glow of global death ebbing into the lounge. Well, it's no less depressing than watching Santa Claus the Movie again this Christmas.
