Wizards of Wisflow

Submitted By: Christopher LaCalamita

Genre: Enhanced Interactivity Action Adventure RPG

Tagline: Utilizing Microsoft's XBOX 1080's cutting edge “Programmable Matter” technology, build your own potions, conjure magic, investigate treasures, and read ancient scrolls right from the palm of your own hands as you venture deep into the fantasy world of “Wisflow” on a magical adventure.

Concept Summary: Programmable matter is an exciting new technology almost indistinguishable from magic. Currently being developed by Intel with help from the academic community, programmable matter allows a person to interact with and morph three dimensional shape shifting materials right in the palm of their hands!

With the ability to call on and render these objects in real-time, the impact it can have on game development and interactive entertainment is tremendous if applied correctly.

In the Enhanced Interactivity Action Adventure RPG “Wizards of Wisflow”, you begin your journey as a young wizard in an incredibly imaginative fantasy world. Utilizing proven game design elements of the genre, you venture off into “Wisflow” exploring villages, caves, dungeons, mountains, and vast forests while building your character as you progress.

However, by combining the advanced technology that Programmable Matter provides, you end up with a brand new genre and a completely revamped role playing experience.

Game Snapshot

Setting: “You recently entered a dark dungeon full of smoke and fire and had been fighting through swarms of goblins as you ventured deep into this ancient evil cave. Just a few moments ago, you faced a large ogre and had been battling it for some time now. You don't have much life left and neither does he. Something tells you that one more devastating blow will defeat him once and for all.”

Real Life Interaction: Using your controller, you call on your inventory. It immediately appears three dimensionally right in front of you on your “Programmable Matter Pad” that you have placed on your coffee table. Within your inventory, you quickly pull up your magic scrolls and select your favorite spell, “Dragons of Fire”.

The ancient scroll appears in front of you for you to unroll and read. You read a line thus activating the magic spell. The scroll disintegrates and then morphs into three flaming dragon heads right in front of your eyes! At that moment, the dragons seem to zip towards your television screen targeting the near dead ogre. That graphic translates onto your television screen and smashes the ogre defeating him once and for all.

Afterwards, you walk your character over to a treasure chest and open it. Instead seeing text on your television screen describing what you found, the treasure chest and the objects appear right in front of you on your “Programmable Matter Pad” for you yourself to investigate.

Justification: This is just one game design I have considered that utilizes “Programmable Matter”. The possibilities of this technology within the interactive entertainment industry are endless.

Whether it is used for pure entertainment, educational, or even product placement purposes, “Programmable Matter” is the future technology that will change the way we design games.

I encourage you to review this CNN video explaining Programmable Matter via the following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZlE4AH3enU