Philips amBX announces new consumer features and agreement with SpectraVideo plc
E3, Los Angeles - Philips amBX today announced more details of its revolutionary new ambient experience technology, amBX, including an agreement with SpectraVideo plc and a raft of new consumer features which will deliver an instant plug and play experience. A number of amBX-enabled games will also be available later on in 2006.
Philips amBX will provide gamers with a full 'sensory surround experience' by empowering game developers with the ability to use light, colour, sound, vibration and even air flow in the real world, during gameplay.
Combining a scripting language and software engine, amBX has been designed to deliver all-new player experiences through enabled devices such as LED colour-controlled lights, active furniture, fans, heaters, audio and video, all placed strategically around a player's room.
amBX is highly flexible, allowing gamers to build their own personal set-up by picking and choosing from a variety of lights, fans, rumblers and future devices. amBX adapts itself to that, making sure that at any time, with any set-up, the optimal experience is delivered.
Following the recent announcement that Philips Peripherals & Accessories will be launching a range of amBX accessories and kits, UK-based peripheral developer and manufacturer, SpectraVideo, is now set to join them.
SpectraVideo will be the first to launch a range of third party amBX-enabled products under its own Logic3 label. SpectraVideo has been succesfully selling gaming peripherals under the Logic3 brand for over 12 years. More recently, SpectraVideo has expanded its range to include iPodTM accessories with its best selling Logic3 i-Station. SpectraVideo has established its own expertise in taking a leading role and being first to develop and market new and innovative product ranges, a trend that it hopes to replicate with its amBX-enabled products.
Both companies plan to have products available in time for this fall and will each announce full details of their ranges in the coming months.
For consumers, Philips amBX has announced a range of applications to help them get the most from their amBX kits right away, even without amBX enabled games. Some of these applications will be bundled with the peripherals.
The amBX Visual Autoscriptor and amBX Audio Autoscriptor will enable consumers to get an amBX effect from any media they run on their PC, whether it is one of their existing PC games or their music collection. An amBX Media Player will also be launched which will play amBX-scripted music, DVDs and video.
The amBX Atmosphere Controller will allow consumers to control their amBX kit directly to enable mood lighting or other effects other than through playing games and music.
When consumers go online, the amBX Web Plug-in will allow peripherals to join in with web pages scripted with amBX, making surfing the World Wide Web a totally different experience.
Philips amBX will also have content available for download through the amBX website at www.ambx.com.
All these applications are designed to give the consumer a plug and play experience when they arrive home with their new amBX kit. An even richer amBX experience will, of course, come from games that have been specifically scripted by game developers.
Philips amBX is working with a number of developers and publishers to deliver a range of amBX-enabled games for launch. These will include some brand new and some existing games, with the range of games available to increase post launch.
Philips amBX is currently in the closing stages of agreements with a number of leading computer games developers and publishers and will be showcasing the full potential of amBX to the media and industry on Stand 970 in the South Hall at E3, Los Angeles, from 10th to 12th May 2006.
iPod - copyright ® 2006 Apple Computer, Inc.
amBXTM - ® 2006 is a registered trademark from Royal Philips Electronics.
For more information: www.ambx.com
Media contacts:
Mark Ward or Lee Skittrell at Bastion Ltd.,
Tel: +44 (0) 20 490 1323 Fax: +44 (0) 20 7490 1350
email: mark@bastion.co.uk
Philips amBX
Hans Driessen
Tel.: +31 40 2746692
email: hans.driessen@philips.com
About Royal Philips Electronics
Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) is one of the world's biggest electronics companies and Europe's largest, with sales of EUR 30.4 billion in 2005. With activities in the three interlocking domains of healthcare, lifestyle and technology and 161,498 employees in more than 60 countries, it has market leadership positions in medical diagnostic imaging and patient monitoring, color television sets, electric shavers, lighting and silicon system solutions. News from Philips is located at www.philips.com/newscenter.