Cyberspace and European Shamanism
From the Hypermedia Laboratory in the University of Tampere comes the new location-aware hand-held game called “Songs of The North” which is inspired by Finnish myth.
images from the game’s promotional material
“GameLab has designed and implemented the pervasive game Songs of North, which is a mobile, location-aware multiplayer game with a theme and game world resonating with elements of Nordic myths and shamanism. The restrictions of the mobile device as a gaming interface are here translated into design solutions that actually turn such shortcomings to advantage. For example, the mobile game deck is conceptualised as a shamanic drum that operates as a window into the ‘other reality’ ? that of the spirit realm where normally invisible friends or foes can be perceived and communicated with. Rather than focusing the player on the small screen, which really cannot compete with the experience that contemporary PCs and big-screen televisions are offering, the game immerses players into a rich audio world where wolves howl and eagles screech. The mobile device can even stay in the pocket of a player who journeys through the streets as an urban shaman, simultaneously inhabiting not only the city of brick and stone but also a fictional overlay of a Nordic spiritual realm via the cues of a hands-free headset, which continuously whispers sound information into her ear.” – Frans M?yr?, The Receiver
No word yet on when us Americans will get a crack at this game. Also in a related note the author of the article I referenced has written an interesting book.
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