This programme ran from 2008-2010 at the Pervasive Media Studio. For more projects like these please visit the Studio website.

Projects 2010

Company Profile

Bringing together the skills of 5 like minded individuals, Mutant Labs fuses together their collective knowledge of design, programming and illustration to create inspiring, functional mobile applications and websites.

Journal Authors

Andy Sargeant

Operation Sonic Boom

by Mutant Labs

How can the power of the voice be used to create new interactive experiences for casual gamers and those with additional learning needs?

Mutant Labs explored the use of sound as a control method in casual games. The power of the voice is often overlooked in its ability to create unique and engaging interactive experiences. Mutant Labs developed a Framework or set of tools that evaluates and analyses sound input, and allows other developers to create voice controlled games easily. By creating a library of functions and control methods that other developers can use, they aim to open up the market on voice controlled games.

Watch the project video

Journal Entries

Journal Entries

Noisy Toyseys and The Future of Operation: Sonic Boom

Tue 15 Feb, 2011

We used the research we gained from testing square games to hone the mechanics and choose 3 specific mechanics to focus on developing further. Then we untied our Art Director, Chris, from his stake in the garden and brought him inside to further develop the game mechanics, and the visual style, of the testing apps.

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Flower Power

Wed 12 Jan, 2011

Throughout our development process, we've tackled problems with physics, intuition and computer hardware, we've laughed with glee as we bounce around the office making background noise and we've been filled with a sense of achievement as we convert another soul to the world of vocal gaming. What a ride!

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Sound Control to Vocal Bomb

Fri 10 Dec, 2010

Every so often, on our continuing journey of development, we like to dismount and set up camp along the roadside in order to take a look around and examine our progress on the development map. We've recently found a fork in the road, actually it's less of a fork and more of a cutlery drawer full of different forks, some clean, some used and some should really be categorised as sporks. The perfect time to let the free-range people of planet earth decide a route.

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Build and Run

Wed 24 Nov, 2010

One "quiet" evening in the lab, two developers sit side by side. Code and numbers flash before their eyes. Sweat bristles at their united brow. The mouse cursor slowly rolls across the screen, the suspense unbearable. It finds the plain, humdrum button. The button that toys with developers emotions the world over. The button that can create utter despair and scrap an entire project, but can also give the clicker a euphoric rush crackling with happiness and elation. They glance at each other, a wry smile escapes Rich's poker face.

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Dramatic Mathematics

Wed 20 Oct, 2010

"Did I just turn off gravity?" … "I'm pretty sure I didn't make a sound the frequency of bat sonar." … "It's nearly there, it just needs more explosions". The blissful soundtrack of splishy-splashing our development toes in the cool, refreshingly murky waters of the unknown. Over the last two weeks we've been hurling our mutated bodies at the walls of current research in the precious hope that they are made from delicious ice cream (the walls, not our bodies). "What have you got to show for it?" I hear you wail over the splintering thud of another breakthrough.

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