Is this Norway?

Breaking boundaries takes preparation. Steve McQueen didn't just run through the huge concrete walls around Colditz. Time and again, great project success has been achieved through clear, formulated research reaching right to the underground roots of the problem, studying them intensely until you find yourself becoming one with them. It's a Jedi trick…

As the minerals and water of deep research germinate the idea acorn of sound based gameplay, and the great oak framework rises from the rich black soil of preparation, Mutant Labs sets sail off the edge of the world and into the deep, dark dungeons of the unknown. Since the last post, we have fully immersed ourselves in the world of user interface design, ludology, sound theory and for a momentary lapse, Minecraft. These fields of research are each a rabbit hole (except Minecraft, that's more of bear cave), joining together to make a sound based interaction burrow we have affectionately entitled Operation: Sonic Boom. The R in R&D is going swimmingly, but we found ourselves asking "Where and how do we start development?". Never has there been a more obvious reason for a sweet, nectarous ideas jam. The kind that fills our bodies with bubbles of excitement. The kind that blows ladies skirts up.

After a deliberate, cautious approach to the meeting table, synapses whirr and an electrical thoughtstorm smashes into the lab. Ideas and questions are hurled between the five members of Mutant Labs as two sides of the coin begin to emerge:

1. How can we use sound interaction to the greatest effect both in interaction and gameplay?
2. How can we craft a book of effective programming spells that will reach the most developers and be the most useful and efficient it can possibly be?

Wham! Conundrum o'clock. We need some ideas on how it will be used, and we need a framework so we can rapidly prototype those ideas. Which comes first? A chicken and egg story we explored ourselves and also pelted around the Pervasive Media Studio in Bristol with the torch bearers at Media Sandbox. The guidance and support we received was rich and nutritious. We left grinning with our minds set on the first stop on the journey, the first development milestone: Develop a basic framework that works on several platforms. After achieving this we can really splash around in a pond of ideas and technical progress.

So after engaging technical thrusters and setting our concept phasers to stun we now have a foundation, an opening, an achievable goal. Cue the D part of R&D. Lab coats are pulled off the rack and hurriedly thrust on as bangs, pops and puffs of odd smelling vapour appear all over the lab. Experimentations necessary to light the way noisily interrupt the day to day passers by. "Is this Norway?" exclaims one such passerby, clearly suffering from a rogue nugget of inspiration. Mutant Labs are on the case, wheels are in motion and picking up speed, the smell of development is in the air!