Join the fun happening on Harbourside this weekend for the opening of M Shed and the launch of M Shed Fortunes, a new mobile phone application that brings Bristol city's history to life.

M Shed, the new museum of Bristol will open its doors to the public this Fri 17 June. The celebrations will include the launch of M Shed Fortunes, a brand new iPhone app that uses elements of treasure hunt and street games to guide visitors through a nineteenth century Bristol cityscape. Visitors will be encouraged to dodge muggers, constables and the temptations of a bustling port, whilst securing jobs, partners and connections, with the aim of increasing social status and ultimately becoming Mayor of 1870s Bristol.

M Shed Fortunes was designed by Bristol games company SlingShot and developed by M Shed, Calvium and Watershed as part of a research collaboration funded by the Technology Strategy Board. Packed with information from the museums' collections and archives, the game weaves historical facts into a fictional narrative, and takes visitors on a playful, unique journey around Harbourside.

John Williams, Deputy Head of Bristol Museums and Archives, says:

We were looking to develop a game that was based on Bristol's history and the museum collections, but that was still fun to play, particularly for a younger audience. With the game starting and finishing outside M Shed, we also hope that it will encourage even more people to visit our fantastic new museum.'

The game was built using Calvium's Pirl system a set of easy to use tools that enable developers to build and distribute apps that use sensors like GPS to trigger media content.

Clare Reddington, Director of iShed and the Pervasive Media Studio says: 'Watershed are delighted to be a part of this research project. By combining elements of Bristol's history with pervasive game design and Calvium's Pirl platform, M Shed Fortunes shows the extraordinary potential of Smartphone applications to engage visitors in new ways and create transformational cultural experiences.'

Digital technologies offer a fascinating and fun way of discovering knowledge and engaging with history. By creating a game that digitally places objects and information from the M Shed collections back on the street, Fortunes demonstrates the exciting possibilities of what can be achieved when museums, arts and technology sectors collaborate.

M Shed Fortunes is available to download free from Apple's app store from Fri 17 June.

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