Chromaroma
Toby Barnes (British, born 1973)
and Matt Watkins (British, born 1973)
of Mudlark (UK, est. 2009)
2010
Illustrator and Flash software
and advanced wireless services (AWS)
spectrum band
Chromaroma uses an existing
infrastructure—London’s transportation
systems—as a platform for a real-time
game. Commuters sign up to play using
their Oyster cards, a form of electronic
ticketing used in Greater London, and
then are grouped into one of four teams,
where they rack up points with each
journey and strategically complete
specific tasks and missions. Some
missions rely on an evolving story line
(such as a diamond heist or a ghost hunt),
and others have players altering their
daily routines (getting off a stop earlier
or going all the way to the end of the line)
in order to gain a new perspective on
the city. The players’ physical movements
are recorded by their Oyster cards
and can be charted on three-dimensional
interactive maps and published on
Twitter or Facebook, making everyday
journeys into social experiences.
Chromaroma thus injects the often
mundane process of commuting with
a sense of playfulness, encouraging
people to explore the city and ally
themselves with strangers. Since it
does not rely on smartphone technology,
the game is accessible to anyone
with an Oyster card; the design
company Mudlark hopes eventually
to expand Chromaroma to other
cities around the world.
Category: City
Tags: Interfaces / Visualizations / Networks / Maps
