How do you use Sony’s Playstation Portable to play big games? Take advantage of the system’s ability to search for WiFi access points, and make that the basis of a scavenger hunt / puzzle game. At least that’s what Jonas Hielscher did when he created CollecTic, an inventive little title developed as part of Hielscher’s graduation project for the Media Technology masters program at Leiden University. From the man himself:
The objective of the game is to search for different access points, to collect them and to combine them in a puzzle in order to get points. In the game, the player has to move around in her/his local surrounding, using her/his PSP as a sensor device in order to find access points. By doing this, the player is able to discover the hidden infrastructure of wireless network coverage through auditive and visual feedback.
Bonus points go to Hielscher for moving beyond the simple scavenger hunt mechanic, and adding a bit of puzzler to the mix. According to his site, each secured access point is defined by a shape and color, the shape being determined by the manufacturer code of the unique MAC address, and the color determined by the product code of the same. When the player “collects” an access point he/she can then arrange it in a 3×3 square with other access points collected. Matching sets of three (by color, shape, or both), earn the player points.
As if that wasn’t enough, the game allows players to collect unsecured access points as well. Once collected, the unsecured points appear as either black or white stars. If they’re white, they act as “wild cards,” and can be used to complete matching sets. If the point is black, however, it clears the player’s grid, forcing him/her to start over with collecting.
These are small additions, but they can add a great deal to gameplay, as well as make the experience more aesthetically pleasing as a whole (in addition to size, shape and color, each individual access point is defined by unique sound, making for a nearly synaesthetic experience).
Be sure to check out the site, which offers more information on the game’s development, photos, and short videos of the gameplay in action. Although CollecTic is not publicly available yet, Jonas Hielscher promises that it is coming soon, and will be playable on PSP’s up to firmware version 2.0.
Appeared originally on Away From Keyboard.