Now Vectorform Game Studio brings you Catan as presented by Mayfair for the Microsoft Surface. This multi-touch, multi-player experience captures the authentic experience provided by the popular board game.  Featuring 3 or 4 player modes, a beautifully animated and interactive board, and a free-form interface which keeps play flowing as smoothly as possible, this experience is sure to be a defining element in the legacy of Catan.

 Features:
• Full multi-touch from the Microsoft Surface allows all players to interact with their elements of the board at once.
• A digital playing surface breathes new life into the Catan experience through graphics and animations.
• “State-free-trade” allow players to swap cards without entering modes or pressing buttons, keeping the experience as pure as possible.
• Customized art unifies the multi-touch interface with Mayfair’s 4th Edition release of The Settlers of Catan to create a seamless play experience.
• Integration with real-world objects to maintain the original Settlers of Catan board game feel.

 

Achim Berg CEO Microsoft Germany, Dipl.-Kfm. Gerd Pieper, President IHK Bochum, Tillmann Neinhaus, General ManagerIHK Bochum (from left to right)

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It is no surprise Vectorform designed and developed the first Microsoft Surface application to debut in India. TV9 is the flagship station for Indian media-giant Associated Broadcasting Company Pvt Ltd (ABCL), and Vectorform’s multi-touch application took viewers by storm when used to illustrate the 2009 Election of the Indian Parliament. Live from Andhra Pradesh, ABCL CEO and TV9 anchor Ravi Prakash made television history with his innovative presentation of the election coverage.

During the 2009 Parliamentary Elections, ABCL wanted to see TV9 reinforce its status as a market-leader in innovative news coverage, and to boost viewership by providing the most engaging on-air coverage of election material.

Vectorform designed and developed a set of applications for the Microsoft Surface, which allowed on-air illustrations of election status and past election history. The Microsoft Surface debuted in the United States in 2008, and the TV9 deployment represents the first use of the platform in India.

To be a success, the application suite had to accommodate the complex working of the Indian electoral system. Like the United States, India has a federal form of government, however, the central government in India has greater power over its states, and its central government is patterned after the British parliamentary system. The core components of the suite focused on Andhra Pradesh, and other applications highlighted local and federal election results.

• Andhra Pradesh Members of Parliament Map: Depicted the state’s three major regions and its Parliamentary Constituencies. The map allowed on-air talent to drill-down into each area, and show results for the previous election, as well as a representation of the incoming results in the 2009 Election.
• Andhra Pradesh Members of Legislative Assembly Map: Also depicted a map of the state, and the smaller constituencies for the Legislative Assembly. As on the Members of Parliament Map, the application allowed on-air talent to drill-down into each area, and show results for the past election, as well as a representation of the incoming results in the 2009 Election, and the election’s winner and runner-up.
• Members of Parliament by State: Provided a high-level view of the parliamentary elections from 2004 and 2009 in the remaining 28 states.
• The Battleground: Provided Mr. Prakesh with a way to illustrate the unique alliances formed by parties both prior to, and directly following the 2009 election.

Additionally, Vectorform created a web-based content management application to enable off-air administrators to feed election data into the application suite as the results were tallied.

On Saturday, May 16, 2009, Ravi Prakash demonstrated the application suite, using hand-gestures and real-world objects to interact with both live and historical data surrounding the Indian General Elections. The presentation quickly gained the attention of viewers and press-outlets around world.

The primary objective of the project, from the client’s perspective, was to reinforce their position as trendsetters, vis-à-vis use of latest technology complimented by innovative ways of presenting information; thereby propelling TV9 higher up on the Indian electronic media ladder as pioneers- in terms of content, capability and innovation. Last but not the least, TV9’s objective for all projects is to increase TRPs (Television Rating Points), which are primary incentives for promoters & sponsors to align with TV9. The television program  featuring  the election coverage on the Surface did just that – made a big impact on a landmark day in Indian politics -when over hundreds of thousands of living rooms across the country were glued to the television set.

From a multi-touch dashboard that interfaces with a mobile touch screen phone, to a completely seperate MS Surface experience demonstrating the multi-touch capapbilities using…multi-touch.  Unveiled and recieving a ton of publicity.

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Once again, multi-touch was a big hit. The audience was very global and really excited by the technology, our applications and the possibilites, which are seemingly endless. Other features in the Sonic Bar customer experience were the Xbox 360, touch kiosks, promotional scanning systems, Microsoft Snag it tagging system, a DJ booth and an experiential marketing video wall presentation featuring a full audio and lighting rig.  Another really cool thing to point out was the Wayfinding kiosks around the convention that used Win7 and touch technology to help guest find vendors by company or offering and then printed out a little map for you to take with you, along with the contact information for that company. While it was very kiosk-like, it offered a nicer interface and an overall better user expeirence. 

As we wrap up here, I’ll be headed back to Detroit and will be sure to keep you posted on the events happeining at the NAIAS 2009. Vectorform, automobiles, multi-touch, iPhone, Surface…innovation. I can’t wait!

Vectorform has had a blast at CES. Our NBC Universal apps and the managed experience has been a huge hit. The NBC reps handed out 2GB SD disc jump drives in a Surface tagged package that were coded so that as people set down their package, they either received a notice saying “Winner” and received really cool novelties like a toaster powered by USB, or another message to visit the wall of media to download content to their new jumps. People were fanatic about it and NBC ran out of jump drives at the middle of day two. Mobbed! So, today people are slowing down to take the time to interact with the Surface and discover the content, which is really the magic of it.

Now I’m taking a little break here to blog from the NBC blogger lounge, appreciate the gratuity of the NBC folks over the past few days as well as throughout our projects with them and to view the crowds’ continued interest in the Surface. People are really taking the time to engage with NBC’s content, likely spending more time with it then they may have in the past and having a better experience overall. Adding a whole new dimension to what media can do to people by adding the sense of touch to sight, audio and emotional connections. Its just the beginning of something really big in the Multi-touch realm. As we wrap up here, things seem to be a little more quite today. We are continuing to meet some fascinating people and see interesting technologies.

Me? I’m getting geared up for what lays in wait for us at the NRF…not necessarily geared up for the red-eye that I’m catching tonight. More from New York tomorrow!