audioguides
Adventures in
oday’s audioguides are often much more than
just audioguides. Some, with their screens and
photo and video display capabilities, are better
called multimedia guides; some use GPS to help visitors
find their way around a site, and others are downloadable,
audio
letting guests learn about collections from their iPhones.
Some, while sticking to audio only, have advanced just
as much as those on the multimedia side, offering attrac-
tions new ways of engaging with the public. From energy
efficient listening posts to virtual notepads, the guide scene
is bursting with new technologies that have the potential to
From interactive games to virtual note-
affect the visitor experience like never before.
taking, the latest guides sport all kinds
Games Galore
of advanced features that go way beyond
Interactivity has become an important feature of the latest mul-
audio. andrea Jezovit investigates timedia guides, whether it’s a scrollable map of a site or photos
of objects from a collection that visitors can zoom in on. Some
guides are taking interactivity even further with interactive games.
The Wallace Collection’s new multimedia guide, developed by
Acoustiguide using the Opus series of equipment and launched in
November 2009, includes interactive games as part of its children’s
tour. Games were created by the Wallace Collection for the organi-
sation’s eLearning website and then repurposed for the guides,
with Acoustiguide adapting software and graphics in-house.
The games give children the opportunity to interact with some
of the collections’ famous paintings in a fun and educational way
– they can change the facial expressions of The Laughing Cavalier
to think about how he’s really feeling, play around with the back-
ground of Queen Victoria to put the monarch in different settings
and relate to her more as an actual person, and match the dogs of
several Old Masters paintings with their owners.
“One of our international offices has produced interactive con-
tent for children before, but it’s our first time doing it in the UK. It’s
something you’ll be seeing more of, especially as technology devel-
ops,” says Acoustiguide’s Dominic Thurgood. “Kids today are very
familiar with this kind of content, having experienced it on the web,
and it’s a great way for them to understand and learn about art.”
BarZ Adventures has created Ranger Quest, an augmented real-
ity adventure gaming system in a guide that allows venues to create
Children Can ChanGe the FaCial
expressions oF the lauGhinG Cavalier,
the wallace Collection’s multimedia guide
put Queen viCtoria in diFFerent settinGs
includes interactive games to help children
and matCh the doGs oF several old
understand art
masters paintinGs with their owners
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