Music Becomes a Game

Nicholas Nova of LIFTlab shares some interesting thoughts about the new generation of reactive music applications such as RJDJ, that use the iPhone’s microphone and accelerometer to morph the music you’re listening to.

He sees that a new paridigm is emerging where listening to music becomes more like an interactive game rather than a passive experience:

What I find important here is that the system explicitly asks you – the user – to go to a certain place to create a certain experience. And it’s not just a place, it’s a context that you’re required to find. Luckily construction workers are everywhere in Geneva, digging up and down the city for a new tram thing, I had plenty of opportunity to play with this application and I liked it a lot.

Why do I blog this? observing the interesting interaction design pattern that is at stake here. What is this? First it’s a “walkman that asks you to do something”, which is clearly intriguing. Second, it’s a sort of game mechanic that requires you to change your activity to create an original experience. Sort of “game design” meets “mobile music”.

Pasta&Vinegar: “When your walkman asks you to do something…”