On the surface, this idea sounds, as a Northern Scally would say, “proper gay,” but since I’m a fan of proper gay things, the idea of my DS using Wi-Fi access points to generate random treasure sounds interesting.
This is the premise behind Aspyr’s Treasure Troves (working title), a game which the studio claims will turn your DS into a “real life treasure hunt.” Aspyr mostly works on creating ports, including the Mac version of Call of Duty 4, and this will in fact be the first non-educational original IP to come from the developer. It’s a unique one, to say the least.
The main hook is the ability to scan for nearby Wi-Fi networks and then generate items based on each network’s unique frequency. Even more uniquely, the game will continue to scan and find items even with the DS closed, meaning you can just carry it around and “play” the game. You can then trade items, organize them, and use them for “player-customized in-game functions.”
The items’ main use will be in a Mario Paint-esque aural game, as each item makes its own sound and can be arranged to create compositions. Yeah, this really does sound proper gay.
I am always impressed with a studio finds a new way to work on the DS, especially when its Wi-Fi properties are utilized. I’m interested in what Treasure Troves has to offer, but it sounds a little shallow right now.
