Cello Fortress Weaponizes String Instruments

Fanghawk

New member
Feb 17, 2011
3,861
0
0
Cello Fortress Weaponizes String Instruments

An experimental music game from the Netherands pits digital tanks against cello-powered machine guns.

Generally, there are two kinds of interactive music games. First, you have those that mimic musical performances, like Rock Band or Guitar Hero. Then you have games that generate enemies or obstacles using the beat of the music, like Audiosurf or Beat Hazard. Until now there hasn't been a great of overlap between the styles, but developer Joost van Donegen may have come up with a way to do so in Cello Fortress. Currently on tour in the Netherlands, the game pits four players on XBox controllers against a single cellist who controls the environment simply by playing musical notes.

"Cello Fortress is a really weird and unique game," van Dongen said. "But for me, it makes a lot of sense: playing cello has been a hobby of mine for ages, and I am a professional game developer. I like to make weird, unique things. How could these ingredients not combine into a game?"

In Cello Fortress, four players from the audience take control of in-game tanks and attempt to blow up as many cannons as possible. The cannons are controlled directly by the cellist, which each note triggering a different kind of ammunition. High notes fire the guns, low notes lay mines, and ugly chords (whatever those are) let the player cut loose with flamethrowers. Overall, this lends Cello Fortress a strong improvisational tone, as the cellist can alter both the soundtrack and the battlefield on the fly.

Sadly, even if you're an experienced cellist, it's unlikely you'll be able to play Cello Fortress for some time. The game's beta is designed with public performances in mind, so unless you're in the Netherlands or van Dongen develops a living room equivalent, nobody's getting a weaponized cello. That said, the concept has a great deal of potential, and perhaps we'll see other developers experiment further with the idea. I imagine there are many aspiring musicians who would love to claim they fought an advancing army using nothing but a musical instrument... and won.

Source: VentureBeat

Permalink
 

LongAndShort

I'm pretty good. Yourself?
May 11, 2009
2,376
0
0
Is no one else concerned by this clear and obvious attempt by the Dutch to weaponise their orchestras? Because I sure as shit am. Sure it's all fun and games now, but when they invade Norway using drones controlled by clarinets it'll be no laughing matter. And god help us when their xylophone steered tanks and oboe guided artillery begin landing in Canada. God help us all.

Bloody Dutch.
 

Scorpid

New member
Jul 24, 2011
814
0
0
deadman91 said:
Is no one else concerned by this clear and obvious attempt by the Dutch to weaponise they're orchestras? Because I sure as shit am. Sure it's all fun and games now, but when they invade Norway using drones controlled by clarinets it'll be no laughing matter. And god help us when they're xylophone steered tanks and oboe guided artillery begin landing in Canada. God help us all.

Bloody Dutch.
The sound of war just got Symphonic...

Seriously though I'd love to do this. Classical music has always been a passion of mine and the chance to combine the two (even if a clear gimmick) is too cool to pass up
 

Dryk

New member
Dec 4, 2011
981
0
0
Between Proun, Cello Fortress and Awesomenauts Joost seems like a really cool guy
 

Quaxar

New member
Sep 21, 2009
3,949
0
0
Well, at least we know who'll hold the highscore...

<youtube=s9zoU9toYoE>

Though Flight of the Bumblebee might be considered cheating.
 

weirdee

Swamp Weather Balloon Gas
Apr 11, 2011
2,634
0
0
deadman91 said:
Is no one else concerned by this clear and obvious attempt by the Dutch to weaponise they're orchestras? Because I sure as shit am. Sure it's all fun and games now, but when they invade Norway using drones controlled by clarinets it'll be no laughing matter. And god help us when they're xylophone steered tanks and oboe guided artillery begin landing in Canada. God help us all.

Bloody Dutch.
that last one's actually been around for a while

<youtube=kpZbG6gMoO4>
 

Jamous

New member
Apr 14, 2009
1,941
0
0
That is an unbelievably cool idea; it's a shame that it can only be played at live events but you can kind of see why. :L
Really cool to see some crazy innovations like this cropping up; though it might be better if we could get away with some in standard games that don't require a cellist.
 

LongAndShort

I'm pretty good. Yourself?
May 11, 2009
2,376
0
0
weirdguy said:
deadman91 said:
Is no one else concerned by this clear and obvious attempt by the Dutch to weaponise they're orchestras? Because I sure as shit am. Sure it's all fun and games now, but when they invade Norway using drones controlled by clarinets it'll be no laughing matter. And god help us when they're xylophone steered tanks and oboe guided artillery begin landing in Canada. God help us all.

Bloody Dutch.
that last one's actually been around for a while

<youtube=kpZbG6gMoO4>
Of course, that's where they drew ideas for the piano fuses and percussion caps (fuck me, they're using puns as well!) on their mines and explosives. Damnit American media, stop giving them ideas!
 

Coles_Law

New member
Jul 13, 2009
31
0
0
deadman91 said:
Is no one else concerned by this clear and obvious attempt by the Dutch to weaponise they're orchestras? Because I sure as shit am. Sure it's all fun and games now, but when they invade Norway using drones controlled by clarinets it'll be no laughing matter. And god help us when they're xylophone steered tanks and oboe guided artillery begin landing in Canada. God help us all.

Bloody Dutch.
War. War never changes.

(glances over shoulder)

Oh. I guess it does. Watch out for the tubas bombing Dresden.
 

Nouw

New member
Mar 18, 2009
15,615
0
0
That is fucking amazing. No other way to put it. It is brilliant and I'd love to see where it can go next.
 

ohnoitsabear

New member
Feb 15, 2011
1,236
0
0
As a cellist (although, admittedly, one that hasn't touched my cello very much recently for a variety of reasons), I want this game so fucking much. Seriously, this thing looks awesome.
 

Fiz_The_Toaster

books, Books, BOOKS
Legacy
Jan 19, 2011
5,498
1
3
Country
United States
Ok, I want that now, and really badly too.

My cello is just sitting there neglected and that would make me play it more, and probably be a better player.

They can have my money.

[HEADING=1]All the money![/HEADING]
 

rvdm88

New member
Jun 11, 2008
74
0
0
lol, i was at that event, it was displayed during "INDIGO" in Utrect, Netherlands

Our student game group was also there showing off "Geomancer" a little turn based strategy game:
<youtube=5dBIxHedR_g>
 

rapidoud

New member
Feb 1, 2008
547
0
0
Quaxar said:
Well, at least we know who'll hold the highscore...

<youtube=s9zoU9toYoE>

Though Flight of the Bumblebee might be considered cheating.
You ever heard of a trill mate?
All you have to do is trills; it's a shame this seems like it could only be done by pianos/strings/certain percussion instruments though (unless you get into multiphonics I suppose).
 

Squilookle

New member
Nov 6, 2008
3,584
0
0
I thought this was going to be like that episode of The Goodies where an orchestra goes all weaponised- the violins shoot their bows like arrows, the Tubas fire mortar artillery, etc...
 

Domogo

New member
Aug 7, 2012
157
0
0
great next we are gonna see people crying out that cellos kill people too im glad to see that all of my favorite things are being slowly shot down publicly.
 

bartholen_v1legacy

A dyslexic man walks into a bra.
Jan 24, 2009
3,056
0
0
Jamous said:
That is an unbelievably cool idea; it's a shame that it can only be played at live events but you can kind of see why. :L
Really cool to see some crazy innovations like this cropping up; though it might be better if we could get away with some in standard games that don't require a cellist.
Thank you for making me have an epiphany: A game where you control the tank and there's a music track playing and "controling" the turrets. Difficulty would change depending on tempo, notes and the melody. Downloadable songs via PSN and XBL. It could actually work.

OT: this looks pretty cool. I wonder if it could be applied to any instrument?
 

ShindoL Shill

Truely we are the Our Avatars XI
Jul 11, 2011
21,802
0
0
The only time a bow will ever take out a tank.
But seriously, this game sounds pretty interesting.

bartholen said:
OT: this looks pretty cool. I wonder if it could be applied to any instrument?
I don't see why it wouldn't work with another type of string instrument...
 

CrazyCapnMorgan

Is not insane, just crazy >:)
Jan 5, 2011
2,742
0
0
Oh I'm so going to pull a DVS BSTrD AND pay a tribute to an Escapist contributor at the same time.

The Miracle of Sound