Gameware Studio Diary

Now it can be told (set your VCRs)

I've been a bit quiet on the diary-front of late, but now I'm very happy to report that, after many months of work and mounting excitement round these parts, the first series of CBBC's BAMZOOKi game show airs in less than two weeks. So, if you're in the UK and want to catch it, tune in to BBC1 at 16:35 on Monday 8th March for the opening 10-minute special, then (if you're on digital) switch over to CBBC at 16:45 for the first of twenty 15-minute programs which will be broadcast every weekday for the following four weeks! There will be three more shows on BBC1 on the following Mondays too.

This really is a TV show with a difference. The way that the BAMZOOKi simulation software is integrated with the BBC's virtual 3D studio technology creates a fantastic impression, as the children can actually see what's going on in real-time - they're not pretending. If you haven't already checked them out, have a look at the pictures here http://www.gamewaredevelopment.co.uk/gallery/Bamzooki to see what I'm talking about and how close the kids are to the action.

Now for the good news for all our readers outside the UK! The software we've written for the BBC to enable contestants to create their Zooks is going to be made available to download, for free, from the CBBC website from March 8th! So, if you'd like to have a go at creating your own Zooks, no matter where you live, you'll be able to visit http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc and click on BAMZOOKi to be taken to an area where you can read more about the show and download the kit.

Hopefully, our own site will also attract some comments, debate and new ideas which will help support what the BBC is doing and help to foster interest in the TV show amongst our community around the world.

We could even find some BAMZOOKi fans interested in other forms of virtual life but yet to experience the Creatures phenomenon. That would be a neat feedback loop since, as you might imagine, it was our past experience in the making of the Creatures series that attracted the BBC's attention to Gameware for the BAMZOOKi project in the first place!