The Dutch National Military Museum opened in 2014 as a totally renewed museum from a merger of two existing museums. The new museum posed a unique opportunity for an integral experience by all visitors. One example of this integrated approach is the app game “Operation New Dawn”. The app is in Dutch, aims at a younger audience, results in a fun and educational experience of the museum and its surroundings. The app is available for Android (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.app.nmm) and iOS (https://itunes.apple.com/nl/app/new-dawn-app-van-het-nationaal/id941587849?l=en&mt=8).
The game is a mission that can only be played while at the museum. It is partly a treasure hunt and uses new techniques in image recognition and location based principles. Completing the assignments involves the whole museum and its surroundings. Players get to see parts of the experience they otherwise might have overlooked.
The game is integrated with the interactives and staff in the museum. The game begins with a salut in front of the camera. The app recognizes a salut and gives a new assignment. At a certain point the player has to interact with a live action full size uniform touch screen displaying military staff in uniform. The player has to tap the pocket of the person in the video. The person in the video responds by showing a note with a secret code. At another point players have to ask the staff of the museum for another code. These integrations and the innovative techniques make the game a unique experience.
For more details view an introduction video of the app: https://vimeo.com/113622555
Get under the skin of a real soldier! Under the strict command of Captain Korthouwer, you decipher secret messages, instruct your men and gather important information. Meanwhile, Operation New Dawn will be taking you on a tour around the highlights of the Museum, such as the aeroplanes and tanks in the Arsenal, the interactives in the theme rooms, and the radar tower.
An adventurous, exciting, but most of all learning experience. By making optimum use of the possibilities of your smartphone, and using all your senses, you scout the entire museum like a true soldier in 75 minutes.
One of the assignments is to decode a distorted radio message. By changing amplitude and frequency the player can unlock the message.
A map show the various assignments inside and outside the museum. Some of the assignments can only be unlocked at specific location. The above screen shows an exhibit on camouflage. The app has ‘thermal vision’ to enable the player to spot the soldiers and complete this assignment.
The live action uniform interactive video display has a unique hidden hotspot. The military person in the video shows the message “oost” (east) when the hotspot is activated.
The website, interactives, identity and app of the Dutch Military Museum are designed by Fabrique. The museum experience was designed by Kossmann.dejong. The iOS app was build by Q42. The Android app was build in India.