Before some new technology even begins to make a dent in society,
Hollywood presents us with a cautionary tale. Most people have
no problems with the Internet, but Hollywood makes The Net and
Hackers to show how dangerous computers can be. The world of computers
is supposed to be a cold and dark place, and by definition, inhuman.
Is it any wonder why there's still a lot of technophobes out there?
Peter Gabriel to the rescue! When Xplora 1 came out in 1993, there was a lot of skepticism about a musician making a CD ROM. While "multimedia" rapidly became a buzzword, no one was quite sure what to do with it. And just what could Mr. "I want to be your sledgehammer" do with a disc other than slap some music and videos on it?
Apparently, he could do lots. Xplora 1 won numerous CD ROM awards from software reviews, and fans were amazed with how much good stuff was crammed into one disc.
No cold and dark interface here. Navigation tools range from scattered
artwork posing as icons, to "animations", to parts of
Gabriel's face. Various textured backgrounds for each screen,
with a bright blue sky at the top give this ROM a natural feel.
The US section contains four of his music videos and scenes of how they were made, as well as meeting some of the people who did the artwork on the liner notes. Plus, Gabriel talks about each of the songs.
The World Music section allows you to sample some of the albums from the Real World label, tour a WOMAD festival, and play some exotic instruments. One of our more musically competent Solsbury Hill members has discovered it is possible to play "Mary Had a Little Lamb" on a kalimba, a ko chung, and a nzatiti.
The Personal section includes a scrapbook with pictures, a powerful film dealing with Amnesty International, and something that proves that everybody's passport picture looks a little creepy.
The Behind-the-Scenes section allows you to go backstage to the Grammy's and Brit awards. But true joy is wandering around Real World Studios. There you get to listen to recordings being made, mix your own version of "Digging in the Dirt", and team several different musicians together to form a jam session (Alas, you can't team Gabriel up with Phil Collins, Tony Banks, and Mike Rutherford. It would be really cool if you could, though.)
What gets Xplora 1 players foaming at the mouth is the scavenger hunt. You have to find objects and passes that allow you to go backstage at different events. There's nothing more exhilarating than finding a hard to find object and a surprise that goes along with it. There's nothing more blood-boiling than having Peter Gabriel pop up and say, "Sorry, you can't go in there without a pass." You'll find yourself screaming, "What do you mean?! I shelled out big bucks for this ROM! I should be able to go anywhere I darn please!" You'll just have to take a deep breath and find that pass.
Overall, this is definitely a ROM to recommend (and we do mean that sincerely), especially to Gabriel fans since he's the one who gives Xplora 1 something that most ROMs lack, that is, a personality.
Chris Bermant of Multimedia World said "The biggest secret
in Xplora 1: Peter Gabriel's Secret World is how to navigate your
way through it."
He's gotta point there. The instruction booklet doesn't tell you much, and the collector's book that comes with Xplora 1 tells you even less. Sometimes when you click the mouse, there's no telling where you'll end up next.
In the Real World Studios section, you're supposed to click where there are white arrows pointing at a doorway. Easier said then done. The first time we here at the Hill tried this, we must've accidentally entered the same damn room fifteen times.
However, after a few times, most people will be able to find their way around Xplora 1. Besides, sometimes getting lost is half the fun.
Another 'plaint we have is the personal section. We were hoping for some more insight into Gabriel's secret world, but this section was a little limited, especially when compared to the other sections.
The scrapbook is somewhat puzzling...you see some moving pictures, but there are no captions. Who are these people in these pictures? What are they doing? Guess we'll never know for sure.
One more small gripe...despite what the instruction booklet tells you...despite what Gabriel himself tells you, at no point does Gabriel pop up in the upper left-hand corner and say anything useful (to be fair, Brian Eno isn't a big help, either).
Sure, he may say wonderfully amusing things (it's hilarious to have someone like Peter Gabriel, the man who takes eons between albums, telling you to hurry up), but if you want to get to finding all the cool secret places, all Gabriel will say is "Click me!" which does nothing but send you back to the main menu. Gee, thanks.
If you have been lucky enough to get a copy of Xplora 1 for Christmas, but unlucky enough to find that it won't run on your PC, especially under Win95, you are not alone. We've received a lot of mail concerning this issue. And we found that the advice we gave at the end of our Infrequently Asked Questions page simply wasn't enough to make the PC people happy.
You can tell us your experience with Xplora 1 by writing us. Happy Xploring!