Gaming and art move ever closer as the Louvre gets 3DS audio guides

Nintendo will be providing the Louvre with Nintendo 3DS systems that will house an exclusive audio guide from 11th April.

As part of an ongoing partnership between Nintendo and the Louvre Museum in Paris, Nintendo will be providing the Louvre with Nintendo 3DS systems that will house an exclusive audio guide from 11th April 2012 onwards.

‘I’m particularly pleased that our partnership with Nintendo has taken this new form today,’ said Mr Barbaret, Managing Director of the Louvre. ‘Through this partnership, we wanted to bring together heritage and the innovative world of interactive entertainment through a system many people are already familiar with. We feel that the Nintendo 3DS is perfect to achieve this goal.’

Developers working at Nintendo’s studio based in Kyoto, Japan have developed the audio guide which is housed within the Nintendo 3DS system, in order to support the enjoyment and appreciation of the Louvre’s exhibits for many of the museum’s 8.9 million annual visitors.

The audio guide will provide audio and visual tools which will help visitors to understand and deepen their knowledge of the artwork and exhibits in place. Through utilising 3DS functions such as 3D images and animation, the guide includes an interactive map that allows visitors to see exactly where they are in the museum.

It also offers over 700 commentaries on the works of art, providing a fresh perspective on the Louvre’s collections and the story behind the building itself. The versatile guide can be tailored to individual tastes and really brings the artwork to life, thanks to commentaries recorded by the museum’s curators and lecturers.

‘Nintendo is honoured that the Nintendo 3DS system will be able to support and provide this exclusive audio guide to such a renowned and popular art museum,’ said Mr Satoru Iwata, Nintendo’s Global President. ‘Nintendo’s experience within the development of games that can be enjoyed by all, regardless of age and gender, has been utilised with the aim that visitors to the Louvre museum will have further enriched opportunities to experience the exhibits on offer.’

Features of the Audioguide Louvre for Nintendo 3DS include:

The self-guided tour
This includes over 700 audio commentaries and photos, many in high definition. With simple and engaging explanations, specialists from the Louvre give visitors background information to help them understand the works on display.

The essential works
This is a selection of major works of art highlighted on the interactive map, to ensure visitors don’t miss the museum’s most important pieces. Visitors can create their own itinerary through the museum to discover the pieces they want to see.

Tours to help discover the museum
There is a choice of two themed tours, specially devised for those visiting the Louvre for the first time. Each tour lasts approximately 45 minutes:

· “Masterpieces” tour – This tour allows visitors to discover or rediscover the museum’s most famous pieces such as the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci, the Venus de Milo and the Winged Victory of Samothrace, guided step by step through some of the Louvre’s most prestigious rooms.

· “Egypt for all the family” tour (coming soon) – Humorous and informative, this tour brings to life the Egyptian people and the area around the River Nile, the work of the peasants and craftsmen and the power of the pharaohs. Visitors are encouraged to observe in more detail and make sense of the objects on display. To test their knowledge they are quizzed with multimedia games throughout the visit.

· Adapted tour (coming soon)
Commentaries accessible to disabled visitors: the hearing impaired can access a video-guided tour in French sign language which focuses on the Louvre’s major works. Visitors with visual impairment are able to visit the special touch gallery.

Audio guide visits of the temporary exhibition
Up until 25th June 2012, discover the mysterious secrets revealed in the exhibition “The Saint Anne, Leonardo da Vinci’s Ultimate Masterpiece”, with explanations by Vincent Delieuvin, head of the Louvre’s paintings department and curator of the exhibition.

An innovative location function
Housed in a huge building, with collections spread over three wings and four floors, finding your way in the museum can be daunting for some visitors. With the support of Nintendo’s location estimation technology, you no longer have an excuse for getting lost in one of the world’s largest museums. The new audio guide allows visitors to see where they are at any moment on the museum map. With the dual screens of the Nintendo 3DS, you can visualise the main map of the floor you are on, and your exact position.

3D without glasses
Interactive animations, 3D models of major works, 3D images of the museum spaces… Perhaps you’d love to be able to see the back of the Winged Victory of Samothrace, but can’t get round the statue because it’s placed against a wall. With 3D technology, admire the works of art from every angle!

HD photos
Many high definition photos accompany the commentaries, helping you identify each object and access additional information. Use the HD zoom and see the rich detail of each piece: investigate the landscape behind the Mona Lisa, attempt to recognize the characters portrayed in The Consecration of the Emperor Napoleon (by Jacques-Louis David), and admire the architecture shown in The Wedding Feast at Cana (by Veronese).