Obscure Wipeout HD Locations Number 2

I've always thought that the interesting stuff is at the edges and the limits. When programming synthesizers, I explore extreme scalings, huge transpositions, rapid envelopes, tiny granules of waves and anything else that is a direct consequence of the necessary constraints. Sometimes you get really amazing sounds, whilst at other times you merely find out why the limits were set at that point!

For video games, the scope for moving outside of the expected path has increased as the complexity of games has increased. A game like Noughts and Crosses has only a few possible moves (and optimum playing leads to a draw...). Pacman has more moves, but has no unexplored corners - the world is tightly controlled. Modern games, where 3D models move according to physics engines on 3D surfaces, use imperfect collision algorithms to try and make sure that the models do not fall through the surface. And they do fail. I've experienced the alarmingly disconcerting experience of having Lara Croft fall through an edge - and she continued to fall, down and down into nothing, until I reset the console.

Finding these hidden 'exploits', the places where it is possible to get outside of the playing space, is rather like an extra facet of the game. In the future, I would not be surprised at all to find that game designers will increasingly build in support for these 'not the game we intended' activities - Criterion Games' Burnout Paradise is one notable example of a game where player inventiveness has influenced the ongoing development of new gameplay modes. After all, picking up the ball and running with it is against the rules in soccer/football, but is fine in Rugby football!

And so to the second 'Where was this screenshot taken?' challenge (Here's the first!). As before, the screenshot is from the current PS3 Wipeout HD game, and all that the reader has to do is identify the track and the location around the track.

Where is this Wipeout HD screenshot taken from?

As always, there is no prize for solving this 'not a competition at all'. Other than a certain amount of satisfaction, that is!

Obscure Wipeout HD Locations Number 1

Video games usually have two ways of playing them. The way you are supposed to play them, and the way that the developers and programmers never thought of... Okay, so sometimes they do anticipate people going berserker (Star Wars: Phantom Menace on the Sony Playstation 1 is a classic example) but most times they go out of their way to make sure that you do it 'right'.

Deliberate mis-use of most hi-tech equipment is one of my standard operating practices. I've messed about with DIY lava lamps, e-bows, cornflour anti-thixotropicity, warping plastic in microwave ovens and more - none of which activities are in any way condoned or encouraged by me, of course.

But video games are one area where I am happy to promote the creative use of deliberate exploration beyond the designed limits (the same applies to programming synthesizers, but that's another story). So when my very local 16-year old games expert showed me his 'Guess where this Wipeout HD screenshot is from?' picture collection, then it just screamed to be shared with a wider audience.

Where is this Harimau going?

Which is the cue for the screenshot and your eyeballs. The rest is simple:

• Which track is the screen shot from, and whereabouts on that track (landmarks will do)?

There's no prize for this 'not really a competition at all', but solving this puzzle should have huge kudos value for PS3 Wipeout HD addicts! Happy searching, and the answer will be in a future post.