HP has released a public beta of its new location based interactive software called “Mscapers” for Windows XP based computers that lets anyone create interactive location-based games or tours for Windows Mobile devices.

The Mscapes online authoring wizard can be used to design digital overlays on a map using photos, videos, graphics, text, or audio. Anyone with a GPS-enabled mobile device running Windows Mobile can use the Mscapes client to play any of the created games as they move through the physical world.

For example, National Park Service has create a guided tour of Yosemite National Park in which two virtual rangers guide you through a 2 hr nature walk through Yosemite Valley. Along the way two virtual rangers will provide a multimedia experience filled with nature information, park history, and a few fun facts.

In another example, a game called Hidden Danger UXB has been created that utilizes GPS hardware attached to your Windows Mobile device

This is a very interesting and novel concept of making use of GPS for location based interactive multimedia, virtual tours and mobile games.

You can download and install the client for Windows Mobile devices here while the toolkit for creating your own, custom mediascapes can be downloaded here (Windows XP only)