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Pirates!

Posted by michael on from the keelhaul-the-landlubbers dept.

fm6 writes: "Worried that too much computer gaming stunts your social skills? Try Pirates! You simulate a voyage of discovery, trade, and plunder by walking around a physical gaming area carrying a PDA equipped with a proximity sensor. Encounters with other players (including naval battles) happen when the two players actually approach each other. Here's an article on Business 2.0."

4 of 106 comments (clear)

  1. "low-range" radio data by dgp · · Score: 3, Informative

    hmm. "low-range radio" transmitter/receiver pairs in a PDA. now what existing technology might replace their custom hardware?

    Seriously, I think there is an interesting new genre of games that integrate PDAs and real world locations and/or real world people. Its nice to see others working in this direction.

  2. Another game based on mobile positioning by eram · · Score: 4, Informative

    There is another game based on mobile positioning called BotFighters in action since a couple of months in Sweden. Basically, a player may shoot at another player or attempt to take his/her weapons, but only if they are close enough to eachother.

    Anyone with an ordinary mobile phone can play the game, as it uses the positioning information available form the cellular network. Using WAP or text messages may not really be as exciting as having a full-screen PDA in a wireless LAN, though.

  3. I played this game briefly by Lightningbug · · Score: 4, Informative

    The article neglected to mention that this was a.) a technology demonstration and b.) an exhibit at the recent SIGGRAPH show in Los Angeles. Probably a reason why Business 2.0 is rumored to follow The Industry Standard into the grave.

    That said, the game's physical game area supposedly took place all over the "emerging technologies" showcase, with low-power, short-range (1 meter or so) 802.11 access points that represented "islands". At each island, there were several "?" scattered about, which you could explore. Each "?" was like drawing a card--a random even could wipe out some of your men, or you might strike gold, for example.

    It was well done, although it didn't strike me as any more interesting than those Japanese gadgets that supposedly light up when someone "compatible" is in range. A year ago, these guys would have probably tried to promote this as the next hip party game, tried to go public, and flopped like the rest of 'em.

  4. I liked this game better... by D_Gr8_BoB · · Score: 3, Informative
    when it was by Sid Meier and ran on a 68k Mac (monochrome or color!).

    I know some old school gamers will back me up on this.