Cell Phone-Controlled Game Invades Times Square

johnnylooper writes "The bright lights of Times Square tend to draw the eyes of drivers and passers-by, but a new billboard is a whole new kind of distraction. According to NY1 News, high above Times Square, there is now a gigantic video screen featuring a car racing game that anyone with a cellphone can play by dialing an 800 number. Of course, you need to be nearby to see the screen, at 43rd and Broadway. Now if I could just afford an apartment in Times Sqaure..."

Comments

Webcam?

[shadowcabbit]

Anyone who lives near the billboard want to set up a webcam? Some of us are stuck in... (shudder) Pennsylvania!

Is this wrong?

[elasticwings]

I thought that we were trying to get people off their cell-phones while driving?

Re:Is this wrong?

[Frizzle Fry]

If you think it's possible to drive fast enough anywhere in that area to be danger because you're on your phone, you're obviously not from new york.

Uh oh..

[NanoGator]

"there is now a gigantic video screen featuring a car racing game that anyone with a cellphone can play by dialing an 800 number"

Wait a sec, I thought that was illegal in New York?!

Interesting concept

[UWC]

I like the idea. It's a fairly simple game, though. You can apparently only control the speed of the car (2 and 8 keys = faster and slower, respectively) as it goes along a set path. Looks like there are obstacles and such to avoid, so you do have to adjust the speed throughout.

You apparently dial an 800 number and wait in a queue until it's your turn to play, so I guess playing in the car is not only illegal, but probably quite unlikely.

I seem to have a habit of stating the obvious. Ah well.

Too many connections in mysql_connect() on line...

[smack_attack]

1-800-660-4402

So, if we literally crash the game, does Slashdot get a pizza party?

woohoo that was fun

[nocomment]

too bad I'm in seattle and couldn't see it. I hope I won :-)

Re:woohoo that was fun

[Micro$will]

Nope, you lost. In fact, I think I just saw your car stripped to the frame and sitting on crates in Brooklyn. I hoped you pressed "5" for theft insurance or Yahoo will be sending you a bill.

Bad trade

[jspoon]

In the old days, Times Square used to have hookers. Now you're supposed to want to go there to play a game on your cell phone? I don't know about you, but this sounds like a downgrade to me.

It's been done

[Stone Rhino]

Blinkenlights did the sme sort of thing: play a game on a giant screen from your phone. Of course, they didn't have the fancy color and high resolution of a Times Square billboard, but they did have open source code and the cool hack of turning windows into pixels. Plus, you could post your own animations and images, in addition to just playing games. 2600 used an image of big brother from blinkenlights as its Winter 2002 cover.

Worth the money?

[spyrochaete]

I wonder how much it costs Yahoo for one person to play the game. Do people really look at this display if it's one of about 20 at that intersection? The concept is extremely cool but is it really an affective form of advertising?

Other applications for this concept may work better:

• Change the design or colour of the ad
• Vote for which of the company's products will go on sale next week
• Vote for the billboard's mascot of the day
• etc., etc., etc.

It's a great idea! I'm curious to see how far it will go.

Mortal Kombat

[hiroshi912681]

I vaguely remember a videogame magazine article about two guys hooking up a game system to the Times Square big screen. They said it was really easy, had composite in and everything. They played a couple of rounds of Mortal Kombat (3?), they were 1:1, and then they got arrested.

Sorry about the sparse details, can anyone fill in the gaps? I couldn't google it...