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Pacman on the Street

robbarrett writes "CNN reports that the Mixed Reality Lab at the National University of Singapore is "taking Pacman out of the arcade hall of fame and setting him loose on the streets." With Human Pacman, just strap on a computer and you too can eat virtual cookies while being chased by (real) ghosts."

12 of 47 comments (clear)

  1. Hmm...CNN's a bit behind... by flabbergast · · Score: 5, Insightful

    cuz it was posted on /. almost a year ago today! Human Pacman

  2. So expensive! try a cheaper solution! by EnronHaliburton2004 · · Score: 4, Funny

    you too can eat virtual cookies while being chased by (real) ghosts.

    A tab of acid will cost you $4 and produce the same effect...

  3. Where did these games go? by Matt+Perry · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This is offtopic so mod away, but the article made me wonder. Where are all the games like PacMan? I don't mean PacMan itself, but simple games like that which you can play in five or ten minutes here and there? When I had an Amiga 10-15 years ago it seemed that there was a lot more variety in the types of games available.

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    1. Re:Where did these games go? by GuyMannDude · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I think this is one of the big drivers beind the "retro-gaming" movement. It's not so much that 30-somethings are trying to recapture some lost element of their youth, it's just that many people are so drained by their jobs that they just want something simple to unwind with. But gamers who like old fashioned games are probably happy with the various emulators out there and wouldn't have much reason to purchase some newly-created simple game. So there's no market for these types of quickie games.

      Anyhow, that's my theory. I'm not a gamer either way but I admit a fondness for retro games. There's no friggin' way I could be bothered with any of the games that come out these days (even though the chicks in them look way sexier than that broad you had to save in Donkey Kong).

      GMD

    2. Re:Where did these games go? by Mattcelt · · Score: 3, Funny

      I have been in the same boat for several years now. I almost religiously stay away from MMORPGs precisely for this reason. I tend to only buy games which don't require a great deal of time investment. Lately I've been playing Criterion's Burnout series (2+3), which is a lot of fun and can be played for 10-30 minutes at a time for the most part. Even online, I can hop into BO3 for a game or two and hop back out.

      'Course, I often find that the clock has jumped ahead 2 hours when I've only been playing for 15 minutes... It seems that certain games often have time distortion fields surrounding them. Go figure.

    3. Re:Where did these games go? by Pxtl · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Cube. Quake 1. Lots of FPS games are great for hop-in-and-play, except for the new ones, where your load and download times will suck up half of your quick break. But frequently I'll have a 10 minute break and just pop open Cube, join a server, frag for 9 minutes, then politely bow out. If you play FPS games, Cube is dead simple - no complex tricks, obscure pickups, or confusing levels.

      If you're not into FPS games, there are numerous online Popcap games. If you like that sort of thing :P

  4. What about... by hatrisc · · Score: 3, Interesting
    --
    I write code.
  5. Re:I'd imagine that the average slashdotter by glowimperial · · Score: 2, Funny

    Mrs. Pacman was hawt! I totally dig chicks wearing nothing but polka dot bows on their heads.

  6. Obligatory Quote by quamaretto · · Score: 2, Funny
    Computer games don't affect kids; I mean, if Pac-Man affected us as kids, we'd all be running around in darkened rooms, munching magic pills and listening to repetitive electronic music.
    Scary.
    --
    *is run over by rotten tomatoes*
  7. What happens when ... by mynameisnotnick · · Score: 2, Funny

    the playing field of Human Pacman overlaps with the playing field of Human Grand Theft Auto?

  8. Dangerous, innit? by MrZaius · · Score: 2, Funny

    Am I the only one that sees the corner of an automobile passing the girl in the VR suit?

    What on earth is there that keeps the people from stepping off into the road? One mistep, and poof. Pacman's back to the center, the medical center.

  9. We've started playing in Vancouver... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    A group of CS students at Simon Fraser University in B.C. have started something similar to PacManhattan, though we call it PacVancouver (PacVan).