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Nissan and Microsoft Create Videogame Car

pnewhook writes "The Register reports that Microsoft and Nissan have created the first integrated gaming system within a vehicle. Not just in the vehicle, but the vehicle becomes part of the gaming system. From the article: "Conceived by Nissan Design America Inc. (NDA) and equipped with the Xbox 360 next-generation video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the Nissan URGE concept car allows drivers (while parked) to play 'Project Gotham Racing 3' using the car's own steering wheel, gas pedal and brake pedal while viewing the game on a flip-down seven-inch LCD screen," Nissan and Microsoft said in a statement."

8 of 254 comments (clear)

  1. popular science by User+956 · · Score: 4, Informative

    Popular science did a cool article where they had pro racers race in Forza motorsport, and then on the actual track.

    The consensus was that it's easier to take corners at speed in the game because there's a lower penalty for crash.

    --
    The theory of relativity doesn't work right in Arkansas.
  2. Re:Been there, done that, this worries me! by Geoffreyerffoeg · · Score: 4, Informative

    To get to the topic, I'm not sure how much I trust any safety features they might embed in the car to prevent someone from finding a really wide open piece of tarmac and actually playing while driving.

    The safety feature is that this is a drive-by-wire system, there are no controller ports, and the steering wheel and stuff either controls the car (if it's on) or the game (if the car's off). It can't control two things at once. If you're controlling the car, there isn't a controller for the video game - and if you're controlling the video game, the gear's in park, the engine's off, and the parking brake is set.

    The only way you might be able to play while the car was in motion is if someone was pushing the car from behind.

  3. Top Gear did the same thing the other day... by s-gen · · Score: 4, Informative

    They sent Clarkson round Laguna Seca in an NSX on Gran Turisimo 4 then sent him off to see if he could get the same time in the same car on the actual track.

    He couldn't... its too scary in real life.

  4. RTFA please before posting... by stubear · · Score: 2, Informative

    ...(at least the summary anyway). How fucking stupid are you people? Nissan URGE concept car, it was even in the summary. This means Nissan is pushing the boundaries of what a car is but doing so in a completly experimental environment. This will never see the light of day as is but who knows what sort of interactivity it may produce in the future?

  5. Re:Carbon Monoxide Poisoning by datafr0g · · Score: 2, Informative

    the engine would probably blow up first (if the engine is on and gears are in neutral. I'm sure I'm not alone here - the first thing I do when playing a driving game is put my foot alllll the way down on the accelerator and leave it there.

    I'm pretty sure it wouldn't work when the engine is on though - it's dangerous enough as it is without the engine going for various other reasons!!

    In fact, I can't see this coming out of concept stage at all - nice idea (i guess?) but too many risks and concerns for what the feature's worth.

    --
    "Who says nothing is impossible? Some people do it every day!" - Alfred E. Neuman
  6. Re:Some issues... by pnewhook · · Score: 2, Informative
    If the engine is off you are running off of just the battery (belts run the alternator, alternator only runs when engine runs). So the engine would HAVE to be on.
    Huh? Why can't the game run off of battery alone?
    I am not too sure how good it is on your brakes to continualy pump them
    Car is entirely drive by wire. Pumping the brake pedal while the engine is off doesn't do anything to the physical brakes.
    --
    Tesla was a genius. Edison however was a overrated hack who liked to torture puppies.
  7. Re:Been there, done that, this worries me! by hugzz · · Score: 3, Informative
    Its a Nissan, it is expected to be pushed from behind :).

    Looking at a reliability test.. "Number of failures per 100 policies", Nissan is 8th best, with 23.44 per 100. While this may sound high, it's better than mercedes with 24.30, volvo with 31.09, ford with 32.16 and bmw with 33.16 (well it also beats a LOT of other cars but those are just a select few that I chose for their prestige ie bmw and merc, their reputation ie volvo, and how damn common they are ie ford)

    While you were probably joking, ./ is a sciency site after all so we should have some reality and facts hidden deep somewhere

  8. Re:Been there, done that, this worries me! by hugzz · · Score: 3, Informative
    23.44/100 really isn't large at all. A "failure" isn't the engine exploding. It's the hinge on your cig lighter coming out of place.

    Consider how many parts are on a car. In 23 out of every 100 nissans, one of those parts will fail.

    That said, the best results on the survey in question were mazda (17.88), toyota (18.62), honda (19.41)