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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."
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. So they would have to find a way to disconnect the gas pedal from actually opening the throttle when you press the gas, and I am not too sure how good it is on your brakes to continualy pump them (although who uses brakes in these games anyway?).
My biggest no sell issue would be, why would I want a car with an XBox 3shitty that only plays one game? Even if they add more racing titles, why would I want a console that won't play all the games in my car? The only way they could make me happy with this is if I could take the console out and play in my house. But if that's the case, why would I take the Xbox to my car to play on a 7" monitor when I could play on my Uberlarge-HDTV? It would seem like a lot of work to constantly disconnect/reconnect the system depending on where you want to play.
Instead of a cumbersome set of multiple controls, we are experimenting with a single two-axis controller, one axis controlling acceleration and braking in the up-down direction, and the other controlling steering in the left-right direction. Gear shifting is mapped to the start and select buttons. We're experimenting with a number of control devices, from the Power Glove to GameCube controllers as input effectors. Do you mean you are experimenting with driving a car using a joystick? And how many of you "researchers" will it take until you realize that the so called "two-axis" however you call it driving system is not intuitive? Come on dude, you are either somebody falsely claiming to work in the gaming industry or you guys are totally in the wrong research direction. Just ask yourself how many gamers would rather play Project Gotham using standard wheel and pedal controllers than the lame default joypad and joysticks.