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Nissan and Microsoft Create Videogame Car

Posted by samzenpus on from the drive-and-play dept.

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."

53 of 254 comments (clear)

  1. Been there, done that, this worries me! by dada21 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I probably shouldn't admit this. In my 1999 Subaru RS (now long sold, unfortunately, it was my favorite car) I had a Pioneer flip-out LCD screen (about 7" widescreen format). I modified a Sega Dreamcast to run off 12V DC (no inverter), and I made a Dreamcast controller port above the steering column.

    I never played while driving, err, never much, that is. It wasn't hard to avoid the "no screen while driving" safety feature. My girlfriend (who later I married) forced me to rip it out, as I had always tempted fate. Hey, I was only 25 years old!

    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. In fact, I don't even trust MYSELF to try it. How much is the car, again?

    By the way, it was really awesome driving an RS while playing as an older WRX on the mini screen. I never caused an accident, but I did get a lot of honked horns. And they say men are safer drivers over once they hit 25?

    1. 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.

    2. Re:Been there, done that, this worries me! by brain+defrag · · Score: 2, Insightful

      How long before someone finds a way around that?

    3. Re:Been there, done that, this worries me! by Geoffreyerffoeg · · Score: 2, Funny

      Then what do you suggest, that someone mod the system to allow controlling both at the same time? That's as much the fault of MS as the OP's PlayStation in his car was the fault of Sony.

      Don't naysay for the sake of saying nay. This system is as infallible as, say, a lightswitch. There's no way a bulb can be both off and on at the same time. (And nobody say Schroedinger. A bulb's too big for quantum effects to really take place.)

    4. Re:Been there, done that, this worries me! by mikiN · · Score: 5, Funny

      The safety feature is that this is a drive-by-wire system

      [blink, read again, funny feeling in stomach, then do utmost to quench a severe gag reflex...]

      Drive by wire...steering wheel, gas AND brake...controlled by an Xbox 360??

      Hell knows I want to be outside a 100 mile radius when a beast like that is in motion on a f*ing road. Serious!

      This must be a safety engineer's nightmare come true.

      --
      The Hacker's Guide To The Kernel: Don't panic()!
    5. Re:Been there, done that, this worries me! by krakelohm · · Score: 5, Funny

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

       Its a Nissan, it is expected to be pushed from behind :).

      --
      You are all a bunch of idots.
    6. Re:Been there, done that, this worries me! by splerdu · · Score: 2, Interesting
      That would be just about every new BMW. (in addition to others)
      i-drive uses a variant of Windows CE
      Over 25 preinstalled and aftermarket devices from 13 world-class automakers and suppliers including Acura, BMW, Citroën, Clarion Co. Ltd., DaimlerChrysler, Fiat, Subaru, Honda, Hyundai, Mitsubishi, NexTech, Toyota, and Volvo are currently running on the Windows Automotive platform.
    7. Re:Been there, done that, this worries me! by colinbrash · · Score: 5, Insightful

      It's electrical, and therefore can be modified. I can't imagine a reasonable scenario in which both cannot be controlled at the same time, given the right (fairly simple, seeing as it is electrical) modifications.

      On the other hand, I'm not too worried about people modifying it to play while driving. You can modify your car not to beep when your selt belt is off (assuming you have this feature), but not a lot of people do this. Why? Because (a) it takes time, and (b) it is dumb. Most people are going to get caught by these two hindrances when it comes to any sort of modification to play and drive at the same time.

      What I am worried about, however, is people playing this game for a couple hours while their kid has soccer practice or whatever, and then driving around on real streets. While we all like to pretend video games don't affect reality, the truth is that our brains take time to switch from one scenario to another. I've experienced it, and I'm sure others have as well. Who left the theater after seeing Gone in 60 Seconds or The Fast and the Furious and didn't drive at least a bit more dangeriously than they normally would have?

      This doesn't mean people are suddenly going to be racing down streets as if in a video game, but that urge to drive just a little faster, take that turn just a little sharper, etc. etc. etc. -- that urge is going to be a lot fresher and more tempting if you go driving directly after playing the game, and more importantly, in the the exact same environment in which you just played the game.

    8. Re:Been there, done that, this worries me! by dbrutus · · Score: 2, Insightful

      The killer app for this is to create a functional DUI test for the car. You pass, you drive, you get lower insurance rates and a higher barrier to conviction if you get pulled over and your BAC is over the legal limit. This will likely get rolled out for truckers too.

    9. Re:Been there, done that, this worries me! by cgenman · · Score: 4, Funny

      The safety feature is that this is a drive-by-wire system,

      The safety feature is that this is an Xbox 360: there isn't enough juice to both play the system and power the car.

      --
      The ______ Agenda
    10. Re:Been there, done that, this worries me! by poor_boi · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Windows CE is actually a fairly reliable true-Real-Time OS. To be honest with you, I don't know what I'd rather drive -- a car with an open source RTOS written by dudes on the internet, or a car with a corporate RTOS written by a billion dollar corporate entity. Tough call when your life is on the line.

    11. 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

    12. 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)

  2. Oh, good by Eli+Gottlieb · · Score: 4, Funny

    Now I can finally make a fool of myself in public by playing a driving game when I should be speaking to the police officer knocking on the window!

  3. Oh super idea guys by radiotyler · · Score: 2, Funny

    Don't worry: cops will still be more worried about you talking on your cell phone while driving. Quick game of GTA anyone?

    --
    hi mom!
    1. Re:Oh super idea guys by dada21 · · Score: 4, Funny

      I'd play you but I spilled some Hot Coffee in my lap going through the drive thru.

  4. 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.
  5. Sounds dangerous to me by Aussie · · Score: 3, Insightful

    What happens when a child decides to play the car game by themselves ?
    Seems like lawsuit heaven in the making.

  6. Racing from game to reality... by Erik_ · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This is so dangerous. People who play good racing games and leave to take their car, will so quickly think they are back in their game and speed up. This has happenend to a good friend of mine. Never had a speeding ticket... plays one long session of Gotham racing. Heads home... and get's his driving license suspended due to his speed.

    1. Re:Racing from game to reality... by MidnightBrewer · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I don't think that would apply to everybody, though. There is still a distinct difference between reality and a video game. However, putting a video game in a car is definitely tempting fate, and making your car into a video game is just stupid.

      --
      "Give a man fire, and he'll be warm for a day; set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life
    2. Re:Racing from game to reality... by RasputinAXP · · Score: 2, Insightful

      This has happenend to a good friend of mine. Never had a speeding ticket... plays one long session of Gotham racing. Heads home... and get's his driving license suspended due to his speed.

      Then, good sir, your friend is a jackass incapable of distinguishing between real life and a video game.

    3. Re:Racing from game to reality... by Geoffreyerffoeg · · Score: 2, Interesting

      This has happenend to a good friend of mine. Never had a speeding ticket... plays one long session of Gotham racing. Heads home... and get's his driving license suspended due to his speed.

      Then, good sir, your friend is a jackass incapable of distinguishing between real life and a video game.

      Not his friend, kind sir. His friend's reflexes. Your nervous system and muscles get used to responding one way, and they'll keep responding that way. If you've ever skated, you'll notice that you walk slightly differently immediately when leaving - you're pretending your shoes work slightly like skates. It's not that you can't distinguish between shoes and skates, it's that you've trained your muscles differently.

      Try it: get an observer (single-blind to the purpose of the test if you really want) to see how you drive somewhere, play a racing game there, and ask him if you drove as cautiously on the way back.

    4. Re:Racing from game to reality... by Awptimus+Prime · · Score: 3, Insightful

      This is so dangerous. People who play good racing games and leave to take their car, will so quickly think they are back in their game and speed up. This has happenend to a good friend of mine. Never had a speeding ticket... plays one long session of Gotham racing. Heads home... and get's his driving license suspended due to his speed.

      Yeah, I often take my 12 gauge out and shoot a bunch of people right after a good game of counter-strike. Then, I go play some Monopoly and find myself buying out all the local businesses the next morning. :rollseyes:

      Your friend is a moron if he was that easily influenced. I play console racers for hours and hours at a time, then when I drive home, I obey the speed limit. Just because you feel slower in a real car, doesn't mean you have also lost your vision and can no longer read the gauges.

  7. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 3, Funny

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  8. Bus Conversion and GTA by core+plexus · · Score: 2, Funny
    I've done this in a bus I am converting to an RV.

    Except for now, it's still in the 'concept stage' (meaning I have to imagine I am playing GTA under Linux). A few more tweaks, and I'll have it.

    What happens to reindeer the day after Christmas

  9. I doubt the Asians will jump on this. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    I mean come on, Nissan and xBox 360? This will never fly with the 16-30yr old Asian male demographic. //end sarc()

  10. Re:Ack by datafr0g · · Score: 4, Funny

    Sure! Just drive at 100mph head on into a blue wall!

    Now you know how a PC running Windows 98 feels.

    --
    "Who says nothing is impossible? Some people do it every day!" - Alfred E. Neuman
  11. Carbon Monoxide Poisoning by pHatidic · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I hope the game won't run if the engine is on. Otherwise people might play it in the garage with the engine running and the car in park, and end up asphyxiating themselves.

    1. 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
    2. Re:Carbon Monoxide Poisoning by pimpsoftcom · · Score: 2, Funny

      That is called Darwinism.

      --
      - d
  12. i can see the headlines already. by catwh0re · · Score: 2, Insightful
    "Driver kills three after revved up on racing game."

    They'd acuse the makers of trying to entice real-world drivers to speed, by supplying them with a "photorealistic" race experience through real world streets, which then entice the driver to perform along the same streets (as in the articles New York example.)

    In Australia (home country warning) it's against advertising regulations to sells cars by showing how fast/aggressive they can drive. (Which is common-sense as you can never legally drive them like that on our bodgey streets.)

  13. 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.

  14. First? How about Sega and Nissan? by macshome · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Don't forget the ultra-rare Hi-Saturn Navi. I would think it pre-dates this by quite a bit.

  15. 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?

  16. Hail to the king, baby. by radiotyler · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Nissan conducted an Internet survey of 2,000 echo boomers, a majority of which said technology and gaming are among the most important attributes in their first car," said Bruce Campbell, vice president of design at Nissan Design America.

    Holy crap! Bruce Cambell is the vice president of design at Nissan TOO!?!?! This is my BOOMSTICK!, indeed!

    --
    hi mom!
  17. fortunately its just a concept car by olddotter · · Score: 3, Insightful

    If this were for sale for real, I'd say it was asking for a lawsuit.

    --
    Think Deeply. ...
  18. Driving is not interactive enough by gooman · · Score: 4, Funny

    Now it might just be me, but when I'm driving I barely have the attention to drink my coffee, talk on the cellphone and shave in the rearview mirror.
    I'm not sure I could devote proper attention to PGR3.
    Of course, you never know until you try.

    --
    "Kittens give Morbo gas!"
  19. Re:Power supply? by richdun · · Score: 2, Funny

    Well, presumably you could leave the engine on while playing and the battery won't run out, ever! (as long as you have gas that is, but that stuff is cheap these days, right?)

  20. Pretty Much the Same Situation Before BSOD by weston · · Score: 2, Funny

    So, now I can get a blue screen of death while stuck in traffic on the 405

    Even if your car won't move, you probably won't notice for a few hours.

    --
    Tweet, tweet.
  21. Crazy Taxi! by BigDork1001 · · Score: 2, Funny
    I had a similar experience. The first time I ever played Crazy Taxi was at a local arcade. The machine was one where you sat at it, with a wheel, shifter, brake and gas pedals. I must have played for 3 hours and a lot of money. Having spent all my money I left the arcade, hopped in my car and almost got myself and a few friends killed speeding through the parking lot almost attempting a crazy drift.

    Realizing I was more than likely going to cause an accident I took a moment to recompose myself for the real world and went on my merry way. But for a second there I was definitely a danger to myself and others.

    --
    "Armed forces abroad are of little value unless there is prudent counsel at home" - Cicero
  22. Re:Ack by User+956 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Sure! Just drive at 100mph head on into a blue wall!

    Hey, not an issue. With that 1 Kilowatt power supply installed, we all know what happens when you hit 88.

    --
    The theory of relativity doesn't work right in Arkansas.
  23. Lemme guess... by patonw · · Score: 2, Funny

    The engine stalls unless you hang the battery from the hood with string.

  24. It could be really cool by Feanturi · · Score: 2, Insightful

    This is a cool car to have if you love racing/driving games, because you've got a car that you'd need to have anyway, plus the most awesome driving game controller. I don't know about you, but a wheel clamped to my desk and a block with pedals on it while sitting in a swivel chair doesn't quite do it. Here you totally feel like being in a car because you really are in one. Next thing to do with this would be to have it so the windows could actually go opaque with a 360 display of the game environment. Maybe it could watch your head move too, and adjust the view accordingly, to give the illusion of depth more realism...

    I see a major problem with this scenario though. If the game's physics allow a handicap for lesser driving skill, you could get yourself into trouble with muscle memory. Game on. You're in your car, experiencing speeding down a winding mountain road, pulling sharp curves at high speed and everything's going just fine. You used to crash a lot on this course but you've got it down now, good. Turn off the game, all you've done is switched perceptions of realities. You start driving again, but now real physics are involved. You're still at the same set of controls. You've 'learned' what those controls can do, everything still feels the same way to you in most ways. You feel that you 'know' what this vehicle is capable of. This is potentially a huge problem. A shame, because it would be so cool to have a car like that.

    The game would have to strive to be as realistic as possible, tied into what that car is really capable of, tire wear and all, anticipating every possible stress and vector and appropriate consequences, with no 'beginner' setting of any kind. Otherwise you'd safely be able to learn some pretty dangerous habits.

  25. And in other news... by tverbeek · · Score: 4, Funny
    And in other news, Smith & Wesson and Sony have announced the development of a handgun which shoots live ammunition, but can also be used as a controller in first-person-shooter games.

    Nintendo and Acme Sex Toys have scheduled a press conference for tomorrow, but are keeping hush-hush about their joint hardware/gaming venture, except to confirm that it would likely be rated "A" (for adults only).

    --
    http://alternatives.rzero.com/
  26. Just what we need... by Kickboy12 · · Score: 2, Funny

    blue screen on the dashboard!

    --
    google.slashdot
  27. 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.
  28. Destruction Derby by CrazyJim1 · · Score: 2, Funny

    The goal is to make a split second decision on how to t-bone someone. So I play for many hours, and on the drive home I almost make a decision to drive into this guy backing out of his driveway. Threeeeee-Sixtay!

    --
    God spoke to me.
  29. translucent lcd windshield? by keith134 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    as long as they're spending the $$$ to put a game system in the car, why not just add to the realism and make the entire windshield into an LCD panel

  30. Wiat until Boeing and MS do Flight Simulator ... by joelsanda · · Score: 2, Funny

    eom

    --
    The Luddites were ahead of their time.
  31. If you dont like my driving, stay off the sidewalk by digitaldc · · Score: 2, Funny

    Now you can play Burnout 3 in your car AND on the road simultaneously. A lifelong desire fullfilled.

    --
    He who knows best knows how little he knows. - Thomas Jefferson
  32. Re:Gaming after-effects by linuxfanatic1024 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    GTA == Grand Theft Auto

    Personally, I wish that game never came out...

    --
    Microsoft-free since March 28, 2004
  33. haha, good ole' slashdot by I'm+Don+Giovanni · · Score: 3, Insightful

    This is something that most geeks would think quite cool, but because Microsoft is involved, this thread is filled with negative comments. Oh, it's too dangerous!! Good grief...

    --
    -- "I never gave these stories much credence." - HAL 9000
  34. Can you still get a DUI? by Albinoman · · Score: 2, Funny

    Could you get a DUI for playing video games in your car while drunk?