Slashdot Mirror
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."
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!
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.
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.
I'd play you but I spilled some Hot Coffee in my lap going through the drive thru.
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.
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
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.
"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!
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()!
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!"
"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.
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/
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.
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