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Playing The Escape
erich666 writes "Wired reports on 'La Fuga' (The Escape), a real-world game. You overcome physical and mental challenges to escape a prison. Not just any live-action role playing game, this one is run in a $20 million facility in Madrid. A networked PDA and RFID tag keep you in touch while you play. The company is now building a 30,000-square-foot game center at 49th and Broadway in New York City." From the article: "The screen goes static and then switches to a view of a sweaty prisoner with a 5 o'clock shadow who tells me that I can liberate myself and all the other drones stuck in the prison. Those who have escaped before me will contact me to assist in my quest. The door opens, and I enter a sort of closet before another door opens to reveal a metal air duct. I try to step in, but I slip, fall hard on my ass, and slide down the chute into a room containing a baggage carousel surrounded by screens."
You should look into Airsoft then. It's military simulation with pellet guns, and some games run entire weekends. There are different goals (depending on the organizers - some are just basic CTF) and all are encouraged to make the game as realistic as possible (i.e. smoke bombs, uniforms, unit-style tactics/movement). It's also based on honor, so if you get hit, you call yourself out. There is usually a regeneration period of some length and then you're back in the game. Check www.airsoftplayers.com or www.cimmerians.com for more information.
What would you have used a century ago, in place of the RFID player tracking, audio/video playback, and all the other various automation? A horde of employees hiding behind the scenery? Perhaps, but I doubt it would be very profitable.
I don't care if it's 90,000 hectares. That lake was not my doing.
http://archive.gamespy.com/reviews/november01/maje stic/
I think the game you're referring to was 'Majestic', by EA. The game was set up in such a way that you'd receive phone calls, faxes, IM's from people, etc, etc. all in the intent of solving mysteries and conspiracy theories and the like.
EA charged $9.95/month for this setup and I don't think it lasted beyond a couple months before they shut it down as a complete failure and shelved the whole thing.
Of course, there could be another similar one from the late 90's but this one was in mid-2000 or 2001.
Anyone can walk on water....think WINTERTIME.
This actually isn't the first time that this has been done. Here in Boston, a company called 5-Wits has put out an interactive physical game that runs very much like a linear puzzle-style video game. It's called Tomb, and involves various manipulations both mental and physical in order to work your way through it. It functions for groups, though, not for individuals; in fact, as far as I can remember, most of the puzzles require at least three people to solve.
Unfortunately, it sucks. It's dreadfully boring and easy, and there are only a few rooms. The puzzles are pretty simple too -- a 5-piece towers of hanoi is actually one of them (yay for MIT graduates designing these things). A lot of effects, which is obviously what draws people, but I can only imagine how much each room cost. Their prices are comparable to the price of a seeing a movie in the theater, but usually the 'game' only lasts about half the time of a movie (about 30-40 minutes).
Anyways, for those interested and/or in Beantown:
http://5-wits.com/