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Pac Manhattan Creator Speaks Out!
simoniker writes "Frank Lantz, who used to work at game developer Gamelab and helped create Pac Manhattan, the real-life version of Pac-Man set in the streets of New York, has been talking in detail about his new company, area/code, which has been set up to create 'large-scale, real-world games'. Lantz comments: 'I've also always felt that digital games were more properly understood as a subset of games, rather than as a subset of computer media. In other words, for me Counter-Strike has more in common with tennis and golf than people tend to think. Ditto for World of Warcraft and Chess.' Is the next wave of innovation in gaming going to occur nowhere near the video game screen?"
This being slashdot, I'll spell out my implication: This isn't an entirely new idea. In fact, most demos of augmented reality that I've seen involve gaming.
The problem is still technology. We're in the Atari 2600 phase of augmented reality gaming, if that. Probably not, since one of the distinguishing characteristics of the 2600 was the fact it could take carts to play multiple games. We're probably, technically, still in the "Pong in the arcade" era. (Or even "Pong in the lab", moving towards "Pong in the arcade".)
The next innovation is probably still going to be the Wii. (Not trying to be a fanboy.)
However, the Wii will be part of the inevitable progression towards augmented reality gaming; I know it technically doesn't have the first Wii-mote-like functionality, but it will be the first platform to get more developers thinking about it, using it, experimenting with it, and generally putting the technology through its paces. That will most likely be very useful input for true augmented-reality gaming.
And if we're really lucky, the 360 and PS3 will follow through on some of the abortive attempts to bring image processing up to the point where it could match some of the Wiimote functionality. I still think there will be a period when you're going to hold something, but the image processing power and experience will still be necessary.
By the time all this software innovation has taken place, perhaps the hardware will be in place. But it won't be "the next wave of innovation". It's at least two waves down the road. Think ten years, not ten months.
That said, pong in the arcade is also a necessary first step towards the development of the video games of today that we know and love. Don't think I disapprove of what Frank Lantz is trying; in fact I approve wholeheartedly. I just don't think what he is doing is "the next wave of innovation".
SirSlud: I don't particularly like/dislike any of the Slashdot editors (Zonk included), but I have to agree with you. I propose such a finish to an article be called a "zonkism."
Everyone: Mod this up and/or tag stories containing one or more zonkism(s) thusly if you agree.
This sig rocks the casbah.