Segway game?

[malCanDo]

Would a game involving driving a Segway, picking up bonuses or delivering goods, be worthwhile developing?

It would help people understand how the Segway works, and would help raise the Segway brand, but would it be fun?

Answers on a postcard...
Mal

[pt]

i think it would be kinda interesting, but perhaps not in the u.s.a market. while in japan i learned there are very popular games that involved people driving commuter trains, or semis and the goal is to simply get people or cargo to their destinations safety. a segway game would be kinda boring by us standards unless you changed the parameters.

the other day i was thinking about a segway mounted on a platform which would control a virtual ht on screen, seems possible. maybe with vr googles it would be interesting.

neat stuff, i say why not. it might be a cool add on for 1st person role playing game as well. my wife is addicted to star wars: knights of the new republic, it seems like they ought to be on hts.

cheers,
pt

[malCanDo]

RIDE A SEGWAY VIA YOUR BROWSER!

This is a very early Shockwave prototype of a marketing game where you ride the Segway around an environment.

It's at a very early stage ( it's for proof of concept only, so ignore any bugs ( / "features" :) ), although you can still drive around and pick up smileys.

http://www.candomultimedia.com/prototypes/segway.htm

http://www.candomultimedia.com/prototypes/segway.jpg

It will work on PC and Mac.

Comments and suggestions are, as always, very welcome.

Also, post some suggestions as to who the 3D model of the "driver" ( / wearer ) of the Segway within the game should eventually be!

Best regards...
Mal

[segwayowner]

THAT IS SO COOL!!! IT ACTS SO RESPONSIVLY! i think that that should be a marketing tool for segway! one change, if you are moving forward and stop pressing up it keeps mooving forward.

DES: Segway owner

[KonaSegway]

nice game ... I liked the bouncing ibot in the corner and the fact that I could "catch air" with the segway and not fall off :-)

Aloha,
Sam


http://www.konasegway.com

[malCanDo]

Thanks for the feedback so far!

> i think that that should be a marketing tool for segway

We'd definitely like to chat to Segway about that! When we get an updated demo, we'll find out who the relevant contact is within Segway ( in the sales or marketing department ) and contact them directly.

> one change, if you are moving forward and stop pressing up it keeps mooving forward.

Thanks for the info! We haven't seen a real Segway, so we're guessing how it works at the moment. If developed as a Segway marketing tool, it would utilise a completely realistic driving model, sound effects and all!

> I liked the bouncing ibot in the corner and the fact that I could "catch air" with the segway and not fall off :-)

You found the ol' iBot then! :) A drivable iBot could be another great marketing / training tool.

Regards...
Mal

[Neelix]

Ok, another thing to add. The left and right controls should always turn the Segway anti-clockwise and clockwise, respectively. When going backwards on a Segway, the steering doesn't reverse, as you have it in the game.

-------------------------
Fear not, for even though I come from the Forbidden City, I surely do not agree with the rules.

[dexter]

Very very cool (I like the music, too). I like that you got the steering wrong in the demo, it needs to be fixed, but illustrates something that is so natural about the Seg that you don't even realize is different (compared to traditional vehicles) when you are driving it. I was doing k-turns in my living room in fascination when I first realized it. It becomes so natural on a Segway that steering in you demo when reversing is very counter-intuitive if you are used to the Seg. I'm curious if it seems "right" or "wrong" to someone who hasn't experienced a Seg, I'm guessing it seems "right" or you wouldn't have designed it that way, probably wouldn't have even guessed something was "off" without the feedback.

With regard to stopping when you take you finger off of the arrow keys, I highly agree. The Segway doesn't react to being "driven", it moves the way you "think" it to. Push the arrow to move forward, but when you want to stop, you just "stop thinking forward", you don't have to "actively" do something to stop your movement. Likewise on the ramp up to the raise platform. When you stop on the ramp, the Seg should not begin to roll backward. When you think "stay still" while on your Seg, the Seg stays still, whether you are on incline or level.

Your game, even as it is, is a lot of fun, but REALLY illustrates some aspects of the Seg that are hard to "get" if you haven't driven one... i.e. the "mistakes" make you think about things you don't even notice on a Segway. Interested to see how it "plays" as the model improves!

Dave C.
me: www.idexter.com
work: www.idealjacobs.com
play: www.nyline.org

[charmed]

Nice.

Anybody else manage to get the segway up on top of the wall? Tricky!

[4Seg]

quote:Originally posted by malCanDo

Would a game involving driving a Segway, picking up bonuses or delivering goods, be worthwhile developing?

It would help people understand how the Segway works, and would help raise the Segway brand, but would it be fun?

Answers on a postcard...
Mal


Sweet!

be keen, keep clean, glide green.
Help support FIRST http://www.usfirst.org

[PoloAk]

okay. but for the non internet junkies (who?). . .try a game my 8yr old godson invented with my segway.

You take berries, throw them on the ground, then see who can squish the most in one minute. It's hard, but highly entertaining :D

CZWMDV,

Kelsey

[pam]

That was fun!
Pam

[malCanDo]

OK Folks, the demo has been updated with some of the requested features.

The segway now stops quickly, the reverse is now like the real Segway, and if you have a joystick, you can use it to control the game ( thanks to Neelix and dexter for the info )!

Same URL... http://www.candomultimedia.com/prototypes/segway.htm

> You take berries, throw them on the ground, then see who can squish the most in one minute. It's hard, but highly entertaining :D

That could be a good mini-game to test a users control of the Segway! Squash X number of berries to pass the test.

It's nearing the stage now to approach Segway. If anyone knows a good person to contact within the marketing department at Segway, sending me their name in a private message would be much appreciated!

Enjoy the new version ( you might have to clear your browser cache ), and keep posting comments and suggestions...
Mal

[mzokc]

Wow! You can crash the surrounding wall and rise up over it and see the lake in the distance. The endless fall of the Segway getting smaller and smaller ended the adventure.

Mark

[malCanDo]

> Wow! You can crash the surrounding wall and rise up over it and see the lake in the distance. The endless fall of the Segway getting smaller and smaller ended the adventure.

Yep, just like in real life! :)

For now, ignore any little features like this in the early test version... if a marketing version of this game goes into full production, we will make sure that you can only do things that the real Segway can do.

Mal

Check out some top Web 3D content ( including free Web 3D marketing games ) at http://www.candomultimedia.com

[Neelix]

Wowy, thats great. Any way to implement a feature that shows tread marks? I'd like to see what the "turn collar one direction shift way back and forth" (Peter, got a name for that in your book?) gives you in terms of shapes on the ground.

-------------------------
Fear not, for even though I come from the Forbidden City, I surely do not agree with the rules.

[GlideMaster]

Great fun malcando, I know you put a lot of time into the game. I like crashing the wall and going for a glide over the green layered cliff into the abyss.


<center>http://www.segwaychat.com/forum/avatars/glidemaster.gif</center>

[Brooster]

Pretty neat!

Brooster

[malCanDo]

&gt; Any way to implement a feature that shows tread marks? I'd like to see what the "turn collar one direction shift way back and forth" (Peter, got a name for that in your book?) gives you in terms of shapes on the ground

It's not quite skid-marks, but pressing P now will leave a particle trail of where you have been.

http://www.candomultimedia.com/prototypes/segway.htm

Also had a reply from Segway, unfortunately it seems that their marketing department aren't looking for anything like this at the moment. We are also putting together an interactive 3D Virtual Segway to show to them, I'll post a preview here for feedback when it's ready for public viewing, and before sending it over to them.

Mal

Check out some top Web 3D content ( including free Web 3D marketing games ) at http://www.candomultimedia.com