Once upon a time we used the word ‘sandbox’ to describe open world games. Now we can use the word sandbox to describe actual sandboxes. Thanks to Kinect, a PC and a projector.
It’s called an Augmented Reality Sandbox, and does exactly what it says on the tin, but it’s fascinating to watch in progress. It was created by teams at UC Davis and SUNY Geneseo. It looks like a simpler, toy-like version of similar tech being built by the US Army to help them actually fight wars. Which is terrifying.
But in a world where tabletop gaming is becoming increasingly in vogue — am I the only one seeing the potential for crossover here? I’m thinking of a crazy real version of Settlers of Catan, or maybe just a tabletop version of Populous or something? The video game potential for this tech is strong.
Me? I just want to play around with it. It just looks so tactile and well, fun.
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2 responses to “This Video Game Sandbox Is A Literal Sandbox”
http://www.kotaku.com.au/2011/07/this-kinect-game-is-a-literal-sandbox/
Just you know, 2011 calling
Here’s a link if you want to see it in action
Holy three-years-ago, Batman!