waugsqueke's annotation mentioning his idea for "cube pool" set the electrons to carroming in my brain:

Cubicle floors are covered with green felt and rimmed with bumper pads. Holes in the floor are positioned at cubicle corners and at midpoints along each wall and at the doorway there's a gutter that feeds a hole. Balls are contained in reservoirs beneath the seat of specially-designed office chairs, and in response to a wireless signal, can be shot from launchers in any of the spokes that connect the chair to its wheels. The balls are capable of being electronically/ magnetically/ otherwise recolored (Any ideas how? But the method doesn’t really matter). Cubicles are designed for minimum obstruction of the playing surface (e.g., desks, wastebaskets, etc. are connected to the walls and don’t contact the floor). And the chairs have a footrest above the playing level.

Balls are launched by one player from the chair in any cubicle except the player’s own. The player may choose the target cubicle and the chair spoke from which to launch. Each player is furnished with live overhead views identifying the position of balls, chair, and any obstacles in the target cubicle. Upon launch, the ball is recolored with a color that identifies the launching player.

Workplaces where play is encouraged could install this system with no limits on play, but there's even a way to get this installed in more restrictive (i.e., most) offices:

A player’s launches can be enabled only upon the completion of a work task, such as taking a call from a superior or from outside the company, or sending an email that copies the player’s boss. Specific tasks, their validation, and how many balls are awarded are parameters that can be set by management.

In either scenario, the objective is to knock other players’ balls into the holes, and to populate the floors with balls of your color. But in the restrictive-office case, it becomes obvious to casual observers who is and isn't "working." This is the carrot you use to get your boss to install the game.

For restrictive offices, a secret file that enables hacking of the launch-enabling routine is made available only to halfbakers, to provide cover for halfbaking activities.

The ultimate result: halfbakers rule the world.
-- beauxeault, May 14 2003

And the one who works the least gets a broken back? It's almost on the par with office chair polo, or at least I could see that happening.
-- k_sra, May 14 2003


Somehow, this will improve economies worldwide, I believe.
-- mahatma, May 14 2003



random, halfbakery