This video game (strangely resembling Asteroids) simulates walking through a busy mob of people who themselves are walking in all directions. Your goal is to make your way through to meet your friend on the opposite side of the crowd, within the time limit, and with a minimum of collisions, pickpocketing, stepping on small children, drinks spilled on you, and profanities yelled at you.
Level 1 is simply a walk down Main Street at noon in Sunny Brook village. However, higher levels pit you against Fifth Avenue in New York City, Front Of The Empire State Building During Tourist Season, Grand Central Station at Rush Hour, and for the ultimate challenge: Times Square on New Year's Eve.
As the level starts, you are shown an overhead view of the crowd and scenery, and a photo of a friend whom you are supposed to meet up with. (The picture is different each game). You will need to navigate the throngs of tourists and avoid collisions while keeping your eye out for your friend at the same time.
High-definition graphics make the people in the crowd unique and beautifully rendered. There will be children and grownups of all races; old people with walkers and fast-moving joggers. (It's a lot better to find yourself behind a fast person than a Grandma with two canes!) Different people will have different personalities: How do you like placing yourself behind someone only to realize they have no assertiveness at all, and in fact, are quite happy with where they are right now? Watch out for short-stoppers who pause to answer their cell phone, walkman/iPod users who can't hear you say "Excuse me", and of course, the group of seemingly separate beings who are actually like one person because their holding hands prevents any interception.
To help build your real-world skills, you are allowed very few resources. Sure, you've got an "Excuse me" button, an "Excuse me please!" button, and a "Check watch" button, but that's it. Sorry, no flame throwers, machetes, or firearms to help you through.
As you make your way through the crowds, you will at some point see your friend jumping up and down and waving at you. Hurry up and get to him/her, because if you're too slow your friend may start wandering through the crowd him/herself and you will have to vary your course.
Take too long and you will see your friend get impatient and start looking at his/her watch. Eventually your friend will give up and leave. This is your unfortunate signal that the game is over.-- phundug, Dec 31 2006 State of Emergency http://www.gamespot...mergency/index.htmlGet past an angry mob without being beaten to a pulp. Any resemblance to the halfbakery is purely coincidental. [Amos Kito, Dec 16 2008] [+] As long as there's some kind of funky techno music playing in the background.-- acurafan07, Dec 31 2006 And as long as it comes with a Smart Bomb.-- DrCurry, Dec 31 2006 Is this a First Person Walker? Third person? Would it be wrong to call it an FPS?
oh, I like it. +-- twitch, Dec 31 2006 Frogger with more obstacles and more buttons.
[+]-- shapu, Dec 31 2006 How about a nonchelant hacking cough, followed by a lifting of mobile phone to the ear only to state to noone in particular, "Yes, I know, sorry about that - my Doctor said it was particularly infectious."
I love the idea of the game. You might get 'flows' of people all trying to get to the bar, or to the front, or out of the burning building - that on the harder levels (Level One might be the throng around the barbeque at a garden picnic, with the goal being an unburnt sausage. Correctly appraising these surges of humanity at the outset might be necessary in completing the more difficult stages. [+]-- zen_tom, Dec 31 2006 I like it but that my have to do with the fact that I'm fairly good at this in real life
I think it would be better suited to virtual reality-- dev45, Dec 31 2006 Oh, oh, watch out for the Tensa-barriers that you can't see until you reach them, and the cops who have the street blocked off so no one can pass (even though no one in the crowd knows it)-- phundug, Jan 01 2007 Those crowd control trucks from Soylent Green could show up when you deploy one of the secret powers you discover.-- bungston, Jan 02 2007 MORPHEUS This is another Matrix simulation. A training program to help you get your sea legs and teach you one very important lesson.
NEO What -- what lesson?
Neo collides with a man who looks just like Rhineheart.
MORPHEUS The Matrix is a system, Neo, and that system is our enemy. When you look around, what do you see? Businessmen, lawyers, students. People. Everywhere you look, there are people. Somewhere else, somewhere in the future they may be human beings but here these people are a part of the system. That makes every one of them our enemy.
A beautiful woman in a red dress smiles at Neo as she passes by.
MORPHEUS It is important to understand that if you are not one of us, you are one of them.
Morpheus stops, turning to Neo.
MORPHEUS Do you understand, Neo?
NEO I think I do.
MORPHEUS No you don't. Did you see the woman in the red dress?
NEO Yeah.
MORPHEUS Look again.-- normzone, Jan 02 2007 I think you could be armed with a "nudge" ability. It would be like Tilt in pinball. You can tilt a little, but get caught at it and bad things happen. Some individuals (eg Times Square scenario) might be gently nudged out of the way. Nudge a frail old lady and she might fall, prompting someone to call the police. Nudge a drunk rowdy and you might get a big nudge back.-- bungston, Jan 02 2007 what always works for me is to duck your head and yell "oh god, he's gonna puke, then start running holding your gut. it'll get you through a concert crowd in seconds.-- bleh, Jan 02 2007 [++] How much will it retail for?-- nomadic_wonderer, Jan 02 2007 As long as it comes with bungston's nudge feature, you've got a bun from me.-- jtp, Jan 02 2007 If the location of the crowd can vary, an interesting version would be the California earthquake variation. If you take too long, an earthquake begins, your walking hindered by the vibrations, people begin running everywhere and things fall in your path (or can kill ya). Your version sounded too peaceful and needed some death and destruction added IMHO.-- MoreCowbell, Jan 02 2007 In the game, I found a sub-game. In it, I had to battle through the crowds at the mall to buy a copy of the game, then get through the crowds again to get home and play it. In the game, I found a sub-game. In it, I had to battle through the crowds at the mall to buy a copy of the game, then get through the crowds again to get home and play it. In the game, I found...
This is a superb idea for a game. +
But definitely what [bungston] said and what [MoreCowbell] said.-- imaginality, Jan 02 2007 Horace went skiing.-- wagster, Jan 02 2007 there needs to be someone you just MUST avoid +-- xenzag, Jan 02 2007 Thanks, [rcarty], that was fun.
But it would have to be hooked up to a treadmill or one of those dancedancerevolution interfaces, because I try not to lead a joystick/keyboard lifestyle any more than necessary.-- normzone, Jan 03 2007 All of my thoughts on this game lead to anger and weapons... You could call the game "The Shopping Maul". I think the rest is pretty apparent.-- MoreCowbell, Jan 04 2007 Great idea! Have some levels with a different goal, like running away from a person, or, even harder, a lot of them (the police?). Also, on higher levels, you play different personas. While you start being a 220 pound strong man (say, Jayne), easily pushing people aside, the hardest levels you play as a 90 pound girl (say, River).-- Forthur, Dec 16 2008 Similar to "State of Emergency". But without the flame throwers, machetes, or firearms. I'd miss the flame throwers most of all.-- Amos Kito, Dec 16 2008 + This would be nice if it could be played online so that each person in the crowd was another player with their own personal mission. If you could do this with user created levels it would turn into a sort of scientific study of crowd behaviour.-- tom1, Dec 16 2008 I would just like to point out that this idea has an all uppercase title. For no apparent reason.-- WcW, Dec 16 2008 i'd suggest also st peters in rome at easter mass.
<Dr Curry> what about a nude bomb?-- williamsmatt, Dec 17 2008 oh and whats the title? i don't get it....-- williamsmatt, Dec 17 2008 crap... I play video games and when it's a crowded map you can click for hours (well, ok, seconds) and not get closer to anything except the impending RSI.
real life, I sometimes enjoy sometimes, hate moving through crowds.-- FlyingToaster, Dec 17 2008 random, halfbakery