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Monday, September 29, 2008

Real Time Video Game Updates

EA, the gaming juggernaut, has created a video game that updates, in real-time information and statistics that alter how the video game is played...everyday. The game is NBA Live 09.



Here is the marketing description:
NBA LIVE 09 has rewritten the rules and fundamentally shifted the way you look at sports simulation games. Dynamic DNA emulates - with absolute precision - an NBA player in every sense of the word.

NBA LIVE 365 takes the statistical data of Dynamic DNA and brings it to life. NBA LIVE 09 is now constantly evolving and authentically reflects what you see on the court in your virtual experience. Just like the real NBA game, players get injured, free agents sign late, great players go cold and no-names breakthrough. If you're a sports fan, this is a dream come true - NBA LIVE 09 is made fresh daily all season long.
The game integrates performance data from actual athletes into the game continually when online. It does this through the web-connected game console (Xbox 360) that then allows a player of the video game to have real-time, updated statistics driving the performance of his team and individual players. If a player is on a hot or cold streak one night, that information is reflected in the game...the next day.


Any educational implications? Of course. Think of a real-time stock market game or a simulation of the financial market..."what if home prices dropped and thousands of people defaulted on mortages?" Many technologies start in the video game world and then move into mainstream applications and tools.

Imagine preparing for a negotiation or a debate after you have loaded all the traits of your adversary into a "real-time negotiation" simulator. Words from his or her latest speech or talk.

Imagine training to debrief a terrorist when those traits have been programmed into a simulation you've been using for 3 months. Or imagine a driving simulator that is tapped into real-time road or weather conditions. Or a military simulation that actually has data from insurgents current actions allowing you to run some "What-If" scenarios before committing troops to battle.

Imagine going on a sales call with a simulated customer after you have completely loaded his/her buying habits, typical objections, spending amounts and other data into a simulator that updates in real-time. You could test closings or openings, overcome the most likely objections and simulate making the sale before trying it in real-life. With the amount of data available on individual people, the possibilities are endless...and a little scary.

A powerful tool with real-time data is the immediate possibility of doing "what-if" scenarios quickly and effectively before deciding on a course of action. Real-time simulations with updated data...endless possibilities.

What examples can you think of? Is this really a good thing?
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1 comment:

Mark Viquesney said...

At first I find this really cool in use with the game. Having the "unknowns" get hot, etc. But what happens if your star player goes down - all of a sudden you can't play him in the game? Sometimes it is just fun to play the "what if" scenerio of a star player not being hurt.