Nissan: XBox for all URGE cars

Nissan North America Inc. and Microsoft Corp. came together to create the first-ever fully integrated gaming system within a
vehicle as PRNewsWire reports:

Conceived by Nissan Design America Inc. (NDA) and equipped with the
Xbox 360(TM) next-generation video game and entertainment system from
Microsoft, the Nissan URGE concept car allows drivers (while parked) to play
"Project Gotham Racing(R) 3" using the car's own steering wheel, gas pedal and
brake pedal while viewing the game on a flip-down seven-inch LCD screen.
"PGR(R) 3" is developed exclusively for Xbox 360 by Bizarre Creations Ltd. for
Microsoft Game Studios.
The URGE, which will make its world debut at the 2006 North American
International Auto Show on Jan. 9, offers a glimpse of how echo boomers are
influencing the next generation of vehicle design.
"Nissan conducted an Internet survey of 2,000 echo boomers, a majority of
which said technology and gaming are among the most important attributes in
their first car," said Bruce Campbell, vice president of design at Nissan
Design America in La Jolla, Calif. "Xbox 360 offered the latest in technology
and was already a favorite among this audience."
The Nissan URGE, outfitted with an Xbox 360 video game and entertainment
system, puts the controls of the world's most powerful gaming console at the
hands and feet of the driver. Implemented by the designers at Nissan Design
America with the guidance of Microsoft engineers, the Nissan URGE delivers an
immersive driving experience not available in any living room.
The URGE concept car is equipped with the award-winning "PGR 3," which
allows drivers to control a breathtaking trip through the streets of five
photo-realistic locations: New York City, London, Las Vegas, Tokyo and the
Nurburgring test track in Germany. "PGR 3" drivers view and play the game on
a flip-down LCD screen, which doubles as a rear-view mirror when the car is
being used for real driving. They control the action using the Nissan URGE's
race-inspired steering wheel, gas pedal and brake pedal. A Nissan URGE driver
can, for example, maneuver through the streets of New York, park the car and
fire up the Xbox 360, then virtually race through the same streets using the
same steering wheel, gas pedal and brake pedal -- blurring fantasy and reality
in a way that the automotive world has never before seen.

Foursprung, Nissan, Microsoft, XBox

Source: PRNewsWire

Read more

Read what others are saying about it: Bloglines, Feedster, Technorati