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Playing The Escape 154

Posted by Zonk from the cue-howard-shore-music dept.
erich666 writes "Wired reports on 'La Fuga' (The Escape), a real-world game. You overcome physical and mental challenges to escape a prison. Not just any live-action role playing game, this one is run in a $20 million facility in Madrid. A networked PDA and RFID tag keep you in touch while you play. The company is now building a 30,000-square-foot game center at 49th and Broadway in New York City." From the article: "The screen goes static and then switches to a view of a sweaty prisoner with a 5 o'clock shadow who tells me that I can liberate myself and all the other drones stuck in the prison. Those who have escaped before me will contact me to assist in my quest. The door opens, and I enter a sort of closet before another door opens to reveal a metal air duct. I try to step in, but I slip, fall hard on my ass, and slide down the chute into a room containing a baggage carousel surrounded by screens."
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Playing The Escape More

Playing The Escape

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  • With the state of gaming hacks (Score:5, Funny)

    by Foo2rama ( 755806 ) on Saturday March 18, 2006 @09:14PM (#14950290) Homepage Journal
    I wonder how fast someone will hack this! Does padding on your rear count?
  • The real question on everyone's mind: How long until VR pr0n?

  • Any allusions to the Prisoner? (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Quirk ( 36086 ) on Saturday March 18, 2006 @09:26PM (#14950335) Homepage Journal
    There's been chatter off and on about a game based on the TV show The Prisoner [sixofone.org.uk]. Patrick McGoohan's portrayal of prisoner six of one is great in a British understated way. The idea of a prisoner incarcerated because he knows too much sensitive government information may not be too fictional today. Maybe Guantanamo Bay is soon to be a "retirement" centre.

    The Escape sounds like it has the Kafkaesque, byzantine plot lines reminescent of the Prisoner.

  • And (Score:1, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward
    So it begins. [imdb.com]

    • Re:And (Score:3, Funny)

      by FerretFrottage ( 714136 )
      Actually this [imdb.com] would be interesting.
    • Speaking of "The Game" the movie, does anyone remember this muched hyped about "real life" game that was ACTUALLY pitched in the mid-late 90s? It was like half RPG for the computer, half "real life" drama, where supposedly you'd get dramatic phone calls, messages, etc. I remember the organizers were very cagey and mysterious about what it would involve and how deeply it would "infiltrate" your life, but I certainly don't remember any fall-out or follow-up or if it actually happened? I can't for the lif
      • You're thinking of one of the alternate reality games [google.com]. I give you a google link not to be a smartass, but because I really don't know much more than the fact that that's the keyword you'll want, so that should help you. They don't really appeal to me, so I don't pay much attention.
      • You're probably thinking of Majestic, by EA. It was cancelled after only a few months due to limited sales.

      • Re:That reminds me!! (Score:2, Informative)

        by bitrate ( 460396 )
        I think the game you're referring to was 'Majestic', by EA. The game was set up in such a way that you'd receive phone calls, faxes, IM's from people, etc, etc. all in the intent of solving mysteries and conspiracy theories and the like.

        EA charged $9.95/month for this setup and I don't think it lasted beyond a couple months before they shut it down as a complete failure and shelved the whole thing.

        Of course, there could be another similar one from the late 90's but this one was in mid-2000 or 2001.
      • Other Alternate Reality Games have been a bit more successful. Home-grown games are numerous and plentiful. Corporate engines include I Love Bees [ilovebees.com], where people were asked to answer pay-phone calls all over the country to unravel a story, and the quite successful Perplex City [perplexcity.com], which employs collectible cards and a dozen websites to tell a story.

        ARGs typically exist on the web primarily, so quite a bit different fFrom this interesting "escape" game. Really though, I hope they ask Jane McGonigal's [blogspot.com] input. S
      • I actually tangentially know some people involved in Video Games Adventure Service [semagoediv.com]. They pretty much do whatever crazy ass thing you want them to. Here is a straight forward explanation of what the do: UK Guardian [guardian.co.uk].
      • I actually played that game all the way through to its cancellation. The big problem was that EA unabashedly catered to the lowest common denominator, making everything as easy as pouring water out of a boot. And since the game came in monthly installments and had horrible pacing, you had about a week's worth of two-hour-a-day gameplay after which you had to wait for another three weeks to continue. The best parts of it were (1) the demo, which packed the gameplay of a regular monthly installment into th

  • So then Version 2.0 is... (Score:4, Funny)

    by Chuqmystr ( 126045 ) on Saturday March 18, 2006 @09:34PM (#14950355) Homepage
    Running man - the real deal?

    My bad, couldn't resist

  • A good idea if... (Score:4, Interesting)

    by sumdeus ( 656737 ) on Saturday March 18, 2006 @09:43PM (#14950380) Homepage Journal
    This sounds like a reasonably fun concept given they keep the price down. I think that a team atmosphere in this type of game would be great as well. If you could show up with a group of friends and have a task to complete as a group. Perhaps that's version 2!

    • Agreed... I've always been big for cooperative video games.

      But the biggest attraction for me is the adventure aspect of the game, which differentiates it in a good way from real-life shooters like paint ball. I look forward to the theme they set with the Manhattan site; it'd probably be a lot more cyber-punkish than the Spanish prison.

      The article states 15 euros to get in, which doesn't sound too bad. I just wonder how long the "level" is. Of course, lacking in Gordon Freeman's HEV suit [wikipedia.org], I doubt I'd sur

      • But the biggest attraction for me is the adventure aspect of the game, which differentiates it in a good way from real-life shooters like paint ball.

        Paintball doesn't have an adventure aspect to it? You'd have to define "adventure aspect" for me. I've seen the small paintball parks that were just a field with some obstacles to hide behind, but I've also been to a paintball park with huge game areas, streams to ford, small villages to invade/defend, etc.

  • dreampark (Score:5, Interesting)

    by headonfire ( 160408 ) on Saturday March 18, 2006 @09:44PM (#14950383)
    sounds like a step closer to 'Dreampark', as in the novels by Steven Barnes and Larry Niven. Immersive real-life roleplaying games. If you haven't read the series yet, go do it. A neat idea, well-executed on paper.

  • Awesome! (Score:1, Funny)

    by scwizard ( 941758 )
    This gives me the perfect opportunity to practice. Next time I won't be in for nearly as long.

  • Woo! (Score:4, Interesting)

    by electrichamster ( 703053 ) on Saturday March 18, 2006 @09:48PM (#14950394) Homepage
    I've been wanting something like this for YEARS!

    In my imaginary version I wanted a real-life CTF situation based on paintball or similar that took place in a massive area full of buildings and the like - similar to normal paintball, but over a number of days and a much much larger playing field.

    If you took the tech from this game and combined it with a much larger playing field, teams, a much longer game time (in the order of a weekend) and some form of decent forfeit for losing (say, a deposit), you'd have my perfect game!
    • When I went paintballing a while back one of the workers was talking about something similar. It was basically a day long battle royale. Things like rocket launchers, tanks and grenades were mentioned. All done with paintball.

      P.S I consider fist size bruises punishment enough for losing at paintball.

    • Re:Woo! (Score:4, Funny)

      by soibudca ( 846319 ) on Saturday March 18, 2006 @10:56PM (#14950554)
      You should seriously consider an exiting and rewarding career in the US armed forces.

    • Re:Woo! (Score:5, Informative)

      by adimiron ( 838142 ) on Saturday March 18, 2006 @11:00PM (#14950566)
      You should look into Airsoft then. It's military simulation with pellet guns, and some games run entire weekends. There are different goals (depending on the organizers - some are just basic CTF) and all are encouraged to make the game as realistic as possible (i.e. smoke bombs, uniforms, unit-style tactics/movement). It's also based on honor, so if you get hit, you call yourself out. There is usually a regeneration period of some length and then you're back in the game. Check www.airsoftplayers.com or www.cimmerians.com for more information.
    • I know! You and a group of friends go invade a nation! That should give you your large battlefield and long playing time!
    • 3 days, 3000 men? [achewood.com]
    • Sat Cong Village [scvillage.com], the big paintball park near LA does that kind of thing. They have theme areas: Beruit, Kosevo, Serbia.

      SC Village gets many military vets, and even some active duty Marines from Camp Pendleton. You have to learn real small unit tactics or get clobbered. Yelling and charging across an open space in a big group will not work there.

  • 20 years ago, the novel Dream Park [amazon.com] came out, where people played in a virtual reality combined with D&D style gaming. This is a step towards that, although not with all the cool toys in the novel.

    Still, I think this is something we're going to see evolving. This isn't going to replace computer games, but might work as a supplement or a "next step up." I know there are times when I've wondered what it would be like to "play it the a real setting", and see if I could figure it out in real time, w

  • Looks like a really expensive playscape from Burger King. Now the light box code area looks kind of cool, but I think laser tag is vastly superior to this "vitual game" IMHO.

    When we get Battle Royale [imdb.com] then you've got my attention.

  • This sounds really familiar... (Score:5, Funny)

    by ROMRIX ( 912502 ) on Saturday March 18, 2006 @09:52PM (#14950409) Homepage
    It reminds me of trying to find my way out of the club the other night after six boilermakers five shots of tequilla and something called a New York nipple twister...

  • Chuck E. Cheese (Score:5, Funny)

    by thehickcoder ( 620326 ) on Saturday March 18, 2006 @09:52PM (#14950411) Homepage
    From the Article:
    ...and burrowed through a mass of grapefruit-sized plastic spheres.

    What, he went to Chuck E. Cheese?

  • Paintball (Score:2, Interesting)

    by Zibara ( 910310 )
    Viper Paintball,http://www.viperpaintball.com/ [viperpaintball.com], came to mind when I saw this article. It's a RTS Paintball event. A paintball game with missions and a storyline lasting up to 26 hours, even during the night.

  • Sounds like typical video game designers... (Score:5, Funny)

    by Malor ( 3658 ) on Saturday March 18, 2006 @10:10PM (#14950458) Journal
    This sounds like a solid design effort, worthy of most video game levels.

    After all, I see prisons with baggage carousels _all the time_.
  • I hope this company has henchmen erm actors playing the role of henchmen that blindfold, kidnap and drops your unsuspecting bosses and coworkers into this prison, where they only find out its a game when I'm waiting for them behind plexiglass at the end.
    I'll even order a dvd of that.
  • Considering this sort of "technology" isn't technology at all. This could have been done a century ago (different plot of course).
    • This could have been done a century ago (different plot of course).


      What would you have used a century ago, in place of the RFID player tracking, audio/video playback, and all the other various automation? A horde of employees hiding behind the scenery? Perhaps, but I doubt it would be very profitable.

      • True that it couldn't have been done the same way. But the general idea of live role-play/game isn't new. It wouldn't be as fun, but it would probably still be fairly enjoyable if executed properly. Like those adult mystery games I have heard about when people play through the role of some people in a muder mystery.

  • Er.. (Score:5, Interesting)

    by AWhiteFlame ( 928642 ) on Saturday March 18, 2006 @10:20PM (#14950477) Homepage
    And we thought Flight Sim was bad for the Terrorists.. Now virtual training for prison escapees!
    • Yeah, because we all know how important getting 200 bonus points is to a convict when he's trying to escape. Otherwise, y'know, he might not be able to get his "cloak of invisibility".
  • "the game's most compelling aspect - its physicality - could be too much for gamers used to moving only their thumbs."

    Apparently this guy has never been introduced to DDR.

  • Not the first, but nonetheless impressive! (Score:3, Insightful)

    by hethatishere ( 674234 ) on Saturday March 18, 2006 @11:03PM (#14950572)
    Interactive experiences for adults have been around for awhile and aren't anything new, and have been popular in several cities for a long time [5-wits.com] [5-wits.com], for example. This one sounds pretty damn cool and seems really reminiscent of those awful (but curious) Cube movie they play constantly on the Sci-Fi channel. I've gotten used to the fact that when anything comes to NYC, even if it's not new it automatically becomes newsworthy. Hopefully, it will get more people going to these places and build up more of an industry for something that is really just on the cusp of becoming popular. Lord knows, we could use more interactive (read: physical) forms of entertainment in this country.

  • But... (Score:4, Funny)

    by i.r.id10t ( 595143 ) on Saturday March 18, 2006 @11:11PM (#14950590)
    ... do you wake up disoriented and have to take analgesic to do anything useful?

  • WTF? (Score:5, Funny)

    by Brandybuck ( 704397 ) on Sunday March 19, 2006 @01:05AM (#14950890) Homepage Journal
    The door opens...

    WTF? What kind of prison break is that? Give the players a spoon and ten years to dig a hole!
  • what the F kind of "game" is this? Why in the world would I want to get locked up in some "facility" and then try to escape from it? That sounds like something I would NOT want to do.

    Maybe they should think of something a bit more intuitive, such as a real-life game styled after Grand Theft Auto. It would take place in a facility--er, rather, a city--built for the purpose, with actors serving as cops. You steal various vehicles, have high speed chases, crash into things... There is always a goal that you tr

    • that would be a rather expensive game, hence why nobody is going to be playing it anytime soon. Would be better to go on a real life rampage, would probably be a lot cheaper, wouldnt have to pay insurance and stuff :p

  • This looks mildly interesting, but the only real problem I have is paying $20 for about 10 minutes of entertainment.

    I could have the same amount of fun for free at the nearest McDonald's Playland with a good imagination.

  • the "escape prison rape" mini game. Run for your dignity! RUN.

  • Not the first time... (Score:4, Informative)

    by BBrown ( 70466 ) on Sunday March 19, 2006 @03:05AM (#14951113)
    This actually isn't the first time that this has been done. Here in Boston, a company called 5-Wits has put out an interactive physical game that runs very much like a linear puzzle-style video game. It's called Tomb, and involves various manipulations both mental and physical in order to work your way through it. It functions for groups, though, not for individuals; in fact, as far as I can remember, most of the puzzles require at least three people to solve.

    Unfortunately, it sucks. It's dreadfully boring and easy, and there are only a few rooms. The puzzles are pretty simple too -- a 5-piece towers of hanoi is actually one of them (yay for MIT graduates designing these things). A lot of effects, which is obviously what draws people, but I can only imagine how much each room cost. Their prices are comparable to the price of a seeing a movie in the theater, but usually the 'game' only lasts about half the time of a movie (about 30-40 minutes).

    Anyways, for those interested and/or in Beantown:

    http://5-wits.com/ [5-wits.com]
  • I recall seeing a cool experiment involving a person who is supposedly hypnotized (or put asleep) while playing a first person shooter involving zombies. He gets put under, transferred to a building with a layout EXACTLY like the game, and he is woken up. He sees the zombie chick he just killed, and before long is trapped with zombies pouring in from all around him. He freaks out near the end, where he is "put under" again, put back in front of the video game and he wakes up thinking he's just had one he
  • From the article: Minutes ago, a pictogram flashed up at me on a video monitor. Now I have to match it to one of a dozen symbols on a column between the two doors.

    When was the last time someone breaking out of prision had to match a pictogram on a monitor against a bunch of symbols on a column in order to open a door?

    It might be mildly entertaining, but I want realism. If there are going to be puzzles, I want a storyline where there's a genuine reason for them to exist. Not just because they had to co

  • But I expect that in the US they are going to find that they need to add something a little less programmatic and a little more confrontational to keep people's interest up - guards, guns (like the army's MILES systems), etc.

    Otherwise it's a puzzle orienteering course with distractions. Not that that wouldn't be interesting, but add in the necessity of keeping watch for guards and it gets 10x more interesting.

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