Spore

[starbird]

Friend sent me this link. The guy making the presentation is Will Wright, designer of Raid on Bungeling Bay (spent many an hour playing that one), which eventually turned into Sim City. he designed all of the Sim games.

This is a presentation he made at E3 last year, from what I understand. He explains the game quite well, so I won't say much about it. He's definitly a better game designer than public speaker.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spore_%28game%29

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-262774490184348066&q=spore this is the 1 hour presentation video.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8372603330420559198&q=spore this is the cut down 30 minute video.

Looks really interesting. I've never seen anything like it. Would like to try making a Niven universe, or a Brim uplift type universe. There is a lot of ideas for creatures and worlds out there.

[deSelys]

It looks cool.

I wonder if the first true AI will emerge from a video game... 

[Ghosth]

Me want, me want now!

AI, hmmm its entirely possible.

Heinlein had a theory, that once computers are connected to enough "stuff" that AI would happen spontainiously. In a human being the inputs are for the most part, well, small in size & many many in number.

Granted, we only have 2 eyes, and 2 ears. But there are a TON of receptors packed into the tongue.
Skin is loaded with nerves for feedback.

Connecting that kind of input to a computer is  daunting challenge.

Eyes & ears are easy, 2 video cameras, 2 microphones, a speaker or 2. Done deal, we have that already many times over.

But the rest of the senses, smell, touch, taste, those are hard. And are they part of what makes us truly intelligent?