[PA Comic] Monday, December 22, 2014 - Due Diligence

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[PA Comic] Monday, December 22, 2014 - Due Diligence

Due Diligence

http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2014/12/22

Read the full story here

IKerensky

And you wonder why we always want the baby to be a boy ?

Cambiata

IKerensky wrote: »

And you wonder why we always want the baby to be a boy ?

Man, maybe just share cool shit like this with little girls and we can all be happy? When I was a little girl, I loved to play with the hotwheels track as much as my bros. Same with the RC cars we got one year for Christmas. I would have eaten that Anki DRIVE shit up.

Unknown

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Robotic Draconian

I love the smile on her face in the last panel as Gabe finally admits his true purpose.

PAX_Skeletor

I had never heard of this toy until now and now it is all I want.

Quid

I hope this tech has improved. I bought similar toys a few years back for a buddy and me and the cars weren't nearly as responsive as we thought they'd be.

Though even then we had tons of fun chasing the dogs with them.

Darkewolfe

Quid wrote: »

I hope this tech has improved. I bought similar toys a few years back for a buddy and me and the cars weren't nearly as responsive as we thought they'd be.

Though even then we had tons of fun chasing the dogs with them.

These drive on a laid out track, so I don't think you could chase the dog.

Looks like you have guns to shoot at the other racers and disable them, though.

Edit: HNGH.

At the end of each game, you’re awarded points based on how you performed. These points can be put towards upgrades — be it new weapons, or performance modifications. Every tweak and upgrade you make to a car stays with that specific car, permanently, opening up the possibility of selling or trading cars to other players.

And it looks like the car keeps itself on the track by steering, your personal steering is just within the bounds of the track/changing lanes and overtaking.

Lucascraft

So this is a hybrid of real toys and virtual toys? The "upgrades" that you earn are part of a companion app? And you do stuff on the app while the physical toys are going around the track?

Sounds neat. Sounds like someone took the idea of Skylanders and blew it up.

joak

Does this comic strike anyone else as being product placement? It is wildly positive for the Aniki Drive, it mentions both the company name and product in two panels (which seems excessive), and they even use the capitalization the "Aniki DRIVE" consistent in the company's own branding. They might as well have said it tasted like unicorn giggles.

Robotic Draconian

joak wrote: »

Does this comic strike anyone else as being product placement? It is wildly positive for the Aniki Drive, it mentions both the company name and product in two panels (which seems excessive), and they even use the capitalization the "Aniki DRIVE" consistent in the company's own branding. They might as well have said it tasted like unicorn giggles.

While I do understand how you could see it as that (as it very well may be), penny arcade is much more upfront about their advertisements (usually). Secondly, typing the name the way it is officially written is grammatically correct, and just plain professional. You don't write The Last of Us as the last of us, as that would just be a general statement; Halo, isn't halo, as that would just be a word. Stating the brand by its official lettering and spelling is. Just. Professional.

Rhesus Positive

joak wrote: »

Does this comic strike anyone else as being product placement? It is wildly positive for the Aniki Drive, it mentions both the company name and product in two panels (which seems excessive), and they even use the capitalization the "Aniki DRIVE" consistent in the company's own branding. They might as well have said it tasted like unicorn giggles.

I don't know much about product placement - what I do know is that Anki DRIVE uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to deliver the first video game in the real world. Each car has been engineered to think: It knows where it is, makes decisions, and drives itself. Using your iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, or iPad mini you can take control of a car to play against friends or AI cars. But watch your back. Anki DRIVE AI cars have been designed to take you out.

Maybe the cool people at Anki DRIVE would know about product placement, the same way they know about delivering a first-of-its-kind racing game that lets players use a mobile app to race real battle-equipped toy cars - alone or against friends?

MichaelLC

Rhesus Positive wrote: »

joak wrote: »

Does this comic strike anyone else as being product placement? It is wildly positive for the Aniki Drive, it mentions both the company name and product in two panels (which seems excessive), and they even use the capitalization the "Aniki DRIVE" consistent in the company's own branding. They might as well have said it tasted like unicorn giggles.

I don't know much about product placement - what I do know is that Anki DRIVE uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to deliver the first video game in the real world. Each car has been engineered to think: It knows where it is, makes decisions, and drives itself. Using your iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, or iPad mini you can take control of a car to play against friends or AI cars. But watch your back. Anki DRIVE AI cars have been designed to take you out.

Maybe the cool people at Anki DRIVE would know about product placement, the same way they know about delivering a first-of-its-kind racing game that lets players use a mobile app to race real battle-equipped toy cars - alone or against friends?

That's right, Dave! And after all that excitement nothing refreshes me like a nice cold Sprite. Driving is hard work, you've got to be at your best and staying your best means being hydrated with a delicious zero calorie Sprite.

BrettxPW

I know them feels. I got my son a 2DS for Christmas. I personally have never owned one, so that thing has been calling my name from my closet for two weeks.

Tube

We don't do product placement. We talk about games and nerd gadgets on PA because that is the subject of the comic. Also Gabe, in this comic, hasn't even played it yet.

SiliconStew

We were actually looking at getting that game for my nephew. But the limited support for android devices combined with the inability for apple and android to even play together killed it in the crib. If we had though, I'm not sure I could have resisted opening it.

Xaquin

man that second panel gabe art ....

joshofalltrades

Cambiata wrote: »

IKerensky wrote: »

And you wonder why we always want the baby to be a boy ?

Man, maybe just share cool shit like this with little girls and we can all be happy? When I was a little girl, I loved to play with the hotwheels track as much as my bros. Same with the RC cars we got one year for Christmas. I would have eaten that Anki DRIVE shit up.

I used to go over to a girl's house all the time and I think I used her Easy Bake Oven more than she ever did.

November Fifth

Darkewolfe wrote: »

Quid wrote: »

I hope this tech has improved. I bought similar toys a few years back for a buddy and me and the cars weren't nearly as responsive as we thought they'd be.

Though even then we had tons of fun chasing the dogs with them.

These drive on a laid out track, so I don't think you could chase the dog.

Looks like you have guns to shoot at the other racers and disable them, though.

Edit: HNGH.

At the end of each game, you’re awarded points based on how you performed. These points can be put towards upgrades — be it new weapons, or performance modifications. Every tweak and upgrade you make to a car stays with that specific car, permanently, opening up the possibility of selling or trading cars to other players.

And it looks like the car keeps itself on the track by steering, your personal steering is just within the bounds of the track/changing lanes and overtaking.

Watching preview videos of it, it looks cool, but it doesn't seem to be very interactive. It's basically slot cars with a leveling mechanic + a rudimentary combat system pasted on.

I wish there was more of a programming element to it or maybe better controls than just a smart phone.

I think I might prefer actual slot cars, since you can actually physically tune and tinker with them to improve performance.

MichaelLC

Yeah they keep talking about 'code' and 'AI' but it's just slot cars. I had those 30 years ago. Really don't see the appeal here.
As said above, maybe if you can program routines in, or if they add obstacles/boosts within the track it might be interesting. Sort of a blur in real life.

Commander Zoom

joshofalltrades wrote: »

Cambiata wrote: »

IKerensky wrote: »

And you wonder why we always want the baby to be a boy ?

Man, maybe just share cool shit like this with little girls and we can all be happy? When I was a little girl, I loved to play with the hotwheels track as much as my bros. Same with the RC cars we got one year for Christmas. I would have eaten that Anki DRIVE shit up.

I used to go over to a girl's house all the time and I think I used her Easy Bake Oven more than she ever did.

Sod that, I had my own. Well, me and my two brothers.
(They cook lots more than me, now. But I'm working on it.)

SWATrous

MichaelLC wrote: »

That's right, Dave! And after all that excitement nothing refreshes me like a nice cold Sprite. Driving is hard work, you've got to be at your best and staying your best means being hydrated with a delicious zero calorie Sprite.

Ironically, this post literally does make me want a Sprite, a drink I have not had in a long, long time.

Gaslight

Went and watched the unboxing video with the pleasant One Direction reject-looking British bloke that Jerry linked to in the newspost. This looks like a super cool idea, but I'd like to know more about how much actual control you have over what the cars do, because it seems like a lot of just watching them go round and round like traditional slot cars. Also, while it's impressive they can navigate the oval mat racecourse like that, it's really not a very big track, and it's just a boring oval layout. With slot cars or even hot wheels you can design all sorts of crazy layouts.

fightinfilipino

joak wrote: »

Does this comic strike anyone else as being product placement? It is wildly positive for the Aniki Drive, it mentions both the company name and product in two panels (which seems excessive), and they even use the capitalization the "Aniki DRIVE" consistent in the company's own branding. They might as well have said it tasted like unicorn giggles.

"Aniki DRIVE" (Translator's note: "DRIVE" means "PLAN") is actually the hot, new anime series for 2015.

Heatwave

Noticed some some gaps between the lines and the fill, but it's only noticeable on the front page preview



Other than that it's a really funny comic that's so true in regards to buying cool presents for other people. The temptation to try the presents out yourself is too damn high!

forty

I want to know if Anki DRIVE has cheating detection. What's that? The AI car is beating you in a race? Try navigating around my foot on your roof, fucker!

MichaelLC

forty wrote: »

I want to know if Anki DRIVE has cheating detection. What's that? The AI car is beating you in a race? Try navigating around my foot on your roof, fucker!

"Rubber banding AI" means hiting it with a rubber band.

trident042

After reading all this stuff so long ago, and again when the new rendition came out (which Gabe also talked about), I finally, FINALLY saw a commercial for DRIVE 2.0 on an actual television. Seemed odd to me, is all. I watch a fair amount of the cartoon-centric channels, and having seen no advertising til now just felt unlikely.