Magic Edge...
Mike Huang
ity is of interest partially due to the low-cost motion system and
interesting application of off-the-shelf graphics hardware. --rdd ]
Well, I finally took a tour of the Magic Edge facility today, and it
looks fairly sweet.. its very professionally done, and fairly well
thought-out with a lot of training going on right now. The press
release I'm enclosing below will give a better idea of the type of
entertainment you're actually paying for if you go there.
Another couple of bits of techno trivia, according to the marketing
person who gave me the tour: the capsule has been almost completely
redesigned since last year, so instead of the 45 degrees of roll and
pitch, it now gives 60 degrees of roll and pitch (no yaw). The capsule
also uses some "new cockpit of the future controls being considered by
the military" control sticks configured as a HOTAS config. The design
is highly reminiscent of the non-moving control sticks used on the
early prototype F-16's which caused some wrist injuries by not giving
tactile feedback to the users, who could not actuate any movement upon
the control input device itself. In particular, the controls are
-very- solid. The seats are Recaro sports seats, and the 3-d surround
sound is provided by 7 speakers.
According to the person who gave me the tour, the facility in Japan
uses only two-person pods, versus our solo pods. Personally, I'm not
too sure about riding in back with a newbie at the helm! Supposedly,
each unit costs approx. $250,000, but I'm not sure if it includes the
Onyx...
Here's the press release:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For more information call:
Leslie Lodestro: 415-254-5550
MAGIC EDGE LAUNCHES LOCATION BASED ENTERTAINMENT IN U.S.
Mountain View, Calicornia, August 25, 1994 [ note: yes, that's what
it says! ] -- Magic Edge, Inc. today unveiled a new location based
entertainment venu that's going to rock the entertainment industry.
The new 12,000 square foot facility located at 1625 Shoreline Blvd.
in Mt. View incorporates a dazzling combination of special effects,
thrills and cutting edge cuisine. The attraction was designed from
the ground up by Magic Edge, Inc. and the project was funded by
billion dollar game maker NAMCO. NAMCO owns the U.S. site along
with an additional Magic Edge installation in Tokyo, Japan which
opened July 16, 1994.
"In researching some of the world's top entertainment venues and
theme parks we have developed a format which camptures a spirit and
excitement taht is really going to surprise and captivate people"
enthuses Don morris, president and founder of Magic Edge.
The Magic Edge experience begins the moment guests walk across the
diamond plate steel floor to the check-in counter where they are
issued their flight suits. An orientation delivered via laser disc
in a highly themed briefing room is followed by a question and
answer period with a Magic Edge squadron leader. Guests are fully
briefed on the capabilities of the X-21 Hornet(tm), a 21st century
super-cruise, multi-role strike fighter aircraft. As guests step
throgh the steel girder and column portals to the hangar deck their
senses are overwhelmed by a multitude of lighting and sound effects
including 8,000 watts of 3-D Doppler effects. They actuall _feel_
the thunder of fighter jets passing overhead. Twelve full motion
X-21 aircraft hover in the fog. Guests ascend the gleaming metal
steps to their aircraft and strap into the fully equipped cockpit.
Networked together and under the command of their squadron leader,
they embark on an interactive sortie complete with barrel rolls,
where they duke it out in the air with each other and explore
hundreds of miles of beautiful landscape chock full of challenges.
After the flight they debrief with their squadron leader who guides
them through their triumphs and tragedies with an instant replay
video. [ note: while you're playing, a video camera is watching you,
and you could, potentially be one of the "pilots" displayed on the
TV's in the entranceway and in the cafe, loooking stupid, or studly ]
Their missions may be completed but their Magic Edge experience is
not. Guests may refuel in the Officer's Club(tm), a high-tech
futuristic restaurant and bar. They can trade tales of adventure
over one of the many unique micro-brews offered or Splash Down(tm)
with a personal wine tasting by the class. They will enjoy
vicarious thrills as they watch the live action of current missions
on giant color screens. The Officer's Club menu offers such
culinary delights as Spicy Mandarin Duck Salad or Rosemary Cornish
Game Hen.
On the way out guests may browse through a complete line of custom
merchandise in the Magic Edge Base Exchange(tm) store. Magic Edge
has signed an exclusive merchandising agreement with Sony
Signatures, a Division of Sony to develop a high-end line of goods
under the Magic Edge label. The products include a stylish line of
clothing adorned with the company's trademark logos, unique
glassware products and collectors items. Many of the products have
been further designed to compliment the current aviation theme
planned for the first Magic Edge Centers.
The opening of Magic Edge marks huge technological advancements for
the entertainment industry. Taking virtual reality to the next
level, Magic Edge is making use of the Silicon Graphics Onyx
RealityEngine(tm). A four processor rack with multi-channel option
boards network 18 different capsules, allowing six capsules at a
time to interact with one another. The Onyx machine also delivers
the ultra-realistic graphical images the players interact with
inside the cockpit. Paradigm Simulation Inc., a leading developer
of real-time tools and gaming software, developed the game for Magic
Edge. The game is based upon Paradigm's Vega(tm) product and is a
major breakthrough in networked gaming, guaranteed to challenge the
most discriminating video addicts. These landmark technologies, the
immersive, full-motion flight simulator together withthe detailed
theming and special effects of the environment promise to set the
standard for out-of-home entertainment in the Bay Area and beyond.
Founded in May of 1990 Magic Edge is privately held company with
headquarters in Mt. View, California. For more information about
Magic Edge please call 415-254-5500.
###
--
Mike Huang 2011 N. Shoreline Boulevard
mhu...@sgi.com Mountain View, CA 94039-7311
Desktop Computing phone : +1 415 390-3818
Silicon Graphics, Inc. fax : +1 415 961-9584