Want to play along with the A's?

by Roloc on Aug 17, 2007 7:15 PM PDT Comment 11 comments

For my first diary I am going to expect quite a bit of feedback so we will see how this goes.

I was sitting at dinner with my Dad tonight and the conversation went something like this

I said "Hey you remember that game we used to play in the 80's while we were at the Coliseum watching a game?"

He said "Yeah you would rent the little devices and play along with the game"

I yelled "YES! That was awesome, what were those things called and why on earth did they do away with it"

................more

Then it got my Dad and I thinking, you see we are nerds. We like Baseball and just about anything to do with computers. Back then they used to have this hand held device that you could rent for the game and you would play along with every batter. So for instance if you thought Chavez was going to pop out with RISP you would pick that and you would more then likely get points. They would keep track of everyone in the ballpark and your score would show on all the other hand held devices and you could compete while watching the game.

I have to tell you that thing was awesome, we loved it, and I can't for the life of me remember what it was called, so if anyone knows please post.

Long story short... I am going to build this, and I am going to build it as a web application so we can all play. The new Coliseum will have WiFI and so you could easily bring some sort of device and play at the games, be it an iPhone or a Nokia n800 you can play at the game or at home while watching the game.

The purpose of this blog is to get ideas about what you the A's fan want to see out of this or if you even think it is a good idea. The other purpose is to allow you all a way in as dedicated A's fan to the beta test I hope to have up for next season.

We all read the game day threads right? Why not keep score of who predicts what the next batter will do and brag about that?

What do you think?

Poll

Would you play a game like this while watching the A's?

Of course I would!

17 votes

Maybe, depending on how good it was

16 votes

No way, this sounds lame

2 votes

Computer....whaaaaaa?

4 votes

39 votes | Poll has closed

0 recs | Comment 11 comments

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Read More: poll, game, interactive, athletics, 2008

Comments

great first diary

i'd love to try something like that.

I find your lack of Faith disturbing...

by rebus on Aug 17, 2007 7:14 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

it was called interactive network

i definitely had one.

by brodiebrazil on Aug 17, 2007 9:07 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Awesome..

Any idea where they are now? I can't find them on the internet, would love to know if they are still around!

by Roloc on Aug 17, 2007 9:22 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I have been sitting here...

....for a week or so trying to come up with something witty that you all haven't covered yet and then it hit me. I am going to build this app essentially for AN at first then maybe with the grand plan of expanding out to other teams. So this blogg will serve as a place to update and poll you all and possibly employee some of you to watch the games and put in what happens :) because the data feeds from MLB are too slow to do a real time game.

by Roloc on Aug 17, 2007 7:19 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

This idea is the equivilent of Suudsu

by Zonis on Aug 17, 2007 8:17 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

you could have this up in three days, tops

all you need to do is code a "strikeout with RISP" button, a "GIDP" button, and a "Jack Cust HR" button.

Go A's!!

by Phineas Quinn on Aug 17, 2007 8:47 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Cisco Field packed with legions of Wii wielders

I can picture grizzled journeyman Bobby Crosby rolling back into town with the D-Rays, a latter day Royce Clayton. In disconcerting lock-step response the crowd will swing its Wiis along with Bobby, down and away, chasing a pitch they will never reach.

"Ziggy, did you not know?"

by FreeSeatUpgrade on Aug 17, 2007 10:08 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

A company I worked for did this for football

on the cellphone, natch. Compete against other users real time.

(If you like it, it was all my idea. If not, I was just a small fish.)

http://www.airplay.com/Home.tap

If you want baseball, ask them! (located in SF.)

by MobiusKlein on Aug 17, 2007 10:24 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

someone always...

beats you too it :) I am still going to build it and sell it to them for millions :)

I do like it. I think it is a good idea. Seems like basketball and baseball would be the hardest to tackle though (maybe a little pun intended)

by Roloc on Aug 18, 2007 12:10 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

They (under a different name)

did some interactive TV stuff earlier too.
Not always a success, but if you have an idea, and have technical skill, propose what you would like for baseball.

But don't every worry about somebody beating you - cause somebody always did. They just might have sucked at it, or been too early, or you just might win anyway. They have a forum, and people there do watch baseball. If their Football / Basketball stuff have been a success, then they would do some Baseball too.

The hardest part about that kind of thing is the battery life on cell-phones. 3 hours of active use might just kill the charge.

by MobiusKlein on Aug 18, 2007 3:07 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah cell phones...

That seems to be a mixed blessing too. Plus a lot of it would require good timing and sprint is less than stellar in delivering SMS messages right away.

I think I am just going to build it anyways because I have been looking for a good project, plus it seems like a fun idea if if only gets adopted by ANers.

Then I will show your old company and they can buy it from me! :)

by Roloc on Aug 19, 2007 2:51 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs