The GTI Project... Awesome slotcar race site for the VW GTI (UK)
Yesterday I was having a conversation with a friend about restraint, and how it applies to interactive creative. We were talking about teaching students at the time, but this morning, along came a real example of how restraint and simplicity can still create rich, compelling experiences.
GTIproject.com is a microsite created for the UK version of the VW GTI. I had one of these cars while I lived in boulder, and damn, was it fun to drive through those mountain passes. I still regret trading it in for a station wagon. (well, kinda... part of the deal with the wife was that I can get the GTI R20 when it comes out next year :) Anyway, like I was saying... Restraint and simplicity... Right. It is extremely difficult to build a compelling driving game in flash. Due to technical and bandwidth limitations, you typically have to cut out one of the things that make a driving game fun: great graphics or real physics. I had to do it on Rooftop Racer, and I think these guys did it well.
By keeping the car on a slot track, and using video instead of 3D, they solved the technical problems while still making the experience fun and immersive. It’s fun to whip the ‘prototype’ slot car GTI around the track, and the story is simple and fun (overly-dedicated engineer is obsessively protective of his prototypes). Love the multicam view when you crash as well, makes losing as much fun as winning.
http://www.gtiproject.com/
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