Gaming

No distraction here: Tesla adds new video games to its cars


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A few years ago, author and urbanist Taras Grescoe tweeted:

And today it is absolutely true, as Tesla announces the addition of two new games that can be run through the big screens in the middle of their dashboards. 2048 and Super Breakout have been added to Missile Command, Lunar Lander and Centipede that were previously playable.

Evidently Elon Musk is a serious gamer; according to Teslarati, he is also “a visionary and a noted risk-taker.” Certainly, playing video games while driving sounds pretty risky; that’s why these games do not work when the car is moving. However, contributors to Tesla forums note that using the steering wheel as a controller does make the wheels turn.

But why not play them while the car is moving? After all, everyone knows that the real problems on the roads are the bare-headed cyclists and texting pedestrians darting out while wearing headphones and hoodies, and Teslas will soon be autonomous.

Playing video games in cars or looking at giant maps won’t cause much distraction, and everyone knows drivers are expert multi-takers. None of the sites covering this think it is a bad idea, although one did mention some concerns in passing:

Aside from the obvious safety concerns one might bring up regarding the idea of playing games in a vehicle, the concept is pretty solid. Because Tesla vehicles are electric, owners can expect to spend a lot more time sitting in them idly while their cars restore some juice at the local Supercharger station.

In comments on Engadget, Sara Jade thought that games were too distracting to play while driving.

How about you allow for video playback on your Tesla screens. It’s much easier for me to listen and glance occasionally at a video playing than it would be for me to have to concentrate on playing a game and driving at the same time.

Sara’s right. Classic movies would be good too, like Death Race 2000.

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