Just returned form another long, thrilling, unforgettable day and here's a more detailed summary.
If there's one word that can describe the reaction of the public to the game, it'll be ESTASTIC. We charge 3pounds for a ride with gti on blackwood - one practice lap and one hotlap. And would you believe it there's a constant quene for the whole day, kids, teens, adults, grannies...you name it, although most of them are pounding into barriers hopelessly and keep doing 2minute + laps, they all do it with a big grin on their face, you know there're actually guys who keep saying "this is fantastic, this is fantastic" literally from corner to corner, it's just that exciting to them, as if they have never seen anything like it before (which is of course true!!!)
Trist, Fordman and I were talking to alot of people, who had an instant interesting the moment they see the booth and the action inside, it's a kind of feeling of "I must get it when i gets home." Some parents are kinda keen to let their children play this game, probably for their own pleasure I guess, and as we explain the physics and story behind they are just hooked to the concept.
As we watch on people driving painfully wrong, we occasionally do some demo runs to show them the racing, the cars, the tracks and so on, I think we did put on quite a show and people REALLY acknowledge the difficulty of the game and it is actually possible to be played properly.
(the fastest time of the hotlap challenge is 1:48, and three of us all did a 1:41 - I did it when both Trist and Fordman is left
ppp), Fordman did some solid and smooth Gti driving, Trist is going all out on the FOX, and I just picked the most spectacular combinations - FZ5 on Kyoto National, GT turbo on BL rallycross - LX6 on Aston historic reverse , and at last FO8 at SO town, did get more than my fair share of spins I must admit (not too bad as the last time I drive is more than one month ago), but throughout the show there's some nice saves and on the limit laps, the guess are certainly impressed and even more the host - you know it feels like being a star when you are call upon for a demostration run in front of such a crowd.
It's stunning how the show attracts different kind of people, there is actually a guy from the Pagani company (YES the one that makes the Zonda), and he was proposing to have this setup one on of their promotion shows, and in all these little talks I overheard a lot of stuff, one particularly interesting one is some investor is actually evaluating the amount of advertising space on the blackwood track, and see how effective they can advertise on those virtual billboards. (I must recommand the wall at the first hairpin, cos everyone smashes in them.)
At the end of the show Fordman and Trist left, and the main crowd despired, staffs from the stand nearby start flooding over the setup and ask for "ONE MORE DRIVE PLEASE??" There was a stand selling Italian Cheese and hams, their cashier guy kept coming over and have a peep while they are at the same time packing their stuff, I then put him on the XFR and he is as joyful as a birthday kid, it's a delight to see people having so much fun with it, really it's an honor to be there representing the game.
As a sidenote I have exchanged contact with the developer of the seat and try to see if there's anything about packaging that I can do, and in the same time do some more runs with it, cos it's such a fantastic invention, ultimate heavenly experience - just can't wait till it becomes more accessible to the public. (10 grand for one isn't exactly economical.)
Here are more photos from the event, and one poorly shot video. I hope you enjoy them 1/10 as I do.
(sorry there's really no subsitute to being their and drive the thing.)
