The world is meta...

May 29, 2006 8:50 AM

"History doesn't just repeat itself, apparently: It remixes like a DJ." The story of Tringo, once a pass-time in the online virtual world Second Life, and now a cartridge for Gameboy Advance. (Via)
posted by Steven C. Den Beste (17 comments total)

Things like this make me think that handheld systems (and less-powerful systems, a la Wii) are the future of video games. The barrier to entry is low enough that people will be able to innovate and still turn a profit. A game like Tringo wouldn't make it on any of the big consoles, which seem to endlessly churn out first-person shooters, sports games, and rehashes of old franchises.

Great story, SCDB.
posted by danb at 9:31 AM on May 29, 2006

Are there any free Tringo clones out there (in Flash, maybe) so I can see what the fuss is about?
posted by Faint of Butt at 9:40 AM on May 29, 2006

Tringo (flash)
posted by bigmusic at 9:54 AM on May 29, 2006

I don't think the game is all that great actually. The only reason it was popular in SL is because you can win prizes or pots by playing it. It was more about the gambling then the game I think.
posted by bigmusic at 9:56 AM on May 29, 2006

Yeah, as a solo game, I really don't think it can hold a candle to good old Tetris. Thanks, though!
posted by Faint of Butt at 10:28 AM on May 29, 2006

The flash game is a bit, well, dull. Is there more to the handhell version?
posted by Artw at 10:52 AM on May 29, 2006

The only reason it was popular in SL is because you can win prizes or pots by playing it. It was more about the gambling then the game I think.

This is an interesting comment. It suggests to me that perhaps Wired missed the real story: You can build this complex artificial world and yet still nothing is as compelling as that mix of competitiveness/moderated risk/steady pace and quick and compelling returns as that of Church Bingo.
posted by vacapinta at 11:02 AM on May 29, 2006

Cool game. What are high scores like, I only got to 233?
posted by doctor_negative at 11:20 AM on May 29, 2006

That Tringo made it out of Second Life is a testament to the smarts of Sean Ryan, a friedn and former colleague. He's one of the saaviest folks I know in the digital media space and writes a great, acerbic blog, Shark Jumping. His entry on Tringo is here. He recently launched the digital avatar company Meez.
posted by donovan at 12:04 PM on May 29, 2006

Is "pass-time" an eggcorn (as much as I hate that term)?
posted by Mid at 12:23 PM on May 29, 2006

Cool game. What are high scores like, I only got to 233?

highest score i've ever seen in SL is 350, and that is jaw-dropping. you have to be really quite good to crack 300. if you can consistently post 270-280 you can win most pots, unless you're playing against a particularly good crowd.
posted by sergeant sandwich at 1:29 PM on May 29, 2006

Mid - nope, just a varied spelling. (The OED lists it as regional, but doesn't say where.)
posted by danb at 1:34 PM on May 29, 2006

I thought a "pass-time" was something to occupy you while time passes. Is that wrong?
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 7:31 PM on May 29, 2006

As wrong as news-paper.
posted by fleacircus at 1:04 AM on May 30, 2006

I like pass-time alot.
posted by flabdablet at 2:33 AM on May 30, 2006

*starts playing the Flash version*

Oh bollocks, there goes my work day.
posted by Katemonkey at 4:20 AM on May 30, 2006

SDB -- I read it as a mix-up for "past-time," as in "our national past-time, baseball." I read danb's comment as saying that pass-time and past-time are interchangeable, so my bad.
posted by Mid at 6:05 AM on May 30, 2006