Disney's New Cruise Ship a Vidya Mecca

Disney's Imagineers have it rough - designing the ultimate oceanic treehouse for kids and adults alike is tough toil.

Disney's newest vessel, the Fantasy, has its maiden voyage this week. Passengers on either the Fantasy or its sister ship, the Dream, can apparently get down on a video floor made of 32 high-def monitors displaying 14 million pixels.

It's called the "Magic Play Floor" and I wish I had one.

CNN reports that more and more Imagineers are growing up having played video games. This influence starts to manifest itself into pieces of fun, innovative tech like the Magic Play Floor, which is perfect for a generation of Disney fans that are also growing little gamers.

Karen Leung, interactive show producer at Walt Disney Imagineering, says that her team has a rich video game industry background and "keep abreast" of the latest trends and tech.

Enter the Muppets' Midship Detective Agency, a combination of facial capture, motion sensors and Jim Henson's furry children, all wrapped in an alternate-reality detective game motif.

"'A key part of the interactive experience is the detective badge, which has a specific agent number and a special bar code,' explained Leung. 'Each person has a unique bar code, so when you go up to a piece of art, it senses the bar code and will know what scene you're on and what game you're playing on. Depending on what piece of art you're going to, you'll see a different scene customized to where you are in the game.'

The game, which sends players to all areas of the ship, is actually an additional level of interactivity that enhances Enchanted Art pieces. Guests who stand in front of this art will see animation come to life.

There are video games built into the different stations, which require players to turn the badge to manipulate on-screen items like lighting fireworks and tightening pipes with a wrench."

Well then, it's settled. That sounds the best time of my life. Disney shall continue to have an iron grip on the eager, malleable psyches of our young for a long, long time.

VIA: Kotaku
SOURCE: CNN