Gamespot, a video game enthusiast Web site, recently unveiled its new Scion xB demo vehicle at the 2004 E3 show in Los Angeles. The shoebox-shaped Scion is equipped with all the latest game gear, a bone-jarring sound system and a 37-inch LCD video monitor. It's like a rolling arcade without the sticky floor.
The Gamespot xB was created to make public appearances on behalf of the San Francisco-based company. It is a sure-fire attention getter thanks to the incredible electronics array as well as its electric orange paint job. The car is scheduled for stops at various video game events and concerts such as the Lollapalooza tour.
"We wanted the vehicle to be the ultimate mobile gaming platform," explains Laurel Skillman of Gamespot.com. "Santa Cruz Sound Garden, the people who did the custom installation work, really did an impressive job. We heard a lot of great comments about the vehicle."
Games People Play
The Scion's square shape makes it a perfect platform for the various toys mounted within. "The aesthetics of the Scion aren't as traditional as other vehicles," says Ryan Okrant, sales manager for Santa Cruz Sound Garden. "But because it's so boxy, it has a lot of interior room, which makes it perfect for an installation like this one. It gave us a lot of options for customizing."
Most of the custom work was done in the rear compartment, where installers at Sound Garden in Santa Cruz, California, designed and built an impressive display for the numerous games and gizmos Gamespot wants to demo. The entire rear compartment is an undulating landscape of fiberglass painted silver to accent the vehicle's interior color. The game devices and a massive Memphis Belle 1300-watt amplifier rest on neon-illuminated acrylic platforms. The display is beautiful and functional, as well as easily accessible.
"To create the general shape of the rear compartment, the installers made platforms where the games, amps and subs would be," Okrant explains. "They stretched speaker cloth over all the platforms and the subwoofer enclosure to create a sort of rolling shape; then they began covering it with fiberglass. They spent hours applying Bondo and sanding it for a smooth finish." Okrant estimates the rear display portion of the install took 100 work-hours to create.
Gamers who visit the Scion can check out an XBox, Playstation II, Gamecube and something called a Fragbox, an on-board gaming computer with video card upgrades. Each device has an acrylic platform highlighted by glowing neon from beneath. The lighting, executed by SubaNeon, creates a sci-fi effect perfect for displaying game gear.
The centerpiece of the install is a Sharp Aquos 37-inch LCD video monitor that hangs from the roof of the vehicle for viewing from the rear. Sharp's LCD technology provides a huge, vivid image for gamers who want to try their hands at the latest version of Blinx 2 or Forgotten Realms. The screen weighs in at a healthy 47 pounds but is only 3.5 inches deep. When not in use, it folds neatly to the Scion's ceiling. "Hanging the video monitor was extremely difficult," Okrant admits. "The installation team had to create a steel bracket under the headliner in order to support the weight of the TV."
Music Box
The Scion's primary function is to show off the games people play, but this wagon can seriously rock as well.
The audio system is comprised of a Memphis Belle 16-MC1300D amp, a pair of Memphis MC104D 10" subs (with orange baskets that match the vehicle's paint), two pairs of Memphis 15-MC60 speakers and a couple of Memphis 15-PR62S speakers. In the dash is an Eclipse AVX2404 double-DIN CD player with a touch screen tuner and video screen.
"We've carried Memphis Car Audio components since we opened Sound Garden two years ago, and we've always been extremely satisfied with it," says Okrant. "The Memphis gear really shows its true colors in this vehicle. It's an awesome looking and sounding system."
To handle the extra voltage requirements of the vehicle's bass-heavy system, a pair of Yellow Top Optima batteries was installed under the hood. A Cascade power supply allows the vehicle to convert from DC to AC power. At events it can be plugged into a standard 110 outlet to preserve the vehicle's power supply.
Because the Scion is used at so many public events, the Sound Garden team designed the audio system to also function as a public address system. A plug-in microphone turns the Scion into a soapbox so Gamespot employees can address large crowds.
With the exception of the outrageous video game equipment, the powerful audio/video system and some vinyl decals, the Gamespot Scion is mostly stock. Even the glowing orange exterior--"Lava Orange," according to Scion--is a factory color. But just because it has a factory exterior, doesn't mean this vehicle can't attract a crowd.
"Everyone who sees it, loves it," Okrant says. "It's just a cool car."
Gamespot Is Hot
Who knew that video games would be this popular? Even the movie business is drooling over the video game industry's profit margins.
Gamespot.com went online in 1996. Today it is the world's leading video game information site. The company registers about 1 million hits per day from gamers who want the latest news, reviews, cheats and FAQs.
"The video game industry was about $11.2 billion in 2003. That's bigger than Hollywood's box office receipts," says Laurel Skillman, the company's VP for marketing. "About 187 million games were sold last year and the industry continues to get bigger."
The company hopes its new Scion xB demo vehicle will make even more people aware of their ever-growing Web site. "People are wowed by it. They want to come up close and see it, and we're happy to let them," Skillman says.