NASA released a new video game today, titled “Moonbase Alpha”, which lets you walk in the boots of an astronaut. The trouble is, a meteor has taken out the solar array and the life support equipment. You must use the tools at hand and fix the broken systems in the inhospitable environment which is the Moon.
Available for the PC on Steam, the free 3D game features single player or team play utilizing VOIP for communicating and coordinating the rescue effort. Virtual Heroes’ Army Game Studio, the creator of the successful America’s Army game, developed the game under the guidance of NASA to produce realistic play for accomplish the goal of saving the base and its astronauts.
Pingback: Tweets that mention NASA Releases Moonbase Alpha Game | Pilotbug -- Topsy.com
#1 by W Edwin Hinds IV on July 6, 2010 - 11:04 am
America’s Army was not so bad of a game, it served its purpose as a recruiting tool for the DoD. I wonder what indeed the goal of this game is, NASA is rapidly becoming irrelevant as its budget is hacked and missions get scrubbed, so why bother? No possible buzz this game could generate will get the profligate masses interested in manned colonization and exploration again.
The only folks interested would seem to be science nerds. Speaking of nerds, Larry Niven had an idea about training anyone interested with video games, for unmanned lunar rover operation…
#2 by Jacob on July 6, 2010 - 8:56 pm
I’d guess that this game was in the works long before the current budget cuts, maybe it was an effort to create a “buzz,” but is now too little, too late.
Real shame.