Gadgetory

for years and years now South by Southwest has been accused of going corporate and really there's no better example of that than pens oils Mario Kart racetrack Pennzoil wanted to sell you motor oil and Nintendo wanted to sell you a videogame so the two of them got together and created a go-kart experience you are bad at Mario I'm literally going to end it right right for racers get on the track and they strap into electric Co karts very good peter is going to literally be thousand tiny little pieces by the time I'm done with it each go-kart is equipped with a GoPro camera and a bunch of RFID sensors as you drive on the track you can go over certain markers that give you power-ups or hurt your speed you race on the track and you try and win it's just like Mario Kart put your Kart speeds up or slows down depending on whether or not you hit certain markers playing Mario Kart in the real world is just a lot like driving a go-kart there's no augmented reality or shells flying at you you're just driving over some markers and running around in pretty slow electric okay what go karting is always fun and Mario Kart is always fun but putting two together doesn't really quite work out the fun of shells flying at you and crashing your friends into the wall for Mario Kart doesn't really translate into go-kart which is all about safety and honestly not going quite that fast it's not the dream of actually throwing blue sparks as I drift around the curve and a go-kart but a South by Southwest PR stunts go I really can't complain I was still driving a go-kart and even though I lost I can't blame that on corporate influence I be theater that's the only thing that matters I'll get you next time Pierce