Nissan Puts Xbox 360 Into Urge Concept Car

Nissan North America and Microsoft have announced that they have collectively "merged automobile design and gaming technology" to create what's described as "the first-ever fully integrated gaming system within a vehicle", the Nissan Urge concept car. Specifically, the car allows drivers (while parked) to play Bizarre Creations' Xbox 360 launch title Project Gotham Racing using the car's own steering wheel, gas pedal and brake pedal, while viewing the game on a flip-down seven-inch LCD screen. The companies specifically identify the target market for the car as the teenagers and young people known as the 'echo boomers', so-called because they are a demographic echo of the baby boomers of the 1960s. "Nissan conducted an Internet survey of 2,000 echo boomers, a majority of which said technology and gaming are among the most important attributes in their first car," said Bruce Campbell, vice president of design at Nissan Design America in La Jolla, Calif. "Xbox 360 offered the latest in technology and was already a favorite among this audience." The Urge will make its world debut at the 2006 North American International Auto Show on Jan. 9, but it's not yet known whether the car or any variant of it will make it into full production.