Manchester, NH  When Ken LaChance, project leader at BoredGames Entertainment, looked at the burgeoning Xbox game market, he saw opportunity. Some games, such as console classics Munchs Oddysee and Hunter: The Reckoning were based on elaborate fantasy world filled with monsters and whimsical creatures. Others, such as bestsellers Splinter Cell and Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance sought to place gamers in movie-like roles. Throw in the dozens of sports and racing games and what LaChance noticed was that there were no long-distance driving simulators. He sprang into action, and eight months later his team delivered Interstate Driver. Our goal with I.D. was to create a true cross-country driving simulation that took full advantage of the Xboxs raw graphics power and unfolded in real time, said LaChance. Weve tried to make it as immersive and realistic as possible, because todays gamer demands nothing less. Long stretches of highway filled

with big rigs add absolutely no

excitement to the game The goal of ID varies according to which player you choose to be. Theres Ernie, an upper-middle-class salesman, whose goal is to drive his family of four from Dearborn, Michigan to see his mother in Salt Lake City (23 hours). Marsha is a thrice-divorced victim of domestic abuse trying to get from Tucson to St. Petersburg to attend the funeral of a recently-deceased uncle (19 hours). For the younger crowd, Chris is a college washout whose goal is to get his laundry and personal effects from the University of Colorado-Boulder back home to his mother in New Orleans (11 hours). Once a character is chosen, players plan a route on the interstate system. Consideration must be given to budget (gas & snack money), weather, road closures and the availability of reasonably-priced hotels. Xbox Live members have an advantage because they can access real-time weather and road updates from our virtual weather and DOT servers. Otherwise, its kind of a crapshoot, says LaChance. When the player is on the road, the game kicks into high gear. Players must closely monitor the gas gauge while trying to stay awake, a challenge when driving from Des Moines to Denver on I-80. When gas runs low, you must take one of the games many exits, but LaChance says be careful.Some exits lead to clean, modern gas stations where you can fuel up and be afforded a good selection of quality snacks, but others seem to lead nowhere, he says. Some exits lead to unlockable items, though, like hotel discount coupons and books on tape, so you have to take a few chances. Related News New Xbox Sized McDonald's Combos Stretch America's Bladders to the Limit Xbox Features ActiveDeath Technology Windows XP Flight Feature Flawed The games Hotel Mode allows the player to choose a room on a particular floor, select a smoking preference, watch TV, and ultimately, sleep. This is no time to get complacent, La Chance says with a wink, because you never know when some kid will pull the fire alarm and you have to go stand outside in your pajamas. If the character reaches his/her goal within the allotted time, the games countless hours of driving and the different variables amount to great replay value. Completing a characters journey unlocks other characters and goals, but you can always go back and be the same character and choose a different route. Interstate Driver hits shelves this July. More Tech News Recommend this Story to a Friend