The Gadget Show’s Battlefield 3 Holodeck: behind the scenes

http://youtu.be/eg8Bh5iI2WY
Combine multiple projectors, an igloo-shaped screen within a special tent, a motion-tracking paintball gun, treadmills and a PC that can actually run Battlefield 3 and you've got The Gadget Show's “Ultimate Battlefield 3 Simulator.” Placing the player in the midst of the military shooter's action, it allows proper movement through the game and even simulates bullet hits with electronically-controlled paintball guns.

Combine multiple projectors, an igloo-shaped screen within a special tent, a motion-tracking paintball gun, treadmills and a PC that can actually run Battlefield 3 and you've got The Gadget Show's “Ultimate Battlefield 3 Simulator.” Placing the player in the midst of the military shooter's action, it allows proper movement through the game and even simulates bullet hits with electronically-controlled paintball guns. It's one of those completely bonkers (and rather expensive) ideas that somehow just about works, apart from the bit where the machine malfunctions and starts shooting Jason indiscriminately. We quite like that bit.

We've already seen the simulator in action, but now Channel 5 has posted a video explaining just how this ludicrous set-up was achieved. It features presenters Suzi Perry and Jason Bradbury edited to make it look like it's a case of simply phoning up the relevant companies - including DICE - and cajoling them into supplying their latest kit, then just chucking it all together. It's definitely not the result of hundreds of man hours of research, endless problems and months of development. Oh no. It's just Suzi and Jason. Between them, they can do anything.