conditions apply

I get freakishly excited by the potential of combining digital and 'real' elements to create new experiences. Like Microsoft Surface's physical-digital foreplay below.


I just read about EA games' new NCAA 08 Football, which cleverly features realtime weather from Weather.com.

"From a snowstorm in Boston to a heat wave in Arizona, the exact environment will not only affect the visuals but also alter game dynamics."

Fantastic.


And got me thinking about where else this kind of technology could go. If you link to realtime conditions then in theory gamers could play against people at the actual location. Imagine a surfing video game where video gamers could compete with real surfers at the location with the same conditions.

OK, still weather.
How about playing poker with people in an actual Vegas casino. Absent players play remotely through the video game and as the cards are dealt in the casino it registers in the game.

I feel like we need a new word to describe this interplay between real world conditions and digital interaction. Any ideas?