Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Seaman is not a game. It is difficult to define just what type of program it is, but it is not a game. It is akin to a system simulation, but it alsoincorporates some advanced Artificial Intelligence as well as voicerecognition.
The result is something like a virtual pet, one that isquite smart and entertaining. But it will take quite a bit of patience onthe part of the user to enjoy Seaman to it's fullest. The simulationproceeds at a pace that is determined by the Seaman program, not by theuser. And many users will get quite frustrated with this aspect ofSeaman.
This program is experimental in several ways. Firstly, it iseducational as a biological system simulation. However, part of thesimulation is over simplified, and is based on a series of experiments by afictional scientist in the 1930s. This story is explained in detail by theprogram narrator (Leonard Nimoy) and the manual. There is even an extensivewebsite dedicated to the background story. Still, it can teach the basicsof semi-closed and managed ecosystems.
It is also experimental in thatthe AI can be very entertaining and surprising, as long as the user has thepatience to care for the Seaman in the beginning when things can get quiteboring. This part of the Seaman program will really get inside of manypeople's heads, like it did mine. You will find yourself thinking of Seamanoften even when you are not actually playing the simulation.
And, Seamanis also experimental in that the entire concept is new and different fromanything that has ever appeared on a game console before. The very idea isunexplored territory for the video game market, and could possibly ignitean entire line of AI/Voice Recognition based 'games'. Seaman is wildlypopular in Japan, where it has been available for a year or so. Given thetype of program that Seaman is, it needs to be stated that the conversionof Seaman from Japanese to English must have been a monumental effort.
You rear and care for your Seaman via the Dreamcast controller, and youcommunicate with him via the included microphone, which plugs into thesecond VMU socket on the controller. In addition, you will need a dedicatedVMU for Seaman. It needs to be stated that the less expensive third partyVMUs are not satisfactory for use with Seaman. This is because essentialfeedback is conveyed to the user via the LCD display on the Sega VMU, andnot on the TV screen. Also, the manual alludes to the future need foradditional VMUs as the Seaman 'evolves'. Two Sega Dreamcast VMUs can beattached to each other, allowing for data exchange, and this may benecessary for Seaman's continued growth.
Seaman does not lend itself tohours of extended gameplay. The Seaman will let you know when your sessionsare over, and the sessions can be quite short. I tend to my Seaman (hisname is Shadrach) twice a day, once in the morning for about fifteenminutes or so and once in the evening. The evening sessions have lasted aslong as an hour or more. Seaman has to be fed regularly and hisenvironmental needs have to be attended to or he will die, and you willhave to start the simulation over from the beginning.
Seaman learns fromyour interaction with him. The more you talk with him, the more he picks upon various aspects of your life. Seaman can be quite talkative at times.And he can be very rude and surly. You may want to think twice beforebringing your Seaman up when company is around. Seaman regulary asks fairlypersonal questions, and will surprise you with his insights regarding yourlife (as you've described it to him) and remembers what you tell him quitewell. Seaman also defecates and passes gas often, and is quite proud of hisefforts, voicing the impending self-relief to everyone within earshot. Sobe advised.
With multiple VMUs, it is possible to have more than onesimulation, so a Seaman provided with bogus personal information for one ofthem would be a real hit at a social gathering. The Seaman voicerecognition is not capable of discerning individual voices, and he willhappily converse with anyone who talks to him.
At first, I thought thevoice recognition software was seriously flawed. But the Seaman, in hisearlier stages, simply has not learned enough to comprehend much of whatyou say to him and cannot respond. Seaman comes with a limited amount ofpre-defined reactions. As time passes, each Seaman develops his own uniquepersonality, and his language and comprehension skills conform to you, yourway of thinking, and your use of grammar. And he will ignore you less andless over time.
Seaman is not for everyone. But if you are anexperimental, patient type of individual and willing to trod new andunexplored territory, then Seaman may be for you. Be prepared, however, forhe really does get inside your head.
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Product Description:
Now that you have obtained your own Seaman egg, use the faithful recreation of Dr. Gasse's laboratory to follow in his footsteps, uncovering the secrets of the Seaman. When the Seaman egg hatches, the adventure begins...
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