Seaman with Microphone

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Product Features

• dreamcast

Product Details

• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B0000488VT
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: August 8, 2000
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #15,335 in Video Games (See Bestsellers in Video Games)

Product Description

Editorial Review

Seaman is quite possibly the weirdest video game to ever be released. It's also one of the most incredibly original titles in a very long time. And if you don't believe me, just ask the frisky Seaman, a fish/reptile with a human face--it isn't shy.

According to legend, this strange creature is the discovery of scientist Jean Paul Gasse. The weird-looking beast was documented to have an almost grotesque look about it, as it had the body of a reptile and the face of a man. Yet it was able to talk and reason with the doctor as well as your average human. And while the good doctor was laughed into obscurity after trying to explain his discovery, you have the opportunity to raise a Seaman from egg to its fishlike state and beyond.

Not only must you keep Seaman well fed and warm, you'll find that conversation (via the included microphone) with Seaman is a must. The scaly inquisitor will probe into your personal life by asking about your age, marital status, and favorite music, among other things. Also, if treated well this creature will spew its (usually sarcastic) rantings on pop culture, the Internet, and even reality itself. There's even a touch of sexual innuendo that may raise a few eyebrows. I doubt your goldfish ever did that.

The speech recognition is far from perfect, but there's no doubt that the gimmick almost always causes a smile when you realize how long you've been conversing with a fish and just how many words it does respond to. The simplistic graphics often make Seaman look like he's swimming in space rather than in a huge tank, but this game makes no claim to break new ground in graphics--it's the speech recognition that is most noteworthy. Star Trek veteran Leonard Nimoy acts as narrator, bringing all of the emotion of Spock (read: none) to his performance--yet somehow it works.

Since the Seaman can starve or freeze if not tended to regularly (raising this thing will take weeks), it might be a good idea to invest in another Visual Memory Unit to store the status of Seaman's habitat and your performance.

It's hard to say just how much "game" is actually in this title. Rather, Seaman offers an interesting life journey through birth, growth, death, rebirth, and change. Seaman offers a unique Dreamcast experience that is both disturbing and fascinating. --Mark Brooks

Pros:

• A very ugly fish that talks--how cool is that?
• Seaman can recognize quite a surprising number of words with the included microphone, and he talks back
• Easy to play
• Sarcastic wit (read: very American) and humor can be good for a few laughs

Cons:

• Speech recognition is inconsistent (often words are completely misunderstood)
• Graphics are suitably simplistic but never really deliver the feeling that Seaman is swimming in water
• Probably doesn't taste good with chips

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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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars be prepared..., August 24, 2000

By A Customer

Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

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 also incorporates some advanced Artificial Intelligence as well as voice recognition.

The result is something like a virtual pet, one that is quite smart and entertaining. But it will take quite a bit of patience on the part of the user to enjoy Seaman to it's fullest. The simulation proceeds at a pace that is determined by the Seaman program, not by the user. And many users will get quite frustrated with this aspect of Seaman.

This program is experimental in several ways. Firstly, it is educational as a biological system simulation. However, part of the simulation is over simplified, and is based on a series of experiments by a fictional scientist in the 1930s. This story is explained in detail by the program narrator (Leonard Nimoy) and the manual. There is even an extensive website dedicated to the background story. Still, it can teach the basics of semi-closed and managed ecosystems.

It is also experimental in that the AI can be very entertaining and surprising, as long as the user has the patience to care for the Seaman in the beginning when things can get quite boring. This part of the Seaman program will really get inside of many people's heads, like it did mine. You will find yourself thinking of Seaman often even when you are not actually playing the simulation.

And, Seaman is also experimental in that the entire concept is new and different from anything that has ever appeared on a game console before. The very idea is unexplored territory for the video game market, and could possibly ignite an entire line of AI/Voice Recognition based 'games'. Seaman is wildly popular in Japan, where it has been available for a year or so. Given the type of program that Seaman is, it needs to be stated that the conversion of Seaman from Japanese to English must have been a monumental effort.

You rear and care for your Seaman via the Dreamcast controller, and you communicate with him via the included microphone, which plugs into the second VMU socket on the controller. In addition, you will need a dedicated VMU for Seaman. It needs to be stated that the less expensive third party VMUs are not satisfactory for use with Seaman. This is because essential feedback is conveyed to the user via the LCD display on the Sega VMU, and not on the TV screen. Also, the manual alludes to the future need for additional VMUs as the Seaman 'evolves'. Two Sega Dreamcast VMUs can be attached to each other, allowing for data exchange, and this may be necessary for Seaman's continued growth.

Seaman does not lend itself to hours of extended gameplay. The Seaman will let you know when your sessions are over, and the sessions can be quite short. I tend to my Seaman (his name is Shadrach) twice a day, once in the morning for about fifteen minutes or so and once in the evening. The evening sessions have lasted as long as an hour or more. Seaman has to be fed regularly and his environmental needs have to be attended to or he will die, and you will have to start the simulation over from the beginning.

Seaman learns from your interaction with him. The more you talk with him, the more he picks up on 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 before bringing your Seaman up when company is around. Seaman regulary asks fairly personal questions, and will surprise you with his insights regarding your life (as you've described it to him) and remembers what you tell him quite well. Seaman also defecates and passes gas often, and is quite proud of his efforts, voicing the impending self-relief to everyone within earshot. So be advised.

With multiple VMUs, it is possible to have more than one simulation, so a Seaman provided with bogus personal information for one of them would be a real hit at a social gathering. The Seaman voice recognition is not capable of discerning individual voices, and he will happily converse with anyone who talks to him.

At first, I thought the voice recognition software was seriously flawed. But the Seaman, in his earlier stages, simply has not learned enough to comprehend much of what you say to him and cannot respond. Seaman comes with a limited amount of pre-defined reactions. As time passes, each Seaman develops his own unique personality, and his language and comprehension skills conform to you, your way of thinking, and your use of grammar. And he will ignore you less and less over time.

Seaman is not for everyone. But if you are an experimental, patient type of individual and willing to trod new and unexplored territory, then Seaman may be for you. Be prepared, however, for he really does get inside your head.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Artificial Intelligence Becomes a Reality, August 12, 2000

By A Customer

Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This game is simply mind blowing!

It supercedes "videogames", it is something different entirely.

It is more like a pet. A virtual pet, you have to take care of it, but it actually has a life of its own and you can talk to it and it talks to you.

The game takes a while to get into and it is boring at first but once your fish mature and learn to talk it becomes one of the most amazing feats of technology I've ever seen.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Revolutionary Simulation, August 18, 2000

By	jerome t. falk (new york, ny USA) - See all my reviews

Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This is not a game. This is not a game. This is not a game.

Repeat that phrase and you will begin to understand what Seaman is all about. Seaman is about taking care of another life for weeks and weeks and weeks. I bought this game with a brief knowledge of what it was about. 'Taking care of a fish with a man's face', when I popped that GD-Rom out of the case and played it in my Dreamcast I was in absolute shock. Your taken to a whole other world. Leonard Nemoy greats you, with his typical monotone voice which fits perfectly in this bizare and extrodinary piece of software. Your job is to to raise a Seaman from birth [in a most shocking experience] to adulthood...or if your not very caring death. It is from your parental guidence that the Seaman begins to learn to speak. [Which in the long run can be a mistake]. Because if you don't treat him well, he's gonna tell you and sometimes he isn't exactly the nicest pet you'll ever meet. This has been such a great experience for me. I'm on the fifth day for the second time, after a brief "experiment" where I was unable to feed them for a few days.

Let me just say this. This "software" is not for the faint at heart. Once you start the habitat you have a responsibility to take care of it. If you can't take at least once a day to take care of your tank, maybe this isn't for you. Because Oxygen, Heat, and Light must be kept up or else your comfortable environment will become a death trap for the baby seaman.

So if you have the patience and the guts take a trip into a gaming experience like no other. Seaman is terrific and, well, if your thinking about getting a real pet such as a dog, a cat, or a fish....buy this game....maybe you'll even learn its quite the undertaking and you won't just buy the puppy in the window because it looks cute.

Graphics: 4 out of 5 [The tank is somewhat bleak, it contains very little action. A few rocks, a few plants, and the seaman. But the level of detail the seaman have are wonderful. From their large variations of facial expressions to their deeply descriptive bodies]

Sound: 5 out of 5 [Wonderful Sound! This game captures the sounds of water perfectly. The voice of your very own Seaman changes from a high baby voice to a deep man's voice. The audio is very very good]

Lasting Appeal: 5 out of 5 [Basically Seaman will last for however long you want it to, Granted that you take care of it. There is no "End Level" or "Final Boss", this is simply the experience of having your very own pet and for that reason it is wonderfully lasting. You may be intrigued to start various habitats on different VMU's just to see the evolution over and over again. There is a great deal of change in the growth of your seaman. It is not the same experience over and over again. Also on a final note, I find myself going to check on my Seaman at least 3-4 times a day, that's gotta be worth something.]

Gameplay: 5 out of 5 [Very well crafted, works very well with the game mechanics. Taking care of the tank and your seaman is an easy and simple process.]