Have you ever played an online game while flying?
I haven't, but mostly because the two times I flew on a plane with WiFi I was either sleeping or working. But The New York Times points out that planes with airborne WiFi are starting to become a norm, which makes me wonder if airborne online gaming is going to become a norm and if that's a good idea.
The Times reports that there are two companies supplying WiFi for planes in the U.S. right now, GoGo and Row 44. In theory, online gaming could be a great way to kill the time on a long flight. I can't imagine how much more quickly my semi-annual flights to Australia would seem to go by if I could get online and play. But maybe it's not such a great idea.
I'm a relatively good loser when it comes to online games (I've had plenty of experience), but not everyone is. Can you imagine be trapped 35,000 feet in the air in a metal cylinder with someone having a controller- or mouse-throwing tizzy fit? I suppose the same thing could happen with single-player, but it seems that people get much more emotional with multiplayer gaming.
And it sounds like the airlines are cognizant of monitoring onboard, online use. For instance, in the Times article, the writer said that airlines are likely to block the use of Skype. Maybe gaming is next.
What do you think? Is in-flight, online gaming a good idea or a bad one?
Trying Out Wi-Fi in the Sky [New York Times]