April 21, 2008

Million Dollar Idea?

Okay, here's another way to make a million folks. Two words: shotgun bowling.

That is literally a sport in some states...I'm guessing more in the southern area of our dear country. They set up bowling pins and shoot at them with shotgun slugs or some such nonsense. I can't lie, it does sound fun. But I have a better idea, here's how it works:

  1. Buy an old bowling alley.
  2. Leave all the lanes in place but make the whole thing sound and bullet proof...like a shooting range. The pins would also have to be tougher.
  3. Buy Arduino microcontrollers and mutiple semi-automatic shotguns with 8 round magazines (or more).
  4. Mount a webcam behind a scope atop the shotgun and control the shotgun aim with servos via the micocontroller.
  5. Build a website where people pay $25 to control the shotgun via their browser. They can aim and then fire for 10 frames, just like a bowling game, a maximum of 20 shots.
  6. Multiple cameras record each shot at high speed and the customer can download slow motion video of each of their frames.
  7. Customer scores are uploaded to a high-score list and each day, the top scoring game also gets published on youtube.
  8. Non-paying folks can simple watch the action in real time via a variety of webcams. Advertisements and other things are served to these customers to generate additional revenue.
That's it.

Overworked desk monkeys and executives who are taking time off from the golf course could pay $20 to blow off some steam by blowing stuff up. On special days maybe there would be alternative targets, such as watermelons that people could pay to destroy. A high-scores list would invite competition and people who play a lot would get special membership discounts and such...like a trap shooting club. People who aren't even allowed to have guns (such as the poor Brits) would still be able to enjoy the thrill of blowing stuff up.

*If anyone tries this idea and does make a million, could I at least have a free membership or something?

4 comments:

MB said...

I'm in!

Anonymous said...

Why not put the servo controlled shotguns on various unidentified rooftops across the nation... Preferably ones that overlook crowded city centers.

Then not only could you charge $25 for the priviledge of taking out some pompous shopping-laden couture-chic beatch, but you could also request $25 million to disclose the location of the next available gun?

>;-)))

Jocelyn said...

I would pay to do that I think. Sounds fairly fun...although I've still not found anything more fun than 'bouncing' prairie dogs.

Anonymous said...

Dude! - reject worn out bowling pins make great range targets! They can handle hollow points and stay together a long time....yes I am a redneck....from the South.