Games

Gentlemen, start your engines

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We've shown some pretty amazing video game interfaces for motor racing simulation in the past, with the stand-out being the world's most expensive PS2 peripherals but this really looks like the business! It's the next production version of Force Dynamics 301 race simulator. Force dynamics was founded in 2001 on the philosophy that the missing link in racing simulation had changed - instead of computers struggling to handle the computations necessary to replicate a car accurately, drivers were struggling to drive cars without being able to feel them. In keeping with the company’s first and continual focus to replicate a driver's experience to the absolute limit of technology, the next version of Force Dynamics 301 machine is …

ADVERGAMING: Microsoft plans to turn gaming into marketing and audience generation opportunities

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May 31, 2005 Microsoft's next generation gaming console has been designed not just as a gaming environment but as a new kind of marketplace. Microsoft's new Xbox 360 console game system has been engineered to accommodate and advance advergaming concepts as never before and the company's global audience of gamers will be sold aggressively to marketers when the product hits the stores in Q3, 2005. Picture this. At the start of the season, 250,000 people sign on at US$10 a head to play a head-to-head 30 race series. The prize - US$1,000,000. Coming to the final rounds, the global audience watching the racing on-line could be measured in the millions, particularly if the events are promoted using Microsoft's media savvy. Synthetic Formula 1 indeed!!

And then there were three: Nintendo shows its hand

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May 18, 2005 Nintendo last night unveiled its contender for the heavyweight clash of the games console – called Nintendo Revolution. Surprisingly, very few specifics of the Revolution internals were disclosed – there will be wi-fi networking, wireless controllers, two USB 2.0 ports, and DS memory card slots but no details of the processor and graphics chips upon which the machine is based other than that the microprocessor will be an IBM developed with Toshiba. Like the Microsoft Xbox 360 and Sony PlayStation 3, the Nintendo Revolution will be backwards compatible with previous game systems though the unlike Sony and Microsoft, the Revolution will be able to play Nintendo games from the last two decades. The company was also clear to point out that unlike its competitors, it does not seek to be the centrepiece of the loungeroom.

The Revolution is the successor to the Nintendo GameCube that finished a distant third in a field of three in the current generation of game consoles and the company’s future is dependent on the success of the machine. Since the release of its first home video game system in 1983, Nintendo has sold nearly 2 billion video games and more than 336 million hardware units globally, creating enduring industry icons such as Mario and Donkey Kong and launching popular culture franchise phenomena such as Metroid, Zelda and Pokemon. Nintendo appears set to continue to target a younger audience than its competitors and the Revolution looks set to have a lower price point too.

Sony Computer launches powerful PS3 backwards compatible with PS and PS2

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May 17, 2005 In case you’re wondering why the ground is shaking, the game console giants are preparing for the launch of their next generation gaming devices at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) tomorrow. Last time around, Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft sold more than 100 million units between them with Sony winning the round convincingly. Penetration into loungerooms is so high in most countries that this next generation of consoles will probably be the centrepiece of the home entertainment system – this is an incredibly important strategic battle to win in the convergence war. Last week Microsoft was the first to come out swinging when it unveiled its next generation X-Box 360 and although little detail about the machine was released, there was plenty of hype and chest thumping. In most markets, Microsoft is the heavyweight, take-no-prisoners market leader, so it's interesting to see the company attempting to come from behind in the game console market. Last night Sony revealed its PLAYSTATION3 (PS3) but unlike Microsoft, which sold the sizzle and not the sausage, Sony has unveiled the detail of a technological masterpiece. The PS3 incorporates what is arguably the world's most advanced Cell processor with supercomputer-like power plus backwards compatibility with the PS2 which sold roughly two thirds of all game consoles in the current generation. In the new console game, Microsoft may have fired the first shots, but Sony has leapt to the fore with its first foray and it’ll be one hell of a fight. Now all that remains is for Nintendo to enter the fray.

The first US$1,000,000 computer game tournament

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May 14, 2005 As the world evolves rapidly into a digital age, the skills to which we ascribe value are changing rapidly. A good billiards player once signified a “misspent youth” but you’d be hard pressed to explain that to the hundreds of professional billiards and pool players on the planet … and who would have thought a century ago that someone would be paid a king’s ransom to kick an inflated pig’s bladder around a paddock. And you don’t need to go back too far to see computer and video games regarded by parents, the education system and main media as a complete waste of time. Now, the world’s best videogamers earn US$250,000 plus a year and this week the first US$1,000,000 tournament was announced. Given the rate of penetration growth into households, world championship gaming skills will undoubtedly be worth a lot more in time to come. It's now quite conceivable that we'll see videogamers earning as much as elite sportspeople.

The World’s most advanced (and expensive) Sony Playstation peripherals

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One of the star attractions at recent motor shows around Australia has been Mitsubishi’s Lancer Evolution rally simulators, even if judged solely by the length of the queues waiting to strap into the genuine rally seats, in the genuine rally cars that simulate the rally driving experience with more authenticity than you would have thought possible. The simulators were developed for Mitsubishi by technophiles Rodney Robertson and Associates and began with two Mitsubishi Lancers and got waaaay more complex from there. The idea was to build two linked rally car replicas and have them side-by-side with the choice of two very large rear projection screens in front of the cars, or where space and circumstances dictated a lesser set-up, two large bonnet-mounted Plasma panel displays. The experience is VERY realistic.

America's Army game approaches five million downloads

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February 25, 2005 The statistics for the "America's Army: Operations" computer game are surreal. Launched on July 4, 2002, the game was downloaded by more than a million people in the first fortnight and the total number of registered on-line players is now approaching five million, making it one of the five most popular on-line PC action games because of its absolute authenticity. It aught to be authentic - it was developed by the US Army and at a development cost of just US$7.5 million, it might just be the most effective on-line advertising spend in history to this point in time ... and now there's a sequel.

Haptic Arm Wrestling hits the net

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December 14, 2004 An internet facilitated "haptic" arm-wrestling machine devised to teach children "hands-on" applications of networking in the digital age is the hit of American museums and may spawn a new sports craze. The Haptic Arm Wrestling machine, currently on display at 6 science museums, including the New York Hall of Science in Queens, the Tech Museum in San Jose, and the Imaginarium in Alaska, allows contestants to arm wrestle remote human opponents over the internet while watching live video and audio feeds.

Real world gaming with a GPS-capable mobile phone

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December 6, 2004 The growing utilisation of GPS technology in mobile phones has spawned an interesting new form of real-world interaction with with the announcement of the "RayGun" a fast-paced location game from Glofun. RayGun combines the mental intensity of a video game with the physical intensity of a sport, where the real world serves as the game board.

Holo-Dek offers new concept in interactive gaming

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December 3, 2004 Straight from the set of Star Trek comes the "Holo-Dek", a unique virtual venue that offers multiplayer gaming on a fast-LAN network where all the action is projected onto high-definition viewing screens ranging from 6 to 16 feet in size. Complete with full-surround 7.1 Dolby sound, the result is an immersive environment that dominates the senses, delivering another step towards fully-fledged virtual reality and a blueprint for future interactive gaming theatres.

Xbox brings a Virtual Personal Trainer to gaming

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November 27, 2004 The gaming market is expanding it's audience through the growth of the "edutainment" genre, with titles like "Yourself!Fitness" for the Xbox, Playstation and PC targeting gamers, women and a wider audience who want a workout from a personal "Virtual Trainer" in the comfort of their own home. Created by responDESIGN , this new approach to personal fitness takes the often sedentary pastime of gaming and gives it a healthy impetus. Customers will also be able to purchase the game online and sign up for newsletters, promotions and tips from Maya, the Yourself!Fitness Virtual Personal Trainer.

Pac-Man classic arcade game enters augmented reality

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November 26, 2004 The latest application of augmented reality has hit the streets of Singapore - a physically interactive version of the classic arcade game 'Pac-Man'. Developed at the National University of Singapore's Mixed Reality Lab,

the "Human Pac- Man" is a working prototype that recreates the groundbreaking 1980 game within a new kind of computing experience. Players interact with each other and the digitised, 3D "Pacworld" environment overlaid on their field of vision through the use of wearble computers, a headset and goggles. One player acts as Pac-Man and the others roleplay the Ghosts, tracking each other down real-world streets or corridors with GPS receivers and motion technology linked to a central computer by a wireless LAN network.

Trading cards get a DVD upgrade

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November 20, 2004 Sports trading cards have been with us for more than 100 years - a curious collectible that began as a tobacco and chewing gum promotion and has evolved into almost a currency in its own right. Now there's a new development which appears to be gathering strength as football trading cards get the multimedia treatment with the release of DVD Cardz. The DVD Card release will unite football fans with the latest in multimedia technology, bridging the gap between traditional football stickers and the contemporary video gaming industry. The cardz work in PlayStation 2 and X-box consoles, as well as standard DVD players and DVD-ROM drives. Each one contains 570 MB of interactive match video, superb photography, player stats, bios, music, trivia and strategy games.

Broadband Phantom Game Service to launch in 2005

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November 17, 2004 Thanks to a strategic alliance with Limelight Networks, the Phantom Game Service from Infinium Labs is poised to deliver end-to-end subscription game services delivered over broadband, offering gamers a broad library of titles on-demand to a global market.

Halo 2 Headset delivers superior gameplay

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November 15, 2004 The convergence of real-world technologies with online

gaming continues with the release of the GameCom Halo 2 lightweight communications headset from Plantronics, the brand Neil Armstrong used to give his historic "One small step for man" transmission from the moon in 1969.

GameCom Halo 2 was engineered specifically for the Xbox gaming system and the highly anticipated sequel to Halo, the best-selling game from Bungie Studios.

New boardgame dispels wine tasting myths

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November 14, 2004 Move over, Monopoly - Winerd, The Wine Tasting Game That Crushes Grape Fears is a new approach to improving wine knowledge for connoisseurs and amateurs alike. Created by Tamara Leigh Murphy, a private wine instructor and former chef, and Richard Murphy of Winerd Entertainment, the board game brings the fun of wine tasting to the masses and dispels the notion that wine has to be intimidating.

Get the Tamagotchi connection

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Parents beware! The next generation of virtual Tamagotchi pets has arrived and the Tamagotchi Connection now has infrared capabilities allowing it to interact with other digital pets - and even breed!

Serious Car Racing Simulator

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As computer games and graphics head quickly towards highly-detailed realism, we can expect some pretty interesting computer peripherals to be built in coming decades. The genre of computer game which almost everyone can relate to is driving/racing a car plus there's a whole generation of fans out there who absorb every detail of the sport it is emulating - accordingly, car racing is the realism genre which has had the most attention from game developers, and is now so realistic that many genuine elite-level racers learn new circuits prior to setting wheel on them by playing the official games for that particular franchise of racing, such a Formula One, V8 Supercars or MotoGP. Every competitor, car, corner, braking area, trackside marquis ad infinitum is true in detail.

Playstation 2 trimmed down

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Sony has announced the release next month of the trimmed down Playstation 2. While inheriting the basic functions and design philosophy of the current PlayStation 2 (SCPH-50000), the internal architecture has been completely redesigned, resulting in a slimmer and more lightweight design. Internal volume has been reduced by 75%, weight has been halved, and thickness trimmed down to 2.8 cm (thickness of current model is 7.8 cm). Equipped with an integrated Ethernet port for network gaming, the new PlayStation 2 sets new standards in the fusion of design and functionality.

3-D adds new dimension to jigsaw puzzles

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For more than 200 years jigsaw puzzles have remained pretty much the same. While they have grown larger in size and more intricate and complex, they have always been designed with two dimensions in mind, until now.

Puzzleball, by Australian company Blue Opal, is the world’s first 3-D plastic spherical jigsaw puzzle, adding a new dimension to the two dimensional world of jigsaw puzzles. In its completed form it measures 23 cm in diameter and is comprised of 540 interlocking plastic pieces, which hold its spherical shape without any internal support or glue.

SingStar - Battle of the lounge room rockstars!

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Lounge room karaoke has gone to the next level thanks to Playstation 2 and the Sony SingStar Party game, which turns everyone into an Idol superstar. Building upon the original SingStar module that enables players to analyse their pitch, tone and rhythm whilst singing, SingStar Party now adds competitive multiplayer modes for between two to eight players to test their vocal abilities against each other in an open battle of the mic.

Playstation EyeToy 2 offers surveillance camera

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The next version of Sony's Eyetoy Play due later this year can be used as a security camera as well as for dancing, karaoke and gameplaying further strengthening the Playstation's as a hub for home services and entertainment. Budding detectives can set up their SpyToy to secretly capture photos or record video of intruders, or they can record their own stealth message that will pop up on the television screen should anyone cross the threshold.

Happy Birthday to the View-Master

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The View-Master is a toy which people of all ages remember vividly from their childhood. It's one of those rare high-tech inventions that has maintained massive appeal across multiple generations and this month it is celebrating its 65th anniversary. Despite numerous new media devices entering its domain since it first hit the market in 1939, its appeal remains strong and the View-Master has now sold more than a billion units.

Sony EyeToy adds Video Conferencing to the Playstation 2

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Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) has unveiled the latest title in the ‘EyeToy’ family. ‘EyeToy: Chat’ is yet another pointer to the versatility of the PlayStation2 (PS2) as a home entertainment system by adding videophone functionality.

On show at the E3 Expo and expected in stores in s...

Philips release interactive Gaming Headphones

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Monday October 13, 2003: Philips HG100 Gaming Headphone uses a new Active Motion System incorporating a neck-and-ear shell vibrator and sound enhancers, that when coupled with powerful sound effects and deep bass reproduction add an extra element to the gaming experience.