Games

October 31, 2006 The global success of First Person Shooter (FPS) games was catalysed by the launch of shareware phenomenon Doom on December 10, 1993 which was downloaded by more than 10 million people in its first two years – a remarkable number given the number of people online at that point. The game lived up to iD Software’s promise that it would become the "the number one cause of decreased productivity in businesses around the world" by hogging bandwidth on office networks and defined this popular gaming genre. The FPS format evolved and massively multiplayer online games subsequently created a new way to misspend your youth. Given the genre is characterized by an on-screen view that simulates the in-game character's point of view, the massive global following of FPS games is ripe to move to a logical next level of realism by offering greater immersion inside the game via the head mounted display (HMD) … and the HMD most likely in our book is the new Trimersion from 3001 AD. The wireless Trimersion head tracking HMD and tracking gun replace the mouse/keyboard or gamepad controllers with a realistic and natural interface (for killing things).  Read More

October 20, 2006 Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) is not your run-of-the-mill video game developer – a massive corporation providing scientific, engineering, systems integration and technical services and solutions to all branches of the U.S. military, agencies of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), the intelligence community, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other U.S. Government civil agencies, as well as to customers in selected commercial markets. Now it has created a videogame: Future Force Company Commander (F2C2) was designed by the company's Tactical Systems and Solutions Business Unit to help demonstrate the networked battle command that the Future Combat Systems (FCS) program is developing for the U.S. Army. It’s not the first time the American military has used video games to capture the hearts and minds of America’s high-tech youth. F2C2 is a real-time tactical strategy game that allows the player to learn about the Army's FCS program by assuming command of a Mounted Company Team in the year 2015. Through game play, F2C2 showcases how FCS can provide the 21st century soldier unprecedented situational awareness, and the ability to see first, understand first, act first and finish decisively.  Read More

September 4, 2006 Earlier this year Philips showed a prototype Entertaible at the CES in Las Vegas. Today, it is unveiling the finished fully integrated tabletop gaming platform at this year's Internationale Funkausstellung in Berlin. The multi-purpose platform enables a new class of gaming that combines the excitement of electronic games with the fun and social interaction of board games. Entertaible enables simultaneous multi-user interaction, object detection and recognition. Initially targeting social gaming away from home in locations such as pubs, bars, hotels or restaurants, Entertaible has the potential to evolve into a gaming platform for the consumer market.  Read More

September 2, 2006 For years, game developers and marketers have focused only on two types of videogame players: hardcore gamers and casual players. Ultimately, detailed segmentation of any market is required to unravel its mysteries and recent analysis by research firm Parks Associates indicates that the gamer community has diversified to include six distinct groups and, most importantly, a new middle market has emerged, with different motivations, gaming behaviors, and spending patterns. Traditionally ignored by marketers, the three segments Social Gamers, Leisure Gamers, and Dormant Gamers account for 53% of the Internet gamer population and 56% of the retail revenue.  Read More

August 23, 2006 Logitech yesterday unveiled a new game controller with an innovative built-in fan-based cooling system, designed to keep the hands of gamers cool and dry even during intense competition. The USD$40 Logitech ChillStream controller for PC is a standard-size controller with a built-in 40 mm fan that circulates up to 3.41 cubic feet of air every minute, while generating very little noise.  Read More

August 3, 2006 The world’s largest Etch A Sketch was unveiled at the 33rd SIGGRAPH International Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques Conference and Exhibition in Boston yesterday. One of the best known toys of the baby boomer generation, the Etch a Sketch hit the market in 1960 though the new one-off version is quite different and uses a new interactive technique – a wireless "mouse for the masses" that gives audiences the freedom to play realtime computer generated games. The giant Etch a Sketch uses Cinematrix’s unique patented audience participation technology where each audience member is given a two-sided "wand" to signal a preference to the sensor cameras. One configuration allows the left half of the audience to turn the left knob while the other allows the right half of the audience to turn the right knob. The two halves attempt to "group think" and trace various graphics on the giant screen by collectively turning the knobs. Pictured here is SIGGRAPH 2006 Computer Animation Festival Chair Terrence Masson, leading 3,000 audience members as they collaborate in drawing a teapot.  Read More

June 30, 2006 As personal computer and mobile telephones have become ubiquitous, there have been few surprises in the way the cookies have crumbled, but one that seems to fly completely in the face of logic is the attraction that the female gender has for computer games. Women represent 59% of all U.S. consumers who play games on a mobile phone and these findings concur with the overall demographic makeup of Internet gamers, where women are the majority due to their penchant for online trivia and card games. Men, on the other hand, hold the majority among gamers who play intense action and role-playing games, and there is not a comparable group of male users in the mobile gaming space. A new research study entitled "Electronic Gaming in the Digital Home" concludes that women are the foundation of the gaming market, and the industry needs to cater to their preferences. John Barrett, director of research at Parks Associates believes, "Women generally spend little on gaming even though they like to play games … the industry just needs to find a game they are will to pay for."  Read More

June 13, 2006 The evolution of the computer human interface will take a step forward next month with the release of a Gyroscopic Gamepad. eDimensional already manufactures a number of innovative gaming accessories using technologies such as 3D, motion tracking, audio and voice recognition so it’s not surprising the company has added another interesting interface. With proprietary VRMS (Virtual Reality Motion Sensing) technology, the G-Pad Pro delivers a next generation gaming experience to current model Playstation 2 consoles and PCs. Using a 12 button analog configuration, the G-Pad Pro adds intuitive and precise motion sensing technology to improve gameplay performance in virtually any genre of gaming. Rotate the controller on multiple axes to gain four additional control options in three dimensional space. The result is advanced new movement functions and a smoother, more dynamic ability to control in-game action. Additionally, users may experience decreased hand fatigue compared to standard keyboards or controllers. Now, what can we do with this for non-gamers?  Read More

May 12, 2006 You don’t need a degree in ergonomic engineering to realise that the Computer Human Interface (CHI) is still in its infancy. The QWERTY keyboard was designed 150 years ago, shaped by all the wrong reasons, and still masquerades as high tech when it is indeed a dinosaur. Ironically, it has been given an indefinite stay of execution thanks to the invention of the mouse, the lack of an obvious successor and a curious human resistance to change. Promising technologies such as handwriting recognition and voice recognition cried “ready” a few too many times before they really were and damaged consumer trust and … let’s just say that when we find a better way, we’re looking forward to a ceremonial burning of the keyboard. Logically, the computer can be interfaced with the human in many ways, and the BodyPad is a perfect example, as it turns body movements into computer inputs, effectively turning the human body into a Gamepad! BodyPad is a motion sensor game controller that works with Sony's Playstation 1 & 2 and Microsoft's XBox. Though it’s compatible with almost every existing video game, it’s ideal for fighting, dance games, and some sports games too! Indeed, a bit further down the track, we can see the BodyPad teaching us how to dance, box, throw a baseball, shoot a basketball or kick a football.  Read More