Games
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. Read More
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. Read More
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. Read More
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. Read More
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. Read More
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. Read More
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. Read More
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. Read More
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. Read More
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. Read More
