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Bioshock Creator: New Consoles Would Be “Bad For Everybody”

Posted: 04 Feb 2011 07:27 PM PST


Ken Levine is best known for having created Bioshock, one of the more cinematic and high-production-value franchises out there. So it seems a little strange at first to hear him saying that a new generation of more powerful consoles would be such a problem.

Speaking on an Irrational Games podcast, he said:

At this point I have no desire as a developer and zero desire as a gamer to see the next generation come out where I’m sitting right now.

It still costs us a fortune to make games on this platform. If they’re going to up the scale, up the art, up the content, I don’t know how to make that and sell it to anybody for under $100 a game. Who wants to do that? It’s bad for everybody.

That really puts into perspective, right? It’s an objection I raised regarding the PSP2/NGP. The amount of work and money being put into AAA games is pretty insane, and if your platform is built around that kind of game, there’s a tradeoff. And right now it seems we’re more or less at the limits of what the consoles and development tools can do on a decent budget.

Personally I’m heartened in this debate by the fact that indie and downloadable games are taking off like crazy. You don’t need a thirty million dollar budget to make a great game, and while there will always be a place for the big guns, the word these days seems to be “diversify.” Sony and Microsoft have both taken this to heart, but interestingly it’s Nintendo that seems to have fallen into the bigger rut. That said, it’s actually Nintendo who would benefit most from a new console. We live in interesting times for gaming, friends. Live it up.

[via Eurogamer]

Darpa Tries Open-source, Goes After Professionals For XC2V Combat Support Vehicle

Posted: 04 Feb 2011 05:41 PM PST


DARPA, the Defense Department’s R&D wing, does some pretty amazing stuff. And when they aren't getting what they want from their engineers, they let others help. Like in the Grand Challenge and its related programs — sometimes just dangling a cash prize and some specs out there is worth more than all your eggheads and skunk works combined.

The race this time is to build a combat support vehicle (the “XC2V”), and it’s said to be an excellent opportunity for engineers and designers to get involved. Local Motors is getting the word out and organizing the competition, which will have winners taking home up to $10,000—a drop in the bucket for the US government. The challenge has already begun and the final submissions are due March 3, 2011, so you should probably hurry. You can find out more here.

[via science.dodlive.mil]

Contest: Would It Kill You To Dress Up? Jackthreads Can Help

Posted: 04 Feb 2011 05:00 PM PST

Jackthreads, a Thrillist company, is offering a sweet $200 so you can maybe get a nice pair of pants or a shirt to wear on Valentine’s Day so you (and I mean this in the nicest way) won’t look like huge slob.

I mean really, whens the last time you bought a nice pair of pants? Maybe a shirt? Shorts and sandals might be fine for your Magic: The Gathering parties but not for going on.

Ok. Ok. Don’t get testy. Click through to see how to win.

Do me a favor: go to to Jackthreads pick something out, report back here and comment on what you’d replace out of your current ratty wardrobe with an item from the Jackthreads catalog. An old Rush concert t-shirt? A white dress shirt you wore to your brother’s wedding and subsequent divorce five years ago? A pair of jeans covered in what looks like dried spaghetti squash? Let us know. I’ll pick one winner at random on Monday.

NoteSlate: A Simple E-Paper Device That May Or May Not Exist

Posted: 04 Feb 2011 04:01 PM PST


I’ve seen this NoteSlate thing in a few places today, and while the idea is compelling to me, I’m not convinced that this thing is actually real. I mean, the pictures are all renders, the spec sheet is a fantasy, and a quick search turns up no patents or trademarks. Is this thing just a concept masquerading as a real product? It says it’s shipping in June, so shouldn’t there at least be a video of the thing in action?

It’s not that I don’t like the idea. But it shows all the signs of being an idea rather than a real thing. A 13-inch “electronic paper alike” screen? Anti-aliasing? 150 hours of battery life while performing optical character recognition and some kind of active digitizer? $99?

I’ll be amazed and excited if this turns out to be real. But let’s be realistic. Under the tablet competition, it lists the JooJoo and the Crunchpad… and the Courier.

Yeah, I think we’re looking at a cryptogadget here.

iPad Rumors: NFC, Carbon Fiber, And 7″ Version Again

Posted: 04 Feb 2011 02:30 PM PST


I know what you’re thinking: none of these rumors is actually new. Near-field communication we’ve talked about for a while, the carbon fiber thing was around back in November, and didn’t we pretty much dismiss the 7″ iPad thing? Yes, all these things are true. But now somebody is rumoring them again.

Yes, a “previously accurate source” has informed iLounge that all of the above rumors have more traction than previously thought. I can see the carbon fiber thing happening, and NFC is pretty much a given, but as much as I’d like the 7″ iPad thing to be true, I just can’t picture Jobs sassing the whole idea of “tweeners” and then coming out with one.

We hear the new iPad may be debuting as early as next week, though, so I don’t think we’ll be in suspense for too long.

Help Make This Wild Braille Watch A Reality

Posted: 04 Feb 2011 02:01 PM PST


David Chavez has a dream. He wants to build this wild-looking Braille watch that shows the time by moving little rotating dots along the face to spell out the numbers in Braille. Even if you’re not visually impaired, you have to appreciate the ingenuity and usability this watch, called the Haptica, has to offer.

The project is up on Kickstarter now, so pop over and pre-order if you’re so inclined. Considering most watches for the blind haven’t changed since the early 1900s – take this Seiko “Braille” watch for example – this is an interesting step forward.

The watch will cost a little over $250 when/if it’s made and it looks like David is pretty far from his goal so pre-orders should help. Here’s hoping this thing gets built because it could be useful in the dark, allowing you to tell the time before you’re eaten by a Grue.

Pre-orders For The Tron And Tron Legacy Begin. Super Platinum, Limited, Ultra Collector’s Edition Included.

Posted: 04 Feb 2011 01:37 PM PST

Love it or hate it, Tron Legacy was a visual spectacle. And with Daft Punk’s score, many theater-goers left with their audio-visual cherries popped. Pre-orders have begun and there expects to be 5 versions available on Blu-ray. Luckily, Amazon is giving some discounts on the Tron and Tron Legacy pre-orders. There will also be a 2D combo pack of both the titles available for $39.99 each and 3D for $49.99 each. Finally, for the ultimate collectors, both titles in one package for $69.99 and the mega mega ultra limited collector’s edition for $99.99. What ever happened to one movie?

No date has been announced.

Robonaut To Make Special Pre-Game Appearance At Super Bowl

Posted: 04 Feb 2011 01:28 PM PST


Although NASA and GM’s Robonaut is more suited to spacewalks than end-zone dances, the little guy is still going to make a Super Bowl appearance. R2, as he’s called, will appear in a pre-show segment and… do I know not what. It’s not like he’s an android, so the whole thing will be a bit scripted, I’m sure. With his magic hands he can probably throw a perfect spiral, though, unlike me. My hands are tragic.

He has a speaker where his mouth is, so I suppose he’ll be discussing his picks with Howie Long. But his software isn’t designed for sports analysis, so I’m thinking it’s really the NASA team’s picks. Boy, I should be a detective or something.

At any rate, the pre-game show starts at 11AM Pacific, so tune in, grab some wings, and watch a robot talk about football. Welcome to the future.

Video: Starbucks’ Trenta Is Big Enough To Hold An Entire Bottle Of Wine

Posted: 04 Feb 2011 12:00 PM PST

Just how big is the new Trenta size at Starbucks? Big enough to hold an entire bottle of wine. Greatest country in history.

"Trenta?" Oh, you hadn't heard? Starbucks introduced a new size for its drinks, and it's the largest size in its history. Caveat: it'll only be available for their cold drinks, so no Trenta white chocolate mochas for you.

Trenta, Italian for "thirty," actually holds 31 ounces of liquid.

Just sit back and watch the magic.

The Top 5 Super Bowl Commercials Already Out

Posted: 04 Feb 2011 11:37 AM PST

There isn’t anything quite like Super Bowl commercials. For many of you, it’s the best part of the game. So we thought we’d show you ahead of time some of our favorites that have already come out.

Just so you know, this year is being considered The Year of the Autos, with many of the companies getting back into profits and all. The big automakers have purchased about one-third of all air time. Maybe it’s because all these commercials are longer than 30 sec.

5. Volkswagen Beetle

This of course is to get you ready for the next-gen Beetle on its way later this year. Nothing much here, just a little clever.

4. Chrysler

I agree with the message here, but does it need to take longer than a minute?

3. Audi

We like Audi, we really do, but this commercial is..well, interesting. It gets third place since it’s such a mindf***.

2. Kia Optima

Pretty neat, reminds me of those Russian nested dolls. Feel the fractals.

1. Volkswagen Passat

This is one that I can say is my favorite. It’s got all the right stuff: nostalgia, Star Wars, cute kid and a silver Chevy Impala.

Bonus: Motorola Xoom

Now Shipping: XM25 Smart Grenade Launchers For $30,000

Posted: 04 Feb 2011 10:56 AM PST

If you’re in the market for a grenade launcher with a kick and you’re a US soldier, check FedEx for your new XM25 Smart Grenade Launcher, a device that shoots a “25 mm microchip-embedded high explosive round that detonates above or beside the target, showering the enemy with lethal metal fragments.” Sounds like my senior prom!

It’s a bit aged by now, but the Army just started shipping 12,500 devices, “one for each infantry squad and Special Forces team” and according to ECN Magazine they’ll ship to the rest of the soldiers in 2012 and 2013. The system has a day and night sight, and it shoots standard RPGs as well in addition to the smart round. It holds four rounds at a time and the sight is almost completely automatic – you lase your target, fire, and wait. Then there’s an explosion.

Sadly, it will be hard to get these if you’re not a current Army subscriber, so if you want to try it out I’d suggest hitting ROTC or your local recruitment center pronto.

[Lou, vacuum!]

Watching The Big Game? Keep An Eye On @202friends While You’re At It

Posted: 04 Feb 2011 10:30 AM PST

The Big Game is this Sunday (remember: Madden already told us the winner), and our amigos at Sirius XM‘s Ron & Fez Show have a little Twitter contest that may interest you. Like all their Twitter contests it’s pretty easy to play. Step One: follow @202friends on Twitter.

Step Two: During the Big Game, wait for the very first interception. Doesn’t matter who throws it or when, it just has to be the very first one. When this happens tweet @202friends with the word "banzai."

What can you win? Oh, you know, just a football signed by Mr. Terrel Owens:


Watch the superbowl with us for a chance to win a football signed by T.O.less than a minute ago via web202 Friends
202friends

Get following!

Halo: Combat Evolved HD Re-Make Unofficially Set For November 15

Posted: 04 Feb 2011 09:45 AM PST

Flickr’d

It looks like there will be a Halo: Combat Evolved re-make after all. So says mighty Joystiq. It'll be available on November 15, 2011, 10 years to the day after the game's original release for the Xbox. Oh, happy day!

What can we expect with this re-make? Supposedly it'll be running at a higher resolution, 1080p, but who knows if that's 1080p native or merely upscaled like previous Halo 360 games. I'm certain gamers who exclusively use consoles have no idea what "HD gaming" truly means. Rumblings of a 3D mode, too, but if it's running in 3D I can't imagine how low the resolution would have to be. The Xbox 360 isn't a top-of-the-line Nvidia GPU, you know.

And it won't necessarily just be a higher resolution, oh my no. The game's developers, believed to be Saber Interactive, will be using entirely new art assets. She won't be using the Reach engine, though. Mystery!

Multi-player? Yup, at least online co-op.

If true, and I've no read to believe it's not true, I imagine E3 this year will be all about Halo. Hmm.

Sirius XM Launches New Web Player, Merges Web Sites

Posted: 04 Feb 2011 09:15 AM PST

The last vestiges of XM Radio (and Sirius) are no more, and we are now living in a decidedly Sirius XM world The old Web site, xmradio.com, now re-directs to siriusxm.com, and there's a new Flash-based player to replace the old player. How I yearn for the days when Team XM feuded with the little doggy company!

The new player will take some getting used to, but thankfully there's a handy tutorial to teach us how to make our way around it. (The embedded video shows off the tutorial. If there’s an ad there, don’t yell at me; I’m not in charge of that type of thing.) Nice to see Howard Stern so prominently featured—there's an entire button dedicated to the man! News, Talk, Entertainment, Sport, HOWARD STERN.

Sound quality seems identical, although I will say 202(friends) seems to be stuttering a bit right now. I didn't notice that this morning listening to O&A (but I listened then using the iOS App, so who knows what's going on).

Oh, nice: the player just crashed.

Wonderful.

NBC Ruins The Fun, Fires Employee Over “What Is Internet” Video

Posted: 04 Feb 2011 08:54 AM PST

By now you’ve probably seen the Katie Couric and Bryant Gumbel pondering the wonders of the Internet. It’s a bit hokey and of course shows the NBC hosts talking nonsense about something outside of their expertise. Well, NBC clearly didn’t find it as cute as everyone else and reportedly fired the employee that uploaded it. Best Buy almost did that once. Remember how that turned out?

NBC went and pulled most of the videos from the Internet. The video we embedded is dead. But of course they couldn’t get them all. Simply searching Google for Katie Couric and Bryant Gumbel pulls dozens of copies. Nothing ever goes away online. NBC should know this by now. It’s called the Internet.

Seriously, NBC. No one was laughing at your then-star hosts. We were all laughing with them. It’s not like they were asking questions about the Internet now. This was 1994. No one outside of universities and X-Files watchers had any clue about the Internet. The video simply served as a nice reminder that the Internet grew in importance so rapidly that even some of the world’s most versed newscasters were simply clueless in the early days.

So in case you missed it the first time around, I embedded two different versions of the video below. You know, just in case NBC’s still on a witch hunt and pulls one of them. I reached out to NBC but have yet to hear anything. That darn @ symbol is so tricky sometimes.

World Leaders Looking To Regulate Cyber War

Posted: 04 Feb 2011 08:45 AM PST

Flickr’d

World leaders will be taking the first steps toward a universal definition of "cyber war," and how to wage it legally, at the Munich Security Conference later today. (Presumably our invite was lost in the mail.) On the agenda: a new definition of the term "nation-state," and figuring out how to update the Geneva and Hague protocols to make them compatible with today's electronic battlefields. Call Sy Hersh!

The conference, which will see the likes of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, UK Prime Minister David Cameron, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in attendance, aims to "address the main security issues of our time." What concerns us, of course, is cyber war: no M16s or AK-47s allowed.

The big show-and-tell will be conducted by the EastWest Institute, the "global think-and-do tank." The talk is expected to teach policy-makers how to better understand the difference between civilian and military "cyber" targets (don't want to accidentally take out a civilian hospital, do you?) and how to engage non-state actors.

I wonder if a government shutting down its own Internet infrastructure will be mentioned during the talk?


More Apple HD TV Hardware Speculation

Posted: 04 Feb 2011 08:13 AM PST

Could Apple's recent $3.9 billion investment in display components signal an intention to enter the HD TV market? AppleInsider is reporting that Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster thinks this could be on the horizon.

With Munster estimating a “connected” TV rate of 48% in 2012, you have to admit the concept fits in with Apple's convergence strategy for media delivery/domination. It also could represent some serious cash—like $2.5 billion—and a further diversified product line.

My only question is how would it be priced? With all their "retina" developments, you know the quality would be good, so maybe this is another approach to bring "non-apple" types into the cult by a more traditional route—the TV in the living room.

But is the Piper image below comparing function and price accurate? Why do I think an Apple HD TV could cost more than listed below? Because their products always seem to cost more than I expect.

Study: Gamers Aren’t Better Drivers Than Non-Gamers (And May Even Be Worse!)

Posted: 04 Feb 2011 07:30 AM PST

Bad news for people who think they're great drivers because they play games like Gran Turismo 5: you're not. New research suggests that while playing games may improve reaction time, it also seems to help churn out aggressive drivers. It's easy to be an aggressive driver in Gran Turismo where damage is minimal (if existent at all), but not when you're driving down I-95.

This news comes to us by way of Continental Tyres, which says that gamers, sure, bring some useful skills to the table, "they need to apply some balance with a sensible assessment of risk."

Risk? Gamers admitted to speeding more frequently than non-gamers, getting stopped by the police more frequently than non-gamers, and having crashed into stationary objects more frequently than non-gamers.

In other words, just because you've 100 percent'd Gran Turismo 5 doesn't mean you're the second coming of Alain Prost.

Maybe we need to wait for the fully automated cars Rey Kurzweil was just talking about on Opie & Anthony.

Toshiba’s Naked-Eye 3D TVs Aren’t Selling Well (In Japan)

Posted: 04 Feb 2011 07:01 AM PST

Nobody wants TVs requiring glasses to view pictures in 3D, and as it turns out, even glasses-free 3D TVs don’t sell like hot cakes. Case in point: Toshiba’s naked-eye 3D REGZA TVs (a 12- and a 20-incher) that went on sale in Japan a couple of weeks ago. According to Bloomberg, Toshiba clearly missed their initial monthly sales target of 1,000 units of each model.

Apparently, the company sold just 500 units of the big and even less than that of the small model. The sluggish sales might have something to do with the high prices the TVs go for ($1,430 for the 12-incher, $2,870 for the 20-inch model). As a consequence, Toshiba president Osumi wants his company to begin offering bigger models.

During the CES this year, Toshiba already showcased prototypes of 56-inch and 65-inch naked-eye 3D TVs. The company plans to start selling big-size 3D TVs in America and Europe in the future.

TiVo Says It Can Do A Better Job Analyzing The Effectiveness Of TV Commercials

Posted: 04 Feb 2011 06:58 AM PST

TiVo this morning launched a free website for anyone interested in commercial ratings (particularly marketers, I guess). The ‘Ad Scorecard’ is designed to let people analyze how effective a brand’s TV commercials are at retaining viewers and how well they are performing relative to competing brands.

And by launching, I mean the company pretty much bashed every other audience and effectiveness measurement companies out there, saying they are no longer effective themselves.

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