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USA Keeps No. 1 Spot In International Patent Filings, Panasonic Leads Company Ranking

Posted: 10 Feb 2011 02:25 AM PST

Photo credit: Pam Roth

Companies and institutions from the US filed 44,855 applications in 2010, down 1.7% from last year, but enough to keep the top spot among all companies for a second straight year, according to data released yesterday by the World Intellectual Property Organization.

Next was Japan with 32,156 applications (plus 7.9%), followed by Germany’s 17,171 filings (a 2.2% gain). China, the No. 4, just filed 3,942 applications last year – but that was a plus of 56.2% compared to 2009.

Among companies, Panasonic has kept its top spot in 2010, having filed a total of 2,154 patent applications worldwide last year. Panasonic made a strong showing in a bunch of areas, for example “green” home appliances and lithium ion batteries.

Second place went to Chinese telecommunications equipment manufacturer ZTE, which jumped up from No. 22 last year after having filed with 1,863 applications. Qualcomm (1,677) was third in 2010, followed by Huawei (1,528), Philips (1,435), Robert Bosch (1,301), and LG Electronics (1,298).

Video: Nissan ESFLOW Concept Proves We Will Have Fast And Fun EVs Soon

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 08:17 PM PST

The Nissan Leaf is a pretty neat car. It has absolutely no gas tank and engine to run off of. Instead, it’s powered by batteries and electric motors. Unfortunately, the downfall to the Leaf is that it isn’t sporty or exactly fun to drive — other than the thrill of driving one of the first EVs on the road.

Nissan has been known to make some pretty good sports cars: the GT-R and 370Z. The ESFLOW concept is Nissan proving to the world they can make EVs sporty in one fun and environmentally conscious ride.

The ESFLOW is a rear-wheel-drive two-seat sports car that can do 0-60s in less than 5 seconds all while maintaining a 150 mile range — 50% more than the Leaf. The neatest thing about new electric sports cars is the ability to power each wheel with separate electric motors. This method gives drivers the most torque in the right scenarios to power around turns and maintain grip, similar to what we experienced on the R8 e-tron.

More details will be known next month at the Geneva Auto Show.

[via plugincars]

Press Release

NISSAN ESFLOW ELECTRIC SPORTS CAR REMAINS ENVIRONMENTALLY SYMPATHETIC WITHOUT GIVING UP THE JOY OF DRIVING
NISSAN ESFLOW Concept puts the spark into electric vehicles
It looks like a sports car, handles like a sports car and performs like one too. But ESFLOW is different than every other sports car yet built: It’s electric. Using technology pioneered in the award-winning Nissan LEAF, the EV concept shows that driving can still be as much fun tomorrow as it is today.

At a Glance

  • ESFLOW – a pure EV sports car concept
  • Rear-wheel drive two-seater
  • Two electric motors, each driving a rear wheel
  • Laminated lithium-ion batteries mounted low for best weight distribution
  • Dramatic styling with wraparound windscreen for unobstructed visibility
  • 0-100km/h in under 5 seconds
  • Over 240kms on one charge

The Nissan ESFLOW
Nissan has a reputation for creating some of the most exhilarating sports cars on the market. Nissan has also developed the world’s first practical Zero Emission family car, the Nissan LEAF.

Now Nissan has put that expertise together. It has captured the excitement of a sports car and the environmental benefits of an electric vehicle and blended them into one dramatic two-seater concept: ESFLOW.

ESFLOW has been created from the ground up as a pure electric vehicle, to give an idea how a Zero Emission sports car of the future might look. Living ecologically has often been seen as an act of austerity – to save one’s environmental conscience sacrifices must be made. ESFLOW is here to address that misconception.

Owning an ecologically sound car does not have to come at the expense of driving enjoyment. The briefest glance at the ESFLOW is enough to tell you what kind of car it is: a long bonnet leading into a steeply raked, wrap around windscreen, the compact cabin placing the occupants bang on the car’s centre of gravity, hunched arches over ultra-low profile tyres wrapped around six spoke wheels. ESFLOW is unmistakably a sports car, and those in the know will recognize its heritage – hints of classic and contemporary Nissan sports cars abound.

Vitally, ESFLOW is not an existing ICE (internal combustion engine) powered vehicle that has been adapted to run on electricity, but a sports car that’s been designed from the outset as a Zero Emission vehicle. This means that Nissan’s forward thinking designers have had free rein to place the power train and batteries in the optimum positions to benefit the car’s handling and performance and enhancing the thrill of driving.

The Car
The ESFLOW is based on existing technology, implemented in innovative ways. An attractive, head turning composite body covers an aluminium chassis, incorporating its own roll cage. The powertrain unit, which employs the same technologies installed in the Nissan LEAF, is tuned to offer a sporty driving experience.

The Powertrain
ESFLOW is rear-wheel drive and it runs on two motors. The car’s graceful proportions allow the twin electric motors to be placed above the axis of the rear wheels, in a mid-ship position,. These motors independently control the left and right wheels, and so the torque is optimized to ensure outstanding vehicle stability and control as well as efficient power regeneration. The motors produce enough torque in an instant for it to reach a 100kph in under 5 seconds.

Power for the motors comes from the same laminated lithium-ion battery packs used in the Nissan LEAF, but in ESFLOW the packs are located along the axis of the front and rear wheels. This centralizes the mass of the car, and thus its rotation point, close to the driver’s hips. These cleverly positioned batteries enable the car to travel over 240km on one charge.

The Chassis
An aluminium chassis has been built around the drive train, taking full advantage of the opportunities that Zero Emission electric propulsion provides. Power cells are incorporated in such a way that they benefit ESFLOW’s strength and poise, not detract from them. Indeed, unlike a conventional fuel tank, batteries do not get lighter as they provide energy, so the car’s weight distribution remains constant throughout a drive.

The high waistline afforded by the ESFLOW’s classic sports car proportions allows strong, yet unobtrusive roll bars incorporated in to the structure behind the seats to safely take the entire load of the car in the event of a roll over, negating the need for obtrusive, thick, reinforced A-pillars and the blind spots they inevitably create.

This almost unobstructed view ahead will not be unfamiliar to fighter pilots, and just as such pilots speak of “strapping their planes on to their backs”, we hope ESFLOW owners will also feel the car to be an extension of their bodies, reacting to their slightest whims. The driver must be at the centre of the sports car both physically and metaphorically.

The Body
The ESFLOW is undoubtedly an attractive car. Crisp, clean lines not only convey the purity of its sporting potential, but suggest the clarity of electric power. The colour scheme chosen for the concept car is inspired by glaciers – highly reflective solidified liquid with blue tints in its shadows. Like its ZEV concept forebears and contemporary stable mate the ESFLOW’s headlights and Nissan emblem are tinted cool blue. The six spoke wheels contain blue carbon inserts while the same material adorns the side sill, roof mounted lip spoiler and lower rear bumper.

Blue LEDs accentuate the futuristic lights slashed into the bodywork both front and rear. Where the Nissan LEAF’s protrusive headlights are used to guide airflow around the door mirrors, this is not needed on ESFLOW as the mirrors have been replaced with minute rear view cameras at the base of its A-pillars. The ESFLOW’s front lights do protect a secret of their own however: flip out charging points built in to the air ducts beneath.

The Interior
Ecological minimalism need not come at the expense of luxury. The cabin of the ESFLOW is clean and open and weight saving has been a priority throughout its design, but it is still a comfortable and pleasant place to sit. By far the heaviest components in modern cars’ interiors are the steel framed, thickly upholstered and increasingly motorized seats. In ESFLOW the seats are sculpted into the rear bulkhead of the car, negating the need for a heavy frame. This of course means that they are immobile, but this is of no consequence as the fly-by-wire steering and pedals adjust electrically to the best spot to suit each individual driver’s size and preferred driving position.

The seats themselves are upholstered in gold leather and perforated gold suede while the doors are trimmed in dark blue leather and suede. The blue and gold motif, the colour of sparks, is continued across the dashboard, which is also adorned with silver carbon trim, and features four multifunction illuminated LCD displays.

The Driver
Daniel, an ESFLOW owner, works in tech, but lives for the weekend. On Friday night after work, he gets behind the wheels of his ESFLOW which instantly links with his pocket PDA and determines the fastest route to his girlfriend’s home. Finding street side parking is a synch as the ESFLOW’s compact dimensions allow it to slip in to the narrowest of spaces. On Saturday he drives to a popular club to exhibit his DJ skills and his friends are impressed by his cool EV sports car.

On Sunday he drives through the mountains for leisure. ESFLOW’s superb weight distribution and unobstructed view ahead enables him to effortlessly nail every apex, every time. His descent from the mountains is more relaxed and he allows the ESFLOW to overrun on the long sweeping curves, turning the potential energy he and the car gained climbing up the gradients back in to electrical energy he can use once he hits the roads around Barcelona.

As his ESFLOW sips energy in its garage Daniel prepares himself for the week ahead, batteries fully recharged.

Geneva Motor Show
The ESFLOW concept will be unveiled at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show (3-13 March) where it will share the Nissan stand with a number of other innovative and exciting newcomers – but with one major difference: these are production ready.

Zero and low emission mobility is represented by Nissan LEAF, the 2011 European Car of The Year and the first pure electric CoTY winner, and the advanced Micra DIG-S. The latest version of Nissan’s definitive city car is powered by a supercharged 1.2-litre direct injection petrol three-cylinder engine which produces just 95 g/km CO2.

Sports car excitement is reflected in the latest version of the GT-R supercar and a special version of its baby brother, the 370Z GT Edition. Underlining the breadth and depth of the Nissan range, the stand will also feature Nissan’s best selling segment-busting crossovers – Juke, QASHQAI and Murano – as well as city cars Note and Pixo and the X-TRAIL, Pathfinder and Navara 4x4s.

Video Of Wikispeed’s Facility: The 100+ MPG Car Company

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 07:51 PM PST

Some of the most complex things man has ever built are pieces of software. With little capital —  only a laptop, some coffee and a few hours — programmers can build some pretty amazing tools. Now translate that over to manufacturing. By using limited resources wisely and lean processes, many underground companies have sprung up in the automotive world, hoping to become the next big thing — like Tesla, only much smaller.

Joe Justice, a contractor for Microsoft by day, is also the team leader of Wikispeed by night. Some of you may remember Wikispeed’s debut prototype vehicle at the North American International Auto Show. The SG01 was built with a group of collaborators from different parts of the world, sharing ideas over Google Docs, instant messages and phone calls. In fact, the owner of the prototype SGT01, never met the builders until the car was debuted in Detroit.

This new open-sourced design/manufacture of cars could path the way towards 100+ MPG, while still falling within federal regulations and guidelines. A lot can happen when you get rid of bureaucracy. Obviously, Wikispeed will need some more funding before they can go global, but right now all they are looking for is $750,000. Not too bad a price, especially if they can deliver the goods. The team works out of a super small 20×40 foot storage unit in Seattle — talk about making the most out of nothing. Their processes are also efficient: modeled after modular, lean, agile software development.

The original idea came from Wikispeed’s entry into the Automotive X-Prize and grew from there into a full realization itself. Becoming an automotive company is no easy task, but if they can make the most of their resources, prove concept with a prototype and secure funding, then we just might actually see these cars on the road early next year.

Check out this video they just posted of their workspace and see Joe talk about the idea of Wikispeed and the processes they take to make cars.

BBC’s New iPlayer App Gets A Hands-On

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 07:02 PM PST


We heard about the BBC’s new iPad app for the iPlayer service yesterday (Android users, be patient, it’s coming), but the player itself escaped description. Today brings a hands-on from Pocket-Lint, who pronounce the app very strong, though the lack of offline viewing, they say, is troublesome.

ip1 ip2 ip3

The programs are, of course, only for UK residents, who already pay handsomely to have BBC access, but a pay service is in the works along with an Android version, so let’s hope it’s just a matter of time. After all, if you pay for BBC on your cable subscription or through another service, shouldn’t you get the same benefits as those in the UK?

Many more screenshots and impressions over there.

Game & Watch Replica Available To Nintendo Devotees

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 06:15 PM PST


If you’re a part of the Nintendo Club, a rewards system they have for registering products and filling out surveys, there’s a sweet new prize you can take aim at. This replica Game & Watch is “a faithful reproduction of Nintendo's first handheld gaming system, originally released in 1980.” Pretty awesome.

Too bad it’s also the most expensive item in the store, at a whopping 1200 coins. You’ll have to buy like 5 Wiis and a few dozen games to save it up. Or you could buy one on eBay for an exorbitant price in a month or two. Pick your poison.

By the way, there are almost certainly going to be other replica games coming out, so if “Ball” isn’t your cup of tea, just hang on and keep filling out surveys.

[via 1up]

RIM’s Playbook To Hit Office Depot In April For $500?

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 05:41 PM PST


We heard a while back that RIM was aiming at undercutting the iPad by putting the upcoming Playbook at less than $500. If this pricing leak is true, it looks like they decided price parity was acceptable. The version shown is the 16GB wi-fi only version, meaning it would likely have price tiering similar to the iPad’s, starting at $500 and working upwards at ~$100 increments.

I’m skeptical of the average consumer’s ability to pay the same price for something smaller and less familiar than “Brand X” (in this case the iPad), but the Playbook certainly has Brand X beaten on specs and built-in capabilities. It of course lacks apps, but as we’ve seen in various videos of it, it’s compelling and useful in many other ways. Hopefully having a heavy presence in the retail space will show that off.

The price is, of course, unconfirmed for now, and this could just be an placeholder estimate by an Office Depot manager.

[via SlashGear]

Activision Discontinues Guitar Hero And True Crime Franchises

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 04:42 PM PST


Sad news today. Looks like the music genre doesn’t have room for two (or is it three? four?) overpriced DLC machines. To be sure, Guitar Hero has sold a lot of copies, but you’re not going to get a lot of return business when people have already spent three times the normal amount on your game. Plus, it’s a copyright nightmare, and probably very expensive to produce.

Whatever the case, there won’t be a Guitar Hero 8, or Guitar Hero: Nickelback, or whatever was coming next. Activision is shutting down the franchise, perhaps just in time, perhaps a little too late, but at least before they really ran it into the ground with Barbie Guitar Adventures or some such. The music genre will probably see a revamp in a few years, but it needs to rest for a while.

The aging True Crime series is also getting a pink slip. I don’t have anything against it, but it was never particularly compelling in the way Heavy Rain or the more open-ended games like GTA are. Off it goes to the great retailer in the sky. No hard feelings, little guy.

What’s next? Could your favorite franchise be in line for the guillotine? Studies relate franchise cancellations to murder sprees and weight gain! How will this affect your children? Fox News reports.

Carrier War Continues: AT&T Announces Unlimited Mobile Calling In The US

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 04:08 PM PST

Sprint’s been doing it since the 009′s and now AT&T wants to do it too. We’re talking doing the dirty: unlimited mobile-to-mobile over any network. Might as well call it unlimited voice; no one actually remembers the last time they called someone on a land line — except calling AT&T to complain about service.

There are a few qualifications though. First, you have to sign up — you aren’t auto-enrolled; second, you must have unlimited messaging; and finally, you must be on a “qualified plan”. You can begin signing up tomorrow, we’ll keep you posted if more details develop.

Press Release

New Feature Offers AT&T Wireless Customers Unlimited Calling to Any Mobile Number

Dallas, Texas, February 09, 2011

Go ahead and dial up those digits–no matter which wireless network you’re calling. AT&T* today announced customers can enjoy unlimited mobile calling to any mobile number in America. Unlimited Mobile to Any Mobile is available to AT&T customers with an unlimited messaging plan and a qualifying voice plan**.

Beginning Thursday, Mobile to Any Mobile will be available to new and existing AT&T customers with a qualifying voice plan who subscribe to unlimited messaging plans. Existing customers with an unlimited messaging plan can activate Mobile to Any Mobile by visitingwww.att.com/anymobile. The URL will be available beginning Thursday.

“Mobile to Any Mobile is an exciting offer that will keep our customers connected to the people they want to talk to, when they want to talk to them, without the hassle of watching minutes,” said David Christopher, chief marketing officer, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. “We’re giving customers more options and even better value. And when you include Rollover Minutes, a benefit available exclusively from AT&T that lets customers keep their unused minutes for all domestic calls, including to landline numbers, it’s clear that AT&T offers the most flexibility in the industry.”

Unlimited messaging is available for $20 per month on an individual plan and $30 per month for a FamilyTalk Plan, which allows for up to five lines.

For the complete array of AT&T offerings, visit http://www.att.com/.

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

**Mobile to Any Mobile Calling – Available only with select Nation and FamilyTalk plans. Direct calls to & direct calls received from US mobile numbers only. Rollover Minutes: Unused Anytime Mins expire after the 12th billing period. Night & Weekend & Mobile to Mobile mins do not roll over.

Hands On Gallery: The Itty-Bitty WebOS-powered HP Veer

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 03:46 PM PST

Oh man this thing is small. Really. I'm not sure its size is conveyed properly even in pictures, and even if I use italics on the word "man" to indicate just how serious I am. This thing is to the Pre as the iPod Nano was to the old non-touch iPods. If it wouldn't have stirred up all kinds of legal trouble, I'm sure they'd have called it to the Pre Nano.


Yes, Apple Is Lining Up For A “Surprise” This Fall. And Yes, It’s Likely An “iPad 3″

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 03:13 PM PST

The following may sound a little crazy considering that the iPad 2 has not even been acknowledged or introduced by Apple yet. But from what we're hearing, the next iteration of the iPad — let's call it "iPad 3" to keep it simple — may be coming along sooner than people realize. Earlier today, HP held a big event in San Francisco to unveil their latest products based around the webOS software that they acquired when they bought Palm last year. One of these devices is a tablet, called TouchPad. The device looks like an iPad, but it has better specs. As such, some are already wondering if it's a possible "iPad-killer". Of course, the main problem is that the planned availability of the TouchPad isn't until this summer. (And worse, there's absolutely no word on pricing.). Then Daring Fireball's John Gruber decided to quickly weigh in.


Hands On Gallery: HP Pre 3

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 03:09 PM PST

Whew! It was one heckuva long presentation, but HP just pulled the curtain back on 3 brand new webOS devices: the TouchPad, the Veer, and the Pre 3. We bolted outside to give'm a glance and they were already getting pretty mobbed, but we managed to sneak off a few shots regardless. We've got a bit of alone time scheduled with these devices later today, so expect more photos and videos then — plus, of course, our hands-on impressions. In the mean time, we'll say this: that new keyboard? It seems so much more.. what's the word? Oh, right — usable.


3D-Print Yourself This Incredible “Atomic Sun” Lamp

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 02:20 PM PST


Do you have a 3D printer you’re just not getting enough use out of? And 20 spare bulbs lying around, just waiting to be incorporated into a project? You’re in luck. Follow the instructions over at We Alone On Earth and you can DIY yourself one of these fabulous lamps. I’m guessing you need really low-wattage bulbs, though; 20 of them might make for a slight overlumination.

[via Make]

There’s A New Dystopian Monopoly On The Block, Parker Brothers Have Gone Mad

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 02:15 PM PST

How many of you were unsettled to see your favorite childhood game turn to debit cards? When Monopoly went electronic, it lost a substantial amount of fun, but at least there was still bargaining and negotiating to be had — the most fun part of the game. Well now, that’s all gone with a new version set to come out this fall.

In the center of the board lives an all-mighty air-controller-like tower, sitting quietly, watching your every move. The Big Brother uses infrared to electronically roll, calculate rent, assign turns, and keep track of everyone’s money. Included in the new version are new games like horse racing, gas taxes and the option to upgrade utilities to be more “green.” Hopefully, that can at least teach the kids to be friendly to their earth. Price is $50 and will be out in time for the 2011 holiday season.

I think they are missing something with their vision; adding magnets to the board could have been more decorous for players wanting to play the most boring game ever. Better yet, SMS notifications for acquired properties and capital generation for those too busy to sit down for a few hours.

[via giz]

Hands On With The HP TouchPad

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 01:42 PM PST

Greg brings us his own hands-on of the HP Touchpad, HP’s latest slate.

Check out our full HP/Palm coverage right here.

Apple Looking Into OLED Integration With New Patents

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 01:23 PM PST


One of the rumors we haven’t heard about the iPad 2 is an OLED screen. That’s because there’s pretty much no chance, and it would be incredibly expensive and difficult to manufacture by the million. But that doesn’t mean Apple isn’t at least thinking about the power-economizing, great-looking display tech. These patents show that they’re working on implementing it, but not any time soon.

Patently Apple has a good summary of the patents, which are mostly technical (having to do with coatings, implementation of touch layers, and so on), so I won’t go into detail here. But I wouldn’t be surprised if the iPhone 5 goes OLED. The challenge is keeping that resolution, which is already at the edge of what’s possible with displays that size.

Zero Punctuation On Dead Space 2

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 12:33 PM PST


Dead Space 2 has been getting pretty decent reviews, though the troubles inherent to a large scary-type franchise are of course in effect. Yahtzee, as usual, takes on the reasons not to play the game, and I tend to agree with him re: scariness. Actually, I tend to hide under my covers when things get scary, but in principle I agree.

Unboxing Photos: The AT&T Motorola Atrix 4G and Its Crazy Laptop Dock

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 12:07 PM PST

A few hours ago, I posted this picture of a blurred out box. Tied up in embargo stuff, I wasn’t able to say much — so instead, I challenged our lovely readers to guess what was behind the blur. The answer, as one Byron Cheng managed to guess: AT&Ts upcoming Android superphone, the Motorola Atrix 4G, and its crazy companion Laptop Dock.

It’ll be a few days before we’ve spent enough time with the Atrix to weigh in with out full review — in the mean time, click through the jump for our big ol’ beautiful unboxing gallery.

Continue reading, if you dare…

Video: Greg Unboxes The Motorola Atrix 4G and The Atrix Laptop Dock

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 12:06 PM PST

Need more than a couple dozen unboxing photos to sate your Atrix 4G gadget pr0n needs? Don’t worry — we’re not judging you (Not for that, anyway.)

We’ve captured the unboxing experience (for both the Atrix 4G and its companion Laptop Dock) in good ol’ movie form right behind that mega-rad little “Read More >” button. Check’em out, won’t you?

Continue reading…

HP Announces webOS For… PCs?

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 12:01 PM PST


HP’s Todd Bradley just went on stage at the webOS event and said: “I’m excited to announce that we’re bringing webOS to the device that has the biggest reach of all: the personal computer.” Now, let’s not all go insane here. We’re pretty sure that what he means is webOS will be flavoring HP products, probably taking over the role of TouchSmart in their multi-touch all-in-one PCs. But hey, they just put out a phone with a 2.6-inch screen. Maybe HP is going all out.

It makes sense to have a single layer that covers your whole computing experience, and if you’re HP, you can just wave your magic worldwide wand and say “make it so.” In this case it looks like they want to make sure that your phone, tablet, printer, and PC are all speaking the same language and have standards of connection.

Presumably we’ll see webOS interface elements in HP-branded stuff, webOS-like buttons on fullscreen applications, easy sharing via the Touch2Share “bump” feature, and so on. Could be interesting, but right now it’s mostly just being hinted at. I’m sure we’ll get more info at a future event.

In 2011, PC Gamers Will Regain Their Place In The Sun

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 12:00 PM PST

Let it be known that 2011 will be the year that console gamers will be jealous of their PC gaming brethren. (As if that matters, but whatever.) Red Orchestra 2, Crysis 2, and the mighty Battlefield 3 will be best experienced on the PC, and if you’re sitting there on your couch, controller in hand, you’re really not getting the full experience. Sorry.

Take Battlefield 3. It’ll be released for all platforms, yes, but Dice, the game’s developers, recently told Game Informer that the PC will be the "lead platform." An engine built from the ground-up to take advantage of the raw power of your fancy Nvidia or AMD GPU. A nice change of pace from the Call of Duty games that were merely designed not to explode the meek Xbox 360 first and foremost, then tossed over the to PC as afterthought. It’s more than graphics, of course, with PC gamers having exclusive access to a 64-person multi-player mode. The console versions will be limited to 24 players. Battlefield with only 24 players? Why even bother?

Red Orchestra 2 won’t even be available on consoles, with PC Gamer saying that the game arrives at a time "when even the best multi-player shooters on PC consider mouse and keyboard support or a server browser to be a feature worthy of being printed on the back of the box." John Gibson, the president of Tripwire Interactive, the game’s developers, says:

all these games being developed right now are great achievements for a console, but they’re not pushing what’s possible on the PC…. For too long I feel that multi-player shooter designers have only been trying to give players joy. Now is the time to stop feeding FPS players only cotton candy, and give them some steak and potatoes along with the sweet stuff.

In other words, too many of today’s console-derived shooters have zero substance to them. Am I right in thinking that the latest Call of Duty all but plays itself? Where’s the fun in that?

There’s no reason to think that Crysis 2, despite being mutli-platform, won’t be best experienced on a PC. Cevat Yerli, CryTek’s president and creative director (whom I talked to for all of 8 seconds at least year’s big Crysis 2 reveal) told Edge that the game "will have a PC version that's a PC game. We're going to push it as much as the engine can take." The PC version also benefits from the increased budget, courtesy of EA freaking out and needing a hit that’s not called Madden or Fifa.

It'll be at least as beautiful as Crysis, but the context is different. It's New York. Not a jungle, but an urban jungle. You have to understand that the budget for Crysis was much lower than for Crysis 2. We could spend much more on Crysis 2 because we expected to sell more through multiplatform development. So PC gamers will get a better game out of that; it isn't just take, it's also give. The gameplay has received much more research about accessibility, streamlining and making it more fun, but also making it deeper. So every angle is improved. The amount of diligence and production volume we've spent makes it so much better than Crysis.

There’s so much potential for PC gaming that it hurts to see slapdash port after slapdash port. I’m just happy to see studios give the PC more than 15 seconds of thought.
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