Archive for May 7th, 2008
« Previous EntriesRubik’s World Still A Mystery [Wii]
Wednesday, May 7th, 2008
We got our first glimpse of Rubik's World earlier this month, pitched as an "otherworldly game [that] will look and play like no other game on the market", a "collection of extremely addictive, easy-to-play puzzle games will increase in difficulty as the player delves deeper into this 3D world." Great! So... how does it play? Not a clue. Perhaps figuring out exactly what Rubik's World is is the first challenge that will "change your intellect." Yes, change your intellect.
We do know, based on the original Game Factory press release, that we'll be "constructing 3D shapes and objects, navigating through mazes and even creating [our] own soundtracks" and we'll "step inside the mysterious '27th part' of the Rubik’s cube." The two screen shots we've seen so far, however, don't really help us sort out the mechanics. It's kind of pretty though! In a blocky sort of way.
There are Nintendo DS and Wii versions, each with their own unique capabilities—you can sample sounds in the DS version to create music and share screens of your creations in the Wii version—but we will have to go hands-on before we can mentally break the whole thing down, we think.
Here's an updated fact sheet!
RUBIK’S WORLD
QUICK FACTS
Format: Nintendo Wii
Genre: Puzzle
Rating: RP
Players: 1-4
Developer: Two tribes
Release Date: October 2008Step inside the mysterious “27th part” of the Rubik’s cube-and discover an abstract world of Rubik’s themed puzzles to tease and challenge.
GAME DESCRIPTION
Welcome to Rubik’s World- An abstract environment populated by “cubie” which make up the game’s DNA. Rubik’s world takes the shape, functionality and concept behind the famous Rubik’s Cube but twists and turns the rules to transform it into a unique game experience for players of all ages. Get ready for a collection of games that will change your intellect while incorporating the mental twists and moves that made the original Rubik’s Cube such a hit!
KEY FEATURES
*Play 8 unique games (Different from the DS Version) which mix puzzles, quizzes, music and sound activities- as well as the classic cube solving game!
*Multiplayer mode lets you share the fun with family and friends. Compare your game stats and progress, share creations, music compositions and more!
*Each game requires forward thinking and involves complex mechanics with a simple interface
*Progressive increase of difficulty levels ensure long lasting playability
*Expand your Rubik’s universe. The better you play, the more cubies come to life, unlocking new challenges and activities
*Cubies behave like living and learning beings. Play and interact with them as you educate and entertain them
*Compose your own music.
*Post and share screen of your creations with your friends using the online Wii feature
*Crisp and light color palette creates a unique look and feel.
The construction of the games will challenge your brain, enable you to solve increasingly difficult puzzles, develop your logical capabilities- While having lots of fun! So take a trip inside the Rubik’s Cube and enter an abstract world of Rubik’s themed puzzles each as addictive as the original cube we know and love!
Conan Drills Deeper Into GTA IV’s Kinder, Gentler Side [Clips]
Wednesday, May 7th, 2008newVideoPlayer("conan_gta_gentle.flv", 475, 376,"");
As Late Night host Conan O'Brien has already pointed out, Grand Theft Auto IV has a gentler side. Not really, but it's a good gag and we like Conan so much that we're more than happy to retread the territory with him. Today's helping of gentle GTA touches on some of the game's lesser known features, including recycling, co-ed softball and having "the talk" with teenagers. It's worth a "tee hee" or two.
Find Your Lost Cell Phone with PhoneMyPhone [Cell Phones]
Wednesday, May 7th, 2008
Misplaced your cell phone around the house and don't have another phone on hand to call it up to locate it? Give your number to web site PhoneMyPhone and they'll instantly ring you up. Aside from instant calling to locate your phone, PhoneMyPhone will also schedule phone calls at specific times, similar to previously mentioned Popularity Dialer, to get you out of that boring meeting or awful date if you need it. As for sounding off the ring when you misplace your phone—it may not get a pizza to your door like Google Maps used to, but the easy-to-remember PhoneMyPhone should ensure a quick recovery from the recesses of your couch cushions. Thanks David!
Double Your Gears of War 2 Video Intake This Friday [Xbox 360]
Wednesday, May 7th, 2008
GameTrailers TV isn't the only outlet getting a helping of Gears of War 2 video exclusivity, as 1UP—read GameVideos—is touting its own must see clip. It's hitting the internet at 10:30 PM Pacific Time, beating Spike TV's programming in some time zones. 1UP makes no promises about Cliffy B face time, sadly. But double the Gears of War 2 footage will make this Friday a night full of meat cubes and zipper-straining fan-boners. You are quite welcome for the imagery! It's the least I can do.
Exclusive Gears of War 2 Gameplay Video on Friday [1UP]
Kaz Hirai: PS3 Will Win The Race, It Just Might Take A Decade [Playstation 3]
Wednesday, May 7th, 2008
PlayStation boss man Kaz Hirai has been a chatty fellow this week, talking about the PlayStation 3's bumpy start and its association with Grand Theft Auto IV. He also sat down with the BBC, giving his totally unbiased opinion about where the PS3 will rank against its peers. The news? Good! Well, maybe. We'll have to check back next decade, as Kaz says "The true test of the console, in terms of the install base race, is really when you look back at the end of the life cycle."
Kaz adds that he's "very confident" that at the end of the PS3 decade "we will have the install base that we're looking for and that is to be obviously in the leadership position." By then, we should be crystal clear on how things shook out. But as for the PlayStation 4? It's hazy.
"Very difficult to say," says Kaz. There's a great deal to consider, before the Sony engineers run off and start crafting the PS4, the DualShock 4, the next EyeToy.
"We need to take a look at advances in technology in various areas, such as semiconductors, graphics chips, output devices, mainly TV and monitors, to see where we would like to benchmark our next generation product" he says. We're sure they're F5ing Gizmodo like execs possessed!
Let's just hope that controller vibration doesn't become passe technology again. We're not sure we could handle another blow like that.
PlayStation 'will reclaim lead' [BBC]
New Habits Expand Our Minds—Literally [Mind Hacks]
Wednesday, May 7th, 2008
Developing new habits can jumpstart our creativity and even help us grow new brain cells, reports the New York Times. Research by authors Dawna Markova and M. J. Ryan suggests that stretching—but not stressing—yourself can develop your mind and creative skills.
"Getting into the stretch zone is good for you," Ms. Ryan says [...] "It helps keep your brain healthy. It turns out that unless we continue to learn new things, which challenges our brains to create new pathways, they literally begin to atrophy, which may result in dementia, Alzheimer's and other brain diseases. Continuously stretching ourselves will even help us lose weight, according to one study. Researchers who asked folks to do something different every day—listen to a new radio station, for instance—found that they lost and kept off weight. No one is sure why, but scientists speculate that getting out of routines makes us more aware in general."
The article recommends making continuous but small improvements by practicing a Japanese technique called kaizen to stay in the sweet spot of stretching but not stressing yourself. See also how guest author Jason Thomas practices his personal kaizen. If you're a kaizen practitioner or just a believer in continuous improvement and habit-developing, let's hear how you stay sharp in the comments.
GameStop Ending Wii Fit Pre-orders [Nintendo]
Wednesday, May 7th, 2008
Like Amazon, GameStop appears to be in dangerously short supply of Nintendo's upcoming balance simulator Wii Fit, with employees of the company writing to us today bringing word that pre-orders for the title have ended, officially, at some stores. Wii Fit pre-orders are no longer being offered on GameStop.com, with warnings that the game is "Not For Sale", asking consumers to "Please check back soon to see if more are available."
Checking in with the brick and mortar stores, we've heard conflicting info. Some have responded that their Wii Fit pre-order program has already ended, with some saying they're still taking reservations. Others further specified that reservations will be taken, but that GameStop cannot guarantee first shipment availability. If you're desperate, you may want to try your luck at more than one location, especially if you're planning on joining the eBay scalping ranks.
Fable 2 “Big-Ish”-Ton Next Week [Lionhead Studios]
Wednesday, May 7th, 2008
If you're hankering for a hunk of Fable 2 news, you will want to carve out some internet time for yourself next week, as the official Lionhead Studios blog teases some big-like news. "A lot is happening" writes the official Lionhead dev blog, "if you are anxious to find out something new about Fable 2, I suggest you make sure you've got access to the internet, next week! Yes we are planning something (quite) big-ish."
Big-ish, eh? We know it's not the only big-ish thing happening next week, as we expect a respectable number of pre-E3 announcements throughout the week, but we have to wonder what Fable 2 secrets await us. Perhaps we'll see that ballyhooed acorn or learn more about in-game pregnancy! Who wants to make a guess? There's a no-prize in it for you!
Lost My Teeth! [Fable 2 Development]
Put Your Second Ethernet Port to Good Use [How To]
Wednesday, May 7th, 2008Web site Linux.com offers a few tips for taking advantage of the second Ethernet port on the back of your computer. For example, in Linux you can bond your two ports for load balancing and fault tolerance.
...bonding [combines] both of the computer's interfaces into a single interface.... The OS can alternate which interface it uses to send traffic, or it can gracefully fail over between them in the event of a problem. You can even use it to balance your traffic between multiple wide area network (WAN) connections, such as DSL and cable, or dialup and your next door neighbor's unsecured Wi-Fi.
Most new computers come packed with a perplexing abundance of Ethernet ports—that is to say, two. But with a little know-how on your Linux box, you can get a whole lot more from them. The article focuses on Linux, but if you've found a use for your second Ethernet port on your Windows or Mac PC, let's hear about it in the comments.
Korn Talks Haze [Clips]
Wednesday, May 7th, 2008
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In this "mature-rated" video Jonathan Davis of Korn talks us through his decision to write a song about Ubisoft's upcoming shooter Haze. It is the first time he's ever worked on music for a game. To prep he said he watched the trailer about fifty times. What? Ubi didn't give him any gameplay love!
Mike Tyson Returns In Fight Night Round 4 [EA Sports]
Wednesday, May 7th, 2008
Fight Night is back! And so is Mike Tyson! The ear-chewing ex-convict who hasn't made a video game appearance since Codemasters largely reviled Mike Tyson Heavyweight Boxing will be featured in Fight Night Round 4, now in development at EA Canada. Said to sport a "re-written gameplay engine" and "all-new physics-based animation system that recreates the full spectrum of true-to-life punch impacts, giving boxers a devastating arsenal of punches, blocks and ring movement" Fight Night Round 4 is planned for a 2009 release on the Xbox 360 and PS3.
This is exciting stuff. I used to kick Iron Mike's ass pretty regularly—as Lil' Mac, of course—but was terrified when I ran into him last year at a party. I shall take my revenge on him next year for giving me such a fright. I may even go so far as to say that his heart/children will be eaten, should the game allow it. You hear that, Tyson?!
The Champ Is Back! EA Announces EA SPORTS Fight Night Round 4Mike Tyson Featured in First Boxing Videogame in Nearly a Decade
REDWOOD CITY, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Electronic Arts Inc. (Nasdaq:ERTS) announced today that EA SPORTS™Fight Night Round 4 is in development at EA Canada in Vancouver under the EA SPORTS brand. EA SPORTS Fight Night is back with the most realistic "in the ring" experience to date, featuring some of the greatest boxers in history fighting in their prime.
"The EA SPORTS Fight Night franchise has always been synonymous with quality and innovation that raised the bar for the sports videogame genre", said Kevin Wilkinson, Executive Producer, EA SPORTS. "EA SPORTS Fight Night Round 3 was a platform defining game as the industry transitioned to next generation consoles. EA SPORTS Fight Night Round 4 will change how boxing games are played and measured in the future."
Featuring a re-written gameplay engine, EA SPORTS Fight Night Round 4 will add a variety of fighting styles and boxer differentiation to authentically emulate the greatest fighters of all time. Pressure your opponent with the brawling inside style of young Mike Tyson, bobbing and weaving to set up powerful hooks and uppercuts. Capitalize on Muhammad Ali's reach, hand speed and fleetness of foot to bewilder your opponent with lightning fast jabs and straights from the outside. For the first time in history, EA SPORTS Fight Night Round 4 gives you the opportunity to pit these legendary heavyweights against one another and name a true champ.
No fight will be the same with an all-new physics-based animation system that recreates the full spectrum of true-to-life punch impacts, giving boxers a devastating arsenal of punches, blocks and ring movement. The new physics system allows for missed punches, glancing punches, knockout blows and for the first time ever, rough and tumble inside fighting. Fatigue, adrenaline, footwork and timing all come into play as you hammer away at your opponents.
EA SPORTS Fight Night Round 4 will be available for the Xbox 360™ system and the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and ships to retailers in 2009. The game has not yet been rated by the ESRB or PEGI.
EA SPORTS™ is the leading interactive sports software brand in the world, with top-selling titles and franchises including Madden NFL Football, FIFA Soccer, NHL® hockey, NBA LIVE basketball, NCAA® Football, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® and NASCAR® racing.
About Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is the world's leading interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, cellular handsets and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EA SPORTS™, EA™, EA SPORTS Freestyle™ and POGO™. In fiscal 2007, EA posted revenue of $3.09 billion and had 24 titles that sold more than one million copies. EA's homepage and online game site is www.ea.com. More information about EA's products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at http://info.ea.com.
EA, EA SPORTS, EA SPORTS Freestyle, and POGO are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. John Madden, NFL, FIFA, NHL, NBA, NCAA, Tiger Woods, PGA TOUR and NASCAR are trademarks of their respective owners and used with permission. Microsoft and Xbox 360 are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. "PLAYSTATION" is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
Delish Manages and Thumbnails Your Del.icio.us Bookmarks [Featured Mac Download]
Wednesday, May 7th, 2008
Mac OS X only: Browse your Del.icio.us bookmarks like never before with freeware beta application Delish. URLs weren't mean to be viewed as text, according to the minds behind Delish, so the software provides a visual interface for your bookmarks by creating thumbnail snapshots of all the links, which it displays in an attractive, easy-to-use interface. Delish even supports multi-touch pinch and scroll gestures for owners of new MacBook Pros and Airs—though unfortunately you can't create a new bookmark with it. Delish is currently freeware, Mac OS X only.