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The Game Archaeologist: Ironman modes and elective permadeath
One facet of video games that's been around almost since the very beginning is the difficulty level. This has allowed the player to choose how hard or easy a game would be from the onset, influencing factors such as the number of enemies, hardiness of bad guys, fragility of the player character, and available loot (or lack of it). I used to love how some of those '90s shareware titles would mock me for picking easy, sometimes portraying my character wearing a baby bonnet and sucking its thumb. Real gamers, the devs implied, go tough or go home. With a few exceptions, MMOs operate on a fixed level of difficulty for all of their players. Instead of assigning blanket difficulty client-side, the game world portions difficulty into areas, usually according to level or activity. Some games have instances with adjustable difficulty levels, but past that what you get is also what I get. This might be changing. A very fringe but dedicated group of players have championed such ideas as elective ironman and permadeath modes for their MMOs, and at least one studio is responding positively to that desire. Would you choose to make your MMO experience harder than everyone else in exchange for nothing more than a bigger challenge and a more "realistic" experience?
Timex's new Ironman smartwatch does data without a smartphone
Timex just added a new entry to its Ironman line of GPS watches, 'cept it's not just any ole timepiece this time -- it's a 3G-connected smartwatch that doesn't even need to pair up with a phone. The company calls it the Ironman One GPS+, and while it may have features commonly found in a smartwatch, it was made mostly for athletes like its predecessors. It has the capability to upload your run data to a fitness website with one tap, for instance, and you can even assign contacts to monitor your run in real time. One version also comes with a heart monitor a la Samsung Gear Fit and a chest strap, but unlike the ordinary one that costs $399 (which is already steep, as other smartwatches today cost around $200), it'll set you back $450.
The US is getting Hollywood's help building a real 'Iron Man' battle suit
The US hasn't had much success building mechanized battle suits that move quickly and stop bullets, but Hollywood has been dreaming up these concepts for years. Don't they already know a thing or two about designing high-tech armor? Apparently, the US military thinks so -- it's enlisting the help of Legacy Effects, which has built suits for Iron Man and RoboCop, to shape its TALOS (Tactical Assault Light Operator Suit) project. The company is both designing and 3D printing prototype pieces that will give a feel for what the armor is like in the real world.
Fully wearable Iron Man Mark III suit is made to 3D printed order for $35,000
We joked yesterday about finding the perfect gift for that eccentric billionaire (or millionaire, or really just any "rich" person) in your life, but nothing truly says money to burn like your very own Iron Man suit. The real kicker here is that this Iron Man Mark III suit, made by (wait for it) Iron Man Factory, is actually fully wearable and made to fit anyone as tall as 5' 5" to 6' 1". It also incorporates sensor-controlled motors -- powered by a AAA battery -- to activate the "thrusters" on back and even slide open the helmet so your loved ones can smack that smug Tony Stark-like perma-grin off your face. Oh and did we mention the seven-pound suit, which is made from a carbon fiber polymer and features a cushioned interior, also contains an LED lighting system? Yeah, there's that too, but also no lasers. Sorry, you can't have everything. There's just one major catch: Iron Man Factory needs to fulfill 5,000 pre-orders of the $2,000 suit before it can even broach the eight months of production time needed to build it with injection molding. For $200 less, you can always snag just the helmet, but if you're going to go all in, what's a few hundred more? Of course, this being an extreme cosplay toy for the 1 percent, Iron Man Factory's offering an expedited option that'll have the suit 3D printed and shipped out in only four months' time -- for $35,000. Folks, that's the real baller option. It's what we imagine Elon Musk shells out when he needs an appropriate Halloween costume. In the event you need more visual eye candy to help force your wallet (and debt load), Iron Man Factory's put together a sizzle reel for the 3D-printed suit set to none other than Black Sabbath's "Iron Man." You can check it out and sing along after the break.
Marvel bringing Iron Man's JARVIS to iPhone
On September 10, Marvel will release a JARVIS app for iPhone. JARVIS is the AI assistant Tony Stark uses in the Iron Man movies (voiced by Paul Bettany in the films) and the app is being released to celebrate the release of Iron Man 3 on home video. The JARVIS app is a second-screen app that allows the user to control the menus on the Iron Man 3 Blu-ray, browse 42 sets of Iron Man armor and watch other exclusive content. However, the app does have other functions as well. JARVIS will act as a mini-Siri, allowing you to use Tony Stark's personal AI as you own. Here's what Marvel says you can expect: -Like Tony Stark, users can engage JARVIS through voice-activated commands. -Receive messages from JARVIS, download ringtones, post to Facebook and more. -Check time and local weather as well as set alarms through the integrated Clock mode. -Initiate media delivered in messages, including video, audio, image, ringtone or website. -Install unique ringtones. -Unlock 42 unique Iron Man suits (plus additional "Ghost" file). -When connected to the same network as the Blu-ray player, JARVIS will function as the Blu-ray remote control, or the user can simply "say what you see" and the app will do the rest. There's no word yet if JARVIS will actually speak back to you (and if so, if its voiced by Paul Bettany) or if it communicates with you via text prompts. Either way the app is sure to be a hit with fans of the movies.
Elon Musk shows off Iron Man-style rocket design with gestures and 3D printing (video)
In another confirmation that Elon Musk lives life differently from the rest of us, he's just posted a new SpaceX video that's straight out of a sci-fi movie. In it, he demonstrates designing parts for a rocket the company could use just with hand gestures using a Leap Motion controller. After that, we move to a 3D projection of the part, free standing glass projection just like Iron Man, and even an implementation with the Oculus Rift VR headset. While much of its appeal is watching a billionaire play with the latest tech toys, the video gives a peek at what's possible with technology that's actually available to a rapidly growing number of people. Inspiring stuff -- we'll see if we can finish the Hyperloop concept with a Kinect and an old Virtual Boy.
Meta and Steve Mann want to mediate your reality for $667
"Demo or die." That's the unofficial motto of Meta and it's a bedrock principle espoused by Raymond Lo, the company's CTO. Lo spent a decade under the tutelage of Professor Steve Mann (known to many as the father of wearable computing), and is one of the few to make it through Mann's Ph.D. program at the University of Toronto. As an instructor, Mann requires tangible results on a regular basis from his students' projects, and now, with Lo as CTO and Mann as chief scientist, Meta's operating with the same ethos as it develops augmented mediated reality headsets. Meta's idea is to meld the real and the digital together in a fully functional computing environment. It wants to augment your reality, and, in fact, mediate it. We saw a prototype mediated reality headset from Meta a couple months ago, where we witnessed some rudimentary demos: typing in thin air and grabbing and moving digital objects with our hands. Naturally, the company's made some improvements in the interim. The latest prototype hardware has morphed into a slightly more integrated design, but it still has the boxy and rough appearance of a 3D-printed prototype. Which, of course, it is. The Kinect-stuck-atop-a-pair-of-Rec Specs look is only temporary however, as Meta is finally ready to start taking orders for its first production headset, the Meta.01. You can pre-order one for $667.00 on Meta's website, with deliveries set to begin in November. As opposed to the prototype you see in the image above, renders of the commercial device look like a cross between ski goggles and a pair of Oakleys. The magic of Meta doesn't lie in its looks, however.
Batman Zing! Whammo! Pows! his way to YouTube's top superhero spot (video)
Bruce Wayne may be on permanent vacation with Selina Kyle, but that hasn't stopped Batman from topping YouTube's list of most popular superheroes. Based on views and amount of content, the Dark Knight is number one, racking up 3 billion pairs of eyes on 71,000 hours of video. That's 213 trillion hours you spent watching the antics of a flying rodent with daddy issues -- or roughly 42,000 views per hour of footage. More surprising than that though, is who came in second place. It wasn't Spider-Man (seventh with 340 million views of 7,400 hours of video) or Tony Stark (fourth with 1.7 billion views of 20,000 hours of video). If you heard thunder, you heard right. Thor has 2.1 billion views and 66,000 hours of video, but only around 32,000 views per hour of tape. What does it all mean? Mjolnir's owner is around 33 percent less popular (views per hour) than Gotham's First Son -- and he's a god. Ouch. That Bats has a pair of killer video games benefiting from repeat walkthrough viewings probably helps, but we imagine clips like what're after the break do the actual heavy lifting. If you want to see if your favorite made the cut, hit YouTube's blog from the source link below. [Image credit: Tony Sak]
HTC reportedly enlists Robert Downey Jr. in $12 million marketing deal
After shedding several senior execs over the last few weeks, it looks like HTC is looking to recruit, albeit for a different role. In a bid to capitalize on the positive momentum behind its excellent One smartphone, Bloomberg reports that HTC will be recruiting no less than (an actor who plays) Iron Man. Robert Downey Jr. will allegedly feature in promotional campaigns as himself (not the aforementioned Avenger or even a time-travelling Holmes) and will even claim final say over creative elements -- hopefully ensuring any appearances Downey Jr. does make aren't as awkward as some recent efforts.
Iron Man mouse fuels your hot-rod red obsession, is all about the next mission
Whether you're looking to instill fear in the hearts of enemies at LAN, or just want to edit spreadsheets in style, this Iron Man mouse will do everything a normal mouse can... just cooler. To capitalize on hype for the third installment of the superhero film franchise, Japanese company e-blue (aka E-3LUE) has released this gold and hot-rod red peripheral with Tony Stark's blessing (read: under official Marvel license). Two AAA batteries power the wireless mouse (some say an Arc reactor was too expensive, and fictional), which has a resolution of 1000 dpi and, most importantly, light-up eyes. For 699 Chinese yuan (roughly $113), you also get a "Proof that Tony Stark has a heart" presentation case to show it off in. We're not sure whether e-blue's mouse will make it over to the States, but instead of worrying about that, check out the Iron Man 3 trailer below to inject some excitement into Monday morning. Can we have a War Machine version now, please? [Image Credit: PCPOP]
Hasbro's Toy Fair 2013 booth tour: Transformers, Furby rockers, Iron Man and more
Oh, the wondrous experience that is Toy Fair. And that particular experience, as you may know, includes anything from NERF hoop games and foam fusillades, to boxing robots and itty-bitty, tinkering novelties. To make things even better, though, Hasbro was kind enough to invite us over to its 2013 showcase in NYC, where the prodigious toy maker was exhibiting some Furby amigos known as Party Rockers, Iron Man's Sonic Blasting figurine and Arc Fx Mission life-sized mask, a Sesame Street play-and-learning system for toddlers, as well as a Transformers Rescue Bots Beam Box which enhances the experience by allowing the toys to mesh into a game that can be played on a TV set. There was also a little Star Wars and Star Trek action, of course -- and the good news is you, too, can see it all, just head past the break to take a look at the vast gallery and a quick video showing off a few of Hasbro's new toys.
TCL shows off MoVo Google TV box, 'China Star' 110-inch 4K TV
Chinese manufacturer TCL has a rather significant showing at CES 2013, with a number of TVs and TV-related products. We're not sure if we'll be seeing any of these debut in the US, but among them were a 110-inch "China Star" 3D 4K TV that's got a brand tie-in with Iron Man 3, and its MoVo Google TV product. Its Google TV set-top box is powered by the same Marvell Armada 1500 SoC as many others, but features a custom skin and uses facial recognition to provide personalized experiences for every family member. It seemed to run equally to other Google TVs, although we wonder if that custom skin may slow down the pace of future updates. Also on display in the booth are TCL's iCE Screen that debuted last year, and its super thin V101 Blade TV. There's more details on the products in the press release after the break, as well as some in person pics (including the 36+ sq ft China Star and accompanying costumed Iron Man) in the gallery.
Night elf priest iron-mans to level 90 with no greens, no talents, and no deaths
It's a world first for night elf priest Lyssan of Vek'linash (US), who has bypassed death, gearing, talents -- all the conveniences of modern-day Azeroth -- to hit level 90 in the player-created WoW Ironman Challenge. A report like this would normally include the winner's class specialization and gearing, but not for this player, yet the Ironman's brutal ruleset prohibits not only those basics but also death itself. That's right: If you die during the WoW Ironman Challenge, you re-roll. Period. Here's a look at the grim core rules of the challenge: No items equipped other than white or gray items. No heirlooms. No talent points -- no specialization. You may train class abilities. No professions, primary or secondary, other than First Aid. No food or water above vendor-quality white items. No groups -- no BGs, no instances, no raids, no quest groups. No guilds. No enchants, scrolls, potions, elixirs, or glyphs. No outside financial or equipment assistance (including gold or bags from other characters). The Big One: If you die, ever, you delete that character and start over at level 1. The next closest participant in the Mists leg of this event is currently level 87. Kripparrian, the player-run hard-mode competition's former title-holder in Cataclysm at level 85, does not appear to have leveled in Mists of Pandaria. We'll have a full interview with the triumphant Lyssan next week, after she takes a well-earned holiday rest! (And if it were me, I think I'd go out and die a few times, just for sheer relief ...)
Marvel Cinematic Universe 10-disc Blu-ray box unveiled, Tesseract and all
Just as the listing on Amazon foretold last month, Marvel and Disney today revealed the case for their 10-disc Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase One - Avengers Assembled box set. It features not only a glowing Tesseract cube contained in the S.H.I.E.L.D.-issue containment case, but also six brand-new pieces of art (for each flick - Marvel's The Avengers, Captain America, Thor, Iron Man 1 & 2, The Incredible Hulk) designed to adorn each disc case, Criterion-style. If you're headed to Comic-Con this weekend you'll probably be able to get a look at it yourself, hit the source link for a few more pictures of the case and artwork before deciding whether the current $139 price on Amazon is too much or just low enough to have this sitting on your disc shelf. While you decide between this and the Avengers solo release on the same day, September 25th, don't forget to snag the accompanying iOS second screen app now. %Gallery-160266%
Avengers Blu-ray preorders listed, including massive 10-disc Marvel Cinematic Universe set
If you left the theater after watching Marvel / Disney / Joss Whedon's The Avengers ready to buy the Blu-ray disc as soon as it hit then get your credit cards ready. As Blu-ray.com notes, Amazon has listings for both a 2-disc Blu-ray edition and a 4-disc Blu-ray 3D version, but the one that's caught our eye is the just updated listing for Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase One - Avengers Assembled. A 10 disc set, it has every movie in this chapter of Marvel flicks -- Avengers, Captain America, Thor, Iron Man 1 & 2, The Incredible Hulk -- with 3D copies where applicable plus collectible packaging and a bonus "The Phase One Archives" disc. The only pic of the casing we have is the promo image shown above which hints at a replica of Nick Fury's Cosmic Cube suitcase from the movie, but more information is promised to be revealed July 15th. Until then you'll have to decide if $153 ($25~ per movie) is worth it for the set, or maybe take this time to finance it by selling off your existing copies on Craigslist. Your choice. [Thanks, Victor]
Take the WoW Ironman Challenge
Forum user Jahjin, a troll priest from the Moonglade (EU) guild Twisted Tusks, has posted the rules of the World of Warcraft Ironman Challenge, a grueling, self-imposed challenge designed to take the leveling experience of WoW to a new level of difficulty. Blizzard has even thrown its support into the ring, wishing players embarking on the Ironman Challenge the best of luck. Blizzard is no stranger to Ironman-type challenges. Both Diablo and Diablo II featured rough hard modes that would cripple those who were not the best. Frankly, the fact that there are players out there putting together these difficulty challenges probably makes a lot of folks over at Blizzard very happy. Some of these Ironman Challenge rules are pretty brutal. Death is death -- if you die, delete. End of story. Better make it a PvE realm choice, if you want to curb a lot of nonsense-deaths. You aren't even allowed to use talent points, including the one to pick your specialization. No specialization is a rough road to take. If this is your kind of thing, brutal self-hatred, you're going to have a ton of fun. Head over to the official WoW forums to check out all of the rules and FAQ. If you do decide to try the Ironman Challenge, share your progress in the thread.
Quantum Phantom prototype lets you control your computer screen with a webcam (video)
A guy named Ben Wu sent us this video recently and it sort of blew our minds. Wu, an engineer and self-described dreamer, has spent the past year developing a program he calls Quantum Phantom -- an Iron Man-inspired system that allows users to control a computer's cursor using only an ordinary webcam. With his Windows software onboard, Wu can draw, write and move onscreen icons or widgets, simply by waving his camera in front of a set of dual monitors. The prototype is even sophisticated enough to recognize his own webcam-produced handwriting and automatically convert it to rich text. In most cases, the sensor relies upon an ordinary cursor to navigate a screen, but Wu has also developed a pointer-free solution, as demonstrated toward the end of the above, three-part video. Be sure to check it out for yourself and get lost in the magic. [Thanks, Ben]
Galaxy Indulge microSDHC card regularly reports back to MetroPCS (but hey, you get Iron Man 2 for free!)
If you're the kind of person who buys phones based on Hollywood tie-in deals (and for your sake, we hope you're not) you'll be pleased to know that the Samsung Galaxy Indulge comes pre-loaded with Iron Man 2. That's right, a sequel to a movie you only ever saw half of, once, while it was on the TV over the bar at Armand's on Liberty Ave. (assuming that you're a certain Engadget editor, and for your sake we hope you're not) is coming pre-loaded on the world's first Android-packing, LTE smartphone. And if that wasn't enough, the SanDisk microSDHC card that the movie is stored on regularly reports back to MetroPCS with usage statistics: This intelligent SanDisk mobile memory card provides specific, real-time network data to MetroPCS to measure customer interest in digital content. Details of aggregated, anonymous consumer usage will allow MetroPCS to determine the impact of its movie offering, which in turn allows them to provide customers with more customized content and services in the future. We're sure everything is on the up-and-up here, but for some reason we don't think most consumers will be comfortable with storage that reports regularly to a carrier -- for any reason. Still, things could be much worse: you could be stuck with the pre-loaded Iron Man app on an LG Ally.
Skullcandy Fix versus Yurbuds Ironman ... battle of the in-ear headphones! (video)
Skullcandy is hitting CES with a characteristically bold claim: its new Fix in-ear headphones are touted as the first to never fall out of your ears, irrespective of the intensity of your physical activity. We've matched them up against the Yurbuds Ironman Series, a rather larger pair of in-ear speakers, which makes the exact same assertion. Both companies have patented their particular technology and both claim to be the one and only true solution. Obviously targeting runners, vigorous exercisers and discreet headbangers, they're priced at $70 for Skullcandy's Fix and $50 for the Yurbuds Ironmans. We've had a pair of each to play around with for a few hours here and sound quality is generally satisfactory on both. The Ironmans are much punchier in the bass range and offer significantly better sound isolation -- a lot of external noise leaks in through the Fix's seal, but the oversized Ironman buds netralize the vast majority of it. Both sets feel comfortable in the ear and shouldn't cause any grief if you opt to wear them for prolonged jogs outdoors ... or impromptu indoor moshing sessions. %Gallery-113401% %Gallery-113423%
Raytheon revamps Sarcos exoskeleton, creates better, faster and stronger XOS 2 (video)
When we first laid eyes on the Sarcos XOS military exoskeleton three years ago, its sheer power and dexterity left us in awe... but as you can see immediately above, that wasn't enough for Raytheon. Today, the defense contractor's unveiling the XOS 2, a lighter, stronger robotic suit that uses 50 percent less power for dropping and giving us several hundred pushups. Video and a press release after the break don't specify the suit's military duties (they're focused on instilling the notion that the XOS 2 is a real-life Iron Man) but we can definitely imagine these causing some serious damage if Hammer Industries decided to weaponize that high-pressure hydraulic frame. Update: We previously stated that the suit didn't need to be tethered to a power source for operation, but that information was incorrect. [Thanks, SmoothMarx]
