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The Video Game History Foundation will open a digital version of its research library
The Video Game History Foundation has unveiled a digital library that offers remote access to the archive’s collection of gaming magazines, art books and various historical materials. This has been in the works for two years.
Naughty Dog is donating the money from its ‘Jak and Daxter’ reissues
Early this year, to celebrate its 35th anniversary, game developer Naughty Dog did a physical reissue of its classic PS2-era Jak and Daxter games for PlayStation 4. Fans apparently loved it. The collector's edition sold out in hours and the standard editions sold out in less than a week. Now, instead of pocketing the cash, Naughty Dog is donating all of the proceeds to a bunch of charities.
Google’s physical authentication keys are effective but limited
Two-step authentication has been the standard for securing access to online accounts for most tech companies. Google rolled it out users in 2011 and has been steadily making improvements to the system to make it easier for us all to use it. Now, the rumored physical keys that are supposed to replace Google's two-factor verification for highly vulnerable targets are apparently here. The New York Times tested the tech company's Advanced Protection Program, which requires two physical keys to log in to a Google account. The site found that while the new program is effective, it does not yet support third-party apps that access Google information.
'Runner 2' and other indie hits get rare physical releases
Indie games don't often cross over into the physical world, so it's pretty notable when two separate companies make boxed games at once. Choice Provisions is partnering with Limited Run Games on a physical version of the Runner2 sidescroller on PS4 and PS Vita with 3,500 copies of each for sale online starting March 17th. Limited Run will also sell 1,000 copies of a (separate) limited Runner2 edition at its PAX East booth on March 10-12.
Nintendo hints at smartphone controller plans
Nintendo executives have dropped an unsubtle hint that it is working on a peripheral to enable people to play its action games on smartphones. At the firm's annual shareholders meeting, Shinya Takahashi said that his team have looked at third-party controllers on the market and "may develop something new by ourselves." Takahashi was responding to the question that playing Nintendo's more famous titles (i.e. Mario) is difficult using the virtual controls that are available with touchscreen devices. After all, it's clear that more than a few people would be happy to lay down money to play a classic Mario title on their smartphone.
The 'Rocket League' boxed edition hits US shelves in July
The physical edition of the ball-bashing, car-crashing game Rocket League rolls into US stores on July 5th, though the lucky folks in Europe, the Middle East and Africa get it on June 24th. The game comes with four new vehicles plus the three existing DLC packs, Supersonic Fury, Revenge of the Battle-Cars and Chaos Run. We first heard about the Rocket League boxed version back in February.
Snag 'Tales from the Borderlands' on disc in April
In Tales from the Borderlands, Telltale Games turns Gearbox's frantic alien shooter into a narrative-driven point-and-click adventure, broken into five episodes that were released across 2014 and 2015. All of these action-packed, emotional episodes will be collected in physical form on April 26th for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One and PC. Rejoice, completionists and collectors alike.
Amazon's first brick-and-mortar store said to open in Manhattan
It's hardly a secret that Amazon wants to be your go-to store for everything, but despite its big pushes for same-day delivery, there's still nothing like trudging into a physical store when you need something in a rush. Amazon seems to understand that all too well -- according to reports from CNBC and the Wall Street Journal, the e-commerce titan is gearing up to open its first brick-and-mortar store in midtown Manhattan in time for the holidays.
Europeans free to buy physical copies of Vita's Freedom Wars
Sony Europe U-turned on its decision to only release Freedom Wars online, and now the Vita action game will be available on European retail shelves. In one of those all too rare cases of publishers listening to consumers, Sony says it gave in to demand for a physical edition. The game's already confirmed to hit retail in North America. To recap, Freedom Wars isn't a recreation of Braveheart, but a futuristic online multiplayer game in the vein of Vita entries Soul Sacrifice and Toukiden: The Age of Demons. In the game's totalitarian landscape, you play as one of a world of prisoners who are born into million-year sentences. Since a million years is pretty dang long, you'll want to reduce your incarceration by completing missions for your "Panopticon" penal community.
HeroClix TabApp adds DC Comics figures
The HeroClix TabApp is an interesting, if not all that impressive, app for the iPad that uses HeroClix figurines in conjunction with iOS to make a game featuring the superheroes of the HeroClix series. When it first launched earlier this year, the app featured only Marvel heroes. But apparently the series is doing quite well, because HeroClix has now added some DC heroes to the mix. There are two packs available. One includes Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, and the other is a "Dark Knight Rises" special featuring Batman, Bane and Catwoman. And the app, as you can see above, has been updated with new content for all of the heroes, so if you buy those packs, you can unlock and play the new games and settings. Unfortunately, this app isn't all that great, as I said in the review linked above. But it's good to see that this is getting more popular. Hopefully we'll see more and better interaction between the digital and physical worlds in terms of gameplay on iOS.
Wizkids and Marvel's HeroClix TabApp spoils its chance to innovate
A few weeks ago, I posted about the HeroClix TabApp that was recently released on the App Store, an iPad app that has the ability to interact with a special set of figurines designed to be used with Marvel's very popular HeroClix collectible game. Wizkids kindly got in touch with me after that post and agreed to send along some figures to test out, and I was able to give both the figures and the app a go this week on my iPad 2. Unfortunately, while there is about one second of magic with this setup (which I'll talk about in just a bit), the strangely named "TabApp" wastes most of its potential. It's a free app, so it's basically just designed as a promotional tool (and you can still play through the tutorial and a short demo even if you don't have any of the figures to unlock content with), so if you're a huge fan of HeroClix, there's really no reason to not try it. But the fact is that the game included in the app is more or less a real-time tap-fest than anything else: Any hope of the deeper strategy game behind the little figurines has gone right out the window. The one bit of fun to be had with the app and the figurines is in getting to unlock each set of content by pressing the figure down on the screen. Each little figure has three pads on its base, and these pads are all set up in different places and patterns, so that when you actually press down the figure on the iPad app, it really will recognize which figure you pressed. Putting down Iceman, for example, will open up different levels than pressing down Captain America or Wolverine. That part is really fun -- it's awesome to see the iPad just "know" which figure you placed on it right away. The three levels of gameplay you unlock, however, are not really worth the price. The included game seems only barely similar to HeroClix -- various enemies slide around the screen (with terrible animations), and you just need to tap on them to attack them. There is a little bit of gameplay in terms of using certain powerups and abilities at the right times, but there's no turn-based strategy at all -- it's an arcade game that just not designed well. That's really too bad because it would be awesome to have an iPad app that really does simulate the core HeroClix game, where you could use multiple figures on the iPad's screen to coordinate a full HeroClix battle. Yes, these are meant for kids, so maybe Wizkids thought that a more arcade-style game would be more popular. But let's be honest, the kids playing with these figures and the game behind them clearly want something a little deeper than just smashing fingers on the screen. And especially since these special TabApp figures are completely separate from the main HeroClix line (standard figures don't have the capacitive pads on them, of course), you wouldn't be cannibalizing the core game at all. It would be great to use the power of the iPad to back up what's clearly a strong core strategy game already. But that's not what Wizkids did here, so they'll likely disappoint HeroClix fans and those looking to pick up the figures and play a deeper game. If the idea interests you as is, you can definitely download the TabApp for yourself and see what you think, but I can't really recommend shelling out for the figurines, only to be disappointed with the low-quality gameplay on the app itself. I think there is a lot of power in an app that crosses over between the two worlds of physical and digital gameplay, and we've seen a few other companies working on bridging that gap, including Nukotoys, and the upcoming mobile version of Activision's Skylanders toys. HeroClix had a real opportunity here to tie in the very established physical game with a strong digital version, but I'm sorry to say that most of that opportunity was wasted.
HeroClix gets a TabApp, combining physical figures with digital gameplay
HeroClix is an official superhero collectible figure game that's been around for a while -- I remember the thing first starting to get popular when I was a kid. The company has just released a tie-in app for the iPad called the TabApp, and it sounds very interesting. You can supposedly use the app to unlock special maps and scenarios figures, plus there's a game to play that's tied in to the collectible game. HeroClix fans should give it a download. Unfortunately, for the rest of us, it sounds like the app is disappointing. While there is a little interaction with the figures (you need to place one on the screen at a certain point), it's not like this is a full version of the collectible game, and the app won't do things like animate your own figures. There's one review on the app right now, and it's pretty devastating: Apparently the game has nothing to do with the figures you own, and the feature where you place your HeroClix figure on the iPad is nothing but a button. That's a shame. I'm intrigued by the possibilities of the interaction between established physical games and iOS releases, and an app that really took advantage of the large HeroClix universe would be really cool. It could be that Wizards of the Coast doesn't want to cannibalize the existing figures game, but the Magic app was finally released and that seems to have done well, so maybe the company will reconsider in the future.
Shadow Era physical cards now being shipped to retail stores
Shadow Era is an iOS app that came out a long time ago -- it successfully combines a collectible card game (fairly similar to the World of Warcraft card game, if you've ever played that one) with a freemium business model, a plan that has worked out very well for developer Kyle Pool. So well, in fact, that he announced a little while ago that Shadow Era would be getting physical cards to go along with the iOS title, and indeed, the company has announced that Call of the Crystals, the first physical version of the original iOS title, is now headed to a game retail store near you. You can see unboxing videos floating around already -- this is a full, high quality collectible card game that originally began only on Apple's iOS platform. That's great. Apple usually brags about how much software it has seen released on its iOS, but when you look at things like all of those Angry Birds collectibles and then a game like this, that has gone from an indie developer's idea to a full franchise, it's really fascinating to see just how popular and powerful this App Store has become.
Rochard boxed edition slingshots to EU shelves this month
European publisher Nordic Games is launching Rochard on a whole new plane – the physical one. A boxed edition of Rochard for PC is set to hit shelves on August 14, including the game, a poster and the soundtrack.CEO of Recoil Games Jan Achrenius says that apart from reaching a new, store-going audience, the boxed edition will be handy for the collectors out there:"Signing this deal with Nordic Games means that we'll be able to bring Rochard to fans of the game and PC Gamers who like to display their games on a shelf."We are delighted to expand the scope of Rochard and build a successful relationship with Nordic Games, their extensive games catalogue speaks for itself."If you haven't already bought Rochard in its digital form, maybe hold out for the real – er, we mean, boxed – version to pack in a few hours of side-scrolling, gravity gameplay. It might just be worth it.
Sony patents exercise music system that adjusts music to your work-out tempo
While our bodies approach beach-readiness for the summer, Sony's unveiled plans to tinker with your gym playlist in the future. According to a patent granted today, the electronics manufacturer aims to closely tie the tempo of your music to your own physical exertions. It'll do this by using a nefarious-sounding (but ultimately vague) "exercise information analyzing circuit" that will pick up on tempo differences between the user and their favorite Pendulum tracks. It will then change the "music data" for something a little more fitting for your 10-minute trudge at 10 percent incline. The patent's sketches include the idea of personalized profiles for users, and displaying what you got done at the end of the session, broken down by tempo and duration. The technology could end up in PMPs or phones, although we reckon the latter has more legs. Give your legalese its own workout and peruse the laborious wording of another patent filing at the source below.
Devil May Cry HD Collection may be out now at your local brick-and-mortar
The Devil May Cry HD Collection has an official launch date of April 3, but brick-and-mortar stores such as GameStop are selling it right now -- seriously, call up your local games store and ask if they have it in stock.Told you so.Physical retailers are able to sell Devil May Cry HD before the launch date because the title's street date has been removed, a GameStop representative told Joystiq. Perhaps this is Capcom's way of getting you out of the house, or maybe it's trying to bring down that newfangled digital-shopping model. Whatever the reason, just think of this as Easter come early and enjoy slaughtering all your demons a week in advance.
Touch pad prototype works without movement, makes fingertips feel like they're sliding (video)
This comes from the same touchy-feely Kajimoto lab in Japan that brought us the tactile kiss transmission device and we totally see where they're going with it: maximum sensation, minimum effort. You only have to exert the gentlest of pressures on this prototype touch pad and it zaps your fingertip with little electrical signals, mimicking the feeling of sliding your finger over a surface. We imagine it's a bit like the little red pointing stick in the middle of a Lenovo ThinkPad keyboard, for example, but with the addition of "position-dependent data input" to create the illusion that your finger is actually touching different areas of the screen. For now though, if you don't mind stretching a finger to your old-stylee mouse or trackpad, then check out the video after the break.
Tactile kiss transmission device finally makes it okay to smooch your computer (video)
They say the vast majority of communication is done physically rather than verbally, but in the realm of technological advances we seem to have rather neglected the transmission of physical contact. Thankfully, there's always Japan to provide us with off-the-wall innovations, this latest one being a kiss transmission device that will record, relay, and -- if you wish it -- replay your finest tongue gymnastics. It's the height of simplicity at the moment, with a plastic implement taking input from one person's mouth and conveying it to a second box, intended to be gobbled up by the recipient of this techno-affection, who may respond in kind or just sit back and enjoy the thrill of it. The researchers sagely point out that there's more to be done, as the sense of taste, manner of breathing, and moistness of the tongue are all important aspects of a kiss that have yet to be recreated. Once they do get their kiss transmitter to v2.0, however, they envision a pretty neat market for it in reselling kiss replays performed by celebrities. For now, you can see a celeb-free video demo after the break.
Apple patents another haptic feedback solution
AppleInsider reports that Apple is still bouncing around ideas for a screen that allows for haptic feedback on its iOS devices. A new patent filed this week outlines a system of screens on a device designed to not only detect touch and protect the underlying technology but also provide physical feedback in various areas of the screen. We've talked about this before, and Apple's been working on it for a while; as nice as the iPhone and iPad's screens are, there are some functions (like typing on a keyboard or hitting buttons in games) that call for a little more physical feedback. The patent also mentions things like giving users notice when they've reached a limit (as in scrolling or panning across pictures) or providing clicks on a scroll wheel. Unfortunately, this is all still in the prototype stages. For whatever reason (I can guess a few, from power requirements to manufacturing costs), Apple still hasn't included any of this technology in a production device. But they're obviously very interested in providing haptic feedback, so hopefully, it won't be too long before we see an idea like this come to fruition.
Phirtual bees make us feel pretty excited for the phuture
The somewhat rough look of the school project made by Karim Amrani in the video shouldn't fool you -- it's a pretty cool implementation and combination of virtual experiences and physical sensation. Take a look at the full video to watch people's reactions to the piece -- it's pretty fascinating stuff.
