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Ad-magine the possibilities: Microsoft sees big potentials in collecting Kinect user data
Kinect isn't just a new way for you to interact with your Xbox, it could become a new way for Microsoft's advertising division to gather targeted data about your family. We're not talking about some tinfoil-hat conspiracy theory -- Microsoft's Dennis Durkin postulated such a future at the BMO Capital Markets conference yesterday. "Over time," he said, the Kinect camera's ability to distinguish between different users, and therefore tailor content to each user, will "help us be more targeted about what content choices we present; what advertising we present; how we get better feedback and data; about how many people are in a room when an advertisement is shown; how many people are in a room when a game is being played." Theoretically, the camera could also be able to measure the level of interest in a particular game or program, explained Durkin, based on factors like which jerseys viewers are wearing (in the case of a sporting event). It's important to note that this kind of data collecting is not actually happening yet. There's still plenty of time to order Joystiq Publishing's upcoming product: the Kinect Privacy Shroud. Simply drape the Kinect Privacy Shroud over the camera and go about your life as usual without fear of being targeted by invasive advertising. Oh, and learn sign language, because Kinect can hear you too.
Joystiq Podcast 148: The Mitch Dyer Test edition
So, how does one follow up last week's groundbreaking reveal of Halo Creek? Why, with 74 or so minutes of jibber jabber. Sure, we somehow find time to answer life's deep questions, like "Will Microsoft support Kinect?" and "Will Chris return to Final Fantasy 13 one day?" For the answers to those, and other, important questions, you'll have to listen to the show. And thanks to Michael DiMauro for his masterful work on the official Halo Creek boxart, coming soon from Joystiq Publishing. Get the podcast: [iTunes] Subscribe to the Joystiq Podcast in iTunes [Zune] Subscribe to the Joystiq Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace [RSS] Add the Joystiq Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator [MP3] Download the MP3 directly Hosts: Justin McElroy (@justinmcelroy), Ludwig Kietzmann (@ludwigk) and Chris Grant (@chrisgrant) Music: "Gravity (Don't Let Me Go)" by Jon Black, "Red Eye" by Ben Kweller For fans: Joystiq Podcast Facebook group New to the show?: Listen to Episode Zero The Do It Line!: 1-(877)-JOYSTIQ See all of this week's links after the jump.
MIT tech makes gesture controls cheaper, more colorful
Sit down, Natal. Move over, Move. MIT researchers have unveiled a new breakthrough in gesture control technology: Multi-colored spandex gloves. Created by researchers Robert Wang and Jovan Popović, the gloves require nothing more than a standard webcam and special software and contain no electronic components whatsoever. The software simply recognizes various colors and shapes printed on the gloves and translates the image into an accurate 3D representation of the hand. Rather than translate the hand position data on the fly, the software actually identifies the image it sees and checks it against a database of hand position images. Upon finding a match in the database, the program displays the corresponding 3D image. The only apparent downside is that the program requires several hundred megabytes of memory to run, though Wang notes that the amount of standard computer RAM is continually increasing, with most current computers including 4GB. Wang cites video games as one of the most obvious applications for the technology, which would allow gamers to easily manipulate objects within a game world. Of course, every console maker has its own motion control solution, at least in the offing, but the gloves have an advantage: They should cost "about a dollar" to manufacture. The only thing the technology seems to be lacking is a punchy marketing name ... Cue Joystiq Publishing to the rescue: "The Amazing Technicolor Dreamgloves!" Give us a call, MIT, and we'll get these babies off the ground. The rest of you can see the gloves in action after the break. [Via GamePolitics]
90% of E3 2010 exhibit space already sold, registration open
Listen up, game industry, the Electronic Entertainment Expo -- E3 to the kids -- is kind of a big deal. If you want your company to be a part of it, it's time to get on the ball, as the Expo has revealed that 90 percent of its floor space has already been booked. And seriously, like, everyone is going to be there when the show opens June 15. We're expecting some new Zelda, plenty of PlayStation Motion Controller and Natal talk and, of course, lots of new games. If that's the kind of company you want to keep, it's time to register. That goes for you retail and press types too, as attendee and media registration is now open as well. Incidentally, Joystiq Publishing is currently soliciting sponsors for floor space. As a no-profit publisher -- it's not that we don't want profits, we just haven't made any yet -- we're looking for a forward-thinking, capital-heavy company to bring our MEGA E3 booth design to life. The current blueprint calls for six full stories of action-packed exhibition rooms, a pizzeria and a ball pit in the center courtyard. We're willing to compromise on the sixth floor (it's mostly Wii shovelware), but the ball pit is non-negotiable.
Wise old Miss America says kids should go back to playing with sticks
[TMZ] Who is the real Caressa Cameron? Winner of this past weekend's 2010 Miss America pageant, this 22-year-old Virginia native was, at one point, one of us (Exhibit A: high school yearbook photo circa 2002; pictured left). But, somehow, through some unfortunate series of events, she changed -- she became an outsider (Exhibit B: Miss America; pictured right). Newly crowned, Cameron took to the pulpit spewing her outdoorsy blasphemy onto an unsuspecting audience, disturbed from their relaxed seated positions within a temperature-controlled climate. She shouted, "take away the video games, set some standards for our children!" and construed a preposterous account of the mid-90s when kids were "playing imaginary games with sticks in the street like I did when I was little." Lies! Admit it, Cameron. You were playing PlayStation. And when you weren't doing that, you were playing Nintendo 64! And when you weren't doing that, you were probably begging daddy to get you a Sega Saturn (perhaps his heartless "No!" signaled the beginning of your innocent forays out of the den?). Poor child, what ill-gotten desire led you from the indoors? Alas, Cameron may be lost to us, but she has unwittingly strengthened our numbers by providing us with an addictive new game concept sure to keep kids inside for years to come: Joystiq Publishing is pleased to announce the multiplatform game on the year, Stick to the Streetz, for Nintendo Wii, Sony Playstation 3 PlayStation Motion Controller, and Microsoft Xbox 360 Project Natal. Grab your "stick" and wave it in 1:1 real-time, motion-capture accuracy as you imagine a brilliant game perfectly recreated in your living room television display. Take that Miss America!
New playable character in RE5: Gold Edition
click to Excella-size Of all the characters we can imagine playing in the new Mercenaries Reunion mode in the upcoming Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition, Excella Gionne is probably at the bottom of the list. Well, Ashley -- Leon's little tag-along in Resident Evil 4 -- might rank lower. While the press release assures us that Excella's "mercilessness contrasts with her beauty" and that she has a "strong fighting instinct backed up by superior martial art skills," it seems just a little suspect. She's a CEO, not a warrior. Can you imagine Steve Ballmer and Howard Stringer teaming up to fight their way through the zombie apocalypse? Actually, that sounds completely awesome. Why don't you check out some screens of Excella -- and some new screens of the "Desperate Escape" episode -- while Joystiq Publishing works up a development document for Ball and String in Zombie Town. The Gold Edition DLC will be available February 17, followed by a retail release in March. %Gallery-83619%
AbleGamers launches reviews with accessibility in mind
Before you send an overtly hostile dissertation to AbleGamers about their outrageous 6.7/10 scoring of Batman: Arkham Asylum, keep in mind that the site's newly launched review section focuses on accessibility above all else. While that particular review mentions the game's many qualities, some of them may be difficult to appreciate by disabled players. The site offers critique and advice on several aspects you may take for granted, including the presence of subtitles, colorblind options and adjustable controls. "There are countless sites out there that review games for their graphics and sound, but no one is looking at the game from the standpoint of accessibility," explains Mark C. Barlet, President of the AbleGamers Foundation. "With 63 million Americans with disabilities this is a focus that is needed and who better to do it than the flagship site for disabled gamers, AbleGamers.com. I hope that game makers now add AbleGamers to their list of news outlets to send review copies to."In a show of support, Joystiq Publishing has sent over its highly anticipated puzzle game, Is This Color Red or Green?. We reckon it's at least a nine.
New Left 4 Dead 2 TV spot, Scavenge mode walkthrough
Just in case GameStop's Left 4 Dead 2 commercial was a little too slow-paced for you, Valve has released a new TV spot that's nothing but action. Of course, that action is culled entirely from the CG trailer that was leaked last month, so you won't see anything new here. You will hear something new, however, as the commercial has been injected with a thumping blues-rock soundtrack, making the whole thing feel like a big, sprawling, undead bar fight. Come to think of it, it sounds like Joystiq Publishing just found its next game. No one has the rights to Undead Bar Fight, right? While we go do a little research, watch the trailer above and, after the break, watch G4's walkthroughs of the Scavenge and Survival modes.
These new Resident Evil 5 costumes are not a win-win
No, that's not a screen from Joystiq Publishing's upcoming actioner, Vanessa and The Bear ("Half Accounts Receivable Temp, Half Sadomasochist, All Hero!") It's actually a pair of the new costumes you'll able to get if you pick up the upcoming Resident Evil 5 PC release.We've just got one question: Who, exactly, did Chris piss off so bad that they're dressing him like the lovechild of Don Johnson and The Gimp?
Ubisoft trademarks 'Just Dance'
In other news, Joystiq Publishing trademarked "Just STOP."
3D Realms bids fans a simple farewell
Capping off a week that saw the developer close its doors after 21 years of operation and its ridiculously long-in-development Duke Nukem Forever left unfinished, 3D Realms has updated its website with a group staff photo and a brief, somber goodbye to gamers. Community manager Joe Siegler made what is likely his final update to the defunct company's website, posting simply, "Thanks for being fans and for all your support." No, thank you. Thanks for all the great games -- even that one that never came out but provided us with so much gag material over the years. That said, it's time for Joystiq Publishing to begin its next project: 3D Realms Forever. It'll be out next year, promise. [Via Shacknews]
Analyst: Investing in Wii development is 'fool's gold'
Cowen & Company's Doug Creutz thinks the Nintendo Wii installed base numbers are misleading and he's not afraid to tell the world. When asked by Gamasutra which system developers are best off investing in, he said, "The choice here is really between investing for the Xbox 360 and PS3 -- since their capabilities are fairly similar -- or the Wii. I would caution investors and developers that the larger installed base of the Wii is really a bit of a red herring." Creutz explained that while there are 19 million Wiis on the loose in the US, the combined numbers for Xbox 360 and PS3 still edge out the Wii by 3 million units. Creutz continued, "I think the Wii installed base represents, to a certain extent, fool's gold for someone looking to invest in video game development." We'll keep that in mind once we get Joystiq Publishing off the ground.
Joystiq Podcast 089 - Gravity edition
Everything that old is new again. We've got a brand new intro courtesy of Jon Black and a brand new attitude. No, no, that's not true. There is new music though, which we hope you love. Again, Mike Santos provides the perfect photoshop compliment. Speaking of photoshops, we've got a bonus for you after the break, Max Varenik created the perfect game, one combining 50 Cent and Vin Diesel. Sorry world, Joystiq Publishing already has the rights. Get the podcast: [iTunes] Subscribe to the Joystiq Podcast in iTunes (it's back up, people!) [Zune] Subscribe to the Joystiq Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace [RSS] Add the Joystiq Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator [MP3] Download the MP3 directly Hosts: Chris Grant, Ludwig Kietzmann and Justin McElroy Music: "Gravity Don't Let Me Go" by Jon Black, "Red Eye" by Ben Kweller For fans: Joystiq Podcast Facebook group See all of this week's links after the jump.
