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Anarchy Online 'heads' into the future with new screenshots
Is Anarchy Online's visual makeover project picking up steam? Considering that Funcom's posted two batches of improved screenshots within a month, we think so! Today Brad "Kintaii" McAtee posted four new pictures of Anarchy Online's upgraded looks. Two are high-definition renders of the city of Tir, one shows off the remodeled character heads, and one is a complete mystery for players to decipher. "Any guesses on what it could be?" McAtee taunts. The visual overhaul is "coming along swimmingly," according to McAtee. Last week Anarchy Online's Colin Cragg reported that the team is 90% done with remodeling over 390 heads for the game. "This has been a very long haul, but it is amazing to see the strides made every week now," Cragg wrote. "I am 'cautiously optimistic'...let's leave it at that." You can view all of the new screenshots in the gallery below. %Gallery-102015%
Mysterious BlackBerry surfaces on forum, possibly 9900 prototype (update: a limited luxury edition?)
Whoever got a hold of this device over at MaxPDA seems to think it's the BlackBerry Bold 9980. We're more inclined to believe it's a prototype of the still reasonably fresh 9900, given that it sports the same battery as well as the same layout for ports, sensors and buttons. But who knows, it could also just be an elaborate KIRF. Whatever it is though, it sure is interesting looking (to put it politely). It's boxy, sports sharp lines, an out-of-character silver front and a black, textured back plate. Oddest of all though, is the word "proceeding" emblazoned in large letters across the top of the device. We've got one more pic after the break but, if that doesn't quench your thirst, there's tons more at the source link. Update: We've just spoken to the Bejing-based source of this eccentric handset, and it turns out that he's already sold three of these prototypes for an undisclosed price. Furthermore, the seller claims that this "9980" will actually be making its way to the market in a limited quantity once it gets the diamond treatment -- hopefully something slightly more subtle than Stuart Hughes' offerings.
Is TabCo releasing the JooJoo 2?
All right, TabCo. We admit it. You've grabbed our attention with all of this swirling tablet mystery over the past few months. And yes, we'll be watching today at noon when you make the big reveal. But you couldn't wait for then, could you? The company offered up a German language tweet earlier today that seemed to shed some light on the mystery of who exactly is behind the soon to be announced tablet, teasing, "Introducing the Grid 10." Sound familiar? That's the name affixed to the Fusion Garage tablet we recently saw pass through the FCC -- you know, the JooJoo 2? Of course, the company has distanced itself from that product name for obvious reasons. It remains to be seen, of course, whether TabCo has abandoned all mention of the Fusion Garage name as well, like so many CrunchPad prototypes. Update: Something fishy seems to be happening over on the official TabCo Twitter account. The first tweet has disappeared, as has a second addressing the Google / Motorola news. We'll update you as more info comes through. [Thanks, Adriano]
Switched On: TabCo's tease
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology Tomorrow, we will find out whether TabCo is a FabCo, a DrabCo, or a skunkworks LabCo, ending the best guessing game to hit the tech industry since the identity of Fake Steve Jobs. The significant spend on the PR campaign (to quote TabCo's Web site, "That skywriting stuff isn't cheap, you know. Neither are these videos.") as well as a reference to "a large colony of nerds" have led many to believe that TabCo is a large corporation. (Its Web site says it is a global company and TabCo is planning to launch in the US in August and Europe in September.) But there are also signs to the contrary. Take, for example, TabCo's founder and CEO -- the Google-elusive Ian "IQ" Quincy (TabCo has used pseudonyms such as "Beige Foul" -- a clear reference to Apple engineer Gray Powell), who has played a major part in the campaign. Let's dive a little deeper.
TabCo answers your tablet questions with more questions
How to differentiate your tablet in an already severely overcrowded marketplace? Well, you could simply launch the best device out there -- or you could embark on a mystery campaign, answering a curious populace with cagey responses. Whoever is behind the TabCo tablet claims to have done both. The company, thus far best known for a series of befuddling YouTube videos, is set to make a full reveal on Monday. In the meantime, a representative has taken to gdgt to answer questions about the product -- sort of. There are bits and pieces of information scattered here and there, but the responses are mostly attempts not to "spoil" anything, followed by a promise that more will be revealed on August 15th. Here's what the company will say, starting with the simplest first: TabCo is short for "Tablet Company," a business set to launch a new tablet in the US this month, followed by a roll out in some European countries come September. The company won't say whether the product is running some version of Android, but has promised that, whatever the OS is, the final form of the product will "offer a new way to interact with your device," including a "predictive UI" that apparently knows what you want to search for and buy before you tell it. The tablet has an SD slot, 3G and WiFi, and a "unique" physical design and resolution. There's no 3D or HTC Flyer-style pen functionality on the thing, however. Oh, and the build quality? TabCo says it's "as good or better than Nokia and Apple devices." So, what is it? The new tablet from the people who brought you the Tabasco line of hot sauces? A big Improv Everywhere-style prank? An actual, you know, tablet? Lots and lots of viral-type videos for the international tablet of mystery after the break. And feel free to speculate your guts out in the comments
Mysterious Samsung shows up in dev center sporting Gingerbread and 1280 x 768 screen
Hello, and welcome to another edition of Mystery Cellphone Theater. This week's enigma comes to us courtesy of T Store, a Korean app market, where the Developer Center lists an unannounced Samsung device with the model number SHV-E120S. Now, we can't tell you much about the E120S, only that it reports to sport a WXGA screen (that's 1280 x 768), Gingerbread, and a single-core MSM8250 Snapdragon. Sammy has a Korea-only handset with the SHV-E110S tag and a more standard 800 x 480 screen, and the company has made no secret about its desire to push pixel density well beyond the 300ppi mark -- still, there's no guarantee this is in fact a phone. It very well may be a tablet, or just a strange report from an emulator. Regardless, we're intrigued, and keeping our fingers crossed for 4.3-inch HD display.
Mobile Miscellany: week of July 18, 2011
Here's some of the other stuff that happened in the wide world of wireless for the week of July 18, 2011: Images of the Samsung Admire for MetroPCS leaked. Also known as the SCH-R720, it may be the first device with Gingerbread on the prepaid carrier. It features a 3.5-inch HVGA display, 3G, 800MHz CPU, and 3.2 megapixel camera. [via UnwiredView] Rogers introduced the HTC EVO 3D and LG Optimus 3D to its lineup, to be available sometime this summer. (thx Luke) Speaking of Rogers, the Samsung Galaxy S Infuse 4G should be available on the Canadian carrier within the next few days, and will reportedly be yours for $150 with a three-year commitment. [via UnwiredView] Spy shots of an unannounced Samsung Android device with Verizon branding, and full QWERTY keyboard were dug up (see the above image). Specs include Android 2.3.4 onboard and built-in 4G LTE connectivity. (thx Fayez) [via AndroidCentral] The Nokia N900 was hacked, allowing you to boot up your choice of four operating systems: Maemo, Meego, NITDroid, and Kubuntu Mobile. [via LoveMyNokia] The LG Optimus 3D appears to be popping up everywhere; it's currently available on Three UK. [via AndroidCentral] A mystery device known as the HTC Hero 4G passed DLNA certification this week, causing speculation that this is the long-evasive and much-awaited HTC Kingdom. The phone's already passed through the FCC, which means we could see it show up on Sprint at any time. [via PhoneArena and PocketNow] The Motorola Defy+ is rumored to be a mild refresh of the Defy, a popular Android device that came out last year. The new version would get a few minor boosts in specs and come in HSPA bands compatible with AT&T. [via TIMN]
Dual-screen LG Android phone shows up in the wild, poses more questions than it answers
A little shindig held by Orange in the UK has unearthed a T-Mobile-branded LG device that we've never seen before. It features a display of moderate size and resolution, which slides up to reveal a split QWERTY keyboard and yet another color display. The hidden visualizer is apparently used as an app-launching shortcut repository, though other details remain frustratingly light. Kineto Wireless were the company to bring this unannounced LG handset to the party, along with a bunch of others intended for the US market, and the rep on hand dropped the name Flip II to the Pocket-lint sleuths. There's also the possibility that what we're eyeing is the LG Maxx Q, which has popped up on a recently leaked T-Mo USA roadmap, though that Android 1.6 wallpaper could mean that this is just an aged prototype that never saw the light of retail day. Which would be a darn shame, if you ask us. Give the source link a bash for more pictures.
Why Apple is trademarking Thunderbolt and why Sony might be left out
Thunderbolt (formerly known as Light Peak) may have been developed by Intel, but it's Apple that's been snatching up all the trademark glory. The company first filed in November of 2010 in Jamaica, then followed up in February of this year by securing the rights to the name in Canada, before registering similar claims in Europe, China, and now the US. This raised some interesting questions about Intel's claim to be the exclusive trademark holder (see the more coverage link) and whether or not other companies would be able to use the Thunderbolt brand. Intrigued, we did a little digging and you'll find what we uncovered after the break.
Capcom developing 'mystery adventure' for 3DS
Though the list of upcoming titles for the Nintendo 3DS appears all-inclusive of the industry's many genres, we can't help but notice a few vital deficiencies. Take, for instance, the touch-and-tilt-based mystery-adventure genre -- where's that on the list? It's not there yet, but Capcom is looking to rectify that oversight with Nazo Waku Yakata, a game spearheaded by Resident Evil: Deadly Silence director Minoru Nakai and Okamiden scenario writer Yukinori Kitajama. According to Siliconera, the game is a point-and-click adventure reminiscent of Acclaim's 1995 3DO adventure title D. It's set in a creepy mansion, where players can look around rooms using the 3DS' gyro sensor and interact with objects using the touch screen. Players can also talk to characters using the microphone, ensuring you won't be able to play it in public without risking great humiliation. It's due out in Japan this summer -- we've got our fingers crossed for a speedy localization. Or, you know, any kind of localization.
Researchers claim discovery of lost city of Atlantis, conveniently located in southern Spain
We had to do a double take when we read this headline from Reuters, but sure enough, it's not April1st yet and its writers don't seem to be joking: the location of the lost city of Atlantis has finally been discovered. Such is the bold claim from an international team of researchers, dreamers and intrepid adventurers. With the use of ground-penetrating radar and electrical resistivity tomography, they've unearthed evidence to suggest that a spot on the southern coast of Spain, just north of Cadiz, played host to what may have been human society's first metropolis. One of the reasons why it's taken archaeologists so long to pinpoint its whereabouts may be the fact that it lies 60 miles inland, where you wouldn't really expect it to be susceptible to the effects of tidal waves (which is what Plato's account of the ancient city identified as its demise). A National Geographic documentary on the subject will be broadcast this evening where we may learn more about what was discovered, the methods for doing so, and the gorgeous tans those scientists built up in sunny Spain.
HP's Phil McKinney teases three mystery prototypes on Twitter
Well, this is certainly interesting -- that's HP CTO Phil McKinney pictured above in a pair of redacted shots that were posted to Twitter by HP's Mark Budgell. Described only as "early protos" by McKinney himself, the pictures show what appears to be phone-sized device, a tablet-sized device and, perhaps most curiously, something on McKinney's wrist (all mysteriously blacked out). Before you get your hopes up too much about a new wave of webOS devices, however, you might want to take a look at the second part of Budgell's tweet, which encourages folks to vote for McKinney's SXSW 2011 panel -- a panel in which McKinney promises to make some "bold predictions for the future - backed up with a number of breakthrough prototypes," and specifically talk about what the future will look like in "5 to 10 years." Now, we can't be certain of course, but that doesn't exactly suggest these are right around the corner. Head on past the break for a slightly bigger image.
Meet the detectives of Disney Guilty Party
They're not exactly an intimidating bunch -- we've got a masked brat, a soft-spoken granny and a let-himself-go gumshoe in here -- but the investigative attendees of Disney Guilty Party look like they can crack a case and hook some crooks with flair on August 31. See the new trailer after the break.
Mysterious Motorola Droid X coming to Verizon?
The gang at Phandroid have got their hands on pics alleging to be Verizon internal documentation that details an up-and-coming handset called the Droid X. Honestly, this sounds like it could still be an internal name to us, although there has been some speculation that the handset is, in fact, the launch name of the Motorola Shadow / Xtreme that would be accompanying the Droid 2 for a Summer launch. Moving on down the line, this thing purportedly has a 4.3-inch display and Safari 4.0 for the browser. While Android's browser is also WebKit-based, we're calling shenanigans on any info that says this phone (if it exists) is shipping with Safari. More info to fuel your rich fantasy life after the break.
Interview: Wideload Games' Patrick Curry talks Disney Guilty Party, life after 'Stubbs'
Some of the most fun to be had during multiplayer video games isn't actually in the game itself -- it's outside of the games, where players chat with each other for fun, break down a strategy during co-op, or trash talk in-between deathmatches. You don't usually get XP for taunting over voicechat or telling your team where the enemy is, but there's a reward nevertheless, a social bonus completely independent of the code that developers write. Wideload Games has done a great job of focusing on that gameplay in Disney Guilty Party. I got to play the same co-op Party Mode as Randy at a pre-E3 event this week, and while it's definitely a family game, it competently serves up custom-made mysteries for families to take on. In hunting down and accusing various colorful suspects, that out-of-game conversation and interaction becomes just as important and fun as the in-game button pressing and Wiimote waggling. Game Director Patrick Curry was my partner-in-crime-solving, and since we have common roots in Chicago (I used to work in the same building, one floor below Wideload's studios), we had a quick chat about the studio's direction towards family games, and its acquisition by Disney Interactive.
Bright Falls director Phillip Van explains how to create a fictional town
Since last week's release of the first two episodes of "Bright Falls," the six-part prequel to Alan Wake, we've been feverishly wondering how a live action video game tie-in could be so ... non-abysmal. To find the cause of this phenomenon, we went straight to the source: the series' co-writer and director, Phillip Van. Check out our interview with Van just past the jump to learn about the thematic inspirations and environmental tribulations that went into the creation of "Bright Falls."
Scoggins Erasers mystery deepens as Telltale delivers erasers, iPods
Click to view the entire, mysterious gallery Telltale Games continued its teasing of what would appear to be its upcoming original IP -- called or related to "Scoggins Erasers" -- today by sending us a box filled with erasers ... and an iPod Touch. Labeled "Made in Scoggins, MN," "Contains Scoggins Erasers" and "Top Secret," the package we received was opened to reveal another, smaller box marked "Top Secret." Inside this, 10 large, pink erasers, which we removed, exposing the iPod. This was surprising enough -- then we turned it on. The first thing we noticed was the lock screen image: An FBI seal with the text "Department of Puzzle Research" below it. Unlocking the device, we were greeted by a note that "Something is wrong in Scoggins, MN ... " and instructing us to check the calendar. Sure enough, on April 29 there's an entry for "Scoggins Briefing," with the note "Come to workroom 2 for debriefing." The "debriefing" is set for 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. PDT, but there's no other info. We checked the Google Maps app and found no directions. The video app, however, held a single animated clip, Hidden People (watch it after the break), which depicts a man and his dog visiting a cabin where they encounter a creepy little red gnome. The photos app also contained what appears to be concept art, again with the gnomes. The very fact that all this arrived on an iPod seems to imply that Telltale's mystery title will be for iPhone / iPod Touch. The back of the iPod is clearly labeled "If found, DO NOT SELL TO GIZMODO," a testament to how secret Telltale feels the information it contains is -- or, more likely, a cheeky nod to a recent iPhone-related incident. For the record, we will not be selling the iPod to anyone. In fact, we're going to be giving it away to one lucky Joystiq reader. Be on the lookout for contest details soon! %Gallery-91622%
Interview: Spoiling Heavy Rain with David Cage
Once a major release has been completed and propelled to the top of the sales charts, the critical discussion surrounding it typically evaporates just as the Next Big Thing appears on the horizon. But Heavy Rain -- whether you like it, love it or loathe it -- has been kept afloat in popular opinion, with critics still debating its controversial design and embarrassing themselves as they attempt to shoehorn water puns like "afloat" and "evaporates" into ham-fisted introductory paragraphs. We drew Heavy Rain's director and writer, the soft-spoken, passionate and occasionally enigmatic David Cage, into the ongoing discussion and asked him to elaborate upon the game's story, its technology and its critical reception. Oh, and the nature of the Origami Killer, which means ... SPOILER WARNING: The following interview contains massive, big-huge spoilers for Heavy Rain. If you have not completed Quantic Dream's cinematic adventure, do not proceed beyond the break -- and don't even think about reading the comments. Just turn around and slowly R2 away.
Solve a Puzzle of Flesh on Good Old Games
If you like your adventure games to be rife with mature content, gore and unimaginably insane plot twists, you might just want to check out GOG.com's latest downloadable offering: Phantasmagoria: A Puzzle of Flesh. This sequel to Roberta Williams' adventure-thriller (which is also available on GOG) will only cost you $5.99. And for just six bucks, you'll be getting a whole bunch of crazy. The game follows the exploits of pharmaceutical engineer Curtis Craig, a former psychopath who begins to suffer vivid hallucinations while seemingly being framed for murder. During these hardships, Craig also begins to explore his own sexual preferences, leading to a multitude of on-screen sadomasochistic encounters. Also, zombies.
Hands-on: Disney Guilty Party
On my list of games I expected to see from Stubbs the Zombie dev Wideload Games, "multiplayer mystery game" ... well, wasn't on my list. But I have to say that I was excited by what I saw (and played) of Disney Guilty Party during the Nintendo Media Summit. It was funny, clever and, simply, different. Though it will support four-player cooperative (and even competitive) mystery-solving (think: Clue meets Zack & Wiki), the session I participated in was a two-player affair. From levels that include a train, mansion, aquarium, and other settings, I ended up playing the gumshoe character on a cruise ship that was missing its wheel and anchor. Along with my partner in crime ... solving, I came pretty close to solving the whodunnit (you need to find evidence as to the perp's hair length, sex, shape, and height, before accusing anyone) as I used my allotted moves and turns to investigate the dollhouse-like cut-away of the ship. Special cards came into play (the over-arching story's villain might, for example, lock off a room -- there's a card that counters that) as did some ... err, unique "interrogation" mini-games, including "staring" into a suspects eyes, paying a bribe and tickling the truth out of an NPC using the Wiimote. The writing's sharp and funny, the classic adventure game underpinnings are noticeable, and I'm eager to play more. %Gallery-86428%
