Natural Motion
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Developer's 10-year journey to the iPhone launch stage
Apple's press events often feature demos of innovative third-party software that showcase the hardware being announced. At the recent iPhone 5 and iPod announcement, Apple showed off the processing capabilities of the new iPod touch with Clumsy Ninja, an interactive, animated character created by Natural Motion. VentureBeat reporter Dean Takahashi grabbed Natural Motion CEO Torston Reil after the event and talked to him about his company's animation technology. According to VentureBeat, Clumsy Ninja is the product of 10 years of development that started with Natural Motion's character animation engine, Euphoria. You can watch the Clumsy Ninja demo below and head over to VentureBeat to learn more about Natural Motion's background and its technology.
TUAW's Daily iPhone App: Icebreaker Hockey
You may remember Backbreaker, the iOS football arcade game series by developers NaturalMotion. That same company has now used its proprietary physics engine to put together a game called Icebreaker Hockey, which obviously takes on the sport that's popular with our Canadian friends in the north. Just like Backbreaker, the game isn't a straight hockey title, but rather plays like a concentrated version of hockey, with you controlling a player skating straight for the goal and having to juke around defenders and get your shot in when you can. It's fun stuff, especially if you're not too concerned about realism. There are a few different modes to play with, and full Game Center integration for leaderboards and achievements. The weather's heating up outside, so the ice rink may seem like a thing of the past these days, but you can still get your skate on with this one. Icebreaker Hockey is just US$0.99 on the App Store right now.
NEC turns your arm into a touch-sensitive remote control
You may ask yourself, why bother tapping touchscreens or physical buttons when an accelerometer can be strapped to the wrist, turning any ol' arm into a wireless touch panel? That's the claim that NEC is making today. A wrist-worn band of compact acceleration sensors divides the arm into seven sections along the upper, middle, and lower arm that can then be assigned as virtual inputs to an electronic device. No more reaching into a bag to answer the phone, no more plucking at the strings of a guitar to create song -- everything is controlled through a natural tap of the arm or clap of the hands. Once in a lifetime tech that feels the same as it ever was.
TUAW's Daily App: Backbreaker 2: Vengeance
Most football video games nowadays go all out on features -- you can play any position, just coach fantasy-style, or even design plays in some games. But NaturalMotion's Backbreaker series for iOS goes the other way. It's just good old tackling and running, boiled down into an arcade mode designed to show off the dynamic tackling and motion built into the engine. Backbreaker 2: Vengeance is really impressive. If you're a hardcore football fan you'll want a more full-featured game, but if you just love dodging and diving into players on the football field, you'll really enjoy the wave after wave of points-based attacks here. Especially on iPhone 4, the presentation is great, with smooth and beautiful graphics and very responsive controls. This is the second in the series, and it shows -- NaturalMotion is really learning how to do cool stuff with their engine. There are also tweaks to moves from the first game, and a few new moves as well. And Backbreaker 2's got Game Center integration, so you can chase after achievements and leaderboards, too. It's an excellent game for US$2.99 -- check it out (at least when you're not playing Infinity Blade today).
Backbreaker demo blitzes Xbox Live
A demo for the Euphoria-powered, tackle-infused Backbreaker is now available on Xbox Live. The demo clocks in at 415MB and allows players to try out the training mode, an exhibition game and the "Tackle Alley" mode. Tackle Alley is an arcade-style game that has you running the ball up the field against a pre-placed set of defenders. Using Backbreaker's offensive options, it's your job to shake the defense and get the ball to the end zone. Backbreaker also has another innovative feature: being one of the only football games that isn't Madden. Unfortunately, the team editor isn't available in the demo, so you'll have to wait for the retail release in order to create your totally fictional team that doesn't use any NFL names or trademarks. Xbox.com: Add Backbreaker demo to your Xbox 360 download queue
Video: Backbreaker asks us how it feels
NaturalMotion just released a new "How Does it Feel?" trailer for their upcoming (American) football contender Backbreaker. A no-name football game that NaturalMotion is confident can compete against Madden 09 solely because of their gameplay trump card: the Euphoria engine. Promising realistic tackles, unscripted animations and dynamic fumbling goodness, Backbreaker sounds pretty decent on paper. So that's why we have trailers, to actually see with our own two eyes what the game has to offer. But, oddly enough, this Backbreaker trailer doesn't even show a hint of Euphoria goodness. No crunching bones, gang tackles or helmet to helmet collisions. Come on NaturalMotion, let's see your Euphoria trump card.
38 Studios to use NaturalMotion's Morpheme engine
38 Studios, the star-studded development studio working on a mysterious MMO codenamed Copernicus, has announced that it will use an animation engine called Morpheme. Morpheme has also been used in EVE Online and Heavenly Sword. Its creator is a company called NaturalMotion, which also created the related and acclaimed Euphoria engine used in Grand Theft Auto IV and the upcoming Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.Jon Laff, 38 Studios' chief technology officer, was quoted in the press release saying, "Morpheme allows us to create very high-quality character animations quickly, cutting down on a lot of intensive animation design and implementation time." Uh, good! Wouldn't want you to pick middleware that slows you down instead!So for those who are keeping track: Copernicus now uses BigWorld, Unreal Engine 3, and Morpheme. It's got the trifecta!
Euphoria-based Backbreaker gameplay video is intriguing
It's far too early to pass any sort of judgment, but we're intrigued by this first gameplay video of the upcoming football game Backbreaker, which seems to be more focused on putting players into the shoes of the athletes than the godlike skycam view of most football titles. No, it has no license, but it does seem to be a different take on the genre, and really, isn't that just as important?The tackles also look fairly realistic and with good reason: The game is powered by the euphoria engine, the same one used in The Force Unleashed and Grand Theft Auto IV. We're going to hear more about this game (slated for a vague 2008 release) in the coming weeks. As such, we just want to be the first to make this joke: Gridirons of War. ... We don't have a wider context for it, but when you see it start to pop up just remember who dropped that bon mot first.
