no
Latest
THQ Nordic did an 8chan AMA and it went as well as you'd think
The marketing team at THQ Nordic woke up on Monday morning, made some coffee, powered on their computers and decided to host an AMA on a website blacklisted by Google in 2015 for hosting "suspected child abuse content."
Is Apple merging iOS and macOS?
MacBooks and iPhones. Together. On the same operating system. No.
The Nexus Telegraph: Is WildStar a World of Warcraft clone?
No. That was quick, so we can all -- oh, wait, no, I need to write more. Also saying we can all go home is pointless; most of you are reading this from home. All right, we'll start over. This is one of those things that gets trotted out every time a new game comes along, and in WildStar's case it comes out twice as regularly, since it's the first game in history to use colorful and stylized graphics other than World of Warcraft, except that it isn't. It's kind of ridiculous, and it's a bit of a pet peeve. As someone who has played World of Warcraft extensively, I find the list of similarities between the two pretty shallow, and it comes across more as a way of dismissing the game without bothering to learn about it. So let's talk about where WildStar does take its cues from Blizzard's game, where they differ, and why saying it's just a clone is absurd.
Siemens creating portable sensor to warn about asthma attacks, breathe deeply until it ships
We all wheeze a little from time to time, at least we do when we've fallen off the fitness wagon and are trying desperately to climb back on. For some it's a little more serious than that, and for those prone to dangerous bouts of asthma Siemens AG has a bit of hope. It's developed a portable sensor that can detect minute increases of nitric oxide in a patient's breath, particles that serve as a sign of an impending asthma attack. The user can then use that information to ingest the correct amount of anti-inflammatory meds. The device is said to be about the size of a cellphone, though unfortunately Siemens didn't specify a model. Like, are we talking a Veer here or a king-sized Nexus S? Inquiring minds want to know.
When Steve says "No" we hear "Maybe." Here's why.
In a recent TUAW post, I wondered whether a closed Mac system might be in Apple's future in addition to the standard Mac offerings. Despite the existence of Apple TV, some are dubious. After all, Steve Jobs said no (or, more accurately "nope") to a correspondent who recently asked about a Mac App store under a far more universally closed system than the scenario floated yesterday. Jobs has said "no" (and "nope") before. Sure, we at TUAW love Uncle Steve, but when Jobs says "no," we're not always sure that he really, really means it. The following list includes TUAW's 6 top Steve Jobs "no way" moments. Each of these transformed into "yes way" actions some time after Apple's denial. It's not as if Apple doesn't mean "no" when it says "no." It's just that like any other corporation, Apple often moves in unexpected directions based on consumer pressure. And sometimes Pinocchio's nose grows a teeny tiny bit.
Four out of ten IT professionals would buy a tablet, but would you?
Macworld is reporting that their partner Network World recently did a poll and came up with the figure of four out of ten Network World readers willing to buy a tablet on day one sight unseen. That's an interesting result (and it's not the only one seen along those lines), but I want to know what you TUAW readers think. We've got a pretty good group of professionals, "pro-sumers" (ugh, sorry, I'll never use that word again), and just plain Mac fans in the audience here, and I think we represent a pretty good cross-section of Apple's core audience. Jump in on our poll below, and let us know, if the impossible became possible, if you'd plunk down the rumored $1000 for a tablet even before Steve's demo, or if you'd rather wait and see (or maybe not even buy a tablet at all, no matter what it does). %Poll-40508% Personally, I'm more of a "maybe," though I can totally understand the belief that this is already a revolutionary project (we've certainly been waiting long enough for it). Or perhaps those of us who already have an iPhone and a MacBook aren't really as interested in the in-between as Apple might think.
The Care and Feeding of Warriors: PuGgit!
Last week, WoW Insider saw a post by some guy about why tanks don't PuG.This week, I'm writing a post exhorting you warriors out there to PuG. Run pick up groups as tanks, DPS, hey, if people really want you to run around trying to keep them up with bandages then go nuts. Why am I telling you this? Well, it fits into my current crazy plan to stave off WoW burnout. Playing a warrior can be a lot of fun, but it takes a certain mindset to do it and frankly, if all you're doing is tanking raids and grinding on quests, you're in danger of falling into a rut. You don't even have to be tanking raids for this to happen... soloing your warrior in Dustwallow Marsh can be just as much an example of staying in your comfort zone. Do you make up excuses why you can't run Zul'Farrak just to grind away on quests in the deserts of Tanaris instead? Does the very idea of running Uldaman make you break out in a cold sweat? Then you should run Uldaman.Like most classes in WoW, warriors at say level 12 running Ragefire Chasm or level 15 braving Deadmines are hardly the same as a level 70 warrior running Sunwell Plateau, but the path to the latter leads right through the former. You can read the forums, talk to other warriors, listen to long winded self appointed expert bloggers, or cruise the theorycrafting sites every waking moment, but as helpful as all these things can be you can learn more from doing than from all of them combined, if you pay attention and are willing to accept that you will screw up, groups will wipe, blame will be cast your way and sometimes it actually was your fault. If you can endure this and learn from it, you'll become a better tank or DPS. In fact, I'll go so far as to say that's why these various instances are there. BFD isn't just there to get you Strike of the Hydra, it's there so you can learn how things like aggro management, crowd control, and tanking actually work.
Wii Warm Up: When you just can't take any more Dragonball
Don't get us wrong, we used to like Dragonball Z. When we were, like, twelve. But with the announcement of yet another DBZ game coming to the Wii, we can't help but think of all the other deserving anime franchises that could use the gaming treatment. The import Naruto titles on the 'Cube were spectacular, and we hear that the Bleach and Full Metal Alchemist titles aren't half bad.You guys probably watch more anime than us, so which series, no matter how obscure, would you have make its way to the Wii? How about Read or Die, which could make very interesting use of the Wiimote for the various paper-based powers, or maybe Hikaru no Go, as a cool boardgame/RPG tandem title? Come forth, otaku, we summon thee!
Finally, a pachinko game for the Wii
We might sound sarcastic, but we're happy to see different kinds of games come to the Wii. This latest title from Sega Sammy is a collection of pachinko and pachislot (pachinko plus slot machine) simulations, called (deep breath!) Jissen Pachinko/Pachislot Hisshouhou! Sammy's Collection Hokuto no Ken Wii (Fighting Pachinko/Pachislot Victory Way! Sammy's Collection Fist of the North Star Wii). It's based on the same popular Sega Sammy pachinko games that have been released on the DS, PS2, and PSP, and contains a bundle of pachinko and pachislot boards. And, of course, it carries the license of the classic, brutal Fist of the North Star manga and anime series.This one is interesting for the same reason a lot of Wii games are: Wiimote controls. Apparently, you can use the Wiimote steering-wheel style to control the speed of the dropping balls. We admire the novel Wiimote use! It also has online ranking, in case competition motivates your pachinko-playing.Jissen Pachinko/Pachislot Hisshouhou! Sammy's Collection Hokuto no Ken Wii (Fighting Pachinko/Pachislot Victory Way! Sammy's Collection Fist of the North Star Wii) comes out on May 24th in Japan, and probably never anywhere else. Any pachinko fans here? Do any of you import these kinds of things?
Japanese GC version of Zelda to be sold online only
First, it was to be the pinnacle of all Gamecube games. Then, it would be released on both the GC and the Wii simultaneously. Then Nintendo went ahead and added a new control scheme to the Wii version. Then they had the gall to release the Gamecube version almost a month after the Wii version. Finally, in this final heinous act of treason, Nintendo of Japan has announced that the Gamecube version of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess will be sold exclusively from their online store, for around $57 USD. We're all for the Wii version, folks, but this is a little ridiculous. Gamecube owners are getting the short end the stick in an attempt to push the Wii hardware as far as humanly possible. We do not approve, Nintendo. It should be noted that no specific announcements have been made for the US release plans of Twilight Princess, but a similar treatment would hardly be surprising.
Laughable Rumor: Nintendo to rename console again?
It looks like all of you who hate the name Wii are getting your wish. Nintendo's latest console rename has been confirmed by none other than Reggie himself. That's right folks, the Nintendo Wii will now be called the Nintendo Super Hyper Entertainment System Omega G-Force Spectra Unlimited Turbo, or NSHESOGSUT for short. With the NSHESOGSUT name, Nintendo is hoping to show the gamer that their newest console means business not only from an innovation standpoint, but from a "blow you away with an ultra eXtreme name that makes Mountain Dew look like prune juice" perspective also. While your dad is busy getting to know his brain's age, your new NSHESOGSUT will be laying some fresh grinds and busting big air while riding the back of a shark, which is in turn riding the back of a grizzly bear. The NSHESOGSUT means business and backs down from no challenge. Why, in Nintendo's first commercial, leaked to The Fanboy mere moments ago, we see the console take on an alligator, wielding a knife, in one fatal roundhouse kick that sends both reptile, and sharp stabbing object, crashing to the ground with lethal force. Now that's tough![Via Evil Avatar]
Red Steel: dueling blades, no mercy!
Seriously, I did the same exact thing at E3. What? Don't make that face, you can't give these Yakuza scum any mercy! For the sake of clarity, every time the player blocks, this is from shaking the nunchuk.[Via Codename Revolution]
