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Orbital's Antares launches cool science experiments to space
NASA and Orbital ATK had to put off Antares' comeback until the next day due to a glitch, but everything went well the second try. The rocket finally blasted off to space carrying a Cygnus spacecraft with supplies for the ISS, as well as a bunch of cool scientific experiments. One of its science payloads is the Saffire 2, the follow-up to the largest fire experiment conducted outside our planet. Saffire 2 will burn nine samples made of various materials aboard the Cygnus as it makes its way back to Earth. That will allow scientists to compare their flammability in microgravity to their flammability on the ground. The data they collect could help keep future spacefarers safe when they embark on long-duration missions.
iPhone It In: Orbital
I'm what you'd consider a pretty hardcore iPhone gamer (I know, does not compute). I probably have 30 games on my phone, and that's whittled down to my personal "best of the best." Near the top of that list is Orbital, a game that, like Canabalt, I can play anytime, anywhere I get the urge. Although unlike any of the other quick pick-up games I own, Orbital has a tendency to make me forget what I was doing, find somewhere comfy to plop and play for ... a really embarrassingly long time. Part of that's the game's simple concept -- a "cannon" continually pans left and right at the bottom of the play field, and tapping the screen fires a projectile. It ricochets off the top and sides of the screen based on your aim, then expands until it touches the edges or another sphere. Each of these orbs in space starts with three "hit points;" hit it that many times and it explodes. So, the goal is to ricochet your shots in a way that they hit multiple orbs and create longer and longer destruction combos -- all while avoiding the game-ending mistake of your shot going off the bottom of the screen. Oh, and then there's Gravity Mode. %Gallery-84160%
An app with everything but sales
TriplePoint PR's site has a post on their blog about Orbital [iTunes Link], an iPhone game released a while back that I presume is one of their clients. Obviously, they've done their job: we're talking about the game, which is $.99US or available in a lite free version [iTunes Link]. But they've also provided us with a little insight into just how things are going in the app's release, and the picture they paint says "not well." Oh, sure, it's been reviewed well, there's a little bit of buzz about it, and the game itself, says the firm, is good (trust them at your own risk, but they sound like they really do enjoy it). So what's the problem? It's not selling. To be fair, it is selling. They've sold less than 100,000 units, they say, and even half of that is a nice chunk of sales. But apparently that's not a success, and they're wondering why. Piracy is their first guess -- we've heard before that piracy can be a huge issue, even on cheap apps. They say the game had an 80% piracy rate in the first week, which has since dropped down to 24%. I'm not convinced piracy can be blamed completely -- there's no guaranteeing that all pirates would have bought a real copy anyway. But certainly there's something going on here -- you can have a terrific app that's well-reviewed and buzzworthy, and if it doesn't end up in the right place at the right time, it still won't be successful (or at least as successful as you want). Everyone is still working to unlock success in the App Store, but with over 100,000 products on the shelves, it has become increasingly more difficult for the good apps to stand apart.
Infrared sensors hit 16 megapixels, can now spy on an entire hemisphere
Aerospace and defense manufacturer Raytheon wants everyone to know it has developed the world's first 16 megapixel infrared sensor, which is set for a life of orbiting the Earth and generally being a lot more useful than lesser models. With its higher resolution, the unit is able to cover an entire half of the planet without "blinking" to relocate its focus, and should be warmly received by meteorologists, astronomists and military types, all craving for a bit more real-time reconnaissance. We advise wide-brimmed tin foil hats to shield your body heat from these Sauron-like satellites while working on those plans for a global uprising of the proletariat. [Via TG Daily]
Orbiting fuel stations proposed for trips to the Moon, Mars, and beyond
A US government panel, summoned by el presidente to review the future of human space travel, has expressed strong support for introducing fuel depots into Earth's orbit. Refueling between stops is expected to cut down significantly on the weight of spacecraft and, accordingly, eliminate the need to engineer ever more powerful rockets to launch missions. It would then be up to private companies to compete -- and NASA already knows a thing or two about privatizing space missions -- by reducing costs and developing more efficient methods. While by no means the only potion NASA has bubbling, if the panel concludes in favor of orbiting gas stations, they will form the backbone of all future extraterrestrial exploration. So we're just letting you know in advance -- we're nice like that.
Bungie treats us with Orbital screenshot goodies
Last week, Bungie teased us with a single screenshot of Halo 3's upcoming Orbital multiplayer map (one third of the Mythic Map Pack), and now today we're treated to much, much more. Bungie just posted a Spartan sized bundle of Orbital screenshots (some new Assembly screens as well) that give us a pretty good taste of what multiplayer goodness Bungie has in store for us come the Mythic Map Pack's release. We've added the new Orbital screens to the gallery below, so feel free to browse and speculate about the awesomeness to come.%Gallery-39797%[Thanks, Ibrahim H.]
First look at Halo 3's Mythic map Orbital
(click to enlarge) After getting a looksy at and a chance to play upcoming Halo 3 Mythic Map Assembly, Bungie has been rather mum regarding the other two maps that'll be included in next Spring's mythical map pack. But that changed today with Bungie's first screenshot unveiling of the second Mythic map, Orbital. Check out an embiggened version of the Orbital screen here and drool over its potential awesomeness. Lovely, no? Remember, the Halo 3 Mythic Map Pack includes the three maps Assembly, Orbital, and Sandbox and releases to the XBLM in March. Sometime around the release of Halo Wars.%Gallery-39797%
Halo 3's Orbital peeks from behind the curtain
Recently, the contents of the Halo 3: Recon issue of Game Informer made their way online, detailing some never before heard Recon deets and also confirming what the Vidmaster achievements unlocked. But also inside is information (and the first screens) of the the Halo 3 multiplayer map Orbital, which is one of the three maps that'll be included in the Mythic Map Pack. From what we can read of the text, Orbital is a map based on an orbital tether that's hovering above Earth and is comprised of two asymmetrical tunnel hallways that overlap. It looks good, sounds good and gets our inner Halo fanboy giddy with anticipation. Joy! [Thanks, John M.]
What is Art Style: Orbient? Watch and find out
The Nintendo Channel updated with fresh videos today, most important of which is a gameplay video showing off Nintendo's new WiiWare title, Art Style: Orbient. Our own JC noted that the title looked a lot like Orbital, a Bit Generations game for the GBA. Sure enough, it is! Head past the break for some gameplay footage of Nintendo's new game.
Play-Asia's summer smoothie sale
For the next week, online shop Play-Asia will be selling all of its in-stock items at a 20% discount, excluding weekly specials or anything released in the past 30 days -- cross Jump Ultimate Stars and Doki Doki Majo Shinpan off of your to-buy list. All of the import retailer's eligible products have been marked with the smoothie icon shown on the right, so it's easy to spot which games are on sale. We've picked out several noteworthy bargains that you might want to consider: Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2 - $39.12 Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Justice for All - $23.92 Naruto: Saikyo Ninja Daikesshu 4 - $15.92 Gyakuten Saiban 4 Limited Edition - $103.92 bit Generations: Orbital, Soundvoyager, Dialhex, Boundish, Digidrive - all $11.92 Urban Life Style Cases, White and Light Blue - $10.32 Headsets, Nintendo - $10.32, Dragon - $5.52 Play Stand DS Lite - $11.92 Though the sale doesn't end until next Friday, a lot of these items won't stay in-stock for long. Don't be that guy who has to leave a comment about missing out on a particular deal![Via CAG]
A couple of interesting GameStop price drops
Scurge: Hive tortured everyone who was waiting for it with frequent delays. If you have, in turn, delayed your purchase of the isometric Metroid-esque game, you have been rewarded with a shot at a really cheap copy. GameStop has new copies for $10, which is pretty much worth it for the boxart alone.Speaking of superficial matters, GameStop is also selling a cheap DS Lite case from Intec with smart-looking game storage compartments for $4.99. Sure, it's no $3 leather case, but it looks pretty nice and keeps scratches away. Plus, with no color, you don't have to worry about what color case you'll end up with.
Play-Asia's Crazy Week sale
Starting today, popular importer Play-Asia will be hosting another one of its bargain blowouts, selling every in-stock item at a 20% discount (excluding products released in the past 30 days). Dubbing the event "Crazy Week," the online store will be marking down thousands of its games and accessories until next Thursday.Some of you might not think that 20% off isn't a great deal, especially when you factor in shipping and handling. We would probably be inclined to agree with you if we hadn't come across Play-Asia's reduced pricing on the bit Generations series. Coloris and Orbital have been cut down to $19.92, while all of the other titles are listed at a ridonkulous $11.92! That includes critically-acclaimed games like Dostream and Soundvoyager!If that isn't enough to convert the 49% of you who haven't imported games yet, we don't know what will. [Via CAG]
Pirate Battle en route
Advance Wars is one of our favorite franchises. But despite an excellent turn-based battle system and charming sprite skirmishes, we can't help but think what would have made it irresistible ... ninjas pirates. And though developer Orbital Media has been promising the turn-based strategy title Pirate Battle since like forever ago (mid-2004ish), very few droplets of hope remained.Some recent news, however, says otherwise. Though the GBA version has been canceled (uh ... whatever), the DS version is still on the way. Also, though no other details were given, the game will also appear on "another platform". Hmm. In any case, Pirate Battle looks like an excellent strategic outing, so we'll keep an eye out for ya. For bonus awesome, check after the break for our top three pirate pickup lines.[Thanks, Andy!]
Metareview: Scurge: Hive
When it comes to Nintendo's bounty hunters, it's all about the ladies. But the long-awaited, oft-delayed Scurge: Hive is no Metroid knockoff, despite similarites in heroines (and in weapons of choice). In Scurge: Hive, you take on the role of Jenosa Arma as she investigates a distress signal from a lab. Unfortunately for the intrepid Jenosa, the lab and everything around it is infected with the Scurge, a dangerous alien plague that spreads parasitically, infecting a host and taking it over. Before she can escape, she is infected and must go through a rigorous decontamination process while battling the alien menace and a wide array of monsters. But Jenosa is up to the task, difficult as it may sound. When you're a bounty huntress, that's just all in a day's work.Overall, the game has seen solid reviews praising the pacing and story, but decrying the repetitive aspect of gameplay. No matter how interesting the story, in the end, it does come down to: kill enemies, get to sickbay. But then again, what game can't be boiled down to the sum of its parts?Interestingly, the DS version has seen more negative criticism than the GBA -- the touch screen is barely used (it serves as a map screen) and the graphics seem to have suffered in the transition to the updated system (it was originally designed as a GBA title).
