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Mac OS 8 emulator brings the late '90s to your modern PC
It even includes old versions of Photoshop and Premiere.
PBS Kids launches augmented reality game for iOS, says all the cool kids are counting sushi
It's official: Kids today have way cooler toys than you did when you were growing up. PBS Kids has just outed its first augmented reality mobile app for iOS -- a game called Fetch! Lunch Rush that aims to take the sting out of learning to do addition and subtraction in your head. If you're up on PBS' children's programming (and why wouldn't you be?), you'll recognize that pooch Ruff Ruffman as the game show host in the animated show Fetch! Here, he's a legendary movie director trying to make sure there's enough sushi for his movie crew (grown-up problems, right?). That's where the augmented reality comes in: bits of raw fish floating around screen. Though it's worth noting that this isn't augmented reality in the strictest sense of the term, in that you have to print out game cards to use with your iPhone or iPod touch's camera. The free app requires an iPhone or iPod touch (fourth-gen or later) or an iPad / iPad 2 running iOS 4.0. While we can't say we're a bit envious of those six- to eight-year-olds with their very own iPod touches, but then again, will they ever know the sheer joy of hunting in Oregon Trail over and over again? %Gallery-139344%
Report: Zoo Tycoon dev Blue Fang lays off dev staff
First Black Rock, then Red Fly, and now Blue Fang: a really depressing theme is presenting itself today. Blue Fang Games, developer of Zoo Tycoon and the Facebook Oregon Trail and Carmen Sandiego games, is in the process of laying off "the entirety of its development staff," according to a statement Gamasutra received from a source. Gamasutra's anonymous source said that the layoffs total around 15 people, similar to those that hit the company in 2009. The company is reportedly continuing to look for new work, but told the laid-off employees the odds are not good, and, as the source said, "it is more prudent to find new positions." Best of luck to all affected -- and stay away from companies with colors in their names for a while.
AeroVironment to light up I-5 with EV chargers, add 'Oregon Trail' to the Green Highway
Retire your oxen and sell your wagon, the Oregon Trail just went electric. Okay, not the real, historic Oregon Trail, but a respectable 150-mile stretch of Interstate Five. The Oregon Department of Transportation is teaming up with AeroVironment to dot an undisclosed number of 480-volt Level 3 chargers between the California / Oregon state border and the Willamette Valley area as part the West Coast Green Highway initiative. The project aims to cover the entire I-5 corridor with electric vehicle chargers, spanning from the tip toe of the Golden State, all the way up to Washington's hat. Oregon's leg of the project should be ready for drivers this fall, making roadtrips to the Beaver State accessible to EV owners -- dysentery free. Hit the break for dry, but factual press release.
Oregon Trail is turning 40 this year
You may not have heard about it lately, but the classic game Oregon Trail is turning 40 years old this year. Initially developed as an educational game for a history class in Minneapolis, Oregon Trail was released to the public in 1971 developed for mainframe use starting in 1971, and it was later released for the Apple II computer. As an educational tool, players take on the identity of a wagon train leader bringing settlers from Missouri to Oregon in 1848, using their problem-solving skills to help their group survive disease and food shortages along the way. Points are rewarded based on how well one did at these jobs and keeping their family members alive until the end of the journey. For fans of the game, back in August we found a clever trailer for the sweding of Oregon Trail, but for those of you looking to hearken back to a simpler time in computer gaming, you can give the game a try by either downloading the iPhone/iPod touch version from the App Store for US$0.99 or by playing the original Apple II version online at Virtual Apple. Oops! Yes, that should have read 1971, not 1981. While the game itself was originally designed starting in 1971, the MECC Apple II version was first published in 1978. Our apologies for the confusion.
Quick, come follow us on Digg before our wagon tips over!
You know what the best way to avoid dying of dysentery is? It's following your friendly, neighborhood MMO site on Digg! Following us on Digg grants you a 99.8% chance of not dying from dysentery when trekking through the dangerous landscape that is the virtual Oregon Trail. Following us also affords you other amazing benefits, like getting all of our best headlines sent straight to you! You can vote on the content we post, so be sure to vote up the stories on our site that you love! Plus, if all of that wasn't neat enough, the things you Digg about MMOs can be shared with us, and we might even cover it! All of this helps us learn what content you lovely readers want to see on the site, and it gives you another say in how we do things here at Massively. So what do you have to do to get all of these benefits and a free set of buffalo meat? All you have to do is visit our Digg page and follow us! That's it! Don't have a Digg account? Well you can get yourself one in no time flat.
NintendoWare Weekly: Castlevania ReBirth, Pilotwings, Oregon Trail
Nintendo's been on quite the roll recently, providing plenty of content in its weekly offerings -- and today is no different. There are ten new titles to check out, including high-profile downloads such as Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth, Oregon Trail and -- finally! -- Pilotwings on the Virtual Console. Head past the break to check out the full list.
Mega64 dies of dysentery in Oregon Trail
Those lovable scamps from Mega64 are at it again, bringing their own brand of humor to everyone's favorite river-fording, axle-busting game, Oregon Trail. We won't try to break down the comedy of this latest vignette, but will instead offer that everyone in this video is crazy for not trading bacon. Seriously, who doesn't like bacon? Robots?Head past the break to catch the troupe's latest.[Thanks, Chris!]
Six fun and useful iPhone apps
Some iPhone apps are fun, some are useful (and some are neither). In this set of iPhone app reviews, we've got a mixture of each. In this batch of mini-reviews: iShred, Quik, Pro Basketball, Silly Songz, Wordology, and Silver Revolver. iShred ($4.99US)If you like playing the guitar or other musical instruments, then you might want to consider this app -- it could be one of the most full-featured guitar apps on the iPhone. From the ability to create and record your own songs, to the ability to listen to others play songs around the world -- iShred [iTunes link] has it all. There are over 2,000 built-in chords, scales, and fret positions that get assigned to the two fret rows at the top of the screen. When you tap a fret and strum the strings, a sound will be played. When you set up the frets for a certain song, you have the ability to save this setup for later. You can also save your songs or transfer them to another iPhone anytime you have a wireless connection. The application includes other effects including several virtual stomp boxes, like: Adrenaline: A treble booster HK-2000 Delay: Echo Hot Fuzz: Distortion Kömpressör: Power chords Sybil: Dual chorus pedal Trembler: Tremolo Wahsabi: Tilt control for wah pedal You can use up to four of these effects on a song. Getting to play your own songs is a cool feature of this app, but something just as cool is the ability to listen to others playing their iPhone guitars. AirPlay, a built-in feature, allows you to do this. Just open the AirPlay feature and watch as other users from around the world rock out. Overall, this application is great for guitar aficionados or people who just want to be able to play guitar anywhere. You can pick up iShred in the iTunes App Store for just $4.99US. %Gallery-47746%Quik Search (free, pro version available)Searching different sites on the iPhone can be a kludge, especially if you don't like having only two search engines available natively with Mobile Safari. Quik Search [iTunes link] hopes to solve this by adding different sites and engines. Quik allows you to customize your search experience by adding a list of sites that you wish to search to the main screen of the application. You can choose from over 50 pre-designed search engines/sites (including Google, Amazon, Twitter, and of course, TUAW). Just enter your search term in the application and press the blue arrow ... your search query will be sent away to the site of your choice and you can view your results in the Safari-like browser built into Quik Search. You might ask "What if they don't have my favorite site/search engine?" Well in that case, you can create your own "search plugin" by entering the name, adding an icon, and entering the template search string. The application helps you to understand what a template search string is, and how to format it for Quik. You can also enable/disable "Launch Safari" when searching (if you don't like the built-in browser). If you are looking for a better search solution on the iPhone, then this application could definitely save you some time and energy. You can get Quik search for free on the App Store, although it is ad supported. If you wish to get rid of the ads, you can purchase a pro version [iTunes link] for $1.99US.%Gallery-47748%
Fall Out Boy goes on Oregon Trail, dies of starvation
We're used to winning our concert tickets by being the ninth caller or answering obscure trivia (the kind that only someone with a pillow shaped like the singer would know). The band Fall Out Boy, however, has other plans. The Illinois rockers recently rolled out a faithful parody of edutainment classic The Oregon Trail for fans to play for a chance to score passes to the band's latest North America tour.The game, appropriately titled Fall Out Boy Trail, sets players upon a long and arduous tour that mixes together original elements, such as rationing food (band mates need delicious McNuggets and Vitamin Water to stay healthy) with Guitar Hero-style minigames that test even the quickest fingers. Unfortunately, our attempts to reach the end of the tour thus far have been felled by dehydration, constipation or the occasional zombie surfer. Still, as fun as it is the watch the pixelated band suffer at our hands, we're just as interested to read your misadventures with the alternative rock quartet in the comments below.[Via The Escapist]
Oregon Trail fords over to the iPhone
The Oregon Trail is hitting the road from standard mobile to a more evolved form on iPhone and iPod Touch. Gameloft is set to make the title -- in which players take their band of settlers from Independence, MI to Willamette Mall Valley in Oregon -- available on the App Store, either February 28 or March 1. Gameloft has yet to announce an official price for the game.This next-gen mobile Trail has eight "skill-based" minigames, with some using the accelerometer. Of course, the title will also include the standard laundry list of random events and diseases to keep players on their toes. 'Cause, you know, it's just not The Oregon Trail unless some poor child dies of dysentery.%Gallery-45232%
Watch the Oregon Trail gameplay video, stave off dysentery
Step right up, I said step right up folks and behold the wonder of the Oregon Trail. Yes sir, nostalgia is a powerful thing, I say a powerful thing ladies and gentlemen. Many people visited this here little corner of the internet when we posted that the mobile version of the game was released, so it's only fair to follow that up with the recently released gameplay video found after the break. There may not be any sound with the video, but let the power of imagination fill in the sounds like when you had to play the original game with no sound in the classroom as a child. Yes sir, watching this video might spare you from a broken arm, dysentery and other afflictions (or try one of Mrs. Lovett's meat pies). Behold ...
Oregon Trail now available for mobile phones
Mobile games developer Gameloft has released its updated version of The Oregon Trail. The game costs $4 (or more, depending on your carrier) and introduces several new gameplay elements to the elementary school classic.The game now includes five skill-based mini-games, side-missions and random events like bandits. Of course, everyone's favorite gameplay elements like hunting and random outbreaks of disease are still included. Oh yes, Mary will contract diphtheria. A demo is available on the Gameloft site to try before you buy.
The Joystiq Thanksgiving: 2007 edition
Aren't you glad you don't have to ford rivers and worry about death-prone oxen to make it home for a turkey feast? Check out the highlights for today:JoystiqueryJoystiq Holidaze: explaining the PS3 SKUsJoystiq Holidaze: explaining the Xbox 360 SKUsReminder: Win a $5K gaming PC from Falcon NorthwestToday's most Olympic video: Mario & Sonic at the Olympics reviewX3F Week in Review: November 16, 2007 - November 22, 2007NewsCall of Duty 4 not HD: only 600p, claim pixel countersSin & Punishment's Saki cameos in Smash Bros. BrawlFreeverse discusses porting Marathon 2 to XBLAPopcap's Bookworm now available on mobile phonesAGEIA to give UT3 modders a physical with PhysX mod kitPoor sales of Space Giraffe make Jeff Minter sadRumors & SpeculationSony exec flirts with PlayStation phone ... againCulture & CommunityMapleStory holds in-game Black Friday salesYahtzee travels to America, visits Valve1UP talks turkey gamesSelfless crazies play Desert Bus for charity
Science classes look to Pokemon for answers
Growing up, we all had our share of classes in school that approached education from an odd angle in an effort to keep us from staring out the window while daydreaming of the game we left on pause before getting on the bus. Games seldom played a role in the classroom, though the times spent playing educational games like Oregon Trail in school still make up some of our most fond memories. We were too busy having fun to know -- or care -- that we were being educated.Similarly, Nintendo, it seems, has latched onto the idea of tricking kids into having fun while learning. The company has partnered with the National Institute of Aerospace and Nortel LearniT for a set of downloadable lesson plans for science teachers that use characters and concepts from Pokemon, specifically Diamond and Pearl. Examples include learning how to tell time by the sun by studying the time-controlling Pokemon Dialga, or looking to Palkai's ability to control space as a window into the real universe. It's a interesting concept, obviously, though this flirts a bit too close to in-school marketing for our tastes. Aimed at children in grades 3-8, it's a good bet that many of these kids already know and play Pokemon, but for those who are not already one of the Nintendo faithful this could be an effective, if questionable means to secure new followers. 'Gotta catch 'em all' indeed.
Oregon attempts game bill because Timmy broke Mary's arm
GamePolitics reports the Oregon House of Reps. is trying to blaze new trails by introducing a law making it unlawful to sell "ultra-violent" video games to people of the great state under 18 years of age. The bill was introduced by Rep. Arnie Roblan (D) and has no provision on what punishment would be given for those breaking the law, it also grants exception for parents who choose to purchase the game for their child. So, what's the point of this thing again?Anyway, best part of the bill is the definition of "ultra-violent." The bill states, "'Ultra-violent video game' means a video game depicting serious injury to human beings in a manner that is especially heinous, atrocious or cruel." So, killing an alien, smearing its blood all over your avatar and then eating its entrails would be fine -- it's not a "human." That's quite speciesist, I hope the great state of Oregon has an excuse set up when the aliens arrive.
Study: Educational software doesn't work
The U.S. Department of Education issued a report yesterday that educational software of all types, from the video-game-like to the ultra-dry, "has no significant impact on student performance." And folks like Elliot Soloway, professor of educational tech at U. Michigan, are miffed. Says Soloway, "It is the poor kids who will suffer, because it is their schools who will not get technology because of this study."That's one way to look at it. Here's another way: the study could help schools, both underfunded and not, because now their administrators might spend more money on good teachers and less on Oregon Trail. Shooting squirrels in a video game is fun, but it's no substitute for a real human showing you how to shoot squirrels.[via GameLife]
