Oxygen
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Oxygen schedules pirates and more for Europe
Oxygen Interactive has a slew of upcoming DS software in its lineup, which involve make-up, pirates, and pool respectively (although a combination of the three would be interesting, as that would likely involve applying eye-liner to Johnny Depp).The games now have release dates (or months), which seem to be Europe-only even though the company is bringing them to the U.S. eventually. We don't imagine that this lot will take long to localize, though, as there won't be any translation issues.The one that piques our interest the most is the August release of Pirates: Duels on the High Seas, because, well, it involves pirates. It's also a sequel to a WiiWare title called Pirates: The Key of Dreams, which should hit Nintendo's service sometime this month.As for the pirate-less games, you have 8Ball All Stars, which is a "modern and stylish take on pool," slated for September. Then, in October you can expect Oxygen's line of demeaning girls' titles to hit the market, including My Make-Up, My Dress-Up, and My Secret Diary.Does anyone think they'll be swashbuckling this summer -- you know, in the legal way? Gallery: Pirates: Duels on the High Seas
Oxygen busts out three young girl games
Oxygen games is making three titles for "the young female gamer," including My Make-Up, My Dress-Up, and My Secret Diary. It's not hard to guess what each game will be about -- makeovers, fashion, and keeping a journal, respectively. As cheesy as they sound, there is a cool feature that adds interoperability between them. For example, if you save your Make-Up results and send them to a Dress-Up friend, your character gets the full makeover. Owners of these games can also talk to friends who have copies via Nintendo's WFC (we assume through text chat and not voice chat).All in all, it's a good thing that Oxygen is making these, because the little girl market is severely under-catered to on the DS. (Okay, we were just kidding about that last part.) In any case, you can expect these titles to hit the market in Q3.
Nintendo reveals first WiiWare titles for Europe
Nintendo has released a list of eight games described as "launch window" titles ahead of WiiWare's debut in Europe on May 20th. Included are four games that the U.S. is still waiting on -- Dr. Mario & Germ Buster, Star Soldier R, Toki Tori, and Pirates: The Key of Dreams -- though it looks like Europe will be waiting a little longer for Defend Your Castle and V.I.P Casino: Blackjack. Frankly, we'll live without a blackjack game.Once again, note that these are "launch window" games. How long is a launch window? No idea. "Launch window" is one of those infuriatingly flexible terms beloved by PR types. Anyway, the list of WiiWare games that Europe will be getting kinda near the launch is as follows: Dr. Mario & Germ Buster Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King LostWinds Pop Star Soldier R TV Show King Pirates: The Key of Dreams Toki Tori There's currently no news on pricing, but we'd fully expect European WiiWare prices to match those of other regions, assuming Nintendo hasn't found a totally new and unique way to rip European gamers off.
Pirates arrrr coming to the DS in June
Many of you fancy yourselves swashbuckling fiends, which means you grab onto any pirate-related news as if it were treasure. At least, Oxygen is banking on this, which is why they're bringing Pirates: Duels on the High Seas to the DS.Originally, the game was supposed to end up in Europe on April 18th. Oxygen revealed today, though, that the game's release was pushed back to June. The title seems to have a lot of gameplay content (multiple single player modes, single-cart multiplayer, varying tasks, etc.), but we suppose we'll have to wait until June now to see if it's actually any good.You can also expect a a WiiWare prequel for this game at some point this summer (called Pirates: The Key of Dreams) to expand upon the story of Duels on the High Seas. Gallery: Pirates: Duels on the High Seas [Via press release]
Oxygen to release Powershot Pinball at the end of this month
Pinball fanatics, your time has come to enjoy a bit of pinball on the go. Actually, you already can if you have Metroid Prime Pinball, but there aren't many other pinball games for use on the DS. Oxygen hopes that the prospect of creating your own tables and sharing them with friends (locally). We think the other selection of features is also interesting (sabotage mode, especially). After checking out the video, be sure to head into our gallery for some screens.The game is currently set for release on March 28th in the UK.%Gallery-18271%
Oxygen releases screens for Pirates: Duels on the High Seas
Oxygen Interactive sent us a press release with the boxart you see above, as well as some screens from their upcoming seafaring romp, Pirates: Duels on the High Seas. As one might imagine, the game will feature ship battles on the open water, striped shirts and parrots. Prates: Duels on the High Seas is set for an April 18th release.%Gallery-17111%
Oxygen reveals Hurry Up Hedgehog
Oxygen has revealed a new game headed to the DS in Hurry Up Hedgehog. While the thought of speedy hedgehogs often leads to a certain iconic gaming character, this title instead offers puzzles and is based on a board game. The title is currently scheduled for a March 28th release in the UK.Head on past the break for the press release and hit up our gallery below for screens.%Gallery-16977%
New King of Clubs trailer and release date
Those of you looking to get into King of Clubs, know the game is releasing on March 14th. On top of that, if you've perhaps not checked the game out in awhile (it's been a bit for us, we admit), then hit up the trailer above for a fresh look at the game. Personally, we're digging the narration in the above trailer, as the comedy is spot on.
King of Clubs swinging to PSPs in March
There was once a franchise known as Outlaw [sports title]. They had a golf game. It was silly because the characters were rather trashy and the gameplay was mediocre, but people enjoyed it because it was so off-the-wall. Now it seems someone has taken up a similar idea for the PSP.We're expecting similar results with Oxygen's newly announced King of Clubs, a Vegas-style golfing game that takes you to a run-down amusement area in a Nevada truck stop. Six characters and 95 holes of golf later, you should be having fun on your PSP in March. Against four friends, if you'd like.
Chronos Twins travels 88mph to bring us this video
Oxygen dished out a press release today, informing us of some facts involving their upcoming Chronos Twins title for the DS. Set to release on October 12th, the game focuses on time travel (gotta go back in time), with the top screen representing the present and the bottom screen representing the past. By completing tasks in the past, you alter the present.
King of Clubs dev walks us through some of the game
Based on what we've seen of the game so far, you might have forgotten that this is a golf game. Thankfully, development director Andy Squirrell with Oxygen Games, is around to remind us as he takes us through some of the title's aspects, including one of the courses and the Pro Shop, as well as some of the tricks of the trade in trying to get that coveted hole-in-one. Also, they give us a look at the Wii-specific game mode Golf Warriors, where players are given random ball and club combinations.
UK studio sets sights solely on Nintendo consoles
Publisher Oxygen, which is based in the UK (as you may have gathered from the title of this post), has decided that they need a new internal team focused solely on Nintendo. This new internal crew of miscreants will be working with both the DS and Wii, in the hopes of capturing some of that mainstream appeal each of the systems already enjoy.The reasoning behind the move is simple for Oxygen: they want to get as big a slice of the mainstream market pie as possible. "Today the DS is the ascendant mainstream format, and it looks like the Wii will repeat that awesome success," says Kevin Hassall, Oxygen's publishing director. They aren't the Nintendo fanboys you'd believe them to be, though, as Kevin further adds "Oxygen's objective has always been to cater for mainstream audiences. So, if we had set up Oxygen Studios a couple of years ago they would probably have started with a PS2 title."Whatever, we'll take all the publishers and developers we can get!
Be the King of Clubs
Out in the Nevada desert, next to Big Bubba's Burger Bar and Truck Stop, you'll find King of Clubs. A poker joint? Actually it's a mini-golf course complete with pteranodons on poles and spaceships on strings. Don't worry if the locals look a bit strange; how would you look if you lived on an old nuclear waste dump? We've showed you the title before, but a few new details have emerged in a recent press release from Oxygen Interactive.Trickery and cunning are to be encouraged, with rewards to be earned and the possibility of scoring a hole in none. The game features five themed areas, each of which has its own resident pro. You can see the pros in the picture -- looks like the dress code is informal.King of Clubs hits the Wii in July, with a DS version to follow in September.[Via Go Nintendo]
NASA's PILOT project could autonomously extract oxygen from lunar soil
We've got means to extract oxygen from water, a portable bar, and even ways to deprive entire server farms of the sustenance, but a new project being tackled by Lockheed Martin is hoping to create O2 on the moon. A critical part of NASA's PILOT (Precursor In-situ Lunar Oxygen Testbed) initiative, this digger bot will work hand-in-hand with a "processing plant that will add hydrogen to moon soil, heat it to 1,652-degrees Fahrenheit, condense the steam, and finally extract the oxygen." Additionally, the blue LIDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) box atop the three-foot-long machine can assist it in locating "oxygen-rich lunar soil and autonomously carry it to a processing plant." The overriding goal is to use the newly extracted O2 for air, or moreover, to combine it with hydrogen and produce water for the four astronauts that the lunar base could support. Unfortunately, there's no timetable as to when we'll actually see the PILOT roll into action, but we're most interested in porting this bad boy over to Mars along with half the traffic in LA.[Via The Raw Feed]
Oxygen-deprivation systems showcased at CeBIT
No doubt there's a few outfits at CeBIT doing little aside from blowing hot air, but a number of firms are seeking to extract all the warm oxygen it can from critical data centers. Oxygen-deprivation systems have seen a lot of interest in Germany, as both Wagner Alarm and Security Systems GmbH's OxyReduct and N2telligence GmbH's not-yet-named system remove a vast majority of the surrounding oxygen from rooms full of servers in an effort to greatly reduce the risk of overheating and fire. Although each company's approach had its own special twist, reducing the oxygen level within notoriously toasty data centers is certainly something enterprises and even medium-sized businesses will take note of, as just about everyone and their great-grandparents are now terrified of components spontaneously combusting. Unfortunately, neither outfit was willing to disclose general pricing information, as they seem to work on a per-job basis based on the area that needs do-oxygenated, but if you're studio apartment looks anything like this, you should definitely look into a consumer edition if it ends up on the market.
Thanko's USB Mask circulates air, freaks out co-workers
Nah, USB-powered fans aren't anything special these days, but infusing a couple of 'em into a bizarre facial mask and marketing it to folks with allergies earns top marks in the outlandish department. Thanko, the folks who continually put the fun back into USB, is busting out yet another oddity that relies entirely on USB power and your willingness to suffer through public humiliation. The whirlwind mask purportedly circulates airs and filters the incoming flow in order to provide a constant stream of clean, "purified" air, which could actually be useful for secretaries or other cube-dwellers who are forced to inhale the same stale office air day after day. So if you've been having trouble breathing, and don't mind being tethered to your computer nor the constant whirring that'll surround your mouth, you can snag the USB Mask now for ¥2,480 ($21).[Via Engadget Japanese]
Prostroke Golf gets release date, control system explained
It doesn't seem that many games are released in Europe before they are in the U.S., but ProStroke Golf: World Tour 2007 was released last month in Europe, and publisher Oxygen Interactive (No, not the women's tv channel) recently announced the game will make it across the pond Nov. 10.In addition to the release date, Oxygen also released information about how it's highly-touted "Prostroke" control system, which supposedly gives the player complete control of their shot, actually works.The press release goes into painful detail about the shot, and I'm sure you probably don't want to read it all. Basically, you start your swing just like any other golf game by aiming the direction of your shot, but after you select your aim, you can zoom in even further to more accurately aim your shot. The actual swing is started by pressing and holding the R shoulder button. Once you've attained the desired power, you press the L shoulder button then release the R button to start the downswing. When the power gauge reaches close to zero, you release the L button, and you're shot is off.Pretty simple, eh?
HTC gets official on their Q4 lineup
All four of these phones have had their fair share of leaks, but now HTC is ready to fess up and assign some names to their Q4 lineup of phones, which is all set to bust up on Europe this fall. Starting from the left we've got the S3300, codenamed Artemis, which is due for an October launch, and features TomTom software to power the GPS action, along with a 2.8-inch screen and a snazzy new "RollRTM" trackball / track wheel. The P3600 (aka Trinity) picks up where the Prophet and Magician left off with a bit of bulk, some cute looks, but sadly no QWERTY action. The phone does, however, manage HSDPA speeds and a 2 megapixel camera, so it won't be all tears when this thing drops in September. Next we have the Q-killin' "Excalibur" S620, which measures a mere 0.5-inches thick, weighs 4.6 ounces, and manages that lovable QWERTY keyboard and 2.4-inch screen. The phone, due for an October launch, will also come with quad band GPRS/EDGE (3G is conspicuously absent), WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity. Finally, HTC's S310 "Oxygen" candybar isn't anything too terribly interesting, but it's a nice new look for HTC candybar fans who found the HTC Breeze to be a bit too squarish. The S310 should be out this September. Possibly the best news among all this action is that it seems HTC has decided to abandon the frightening naming convention they adopted for the "TyTN" and "MTeoR." That was a slippery slope if we ever saw one. The worst news is, of course, HTC is only self-branding these phones in Europe right now, and will be letting US carriers adulterate these phones with garish branding and spec drops before we ever get a chance at 'em. Oh well, such is life. Keep reading for entirely-too-large pr0n of all four phones at their shiniest.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Silly translation of HTC Oxygen review yields good pics
We imagine tenacious readers desperately seeking solid hands-on details for HTC's new low-end Smartphone could probably glean most of what they're looking for from Pocketinfo's Dutch review -- but needless to say, after reading and re-reading the first few sentences, we decided we were only in it for the eye candy. We did notice that they didn't care much for the Oxygen's keypad, something we've already suspected from prior shots. Orange will be offering the handset as the C100, but frankly, we're a little too distracted by other goodness in the HTC pipeline to pay much mind at the moment.
Orange shows small army of Windows Mobile devices
Talk about sensory overload -- MoDaCo got its hands on a bunch of semi-official Orange debuts for a number of devices over the weekend, and we have to admit, we're insanely jealous. Perhaps the most interesting of the bunch, Samsung's "Blackjack" WM5 Smartphone comes fresh on the heels of the i320, offering basically the same functionality plus 3G data and a forward-facing camera for video calling (feeling the heat, Moto?). Also shown were the HTC Breeze and Oxygen, known on Orange as the C700 and C100 respectively; no real surprises here, though we can now confirm that the Oxygen won't be sporting DTV like we had previously heard might be the case. In case that all doesn't have ya impressed, the Hermes (M3100) and Star Trek (F600) showed up for the party, too. Don't know about you, but we're feeling a bit overwhelmed here; excuse us while we lie down for just a few minutes.
