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General Dynamics' GD300 is the Pip-Boy that runs Android
Yes, we totally stole this headline from our Spanish colleagues, but they summed it up perfectly -- the General Dynamics Itronix GD300 is right out of Fallout 3, well ahead of HP's model. It's a full-on wrist- or chest-mounted GPS unit with an unspecified version of Android at the helm, designed to deliver both real-time global positioning (with a SiRFstarIII chip and stubby quad-helix antenna) and connect to tactical radios. The eight-ounce ruggedized plastic package is MIL-STD 810G tested for durability and holds a 600MHz ARM Cortex A8 processor, 256MB of memory, 8GB flash storage and a 3.5-inch, 800 x 480 "glove-friendly" and "sunlight readable" touchscreen display. That's only about as powerful as your average consumer smartphone, but you're not going to be painting targets on your Nexus One, we suppose. No word on whether it will pick up post-apocalyptic radio stations as your mission unfolds. We've got a close-up photo and press release after the break, and you can find the full brochure at our source link.
Massively's hands-on with Trion's End of Nations
Trion World recently unveiled a wealth of new information on three of their current projects, including the MMORTS that so many fans have been wondering about. End of Nations is the newly revealed title of this game, and Massively enjoyed a firsthand look at it. End of Nations promises to be a great blend of traditional MMORPG action play and MMORTS strategic play, something that could be tricky to deliver. Can they succeed in offering fans the best of both worlds? Follow along after the jump to see what we found when we played End of Nations.
EVE Evolved: Five interesting combat tactics
Although EVE Online's combat isn't twitch-based, the outcome is often swayed by strong tactical and strategic influences. Whether you're running missions, battling Sleeper AI in a wormhole site or engaging other players in PvP, chances are you've pulled off a few fancy tactical maneuvers. Over the years, we learn these little tricks and teach them to each other. From mundane ways to avoid damage from NPCs to the cat and mouse games we play with other players, tactical maneuvers are a big part of EVE's gameplay. In this short article, I look at a few of the tips and tactics players use to gain an edge in combat. Angular velocity: If you've ever used a turret-based ship and found yourself missing enemies a lot, there are a few tricks you can do to even the score. Open the overview settings menu and under "column" select "Angular Velocity". This shows the transverse velocity of enemy ships relative to your own in radians per second, which is the same measurement your turret tracking score uses. By checking the show-info pane on your guns, you can look up the maximum tracking speed of your guns. Ships with an angular velocity greater than your turret's tracking speed will be practically impossible to hit so having this information on-hand means you can avoid picking targets that will just waste your time and ammo. Another useful trick to do is to match your course and speed as closely as you can with an enemy ship rather than just approaching it. This will decrease their angular velocity relative to your ship, allowing you to hit some fast ships you otherwise wouldn't be able to. Skip past the cut for four more interesting tactics and tips. Do you have a particularly useful tip or a clever tactical maneuver you use a lot? Leave a comment and let us know what it is.
EVE Evolved: Five interesting combat tactics, part 2
By warping from one stargate to another at a distance or using the align feature, you can anchor a bubble at the second stargate which is in line with the first gate. Anyone warping from the first stargate to the second will be caught in the trap. A neat trick is that you don't even need to put the bubble on the correct side of the stargate.
Hands-on: Dawn of Heroes (DS)
You might expect Dawn of Heroes, a tactical, turn-based RPG from Wicked Studios and Majesco, to be super serious. It seems games in this genre seldom stray into the territory of slapstick and humorous banter, but here's Dawn of Heroes, doing just that -- and doing it well! %Gallery-77827%
New Star Trek Online gameplay trailer
There's a new Star Trek Online trailer out from Cryptic, originally released through GameSpot. The trailer features some impressive gameplay footage that illustrates nicely a few aspects of STO we've been hearing about for a while. There's both ground combat and space combat featured, with Klingon, Federation, and Borg ships taking part in the overall action. In one scene we see a fleet of ships attacking a single Borg cube in quite a nice display of firepower, including several (of what appear to be) quantum torpedoes. One of the more impressive aspects of this gameplay footage that we picked up on right way was the tactical maneuvering of what appears to be a mid-range ship of Romulan design. A captured still of the scene is pictured above, and you can clearly see in the video that the ship is moving to direct hits against its "bottom side" after the port shields were taking a significant beating. Note that the two ships attacking the main ship with green phasers are Klingon Vor'Cha class, so we're assuming the ship demonstrating the tactical moves is of Romulan origin. We also noticed that the ship pictured above bares some resemblance to the unidentified "classified" ship listed in the Ships of the Line articles at the official STO website. The above ship can be viewed more clearly in the HD trailer, however the unidentified ship on the STO website doesn't have a clear image -- only a blurry reconnaissance image. The warp nacelles both look similar (espeically if you take the image angles into consideration), both have the same general outline, and both have guns protruding from each wing. An interesting coincidence we wanted to point out. The video after the break.
Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising DLC only 'weeks' away
Ten-hut, soldier -- Codemasters' Sion Lenton reveals in an interview with Telegraph that the company is currently working on DLC for Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising and the first round will be available in "a matter of weeks." Lenton also says the company has "ambitious plans" for the game's DLC, though he only mentions the requisite weapon and map add-ons most shooters receive post-release.The rest of the interview isn't a bad read; Lenton discusses how the idea to bring back the Operation Flashpoint series came about, why Codies went for consoles, the balancing act between keeping it a hardcore, realistic experience without making it too frustrating for gamers and planned Title Updates to keep the game balanced. We're glad he mentioned that last item, because we've heard some folks in the game's forums aren't all too happy with the experience right now.[Via CVG]
Cryptic Studios devs explain ground combat in Star Trek Online
Ask Cryptic is a regular Q&A series from Cryptic Studios that addresses player questions on Star Trek Online and Champions Online. While previous Q&A's answered a random set of questions posed by the fans, the latest Ask Cryptic for Star Trek Online is a bit more focused on one topic: ground combat. Unlike other sci-fi MMOs both on the market and in development, Star Trek Online will have those ill-fated away teams from the Star Trek IP. While things didn't always go smoothly on all those away missions in the shows and films, it could make for some fun gameplay. We're hoping so at least, and what the STO devs have explained about away teams gives us a better idea of what to expect.
Xenonics SuperVision Tactical Package does night vision in HD
Traditional night vision kits aren't anything extraordinary, but Xenonics is taking things beyond the pixelated output we're used to and going straight to HD. The outfit's SuperVision Tactical Package comes packed with a high-definition night vision device, a SuperVision IR Illuminator and mount, a Snyper Tactical illumination light, additional circuit-protected rechargeable Li-ion batteries, additional CR 123 batteries, a battery charger and a waterproof SKB case for those treks through the moat. Granted, this here bundle is aimed at police departments and security firms more than mere consumers, but who's to say you can't have a little fun in your own backyard once the sun heads down?
DS Fanboy Review: Advance Wars: Days of Ruin
Back in the middle of 2005, a little game by the name of Advance Wars: Dual Strike hit the Nintendo DS. Followers of the franchise's previous entries on the GBA (developed by Intelligent Systems) remember plenty of hours spent, knee-deep in combat with their GBA SP, its body soaking wet with the sweat from their palms. Advance Wars: Days of Ruin is an important entry in the series, perhaps more so than previous installments. For one, it's the first to be compatible with Nintendo Wi-Fi Connect, Nintendo's online matchmaking service for head-to-head battles (and custom map swapping). Another reason why it might be considered the most important installment in the series is the stark contrast in artistic style and game plot compared to past titles.%Gallery-8563%
Watch the first gameplay video of The Agency
Yesterday we handed out some new The Agency screenshots from SOE's CES presentation. That was cool enough, but in case you still weren't satisfied, there's a video of the presentation up on GameTrailers. Oh, and it's embedded above, obviously.The presenter calls The Agency "24 meets Alias meets Counterstike," and that seems appropriate enough. The game can be played either in first person mode, or in a Mass Effect-esque over-the-shoulder perspective. It looks like you'll be able to run through instanced encounters with other players and/or NPCs, and there are scripted heroic moments in addition to the usual shoot-'em-up stuff. Our favorite moment occurs when the player revives a fallen ally with defibrillators.It looks like the game borrows a lot from single-player game conventions, so it's not super innovative, but it's still refreshing to see an MMO that's not an action-bar-based, numeric-stat-grinding, sword & sorcery, D&D-style DikuMUD clone.
Metareview: Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings
Square Enix has been big on the strategy games this year, and Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings is the latest to get the treatment. Taking the spin-off of an RPG in a tactical direction might have been seen as a risk for anyone else, but this isn't just any company -- when they do something, they tend to do it well, and if the scores are any indication, Revenant Wings is just the latest of their greats.1UP -- 80%: It's an RPG. It's strategy. It's something entirely new that is like both of these things, yet not, and the result is a little lightweight. "Lightweight doesn't mean worthless, though. Thanks to some tough (but never unreasonably frustrating) battles, a healthy dose of fan service, and a quality localization, Revenant Wings is a thoroughly enjoyable hybrid. It's hardly the second coming of Final Fantasy XII ... but somehow manages to turn that into a strength anyway."GameZone -- 85%: Risky, but successful. " ... the gamble has ultimately paid off, as the game is a great direction for the series, and fits well on the Nintendo DS. While the controls themselves are a little hard to get used to, the game is a deep and complex handheld game that will keep Final Fantasy fanatics entertained for a long while."GameBrink -- 94%: They checked out the Japanese import, and found a solid, beautiful game. "On the graphics side of things, Square Enix has once again shown what beautiful graphics the DS is capable of with some very beautifully rendered 3D backgrounds from the lush green forests to the bright red heated volcanic caverns. The fun thing is you even get to customise your airship base a little by placing monuments!"%Gallery-4739%
Advance Wars DS 2 videos turn the series on its side
As much as we appreciate this first video look at Advance Wars DS 2, shot at Paris' Micromania Game Show, couldn't Nintendo Masters' video editors have rotated these clips counterclockwise before uploading them to their site and exacerbating that crick in our neck? If you don't mind rotating your monitor onto its side -- and when it comes to new media for the tactical RPG, we're sure you don't -- there are two more clips past the break for you to watch.See also: Advance Wars 2 gets shown off in Paris
Sequel day continues with Luminous Arc
Image Epoch isn't wasting any time unloading the sequel to their first effort, Luminous Arc. Marvelous Interactive has announced that they will publish the sequel in Japan by year's end, despite the fact that the first only hit there this past February! But is that really the best time for this sequel? At year's end, Luminous Arc 2 will have a lot of similar competition fighting it out on Japanese shelves. There's Dragon Quest IV, Final Fantasy IV, Final Fantasy Tactics A2, the thus-far irresistible Archaic Sealed Heat ... and we're just scratching the surface. Let's hope Luminous Arc 2 Will doesn't get lost in the shuffle. The sequel does promise more in the way of content, equipment and battles, as well as more of the eye-catching art style that brought the first into the spotlight. We'll keep our eyes peeled to see if this latest entry can hold its own.
Insect Wars preorder papercraft
Now that Kanji Dragon's release is behind us, it's time for us to set our sights on the next Success Corp. release that we plan to obsess over: Insect Wars (Konchuu Wars). The latest update on the tactical RPG's site shows off a papercraft model of a horned beetle -- just one of the dozens of customizable units in your army of mechanized bugs -- equipped with an intimidating cannon on its back. This will presumably be offered as a limited gift to gamers who preorder Insect Wars in Japan. Scurry past the post break for a better look at the paper replica.
X-Com: Screenshots from the Deep
We would trade our souls for a DS version of X-Com: UFO Defense, had we not already sold the bedraggled things to Milhouse at a discount price of five dollars of course, but it looks like Blue_knight's homebrew port of the tactical RPG is coming along well enough. Three cheers for hobbyist programmers!He has added a lot since we last covered the project -- tile selection, a tweaked UI, and an "entity rendering system." Though we're not sure what exactly that all means, the screenshots we grabbed and added past the post break look promising. Now if you'll excuse us, we have some souls to track down. Last we heard, Milhouse exchanged them for Alf pogs. Alf pogs! Remember Alf? He's back ... in pog form.%Gallery-4133%
Portable generator converts waste into energy
Although developing alternate fuel sources is most certainly a worthwhile effort, a group of Purdue scientists are looking to demolish two birds with a single, um, bag of refuse, as its portable generator not only creates useful electricity, but it disposes of worthless garbage while it's at it. The aptly-named "tactical biorefinery" processes several kinds of wastes at once, which it then converts into fuel via two parallel processes before burning the results in a diesel engine to power a generator. The device, which comes in just a hair smaller than a "small moving man," can crunch through multiple kinds of garbage at once, creating energy completely without discrimination towards certain kinds of gunk, and is already being eyed by the US Army for future battlefield usage. Interestingly, initial prototypes are showing that it can produce "approximately 90 percent more energy than it consumes," and considering that it pulverizes everything inserted into it, soldiers won't have to worry about leaving behind remnants of their stay. Ideally, the backers would love to see the unit available in commercial settings as well as in the military, but we think this thing will be a real winner when it can compress gobs of garbage into vicious (smelling) pellets and launch grotesque projectiles while keeping our planet green.[Via CNET]
'America's Army' grows to 8 million, actual Army increase costly
According to America's Army PR (ostensibly paid for by US tax dollars), the PC version of the popular shooter registered its 8 millionth user this past weekend. The America's Army user base now apparently spans more than 60 countries, likely owing to the fact that the "game" is freeware; the payoff is in the propagation of a positive image of the US Army throughout various parts of the world. It's no secret that the US Government developed the project as a propaganda device, but it's difficult to measure its impact on worldwide opinions, not to mention US Army recruitment success. We do know that the Army met its recruitment quotas in the two years following the game's release (in 2002).Lt. Gen. Stephen Speakes, a deputy chief of staff, estimates that increasing the size of the Army's active troops by 65,000 (as recommended by Defense Secretary Robert Gates), would cost $70 billion (to be budgeted between 2009 and 2013). Nearly half of that proposed increase has already been accomplished under a temporary program that will likely be made permanent. It's unclear what portion of the estimated $70 billion, if any, would be spent on future upgrades to America's Army. If US troop growth is indeed this costly, then America's Army's true strength may be in its potential to win over the minds and bodies (enlisted in the militaries of US allies) of non-US players.[Via press release]
Bethesda's Rogue Warrior to battle Ubi's Tom Clancy forces
Bethesda Softworks and Zombie Studios want a piece of the tactical-shooter market. The two are teaming up to adapt Dick Marcinko's Rogue Warrior book series into an Unreal 3-driven FPS for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC.Rogue Warrior will undoubtedly go up against any number of Ubisoft's established Tom Clancy franchises of similar nature, including Ghost Recon and Rainbow Six, when it releases later next year. It's a difficult challenge, but there are a few details that are already setting Bethesda's project apart.Rogue Warrior's campaign mode will feature on-the-fly (jump-in, jump-out) co-op, similar to what Epic's offering in Gears of War, only Bethesda and Zombie plan to allow up to four players. On the multiplayer side, a map generating system using "tiles" is reported to provide 200 unique map variations on both day and night settings. Rogue Warrior will also benefit from a total of 10 multiplayer modes. Watch out, Ubi![Thanks, Matt]
Namco Bandai officially announces Warhammer
Last month, we reported that Warhammer would be coming to the PSP, but just recently Namco Bandai has officially announced it plans to ship Warhammer: Battle for Atluma, a card-based battle game, this fall."One of the more compelling card-based games to date, Warhammer: Battle for Atluma goes beyond simple player interaction and encourages an inclusive sense of community among players through head-to-head battles, card collecting, trading and strategy sessions," said John Whitmore, Director of Internal/External Development at NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. "This unique dynamic coupled with the strategic, fast-paced nature of the game certainly sets Warhammer: Battle for Atluma apart from other games in its genre."While the press release didn't offer up any new gameplay information, it did mention the game will be rated "T" for teen, and the title's developer is JV Games, which has most recently developed James Bond 007: Nightfire for the Gameboy Advance.
