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DDO trumpets the start of its Winter Games
Just because we're in the heart of winter in the northern hemisphere doesn't mean that we can't enjoy snow-themed festivities! That's the attitude of Dungeons and Dragons Online, which has started a slew of activities under its Winter Games umbrella. For starters, there's the Midwinter Festival in the Forgotten Realms which includes speed skating, snowflake collecting, and vole smashing. Meanwhile in Eberron, the ever-popular Risia Ice Games are back with more ice sliding action. Then there's an ice skating rink in the harbor, an ice jump off a cliff, and a frozen half-pipe in the Bogwater Tavern. Participation in all of these activities will not only result in embarassing fun, but rewards from the various tokens won.
2010 Olympic medals include material from recycled circuit boards
The just-unveiled medals for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver certainly break with a few conventions in terms of appearance, but it looks like they also contain a few surprises that aren't immediately apparent -- namely, they're all made at least partly from recycled circuit boards. Of course, the circuit boards have also been recycled beyond recognition, but each of the medals do apparently sport a one of a kind design, not to mention some considerable heft (weighing between 500 and 576 grams apiece). Sure, it's not enough to make a dent in the e-waste problem, but it's a heckuva way to kick start a trend.[Via Technabob]
Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics set for (only?) an HD broadcast
Don't get us wrong, the news that Russia's first Winter Games will be in HD is great, obviously, but frankly we've become a bit spoiled as of late. We were figuring by 2014 they'd be moving beyond 3D, 1080p live broadcasts to straight 4K Silverlight streaming, or holograms, or something. Still, as high definition still spreads throughout Russia, for the moment at least, we'll pencil it in as "just" an HD Olympics, and be glad it's not the muddled mess of HDTV and widescreen SD we endured during the Torino Games in 2006.
VC Friday: Let the Games Continue
European Wii owners this week are treated to something they must have known was coming sooner or later: Epyx's Winter Games. The multi-event Olympic games seem like canonical European games of the era, and Summer Games 2 is already out. Eventually, North American gamers will get to enjoy things like this! Personally, the last time this blogger played Winter Games, it was on the Atari 7800.Also available this week for PAL downloaders: last week's North American release, Wolf of the Battlefield: MERCS. It lacks the multiplayer of the arcade game, but it's a pretty okay action game on its own, full of ridiculous attitude and 16-bit bombast. Overall, it's not the greatest week, but neither is it Urban Champion. Winter Games -- Commodore 64 -- 500 Wii Points Wolf of the Battlefield: MERCS -- Mega Drive -- 800 Wii Points Videos of the Games: CLIPS after the break.
The Empire of Sports
Playing as or battling against elves, dwarfs, monsters and aliens comprise the heart and soul of virtually every MMO on the market. So what would you say to a massive online game based around - not one, but many - sports? Being a sports fanatic, I'm sweating at the very thought of such a bold idea. A few weeks ago The Empire of Sports launched their closed beta. And what is this sporting MMO all about?Players create a fully customizable character to interact, train, compete and attend events in several different spots disciplines including football, basketball, tennis, skiing, bobsleigh, and a series of training/fitness games. Additional single and team sports will be added as the community evolves. According to the website, these are not mini-games, but full blown sports games that feature unique controls giving players a different experience each time. Players will live and train within virtual city centers (which look like Olympic villages) that include all the facilities and services a world class athlete would ever need. Once you're ready you can test your skills against thousands of other players in order to build a virtual sports star existence. Based on the screen shots EoS reminds me a lot of Epyx old Winter Games and Summer Games released during the mid-1980's. Good times. I can't wait to give this intriguing MMO concept a spin! The Empire is accepting beta applications, so if any of this sounds intriguing, shoot on over to their website and join the fun.
