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Saturday Livestream: City of Heroes' mission architect [Updated!]
Are you a City of Heroes fan or former fan? Are you curious about the state of the classic superhero MMO, its player-created content, or its combat mechanics? Massively's got just the thing for you, and you won't even need to leave your browser to check it out. On Saturday, November 20th, at 3 p.m. EST (noon PST), Massively will be hosting a livestream of City of Heroes designed to tour a slice of the Architect Entertainment system and test the effects of particle-effects overload on your retinas. Massively's City of Heroes columnist Eliot Lefebvre and I will be joined by Balázs Kiss, better known to fans as @Zaphir, the winner of Dr. Aeon's most recent Architect Challenge. Along with a few plucky guildies who'll round out our group, we'll be playing through @Zaphir's Who Dares Wins arc (#454805), chatting about the arc and the game, and answering your questions. Just super-jump your way over to Massively TV on Saturday to join us for the fun! And if you've got a favorite arc of your own, remember to mail it off to Eliot for possible inclusion in an upcoming article. See you there! [Edit: Thanks for coming out, everyone! The livestream is over, but it's available on Massively TV and just after the cut! Look for more CoH AE goodies in Eliot's column!]
PlayStation Move review
The PlayStation Move. It's funny to think just 15 months have passed since Sony first unveiled its motion controller, and now we're mere weeks away from hitting the retail market. To be sure, it's not like the company didn't have waggle on the mind already -- patents dating as far back as 2005 reveal as much, and of course the incredible success of Nintendo's Wii proved there's a market for more physically exerting gameplay. And it's not just PlayStation; Microsoft's got its controller-free Kinect motion camera system coming this November. So, in the year where all major game consoles now ask you to get off the couch and earn arm muscle, how does Move fare? Read on for more!
Hyperspace Beacon: We hope this never makes it into SWTOR, but knowing our luck, it probably will, again
Tweet var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/pc_games/Hyperspace_Beacon_We_hope_this_never_makes_it_into_SWTOR'; Like a kowakian monkey-lizard in heat, Larry Everett is back again with another edition of your guide to EA-BioWare's yet-to-be-released game Star Wars: The Old Republic. Welcome to the Hyperspace Beacon. Every once in awhile, the Star Wars universe produces the strangest plot devices or game items. Some of these concoctions should never see the light of day, but unfortunately, they do. I like to highlight these malformed ideas in a segment of the Hyperspace Beacon called "We hope this never makes it into SWTOR, but, knowing our luck, it probably will" or WHTNMIISWTORBKOLIPW, for short. This week's column revolves around the prequels. Although there are many, many, many things wrong with the prequels, I would like to take a look at some of the highlights. To help those who may not know what is being discussed, I will give you a brief explanation of what each item is, then explain what is wrong with it, and follow that with a humorous explanation of how BioWare will ruin SWTOR by implementing it in our beloved game. Let's see what creative blunders we have in store this week.
Microsoft Arc Touch mouse marketing shots turn up, now all we need is an Arc Touch mouse and we'll be all set
At this point we're less talking about "leaks" with Microsoft's upcoming Arc Touch mouse, and really just wading into the ocean. Yesterday the mouse popped up on a German online store, and now another German site has gotten ahold of marketing shots of the mouse. They aren't a ton of surprises or anything, but it's nice to see it in context. Hit the source link for a couple more shots that aren't in the gallery below. Update: And here's a bundle from Microsoft itself. Thanks, guys / gals! %Gallery-99878%
Marantz adds Blu-ray 3D, internet streaming features across 2010 Blu-ray player, audio line
Marantz has unveiled its 2010 line of high end receivers, amplifiers, pre amplifiers and Blu-ray players, and naturally the headlining upgrades have to do with streaming internet video access, Blu-ray 3D and HDMI 1.4 compatibility. You can check out the press releases for all the details, but we'll highlight the UD7005 ($899, due in September) and UD5005 ($499, August) "Universal Media Players," which earn the tag by including everything SACD, DVD-Audio, DivX and even Blu-ray 3D playback, plus improving on their predecessors by featuring DLNA v1.5 streaming access and built in Netflix and YouTube compatibility. One disappointment however, while some are still waiting for an updated version of the flagship SR8002 receiver, with only new editions in the form of the SR5005, SR6005 and SR7005 receivers. The SR7005 features six HDMI 1.4a inputs, with Windows 7-compatible DLNA, iPod, IP control, Pandora and the other usual feature boxes checked when it ships next month for $1,599.
Microsoft prepping Magic Mouse-like Arc Touch Mouse?
Microsoft isn't saying anything about this one just yet, but there's a growing amount of evidence that the company is set to take on Apple's Magic Mouse with its own Arc Touch Mouse. As istartedsomething reports, that includes a product listing for an "Arc Touch Mouse" at several European retailers (with a $70 price tag), an arctouchmouse.com domain registered to Microsoft in late March, and some Microsoft Research projects that show that the company has indeed been working on multitouch mice since at least late last year (one of those prototypes is pictured above). Just one big coincidence? Probably not, but we'll have to wait to hear from Microsoft to know for sure.
Microsoft Arc Keyboard now available in white exclusively from Amazon
Microsoft's Arc Keyboard was already quite an eye-catcher in its original black, but we may just have to give the edge to this new white version with lime green accents, which is now exclusively available for pre-order from Amazon. Of course, the color is the only thing that's changed here, with the keyboard still sporting the same slim, arched design, the same tiny 2.4GHz USB transmitter and, unfortunately, the same $59.95 price tag. Still no exact release date just yet, but the keyboard will apparently start shipping out sometime in June.
Joystiq live at Sony's GDC 2010 press conference
It's an awfully nice gesture of Sony to invite us to its GDC 2010 press conference -- and it's one where we expect to see some equally nice gestures. That's a Motion Controller joke, folks. Check back by 4:00PM PST (7PM EST) to catch our full and irritatingly detailed liveblog!
Sony trademarks 'PlayStation Move' in Europe
Another candidate has been added to the list of potential names for Sony's motion controller. Yesterday, Sony filed a European trademark, for use with a control device, for "PlayStation Move." It sounds fitting for a motion controller! (It's application number 008936544 in the European trademark database, if you'd like to see it in its native habitat.) In addition to that trademark, NeoGAFfer gofreak found another trademark for the logo seen here, which looks more like an A for Arc than an M for Move. We have yet to verify the image ourselves in the trademark database, however. In any case, we're likely to find out more about whatever this thing is called during GDC. [Via NeoGAF; The Netwerk]
Konami shoots 'Gradius Arc' into core of Japanese trademark database
[Hobby Search] Konami has filed a Japanese trademark for something called "Gradius Arc." The "Gradius" part is easy enough to parse -- Konami's long-running series of horizontal shooters, last seen in the form of WiiWare's Gradius ReBirth -- but the "Arc" leads us to one particularly fanciful hypothesis. "Arc" happens to be the frontrunner among rumored names for the PlayStation Motion Controller, having been mentioned by several developers and even trademarked by Sony. Could this be the first evidence of a motion-controlled Gradius game? However, we shouldn't jump to (horrifying) conclusions based on the presence of a common word that happens to coincide with what a controller might be called. "Arc" could just be a subtitle for a Gradius game that you play with a controller like a sensible person.
Sony files for 'PlayStation Arc' trademark in Japan -- all but a done deal?
Sony's PlayStation Motion Controller has gone through a few different names during its development, but "Arc" has cropped up far more than any other over the past few months, and it's now looking increasingly like a sure thing. While any official announcement will likely have to wait until GDC next week, the folks at Siliconera have discovered that Sony recently filed to trademark the name "PlayStation Arc" in Japan, which is just the latest form of confirmation of the name following a domain registration, and some noticeable name-dropping from gaming CEOs seemingly in-the-know. Of course, Sony could always pull a surprise out of its hat, and we'll be there live at GDC to report on whatever happens.
'PlayStation Arc' trademarked in Japan
Another round of evidence suggesting that Sony will call its ball-and-stick thingamabob "PlayStation Arc": A Japanese trademark for the name has been spotted by Siliconera. The "Arc" name has seen rumored since the beginning of the year -- and has been dropped by execs like THQ boss Brian Farrell. Regardless of how you feel about the name, we think we can all agree it's a step up from the informative but decidedly boring "Sony Motion Controller." So, on to the GDC panel then?
Sony's Dyer predicts more games for PlayStation Motion Controller than Natal
SCEA's Senior VP of Publisher Relations, Kevin Butler Rob Dyer, has some pretty lofty expectations for the still-unnamed PlayStation Motion Controller. Set for release this Fall, it must not only compete against the Wii, but Microsoft's controller-free foray into motion gaming, Project Natal. Dyer obviously believes that Sony's offering has an edge, and expects more games to take advantage of the controller: "My feeling is that we're going to have a lot more games, a lot more innovation," he told IndustryGamers. "It's easier to develop for," Dyer explained. "You can use the same code base that you currently use for PS3 or 360 or even the Wii in order to get a motion controller game out. You can't do that with Natal." While Microsoft treads new territory with its Project Natal offering, Sony's motion controller does seem to play it safe, offering an experience not unlike the one offered by Nintendo. Last year, Resident Evil 5's Jun Takeuchi commented about the theoretical ease of porting Wii games to the PS3, a trait that should expedite the number of games available on Sony's platform. Even the announced offerings have played it safe for now, with familiar titles like LittleBigPlanet and the aforementioned Resident Evil 5 representing a large majority of the Motion Controller's upcoming library. However, while Dyer may tout a larger library of titles, gamers are likely to be disappointed if Sony's line-up is little more than "Wii games in HD" and "old games with tacked-on motion controls." Perhaps Sony's upcoming GDC presentation will assuage some of our concerns.
Disney won't rule out Epic Mickey on 360, PS3
When Warren Spector's first Junction Point Studios title, Disney Epic Mickey, was revealed, many gamers were miffed to learn that the game was exclusive to the Wii -- especially after being inundated with some spectacular concept art for the game. It looks like there is still some hope that the game will hit the Xbox 360 and PS3, according to Disney's Graham Hopper. Hopper tells Gamasutra that one of the game's core concepts is its "ink and paint mechanic", making it ideal for the Wii. However, now that both Xbox 360 and PS3 will soon support motion controls of their own, things might be different. "If we started it 6 months ago we would have potentially thought differently about it," said Hopper. He noted that Disney has "a very large audience base that has Wiis in their home" but that the company isn't ruling out the possibility of a future port to other platforms. Making all of this a bit stranger, as Joystiq readers will recall, is that Epic Mickey actually started out as a project for the PC, Xbox 360 and PS3. The game switched to Wii development in 2008 when Disney raised the possibility of a port. At the time, Spector told the company that many of the design ideas wouldn't work on the console, noting that a Wii version would have to "be its own game." Disney apparently agreed, deciding to make the game Wii exclusive. Here we are two years later, and the game just might come full circle.
Peter Moore wants to be convinced by OnLive, already a fan of Arc controller
Peter Moore, formerly the big cheese in charge of Xbox, is now the head of EA Sports, but he's lost none of the forthrightness that's made him a popular man to interview in the past. In his latest sitdown with CVG, Peter expressed his admiration for the nascent OnLive cloud gaming service, but also noted that he remains uncertain as to whether it will actually work when millions of people decide to play the same game at the same time -- a reservation we probably all share. He did point out that the sort of readily accessible gaming OnLive represents was in his company's plans, and would be expanded with more browser-based games. Finally, as someone who's seen the PlayStation 3 Arc controller in action Peter should be well qualified to assess it, and he describes it as a "great complement to what's out there," claiming that it brings a substantially different experience to Nintendo's Wii Remote. Check out the source for the full interview.
Peter Moore excited about PlayStation 'Arc,' unsure about OnLive
In a time-honored Peter Moore tradition, the EA Sports head recently opened up for an interview on a variety of subjects in the game industry. This time, the oft fake-tattooed gentleman exposited on the future of OnLive and his company's investment in the upcoming PlayStation Motion Controller (supposedly named "Arc"). "I don't know about OnLive," Moore told CVG, responding to the question of whether or not the cloud gaming service will become the "iTunes of gaming." He does, however, see opportunity in burgeoning distribution and pricing methods. "If a consumer's got five bucks to spend on some cool DLC; if they love Tiger Woods but want to be able to play online and invest $10 or $15 over a period of time ... those are the things we need to look at." As far as his interest in the "Arc" goes, he says that he's seen the hardware in action and thinks it'll be a "great complement to what's out there." He directly points out its distinction from the Wii's motion controller and reconfirms EA Sports' development of games with Sony motion in mind -- he even names tennis and golf as prime contenders as each sport lends to an "authentic sports motion" (at least with what he's seen on the Wii). Frankly, we're just about as excited as could be to finally show off our lacking sports skills as games based on sports creep closer to reality.
Two EA Sports Active games due Holiday 2010
Just before today's sure to be thrilling investor's call, EA released a fact sheet to the folks gearing up for the hour-plus finance-a-thon -- a fact sheet that revealed two "TBA" EA Sports Active games set for release on consoles in the third quarter of the company's fiscal 2011 (October 1 through December 31, 2010, in human being time). We've yet to hear anything on a new EA Sports Active title for the Wii, though we did hear some rumblings at E3 last year that the franchise would be headed to Sony and Microsoft's respective motion-based outings. And considering the unannounced titles are set for release in line with the announced release of Microsoft's Project Natal, and perhaps just after the PlayStation Motion Controller, there's a good chance that these pending EA Sports Active releases are for those platforms -- maybe one for Natal and one PlayStation; or one for Natal and Playstation and one for Wii.
THQ CEO calls PS3 Motion Controller 'Arc' throughout investor call
Even after all this time Sony's hand-held wand bent on bringing some of that interactive Wii game play to the PS3 still doesn't have a name. Announced at E3, Sony as recently as January 20th was still calling its PS3 Motion Controller, well, "Motion Controller" in its official communications with a footnote that the name was still tentative. Of course, we've heard whispers that it'll be called Arc -- and we're not alone. THQ boss Brian Farrell has either been reading the same sites as us or (more likely) is privy to some inside information. During an investor call, Farrell referred to the "PlayStation Arc motion controller" multiple times in both his prepared statements and in the Q&A round that followed. Remember, this is the same man who loose-lipped the Natal launch date well before Ballmer confirmed it for late 2010. Yeah, so PlayStation Arc it is.
Microsoft Arc Keyboard hands-on
Microsoft's Best Buy-exclusive Arc Keyboard still won't be hitting stores for another couple of weeks (February 21st, to be specific), but we were lucky enough to get our hands on one a little early, and figured we'd share a few impressions with you, the keyboard-using masses. The first thing you'll notice when seeing the keyboard in person is that it's smaller than even the press photos suggested -- basically the same size as your average 15-inch laptop keyboard, with a glossy bezel just big enough to let you pick it up without pressing a key. It's also undeniably eye-catching, with an "arc" that actually more closely resembles Apple's Magic Mouse than Microsoft's own Arc mouse. Of course, most folks will choose function over form when it comes to a keyboard, and in that respect the Arc Keyboard is a bit of a mixed bag. %Gallery-84608%
Sony PS3 Motion Controller delayed until 'fall 2010' globally
Last official word we had on the launch of Sony's PS3 Motion Controller was Spring 2010. However, we just received a press release from Sony Japan with a revised availability of "Fall 2010." The calendar push affects Japan, Asia, North America, and Europe. In the statement, Kaz Hirai avoids using the "d" word saying only: "We have decided to release the Motion Controller in fall 2010 when we will be able to offer an exciting and varied line-up of software titles that will deliver the new entertainment experience to PS3 users." Still no mention of Arc though Sony does concede that "Motion Controller" is just a tentative name. Full press release after the break.
