circus
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Inside Cirque du Soleil's technology lab
We hear about disruption all the time -- to transport, to media, to manufacturers. What happens when it comes for the circus? The centuries-old entertainment form used to be the place to see incredible, death-defying feats. Now, we see that kind of wonder on our smartphone screens all the time.
The last Ringling Bros. circus will be streamed on Facebook Live
The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus will close this month after more than 100 years in operation, but the curious who haven't taken in the so-called "greatest show on earth" will get one more chance -- regardless of whether they buy a ticket. Ringing Bros. announced today that the final performance will be broadcast over Facebook Live, a decidedly modern move for such a traditional show. The show will also be streamed from the Ringling Bros. homepage, as well.
Try to survive a sadistic circus in 'Penarium' for PC and consoles
Humans make for more complex strategy than code can. Take Penarium designer and producer Rick van Ginkel's story for example: His studio, Self Made Miracle, once tried to develop a strategy game that relied on complicated spreadsheets and algorithms. It "failed horribly," he says. "I was doing spreadsheet balancing all the time and couldn't get it right. That is why we decided to go for an action game where I could do game design based more on 'feeling' rather than mathematics." That new, feeling-based game is Penarium, a twitchy, bloody, pixelated romp about a man attempting to survive a violent circus attraction in the late 19th century. Instead of forcing strategy into the code or controls, Penarium puts the complexity in players' hands.
WoW Moviewatch: Circus
This is a blast from the past. A long time ago, I was forcibly hauled into awareness of modern pop music by machinima. Circus was one such brutal awakening to the offerings of Britney Spears. After all, it's not like I was sitting around wondering what kind of music Britney was making. And then Demachic came along with this amazing music video, and I found myself humming along. It doesn't take much to see the appeal of Demachic's music video. The scenery is rich and luxurious, filled with enough moving parts to entertain but not so packed that it distracts from the action. The piece flows well with the music. I have to admit, I find myself looking for more videos like this. Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an email at moviewatch@wowinsider.com.
Bonus round: RuneScape kicks off a weekend of extra XP gain
RuneScape players, it's time to put your key in the ignition and slam the pedal to the floor -- you have a full weekend of bonus XP ahead of you! The weekend kicked off at 7:00 a.m. EDT this morning and will continue until the same time on Monday, September 12th. During this weekend event, RuneScape subscribers -- not free players -- will enjoy a hearty bonus to their training activities rate. The bonus multiplier begins at 2.7 times the normal rate and decreases in percentage every half-hour played after that, until it hits 1.1 times the normal rate of XP gain, at which point it will remain until the bonus weekend is over. This bonus rate will not be used up if a player is logged out or in the game's lobby and does not affect quest XP, XP rewards at the end of activities, assist XP, the circus, and XP that is awarded via items. Because of the unique nature of the Summoning skill, Summoning will be locked in at a 1.1 bonus rate for the duration of the event.
Pocket Legends goes under the big top with Nuri's Hallows
Pocket Legends, the pint-sized popular MMO with charm and quirkiness to spare, is enlisting players for a stint at the circus. While some of us may indeed qualify to join the sideshow freaks, Spacetime Studios is hoping that adventurers will instead help lift the curse of an unfortunate traveling circus. With the recently released Nuri's Hallows campaign pack, players can now push up to level 60 as they investigate the cursed circus and its fascinating inhabitants. Amidst fighting the Strongman or navigating the twisted passageways of the House of Pain, there's tons of new loot to be found. Best of all, Spacetime is offering this campaign for free. Pocket Legends is available on iOS devices, and you can watch the trailer for Nuri's Hallows after the jump. Remember, kids, all the best things in life come after the jump!
UrRobot's Robii hides a multitouch projector in his circus tent (video)
This cute, bearmonkey-like creature with animatronic head and arms perched atop a rotating, but otherwise fixed torso is called Robii. He's built by Compal Communications, the ODM more often associated with handsets, and will be sold under the new UrRobot brand in Taiwan. The 16,900 NTD (about $582) toy robot features an interactive projector tucked away inside of Robii's circus tent. When extended, it projects interactive video for gaming and infotainment -- very similar to the projected multitouch display we saw demonstrated by Light Blue Optics at CES 2010. Robii can track moving objects using its built-in cameras and comes equipped with an ambient light sensor, and voice and image recognition. It's also capable of barking commands at children with the appropriate visage (from a catalog of 100 facial expressions) to ensure dutiful compliance. Quick demo after the break. Update: We've been informed that the VGA pico projector is of Himax Technologies origin. Full details after the break.
Breakfast Topic: All's faire in love and war
Once again, those funny little circus guys are coming to town. They'll be right outside Shattrath this week, so the ghost town which used to be bustling with activity will see a few visitors swing by if only to claim their new Darkmoon Cards. After that, Shattrath will be empty once again, echoing only with the hooves of Deathchargers and the synthesized laughter of Death Knights. The traveling circus will sell drinks, frogs, and have some amusing games for about a week and then merrily pack up and disappear again. Anyway, so, the Darkmoon Faire is coming around.Does anybody else feel like these guys deserve something a little more than being just a stopover for epic trinket turn-ins? I mean, there aren't even any Achievements for them. Shouldn't getting shot out of the cannon without dying be an Achievement? How about sampling all the crazy food and drink they offer? That should be an Achievement, too, right along with owning a frog or a Darkmoon Card. These guys have entertained us, stuck with us for years, and they don't get so much as a welcome or a thank you whenever they roll into town.Considering it's a monthly event, what else do you think can be added to the Darkmoon Faire to make it more of a stop? I think Achievements are in order, at least. Professor Thaddeus Paleo receives more visitors than anyone in the faire, but nobody ever remembers him. Silas Darkmoon may be a gnome, but he's everybody's circus gnome. Who doesn't know Jubjub? Let's give these hard-working guys some love. What's your best memory about the Darkmoon Faire? What would you like to see? Would it be cool if they visited Northrend, too?
USB Circus Cannon brings big top fun to your desk
Much like the USB air darts we saw last winter, this new Circus Cannon connects to your free USB port (go on, unplug that scanner that you hardly use anyway), and then will shoot three foam "babes" (they look like darts with faces to us) whenever you please. If that wasn't enough, the $35 package comes with its own miniature circus net and pre-recorded sound effects -- you can even add your own sound effects, surely to the annoyance of your co-workers. Mac fans, sorry, this one is Windows XP-only. We've heard the USB freak show is just around the corner, so watch out.
