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Microsoft, HP add Media Center Extender functionality to MediaSmart LCD HDTVs
Just in case Linksys and D-Link's introductions weren't enough to satisfy, Microsoft is now announcing yet another partner in its refreshed Extenders for Windows Media Center effort. Beginning in "early 2008," owners of HP's current 42- and 47-inch MediaSmart LCD HDTVs will be able to utilize all of the features of the Media Center Extender platform sans any additional hardware. According to Microsoft, users will simply download a software update for their set, after which they'll be able to kick back and enjoy a little Windows Media Center Internet TV while basking in the glory that is added functionality.
Hasbro serves up toys galore, aims for tweens
Gateway and Linksys aren't the only firms using Digital Life to showcase new wares, as Hasbro is making the most of its opportunity by inviting fun-lovin' tweens over to its booth to play with a number of new holiday must-haves. Aside from the familiar Power Tour guitar and NET JET game, the company is also showing off its Littlest Pet Shop VIPs (virtual interactive pets), which will launch next month for $14.99 apiece, and a few new critters in the Furreal Friends family, one of which is pictured above. Additionally, Tiger Electronics is introducing its October-bound I-Dog Amp'd ($34.99), which will "tap its paw to the tune, bob its head to the beat, swish its ears and wag its tail to the rhythm of your favorite songs." Lastly, the I-List Music Party game sounds like the perfect way to entertain guests at your next sleepover, and should be available soon to test your knowledge of music for $19.99. Click on through for a few more pics.
D-Link's DSM-750 Media Center Extender gets official
Right on cue, D-Link has made its own Media Center Extender official on the same day as Linksys. The DSM-750, which strangely boasts the exact same model number as a different product we heard about at CES, becomes the latest in the firm's MediaLounge lineup and enables "high-speed, uninterrupted wireless (or wired) streaming and sharing of HD / SD video, movies, digital photos and music," regardless of where your PC is located. The device features dual-band draft Wireless N technology, silent operation, a wireless remote, USB 2.0 port for accessing external storage, and a 10 / 100 Ethernet jack. Catch it this November for $349.99, and check out a bevy of photos (including a few hands-on) in the gallery below.%Gallery-7832%
Gateway busting out artsy all-in-one PC next week?
Gateway is passing around an invite to New York's Digital Life attendees, promising the grand unveiling of... something. The invite is tagged with a cute little "Gateway One" logo, or maybe it's "One Gateway," and all signs are pointing towards a new all-in-one PC with decent aesthetics. Also, breakfast will be served, so you know we're all over it. The press conference will be at 9AM EDT on September 27th.
iRobot Connectr can't be half as lame as Looj
We really did our best to hold back our disappointment at the Looj. Sure, there must be people out there with gutters full of leaves and plastic parachute men, and we want to be respectful of that, but we can't say it really stoked our gadget lust. Luckily for us, iRobot seems to have another bot in the works dubbed "Connectr" -- at least if a recent trademark filing for "robots for video and audio monitoring, surveillance, and communication" is anything to go on. This one might be just for iRobot's military and public service customers, but we'll hope for a consumer-friendly score here to rival other web-friendly video bots out there. iRobot has promised to announce two new bots at Digital Life in NY later this month, so let's hope this is one of them.[Thanks, Daanish]
Electric new Elebits footage
Looks like some of the games people got their hands on at Digital Life '06 weren't hidden behind secret entrances (like Sonic was) -- this new gameplay video of Elebits was shot right out in the open. After a long look at the control scheme, it gets right into the action, and then they're just zapping little Elebits all over the place. The video gets a little repetitive (four minutes can be a long time), but the ambient noise from the show floor adds an extra layer to this one.
Hands-on: Sonic and the Secret Rings
Nintendo Wii's exclusive Sonic and the Secret Rings was playable behind closed doors at DigitalLife, and I came out thoroughly impressed. Sega's Ben Harrison was able to speak about the game on camera (see past the break), and as you'll be able tell from the huge smiles on both our faces, this game is pure fun. It made me regret that only the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 Sonic games were available on the showfloor, because this game is without a doubt much better. As Blake mentioned at E3, this game is one of the best looking titles on the Wii. Although the textures aren't great, the special effects, lighting and steady framerate made the game a real treat to the eyes. Unlike the sandy level that's been showcased over and over again, the new level overloads the player with visual information. It feels like every few seconds, an explosion happens somewhere around Sonic. The game moves insanely fast, and when unleashing Sonic's special attack, the world blurs in a dizzying amount of color. It's very impressive, and gives the player a real feeling of empowerment.
PSP Fanboy hands-on: Death Jr 2
Konami's booth at DigitalLife not only featured Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops, it also featured Death Jr. 2. The game's producer promised to fix the problems of the first one, and it appears he's done a good job of addressing many of the original's issues. The build on hand felt pretty solid, with intuitive pick-up-and-play controls. Also, the game appeared to be quite the visual treat, with lighting effects and particles happening everywhere. I don't know if it's "HDR" or not, but the game does look quite nice. Unfortunately, I couldn't get as much time with the game as I would've liked because the production UMD that was being used was stolen by someone (Konami's looking for you-- watch out!).I got a chance to talk to Konami product manager Matt Knoles about the game, and he goes over the many features that should get us excited. He said the game has a better camera, but it still seems like it needs a little bit of work for me. Matt points out that the game is more action-packed, and as you can see in the video above, he's probably right. Death Jr. 2 comes out in time for Halloween, so expect more details and reviews soon.
PSP Fanboy hands-on: Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops
A few steps away from Sega's booth at DigitalLife was Konami's. I got a chance to talk to Matt Knoles, product manager for Konami, and play a few rounds of multiplayer from the upcoming Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops. Although Matt couldn't reveal anything new to you guys, the ability to go hands-on with the game was exciting. Four PSPs engaged in the battle, and I got into the control scheme very quickly. It was relatively simple to move around, lock on and start firing away. It was a great deal of fun, but I worry that the multiplayer may be a bit too shallow. The gameplay was fun, easy to pick up, and graphically very impressive, but at the same time, it felt unrefined. It wasn't hard to find yourself fighting with the camera, and entering first-person view seemed to give you a distinct disadvantage in the game.I previously questioned whether or not controlling the game using the PSP's analog nub would be effective. The answer is: yes. But, I think it will work much better in Portable Ops' crucial single player story mode, where the pace should be slower, and the game should be... well, stealthier. A slower pace will certainly make the controls much more forgiving. However, the production values of the multiplayer game are so amazing, that I believe that the game should be quite amazing when it comes out in December.The PSP met the Blue Screen of Death for this unfortunate player.
PSP Fanboy interviews Sonic Rivals' Yosuke Moriya
Fellow blogger Chris Powell did not like my somewhat negative preview of Sonic Rivals from the DigitalLife show floor. He told me on AIM that I should "play it until I like it." Well, buddy-- I tried to follow your advice. I spoke with Yosuke Moriya, product manager for Sega, about the PSP-exclusive title and he talked a little bit about the game, revealed some of its features, and played multiplayer with me. Mr. Moriya reassured me that some of the complaints I had were being addressed before the game ships in November. For example, the framerate certainly hindered the sense of speed the game needs: when debug mode was turned on, I saw that the framerate dropped frequently to 15-20fps. Music will obviously be added, but unfortunately, it appears that voice acting will not (the game currently features very short quips: Sonic says only "yeah" over and over again). The single player portion of the game will be meatier than I originally thought, as I was shown a few of the later levels and a very cool secret unlockable character (which we can't reveal, sorry!). You'll be able to collect rings and cards, which will be redeemed for new customization items for the characters: for example, you can get new shoes for Sonic, or a new outfit for Knuckles, etc. Sonic + Barbie = fun, right? The game was obviously designed with multiplayer in mind, and it became a much more fun, and lively game when playing against a human opponent. I got to trash talk Yosuke as I sped away, racing towards the finish line. The moments where we able to use special powers against each other were the most lively, and the game has to create as many opportuities for interaction as possible. You can bet cards at the beginning of each race, so I could've stolen Yosuke's shoes. I didn't, though... because I'm just that nice. I have to admit I had a blast, but unfortunately, the game will only support ad-hoc multiplayer with two UMDs. Without Infrastructure play, it might be difficult to find another human opponent to play against. And that's a shame, really, because the game does become a much more lively game with it.
8 Pages of PS3 Pandemonium!
Live in New York? Go to the Digital Life event? Get the Playstation 3 flier (thought it was flyer... but I've been wrong before)? If not, no worries. MiVADiKA is making the 8-page propaganda paper piece available to all of us and boy, is it ever an intense read. The first page the cover page (really?!) and has the "PLAY B3YOND" slogan tacked at the bottom. The second page discusses this slogan, claiming the PS3 is "beyond anything ever created in the world of gaming." Page three goes into the hardware specs and tosses up some pics from next-gen titles. Page four? Blu-ray. Page five talks about the cool options of the PS3, like backwards compatibility, "always on" online connectivity, PS3 to PSP connectivity, yadda yadda awesome. Page six appropriately talks about the SIXAXIS and its sensitivity. The seventh page compares the 20GB and the 60GB models. Last page... different angles of the gorgeous system. It's a cool piece of literature. Should be studied in an english course. Just kidding -- but it is a very mouth-watering bit of Sony-propaganda for those who were already interested in the system. It may even make those who weren't terribly interested say, "hmm. Neat."
PSP Fanboy hands-on: Sonic Rivals
PSP Fanboy had a chance to play the upcoming Sonic Rivals at NYC's DigitalLife event. I had high expectations for the game because I hold a belief that the 2D Sonic games are much better than their 3D counterparts. With the impressive processing power of the PSP, I expected to see a vivid, colorful, living environment for Sonic and the gang to race through. The build I played (which felt very early: it didn't have music, or voice acting), didn't showcase the PSP's graphical prowess. Surprisingly, the game felt somewhat sluggish, with Sonic's notoriously fast speeds feeling somewhat subdued.While the gameplay is in classic 2D, I couldn't help but be disappointed by the fact that the game is not a platformer, but a racer. However, Sonic Rivals seems to find itself in a confusing place because neither the platforming nor the racing elements seem to feel right yet. The controls didn't feel tight enough: there were context sensitive options to certain parts of the level, but it felt like many button presses weren't doing what they were supposed to. Hit detection between Sonic and his rival also seemed iffy. For the most part, the game felt uninspiring. All the elements for a good Sonic game appear to be present: there are enemies, there are branching levels, and there are environmental hazards. But without a real sense of speed, or an incentive for exploration, Rivals feels fails to inspire. I haven't had a chance to play with all the characters, or play multiplayer yet, but so far, I have to say I'm a little disappointed. Sonic Rivals speeds into stores in November.See also:Joystiq at Sonic's 15th birthday party
Joystiq at Sonic's 15th birthday party
The blue dude with an attitude turned fifteen years old yesterday and he celebrated at NYC's DigitalLife show. Fans and confused onlookers watched as Sonic was presented a ridiculously large birthday cake by psuedo-celebrity Lacey Chabert. Hungry attendees of the show (myself included) scarfed down the cake, and laughed at the man inside the Sonic suit, knowing it was impossible for him to blow out the candles on his cake, let alone eat it. Sonic, the cake was delicious.When questioned about how it felt to be 15, Sonic responded, "It's strange. I'm growing hair in places I've never had hair before." He then sped away and, like in his upcoming Xbox 360 game, my camera was unable to follow him. Read on to see more pictures, and video from the celebration.
Engadget's live from DigitalLife!
Engadget Mobile's loving parent, Engadget, has sent our own Paul Miller and Peter Rojas to cover Palm's announcement live from DigitalLife in New York City. Check it out!
HD DVD tour stops at Digital Life 2006 and drops details on Miami Vice's U-control
The HD DVD tour isn't spending all its time in New York hanging out at the Today Show's new HD studios, its pulled up to Digital Life 2006 at the Javits Center. In a press release issued by the North American HD DVD Promotional Group there were also new details about the upcoming December 5th release of Miami Vice on HD DVD; like Fast and the Furious 3: Tokyo Drift and Accepted, it will include U-control special features. Viewers can check out specs on cars and boats featured in the movie, track car chases through Miami streets via GPS, or look at production photos and cast details while the movie continues to play. Firing off more shots in the format war, the group also announced statistics from AC Nielsen showing HD DVD owners have already purchased an average of 8.4 titles each, and Nielsen Videoscan numbers indicating HD DVD outsold "competing formats" -- we're pretty sure they don't mean VMD -- by nearly 3:1 in August. The best defense is a good offense, and the HD DVD camp is taking the big Blu-ray holiday push head-on, showcasing not just new movies but also new hardware like the Xbox 360 HD DVD player and upcoming Toshiba HD-XA2.
Joystiq at NYC's Final Fantasy Day festivities
New York City's Times Square was overwhelmed by Final Fantasy fans as Square-Enix premiered the English language version of the upcoming Final Fantasy XII, which will be playable at this week's DigitalLife conference, which starts tomorrow. The trailer, shown to great excitement amongst fans, featured great visuals (as expected) and some truly impressive voice acting. For those of you that have HDTVs, you'll be glad to know that the US version has been enhanced with new anamorphic widescreen (16:9) functionality.Check out a shaky-cam version of the trailer, and some pics from the event after the break.
Switched On: Trading up trade shows
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about the future of technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment: This week's announcement that the Entertainment Software Association will euphemistically "evolve" the Electronic Entertainment Expo into a more "intimate" event (a premise hard to imagine given the attire of most female videogame characters) saw the once-thriving event accompany the ranks of fallen shows like Comdex, PC Expo and the summer Macworld Expo. The summer Macworld Expo show disappeared because IDG's events group could not reach agreement with Apple on the venue, and Apple held even greater sway over the Mac market during those negotiations than it did in the '90s, Similarly, E3 was scaled back dramatically primarily because the hardware oligopoly of Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo pulled out even though Electronic Arts was also allegedly involved in the negotiations With each demise, particularly those champions of online media have proclaimed the death of the big tech trade show in the U.S. However, at least two events focused on consumer technology have grown significantly over the past few years. DigitalLife, held in New York and developed by Ziff Davis's events group, is not only open to the public, it's explicitly aimed at it. It's timing just before the start of the holiday shopping season lets consumer technology companies prime the promotional pump. Return on investment is easy to justify as a direct marketing initiative. The changes to E3 should strengthen DigitalLife's relevance to videogame marketing.
