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Look Online for LOL
Skip and Route24's LOL is seemingly a very freeform game. It has no prescribed content, just an open canvas with which you can design your own trivia or drawing game -- or anything else you want that involves sending pictures and text between DS systems. It provides the infrastructure and a timer, and that's pretty much it! But LOL is defined as much by its constraints as it is its freedom, in that it is a strictly multiplayer-only game. Don't have any friends around? It doesn't work. Now it seems there's another restriction: according to Agetec's product page, LOL will only be available online when it is released on May 30th. This has the effect of ensuring that what was once going to be just a bizarre game will be a very expensive bizarre game within a year's time. Also found on the product page: new screens (in our gallery!) and the boxart, with the ESRB "Game Experience May Change During Online Play" notice. Online play?%Gallery-18526%[Via Siliconera]
A multiplayer-only drawing game? LOL!
"If the game is boring, you are boring." That's how Agetec is choosing to market a localized version of Skip's bizarre Archime DS, a multiplayer-only game that is entirely dependent on user-generated content. And we mean entirely.LOL DS is little more than a networked drawing pad. One player issues challenges to the others and determines a time limit. It is then up to the other players to fulfill that challenge using drawings or words. The group then votes on a winner, who is then the leader of the next round. And that's LOL!Is this emergent gameplay, or no gameplay? It's a very bold move on Agetec's part to release this, much as it was for Skip to release it in Japan.%Gallery-18526%[Via press release]
It seems obvious now: Drawing training
Do you like to draw or paint, or maybe just sketch or doodle? Well, if you do, chances are you have the interest needed to buy You Can Draw Well in Ten Minutes a Day (1-nichi 10-pun de E ga Jouzu ni Kakeru DS). A DS adaptation of a popular how-to-draw book series, Draw Well uses audio and animation to walk kids through a simple drawing every day.Using collections of basic shapes, the game teaches kids to draw a collection of more than 100 animals, insects, and vehicles. The drawings can then be integrated into a set of minigames or used in animations.A training game about drawing fits not only the DS's most popular genre, but also its unique capabilities better than just about anything else on the system. It's just a perfect idea for the DS.
Robotic artist does portraits, hoping to get into nudes
A totally ingenious robotics researcher named Sylvain Calinon has created what might be the perfect storm of art and science -- a robot that can recognize and then draw portraits of human subjects. The bot, named HOAP-3, is able to distinguish a human face, take a still frame of that image, and then create a drawing by (robotic) hand based on what it sees. The demonstration is a part of designer Calinon's research into creating robots which can learn through imitation, or in scenarios where they must react to humans. Unfortunately for us fleshpiles, it's only a matter of time before this thing starts doing hilarious caricatures accentuating our worst features. Watch the robot work in the amazing video after the break, and check the read link for a lot more information on the HOAP-3 project. [Via technabob]
Scribbles simple drawing
Of late there have been several Core Image based image editors released for the Mac. Scribbles does not attempt to be one of them. It is first and foremost for, well, scribbling or doodling. What makes it interesting is the very simple interface, plus the stroke rendering engine that automatically smoothes out strokes. This is particularly apparent when using the mouse to write out letters. Instead of jagged edges you get fluid lines. The interface is designed to be extremely easy to use, and accordingly the tool set is very limited. Nonetheless, there is basic 3D layers support which makes it relatively easy to get some nice effects. My sense is this would be a great drawing application for kids.Scribbles is $19.95 and a demo is available from atebits. There's also a screencast on that same page worth checking out.[Via MacNN]
Everyone should download Colors, and also learn to draw
Still on the fence about homebrew? This demonstration of what is possible with the homebrew drawing program Colors! will boot you off the fence and send you shopping for an R4. All you need to create gorgeous watercolor-looking portraits like this one is homebrew capability, the Colors! program, and to be Joe Quinones. Which, unfortunately, you aren't. Unless you are, in which case you've already seen these.In addition to this portrait, he painted a lovely Princess Leia portrait that we think would be quite an achievement even if it hadn't been made with a DS. It proves that Star Wars fan works don't necessarily have to be embarrassing for everyone involved or watching.[Thanks, Jason!]
Brown University demonstrates Drawing on Air system
It's been a tick since we've heard any news on the 3D drawing front, but a number of computer scientists from Brown University are putting the art back in the proverbial foreground with its Drawing on Air installation. Put simply, users can slip on a virtual reality mask, grab a stylus and tracking device, and go to town. The system uses "drawing guidelines, force feedback, and two-handed interaction" to assist artists in drawing more precisely, and once movements are made, the patterns are transferred to a computer for use in 3D modeling and design programs. Unfortunately, such a system can't currently be priced at points which John and / or Jane Doe would be happy with, but the researchers did state that commercialization wasn't "too far away" and that prices should decrease from "thousands of dollars to hundreds of dollars in the next few years."
Really long PS3 ad highlights system features through sketches
We're fond of this new "This is Living" promo video for PS3. It highlights all of the system's features in some pretty clever ways. With an inspired sketchbook look, the PS3 comes across as something artistic. Our favorite part has to be the segment where Remote Play is demonstrated. The PSP talks to the PS3, and they're sent further away from each other. Even with an ocean between the two, they're still able to talk to each other. It's sort of romantic.Hopefully, this ad will be chopped into bite-sized bits for television use. The aesthetic is great, and certainly does a great job at explaining the many things PS3 can do. [Via Digg]
Find painting zen on the DS
Mercury Games is planning to release a series of Ertain's non-competitive DS games in the West as "Zen Games." The first game scheduled is something that recently popped up at the Renchi sale, in its Japanese incarnation as Kokoro wo Yasumeru Otona no Nurie DS. It'll be called Paint by DS here, and its user interface appears to have undergone a cosmetic makeover. Since it obviously has the same pictures, we assume that the minigames and puzzles are still there as well.We were pretty interested in the Japanese version (as some of you seemed to be), so we're pleased to have the chance to check this out whenever it comes out in the US. It'll be out in Europe on the 24th of August.[Via Game|Life]
Awesome Line Rider video offers DS fans something to look forward to
What a great way to wind up the holiday! This video shows off what we'll soon be able to do on the go -- draw up entire worlds in Line Rider, the flash game scheduled to make with a DS version. Seeing something as elaborate as this stage, which is an impressive recreation of areas from Stargate Atlantis (someone really loves the Pegasus Galaxy!) makes us think it may be worth dropping some cash on an otherwise-free Flash game after all. The stylus will certainly help in these big projects. What about you? Is the stylus enough to make you consider Line Rider on the DS, or do you already own one of those snappy graphics tablets?
Uber apron and other WoW crafts
Alice from Wonderland posted this great apron Craftster dishwasher182 (I guess we know what she does after the pizza is eaten) made for her significant other for Valentine's Day. That's a great on-equip buff. Too bad it's soulbound, though-- if you want one, I guess you'll have to make your own custom printed iron-on. And bonus points to another Craftster for pointing out that the apron itself is in fact a blue item. Ha!There's also this knitted Tauren hat, which looks great, but I can't quite see how it's supposed to be worn. How can you see wearing it with that big bullsnout hanging in your face? Also Tauren-related, this hilarious sketch currently for sale on Etsy. And there's also these handmade (not by the same Alice, though) Ankh earrings-- perfect for the shaman in your life who occasionally needs some resurrecting (see #5 in the description).It's probably because I have no craftmaking talent whatsoever, but all this great fanmade craft stuff continues to amaze me. Keep up the good work, guys.
Archime DS screens: enjoy them alone while you can
Savor your solitude; once Archime DS actually gets released, your enjoyment of the game will hinge on the participation of the masses. Or at least the people you've shared friend codes with.These screenshots mostly show example play sessions-- one player writing a question, and then everyone voting on the best answer, or each player's version of a panda drawing. Since most of the content in this game is created on the fly, previews seem a little hollow. We can't really preview what you and your friends will draw, you know?We trust Skip (Chibi Robo, Giftpia) to make a compelling experience, but this program does have the air of non-gameness about it. It's not a training game, but it's not a traditional game either. It's in the "toy" category of non-games along with Jam Sessions and Electroplankton, we suppose.
Super Paper Mario ... on paper!
YouTube user twistednerd has given us an excuse to talk about how awesome Super Paper Mario looks, and we're indebted to him for it. Check out his drawing of Mario as he appears in the new game. The Paper Mario art style is so clean and nice. We wish it would become the default character model for the Mario characters. Not that we have anything against the 3D models they use for all the other Mario games, but the PM look is perfect.The video of twistednerd sketching out Mario onto paper is embedded after the post break. Play it in reverse so it looks like he's sucking the lines back up into his pencil![Thanks, Nikki!]
MAKE creates a drawbot that doesn't get angry
Last time we saw a drawbot, it drew a happy face and then got angry. This new drawbot, shown in a MAKE video, is the latest from our friends who created one of the most popular mooks in the US. The idea behind their bot is to have it scan an image and then reproduce that photo by drawing it -- for now, they've gotten the robot to illustrate a star, but they're working on getting it to reproduce human faces. Still an impressive piece of machinery, but we'll wait around for the version that you can set up at a bar mitzvah to draw big-headed children engaged in their favorite activities.
WoW Insider Character Art Contest Winner!
Big /grats go out to Richard, who won the /roll in last week's Character Art contest, and picked up a free 8x10 B&W (with a little bit of color, it turns out) sketch from artist Jay "Mig!" Mcleod. Richard sent over screenies of his character Belzivin (on Dragonblight-A), and Jay whipped up a fine, fine drawing of the little gnome (and check that Eye of Flame!). Bigger pictures of the monacled minature mage ingame and insketch can be found by clicking the link below.And if you didn't win, no worries-- Mig! does this for a living. If you want a customized sketch of the character of your choice, he's ready to get his pens and pencils moving for as low as $15. Contact him via his online gallery if you want a custom keepsake of your time in Azeroth. Thanks to Mig! for helping us out with this, and congrats again to Richard for being really, really lucky.
Robot draws happy face, gets angry
You know, in the future, people will shout from their rooftops: "A robot! A robot! My kingdom for a robot!" Ok, maybe not, but with apologies to our favorite playwright, robots seem to be everywhere these days. We just came across this video of a very child-like Robonova that drops to its knees, wields a mean marker, and draws a crude happy face, and then scratches it out. Not the most useful of robots, but a good first step. Next thing you know, they'll be teething and speaking in complete -- oh, wait. Maybe Robonova and Actroid should get together, producing a robot that would recite our RSS feed and draw the Engadget logo. Now that would be a robot.
Google releases SketchUp for Mac OS X
Of course, with the Universal release of Google Earth, Google has also kicked out a Mac OS X version of their recently-purchased SketchUp, a 3D modeling app for the masses. If you need a quick explanation, here's one as good as any from their site: "Adding a deck? Remodeling your kitchen? From simple to detailed, conceptual to realistic, Google SketchUp (free) lets you populate the world with true 3D objects."This latest release also now supports textures, so "creating textured models is as easy as taking a photo and applying it to a 3D model". Sounds like a good time. Perhaps even better than SketchUp coming to Mac OS X is the fact that a powerful version is offered for free, while the pro version costs $495.[thanks to everyone who sent this in]
EazyDraw 2.0 - illustration and drawing for Mac OS X
EazyDraw dubs itself as a "balanced vector drawing application," and from browsing its feature list, that sounds just about right. It looks like it has a nice array of illustration tools and abilities including some CAD-related features like wall and window tools, as well as drawing on a grid. EazyDraw can even import and edit old school files from Claris Draw, Mac Draw II and Mac Draw Pro.EazyDraw is a Universal Binary, and a demo is available. Licensing the app, however, is a little strange: a full download license can be had for $95 (CD in the mail is $115), but you can also purchase a nine month license for a mere $20. Take that as you will, but if you've been looking for a solid and feature-rich illustration app, EazyDraw probably has you covered.
WouldjaDraw illustration software
Dave Caolo showed you an open source image editing tool, so I thought I'd pick up another end of the spectrum with an illustration tool by the name of WouldjaDraw. While it isn't open source, WouldjaDraw does have a healthy array of illustrating features and tools. Inspector palettes, gradient tools, a nice selection of export formats and a strong toolset should make WouldjaDraw a satisfying alternative to the illustration mega-suites.A demo is available, and a license will run you a mere $29.95.[via Daring Fireball]
