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Saturn aims for 2010 with plug-in hybrid Vue Green Line -- take that, Toyota
Just as Toyota saw fit to pimp its own forthcoming plug-in hybrid, General Motors is hitting back with "hopes" to produce a similarly equipped Saturn Vue Green Line in 2010 as well. We know, GM doesn't have the greatest track record when it comes to delivering on time, but you say what you have to in order to keep up, right? Nevertheless, this vehicle is slated to house a "modified version of GM's two-mode hybrid system and plug-in technology" along with an obligatory Li-ion, and current testing has shown it able to traverse ten miles at "low speeds" when running on battery power alone. It's also stated that the SUV can be fully recharged in just under five hours, but alas, GM isn't opening its mouth even a little to address pricing expectations. Hit the read link for a gallery of photos -- who knows when you'll see it in the flesh.
GM says its new Hummer HX concept is inspired by ATVs, not Halo
It sure didn't take long for folks to jump to conclusions about the inspiration behind GM's new Hummer HX concept vehicle but -- surprise, surprise -- the company's now denying that any such influence exists. According to GM design director Carl Zipfel, the HX wasn't modeled on Halo's Warthog but on "modern-day ATVs" -- even though he freely admits that both he and several of the vehicle's designers play Halo. Of course, it's entirely possible that they're just saying that now that they've realized they'd already been outdone by Chrysler in the subconscious Halo-imitation department.[Via Digg]
GM's Hummer HX: where Halo and E85 meet
We're guessing some nasty memos have been getting passed around at Hummer headquarters lately since consumers have been going ga-ga over fuel efficient vehicles. Something along those lines may explain a concept vehicle introduced by the company at this year's Detroit Auto Show: a smaller, lighter, and E85-capable new SUV dubbed the Hummer HX. GM CEO Rick Wagoner lauded the domestically-produced ethanol-based fuel used in the new design, which rings a number of Halo bells, not unlike the Jeep Renegade concept we've seen recently. The sport-utility rocks a slew of unique features, including an armored underbelly, customizable LED displays, removable fender flares and roof, and lack of a radio or CD player (it's only got an iPod dock). Of course, the car is just for show right now -- but maybe it's a sign that the age of fuel-guzzling Hummers is coming to a close... nah, probably not.
Cassiopia server's roleplay event recap
Last week we reported on an ambitious roleplay event happening on Tabula Rasa's Cassiopia server. For those of you who didn't or couldn't attend, here's the lowdown on what happened. The gist of it was to take all control points in Descent and hold them for one hour. Things started off well with the capture of Fort Virgil. The large group then split into various smaller groups and went after different control points around the battlefield. Around the time they were grabbing the final control point, the group lost Virgil again. So Alpha Wolf Tommy (who we assume is some sort of sci-fi Rambo) went and took back Fort Virgil single-handedly. By this time, the GM who was in attendance by the name of Critters, was spawning things left and right for the group to kill. Eventually Critters surprised everyone by spawning entire packs of Striders, which are strong enough on their own. In the chaos of defeating all the Striders, the group yet again lost Fort Virgil and so the event ended. Although there were rewards for everyone involved as they regrouped at camp Cato. Apparently pleased with their efforts, Critters handed out berets and some obligatory screenshots were taken for good measure.All in all it sounds like everyone had lots of fun. So like we said last time, we hope these continue to happen at healthy intervals on all the servers.
Hands-off with the Chevy Volt hydrogen concept powertrain
GM spliced and diced a Chevy Volt hydrogen prototype and put it up for the world to see at this year's 2008 CES. Rocking GM's fifth generation fuel cell stack en-lieu of a regular gasoline engine, we wouldn't hold our breath seeing this before the electric version drops in 2010. Peep the gallery below for the full run-down.%Gallery-13399%
Cadillac Provoq is latest host for GM's E-Flex fuel cell powertrain
GM is planning a few of these E-Flex vehicles, and while the Chevrolet Volt is the current flagship, this one ain't no slouch in the looks department. Perhaps more importantly, the Cadillac Provoq crossover looks much closer to a ready-for-market car than your average concept. This edition of E-Flex uses a fuel-cell stack to power a 70-kilowatt motor for the front wheels and a pair of in-hub 30-kilowatt motors in the back. A pair of 10,000 psi hydrogen storage tanks and a lithium-ion battery should muster about a 300-mile range, with only about 20 of that coming from the battery. Still, you can charge the battery with plugs on both sides of the car, and that 20 miles might be just enough to complete your daily commute -- or perhaps fuel a desperate attempt to track down a hydrogen filling station. There's a solar panel on top to help power internal electronics, and the powertrain design allows for a good amount of storage and leg room. It's unclear at this time if GM's going to take Provoq to market, but we're certainly looking forward to one of these E-Flex dealios going all the way.
Cassiopia to host server-wide roleplay event
Tabula Rasa's Cassiopia server will play host to a server-wide roleplay event being held by the 47th AFSEF with the intention of recapturing the Descent continent from Bane control. The objectives are to wrest all control points from the Bane and hold them for a whole hour. We're uncertain if such a thing is possible, but we wish all AFS troops our best in the coming fight for freedom. The event begins at 1800 PST (6pm PST for the military time-confused like us) and anyone interested can meet up at the Fort Virgil courtyard in front of the HQ building. In an interesting piece of news, the event is planned to be GM supported for some "surprises". Your guess is as good as ours on that one.It's great to see Destination Games supporting community events like this. Hopefully if things go well this becomes the first of many other similar GM sponsored events, because nothing keeps a community thriving more than a common goal. Actually, this would be another of our own wishes for Tabula Rasa in 2008.
GM plans to have driverless cars on the road by 2018
There's certainly no shortage of folks working to developed driverless vehicles, but GM now looks set to make itself one of the biggest players and, judging from its targets, one of the most ambitious. As the AP reports. GM bigwig Rick Wagoner will devote at least part of his speech at CES on Tuesday to the technology, with testing of the vehicles reportedly planned as soon as 2015 and the first cars on the road expected "around 2018." As you might expect, those goals have left some slightly skeptical, with DARPA Urban Challenge competitor Sebastian Thrun telling the AP that while it's "technically attainable," he's hardly confident that he'll see driverless cars on the roads within a decade, saying that there are "some very fundamental, basic regulations in the way of that vision in many countries." For it's part, GM sees the technology initially being used for highway driving only, with you still responsible for controlling the vehicle around local streets -- except for parking, of course.
Celebrating the new year with a GM
A guildmate drew my attention to this interesting video of the New Year celebrations outside of Ironforge on the US Proudmoore server. Apparently, a GM appeared as a fire-spewing gnome and had some fun with the players gathered to see the fireworks. Check out the video above to get a complete look at his antics.
GM saves player from accidental Season 3 purchase
Once upon a time, November 13th to be exact, someone very close to me traveled to the Arena vendor in Area 52 to buy his first Season 3 gear. He had been saving up his Arena points and was excited about getting gauntlets for his resto speced Shammy. Now, he didn't have to go to Area 52. There are new Arena vendors in Blade's Edge, Nagrand and Gadgetzan, but he traveled to Area 52 to be AoE'd with everyone else. (Also, he's got one of those nifty pirate hats, so he's KOS in Gadgetzan.)After being feared a couple times, he bought his new gauntlets, only to find out that instead of being the coveted resto gloves, he had accidentally purchased enhancement ones.
GM reaffirms commitment to 2010 Volt launch
Although we haven't noticed an atypical resurgence in doubters, General Motors' Bob Lutz apparently has. The exec has come forward and stated that the 2010 timeline for its much-anticipated Chevy Volt is still valid, despite the fact that employees working on the vehicle are "becoming increasingly nervous." While speaking at the Reuters Autos Summit in Detroit, Lutz also noted that there was "a lot of skepticism within the company," but that those in leadership roles firmly believe that it "has to be done." More specifically, GM is hoping to "leapfrog anything that is done by any other competitor," and while we're delighted to hear that the commitment is still strong, three years offers up a lot of time for situations to change.[Image courtesy of WindingRoad]
OnStar Stolen Vehicle Slowdown hits the brakes on jacked cars
Although OnStar has offered Stolen Vehicle Location Assistance to its subscribers since 1996, the firm is getting set to add a snazzy new enhancement for 2009 vehicles. The feature, dubbed Stolen Vehicle Slowdown, can use GPS to pinpoint a vehicle once it has been reported as stolen, and after OnStar confirms with local police that it has the vehicle within sight, it can then be slowed down remotely. The system actually receives a signal that "interacts with the powertrain to reduce engine power, which will [in turn] slow the vehicle down gradually." Interestingly, customers will have the option of opting out of the service if they so choose, but we'd rather be safe (and potentially paranoid) than sorry.
The GM impersonator
Ohword was just hanging out in Undercity the other day when he saw the conversation above roll through his chat window, and was suitably alarmed at whatever was happening here. GMs gone crazy?At first, I thought the same thing Timbal says-- that the player above the GM impersonator was just doing the trick where you add a bunch of spaces after whatever you type, and then write "[2. Trade] <GM>[Mike]: Hi" yourself (the chat window pushes everything after the spaces to the next line, making it look as though it's a legitimate chat message). Old trick, not really funny if overused (or if used as in the pic above), but it has its place.But then I got confused-- Ohword says he could click the name, and the search actually came up with "0 players total," which shouldn't work, if it's just typed out. Also, his addon timestamps everything, and clearly the GM's line is timestamped, which I'd imagine it wouldn't be if someone was just joking around.MVP Faizaniel suggests that it's just a player who was accidentally given a GM tag, but does that happen? I'm sure it's not a big deal-- even if this player did get a GM tag, he didn't actually have the power to ban anyone, so no harm done. But a strange occurrence just the same.
GM mulling battery rentals for the Chevy Volt
Tossing out the idea of renting / leasing the battery of an electric car isn't exactly revolutionary, but it sounds like GM may be hitching a ride on the ever-growing bandwagon. Reportedly, the firm is mulling the idea of allowing Chevy Volt buyers to "rent the vehicle's battery as a way of pricing the automobile at a comparable level to a traditional, petrol-driven family [motorcar]." Apparently, GM is hoping to get ten years of life from the battery packs and to price the Volt like a "traditional mid-market car." Notably, no further information regarding potential contracts or sales strategies were divulged, but considering the launch date for this sucka is just around the corner, we're sure relevant decisions will be made soon enough.[Via AutoblogGreen]
Toyota delays next-gen Prius while GM inks deal with lithium-ion maker
It looks like those waiting for the next generation Prius to hit the road are going to have to hold out a little bit longer. Toyota announced this week that it would be delaying plans to bring its plug-in, lithium-ion-based model to market until 2011, as opposed to 2008, due to safety concerns over the company's chosen battery. In very related news, GM has struck a deal with Massachusetts-based battery developer A123 Systems to produce flat lithium-ion batteries for use in upcoming plug-in electric vehicles, such as the Chevy Volt. With regards to whether Toyota's setback could give GM an edge in the electric car game, Vice Chairman Bob Lutz said, "I think that our No. 1 competitor has some problems with their technology, and I do think that it very definitely opens a window of opportunity for us to be first to market with a genuine plug-in hybrid," which sounds like fightin' words, if you ask us.Read -- Toyota delays next-gen lithium-ion PriusRead -- GM says it could lead electric car race
Breakfast Topic: Close encounters of the GM kind
Gave you ever had a close encounter of the GM kind? Ever have to page a GM to ask about a bug or report a spammer? If you have, chances are you've had some amusing conversations. In my experience (and from conversations, as above, that I've seen reposted on the forums), Blizzard's GMs are not only polite and usually helpful, but also have a sense of humor (and some of them will roleplay with you). So I'm asking -- what has your experience been with Blizzard's in-game support staff? Have you gotten any laughs from them -- or just frustration?
The saga of Craig
The last couple of days have been torture for Trappa of Eitrigg. On a run in Old Hillsbrad recently her best friend and companion Craig despawned before her eyes and never reappeared when called. Her pet simply disappeared. Now, my hunter is only level 40, but I can't imagine how I would feel if I logged in one day to see my huggable-yet-feisty while lion Sobriquet gone. I get depressed just thinking about it. Trappa did what every sane hunter would do, she went straight to her stable only to find it Craigless, and then filed a GM ticket. What ensued was a battle of legendary proportions. She was told that her pet was hungry, and that must have been why he left. I asked Trappa if this might have been the case, and she said that she always keeps Craig in the green, since all hunters love them the 25% damage increase. She admitted that he might have gone into the yellow just because he had recently been put away, but he was also at the top of the loyalty chart. In her own studies since this incident she said it took a rebellious pet 25 minutes of not being fed to run away. Since Trappa certainly fed her pet more often than this, it appears she was the victim of a horrendous, heartbreaking bug.
OnStar teams with Red Cross for location-based disaster info
With Japan doing the whole earthquake awareness thing, it's not too surprising to see America embracing a more sophisticated method of divulging crisis-related information to those in need. OnStar's new Crisis Assist capabilities will not only provide access to "specially trained crisis advisers" that can contact emergency responders and provide real-time updates to the situation(s) at hand, but subscribers that can actually drive away from the disaster will be routed to the nearest established shelter. Additionally, frantic customers can be connected to friends and family that they have listed as close to their heart on the American Red Cross Safe and Well website, and public safety officials can be notified of a request for help and track down that person's location using OnStar's embedded GPS. Interestingly, there's no word on a timeframe in which we can expect the service to officially go live, but here's to hoping a disaster doesn't strike in order for you to find out.
Guildwatch: We won't stand being talked to like that, either
Yes, it's Tuesday, time again for Guildwatch, and this week we have a question. WHO IS YOUR GM!?! We won't stand being talked to like that! You better watch your mouth, sonny; I am the GM of Guildwatch, ruler of all you see before you!Yep, the only problem with being a guild leader is that it doesn't mean you actually have any authority at all-- but it's still funny when you think you do. For more drama, downed news, and recruiting notices, click the link below. And if you've got anonymous tips to report (we got a ton this week!) send them please to wowguildwatch@gmail.com. Now get us some tea and crumpets-- we are your king!
Another world first: Curse slays Azgalor!
After a perfectly executed 30-minute wipe fest, Curse has downed Azgalor - the fourth boss of Hyjal. This means that there is only one more boss in their way: Archimonde himself. Unfortunately, since everyone died, the corpse despawned, which resulted in no loot. Hopefully a GM will be on later to rectify their issue. Congratulations to Curse! Good luck with Archimonde!
