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DoCoMo serves your DLNA content to a friend's TV via mobile phone
Eager to live in the fantastical future it has prophesied, NTT DoCoMo went to CEATEC and demoed an upcoming addition to its Pocket U service: MH2H (Mobile Home to Home), which gives you the ability use your cellphone to stream content from your computer at home to a friend's TV. The phone connects to your friend's WiFi network and sends his or her DLNA-compliant receiver the IP address of your also-DLNA-compliant server, then tells said server to accept the connection and start streaming any videos, songs, or photos you feel like sharing. When you leave, the connection ends and every one goes back to partying on their own isolated media islands like it's 2006.[Image courtesy of Tech-On!]
Forum post of the day: Mobile love
Recently, rumors have been spreading about a mobile application for WoW. Blizzard has been trying to get some information through a series of mobile service polls on the forums. Bornakk began a poll regarding the number of times forum users have downloaded games or applications for cellular devices. In the cellular era, Blizzard appears to be making our favorite MMORPG more mobile friendly. Many of the posters indicated that they have the latest in smartphones and thus are constantly adding new aps. This will likely encourage Blizzard to provide better mobile support. This will be handy considering that they have been resistant to third party mobile applications.
Blizz posts overpriced ringtones, wallpapers
It's not an iPhone Armory app, but Blizzard did release some official content for your mobile phones. They've set up a mobile.blizzard.com site, at which you can buy wallpapers and ringtones from WoW and the other Blizz franchises. At this point, you're probably asking yourself one question: can I get a murloc gurgle ringtone? The answer, thankfully, is yes. Yes you can. (Though I can't guarantee it's a good idea.) There is a big catch: the ringtones are priced at $2.99 each. Yikes. I know ringtones are big business, and I know Blizz is all about the tie-ins, but this is foolishness. Who would pay this over recording an MP3 and sending it to their phone? The wallpapers are $1.99, which is equally dumb for something I could just as easily screenshot off Blizz's concept art pages and email to my phone. Also I can't find the USA or Canada on the list of countries; it seems, at least at the moment, that these are not available here. It's a shame that these are so oddly expensive, and that they're not even available in the US, because some of them are pretty well-done. It would be awesome to play the WoW intro theme when my guildies text me to go raid. I guess I'll just have to make my own ringtone for it.
Parasite Eve follow-up moves onto PSP
It's been eight long years since we've last seen our favorite Mitochondria-battling cop, Aya Brea, in Square's survival horror/RPG hybrid series Parasite Eve. Well, that's not exactly true, we did catch a glimpse of her contemplating eating a bullet sandwich following the announcement that the long awaited next installment in the series would be released exclusively on mobile phones. Luckily, it seems Aya and RPG fans alike have dodged said bullet -- during their DKΣ3713 Private Party event, Square Enix announced that this new chapter in the series will now be making its way to the PSP. It's unclear whether a mobile version of the title is still in development.Not much is known about the game, titled The 3rd Birthday. A trailer at Squeenix's exclusive shindig didn't have any gameplay or details about the game, though it did show Aya in a wedding dress, aiming a pistol at a shadowy figure standing in the doorway of what we assume is her wedding chapel. A gunfight on your wedding day? Isn't it ironic... don't you think?
Activision Blizzard staff layoffs may nix WoW mobile
Previously we reported that a mobile version of WoW was being seriously considered at Blizzard. However, with the finalization of the Activision Blizzard merger, the odds of being able to play WoW on your iPhone just got a lot lower. The newly-merged company is laying off 53 employees in the Issaquah, Washington area by September 27, 2008. Additionally, they are evaluating whether they will keep Vivendi Games Mobile, an arm of the company which develops games for the various mobile markets, like phones. If Activision Blizzard does decide to divest themselves of VGM, you can probalby kiss your hopes for WoW mobile goodbye since the synergy and cost-effectiveness of having the mobile developers under the same roof will disappear. I'm not saying that the WoW developers aren't beyond creating their own mobile infrastructure, or even paying higher prices for it to an external company, but it will be much less likely if they don't have the luxury of teaming with folks who all report up the through same corporate food chain. Among the other companies which Activision Blizzard says are eligible for the chopping block are Sierra Online, Massive Entertainment and Swordfish Studios, with staffing "realignments" likely at Radical Entertainment and High Moon Studios -- the loss of any of which will likely have no effect on WoW development, but may affect other games. Activision has announced that a few highly-anticipated titles are on the bubble, including Ghostusters and Double Fine's Brutal Legend among others. I sure hope they don't mess with Double Fine, since I am a huge Tim Schafer fan, but the upside is that it looks like the new company will have an even stronger focus on keeping their cash cow, WoW, healthy and grazing in the pasture for a long while to come.
Nintendo 'localizes' DS systems for Asia
We may not be getting a redesigned DS in the near future (if you believe the company line), but there will be some "localized" DS systems flooding the markets in the near future. We're not sure what the differences are between a "localized" handheld and a good old-fashioned DS Lite, as Nintendo hasn't offered any specifics. What we do know is this: They'll be releasing in Taiwan, possibly South Korea, and (eventually) China They'll be sold in mobile phone stores They'll be available by the end of the month We wonder if the fact that these redesigned localized DSes are being sold in phone stores is an indication of cell phone support (or, at the very least, connectivity). We think guessing "yes" is a pretty safe bet, but in any case, we're waiting to hear more details from Nintendo itself before going crazy with speculation. This is certainly an interesting move on the Big N's part, though, in the company's attempt to revive sales and fight the popular PC beast in Asia. Being the analyst wannabes that we are, we can't wait to see if this has any impact on the hardware market.
Vollee Second Life mobile beta live
You may remember Vollee, a company using an combination of streaming trickery to stream the displays of various games and software down to your mobile phone. The most touted item was Second Life, and we're told that that beta is live right now. Check out their FAQ, and give them a try -- assuming you're willing to trust them with your account credentials, which not everyone will. We're not yet sure if the list of supported hardware is final. If you give the beta a try, by all means, let us know what you think.
Layton has a puzzle to solve on your mobile phone
We love Professor Layton. No, not the game, the man. Actually, we do love the game, too. We just love to love things!Looks like Japan loves the guy enough to warrant the series extending itself over to cell phones. The first game, Professor Layton and the Curious Village is already available and even comes pre-installed on Panasonic's new DoCoMo handset, the P906i. This port of the first title features new puzzles not found in the DS game.Also worth noting is that Professor Layton's London Holiday, a brief DS demo that was handed out to folks at last year's Tokyo Game Show, will be available to mobile phone gamers soon.[Via Game | Life]
DofusPOCKET to take over cellphones in June
DOFUS is set to jump into the MMO-wherever-you-go trend, with a recent press release from developer Ankama stating that a cellphone version of the game can be expected in June this year. Called DOFUSPocket, this edition of the game is being tested by a small group of players at the moment, but all DOFUS users should get a chance to try it out before the release.The CEO of Ankama, Emmanuel Darras, has promised brand new content and features for DOFUSPocket, saying, "We do not wish to simply make a shorter version of DOFUS for mobiles." Some possibilities mentioned in the press release include "user to user" applications between cellphones, and text message alerts for in-game events.[Via Ten Ton Hammer]
Surprise! World of Warcraft isn't the first MMO on a phone!
We've heard so much about how World of Warcraft was coming to your mobile phone that no one thought to watch out for another MMO invading the mobile space! And who would have guessed that Second Life, the bane of system requirements, would have been that MMO! Thanks to the start-up company Vollee, SL will be streamed to your phone from their in-house servers. While the graphics will be reduced a bit, Vollee states that you will be able to have access to all of SL's features and you'll have easy to use controls made for your phone. SL isn't the only game Vollee is working on either, so you can probably expect to see a few more games coming your way.More after the break on how you can beta test SL for your phone!
Mobile EVE Skill Planner is now mobile
Accessing EVE skills while away from the computer is a dream for many players out there, and with some recent developments, this dream is a little bit closer to being realized. The "Eve Mobile Skill Planner" by Jaabaa has been updated and now runs on phones, provided that they support MIDP 2.0 and CLDC 1.1. The embedded video was made in July last year, but gives an idea of what to expect from EMSP. While this program doesn't give you the ability to alter your skills, it's a good way to keep an eye on how everything is going -- and we can only hope that its functionality can be increased in the future, with co-operation from CCP.[Via CrazyKinux]
Bioshock to see mobile phone release
Who even thought that there were rights for Bioshock on mobile phones, let alone rights worth purchasing? The rights for a story-driven, atmosphere-heavy, first-person-shooter on a screen smaller than your palm don't really seem worth it. Yet the company IG Fun will be bringing Bioshock to mobile phones, having just purchased the global rights from 2K. Nothing else about the game itself was announced, but the IG Fun CEO, Sean Malatesta, did say that "We're trying to do great things and BioShock on mobile promises to offer a whole new gaming experience and unmatched excitement amongst mobile gamers the world over." Whether or not that marketing-speak will end up coming true remains to be seen, but we'd better not see this IP run into the ground.
Joystiq Impressions: Spore (Mobile)
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/Hands_on_with_Spore_Creatures_Mobile'; Update: EA let us know that only the DS game will be called "Spore Creatures." The mobile version keeps the simple "Spore" handle.Spore Creatures for mobile phones is launching with the rest of the Spores on September 7. I figured that this Spore had no chance of infecting me. But after recently playing, I was impressed and surprised by its quality. The graphics -- and even its concept -- would be at home on a DS or Game Boy.Like Spore on the DS, the mobile version of the game doesn't even try include everything from the PC version. Spore for phones centers on the Cell Phase of the game. You use the phone's joystick to steer the creature through a slurry of suspended protein and other early life forms, eating objects and avoiding enemies.But like the other versions of Spore, you'll regularly use a creature editor to upgrade the character. While the body part choices are also scaled down, there's enough variety to make the creature your own. Certain parts, like a dangling lure, affect how other organisms behave. That lure attracts food to you, for example. Or you could add a shell for personal defense; hit a button, and hide inside for temporary invulnerability.%Gallery-15904%
Dr. Kawashima to ... cell phones?
Millions of DS users have found themselves charmed by Dr. Kawashima. Afterall, he's not bad looking for bodiless head, and he's a doctor. Mom would be so pleased!It seems, though, that the popular handheld is not enough to keep the good doctor satisfied, since later this month he'll be debuting on European cell phones (or mobiles, as they call them in those parts). The Brain Age ripoff game, called Brain Coach with Dr. Kawashima, will be licensed by Namco Bandai (not Nintendo), and will use daily exercises to track your level of brain aptitude. That sounds familiar ...And to think, we actually believed his sweet, encouraging words as we struggled with our math equations! When all this time he was just looking for younger, slimmer handhelds to play with. We thought you were different, Dr. Kawashima, but you just had to go and break our hearts.
Is Dell readying a new mobile device?
There appears to be some speculation floating around that Dell is about to cannonball itself into the mobile pool, big time. According to whispered rumors from dark hallways (AKA Forbes), the company is putting together a smartphone / multimedia device which might be rearing its head sometime early in 2008. The device -- being developed with the help of Taiwanese company Quanta -- will sport video and audio playback, as well as internet functionality. The rumors are strengthened by the company's addition of former Motorola cell phone executive vice president Ron Garriques, and with the dropping of its PDA and DAP products, there's certainly a gaping void left open for a new device. Of course, it also doesn't hurt that Dell's recent acquisition of Zing and trademarking of the "Zingspot" moniker suggests the company is getting into content distribution -- perfect for a shiny new convergence device. Only time will tell if the PC powerhouse can get into the very-crowded smartphone game, too. [Via InformationWeek]
Today's IP-never-dies video: Lucy and Honeymooners
MTV's Stephen Totilo "somehow wound up with an exclusive" about new casual games based on The Honeymooners and I Love Lucy. While most of us are scratching our heads about the properties, maybe this signals a new trend for old IP; there's that Dirty Dancing game after all. Clearly, these titles aren't for us. (And by "us," we mean people who get jokes about the potential for cake and also think that those jokes are played out.)Beanbag Studios anticipates launching at least one Lucy trivia game and one Honeymooners bowling game this year. Yes, these PC and cell phone games are being built into long-term franchises. Witness videos of each game after the break.
Nintendo won't stop making hardware
Sure, it may be a while before some new Nintendo hardware comes along, but according to Nintendo's president Satoru Iwata, the company will never dedicate itself to only making software. Iwata was asked if the company would consider giving up on its hardware, as changes and additions to cell phones are making other portable devices irrelevant. He responded, "Nintendo is clearly much stronger when we can combine both hardware and software development than when we have to focus on software. I just cannot think of any reason why we would abandon a weapon which brings us such a great advantage. I just cannot imagine Nintendo's future as a dedicated software content provider." Iwata also said that there is room for both the DS and mobile phones in the market, and therefore the two won't have to merge together. So, never fear folks. Even when if cell phones do take over the world, Nintendo will keep chugging out hardware for us all as long as you keep on buying it.[Via Aussie-Nintendo]
iHome intros the iHC5 mobile phone dock
Looking for a totally elaborate, complicated, and kind-of-ugly dock for your iPhone or media-playin' mobile device? You're in luck, because iHome is about to deliver the goods... big time. Enter the iHC5, a remote-controlled, Bluetooth-equipped, 4-speaker-sporting pile of accessory goodness. The system -- which is made to handle all kinds of phones -- features AVRCP and A2DP profiles, has dual alarms for getting you out of bed, and has a line-in for hooking up your CD or MP3 player. Sure, it's not the coolest looking thing in the world, but if you really need a self-contained docking solution for your mobile phone, you could do worse, couldn't you? No word on a release date, though it'll cost you $149.99 when it hits shelves.[Via iLounge]
British parliament members afraid of in-flight mobile use
With rude passengers and terrorist thoughts in the mind of airline officials and passengers, British parliament members (MPs) are holding steady against any airline policy that would allow in-flight mobile phone use. The real reason they are scared, from what we can glean, is related to the remote detonation of bombs on planes by terrorists. Outside of the Executive Decision movie scenario being painted here, the MPs referenced the 2004 Madrid bombings being set off by cellphones in explaining their support for the ban. As such, we don't see any mobile use coming on Britain-originated flights soon. Better catch a Qantas flight instead, heh.[via textually.org, image via arinc.com]
Levi's intros shiny new cellphones
Levi's made its cellphone intentions pretty well known late last year, but it's just now following through with them, trotting out its new line of self-branded phones made with more than a little help from ModeLabs. Unfortunately, there's not a whole lot in the way of technical details at the moment, but Levi's is more than willing to talk up the phone's various style advantages, including its riveted steel casing and detachable chain. From the looks of it, you'll also be able to get the phone in your choice of five color schemes, including metallic silver, black, brown copper, "shiny silver," and "shiny sand" -- the latter two of which also come with "mirror" screens. More details should be trickling out as we near the phone's September launch date, which appears to be confined to Europe for the time being.
