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NVIDIA shows 16 new Optimus laptops at Computex, teases GTX 460M GPU
Just in case you were wondering where and when you might get a taste of the Optimus elixir, NVIDIA has handed us a detailed list of Computex debutants that will be taking the graphics switching technology with them to retail. A total of sixteen new Optimus machines are on show in Taipei, and although ASUS is still the biggest purveyor (with six SKUs, not counting previously announced products), Lenovo and Acer have also jumped on board, with the IdeaPad Y460 and a pair of Packard Bell EasyNotes, respectively. Notably, the FX700 above from MSI is marked as using an "unannounced" next-gen graphics chip, which we suspect might be the GTX 460M, a mobile GPU that NVIDIA is showing, but not talking about yet. Guess that'll be slotting in just below the recently unveiled GTX 480M. We've got pictorial evidence of the 460M's existence after the break, along with the full list of new Optimus-ized machines, which you can also scope out in the gallery below.%Gallery-94167%
Quake 3 ported to Android, shows off Droid's graphical prowess (video)
You should by now be well aware that there's no shortage of games one can play on one's beloved Droid, but just for the FPS old schoolers out there, how's about a nice Quake 3 port to pass the time with? Yup, the game that defined the term multiplayer before World of Warcraft came around has been enabled on the Android OS, finally finding another mobile home after residing on Nokia handsets for so long. For its short development time, this looks a very well refined translation of the software and offers you customizable controls to go with thoroughly playable frame rates. And if you have an older Android phone, don't despair -- Quake 2 has also been ported over, so once you've had an eyeful of the Droid, why not hit the source link to find out how to get in on the action? [Thanks, Anders]
VisualBoyAdvance turns your Palm Pre into a Game Boy emulator
A certain UK bank operates a delightfully dorky advertising campaign whose slogan is "we give you extra." Well, in the case of mobile software communities, that's exactly the case. From jailbroken iPhones to PS One-emulating HD2s to multitouch-enabled browsing on the Nexus One, the one group of people we know we can truly rely on are other geeks. So let's salute those heroes once more, in recognition of the VisualBoyAdvance -- a webOS-based emulator for Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance games. The former two categories are said to play smooth as you like, whereas the Advance stuff suffers from slight slowdown at present. We've only seen it playing on a Pre, but there should be no reason why your Pixi wouldn't be allowed in on this party. A quick video demo awaits after the break, and the source link has all the installation details you'll need.
50 Android games demonstrated in one video -- who says Android can't game?
50 seems to be a pretty trendy number right now, what with Palm's Pre Plus and Samsung's i8910 HD both showing off the ability to run more than 49 concurrent processes. Joining that number party, albeit in a different fashion, is this video demonstrating 50 games running smooth as butter on a Motorola Droid handset. If you thought you had to have a Zune HD, iPod touch or one of them webOS thingies to get your mobile gaming on, maybe this will serve as a competent dissuader. See it after the break.
Windows Mobile and Xbox Live coming together, according to Microsoft job ad
The hints were already pretty strong on this one, but now Microsoft has come right out and said it, albeit in a job posting -- the Xbox Live gaming platform is extending beyond the console and specifically onto WinMo phones. Seeking a Principal Program Manager who would be responsible for bringing "Xbox Live enabled games to Windows Mobile," Redmond is particularly interested in "avatar integration, social interaction, and multi-screen experiences." That leaves an awful lot of room for imagination as to how the two modes of gaming will complement each other, but at least we now (sort of) know that it's going to happen. [Thanks, Jessy]
Nokia announces the end of its N-Gage gaming platform
Nokia has officially announced that it will put an end to its problem-plagued N-Gage gaming service, integrating it into its Ovi Store. The move isn't really a shocker, and while Nokia has confirmed that no further games will be published, it's also said that it will continue to sell currently available games in the Ovi Store (as of today) until the end of September 2010. The N-Gage website, which holds the Arena and community boards, will also continue until that time. Nokia says that any already purchased games will continue to run on the mobile device, but that any connected community features will be non-functional come 2010. [Via Pocket Lint]
Nokia announces the end of its N-Gage gaming service
Nokia has officially announced that it will put an end to its problem-plagued N-Gage gaming service, integrating it into its Ovi Store. The move isn't really a shocker, and while Nokia has confirmed that no further games will be published, it's also said that it will continue to sell currently available games in the Ovi Store (as of today) until the end of September 2010. The N-Gage website, which holds the Arena and community boards, will also continue until that time. Nokia says that any already purchased games will continue to run on the mobile device, but that any connected community features will be non-functional come 2010. [Via Pocket Lint]
Nokia says N73, N93 and N93i won't be N-Gage compatible
Tough news for N73, N93 and N93i owners -- a respected N-Gage Arena Forum moderator has just stepped forward to let the world know that the aforesaid phones will not be N-Gage compatible. For folks who've moved on to newer, more powerful handsets, we're sure this tidbit means nothing; for those who've held tight to prior promises to bring the N-Gage experience to this trio, it's far more detrimental. We're told that Nokia tried for months on end to make it all work, but in the end they simply weren't satisfied with the experience on these aged devices. No need to tear up though, it's just the perfect excuse to line up for that N97 you've been eying.[Via All About Symbian]
Smartphone videogame market explodes in 2008; dumbphone market wounded, but struggling on
With the economy lodged so firmly in the toilet we're always glad to see some sort of good news on that front, so check out the latest numbers from comScore that show the market for downloadable time-wasters on smartphones grew by a massive 291 percent in the period between November of 2007 and 2008. That's thanks in large part to the iPhone and its App Store, with sales on that platform alone accounting for 14 percent of all mobile game downloads and nearly one third of all iPhone users reporting they'd downloaded at least one game. That compares quite favorably to non-smartphone users, of whom just 3.8 percent have downloaded a game, driving that market to decline by 14 percent since 2007. Overall the mobile gaming industry bucked recessionary trends, grew a healthy 17 percent, and will now be shopping in the husky clothing section. [Via PHONE Magazine]
Quake ported to Chumby makes for an adorable first-person shooter
At first glance, you may wonder if Chumby is simply too lovable to rock a version of Quake, but after peeping ChumbyLurker's port of the game, we'll be darned if the two aren't perfect for each other. He's been gracious enough to make it available as both source code and a disk image, and installing the game is as easy as plugging in your USB drive and turning the machine on. On the video we've seen, the 350MHz device appears to keep up with things quite well, but the best part would have to be that the mouse and keyboard control inputs have been eschewed in favor of the accelerometer -- when Chumby leans forward you move forward, ditto left and right. The bend switch is used to fire, and the touchscreen used to jump or activate items. Unfortunately, there's no network support at the moment, so if you feel the need to go multiplayer, it looks like you'll be stuck with your Nokia handset. You can see a video of the thing in action after the break.[Via Bunnie's Blog]
Nokia Quake III gains on-phone server, Bluetooth keyboard and mouse support
Remember when playing Quake III at a decent resolution required a $5,000 Alienware? Man, those were the days. Now, we can't help but be thankful for a few special Nokia handsets (the N95 8GB, E90 and N82 in particular) that can all handle the game by their lonesome. In fact, the latest version of the software adds a few remarkably awesome extras. For starters, users can now take advantage of on-phone server support, meaning that your handset can actually host a Quake III multiplayer battle (and may we recommend the server name "trashaccident?"). Also of note, the devs have tossed in support for Bluetooth mice and keyboards. We know, right? Tap the read link for all the juicy installation instructions.[Via Decoder, thanks Olli]
Ageia announces PhysX 100M processor for gaming laptops
Although it's been well over a year since the Ageia PhysX processor made any noise at all over on the desktop front, the firm is taking full advantage of the exposure provided at the Games Convention in Germany to unveil the PhysX 100M processor for "high-performance" gaming lappies. According to the company, this new device aims to provide "the most intensely realistic gaming and entertainment experience to PC gamers" on-the-go, but the nitty-gritty we were hoping for simply hasn't been divulged just yet. Of course, it's fairly safe to assume that we'll only be seeing this unit packed within beastly gaming laptops that can't stray far from an AC outlet, but only time will tell which manufacturer takes the bait first.[Via ExtremeTech]
Samsung looks to patent two new gaming phone designs
Samsung looks to move forward into the realm of mobile gaming with two new U.S. patents involving gameplay-oriented handsets. For starters, patent #1 (pictured above) describes a "portable communication terminal for games." The display on this design involves a hinged "flip" that unveils a dual-row numeric keypad complete with phone navigational array when opened, and a gaming d-pad when closed (we hope that hinge is solid); the 'A' and 'B' buttons are near the earpiece and always visible. More info on the second patent application after the break. [via Unwired View]Read - Patent 1Read - Patent 2
Verizon Wireless intros 'Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved'
We love seeing console and even old-school arcade games being ported to cellphone screens, and Verizon Wireless has done us a solid in that respect. Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved can now be landed on the screens of those with Verizon's 'Get It Now' service. Want some gameplay deets? The BREW-based Geometry Wars version serves up Untouchable, Survivor, Monster, Trenches, Speed, Multiplier, Feline, and Bomber modes. We call that mobile game playing paradise. Get it now for a one-time $6.49 fee or $3.49 for a month of use. It's now available on 25 Verizon handsets, including the MOTOKRZR K1m and the LG enV.
Samsung files patent for joystick phone
Making a grab for our adult wallets by aiming for our childlike love of video games, Samsung has recently filed a patent for a clamshell cellphone which can transform into a 2600-style controller. Last time we checked, killing at "Snake" on our phone wasn't so difficult that we needed to collapse or otherwise totally re-jigger the device to play it, but as mobile games become increasingly complex, using the keypad is starting to feel just a little limiting -- and that's where Samsung's engineers step in. The basic premise is that the bottom half of your flip-phone would pivot not only open and closed (or backward and forward), but also left and right, thus allowing you to escape from Blinky more quickly, jump over barrels more deftly, and generally get a serious game on.[Via Unwired View]
Report shows adults biggest consumers of mobile games
Middle aged gamers for teh win (or something)! The NPD Group is reporting that in an average month, 29 million cell owners play games on their mobile devices and more than 7 million download games -- though there isn't any mention of where they are downloading from. NPD further break this down with 29 percent downloaded by people aged 24 - 34, 27 by the 18 - 24 set, and 15 percent by the youngest group aged 13 - 17. No shocker here -- the oldest group typically has the means, a credit card to shop with, and depending on the career choice, time.[Via mocoNews]
Gameloft bringing games to BlackBerry smartphones
If you're a mobile gamer, odds are you're probably not using a BlackBerry -- but if a major publisher has any say in the matter, that may not be true for long. Gameloft, Europe's biggest mobile phone games provider, announced this week that it will soon be making and selling games for the BlackBerry platform. This is quite a boost for BlackBerry owners who have probably wanted official support for cutting-edge mobile games for some time. Right off the bat, Gameloft titles such as "Asphalt Urban GT 2," "LOST" and "Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones" will be the first titles for the BlackBerry platform released by Gameloft, and will cost from $5.99 to $7.99 each depending on where the carriers price each title. With the U.S. mobile gaming market seeing 2006 revenues of $722 million, it's no wonder Gameloft saw such a nice opportunity here. BlackBerry owners aren't all business, right?
Get your Second Life live on your cellphone
Are you sneaking away from work early to get your "Second Life" with it in the virtual space? Well, millions do that every day, so it seems strangely natural for someone or something to port the Second Life virtual environment to a mobile somehow. It's been done -- and as a J2ME application that should work on almost any java-enabled cellphone. Killer features here, according to Comverse Technology which created the app, are integrated SMS and instant messaging -- and even streaming of mobile video directly inside the Second Life mobile app. But if that data connection drops out, expect your avatar to wilt over and wait for that nifty EV-DO or HSDPA connection to return in full force.
CE-Oh no he didn't! Part XII - Kiloo exec extolls virtues of crack cocaine business model
We usually don't have to wait long for some tech industry exec to give us new fodder for CE-Oh no he didn't!, and Karl Woods, pusherman/Executive Vice President of sales and marketing for mobile developer and publisher Kiloo delivered the goods earlier this week. He decided we should witness the strength of his street knowledge by comparing his job of marketing mobile games to, and we're quoting here, "the crack cocaine model." (Could someone tell him that his company is named "Kiloo," not "Kilo"?) Says Woods: "You offer the customer a free rock, and they get hooked. That's what we're going to have to do with the 90 per cent. But everyone has to do it, the whole industry has to try and crack this, or we'll just keep fighting over that 10 percent."We feel you, Karl. All the crackhouses on our block learned years ago how to stop fighting over that 10 percent and go after the mass market. [Via MoCoNews]
Women do the lion's share of mobile gaming, sez study
Cellphones seem to have a way of busting gender stereotypes. First we hear that men are more likely than women to buy a phone as a fashion accessory (Nokia probably wishes they'd caught wind of that before showing the decidedly feminine L'Amour Collection), and now we're being told that some 59% of all mobile gamers represent the fairer sex -- at least that's what research firm Parks Associates has concluded in surveying some 2,000 Internet-connected gamers. "Women are the foundation of the gaming market, and as an industry, we need to cater to their preferences," says Parks Associates' director of research John Barrett. Of course, if this means more games like Spore dropping on our phones, us boys say, "bring it on."
