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Preview: 3DS 'Paddle Ball' tech demo
I know, I know -- a preview of a tech demo? In fairness, this one kind of blew my mind. Here's the skinny: outside of games we're assigned to play, there's rarely extra time while covering the controlled madness of E3 for Joystiq writers to check out something they're personally interested in ... other than the last day, that is. So, last Thursday, several of us who had yet to check out the Nintendo 3DS sneaked in a few personal moments with the device everyone was buzzing about. Upon first entering the 3DS area of Nintendo's E3 2010 booth, Nintendogs + Cats was available to pet, and an array of 3DSes with 3D trailers weren't too far away -- these featured everything from Mario Kart 64, which looked stunning, to a new Pilotwings title (hooray!). What impressed me the most, though, didn't star Mario or Chris Redfield or Solid Snake -- it was Pong. Alright, so, the Nintendo rep walking around the area with a 3DS chained to her waist (no joke) referred to it as "Paddle Ball," but for all intents and purposes, it was 3D Pong. %Gallery-95697%
Ralph Baer inducted into Inventors Hall of Fame
[SteveO526] At 88 years young, Ralph Baer is one of our favorite adults (or super adults, as we like to call those over the age of 70 among us). After inventing Pong (and resultantly, the Magnavox Odyssey), Baer went on to create the rage-inducing electronic board game Simon, and just this past week was inducted into the Inventors Hall of Fame for his work. He was the first game developer to have earned the award. According to the event's fact sheet (warning: download link), inductees need to meet two specific criteria before being considered: "[One] The inventor must hold a US patent, and [Two] the invention must have contributed to the welfare of mankind and have promoted the progress of science and the useful arts." The National Selection Committee (representing "various scientific, industry, and professional groups along with a Blue Ribbon Panel of experts") then chooses said inductees. In his bio, the committee specifically notes Baer's accolades in the game industry, calling him "a pioneer in the field of interactive video games" -- an assessment we tend to agree with. We've already got a suggestion for next year, though, guys: Shinji Mikami. Obviously for bringing the world the "What're ya buyin' / sellin'?" guy in Resident Evil 4, forever changing the way we conduct business. Come on, NSC! Aren't we buddies? [Via GameCulture]
We would like to own this clock which plays Pong, please
We admit it -- we're suckers for a stylish timepiece. A surprising portion of our income goes towards purchasing new, fancy clocks, turning our living quarters into a slightly less melty version of Salvador Dali's "The Persistence of Memory." The latest object of our affection? Adafruit's Pong-playing MONOCHRON clock, in which two AI opponents compete in pixelated table tennis, and the players' scores denote the current time. Check out a video after the jump to see the chronometer in action. Sure, it's not the first Pong-clock we've ever laid eyes on, but with a slim $80 price tag, it is the first we've ever considered actually purchasing. Sadly, you have to assemble the clock yourself, a process which requires "some basic soldering & hand tools." Curses! We knew our decision to take home economics instead of shop class would come back to bite us one day. [Thanks, PT!]
Review: Emotiv EPOC, tough thoughts on the new mind-reading controller
We live in exciting times. You can, today, right now, actually buy in real life the kind of sci-fi gear you only expect to find in a video game. Controlling things -- anything but your own body, really -- with just your thoughts is a fantasy and sci-fi staple, whether it be Darth Vader force-choking some mouthy Imperial admiral or Professor Xavier commanding the X-Men from the comfort of his wheelchair, finger pressed to temple in grim concentration. But that fantasy is now reality, and you can control things (well, a thing) with just the power of your mind. Think it and your computer does it, no more pesky mice or keyboards or even voice commands. Or so the people at Emotiv would have us believe. Being the kind of guy who absolutely cannot wait for the day when, as Jonathan Coulton sings, "the things that make me weak and strange get engineered away," I pre-orded Emotiv's thought-controlled EPOC mind-computer interface device as soon as I thought I had $299 to spare. As it turned out, being the first on your block with the new toy comes with a real risk: you might end up buying a frustrating experimental prototype for the cost of five new video games. %Gallery-83470%
Allotment bar in Glasgow pays homage to Pong
You know, the United Kingdom isn't a great place to go if you enjoy drinking. The folks there, they just aren't big drinkers. It's difficult for them to find reasons to partake in the time-traveling powers of alcohol. Enter: Allotment, a new bar in the Glasgow area that offers thirsty patrons live performance art, music and a bit of the in-between.Right about now, you're probably wondering what this has to do with games. Well, this Saturday, the bar will be transformed into a living dedication to retro gaming, with a central theme of "gaming and morality." There'll be roulette and karaoke, some arcade gaming. But, more importantly, coordinators will envision a real-life Pong tribute in the space, allowing attendees to participate at any time in the recreation by simply walking up and changing it. If you're looking for more information on Allotment, or tickets to attend, then head on over to the National Theatre of Scotland. If after reading this, you're in the mood to watch that awesome video of Japanese Matrix ping-pong, well ... you aren't the only one.[Via GamePolitics]
Scientists set lasers on cells, end up playing Pong
Researchers have devised plenty of innovative ways of viewing living cells, but their options are a bit more limited when it comes to actually manipulating cells without, you know, destroying them. Scientists at the University of California, Los Angeles have now come up with one promising new possibility, however, using lasers instead of the fixed electrodes more commonly used today. Those, as you might expect, don't hit the cells directly, but are rather used to shine light on a "high-tech Petri dish," which has a grid of light detectors built into its floor and sets of transparent electrodes on the top and bottom. When lit up in a pattern of a circle or square, the cells can then be isolated and moved about at will or, conceivably, even be used for a game of Pong. Check out the video after the break to see for yourself.
Pong boots whip you when you lose
The next time someone picks on you for reading Joystiq, a site devoted exclusively to reporting how many copies of Dragon Quest IX have sold and which games have been delayed until 2010 (hint: all of them), we want you to laugh right in their stupid faces. We at Joystiq are proud to announce today that we've branched out into stories about boots that play Pong and whip you when you lose.Now, you may say that Ellie Gibson's video profile of the bizarre game's inventor is -- well, it's a bit creepy. And you'd be right. But we're not afraid to admit that it's also just the eenziest bit sexy. Eenzy ... like just a minuscule dollop of sexy.[Via Eurogamer]
Atari founder Nolan Bushnell to keynote LA Games Conference
The man created both Pong and Chuck E. Cheese's pizza, so you'll have to forgive us if we take pause whenever Nolan Bushnell opens his bearded maw. The Atari founder is slated to take the stage at next week's LA Games Conference, and will offer his thoughts on the current crop of consoles as well as where he believes the industry is headed. Straight into the nearest uWink, no doubt.Bushnell is just one of several speakers pegged to headline the event, which will include additional keynotes from PopCap top dog David Roberts, Qualcomm exec Mike Yuen and Benchmark Capital partner Mitch Lasky. The event is scheduled for April 28-29 at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in LA, and should make for an interesting primer for E3's media bombardment in June.
Video: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft's iPoint 3D Pong match gets heated
After hearing that Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft was bringing its newfangled iPoint 3D setup to CeBIT, we simply had to make the 5.9 mile hike from Hall 26 to Hall 9 to check things out. As with most things that this outfit touches, iPoint 3D was also a sight to behold. Without any goofy glasses, players and onlookers alike could easily detect depth in the display, and while we're some of the toughest 3D critics you'll find, even we were taken aback at just how not-gimmicky it was. An overhead motion detecting system fed signals to a nearby computer, which then translated the hand gestures into paddle movements within the simple two player Pong game. The gals we recorded seemed to have a pretty good time with it, and if you don't believe us, just check out the winner's victory dance at the end of the clip -- it'll make your day, and that's a Billy Mays guarantee.%Gallery-46448%
Chief Cook robot plays Pong, is just the kind of humanoid we want to hang with
The last time we saw Chief Cook, a learn-by-doing robot, he was cooking a ham and cheese omelet. Well, he's back, sitting on the floor playing Pong with his buddy, to whom he repeatedly says "You are a loser." And we thought our friends were mean! Check out Chief in action after the break.
PS3 homebrew capabilities inevitably leads to Pong
If you'll recall, the evolution of homebrew on the Wii started out quite similar to this. First comes the Hello World proof of concept, then comes Pong. It would just be wrong to unfold otherwise, right? Dragula96, the same guru who whipped up the original homebrew hack, has now introduced 2 Player Pong 1.0 -- the first notable game to take advantage of the Java devkit (at least, that's how it looks from here). Currently, the collisions are "very basic" and further tweaks are necessary before it's perfect, but it should be stable enough to take you to some sort of blissful state for now.
Nolan Bushnell on the rise of advertising and the casual game
Nolan Bushnell, who bootstrapped the entire video game industry with Computer Space, Pong and the Atari 2600, later went on to found Chuck E. Cheese and several other ventures, has the solution for expanding the size of the gaming market. Casual games, everywhere. And how to pay for them? 30 second ad spots -- commercials, just like the ones on television or before movies. And he can target these ads better than ever. Are ad-supported games the wave of the future? In your MMO of choice five years from now, will a shampoo ad run whenever you ding? And by then, will you even mind? Gamasutra interviews Nolan Bushnell about casual games, targeted advertising, and the death of the hardcore gamer.
Ralph Baer crushes Utrecht, the Netherlands mayor at Pong
School was in session yesterday at the NLGD Festival of Games in Utrecht, The Netherlands as industry icon Ralph Baer opened the event by taking the region's mayor to town in a game of Pong. The match was played on a classic 1960's era machine, and saw the father of the gaming industry defeating the mayor 2-0. Clearly, even at 86 years young, Baer can sure swing a mean paddle.As one of Europe's largest gaming events, the NLGD Festival of Games offers a stage for people to gather and discuss the continent's growing presence in the world of gaming. Said Seth van der Meer, chairman of the NLGD, "The first day of the conference has set the tone for an exciting lineup over the next two days," which includes keynotes, more than 75 lectures, and even a career fair. However, we seriously doubt any will measure up to the awesomeness of Baer's old school Pong throw down.
Wii Fanboy Review: Block Breaker Deluxe
When Pong evolved, we got Breakout. When Breakout evolved, we got Arkanoid. Then, when Arkanoid evolved, we got ... Block Breaker Deluxe? Not that we'd call Block Breaker Deluxe revolutionary in any way, even though it's fun to play. Take Breakout, slap on some tacky '80s visuals, then throw in '70s disco/porn music for good measure, and you pretty much know what to expect from Gameloft's WiiWare offering.
Leonardo DiCaprio to star in Nolan Bushnell biopic
A biopic about Atari co-founder Nolan Bushnell has been picked up by Paramount Pictures, with Leonardo DiCaprio attached to star, reports Variety. Although we feel "attached to star" is indicative of DiCaprio taking on the role of Bushnell himself, we guess it's equally likely he could star as Atari co-founder Ted Dabney or a paddle from Pong! Bushnell is also known for founding Chuck E. Cheese. The film, currently titled Atari, will be produced by DiCaprio's Appian Way.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
Multitouch, multiscreen iPod touch Pong
Oh my. Still need convincing that the iPhone/iPod touch is the greatest gaming platform ever made? Then check this video of a couple Japanese researchers playing a game they claim to have put together "in about an hour": multiscreen, touch-based Pong.On first glance, it looks like the game is even checking orientation of the iPods, but if you watch it a little further, when things go faster, you can see that it's actually just pushing the ball from screen to screen as it leaves. Still, if nothing else, a quick demo like this shows that multiple Touches (via a certain website, or on the same WiFi network, maybe, or -- hopefully -- just in close proximity to one another through Bluetooth or another protocol) can easily be made to connect multiplayer gamers.As a demo, very nice (and it seems fun as a game as well). Can't wait to see a full-featured game that takes advantage of all of the iPhone's connectivity options.[Via Waxy]
Cyclepong 2.0 beautifully weds exercise with Pong
It's unofficially official: humans will never, ever stop figuring out new ways to play Pong. Further proof of said statement comes in the form of Cyclepong 2.0, an update to a marvelous project that combines the art of biking with the joy of playing Pong. Put simply, the inventor created an arcade-like installation with a pair of exercise bikes, an LCD screen and customized software that enables a pair of individuals to pedal forward and back in order to move their pixels. For those in England (Suffolk, to be precise), you can actually get in a game for yourself at Southwold Pier, but everyone else will have to be satisfied with the demonstrative video posted after the jump.
Audio Ping Pong lets your ears, noggin do all the work
Just when you think Pong can't be played any other way, yet another creative soul emerges to prove the notion wrong. Mike McCracken has managed to remove all visual aspects of the game yet still maintain the core goal by enabling one's head to make the motions typically assigned to the hands. Essentially, a sound is emitted from the headphones on one side or the other, and the gamer has to tilt his / her head just so until the noise is centered. This back-and-forth sequence speeds up to intensify the challenge, and if you can't manage to keep the ringing front and center, an unpalatable buzzer sounds and a light turns on to alert you of your defeat. Really, it's way more clear how all this works in the video below, so have at it.[Via MAKE]
Homebrew Laser Hockey beats the real thing
Moose at Play's Laser Hockey DS is an adaptation of the best game on Wii Play (that isn't about adorable hopping cows), Laser Hockey. But, you know, on the DS. The neon-light visual theme of the original stays, but the view has been rotated 90 degrees to accommodate the DS's aspect ratio. Right now it's a total work-in-progress, with no variation in ball speed or paddle rotation, and frequent occurrences of the ball just passing right through the paddle.But none of that really matters, because as of version 0.3.4, Laser Hockey DS has wireless multiplayer. You and a friend can both lase and hock together, and it's free. If the base gameplay continues to be tweaked, this will be a must-have for any flash card.[Via Twitter]
Last Week on Massively: WoW-related stories
This week's round up of WoW-related posts on our sister site Massively covers many different angles of the MMO universe dominated by World of Warcraft. You can click on the links below or subscribe to a special WoW-only Massively feed.As the Worlds Turn: Get your fixWith so many games out there, presenting different worlds, different rules, different ways to play, what is it that grabs hold of players and, for some, doesn't let go?Does WoW really need to be 'beaten'?When will the constant cries of 'Will this be the WoW-killer?' be stifled once and for all? Let's instead concentrate on the far more interesting question: 'Why does there need to be a WoW-killer?'Pong creator Nolan Bushnell to enter MMO spaceThe man many call 'the Father of Videogames' -- as he is responsible for founding Atari and creating Pong -- Nolan Bushnell was recently interviewed by GameSpot at this year's GDC.Behind the Curtain: Should raiders get special treatment?Loot should always be a secondary concern in MMOs. I've been seeing more and more, the idea that developers should put the concerns of those players whose sole or primary concern is the acquisition of loot above the concerns of other players.Clan Gear: guild clothing for the massesAdam and Freya Chapman have run Threadsafe, a direct-to-garment printing business, for the last two years. Now, in conjunction with Adam's brother Keith, they're opening Clan Gear, a direct-to-garment printing outlet for gamers, where the focus on the printing is your artwork, your character, and your designs.Investment of $1 billion+ wouldn't dethrone WoW, exec saysAccording to a report, Activision CEO Bobby Kotick stated in an investor meeting that his company had done extensive research on the MMO category, and came to the conclusion that even a game bolstered by an initial investment of $500 million to $1 billion would still probably have a hell of a time competing in the same space as the Blizzard juggernaut.