portable gaming
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iPhone guns for PSP and DS market share as Gameloft commits, Id too
While Apple continues to market the iPhone as a 3-in-1 device -- web, phone, and iPod -- it's clear that Jobs has a 4th market clearly in his sights. It's no accident that EA and Sega were both selected to demonstrate their skills with the iPhone SDK during last week's press event. Now Gameloft, the worldwide number one mobile game publisher in terms of revenues -- has committed to developing games for the iPhone. "Over 15 titles" are expected in 2008, in fact. Oh iPhone, is there anything you can't do with your 3D processor, multi-touch display, and 3-axis accelerometer? Oh right, GPS, 3G data, corporate Exchange, A2DP Bluetooth audio, MMS, ... you get the idea. Update: John Carmack -- co-founder of Id Software -- just commented that, "We (Id) have put in our application like everybody else." So yeah, it'll play Doom... officially this time.
MMOs to get more massive, even mobile
As if our lives aren't dominated enough by raids, guild-runs, and the newest beta tests, it would appear that the next trend in MMO development is finding ways for games to reach you when you're away from the computer. At the recent Virtual Worlds Forum, business leaders have been salivating at the opportunities posed by expanding their IPs to mobile platforms. Moshi Monsters, an MMO from Mind Candy aimed at kids, banks heavily on their MoPod technology. MoPods are small, cheap, virtual pet-esque devices that kids can bring with them to school to keep plugging away at the game's puzzles on the bus or in the cafeteria.Then when you consider that Katsuya Eguchi, lead developer in the rumored Animal Crossing MMO, has talked openly about integrating mobile phone and PC applications into their new game, it could very well be the beginning of a new wave of mobile integration. Publishers are always looking for new ways to boost their numbers, and this would certainly be a very marketable away to go about it. It doesn't take a genius to imagine the possibilities of the technology: they could give players the ability to monitor the auction house from their phone or allow you to raise a pet on a portable gaming platform and then use it in-game. In addition to being marketable to current MMO fans, this sort of pan-technological approach to games also has a strong appeal to casual gamers, a coveted demographic if ever there was one.It's an idea that's probably still a long way from coming to light, at least for a mainstream MMO, but it's fun to speculate about, and it's a trend we'll definitely be keeping our eye on.
Nintendo pushes 50 millionth DS out the door
Well if there are still any doubts as to who's winning the portable console war, let them be dispelled here and now: in the less than three years since it's been on the market, the Nintendo DS (in both its Lite and Phat flavors) has sold a total of 50 million units, according to the unofficial VG Chartz. Sony's PSP (released less than one month later in Japan)? Less than half that number. While the PSP will surely get a sales boost now that it too has slimmed down, DS still seems to be the clear choice of the majority of gamers. Next challenge for Mario and friends: hitting 100 million faster than the iPod.
Backseat Playground to integrate GPS into in-car gaming
If you thought your portable gaming options were all but limited to Sony's PSP or Nintendo's DS / DS Lite (or those Korean-based all-in-one gizmos), a group of Swedish programmers are hoping to change all that in drastic fashion. Concocting an "in-car gaming system" that utilizes a GPS receiver, handheld computer, headphones, and a laptop in the trunk of the whip, the Backseat Playground would eventually turn real world "sights, attractions, and locations" into in-game characters and events for the lucky passenger(s). The basic idea is to start the game off in a primarily audio-based murder mystery scenario where "actual forests, skyscrapers, and rivers" become part of the story, giving children (or adults, too) a way to virtually interact with their surroundings while traveling. The laptop uses the GPS data to maintain a 3D model which keeps the vehicle correctly positioned in the virtual world, and much "like a novel," the story unfolds as different turns (ahem) take place based on the decisions players make. While the entire system is still prototypical, it currently works "over a 35 square kilometer area in Stockholm," and designers are currently testing interest in other locales throughout the UK. Personally, we can't wait to see the variations in storylines while cruising down the 101 versus the pits of Hell's Kitchen, but we'll probably just wait for third party reports of the later.[Via The Raw Feed]
Upcoming Sony recall could expand to non-laptop gadgets
Wouldn't you know it? Right after we got done throwing away recycling all of our laptop PCs in favor of an explosion-free, desktop computing environment, Consumer Reports comes along with the disturbing news that some of our other favorite gadgets may have been tainted by Sony's huge batch of crappy batteries as well. In its On Safety blog, CR quotes Consumer Product Safefy Commission spokesperson Julie Vallese as saying that "the upcoming Sony recall [in October] could very well expand beyond notebook computers and could include DVD players and portable gaming devices." That's right folks, not only is it unsafe to use a laptop anymore, there's also a slight chance that all your battery-powered devices are ticking timebombs that could totally ruin a quiet night of Grand Theft Auto or Kill Bill. We'll keep you posted on the latest developments here, but if you just can't get enough of this inflammatory (ahem) fear-mongering, head on over to our new spin-off -- Engadget Recalls -- for round the clock coverage of what has now become the defining issue of our time.
China building IPv6 infrastructure
China is looking to take the lead in the adoption of Internet Protocol Version 6, and steal a little thunder from the Internet2 consortium in the process. The China Education and Research Network has already connected nearly 200 universities and institutes using the new protocol, while China Telecom and China Mobile are expected to begin trial runs with IPv6 by the end of the year. This initiative is intended to reduce China's dependence on foreign hardware suppliers such as US-based Cisco Systems, and also help Chinese IT manufacturers become more competitive globally. Naturally, the gaming industry will also benefit from the advancements of IPv6, particularly in the mobile space where gamers on the go will have unique static IP addresses, in addition to improved data, voice, and video transmissions. Visit the IPv6 portal to learn more.See also: China, Intel, and the WiMAX agenda
No future for desktop and laptop PCs?
According to Graham Brown-Martin, founder of UK-based Handheld Learning Ltd., the PC as we know it will be extinct by 2010. Its replacement? The portable consumer devices you use today, connected to server farms where all of your personal media can be accessed. At this week's Interactive Entertainment Festival in Edinburgh, Brown-Martin commented, "I've spent quite a lot of time talking to computer manufacturers and they are seeing more value in selling servers that connect to consumer electronic devices such as the Sony PSP and Nintendo DS. They see this as the food chain, rather than lots of desks with computers on them."Oracle's Larry Ellison made a similar prediction a decade go when the Network Computer was thought to be the eventual successor to the PC. The thin client NC had no secondary storage and required constant network access to application and data servers. Brown-Martin believes this concept is the path to true mobility: "Mobility isn't just about little devices – it's about the user being mobile and having all their stuff in one location, on a hard-disk farm."Do you agree? What impact would such a paradigm shift have on the gaming industry, and how comfortable would you feel if all of your game data and personal media were stored remotely?
Nintendo's DS Lite gets pretty in pink
We're all well beyond the point where there's any kind of surprise when a device gets made over in yet another color -- especially pink -- so save that aghast look for something a little more unusual. Nope, sorry, that won't be the price either; the "Noble Pink" DS Lites will weigh in at an almost-average ¥16,800 ($144 US), and will see release July 20th overseas. Which means if nothing else we'll get them around or before the Wii drops in Q4, though hopefully not before the elusive, highly desireable black market black Lite.[Via Joystiq]
Energizer's Energi To Go charges gadgets with AAs
We'll sheepishly admit to being among the reported 20 percent of cellphone users whose phones conk out at least once a week (in fact, it just happened today), so you can bet we'll be first in line to pick up one of Energizer's new AA-based cellphone chargers when they hit stores on September 1st. Eschewing proper spelling for catchy branding, the Energi To Go line will come in numerous configurations to support a claimed 100 handsets covering most major manufacturers, with each package containing a special tip for individual models. Energizer promises that its e2 batteries will enable most dead phones to make a call in just 30 seconds (you can use regular alkalines, but of course Energizer recommends its own pricey products), with smartphones requiring several minutes to suck up enough juice for calling. Along with the $20 cellphone version, Energizer will also be releasing a $30, four-battery model to charge DAPs and portable gaming devices, with iGo-developed tips available for iPods, PSPs, Nintendo DSes, and other small gadgets you see mentioned with regularity on these pages.[Via Mobiledia, thanks Ryan]
Thinking laterally: slingboxing games
Heard of the Slingbox (pictured above)? It's a hardware and software product that allows a person to "sling" content from a home television set to any Internet-connected, Windows-based computer or PDA. This enables some pretty cool behavior. For example, you're stuck in some crappy hotel while away from home on business and so you decide to skip the meager hotel offerings to watch your home television programs on your Windows-based laptop. Let's take it a step further. Eventually, we imagine a product that will enable remote control of game consoles from any broadband device. Initially, it'll be simple. You'll be able to play simple games like Hexic on your mobile phone. Eventually, it'll be possible to experience PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, or Nintendo Revolution gaming from anywhere. How cool would that be? There's nothing technically impossible about it. We just need slightly faster mobile devices, slightly speedier Internet connections, and slightly better video compression technologies.
