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Seen@GDC 2014: Nintendo's advanced robot technology
If you've ever thought that the design concept of the Wii U was weird, or the original Wii, or the 2DS, keep in mind that Nintendo has been living and breathing weird for decades. Thankfully, the Video Game History Museum exhibit at GDC (as ever) is here to remind us.
Peggle 2 proposal is the most uplifting thing you'll see today
Rob and Shireen are both big Peggle fans. During the development of Peggle 2, Rob wrote in to PopCap for a little help with proposing to his girlfriend – and the studio obliged. PopCap came up with a special testing day scenario: Rob would tell Shireen he wrote this essay into PopCap telling them how she's their biggest fan and the company would fly the two out to San Francisco to test an early build of the game and provide feedback. The early build, comprised of five levels, would culminate in a final level where Rob would ask Shireen to marry him. Now, we don't want to ruin the ending for you, but maybe grab a tissue before you hit the play button above, okay?
One Shots: Hey Ladies
The fun part of playing an MMO for many of us is the ability to meet lots of different people and make new friends in all walks of life. Of course, you want to make sure the people you're talking to are actually controlled by other players! With that said, NPCs can be handy for adding detail to picturesque screenshots such as today's RIFT screenshot from Rob, who writes in: "I've played multiple characters since the first closed beta of RIFT. This is a screenshot of my Dwarf Mage hanging out at Quicksilver college. I thought I'd plop down next to these students. They don't seem impressed by me." Have you captured a screenshot of a silly moment from your recent MMO adventures? If so, why not share it with us? It's easy to do. Email it in to us here at oneshots@massively.com along with your name, the name of the game, and a description of what we're seeing in the picture. We'll post it out here and give you the credit for sending it in. %Gallery-112285%
Blizzard: Arenas were a mistake.
John Funk of WarCry recently interviewed Blizzard's VP of Game Design, Rob Pardo, about WoW's five-year anniversary, and he shed some light on a number of topics, including their total subscriber numbers (twice to three times as much as its current 12 million), what audience their new MMO is meant for, and what he thinks WoW's greatest successes were. But some other very interesting information came up when the interviewer asked what he thought WoW's biggest mistakes were. He begins by saying that he wishes that the servers had been more stable at launch, and that there had been more of them, but he says that in terms of design, Arenas were the single biggest mistake in WoW's history.
Patents from gaming's past
See that odd diagram above? That's Nintendo's original design for the Zapper. Aside from that, you'll find other gems such as the early prototype for R.O.B., along with some other non-Nintendo patents. It's an excellent gallery of diagrams that Technologizer has put together here, so don't waste any time and dive right in. You won't be disappointed.%Gallery-14911%[Via Joystiq]
DS theft leads to happy ending
We were disgusted but not surprised to hear the story of Michael Baxter, an 8-year-old Hawaiiian boy whose DS was stolen. This isn't the first case of electronic theft in which a child was the victim, but what makes it worse is that the poor boy had a broken leg at the time. (Though we suppose that's not as bad as this.) The thief might not have known the child was wheelchair-bound when he stole the handheld on an airplane (while the boy was sleeping). That, of course, doesn't make stealing from an injured child any less terrible. Michael didn't even have his family to turn to after the theft, as he was traveling alone to visit his great-grandmother in Michigan. When he realized that his beloved handheld was taken, he cried, as most little boys would. Here's where the story takes a better turn, though: a stranger named Fiona Lohrisch saw the boy crying, and being a grandmother of five herself, took pity on him. She then resolved to buy Michael a new DS! How sweet!Tipster Tim sent this story to us describing it as "uplifting," but we're more in the cynical camp of "it's so depressing that this even happened in the first place." Don't let our sour exteriors keep your spirits down or ruin your heartfelt "awwws," though. It really is a happy ending.[Thanks, Tim!]
Lego mania, Nintendo fanboyism combined
We've featured Lego-constructed Wiis before, but let's be honest -- making a big block out of smaller blocks isn't impressing anyone. This brick-built Super Famicom/SNES (PAL) from Lego Guy, however has a few curves to it, and even accompanying controllers and a cartridge!As you'll see past the post break, he has also fashioned himself a miniature Robotic Operating Buddy. On the topic of Legos, if you haven't checked it out yet, make sure to watch the Slide-Action Lego Crossbow Pistol video we've also embedded!See also: A cheap and colorful way to make your own Zapper
Retrospective: Nintendo's past peripherals
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/nintendo/Peripherals_that_paved_the_way_for_the_Wii_Fit_Balance_Board'; With Wii Fit (and, thus, the Balance Board) hitting stores recently, we figured a nostalgic stroll down memory lane would be nice. So, what we've done is compiled a list of all the peripherals that helped pave the way for the Balance Board, Nintendo's latest peripheral. So, let's not waste any time and get down to business. To start your journey, just click on the red text in the bottom right-hand corner there.
Robbing a GameStop for the games of course
A couple of Orange County, Florida thieves robbed a GameStop originally for the games and systems, then in an apparent epiphany, realized what they were doing and demanded the money too. According to reports, the two robbers walked in the store close to opening while only the manager was there, held him up at gunpoint, filled their duffel bags with games and systems, and then, as an afterthought, apparently took the cash in the store as well. Oddly, they knew to take the store's security tape, which seems to have been conveniently accessible -- well, at least they were smarter than the Richard 'Lord British' Garriott robbers.We can't help but notice this story sounds awfully familiar. If the robbers really did enter through the front at the strip mall, only to leave out the back with the merchandise like the report says, wouldn't they need to get back to the front for their car? Maybe they parked in the back, then walked out front? Whatever, they were smart enough to take the tape and knew that the tape would be accessible to take. We can't wait to hear how this one ends. Police are currently investigating.[Thanks Adam]
Would-be Wii thief welcomed with a beatdown
If you're ever looking to rob someone of their precious gaming goodies (including a Wii) whilst hanging out in Montana (do people even do that?), then you might want to give your idea of burglary some more thought. The 19 year old would-be thief didn't do that, as he was walked in on, mid-rob, by two residents of the apartment, along with a friend. As the burglar began to bolt, apparently drunk (the only way he could muster up the courage, we'd imagine), he led them right back to his car where their Wii and other gaming goodies lay stashed. Tackling the perp to the ground, the group held him until police arrived and nabbed him.Of course, we know any of you would do the same (or worse) ...[Via Game|Life]
Man attempts to steal Wiimote, assaults security
Remember how we used to say that our console was the better one because it didn't incite violence among its fanbase? That was fun while it lasted. Now all we have to go on is the price and selection of games.37-year-old Kazunari Tanaka is accused of trying to shoplift a Wiimote and a CD from a Bic Camera in Nagoya, Japan. When security guards accosted him, he (allegedly) started punching, leaving both guards injured.We won't blame the Wii for this crime, although we're sure someone will. People shoplift every day.The Wii doesn't inspire crimes against anything but televisions (against which it instills a murderous rage).[Via NeoGAF; thematically appropriate image taken from this post]
R.O.B. the spy
Joystiq reader Sean Barlow sent us his story about how he turned his R.O.B. into a nanny cam. That sneaky Nintendo relic fits rather inconspicuously in the playroom. We're rather impressed by the novelty, but can we still play Gyromite?
Microsoft unleashes the robots.
Now that Microsoft has conquered entered the world of video games, there is only one logical next step. Robots, of course! According to PC World, Microsoft has decided to develop a software tool kit just for robotics. The software will allow robots to interface with Windows PCs, effectively giving Microsoft control of the impending Robot Apocalypse®. Of particular interest is the following excerpt: "Microsoft's entry to the field is a vote of confidence that could accelerate the development of robots for industrial, service, and entertainment use." Entertainment use? Could we finally see the next gen equivalent of R.O.B. the robot? Perhaps a robot to fetch beer refreshments when you're too busy killing other robots? The possibilities are endless. A preview of the software is available now for the robot enthusiasts out there. [Via Evil Avatar]
Engadget editor assaulted for RAZR; innocence lost
Our own Paul Miller is used to taking an occasional beating in comments, but one overzealous Engadget fan took it a bit too far last night in the rough-and-tumble streets of North Harlem. After a quick jaunt to the deli for the, shall we say, "supplies" we need to fuel our tireless nights of blogging, Paul minded his own business as he strode home, phoning his ill grandmother with the Motorola RAZR he was able to purchase with his meager stipend. Suddenly and without warning, a shadowy figure emerged from the darkness, striking him in the cheekbone with the brutal force of a heavyweight boxer in an ill-fated attempt for his V3. Big mistake: as with all Engadget writers, Paul's body is a weapon. By explaining in excruciating detail why any two-bit mugger knows that RAZRs are too low-end these days to bother swiping, he dispatched the would-be thief as quickly as he came, leaving all of Harlem a warning that we are best not messed with -- especially when working on our sixth Red Bull. As you can see, Paul's been left with a battle scar that he wears proudly. This is as close as you'll ever get to his RAZR if you know what's good for you.
