Space
The latest news and reporting on space exploration and discovery.
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The Digital Continuum: Statistical Anxiety Separation
One thing I've taken to recently is lurking over at the Nerfbat forums, where many great minds discuss a lot of different things concerning massively games. One idea in particular has given me a spark of -- probable -- insanity in regards to something I've been giving plenty of thought to lately. The insane idea is this: What would a massively game be like if character avatars had no stats?After reading though several different concepts presented in the thread responsible for this lunacy of mine, I started to wonder why every one of them focused on keeping with the fantasy motif. To me, it seemed obvious that if you're going to delve into a massively game where the characters have no numerical (or numerical-like) levels, stats or personal equipment it, was going to have to happen in something other than your standard fantasy adventure. That's when two unexpected things came together for me and I realized something. A game where characters don't have any stats attached to them could exist with a difficult-to-design IP that's quite near and dear to me. What's the property, you ask?
Japan's space agency planning space-based solar power arrays
We've seen some pretty out there solar installations, but JAXA, the Japanese space agency, is about to get really far out with its latest project: a space-based solar array that beams power back to Earth. The agency is set to begin testing on the microwave power transmission system on February 20th, with an attempt to beam enough power over the 2.4GHz band to power a household heater at 50 meters (164 feet). That's certainly not the sort of large-scale sci-fi power system we were hoping for, but fret not -- if the tests are successful, JAXA's plan is to eventually launch a constellation of solar satellites, each beaming power to a 1.8-mile wide receiving station that'll produce 1 gigawatt of electricity and power 500,000 homes.
Blackstar's prophecy revealed
We've got to admit, for a game that's relatively new to the scene, Spacetime Studios' Blackstar definitely has serious style. A new update has gone out on the Spacetime Studios' website which adds a good deal of information about Blackstar. We're talking a game summary, new concept art and a bullet point list of several features to expect from the game.Of course we have to remain skeptical for now, seeing as this is all on paper for the time being. That doesn't mean we can get a bit excited for a new, sexy space combat MMO. Although there is a bit of apprehension at the concept of both space combat and "ground" or "on-ship" combat. It brings to mind Pirates of the Burning Sea and the constant issue of developers' imaginations exceeding their initial grasp. Hopefully a publisher will give these guys a call and make them a good offer, because the more developers competing in the space MMO market, the better for all of us.
NASA may enter game publishing realm with space exploration MMO
Though space-themed MMOs have a tendency of hastily going the way of the dodo (sometimes before they're ever released), NASA is considering throwing their lot into the ever-growing MMO market with an online space exploration game that will allow players to "simulate real Nasa engineering and science missions" with thousands of other wannabe cosmonauts. That is, if a thousand people purchase the game -- an unlikely scenario, considering the title doesn't include the words "world", "of", "war", or "craft".We love the idea of an MMO based on real-life space experiments, however, we doubt the game will appeal to the Barrens Chat crowd without the timely addition of "lazorz" and "totally crazy aliens". Actually, that might be a good thing -- we shudder to think of the implications of the creation of "Uranus Chat".
NASA to launch MMO?
With six (that I can think of off the top of my head) MMOs releasing this year (and probably twice that number in development), why not another? MMORPG.com is reporting on a press release from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration that the space agency is investigating the idea of creating their own heavenly MMO.The Learning Technologies (LT) arm of NASA was created to support education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (something they call "STEM") through innovative technologies. MMOs definitely fall into that "innovative technologies" category, and NASA know it. Not wanting to get left behind, LT is looking at developing an educational MMO that lets players accurately simulate science experiments, practice repairing high-end NASA equipment, experience microgravity... basically live the life of an astronaut. Most kids list "astronaut" as one of the things they want to be when they grow up, so being able to virtually live out that dream is nothing short of amazing.While this may not appeal to every gamer, some of the comments made in the press release regarding MMOs might, primarily: "The power of games as educational tools is rapidly gaining recognition." About time someone recognizes that! What's more, they go on to say that MMOs (or "synthetic environments" as NASA calls them) are the perfect "hands-on" tools to teach complex subjects, and help develop strategic thinking, interpretative analysis, problem solving, plan formulation and execution, team-building and cooperation, and adaptation to rapid change. In short, they can edumacate people. Perhaps the understanding that NASA (a federally funded entity mind you) has about MMOs will help change how the rest of our government views gaming. And maybe the space explorers will finally take us where no gamer has gone before... true legitimacy.
"Researchers" hope to launch paper airplanes from space
There's certainly plenty more than just hard science going on in space, and it now looks like a group of researchers from the University of Tokyo are aiming to get in on that action as well. To that end, they've teamed up with the brains behind the Japan Origami Airplane Association to develop an origami aircraft that'll supposedly be capable of surviving the flight from the International Space Station to the Earth's surface. They even seem to have made some progress already, with them set to test an eight centimeter long prototype in the wind tunnel at the University of Tokyo later this week, where it'll face wind speeds up to 5,300 miles per hour. Of course, it'll face a few more obstacles than that in space, although the researchers assure us the plane has been "treated to withstand intense heat."[Via Tech Digest]
Jumpgate Evolution flight dynamics devlog
It's always great when we start getting solid information about new games, especially ones that aren't the norm. There's a new developer log over at MMORPG.com where NetDevil programmer Steve Hartmeyer writes about flight in the upcoming Jumpgate Evolution. What we find most compelling about the whole read is the talk of two modes of flight; one being the original flight-style from Jumpgate and the other being the new style. For Jumpgate Evolution NetDevil looked back at the original flight model so they could create a better one -- because the old model wasn't very accessible. Sure it worked, but the problem was that the casual player couldn't jump into the game and enjoy themselves with ease. We were happy to hear that not only does Jumpgate Evolution let you toggle your ship's flight mode on-the-fly between original style and the new style -- which features more drag and therefore control over your ship -- the game is also designed for mouse and keyboard play (as well as joysticks and gamepads). Lore-wise, this toggling feature are the ship's "inertial dampers" which is quite brilliant of NetDevil. Oh yeah and did we mention strafing and flying backwards while shooting at your enemies? You can call us a little excited for Jumpgate Evolution now, go ahead.
South Korea's first satellite: lost in space
According to disheartening news out of Korea, the country's Aerospace Research Institute is reporting that they've lost contact with its first multipurpose satellite, the Arirang 1. The satellite, which was launched December 21st, 1999, is suspected of having encountered a mechanical malfunction or misalignment which would have affected power generation. "If the satellite loses proper alignment, its solar panels cannot generate power that is vital for the machine," said an "expert" -- which the source material suspiciously won't name -- which further reinforces our belief that the satellite was appropriated by an alien lifeform, for use in a bizarre mating ritual.
Gates and space-ace Simonyi gift $30m for giant telescope
The currently terrestrial Bill Gates and his former (and space-faring) Microsoft colleague, Charles Simonyi, have donated a cool $30m to a project that aims to build "the world's largest survey telescope" (cleverly) called the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope. On Thursday, the group said that Gates and Simonyi had donated $10m and $20m respectively to help develop the telescope, which Gates says "is truly an Internet telescope, which will put terabytes of data each night into the hands of anyone that wants to explore." The 8.4-meter telescope, which sports three large mirrors and three refractive lenses, will be built on a mountain in northern Chile and is scheduled to decimate the magic of your astronomy club in 2014.
First African satellite launched
In a landmark launch that will supposedly "contribute to bridging the digital divide within Africa and between Africa and the rest of the world," the continent's first satellite successfully made it into orbit aboard a French-made rocket last night. The so-called RASCOM-QAF1 -- named after the Regional African Satellite Communication Organization which is funding the venture -- lifted off from the European space base in Kourou, French Guiana stowed inside an Ariane 5, the sixth such launch this year and 36th overall of that particular model, manufactured by Paris-based Arianespace. The new 3.2-tonne (7,055-pound) satellite is set to serve the large African rural market neglected by traditional cellphone carriers, and will allegedly save hundred of millions of dollars a year currently being paid to foreign operators.[Via PhysOrg]
Clarion automotive A/V gear headed into space
It looks like Clarion is about to get some considerable new bragging rights (shared only by the likes of Tang), as some of its automotive A/V gear has recently been approved by NASA and is now awaiting deployment into space. That includes the company's RX935VD in-dash multimedia center and VCZ625 6-disc DVD changer, each of which have been fitted into a specially designed unit and will soon be used to entertain crew members on the International Space Station. As Clarion points out, that makes those the first car A/V components to be installed in the ISS, with their reliance 12 volt automotive systems (the same voltage as the space station) working largely in their favor. No word on an exact launch date just yet, but the gear is now ready and waiting in Star City for the next available spot to free up.[Via audiojunkies]
Former STO designer: Star Trek might be "hardest MMO IP ever"
Star Trek Online is one of the most anticipated MMOs on the horizon, but it's no secret that Perpetual Entertainment has had a rough couple of months. There's an ever-present air of uncertainty around STO's future.Most of that uncertainty stems from Perpetual's legal and financial troubles, but one former STO team member has written up a blog post suggesting that making a Star Trek MMO might be a Kobyashi Maru scenario to begin with. "At first glance, Star Trek seems like the perfect setting for an MMO," said former systems designer Eric Heimburg, "but appearances can be deceiving. It's actually a huge landmine of problems."Heimburg wrote that it's an expensive and difficult task to produce both a space game and a land game, that making space interesting is challenging, and that it's impossible to please all Star Trek fans because everyone has a different opinion about what makes the franchise great. All good points; we'll see if Perpetual has what it takes to make it all come together ... if it can even survive its financial and legal woes.[Via TTH]
Chat log includes more details on Jumpgate Evolution
Jumpgate Evolution will feature joystick support, accessible system requirements, and a story by D&D Eberron setting creator Keith Baker. Those are the sorts of details you'll find in MMORPG's dev chat with three Jumpgate Evolution team members. There's a lot more info in the chat, as well, though some of it is stuff already covered in our own interview with Netdevil's Hermann Peterscheck.It looks like Netdevil is delivering a more accessible, streamlined version of the basic game-play found in the original Jumpgate; for example, the flight model will be similar to that of the original, but there will be "more effective braking" to prevent the out-of-control feeling that intimidated some newbies in Jumpgate. But we'll see some totally new things in the game as well. We're all getting very excited about this game, and the info is only just starting to roll out. Rest assured that we'll bring you every update as it comes!
Explore the SWG Chapter 8 gunships in VRML
The wait for Star Wars Galaxies players continues. Chapter 8 is still probably a little ways off, and aside from a few teases about space content, there hasn't been a lot of concrete information about the space-based content. (I'm hoping for some clarity to the space quest trees, myself)Luckily, Galaxies player "Spaceguy5" has some entertainment for us today. He's posted about a series of VRML environments he's put together that display the interior views for a number of the new Chapter 8 ships. The three featured ships are the Imperial Gunship, the Black Sun Gunship, and the Rebel Gunship.If you don't have a VRML browser installed, he has a page dedicated to explaining where to download it and how to use it. Enjoy your stroll; I imagine it will be a bit less peaceful when you're flying one of those crates in a live-fire exercise.Thanks to MrBreton for the tip!
The Digital Continuum: Sci-Fi, Looking Back
Where are my friggin' virtual hover craft? Where are the energy swords and teleportation devices? I'm not talking about botched attempts and broken promises. I know that redemption is a possibility and that my childhood dreams could come to fruition. I'm also very sure that anyone who gives two tugs of a dead dog's -- well, anyone who cares about the sci-fi genre of MMOs knows a bit about most of the past attempts. If you're going to make an MMO that focuses on the freedom of combat, trade and exploration in space well that's just peachy! However what you still have to remember is that a lot of us sci-fi nuts (and there are a lot of us) want more than just warp, mine, trade, dog-fight and repeat. Now I'm not knocking the types of players in EVE Online or the stick-jockeys playing Jumpgate and looking forward to its upcoming sequel. You see it's also not enough for many of us (or perhaps this is just me) to just focus on a sci-fi version of what we basically have with any standard fantasy MMO game. You have to include both space and land at launch to entice and possibly please me. Am I asking a lot of developers? I don't think I'm asking very much by current industry standards. So where do we start to get to this nirvana of sci-fi MMOs? Well, there are some good lessons to learn from the past and one game comes to mind specifically.Earth and Beyond launched on September 24, 2002 to average reviews. One of Earth and Beyond's largest issues became content and its eventual updates. This was likely due to Westwood Studios being half the studio it was before the (first of many) Electronic Arts acquisition. Unfortunately for the die hard fans of E&B, the game servers were shutdown due to an ever-declining subscriber base. This was far before the time when WoW roamed the land and MMOs were major-ultra cash cows in the eyes of industry moguls. This was the time of EverQuest and industry moguls who only desired to create a standard cash cow.
NASA helps predict, prevent disease outbreaks
We could almost swear we've heard this same scenario played out in a 80s era sci-fi drama, but apparently, this ain't out of any movie script. By utilizing 14 orbiting satellites and enlisting the assistance of NASA's Applied Sciences Program, scientists are reportedly observing our planet's environment to "help predict and prevent infectious disease outbreaks around the world." Apparently, the satellites collect environmental change data, which is then forwarded on to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Defense and broken down to estimate and track epidemics. The remote sensing technology is currently be used to target and track malaria (among other things), and NASA surveillance systems can also be used to determine if a given outbreak was caused by "natural circumstances" or if bioterrorism was to blame. Phew, at least we know 28 Days Later won't become an infamous example of life imitating art... right?[Via Slashdot]
Jumpgate: Evolution takes to the unfriendly stars
Reader Excelsior dropped us a note about an MMO we haven't yet covered that he says is one to watch-- Jumpgate: Evolution is an upcoming MMO from NetDevil, the makers of Auto Assault, and also an "in the works" LEGO MMO. The game is actually an update of the original Jumpgate, also by NetDevil, which purports to be not an MMORPG, but a massively multiplayer space flight and combat simulator, where twitch is just as important as stats. All we've got are screens so far, but they are pretty good-looking, so if you're in the mood for a little hands-on spaceship flying in an MMO universe, Jumpgate: Evolution might be right up your warp route.They're still taking beta signups on the website, so get your email in now-- as Excelsior says, "the more players in the game, the better." And if you've got a pet MMO you've been watching that you'd like us to keep an eye on, make sure to throw a tip in our inbox. You find 'em, we follow 'em.\%Gallery-9918%
Hullbreach manages to snag a few users
A fresh press release from Hullbreach Online, that Wii Internet Channel MMO we reported on a few weeks back, states that some people have decided to give it a try. With 1,175 members, the game has grown a bit. There are now 576 different sectors that players can hyperjump to, as well as numerous quests and combat scenarios to complete. From the press release, it sounds like this thing is growing pretty fast.While we haven't played it ourselves (darn this blogging), we love to hear about this kind of stuff. Ambition projects are few and far between, it seems, so we look forward to December. Why? Well, that's when the final release hits, which will have NPC interaction, asteroid mining and player-to-player bartering.Has anyone given this a try? Are you finding it to your liking? Or, is it a waste of time?[Via press release]
A video where Buzz Aldrin doesn't punch someone
You know, maybe we shouldn't make light of an incident where someone accused a national hero of faking one of the United States' most historic events, but we can't help it. If we remember Buzz Aldrin for one thing, it's punching someone in the face. Oh, and his moon landing thing.Anyway, the above video comes from the meeting between Buzz and Mario we talked about a few days ago. So, if you, like us, were left kind of confused about the whole thing, then check out the video above.
NASA unveils the Chariot "lunar truck"
NASA sure loves the wacky vehicles, and the agency is mighty proud of its latest effort, the Chariot lunar truck. Designed from start to finish in just a year, the Chariot features 12 wheels driven by two electric motors through a two-speed transmission, allowing it to perform in a "bulldozer" mode with up to 4000 pounds of force or cruise at up to fifteen miles an hour. The modular design also means that the steel alloy frame can be fitted with several different crew / payload combinations, including a small pressurized cabin and a sample collector. There's no telling when the Chariot might be deployed, of course, but we're not going to be convinced until we see it stop a plane or drive through a swinging girder obstacle course.[Thanks, xenocide]
