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Air Force pushing for ground-based, satellite-killing lasers
In a proposal that would surely bring a tear to the late Ronald Reagan's eye, Air Force officials are attempting to co-opt $5.7 million from the 2007 budget for developing high-energy lasers that could be used to destroy enemy satellites (because, you know, al Qaeda is launching birds left and right). So far a subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee has "shot down" the program, which would build on a 1997 Pentagon study of a two-million-watt laser, although the full committee could reinstate the provision following analysis of the entire bill. While certain military interests have pushed for anti-satellite weapons since the Cold War, concern over the space junk that destroyed sats would create has kept the international community from serious pursuit of any "Star Wars"-like programs. Although we're always keen on new military tech (hey, it gives us something to write about), we're gonna have to side with the Doubting Thomases on this one, because the impending "ROBO-ONE in the Space" satellite is simply too important to risk even a single stray laser strike.
Super Console Wars puts spin on mascot Gamepires
We've seen Mario in the Matrix, Luigi as a Braveheart, and what we thought was everything in between. Well, hold up, 'cuz now we've seen everything: classic game icons have been mashed up with Star Wars.Super Console Wars: The Gamepire Strikes Gold is that hybrid that with good and evil roles spread out onto each platform and various gaming mascots, ranging from Mario clone troopers vs. Princess Zelda to a VMU droid and GPU-enabled android (erm, peripheral).About two-thirds of the way through the 20-minute video, you're gently encouraged to wear 3D glasses to enhance your video viewing, but even without glasses, the parody stands as an amusing take-off of gaming standards, pop culture, and retro reminiscing. Obi-Wan Shinobi, indeed.[Thanks, Cradrock]See also: Super Mario Reloaded Ready for an "Oldschool Revolution"?
The Jar Jar effect: "games do sci-fi best"
Clive Thompson has an essay up at Wired called, "Forget Film, Games Do Sci-Fi Best." Thompson's argument is that LucasArts' Star Wars games are better realized works of science fiction than Lucas' Star Wars prequels, a not altogether controversial claim. Thompson writes, "In the last 20 years, Lucas' vision has arguably been far better expressed in video games than in movies."Citing games like Rogue Squadron, Knights of the Old Republic, and Battlefront, he identifies the similarities that allow gaming to do sci-fi best: "Part of the fun of watching a sci-fi movie is mentally inhabiting a new world and imagining what it feels like to be inside. But now there's a medium that actually puts you in."Thompson is quick to temper his claims, saying, "Even the best 'narrative' games can't replicate the emotional undertow of a good film," though his basic point remains valid: that Lucas, specifically, is being outdone by his games. Fellow sci-fi movie maker James Cameron plans on creating an MMO that introduces players to the universe before the film comes out, so you can mentally visit somewhere you've already been.
Gaming professionals respond to Revo controller
In their Question of the Week feature, Gamasutra recently asked their audience what kinds of games would be most suited to the Revolution controller and which specific concepts they'd like to see using it in the future. The overall response?"OMG the Lightsaberz0rz are teh rule!"Not that there's anything wrong with prancing around the room and hacking off limbs with a beam of light, but we feel that the Revolution has a bit more potential than merely indulging us in our geeky Star Wars fantasies (though admittedly, that's an important feature of any console). Luckily, some of the other responses raised some more interesting issues. "My big fear is that the Revolution is going to over-popularize shallow physical gaming such that everyone starts doing it and suddenly cooking simulators and orchestra-conducting games are going to be popping up on all formats," says Lionhead's impossibly named Tadhg Kelly. This is known as the Eyetoy phenomenon, where developers get stuck on gimmicky features and fail to take true advantage of the platform's capabilities. We have no doubt that several lazy developers will be satisfied with releasing shallow adventures in fishing, fly-swatting and carpentry--that's just the nature of this kind of technology. Fortunately, we won't be buying lame games like that. We'd rather go for intricate, first-person Harry Potter role-playing games."Imagine having to speak the spell you want to cast, and using different wand movements to create variations on the spell (maybe the closer you are to a 'correct' movement the more powerful it is, or maybe you can flick it in different directions to throw people about)." Ben Droste from Krome Studio sure makes a convincing pitch for the next Harry Potter film tie-in which, just like the previous entries, will be "the darkest one yet." Finally, the prize for most spot-on comment goes to Johnnemann Nordhagen, who works for SCEA of all companies. "Trying to shoehorn existing genres into the controller concept is not the exciting part of the new system, although I don't doubt we'll see some excellent interpretations of things like RTS games. To me, the promise of the new controller is that it allows new types of games." If the Revolution hosts nothing but old genres with new controller schemes, it wouldn't exactly be living up to its namesake. The whole point of reinventing the controller is to allow for gameplay that couldn't possibly work on traditional controllers. You know, like lightsaber duels.
Last minute holiday shopping?
There's always DVD's, CD's and videogames. So what might you pick up today that would look great on the screen of the HDTV owner in your life? I've got a few ideas.DVD's - The Island - I know I know, nobody went to see it at the theaters, let me tell you, I think they made a mistake. It was a great summer action flick and will make for a great winter action flick to watch inside while it snows. The sets and the special effects had me thinking this may be my first Blu-ray/HD-DVD purchase when I originally saw it in the theater, since neither of them made it this year I'll have to settle for regular DVD quality upconverted. Oh yeah, and Scarlett Johansen? Incredibly easy on the eyes.
