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Respawn: Titanfall's server stability is in Microsoft's azure hands
Titanfall will be propped up by dedicated servers. As much was made known last June, but what may not be so clear to players is that post-launch hiccups are primarily Microsoft's responsibility. Respawn engineer Jon Shiring recently explained to Engadget how Respawn used Microsoft's "Azure" cloud computing technology to handle elements of Titanfall like AI hosting and physics calculations. "One of the really nice things about it is that it isn't my problem, right?" Shiring said of potential server issues at the game's launch. "We just say [to Microsoft], here are our estimates, aim for more than that, plan for problems and make sure there are more than enough servers available -- they'll know the whole time that they need to bring more servers online." Shiring said that during the game's lengthy beta program, the game's European servers filled up, and players were quietly transitioned to East Coast US data centers, indicating the developer's contingency plans in the event its launch is wildly popular tomorrow. Titanfall, a multiplayer-only game, is so reliant on the Azure servers that Respawn opted to not launch the game in some regions, such as South Africa. Shiring also noted in late January that server-side updates for the game won't cause downtime for players. Our review of Titanfall will be supplemented with our first of many State of Service reviews, so expect to hear more about how the game's online play holds up after it launches. [Image: Electronic Arts]
Here's the hardware required to run Dark Souls 2 on PC
Yesterday, Bandai Namco revealed that the PC incarnation of Dark Souls 2 will arrive on April 25. Today, the publisher offers a rundown of just how powerful your gaming PC will need to be to properly render the morose action game. The bare minimum requirements for Dark Souls 2 include 2GB of RAM, 8GB of free hard drive space, an AMD Phenom II X2 555 dual-core processor at 3.2Ghz or Intel Pentium Core 2 Duo E8500 at 3.17Ghz and either an NVIDIA GeForce 9600GT graphics card or an ATI Radeon HD 5870. Dark Souls 2 supports a range of Windows operating systems dating back to Windows XP, and obviously, a functional Internet connection is required for online play. Any sort of sound card will do, as long as it supports DirectX 9.0c or a later version of the de rigueur API. Those hoping for the "recommended" Dark Souls 2 experience will need 4GB of RAM, 8GB of hard drive space and the same sound card technology mentioned above. For processors, Bandai Namco suggests either an Intel Core i3 2100 at 3.10GHz or an AMD A8 3870K at 3.0GHz. As always, players will benefit by using the most powerful graphics card they can afford, but the game's official specs recommends nothing less than an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 465 or ATI Radeon HD 6870. Full details on the PC incarnation of Dark Souls 2 can be found on Club Namco, along with information on pre-ordering the game and a handful of images depicting what the adventure should look like if your computer is up to snuff. [Image: Bandai Namco]
NASA taps Kerbal Space Program to replicate real space mission
The actual rocket scientists at NASA have joined forces with the virtual rocket scientists of the Kerbal Space Program to update the indie space simulation with legitimate technology and an actual, real-world, ongoing mission. Kerbal Space Program: Asteroid Redirect Mission shares its name with NASA's ongoing attempt to land astronauts on an asteroid orbiting beyond our moon. Details on how this crucial effort will translate to the video game are currently scant, but representatives from NASA and Kerbal Space Program developer Squad will be on hand at the upcoming SXSW culture festival to offer the first public look at the update. "Kerbal Space Program is about giving gamers the chance to dream big, even if they're not astrophysicists," wrote lead developer Felipe Falanghe. "This relationship with NASA, the very beacon of big dreams and imagination, is going to give players a real opportunity to learn about the universe we're living in." Full details on when and where SXSW attendees can witness the demonstration can be found at the festival's website. [Image: Squad]
Report: Xbox One adds Dolby Digital optical support in March update
The audio options on the Xbox One are about to grow a bit more diverse, according to a Polygon article. Despite the Dolby Digital audio codec being one of the world's most popular surround sound specifications, the Xbox One currently offers no Dolby Digital support when transmitting audio via optical cable. In November, Microsoft's director of product planning Albert Pennello apologized for this and promised that an update would add Dolby Digital support at some point in the future. While new functionality is a positive for everyone, the real winners here are Xbox One owners hoping to use headsets that rely on optical connections. This includes popular models from manufacturers like Tritton, Astro and Turtle Beach. There's no specific date attached to the release of this Xbox One update, but Polygon claims it should be available prior to the March 11 Xbox One debut of Titanfall. [Image: Astro]
Kentucky law could let kids swap foreign language classes for coding lessons
Concerned that not enough is being done to help kids with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) subjects? Kentucky's Senate has just passed a bill that would count computer-programming classes as foreign language credits. That way, if students wanted to learn to code in favor of, say, French or Spanish, they'd be able to count that study toward their high school graduation. Senate Bill 16 will now pass to the Kentucky State House, but it seems like the sort of sensible policy that we'd expect from the home of Bourbon.
Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition more definitive on PS4, says Digital Foundry
Now that Tomb Raider has made its way to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, the techie aesthetics experts at Digital Foundry have used their bag of tools to compare the graphics found in these new versions of the game. End result: The PlayStation 4 release pulls ahead ever so slightly. Though it's been known that the PlayStation 4's Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition can reach 60 frames per second (though not at all times) while the Xbox One game runs slower, Digital Foundry has also discovered that certain cutscenes in the Xbox One game are reduced to 900p resolution. Oddly, this resolution change only applies to those select vignettes, while the game itself maintains its high-definition 1080p visuals. Further, Digital Foundry finds certain graphical bells and whistles lacking in the Xbox One game, saying "alpha-based effects in certain areas give the appearance of rendering at half resolution - though other examples do look much cleaner. We also see a lower-quality depth of field in cut-scenes, and reduced levels of anisotropic filtering on artwork during gameplay. Curiously, there are also a few lower-resolution textures in places on Xbox One, but this seems to be down to a bug (perhaps on level of detail transitions) as opposed to a conscious downgrade." While Digital Foundry ranks the PlayStation 4 game above the Xbox One version for pure graphical splendor, the comparison also notes that neither of the next-generation games runs as well as the original, 2013 release of Tomb Raider on a modern gaming PC. Both of the console games, however, feature more built-in content and an improved 3D model for Lara Croft.
Immersion prototype headset tracks gamer rage, ramps up difficulty
Seattle-based designer Sam Matson developed a headset that tracks "gamer rage" and adjusts a custom game's difficulty to compensate for it. Dubbed "Immersion," Matson's headset uses an optical sensor that reads "minute color changes in the user's ear tissue to approximate a pulse." Matson's prototype headset includes both audio input and output channels in addition to the heart rate monitor, relaying information via bluetooth to a hacked Xbox 360 controller. He developed a custom shooter game using Unity that ramps up the difficulty as the player's heart race increases, encouraging the player to stay cool and collected. The Immersion headset isn't a commercially available product, and it's uncertain if it ever will be, but Matson does offer a few glances at the prototype model on his website.
Douglas Adams' last post on his online forum was about excitement over Mac OS X
Douglas Adams, author of the The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, was famous for his love of technology. In his personal life and works alike ran a deep appreciation for science and its effect on society. In the posthumous collection The Salmon of Doubt, Adams famously summed up his view of how humankind deals with the introduction of new tech: "I've come up with a set of rules that describe our reactions to technologies: 1. Anything that is in the world when you're born is normal and ordinary and is just a natural part of the way the world works. 2. Anything that's invented between when you're fifteen and thirty-five is new and exciting and revolutionary and you can probably get a career in it. 3. Anything invented after you're thirty-five is against the natural order of things." Adams' interest in technology lasted beyond the age of 35, until his death in 2001 of a heart attack at the age of 49. Given his love of technology, it's fitting that Adams' last post on his message board revolved around his excitement over installing a groundbreaking piece of software: Mac OS X. On April 25, 2001, a formerly Mac-hating user asked Adams about his thoughts on the newly released operating system. The user had seen a demo that inspired him to buy his first Mac, but wanted the opinion of a long-time Mac fan like Adams. In keeping his enthusiasm for technology, Adams provided a giddy response: I was going to wait till the summer to install it, but I succumbed and installed it last week. It takes a little getting used to, old habits are hard to reform, and it's not quite finished (what software ever is), and much of the software that's out to run on it is Beta. But... I think it's brilliant. I've fallen completely in love with it. And the promise of what's to come once people start developing in Cocoa is awesome... What strikes me most about his response is that even while installing a software that was, by his own admission, still a long way from being finished, Adams could only think about the future. He didn't talk about the bugs or problems, all he saw was the promise of what was to come. Even when chatting with fans on his message board, Adams promoted the same love of technology and thirst for the future that drove so many of his books. It's fitting that his final word to fans was a positive view of a still-developing technology. Thanks to Reddit user danwin for finding this post and posting about it on the Apple Reddit forum.
Survey shows American household adoption rates for technology
Recent stories about virtual reality headsets, gaming PCs for living rooms and pizza-ordering apps that minimize human interaction all share an origin: CES 2014, a convention dedicated to showcasing advancements in technology that might become as commonplace as smartphones, or as muted in success as the Betamax. It's fun to try and predict future trends, but Gallup's recent poll of Americans concerning their household tech might help to keep our expectations grounded. Yeah, the perfect-for-Blu-ray 4K TVs are closing in on feasible price points. That's potentially attractive to the 80 percent of respondents with DVD or Blu-Ray players, but how quickly will the 58 percent of households that still own VCRs upgrade? Millions of Xbox One and PlayStation 4 consoles have found new homes across the globe, but only 41 percent of respondents have any form of gaming console underneath their TVs. Valve and its business partners hope to find a market for Steam Machines, but just 57 percent of respondents reported desktop computers in their homes. With 38 percent noting ownership of tablets and the increased presence of laptops from 30 percent in 2005 to 64 percent in 2013, finding consumers willing to buy a gaming-oriented PC for their living rooms might be tough. We're hoping Gallup conducts another poll in 2015, in which 100 percent of responders will confirm the presence of hover boards and flying cars in their selection of vehicles. (Image: Sergiy Kuzmin)
New Vita ditches proprietary charging cables for micro USB
The next model of the Vita handheld (officially dubbed model 2000), will not be tethered to Sony's own power cords. Instead, the handheld gaming machine will be able to pull down both power and data through the same micro USB cables currently in use by many portable devices. "You'll be happy to know PS Vita 2000 can charge with a smartphone charger with micro USB," wrote Shuhei Yoshida, president of Sony Worldwide Studios in a tweet translated by CVG. Alongside the message Yoshida posted the above image which clearly shows the handhelds' micro USB port. This new version of the Vita was initially announced at this year's Tokyo Game Show. As we reported at that time, the 2000 model Vita is both lighter and slimmer than the models currently found on retail shelves. The next Vita is currently slated to hit Japan on October 10. As of now there is no word on when it might find its way to the West.
Valve unveils prototype Steam Box specs
Valve Software has plans to ship 300 prototype Steam Box machines to eager testers by the end of 2013. This morning the company revealed the hardware to be included within these computers: The 300 prototype units will ship with the following components: GPU: some units with NVidia Titan, some GTX780, some GTX760, and some GTX660 CPU: some boxes with Intel : i7-4770, some i5-4570, and some i3 RAM: 16GB DDR3-1600 (CPU), 3GB DDR5 (GPU) Storage: 1TB/8GB Hybrid SSHD Power Supply: Internal 450w 80Plus Gold Dimensions: approx. 12 x 12.4 x 2.9 in high Instead of shipping top-of-the-line technology to each tester, Valve has opted to ship a variety of configurations. This allows the company a more accurate view of how Steam Box will perform in the hands of the public, as not every player will have access to the latest, greatest hardware. However, if you grow tired of how your Steam Box performs, Valve claims that each of these prototypes is fully upgradeable using relatively common components.
Sixense STEM System hits Kickstarter, funded almost immediately
Sixense, the motion control technology company whose scientific know-how powers the Razer Hydra, launched a Kickstarter earlier today to fund the final development stages of its STEM System – a modular motion-tracking solution for VR and other gaming applications. The fundraising campaign's goal of $250,000 has already been surpassed. Consisting of up to five wireless tracking modules ("STEMs") and a base station for charging and orientation tracking, the STEM System is designed so that STEMs can either be inserted into peripherals, or slapped into "STEM Packs," which are then strapped to whatever part of your body the game is interested in tracking. The STEM System is also backwards compatible with all games that currently support the Razer Hydra. The technology is apparently immune to "drift," as it "does not rely on inertial sensors (gyroscopes and accelerometers) for position tracking," according to the Kickstarter. Additionally, there's no line-of-sight requirement between the STEMs and their base unit. Backers that pledge at a high-enough level ($199 and up, depending on how many STEMs you want) should expect to receive their own STEM System in July of 2014, though there's no indication that this is when retail units will hit shelves. In fact, Kickstarter proceeds are only being used to finish development and produce enough units for backers – retail models will enter mass production "later." Our friends over at Engadget have already had a go with a STEM System prototype, so be sure and check out their video of the experience for an in-depth look at what the dealio, yo.
Ubi software turns projections into touchscreens with Kinect for Windows
Ubi Interactive, not to be confused with gaming publisher and developer Ubisoft, has released software called Ubi that's capable of turning any projected surface into a touchscreen with help from Microsoft's Kinect for Windows, CNET reported last week. Ubi works with the Windows 8 operating system to evolve projected displays into interactive touchscreens by incorporating Kinect for Windows. Walls, desks, tables -- any portion of a room can be translated into an Angry Birds battlefield so long as it's "visible to the depth sensor camera in the Kinect," Ubi's FAQ states. The basic, single-touch compatible Ubi software for a 45" display costs $150. Those gunning for a 100" display can pay $380 for a single-touch compatible professional license, while a business license supports two touch-point displays for $800. If you're not fooling around, the enterprise license supports a 100" display and 20 touch points for $1500. Every version of Ubi includes a year of free updates. Ubi only supports the Windows 8 operating system and is currently not compatible with Kinect for Xbox. Still, we can't help but daydream about incorporating Ubi into Microsoft's IllumiRoom technology so we can attach a more literal meaning to the phrase "game room." If your interest is sparked by the possibilities, you can order Ubi here.
Age of Conan's May Director's Letter details new content and tech
Crush enemies, see them driven before you, lamentations of their women, yadda yadda. You know the drill. The Age of Conan Game Director's Letter for this month has hit the interwebs, and the topics of discussion are the recent 5th Anniversary event (and the new event system that it utilized), the impending transition to single-server technology, and a number of updates heading to the game soon. The first phase of Age of Conan's switch to single-server tech (which involved moving all of the servers to the same physical location) has been completed, and the AoC team is now "preparing to move towards the new phase," which means merging all same-ruleset servers. Meanwhile, in Hyboria proper, Age of Conan recently held an in-game event to celebrate its fifth anniversary, and this included the introduction of some snazzy new event tech. In a nutshell, the previous system required that the game be patched in order to both begin and end an event, but with the new system, the devs can run and adjust events on the fly. On top of that, AoC players can expect a smattering of new content over the summer, beginning with the new Coils of Ubah Khan dungeon. Later additions will include new Unchained Dungeons, the Palace of Cetriss, and a shiny new tradeskill system. To get all the delicious information straight from the barbarian's mouth (ew), just click on through the link below.
Box acquires Folders, in what sounds like the least exciting acquisition deal ever
File-sharing service Box has acquired the technology behind a French app called Folders, which was never released, but is also centered on browsing and sharing files on the iPhone. Terms of the acquisition weren't revealed, but Box said that Folders would be a big influence on the next few iterations of the file-sharing software. The company also noted that its iPhone and iPad apps will be "cleaner, faster and more beautiful throughout 2013." Folders was originally designed as a viewer for Box with an impressive user interface and file-viewing features, but now will be "folded" into future versions of the app itself. Box boasts more than 15 million users at 150,000 businesses, and those numbers are growing all the time. If the folks at Box can find a way to team up with Staples and the Paper app, they could have a whole office!
CryEngine 3 already runs on Xbox One
Crysis has thrown its card into the hat of today's Xbox One announcements, to say that CryEngine 3 does indeed run on Microsoft's new console. The company is already licensed to provide middleware and tools for Xbox One, which means that any developers looking to use CryEngine 3 to make their games will have no problem running the code on the new box. There are a number of titles already announced for the Xbox One, but nothing using CryEngine 3 just yet. Don't weep, though; We're sure to hear about something soon.
Teacher's iPhone app scores tests, shares data quickly
Our colleagues at TechCrunch have an interesting story about Quick Key, an iPhone app that could be extremely helpful for teachers everywhere. Walter O. Duncan IV is a veteran teacher and the mind behind Quick Key, which is designed to score simple scantron tests (the old tests you complete by filling in circles with a pencil) with the iPhone's camera and a QR code. The video promoting the app is pretty slick, though those scantron sheets look way different than the tests I remember (with the tiny bubbles, about 300 or so to a page). The app is currently in beta as Duncan collects feedback from teachers who are testing it out. Duncan has raised almost US$100,000 for future development, and hopes that his company, Design by Educators, will deliver Quick Key to teachers all over the world. It's inspiring to see the iPhone improve upon older technology in such a significant way. These are powerful computers we're carrying around in our pockets, and it's always cool to see them put to important use.
The Daily Grind: Do you like the idea of browser-based MMOs?
City of Steam has struck me as a darn good game each time I've played it, but it gets an extra layer of surprise added on by the fact that it's entirely played in my browser. It would be good even if I had to download and install a client, but the browser-based nature of it means that it's lightweight enough for weaker computers such as my laptop; Anywhere I can get a connection, I can play the game. Of course, the browser client also lacks certain frills, and there's a certain innate strangeness to having a game as part of the browser when we've grown accustomed to games as separate things. But it's not the only game to exist solely in a browser, and other games (such as Runes of Magic and Second Life) have experimented with browser-based clients in the past. So do you like the idea of browser-based games? Or is it just a vaguely interesting novelty as far as you're concerned? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
EU backs consortium in billion-euro program to hasten graphene development
If you're anxious for all this talk about graphene to materialize into products that can be tucked away in your shoulder bag, you're certainly not alone. A consortium dubbed the Graphene Flagship, which includes heavyweights such as Nokia and the University of Cambridge, has been selected by the European Union to participate in a program that'll endow it with 1 billion euros over 10 years to make that happen. The hope is that pairing up researchers and businesses will hasten the development of material and component manufacturing processes for the carbon-based substance, and make it possible for graphene to find its way into products such as flexible electronics, batteries and faster processors. During the first 30 months of the program, 126 academic and industrial research groups spread throughout 17 European countries will be coordinated by Chalmers University of Technology and have their collective pockets filled with an initial 54 million euro budget to kick things off. It's a long haul, but here's hoping Espoo's Morph concept inches a little closer to reality. [Image credit: Nokia]
A glut of Wii U guts and specs revealed
Anand Lal Shimpi is a much braver person than we could ever hope to be, tearing open Nintendo's new Wii U console for a detailed look at its innards. The tear down reveals the Wii U is powered by a multi-chip module – a PowerPC-based CPU – built using IBM's 45-nanometer manufacturing method; the GPU is comparable to AMD's RV7xx series of cards and shares 2GB of DDR3 RAM with the CPU.As for power consumption, the Wii U doesn't take much, drawing 32.8 watts of power when booting up the console's dashboard. In testing New Super Mario Bros. U, Shimpi discovered the console draws only 33 watts of power during gameplay; less required energy than any other home video game console on the market right now. Now maybe Green Peace will ease up a little on Mario's masters?
