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Robot waiters serve food and dance moves in Thailand, secretly plotting humiliation revenge
The Far East just gets more surreal each day. For instance, how about a Japanese restaurant in Thailand served by robots? You can thank Lapassarad Thanaphant for her 30 million baht ($927,600) investment in the Bangkok-based Hajime restaurant and its four motorised servants from Japan. The brave souls who dare to enter can place orders on touchscreens, and in return watch a lanky humanoid deliver the dishes, followed by some slick dance moves if its not too busy serving others. Oh, don't worry, these samurais are tied to a track so they can barely reach you, plus you get to cook your own food in the style of Shabu-Shabu (Japanese hot pot) or BBQ, so enjoy your freedom before they take over your cooking as well. Videos after the break.
Thailand considering tighter cybercafe curfews to curb game 'addiction'
The Culture Ministry of Thailand is looking to revise curfew times for children in cybercafes. The Bangkok Post reports the new rules would require children under 15 to leave by 8PM and those under 18 to leave by 10PM. The new rules are meant to help curb video game addiction -- and send children into the safety of the streets, where we know nothing bad ever happens. Officials will consider the new curfews next week.Thailand's relationship with video games and "addiction" has been quite the roller coaster over the last couple years. There was the suicide (and fallout) after a 12-year-old committed suicide, the tragic murder of a cab driver blamed on GTA and the laughable list of games the Ministry of Health warned parents to avoid.[Via GamePolitics]
Norhtec's $199 Gecko EduBook, and its AA batteries, now available
You thought it wouldn't happen; you thought it couldn't be true. A $199 netbook that runs on the same batteries your fully-motorized LEGO AT-AT eats for breakfast? That's right, the updated Gecko EduBook we showed you last month is now available for purchase -- on two conditions. First: that you don't mind giving your credit card number to someone in Thailand. Second: that you don't do a spit-take when you're quoted a shipping fee. The laptop is indeed selling to individuals for a nickle less than $200, but if you're looking to outfit the entire class of 2017 with a fleet of these you can get that price way down to $160. A bargain, for sure, but just how well is that Xcore86 system on a chip going to cope with Windows XP, and who's the brave soul willing to risk a couple Benjamins (plus s&h) to find out?[Via Digital Home Thoughts]
Thai gov't shuttering gaming sites over boy's suicide
Citing "the encouragement of addictive gaming," the government of Thailand recently shut down approximately 72 websites "offering access to online gambling and games." The decision was made shortly after the tragic suicide of 12-year-old Pongsathorn Wattanabenjasopha, allegedly caused by his father banning him from playing PC games. While a variety of studies have simultaneously "proven" and "disproven" the addictive properties of video games, Bundit Sornpaisarn, director of the Rajanagarindra Child and Adolescent Mental Health Institute, told the Bangkok Post, "The boy's suicide reflected that children who were addicted to games and had an aggressive mentality were more likely to commit suicide than others." While we're not sure of the correlation with video games in Mr. Sornpaisarn's statement or why shutting down gaming/gambling websites in Thailand is the response to a child's suicide, we extend our condolences to everyone affected by the events.[Via GamePolitics]
Detroit prosecutor updates (makes relevant) violent games list
Detroit prosecutor Kym Worthy has updated her list (thanks to the National Institute on Media and the Family) of the top ten most violent video games. Worthy's new list (found after the break) features many of this season's major titles. Unlike the old list, which had several games that were practically ancient.As GamePolitcs points out, Worthy updating her list is a little bit more than local news, since it was used by the Thai government to eventually ban several old games in the wake of a cab driver's murder just a few months ago. [Via GamePolitics]
Thailand bans some games in wake of cabbie murder
The Thai government continues its campaign against violent games in the wake of a cabbie's murder, allegedly inspired by Grand Theft Auto. CNet's Thai blog reports that five games have been banned in the country (GTA IV was already pulled by the distributor): Hitman 300 Killer Seven Hitman: Blood Money 50 Cent: Bulletproof The five games are, as Game Politics pointed out early last month, taken directly from an outdated list by Detroit prosecutor Kym Worthy. CNet reports that a conference consisting of government and police officials was recently held to deal with the problem of "dangerous games." Making fun of Thailand's overreaction to the situation would be so much simpler if "Hot Coffee" wasn't still so fresh in our minds.[Via GamePolitics]
New Tomb Raider: Underworld footage is Thai-tastic
We're so jealous of Lara Croft. Not for her frequent adventures, or her physical fitness, or her swanky pad, or even her loyal manservant -- with the lifestyle and wages of a professional video game blogger, all of those things become readily available. There's one aspect of her life we still manage to covet, however -- her international travels. Sure, we occasionally get to head to the west coast, or Germany, but in her latest title, Tomb Raider: Underworld, Ms. Croft manages to hit up Mexico, the Arctic Sea, and in the above video, the lush jungles of Thailand.The sneak preview features some excellent shots of the second level of Underworld, not to mention a fantastic look at Lara's beautiful ... platforming animation. Considering the unlikelihood of the Thailand Video Game Expo ever existing, we regret to admit that it's probably the closest we'll ever come to The Land of Smiles.
Law of the Game on Joystiq: Let the punishment fit the crime
Each week Mark Methenitis contributes Law of the Game on Joystiq, a column on legal issues as they relate to video games: We've be hearing a lot about the Thai cabbie killing lately and how it was (or wasn't) caused by Grand Theft Auto. In the wake of that tragic murder, there have been two major groups of outcries. The first has been the call to regulate games; one we have heard all too often. The other has been a call to revise criminal penalties; one which is not only new, but speaks to the core theory behind criminal law: the theory of punishment. Criminal law theory is something that is universal in all of our criminal codes, but isn't often discussed. It's this "theoretical" approach that we'll look at today. You may agree or disagree with my particular thoughts on the theory of criminal law, but it's more important for everyone to understand a theoretical approach to criminal law so that we can come to our own conclusions about true "justice."The concept of criminal law starts with some basic political philosophy. In order to have a society, there has to be a set of rules by which that society operates. Whether you want to view this as the social contract in a Locke/Hobbes/Rousseau manner or through some other philosophical lens, the basic need for rules and order in a society is more or less the same. This need for rules gives rise to the concept of the law, and one of those concepts is the boundaries of behavior that stray into what we, as a society, feel need to be punished. This is the basis for all criminal law, be it a crime against a person or a crime against property.
Thai government takes strange cues from Detroit
The murder of a cab driver in Thailand, in which the killer said his inspiration was Grand Theft Auto, was a tragedy. The Thai government's handling of the situation ... well, that's starting to turn into a dark comedy. GamePolitics reports the Thai Ministry of Health has created a list of 10 violent games to avoid. Coincidentally, it's the same outdated list that Detroit prosecutor Kym Worthy created and released last year.Thankfully the internet isn't that old, otherwise who knows what era the Thai government might have created taken its list of dangerous games from? Find both the Thai government and Detroit lists after the break.
Thailand's GTA IV distributor pulls game following murder
Grand Theft Auto IV's Thailand distributor, New Era Interactive Media, is asking retailers to pull the title after an 18-year-old said he was inspired by the game to rob and murder a 54-year-old cab driver. According to police investigator Veeravit Pipattanasak (via Reuters), the young man wanted to find out if it was as easy to rob a taxi in real life as it was in the game. After the cab driver fought back, the young man stabbed him to death. Thailand's Culture Ministry plans to use the incident as an opportunity to try and regulate violent video games. As for the 18-year-old, if found guilty, he faces the possibility of lethal injection as punishment for the murder.[Via GI.biz]
Perfect World continues Southeast Asia business expansion
When "online gaming" and "Asia" are mentioned in the same sentence, it's a safe bet that either Korea or China are going to be mentioned. But the countries of Southeast Asia are also hotbeds of MMORPG fandom, a fact that's not lost on game companies operating elsewhere in the continent. Chinese game publisher Perfect World has struck a deal that will allow for greater expansion into Southeast Asia. The licensing agreement has been made with Malaysian online game operator Cubinet, which will bring Perfect World's title Chi Bi to Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore. Cubinet will handle the localization of Chi Bi for the various Southeast Asian gaming markets, offering the game in Chinese, English, Vietnamese, and Thai. Chi Bi is a fantasy MMORPG based on the Three Kingdoms period in Chinese history. The title's introduction to the SE Asian markets follows Perfect World II, Legend of Martial Arts, and Zhu Xian, and marks another potentially lucrative pairing between Perfect World and Cubinet.
'Life, liberty, and the pursuit of a perfect tea ceremony'
Bangkok-based Studio Nocturne has kept busy cultivating its games and shopping them around for interested publishers, so it's understandable that we haven't heard much about Housewife Superstar or Makeup Diva since last year's Game Developers Convention.As chauvinistic as Housewife Superstar's title sounds, it's a tongue-in-cheek production in which players master a collection of minigames in their quest to become the perfect stereotypical Japanese housewife. Those minigame activities include mochi making, flower arranging, traditional fan dancing, and, of course, hosting a tea ceremony. Sounds like a bizarre scenario, right? Well, that's what people thought about Cooking Mama, and look at how that turned out!Studio Nocturne has brought in Insert Credit's Brandon Sheffield to handle the game's story, a name some of you might remember from his wonderful work on Barnyard Blast's script with Sanuk Software, another Thai developer.Let's go through these details one more time: offbeat title from a little-known, DS/Wii-exclusive developer strong, colorful art direction peculiar premise for strange minigames promises of a humor-filled script Color us excited! Color us badd, too, because we want to sex this game up. Hit the gallery below for screenshots and artwork from Housewife Superstar.%Gallery-17666%
Barnyard Blunder
Before we huff, puff, and blow our Barnyard Blast: Swine of the Night review down, let's have a quick look at the Castlevania parody's cover design. Notice anything wonky? Look directly underneath the game logo and awesome subtitle!
Bring home the bacon this Friday
We were quite proud of ourselves for contributing the subtitle to Barnyard Blast: Swine of the Night, but Insert Credit's Brandon Sheffield was actually brought in to help rewrite the script! Why don't developers ever hire us to help plot out their projects? We have this wonderful idea for a game in which you play a cat who has to wake people up from their nightmares. Though Brandon doesn't exactly give the Castlevania parody his vote of confidence, citing its linearity and difficulty as rough points, he does promise a plethora of "retro game meme" references.Robert: Julia, I alone can save our son!Julia: Robert, my love! I just want to tell you ...Robert: No, no, don't try to stop me, Julia!Julia: Get some bread while you're out, okay?Robert: ...Robert: The time for bread has passed ... perhaps forever. I'm off!Julia: It's dangerous to go alone! Take this.Menu: Get equipped with: Slayer WhipJeuxvideo already has an unflattering review posted with new screenshots (viewable in the gallery below) and video from the first eleven-and-a-half minutes of the game's French release. Koji Igarashi apparently tried out the game and gave Brandon advice on possible improvements, so if enough copies sell, maybe we'll see a much-more-polished sequel? Barnyard Blast will be available for public purchase this Friday, but you likely won't find it anywhere outside of Amazon, where it's listed for a bargain $19.99. %Gallery-5241%See also: DS Fanboy interviews Barnyard Blast's Yan MarchalRead - Barnyard Blast out FridayRead - Jeuxvideo review
iPhone on its way to Thailand?
Are there any countries where we haven't heard iPhone launch rumors at this point? Yes, yes there are, but the list is getting shorter by the minute. The latest to get scratched off the iPhone rumor-free sheet is Thailand, where number one carrier AIS says that negotiations are well underway with revenue sharing details being a large part of the discussion (surprise, surprise). AIS holds a commanding 50 percent of the Thai market, so if Apple were to launch there, that particular carrier certainly seems like the right one to go after; a carrier spokesman gave no indication as to when it might wrap up talks, though, so it's far from a done deal. We assume they've done more than pay a single visit to Cupertino here?
Square Enix brings lifestyle titles to DS
Continuing its praiseworthy support for the Nintendo DS, Square Enix has announced DS Style, a new line of software for the casual gaming audience. According to the latest issue of Famitsu, the company is venturing away from its RPG franchises for a moment, focusing instead on leisure activities like yoga, classical music, and gardening. It might not sound as exciting as SRPG battles or Chocobo mini-games, but different strokes for different folks.Square Enix will also be releasing DS travel guides based on the popular World Walking tour book series in Japan. These guides will provide maps and other useful information for sightseers visiting countries like France or Thailand. Check past the post break for the full list of destination guides and verbose titles from Square Enix's DS Style lineup. [Via NeoGAF]
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Nintendo responds to Game Boy accident that killed UK boy
Nintendo of Europe has offered its condolences to the family of Connor O'Keefe, the seven-year-old UK boy who was electrocuted and tragically killed last Saturday when unplugging his Game Boy power supply. Connor was vacationing with his family in Thailand when the fatal accident occurred. The UK (230V/50Hz) and Thailand (220V/50Hz) use similar voltage standards.Nintendo did not issue any further comments, claiming that details of the incident were still unclear. Police have declared the tragedy an accident. "No blame has been attached," said Lt. Colonel Sopol Borirok.
Child of 7 passes away from electrocution by Game Boy charger
A young boy of only 7 years old passed away recently during a family vacation in Phuket, Thailand. The cause of death for Connor O'Keefe is electrocution as the boy was unplugging his Game Boy charger after a recent swim in the hotel pool. Still wet, the charger ended up electrocuting the child, leaving him to be discovered by his mother. Of course, as with any tragic news involving video games in any shape or form, the gaming system is going to be looked at as a scapegoat in this whole ordeal. Now, we do not wish to be cold or heartless, but the child was wet when touching an electrical socket, something everyone knows is not a good idea, so hopefully this will all blow over and public outcry for the boycott and destruction of all things Game Boy will not come to pass.Our sympathies go out to his mother and family.Update: Looks like Nintendo has officially responded to the news of Connor's death here. Nintendo says the "details involving Connor's accident are unclear" and prevent them from commenting any further at this time.
Keepin' it real fake, part XXXVIII: If it looks like an iPod, sounds like an iPod, and is named iPod...
If there's one thing that never gets old around here, it's fly-by-night tech companies trying to pass themselves off as some of our old favorites. Usually you can spot faux iPods a mile away, but this one takes fakery to a new level, right down to the plastic case that it comes in and the "Designed by Apple in California" on the back. Harry, a reader of the French Mac site MacBidouille, apparently found this psuedo-iPod nano in Thailand -- we're sure that Cupertino's cease-and-desist letters have already been drafted and are on their way across the Pacific as we speak.
Quanta builds the first ten XO-1 prototypes
Just as we'd previously heard, Quanta has indeed built the OLPC's first ten prototype machines (now called the XO-1), according to a report on DesktopLinux. These first machines were hand-assembled in order to make sure that the next round of 900 is up to snuff. We're not sure if 50 of those 900 will be the first order of test machines that have been slated to head to Brazil, nor if Thailand is getting any as an enticement to lure it back into the fold. In related matters, OLPC News has estimated the true five-year cost of a single laptop, including training, maintenance and Internet access to be in the neighborhood of $1,000 -- which, if correct, means that mythical $100-ish per laptop target price makes these green lappies a bit more unattractive to their prospective buyers. [Via Slashdot]Read - DesktopLinuxRead - OLPC News
