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Robot fish get upgraded, keep schooling real-life counterparts
Okay, so they still look like Depression-era bath toys, but Maurizio Porfiri's robot fish have come a long way from the coconut-and-tin-foil look they were sporting last summer. In an attempt to further "close the loop" between robotics and nature, Porfiri has continued to tinker with the little leaders by incorporating diving and surfacing into their aquatic repertoire, and it seems to be working: real fish have shown interaction patterns including tracking, gathering, and following in the presence of the pesci-bots. Now if they could just do the same with the the feral ferret living in our bedroom walls...
Has Pleo-maker Ugobe folded?
We don't have any official word on this as of yet, but as our main man Ryan Block noted in a tweet earlier (and Wired speculated on back in February), it looks like Pleo-maker Ugobe may -- in fact -- be extinct. As of this writing, the company's site was offline, and calls to the dino-bot factory have gone unanswered (though their voicemail system seems to be humming along just fine). While we haven't heard a peep one way or another from the folks in charge, Wired reported in its article that the company was struggling months ago to stay afloat in our sinking economy. Could it be that people just don't have a spare $350 to drop on a robotic toys these days? Say it ain't so. Whatever the case, you can be sure that just like actual dinosaurs, the legacy Pleo will leave behind is rich, storied, and often violent. How about you there in / on the Interverse... heard any news about Ugobe lately?Update: A few of you wrote in to let us know that the Ugobe site is back up. Maybe Pleo ain't extinct yet?
Trauma Center interview
Tomm Hulett of Atlus USA recently sat down with IGN to discuss his project Trauma Center: Second Opinion on the Wii. During the interview, Tomm discusses such things as how the name of the game was decided, the difference between remakes and ports, and how the new doctor's "Healing Touch" is unique. Nothing much was said in regards to improvements or new features in the game, however Tomm did at least reveal one new tool:"I think the coolest new tool is the Defibrillator. It just seemed like a natural fit for the Wii, so we really argued for its inclusion. You move your controllers forward to place the paddles on the patient, then you see a voltage meter. You have to press the Z Button and B Button at the same time when the voltage is at the right level."Turns out Progressive Scan support is still up in the air and 16:9 is a no-go for the game. On top of that, Tomm sees the rumble-enhanced control scheme of the nunchuk-Wiimote combo superior to the already-amazing controls of Trauma Center: Under the Knife on the DS.
Trauma Center available again
Faithful reader (and flying metal machine pilot) Clarence, recently wrote us to tell of the popular title Trauma Center: Under the Knife, which is one of our most treasured games, is available for purchase again for the sum of $27.95 US at web site overstock.com. The listing currently reads "in stock if you order today: this product ships within 1-4 business days." So, if you missed out on one of the DS' best titles yet, get on over and whip out that plastic. There are lives at stake here![Thanks Clarence! What's our clearance?]
Getting Up Revolution bound
Over at Gamedaily BIZ, an interview with Marc Ecko discusses reviewers tearing apart his garbage game and the possibility of Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure hitting the Revolution. When asked about bringing the game to the Revolution, utilzing the remote as if it were a spay paint can, Ecko stated "We're all over it. We are doing our due diligence now. I think community is ultimately what the brand experience needs to be about, and I think that's what's going to drive our decisions largely and the ability to customize the art." I can't be the only person that doesn't want this to release on the Revolution, can I?
