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Blizzard's cancelled 'StarCraft: Ghost' leaks in playable form
Blizzard's cancelled StarCraft: Ghost has been the stuff of gaming legend. It was supposed to mark Blizzard's big leap into 3D action games, but it never came to pass -- delays, changing developers and evolving game platforms led the studio to put the game on "indefinite hold." Now, however, gamers appear to be getting a first-hand look at what they've missed. YouTube users Leers Meneses, Delso Bezerra and others say they've obtained a playable build of Ghost for the original Xbox through a leaked developer kit. It's unsurprisingly broken (the first two missions don't work properly, Meneses said), but appears to have been well into development -- you can fend off Zerg and engage in Metal Gear Solid-style chats.
Turing's newest phone is even more ridiculous than its last
Turing may have gone bankrupt without shipping a single unit of its much-hyped smartphone, but that isn't stopping it from promising another handset. The company has unveiled the HubblePhone (yes, named after the space telescope), and it's even more outlandish than the first. The design would include dual display "decks," one of which would swivel out to help with video recording and similar tasks -- a good thing, too, since it would revolve around a 60-megapixel main camera tucked into a cylindrical section. There would even be notches on the displays with more cameras, including dual variable-aperture 12MP sensors and a depth camera on the main deck as well as a 12MP sensor on the upper deck. And that's just the start of the ambitious claims.
Pre-order this vaporware hoverboard now for only $19,900
We don't like that those small, self-balancing and oft-exploding scooter things have come to be called "hoverboards" any more than you do. After all, they don't even hover. Today, though, ARCA Space Corporation claims to be the latest company to have developed something worthy of the name, though it's not what Back to the Future promised us exactly. If Lexus' version of the hoverboard was an exercise in physics (using quantum levitation on grand scale), then ARCA's is an exercise in engineering, and elegant it is not. The ArcaBoard uses good, old-fashioned upthrust to float in mid-air, with 36 electic fans kicking out 272 horsepower. And one can (almost certainly not) be yours for the meagre pre-order price of $19,900.
Junk technology: Why your penis pedometer is DOA
If all you want for Christmas is a penis pedometer, get ready to be disappointed. NSFW Warning: This story may contain links to and descriptions or images of explicit sexual acts.
Hyetis promises smartwatch with 41-megapixel camera for $1,200
While we'd love to see Hyetis newest smartwatch in the real world, we're not entirely sure it's not just the product of an engineer's fevered dreams. Aimed squarely at tech-savvy one-percenters, the Hyetis Crossbow claims to pack a 41-megapixel camera that you can carry around at the end of your arm. The sketchy renders and details available promise that the zoom lens will be surrounded by a ring flash and noise-canceling microphone for video. Other features include, WiFi, NFC and Bluetooth, the ability to interact with iOS, Android and Windows Phone 8 devices, GPS and wait for it, Biometric sensors. While it may sound too good to be true, or, you know, real, Hyetis is hoping to charge customers $1,200 -- even though you could just strap a 1020 to your wrist for half that price.
Blizzard's Titan 'unlikely to be a subscription-based MMORPG'
What's going on with Titan? Only Blizzard knows for sure, and today the gaming giant offered a quick blurb regarding its long-rumored MMORPG during an investor call. "We're in the process of selecting a new direction for the project and re-envisioning what we want the game to be," said Blizz CEO Mike Morhaime. "While we can't talk about the details yet, it is unlikely to be a subscription-based MMORPG."
CES 2013: iMusic BodyRhythm wants to pummel your shoulders via touch input
There's always a few wacky things here at CES, and at Pepcom's annual CES sideshow I stumbled upon the iMusic BodyRhythm. It looks a bit like a life jacket, but can be controlled by your iOS device via a special app. What does it do? It "massages" your shoulders via a series of tiny taps. Frankly, it wasn't the most relaxing massage I've had, as it felt more like Smurf paratroopers landing on my shoulders at strategic points, and then jumping around with clogs on. Still, the high-end leather and novelty of the product will mean the company intends to sell more to high-end customers in Asia than your average Apple Store customer in the Mall of America. The app had some pre-programmed massage sequences, but also added "games" like a drum tapping game and the ability to shake the device and get poked somewhat randomly. These were neat, but not what I'd call a comfortable massage. And the kicker to all this: This is a Kickstarter project with under US$1,000 pledged so far. It's a little hard to tell from the project page, but it looks like you can pre-order the vaporous product for the low price of $149. It's odd to see someone spending the money to attend both Pepcom and CES whilst also pitching a Kickstarter project. I would have thought that money could have been put toward making a shipping product, but welcome to the new age of wacky iOS accessories fueled by fever dreams of Kickstarter funding. Here's their pitch video:
The Daily Grind: What MMO will never see the light of day?
MMO veterans probably remember DAWN, an "MMO" planned by Glitchless, which famously spawned the a company is at steak! meme before anyone called them memes. DAWN promised more features than any MMO had ever seen: permadeath, reproduction, player police and prisons, home construction, enforced roleplaying. You name it, Glitchless claimed it'd be in the game. And it would have likely been an amazing sandbox... if it hadn't been a scam meant to fool the gullible. We've all come across games that scream vaporware, even if the developers aren't exactly in on the joke. Today, we want to know what MMO out there has you convinced it'll never actually launch, and why. Is it because of dodgy developers biting off more than they can chew? A skittish publisher with a track record for early cancellations? A naive or dated pricing scheme, graphics set, or understanding of the competition? Whatever the reason, tell us: What upcoming MMO will never see the light of day? 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!
India's $35 tablet said to ship in October, do dreams really come true?
This mysterious $35 tablet has broken our hearts, crushed our fantasies and even made unicorns cry with delay after delay. Today, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal assured us that the much anticipated slate will be released on October 5th -- promising that this time, "[It's] not just a dream." Evidently, the tablet has overcome the manufacturing problems that plagued the project previously and now production is proceeding according to a new plan. That means that five, seven and nine inch slates are said to be shipping to lucky Indian students in early October -- sadly, both the Loch Ness Monster and Bigfoot have advised us not to hold our breath.[Thanks, nithin]
Ask Massively: You're missing the best part of the appearance tab news edition
I've made no secret of the fact that I've long since fallen out of love with World of Warcraft, but I think people are missing the best element of the whole addition of an appearance tab. Sure, it's something that players have been asking to get for years on end without receiving a response, but the best part is that its addition essentially invalidates every single answer we've received to date about why it can't be done. That amuses me to no end. This week's Ask Massively has nothing to do with that news, however; instead, it covers the excitement of upcoming games, the lack of upcoming games, and the relevance of functions within games. I'd promise a zebra as well, but he had places to go. As always, you can leave your questions for a future installment in the comment field or mail them along to ask@massively.com, whichever you prefer.
India's oft delayed $35 tablet ready to ship, unicorns shed tears of joy
India's unfortunately-named Sakshat tablet began life as a $10 laptop way back in early 2009 and, in the years since, has had more than its fair share of delays and difficulties. But, after repeatedly dashing hopes and destroying dreams it appears the $35 tablet is just about ready for take off. The Times of India is reporting the first batch of this still slightly mysterious machine will be shipped out at the end of the month to the Indian Institute of Technology for 2,200 rupees apiece -- a bit above the goal price at around $50, though government plans to subsidize the devices should cut the cost in half. With one pie-in-the-sky tablet project finally getting out the door, we're almost afraid to ask -- hows that XO-3 is coming along Mr. Negroponte?
Duke Nukem Forever goes gold, will meet promised June deadline (really!)
Back in January, Gearbox Software released a Duke Nukem Forever trailer, and our inner 13 year-old -- only a lascivious gleam in his father's eye when the game was first announced! -- thrilled to its potty humor, gratuitous violence, and mosaic-obscured lady parts. We were skeptical about the promised May release date, since DNF has long been gaming's answer to Chinese Democracy, and sure enough that got bumped to June 10 (international) and 14 (North America). But now the game has gone gold, meaning real-life physical copies, rather than just one of gaming's longest running vaporware jokes. No confirmation that the game will ship via unicorn, but for more details devour the press release after the break.
Nintendo Wii Vitality Sensor still coming to a hand near you, says Iwata
For a product with the word "vitality" in its name, Nintendo's forthcoming Wii peripheral doesn't seem to have much of a pulse these days. The oddball controller certainly piqued our interest when the gaming giant showed it off way back in 2009, but aside from some false alarms and an uncovered patent application, we haven't heard a peep. Nintendo president Satoru Iwata addressed the Vitality Sensor's conspicuous absence during a financial presentation, chalking the delay up to "differences in biological information in humans." The peripheral is still coming, according to Iwata, but it won't be released until the company can make it work well with 99 percent of consumers -- a tall order indeed. And what about the other one percent? Well, perhaps they can try these on for size.
E-Noa's Interpad Android tablet is nowhere to be found
It's been almost eight months since we introduced you to Interpad's Tegra 2-packing Android tablet, and now we're hearing rumors that the thing might never make it to market. The tablet was originally slated for a December 2010 debut, but in August the slab's maker, E-Noa, released a statement that said the tablet was on hold until January. Well, January's come and gone, and with a slew of Tegra 2 tablets getting ready to hit the market, it looks like the Interpad might get left behind. Aside from a lack of updates to the company's website, its Facebook page is devoid of any information, and according to the folks over at Tablet Guys, repeated calls to E-Noa's office have gone unanswered. Basically, the Interpad's nowhere to be found, and with Acer's Iconia Tab slated for an April 24th release and Motorola's Xoom already making the rounds, the Interpad's once impressive specs just don't seem so special anymore.
Evidence of Duke Nukem Forever's existence continues to mount with new trailer, release date
Gearbox Software promised last fall that they'd finally, really finish and release Duke Nukem Forever, and it's starting to look like they're actually going to come through. The studio has just released a full trailer for the game, and it's announced something that many though they'd never see: a release date. Assuming nothing goes horribly awry in the next few months, you can expect the game to hit the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC on May 3rd in North America, and May 6th worldwide. Still need a bit more convincing? Head on past the break for the trailer. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
India's $35 tablet delay dashes hopes, destroys dreams
College students eagerly awaiting India's ambitious $35 tablet are going to have to put their dreams on hold -- there's been a delay. Earlier this week, the Times of India reported that the Indian government dropped HCL Technologies, the company responsible for manufacturing the great democratic tablet, for failing to follow through on the 600 million rupee (or $13,198,416) guarantee -- apparently a disagreement over production costs is to blame. Last summer, the country's Human Resource Development Minister, Kapil Sibal, made a number of appearances toting a mockup of the Android-based tablet, and promising a launch date of January 15th. Officials say the project is still on track and should be ready this summer. However, while the government seeks a replacement for HCL, skeptics continue to sound warnings that parts alone will cost more than $35. We'd like to chalk this up to haters hating, but we can't seem to forget what became of the $10 laptop.
Apple on iPad competition: Windows is 'big and heavy,' next-gen Android tablets are still vapor
Apple's COO (and current Steve Jobs stand-in) Tim Cook thinks "there's not much" competition to the company's iPad tablet. When queried about Apple's view on what the rest of the market offers, Cook was brutally candid in describing Windows-driven machines as generally being big, heavy and expensive, while current generations of Android-based slates are in his opinion merely "scaled-up smartphones." While we agree that Windows 7 isn't a terribly touch-friendly affair, we don't know that Cook's comments on Android are quite so pertinent now that Google's tablet-savvy Honeycomb iteration has been unveiled. Then again, he has something to say about the next generation of Android tablets as well, noting that the ones announced at CES lack pricing and release schedules, leading him to conclude that "today they're vapor." Ouch. As a parting shot, Tim took a moment to reaffirm Apple's belief that its integrated approach will always trump the fragmented nature of Android and its plurality of app stores. Hear his comments in full after the break.
Five MMOs that have gone MIA
Unlike Chuck Norris, who seems to hang on as an MMO meme with insane tenacity (perhaps it's that extra fist under his beard), there are a handful of MMOs that appear to have dropped off the radar in the last several months -- if not years. Admittedly, this was originally to be a top 10 list of missing MMOs, but in the last half of this year, several developers have seen fit to thwart our plans by actually releasing information about their games. Shock! Horror! Nevertheless, I've armed myself with an enormous cup of coffee and plundered the archives of Massively and general press releases for MMOGs that seem to have dropped off the radar. Are they still under development? Will we see some movement on them in 2011? Will it take a Chuck Norris-level feat-of-strength and all-around badassery to pull them back from the developmental abyss they appear to be in? Join me behind the break as I run down some of the MMOs we're still waiting for word on.
Notion Ink Adam gets caught Photoshopping its bezel away
How big is the Notion Ink Adam's screen? Well, it depends on what time you looked at the company's site today. If you were one of the unlucky folks who saw the image titled "preordernow.jpg," the screen's a tiny bit smaller and the bezel a tad larger than it is for all the fortunate peeps pre-ordering from the "preordernow1.jpg" pic that's currently gracing the site. Now's your chance, guys -- go grab yourself the truly magical and revolutionary tablet whose specs change with the wave of a Photoshop airbrush. [Thanks, Andrew] Update: To be clear, we don't know which of the two 'shops is the real deal -- technically, neither is, they're both renders -- but earlier prototypes have shown some pretty slinky bezels. It'll be on Notion Ink to demonstrate just how slim the Adam's screen surround is when it finally unveils the real deal.
Gearbox Software promises to finish Duke Nukem Forever, for real
The game, the myth, the curse -- Duke Nukem Forever has brought companies to their knees and dashed the hopes of a generation of gamers, but it's refused to go away for well over a decade; we just couldn't let it. Now a new company has stepped up to the challenge -- Gearbox Software (of Borderlands fame) has announced that it plans to finish the game, and that 2K Games will release it sometime next year for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. Will it actually happen? We can't say we'd bet on it, but we want to believe. Update: If you still need a bit more convincing, there's an actual press release after the break.
