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Chaos Theory: Mounting a campaign for vehicles in The Secret World
It makes sense that while I am spending a week traveling about in this world, my mind turns to the subject of travel within The Secret World. Thankfully, some aspects of transportation in reality are not a part of our online world; I don't know if I could stand being stuck on a tarmac out at the Kingsmouth Airport! But with all the trappings of various vehicles littered all about the landscape, it's difficult to not want to snag one for personal use. The desire to add these mechanical mounts isn't even about the need for speed; folks already have various speed boosts, and the world doesn't need to get smaller by our traveling each zone at an even quicker pace. It not about getting somewhere more quickly; it's about the feel of a living, immersive world. How many of you have come upon a bicycle or a scooter in TSW and had the instant urge to hop on? Or what about the slick motorcycle, sitting there, begging for a rider? I'm certainly not one to say, "Pfft, forget those sweet wheels; I prefer hoofing it when evading zombies." Having to walk on by is an immersion-breaker in a game where ambiance and immersion are two of the defining features. So if the goal is to enhance immersion without making the zones seem even smaller, how would mounts work? I'm glad you asked!
Breakfast Topic: What's your favorite quest mechanic?
Remember when everyone loved to hate The Oculus? Group members dropped like flies the moment some hapless noob intimated not having flown a drake before. Or jousting in the Argent Tournament -- ah, yes, another quest mechanic that united many players with the burning passion of unmitigated hatred. The thing is, some players like varied quest mechanics, even flying things and jousting at things. They like a change of pace from MMO standards such as Kill 10 Rats and the Fed Ex breadcrumb delivery (or in Blizzard's case, anything to do with poop). Me, I usually resent the intrusion. I prefer to play my character, galloping around the hills to find things and using my entire arsenal of spells to peek, tweak, and then slay everything in my path. I must admit, though, that Mists of Pandaria could be swaying me from this stoic path. While I'm adamantly not a fan of the quests that put you in the shoes of the quest giver and his saga, the general variety of quest mechanics has been ... distracting. Refreshing. Dare I go so far as to even say they're downright fun? A little variety is turning out to possibly be a good thing. (I said "a little." I still want to play my character. Harrumph.) Do you enjoy playing a variety of quest mechanics as you move through WoW's storylines, or do you prefer to stay in your character's own skin with your own spells and abilities? What are your favorite quest types? Which would you be just as happy to never encounter again?
Champions Online previews the upcoming vehicle system
Being able to fly is all well and good, but why fly through the skies unaided when you could sit safely inside the chassis of a heavily armored warplane? That's the idea behind the new vehicle system coming to Champions Online later this week, which will offer players a variety of new rides and ways to enhance those same rides. After all, you deserve to give your legs a rest. Or your arms. Or whatever muscle you flex to fly with no visible means of propulsion. The vehicle system will start off by offering players just two choices -- jets and hovertanks -- but more will be available in the future. Each vehicle chassis offers a certain set of base stats, which can be further improved by slotting in vehicle equipment from the new vehicle missions. Players can also apply a variety of skins to each vehicle chassis, ensuring that you can make the ride feel unique even around your friends with a similar machine.
The Repopulation's monthly update details multiplayer vehicles
The Repopulation's end-of-the-month update is here, and October marked more forward progress in terms of feature completion. The team at Above & Beyond Technologies worked out a few kinks in the sci-fi sandbox title's complex vehicle system, and players should see them for the first time in next week's alpha patch. Vehicles can carry multiple players including a driver, gunners, and passengers. You'll be able to upgrade and customize your vehicles with regard to things like speed, steering, shields, armor, and weapons. The update also features blurbs on performance and world scalability issues, as well as the usual laundry list of bug fixes and tweaks. Check it out at the official Repopulation website. [Thanks to J.C. for the tip!]
Allods previews the vehicle-based skirmish of Summerhold
Allods Online has always laid claim to having a robust system of vehicle customization with its astral ships. The upcoming skirmish available in the next patch takes that vehicle affection to the next level with the battle of Summerhold. Players who take part in this conflict won't be fighting a PvP objective but will instead be piloting a variety of vehicles to take out a rampaging prototype weapon controlled by a goblin. The vehicles are each laid out with strengths and a few crucial weaknesses to force players to work as a team; the high-damage artillery unit can't open fire unless the nimble spotter gets up close to the prototype, but of course the spotters will be ripped apart without a defensive line, and so on. Based on how fast the prototype unit is taken down, players will be awarded a variety of medals which can be exchanged for prizes including minipets and vanity items. If you're looking forward to vehicle-based mayhem, take a look at the full rundown for all the details.
Carmageddon for iOS out now, free for a day
Carmageddon is an old PC title from the company now called Stainless Games, and earlier this year, they held a Kickstarter to update the game and release it out on iOS. The Kickstarter got funded, and Stainless has now delivered on its promise, and released the title on Apple's App Store. The new version works pretty much the same way the old version worked: It's a racing game where your goal is often to simply cause as much carnage as possible, hitting opponent cars and drilling pedestrians for more points and time on the clock. The graphics haven't been completely updated (the cars are basically still just standard polygons), but the UI is cleaner, a physics engine has been added in with power-ups and other goodies, and there is a really robust replay system, which lets players save their best shots and stunts on video, and edit and upload those to YouTube and other video sharing services. And here's the best part: As a reward to the game's Kickstarter backers, Carmageddon is completely free to download today. Definitely go pick it up right now, whether you're interested or not, because there's no reason not to. After today, it'll go back up to the standard price of US$1.99 -- still cheap, but not quite as cheap as free. It's good to see a promised Kickstarter project come all the way out to fruition, and good on Stainless for keeping all of their promises. No doubt we'll see them back on Kickstarter with another project soon.
Hyundai to wire cars with Broadcom ethernet tech, put infotainment and security systems on one network
Cars wired with ethernet may conjure thoughts of roving internet hotspots, but that's not what Hyundai and Broadcom have in mind in this case. Traditionally, infotainment consoles, safety systems and the like are built on multiple in-car networks, but the duo will rig vehicles with modified ethernet cables to unify some of the disparate systems on a single network. Dubbed BroadR-Reach, the tech uses a single pair of unshielded wires to offer 100Mbps connection speeds and could scale up to 1Gbps. Though Hyundai and other automakers joined with Broadcom's standards group for the technology last year, the firm is now the second car manufacturer to pledge that its autos will get the tech. As of now, there's still no word on which models will be lined with ethernet or when they'll roll off assembly lines.
Visualized: Google Street View car fleet gets ready to conquer (and map) the world
Ever wonder how Google can make such grandiose claims for the sheer amount of Street View imagery it collects? Here's how. Google's Masrur Odinaev has posted a snapshot of a central mapping car parking lot that shows dozens of the camera-equipped Subaru Imprezas amassed ahead of future runs. While it already represents more Street View cars in one place than anyone outside of Google would normally ever see, what's most impressive is remembering that this addresses just a portion of the entire vehicle mix -- aside from the local cars you don't see in the photo, there are extra units worldwide providing street-level coverage alongside tricycles and underwater expeditions. Odinaev's look reminds us just how much effort is needed to make Street View a common feature -- and that there are are legions of Google staffers whose low-profile work goes a long way towards making our navigation easier.
Cold, tired, and dead: Hands-on with PlanetSide 2's newest continent
PlanetSide 2 is a game that's all about huge maps and war on an epic scale. The MMOFPS title's continents are massive -- dozens of times larger than the average first-person-shooter map and packed with structures to dominate, vehicles to crash, and enemy players to kill. For the last few weeks, players have been content to murder one another in the various environments of Indar, the only continent available when the beta went live, but everything changed over the weekend. Now, there's a new kid in town: a vast, frozen wasteland that brings new challenges and new stories to the game in a way that Indar perhaps never could. It's called Esamir, and I gave my life (several times) to control and defend it. This is my PlanetSide 2 story.
Zipcar CEO talks mobile app improvements, predicts connected vehicle future
We wondered why Zipcar CEO Scott Griffith was slated as a keynote presenter at CTIA's MobileCon -- after all, what does renting cars have to do with mobile? Apparently, quite a lot. Griffith stated in his keynote that Zipcar's app and mobile services have taken a much more central role in the organization. The company is developing its own in-car device holder so that customers can hook up their phones for hands-free functions, and more importantly, the Zipcar smartphone app is due for a major update. The current version can be used to schedule rentals and remote unlock vehicles, but future iterations will transform it into more of an "in-car assistant." It'll let you know more information about the car, help you around town with a personal recommendation service, stream your iTunes playlist, and detailed trip feedback like fuel-levels and car conditions will be far easier to report. Zipcar hopes to add new members through the app as well -- just take a photo of your driver's license and get an approval "in minutes." According to Griffith, the connected car will change our urban landscape, especially with the combination of services like Lyft, Uber, bike sharing, and public transit. It's not quite the flying car, but the nerd in us is sufficiently pleased.
Champions Online gives a first glimpse at new vehicles
Vehicles continue to roll into Champions Online, and Cryptic has a tantalizing peek at the next stage of this invasion. The studio recently revealed two more vehicles as well as a special mission designed around superpowered rides. The first new vehicle is the hover tank. This tank is much more stable than the Hawkwing fighters players previously piloted, and offer a brute-force approach to combat. Cryptic is also working on two versions of grav bikes, which serve up support and DPS respectively. Vehicles get a lot more fun when there's a reason to use them, which is why the studio is preparing several missions based around this new technology. One of these missions is the defense of an UNTIL flying carrier, which tasks players with engaging in a dogfight while the carrier is repaired. The hover tank, grav bikes, and carrier defense mission will be coming later this year to Champions Online.
Alps Electric integrates motion sensors and eye detection into vehicle cockpit of the future (video)
Residing in hall space a fair distance away from the likes of the Toyota and Sony, the automotive division of Alps Electric was demonstrating a forward-looking vehicle interface at CEATEC 2012. Connecting together the company's existing capacitive touch technology with motion sensors and eye movement cameras, the system centers on the multimodal commander -- that mysterious-looking orb located below the gear stick. Navigation through it can be done through waving your hand over the device, swiping or rotating the orb like a dial. This can then move through weather, music and map programs, which are all integrated into the car's touchscreen, while an overhanging motion sensor will also detect where your hand is headed. An Alps spokesman said that this means the system can try to predict your intentions, adjusting the UI before you reach for the controls. We've got a hands-on video from pretty busy showroom -- and more impressions -- after the break.
Texas Instruments wants to ditch smartphones, switch focus to embedded processors
Texas Instruments has made the startling announcement that it's going to wind down its wildly successful smartphone and tablet business in favor of embedded systems. VP Greg Delagi told investors that the switch would create a more "stable" and "long-term business" than the cutthroat battles it's faced in mobile. While, currently the world's third biggest semiconductor company, it's concerned about losing ground to players like Qualcomm, Samsung and Apple -- despite its latest OMAP CPUs powering tablets like the Nook HD and Kindle Fire. We're scratching our heads as to why a major player would drop such a strong position like this, but perhaps they know something that we don't.
Portabliss: Bad Piggies (iOS)
This is Portabliss, a column about downloadable games that can be played on the go. Angry Birds is iOS gaming's juggernaut; even now, it regularly tops the App Store charts in both money earned and time played. Rovio, the Finnish company who created Angry Birds, put together dozens of mobile games before its first iOS release, and has seemingly hesitated to release anything else after it. The studio doesn't want to cannibalize its own success, so all we've seen from Rovio since Angry Birds' 2009 iOS release is a series of rebrands (including Angry Birds Rio and Angry Birds Space), and one licensed remake of a sandbox contraption game called Amazing Alex.Bad Piggies, then, is the first original title we've seen from Rovio in years, but even it doesn't go too far off the multibillion-dollar reservation. It's a game set in the Angry Birds universe, that follows the green pigs and their goal of grabbing eggs rather than the frustrated fowl trying to demolish them. But instead of unleashing furious destruction by catapult, Bad Piggies asks the player to create modular vehicles that will cart the pigs across a level, reaching a map piece goal at the end.
Linux Foundation forms Automotive Grade Workgroup, aims to open-source your ride with Tizen
It doesn't take much driving to notice that many in-car infotainment systems are custom-built and locked down tight. The Linux Foundation sees it differently and wants our cars to embrace the same notions of common roots and open code that we'd find in an Ubuntu box. Its newly-formed Automotive Grade Linux Workgroup is transforming Tizen into a reference platform that car designers can use for the center stack, or even the instrument cluster. The promise is to both optimize a Linux variant for cars and provide the same kind of years-long support that we'd expect for the drivetrain. Technology heavy-hitters like Intel, Harman, NVIDIA, Samsung and TI form the core of the group, although there are already automakers who've signaled their intentions: Jaguar Land Rover, Nissan and Toyota are all part of the initial membership. We don't know how soon we'll be booting into Tizen on the morning commute, but we'd expect in-car systems to take a step forward -- just as long as we don't have to recompile our car's OS kernel.
Massively Exclusive: A preview of Champions Online's newest hero and new vehicles
You're kind of a big deal in Champions Online. No, don't be modest. You've beaten up tons of criminals, arrested countless villains, and schooled a variety of ne'er-do-wells. So why are you still stuck walking from one mission to the next like some kind of animal? You need the very latest in personal transportation, a symbol of your power, prestige, and love of engineering. In short, you need a totally sweet ride. It's no secret that the game is adding vehicles, but we have a first look at some of this hardware as well as the new hero Nighthawk. Vehicles are kind of Nighthawk's bag because he's also kind of a big deal, so the two previews go together like peanut butter and a spoon to hold your peanut butter. Check out the trailer just past the break, and keep your eyes peeled for more information about how you can get your own lowrider of justice in the game. [Source: Perfect World Entertainment press release] %Gallery-17946%
University of Michigan connects 3,000 cars for year-long safety pilot
Road safety continues to be a major concern for both researchers and car makers alike. Yesterday saw yet another real-world trial kicking off, this time on a much grander scale. A total of 3,000 vehicles in Ann Arbor, Michigan are taking part in a 12-month project run by the state's Transportation Research Institute. The vehicles have Dedicated Short Range Communications and video recording facilities, which means the cars can communicate with each other, traffic signals, and share data to a central platform -- which in turn issues warnings when high risk situations, or if traffic problems occur. Of course, this trial will also create a massive data set, which researchers will be able to plunder, and help the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) better determine the viability of such systems. So while it's unlikely to lead to self driving cars just yet, it's a step in the right direction.
New Grand Theft Auto 5 screens: Fly a jet, ride a bike, zip around in a Cheetah
In the wake of last week's huge European game expo, Rockstar Games released several new images for Grand Theft Auto 5 this morning, effectively hijacking our interest. The images feature three vehicles from the upcoming open-world adventure: a road bicycle, a return of GTA classic sports car "Cheeta," and a damn fighter jet (seen above). Also of note, the Cheeta's license plate has a "San Andreas" wrapper – not a huge surprise given what we know about GTA5 5's setting, but neat nonetheless.Not enough to sate your thirst for more GTA 5 news? Rockstar says there'll be more revealed "this week," so there!%Gallery-162873%
Inhabitat's Week in Green: 3D printed boat, algae-based biofuel and a bus that does push-ups
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green. The Olympic flame completed its tour through the UK this week as the 2012 Summer Games officially kicked off on Friday, and all eyes have been on London ever since. All week long we've been focusing on the Olympics, beginning with an overview of London's new Olympic Park, which is headlined by the Zaha Hadid-designed Aquatics Centre, and Anish Kapoor's controversial ArcelorMittal Orbit observation tower. For a deeper look at the venues that will be on display at the Olympics over the next two weeks, check out our roundup of the top six green buildings at the Olympics. In addition to the sports stadiums, Olympics visitors will also be treated to the sights and sounds of Coca-Cola's multi-sensory Beatbox Pavilion, an interactive sound and light display that responds to touch. But the art installation that we're most excited about is the one by artist David Cerny, who retrofitted a 6-ton London double-decker bus with a gigantic pair of human arms. Best of all, the arms are motorized, enabling the bus to do push-ups.
Exclusive: Grimlands dev talks post-apocalyptic PvP, item decay, and more
During last month's E3 and earlier this year at GDC, we got a chance to lay our hands on Grimlands, a new sandbox-shooter hybrid from gamigo. Given the game's post-apocalyptic setting and our fondness for open-world, off-the-rails titles, we were quite excited to take it for a spin. We also had plenty of questions for the devs, and fortunately product manager Bjoern Cahnbley was able to answer a few of them. Head past the cut to find out about PvP flagging, item decay, vehicles, and a lot more.
