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Hayashi: Team Ninja taming its 'sex and violence' image in DoA 5
Team Ninja boss Yosuke Hayashi says the studio's perspective has changed since Tomonobu Itagaki left in a huff in 2008, and even though most of its 200 staff are original team members, Hayashi is calling them his "new team." The most obvious shift is the new team's focus on creating an emotional experience, rather than eye candy, Hayashi tells Gamasutra."The old team was known for making games that just had two primary elements: Sex and violence," Hayashi says. "It was very obvious. The new team, we want to take it to a new level -- to a direction that contains emotional experiences that can move players."That's right -- Team Ninja wasn't emotionally invested in all the sexy gameplay you had together, and now it's looking for something more meaningful. Hayashi may find his new, more mature gaming experience in a Dead or Alive crossover with Virtua Fighter, a la Street Fighter X Tekken, Edge reports."In terms of collaboration titles, there are staff on our team who just love fighting games and if there was any chance to do that we'd actively, possibly do that," Hayashi says."The first 3D game I played was Virtua Fighter; that's the IP I respect most. Virtua Fighter was the father of 3D gaming, so it's very well respected."For now, one thing's certain: The women in Dead or Alive 5 will be more respectable, well-rounded (emotionally) than in previous titles. "We've always had the sex factor in the game; in the past, the female characters had to have big breasts, they had to have scanty dress," Hayashi says. "In DoA 5 especially, we're trying to focus on the real women that surround us: the voice of a female, the mannerisms. We are being realistic about it."
'Mommy Tummy' simulator takes you from normal to pregnant in two minutes (video)
You can test drive a car before buying it, so why not take the same approach to pregnancy? Such is the idea, apparently, behind the "Mommy Tummy" -- a system that gives women (or men) a taste of what it would feel like to have a bun in the oven, even if they haven't received any lovin'. Developed by researchers at Japan's Kanagawa Institute of Technology, this simulator invites users to don a jacket replete with rubber balloons, vibrators, a water bag and other things you'd expect to find in Buffalo Bill's basement. Once strapped on, the jacket's midsection gradually expands as it swells with warm water funneled in from an adjacent tank, resulting in an immaculately conceived baby bump. A compressor, meanwhile, slowly augments the jacket's chest area, while a separate array of balloons rapidly inflate and deflate, thereby mimicking the kicking and side-to-side movements of a real-life fetus. KIRF mothers can monitor their KIRF baby's vital signs on a monitor, though they'll have to pay close attention. Unlike real pregnancies, the Mommy Tummy's gestation period lasts a merciful two minutes, giving your boyfriend just enough time to formulate a coherent response. Must-see video footage after the break. Update: Turns out our bros at Joystiq got some hands-on time with this bundle of joy at TGS. Check it out. [Image courtesy of Toutlecine.com]
HTC Bliss spotted frolicking in the blurry wild?
We haven't heard much about the HTC Bliss since it popped up on a Verizon roadmap earlier this month, but the folks over at PocketNow have obtained photos of what could be the handset's first public appearance. The so-called "women only" smartphone, which recently passed through the FCC, is rumored to run on a 800MHz single-core processor and will reportedly sport a new version of HTC's Sense UI. It's also expected to run Android 2.3 and to rock a GSM 900MHz radio, though, as you can tell, it's a little difficult to glean any of that from the above blurry images. No word yet on whether it'll launch in September, as expected, or whether it'll look a bit more feminine when it does, but we'll keep you posted.
Samsung's AF315 All-in-One 3D PC targets the sophisticated woman and those who aspire to be one
Say what you will about Samsung's questionable chaebol business practices and KIRFy ways, at least the company's got the stones to openly target a specific demographic with its marketing pitches. This time Sammy's new AF315 All-in-One PC is targeting stylish and sophisticated women who've moved on from their pink peddle pusher ways. The most notable features are that big 23-inch LCD coupled with Samsung's switchable active shutter 2D / 3D technology and narrow 11-mm bezel. Otherwise, we're looking at a Core i5 CPU, 1TB 7200RPM hard disk, USB 3.0, TV receiver, Blu-ray player, remote control, 3D glasses, and a wireless keyboard and mouse combo in the box when this thing ships in South Korea starting tomorrow for 2.19 million won or just a tad less than $2,000.
The Daily Grind: Are you upset with how MMOs handle women?
While this year's BlizzCon didn't feature any shocking revelations about World of Warcraft, it still contained some shocking revelations for a few people during one of the question-and-answer panels. A question about the game's treatment of female characters wasn't just brushed off, it was mocked by the development team. This has been picked up in a couple of places, with the uniform opinion not just being that it was a bad way to respond to the question, it was a bad sign that developers can essentially brush off the question altogether. It's not an unfamiliar debate, one that runs through every media in one form or another. Whether you're a man or a woman, you might be of the mind that there's a serious problem with how the genre treats a substantial portion of its audience... or you might be of the mind that people get way too bent out of shape over a bit of extra skin on female characters. So where do you stand? Are you unhappy with the way that women are represented in MMOs, or do you think that it's much ado about nothing? 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!
MMO Family: A parent's look at Hello Kitty Online
MMO Family is your resource for leveling a gaming-specced family, from tips on balancing gaming with family life to finding age-appropriate online games for everyone in the family. Hello Kitty Online is the first of our Parents Guide selections that's aimed squarely at teens and young adults rather than the kiddie set. Say what? We were surprised, too -- but given the mind-bogglingly persistent popularity of Hello Kitty among grownups with more discerning taste (and expansive wallets), it stands to reason that developer Sanrio would want HKO to reach as broad an audience as possible. What HKO brings to the keyboard, then, is less a kiddie game than a crafting-oriented, sunshiny, Hello-Kitty-themed version of an MMO. Sure, it's 2-D. Sure, it's free-to-play. But despite the precious proliferation of pink, you'll find gameplay that's more in line with traditional, fully developed MMOs -- a purrfectly friendly MMO choice for your teen daughter.
Samsung Galaxy S Femme bundles sexism in with your smartphone purchase
You know what really bugs us about this Samsung Galaxy S Femme handset? No, it's not that it once again trudges out the tired cliché that women must love pink -- it's that it presumes gents can't appreciate the benefits of Aveda's Damage Remedy and Hand Relief creams. We totally can! And we'd love to spend some quality time with the Aveda advisor app, which comes bundled on a 4GB MicroSD card, letting it identify for us the particular products we need to buy to keep our skin and hair looking their best. But, according to the packaging, this 4-inch, Gorilla Glass-bearing smartphone isn't for us. Sigh.
Poll: Do women care about HDTV?
UK-based research firm Mintel has taken some time out of their usual schedule tracking the sales of pies and pasties (Beef Pie is leading) to investigate consumer reaction to HDTV and says its results indicate women are far less enthusiastic than men about high definition televisions. Even with nearly 20 million HDTVs in Britain, less than half of the people surveyed are actually receiving HDTV broadcasts. According to Mintel, women are turned off by a focus on sports in the programming and don't think the increase in picture quality is worth paying for. Interestingly, while they were also less interested in 3DTVs, they were nearly as likely as men to be interested in watching 3D movies at the theater and to agree it was worth paying extra for. If you believe in the notion that targeted programming is the answer, on this side of the pond networks like E!, Lifetime, Food Network and others have jumped to high definition in recent years, not to mention that the overwhelming majority of primetime and daytime programming has already upgraded to a higher resolution so we're wondering if you're seeing the same results in your household.%Poll-53028%
Vextini interactive ad campaign: no thanks, we don't need to see what's behind there
It's hard to say what the worst aspect of what we're seeing is here: the tired, generic, Sex and the City-style group of girls who love martinis that make up this ad campaign, or the campaign's pitchman who seems to genuinely believe that pre-mixed martinis will sell better because of a cheesy, "interactive" ad. The idea here, of course, is that you see the above shot in a magazine, then hit up Vextini's website, and use the QR code to watch a full video of the hilarious events unfold. Vextini? Sure, it vexes us plenty. Enough to make us want to drink in fact... so what flavors does this come in again? Hit up the source for the pitch video: believe us, it's worthwhile.
Sony Online Entertainment announces winner of G.I.R.L. contest
It's almost taken for granted that game design is still a field that's largely oriented toward a male audience. That's changing over time, and the MMO genre has attracted a huge number of female gamers, but there's still a great deal of room for improvement. That's why Sony Online Entertainment has sponsored the G.I.R.L. program, a $10,000 scholarship for women majoring in creative and applied arts with an ultimate eye toward game design. And the 2010 winner of the scholarship has just been announced: Sylvia Liu, an entertainment design student attending Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. The G.I.R.L. program (the acronym standing for Gamer In Real Life) has been running for three years now, with Liu as one of over 200 applicants in this year's contest. Each participant was tasked with creating original concept art for a new creature and area in either EverQuest II or Free Realms, as well as submitting an essay about women in the video game industry. Our congratulations go out to Ms. Liu for her winning submissions. Those interested can take a look at the official site for G.I.R.L., which has her concept art on display as well as a short interview.
HTC planning an Android tablet for women, TV addicts?
So it seems pretty likely that HTC will give us an Android tablet at some point, although any hard and fast details continue to elude us. Speaking at the Open Mobile Summit, however, HTC's VP of Europe, Dr. Florian Seiche, did give us a clue as to how things were headed: "Our study found women social networking while watching television was a likely use for tablets." We have to wonder if this so-called "Facebook and Cougar Town" demographic were what Jobs & Co, had in mind when they decided to go ahead with the iPad. If so, they were wise to keep the information to themselves.
Virtual Island Entertainment offers MMO for women
As much as a goodly portion of the MMO market is perfectly happy blowing up spaceships, killing untold numbers of rats, punching criminals in socially-awkward spandex, and generally behaving like a twelve-year-old boy... suffice to say that a lot of people have zero interest in those settings. Virtual Island Entertainment from enVie Interactive is aimed specifically at that category of potential player. Specifically, they're aiming for women, trying to create a virtual world that they claim "caters to women looking for an engaging online game that speaks to them." The game's feature list is focused more along the lines of social environments rather than gameplay; players can engage in "episodic content, unique shopping experiences, high fashion, art design, and intimate encounters, all in a tropical island setting." Comparisons between the game and the 200-pound gorilla of virtual worlds, Second Life, are all but inevitable, and there is a small mention that the game hopes to support a certain amount of user-created content. Scheduled for release in the second half of 2010, it remains to be seen what kind of following Virtual Island Entertainment will draw and how the target audience will respond.
With Sony's bedazzling DSC-W350D camera, the W is for Woman
Sometimes you tire of the rat race, the feature fight, the megapixel war. When that happens this is the result: the DSC-W350D, a 14-megapixel, 4x (optically stabilized) zoom camera set to shatter the compact shooter glass ceiling. The pink model has a swirly flower print and a cute beveled edge around the lens and, though the pearly white looks a bit more sophisticated, embedded rhinestones ensure that neither gets taken too seriously. Both offer 720p recording and each has an optional matching case, meaning this is one perfect accessory that can itself be accessorized.
Hiroshi Ishiguro's Geminoid-F humanoid mimics Earthlings, is definitely the beginning of the end (video)
Hiroshi Ishiguro (or his evil android twin, one) is back in business, and nearly four years after his Geminoid HI-1 startled youngsters everywhere, the Geminoid-F has arrived to consternate the grown-ups. Shown off this weekend in Osaka, Japan, the lifelike lady you see above (pictured left, just in case you were wondering) was designed to mimic human facial expressions that are fed in to its internal computer. The rubberized face has a rather insane amount of flexibility, enabling it to pull off subtle gestures that have thus far been impossible to replicate on a robot. Sly grins, angry glares and totally-fake smiles are all possible now, with developers hoping to have these in hospitals and the like in the not-too-distant future. Currently, copies of the humanoid are expected to sell for around ¥10,000,000 ($105,780), though it'll likely be robotics research organizations doing the majority of the buying. Hop on past the break for a video that's guaranteed to leave you stunned -- and while we're not fluent in Japanese, we're pretty sure someone asks if they "can rock that bad Larry on their dome."
Keepin' it real fake: iPhone hits discount retailers as an eyeshadow palette
Now, these may have been around for ages, we can't really be sure because, truth be told, it's pretty rare for us to troll the aisles of Kohl's makeup section looking for KIRFs. Regardless, a helpful, hawk-eyed reader snapped this shot of an eyeshadow palette -- called eyemobile -- that's got the distinct iPhone aura going on, though we're 100 percent certain this is an unauthorized use case. It's hard to say from the photo, but it also looks like there's a lip gloss palette in the background (which we assume is called lipmobile), and that, friends, we would pay money for. Lots of money. [Thanks, Bill]
Love, raiding, and everything in between: how women are taking charge in WoW
A recent article in the UK Times has shed a rare, positive light of an undeniable facet of online gaming -- finding that special someone via an MMO. It also mentions the undeniable fact that when you get a bunch of socially awkward guys on Vent, then throw a girl or two in, it might lead to a few problems. So, here we have it, folks -- in this new age of gaming, more and more women are picking up the controller, or sporting a mean WASD. What do the guys think? They think it's perfectly okay. Now, I'm not writing this to be sensationalist or to seek drama. I'm a bit of a feminist myself and having been a gamer since I was nine years old; I've seen my fair share of guys who "don't think you've got it." Or just because I have two X chromosomes I somehow can't pull some sweet DPS on a random heroic 5-man. The times, they are a'changing. From the report: "A Nielsen report published in 2009 found that women aged 25 and older make up the largest block of gamers in the United States, accounting for 54.6 per cent of all game play minutes in December 2008. For WoW, the male/female ratio is fairly balanced, with 428,621 women between 25 and 54 playing in December 2008 versus 675,713 men in the same age group.Another report suggests that in Britain women make up 48 per cent of total gamers who play online once a week." It's believed that women have more fun with social gaming for the sheer fact that it's social. If you're running a 25-man, you need to be able to work together -- there's no room for ego or swinging your 'epeen' around. You need to be able to drop the macho-ism, smarten up and listen to your teammates. Women also connect in ways when things are quiet. A thriving US guild, Got Girls, has bonded over everything from child-rearing, birthdays, relationships, and everything in between. Says member ShawnAnne Dixon: "We celebrated a guild member's 21st birthday and a wedding recently. One of our members has a son getting ready to deploy to Iraq -- Got Girls has become a big part of her support system. We have truly become a family." It's not always easy being a female gamer, especially in a very male-dominated gaming culture. I have heard of much less-forgiving people and guilds who make comments regarding our monthly cycles, certain body parts, personalities and the like. I think it's great that more women are playing the game -- giving some balance to the testosterone-laden playing field. At this point, sometimes the best thing to do is to beat the guys at their own game.
An interview with the most influential women in MMO development: Part 5
Throughout this entire week, we've presented one question a day from an interview we did with the top women in MMO development. We asked them how they got into the industry, how public opinion on women gamers is evolving and what advice they have for female MMO players who want to make that leap into development. Today is the finale to that interview where we ask our last two questions: "Do you see a change in attitude towards women developers, both from co-workers and the MMO community?" and "What words of advice would you have for women looking to make that leap from player to developer?". Keep reading below for their answers.
An interview with the most influential women in MMO development: Part 4
Throughout this entire week, we're presenting one question a day from an interview we did with the top women in MMO development. We asked them how they got into the industry, how public opinion on women gamers is evolving and what advice they have for female MMO players who want to make that leap into development. So starting last Friday and continuing throughout all of this week, we'll present one article a day with one of the questions we asked these key developers. Look for each post to drop at 5pm EST every day until Friday. Keep reading below for today's question.
Red Dead Redemption trailer introduces us to 'The Women'
Now, we know what you're thinking. "Oh, Rockstar's released a trailer featuring the female protagonists in Red Dead Redemption. We're guessing there's a scantily-clad burlesque dancer with a heart of gold, a scantily-clad cowgirl with a heart of gold and a fiery, scantily-clad revolutionista with a heart of gold." Well, you're awfully close -- just replace all three instances of "scantily-clad" with "completely badass," and you're a bit closer to the truth. Check out the trailer above to see Red Dead Redemption's reasonably-dressed femme fatales spit some sass and shoot some dudes.
An interview with the most influential women in MMO development: Part 3
Throughout this entire week, we're presenting one question a day from an interview we did with the top women in MMO development. We asked them how they got into the industry, how public opinion on women gamers is evolving and what advice they have for female MMO players who want to make that leap into development. So starting last Friday and continuing throughout all of this week, we'll present one article a day with one of the questions we asked these key developers. Look for each post to drop at 5pm EST every day until Friday. Keep reading below for today's questions.
