Archive for January 8th, 2007
Assassin’s Creed nominated for Visual Effects Society awards
Filed under: PC, Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Action, Adventure, Business
Come February 11 Assassin’s Creed could be taking home two Visual Effects Society awards, for ‘Outstanding Real Time Visuals in a Video Game’ and ‘Outstanding Pre-Rendered Visuals in a Video Game’, as the visual effects organization hosts its fifth annual awards ceremony at the Kodak Grand Ballroom in Hollywood, CA. A pair of impressive accolades would certainly look good on the retail box, but how can a game with an unconfirmed release date be considered for a real time visuals award next month?
We suppose nominating Assassin’s Creed for pre-rendered kudos (based on the trailer?) is admissible (as long as the game doesn’t win), but don’t go heralding Ubisoft’s title as a real time effects masterpiece when a playable demo isn’t even publicly available. Why not consider Assassin’s Creed for a VES award next year; and give credit to current games instead? As it stands, the PlayStation 3 version of Fight Night Round 3 is the only other title nominated in this year’s ‘Real Time Visuals’ category.
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Virtual torture experiment revisits classic psych obedience test
Filed under: Culture
A group of UK scientists recently recreated the ethically-questionable Milgram experiment using a virtual shock-victim. Instead of observing subjects’ obedience patterns, the experiment was designed to determine whether or not torturing a virtual being would cause emotional distress. The study seemed to provide evidence of bond-forming between some participants and the virtual character, as 6 of 23 subjects allowed to see and hear the victim refused to carry out the shock treatment to its end.
Scientists hope to use these findings to support the use of virtual beings (in place of real people) in psychological research, allowing researches to conduct otherwise unethical studies. But, as Collision Detection notes, this recent experiment also adds to the ongoing discourse about the affects of video game violence on the human psyche. If on some level of consciousness we do not distinguish between humans and our virtual counterparts, can violence enacted upon these virtual beings in video game worlds desensitize our reactions to real-life suffering? How long before a lawyer points to this study to justify his client’s heinous act as a simple case of “GTA made him do it”?
[Via Collision Detection]
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8GB PSP Memory Stick priced at $300
Filed under: Sony PSP, CES, Peripherals
As expected, Sony will soon roll out its 8GB Memory Stick PRO Duo, priced at $300. That’s steep, but given previous trends, the price should plummet quickly. Last summer, the 4GB Memory Stick debuted at $250, but could be found for as low as $65 (SanDisk model) during a recent (but expired) Google Checkout promotion on Buy.com.
PSP firmware v2.81 or higher is needed to use the 8GB Memory Stick with Sony’s portable gaming device.
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Rumor: Virtua Fighter 5 is 1080p
Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Fighting
True HD, if you ask some people, is only 1080p. It’s a shame, then, that few PlayStation 3 titles have yet to push resolution that high. Virtua Fighter 5, then, would be a great addition to the small library of 1080p games.
According to a scan at IGN, the latest edition of Sega’s flagship fighter might support 1080p resolution. However, the scan of the back of VF5’s box is very fuzzy and could easily be just a Photoshop job by those abusing the Internets. Not only that, but we’re pretty sure Sega or Sony would be mentioning 1080p as often as possible.
We should know definitively by February 8, whenVirtua Fighter 5 lands in Japan.
See Also:
Virtua Fighter 5 smacks PS3, heads to 360
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E for All advertised at Macworld Expo
Filed under: Culture, Business
IDG World Expo, the company that puts on the Macworld Expo, is already advertising its Tea for Two Expo E for All Expo at this Mac convention with stacks of fliers greeting show visitors. (We hope there’s a Mac games audience here this week; is that the reason for the fliers? Is IDG Expo just trying to reach show-goers on the way to the iPhone?)
Of course, it’s hard to predict the show vibe of the EA Expo E for All Expo, but these cards and their edgy Halloween font scream “attitude to the max” or maybe just “quick turnaround.” If E3 died because it cost exhibitors too much to cause a scene — waving shiny models at retailers and the media — here’s hoping that E4EVR E for All reigns in some of the hype. Nah, who are we kidding? If it’s aimed at a consumer audience, won’t that just be an excuse for more noise?
See the full fliers after the break.
Continue reading E for All advertised at Macworld Expo
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Nerdcore Rising throws down with trailer
Filed under: Culture
A documentary showcasing the darlings of white boy hip-hop, Nerdcore Rising takes you along for a ride with the “Godfather of Nerdcore” MC Frontalot on his first national tour.
To the uninitiated, nerdcore is what happens when you splice hard rhymes about Dungeons & Dragons with smooth beats and less aggression than what passes for hip-hop today. It could very well be the soundtrack to our culture, and the film aims to set the record straight on the roots of the genre.
Making appearances in the trailer are Frontalot himself, MC Chris of Adult Swim fame, and geek gods Tycho and Gabe of Penny Arcade. Take pride in what you do and check out the trailer after the jump!
[Thanks, Frontalot!]
Continue reading Nerdcore Rising throws down with trailer
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Mastering disguise in new Wario DS
Filed under: Nintendo DS, Action, Adventure
Siliconera has posted a series of diagrams detailing the stylus inputs that will make up the core gameplay of Wario: Master of Disguise. The game launches in Japan next week (as Kaitou Wario the Seven) and sees Wario returning to his platform roots with some added DS gimmickry. Players will draw symbols on the touch screen to change Wario into his seven disguises, including a graffiti artist, dinosaur, and doctor.
Aside from the d-pad, Master of Disguise will be entirely stylus-controlled. The US release is scheduled for early March.
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Horror film Blu-ray disc plays only on PS3
Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3
If you’ve been looking to watch cave-diving girls chased by evil, flesh-eating Gollums in high definition, then you better have a PlayStation 3.
According to IMDB news, the Blu-ray version of The Descent is confirmed to not work on Panasonic Elite and Sony BDP-S1 Blu-ray players but functions perfectly on the PS3. The reason? The disc utilizes BD-Java technology for picture-in-picture video commentary, which is not supported by the standalone Blu-ray players.
Sony has confirmed that they are working on an update to the player’s operating systems, but how are they going to deliver said updates to consumers who already have the faulty player?
[Via 1UP]
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IBM pimps gaming at its first CES appearance in 10 years
Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360, Business
For the first time in 10 years, IBM has a booth at the Consumer Electronics Show this week. The reason? PS3, Wii, and 360; specifically for the fact that IBM helped design the processors found in each.
Big Blue will feature demos for PS3, Nintendo Wii, and Xbox 360 in addition to providing insight and analysis into the “science behind gaming today” at their booth. I guess the latter means they’ll have some sort of lab experiment or boring processor presentation. Or maybe it means the company will come right out and say it: “We already won the console war.”
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Today’s most geometric game video: Geometry Wars PC ‘Vista’
Filed under: Arcade, Culture, PC, Microsoft Xbox 360, Puzzle, Video
Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved has had its own little evolution, going from minigame, to full-fledged console game, and now it’ll be dropping onto PCs everywhere and we’ve got the video to prove it. Yes, it’s retro gaming action that takes you back to the land of arcade quarter-eaters like Tempest and Qix … and it’s incredibly addictive fun.
Check out the Vista version in action after the jump. It looks pretty spiffy on that monitor, or else the brightness levels are just kicked up to 11. Either way, PC users can finally toss Minesweeper and Solitaire away, because this will be the new king of the timesuck in cubicle-land.
Continue reading Today’s most geometric game video: Geometry Wars PC ‘Vista’
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