Game Debate to the Death!<br>Silent Hill VS Tomb Raider
September 30, 2008
Last week we came to the conclusion of the SNES / Sega Genesis odd debate brackets, with NBA Jam heating up and Donkey Kong Country on a banana and balloon filled rampage. Each side made their way to the semifinals by doubling their competitors’ vote totals along the way, and by keeping true to that same pattern, so did the winner of last week’s debate. Here is the one who came out on top:
- Donkey Kong Country — Winner!
This week we move on to the PlayStation odd debate brackets, with four more games battling with other games they’ve rarely been compared to. With Silent Hill and Tomb Raider we have two third person shooters that were just as memorable as they were frustrating to control, not to mention they both became movies many years later. However, aside from that, their genres and plots were completely different.
How will you make your decision this week? Will the action of one game separate it from the other? Did the lead role of one game trump the other game’s lead character of the other gender? Or will it all come down to story and character development? It’s up to you to decide!
Which game do you think is better, and why? Give it some serious thought, get some PlayStation friends to share their opinions as well, and check back next week for the winner and two new PS1 contendors.
Bonus Questions: Which series overall have you enjoyed more? All of the Silent Hill games, or the Tomb Raider franchise? Also, which movie did you enjoy more?
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 coming in November at $799 according to booth rep
September 30, 2008
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 coming in November at $799 according to booth rep
Last we heard from Panasonic, the DMC-G1 super-light was tentatively priced at $799 for US markets. Turns out this is fact, at least if the officials at Panasonic’s booth here at CEATEC are to be believed. What’s more, they say the G1 will hit stateside shores in November, so if you’re in the market for a new camera, start saving now. In related news, we got our hands on the G1 again, this time in red (the camera, not our hands). The digital viewfinder is still a bit disorienting, but the proximity sensor that turns off the big display when you’re up close is a nice little trick. Pics and what-not below.
Gallery: Panasonic DMC-G1 in Red
(Via Engadget.)
Money can’t buy you "Love," cause it’s free now
September 30, 2008
A while back, I highlighted a game called Love in my Indie Nation series. Even if the game was too damn hard for me, I loved the game’s unpretentious nature and the player’s ability to set his or her own respawn points.
At the time, the game cost $1 to play. Now it’s free.
If the insane difficulty put you off from spending a greenback on the game back in May, worry not: now you can enjoy Love in all its addictive, sadistic glory without paying a single red cent.
Insert your own joke about the American economy here.
Seriously, though, the game’s pretty cool and, now that it’s free, I can’t wait to see if anyone actually manages to beat it. Should anyone accomplish such a task, you’ll have proven yourself infinitely cooler than I, or indeed most people, will ever be.
[Thanks, Blake!]
AuthenTec on Fujitsu Siemens
September 30, 2008
Another laptop computer integrating the famous Authentec Fingerprint Sensor technology is ESPRIMO Mobile from Fujitsu Siemens Computers, more exactly 2 new models called ESPRIMO Mobile U9215 and ESPRIMO Mobile D9515 from the same series.
“As a leading international IT corporation, Fujitsu Siemens wanted to create a highly mobile lineup tailored for today’s business requirements, with a rich feature set and unrestricted connectivity. We believe we achieved this goal with the new ESPRIMO Mobile and CELSIUS business notebooks, and that users will appreciate the convenient security offered with the addition of AuthenTec’s new AES2550 fingerprint sensor,” said Andreas Thimmel, Senior Vice President, Volume Business at Fujitsu Siemens Computers.
The AuthenTec AES2550 Sensor allows fingerprint-based access to the laptop only to authorized users, and in addition to it, the new business laptops feature also the latest Intel processing technology –Intel Centrino 2 – for high performance on the go.
There is also a third laptop model series with the AuthenTec’s sensor, models CELSIUS H260 and H275, providing low power consumption for increased battery life, important characteristics of mobile workstations.
On the other side, the ESPRIMO Mobile business laptops are great desktop replacement solutions, coming in an ultra-portable version with a 12.1-inch display and 15.4-inch standard form factor.
ESPRIMO Mobile U series comes with ConfCam web camera, mobile broadband access, Bluetooth, spill resistant keyboard, and configurable hardware components, while the ESPRIMO Mobile D series sports a larger display and the same reliability.
“Our AES2550 sensor is proving to be a popular new addition to our PC product portfolio, as evidenced by its integration into a growing number of Centrino 2 notebooks such as the new ESPRIMO Mobile Series by Fujitsu Siemens Computers,” said Tom Aebli, AuthenTec Vice President of PC Products. “Europe is an important growth region for AuthenTec, and we are pleased to further expand our relationship with Fujitsu Siemens Computers through this collaboration. We believe today’s mobile business user will quickly appreciate the added security and convenience that our AES2550 bring to these new high-performance ESPRIMO and CELSIUS mobile notebooks.”
Yay or Nay to these Sony Bluetooth Canalphones
September 30, 2008
Getting a pair of in-ear headphones with Bluetooth support is no easy task. The small nature of these types of earphones doesn’t exactly go well with the battery-hogging BT technology. There’s been a few attempts released so far, but they all seem pretty unappealing to me. The ety8 from Etymotic appears to be the most notable pair right now, but their blocky design is a bit of an eyesore. Just recently Sony has announced their own pair of BT in-ear earphones. Here’s what it looks like:
It has Bluetooth 2.0 support, A2DP compliant, works with cell phones, and has a battery life of a about 7 hours (100 hours standby time). None of this changes the fact that I wouldn’t be seen dead wearing that thing. Sony will be releasing these in Japan on November 10th with an estimated price of 13000 Yen, or about $123US.
I’m still waiting on a pair of BT headphones that will impress me. Both with their looks, and with their battery life. Let us know what you think about these headphones and your take on the future of Bluetooth in the DAP industry.
EA: There is "no replacement" for board games.
September 30, 2008
In an article he has written on Edge, the General Manager and Vice President of the Hasbro Studios division at EA, Chip Lange, has stated that board games will never be replaced by digital entertainment and his group has no intention of trying. Instead, they’re focused on using the electronic games medium to represent classic games from the Hasbro library in ways that boards, pawns and dice can’t replicate on their own.
He claims that his company is approaching the development of these adaptations in fundamentally different ways. Typically, a board game that makes the transition to the digital space is designed to be released on every available platform.
"Unfortunately, that forces you to develop to the least common denominator. You can’t take advantage of the specifics that each of these different platforms brings, whether it be the social mechanics of a Facebook application or the next-gen graphical applications of the PS3 or the mobility of a cell phone."
Ultimately, Lange views the projects that Hasbro Studios is working on as part of a partnership relationship between the electronic games and their board counterparts. His expectation is that sales of one will help to drive sales of the other. "I genuinely believe that just about everybody who buys one of our products will have these board games in their closet," he says.
No, board games will never be replaced by videogames. People have been playing them for thousands of years. They’re almost as old as written language itself and have survived just fine for all of this time. Part of it is the inherent social value of the games, families and friends gathering together to enjoy each other’s company. And, just as text on a screen will never replace the experience of actually holding a book in your hands to read it, no videogame can replicate the visceral feel of picking up a piece, looking your opponent straight in the eye and saying, "Checkmate."
[Via Edge]
We Cleaned Out Our Lab! Killer Grab Bag Deals To Be Had!
September 30, 2008
We started hearing strange noises coming from our Laboratory late at night (Well, I guess I did since I’m the only one who works late around here, I work with slackers). Upon further inspection the next day, we noticed our ridiculously large stockpile of random electronic parts and mechanical gizmos had apparently gained sentience and was attempting to build itself into a robotic monstrosity that would surely slay us all. Well, that’s what I think anyway, my fellow coworkers think I should leave the office and go home at some point.
Needless to say, it was time to clear out our stockpiles of random stuff. We slaved away, battling robotic creations from the night and finally getting our Lab back under our control. So, we’re unleashing our piles of parts into the general public at a deep discount, in hopes that our Lab stays under our control.
Check out our new limited quantity Grab Bags in our Garage Sale Section!
This is the pack-rat/tinkerer/engineers dream come true! More deals are to come, but get em while they’re hot because at these prices our Grab Bags will not last long!
Here is a sample of a few items we have up for grabs:
Flex Force/Touch/Pressure Sensor Grab Bag!
Handfuls of Rotary Encoders!
More Sprockets and Chain than any human could ever need!
A variety of motor and servo controllers!
This is just a sample of what we have up for grabs, so be sure to check out our Garage Sale section soon!
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