UK Gaming Industry – The End Is Nigh
June 18, 2008
Recent reports have shown that fewer and fewer qualified professionals are entering the UK video game market, and the result is a serious slip as one of the most prolific and cutting edge games developing countries in the world. The reason is largely to do with poor quality and ungoverned degrees being offered by universities across the UK.
The image of game development may be a glamorous one, but the reality is that it centres heavily around mathematics, physics, and computer science. While there are 81 university degrees being offered in the UK only 4 of these meet standards set by the government that help ensure that the industry is well fed by graduates of the degrees.
Once possible solution, put forward by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, is the establishment of centres of excellence throughout the country. Schemes like this have been adopted successfully in other countries around the world and the result for some of those countries has been an improvement in their performance.
The UK has long been a dominant force in this profitable market, but we are slipping down the rankings having recently been overtaken by Canada and pushed back into fourth place in the worldwide rankings.
MSN I-Buddy
June 16, 2008
Spend too much time on MSN messenger? Well, who doesn’t? The MSN I-Buddy (which must be good, because they’ve incorporated the seemingly essential “i” into the name) can be programmed so that it reacts to a particular MSN buddy, using its own innovative method to let you know when that buddy has come online, sent a nudge, or sent particular emoticons to you.
We know that your Messenger can be set up to do most of this for you, but the i-buddy does it with a certain type of style and elegance. It’s heart warms when a friend comes online (ahh), it shakes lovingly when they message you (ahhhh), and it will even react to the emoticons used in a message by conveying the particular emotion to you.
Motions include the flapping of its wings, the twisting of its body, and the flashing of its lights. It certianly beats the monotonous beeping and buzzing that usually ruminates from the messenger client although if you have more than one friend on MSN then it’s quite possible that you will need multiple i-buddies each with it’s own name tag and unique interactions. Or, we could just be getting carried away.
The In-Car PC
June 16, 2008
In-car PC offers a complete in car PC system that includes features you might ordinarily expect to see in a car like Sat Nav, DVD, and audio playback, but it also offers a full PC experience with Office software, Internet connection, voice recognition, biometric scanning, and more.
The PC uses touch screen display as well as the choice of using the usual array of computer input devices like a mouse or a keyboard. Alternatively, for certain tasks you can use the voice recognition software. If you saw the review of the in-car PC on the Gadget Show then you will have seen that you can navigate, edit, and send emails quickly and easily.
As well as WiFi connectivity and 3G Internet access, the system incorporates VoIP telephony such as Skype so you can make cheap phone calls whenever you’re online.
A digital freeview TV receiver lets you watch all the freeview channels, as long as you can receive a good enough signal. If you can’t, then you can watch DVD or listen to music instead. Numerous monitors can be placed around the car that operate independently from one another allowing different people to access different media.
The use of an in-car PC in your own car might prove limited. After all, if you can’t use a mobile phone while driving I don’t think it’ll be OK to send an email either. However, those that travel frequently, or find themselves sat in the passenger seat more often than the driver seat may find it to be a really useful tool. You can obviously pull over and send that vital email whilst on the move and don’t forget it has voice recognition software to! Is this the future of in car technology? I think it could be, look out for our review of this system soon.
DS Homebrew Applications
June 16, 2008
With technological enlightenment has come a wave of modders and modifiers – people dedicated to improving our everyday technological experience or, perhaps more typically, creating useless yet extremely cool (the very definition of a gadget in some people’s eyes) additions to trusted and loved electronic equipment. They even mod Roomba’s to look like Pacman.
The Nintendo DS has a particularly active community of modders and homebrewers. A homebrew application is one that has been written by a hobbyist programmer, and not a commercial software producer. The applications on offer are quite staggering and, compared to mods, they require little intervention that might lead to the complete destruction of your DS unit or your fingers.
The Lick Media Player is essentially an iPod emulator. The touch screen displays a scroll wheel and navigation buttons and the controls are pretty much identical to the original iPod. Custom skins, shuffle mode, and the happy homebrew price tag make it a genuine alternative to the Apple mp3 playing personal audio device.
Win2DS is a really cool homebrew application that allows you to remotely view and control your desktop PC. What’s more it can also be used as a wireless gaming pad for pretty much any game you want to play.
DSOrganize is probably the first homebrew application that most users will want, or indeed need. It’s almost an operating system for your DS. A calendar enables you to store important dates and times, and set reminders for those occasions you can’t forget. Address book lets you store multiple contact details for all your friends, family, and colleagues. The to-do list is, well, a to do list and scribble pad is a quick application that lets you doodle, write, and store the information. File browser, chat client, and even a homebrew application database are also included in DSOrganize.
The DS Homebrew community is a fervent one and enables owners of the incredibly popular Nintendo handheld system to quickly download and use applications that completely change and improve the functionality of the DS.
Logitech G15 Gaming Keyboard
June 16, 2008
Few companies create PC gaming devices as well as Logitech and while you might have to pay a premium the Logitech G15 keyboard represent the top end of the PC gaming market. The GamePanel LCD Display shows game statistics, system information, and server notifications while illuminated characters let you dim the lights, immerse yourself completely in the game world, and still hit the right buttons. Programmable G-Keys quickly let you program a macro or custom functions while you continue playing.
The GamePanel LCD Display works with a range of the latest games providing the avid PC Gamer with essential information. You will be informed which servers your friends are playing on, how your system is running, and you can quickly access game stats without having to pause the action.
You’ll never know how you managed without G-Keys once you’ve assigned a couple of the more tedious and repetitive tasks to them. They are an absolute must in role playing and strategy games and can be programmed while you play to ensure that they’re mapped properly and that you don’t have to risk all by pausing the action.
The Logitech G15 also has cord tracks so you can keep everything neat and tidy while you’re playing, media control buttons for quick access and control of all your media files, and illuminated keys. At £70 it represents pretty much the ultimate in game playing control devices for your PC.
The Perils Of Political Blogging
June 16, 2008
Blogging has become a social phenomenon around the world and while we in the UK might feel comparatively safe to report what we like on the topics of our choice, not everybody has the same privileges. Citizens of some of the more politically unstable countries are frequently arrested for sharing their views on the political status of a country, and reporting on violence to the outside world.
It may seem an innocuous pastime and for those of us that enjoy freedom of speech, it represents a positive and largely inoffensive way to portray our message and thoughts. But, since 2003, 64 people have been arrested for comments they have made on their blogs. The arrests have concentrated around China, Egypt, and Iran and usually come at a time when political uncertainty is at its greatest and the abuse of human rights at their highest.
Alarmingly the average prison sentence of those arrested runs at 15 months and while some “only” receive fines, the longest sentence currently recorded is an eight year prison sentence. Figures have tripled in the last year, and the World Information Access report notes that the figure could be much higher, because many of the countries and conflicts face heavy censorship to the outside world.
So, next time you log onto Blogger or your own blog, spare a thought for those that don’t enjoy quite the same level of human rights.
[BBC]
Sony Ericsson To Enter Mobile Gaming Market?
June 16, 2008
Sony Ericsson has suffered more leaks than the water pipe outside my house recently, and one of the big talking points is the F305 motion sensor gaming device that is sort of a combination of a Nitnendo Wii and the failed Nokia N-Gage gaming device. The phone is quite clearly designed as a gaming unit because of the gaming D-Pad on the front but the biggest problem is likely to be whether it packs enough of a punch to play decent games.
It also has a Memory Stick slot for expanding the memory, a 2 inch LCD display, and music playback features. All in all, the phone is pretty basic although the accelerometer does mean that motion sensor gaming will be offered.
Another question that needs to be answered is whether anybody is committed to developing games that can be played on it. The Wii relied largely on Nintendo developed games because few game creators were willing to take the plunge, until it became so hugely popular. It’s fairly unlikely that any manufacturer will take a chance on a mobile phone so it may be necessary to rely on badly patched ports and Sony Ericsson developed games.
The unofficial leak is expected to be confirmed on 17th June when details of a number of new phones will be released to the public.
[Engadget]
Guaranteed Water Fight Victory
June 15, 2008
Can you possibly think of anything worse than running out of ammo during a water fight with the kids? I thought not. The ignominy of getting drenched by the little ones is more than any grown man or woman can, or indeed should have to handle but fortunately help is at hand in the shape of the reloadable water pistol with gun belt and magazine clips.
I know what you’re thinking – how many millilitres of water have I fired?
For a little extra assistance, you can call on some serious artillery backup too with the water mortar. Pop in a water bomb, aim and fire. Unfortunately, the Water Mortar does only have a range of about 8 metres so you can’t fire them over your house but the fence is fair game.
Now, just give the kids the £2 water guns you bought 8 years ago that leak and hold barely enough water to feed a cactus and you’re guaranteed a glorious victory, the likes of which you’ll be able to bask in for weeks.
The 8MP Camera Phone Coming Soon – Love Sony Ericsson
June 15, 2008
The 17th has been earmarked as a major day in the history of camera phones and Sony Ericsson lovers because it’s the day when the world will ask whether there’s any point in an 8MP camera phone but then rush out and buy one anyway, just to say that they’ve got one.
In all honesty, there’s very little reason that anybody would even require a 5MP camera phone. Typically, we go snap happy until the memory card’s full, then delete 75% of the pictures leaving only the keepers. We then repeat a diminished version of the process until the card’s full or we completely lose interest.
Very occasionally we may find the time and take a decent enough shot to forward it to somebody else’s mobile phone. However, the chances of ever printing a picture, or even downloading it to the PC are, for the average user, about as likely as Microsoft announcing that it’s next operating system will be completely open source.
But that doesn’t stop us wanting the phone that boasts the biggest numbers and the most impressive (although essentially useless) features. And, finally, to the point of this post – there’s a lot of murmurs doing the rounds that Sony Ericsson will be unveiling the first 8MP camera phone during a press release of several new toys on Tuesday.
Codemasters Brothers Handed CBEs
June 14, 2008
David and Richard Darling, the brothers that co-founded the games giant Codemasters have been awarded with CBEs in the Queen’s Birthday Honours. Having initially started the company in their bedroom, Codemasters has gone on to become one of the leading video games publishers producing games like the Colin McRae Rally series and Lord of the Rings online as well as a host of other games on a variety of different platforms.
Originally, the Darling brothers along with their dad created titles for the ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, BBC Micro, and Acorn Electron. These early games started with BMX simulator and progressed to include other simulator titles including Fruit Machine Simulator.
An unlicensed version of Micro Machines on the Nintendo Entertainment System was one of the first big titles to really project their names into the echelons of video game folklore. The NES was supposed to prevent unlicensed games from being created by using a “lock-out chip” but they managed to bypass this with Micro Machines and a number of other titles. Read more
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