PS3 feature being removed on the sly by Sony?

Someone managed to be a screen ninja for the day, sending Kotaku an image of what could very well be the replacement model for the 160GB PlayStation 3. In this image are wordings of rumored replacement model, known only as the “K” chassis. What makes the K chassis so different from current models would be to have customers make compulsory use of an HDMI cable to play a game or enjoy a Full HD movie. To put it in a nutshell, component out will no longer be part of the game, leaving HDMI as the only avenue to get your High Definition viewing fix.

This purported memo also claims that future PS3 models will also take the same path, while its predecessors will not be receiving an update to make HDMI cables compulsory for HD viewing. Well, this rumor might actually drive up the prices of second hand PS3 models – pre-K chassis ones, of course, if it were to be substantiated with truth.

Either way, it doesn't hurt to pick up an HDMI cable at the moment if you happen to spot one going for a really cheap price.
source: Ubergizmo

The Octane 120 Beer Arcade combines drinking and gaming

Looking to be the envy of all your beer guzzling, gamer friends? If you are, then perhaps Dream Arcades' Octane 120 Pro Beer Arcade might be something you would want for your living room, provided you're willing to fork out close to $6,000 for it.

The Beer Arcade also comes loaded with a dozen driving sims and a fully adjustable steering wheel and seat, variable-resistance clutch, brake, and gas pedals, and as the name suggests, this is the one time where drinking and "driving" is not illegal! The Beer Arcade is also said to be compatible with the PlayStation 3, so perhaps if you'd rather hook up a non-driving game, it shouldn't be a problem.

Beer wise, the Beer Arcade will be able to hold two 5 gallons or a half barrel keg worth of beer, with the option of either reaching around to pour it from the tap, or pour it in front of you via the cup holder, which will hold your glass steady while you pour yourself a cold one.

For those looking to get in some two-player gaming, the Beer Arcade will also feature a wireless two-player arcade control panel with a built-in trackball. So what do you think? Anybody willing to drop $6,000 for this bad boy?
source: Ubergizmo

Resistance 3 – Stalker Battle Gameplay

Here is the latest gameplay video of Resistance 3. It is an upcoming 2011 science fiction first person shooter video game developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3. Resistance 3 will feature PlayStation Move support and stereoscopic 3D. What's more, players will be able to utilize the PlayStation Sharp Shooter peripheral attachment.
source: TechFresh

Xbox Kinect finds a use in Sunnybrook Health Services Center

A while back we had reported that Microsoft saw a future where the Kinect could be used within the healthcare industry, and it looks like that future has arrived. It seems that the doctors at Sunnybrook Health Services Center in Canada have started to use the Kinect within the confines of the operating room.

When we reported about Microsoft's vision for the future, we mentioned that sometimes during a procedure, the doctor would be required to go through various records and data, viewing a CT scan for example. This can be achieved by either waiting for a nurse to hand the doctor the data or the doctor would have to use a computer themselves. As it happens, it has been said that there are more germs found on a computer keyboard than there are on a toilet seat, which means it's highly unlikely the doctor would be putting his/her hands back into the patient after using a computer.

What this means is that the doctor would have to scrub out and scrub in all over again, and repeat this process as many times as necessary. Not only is this a huge waste of time, but it's time that some patients may not have.

The doctors along with an engineer at Sunnybrook have managed to put together a piece of software that utilizes the Kinect and allows them to perform basic computer functions, such as adjusting images without having to touch the computer. It's pretty amazing what they have done, and we can only imagine that over time, the software will become more refined and complex.
source: Ubergizmo

Is This The Future Of Video Gaming?

As you well know, video games will develop as new technologies are being introduced. It might just be a matter of time when current video games using joysticks, controllers or mouse and keyboard will give way to a more intuitive controls such as provided via a multi-touch screen. While you may think that such video games may still be afar off, here is a striking new video game called Fleet Commander that might just change today's video gaming experience.

It is almost a no-brainer to say that a large-scale video game experience is better than small scale. Imagine having a large multi-touch screen that allows you to control a fleet of inter-galactic spaceships going to war and you will probably have the Fleet Commander. Actually this incredible new video game is just a project developed at the Electronic Visualization Laboratory (EVL) by Arthur Nishimoto, an MS student at the University of Illinois in Chicago. It is a real time multi-player space strategy game that allows players to control the spaceships and even command other ships inside them to go to war with the enemy.

The Fleet Commander game was developed for the TacTile touch screen display. It is similar to a Star Wars game, only made cooler by utilizing touchscreen controls as seen on this video. Even the fact that it is being played on a large-scale display makes the experience all that incredible. Just imagine how video games like this will become quite common in the future. It will only take some time before some gaming company licenses the technology to make it possible.
source: Gadget.com

Nintendo has problems porting some of their classic games over to the 3DS

With the release of the Nintendo 3DS portable gaming console (check out our review here), the company had promised that it will release lots of classic games from its portfolio which will be remastered to take advantage of the 3DS' display, which can display 3D images without the need for special 3D-glasses to be worn by the player. For those who are unfamiliar with Nintendo's “3D Classics” range on its 3DS, it's basically where the game company takes old games (think 8-bit and 16-bit) and gives them a 3D makeover, with Excitebike and Kirby's Dream Land as examples.

Nintendo's Takao Nakano explained that simply converting the old and flat 2D graphics to stereoscopic 3D just wasn't enough and that the games were left feeling like something was missing. In an example he gave with the classic NES shooter game, Xevious:

“With a 2D screen, players had to use their imagination for Solvalou flying above the ground, but on the Nintendo 3DS system, we thought we might be able to recreate it using stereoscopic graphics so it looked like it was really floating [...] In the original version, the game unfolds on a flat surface. The moment we made Solvalou float in midair, all sorts of discrepancies arose.

For example, when an enemy on the ground fired at Solvalou in the original, everything was on the same plane, so it didn't seem unusual if the bomb appeared at the same altitude as Solvalou the moment it was fired and then hit Solvalou right away. But with the Nintendo 3DS system, Solvalou is floating in midair. If the bomb suddenly appears – zhing! – at the same altitude as Solvalou… We were like, ‘Huh? Something doesn't feel right!' Everything was off!”

Nintendo has estimated that the workload for a mere port has been increased by at least 20 times, which means that gamers should expect some games (like Tennis) to not make its way to the 3DS or to be delayed.
source: Ubergizmo

NEW GAME: AR Blitz

This is one of the more interesting Android games we've seen pop up of late. AR Blitz requires users to print out (!) a physical sheet of paper with several markers on it, which your phone's camera then uses as hooks to generate a 3D puzzle game over the top on its screen.

It's an absolutely crazy idea built using Unity 3D and Qualcomm's AR tools, and it looks just like this:

Check it out on the Android Market, if you have the inclination and a working printer. And toner. And paper. There's a video of it in action below…

Worth downloading if only to get that music running on loop.
source: Eurodroid

PES 2011, Pocket Legends and Lumines now “optimised” for Xperia PLAY owners

Some rather huge games from right across the gaming spectrum have been updated with control schemes for Sony Ericsson's gaming phone, with Konami's PES 2011, Pocket Legends and the mobile version of puzzle game classic Lumines now all updated to feature Xperia PLAY control support.

Here's PES 2011 on Android:

If anyone takes a chance on Lumines, could you let us know how it is? We're enormous fans of the PSP original and the version on the Market looks a little bit… “Java”.
source: Eurodroid

Driver: San Francisco – Single-Player Gameplay Video

Check out the latest gameplay video from the upcoming Driver: San Francisco title, highlighting the single-player portion of the game. As mentioned before, this sandbox-style action driving video game will hit PS3, Xbox 360, Wii and PC on August 30th.
source: TechFresh

Nintendo 3DS Now Offers Netflix

After announcing that Nintendo 3DS will offer a 3D video service in Japan, the company has now confirmed that American customers will also enjoy watching videos in 3DS through its partnership with Netflix. Nintendo 3DS users in the United States can download the Netflix app for free, but requires subscription to Netflix to access streaming movies and TV shows.

To download the app, users must first install the 3DS system update that was released last June 6, then head over to Nintendo eShop where the app is available. Aside from Netflix, the eShop also adds four classic Game & Watch titles to its roster.

This new feature is part of Nintendo's strategy to position the Nintendo 3DS as more than just a gaming console.
source: Gadget.com

ASUS G74SX - redefining gaming notebooks

ASUS has just announced the launch of its new Republic of Gamers (ROG) notebook that is said to redefine the gaming notebook standard. Called the G74SX, it features high-end specs that should make running the latest games at the highest settings a walk in the park. The ASUS G74SX packs the second generation Intel Core i7 CPU, an NVIDIA GTX 560M GPU with 3GB of GDDR5 VRAM, support for NVIDIA 3D Vision and 3DTV Play for you to immerse yourself in games, movies and other forms of entertainment with 3D technology.

Other specs include - up to 16GB of DDR3 RAM, 8-channel HD audio with THX TruStudio, Creative EAX Advanced HD 5.0 compatibility, on-the-fly overclocking, ambient lighting, Blu-ray playback, SSD options, or up to 1.5TB HDDs. A 5-degree angled keyboard is provided for comfort, and dual intelligent fans and an upgraded rear venting system keeps your system cool even when gaming long hours. The notebook also comes with an Easy Upgrade Cover that allows users to easily remove the panel under the G74SX with a coin so they can upgrade their memory or HDD on their own with no trouble.

The ASUS G74SX is available now, with prices starting at $1,799.99. Head over to the ASUS website to find out more.
source: Ubergizmo

PlayStation 4 concept

The PlayStation 3 isn't even near its projected 10 year lifecycle yet, although time has surely flown by since the PS3 debuted a few years back, with the advertising tagline that it was the cheapest Blu-ray player in the market at that time. Well, the PS3 has yet to be maximized by developers although they are getting there, which means Sony would do well to be working on a PS4, no? Trust someone to dream up of the PS4 design which you can see above.

Continuing where the slim PS3 left off, this PS4 concept is said to comprise of 60% recyclable materials, magnesium alloy and carbon, using up zero watts of juice while on standby. Before you wonder whether that is possible, it seems that this is done thanks to a switch that will turn the power off from the outlet every half hour, drawing juice from its rechargeable battery for about five minutes to keep it going.

No matter how futuristic the PS4 is, it seems that the future will still see physical media, but this time around you get a 3D Blu-ray optical drive coupled with a ridiculously generous 1.5TB hard drive. Now how about furnishing us with a conceptual price, hmmm?
source: Ubergizmo

Epic Games: people want to spend $6 on iPhone games

How many of you spend money on games for your mobile devices? If you have, how many of you have spent over $5 on a single game before? If you answered yes to both questions and you think you're in the minority: there's more people like you than you think. According to Epic Games, the company behind the hot selling game, Infinity Blade; people are willing to spend money on a game - as long as it's worth it. The over $11 million of revenue they've made from the game alone (and that is after subtracting Apple's cut) proves it.

“Experience tells us that if you create content with high production values the audience will buy it. You're customers, what would you prefer to do: Buy a game like Infinity Blade for $6 with plenty of gameplay, good production values that offers a visceral experience; or pay 99c for something you play once and never ever go back to?” says Epic Games' senior manager, Mika Gamble.

Well, it looks like developers who are thinking of pricing their games at $0.99 might want to think twice after seeing how successful games can be at premium prices. Of course, the quality of the game will have to match its price tag.
source: Ubergizmo

StarCraft Universe (StarCraft 2 MMO mod) Gameplay Trailer released

One of the best things about games that come with official map editors or development kits is the content that comes from the modding community after the game is released. A lot of hit games have started off as small mods that gained massive success. Counter-Strike, Team Fortress, Enemy Territory and Defense of the Ancients - they all started out as user created mods that were created with the official tools.

While StarCraft II has been known more for its competitive ladder gameplay than its user-created mods, there's one mod that really stands out from the crowd. Called StarCraft Universe, it is designed to be a MMO-like mod for SC II. Due to the limitations of the SC II engine and the tools itself, the game won't be a real MMO like what World of Warcraft is in terms of scale. But judging by the recently released gameplay trailer, it looks like it's capable of providing an experience similar to WoW when it comes to character creation, battling, and exploring. But hey - a video trailer is not a substitute for actual gameplay, so don't hold it against us if the gameplay doesn't turn out like the preview in the final version.

While it'll still be awhile before StarCraft players get their hands on the “MMO” mod, it does have Blizzard's blessing to go ahead, so you won't have to worry about the company shutting down the project halfway just because they weren't happy with the use of its intellectual property.
source: Ubergizmo

Konami's Online golf simulator, GOLF CONNECTION

This is the latest digital golf simulator from Konami, called Golf Connection. It uses a high speed camera and sensors to measure the speed, angle and spin of the ball so it can reproduce it accurately in the game. It also measures how well you hit the ball by sensing if it hit the sweet spot of the club. This information as well as videos of your swing are then accessible online via a PC or smartphone.

“Until now, golf simulators had limitations, such as the ball had to be marked, and it had to face a certain direction. But with our new sensor, as long as the ball is within a certain area, it can be placed freely, and there's no need to mark it. These are the main improvements we've made with this simulator.”

If you register with an e-AMUSEMENT PASS or a mobile phone that supports NFC, you can continue playing your game at a later date, as well as join online leaderboards and share your data via social networking services. In training mode, you can compare your current form with data stored on the server and see how you are improving as you play.

“Because you can perform data visualization on your shots, you can see which clubs you're not very good with, or where your form was poor today. If people make good use of this, then beginners can see that they're better today than they were yesterday, and intermediate players can see whether the new club they've bought suits them, by actually hitting the ball. So we think customers will be able to use this simulator in a variety of ways.”

The game features over 150 accurately reproduced courses, and in on-course training mode you can choose not only which hole to play, but the exact location you would like to play from.

“On the green, the tolerance is between a few centimeters to only tens of centimeters, and even on the fairway, it's no more than 30 centimeters. Also, because having obstacles such as branches in the way affects your course strategy quite a lot, we've also reproduced the trees on the courses faithfully.”

This simulator will debut in September 2011, and will be priced substantially lower than the previous version.
source: Akihabara News

Black Ops: Annihilation PC and PS3 To Launch On July 28th

Activision has made a new announcement today that Black Ops' latest DLC pack ‘Annihilation' will hit both PC and PS3 on July 28th. As a reminder, this add-on content will offer four new competitive maps and new zombie area, Shangri-La. [VG247]
source: TechFresh

Batman: Arkham City Collector's Edition (PS3) Now Available For Pre-Order At BestBuy

The Batman: Arkham City Collector's Edition (PS3) is now available for pre-order in the US via BestBuy. Priced at $99.99, the Collector's Edition includes a premium statue, an art book, Gotham Knight animated content, early access to digital add-on content and more. The Batman: Arkham City Collector's Edition (PS3) will begin shipping from October 18th. Pre-order yours now!
source: TechFresh

King Of Fighters XIII Playable At EVO2011 And Otakon

Atlus today announced that the console version of King Of Fighters XIII will be available to play by attendees of EVO 2011 in Las Vegas and Otakon in Baltimore. Only at the EVO 2011 will there be a panel complete with a chance for fans to ask questions directly to one of the producers from the development team. King Of Fighters XIII is scheduled to release in October 2011 for the Sony PlayStation 3 and the Microsoft Xbox 360 consoles. [Vivid Gamer]
source: TechFresh

Play video games on your coffee table with the Platinum Multi Game Arcade Table

Coffee tables can generally be found in living rooms, and they're usually adorned by books which have been termed as "coffee table books", which are typically of the art variety with striking covers and titles, meant to inspire conversation and also help alleviate boredom. If you don't think that you're the artsy type of person or that your friends will probably not appreciate philosophical, art-inspired conversation pieces, then perhaps this arcade coffee table might just be what you need.

Coming in at 3,000 GBP, it sure does not come cheap, although we're guessing that apart from being crafted out of stainless steel, the price probably factored in the cost of a 22-inch LCD monitor, wireless keyboard and a computer running on an Intel Dual Core processor. Liberty Games also claims that the Platinum Multi Game Arcade Table will easily hook up to your hi-fi, flat screen TV and internet, allowing you to surf the web, listen to your songs and watch your movies, all of which can be controlled from the comfort of your coffee table.

So while you and your friends may not get a kick out of discussing art and literature, then perhaps you guys may get a kick out of having a couple of rounds of games on your coffee table instead. If you are interested in furnishing your living room with the Platinum Multi Game Arcade Table, it is available for order from Liberty Game's website.
source: Ubergizmo

Next generation Xbox claimed to produce Avatar-quality graphics

Want a taste of what gaming on next generation consoles is going to be like? Well, according to the folks over at AMD here's what to expect from the next Xbox (speculated to be called the Xbox 720): games that feature graphics that are on par with James Cameron's blockbuster 3D movie: Avatar. At least that's what AMD's director of ISV (Independent Software Vendor) relationships, Neal Robinson told the Official Xbox Magazine.

AMD also claimed that the next Xbox will be powerful enough to give individual AI to every single pedestrian in games with crowds i.e. Grand Theft Auto, Saints Row etc so that each single character will be able to react differently to different actions - no more predictable mob behavior.

While sounding like it knows a lot about what's going on with the new Xbox, AMD has refused to confirm that it'll be providing the GPU for the system though. Whether it's unconfirmed at this stage, or due to private and confidential issues, we don't know. But there's a high chance of AMD providing the GPU for the next Xbox since it already powers the current one. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Avatar-style graphics sounds great, but since we don't have an ETA for the next Xbox, there's a possibility that by then; we'll probably be capable of graphics that put Avatar to shame.
source: Ubergizmo

ModernWarfare3.com leads to an anti-MW3 website

If you've been looking for official information concerning Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, it looks like you'll be better off starting from the official Call of Duty website. It was recently discovered that the domain name, modernwarfare3.com, has been registered to someone who has no love for the game and is attempting to bring it down.

At first, when users accessed the site, it would lead users to the official Battlefield 3 website instead. This led people to think that EA was pulling off a very gutsy promotional stunt (similar to IE7.com). But now, it has its own content discussing about Modern Warfare 3 and saying how it's just going to be a rehash of MW2.

The site looks pretty unprofessionally done, which leads us to believe it was done by some disgruntled fan instead of EA (could be a ruse though). Regardless, Activision obviously isn't too happy about this and has filed a complaint to the National Arbitration Forum (the body in charge of domain names on the internet). What do you think of this website? Do you think it was done by EA?
source: Ubergizmo