Watch these guys try driving a car from a drone’s point of view
It’s a pretty well-known fact that if you’re looking for a proper sense of speed in a racing game, you play from either the cockpit or bumper viewpoint. Using the chase cam isn’t exactly natural, and really, how is it even realistic? Well, thanks to the future we now live in, that question’s been answered: drones. To see just what it’d be like to drive a car from that omniscient point of view, YouTuber Tom Scott played emergency spotter as pals tooled around a closed course wearing a pair of video goggles receiving real-time footage from the trailing hexacopter.
However, unlike the 1080p video we get to see in the clip, the driver’s view looks more akin to a garish mashup of a GameBoy and PlayStation game. If you’re looking for high-speed thrills, it’s best to point your browser elsewhere — driving “blind” means careful, deliberate maneuvers are the order of the day here. For something a little more, well, gamey, check out Rooster Teeth’s (of Red vs. Blue fame) take on third-person driving from a few years back.
[Thanks, Tom!]
Filed under: Cameras, Gaming, Transportation
Source: YouTube
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GameStop’s trade-in pricing is now less confusing
You’ve brushed up on memorizing lines of dialog from Goldeneye, yeah? Well good, because they’ll come in handy now that GameStop has confirmed the specifics of its new system for selling back the games you no longer want. The outfit has issued a press release that it’s moving from a ten price-point system for trade values down to four: cash, credit and cash or credit with its in-store loyalty system — the latter of which will net the most for your transaction. What’s it all mean? Well, apparently there are now over 100 titles that are worth at least $20 should you want to pre-order Destiny come August 18th. We wouldn’t count on any of them being more than a year old, though.
[Image credit: Alamy]
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD
Source: GameStop
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What you need to know about ‘Minecraft’
Chances are that if you don’t play Minecraft yourself, you’ve probably at least heard of it or know someone who does. The charming indie game has invaded nearly every facet of pop culture, casting its blocky spell on everything from Legos to feature films and has even been used for tourism. With over 54 million copies sold, Sweden-based developer Mojang made $128 million last year largely thanks to Minecraft and has become one of the most successful game studios in the world. But what actually is Minecraft? We’re glad you asked!
WHAT IS IT?
At its core, Minecraft is a massive, open-ended, first-person game with a focus on exploration and crafting.
Every time you load a new game, the environment is randomly assembled so no two plays will be exactly alike. Unlike most games, Minecraft offers little in the way of directions, or a campaign/story mode to work through for that matter: It’s a free-form, easygoing affair with the player figuring out what they can and can’t do through trial and error (or by scouring a wiki). Think something like Grand Theft Auto‘s gigantic environment, but instead of attempting a hyper-realistic world, everything is pixelated blocks.
Objects in the world are made of gravity-defying, 1 x 1 blocks that can be stacked and manipulated to form just about anything one could imagine, from intricate recreations of Game of Thrones‘ Westeros, to movie posters, and even Game Boy emulators capable of playing the first level from Super Mario Land. Hell, the Danish government has servers running so would-be tourists can check out a 1:1 recreation of the happiest country replete with highways, houses and landmarks.
Minecraft’s official trailer, which now has over 98 million views on YouTube
That’s just the tip of the iceberg, though, and we’re sure there are at least a few crazy projects going right now that we don’t even know about.
There’s no score, and no real “end” (though that’s up for debate, and we’d be spoiling bits if we got into the argument too deeply here). In the game’s main mode, you start in a world full of resources (rock, wood, etc.) and are “tasked” with making a life for your character (who’s named Steve). A day/night cycle provides constraints: use the daylight to gather resources and build, with the intent of surviving the night.
The Creeper in his natural environment
Zombie-like creatures roam the land at night, and the only way to survive is by building housing to keep them out. Should that not provide enough challenge, a green enemy lovingly named the “creeper” lives primarily underground, where you mine for resources. Enter the wrong mining cavern and you may end up suddenly exploded. Any resources you’ve got on your person remain where you died until you can go retrieve them. It’s a delight!
The game is available on just about every platform: Android, iOS, Mac, PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, with updated versions coming to the PS Vita, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One this year. Minecraft was initially released for free as a work-in-progress back in May 2009 and developed by one person, Markus “Notch” Persson. Since then, numerous updates have been released, with the full release coming about two-and-a-half years later in November 2011. Essentially, the public was playing along as the game was being developed under its very fingertips.
WHY SHOULD I CARE?
For starters, single-developer games are pretty rare, and ones that are this successful are even more unique. As a result, Notch has become a bit of a celebrity in the gaming community and now has some 1.7 million followers on Twitter. Minecraft‘s success, however, has had a price. After filing for a trademark for Mojang’s follow-up, Scrolls, publisher Bethesda Softworks (known for the role-playing series The Elder Scrolls, among others), filed a trademark lawsuit over the Swedish developer using the word “scrolls.” It all worked out in the end, but Mojang had to agree to not use the word in subsequent releases.
Winterfell, from Game of Thrones, recreated entirely in Minecraft
Minecraft is also the progenitor of releasing a game to players before it’s done. The concept of PC-gaming platform Steam’s Early Access program practically owes its existence to this, and it isn’t going to stop there either. Sony has admitted that it’s flirting with the idea of releasing unfinished, alpha versions of games on the PS4, too.
Notch’s baby has also had a tremendous impact on video games as a whole, creating an entire genre and style of play. Titles like Rust (which also happens to be a Steam Early Access title), Terraria and the upcoming PS4 stunner No Man’s Sky likely wouldn’t exist had Minecraft not popularized the idea of virtual free-form exploration and building. Even established franchises like Everquest have taken notice, with the next game, Landmark, taking a few pages out of Minecraft‘s customization and crafting book.
The game is also a blank canvas that can be used for just about anything. Sure, recreations of Great Britain are impressive, but even more so is that it’s been used in the classroom as a teaching tool for proper online behavior and collaborative problem-solving. It’s even been implemented to get kids interested in architecture and civics.
A group of kids playing Minecraft Edu at school
WHAT’S THE ARGUMENT?
Getting access to a game before it’s fully finalized might sound like a great idea on paper, but in practice that’s not always the case. There are numerous games on Steam right now under the Early Access banner that are simply unplayable. Whereas Minecraft was free to start, people are paying for these test-builds (which will convert into the full version if completed) in the hopes that eventually the full release will fix the gamut of glitches they’re encountering. The thing is, that’s placing an awful lot of faith in oftentimes unproven developers to finish a game; there have already been notable disasters delisted from Steam, and there will assuredly be more.
WANT EVEN MORE?
If you can put the pickax down long enough, check out Rolling Stone‘s recent profile of Notch that chronicles the effects his youth and father’s suicide had on both the way he designs games and him as a person. Should you want even deeper inside the man’s head, Persson also maintains a personal blog. Still not satisfied? How about booking travel to Europe for this year’s Minecon convention? Better gear up with a Creeper mask and foam diamond-sword ahead of time, though. Or, maybe you haven’t played the game just yet and all of this has gotten you curious to try it out. Well, there’s a super-limited free demo that should give you an idea of what it’s all about before you buy the real deal.
[Image credits: Fortunatemend/Imgur (Winterfell); KJarrett/Flickr (Minecraft classroom)]
Filed under: Cellphones, Desktops, Gaming, Handhelds, Home Entertainment, Tablets, Software, HD, Sony, Microsoft
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Will Steam challenge iTunes and Google Play for your media-buying cash?
The only thing that’s better than using Steam is digging through its source code to see what’s coming in the future. On a recent trawl through the digital store’s inner workings, Twitter’s @SteamDB found the words film, tvseries and music as app types that people could, theoretically, buy. If so, then Valve might be ready to get serious about Steam’s ability to rival other digital storefronts from Google and Apple, which is logical, since Valve’s platform has around 75 million registered users. Of course, these options might be just be tweaks to existing functionality, since game soundtracks and one movie are already available on the service. Hell, it could even be an amendment to the Steam Music Beta, enabling people to binge on locally-stored content while playing — but we’d give props to the person who could enjoy DOTA 2 and Breaking Bad at the same time.
[Image credit: @SteamDB]
Via: IGN
Source: SteamDB (Twitter)
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‘Football Manager’ will help actual football managers to find new players
Back in 2008, Everton FC raised eyebrows when it announced that it’d use the player database from the video game Football Manager to scout future recruits. A few years later, however, and now every other manager in the league will have access to the same information. That’s because statistics company Prozone has signed a deal to integrate Sports Interactive’s highly-detailed catalog of over 80,000 players into its Recruiter platform. That means that Sam Allardyce and Ronald Koeman will be using the same database to hunt for unpolished gems that we’ve all been playing for the better part of 15 years. Now that all the managers will be playing Football Manager, we just hope that someone recognizes our genius and gives us a shot at a top club — after all, we did take Wycombe Wanderers to the Champions League.
Filed under: Gaming
Via: The Mirror
Source: Sports Interactive, Prozone
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Judge rules against NCAA in case over using athletes’ likenesses
After a group of former college athletes including Ed O’Bannon, Bill Russell and Oscar Robertson sued the NCAA and EA over the uncompensated use of their likeness in videogames and other media, EA and the NCAA reached a settlement last year for about $60 million. Today, ESPN reports that a judge has ruled on the case in favor of the athletes, saying the “NCAA rules unreasonably restrain trade.” In a 99-page ruling (posted by USA Today), US District Judge Claudia Wilken decided the NCAA can’t stop football and basketball student-athletes from being paid for the use of their name and likeness, but did allow the NCAA to set a cap on the amount the amount of compensation they can receive while in school, as long as it’s now below the cost of attendance. The NCAA can also cap the amount of money schools or conferences could deposit in a licensing trust that’s payable when athletes leave school or their eligibility runs out, but it would have to be at least $5,000 per year at big schools. In a statement, the NCAA said “We disagree with the Court’s decision that NCAA rules violate antitrust laws” and promised further comment later.
An injunction against the organization won’t take effect until the next recruiting cycle, but it will not be stayed pending any appeal. The plaintiffs themselves aren’t due to receive any damages, but this does put future athletes in line for a cut of the lucrative ($838 million last year) TV contracts and other licensing that occurs. EA had put a hold on its college games, but this could put them closer to a return, and could see the next Johnny Manziel counting some real cash.
Source: ESPN, Reuters, CBS Sports, Bloomberg, NCAA, USA Today
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Game to start selling digital game and DLC codes for the Xbox One and 360
Retailer Game is finally back on stable ground after a few turbulent years its brother-in-arms Gamestation wasn’t lucky enough to survive. No doubt last year’s console launches begat a healthy cash injection, but beyond the obvious products that keep tills ringing, Game’s never shied away from trying new things. After adding Steam vouchers, tablets and Android consoles to its stores, it’ll also begin selling digital game and DLC download codes for the Xbox One and 360 from August 15th. Game already sells codes for PlayStation Network titles and DLC, and last month also began stocking full PS Vita game codes. It may seem counterintuitive to visit a shop for something you can purchase direct on-console, but it works for those who want to keep their card details offline, or can only pay with pocket money. And it’s not like they take up much shelf space, either.
Filed under: Gaming, HD, Microsoft
Via: MCV
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The Alienware 13 is the smallest and lightest gaming laptop in Dell’s lineup
Y’all remember the Alienware M11x, right? That compact, netbook-sized gaming laptop with the glowing keyboard that made it look like a spaceship? Anyway, Dell discontinued it back in 2012, only to release several big-screen machines the following year. Well, it looks like someone at the company saw the error of their ways: Dell just announced the Alienware 13, and while it’s not the brand’s smallest notebook ever, it’s definitely the smallest the company has put out in quite some time.
The machine won’t arrive until November, unfortunately, but for now, here’s what we know: This little guy will weigh in at 4.5 pounds — about two pounds lighter than the Alienware 14. It will also measure less than an inch thick, making it an obvious competitor to the super-thin Razer Blade. Similar to the Blade, which rocks a 3,200 x 1,800 touchscreen, the Alienware 13 will be offered with a 2,560 x 1,440 touch panel. Keep it mind, though, that it will actually come standard with 1,366 x 768 resolution. There will also be an in-between 1080p option, according to Dell. Neither of those will support touch, however — just something to consider as you’re going through all the configuration options online.
On the inside, it makes use of NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX 860M GPU, and can be configured with either an SSD or a traditional hard drive. It will eventually rock Intel’s next-gen Broadwell CPUs too, just not at launch. Keep it mind that these are still full-voltage processors, so while the Alienware 13 might have a smaller footprint, you probably shouldn’t expect it to run any cooler. The battery, meanwhile, is rated for up to eight hours of video playback, though surely the runtime will drop once you’re playing games unplugged. No word on price yet, or even full spec options. Dell says it’ll reveal all that sometime… later, closer to when the machine goes on sale. Until then, enjoy the hands-on photos.
Filed under: Gaming, Laptops, Dell
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Every game in EA’s on-demand service will always be in supply
So you’re excited about the prospect of paying one low fee for all-you-can-eat, erm, access to a swath of Electronic Arts’ games on Xbox One, yeah? Well the outfit has a few new details that might make its EA Access service a bit more enticing. For starters, any games on tap in “the Vault” won’t disappear once they’ve been added. That means that Battlefield 4, Madden 25, Peggle 2 and FIFA 14 from the beta aren’t going anywhere, EA’s COO Peter Moore tells CVG. He also says that additional AAA games will be en route, but that EA hasn’t quite figured out the specifics of when just yet. Moore notes that the Vault’s catalog will be “substantial” and that new, permanent, additions to it will be determined based on franchise and timing. “We have to make decisions along that way, so there’s no template, like 30 days after a game ships it goes into the Vault,” he says. Could EA be preparing the Vault for Titanfall? We’ll have to wait and see.
[Image credit: Getty Images]
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD
Via: Boy Genius Report
Source: CVG
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Twitch CEO apologizes for how new policies rolled out, says improvements are coming
When game-broadcasting service Twitch announced yesterday that it was making some major changes to how it operates, well, it wasn’t pretty. To do some damage control CEO Emmett Shear took to Reddit in the form of an AMA today in an effort to bring a bit of transparency to the whole situation. First and foremost, the perhaps most controversial new aspect (audio muting with unlicensed music) will not affect live broadcasts. It won’t have any bearing on games with original compositions, either. However, that archived stream of you driving from one end of Grand Theft Auto V’s San Andreas to the other, top down, Rebel Radio blaring, is almost assuredly going to be muted. As one Reddit commenter pointed out, this will have dire consequences on something like expert-difficulty play-through videos from the Rock Band series, which are incredibly dependent on copyrighted music, for instance.
Shear was candid about how Twitch mucked up the lack of communication ahead of time, in general, specifically noting the aforementioned music issue and the immediate shutdown of the general-purpose streaming service Justin.tv. He said that by giving some breathing room between announcing and implementing changes to the video on demand (VOD) service, his team has already been able to make changes to yesterday’s proposal. For example, the two-hour time limit imposed on highlight reels is going by the wayside. He promised a forthcoming blog post detailing any additional changes, too. And if you’re curious as to just what these new rules and regulations are building toward, Shear teased that accessing its countless gigabytes of stored footage on every platform (instead of just live broadcasts) could be coming in the future — unlike a confirmation on that undying Google rumor.
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD
Via: Recode
Source: Reddit
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AIVAnet 