Read + Write + Report
Home | Start a blog | About Orble | FAQ | Sites | Writers | Advertise | My Orble | Login

Technology View - by Arun On Technology

Gaming - Technology View

The $18 billion video game company

Due Credit: TechRepublic
Activision and Blizzard the two leaders in the console and the multi player games segments have joined hands to form Activision Blizzard, a $18 billion entity that is a direct competition to EA( Electronic Arts).

EA has had a history of backing great titles and it is to be seen if the new entity can compete with EA on that front. Not to forget that with great processing power coming packed into most of the mobile devices, gaming is just waiting to take off in a big way.



Activision Blizzard



Add CommentsAdd Comments
39
Vote
[ Link ]
December 3rd 2007 @ 12:14

Posted By: Arun On Technology - Category: Software, Tech News, Gaming
   


Sony Vs. The Legend of Zelda

Due Credit: Sony, Wiii, Activision
Hardcore gamers and parents finally have something in common: They feel an electric, palpable intensity invading their collective psyches, a burning sensation that's compelling them to compete with one another to score a certain item. That item? The highly coveted PlayStation 3, courtesy of Sony.

The vast majority of gaming enthusiasts combing the retail shelves will come up empty-handed because there's just too much demand. Unfortunately, Sony is having a hard time producing the machine, but that's to be expected, because, it seems, new, powerful consoles always have difficulties. Nevertheless, according to the Associated Press, Sony intends to meet its goal of moving 2 million units by the end of this year and 6 million units by March.


It's too bad Sony couldn't have gotten all of them out before the turn of the year. By now, the momentum behind the Nintendo Wii has become a well-known story, and that's got to sting the executives at the electronics giant. Not only that, but the Nintendo DS is taking attention away from the company's PSP system. In my area, no one is having a problem snagging a PSP; finding a DS -- especially a pink one -- is an exercise in excruciating torture. The one-two punch of the DS and the Wii will be difficult to overcome. In fact, the Wii's unique controller system is panning out as one heck of an innovation, almost turning every game into a must-play story. The true killer app, of course, is the new entry in one of the most famous fantasy franchises in gaming -- The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. You use the dual-controller system as a sword and a shield -- who could ask for anything more? Stepping away from the Nintendo company for a second, Reuters reported that the best-selling video game in November didn't come from Sony, Activision , or Electronic Arts, but was Gears of War, the new killer app Epic Games developed exclusively for Microsoft's Xbox 360. Market research firm NPD said that 1 million copies have already been sold. This is yet another impetus for the PlayStation brand to get moving.

Should Sony's system be counted out? Even with all its problems, I'd say the answer is no. The reason is simple: The PlayStation 3 isn't always going to be in short supply. Several months from now, no one will recall a day when there was precious little chance of snagging the new console with Blu-ray capability. Plus, one has to wonder if the Wii controller system might eventually fall flat. After all, it definitely does require a higher physical commitment -- will users, especially those in the casual camp, yearn for the days when one merely pressed buttons instead of waving a remote-control-like device?

Right now, the honeymoon between the Wii and consumers shows no sign of ending. But when Sony moves those 6 million units, and when the power of the new hardware's Cell processor is in front of a mass audience, it will be fascinating to see how the dynamic changes.
Comments (3)Comments (3) Add CommentsAdd Comments
72
Vote
[ Link ]
December 17th 2006 @ 03:16

Posted By: Kams - Category: Gaming
   


2007 Independent Game Festival finalists

Due Credit: IGF
The IGF(Independent Game Festival) organizers have announced the Main Competition
IGF
finalists for the 2007 Independent Games Festival, from an amazing field of 141 entries this year. Nominations are led by Bit Blot's dreamlike, innovatively controlled 2D underwater adventure title Aquaria, which garnered 4 nominations, including one for the Seumas McNally Grand Prize. Other notable IGF finalists grabbing nominations for design-related innovation include DigiPen-constructed first-person shooter set in a world of blocks (which act as both terrain and weapons!), Toblo, as well as NABI Software's extremely original turn-based ragdoll fighting game Toribash. Elsewhere, Best Web Browser Game finalists include Amanita Design's beautifully drawn adventure title Samorost 2, Visual Art finalists also have a plethora of highlights, including The Behemoth's Xbox Live Arcade title Castle Crashers.

Finally, the Excellence In Audio category includes Skinflake's Racing Pitch, in which the player uses a microphone to imitate a car engine in order to power his on-screen vehicle, and Technical Excellence also has a multitude of stand-outs, including Cryptic Sea's physics puzzler Blast Miner and EvStream's multiplayer space title Armada Online."

The full list of finalists for the IGF Main Competition, all of whom will be showing their games at the IGF Pavilion during Game Developers Conference in March 2007, are as follows:

Seumas McNally Grand Prize:Aquaria - Bit Blot; Armadillo Run - Peter Stock; Bang! Howdy - Three Rings Design; RoboBlitz - Naked Sky Entertainment; Everyday Shooter - Queasy Games.

Best Web Browser Game:
Bubble Islands - dot-invasion; Gamma Bros - Pixeljam; Samorost 2 - Amanita Design.

Design Innovation Award: Armadillo Run - Peter Stock; Aquaria - Bit Blot ; Everyday Shooter - Queasy Games; Toblo - Digipen Institute of Technology; Toribash - NABI Software.

Excellence In Visual Art: Castle Crashers - The Behemoth; Golf? - Luke Hetherington Company; Aquaria - Bit Blot; RoboBlitz - Naked Sky Entertainment; Samorost 2 - Amanita Design.

Excellence In Audio:
Bone: The Great Cow Race - Telltale Games; Everyday Shooter - Queasy Games; FizzBall - Grubby Games; Aquaria - Bit Blot; Racing Pitch - Skinflake.

Technical Excellence: Arcane Legions: The Rising Shadow - Slitherine Software; Armada Online - EvStream; Bang! Howdy - Three Rings Design; Blast Miner - Cryptic Sea; Bugs Of War - NinjaBee.

The winners of each of these categories, including an Audience Award for which every finalist is eligible, will be announced at the IGF Awards ceremony on the evening of Wednesday, March 7th 2007 at Game Developers Conference, when more than $50,000 in cash prizes will be given away.

(There are also two impending announcements about the rest of the 2007 IGF finalists - IGF Modding finalists will be announced on December 18th, and the IGF Student finalists on January 4th, 2007.)
Add CommentsAdd Comments
34
Vote
[ Link ]
December 11th 2006 @ 00:48

Posted By: Kams - Category: Gaming
   


3DU Game development contest

Due Credit: iDevGames & Unity3D for providing information
yes you see it right! Game development contest. iDevGames, home of the world's most renowned Mac game development contests, and Over The Edge Entertainment, the masterminds behind the cutting-edge game technology Unity, invites developers to put their skills to the test by creating 3D unique games in just 28 days!
3DU Game Contest
3DU Game Development Contest

It's absolutely free to join, and have some serious goodies as prizes. The prizes are
[ Click here to read more ]
Read MoreRead More Add CommentsAdd Comments
22
Vote
[ Link ]
November 24th 2006 @ 03:47

Posted By: Kams - Category: Gaming
   


Weblo-Creating virtual economy

Until now Secondlife was the only virtual game that gives a feeling of living in virtual land. But Weblo is introduced, not only with the virtual life but also virtual economy, can be turned into real life cash. Weblo is an interesting online game that mirrors a few financial aspects of the real world. You can buy virtual real estate (like cities, parks, villas, landmarks etc.) and collect taxes on developments on your land. Virtual copies of the real world exist and are available for sale on Weblo. You can set yourself up as the agent of the virtual version of a real-world celebrity. And you can buy domain names inside Weblo's universe.
Weblo virtual banners
Weblo Virtual Reality

You buy, of course, so you can sell later, hopefully at a nice multiple to what you paid. Why would somebody want to buy your properties at the first place? So he or she can sell it to the next person, of course. Weblo is a trading game, with a currency of real U.S. dollars. Fortunately prices for Weblo analogs of real-world items are not equivalent. For example, I created a virtual Twin Tower building and bought it for about $3.50 (the price included a few cents of tax, paid to the owner of NY City). As I mentioned it’s a virtual game, but others would consider it a market, and certainly you can make real cash here. Some people actually have bought virtual properties at Weblo's startup prices and flipped them for thousands of dollars. You can cash out of Weblo whenever you want, and transfer your earnings into your PayPal account


[ Click here to read more ]
Read MoreRead More Add CommentsAdd Comments
27
Vote
[ Link ]
October 15th 2006 @ 18:06

Posted By: Kams - Category: Gaming
   




[ Technology View Home ] [ Create A New Post ]
Moderated by Arun On Technology
Copyright © 2006 2007 2008 On Topic Media PTY LTD. All Rights Reserved. Design by Vimu.com.
On Topic Media ZPages: Sydney |  Melbourne |  Brisbane |  London |  Birmingham |  Leeds     [ Advertise ] [ Contact Us ] [ Privacy Policy ]