It was only meant to be a prototype. But 40 years after the computer mouse first scrolled its way into the public consciousness, new touch-screen technology could be about to consign the mouse to the annals of history.
The computer mouse was the creation of Doug Engelbart and his team at the Stanford Research Institute in California, who needed a simple way of controlling their computers. The result was a carved wooden block mounted on wheels, with a long cable trailing out the back. One researcher nicknamed it a mouse, and the moniker stuck.
"We thought that when it had escaped out to the world it would have a more dignified name," said Mr Engelbart. "But it didn't."
The mouse made its debut at a presentation in San Francisco in 1968 to show off a working network computer system. Before the invention of the mouse, people working on computers used a light pen, similar to those wielded by radar operators during the war, to navigate around... More »
The mysterious “PS3mote”, the Wii-mote-like PS3 controller that has been talked about numerous times over the past 2 years the PS3 has been released. Every gamer knows the power of a controller like this. The Nintendo Wii is the best selling console this generation, and let’s face it... It’s because of the controller.
A controller that is so user friendly, that even grandma, and grandpa can pick it up, not be intimidated, and have a blast. That’s the appeal, everyone has used a remote for their TV, their VCR, their DVD player. The remote is an icon in American (and I am sure many other) culture.
Videos from NVISION08 can be seen below... Enjoy all.
To quote via PlayStation Underground: Tomorrow, we are releasing a new version of PlayStation Home called PlayStation Home 1.0. This version will add some exciting new features and fix several known bugs, preparing us for launch into Open Beta. You can find the full list of new features below.
Highlights include new emotes and dance moves for avatars, new arcade games, new ways to launch into games from PlayStation Home, a new game rewards system, and much, much more! We think you’ll enjoy these many changes and improvements.
Home will be down for a period of time tomorrow to prepare for the launch of Version 1.0. I will let you know in the forums when it is back up.
We will be inviting a tremendous number of new beta testers soon, and conducting a massive load test this Friday night, November 21st. We will have an event to celebrate the moment. Stay tuned for further information as your assistance with this event is greatly appreciated.
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Here's the public presentation of Heavy Rain for the PlayStation 3 made by its Producer at Micromania Games Show 2008 in Paris.
- In this demo, the player takes the role of a young journalist who is investigating on several girls' disappearances, she goes to a house of a former taxi driver who is suspected of killing these women. In this presentation, the Producer of the game shows 2 different ways to finish this demo, there are lots of different ways to get through the story.
- Multiple view camera system, not always behind the girl.
- The demo is fully playable, no cut-scenes, the player can control the girl at any time.
- The Sixaxis motion sensor is used in the game to make different moves (open a window, raise or hit on an object, etc.).
- It is possible to hear what is happening in the mind of the character, so the player knows the different choices that are available.
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By now, the term 'Next-gen' has transformed itself into 'Current-gen' in the minds of videogame enthusiasts. Gamers all across the world have seen what the consoles are capable of, played the cream of the crop, bickered about which version has more Trees, etc.
While there have been a few flops this Gen (Yes, we're looking at YOU Too Human & Lair) there have certainly been plenty of hits. With excellent software having been released for all 3 platforms, we turn our attention to the teams behind the software.
#5- Nintendo EAD (Mario Galaxy, Wii Sports, LOZ: Twilight Princess)
Nintendo's dramatic shift into casual gaming caused a lot of anger and complaints: "Why all the casual games?!?", "Do they even care about core gamers?!! "What The heck is WiiFit?", all these were questions thrown at the Japanese video game juggernaut.
While it's clear the 'Old Nintendo' is long gone, the 'new' Nintendo still has the most valuable feature of... More »
Elaborating on the earlier Burnout Paradise: The Ultimate Box Announcement, today Criterion Games Producer Jeremy Chubb has detailed what's in store for Burnout Paradise including the Burnout Paradise Network and the Burnout Paradise Party Pack.
Phew! Another big week, here at Criterion Games, but it’s great to be back on the blog! Today, we made the first of a series of announcements calling out our 2009 Burnout Paradise content.
So first up, we’re talking about the in-game browser for the PLAYSTATION 3. We always like to embrace the great hardware innovations for PlayStation. We’re using the browser to bring you closer to your friends and also to get you the latest news on what we’re working on – it’s like having criteriongames.com inside the game.
We’ll bring you all the latest on this PlayStation-exclusive feature... More »
Five Tomb Raider Underworld gameplay videos have hit the Web today courtesy of IGN.
The cutscenes are all done in the realtime engine with fluid motion and performance capture, though a few visual effects from the higher-end consoles had to be scaled back for the Wii presentation.
The caption reads as follows: Lara Croft attempts to unravel the secrets behind Thor's Hammer in Tomb Raider Underworld.
GameDaily has posted its review of SOCOM Confrontation, and it certainly doesn't make for pretty reading. Their primary negative factor rests around its online problems and glitches, which they state make it a 'confrontation worth avoiding'. Harsh, but not as bad as the rating - a mere 5/10 (BAD in their terms).
To quote: It's sad that these problems occur, because the rest of SOCOM Confrontation is superb. The visuals are surprisingly crisp, with a steady frame rate (even with 32 players at once), gorgeous map designs, smooth character models and realistic lighting effects. It all unfolds at 1280 X 720 resolution, so you've always got a clear view of what's ahead.
Sound quality is also unparalleled. Weapons go off in all directions and bullets whiz past. If you fork over the extra $20 for the bundle, you'll also get the excellent Bluetooth headset. This device works magnificently, not only delivering crystal-clear sound but also blocking out unnecessary back... More »
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