For those of you who have been waiting to Nvidia to enter catch up to the Direct X 11 market, you will be pleased to know Nvidia is launching their first GF100 based graphics cards probably by the end of Q1 2010. The first two cards have been named the GeForce GTX 480 and GTX 470, completely skipping over the 300’s. Nvidia’s GeForce 300 series GPU’s are currently marketed to the less demanding consumer/gamer. We can’t wait to get our hands on the GTX 480 and see how it holds up to the competition from ATI. [Source]
Today while I was talking with a couple of developers from Bioware, I asked about digital distribution on the PC. They told me that they recently secured a deal with Steam for Mass Effect 2. A quick search in the Steam Store reveals that Mass Effect 2 will be available on Steam in time for the January 26 release date. The only thing missing is a price and whether or not a preload will be available for the next installment of the sci-fi saga.
After Microsoft announced Game Room at their keynote address at CES, it was only a matter of time before we would get our hands on it. Contrary to some beliefs, Game Room is nothing like Playstation Home, nope not at all. In fact, you never take control of your Avatar and navigate the room. Instead, the camera just goes over each arcade machine as you browse the different classics. Its actually very nice to use because every arcade machine is organized by platform and every platform has its own little alcove in the Game Room. I played Centipede and am glad to report that the port to the Xbox platform was very good. The game appeared to be upscaled so lines and text appeared to be sharp on the HDTV connected to the Xbox 360. Each game in the Game Room can be played for free before you choose to buy it. Each game can then be played like classic arcade machines by costing 50 Microsoft Points per game. If you want to buy a game for the Xbox 360, each will cost approximately 240 Microsoft Points. Since Game Room is also available on Windows, each game can be bought for 400 Microsoft Points, granting access for Xbox 360 Game Room and Game Room on Windows. Game Room is expected to launch on the Xbox Live this Spring 2010.
One of the more interesting gadgets I saw today was the Sonic Walk from Creanovative. The Sonic Walk is a light weight harness that you wear over your shoulders that has two speakers. I tried one of their water resistant models on the show floor and was pleasantly surprised by the quality and volume of the sound that filled my immediate area. The speakers are located just in front of the shoulders on each side and are connected to a source through wires embedded in the vest. The Sonic Walk comes in a variety of models that include different pouches and some even have support for a water bladder. Currently, the Sonic Walk is available for order online. I could see obnoxious Segway gliders easily adopting this into their gadget inventory.
For those of you who are looking for new innovative computer interfaces, the Peregrine is for you. The Peregrine is a glove that you wear on your left and that has tiny stainless steel wires on each finger and on the palm of the hand which complete a circuit when the contracts are touched in different patterns. The Peregrine can also read multiple touches at the same time so it can register multiple contacts for holding down two keys. The glove has over 30 user recordable actions which can be completely customized for the user. The Peregrine connects to a computer via a USB cable which is magnetically attached to the actual glove for quick attachment. One employee boasted that an experienced user of the Peregrine could type at up to 80 WPM. The Glove is supposedly designed to military standards so it should hold up after lots of use. While I did not get to wear the glove or see it in actual use, it seemed like an impressive gaming interface that anyone who loves to use macros will enjoy. The Peregrine glove is available in three sizes for pre-order for 129.99; the Peregrine will retail for 149.99 when it becomes available later this year. When Peregrine gets their systems up and running, I might go back to try it on.
To no ones surprise, Halo has been a great success for Microsoft and Bungie. In case you didn’t already know this, Microsoft’s President of Entertainment and Devices Robert J. Bach listed some statistics that show how well Halo has done as a franchise.
During Microsoft’s keynote address, Entertainment and Devices President Robert Bach revealed Game Room, a service that will allow people to enjoy classic arcade games on their Xbox360 in their native form: the arcade. Bach introduced Game Room by filling the convention hall with 8-bit sounds from old classics including Centipede, Tempest and Asteroids. In Game Room, Xbox Live avatars will play in a virtual private arcade filled with classic arcade machines. Avatars appeared to react to the arcade machines in different ways depending on your scores; a video showed a Avatar kicking the bottom of the an arcade machine. Game Room will allow Live players experience classic arcade games with new leader boards and other forms of competitive play. There was no direct word on pricing. Game Room should be available sometime in 2010 for Xbox Live and Games for Windows Live. More images after the jump.
Today after a brief power outage, Steve Ballmer delivered the first keynote address to everyone at CES. Ballmer focused mainly on the success of the release of Windows 7 despite the hard economic times. Ballmer showed new Slate computers running full versions of Windows 7. New 2010 features of Powerpoint were also revealed. But in Rotpod style, we take great interest in the gaming news. The President of Microsoft’s Entertainment and Devices division Robert Bach confirmed that Project Natal for the Xbox 360 will indeed be available for 2010’s holiday season. Bach was very enthusiastic about 2010 for Microsoft because project Natal will revolutionize the user experience. Bach explained it’s not about losing the controller, its about creating user interfaces that people find natural. While Project Natal was not demonstrated on-stage, a video mashup showed developers and product testers praising Natal as the next big thing in the industry. Microsoft is wisely setting dates for their motion controller because this may contribute to stronger sales leading up to the holiday season.
Motorola may be unveiling two new phones next week at CES in Las Vegas, NV according to Trip Chowdhry, a Global Equites Research analyst. On top of their flagship Motorola Droid on Verizon, Motorola may be releasing yet another device on the network featuring an OLED screen with no physical keyboard. Also rumored is a new phone for AT&T featuring an OLED screen as well as a physical keyboard. The GSM phone may not be running Motorola’s Motoblur UI as seen on the Motorola Cliq, instead opting for the Google Experience as seen on the Motorola Droid. All should be answered at Motorola’s scheduled event at 5:30PM PST on January 6 2010.
Early next year, Rotpod will be expanding by going to CES 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada. We will be providing coverage of the latest technologies as they are announced at CES. While at heart we look for gaming related content, we will be reporting on a wide variety of subjects. Get ready to read, hear, and watch the coolest gadgets as they are unveiled early next month.
It’s been almost 2 months since the first Android 2.0 device hit the market, the Motorola Droid on Verizon Wireless. Since launch in November, I made the switch to Verizon because the release of the Motorola Droid has finally brought a device to Verizon which has a chance at competing with the iPhone currently available exclusively with AT&T Wireless. This a comparison of my experiences on both mobile platforms.
The next title of the Halo franchise is coming up right around the corner, and the latest trailer is good enough to excite people who’ve never even played any of the games before. Such an awesome trailer has left me at a loss for words, so I’ll just let you all see it right now.
Oh, there is one thing. Please let Peter Jackson’s Halo movie go into production!
It is no secret that everyone was expecting, or even deserved to see, a drop in the price of the PS3. With a console that started at $599 USD three years ago, everyone was waiting to see when Sony would begin to appeal to the majority of consumers who aren’t willing to drop that much on a video game console. But, the question is now that it has come, is it enough to bring Sony back into the console war?
The PS3 Slim is a console that is going to retail for $299 starting in early September. It will come with a 120GB harddrive and is 34% lighter and smaller than the original PS3; this PS3, however, has a matte finish and no longer features the option for installing a secondary operating system.
The Nintendo Wii has heavily dominated the market and brought countless people who have never played video games into the market, but the Xbox 360 has been the console of choice for most people who can only purchase a single console and want a more adult experience than the Wii. The PS3 has always had the advantage of a built-in BluRay player, but the reasonable price difference that Microsoft has kept between it’s console and the PS3 and exclusive games made the BluRay feature more of an added bonus for buying a PS3 than a true decision changer in choosing a console.
The game changes a bit now that the Xbox 360 Elite, the version of the Xbox that is most comparable to the PS3, is $100 dollars more expensive and lacks a Bluray player. There is still a version of the Xbox 360 at the $299 price-point, but it features a 60GB harddrive unlike the 120GB that is being shipped with the PS3 slim. Rumors are now circulating that this version will be completely phased out and the Xbox 360 Elite will drop in price to $299.
As you can probably tell from the title of this post, the latest installment of Modern Warfare is back and looks better than ever. But don’t think the new and exciting features stop there. To name a few more, Infinity Ward’s latest work will feature killer graphics (I must remind you that the visuals you see below are in from gameplay footage), standalone spec-ops missions (think Mile-High Club from the end of the last game), brand new weapons and equipment, and, of course, a thrilling campaign.
I’m sure all of you avid Modern Warfare fans know all of this already, so without further delay, check out the stunning video below, featured in full HD glory. Be sure to watch until the end to satisfy your inner geek.
Just when it seemed like Duke Nukem Forever was on a slow road to nowhere thanks to Take-Two’s lawsuit against Apogee Software, the DN facebook page dropped a fresh batch of screenies for hopeful gamers to gawk at. This tease gives us a glimpse of a few new enemies, but there isn’t much of real substance to be had here.
But please don’t be bashful; there is plenty of visual candy to be had at the unofficial Duke Nukem Facebook fan page. Just try not to get too excited, okay?
As they do every year, Electronic Arts ran a simulation of the Superbowl between the Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers in an attempt to predict the Superbowl. The Steelers won in their simulation. The funny thing is that the simulation is usually correct except for last year when the Giants won. The score of the simulation game was 28-24, a close game. We’ll see if its right or there is another upset. After the jump, the predictions and results of the last few Superbowls.
Way before Grand Theft Auto 4 was even out, details about 2 expansions exclusively for Xbox 360 were already buzzing around the internet. Eventually, it was uncovered that Microsoft had to pay a hefty 50 million dollar price tag for the exclusivity of the expansions. The game was released, received rave reviews, and made insane amounts of cash, but details about the expansions remained scarce…until now! It turns out the expansions were much closer than anyone thought, in fact the first will be hitting next month, February 17th, for 1600 MS Points which is $20.
Some have received early previews of the expansion and they say it features about 10-20 hours of extra gameplay, new weapons, new missions, new music, and a biker gang? Not sure about the last one, but it seems like a good value if it ends up actually giving 20 hours of gameplay. Some sad news is that there will be no area additions to Liberty City, only new buildings. Here are some links to previews of the expansion and be sure to check back here for a review of the expansion when it actually hits the marketplace.
Earlier today, Valve released a new patch for the PC version of Left 4 Dead. If you play this game as much I do, then you know there were some issues that had to be fixed. Well, put those thoughts to rest because the patch addresses most of the issues, glitches and bugs that previously plagued this game. *cough* Smoker *cough* However, it still didn’t fix the fast melee exploit or unlock Dead Air and Death Toll for play in Versus mode.
As we learn more about gaming, our desire for gaming news and knowledge only increases. With Rotpod you'll find that desire easily fulfilled. All the news you want is injected directly into this fun and intelligent blog.
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For those of you who are looking for new innovative computer interfaces, the Peregrine is for you. The Peregrine is a glove that you wear on your left and that has tiny stainless steel wires on each finger and on the palm of the hand which complete a circuit when the contracts are touched in different patterns. The Peregrine can also read multiple touches at the same time so it can register multiple contacts for holding down two keys. The glove has over 30 user recordable actions which can be completely customized for the user. The Peregrine connects to a computer via a USB cable which is magnetically attached to the actual glove for quick attachment. One employee boasted that an experienced user of the Peregrine could type at up to 80 WPM. The Glove is supposedly designed to military standards so it should hold up after lots of use. While I did not get to wear the glove or see it in actual use, it seemed like an impressive gaming interface that anyone who loves to use macros will enjoy. The Peregrine glove is available in three sizes for pre-order for 129.99; the Peregrine will retail for 149.99 when it becomes available later this year. When Peregrine gets their systems up and running, I might go back to try it on.
Today after a brief power outage, Steve Ballmer delivered the first keynote address to everyone at CES. Ballmer focused mainly on the success of the release of Windows 7 despite the hard economic times. Ballmer showed new Slate computers running full versions of Windows 7. New 2010 features of Powerpoint were also revealed. But in Rotpod style, we take great interest in the gaming news. The President of Microsoft’s Entertainment and Devices division Robert Bach confirmed that Project Natal for the Xbox 360 will indeed be available for 2010’s holiday season. Bach was very enthusiastic about 2010 for Microsoft because project Natal will revolutionize the user experience. Bach explained it’s not about losing the controller, its about creating user interfaces that people find natural. While Project Natal was not demonstrated on-stage, a video mashup showed developers and product testers praising Natal as the next big thing in the industry. Microsoft is wisely setting dates for their motion controller because this may contribute to stronger sales leading up to the holiday season.
Motorola may be unveiling two new phones next week at CES in Las Vegas, NV according to Trip Chowdhry, a Global Equites Research analyst. On top of their flagship Motorola Droid on Verizon, Motorola may be releasing yet another device on the network featuring an OLED screen with no physical keyboard. Also rumored is a new phone for AT&T featuring an OLED screen as well as a physical keyboard. The GSM phone may not be running Motorola’s Motoblur UI as seen on the Motorola Cliq, instead opting for the Google Experience as seen on the Motorola Droid. All should be answered at Motorola’s scheduled event at 5:30PM PST on January 6 2010.
Early next year, Rotpod will be expanding by going to CES 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada. We will be providing coverage of the latest technologies as they are announced at CES. While at heart we look for gaming related content, we will be reporting on a wide variety of subjects. Get ready to read, hear, and watch the coolest gadgets as they are unveiled early next month.
