Developages - Development and Technology Blog

The most eagerly awaited comic-to-film translation, the Watchmen, has just gotten a new trailer. Helmed by ‘300′ director, Zack Snyder, Watchmen is already shaping up to be the superhero event of 2009. The first trailer was not only great but reassured long-time fans of the graphic novel that Snyder was staying largely faithful to the look and feel. This second trailer fleshes out the first [and reuses lots of the first] and only makes us want more, which I guess is a good thing. Now all we want is a time machine to get us to next March today. It’s comforting to see Rorschach’s significant role, narration and generally dim view of humanity used to great effect. Anyone else think Christian Bale’s Batman is doing some vocal moonlighting? Roll on 2009 when the most celebrated graphic novel finally hits the big screen.-Martin Lynch news movies comics

Original post by nafiz

Can’t find a Wii Fit? You′re not alone this season as thousands of UK shoppers - despite scouring the Net - will be out of luck. Electronic Arts though may be able to help - if not for Christmas. The giant games publisher wants a piece of the fitness game pie and has announced EA Sports Active which aims to get gamers off their asses in true Wii Fit style. EA Sports Active will be aimed at ‘primarily’ at women and run on the Wii console. Instead of a balance board, you′ll get a pair of leg straps that hold the Wii’s Nunchuk controller to track lower body movements, and a resistance band to support a number of upper body strength training exercises. EA says that it’s been endorsed by fitness experts, including Bob Greene [Oprah’s personal trainer] which I’m not sure is the best advert, but that’s just me. However, it looks like Sports Active will be more challenging than Wii Fit. This is what they say: …it features a “30 Day Challenge,” a fitness road map for players to reach their fitness goals with the guidance of a virtual trainer. The Challenge provides a new, 20-minute workout every time a player exercises, including clear instruction, feedback on technique and positive encouragement throughout the workout. Each circuit will feel different and increase in intensity as fitness levels improve to help you work up a sweat and work toward your fitness goals.” Sports Active is due out next March and, while some gaming pundits have claimed it’s too late to market, there isn’t exactly a glut of Wii fitness games out there now so, how can it be? A March delivery though [Booooo! EA] is not going to make the thousands not getting a Wii Fit for Christmas happy [or fit].-Martin Lynch wii fit games health sport

Original post by nafiz

You can tell people are getting ready to pig out in style this Christmas when the most searched-for product on the Internet by UK surfers is Nintendo’s Wii Fit. Hitwise said that during October, the Wii Fit led the Wii, the iPhone, Nokia N96, iPod and the PS3 as the priority Christmas items for UK online shoppers. Robin Goad, research director at Hitwise commented: “Wii Fit, Nintendo’s popular video game, is currently the most searched-for product by UK Internet shoppers in the run-up to Christmas. During October there were more UK Internet searches for Wii Fit than the Nintendo Wii, the most popular product last Christmas. After Wii Fit and the Wii console, the third most searched-for gadget is the Apple iPhone.” However, buying a console has dropped in importance this year compared to last as the focus now seems to have shifted to games. After our recent coverage of the Gears Of War 2 sales success and the frenzy yesterday to get World Of Warcraft: Wrath Of The Lich King, games look set kick the recession into touch. “The popularity of Nintendo’s Wii Fit, which accounted for one in six searches for a video game during October, has helped online searches for video games overtake those for consoles in the run-up to Christmas. Judging by the search data, it looks as if the current generation of consoles - the Wii, Playstation 3 and X-Box 360 - have started to mature.” Looking in more detail at the most searched for games during October, it is multi-platform video games that are most popular; almost one in two video game searches are for titles published across more than one console. Three of the top five most searched for video games in the UK during October were multi-platform: Far Cry 2, Call of Duty: World at War (released this week) and Saints Row 2.” Sadly, it looks like hundreds of thousands of you may be out of luck as Woolworths, John Lewis, Argos and Play.com are all reporting that they’ve now sold out of Wii Fit. Don’t despair too much though because Electronic Arts (EA) is cooking up its own ’shed-the-festive-flab′ Wii Fit rival called Sports Active - more on that later this morning.-Martin Lynch [Hitwise] games wii fit console

Original post by nafiz

We recently saw the UK launch of the new Myvu Crystal video eyewear and today we have two new offerings from Vuzix, including the first pair to offer widescreen movie playback. The company has just released its iWear AV310 Widescreen and its AV230XL headsets, designed specifically for use with video iPods, portable media players (PMPs), portable DVD players and multimedia phones like the iPhone, Nokia N95 and others. The viewer on the AV310 Widescreen is adjustable and there’s a +2 to -5 diopter focus providing individual adjustment for each eye. Playing time is rated at a healthy 5-hours from one AA battery. The AV230XL uses OLED screen technology to deliver a brighter image with better contrast but, while using less power. Playback is rated at 7 hours on 1 AA battery. The virtual screen size is equivalent to 44in viewed from 9-feet. Vuzix founder and CEO Paul Travers said: “With Vuzix iWear you can get the full big-screen cinema experience, in a device that is small enough to carry in your pocket. And the range of products you can connect to is increasing all the time as more and more mobile phones are released with video out capability.” Both sets of eyewear come bundled with a ‘Made for iPod’ cable that will connect to iPod devices like the Classic, the Nano and the Touch, as well as the iPhone. Leads for other handsets like Nokia’s N95 and N96 are also bundled. The AV230XL will initially retail at £130 and the AV310 Widescreen at £150.-Martin Lynch [Vuzix] movies ipod video

Original post by nafiz

If you’re the type of person who gets withdrawal symptoms when you’re not on Facebook every 30 minutes, then you’re going to love the latest phone from 3. Meet the INQ1, billed as the “world’s most advanced social networking phone″ and guaranteed to ensure that you never get a good night’s sleep ever again. The INQ1 offers users 1-click Facebook access and live updates pushed direct to the display, as well as what it calls the first ever real-time interactive ‘live contact book’. This will show your friends’ online status and Facebook profile pictures displayed against their contact details. Also integrated into the phone are Skype, Windows Live Messenger and Last.fm, allowing RSS feeds, free Skype-to-Skype calling and free instant messaging. Frank Meehan, CEO, INQ, explained: ‘The INQ¹ is the first device from INQ with a new take on mobile user experience, it’s about taking the things people love most about the Internet and building them into the very heart of the phone. Mobile is still mostly about voice and text for the vast majority of users, but those same people use the Internet to communicate every day with Skype, Instant Messaging, Facebook and email. The INQ¹ allows people for the first time to integrate their Internet networks into their mobile so now their emails, instant messages and Skype calls are as simple to use as voice and text.” The INQ1, complete with 3.2MP camera, comes ‘free′ on a £15-per month contract tariff which gives unlimited free Facebook, Skype, Windows Live Messenger and Web access, plus 75 minutes of calls to other networks, unlimited texts, unlimited email and unlimited free 3-to-3 calls [check out 3’s ‘fair use policy’ as it will apply]. For £20 per month, you get the above but with 200 minutes of calls to other networks. A PAYG option will set you back £79.99 with Internet packages starting at £5 per month.-Martin Lynch phone facebook

Original post by nafiz

PURE is ramping up its Christmas offerings with the launch of some very brightly coloured DAB/FM radios. The new Mio retains the retro design look of existing Evoke DAB/FM radios but they’ve been dipped in some strong colours to brighten up your gloomy, winter kitchen. There’s chilli, chocolate, moss, candy and midnight, with a two-tone leather and cream suede effect finish. Most notably, it comes with an integrated rechargeable battery - not PURE’s usual “optional ChargePAK rechargeable battery” - which makes the Mio good for 24 hours of playtime per charge. Very handy indeed. The Mio sports an OLED (Organic LED) display which is “crystal-clear from any angle” and there are manual and automatic brightness controls. There’s an input for an iPod/MP3 player, Intellitext and textSCAN for pausing and controlling scrolling text and storing information for browsing later, an alarm, kitchen timer and 30 presets. It due to arrive out in the coming weeks in time for Christmas and will set you back an equally colourful £150.-Martin Lynch [PURE] radio DAB news

Original post by nafiz

You may already have a dock for your iPod or iPhone already but can it rotate them? Hmm? Can it? Can it? That’s the pitch for the latest speaker dock from Logic3, the i-Station Rotate, which claims to be the first “iPhone-compatible speaker to feature a built-in rotating dock mechanism”. And why would you need one, you may ask? Well, anyone who wants to watch videos without straining their neck, can simply rotate the iPhone sideways until it’s horizontal and watch the video in widescreen. Ta-Da! Quite smart actually and it does make you wonder why it’s not been done before. The speaker dock measures 12.5in x 5in x 2in, weighs just 1.5lbs and promises 10W of audio output. A Video Output lets you hook it up to your TV too. Jump now for more features and the price.- TDMA noise suppression technology to remove static interference noise when your iPhone rings or when surfing the web - Video Out function for iPhone and iPod, meaning video’s can be displayed directly on your TV - Remote control with iPhone/iPod Menu navigation - 10W Audio output power (5W + 5W RMS) and power efficient Class D Amplifier for superb sound quality at high volume - Mains powered or 4x AA battery power for use outside and at home - 3.5mm Stereo line-in socket, meaning a wide range of other media devices can be connected - A carry case for safe storage and easy portability Out now, it costs £80 here.-Martin Lynch iphone ipod

Original post by nafiz

Games fever hit a high note last night as up to 2,500 uber-fans of World Of Warcraft lined up outside HMV in Oxford Street for the midnight launch of the new expansion, Wrath Of The Lich King. The scenes in London were replicated worldwide as the latest instalment of the ridiculously successful World Of Warcraft looks set to sell millions. To put it in context, the WoW fanatics greatly outnumbered those that queued in central London for the iPhone and the PS3 launches and there were noticeably more than the 1,500 or so fans that mobbed the store last year for the first WoW expansion, The Burning Crusade.The new instalment brings a new continent, Northrend, the patricidal badass Lich King Arthas, a new character called the Death Knight [the first Hero Class character], siege engines, destructible buildings and a level cap jump from 70 to 80. The expansion costs £25 but you will need the original game, The Burning Crusade expansion and a character that is at least Level 55. In other words, new players need not apply. See the Lich King trailer below.-Martin Lynch games warcraft

Original post by nafiz

When a company launches something called ‘Dark Fire’, you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s a perfume from some B-list celebrity or, what happens to your ass after consuming a Chicken Naga curry. Thankfully, it’s neither. Dark Fire is the second robot guitar from guitar masters, Gibson. Check out the first one here. This time around, the name comes from the colour and, no doubt, all the Satan-worshipping guitar riffs you’ll be coaxing out of it on your way in the fiery pits. Dark Fire can now tune itself in under a second - faster than the original - meaning you can tune numerous times while playing a single song if necessary. It’s lighter and smaller than its predecessor and you can tune your axe up to 500 times between charges - again, a big improvement. The onboard Chameleon Tone technology also has Gibson being incredibly confident by stating that “never before has one guitar been able to produce every imaginable guitar sound”. Fighting talk indeed. It comes with the Robot Interface Pack (RIP), a box for acting as a conduit between your riffing and whatever digital audio system or PC you’ve connected to. There’s no price yet but considering the first one cost £1,300, you may want to hang onto your trusty secondhand Les Paul. Out on Dec 15th.-Martin Lynch [Music Radar] guitar music robot

Original post by nafiz

The original Gears Of War game was a massive success for the Xbox 360 console and now the new instalment, Gears Of War 2 (GOW2), looks like it may be even bigger, racking up sales of 2m in its first weekend. Not only does that make it one of the biggest ever openings on the console but it managed to smash the Xbox LIVE record for online activity too. More than 1.5 million people signed into Gears of War 2 during the weekend, racking up a total 15 million gameplay hours, setting a new record for concurrent LIVE players. “We were so excited to launch ‘Gears of War 2′ on the same day all around the world, something virtually unheard of in the games business,” said Cliff Bleszinski, design director at Epic Games. “We wanted our fans, no matter where they live, to have a shared experience on day one, and that’s exactly what’s happened.” The game picks up………with reluctant war hero, Marcus Fenix, 6 months after the original showdown with the Locusts and, you guessed it, the big bomb didn’t get them all. Time to go on a bug-hunt. The game comes with 48-hours of free Xbox LIVE Gold membership and an LIVE token to download the Flashback Map Pack for free. This consists of five popular maps from the original game: Canals, Gridlock, Mansion, Subway and Tyro Station, all tweaked with new HD graphics. With 6 weeks left to Christmas, GOW2 could be a very popular stocking filler indeed. Hint, hint.-Martin Lynch xbox games xbox 360 console

Original post by nafiz

There are always dangers in modifying a console, not least of which is nuking your warranty, but now Microsoft has stepped up its campaign against modding by banning ‘a small percentage’ of Xbox 360 owners from its online service, Xbox LIVE. Didn’t it do this last year too? Microsoft has banned gamers that have modded their consoles to allow them to play pirated games - naughty, naughty. Speaking on his Major Nelson blog, Larry Hyrb, Xbox LIVE’s director of programming said: “I’ve gotten a few messages and seen some forum threads pop up on console bannings so I thought I’d post and let folks know what’s up. In our our continued effort to keep gameplay safe and secure for our community of more than 14 million members, Microsoft has taken action against a small percentage of Xbox 360 consoles that have been illegally modified in order to play pirated games. You should know that modifying your Xbox 360 console is also a violation of the Xbox LIVE terms of use, will void your warranty and result in a ban from Xbox LIVE.” A small percentage of 14 million LIVE gamers could be quite a few. Of course, some of those banned - and others in possession of modded Xboxs - feel hard done by and have complained but then if you can do the time…. To be fair, some gamers are reporting that their unmodified and perfectly legal Xbox 360s have been banned from LIVE too in the current purge so let’s hope Microsoft is quick to sort it out. -Martin Lynch xbox games xbox 360 console

Original post by nafiz

Nintendo′s DSi may have been going down a storm in Japan but it seems it might have had an ulterior motive in updating its popular handheld. Part of the reason for the success of the DS is undoubtedly the popularity of the ̸ module and its associated guises. This thing allows you to use homebrew content stored on a microSD chip but we’d imagine most people are using it for playing pirated games. Well, the new DSi apparently doesn’t work with any of these units, displaying an error message when one is plugged in. Nintendo will argue that the features of the new console cover most of the legal things you’d want to do with an ̸ anyway, and its ultimate intention may be to faze out the original DS and push the ‘protected’ DSi onto consumers so they can start getting a bit more money from games sales again. The idea is fraught with problems however. First up we’d expect an ̸ DSi to be developed and released within nanoseconds of the announcement becoming widespread, and second this may mean that people will just opt to stick with a DS Lite. Whatever happens, we reckon the Japanese giant will have to wait for the next generation handheld to arrive before it can stop the ‘̸ revolution’ in its tracks. - Paul Lester [Kotaku] Nintendo ̸ DS

Original post by nafiz

Most men would watch Heidi Klum shovelling coal dressed in wellies and a parka but do you think anyone would be interested in seeing her cavorting around a living room in her undies playing Guitar Hero: World Tour? Nah, we didn’t think so either. Ridiculous really. Buuuut….. ……in the name of science and just in case you have something of a yen for scantily clad, guitar-weilding supermodels, we thought we′d throw it up because we all know that playing Guitar Hero, at home, alone, in your Y-fronts, will get you all the girls. Even supermodels. Comparing this copycat scene from the new Guitar Hero advert with the original Tom Cruise scene from Risky Business, we feel that Heidi’s, erm, ‘enthusiasm’ wins out. Will it make us more likely than we already are to buy Guitar Hero: World Tour? Hmm… I’m afraid that research demands that we check that video one last time.-Martin Lynch games consoles supermodels

Original post by nafiz

The recent announcement of an update to Nintendo′s wildly popular DS Lite handheld has garnered a bit of a mixed response from most quarters. If offers a VGA digital camera, slightly bigger screen and can play music. Big whoop, right? Well yes actually, at least in Japan where it has sold over 170,000 units in just two days at a price of 16,800 Yen, or just over £100.Typically these sales outstripped stock, with many suppliers only able to satisfy pre-orders and others having to wait in long queues with the hope that there will be some left when they get to the front. Sales had been dropping on the DS and DS Lite, not because people don’t want one but because everyone already has one, with 84 million sold worldwide making it more popular than the GameBoy. We don’t expect the DSi to be quite as popular over here when it’s released next year though, that is unless Nintendo comes up with some sort of platform defining game that uses a digital camera. - Paul Lester [PCWorld] Nintendo DSi handheld

Original post by nafiz

A new UK report predicts that computer games sales with surpass music and video sales for the first time ever this year. Verdict Research claims that there’s been a huge shift in consumer attitudes and gaming is now the most popular form of entertainment. Spending on games, they say, will jump by 42% in this year to £4.6bn, while music and video sales will come in at £4.46bn. “The music and video market is not just suffering from a slowing of growth but a massive transfer of spend to online,” commented Malcolm Pinkerton of Verdict Research.The video games market has more than doubled in value in the last 5 years, while music sales have levelled off. Games like GTA IV and others, along with new platforms like the Nintendo Wii have helped drive the popularity. However, Verdict may be too optimistic in its claims for the success of games according to Steve Redmond of the Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA). “There is no doubt that the games sector is having a fantastic year, but these figures overstate that by including games hardware.” The ERA figures for 2007 put sales of games software at £1.7bn. This compares to £1.4bn for music sales and £2.2bn for video sales. The ERA thinks games will overtake video this year, but not music and video combined.-Martin Lynch [BBC] games music video

Original post by nafiz