Step inside your computer game with Israeli technology

Video game enthusiasts will soon enjoy their virtual recreation in a whole new way, with the Israeli development of a real-time motion-capture interface which makes it possible to play computer games without using a controller.

Imaging technology specialists 3DV Systems, based in the Galilee city of Yokneam, have announced the release of the ZCam, which is able to perceive depth and can recognize human gestures, translating movements in the physical world into on-screen action.

"ZCam enables gamers, in a way never before possible, to interact intuitively and naturally with games," said Zvika Klier, CEO of the company. "We invite content developers to join us in creating a new innovative experience, and are very excited by the reaction of the developer community so far."

According to 3DV's Klier, as gamers become the interface, the game design will determine how the inputs work: motion can be navigated simply with a thumb or the entire body can become the controller through three-dimensional movement. The player can be represented in the game with his/her own real-time image and the game can be operated either bare-handed or with a designated object, replacing the need for a control pad.

The ZCam is based on 3DV's technology which enables cameras to capture the depth dimension of objects in real time, high speed and very high resolution. According to a review of the ZCam in the San Jose Mercury News, the technology - based on a time-of-flight scientific principle - sends out infrared pulses that bounce off the player and are reflected back to the camera, where sensors pick up the time it takes for the bounce-backs.

"The light is captured with a fast, accurate shutter that uses proprietary electro-optical technology developed by 3DV and implemented in a three-piece semiconductor chip set," wrote the reviewer. "An image sensor picks up the reflected light from the player and measures the distance between the player and the camera. The brighter the light, the closer the object. The darker it is, the farther away. The system corrects for other infrared sources in the room such as remotes."

3DV's founders come from a military background with an emphasis in optics. Six years ago, they built a camera that was used by broadcasters to slip in a fake background behind a newscaster. Since then, they've been devoted to developing the ZCam. While other possible uses include applications in the automotive and robotics industries, the 10-year-old firm, which employs 45, expects the greatest demand for the product to come from the computer game industry - estimated to be worth more than $30 billion worldwide.

And their intent seems to be on target if initial reaction is any gauge. The Mercury News columnist was evidently duly impressed after trying out the ZCam: "Using a prototype camera with a laptop, Klier showed me how he could fly an airplane using hand gestures. He moved his hands back on an imaginary joystick and the plane on the screen pulled up. He turned his hands and the plane began to bank. He lifted his thumb and pressed down and the plane began shooting its machine guns at an enemy plane. I took over and did the same."

Klier said that he expects to be able to mass market the ZCam and a game that works with it for less than $100 in the second half of 2008.

Source: Israel21

The Witcher RPG video game demo download

We encourage anyone who’s been on the fence about the game to check out the demo and to begin their adventures in the world of The Witcher. We advise that users from United Kingdom, Germany, Italy and France should use a link to the E-shop, people from other countries should check a direct link from Metaboli. Links currently don't work for people in United States - the appropriate ones will be given as soon as possible.

The 1.97GB demo can be found at one of these locations:

Computer Games Romania - http://computergames.ro/en/downloads/viewitem/id/9832/name/the-witcher-demo.html
FileFront - http://files.filefront.com/The+Witcher+Demo/;9255264;/fileinfo.html
GamersHell - http://www.gamershell.com/news/44120.html
PixelRage - http://www.pixelrage.org/downloads/The-Witcher-Demo/3292.html
The Witcher Official Website - http://www.thewitcher.com/community/en/www/download_the_demo.html

Mythos video game and beta update and patch download

Flagship Studios has released new update for Mythos has been released that adds tons of new features, improvements, and bug fixes. With this new patch, there is no need to to reinstall the game or download anything, because as soon as you log in you will be automatically patched and ready to go. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Mythos, it is an online, action RPG that is free to download and free to play. Set in the land of Uld - a fantasy world arising from the ashes of an epic-long war of darkness - players assume the roles of fantasy heroes as they explore, adventure, and quest through entirely randomized dungeons and environments.

FEATURES

Guilds have been added! Speak to the Guildmaster in Tulin’s Hope to start one at a cost of 5 Gold.
Hardcore Mode has been added, for extra challenge! In Hardcore, when you die - your character is gone forever, so be careful!
Elite Mode has been added. In Elite mode, monsters are faster, more aggressive, and tougher. Champions appear more often. You can only sell items for half of regular price. - Note that Elite and Hardcore players cannot party or trade with players who do not match their setup, to preserve the economies of these different play styles.
Re-specs are now allowed (although not in Hardcore or Elite mode) - speak to a Skillmaster in Stonehill or Tulin’s hope. Re-specs are free from level 1 through 5, and above that, cost starts at 1 Gold and increases from there. There is a maximum of 3 re-specs beyond level 5
Quests are now Trackable - check them in your log to view them onscreen at all times
Maximum Questlog size increased to 8 quests.
Hardware Mouse Cursors! This should make mouse response lightning fast.
Achievements system has been added - complete goals to earn equippable achievements that give you extra bonuses! Unlock a new achievement slot every 10 levels
Emotes - there is an emote button above the chat pane that will show you the options
Zivia’s Puzzle Box
Party Finder – post your party and description and meet some new friends! You can also post yourself as looking for group to the list.
Ignore List is now account-based and actually saves.

CONTENT ADDITIONS

* Mossy Gothic Tileset.
* Sand Temple Tileset.
* Goblin City Tileset.
* 2 New Boss Battles.
* Many new monsters.
* New monster spawn layouts for Zone 2 that are much imporved.
* New Gadgeteer Dusters and Mage gear - including non-robe Mage gear.
* Tulin’s Hope has guard patrols.
* New socketable gemstones.
* New level decorations and breakables in zone 2 outdoors.
* Lots of new sounds.
* Many particle updates.
* A few new quests

IMPROVEMENTS

* Quest titles are color-coded by difficulty relative to your level.
* Maximum town player population has been increased.
* Chat instance size has been increased.
* Faster auto-map performance.
* You can purchase directly to equipment slots if they are empty.
* Ants are now more interesting as monsters.
* Zombies now no longer crawl out of the same hole.
* Skills only charge mana once they have fired, so you don’t lose mana if interrupted during a warmup.
* You can now see party member mana.
* Chat box now waits a second before fading in, and does not fade in if LMB is down.
* Questlog improved - shows the full text of quests.
* Quest system streamlined - no more multiple clicking to accept quests! Quests automatically advance to the next chained quest too, so you don’t have to re-click on the NPC.
* Chat enhancements. (context prefix, auto switch to pane when chatting to a different pane, etc.)
* All buildings/props now have bottom faces for nicer vanity views.
* Bargain Hunter shows you item requirements, and has a new icon to help identify him.
* Hirelings can have equipment and can be healed (use CTRL-hotkey to quickly heal them with potions from your Active Bar, or drag from your inventory onto their portrait.)
* Improved travel menu lists locations on the right. You may travel by clicking directly on the name. Additionally, legs of the journey are color coded to show you the furthest extent to which you may warp.
* Luck and Speed Bonuses displayed in details pane.
* Changing options that require restart should notify you that this is the case.
* Random quest-giver has better loot, and 3 choices.
* Chat box background is a little more opaque.
* Anchorstone can be placed in your Active Bar.

TUNING

* Leveling rate improved - monsters now give about 30-35% more XP.
* Monsters about 15% tougher.
* Rifle damage nerfed past level 7 or so - it was pretty excessive.
* Partied players now get 100% credit for each monster kill.
* Quest XP balanced where it was ridiculously low (or oddly high).
* Trinkets now appear with higher level random stats at later levels.
* Trinkets have varying level requirements - low-level trinkets have no level requirement.
* Fang Rexes, Tongued Lashers, Boars have improved HP.
* Flaming Fist now has a higher interrupt chance, making it more useful.
* Early quest ranges re-leveled to take into account our faster leveling rates.
* Epic dungeons no longer give solo players full party credit (it was 3x!) for each kill.
* Mage robes now get damage effect affixes.
* Hollow Archer damage and refire speed reduced, accuracy reduced as well.
* Wider hit buffer on attack ranges to give you a better chance of hitting fleeing monsters.
* Pathing is improved when pathing to unreachable locations.
* More revised level layouts to make different level types more distinct.
* Item colors have been reorganized - the current progression is Green->Blue->Purple->Gold->Yellow(Unique)

FIXES

* Friends list actually scrolls now, and properly sorts by tab.
* Several memory leaks repaired.
* Various network connectivity and stability fixes that we inherited from Hellgate. Thanks, guys!
* When going to a map location which you cannot fully warp to, you will begin walking at the nearest location - not the beginning!
* Pet icons shouldn’t disappear, and neither should party members if they are on the same level.
* Monsters now respond to hits outside of their range - no more potshotting them at the corner of the screen!
* Disappearing item bug should be fixed.
* Pets shouldn’t lurk in town after logout.
* Hopeful fix for the unloadable characters?
* Student Shoulders and Master Shoulders fixed.
* Sky in intro scene shouldn’t look crummy on Low quality shaders.
* Many quest fixes.
* Blurry texture in Heath clearing fixed.
* Attempted fix for that nasty cave corner where everything gets stuck.
* Fixed up some of the crummier item affixes.
* Various incorrect skill icons fixed.
* Satyr male chain coif fixed.
* NPC satyrs now have horns.
* Fixed weird disappearing bosses with out of range resistances.
* Fixed irritating map bug that made it difficult to click on a location.
* Fixed goblin runt starting levels.
* Fix for some improperly leveled dungeons.
* Several bugs with Hireling damage and speeds fixed.
* Fixed monster poisons.
* Failed trades now show a proper message instead of a window that blinks immediately off.
* Fixed some oddly fullbright models.
* Tongued Lashers can stun again.
* Spin buttons on character select larger.
* A ridiculous ton of skill fixes and balancing.
* Stuck skills can now get ‘unstuck’ by casting the skill again.
* Warping champions now don’t do it so often.

SKILL BALANCE WORK

* Piercing Barrage was often doing double damage, as well as too much of that. Fixed. Also doesn’t do infinitesimal poison damage in early tier.
* Suppression and Mind Control widgets now no longer target the same monster.
* Blood Command missiles show proper speed on client.
* Flame Serpents third node damage bonus doubled.
* Razor Aura reduces max mana by 25% while on.
* Human male Gadgeteer Deafening Shot animation fixed.
* Bauble trap has a little less health.
* And many, many more balance changes! More than we can remember to list.

NOTE
* The Friends system has been rebuilt, and so you will need to reconstruct your Friends list on your next login. The new system remains account based, but is much improved on the server side.

Patch here

Mythos video game and beta update and patch download

Flagship Studios has released new update for Mythos has been released that adds tons of new features, improvements, and bug fixes. With this new patch, there is no need to to reinstall the game or download anything, because as soon as you log in you will be automatically patched and ready to go. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Mythos, it is an online, action RPG that is free to download and free to play. Set in the land of Uld - a fantasy world arising from the ashes of an epic-long war of darkness - players assume the roles of fantasy heroes as they explore, adventure, and quest through entirely randomized dungeons and environments.

FEATURES

Guilds have been added! Speak to the Guildmaster in Tulin’s Hope to start one at a cost of 5 Gold.
Hardcore Mode has been added, for extra challenge! In Hardcore, when you die - your character is gone forever, so be careful!
Elite Mode has been added. In Elite mode, monsters are faster, more aggressive, and tougher. Champions appear more often. You can only sell items for half of regular price. - Note that Elite and Hardcore players cannot party or trade with players who do not match their setup, to preserve the economies of these different play styles.
Re-specs are now allowed (although not in Hardcore or Elite mode) - speak to a Skillmaster in Stonehill or Tulin’s hope. Re-specs are free from level 1 through 5, and above that, cost starts at 1 Gold and increases from there. There is a maximum of 3 re-specs beyond level 5
Quests are now Trackable - check them in your log to view them onscreen at all times
Maximum Questlog size increased to 8 quests.
Hardware Mouse Cursors! This should make mouse response lightning fast.
Achievements system has been added - complete goals to earn equippable achievements that give you extra bonuses! Unlock a new achievement slot every 10 levels
Emotes - there is an emote button above the chat pane that will show you the options
Zivia’s Puzzle Box
Party Finder – post your party and description and meet some new friends! You can also post yourself as looking for group to the list.
Ignore List is now account-based and actually saves.

CONTENT ADDITIONS

* Mossy Gothic Tileset.
* Sand Temple Tileset.
* Goblin City Tileset.
* 2 New Boss Battles.
* Many new monsters.
* New monster spawn layouts for Zone 2 that are much imporved.
* New Gadgeteer Dusters and Mage gear - including non-robe Mage gear.
* Tulin’s Hope has guard patrols.
* New socketable gemstones.
* New level decorations and breakables in zone 2 outdoors.
* Lots of new sounds.
* Many particle updates.
* A few new quests

IMPROVEMENTS

* Quest titles are color-coded by difficulty relative to your level.
* Maximum town player population has been increased.
* Chat instance size has been increased.
* Faster auto-map performance.
* You can purchase directly to equipment slots if they are empty.
* Ants are now more interesting as monsters.
* Zombies now no longer crawl out of the same hole.
* Skills only charge mana once they have fired, so you don’t lose mana if interrupted during a warmup.
* You can now see party member mana.
* Chat box now waits a second before fading in, and does not fade in if LMB is down.
* Questlog improved - shows the full text of quests.
* Quest system streamlined - no more multiple clicking to accept quests! Quests automatically advance to the next chained quest too, so you don’t have to re-click on the NPC.
* Chat enhancements. (context prefix, auto switch to pane when chatting to a different pane, etc.)
* All buildings/props now have bottom faces for nicer vanity views.
* Bargain Hunter shows you item requirements, and has a new icon to help identify him.
* Hirelings can have equipment and can be healed (use CTRL-hotkey to quickly heal them with potions from your Active Bar, or drag from your inventory onto their portrait.)
* Improved travel menu lists locations on the right. You may travel by clicking directly on the name. Additionally, legs of the journey are color coded to show you the furthest extent to which you may warp.
* Luck and Speed Bonuses displayed in details pane.
* Changing options that require restart should notify you that this is the case.
* Random quest-giver has better loot, and 3 choices.
* Chat box background is a little more opaque.
* Anchorstone can be placed in your Active Bar.

TUNING

* Leveling rate improved - monsters now give about 30-35% more XP.
* Monsters about 15% tougher.
* Rifle damage nerfed past level 7 or so - it was pretty excessive.
* Partied players now get 100% credit for each monster kill.
* Quest XP balanced where it was ridiculously low (or oddly high).
* Trinkets now appear with higher level random stats at later levels.
* Trinkets have varying level requirements - low-level trinkets have no level requirement.
* Fang Rexes, Tongued Lashers, Boars have improved HP.
* Flaming Fist now has a higher interrupt chance, making it more useful.
* Early quest ranges re-leveled to take into account our faster leveling rates.
* Epic dungeons no longer give solo players full party credit (it was 3x!) for each kill.
* Mage robes now get damage effect affixes.
* Hollow Archer damage and refire speed reduced, accuracy reduced as well.
* Wider hit buffer on attack ranges to give you a better chance of hitting fleeing monsters.
* Pathing is improved when pathing to unreachable locations.
* More revised level layouts to make different level types more distinct.
* Item colors have been reorganized - the current progression is Green->Blue->Purple->Gold->Yellow(Unique)

FIXES

* Friends list actually scrolls now, and properly sorts by tab.
* Several memory leaks repaired.
* Various network connectivity and stability fixes that we inherited from Hellgate. Thanks, guys!
* When going to a map location which you cannot fully warp to, you will begin walking at the nearest location - not the beginning!
* Pet icons shouldn’t disappear, and neither should party members if they are on the same level.
* Monsters now respond to hits outside of their range - no more potshotting them at the corner of the screen!
* Disappearing item bug should be fixed.
* Pets shouldn’t lurk in town after logout.
* Hopeful fix for the unloadable characters?
* Student Shoulders and Master Shoulders fixed.
* Sky in intro scene shouldn’t look crummy on Low quality shaders.
* Many quest fixes.
* Blurry texture in Heath clearing fixed.
* Attempted fix for that nasty cave corner where everything gets stuck.
* Fixed up some of the crummier item affixes.
* Various incorrect skill icons fixed.
* Satyr male chain coif fixed.
* NPC satyrs now have horns.
* Fixed weird disappearing bosses with out of range resistances.
* Fixed irritating map bug that made it difficult to click on a location.
* Fixed goblin runt starting levels.
* Fix for some improperly leveled dungeons.
* Several bugs with Hireling damage and speeds fixed.
* Fixed monster poisons.
* Failed trades now show a proper message instead of a window that blinks immediately off.
* Fixed some oddly fullbright models.
* Tongued Lashers can stun again.
* Spin buttons on character select larger.
* A ridiculous ton of skill fixes and balancing.
* Stuck skills can now get ‘unstuck’ by casting the skill again.
* Warping champions now don’t do it so often.

SKILL BALANCE WORK

* Piercing Barrage was often doing double damage, as well as too much of that. Fixed. Also doesn’t do infinitesimal poison damage in early tier.
* Suppression and Mind Control widgets now no longer target the same monster.
* Blood Command missiles show proper speed on client.
* Flame Serpents third node damage bonus doubled.
* Razor Aura reduces max mana by 25% while on.
* Human male Gadgeteer Deafening Shot animation fixed.
* Bauble trap has a little less health.
* And many, many more balance changes! More than we can remember to list.

NOTE
* The Friends system has been rebuilt, and so you will need to reconstruct your Friends list on your next login. The new system remains account based, but is much improved on the server side.

Patch here

Gamesplay exclusice - FIFA Street 3 video from EA Sports

Exclusive Debut Gameplay - FIFA Street 3 - Electronic Arts

Posted Dec 13, 2007

Check out the first-ever gameplay footage.

Arcade style soccer has never looked better on a console. FIFA Street has been a disappointing series so far, but if this video is any indication, it looks like things could change.