Serious Games Institute shows applications for the real world

At a recent cocktail party, David Wortley set up a video camera to record images of the guests in the room. The video was streamed, live, into a computer-generated version of the party in Second Life, the online virtual world, where participants' "avatars" could watch them sipping their drinks. Then a video of the virtual version of the party was beamed back onto a screen in the real-world room.

"People were watching people watching people watching them," Wortley said, acknowledging, "It can be a little difficult to get your head around in the beginning."

But such scenarios may seem less surreal when you are director of the Serious Games Institute, a center for the development of "serious" applications of video game technologies and virtual worlds for businesses, security agencies and other users. The party took place during a conference that coincided with the recent opening of the center.

Much has been made of the potential of Second Life as an environment for entertainment, marketing or even terrorist financing. But the Serious Games Institute says that it is one of the first places dedicated to helping businesses enhance their own operations by harnessing virtual worlds for things like training, communication and emergency planning.

The institute, which is affiliated with Coventry University and funded in part by a regional economic development agency, has a handful of tenants set to take up residence in November. It plans to operate as an "incubator," helping these companies grow, as well as serving as a hub for networking and research.

More from the International Herald Tribune

New Pokemon title announced For Wii Ware Service

Nintendo are taking this Wii Ware business seriously. At their Fall Press Conference today they announced a new Pokemon title for the service, called Pokemon Bokujyou.

As in, Pokemon Farm. As in, the very raw essence of Pokemon.

The point is that Pokefans can transfer their Pokemans (from Diamond or Pearl) to the Wii, and once there they can tend to them. Raise them. Perhaps even snuggle them, all on their very own Pokemon farm. Sounds idyllic.

But looks a little...unsettling.

See video below...

Pleo - Big Game? dinosaur life like toy

Every Pleo is unique. Yes, each one begins life as a newly-hatched baby Camarasaurus, but that's where predictability ends and individuality begins. Pleo doesn't just do what he's told. He develops his own personality, moods, and habits—all shaped by the time he spends with you. In creating this Life Form, we merely set the wheels in motion. Making the magic is up to you and Pleo. Discover Pleo's emotions.

Pleo world

Look inside

Capcom's multinational development ambitions

Capcom's - Dead Rising

Bionic Commando marks "the next step in the evolution of the design process"

Capcom is finally realising its much talked about multinational development ambitions as it brings together teams from Japan, North America and Europe to develop games for global audiences.

The recently announced Bionic Commando is perhaps the company's most ambitious project to date; developed by Swedish studio Grin under the eye of American Ben Judd – the first foreign producer at Capcom Japan – with guidance by Onimusha and Dead Rising producer Keiji Inafune

With the proven success of Dead Rising and Lost Planet – where 90 per cent of sales were outside of Japan – the publisher is focused on catering specifically for American and European markets rather than just bringing Japanese content to the West.

"We're seeing larger growth in the US and European markets and a shrinking in the Japanese market," said Judd, speaking at the company's recent Gamers Day, held for the first time in Europe.

"This is the next step in the evolution of trying to mix up the design process so that Capcom has titles that will appeal throughout the world. There are some people who think that only Capcom Japan can create a good title but that's not the case.

"This is the sort of risk that most other Japanese games companies, who are pretty conservative, wouldn't do. So to take a chance on this and on an American producer shows just how willing it is to try new things," he added.

Capcom admits that this multinational development philosophy isn't easy, although all team members are learning from the experience.

"Trying to sync up the different design styles between Grin and the Capcom design teams is not easy because they are truly 180 degrees different in a lot of areas," revealed Judd. "But fortunately Grin's style and Capcom's style are both very creative-based and they are willing to try new things."

And the Bionic Commando IP itself wasn't something that Capcom Japan had faith in initially, as the original game wasn't a success in the local market.

"Trying to get this game through the development channels was not easy because it's very unique in that has cult status in the US and to some extent in Europe, but in Japan very few people know of it," said Judd.

"That's one of the purposes that I serve internally, I can look at things and see titles that may stand out and have potential in the US and European market where Capcom Japan may not even realise it because they only see the Japanese market."

Judd is in a unique position himself. From working with the company as an interpretor and translator, he's now the first foreign producer at Capcom Japan, something that he acknowledges as a privileged appointment but further evidence of taking risks and experimenting.

"It's a thing I totally respect about Capcom, they have given me this great chance. I know a lot of foreigners that work at Japanese gaming companies and there is glass ceiling. Capcom is one of the few that is going to give foreigners the chances to develop."

WAL-MART TO CUT VIDEO GAME PRICES

Wal-Mart Canada Corp. has pulled the trigger in what is shaping up as a holiday-season price war in video games, preparing to cut prices to U.S. levels on new releases and some current games.

It's just one reflection of the growing pressure from consumers to bring down retail prices on this side of the border, in line with the rising value of the Canadian dollar.

Shoppers have been annoyed about spreads on items such as books, video games and DVDs, either because U.S. and Canadian prices are displayed side by side on the product, or U.S. pricing is readily available online.

"It is confusing and I'm sure it's frustrating - some consumers are angry when they see some old books at very high prices," said Steve Budnarchuk, co-owner of Audreys Books in Edmonton and past president of the Canadian Booksellers Association.

"I think consumers are starting to make decisions to purchase less until the pricing improves. I'm seeing evidence of that. Or they're choosing books where the pricing is better."

Wal-Mart decided to pinpoint the video-game sector for U.S. parity pricing because it is such a high profile category, said Jim Thompson, senior vice-president of merchandise. It will price at parity "hundreds" of new releases, including Guitar Hero 3 leading into the busiest shopping season. Already it priced Halo 3 at $59.83 for an XBox console, about $10 less than at other Canadian retailers. Other merchants, including HMV Canada and Best Buy Canada, said they are also starting to get price breaks from suppliers and will pass on savings to consumers.

But achieving price parity in books or music isn't possible at the moment, although the company is lowering some prices, Mr. Thompson said. "We're not happy with our prices on our books now," he added.

Mr. Budnarchuk said publishers are reducing their prices, but not enough to allow for big changes on the store shelf. Older books can be as much as 50 per cent more expensive than their U.S. equivalents, while prices here are now about 25 per cent higher than the U.S. rates, he estimated.

Humphrey Kadaner, president of HMV Canada, said CD and DVD prices are generally not dropping because those products are made in Canada, so the dollar's value isn't a factor in the pricing.

The 2007 Into the Pixel Art Exhibition

While the main focus of this week’s E for All Expo in Los Angeles is to let gamers get their hands on hot new console and PC games, there’s a different exhibit on the show floor that appeals to art fans. Called Into the Pixel, the exhibit features fine art created by artists who work in game design.

Into the Pixel — an annual fixture at past E3 Expo events — is here at E for All, featuring 16 inductees selected by a panel of jurors. It’s already been shown at the E3 Media & Business Summit in Santa Monica earlier this year as well as the Toronto International Film Festival.

The artwork runs the gamut from Half-Life 2 Episode 2 to 300: March to Glory, Rayman’s Raving Rabbids to EVE Online. For the most part, these aren’t screenshots — this is fine art created by the same game designers who create the environments and characters that populate popular video games. In some cases the work was generated using computer-based tools like Photoshop and Maya; in other cases, the work was painted by hand.

Visitors to E for All can find the Into the Pixel winning creations at booths 901 and 2013. If you’re not at the show, you can see the winners at the Into the Pixel Web site.

Sony's new Blu-Ray Christmas ad

Pokemon Farm Footage

You know, there are people who will see this and just freeze. Maybe drool a little, maybe grin toothlessly, maybe even drop to their knees and thank the appropriate deity. I mean, recreating an avatar of yourself that can walk freely amongst a paddock full of Pokemon? You can say what you want about the shitty graphics, the limited "gameplay" (if there even is any), the endless trips Nintendo make to the Pokemon well...and none of it will matter. This thing is going to sell like cakes that have been heated until they're just right.

Car as Pokemon: The Honda Puyo Concept

Move over, Nissan Pivo 2! Honda is is gonna show you how its done. Basically, Honda wishes to convince us that people want their cars to be like cuddly animals, not R2D2, with the introduction of their new "Puyo" concept.

Honda's belief is that people will want a "seamless soft box" that makes them feel like they're enclosed within an "adorable pet." (I don't know what people these are, but apparently Honda's found them and is using them for market research). Like Nissan with its Pivo, Honda also believes that you and your pet car should be able to turn on a dime, and with the Puyo's 360-degree 4-wheel steering, parallel parking will be a cinch even for the novice driver.

The Puyo's exterior is made from a gel-like material to give it a cozy feel and enhance its real-world safety. The gel body has a color-reactive element as well, making it essentially the world's biggest "check engine" light: the Puyo will be able to glow a variety of different hues to communicate to its driver certain aspects of its operating condition. What do you think: are consumers ready for the world's first "mood car," or will the Puyo be better off stalled indefinitely in the concept phase?

'Halo 3' Drives September Video Game Sales

An impressive showing from Microsoft Corp.'s "Halo 3" re-energized the Xbox 360 and pushed U.S. video-game retail sales up 74 percent in September, according to data from market researcher NPD Group.

"Halo 3," the final installment of the hugely popular first-person shooter trilogy for Microsoft Xbox 360, made its debut Sept. 25 and sold 3.3 million units during the month, including collector's editions.

"True to its name, the game rubbed off on hardware sales too - the Xbox 360 realized its best month ever in unit hardware sales outside last holiday season," said Anita Frazier, video game analyst for the NPD Group, in an e-mail. "If ever there was doubt that great content drives hardware acquisition, this should put that doubt to rest."

Video game retail sales reached $1.36 billion in September, up from $778.7 million a year earlier.

Hardware sales, including consoles and handheld systems, more than doubled to $544.9 million. People bought nearly 1.4 million consoles in September, up from just 613,500 a year earlier.

The Xbox 360 was the month's top-selling console, selling 527,800 units, up 91 percent from the 276,700 sold in August.

Source: AP - Forbes