1 trillion calculations a second - Intel say no need for hand controllers on games systems

Advances in chip design are prompting companies to take advantage of the potential power. But the necessary new markets and software are lagging

During the last technology boom, Dan Reed, a longtime supercomputer researcher and tech policy expert, stayed put in a professorship at the University of Illinois and managed its National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA), even as the fabled lab hatched Netscape and helped set off the explosive growth of the Internet. During the dot-com bust that followed, Reed hunkered down in another faculty job at the University of North Carolina.

Now the computer industry is poised for a second transformation, in which supercomputing technology is trickling down to corporate data centers and desktop PCs, supplying them with unprecedented power. This time, Reed isn't missing out. On Dec. 3, he became the latest high-profile hire in a stable of supercomputer scientists that Microsoft (MSFT) is assembling in Redmond, Wash., to study how technology that has been the province of top-flight universities, government research labs, and a few huge corporations can transform everyday computing. "We have an opportunity to rethink issues at a deep level," says Reed, 50. "I said if the surf was up again, I was going to grab my board."

BYE-BYE JOYSTICKS
The waves look inviting for others, too. Inspired by advances in chip design that will likely keep the performance of today's already powerful computers arcing steadily upward for years, tech companies are devising new scenarios in entertainment, engineering, product design, and medicine to take advantage of the potential power. IBM (IBM), the developer of the world's most powerful supercomputer at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, also supplies processors for graphics-intensive video game consoles from Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo. Sony's PlayStation 3 features an IBM chip called the Cell that's also used in huge supercomputers that can easily fill a basketball court.

Intel and Advanced Micro Devices, the two biggest suppliers of computer chips, have managed to cram four so-called processing cores onto their products. That's the equivalent of strapping four PCs together and jamming them into the space of a large envelope—and not much thicker. But the chipmakers don't expect to stop there. They plan to have dozens of processors on silicon chips within a decade. Marshalling all that power could open doors to new ways of interacting with machines.

Intel has talked to console video game makers about using chips that can perform in excess of 1 trillion calculations per second (BusinessWeek.com, 2/12/07) in future products that use cameras to track body motion to control the action, instead of using buttons or joysticks. "We imagine some future generation of [Nintendo's] Wii won't have hand controllers," says Justin Rattner, Intel's chief technology officer. "You just set up the cameras around the room and wave your hand like you're playing tennis." Intel missed out on supplying chips for the current generation of game systems, and is trying to gain a foothold there.

A DEARTH OF NEW MARKETS
But what may dash the dreams of Intel and other hardware makers is a lack of inexpensive, off-the-shelf software to bring supercomputing to the masses. For now, these sophisticated machines require equally sophisticated and, in many cases, custom-developed programs tended to by highly paid engineers. That's why Microsoft is building a brain trust and handing out funds to schools doing work in the field. The software giant is underwriting grants to universities to study how supercomputer-style programming can be applied to personal machines. The company also is building data centers to serve up its new Live online software that a few years ago would have been more at home in a research lab.

Meanwhile, Hewlett-Packard on Nov. 13 delivered a new class of mini-supercomputer, designed for small engineering and biotech companies, that costs around $50,000. Callaway Golf is an early HP customer. And IBM, Google, and Yahoo! have launched initiatives in "cloud computing", harnessing supercomputing power for new Web-delivered software for applications like modeling risk in financial portfolios, generating computer graphics, or understanding conversational typed or spoken queries.

Sony: PS3 "infinitely more fun" than the Nintendo Wii

Sony CEO confident that the console will "come into its own"

Sony Corporation CEO Howard Stringer has said in an interview that he believes PlayStation 3 games are "infinitely more fun" than those on Nintendo's Wii.

That follows an upturn in the console's recent sales fortunes, and a better situation on like-for-like sales when compared to the Wii - although Nintendo has admitted it is unable to manufacture enough hardware units to meet demand.

But Stringer told the Guardian: "We've some catching up to do, but at least we have the opportunity to connect the PS3 with the PlayStation Portable and beyond."

"I'm happy the Wii seems to be running a bit short of hardware," Stringer went on to say. "The PlayStation 3 will come into its own because its [high-end games] are infinitely more fun, demanding and exciting."

And looking to the future, he admitted to feeling more confident. "I'm glad that the last few weeks have generated excitement about PlayStation 3," he said. "Everyone's stopped talking about it the way they were six months ago."

Sales of the PS3 in the US tripled after Thanksgiving, and are still performing much better into the Christmas period than before the price cut.

Gamez comment - Better than the Wii - That's why they had to cut the price!

Source: Games Industry

Square Enix wins Final Fantasy movie copying case

Music video stole heavily from Advent Children

Square Enix has won its legal battle with Korean entertainment company Fantom for plagiarising the company's Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children animated movie.

According to a judge, Fantom had "illegally used 80 per cent of the storyline, setting, characters and their style of dress" for a music video by singer Ivy.

"Square Enix will continue to take decisive action against any infringements upon the company's intellectual property, recognising that this property is one of our most crucial resources," said Yasuhiko Hasegawa, general counsel of Square Enix, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

"This judgement by the Seoul Central District Court is stringent in comparison to other copyright infringement cases in South Korea, and we appreciate that the maliciousness of this infringement has been recognised in a public forum," he added.

Fantom Entertainment has been fined USD 10,900, with additional fines each of USD 6500 for Lee Han-woo, director of the company, and Hong Jeong-ho, director of the music video.

Square Enix says its Final Fantasy franchise has sold more than 75 million copies over its 20 year history.

Source: Games Industry

Shellshock video game sequel on Playstation 3 and XBox 360

UK dev has big plans for PS3, 360 titles in 2008

After completing 12 PSP titles, Rebellion has told GamesIndustry.biz that it's now fully focused on home consoles, with a sequel to Eidos' Shellshock the first PS3 and 360 title from the UK studio.

The developer has finished 2007 with a portfolio of high-profile PSP licenses including The Simpsons Game, Star War Battlefront and Alien Vs Predator, but is now confident of shifting to Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 formats.

"Next year we'll have our first next-gen project out – Shellshock 2 with Eidos," confirmed CEO Jason Kingsley, speaking exclusively to GamesIndustry.biz at last week's Game Connection event.

"It's very much a mature product, it's a bit like Jacob's Ladder or Apocalypse Now in movie terms. It's troubling – deliberately so – it's meant to be challenging the nature of war, the horror and why people do these horrific things to each other.

"It'll be our first next-gen title, which is slightly nervewracking, but it's looking absolutely lovely," he said.

As well as working on Shellshock, Rebellion is hoping to push forward with titles based on its own original IP, which include Rogue Trooper, Sniper Elite and the properties of its 2000AD comic book business.

"This year we've done a lot of other people's licenses but next year we'll have much more of a balance of licenses and some original product. The year after it's very likely we'll have a slew of original, home-brand IPs," revealed Kingsley.

"For example, the Rogue Trooper rights for next-gen have come back to us so we're looking at and planning what we can do with that brand, because it was successful and we're very proud of it, so we'd like to do more with it."

And as Rebellion expands its other publishing outlets – the company has a successful horror and sci-fi book imprint called Abaddon Books – Kingsley admits there are more opportunities for cross media licensing.

"There's always that possibility of TV, film licensing and videogames with these ideas. It's much easier to launch a new idea as a comic book or a book than it is to do a game," he said. "It's quicker and with games you can sometimes lose the enthusiasm."

While not completely abandoning the idea of more PSP work, Kingsley believes following the now-established home consoles will prove to be the best direction for not only the business, but for its 280 staff as well.

"Chances are we'll have fewer games out next year because they'll be bigger titles. We're not going to be doing much more in the way of PSP stuff unless it comes with a big next-gen title," he said.

"The issue for us is that our staff very much want to work on next-gen and so it makes sense to make deals where they can work on the next big thing. We've been preparing for this transition since the last one.

"While we were not involved in the first wave of games I think a lot of games have suffered from being released too early. Progress has been really good in all of our studios. We need scale and we've always wanted to have five titles in development at any one time," he added.

The Witcher video game PC Downloadable Demo

Atari Announces the Launch of the European Playable Demo for CD Projekt's Acclaimed PC Role-Playing Opus, Downloadable via www.TheWitcher.com

Atari today announced the launch of the playable demo for The Witcher, the acclaimed first game from Polish development studio CD Projekt RED and a PC role-playing masterwork which delivers an engrossing story and thrilling tactical combat, all set in a mature and compelling original fantasy universe. The demo can be downloaded via the official website at www.thewitcher.com or via www.atari.com.

Giving players a tantalizing taste of the world of The Witcher, the demo begins with the first part of the prologue in which the seeds of the story are sown and the white haired witcher Geralt learns the rudiments of combat. The prologue is followed by the entirety of Act 1, during which Geralt of Rivia will see the first threads of the story weave their web around him and be called upon to slay man and beast to stay alive and earn his keep.

In The Witcher players take the role of Geralt of Rivia, a professional monster slayer who exists on the fringes of a complex society afflicted by the kind of problems more commonly found on the front pages of newspapers than in a fantasy universe. Taken as a child, mutated, and trained in the arcane ways of the witchers, Geralt is a reluctant hero, who nonetheless finds himself all too frequently in the heat of battles that are not his own. His is a path he might not choose to walk, but walk it he must, guided by his head, heart, and only faithful companion – his sword.

Based on the fictional world created by best-selling Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, The Witcher is set in a unique fantasy universe where real-life issues dominate a troubled society. In this world there is no right or wrong, only decisions and consequences.

The Witcher is available now at retailers across Europe as a standard game pack and as a Limited Edition containing a wealth of exclusive content. For more information about The Witcher visit www.thewitcher.com and for more details about Atari’s entire product line up visit www.atari.com.

Multi-Player Real-Time Strategy Game Ballerium Now Live

The Titans and the Shaping of the Universe—The Free MMORTS Offers A Persistent Multi User Environment and Seven Unique Races

Majorem, a leading online game and technology development studio, in partnership with live games operator Sleepy Giant announced today that its long-awaited free to play MMORTS, Ballerium, has gone live. The multiplayer online real-time strategy game features innovative gameplay including a real-time economy that lets players control and influence the in-game market, dynamic resource gathering, unique army building mechanics and more. The game can be downloaded for free at www.Ballerium.com.

Ballerium is a far off planet facing troubling times. For the first time in its history, the world of Ballerium has been experiencing a global crisis: an oncoming cataclysmic about to bring about the end of the world. Each player in the game controls an Avatar - a spirit of a great hero, and a group of followers (called "units") of that Avatar. Players are free to choose their own goals - whether they wish to try to reveal the mysteries of the gates, to simply amass power and wealth, or to conquer every city and become the ultimate Avatar in Ballerium.

The means for achieving success in the game center around collecting money and resources in order to build a larger army and then banding together with other players to defeat mutual enemies. Players can explore the world seeking new challenges and areas to dominate.

Below are the key features of Ballerium:

• Free download and gameplay


• Persistent multi user environment


• Many ways to win the game (trade, role-play, combat, and diplomacy)


• AI that is capable of finishing combat for you in case of disconnection


• Warfare on an epic scale: Play with thousands of players on a single map


• Seven Unique races to choose from, each possessing unique units and magic abilities


• Great community features


• Low Bandwidth Requirements

Players who register by December 31, 2007 will be entered to win a $50 gift card for Jinx.com

Free MMORPG, Metin2 Celebrates Christmas with Holiday-Themed Lottery Events, New Monarch System win an Apple iPhone and More

Grand prize includes Apple iPhone, METIN2 2008 calendar!

G4box Inc, a North American publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment media, has announced an exciting holiday lottery event and classic Christmas icons for players of METIN2 to help celebrate the season in style. Beginning December 15 to ring in the holiday cheer, METIN2 gamers can participate in a special holiday lottery event, where they could win an Apple iPhone, among other prizes, as well as find holiday icons to be used as treasure. More details about the game, how to download it and how to participate in the events can be found at the game’s official web site: http://www.METIN2.us.

Christmas Lottery Event:

METIN2 gamers throughout the three Kingdoms will be able to collect special lottery tickets, beginning December 15 - December 27. By slaying various monsters and villains found throughout METIN2 in areas like Tangra Mountain, Nula Valley, and The Wastelands, lottery tickets can be obtained. The event will feature a grand prize of an Apple iPhone for one lucky winner, and other prizes to be awarded include the stunning METIN2 2008 calendar, along with hundreds of additional stocking stuffers such as METIN2 notebooks and posters!

Santa Claus, Holiday Stockings, and Christmas Trees:

With Christmas just a few weeks away, G4box is decking the halls with the addition of new holiday-themed events. These events will run through December 27, and classic Christmas icons may be found throughout the world of METIN2. Holiday-themed items may now be found as treasure when adventuring and slaying monsters throughout the lands of METIN2. Enormous trees decorated with colorful and flashy ornaments can be spotted and are the key to a making player wishes come true, and a generous, elderly man wearing a suit of red with white trim seems to be selling precious goods and materials for prices that are too good to be true – a rare find of valuable components!

METIN2’s Monarch System:

The month of January will signify a revolution in how METIN2 is played as the first Monarchs of METIN2 are born. The Kingdoms of Dendera, Milgaard, and Listhmos will be able to select one outstanding player to represent them as Monarch and lead the charge into battle. Monarchs must take care to use their powers wisely and for the greater good. Monarchs who rule unfairly or are too greedy may find themselves kneeling to a new Monarch before too long. This exciting new innovation heralds METIN2’s community-based approach by allowing players to have a more active role in how their Kingdoms will be lead.

For more information on the lottery event or the Christmas icons, including their start dates and the great prizes, visit the METIN2 website at http://www.METIN2.us/index.htm.

Puzzle game, Fading Shadows, exclusive to Sony PSP

Genre: Puzzle
Developer: Ivolgamus
Release Date: February 2007
Price: £24.99
PEGI: 7+
Format: PSP

Fading Shadows is an incredibly original title, exclusive to the PSPTM, created by European developer Ivolgamus. The unusual style of gameplay is combined with stunning graphics and a compelling storyline to make this a must for any players with a penchant for puzzle-platformer games.

The player must guide an orb through 40 captivating levels by controlling a magical beam of light. This orb contains the soul of a young boy, and it is the player's job to rescue the boy by safely leading the orb to the Castle of Heaven. Pass through swamps, travel over mountains, visit castles and explore deserted cities on your quest to save the world from the forces of darkness.

Each level will require the player to change the state of the orb to glass, wood or metal, and control it with the appropriate force from the beam of light. To proceed past the Dark Castle level the player must turn all the disks of the pentagram towards the gate and place the orb in the centre. But how do you turn the disks? A closer look reveals a number of switches scattered throughout the level, and these can be activated using the orb or the beam of light. The following actions can be seen in the accompanying screenshots.

To reach the switch beyond a matrix of numerals the orb must move over the matrix without touching a number out of sequence.

Press three buttons in the correct order to activate the switch at the fireplace.

To reach the switches above the escalator, players must activate it using the switch placed in front and above the escalator that will raise the platform underneath allowing the orb to travel up and reach the next switch.

Finally when all discs are turned towards the gates and the orb is placed in the middle of the pentagram the gates will open for the orb to be driven through.

Fading Shadows is to be released in February 2008.

Kawasaki Quad Bikes for the Nintendo Wii

Video games publisher and games developer Data Design Interactive are pleased to announce that its Nintendo Wii development team working on DDI’s ‘Arcade Popcorn’ label has hit its target of 14 games gaining Gold status for release this fall.

Kawasaki Quad Bikes

This is the ultimate quad biking experience putting you in the driving seat of one of these awesome All Terrain Vehicles. The game features the most exhilarating off road tracks known to man! Plus you will experience the heart stopping power and agility of these awesome machines.

· A full range of officially licensed Kawasaki Quad Bikes, with unlockable extras, hidden quads, upgrades, courses and much more.

· Outstanding single player game modes include numerous championship and single race challenges, with over 70 track variations.

· Multiplayer mode allows you to compete against friends, with lots of challenging environments to explore, from gravel covered slopes to mud soaked arenas.

Warhammer video game Online Beta Army - Half A Million Strong

More Than 500,000 Sign Up for Early Access to EA Mythic's MMORPG Scheduled for Release in Q2 2008

GOA and EA Mythic today announced that Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning (W.A.R.), the highly anticipated massively-multiplayer online role-playing game MMORPG from EA Mythic, has surpassed 500,000 closed beta registrants in North America and Europe. Beta testing resumes next week with a special sneak peek at the new Dark Elf lands and careers. Thanks to the tremendous response from fans around the world, the development team now has a strong pool of gamers to tap for W.A.R. final testing stages.

Poised to be one of the biggest new MMORPG releases releases of next year, W.A.R. is slated for official launch in Q2 2008. The Beta Center is still open and accepting recruits at:

www.war-europe.com/#/subscription/

Based on Games Workshop’s epic and longstanding tabletop fantasy war game, Warhammer Online features revolutionary Realm vs. Realm (RvR) game play that immerses players in a world of perpetual conflict. For more information, please visit www.war-europe.com.