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Mobile Game Devs Cutting Back on Android Investment

Pulkit Chandna — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:42:38 -0600

As one of the leading developers of games for mobile phones, Gameloft wields considerable clout. The France-based games developer has decided to cut back on the development of games for Google's Android platform just like other developers. According to Gameloft finance director Alexandre de, the Android Market is not all that conducive to paid applications.

He revealed that his company sells "400 times more games on iPhone than on Android." But with the number of Android-based phones growing with each passing day, it will be difficult for games developers to completely ignore the platform. However, there are a lot of issues that Google will have to address, if it wants Android to be taken seriously as a games platform.

Image Credit: Erenumerique.fr

OnLive Receives Major Financial Backing from AT&T, Others

Pulkit Chandna — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 18:14:41 -0500

Earlier this year, we unstintingly dedicated some precious screen space to a preview of OnLive’s cloud-based gaming service, which many believe can usher in a new era in video games. That belief has found another taker in the form of AT&T, which is OnLive’s latest financial backer. OnLive announced yesterday that it has raised a third round of funding from AT&T, Lauder Partners, and its original investors.

The server-based gaming service promises to deliver the latest video games to any broadband-enabled PC or TV set without requiring any fancy gaming hardware.

The company is not willing to divulge the exact volume of funding. According to GamesBeat, one venture capital source speculates that funding in the third round may have topped $500 million.

“But we’re limited on what we can disclose. The valuation was quite high for a pre-revenue company. It is probably among the highest for a pre-revenue company getting funding this year. But the scope of the opportunity is high,” said Steve Perlman, OnLive’s founder and CEO.

Although a few other similar ventures are vying for what they all believe is an assured place in video game history, OnLive’s huge wealth of intellectual property – more than 100 patents and counting, coupled with the financial muscle of its backers gives it an obvious advantage. It is currently being put through its paces by beta testers.

AMD's Fusion for Gaming Beta Now Available

Pulkit Chandn — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 04:45:49 -0500

AMD recently unveiled its Fusion for Gaming application with a lot of tawdry grandiosity. The utility, currently in beta, provides a software-based crude overclocking solution by closing all background apps and services to optimize the system for gaming. The utility also tinkers with some other system settings to provide enhanced performance during gaming. Once in expert mode, the application can even overclock the GPU.

The chipmaker claims that Fusion for Gaming can enhance a computer’s performance by up to 10%. Although it might actually prove to be handy, the chances of it being worth as much as AMD’s rhetoric suggests are slim to none. The beta is only meant for Windows Vista 32 and can be downloaded here.

Image Credit: Cnet

New Video Game Sparks Old Question

Paul "One4yu2c" Lilly — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 18:08:15 -0500

Gamers are constantly battling the notion that video games have the ability to transform us into mindless zombies incapable of separating the virtual world from the real world. And I'd agree, if, having grown up playing Pac-Man and Super Mario, I would have had an obstinate urge to devour blue flashing spirits and kick retreating turtles that have receded into their shell. But curiously, my psyche never taunted me into living out those 2-D rendered scenarios, nor do I have this desire to clock a prostitute upside her head before mowing down innocent pedestrians a la Grand Theft Auto.

Now, I'd wager that most MPC readers are gamers themselves, and the vast majority of you don't buy into the notion that games, violent or otherwise, have compelled you to relive the experience outside of a virtual setting, just as we don't get the urge to go on a mass murdering spree after watching Natural Born Killers. Nevertheless, video game legislation continues to be a popular topic among politicians, usually in the wake of a senseless tragedy carried out by a psychotic individual, or following the release of a new game that pushes the boundries of taste and realism. But the latest game to make media headlines does neither of those, yet it manages to bring up an interesting question I'd like to pose to my fellow gamers: When it comes to video games, is everything truly fair game? Let me back up a moment and tell first tell you about the title in question.

Amid growing concerns from outside forces, a nuclear facility comes under attack. Your job isn't to fend off the infiltrators (too late for that!), but to recover the two kidnapped nuclear engineers in charge of the program, who also happen to be husband and wife, and were on their way to a religious function when nabbed. Of course, you'll need to kill any bad guys that get in the way, and like most first person shooters, you'll do so with a variety of weapons.

On the surface, it's your basic search and rescue fare, and if the first game by the same developer is any indication, even the graphics are rather tame compared to most modern FPS titles. But here's the twist; if you assumed you would play the part of a US soldier, think again. In Rescue the Nuke Scientists, as it's called, the US troops are the bad guys, and you're part of an Iranian special force. To win the game, you have to rescue the scientists being held in Israel, confiscate laptops containing government secrets, and kill US and Israeli personnel in the process.

According to The Associated Press, the hard-line student group responsible for the game designed it "as a response to a U.S.-based company's 'Assault on Iran' game, which depicts an American attack on an Iranian nuclear facility," further stating that "We tried to promote the idea of defense, sacrifice and martyrdom in this game."

From my vantage point, it's fair game. As much as I disagree with the premise and the concept of gunning down US soldiers, it would be hypocritical of me to proclaim free speech in defense of titles like Grand Theft Auto, Call of Duty, and the like. But what this new game does make me do is ponder just how far I'm comfortable riding this stance and letting my wallet do the talking. When does poor taste come into play, and if boundries do get drawn, who's responsible for making them? The alternative is to continue on without boundries, which could eventually pave the way for games that encourage beheading American journalists and troops, kidnapping and torturing children, and any other sick and twisted scenario someone out there would be willing to recreate from a FoxNews headline into a virtual playpen.

So for all of you out there that, like me, oppose restrictive video game legislation, do you have the stomach to ride that stance to the bitter end? Obviously such titles would never see a Wal-Mart store shelf, but if an online vendor was willing to sell a purely tasteless game that graphically depicted morally horrendous acts that would make Grand Theft Auto's crimes look like a Sunday School jaunt in comparison, would you be willing to defend said title from not being banned?

RealFlight G3

Steve Klett — Fri, 15 Dec 2006 15:17:08 -0600

You have to look at the sport of flying radio-controlled aircraft like you would gambling: If you can’t afford to lose (crash), you can’t afford to play (fly).

A basic almost-ready-to-fly trainer aircraft (.40 gas motor, four-channel radio) will set you back nearly $500 after you pick up everything needed to get in the air and maintain the airplane. If money’s tight, the mere act of taking off for the first time can put you in a panic!

RealFlight G3 is an RC simulator that can give you the edge you need to make that first flight a success, and keep you from committing basic mistakes that could put your bird in the shop—permanently. Take it from those who have crashed and burned!

With a robust hangar of 30 aircraft and nine helicopters of the electric-, gas-, and wind-powered varieties, you won’t get bored for a while, either. The mix includes trainer aircraft, high-performance aerobatics masterpieces, and everything in between. Training modes step you through basic maneuvers, and your skills will also benefit from a variety of optional onscreen visual aids—such as a radio that mimics your control inputs, and unlimited viewpoint windows to help you better gauge runway approaches and obstacles. (Each one you open puts a big hit on your frame rate, however.)

The sim ships with a USB controller that mimics an actual Futaba 4-to-10 channel transmitter. The controller includes inputs and patch cords to connect the transmitter from your own RC kit, if you prefer to use that instead, or you can connect with a second transmitter to fly split-screen with a friend. The game allows online play for up to eight people, but Great Planes does not provide a match-making service.

Also included are 17 airfields replicating some 5,000 square miles of terrain modeled from satellite and digital elevation data. Locations range from open training fields to the tight confines of a soccer field—complete with the dreaded light posts! Each locale is best suited to a particular type of aircraft, and together the fields represent a generous stable of options. Still, you can use the included tools to tweak just about anything on the fields, and the aircraft themselves, which is a big selling point for RC gear-heads. Want to see how that PT Trainer will fly with a four-bladed prop? No problem!

The 3D aircraft models are gorgeous, with moving control surfaces and articulating gear. They crash really well, too, thanks to the addition of an enhanced collision-detection engine. Brush a tree branch with your plane and you’ll know it—you’ll hit the ground hard and your craft will break into pieces. (Take comfort in knowing that all you need to do is hit the reset button on the transmitter to put it back together.) The engine is far from perfect, though, as we often hit objects with no discernible damage penalties, and terrain effects are not modeled—taxiing on grass feels the same as a smooth runway.

While the aircraft look fantastic, the rest of the sim looks average at best—and some background objects are fugly to say the least. RealFlight has a long way to go before it will be confused with a high-end PC flight sim. We also experienced some nasty crashes when switching back and forth between different views in-game.

At $200 RealFlight G3 is not cheap—and you don’t even get a printed manual! If you’re at all serious about the sport, however, it’s worth the price of admission.

Month Reviewed: December 2006
+ HIGH-SPEED PASS: Lots of aircraft/fields to try; highly configurable; included controller.
- CRASH AND BURN: Expensive; background graphics need work; no manual; unstable.
Verdict: 7
URL: www.realflight.com