Author Archive | Jared Newman

Seriously, Asteroids The Movie?

Posted by Jared Newman on July 2, 2009 at 1:19 pm

asteroids1According to The Hollywood Reporter, the classic 1979 arcade game Asteroids will be made into a movie.

No joke, Universal has picked up the film rights, prevailing in a bidding war against three other studios. Matthew Lopez, whose writing credits include Race to Witch Mountain and Bedtime Stories, will pen the script. Lorenzo di Bonaventura, who produced both Transformers movies and, fittingly, Doom, will be the producer.

Now, I tend to be skeptical when it comes to nostalgia acts — I skipped the 2007 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie on principle — but this idea is truly wacky. We’re of course talking about a video game that had no plot, no characters and really, no reason to be reincarnated in any form. Asteroids is a game whose most interesting development is the occasional appearance of a flying saucer that fires bullets at random angles (so you can bet this movie will have aliens!).

One could argue that Asteroids’ complete lack of substance opens the door to limitless possibilities, but then isn’t this movie just a cheap use of name recognition to cover for generic space opera? Unless Asteroids the movie features an endless battle against free-floating rocks, complete with ruminations on the inevitability of death, I won’t be moved.

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Last.fm the First Taste of Ads on Xbox Live?

Posted by Jared Newman on July 1, 2009 at 3:17 pm

xboxlivecardMicrosoft left us mostly in the dark at E3 when announcing that Last.fm, the Internet radio station, is coming to Xbox Live. Now, Joystiq has filled in some of the blanks with Xbox Live general manager Christina DeRosa.

Silver-level subscribers — i.e. the ones who don’t pay — can listen for “a trial period” of three hours per month, with occasional video advertisements, DeRosa said. Gold users will get unlimited ad-supported access. A third, commercial-free tier will cost extra.

That’s all good to know, but what’s really interesting is that Microsoft is finally opening the door to ad-supported content. In its current state, Xbox Live is transaction-based. You’ll get a free map pack here and there — and some of them have been sponsored by a third party — but most of the content on Xbox Live requires money, regardless of whether your a paying member or not. Last.fm is either an outlier or a sign of what’s to come.

With Twitter and Facebook integration coming to the service, I wonder if Microsoft has a similar ad-supported plan in mind. It seems likely, considering a recent report by MediaPost that says Microsoft will bring Silverlight to Xbox Live within a year, making it easier for advertisers to get their message onto multiple platforms. If there’s any Xbox Live feature that seems ripe for ads, it’s social networking.

Looking further ahead, could all of this signify a completely ad-supported Xbox Live, as Official Xbox Magazine suggests? I doubt it. My instinct says Microsoft wouldn’t want a free service to cannibalize the paid one, but I can’t say for sure without knowing the ratio of Gold to Silver subscribers, and the company doesn’t disclose that information. I do know that Xbox Live is rich with features, and sticking ads into all its nooks and crannies would be a Godawful mess.

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Fail: “Social Networking For Grown-Ups”

Posted by Jared Newman on June 30, 2009 at 3:52 pm

tbd-logoMy old man really digs Facebook. Days after opening an account, he started a group for his high school classmates and reconnected with college pals. Any time I visit my parents, he posts and tags the pictures. He comments on my best friends’ status updates.

So it doesn’t surprise me that TeeBeeDee, a social network designed exclusively for older folks, is shutting down by July 13. In a note on the site, founder Robin Wolaner said TeeBeeDee “lacked the resources to continue developing the product to meet the needs of our community.”

Translation: The site needs money, but it’s not generating revenue and no investors want to sink more money into it. PaidContent noted that the site, which was riding on $9 million in venture capital, only drew 70,000 unique visitors last month.

It’s not that “grown-ups,” as TeeBeeDee called its user base, aren’t interested in social networking. The New York Times reported in March that females 55 and older are the fastest-growing segment of Facebook, leaping in membership by 175 percent since last fall. Men over age 55 were in second place, increasing their numbers by 138 percent during the same period. The Times story is otherwise packed with anecdotes like the one I described about my dad.

So why would this crowd rather hang out on Facebook than TeeBeeDee? Certainly, word of mouth plays a role. While a niche site like TeeBeeDee has to market itself, Facebook’s userbase practically does that job on its own, be it through friends, family or stories in the media.

But even if more people knew about TeeBeeDee, I’m not sure it would succeed. After all, isn’t social networking on a Boomers-only Web site kind of like checking into a retirement home? It’s just more fun to mingle with everyone you know, even if they aren’t all grown-ups yet.

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A Playstation Phone? Sooner Than You Think.

Posted by Jared Newman on June 29, 2009 at 2:12 pm

playstation-logoOne of the most cherished Sony rumors surfaced again over the weekend, as Nikkei reported that the company is considering a cellphone and video game hybrid.

Rumor has it that Sony could bring together a project team as early as July to combine functions of an Ericsson phone with Sony’s gaming devices. Reuters, which spotted Nikkei’s article, didn’t use the “Playstation Phone” terminology, but that’s what everyone’s thinking. This is particularly interesting given that Sony refused to license the Playstation brand to Ericsson on a previous occasion because the technology wasn’t there.

So is the rumor true? It’s certainly not impossible, but all the retellings of this report missed an interesting tidbit from a week ago: Sony is already planning to integrate Playstation with an existing touch screen phone, the Satio.

Speaking at a press conference in Singapore, Hirokazu Ishizuka, head of Sony Ericsson’s Asia Pacific Region, said that “you can enjoy your PlayStation games so therefore this product is so powerful and we are very confident [of] this product’s success.” The report by ABS-CBN didn’t elaborate further except to say that gaming is part of a larger multimedia platform for the phone, which is due in about six months.

It’s not clear exactly what Ishizuka meant by his statement. We know the Satio’s PlayNow arena is a robust multimedia service, but it remains to be seen whether any Playstation branding will creep in.

ABS-CBN’s report would be perfect if Ishizuka was talking about the Aino, another Ericsson phone notable for its ability to remotely stream music and vidoes from a connected Playstation 3. Alas, we’ve got two phones that would for all intents and purposes be a Playstation Phone, if only they were mashed into one.

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Wii Getting Hollywood Movies (In Japan)

Posted by Jared Newman on June 25, 2009 at 1:26 pm

wiivideo1Nintendo is getting closer to a streaming Wii video service that would translate well to Western audiences.

In Japan, where the Wii’s video channel launched in April, Hollywood films will be available through the same service that powers Blockbuster’s on demand offerings. Sonic Solutions, with its Roxio CinemaNow service, will partner with Fujisoft, which handles Nintendo’s “Minna no Theater Wii” (“Everyone’s Theater Wii”) channel.

It’s no stretch of the imagination to see this video service coming to the US and Europe. In addition to Blockbuster, CinemaNow is already available in the West through LG Blu-ray players, Dell PCs and Archos portable media players.

Paramount Pictures will be the first to offer content on Japanese Wiis, with new releases and catalog titles. Presumably, other studios will follow, and if I had to venture a guess, I’d say Nintendo will line up more content before considering a western migration.

In its current form, the Japanese video service is vastly different from those of the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. It’s more like Second Life, with Mii avatars socializing in a virtual living room. There are also coupons to download onto Nintendo DS handhelds and celebrities who drop in to peddle their own content. Before the CinemaNow partnership, videos were created specifically for the Wii.

I’m not sure whether that format would work outside of Japan, but with the addition of Hollywood films, a Wii video channel seems readier for export than ever.

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Hey Apple, Pick an iPhone Game Controller

Posted by Jared Newman on June 24, 2009 at 1:40 pm

GameBoneProBannerAccelerometers and a touch screen have their place in iPhone games, but when a classic like Mega Man 2 has its gameplay drastically altered to accommodate for dodgy controls, there has to be another way.

A couple of companies have created pad-and-button controllers for the iPhone. Most recently, 22Moo introduced the GameBone Pro in hopes of getting worldwide distribution. The controller uses the iPhone 3.0 OS’s new Bluetooth capabilities to connect wirelessly (a 30-pin dock connector also works). 22Moo also said it’s making a clip-on accessory for holding the smartphone and controller together.

GameBone isn’t the only controller concept out there. The iControl Pad, which has a Web site but not a commercially available product, snaps to the iPhone to allow PSP-style controls on either side.

I like these ideas, but their success rests squarely on support from Apple. Without it, game developers won’t program for the controls and players can’t be sure that enough games use the controllers. The GameBone’s official Web site touts “Made for iPod” and “Works for iPhone” certification, but the fine print clarifies that Apple approval is pending.

Apple may not want to approve iPhone game controllers for several reasons. Ars Technica once argued that button controls are a “regression into an old way of thinking,” and Apple may not want any part of that. Along the same line, button controls could encourage more people to seek old console emulators, which aren’t available without jailbreaking.

Still, there’s a level of precision buttons provide, and games like Doom would be better off with the added tactile feedback. If Apple wants to step up the iPhone’s presence as a game machine, it’ll allow for games of all kinds, not just those that require multi-touch and wrist-twisting.

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NPD: Twitterers Buy More Music

Posted by Jared Newman on June 23, 2009 at 2:06 pm

TwitterTo all those dismissals of Twitter as a worthless Web site, the music industry might beg to differ.

A new study by The NPD Group found that Twitterers purchase 77 percent more digital music downloads than other Web users. Put another way by NPD analyst Russ Crupnik, “Twitter users are simply worth more to record labels and music retailers than those who are not using Twitter.”

Not that NPD’s research is all great news for the music industry: Only 23 percent of Web users bought a CD in the last three months, and 16 percent said they bought a digital download. At least there’s a silver lining in the habits of Twitter users, 33 percent of whom bought a CD and 34 percent purchased a music download.

Is there something in the atmosphere of the Twitterverse that beckons the sweet sound of music? Perhaps not; correlation doesn’t imply causation, of course, and NPD avoids suggesting that Twitter is breeds more music buyers.

What NPD does suggest is that Twitter is fertile, yet delicate, marketing ground for the music industry.

“There must be a careful balance struck between entertainment and direct conversation on one hand, and marketing on the other,” Crupnick said. “Used properly Twitter has the power to entertain — and to motivate music fans to purchase more new albums, downloads, merchandise, and concert tickets.”

It’s not clear how the music industry can get on the ground floor of such an operation. There are already plenty of options for sharing music through the service, and none of them are discussed in NPD’s press release.

If the music industry knew which external services were helping generate sales, maybe record labels could help those sites flourish. That’s a better strategy than suing everyone, at least.

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Tiger Woods with Wii MotionPlus: Does it Work?

Posted by Jared Newman on June 22, 2009 at 7:00 pm

tigermotionplusOver the weekend, I finally had a chance to dig into Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 with the Wii MotionPlus, an accuracy-boosting dongle for the motion controller.

The game itself is a blast — there’s something inherently addicting about creating a likeness of yourself and molding it into a pro golfer — but for our purposes here, I’m more interested in the MotionPlus. The peripheral can detect pretty much exactly what you’re doing in real space and translate it into something on screen, but what really counts is how the game responds to that input, and it’s hard to find a metric with more subtleties than golf.

One thing’s certain: The game is staggeringly different with the added motion controls. Unplugging the dongle mid-game is a reminder of how awful the Wii’s controls were before, requiring little more than a slight arm flick to execute a full golf swing. The MotionPlus, by comparison, takes into account backswing, stroke speed and slight twists of the wrists.

On the game’s “Standard” difficulty setting, you can get away with plenty of non-traditional swings, including one-handed strokes and slapshots that channel Happy Gilmore. On this difficulty level, all that matters is how far your arms go back over your shoulder, stroke speed and how straight your wrists are aligned when “hitting the ball,” so to speak.

But crank the difficulty up to “Advanced” and the exploits become harder. It’s actually advantageous to swing like a real golfer on this setting, winding up without bending your elbows, then twisting the wrists slightly to bring the club all the way back. On the follow-through, hooks and slices become much more common.

Still, I’m not sure the Wii MotionPlus could teach someone how to swing properly, because there’s not enough feedback within the game. If you mess up, the game suggests that you try an easier setting, but it doesn’t explain in detail what’s wrong with the player’s swing. It’s impossible to tell whether a slice was caused by a twisted wrist or incorrect fundamentals.

If someone releases a proper golf trainer, we’ll know for sure how precise the MotionPlus can be. For now, I’m content to have fun.

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Fun With Microsoft’s Xbox Rumors!

Posted by Jared Newman on June 19, 2009 at 11:27 am

xboxnatalAt the risk of beating this story to death, I’m going to dip back into the Xbox 360/Project Natal hysteria to parse out what’s actually been established over the last week. As 1Up wrote after the most recent-back-and forth, Microsoft is “creating reasonable doubt until they unveil their plans.” Here’s how, using the original 1UP story and Steve Ballmer’s remarks along with official comments that followed:

Rumor has it that Microsoft’s Project Natal will be released in 2010.
Microsofs official statement says “we have not confirmed a launch date at this time.” That could mean anything. It certainly doesn’t rule out a release for next year.
Rumor has it that Microsoft’s Project Natal will be sold as a standalone device for the Xbox 360.
Microsoft’s official statement says “Natal will run on Xbox 360 so no new console investment will be necessary.” This wasn’t much of a rumor to begin with, as the technology was showcased on the Xbox 360 at E3, but here’s the confirmation.
Rumor has it that Microsoft will also launch a new console with Project Natal built-in.
Microsoft’s official statement says “We’re not going to be launching a new console any time soon.” This is vague, I suspect deliberately. It’s like that scene in Spaceballs: “When will then be now?” “Soon.” “How soon?”
Rumor has it that Microsoft’s Natal-integrated console will have slight hardware upgrades from the current Xbox 360, though publishers will be able to support both platforms simultaneously.
Microsoft’s official statement says there will be “no new console.” It’s all in how you interpret it. A slight CPU/GPU upgrade with the same interface, running the same software, could constitute a new console. Or it could be considered a different model in the Xbox 360 family, kind of like how some Xbox 360s have HDMI support and bigger hard drives.

Rumor has it: Project Natal, Microsoft’s 3D motion-sensing camera, will be released in 2010.

Microsofs official statement: The company says “we have not confirmed a launch date at this time.” That could mean anything. It certainly doesn’t rule out a release for next year.

Rumor has it: Project Natal will be sold as a standalone device for the Xbox 360.

Microsoft’s official statement: “Natal will run on Xbox 360 so no new console investment will be necessary.” This wasn’t much of a rumor to begin with, as the technology was showcased on the Xbox 360 at E3, but here’s the confirmation.

Rumor has it: Microsoft will also launch a new console with Project Natal built-in.

Microsoft’s official statement: “We’re not going to be launching a new console any time soon.” This is vague, I suspect deliberately. It’s like that scene in Spaceballs: “When will then be now?” “Soon.” “How soon?”

Rumor has it: The Natal-integrated console will have slightly better hardware than the existing Xbox 360, though publishers will be able to support both platforms simultaneously.

Microsoft’s official statement: “There will be no new console.” Okay, but that could be interpreted two ways. A slight CPU/GPU upgrade with the same interface, running the same software, could constitute a new console. Or it could be considered a different model in the Xbox 360 family, kind of like how some Xbox 360s have HDMI support and bigger hard drives.

Despite Microsoft’s supposed debunkings, there’s plenty of careful wording in the company’s statements, with wiggle room for everything 1UP reported to come true. Or not. Give Microsoft’s PR department a hand for “clarifying” this ordeal — with a smokescreen.

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New Xbox 360 in 2010, Ballmer Says

Posted by Jared Newman on June 18, 2009 at 3:54 pm

xboxnatalMicrosoft’s motion-sensing video game controller will be integrated with a new Xbox 360 model, due to arrive in 2010, according to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.

Ballmer, quoted by TG Daily at an Executive’s Club of Chicago event today, said the console will have a “natural interface” with a built-in camera that can detect movement and voice. That sounds like Project Natal, the 3D motion-tracking camera announced at E3, to me.

Ballmer’s comments confirm — in a roundabout way, perhaps, as TG Daily’s report doesn’t mention Project Natal by name — at least a portion of earlier rumors. 1UP had reported that Project Natal will be integrated into Xbox 360 hardware in 2010 as a rebranded console, along with some minor boosts to the hardware. The motion camera will also be sold as a standalone product for existing Xbox 360s, 1UP’s story said.

This week, the Xbox 360’s director of product management, Aaron Greenberg, halfheartedly debunked the rumors, telling Eurogamer that Natal will run on the Xbox 360 and that “no new console investment” will be necessary to enjoy the motion controller. Another anonymous Microsoft source said the company urged people not to believe the “nonsense on the Internet.” Neither of those comments are firm denials of upgraded hardware, and TG Daily had nothing to report on the matter.

I’ve already talked about why a new console with shinier graphics is a bad idea. In short, the headaches for existing console owners and for game developers would outweigh the benefits of more processing power. But it’s perfectly logical for Microsoft to release an Xbox 360 SKU with the motion camera built in. If the company’s looking to attract new gamers, selling an all-in-one bundle is the best way to do it.

Update: Here’s what Microsoft is saying on the matter; it seems very similar to what Eurogamer got this week: “As the Xbox team stated at E3 two weeks ago, we are not even halfway through the current console generation lifecycle and believe Xbox 360 will be the entertainment center in the home for long into the next decade.  Project Natal will be an important part of this platform, but we have not confirmed a launch date at this time.”

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