Check out this trailer for Dead Island. Sure it doesn’t represent the gameplay, but it’s just incredibly well done. It’s disturbing, haunting, and beautiful at the same time — easily one of the best trailers I’ve seen in years. Kindly check it out and share your thoughts.
The #1 Mobile PC Manufacturer is…Apple?
Would you have guessed that the leading seller of mobile PCs in Q4 2010 was Apple? Sounds crazy, hey? Microsoft Windows is still the dominant operating system worldwide, but when you combine MacBook and iPad sales, Apple sold more mobile computers in the last three months of 2010 than anyone else. That’s the story according to the analysts at DisplaySearch.
MacBook sales were solid throughout 2010, but the refreshed MacBook Air really kicked things up a notch. The iPad was one of the most popular holiday gifts. When you add all of that up, it’s no wonder that Apple killed it in Q4.
Sony Ericsson PlayStation Tablet (Android) in the Works
Engadget has a hot scoop on an upcoming Sony Ericsson tablet that runs Google Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) and Sony PlayStation Suite. The rumor follows the official announcement of Sony Ericsson’s Xperia Play, which offers Google Android and PlayStation Suite in a mobile phone. Here are more details on the Sony Ericsson Google Android PlayStation tablet (you must use all six words):
Although the tablet looks like a hollow 9.4-inch capacitive touch panel sporting a 1,280 x 800 pixel resolution from the distance, the space between the the front and back wrapped panels is actually stuffed with a battery and circuitry including a Tegra 2 processor. As such, you won’t be hanging it from the towel rack. It also features both front- and rear-facing cameras as well as a USB-A port that plays host to USB thumb drives or media devices. The only physical buttons — volume and on / off — are located on the edge of each indented side. There’s also the possibility that the S1 will feature a “Q” (for Qriocity) button but that decision has not been finalized, according to one of our sources. Oh, and there’s an IR port built-in allowing you to control devices other than your Bravia TV. The front face is finished in a high-gloss black that sits flush with the display and continues in one unobstructed sweep to the back of the tablet where a subtle dot matrix texture is applied to enhance the grip. The underside is a matte-silver color creating a nice contrast. All materials, we’re told, feel very premium though it’s unclear if we’re talking plastic, aluminum, or something else.
The rumor isn’t surprising considering how hot the tablet market will be in 2011. It’s nice to see Sony wisely expanding the reach of the PlayStation brand through its Sony Ericsson branch. It’s about time those folks started playing nice together.
Any of you interested in a Sony Ericsson Google Android PlayStation tablet (isn’t it fun to say?)? Would you get one over an iPad, BlackBerry Playbook, or HP WebOS tablet?
Batman Arkham City Screens (Is Harley Hot?)
Here’s a fresh batch of screens from Batman Arkham City. The Joker totally creeps me out and I’m strangely attracted to this version of Harley Quinn. Do any of you feel the same way? Or am I just being a freak?
Here’s a fresh batch of screens from Batman Arkham City. The Joker totally creeps me out and I’m strangely attracted to this version of Harley Quinn. Do any of you feel the same way? Or am I just being a freak?
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Pick Which Videogame Art Gets Shown at The Smithsonian
The Smithsonian American Art Museum is hosting an exhibit called “The Art of Video Games” and you get to decide which games make the cut. All you need is a valid email address and a few minutes to vote here. Voting is open until April 7, 2011. Here are more details from the press release:
The Smithsonian American Art Museum is inviting the public to help select the video games that will be included in its upcoming exhibition “The Art of Video Games,” which opens in Washington, D.C. March 16, 2012. The exhibition is the first to explore the 40-year evolution of video games as an artistic medium, with a focus on striking visual effects and the creative use of new technologies. Chris Melissinos, founder of Past Pixels and collector of video games and gaming systems, is the curator of the exhibition.
This is a very cool exhibit that will help games get more mainstream exposure and respect. I’m all for it!
If you get a chance to vote, I’d love to know which games you selected. Please let me know!
Coffee Talk #303: Your Favorite Videogame Music
What’s some of your favorite videogame music? I’m not just talking about soundtracks. If “Pac Man Fever” floats your boat then let’s talk about it! As for me…
Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, the best potato chips, thoughts of CC Sabathia leaving the Yankees next year, or Lindsay Lohan getting sexier as she becomes more messed up, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
What’s some of your favorite videogame music? I’m not just talking about soundtracks. If “Pac Man Fever” floats your boat then let’s talk about it! As for me, the soundtrack to Final Fantasy Tactics is my favorite score. Hitoshi Sakimoto and Masaharu Iwata did a phenomenal job composing music that was moving and memorable. I’ve been a huge fan of theirs ever since I heard FFT’s music.
Naturally, I love Mortal Kombat The Album by The Immortals. The songs are just awesomely ridiculous. I have fond memories of listening to the soundtrack in college with my friend Wil. It’s just fun screaming, “Johnny Cage is not afraid to die!!!” If you haven’t heard these songs then I highly recommend clicking the link above and listening to the samples. These tracks will change your life…especially Sub-Zero’s song.
Now it’s your turn! What’s some of your favorite videogame music?
Finally…RPad Has Posted The Rock’s WWE Promo!!!
Here’s Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s fantastic promo from last night’s episode of Monday Night Raw. It’s just brilliant stuff on multiple levels. He’s simply amazing on the mic, but it’s cool to see that he’s genuinely having fun and truly touched by the amazing crowd response. (When was the last time you heard a crowd pop like that, btw?)
Now for the downer — some of the best parts of the promo have been edited out. That’s like abridging Shakespeare. Why?!?
Mike Capps Talks Epic, Bulletstorm, Infinity Blade, and More
Here’s a really fun and informative interview with Epic Games president Dr. Michael Capps. Not only is he an incredibly sharp man, but he’s also a super fun guy to hang out with. I’ve always been impressed with how nimbly Epic has evolved from PC to consoles to mobile. Capps addresses that issue, as well how Infinity Blade caused Apple execs to curse in excitement, Bulletstorm, his mother’s reaction to his shower scene in the “Bulletpoints” marketing campaign, Kotaku’s Brian Crescente looking like that guy from Deuce Bigalow/The Scorpion King, me punching Cliff Bleszinski in the face, and more!
Special thanks to RPadholic smartguy for his question about Bulletpoints!
School Falsifies Documents For Children to Build iPhones
Apple’s annual report revealed that 137 people in China were poisoned making its products, while 91 children worked in factories making Apple goods. The latter figure is particularly disturbing. This isn’t a knock on Apple at all, but a total knock on China. Perhaps I’m being naive, but I have a serious problem with a country where it’s common for a school to falsify documents for children so that they can build iPhones.
Here are more details from The Guardian:
The report says Apple found 91 children working at 10 facilities. The previous year it found 11 at three workplaces.
It ordered most to pay the children’s education costs but fired one contractor which was using 42 minors and had “chosen to overlook the issue”, the company said. It also reported the vocational school that had arranged the employment to the authorities for falsifying student IDs and threatening retaliation against pupils who revealed their ages.
Apple said it had strengthened its checks on age because of concerns about the falsification of ages by such schools and labour agencies. It also audited 127 facilities last year, mostly for the first time, compared with 102 in 2009.
Due to multiple Foxconn employees committing suicide, Apple has been paying close attention to its manufacturing partners in China. I’m happy that the company appears to be taking an active role at preventing child labor and improving conditions for employees. Still, there’s only so much a foreign company can do. This whole thing just makes me sad and wish that I could live without goods that were made in China.
HTC Flyer Tablet is Awesome…Mostly
At Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, HTC unveiled the HTC Flyer tablet running Google Android. The Flyer combines sleek design, strong specs, and numerous HTC software customizations, including OnLive gaming. On paper and in photos, this looks like an amazing Android tablet, save for one feature. Here’s a chunk of press release action for you:
Encased in a sleek aluminum unibody, the HTC Flyer tablet exudes the iconic style and build quality HTC is known for. It is also ultra-light, weighing as little as a paperback book, and compact enough to fit in a jacket pocket only. With a seven-inch display, lightning fast 1.5Ghz processor and high-speed HSPA+ wireless capabilities, the HTC Flyer tablet is perfect for those who have been waiting for a tablet that is both compact and powerful.
Touch interaction lights up the HTC Flyer tablet experience, but it also offers a groundbreaking pen experience. With the new HTC Scribe Technology on the HTC Flyer tablet, people can rediscover the natural act of writing. HTC Scribe Technology introduces a wave of integrated digital ink innovations that make it easy and natural to take notes, sign contracts, draw pictures, or even write on a web page or photo.
The HTC Flyer tablet premieres HTC Watch, HTC’s new video download service. The HTC Watch service enables low-cost on-demand progressive downloading of hundreds of High-Definition movies from major studios. The intuitive, natural design of the HTC Watch service makes it easy to find the latest movie and video content, while advanced technology on the back-end enables instant playback over the HTC Flyer tablet’s high-speed wireless connection.
HTC takes mobile gaming to an entirely new level by being the first mobile device in the world to integrate OnLive Inc.’s revolutionary cloud-based gaming service. OnLive is leading in the home gaming market by letting people play top video games on their televisions and computers without the need to buy expensive gaming hardware or software. When integrated fully, the OnLive service will enable customers to pipe the OnLive service through the HTC Flyer tablet’s broadband wireless to their television sets, or let them play directly on the tablet. When integrated on the HTC Flyer tablet, people can play a variety of games, including hits like Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood, NBA 2K11 and Lego Harry Potter.
I adore the aluminum unibody construction. I love that this thing packs OnLive for gaming. I’m intrigued by the stylus software. Unfortunately, there are two things that prevent the HTC Flyer from being a must-have product (for me, anyway). The 1.5GHz processor should provide ample power, but going with a dual-core chip would have aided the Flyer’s battery life. While HTC Sense will add a lot of differentiation, the base code is still Android 2.4 — a version of the OS that was never meant to run on tablets. I understand that HTC hasn’t had enough time to apply Sense to Android 3.0, but I prefer Android tablets that use an OS version that was specifically designed for the tablet form factor. Call me crazy.
Anyway, let me know what you think of this baby when you have a chance.
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