Microsoft Opens Door to Kinect for Windows Apps

J. TECH - Feb - 1st

By Nancy Gohring, Feb 1, 2012

As promised, Microsoft on Wednesday shipped version 1.0 of the Kinect for Windows SDK and runtime and said partners have started selling the Kinect hardware.
The Kinect motion and voice sensor was initially designed for use with Microsoft's Xbox gaming console. But it soon became clear that developers wanted the chance to build new kinds of applications using the sensor. Microsoft has been letting people build Kinect apps for PCs, but only for non-commercial use. This release of the SDK (software development kit) means that developers can launch commercial products using the sensor. The SDK and runtime include a few improvements over the most recent beta version, Craig Eisler, general manager of Kinect for Windows, wrote in a blog post. They enable support for up to four Kinect sensors plugged into the same computer, include improved skeletal tracking of users and have a "near mode" for tracking movement as close as 40 centimeters in front of the device. They also have the latest Microsoft speech recognition technology and an installer that developers can use in their application set-up programs. Eisler wrote that the company expects to release updates to the SDK and runtime two to three times a year. He didn't name who is selling the Kinect hardware but said the suggested price is US$249. Amazon.com is selling it for that price. Microsoft plans to soon offer a special academic price of $149 for qualified educational uses.

Read more here –>pcworld.com

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Alienware Crams Gaming PC Into Console Form Factor

J. TECH - Jan - 18th

Is it a new Alienware gaming console? No, but it will fit right in nicely with your PlayStation 3 and Xbxo 360, but packing superior hardware.
by Kevin Parrish January 18, 2012

On Tuesday, Dell updated its blog with news of a new Alienware desktop gaming PC that fits within a console-like chassis. Called the Alienware X51, the compact rig is a direct response to community demands for a more efficient gaming system with a smaller, more versatile form factor.

That said, the Alienware team came up with an impressive-looking rig measuring 13.5-inches tall in the front, 12.54-inches tall in the back, 12.52-inches deep and 3.74-inches wide. Standing up it looks like a super-slim PC, dwarfed by its bigger Alienware desktop brothers — laying flat, it could be mistaken for a next-generation gaming console sporting a sleek matte black finish, dark chrome accents and three customizable lighting zones, but better hardware. "The X51 is Alienware’s smallest gaming desktop ever produced, and yet is powerful enough to give gamers the freedom to do it all – play modern games, immerse themselves in PC hobbies and tasks for work or school, or even create an entertainment hub by integrating it into a home theater setup for watching Blu-ray movies with 7.1 surround sound," the blog reads. Under the hood, the Alienware X51 features Intel's 2nd-generation Core i-Series CPUs, Nvidia GeForce GT or GTX GPUs with GDDR5 memory, 802.11n connectivity, HDMI 1.4 output, and USB 3.0. But don't let the small form factor fool you: this rig isn't a closed system, but rather is fully upgradeable, allowing owners to quickly perform their own hard-drive, graphics, and memory upgrades quickly and easily.

Read more here –>tomshardware.com

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Don’t expect PlayStation 4 at E3, or any time soon

J. TECH - Jan - 11th

By Ed Oswald Jan. 11,2012

Well, here's a strange Consumer Electronics Show announcement. Typically participants tout what products they will release. Sony has taken a different tack, announcing what's not coming.

The consumer electronics giant is sticking to its guns, and maintains that PlayStation 3 is a product with a 10-year life cycle. If you were hoping to see the PS4 at E3 this year, don't hold your breath. Former video game chief and now Sony chairman Kazuo Hirai told reporters at a roundtable discussion at CES that the company will not unveil a new console at the yearly conference. Sony debuted the PS3 at E3 2005, with a release the following year. If the company stays true to its word, we may not see Sony's next generation console until 2015 at the earliest. This is a change from the typical replacement cycle for consoles, which had occurred about every five years. Hirai's comments back up earlier statements by new video game head Andrew House, which also said no console was forthcoming. It is still unclear whether Microsoft plans to release a new console at the show: it so far has refused to make any public statements on its E3 plans: earlier reports had suggested 2014 as a possible release date.

Read more here –>betanews.com

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Starting February 1, 2012: Use the Power of Kinect for Windows to Change the World

J. TECH - Jan - 10th

By Kinect for Windows Team 9 Jan 2012

We’re thrilled at the sales we’ve seen for Kinect – 18 million sold in the past year – and we were honored to receive a Guinness World Record for the fastest selling consumer electronics device ever.

As consumers, we may take devices like Kinect for granted, but in fact electronic devices are the fruit of a great deal of behind-the-scenes ingenuity and experimentation. Kinect is a shining example of this. Instead of mimicking the handheld motion-sensing controllers already on the market, Microsoft shattered the existing controller paradigm by inventing a new natural user interface system that enables advanced human tracking, gesture recognition, voice control and more. Our answer to the “wand” controller was no controller at all, or as we say, “YOU are the controller.” Getting there wasn’t easy. Without many years of intense R&D efforts, including research investments of hundreds of millions of dollars, and the deep partnership between our research teams, software teams, hardware teams, manufacturing teams, and games studios, Kinect simply wouldn’t exist. And as amazing a piece of hardware as Kinect is, it is much more than that. At the heart of the Kinect experience lies sophisticated software that meaningfully deciphers the images and gestures captured by the 3D sensor as well as the voice commands captured by the microphone array from someone much further away than someone using a headset or a phone. More importantly, Kinect software can understand what each user means by a particular gesture or command across a wide range of possible shapes, sizes, and actions of real people. The incredible amount of innovation on Kinect for Xbox 360 this past year shows the potential for Kinect as a platform for developers and businesses to build new and innovative offerings. Along with many others, we have only begun to explore the potential of this amazing technology. This proliferation of creative and imaginative new ideas for Kinect, which we call the Kinect Effect, will expand even further with our commercial release of Kinect for Windows. Today, we are announcing that the new Kinect for Windows hardware and accompanying software will be available on February 1st, 2012 in 12 countries (United States, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Spain, United Kingdom), at a suggested retail price of US $249.

Read more here –> blogs.msdn.com

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First Max Payne 3 multiplayer screenshots released

J. TECH - Jan - 5th

By Sehran Wed, 01-04-2012

Rockstar Games has just released new batch of Max Payne 3 screenshots

showcasing for the first time game's multiplayer portion. About Max Payne 3 multiplayer, Take Two says, "Max Payne 3's multiplayer aims to deliver a compelling experience that dynamically alters maps and mode progression for all players in a match" "Along with traditional multiplayer modes, Max Payne 3 will also include a deep reward and levelling system, persistent clans and multiple strategic load-out options."

Check out the screenshots here –>gamepur.com

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Sony in Big Trouble with PS Vita

J. TECH - Dec - 30th

By Tero Kuittinen 12/29/2011

During its first week on sale in Japan, PS Vita sold 320 K units. The sales period tracked was just two days, so hopeful fans thought that perhaps the first full week would bring good news.

But the second week brought devastation – just 72 K units sold. When Nintendo launched its latest handheld, the sales of the 3DS declined from 370 K to 210K over the first two weeks. That drop-off led to a steep further sales erosion, which forced Nintendo to implement an unusually early and steep price cut. This cut combined with the launches of big franchises like Monster Hunter, Super Mario Land and Mario Kart turned the fortunes of the 3DS around in Japan. The 3DS has now sold more than 4 Million units in Japan and in the past week it crushed Sony‘s more advanced PS Vita by 484 K vs. 72 K in unit sales. Sony will likely be forced to cut the price of the PS Vita from 24’000 yen to well below 20’000 yen very soon. The upcoming US launch could be a true debacle for several reasons. Sony has decided to price Vita at $250, higher than the Amazon Kindle Fire. The hottest games like the latest Uncharted are priced at $50, while many other major titles are $40. The pricing seems delusional in light of the Japanese response to the PS Vita. The older PSP handheld console has been a bigger hit in Japan than it has been in the US market. The tablet and iPhone market penetration rates in America are higher than in Japan – consumers may well be more reluctant to splurge on expensive, proprietary handheld consoles. The launch of the Kindle Fire at $200 has changed the US consumer electronics pricing environment.

Read more here –>forbes.com

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Sony issues Playstation Vita apology

J. TECH - Dec - 20th

by Mike Luttrell December 20, 2011

After a firestorm of complaints surrounding the launch of Sony's new Playstation Vita handheld, the company has responded, and is once again forced to eat humble pie.

According to reports, around 300,000 Vita units were sold in its first two days, an impressive number for a Japanese launch. But many of those customers found themselves disappointed with their purchase, after the system experienced bugs ranging from screen freezes and touchscreen inputs that stopped working, to complete system crashes. Now Sony has stepped forward and admitted there are problems. "Currently, our information centre regarding PlayStation Vita as well as our usual customer service centre are receiving many enquiries," Sony wrote in a message on its Japanese Playstation website, according to a translation from the BBC. The message goes on to apologize to customers for long hold times for telephone customer service. Sony has issued a firmware update that it hopes will address some of the issues. In addition, "Some issues regarding PlayStation Vita can be addressed by simple procedures at home," the company said.

Read more here –>tgdaily.com

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Diablo 3 Exclusive Intro Cinematic

J. TECH - Dec - 15th

Blizzard has released the opening cinematic to Diablo 3 which is still scheduled to launch in early 1Q12.
by Kevin Parrish December 14, 2011

As it stands now, there's no official release date for Blizzard’s highly-anticipated action-RPG for the PC, Diablo 3, save for a vague early 1Q12 launch window.

That said, any Diablo 3-related piece of artwork, screenshot or in-game video footage released before then is mere torture for eager fans. Maybe that's why Blizzard released the Diablo 3 opening cinematic during Spike TV's 2100 Video Game Awards on Saturday. The third Diablo installment arrives almost 12 years after Diablo 2 hit shelves in 2000. But don't worry — this won't be another Duke Nukem Forever scenario in the making. Just based on the beta alone, the game should become one of the most popular PC games of 2012. It's even an industry changer, bringing to the tablet an auction house that uses real-world money, seemingly legitimatizing gold farming. For those who have been living under a rock for the last three or four years, here's the Diablo 3 storyline ripped from the official website: "The game takes place on Sanctuary, a world of dark fantasy. Unbeknownst to most of its inhabitants, Sanctuary was saved some twenty years ago from the demonic forces of the underworld by a few brave and powerful heroes. Most of those warriors who directly faced Hell’s armies — and were fortunate enough to survive — went mad from their experiences. And most of the others have buried their haunted memories and pushed the horrors from their thoughts. In Diablo 3, players will return to Sanctuary to confront evil in its many forms once again."

Read more and watch video here –>tomshardware.com

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Skyrim Is Most-Played Game of 2011

J. TECH - Dec - 9th

By Chloe Albanesius December 9, 2011

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim only hit stores about a month ago, but it quickly became the most-played game of 2011, according to data from gaming social network Raptr.

"Not only is this game dubbed the Most Played RPG of 2011, it has the honor of being crowned the Most Played Game of 2011," Raptr said in a blog post. "Not bad considering it's one of the latest game to be released this year. Our Raptr dino is convinced that it must be its cousins, the dragons, attracting so many gamers." Raptr charted gameplay among its 10 million users and stats were determined via total hours played, average session length, and average playtime per person in the game's first month of release. Playtime data from the Wii and PS3 were not included, however, because of data restrictions. When it came to playtime alone, Modern Warfare 3 was the winner, besting Skyrim by about 9 percent, Raptr said. MW3 actually earned double the amount of playtime in its opening month than Battlefield 3 did in the same time period, Raptr said. "However, when it came down to which game individual gamers invested the most amount of their time playing, Skyrim won hands down," the site found. "The average Skyrim player clocked 2.92 hours in one sitting—the highest one month average in Raptr history." Most players still have a long way to go, too. Only 20 percent of players have completed the main storyline, Raptr said.

Read more here –>pcmag.com

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Xbox LIVE Free Weekend Revealed

J. TECH - Dec - 8th

By ManPac December 7, 2011

Microsoft Studios has confirmed that the forthcoming weekend, beginning Friday 9th December 2011, will allow all gamers free access to the Xbox LIVE network.

This includes use of the recently launched television applications and online gameplay. Xbox LIVE is the online service for your Xbox 360, Windows Phone 7 and Games for Windows PC. Connect for free to enjoy demos of the latest videogames, rent or buy high-definition movies, and with Kinect for Xbox 360, your voice is now the remote control. You can even download full Xbox 360 videogames and keep them fresh with new songs, workouts, or levels sold as downloadable content (DLC) from the Xbox LIVE Marketplace. The free Xbox LIVE weekend runs from 9th – 12th December 2011, and allows all users of the Xbox 360 console to access all of these features – and more – for free. Gold members of the Xbox LIVE network will not have their service interrupted, and Electronic Theatre will keep you updated with all the latest details on the network.

Read more here –>electronictheatre.co.uk

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