Microsoft Research Shows Off “DeLorean,” Its Tech For Building A Lag-Free Cloud Gaming Service

When looking to the future of gaming, few concepts get people as excited as the mythical “Netflix for gaming.” It’s a concept that we’ve seen in multiple forms, from OnLive’s early efforts to Sony’s new PlayStation Now service.

Serving up games from giant clusters of servers has several advantages over the traditional model of running a game on your own console or PC. It allows any device that can play streaming video to play high-def games; graphics can improve at a steady rate because improvements to a cloud architecture are easier to roll out than new console hardware; and games can be played instantly rather than waiting for ~20GB game downloads.

While Microsoft hasn’t gone as far as Sony in releasing its own streaming game platform, it’s shown interest in the concept before. Just this April, Microsoft showed off how developers of big-budget Xbox blockbusters like Titanfall are taking advantage of the Azure cloud platform to include better AI and physics without reducing performance overall.

Yesterday, Microsoft Research published a report that signals that the company is looking for ways that it could use its cloud expertise to create a unique cloud gaming platform at some point in the future. It discusses DeLorean, a “speculative execution engine” that makes it possible to delivery seemingly lag-free gameplay from the cloud despite the myriad sources of network latency between Microsoft’s Azure servers and a player’s device.

The report concludes that most users involved in the study couldn’t tell the difference between playing Doom 3 and Fable 3, two relatively action-heavy games, on a local system or from the cloud using DeLorean with 250 milliseconds of latency. That’s a game-changer — most gamers experiencing that kind of lag would throw their controllers in frustration.

How did Microsoft Research pull off such a feat? The key to DeLorean is the “speculative” descriptor. Video games generally can’t be buffered like a video from YouTube or Netflix because player actions affect what happens on screen — if I shoot my gun in Titanfall and the game showed me jumping, I’d be annoyed. But by looking at previous player input and sampling the most likely player actions, Microsoft found a way to predict the few actions you’re probably going to take and sends the video of each of them over ahead of time, letting it show players the most accurate guess as the game catches up.

The biggest problem with that solution is that it’s very bandwidth heavy: Microsoft notes that the bitrate for its predictive engine is 1.5-4.5 times higher than simply sending just the frames that a game knows to be accurate based on actual player input. That means you’d need a faster connection in order to play games through a theoretical Xbox streaming service than you would for PlayStation Now or Nvidia’s Grid, but you wouldn’t experience the stuttering that happens for gamers that don’t live close to the physical servers hosting those services.





Source : techcrunch.com

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The Official SCRABBLE Players Dictionary, Fifth Edition

SPRINGFIELD, MA, AUGUST 5, 2014—On August 6, under license from Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAS), Merriam-Webster, America's leading language reference publisher, will release the Fifth Edition of The Official SCRABBLE Players Dictionary, marking the dictionary's first major update in nearly a decade. More than 5,000 new words will be added to the dictionary making them officially playable in the game, including GEOCACHE, a word chosen by fans in the SCRABBLE Word Showdown earlier this year. Players in the United States and Canada will now be able to rack up points with GEOCACHE and other words that have entered language recently, including: BEATBOX, CHILLAX, FRENEMY, HASHTAG, JOYPAD, MIXTAPE, MOJITO, PONZU, SELFIE, SOJU, SUDOKU, TEXTER, VODCAST, VLOG, and YUZU.

"Language is constantly evolving and new words are added to Merriam-Webster dictionaries on an ongoing basis," explains Peter Sokolowski, Editor at Large for Merriam-Webster. "Now thousands of those words can officially be played on the SCRABBLE game board, as long as they meet the SCRABBLE game's criteria for length and styling."

"The Official SCRABBLE Players Dictionary now includes favorite words from the past decade, making game play even more entertaining and relevant," adds Jonathan Berkowitz, Vice President of Global Brand Strategy & Marketing at Hasbro. "We're also thrilled to add GEOCACHE, winner of our SCRABBLE Word Showdown game earlier this year, and the first fan-voted word playable in the game."

Entries in the new Fifth Edition feature a brief definition, a part-of-speech label, and inflected forms for fast, easy word validation. The new dictionary is endorsed by the North American SCRABBLE Players Association (NASPA) for recreational and school use, and the new words from the Fifth Edition will be sanctioned for use in official club and tournament play on December 1, 2014.

"With thousands of new words, this edition will boost scores for players of all levels," says John Chew, Co-President of NASPA. "Tell your opponent how your letters make you feel with AIYEE, MEH, OOF, or YESSIREE, or show off your GAMEPLAY by scoring 401 points for QUINZHEE!"

Words are inducted into The Official SCRABBLE Players Dictionary if they meet specific rules. Words inducted must be found in a standard dictionary and cannot be abbreviations, capitalized words, or words containing hyphens or apostrophes. All words must also be between 2 - 8 letters in length.

Merriam-Webster's Fifth Edition of The Official SCRABBLE Players Dictionary will be available in paperback, hardcover, and large print formats in the United States and Canada wherever books are sold beginning August 6, 2014. Digital versions of the dictionary will be available for iOS, Android, and Kindle later this month. The dictionary will also be available to play later this year in the digital versions of the SCRABBLE game from Electronic Arts, available on Facebook, iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Android devices.

SOURCE  : merriam-webster

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Candy Crush developer wins trademark for “Candy”

One of the most popular mobile games in the world is Candy Crush Saga from King.com Limited. The company field for a trademark about a year ago for the very generic word "Candy." That trademark has now been granted by the US Patent and Trademark Office.

The trademark granted gives King's exclusive use of the word candy for games, software, educational services, and clothing. With the newly minted trademark in hand, King's is now trying to force any game developer with an app using candy in the title to remove the app or change it. Alternatively, the users can prove somehow that their use of the word candy doesn’t infringe the trademark.

Game developers are not happy with the trademark seeing the term candy as being very generic. King.com is already going after at least one app titled "Candy Casino slots- Jewel Craze Connect: Big Blast Mania Land" for using candy in its title. The developer of that slots app was told that the use of candy in the title directly infringes the trademark,

Candy Crush Saga is one of the most popular mobile games on the planet. The developers claim that players of the game have played more than 150 billion times and that 500 million users have downloaded the game globally. Candy Crush Saga first appeared as a Facebook game before moving into the mobile realm. The popularity of the game led to King.com filing for an IPO last year.




SOURCE: HNGN

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Hitman series update details next iteration, promises no magic pockets

Fans of IO Interactive's Hitman series, rejoice: the developer has detailed in brief the next iteration in the series, which is destined for the next-generation consoles and PC. In an open letter posted on the franchise's website today, IO Interactive details what it has been up to and what gamers can expect, saying it is building the next release "using the best parts" and such from what it has already accomplished to "fulfil the core Hitman fantasy".

Work on the next game in the series has been underway, aiming to bring a version that shows "Agent 47 at the prime of his career", doing so with the ICA's support and that of his handler, Diana Burnwood. In this particular iteration, gamers will be presented with a concentrated focus on "the core Hitman fantasy", revolving around exotic locations and the elimination of targets using various tools.

The next version will feature the largest levels yet, and with them will come "an extreme level of detail", with both a non-linear and open design to let gamers play across what it calls huge checkpoint-free sandbox levels. The game is being built upon the Glacier 2 engine, and the artificial intelligence promises to offer opportunities for getting creative within the giant levels.

Building upon that idea is the return of Contracts Mode, as well. Under Contracts Mode, gamers can both build and experiment with different challenges and, if desired, share them with other gamers. Rounding it all out is a simple, "we have removed 47's magic pockets. We believe that's all we need to say about that subject."






SOURCE: Hitman

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Call of Duty: Ghosts Onslaught coming January 28 as first of four DLC packs for 2014

Activision and Infinity Ward have announced the first of four DLC packs that will be coming for Call of Duty: Ghosts in 2014. The first of the DLC packs is Onslaught and it will land on Xbox Live on January 28. Onslaught will feature four new multiplayer maps.

Along with the new maps will also come a new weapon. The launch of Onslaught will also bring the first installment in the Call of Duty: Ghosts Extinction episodic story line. Onslaught will be available in a season pass or individually. The new weapon that comes with the Onslaught DLC pack is called the Maverick.

The Maverick is a dual-purpose assault rifle/sniper rifle. The maps in the DLC pack include Fog, a small to medium size map on the banks of a murky lake that looks like a horror movie. Players that find and complete a special field order will transform into Michael Myers from the Halloween franchise complete with the film's creepy music.

The next map is Bay View, a close quarters map set on a Californian boardwalk. The third map is called Containment set in a war-torn Mexican village. The final map in the DLC pack is Ignition set in an old Florida space facility inspired by the map Scrapyard from Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2.




SOURCE: Call of Duty

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Nintendo 3DS game sales jumped 45% in 2013 as hardware hit record numbers

Nintendo has reported its 2013 3DS sales for the year, with the maker hitting a sweet-spot record leading into what it anticipates to be a strong 2014. Last year, Nintendo had the highest ever 3DS sales in the United States, with game sales jumping a huge 45-percent, as well. The company had detailed its game release plans for this year, starting with the full game launch of Bravely Default on February 7.

Nintendo 3DS sales, which includes the 2DS and the 3DS XL, exceeded 11.5 million sales in the United States, breaking the thus-far lifetime record for the company. Game sales were nearly as equally phenomenal for the company, with in excess of 16 million combined physical and digital games for the aforementioned hardware being sold over the course of last year -- a 45-percent jump over 2012's sales for the same hardware.

In addition to Bravely Default, which has been available as a demo in the Nintendo eShop, Nintendo will be launching Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy, followed by Yoshi's New Island on March 14. Also slated is Disney Magical World, a Disney-centric game that will be familiar to those who enjoy common social network games, that will be launching on April 11.

Said Nintendo America's Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing Scott Moffitt: "Nintendo 3DS is a powerhouse with games and experiences that appeal to all kinds of players. We're not slowing down in 2014. With more games featuring fan-favorite franchises on the way, the best days of Nintendo 3DS are still come."





SOURCE: Business Wire

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Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas hits Android and Amazon Kindle devices

Fans of the Rockstar Grand Theft Auto series were excited last month when the game landed on the iOS platform. That meant that the game was available for iPhone and iPad gamers. The announcement that the game was available for the Apple devices left Android users in the cold. The Android version was originally expected to launch alongside the iOS version.

Good news has surfaced today with Rockstar Games announcing that Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is now available for select devices on the Android platform. The game is also available for gamers on the Amazon Kindle tablet line.

GTA: San Andreas has a large open world with three cities for gamers to explore. The cities include Los Santos, San Fierro, and Las Venturas. The mobile game has improved graphics and promises over 70 hours of game play. Rockstar also tuned the mobile version of the game specifically to run well on portable gadgets.

The graphics are re-mastered with new lighting enhancements, an improved color pallet, and improved character models. The game also offers mobile gamers aiming options including auto-aim, free-aim, and touch targeting. Physical controllers are also supported. San Andreas is available on Google Play and the Amazon Appstore for $6.99. Rockstar also notes that the game will come soon to Windows mobile devices.





SOURCE: Rockstar

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Sega Announces Alien: Isolation for launch in late 2014

Back in October 2013, the first grumblings that a new game in the classic horror/sci-fi Alien franchise was in the works surfaced. The game had a working title at the time called Alien: Isolation. That working title has been confirmed this week by Sega and Twentieth Century Fox Consumer products to be the official title for the game.

Alien: Isolation promises to take survival horror back to its roots. The game is expected to launch in late 2014. As you know with any video game still in development, that date could easily change. Sega says that the game will capture the tension and horror from the original 1970 flick Alien that made the film a classic.

The game is expected to launch for the PS4, Xbox One, PS3, and Xbox 360 along with PCs. The game is set on a decommissioned trading station on the fringes of space. The player will face a xenomorph as they scavenge the resources they need to stay alive.

Sega isn’t offering much more in the way of detail on the game at this time. They have offered up some screen shots and a few trailers on YouTube for us to check out. This year is the 35th anniversary of the film, it's still creepy and futuristic looking despite its age.




SOURCE: Alien: Isolation

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Razer Project Christine eyes-on: up close with gaming’s modular future

This week we're being given the opportunity at CES 2014 to see Razer's newest product - Project Christine - up close, well before it hits the market in all its modular glory. This machine is what Razer intends to be their center for innovation in the modular computing environment, allowing users to upgrade and swap out bits and pieces with ease, however they see fit. Creating all the parts themselves, they've once again made clear that they'll be no stranger to the high-end PC manufacturing world through the future.

This system works with PCI-Express architecture to allow on-the-fly switching of components. This includes CPU, GPU, memory and storage options, these able to be upgraded with up to quad-SLI graphics as well as SSD and RAID storage options of many types. You’ll also find the ability to add I/O and power supplies of different kinds. You'll notice an NVDIAI GeForce GTX 780 under the hood in one display photo - heavy duty power.

In other words, it’s a system that Razer intends to give the to the world to make upgrading your PC as easy as it seems for those that are currently hardcore about it. Those that already swap out components in their gaming PC towers because they’ve been doing so since they realized that customizing their PC wasn’t scary will no longer be alone.

    ”Project Christine is a revolutionary new concept design that will change the way users view PCs. It will allow any user to build and customize his or her PC in any configuration without any prior technical knowledge.

    Further, as new upgrades come to the market, the same PC can be easily and quickly upgraded without additional technical assistance and without the fear of incompatibility or obsolescence. “ - Razer

The device as it looks today is a real monster. One card’s back works with two ethernet ports, four USB ports, four Thunderbolt ports, and four audio ports. You’ll find a couple of spots open for additional plugging, while the front side is full up . A lovely green LED glow emanates from this beast’s undercarriage while a smooth conformity ties the entire build together. This may be a modular design, but it’s not about to look like a mash-up.

This isn’t the sort of machine you’re going to want to have around your miniature children. While it does appear rugged in its heavy-metal coverings top to bottom, long bars instead of one single enclosed box means physically weak points. Of course most people will be putting this machine in a safe place away from wrestling kids and animals anyway, so no worries all around.

    • Fully modular design for perpetual, cable-less customization
    • PCI-Express architecture
    • Open operating system platform
    • Factory overclocked components
    • Self-contained modules with active liquid cooling and noise cancelation
    • Quad SLI capable
    • SSD + RAID 5 HDD Array
    • LED touchscreen control display

Each module in this design is self-contained, meaning you’ll not need to remove, move, and reattach cables left and right. You’ll be able to work with active liquid cooling and noise cancellation for drives - this, Razer says, allowing them to overclock components without voiding warranties. This machine is made to be both safe and quiet for next-level gaming and the optimization of processing power therein.

Have a peek at this beast above and below and let us know if you’re all about the next generation in plug-and-play. We’ll know more details in the release of this monster in the near future - for now it’s all TBD.

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Wikipad Gamevice controller teased for Android and Windows 8

Coming just ahead of CES, Wikipad has unveiled their latest mobile gaming device. This one is called the Gamevice gamepad, though it isn't one we will be seeing next week at CES. In fact, while Wikipad has unveiled the Gamevice, they haven't said much in terms of when it will be available, or how much it will end up costing.

With that in mind, the Gamevice gamepad has the company shifting from the tablet space to the detachable controller space. For now the Gamevice is being pushed with support for Android and Windows 8, though there was some hints about iOS. To that point, details from the Wikipad press release mention how they "have not forgotten other important OS systems." Further comments here include how they "hope to announces additional support for those in the near future."

As far as the Gamevice, this one is being touted as a "next-generation detachable console-like controller for mobile devices." The setup will include controls on opposite sides of the device with a bridge design that both connects the two sides, and also adjusts to allow for different sized devices.

Wikipad has also said the Gamevice will arrive sporting a setup that should be familiar to gamers in terms of controls. The control setup will include dual analog sticks, L1/R1 and L2/R2 analog buttons, an analog D-pad and four analog action buttons.

In addition to details of the Gamevice, there was also mention of an over-the-air update for the Wikipad 7. This update is rolling out at this time and will bring the system to Android 4.2 Jelly Bean with a new controller mapping setup and some new games. The list of games includes Dead Trigger 2 and Shadowgun from Madfinger Games as well as Reckless Racing 1 and Raging Thunder 2 from Polarbit, Sprinkle and Granny Smith from Medicore and Zen Pin HD from Zen Studios.

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Xbox One and PlayStation 4 availability jumps for new year

Head to your local retail outlet this week and you may see an image of their video game and entertainment section a whole lot different from what it was a few weeks ago. Both Microsoft and Sony have successfully ramped up production to keep with the times now - perhaps a moment too late - that the holiday season has arrived. Both the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One can once again be found on store shelves - in some stores for the first time ever.

It became clear this past September that Microsoft was in full production mode with the Xbox One, bringing retail availability up to the hilt here at the end of the year. This console can now be found in both online and offline outlets throughout the United States, at least, with groups like Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop, Walmart, and the Microsoft Store bringing up availability in all realms.

Availability, in this case, is marked by the original console being readily on-sale without added components. Even at lowest stock, the Xbox One seemed to remain on sale in bundle form, carrying with it an extra controller, a few games, and online passes to boot. The prices for these bundles was, of course, sky high in appreciation of the features oboard.

We've contacted several retailers throughout our areas - North Dakota, SoCal, Arizona, and in some areas in Florida, and have found Xbox One availability to be roughly the same as the PS4. While the PlayStation 4 is not - of course - available at the Microsoft Store, each of the other major retail locations seems to have replenished stock - at least in outlying areas.

UPDATE: It would appear that the PS4 has, once again, sold out at Walmart online. Sony may indeed be struggling with keeping production up after all.

Larger cities continue to struggle to keep the consoles in stock, but calling ahead has opened up for potential users in the meantime. In the weeks leading up to the release of the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 as well as the few weeks between then and Christmas, some locations refused to answer any and all questions about the units: the Microsoft Store included.

Now you'll be able to jump in with basically any physical store location with a simple phone call and ask ahead. Chances are you'll be in luck with a basic unit. Have a peek at our full Xbox One review as well as our full PlayStation 4 review while you're at it. You'll find so much detail your eyes will bug out of your head.

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Archive vintage games collection enhanced: holiday blues defeated!

This week the folks at the Internet Archive have released a new collection of in-browser emulated games, a whole mess of vintage titles released recently into the public domain. This collection runs on an emulator based on MESS software, working with JSMESS (Javascript MESS) allowing most modern browsers to play immediately. Most games work with a simple tapping of your space bar and arrow keys on your average keyboard.

At the moment you'll have to suffer through the lack of sound on this collection of games, but messing with them yourself in your own software environment is not out of the question. The IA collection is optimized for their own super-simple environment so that users can enjoy these ultra-tiny games as quickly as possible.

The current collection consists of games from the Atari 2600, the Atari 7800 ProSystem, the original ColecoVision, the Magnavox Odyssey2 - aka the Philips Videopac G7000, and the Astrocade. Users will be able to browse through each system or by subject or keyword.


Just this week a new wave of games has made this vintage collection burst at the seams, with a load of Atari 2600 games coming up fully prepared to be played instantly. Each game works as a download - if you're logged in - or as an in-browser emulation.

Let us know if you're jumping in to have a go, and be sure to note which games you're finding most entertaining! It's a strange, strange world we're living in when the oldest games can turn out to be the most enticing in an odd situation like this.





Source: Slashgear

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Battlefield 4 banned in China

The first-person shooter Battlefield 4 has had its fair share off odd events since the dawn of its arrival, but this newest China-based oddity has to take the cake. Due to the supposed discrediting of China’s national image in the futuristic plot line of the game, Battlefield 4 has been banned from sale as of this week. As quick as possible, says the Chinese Ministry of Culture, the game is to be removed from physical shelves as well as all China-based online sales channels.

Those that’ve already downloaded the game in China will be unable to access any online content and are encouraged to delete the game from their consoles and PCs. The Chinese Ministry of Culture suggests that Battlefield 4 is “an illegal game, with content that endangers national security, and is all about a cultural invasion.”

    ”Battlefield 4 relevant available downloads, patches, news, and other requirements [shall be] deleted within 24 hours.” - Chinese Ministry of Culture

Apparently the bit in the game where American soldiers must march into China to help in a state of social instability is not entirely welcome as a possible futuristic outcome in the country at the moment.

Outside of China you’ll find Ballefield 4 to have gotten a sorely needed patch for Xbox One earlier this month. There’s been some not-so-kind action on the PS4 with DDoS attacks, and otherwise news has been positive.

Take a hook down to the Battlefield search portal here on SlashGear for more action through the past as well. As one of the most popular break-out titles for both the PS4 and the Xbox One here at the start of this generation, you can expect a whole lot more through the future as well!





VIA: CTech, CCTV

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Nintendo eShop offline and Pokemon Bank frozen as servers struggle

Nintendo may not have made the same headlines as the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 over the holidays, but a surge of users has seen the eShop suffer downtime for 3DS and Wii U owners since Christmas. The company has blamed an inrush of Nintendo Network ID registrations leaving owners of both its handheld and living room systems unable to access the eShop download store, and even forcing Nintendo to take its Pokemon Bank service offline in Japan.

Detailed earlier this month, Pokemon Bank is intended to offer Pokemon X and Pokemon Y gamers space to store up to 3,000 individual Pokemon creatures, as well as allow for transfers and swaps between titles. The service launched in Japan on December 25th, but Nintendo says that the eShop overload has prompted it to take it offline again.

There's no indication of when Japanese gamers will regain access to Pokemon Bank, nor indeed whether the planned December 27th across the Americas and Europe will take place on schedule.

The downtime affects 3DS, Wii U Basic, and Wii U Deluxe owners, Nintendo says, with attempts to access the eShop giving nothing but a "Please Try Again Later" warning message. According to the company, the problem stems from a Nintendo 3DS update earlier this month, which brought Miiverse support to the console.

It also integrated the 3DS' download store - and any balances associated with a gamer's account - with the Wii U's eShop, under the Nintendo Network ID (NNID) umbrella. A greater-than-expected rush of people taking advantage of that has seemingly overloaded Nintendo's servers in the process.

Nintendo says it is working to rectify the problems, but vocal gamers are still complaining about the patchy access - if they can get online at all - on Twitter. The company's service status page still has no ETA on when the issue may be resolved.

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Xbox One laptop mod made real

Quick to the hacking switch this week is James “DarkUncle” Terry with an Xbox One laptop modified unit. This machine works with a relatively large bulk, but a massive amount of ability to boot, of course, as it’s working with the same capabilities as the original. Here the machine works with its own display that folds up, Kinect on the side, and the same beastly power brick. The standard Xbox One Wireless Controller works just fine, as well.

This modification works with all of the standard ports and power, essentially showing the ease with which the innards of this console are re-arranged. Having a peek at the most recent teardown of the Xbox One reveals that we’ve mostly got fan to work with, while the rest is really ready to be moved. iFixit’s suggestion is that this machine is downright repairable, as it were.

In fact, this modification goes an extra step, adding another line out audio port for users wishing to connect headphones or other types of speakers on the go. The light from the original Xbox One for startup as well as a lot of the original parts were able to be re-used, with only light bits and pieces here and there - in the display particularly - were needed.

BELOW: Have a peek at our Full Xbox One Review for a fully immersive exploration!

This modified unit comes with no keyboard or mouse, and it’ll need just a bit more modification before it can function as a “normal” notebook of course. The current owner of the Xbox One laptop could, on the other hand, make use of the XIM4 unit coming in early 2014. Sound like a viable alternative to the full-sized Xbox One to you? Time to hit the road!




VIA: Neowin

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Xbox One and PS4 keyboard and mouse integration being hacked with XIM4

While users of both the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4 will still be using standard controllers for first-person-shooters for the foreseeable future, the creator of XIM is hard at work hacking. A fellow by the name OBsIV has created a hardware system called “Xbox Input Machine” - having started this project approximately 6 years ago on the Xbox 360 - now appearing on the Xbox One and potentially the PS4 as well.

Use of this device and software system has a lot of potential for those wishing to win at all costs - it’s a whole heck of a lot easier to destroy your enemy with a mouse in a shooting game than it is with a joystick. While the creator of the XIM suggests that it’s been difficult to overcome the massive amount of work developers have done in optimizing their games for joysticks, it’s been worth the time in creating “Smart Translators”. The creation of “Smart Translators” has allowed XIM to essentially become a plug-and-play setup for the end user.

    ”Consoles are living room experiences. XIM will take opportunities to enable mouse (and "mouse-like") gaming from the couch. This includes support for wireless hand-held devices. It will also take opportunities to enable "surface-free" mouse-like gaming.

    We are very interested in adapting the upcoming Steam Controller for console gaming. XIM is in a unique position with its Smart Translators to make a device like that work very well on consoles.” - XIM developer OBsIV

The fourth iteration of XIM - XIM4 - is being created now, working with the following abilities. It’s also important to note that this hardware/software solution is not fully developed a this point - it’s in a beta that’s being extended to the XIM community right this minute.

    • Next-gen console support as well as current-gen in a single device
    • A new real-time wireless configuration experience through smart phones, tablets, and PCs
    • New advanced configuration features for hard-core gamers
    • Cross-over controller support
    • Best-in-class precision mouse translation

At the moment the team behind XIM has it working with Xbox One and will be continuing to develop unique setups for each individual game. The community will be helping with this development as well, and the XIM4 hardware will be shipping sooner than later. PlayStation 4 will be supported in the future, while the current problem is the lack of wired connectivity between the console and standard Dualshock 4 controllers.

The release of XIM4 - the hardware bit - is targeted at the first quarter of 2014. We’ll be keeping you up to date too - stick around!


   NOTE: Have a peek at more info on the XIM3 (the newest version out before this next-generation XIM4) in our December 2010 article on the subject. Again, XIM has been around for a while!




VIA: Engadget

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Oculus VR Publishing aims for developer influx

In a power move by the creators of the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset, the team has hired on former senior vice president of EA, David DeMartini. The exec will be starting a publishing arm for Oculus VR, a piece of the puzzle that's thus far been all but missing, with DeMartini hoping to attract developers to the virtual reality universe.

For those of you that have an Oculus Rift headset, this means you'll be finding more apps and software in the near future. You'll be able to play in new realms and work with non-gaming software before too long as well. DeMartini spoke with Gamasutra this week on what it means to be a developer working with Oculus, pointing out that there's more than just 3D play that the device is good for.

For instance, DeMartini name-checked IMAX movies, educational programs, and live concerts as potential avenues where an immersive-display wearable might be useful. The new division will focus on how to encourage non-traditional partners to work with Oculus; persuading a company working in the travel business, for instance, to install cameras that "let us create a Rift experience of being in, say Barcelona?" he explained.

At the moment there's a lot of cool software out in the wild for the Oculus Rift headset. This platform is essentially at the center of the gaming universe at the moment for interesting conversation on the re-emerging environment. What's missing - and what DeMartini hopes to grow - is the app ecosystem.

Oculus VR will be rolling with everything from immersive movies to streaming live concert events in the future. It's all up to the developers - and people like yourself, even if you're a new onlooker. Like the many (successful for the most part, it seems) such programs that've popped up over the past several years, it looks like the Oculus Rift headset's developer program is about to light up. Stay tuned as the virtual reality app universe expands at a great rate.


SOURCE: Slashgear

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'Apple' granted patent for portable 3D media goggles

Apple has been granted a patent by the US Patent and Trademark Office for a pair of portable media viewing goggles. The patent says they “may resemble ski or motorcycle goggles.” The device would likely allow for a 3D viewing experience reminiscent of that found in the Oculus Rift VR headset.

The patent was filed in May of 2007 and granted just today. The wearable would project video to each eye using separate focus modules. Users could enter a prescription, or the device could automatically adjust focus. How this latter method would work isn’t clear yet, but the patent is broad enough to allow for any number of detection methods. Each user’s focal settings could be stored on the device.

The goggles would be designed specifically for portable use, but we see no reason they couldn’t also be used for desktop computers and gaming consoles. One of the accompanying drawings in the patent shows the device tethered to a classic (2007, natch) iPod as shown below.

The goggles described in the patent are indeed similar to the Oculus Rift 3D headset. That device has mainly been known for gaming applications — as well as for NASA’s interest in using it to virtually explore extraterrestrial environments. Whether Apple aims to compete with Oculus Rift (see gallery shots below) with this new patent remains to be seen, but as of today it has the intellectual property clearance to do so.

SOURCE: Mac Rumors
SOURCE: slashgear

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Plantronics RIG headset offers a wired mixer for gaming and mobile blend

Plantronics has unveiled its new RIG line of products, the first of which – the RIG headset - allows gamers to stay connected to their smartphone while playing, offering a wired mixer and the ability to toggle without issue between a video game console and “the real world.” The headset is slated for launch sometime later this fall, though a specific date hasn’t yet been provided, with the price set at $129 USD/EUR.

The Plantronics RIG headset includes 40mm speaker drivers, offering audio quality that the company says is often found only in “professional-grade products.” The mixer is wired and allows users to toggle between a video game console and tablet or smartphone by hitting the paddle – one can receive a call, for example, without having to pause the game they’re on and without having to remove the headset.

There are both boom and inline mics, with the boom microphone being a noise-cancelling bit that can be swapped for the less obvious inline microphone. The inline mic includes controls for muting and calls. Three EQ profiles are available: Pure, Intensify, and Seismic, with users being able to experience “epic bass.” Finally, compatibility includes Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC and Mac, and mobile devices.


As far as design goes, Plantronics says they used a street-style industrial design that aims to be as stylish on the street (or anywhere outside the gaming setup) as it does plugged into the console. The ear cushions and headband are designed for long-duration gaming without discomfort on the head or the ears.

Plantronics’ head of gaming Chuck Frizelle said: “The RIG headset marks the start of the next generation of gaming audio solutions, crafted for demanding gamers and their dynamic lifestyle. Building on our expertise in acoustics, industrial design, and communications, RIG delivers unique benefits for gamers. RIG immerses gamers in their virtual world while keeping them seamlessly connected to the real one.”

SOURCE: BusinessWire, Plantronics

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PlayStation 4 to blast Sony Music Unlimited tracks during gameplay

With the launch of the PlayStation 4, Sony’s own Music Unlimited service will be getting a rather sizable reboot. This system update will allow consoles like the PlayStation 4 to work with a new user interface that’ll be allowing gamers to get a handle on the music they’ve purchased – or plan to purchase – much quicker and easier then in past iterations. This version of Music Unlimited will also be able to be launched from the DUALSHOCK 4 controller with a press-hold of the PS button.

“Built-in” with PlayStation 4 is a good way of describing how Music Unlimited will be functioning with the console. Working with a library of over 22 million songs, it’s likely Sony will continue to roll with this service well into the future – also evidenced by the PS4 launch too, of course. There’s also a Music Unlimited entry point through PlayStation 3, PS Vita, PC, Mac, Apple devices of all kinds, and Android smart devices, too. 

Each of these systems work with a free usage model as well as a Premium annual subscription – speaking of which, Sony is also suggesting that PlayStation Plus members check their availability of a reduced-price model this season as well. This all means one thing: Music Unlimited is set to continue to be a big title for Sony for the foreseeable future.

Holding down the “PS” button on your PlayStation 4 DUALSHOCK 4 controller launches a use-anywhere user interface for Music Unlimited, while users will be able to listen to any track at the same time as they’re playing games with the PS4 from launch. Sound like a positive update to you?

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