GeekwithEnvy

Games

Forget 3D Glasses I Want Virtual Reality Gaming

by Leave a Comment

When I was a kid I imagined that the games of the future would include virtual reality and while gaming technology has come along way, theres still plenty of room for innovation.Red Or Blue Pill

While many great game titles have been released over the years, gaming technology has remained pretty much the same. Consoles will continually upgrade their graphics capabilities, tweak their shape, size, and the way we control our games, but I want to be able to jump into my games and truly become a part of that world in every way possible. The idea kind of reminds me of the movie The Matrix, eventually you should be able to be that connected to an experience.

Fortunately, there are many smart people who are interested in making virtual reality happen, including some at Sony Entertainment and Valve. Chet Faliszek of Valve has mentioned that they are actively working on a virtual reality project and Microsoft has filed VR based patents. So, it would seem that companies are taking virtual reality seriously, and it’s about time.

What makes this so interesting is that VR technology really is still in it’s infancy, nothing has been perfected and no one is sure who is going to have that breakthrough moment and create something amazing. Most people involved with VR are fiddling around with all kinds of ideas as they mash up screens,mirrors, circuit boards, cables and software to create a truly unique experience.

With VR you also have to consider how that type of gameplay differs from sitting at your computer or on the couch playing with a normal, hand held controller.  Virtual reality will require you to move around much like Kinect for Xbox 360. Chances are you won’t always want to burn 500 calories chasing and killing zombies but I guess it would be nice to at least have that option.  Now what would really be amazing is if you could control your character just by thinking.

Many of the technologies needed to make all of this happen already exist, it’s just a mater of of making them all work together. As for now, we can all remain hopeful as we watch and wait to see who comes out with the best VR solution.

Ready or Not Windows 8 is On it’s Way

by Leave a Comment

Well, it’s been really fun talking about how different Windows 8 is and how crazy it all seems but we are slowly approaching the release date for the new OS and some feel it just isn’t ready.

product_win8-startscreen_Web

I would argue that any OS is never really ready when it first releases. There are so many things that will likely only be discovered when the masses begin to upgrade  and tear apart the shiny new OS. This process of fix-on-the-fly  is nothing new for Microsoft and I’m sure we won’t be happy with the new OS until the first service pack releases or maybe even the second for that matter.

What is truly important here is that Windows users really try to look at Windows 8 as something entirely new and try not to compare it to Windows 7. The world is changing and Microsoft is adapting with it, and this is a great thing. Many of us hate change and for this reason alone we tend to look at Windows 8 and feel like we will never upgrade. However, as we march forward and watch Microsoft make one of the biggest changes to it’s operating system since the ‘Start’ button, I wonder what I plan to do personally.

product_win8-keyboard_Web

Do I jump in? Do I wait a few months ? What computers do I upgrade first and do I upgrade all of them or just one? These are the questions that I’m trying to answer, even as I write this I’m trying to figure out what I will do.I have been experimenting with the developer preview and the release preview and I still feel very uncomfortable using Windows 8 with a mouse and keyboard. I don’t know why I can’t seem to shake this feeling. This OS is designed to work with touch and it feels like the laptop and desktop experience is an afterthought.

I’m pretty patient when it comes to OS software, I have tried just about every semi-popular OS out there from obscure linux based OS’s to OSX and back to mobile OS’s. Generally I give an operating system a fair shake up until it’s first major patch. Once we reach the first major patch, if I still feel it’s not working for me, I will usually move on to something else.

When we look at Windows 8 we can’t forget that it’s not just about how we feel about the new OS, it’s also about the faith that hardware manufactures put into the new OS. After all, the hardware is useless with out a good operating system to make it work. Let’s not forget that Microsoft is also going to be releasing it’s own tablet with Windows 8 on it, which will have Microsoft competing directly with those same hardware manufactures that Microsoft want’s Windows 8 to run on.

What about developers? what will they do with existing titles? How will they fit-in with the new OS? Is this change something that developers want to engage in? Some developers feel threatened by Windows 8 and feel that they will be forced to operate within a “box”.  Take the keyboard and mouse out of the equation and now you either are forced to work with touch or an Xbox controller.  Something doesn’t feel right here and I can quickly begin to understand why.

Now, take all of this crazy change and bundle it up in a nice, shiny, new Microsoft store that you build right across the street from the Apple store and you’ve got a front row seat to historic change in the world of technology.

To sum things up, I say if you support Microsoft then use Windows 8 and provide all the feedback you can to help Microsoft build the software you want to use. This is the only way they can get a real feel for what consumers want and need from their software. In the meantime I remain optimistic about Windows 8 and hope to see it succeed.

 

Xbox Issues for Time Warner Cable Customers

by Leave a Comment

xboxlive_logo

Xbox live subscribers who use Time Warner Cable as their internet provider are having major difficulties trying to get online. This issue has been going on for a few days now and Microsoft is working hard to find a solution. Microsoft has made an official statement about the ongoing problem.

“If you’re having issues connecting to Xbox LIVE and are using the Time Warner ISP, thank you for being patient and sticking with us while we work out the problem. Rest assured we are still working hard alongside Time Warner to fix it as quickly as we can. We will continue to update you as new information becomes available.”

We will keep you updated when we find out whether or not a fix has been released. You can also keep an eye on Microsoft’s LIVE Service Status Page here.

 

Nvidia GeForce Grid

by 1 Comment

When we think of gaming today we think about our computers, tablets, phones, handhelds, and consoles. We are always looking for more processing power, better graphics capabilities, and more RAM. Wouldn’t it be nice if the platform didn’t really matter anymore? What about looking at it from a developers point of view? Imagine creating a game that just works everywhere on everything. This type of technology is going to go mainstream and it’s going to revolutionize the way we use hardware.Nvidia Logo

I would go as far as to predict that the next generation of consoles that are released may very well be the last that actually do all of the data processing inside the hardware itself. I believe that cloud based gaming will become the standard and I think it will be amazing.

As someone who has worked with developing games, I understand wanting to make sure that anyone who experiences your game should experience it in the best way possible. You don’t want gamers to experience a lower quality version of your game just because of their hardware limitations.

Imagine how much easier it will be for game developers to send out patches and update their software, you can be sure that everyone is up-to-date with the latest bug fixes and features. Will patch day become a thing of the past?  Secondary servers could be loaded up with the new version of the game and then swapped with the live version instantaneously.

Cloud based gaming is not without it’s flaws. Latency, which most online gamers are quite aware of and monitor regularly, has been a huge issue when trying to deliver an epic experience in real-time across the inter webs. Nvidia has come up with a solution to this problem and they are calling this new technology GeForce Grid. Geforce Grid is basically a supercomputer that you can tap into from your home. It’s almost like having Nvidia as your next door neighbor and whenever they come out with something better they just come into your house and upgrade your hardware first thing in the morning.

Now, I am not entirely sure how this will be marketed, I am thinking you might be able purchase server time and be able to play any title that is registered with your account. There will need to be some type of equipment for when you wanted to play on your television but most likely you will only need something for your controller to connect to. Most of the gaming hardware we will use will basically be a shell with a screen, talk about light weight.

This new technology is exciting to say the least and will be interesting to watch evolve. This will undoubtably reach far beyond the gaming space and reach into every aspect of our digital world.

If you would like to learn more about GeForce Grid, head to Nvidia’s official website here.

 

Star Trek Online

by Leave a Comment

Enjoy MMO style games? Well, how about one that takes you to the “Final Frontier”. I am of course talking about Star Trek Online, which is a Free-to-Play MMO that allows you to dive deep into the world of Star Trek. If you’re like me than nothing brings back geek nostalgia quite like Star Trek and if your fan you should check out Star Trek Online .Star Trek Online

Star Trek Online (STO) features combat in space as well as combat on the ground, which brings an awesome twist to this genre of gaming. You can live out our dreams of being in command of  a Federation Starship right from the comfort of your living room. Fans of Star Trek will appreciate the look and feel of this game as well as all of the story driven features that make it feel like a welcome addition to the Star Trek universe.

Feature Episodes are a feature that allow you to start an episode that you must complete in order to move on to the next episode, thus creating a chain of events that eventually become part of a larger overall storyline. The episodes are fun and engaging and add depth to the game. You will also receive rewards for completing each episode and you will receive a larger reward for completing a series within a given time.STOW1

As with any MMO you will need to choose a faction. There are currently two playable factions, the Federation and the Klingons. You will however interact with many other factions such as the Romulans, Cardassians, Dominion, Undine, Borg, and the Tholians.

Character customization is actually not too bad and character models look really nice. The world around you looks great no matter where you are or what your exploring. In overall gameplay, you will spend most of your time wandering around the universe discovering new races, doing battle with your enemies, and collecting resources.

If you play other MMO’s and feel like you need a change or if you just love Star Trek, Star Trek Online is a great game to get into. You can head over to the official site here to download and play the game for free.