Networked Airhockey

person playingSo…let’s image that you have an air hockey table…with no one else to play you. What do you do? These guys know. They made an air hockey table that allows you to play remotely with someone else. It was made to show that they were really bored and had a lot of networking skills. The air hockey table is just like a regular one except the other side is a screen with a live video feed of your opponent and a hidden (and seems to be very) complicated ejecting system.
diagram

There are sensors at the middle of the table that detect all the necessary components to air hockey (speed, angle, etc) and tells the launcher where to fire and how fast. Then you can play air hockey over the Internet. These guys were very bored.

Reservoir Dogs gets banned in the Australia

Australian officials have reported today that the new game, Reservoir Dogs will not release in Australia. The game has been banned from being sold or reviewed in Australia because of the ultra violence. If you thought something like Chronicals of Riddick or Silent Hill 3 or Resident Evil is violent, then you won’t believe how evil the game sounds. According to Australian Rating boards, “Players can take police officers hostage and go on to burn out their eyes with a lit cigar, chop off their fingers with a cigar cutter, and hack off their ears using a scalpel, while [the police officers] plead for their lives and scream in pain”…

Wow. That sounded violent. Watch as every single politician attacks this one. And watch how some stupid parent will buy it and then sue companies that aren’t even involved (reference to the GTA:SA lawsuit where they were suing: Nintendo, and a bunch of other companies that weren’t involved).

Phantasy Star gets decorative

boxartforphantasystarSega’s new upcoming game, Phantasy Star Universe, is going to have a new customizable room feature. The room is like your home inwhich you can invite friends over to chat when you are online. The room would be saved online so when you logoff players can continue to visit it.

Players can change the design of their room by purchasing a “remodeling ticket” and selecting from a ton of predefined patterns. The game will feature design shops in which the players can buy items for their room, or give objects to other players. Players who want to make a little profit in the game, can turn their rooms into shops.

The game features a planetary system, which is made up of the Guardian Colony, Parum, Neudaiz, and the Moatoob. Each location will specialize in different types of items. For example, the Guardian Colony will be the only place you can buy items for your rooms, and their base will serve as the central mission control where you recieve missions in story mode. Parum will sell gear for Hunters and Rangers, Neudaiz sells stuff for Newman species, and also will supply weapons and accessories for enhancing Technique for Force characters. While the Moatoob supplies vehicles and military equipment.

Phantasy Star Universe is is set to launch on Augest 31 in japan for the PlayStation 2 which is to be priced at around $61. The PC and Xbox 360 editions’ launch date and price are not known yet.

Got DAC? Get the expansion free

In celebration of Mythic’s (Mythic is now EA) new game expansion for their game, Dark Age of Camelot at an event called the Roundtable. People who are willing to pay $97.25 will be able to come to the event and get a first look. If you sign up you will get a free copy of the expansion pack as well as beta access and a special in-game item. According to the website “Roundtables are meant for you to meet fellow players and the development team, get a sneak peak at new game features and have a ton of fun with contests, games, raffles and more.”

Go here for more info

Prey demo is now live

prey boxA few days ago the Xbox 360 demo of Prey is now available for download from Xbox Live. Gamers who download the 1.17GB demo are able to play in both single player and multiplayer levels.

Prey is a story about a Native American Tommy who gets abducted by a UFO from the reservation along with his girlfriend and grandfather. He must use all manner of alien technology and tap into his spiritual side and latent supernatural abilities to save the day. The game has been billed as “a serious, dark story based on authentic Cherokee mythology.”

Prey is published by 2K Games (a branch of Take-Two Interactive). It is expected to ship on July 11, is rated M for Mature, and will be priced at about $59.99 (the PC version will be $49.99).