| Birdwatching meets massive multi-player online gaming
The Collaborative Observatories for Natural Environments, or CONE for short, is a free game in which players earn points by aiming a robotic camera at wild birds and identifying them. The PETA-friendly system, which launched on April 23, was created by researchers at the University of California at Berkeley, and Texas A&M University. Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist, is hosting the project from his home, which overlooks Sutro Forest in San Francisco. "This is a new kind of massive multi-player online game," said Ken Goldberg, a UC Berkeley professor of engineering and co-principal investigator of the project, in a statement. "Rather than aiming a gun at virtual enemies, players aim a camera at live wild birds." Goldberg worked on the collaborative control technology behind the game with Dezhen Song, assistant professor of computer science at Texas A&M, and their students.
Super Street Fighter II Turbo and Super Puzzle Fighter II Coming ...
Releasing an updated but not ruined version of a classic game is tough, sand I'm excited to see what Capcom has planned for its upcoming Xbox Live and Playstation Network releases of Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix and Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix. HD means 1080p as well as updated artwork and graphics. UDON comics, the gifted folks behind the Street Fighter comic series, are handling all the updated art, and it looks like the games are in good hands. But almost every change is optional, so feel free to run the original graphics or the original version of Puzzle Fighter II.
Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix includes all 17 of the original SSFII Turbo characters, and will include single-player as well as local or online one-on-one action. In addition, it'll feature in-game voice chat, matchmaking "flexibility through multiple options," and worldwide leaderboards.
Turbine unveils first free update for LotrO
Turbine has revealed that June will see the release of the first free content update for its MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online.Shores of Evendim, as the update is named, invites players to explores the land of Evendim and introduces 60-plus new quests, nine new monsters and collectible armour sets. In addition, players will be able to raid in the Battle for Helegrod, with an upgraded in-game music system also featuring in the update. Providing some background to the update and Evendim, Turbine explains, "About 100 miles north of the Shire, in northern Eriador, lies Evendim, a vast region dominated by the Lake Nenuial; the 'Lake of the Twilight'. .
Still An Outsider?
Neyer bypassed the traditional route of working his way up the ladder at a soul-crushing weekly print publication newspaper before hitting the big time. Then again, in 1996, web-writing wasn't anybody's definition of "big time." And in switching to the new set-up, he is making a move that seems to have met with some resistance from some of his peers.
CSR: What spurred the change?
Rob Neyer: I think it's mostly just a desire on my part to do something a little bit different. I've been writing columns for 11 years for ESPN.com, and while I wouldn't say I've said everything I have to say in that format (800-1000 words), because I will still be writing them roughly once a week, but there are a lot of things I want to write about on a daily basis about baseball that don't really lend themselves to the column-length articleI've always felt that my role in part is as a proselytizer, pointing to some of the research and other good writing that's out there.
Sony Releases PS3 1.70 and PSP 3.40 Firmware Updates
Sony has released new firmware updates for both its PlayStation 3 console and PlayStation Portable handheld. The PS3 gets bumped to version 1.70, which now enables the console to play original PSone software bought from the PlayStation Store previously only playable on the PSP. Save data for the PSone can now be used on the PSP. Currently, the PlayStation Store lists only classic titles for download to PSP, though with the weekly update to the store due to hit tomorrow, PS3 support may be soon added. Also new, and perhaps one of the first budding fruits from the Immersion settlement is the enabling of vibration force feedback when using PlayStation and PlayStation 2 accessories with the older generation games. Other evidence of the return of rumble can be seen in the recent update to Gran Turismo HD, a free download for PlayStation 3 owners via the PlayStation Store.
Sleuthinator.com LLC Offers Unique Approach to Internet Marketing
WINDSOR, Calif., April 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Sleuthinator.com LLC combines aspects of an ongoing fictional story, a puzzle-solving game, and a marketing tool for companies that want potential customers to visit their websites. Players are offered cash prizes for reading the story, finding clues, and solving the puzzles, with no costs or hidden fees involved. Sponsors pay a nominal fee to have their websites incorporated into the storyline where players must visit to find the clues. New puzzles will be presented approximately once a week. The story, game, and website are rated "G" - so players won't be required to visit any sites that contain objectionable material, or require the release of any personal information. Todd Eastman, a freelance writer, came up with the concept and design of this new website which features "Sleuthinator," an artificial intelligence cyberbeing, and "Johnny Sweet," a human hacker.
CBS Ramps Up Online Presence
CBS Corp. is ramping up its online presence via the creation of an Interactive Audience Network that includes content deals with online distributors like AOL, Microsoft (MSN Video), CNET Networks, Comcast, Joost, Bebo, Brightcove, Netvibes, Sling Media and Veoh. All content will be free to the consumer, supported by advertising, which will be shared between CBS and its partners. Content will be available domestically, with select clips and full-length sports programming distributed worldwide. "Today marks an important step in our strategy to distribute content broadly across the online interactive landscape on an open, non-exclusive basis," said Leslie Moonves, President and CEO, CBS Corp." Each of these partners offers value to our audience and our advertisers, who can now come to CBS not only for the most watched network on television, but for the most widely distributed professional content online." "CBSs ability to partner with leading next-generation interactive platforms is the best way for CBS to evolve from a content company to an audience company," added Quincy Smith, President, CBS Interactive. "Its really all about the user and in building the CBS Interactive Audience Network, we are bringing our content to each unique platform of their choice.
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