When surround sound first came out, we were all wowed by how real the gaming or viewing experience was. As the technology became better and better (with prices becoming more affordable, thank goodness), we simply fell in love with it even more.
But technology doesn’t stop there. If you can’t live without surround sound, how about having “surround touch” to make things all the more real? [Read more…] about Hang on to Your Seats, Surround Touch Technology Is Here!
iPad owners who keep to themselves aren’t maximizing the experience. With a relatively large 9.7″ screen and support for multi-touch, Apple’s tablet PC is also great for entertaining several people.
Here we feature 10 different iOS apps that will turn your iPad (or iPad 2) into the life of the party, courtesy of some fun two- or four-player multiplayer gameplay.
All the following apps support multiple players on the same device, so no online connection is necessary. You’ll only need one iPad to have fun with friends of family members, meaning even those who don’t have an iOS device (the iPhone, iPod touch, or the iPad) can still participate.
Monopoly for iPad ($9.99)
The star attraction of this modern version of the classic real-estate boardgame? Tabletop mode, where the game orients itself to the active player. It’s this feature alone—not to mention the faithful recreation of the Monopoly experience—that makes this game worth playing with up to three human or computer-controlled opponents.
[Read more…] about The 10 best same-device multiplayer games for the iPad
How good are you at Super Street Fighter IV? How about Super Smash Bros. Melee? Some of you may be pretty proud of what you can do, but after watching this video, I am willing to bet that you will have a different perspective.
This guy, Broly Legs is one of the best players of the two games I mentioned above. His real name is Mike Begum, and he has a condition called arthrogryposis. Also called Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita, the condition places a lot of limitations on the person who has it. Basically, the person will have limited use of his limbs due to the shortening of the muscles in the joints. It is also characterized by muscle weakness and fibrosis.
Broly cannot use his legs and hands. Well, he can use his left hand a little bit, but that’s not what he uses when he plays Street Fighter or Smash Bros. So what does he use? Believe it or not, he manipulates the controller using his mouth and cheeks! And this guy isn’t all talk, mind you. He says he thinks he is pretty good, and he can actually back that up with some action. A lot of action.
In this video, Broly shows just how he can kick the butt of people who have the use of both hands. And yes, you can see how he uses cheek, mouth, and tongue in a way that will put many a gamer to shame.
His words of inspiration: find what you can do and just keep at it. The next time you feel like saying “FML”, think of Broly.
Every person who has played Super Mario has probably dreamed about having real life versions of some of the items found in the game. What better item to have in real life than the coin block that spits out coins when hit from the bottom? I mean, come on, we could all use a few extra coins here and there.
An Instructables member, who goes by name brunoip, has created a do-it-yourself Super Mario coin block and by golly, it works!
At first glance, the box may seem unassuming. Indeed, the main material that was used to create it can be described as “blah”: cardboard. If you gut this thing, though, you’ll find some interesting things inside:
The mp3 player gives you that oh-so-familiar sound that the box in the game makes when coins pop out. The other elements give you the possibility of gaining real coins when the box it tapped. Here is the block in action.
You’re probably reeking with envy now – wanting your very own coin block. If you have the time and the skill, you can actually make one for yourself. The brilliant Super Mario fan who is behind this project has provided all the information that is necessary to make a real life coin block. ((Instructables)) And if you’re just that good, then why not create more than one and give them away? I am pretty sure that this coin block can come in handy. You even get to choose what currency to use!
Remember that TV show which helped singles meet the person of their dreams? Quirky and funny, The Dating Game was one of the most popular TV shows in the old days. If I remember correctly, The Dating Game was even franchised in different countries. Not much has changed in the face of dating in that people are still on their own quests to find their perfect match. If anything, dating has merged with technological developments, creating new options.
Everyone knows about online dating and how it has become a viable alternative for many people. 3G Studios, a Reno, Nevada-based developer, has introduced a new element into the equation: a dating game that can be played with real people via social networks. Surprising? Not really. Silly? Probably.
The format of The Dating Game is not totally different from the TV show. A game will have a bachelor, or a bachelorette, seeking a date. There will be three potential dates who remain anonymous until the bachelor/bachelorette makes a decision. He or she will be asking personal questions which each of the contestants must answer. After several rounds, the person seeking a date will make his or her choice and gets to go on a date with the winner. Of course, the date may either be virtual or for real, depending on the people involved. The game is available for Facebook, MySpace, and Friendster – among others. (So people still do use Friendster???)
This new game raises a lot of questions, one of which is with regard to security. The developers deals with this issue by allowing avatars instead of photos. Personally, I think that if someone wants to play a dating game using his or her social networking account, then security would probably not be an issue for that person. Then again, if you take a look at that screenshot above, you might have second thoughts about playing the game.
In any case, if you are single and you find yourself having nothing to do this weekend, grab The Dating Game for free. Or you can read a book. That’s probably more productive.
For some reason, I have never gotten into FarmVille, which is perhaps the most popular Facebook game of all time. I did find myself wasting lots of hours on CityVille, though, for reasons I cannot explain. Now, here comes another game, which aims to catch the attention of the hordes of people already addicted to Facebook games. Called Ecotopia, the game seems to have some similarities with CityVille and other games in the same category. The big difference is that Ecotopia is being touted as a “green game”. It is being developed by Talkie, in cooperation Conservation International, with Hollywood star Harrison Ford’s support.
The game has not been launched yet, but there is already a Facebook page for Ecotopia. According to what the developers, the game is:
Just like all other social games on Facebook, players can connect to their friends and interact with them via the game. Indeed, no social game will be complete without these features. For those who may already be raising their eyebrows and thinking that the game is nothing more than an escape from reality, Ecotopia does reach out to the real world. I don’t know exactly how the system will work, but the developers say that “players will also be heavily rewarded for performing real-world acts of green and incorporating them into their Ecotopia gaming experience.”
I know many of my Facebook friends do not care about my fish, my mafia, or my city; but if Ecotopia is going to be good as it is being hyped up, I wouldn’t mind risking the ire of some Facebook friends for a worthy cause. Shall we give it a try when it comes out on the 4th of April?
