Introducing Project Natal, a revolutionary new way to play: no controller required. See a ball? Kick it, hit it, trap it or catch it. If you know how to move your hands, shake your hips or speak you and your friends can jump into the fun -- the only experience needed is life experience.
Following up on its successful E3 press conference earlier today, Microsoft held a special hands-on event at the Standard Hotel in downtown Los Angeles this evening. Besides showing off the latest versions of games like Halo 3: ODST, Forza Motorsport 3, The Beatles: Rock Band, and Shadow Complex, Microsoft also had special "behind closed doors" demos of two of its more secretive projects, Project Natal and Alan Wake.
I'll admit that I was eager to try out Natal specifically to see just how real the onstage demo from earlier today truly was. After all, what Microsoft showed onstage -- not counting the incredibly long ultra-saccharine marketing video -- was pretty impressive. As Steven Spielberg alluded to in his surprise speech at that very press conference, a camera that could act as an "invisible controller" for hardcore and first-time gamers alike really would be a defining moment for the next generation of videogames.
Here's the amazing thing -- I played with the Natal for all of 5-6 minutes, and I have to say, it actually works.
The first demo I tried was what Microsoft was calling "Burnout Natal." Though it isn't a real game in development, the mixture of Burnout Paradise and the Natal camera was meant to provide proof that you could use the device's technology for practically any genre or software. How quickly I was recognized into the Natal's body identification system (just a few seconds) was surprising, and in a matter of moments I was controlling Burnout paradise with my feet and hands.
Most of the people around me during the MS press conference were groaning when they showed how a racing game would control with Natal in the aforementioned marketing footage, but truth be told, it's a lot more fun than it looks. Though I did miss the bit of resistance that a controller or steering wheel normally gives me, I was shocked to see how natural it felt to drive a car without actually being in one. How easy was it? To accelerate, I simply moved my right leg forward; to brake, I moved it backwards, and to pop it into a neutral position, I just stood straight up (or as straight as my spine would allow me to stand after 12+ hours of E3 spelunking). Driving was just a matter of pretending that I had a steering wheel in my hands, and every subtle movement I made was picked up by the camera allowing me to drive pretty well (and pretty straight) for the few minutes I got to try it out. As an added bonus, the motion for going into Burnout mode was an appropriate Top Gun Volleyball fist-pump. The whole experience was surprisingly fun and I walked away with nary a bad thing to say (which is quite an accomplishment, because normally I complain a lot).
My second go at the Natal was with the game highlighted specifically in Microsoft's press conference by former Fight Night father, Kudo Tsunoda, known as "Ricochet." Admittedly, Ricochet isn't my type of game. I'd rather sit on the couch hitting remote control buttons instead of virtual dodgeballs (which probably explains why I've reached the point where I get winded doing simple things like chewing and talking). Nonetheless, Ricochet provided a small dose of fun as I did my best to break targets with an increasingly-prolific supply of balls. The response here didn't seem as sharp as it did with Burnout -- but to be fair, there did seem to be a small learning curve with the aiming system. Though again, it's not my type of game -- but the good news is that, when speaking with Tsunoda about things in the works down the line, that there are plenty more games -- much more ambitious ones, in fact -- in development that we're going to see in the near future.
All in all, I found Project Natal to be quite refreshing. It's nowhere near the gimmicky device I originally took it for and the fact that it works already on a retail Xbox 360 (Burnout was running on an "out of the store" model, no debugs or special systems required) says a lot about its current stage of development.
To say that I'm anxious to see where Microsoft, and it's horde of third party developers, takes his next is an understatement.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
GTA 4 (patch 1.0.3)
A new patch for GTA 4 is now available which greatly increases the fps and provides you with smoother gameplay, fixing a number of bugs at the same time. However, all those with pirated version of the game should not try installing this patch as it'll mess up the game and you won't be able to play it anymore since it'll give you a fatal error everytime you try to load it. If any of you have already patched it with this one then you can always patch it again the version 1.0.2 which will make the game playable again by reverting everything to the way it was.
Here's the download link for the patch, if any of you want to try it out :
http://www.rockstargames.com/support/IV/PC/patch/index.html
Here's the download link for the patch, if any of you want to try it out :
http://www.rockstargames.com/support/IV/PC/patch/index.html
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Mac OS X 10.4.6
Finally got mac OS X up and running on vmware workstation . However , it is awfully slow to use on it because firstly you can't install vmware tools on it and secondly only one processor can be used. If two processors are selected then it simply won't boot up. So there's practically no point installing it on a vm unless you just want to play around with it , although there isn't much stuff that you can do. Anyway , here are the screens:
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
How to install windows 7 on VMware Workstation
Here are the instructions to install windows 7 on vmware workstation:
1. Download vmware workstation . Link: http://www.torrentreactor.net/torrents/956758/VMware-Workstation-6-0-0-45731-with-keygen
2. Install it on your hard disk.
3. Download the iso of windows 7. Link: http://thepiratebay.org/torrent/4602971/Microsoft.Windows.7.Beta.1.Build.7000.x86.DVD-GENUiNE.iMAGE
4. Open vmware workstation.
5. Click on "New virtual machine"
6. Select "Typical" and click on next.
7. Select "Microsoft windows" and select windows vista.
8. Name your virtual machine and save it anywhere on the hard disk.
9. Select the 2nd option (NAT).
10. Create the virtual hard disk allocating it 30gb or perhaps 20gb would be enough.
11. Click finish.
12. Go to your newly created virtual machine and click on "edit virtual machine settings"
13. Select memory and give it atleast 1gb RAM.
14.Select CD-ROM and check "use iso image" and browse and select the iso of windows 7.
15. Choose processors . 1 if you have a single core or 2 if you have a dual or quad core.
16. Next start your virtual machine.
17. It will load the installation for windows 7 and then you just install it by following the instructions provided by the installer.
Have fun =)
1. Download vmware workstation . Link: http://www.torrentreactor.net/torrents/956758/VMware-Workstation-6-0-0-45731-with-keygen
2. Install it on your hard disk.
3. Download the iso of windows 7. Link: http://thepiratebay.org/torrent/4602971/Microsoft.Windows.7.Beta.1.Build.7000.x86.DVD-GENUiNE.iMAGE
4. Open vmware workstation.
5. Click on "New virtual machine"
6. Select "Typical" and click on next.
7. Select "Microsoft windows" and select windows vista.
8. Name your virtual machine and save it anywhere on the hard disk.
9. Select the 2nd option (NAT).
10. Create the virtual hard disk allocating it 30gb or perhaps 20gb would be enough.
11. Click finish.
12. Go to your newly created virtual machine and click on "edit virtual machine settings"
13. Select memory and give it atleast 1gb RAM.
14.Select CD-ROM and check "use iso image" and browse and select the iso of windows 7.
15. Choose processors . 1 if you have a single core or 2 if you have a dual or quad core.
16. Next start your virtual machine.
17. It will load the installation for windows 7 and then you just install it by following the instructions provided by the installer.
Have fun =)
Crayon Physics Deluxe
Crayon Physics Deluxe isn't just one of the most inventive and clever puzzle games in recent years; it's also a fantastic trip on the way back machine to when you were a tot, armed with a fistful of crayons and a desire to just draw. This is a standout puzzle game that anyone can instantly comprehend, and it carries with it a cool factor that will cause your friends to stop and gawk in amazement.
The premise of this tiny, independent game is that you use your mouse to draw with crayons on paper, just like you did when you were little. But when you were little, you had to use your imagination to see your drawings animate and come to life. In Crayon Physics Deluxe, whatever you draw is imbued with physical life, gaining mass and falling to the bottom of the screen, as if gravity were tugging on it. It's like magic, and in an industry dominated by explosions and eye candy, it's incredible how something so simple can captivate you.
On each of the game's 70 levels, you must guide a red ball to touch a yellow star. Aside from being able to give the ball a slight nudge to the left or the right, you can't manipulate it directly. What you must do is draw solutions on the paper so that the ball can reach the star; you might need to draw a rope bridge, create a pulley system, draw a series of ramps, or more to set up interlocking constructions. While many puzzles have easy solutions to them, you can have fun and let your imagination soar; there were times I eschewed the easy solution just to try and see if my silly-yet-fun alternative solution could actually work.
This is such a simple yet brilliant puzzle game that anyone can pick up and enjoy. Needless to say, it's a great game for kids as well as adults. Granted, it's not the most challenging puzzle game ever made, but there's a rare charm and a joy to it. You may think you're too old for crayons, but give this game a chance and within no time you'll be transported to your youth, grinning once more at the possibilities in front of you.
You can download the demo here : http://www.crayonphysics.com/
Source: http://pc.ign.com/articles/945/945410p1.html
The premise of this tiny, independent game is that you use your mouse to draw with crayons on paper, just like you did when you were little. But when you were little, you had to use your imagination to see your drawings animate and come to life. In Crayon Physics Deluxe, whatever you draw is imbued with physical life, gaining mass and falling to the bottom of the screen, as if gravity were tugging on it. It's like magic, and in an industry dominated by explosions and eye candy, it's incredible how something so simple can captivate you.
On each of the game's 70 levels, you must guide a red ball to touch a yellow star. Aside from being able to give the ball a slight nudge to the left or the right, you can't manipulate it directly. What you must do is draw solutions on the paper so that the ball can reach the star; you might need to draw a rope bridge, create a pulley system, draw a series of ramps, or more to set up interlocking constructions. While many puzzles have easy solutions to them, you can have fun and let your imagination soar; there were times I eschewed the easy solution just to try and see if my silly-yet-fun alternative solution could actually work.
This is such a simple yet brilliant puzzle game that anyone can pick up and enjoy. Needless to say, it's a great game for kids as well as adults. Granted, it's not the most challenging puzzle game ever made, but there's a rare charm and a joy to it. You may think you're too old for crayons, but give this game a chance and within no time you'll be transported to your youth, grinning once more at the possibilities in front of you.
You can download the demo here : http://www.crayonphysics.com/
Source: http://pc.ign.com/articles/945/945410p1.html
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Windows 7 (beta)
Just installed Windows 7 on a virtual machine .
The specs of the virtual machine are
Core 2 quad (2.4ghz) (2 processors)
1 gb Ram
30 gb HDD
To be honest it's much better than vista although i couldn't use the dedicated video card in it since the virtual machine used it's own graphic accelerator. But otherwise it's very stable and great performance .
In short, it's vista with some polish and excluding all the bugs in vista. I'll definitely be making this my primary OS once the full version is out . Currently i'll have to live with vista
The specs of the virtual machine are
Core 2 quad (2.4ghz) (2 processors)
1 gb Ram
30 gb HDD
To be honest it's much better than vista although i couldn't use the dedicated video card in it since the virtual machine used it's own graphic accelerator. But otherwise it's very stable and great performance .
In short, it's vista with some polish and excluding all the bugs in vista. I'll definitely be making this my primary OS once the full version is out . Currently i'll have to live with vista
Monday, March 16, 2009
Call Of Duty : World At War
Call of Duty: World at War is a lot like its predecessor, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. In most respects, this is a good thing. The guns are tightly tuned, the tone is gritty and mature, and the action is exciting and fast-paced. It boasts the same addictive multiplayer system as Modern Warfare, and even expands the multiplayer possibilities by allowing four players to play through the campaign cooperatively. Like every game in the series before Modern Warfare, this Call of Duty takes place during World War II. World at War does an admirable job of spicing things up, but between the well-worn source material and déjà vu game mechanics, there is a pervasive familiarity to the game.
The most salient difference between World at War and Modern Warfare is the WWII setting. In the campaign, you split time between two soldiers in two offensive theaters: the Russian push out of their homeland and into the heart of Germany, and the American struggle to wrest Pacific islands from the Japanese. Though you'll alternate between them every few levels, the campaign feels like one solid progression, thanks to the adept pacing.
World at War does make a leap for the Call of Duty series by offering two-player split-screen and four-player online cooperative campaign play. It's the same campaign as the single-player experience, though the number of enemies increases for every player that joins you. You can turn competitive scoring on and see who can earn the most points by killing enemies or reviving teammates, and this adds a bit of fun to the campaign and lightens to mood (it's hard to feel grim when there are point values popping up all the time). There are also special items called death cards in each level, and collecting these will allow you to enable a cheat for cooperative play (for instance, enemies die by headshots only or headshots cause enemies to explode). These add a little more spice to the pot, but the only tangible incentives are challenges. Completing these tasks (such as kill 100 enemies with pistols or take first 20 times in competitive co-op) will earn you experience points that go toward your multiplayer rank (co-op is not similarly ranked). Cooperative play is fun in its own right, but linking it to the addictive multiplayer ranking system makes it relevant in a whole different way.
By staying largely true to the formula that made Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare so successful, Call of Duty: World at War has ensured a proven level of technical quality, particularly in the multiplayer arena. On the other hand, one of Modern Warfare's strengths was its fresh approach, and by embracing a familiar setting and familiar mechanics, World at War achieves greatness but falls short of excellence. This is only a bad thing if you are expecting this game to top its benchmark predecessor. If, however, you are hoping for an exciting campaign, fun cooperative play, and engaging multiplayer action, then you'll find a lot to be happy about in World at War.
The most salient difference between World at War and Modern Warfare is the WWII setting. In the campaign, you split time between two soldiers in two offensive theaters: the Russian push out of their homeland and into the heart of Germany, and the American struggle to wrest Pacific islands from the Japanese. Though you'll alternate between them every few levels, the campaign feels like one solid progression, thanks to the adept pacing.
World at War does make a leap for the Call of Duty series by offering two-player split-screen and four-player online cooperative campaign play. It's the same campaign as the single-player experience, though the number of enemies increases for every player that joins you. You can turn competitive scoring on and see who can earn the most points by killing enemies or reviving teammates, and this adds a bit of fun to the campaign and lightens to mood (it's hard to feel grim when there are point values popping up all the time). There are also special items called death cards in each level, and collecting these will allow you to enable a cheat for cooperative play (for instance, enemies die by headshots only or headshots cause enemies to explode). These add a little more spice to the pot, but the only tangible incentives are challenges. Completing these tasks (such as kill 100 enemies with pistols or take first 20 times in competitive co-op) will earn you experience points that go toward your multiplayer rank (co-op is not similarly ranked). Cooperative play is fun in its own right, but linking it to the addictive multiplayer ranking system makes it relevant in a whole different way.
By staying largely true to the formula that made Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare so successful, Call of Duty: World at War has ensured a proven level of technical quality, particularly in the multiplayer arena. On the other hand, one of Modern Warfare's strengths was its fresh approach, and by embracing a familiar setting and familiar mechanics, World at War achieves greatness but falls short of excellence. This is only a bad thing if you are expecting this game to top its benchmark predecessor. If, however, you are hoping for an exciting campaign, fun cooperative play, and engaging multiplayer action, then you'll find a lot to be happy about in World at War.
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