The Register is reporting that Boeing has succefully demonstrated it’s HUMVEE Laser Avenger system, which, according to the article ‘is a gyrostabilised automatic turret from Boeing’s
existing Avenger air-defence system. Avenger normally packs Stinger
missiles and/or a .50-cal heavy machine gun, but this year Boeing has
fitted it out with a 1 kilowatt solid state laser’.
It could be useful in destroying unexploded ordinance or IEDs from a distance, however real combat applications would need a higher powered system.
Perhaps this is just a stepping stone in Boeing’s long-term plans?
Joystiq reports that Solider of Fortune: Payback has been denied classification by Australia’s Office of Film & Literature Classification. Essentially, this bans the game from the market there. According to The Melbourne Herald-Sun, ‘(The decision was based on) the different ways a player could maim and injure (other characters).’
World in Conflict takes place in an alternate history where instead of the Cold War ending, it went hot and erupted into a third world war. At the beginning of the game, we are treated to a vert entertaining cutscene setting up what ends up being the Soviet invasion of Seattle. Cutscenes are done both in-game and pre-rendered, both befitting the game’s mood. The story is very engaging, due in large part to the voice acting which is very good and only sometimes unbelievable. Alec Baldwin lends his voice as the narrator who also happens to be your character. Unfortunately, in trying to tell a hodgepodge of personal soldier’s stories, the story sometimes loses focus and presents us with characters we don’t care about as much as those present throughout most of the game.
Graphically, the game is stunning with a very realistic depiction of explosions, projecticles, and military units. The environments feel large and have been put together with great detail. Your APCs roll under a freeway in Seattle teaming with refuges attempting to flee the city in the wake of the invasion; Missiles streak across the sky, contrails flaring; And smoldering ruins will litter the battlefield after you are through (war is messy after all). With DirectX 10 enhancements to boot, the game is absolutely incredible but be warned, you need some serious hardware to run this game the way it was meant to be played.
The sound design in the game is excellent, with sound details relaying to your pov as they should. From above the battlefield you are treated with most of the macro noises present but as you zoom down to a soldier’s eye level you hear whizzing of bullets, clanking of ejected casings, and tank treads flexing. The score is good and epic in tone, but nothing overtly worthy of note.
Gameplay is smooth and highly dependent on your style of command. Using formations similar to Ground Control II, you can be precise and angle unit lines towards the enemy or throw them to a position in a cluster pattern. You can micro-manage your forces or let them act on their own rules of engagement once you point them to their destination. Instead of harvesting resources, you are given a certain number of points with which to call in reinforcements. These can be anything from infantry to helicopters and will land at a drop zone of your choosing. Support points are used to call in air support and artillery barrages. These points will recharge slowly and are also given as rewards for accomplishing objectives.
Go get this right away and push the Soviets out of our homeland!
MSNBC reports (rather late) that Bestbuy corporate has instructed its stores to stop selling analog televisions effective October 1.
If you’re thinking about rushing to the store to pick up a big screen on clearance, you’re also out of luck because all remaining stock has been pulled from the shelves.
Most network television companies are already broadcasting digital signals along with their analog counterpart. On February 18, 2009, television companies will cease broadcasting the analog signal.
MSN reports (via the AP) that George Lucas is moving forward with his plan for a live action television series based on the Star Wars universe.
George has confirmed that it will not involve any of the ‘main characters’ focusing more on the development and lives of the minor players.
On a personal note, I hope the writers take a cue from the masses and base their stories on some of the expanded universe books out there. I’d love to see the X-wing series of books integrated into the show, for example.
GameSpot has the premier announcement that Capcom is creating a new Bionic Commando game for next-gen systems.
From the premier:
‘Where the original Bionic Commando followed players on a mission to rescue a fellow agent named Super Joe, the new game’s storyline appears to carry a more cynical edge. After serving his country honorably in conflict with the Imperials, technologically enhanced agent Nathan Spencer is framed for a number of crimes by his superiors and sentenced for execution. Fate intervenes, as an experimental terrorist weapon is detonated in Ascension City on the day Spencer is to be executed. With the city in ruins and Spencer uniquely equipped to handle the many skyscrapers, monorails, and suspended roadways, the government reluctantly turns to its imprisoned bionic commando for help.’
AICN is reporting that Chris Pine has been cast in the role of James T. Kirk. Personally I think he makes a better Christopher Pike based on looks alone, but whatever.
1up is reporting that film execs are blaming Halo 3 for the low performance of The Heartbreak Kid, a film starring Ben Stiller. Yeah…if you saw the trailer I don’t know how one would think this movie WOULDN’T tank!
Joystiq has posted it’s review of Eye of Judgement for the PS3. The rather ingenious game uses physical playing cards placed on a special gameboard. The Eye Toy camera scans the cards and superimposes 3d effects around them on your screen.
YouTube has unveiled it’s new attempt at copyright protection today. YouTube requires that content owners send in a master copy of all their
copyrighted content so they can cross reference it against
uploads. Any data that matches the reference data can be deleted
automatically, but only if the content owner says so.
