Failure to Launch

(Image Courtesy of: gizmodo.co.uk)

Once the euphoria of a new console generation, and the hardware behind it, starts to fade, the focus shifts to software.  Nintendo’s Wii U launched in November of 2012 and the sales have been mildly disappointing to date.  The system itself was met with positive reviews and accolades, but the system lacked software titles that generated any excitement.  The system was off to a sluggish start due to poor launch titles.  They have rebounded a bit throughout 2013 with the release of games like Pikmin 3, Rayman Legends, and The Wonderful 101.  These three titles were promised to consumers during the launch window, but fell victim to various delays.  Sony and Microsoft looked to take advantage of Nintendo’s missteps with strong launch titles.  In a competitive industry, it is crucial to get off to a strong start and both companies looked primed to storm out of the gates.   That is, until this week’s announcements.

Two of the most anticipated launch titles have been delayed well into 2014.

Here we go, again.

(Image courtesy of: images.eurogamer.net)

Ubisoft, the company behind Rayman Legends’ disappearance from the launch of the Wii U, has delayed their highly anticipated open world action-adventure game, Watch Dogs.  The game was available for pre-order in bundles for both systems, the Xbox One and Playstation 4.  This game was billed as a system seller and has been advertised to the gaming public for several years.  The game has been made available as a demo at several conventions and was even featured in a playable fashion on a recent episode of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.  The game follows the same structure as the massively successful Grand Theft Auto series and promised to take advantage of the new hardware to deliver an experience worthy of the investment in a new system.

 

(Image Courtesy of: insideplaystation.com)

The Playstation 4’s lineup took another hit when SCE Worldwide Studios and Evolution Studios delayed their racer, Drive Club.  The Playstation 4 has placed a focus on online gaming and social interaction between gamers.  This game looked to take advantage of those features from day one on the system.  Players can build up, customize and race against fellow car enthusiasts around the world.  The game featured graphics that blurred the line between fiction and reality.  Gamers were looking forward to owning a high-end sports car and racing it in numerous worldwide locales that are recreated in astonishing detail.

These were two of the marquee titles that were going to accompany the new systems onto store shelves.  The systems should still sell well to early adopters and those who have interest in other smaller titles, but these delays may hurt the initial sales.  This is beginning to look like the Wii U launch all over again.  By the time that the delayed Wii U titles finally saw the light of day, the system had already undergone a price drop and the damage was done.

If these games were on your radar, you might want to rethink that pre-order and wait for a better deal.

Tech on the Horizon: The “Illumiroom” and Oculus Rift

Pong introduced many people to wonders of video game technology while they were sitting in their living room.  It may be time to introduce the rest of your living room to the latest in video game technology.

(Image Courtesy of: Otpco100.com)

In decades past, video games were limited by the technical aspects and enhanced by the player’s imagination.  The basic Pong set up was nothing more than two paddles, a console, two lines, and a bouncing dot.  This simple game could double as anything from tennis to ping pong, volleyball, hockey and more depending on the player’s mind.  The gap between technology and imagination is getting smaller and smaller with each passing day.  The newest display of ‘futuristic’ technology is upon us.  It goes by the “Illumiroom” and words cannot do it justice.  It must be seen in action.

Video via Microsoft Research

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=re1EatGRV0w

At this stage of development, Microsoft’s “Illumiroom” is just a concept.  It is something that they are working towards making a reality at some point in the next generation of gaming.   The television will become the launching point for a totally immersive gaming experience.  The system would look to make use of a high fidelity camera system that would optimize the display to the room in which the player is sitting.  In the demo reel alone, gameplay can be seen escaping the edges of the television and providing the gamer with a larger game world.  Little touches like snowflakes during a racing game through snow-capped trails help to enhance the ambiance and mood of the game.

For those who find the confines of a room to still be too limiting, there is an exciting product on the horizon.  The Oculus Rift, whose beginnings can be traced to the crowd sourcing website ‘Kickstarter’, aims to blur the line between game and reality.  It shares many similar design features with the ill-fated Virtual Boy from Nintendo.  The Virtual Boy hoped to provide a game changing experience with a 3-D headset, but it was undone by the limited technology of the time.  It featured a monochrome red and black color scheme and a headache inducing 3-D effect.  The folks behind the Oculus Rift feel the time is right to introduce another gaming headset to the masses.  The speed with which they reached their Kickstarter goal may indicate that they are right.

Video via Business Insiders

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjNLvgqZgUI

As you can see, tech demos for the Oculus Rift have progressed a great deal from the Virtual Boy’s modest effort.  The reactions to the device are varied and intense.  It showcases that the device might not be for everyone (One person did complain of naseau, but when replicating a roller coaster, that may actually be a positive review), but it does seem to totally envelop the person in the game.  The headset uses two displays, one optimized for each eye, to create a realistic world presented in 3-D in a full 360 degree view.  The people in the demo reel from Business Insiders react as though they are actually riding a roller coaster and experiencing the ups and downs from the safety of a conference room. The device is certainly on the cutting edge of technology and it is refreshing to see it gain support from numerous developers.  Epic Games, the studio behind the ‘Gears of War’ series, and Irrational Games, the publisher of Bioshock Infinite, have already expressed interest in incorporating the device into their future projects.  These studios have excelled at creating living, breathing worlds that transport the gamer into the middle of the action.  With a device like Oculus Rift, it is exciting to think that they may have only begun to scratch the surface.

There is no word yet if Pong will be available on either device, but you can find the app on your smartphone or tablet, if you are feeling nostalgic.