Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Engadget goes hands-on with ex-Valve engineer's AR glasses]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/19/engadget-goes-hands-on-with-ex-valve-engineers-ar-glasses/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/19/engadget-goes-hands-on-with-ex-valve-engineers-ar-glasses/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/19/engadget-goes-hands-on-with-ex-valve-engineers-ar-glasses/#comments
When Valve let up to 25 hardware development staff go in February, Jeri Ellsworth was one of them, and she was working on a pair of 3D augmented-reality glasses at the time called Cast AR. Ellsworth continued work on them with her new company, Technical Illusions, and recently let our friends at Engadget take them out for a spin at the Maker Faire 2013 event in San Mateo, CA.

Cast AR is described as a "projected augmented reality system" on the company's site. Ellsworth said she plans to launch a crowdfunding campaign later in the year to fund the project, with the goal of each kit adding up to less than $200 for buyers. The site notes plans to include a development kit with each pair.

JoystiqEngadget goes hands-on with ex-Valve engineer's AR glasses originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 19 May 2013 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>augmented-realitycast-arhands-onjeri-ellsworthmakers-faire-2013technical-illusionsvalveSun, 19 May 2013 22:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Valve's two talks at GDC 2013: VR is hard, Team Fortress 2 in your head]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/15/valves-two-talks-at-gdc-2013-vr-is-hard-team-fortress-2-in-yo/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/15/valves-two-talks-at-gdc-2013-vr-is-hard-team-fortress-2-in-yo/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/15/valves-two-talks-at-gdc-2013-vr-is-hard-team-fortress-2-in-yo/#comments Valve to talk HMDs, VRTF2 at GDCValve will be giving two talks at GDC 2013, one to discuss porting Team Fortress 2 to virtual reality goggles, and the other focused on hurdles in developing for virtual and augmented reality.

Valve programmer Joe Ludwig will lead the TF2 talk, titled "What We Learned Porting Team Fortress 2 to Virtual Reality," and Valve research and development man Michael Abrash leads the second talk, called "Why Virtual Reality is Hard (And Where it Might be Going)." Abrash will focus on head-mounted displays. Not "displaying mounted heads" - that's at the Big-Game Developers Conference.

GDC 2013 is at San Francisco's Moscone Center from March 25 - 29. Other notable talks include a postmortem on FTL: Faster than Light, a talk from Capy on paid apps, one on The Walking Dead's art, and talks on mainstream games such as XCOM: Enemy Unknown, Assassin's Creed 3, Spec Ops: The Line, Hitman: Absolution, Mass Effect 3 and more. Peruse the list here.

JoystiqValve's two talks at GDC 2013: VR is hard, Team Fortress 2 in your head originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 15 Jan 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>augmented-realityGDC-2013hmdpcTeam-Fortress-2valvevalve-softwareVirtual-RealityTue, 15 Jan 2013 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Minecraft Reality AR app takes your game from the screen to the streets]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/25/minecraft-reality-ar-app-takes-your-game-from-the-screen-to-the/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/25/minecraft-reality-ar-app-takes-your-game-from-the-screen-to-the/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/25/minecraft-reality-ar-app-takes-your-game-from-the-screen-to-the/#comments

The Minecraft Reality app for iOS devices tracks the living world around you and then places your Minecraft creations directly into it, to scale and in cool, augmented reality 3D. The video above does a better job of demonstrating how this turns out than we could with flimsy words.

Minecraft Reality is developed by 13th Lab, with the blessing of Minecraft developer Mojang. On top of checking out your creations alone, Minecraft Reality allows you to save them in specific locations for others to look at, at their leisure. The app runs $2 on the App Store and is universal, though optimized for iPhone 5.

We expect to see a range of blocky Gundams, Pokemon characters and, of course, a deluge of dicks in our real-world spaces soon. We know you so well.

JoystiqMinecraft Reality AR app takes your game from the screen to the streets originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 25 Nov 2012 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>13th-labappargaugmented-realityiosipadiphonemicrosoftMinecraftminecraft-realitymobilemojangpcxboxSun, 25 Nov 2012 22:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Rumor: Next-gen Xbox details spilled in penultimate issue of Xbox World]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/16/rumor-next-gen-xbox-details-spilled-in-penultimate-issue-of-xbo/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/16/rumor-next-gen-xbox-details-spilled-in-penultimate-issue-of-xbo/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/16/rumor-next-gen-xbox-details-spilled-in-penultimate-issue-of-xbo/#commentsRumor Xbox World spills Xbox 720 details in penultimate issueXbox World will stop revolving come December, but it plans on going out with a bang. Specifically, the UK publication's second-to-last issue claims to have all the inside deets on Microsoft's next console.

The new console's name, for instance, will be simply "Xbox," with no numerical modifiers to speak of, according to the magazine. It'll supposedly ship with a quad-core processor and eight gigs of ram, run Blu-Ray discs and will eventually support some form of head-mounted augmented reality device, in addition to a next-generation Kinect.

"Xbox World has been at the cutting edge of Durango coverage for over 12 months," Xbox World EIC Dan Dawkins told CVG. "Unless something really dramatic changes, everything we reveal in our penultimate issue will be revealed long before E3 in June."

JoystiqRumor: Next-gen Xbox details spilled in penultimate issue of Xbox World originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 16 Nov 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ARaugmented-realitykinectkinect-2microsoftxboxxbox-720xbox-worldFri, 16 Nov 2012 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[How Bowling's 'Human Element' brings real places into the zombie world]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/05/how-bowlings-human-element-brings-real-places-into-the-zombie/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/05/how-bowlings-human-element-brings-real-places-into-the-zombie/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/05/how-bowlings-human-element-brings-real-places-into-the-zombie/#comments How Bowling's 'Human Element' brings real places into the zombie worldHuman Element, the first game from Robert Bowling's Robotoki, will use Google Maps and Foursquare overlays to add a real-life tie in to its iPad iteration, which will in turn feed back into the "main" game. Bowling gave the example of hunting for medical supplies.

"You don't want to risk going out to forage in the game world, or maybe you did and can't find anything," he told GamesIndustry.biz, "but you know that there's a pharmacy four miles down the road in the real world. So you go out and you're out and about in the real world. You open up Human Element on your iPad. We're overlaying the world of Human Element onto the Googlemaps API, FourSquare business API, we're taking your real world and merging it with your game world." Bowling claimed this would be possible anywhere GPS data was available.

Bowling also suggested that connected experiences like the iPad game would begin to tell the Human Element story before the 2015 release date of the console game. "The 2015 deadline is the at-home, console experience. That experience, from a story standpoint, takes place 30 years after the event, after the apocalypse," he explained. "We can engage you in that universe a week, a month, a year after that event. Maybe through mobile, maybe through titles on the arcade, maybe through PSN, handheld titles. We can start telling that story leading up to that big event in 2015 where we tie them all together."

JoystiqHow Bowling's 'Human Element' brings real places into the zombie world originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 05 Jul 2012 20:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>augmented-realitygpshuman-elementmobilerobert-bowlingrobotokiThu, 05 Jul 2012 20:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Vita 'AR Hockey' works without cards]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/10/vita-ar-hockey-works-without-cards/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/10/vita-ar-hockey-works-without-cards/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/10/vita-ar-hockey-works-without-cards/#comments
All right, so the existing Vita AR games aren't hits. But Sony's still trying, demonstrating a new AR game at GDC that's more impressive than the current lineup. It's Pong.

AR Hockey, which the Sony staff assured me was currently only a tech demo, is an air hockey game in which two players face off over a rectangular surface, each controlling their paddle by physically shifting left or right.

Unlike, say, Table Soccer, which uses six damn cards, AR Hockey can build a playing field out of any rectangular surface it detects -- basically, any corners the Vita can see. This is the "markerless" AR tech shown by Sony back at TGS, and it seems to work just fine, even if you move the Vita around to change your perspective on the game. Though, as one nearby attendee asked, "Why would you want to do that?"

JoystiqVita 'AR Hockey' works without cards originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 10 Mar 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>arar-gamesar-hockeyaugmented-realitygdc-2012playstationplaystation-vitavitaSat, 10 Mar 2012 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Kid Icarus: Uprising has hundreds of AR cards, make space in your binder]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/01/kid-icarus-uprising-has-hundreds-of-ar-cards-make-space-in-you/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/01/kid-icarus-uprising-has-hundreds-of-ar-cards-make-space-in-you/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/01/kid-icarus-uprising-has-hundreds-of-ar-cards-make-space-in-you/#comments Each copy of Nintendo's Kid Icarus: Uprising for 3DS will include six AR cards, but as far as Nintendo sees it, that hardly makes it difficult enough to catch "collect them all." Nintendo has announced there will be "hundreds" of AR cards available and it will host special events for players to trade, share and obtain new cards after the title's launch on March 23.

The cards can be placed facing each other and the AR figures will battle, which we think is cooler than just watching Pit preen his feathers -- but you can totally do that too. We assume.

JoystiqKid Icarus: Uprising has hundreds of AR cards, make space in your binder originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 01 Mar 2012 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dsar-cardsaugmented-realitycardskid-icarus-uprisingnintendotrading-cardsThu, 01 Mar 2012 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Video: PlayStation Vita's AR game trio]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/22/video-playstation-vitas-ar-game-trio/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/22/video-playstation-vitas-ar-game-trio/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/22/video-playstation-vitas-ar-game-trio/#comments
With the retail launch of the Vita hardware comes the arrival of three augmented reality games, using a set of six cards that look an awful lot like the ESP test cards Dr. Venkman used in Ghostbusters. I downloaded them all from the PlayStation Store today, carefully set up a camera between my face and Vita (keeping the table in view) and demonstrated all three.

Of the three, Fireworks is the definite standout. And by "standout" I mean "one I could foresee playing a second time."

[Music: "Shanghai Moon" by USK]

JoystiqVideo: PlayStation Vita's AR game trio originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>augmented-realitycliff-divingfireworksplaystationplaystation-vitapsntable-soccervitavita-launchWed, 22 Feb 2012 16:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Snag this crazy iOS peripheral, get free ride in a police car]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/02/snag-this-crazy-ios-peripheral-get-free-ride-in-a-police-car/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/02/snag-this-crazy-ios-peripheral-get-free-ride-in-a-police-car/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/02/snag-this-crazy-ios-peripheral-get-free-ride-in-a-police-car/#comments This happens to us every time: We walk into the cell phone store, search the displays excitedly, and are immediately disappointed by the lack of small firearms for sale. Every time. Mobile games developer Metal Compass is looking to change this depressing experience with the Xappr, a gun-shaped smartphone peripheral for a selection of augmented-reality and shooting apps, including AR Invaders and Spray'Em. Xappr is compatible with iOS, Android and Windows devices, although no Windows games are available at the moment.

Metal Compass will be showing off the Xappr at the Nuremberg international toy fair, which runs February 1-6, and expects to begin shipping it in June. Xappr is available for pre-order now, at the lowest price you'll ever pay for a gun you didn't steal: $30 (plus $15 shipping in the US).

JoystiqSnag this crazy iOS peripheral, get free ride in a police car originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidaugmented-realitygunGunsiosipadiphoneMetal-Compassmobilenuremberg-toy-fairperipheralssmartphoneXAPPRThu, 02 Feb 2012 18:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Vita's Table Soccer AR game laid out on video]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/12/vitas-table-soccer-ar-game-laid-out-on-video/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/12/vitas-table-soccer-ar-game-laid-out-on-video/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/12/vitas-table-soccer-ar-game-laid-out-on-video/#comments
We didn't get the opportunity to check out the PlayStation Vita's built-in augmented reality games when we received our Japanese unit -- because the Japanese unit doesn't come with this stuff. But you can see the "Table Football"/"Table Soccer" game being prepared for the Western launches in this video from the US PlayStation Blog.

Table Soccer (we're American) allows you to turn the surface of your choice into a playfield by laying out AR cards. You can adjust the size of the area by spreading the cards out, placing the bleachers and scoreboard with specific cards. Then you play soccer by flicking the ball with your finger. It's like all those table games you played in elementary school, except way more expensive and futuristic, basically.

This is one of three AR games built in; the other two are Cliff Diving and Fireworks.

JoystiqVita's Table Soccer AR game laid out on video originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 12 Jan 2012 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ar-cardaugmented-realityplaystationplaystation-vitatable-footballtable-soccervitaThu, 12 Jan 2012 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Konami's Vita AR tank game is freemium]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/05/konamis-vita-ar-tank-game-is-freemium/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/05/konamis-vita-ar-tank-game-is-freemium/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/05/konamis-vita-ar-tank-game-is-freemium/#comments
Konami will offer its cute downloadable AR tank game in time for the Japanese launch of the PlayStation Vita, for free (or more). AR Combat DigiQ: Friend Tank Battalion, based on Konami's Combat DigiQ remote-controlled tanks, will turn any surface at which you point the Vita camera into a battleground for little tanks -- and you'll get five of said battlegrounds for free.

This isn't a gesture of kindness on Konami's part, however: AR Combat DigiQ is a freemium game, with additional levels available for purchase. Stages 6-30 will be bundled for ¥800 ($10.26, but discounted to ¥500 at launch), and stages 31 to 35 and 36 to 40 will sell for ¥200 ($2.56) per pack.

That might be annoying, but wouldn't you buy more AR Games levels for your 3DS if you could?

JoystiqKonami's Vita AR tank game is freemium originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 05 Dec 2011 11:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ar-combat-digi-qaugmented-realityfree-to-playkonamiplaystationplaystation-vitavitaMon, 05 Dec 2011 11:50:00 EST<![CDATA[The Hidden media reminds us that we're not alone]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/23/the-hidden-media-reminds-us-that-were-not-alone/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/23/the-hidden-media-reminds-us-that-were-not-alone/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/23/the-hidden-media-reminds-us-that-were-not-alone/#comments
You must be so content in your quiet, oblivious state of ignorant obliviousness. You probably think that you're all alone right now, don't you? You've carved out a tiny bit of solitude from the hurried, bustling activity of the modern world, just long enough to read a website about video-games, when little do you realize that you're sitting on a ghost right this very second.

See, human beings are constantly surrounded by the tormented souls of our loved ones, as these new screens and trailer for The Hidden are so quick to remind us. Now, it's possible that these are actually squishy cartoon ghosts, rather than the eternally damned apparitions of our tortured ancestors, but we can never really be sure.

Gallery: The Hidden (10/20/11)

JoystiqThe Hidden media reminds us that we're not alone originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 23 Oct 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>1st-playable-productions3dsaugmented-realityghostsMajescoMajesco-Entertainmentnintendothe-hiddenSun, 23 Oct 2011 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[PlayStation Vita augmented reality comes in two very different flavors]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/15/playstation-vita-augmented-reality-comes-in-two-very-different-f/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/15/playstation-vita-augmented-reality-comes-in-two-very-different-f/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/15/playstation-vita-augmented-reality-comes-in-two-very-different-f/#comments Sony Computer Entertainment head of Worldwide Studios Shuhei Yoshida has a carpet with a little monkey in it. Except the monkey's virtual, and he's using a PlayStation Vita to make the little guy appear. Thus is the Vita's "Markerless AR," an augmented reality application that Yoshida demonstrated with a smile on-stage during Sony's TGS 2011 keynote this afternoon in Tokyo.

Yoshida also had a set of marker cards and "Wide Area" AR to boot, showing off a full-scale game played across a table with a handful of marker cards laid out to assist in the process. Yoshida's demonstration seems to indicate the the Vita will ship with a variety of AR applications when it launches this December in Japan -- perhaps even more than the handful of AR games that Nintendo's 3DS came packed with earlier this year. We'll do our best to nail down some more specifics this week as TGS continues.

JoystiqPlayStation Vita augmented reality comes in two very different flavors originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 15 Sep 2011 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>araugmented-realitymarkerless-arplaystationplaystation-vitaps-vitashuhei-yoshidasonytgstgs-2011tokyo-game-showtokyo-game-show-2011vitawide-area-arThu, 15 Sep 2011 06:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Sony shows off markerless AR technology]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/21/sony-shows-off-markerless-ar-technology/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/21/sony-shows-off-markerless-ar-technology/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/21/sony-shows-off-markerless-ar-technology/#comments Sony Computer Entertainment's dabbled in the Augmented Reality space with titles like Invizimals and Eyepet, but if a recent Sony press release is any indication, its parent company is investing a bit more into AR technology. The release explains the company's in-development "Smart AR" application, which can superimpose a 3D model on a real-life object without the use of special markers -- rather, the technology can recognize entire objects, such as menus and posters.

In addition to eschewing the usual AR codes required to recognize objects, Smart AR can recognize compatible objects moving at extremely high speeds. Check out the press release for a brief outline of the tech's capabilities, as well as an impressive video demonstration. Man, we want that pink bear to walk on everything we own.

JoystiqSony shows off markerless AR technology originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 21 May 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>araugmented-realityplaystationps3pspsmart-arsonySat, 21 May 2011 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Arttoo: 3DS fan gets AR card tattoo]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/03/arttoo-3ds-fan-gets-ar-card-tattoo/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/03/arttoo-3ds-fan-gets-ar-card-tattoo/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/03/arttoo-3ds-fan-gets-ar-card-tattoo/#comments Most people who don't happen to have their Nintendo 3DS AR cards handy just, you know, load them up on a smartphone. But a fellow who goes by the handle Cranberryzero decided to go for a more permanent solution -- he got a tattoo of the Mii AR card on his arm.

As you can see above and after the break, the tattoo actually works. Whenever the 3DS camera is looking at his arm, the Mii of his choosing appears to be standing just below his wrist. Cranberryzero says the tattoo works best in dim light; in bright light, the device seems to have trouble sussing out the card's border from his skin color.

It's pretty cool -- and clever -- but he'd better start preparing an explanation to give his future grandkids now.

Continue reading Arttoo: 3DS fan gets AR card tattoo

JoystiqArttoo: 3DS fan gets AR card tattoo originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 03 May 2011 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dsarar-cardaugmented-realitydsmiinintendotattooTue, 03 May 2011 01:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Fake Deus Ex: Human Revolution ads are here to sell us new eyeballs]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/13/fake-deus-ex-human-revolution-ads-are-here-to-sell-us-new-eyeba/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/13/fake-deus-ex-human-revolution-ads-are-here-to-sell-us-new-eyeba/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/13/fake-deus-ex-human-revolution-ads-are-here-to-sell-us-new-eyeba/#comments Sure, turbochargers are readily available for all variety of car, but what about super legs that let you bound 20 feet in the air? Or that new set of eyes with a camera built right in? Deus Ex: Human Revolution's Sarif Industries wants to bring us these medical marvels, as highlighted in a new (fake) advertisement.

If that weren't enough, prospective buyers can even get a glimpse at themselves with new biotic enhancements via Sarif Industries' new website. Head past the break to get a glimpse at both the new commercial and an image of this bedraggled writer with a super arm (which isn't that different from his totally awesome normal arm).

Continue reading Fake Deus Ex: Human Revolution ads are here to sell us new eyeballs

JoystiqFake Deus Ex: Human Revolution ads are here to sell us new eyeballs originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 13 Apr 2011 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>augmented-realitydeus-ex-human-revolutioneidos-interactivemicrosoftpcplaystationps3sarif-industriessquare-enixxboxWed, 13 Apr 2011 20:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Sony discusses the past and future of AR gaming]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/10/sony-discusses-the-past-and-future-of-ar-gaming/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/10/sony-discusses-the-past-and-future-of-ar-gaming/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/10/sony-discusses-the-past-and-future-of-ar-gaming/#comments Sony's been working to tap the largely untapped augmented reality gaming market since 2003, when it launched the world's leading window wiping simulator, EyeToy Play. Check out the video below to see how their AR strategy has changed since then -- and where it's going in the coming years.

Continue reading Sony discusses the past and future of AR gaming

JoystiqSony discusses the past and future of AR gaming originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 10 Apr 2011 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>araugmented-realityngpplaystationplaystation-moveplaystation-vitaps3pspsonyvitaSun, 10 Apr 2011 21:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Kinect hack: Controlling an AR Drone]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/09/kinect-hack-controlling-an-ar-drone/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/09/kinect-hack-controlling-an-ar-drone/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/09/kinect-hack-controlling-an-ar-drone/#comments Kinect isn't making you feel enough like an omniscient being? Perhaps you'd prefer controlling actual, physical things with your movements, rather than a virtual representation? Boy does Tom Zickel have a Kinect hack for you!

Continue reading Kinect hack: Controlling an AR Drone

JoystiqKinect hack: Controlling an AR Drone originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 09 Apr 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ar-droneaugmented-realitykinectkinect-hacksmicrosoftmobileparrot-ar-dronepctom-zickelxboxSat, 09 Apr 2011 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Birth a dragon from your chest with this 3DS AR card t-shirt]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/09/birth-a-dragon-from-your-chest-with-this-3ds-ar-card-t-shirt/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/09/birth-a-dragon-from-your-chest-with-this-3ds-ar-card-t-shirt/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/09/birth-a-dragon-from-your-chest-with-this-3ds-ar-card-t-shirt/#commentsSure, the augmented reality cards included with the 3DS are super neat, but how about making a giant one and posing it next to an oversize Tetsujin 28-go statue? Ohhh ... right. Or maybe drawing one on a whiteboard? But you've already done that too? Okay, okay, we've got it -- you could wear one like a shirt! Wait, what?! Dammit!

Well, anyway, assuming you weren't one of the first 3,000 European 3DS registrants to receive Nintendo's bonus AR t-shirt, Level Up Studios has you covered! The company's $18 black t-shirt comes adorned with the same question mark block seen on the official Nintendo equivalent, only a bit larger (and nicer looking, we'd say).

Head past the break for a video of the shirt in terrifying live action.

Continue reading Birth a dragon from your chest with this 3DS AR card t-shirt

JoystiqBirth a dragon from your chest with this 3DS AR card t-shirt originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 09 Apr 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dsar-cardaugmented-realitydslevel-up-studiosnintendot-shirtSat, 09 Apr 2011 10:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Majesco tries creepy AR again with 'The Hidden' for 3DS]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/06/majesco-tries-creepy-ar-again-with-the-hidden-for-3ds/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/06/majesco-tries-creepy-ar-again-with-the-hidden-for-3ds/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/06/majesco-tries-creepy-ar-again-with-the-hidden-for-3ds/#comments Now this sounds familiar. Majesco just announced that it's publishing an augmented-reality game for a Nintendo handheld, to be released around Halloween, that allows you to search for ghostly phenomena in your environment using the system's camera.

No, it's not the DSi game Ghostwire, whose developer is still seeking a publisher after splitting with Majesco. The new game is The Hidden, created by 1st Playable Productions, and coming this October to 3DS.

The Hidden puts the player in the role of a member of the Ghostly Entity Investigation and Strike Team (G.E.I.S.T.), hunting around the real world to find spectral creatures, and then "using a full arsenal of high tech tools and upgradeable weapons, including the Plasmatic Disruptor, Ectoplasm Sensor and Spectral Shield" to defeat them.

Continue reading Majesco tries creepy AR again with 'The Hidden' for 3DS

JoystiqMajesco tries creepy AR again with 'The Hidden' for 3DS originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 06 Apr 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>1st-playable-productions3dsaugmented-realitydsmajesconintendothe-hiddenWed, 06 Apr 2011 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EA Sports expands its 'Virtual Playbook' to soccer broadcasts]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/04/ea-sports-expands-its-virtual-playbook-to-soccer-broadcasts/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/04/ea-sports-expands-its-virtual-playbook-to-soccer-broadcasts/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/04/ea-sports-expands-its-virtual-playbook-to-soccer-broadcasts/#comments When the EA Sports "Virtual Playbook" -- an augmented reality technology that allows sports analysts to run somewhat creepy simulations in their TV studios with life-sized virtual players from EA Sports games -- made its debut in September 2008 on ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown show, EA Sports hype man Peter Moore heralded it as a "paradigm shift in sports broadcast analysis." He then assured readers of his blog that Virtual Playbook would be "some day" applied to "a number of other sports, including soccer (of course)."

While the technology has failed to replace the good ol' talking (human) heads that continue to dominate sports broadcast analysis today, its use has expanded beyond football to include basketball (as pictured), with Virtual Playbook featured in 2009 and 2010 NBA Playoffs coverage (though integration this year would seem in doubt -- unless they use Jam characters). Today, Moore's promise has been fulfilled, with EA announcing that the technology will soon be available to soccer broadcasters.

Virtual Playbook will of course use FIFA assets -- orchestrated through (expensive-sounding) "advanced virtual studio and camera tracking systems" provided by German broadcasting company Orad -- that would seem to further EA Sports branding in "global markets" and solidify the publisher's stranglehold on virtual sports, blurring the line between what's real and what's in the game.

[Image source: Inside EA]

JoystiqEA Sports expands its 'Virtual Playbook' to soccer broadcasts originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>augmented-realitybroadcastingeaea-sportsea-sports-virtual-playbookfifaoradtvvirtual-playbookMon, 04 Apr 2011 22:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Square gets in on AR with Dissidia [duodecim] iOS app]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/31/square-gets-in-on-ar-with-dissidia-duodecim-ios-app/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/31/square-gets-in-on-ar-with-dissidia-duodecim-ios-app/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/31/square-gets-in-on-ar-with-dissidia-duodecim-ios-app/#comments Feeling just a little bit jealous of your 3DS-owning friends and their fancy new AR games? Well, if you've got an iPhone or iPod Touch, you can enter the augmented reality of Dissidia 012 [duodecim] Final Fantasy with a (pricey) $5 app that lets you put its character models in real-world settings.

[Thanks, Ben]

JoystiqSquare gets in on AR with Dissidia [duodecim] iOS app originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 23:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>app-storearaugmented-realitydissidia-012-final-fantasydissidia-duodecim-final-fantasyFinal-FantasyiosmobileSquare-EnixThu, 31 Mar 2011 23:59:00 EST<![CDATA[Load up your 3DS AR cards on your internet-equipped phone]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/28/load-up-your-3ds-ar-cards-on-your-internet-equipped-phone/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/28/load-up-your-3ds-ar-cards-on-your-internet-equipped-phone/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/28/load-up-your-3ds-ar-cards-on-your-internet-equipped-phone/#comments Last week, Android users got their hands on an app which let them load up images of the 3DS AR cards on their smartphones -- but the rest of the world had to go without. Today, a more accessible mobile site has launched, opening up the doors to anyone with an internet-enabled portable device.

Continue reading Load up your 3DS AR cards on your internet-equipped phone

JoystiqLoad up your 3DS AR cards on your internet-equipped phone originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 28 Mar 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dsarar-cardsaugmented-realitydsmobilenintendonintendo-3dsMon, 28 Mar 2011 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Save your valuable pocket space with 3DS AR card app for Android]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/23/save-your-valuable-pocket-space-with-3ds-ar-card-app-for-android/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/23/save-your-valuable-pocket-space-with-3ds-ar-card-app-for-android/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/23/save-your-valuable-pocket-space-with-3ds-ar-card-app-for-android/#comments Regardless of what gender you may subscribe to, it seems that leg-based garments are getting tighter and tighter by the day. That doesn't leave much pocket space for gaming accoutrements like the Nintendo 3DS AR cards, leaving travelling gamers with one sad storage solution: fanny packs. This, friends, is how the world ends. Not with a bang, but with a sudden resurgence in fanny pack popularity.

Fortunately, Android phone owners can cut out this utterly humiliating middle man by grabbing Andrew Wilson's clever little app, which displays the cards included with the system. You could even use the app next to an actual card, creating two of the same 3D images at once. Imagine, if you will: Two Kirbys, eating each other at the same exact time. We're not sure how that's gonna turn out, but we wouldn't be surprised if it created a tiny, adorable black hole.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

JoystiqSave your valuable pocket space with 3DS AR card app for Android originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 23 Mar 2011 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dsandroidappaugmented-realitycardsdsnintendoWed, 23 Mar 2011 01:00:00 EST<![CDATA[First 3000 European 3DS registrants become walking AR Cards]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/22/first-3000-european-3ds-registrants-become-walking-ar-cards/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/22/first-3000-european-3ds-registrants-become-walking-ar-cards/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/22/first-3000-european-3ds-registrants-become-walking-ar-cards/#comments "Hey, there's something on your shirt." "Oh, let me brush it off -- did I get it?" "No, it's still there. It's, like ... a fishing game?"

The first 3,000 Europe residents to register their new 3DS systems with Club Nintendo this Friday will receive a t-shirt with a picture of the question-mark AR Card on it, allowing them to augment the realities of their own bodies with archery, fishing, and other AR Games. Yes, it sounds funny, but it also means the person wearing the shirt has to hold still and watch someone else (the person with the 3DS cameras pointed at the shirt) have an awesome time.

Registering a 3DS in Europe will also get you 750 Stars, which puts you well on the way to that New Super Mario Bros. Wii sticker set you've been eyeing.

JoystiqFirst 3000 European 3DS registrants become walking AR Cards originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 22 Mar 2011 10:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dsaugmented-realityclub-nintendodseuropenintendoshirtTue, 22 Mar 2011 10:04:00 EST<![CDATA[Giant AR card used to create a Mega Mii]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/22/giant-ar-card-used-to-create-a-mega-mii/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/22/giant-ar-card-used-to-create-a-mega-mii/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/22/giant-ar-card-used-to-create-a-mega-mii/#comments Follow us on this one: The way augmented reality cards work is that a camera (like the cameras on Nintendo's 3DS) sees a certain marker image at a certain size on screen, and then displays video from the camera along with a virtual object that matches that size. The closer the camera is to the card, the bigger it is on screen, and thus the bigger the object is displayed, as if it really exists in the on-screen world.

So what if you took one of the slightly-smaller-than-a-credit-card-sized images, blew it up, pixel for pixel, into a 22 foot long swimming-pool-sized poster, and then looked at it with the Nintendo 3DS? Answer: You'd get a three-story tall augmented reality Mii. See it in action after the break.

Continue reading Giant AR card used to create a Mega Mii

JoystiqGiant AR card used to create a Mega Mii originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 22 Mar 2011 04:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dsarar-cardsaugmented-realitydsMiinintendoTue, 22 Mar 2011 04:00:00 EST<![CDATA[PSP-based augmented reality turns school into an adventure worth writing about]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/20/psp-based-augmented-reality-turns-school-into-an-adventure-worth/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/20/psp-based-augmented-reality-turns-school-into-an-adventure-worth/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/20/psp-based-augmented-reality-turns-school-into-an-adventure-worth/#comments Kids at Mansel Primary school used PSPs to escape from the real world and go on fantasy adventures while at school -- as part of an assignment.

The "Imaginary Worlds" project used the system with AR software to allow kids to design fantasy landscapes (like the "Tower of Doom") at school by finding art online and matching it with scannable codes that were hidden around the school. The kids then took camera-equipped systems around the school and embarked on virtual "quests" in these self-made locales, finding items to defeat a monster, and writing about the experience afterward.

According to a subsequent evaluation, the experimental program was met with enthusiasm, and kids behaved well and cooperated while taking part. The evaluation notes that the kids played Invizimals first as an introduction to the AR tech, which proved to be a "useful hook-in to the project."

We think the project is onto something -- not just as a teaching tool, but as a game. We totally want to go have a quest and then chronicle the hardships of said quest.

JoystiqPSP-based augmented reality turns school into an adventure worth writing about originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 20 Mar 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>augmented-realityeducationedugaminginvizimalsmansel-primaryplaystationpspschoolsonySun, 20 Mar 2011 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA['Haunted' Majora's Mask story concludes in playable followup]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/28/haunted-majoras-mask-story-concludes-in-playable-followup/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/28/haunted-majoras-mask-story-concludes-in-playable-followup/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/28/haunted-majoras-mask-story-concludes-in-playable-followup/#comments Last September, the curious story of the haunted Majora's Mask cartridge had us captivated. The compelling tale ended up being part of the larger, augmented reality game Within Hubris, which is set to end in a playable continuation of "the Haunted Cartridge" story.

"Players will finally get a chance to fight back against the 'entity' that haunted the protagonist in the original story," author Jadusable told us. "The game itself is not a traditional video game -- instead of being a standalone product, it's used as one of many tools players will have to use together to progress in the story." The playable conclusion is "close" to being released.

The transmedia experience is described as "symbiotic," with players unlocking new content on the website via the game. For example, the game may direct you to a URL with emails that will give you additional clues. "The catch is that, in order to defeat the entity, you have to download the game," said the author. "But if players download the game, they're inviting the entity into their computers just like 'Jadusable,' so expect some rather disturbing, fourth-wall breaking moments."

"I would compare it to Silent Hill 2 in terms of what kind of horror it is," Jadusable teased. Watch the debut teaser after the break.

Continue reading 'Haunted' Majora's Mask story concludes in playable followup

Joystiq'Haunted' Majora's Mask story concludes in playable followup originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 28 Feb 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>argaugmented-realitylegend-of-zelda-majoras-maskmajoras-masknintendopcthe-haunted-cartridgewithin-hubrisMon, 28 Feb 2011 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Face Raiders preview: seriously, it's called Face Raiders]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/19/face-raiders-preview/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/19/face-raiders-preview/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/19/face-raiders-preview/#comments In my humble opinion, the best motion games are the ones that make you look embarrassingly stupid. Face Raiders continues Nintendo's long legacy of making you look foolish ... but usurps its predecessors by making the stupidity contagious. With its clever use of photo manipulation, motion controls, and augmented reality, Face Raiders is not only one of the most technologically impressive games available at the 3DS preview event today, but also one of the most fun. The fact that it's included for free on every 3DS system makes it that much more compelling.

Face Raiders is an extension of one of my favorite E3 tech demos: the augmented reality shooter. Thanks to the built-in 3D cameras, your world is your playground, whether you're at the office, at home or outside. Enemies will appear all around you, and you'll have to move your body to find and destroy these virtual baddies. Unlike the tech demo, though, you don't just fight random blocks and cubes. Instead, you fight people's faces. Yeah!

At the start of each level, you must take a portrait photo of someone, aligning their eyes and mouth with the on-screen indicator. Once you snap the picture, that image is morphed into a disembodied floating head that, for reasons unknown, will try to attack you. The novelty should be immediately apparent: shooting pellets at a mutated version of a friend's face is oddly compelling. As the level continues, you'll notice that the faces will morph, adding costumes, expressions and more.

Continue reading Face Raiders preview: seriously, it's called Face Raiders

JoystiqFace Raiders preview: seriously, it's called Face Raiders originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 19 Jan 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3ds3ds-launchaugmented-realitydsface-raidersnintendoWed, 19 Jan 2011 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Kinect Hacks: Projection mapping combined with depth sensing (or: Hadouken!)]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/18/kinect-hacks-projection-mapping-combined-with-depth-sensing-or/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/18/kinect-hacks-projection-mapping-combined-with-depth-sensing-or/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/18/kinect-hacks-projection-mapping-combined-with-depth-sensing-or/#comments In layman's terms, this Kinect hack lets you throw a Hadouken with the assistance of a projector. Do you really need to know any more than that?

Continue reading Kinect Hacks: Projection mapping combined with depth sensing (or: Hadouken!)

JoystiqKinect Hacks: Projection mapping combined with depth sensing (or: Hadouken!) originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 18 Jan 2011 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>augmented-realitydepth-sensinghadoukenkinect-hacksmicrosoftprojectorxboxTue, 18 Jan 2011 00:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Nintendogs + Cats offers augmented reality support]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/17/nintendogs-cats-offers-augmented-reality-support/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/17/nintendogs-cats-offers-augmented-reality-support/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/17/nintendogs-cats-offers-augmented-reality-support/#comments 3D augmented reality is one of the coolest features we've seen on the 3DS so far, so we're particularly enthralled by its addition to the upcoming Nintendogs + Cats. By using the AR Cards included with the 3DS system, you'll be able to beam your virtual pet into the real world: in your hand, on your desk, or wherever you place the card. With the 3D effect turned on, the simulation of pet ownership must be that much more convincing.

If you're unclear how augmented reality works, you should check out this video of the PSP version of EyePet. Like Nintendogs, EyePet uses augmented reality to add a virtual pet to your surroundings -- sans 3D, of course.

JoystiqNintendogs + Cats offers augmented reality support originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 17 Jan 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dsar-cardsaugmented-realitydsnintendonintendogs-plus-catsMon, 17 Jan 2011 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Star Wars: Falcon Gunner augmented reality shooter live on App Store]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/19/star-wars-falcon-gunner-augmented-reality-shooter-live-on-app-s/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/19/star-wars-falcon-gunner-augmented-reality-shooter-live-on-app-s/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/19/star-wars-falcon-gunner-augmented-reality-shooter-live-on-app-s/#comments Ever wondered what it would have been like to ride shotgun with Han and Chewie? We're guessing -- based entirely on the fact that you're reading a video game blog right now -- that you're the type of person who has harbored this desire. Well, THQ's offering the next best thing: Augmented reality shooter Star Wars: Falcon Gunner, available today for $5 on iPhone and iPod Touch (and coming to iPad next month).

As the title suggests, you'll be in the gunner's seat of the Millennium Falcon during moments like the destruction of the Death Star and the Kessel Run (12 parsecs or bust!), aiming by actually moving your iOS mobile device around, blasting TIE fighters out of your immediate surroundings.

If you're a fan of canon, you might want to shy away from Falcon Gunner, as it takes some creative liberties with these historic Star Wars events. If you're a fan of cannons, however, you should jump right in, because, hoo boy, there are so many cannons.

Continue reading Star Wars: Falcon Gunner augmented reality shooter live on App Store

JoystiqStar Wars: Falcon Gunner augmented reality shooter live on App Store originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 19 Nov 2010 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>app-storeaugmented-realityipadiphoneMillennium-Falconmobilestar-warsstar-wars-falcon-gunnerthqthq-wirelessFri, 19 Nov 2010 02:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Apple patent points to augmented reality shooter concept]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/06/apple-patent-points-to-augmented-reality-shooter-concept/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/06/apple-patent-points-to-augmented-reality-shooter-concept/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/06/apple-patent-points-to-augmented-reality-shooter-concept/#comments A patent filed by Apple in April of 2009, recently published by the USPTO, reveals what appears to be a concept for an augmented reality game. Specifically, the document seeks to patent a method for two "interactive game devices" to share locational data and track each other in a "real world, interactive game environment." Using the "interactive game device" -- which looks a lot like an iPhone in the diagrams -- each player's real-world actions would be tracked and their positions would be relayed via an icon on the screen.

One of the included diagrams illustrates an AR shooter game as an example, and the patent text even mentions the possibility of a "gun" attachment. It's important to note that what Apple is attempting to patent is the method for creating such a game -- devices communicating and displaying their positions -- not the game concept itself. Assuming such a game were created, it certainly looks interesting. Think of it as Laser Tag for a new generation. Oh, wait.

Peruse the patent after the break.

Continue reading Apple patent points to augmented reality shooter concept

JoystiqApple patent points to augmented reality shooter concept originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 06 Nov 2010 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AppleAugmented-RealityiosiphonemobilePatentSat, 06 Nov 2010 01:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Nintendo reveals more 3DS hardware details, OS features]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/29/nintendo-reveals-more-3ds-hardware-details-os-features/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/29/nintendo-reveals-more-3ds-hardware-details-os-features/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/29/nintendo-reveals-more-3ds-hardware-details-os-features/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Nintendo didn't just drop a Japanese release date and price for the 3DS tonight -- in a document (PDF) released following this evening's press conference, the company detailed more of the hardware's features, including unexpected pack-ins.

¥25,000 ($299) will net you -- among other things -- a charging cradle, 2GB SD card, telescoping metal stylus and six "paper cards" that can be used for playing the system's built-in augmented reality games. (The 3DS' outward-facing 3D camera will detect and replace them in the "scene" with different 3D objects.)

3DS will also perform some neat new tricks. It has backlit face buttons -- one of which is the Home button. When pressed, it will bring up an in-game menu enabling users to browse the web, turn Wi-Fi on/off and modify other settings without exiting.

Finally, there's a breakdown of the built-in software, which includes "Nintendo 3DS cameras," "Nintendo 3DS sound," Mii Studio," "Chance Encounter Mii Plaza," "AR Games" and "Book" (an ebook reader, perhaps?). Mii Studio is unique in that it allows players to snap photos of themselves to use as a basis for their Mii. More details as they hit.

Gallery: Nintendo 3DS final hardware

JoystiqNintendo reveals more 3DS hardware details, OS features originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 29 Sep 2010 03:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dsaugmented-realitydshardwaremiinintendonintendo-conference-2010Wed, 29 Sep 2010 03:02:00 EST<![CDATA[Impress your friends with Space InvadAR Android app]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/06/02/impress-your-friends-with-space-invadar-android-app/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/06/02/impress-your-friends-with-space-invadar-android-app/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/06/02/impress-your-friends-with-space-invadar-android-app/#comments There are two ways in which your acquaintances will likely be impressed should you load up Zenitum's Space InvadAR app on your Android-equipped device:
  1. Using a picture of the Earth, it creates a pretty neat augmented reality overlay which forces you to defend the planet from a neverending onslaught of circling extraterrestrials. Line up your shot using your mobile device's camera, and drop your favorite Independence Day quote as you blast aliens from the sky.
  2. The app itself costs $25, so your friends should be wowed by your apparently vast amounts of expendable income.
Check out a video of the pricey application after the jump.

Continue reading Impress your friends with Space InvadAR Android app

JoystiqImpress your friends with Space InvadAR Android app originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 02 Jun 2010 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidappaugmented-realityGooglemobilespace-invadarspace-invadersWed, 02 Jun 2010 00:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Ogmento secures $3.5 million for augmented reality game development and publishing]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/26/ogmento-secures-3-5-million-for-augmented-reality-game-developm/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/26/ogmento-secures-3-5-million-for-augmented-reality-game-developm/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/26/ogmento-secures-3-5-million-for-augmented-reality-game-developm/#comments Augmented reality game developer and publisher Ogmento this morning announced that it has secured the first $3.5 million of venture capital funding for development. The exciting news? That means the company is hiring. "The key thing is really we're looking to partner, and hire folks, so we'd love to get that word out," Ogmento co-founder Ori Inbar told us in a phone interview earlier today. "What we do is we go after people that we've either known for many years or people that have passion about augmented reality, and have good experience in game design or art. It's a lot about passion."

But that first round of funding won't just go to expanding the still nascent company's New York (R&D) and LA (development) offices with passionate people -- Inbar told us Ogmento plans on using part to release a few titles this year, "leading on mobile." That said, he was also happy to talk about possible console developments in the future. "Sony's EyeToy camera is basically enabling a whole set of augmented reality games ... and Project Natal will enable something similar. Then of course there is the DSi/3DSi and PSP platforms which are already embracing AR. When you see a game like LittleBigPlanet include AR into its development, you know this is a technology with some serious potential."

Ogmento is currently composed of eight employees, including industry veterans Brian Selzer ("he's heading up the creative in the company," former senior director of Marvel properties at Hands-On Mobile) and Brad Foxhoven (former strategic consultant for ... everything). As far as announcements with game developers or publishers attached, Inbar says we'll "hear more soon."

JoystiqOgmento secures $3.5 million for augmented reality game development and publishing originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 26 May 2010 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Appleaugmented-realitybrad-foxhovenbrian-selzerbusinesscapitaleyetoyhiringiPodogmentoori-inbarWed, 26 May 2010 12:45:00 EST<![CDATA[THQ and Syfy haunting iPhone, iPad, and DS with Ghost Hunters game]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/27/thq-and-syfy-haunting-iphone-ipad-and-ds-with-ghost-hunters-ga/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/27/thq-and-syfy-haunting-iphone-ipad-and-ds-with-ghost-hunters-ga/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/27/thq-and-syfy-haunting-iphone-ipad-and-ds-with-ghost-hunters-ga/#commentsTHQ and Syfy aren't just making De Blob into a cartoon and Red Faction into a TV movie -- they also announced that they'll turn the TV show Ghost Hunters Academy into a game. In the new iPhone/iPad/DS game, players will "try out" for a position on the show's team of paranormal investigators, visiting haunted buildings throughout the country and searching for ghosts.

While no details have been released about the gameplay in the iPad or DS versions, the iPhone version will " utilize the device's camera for an augmented reality feature." We guess someone liked the idea of Ghostwire.

JoystiqTHQ and Syfy haunting iPhone, iPad, and DS with Ghost Hunters game originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 13:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Appleaugmented-realityDSghost-huntersghost-hunters-academyipadiPodNintendothqTue, 27 Apr 2010 13:39:00 EST<![CDATA['Second Sight' turns PSP camera into an augmented reality learning tool [update]]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/20/second-sight-turns-psp-camera-into-an-augmented-reality-learni/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/20/second-sight-turns-psp-camera-into-an-augmented-reality-learni/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/20/second-sight-turns-psp-camera-into-an-augmented-reality-learni/#comments We've recently seen augmented reality used in some pretty clever ways in the gaming space, but Sony subsidiary ConnectED has come up with a way to turn real-time graphical overlays into an educational tool. Using a PSP equipped with a camera, the "Second Sight" technology allows tags embedded in textbooks or magazines to cue relevant audio or video clips directly on the PSP.

The program can also create interactive 3D models which the user can examine by changing the orientation of the PSP. Check out the video after the jump to see a video demonstration of what we're talking about, and then imagine how awesome school is going to be in like, fifteen years.

Update: We recently heard from Matthew Prodger, studio director at Black Ridge Technologies, who explained that his company was the actual developer and owner of the technology, while ConnectED is simply the distributor of the tech on the PSP. He also said the technology would appear on mobile phones for use in "museums, books, magazines and newspapers over the coming year."

[Via Siliconera]

Continue reading 'Second Sight' turns PSP camera into an augmented reality learning tool [update]

Joystiq'Second Sight' turns PSP camera into an augmented reality learning tool [update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 20 Mar 2010 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>augmented-realityblack-ridgecameraconnectedededucationlearningschoolsecond-sightsonySat, 20 Mar 2010 02:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Developer Tom Soderlund explains the frights of Ghostwire]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/16/developer-tom-soderlund-explains-the-frights-of-ghostwire/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/16/developer-tom-soderlund-explains-the-frights-of-ghostwire/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/16/developer-tom-soderlund-explains-the-frights-of-ghostwire/#comments Bumps in the night. Unexplained sounds. A chill up your spine. Extreme terror. These things aren't associated with the Nintendo DSi, unless you unexpectedly leave yours behind in a taxi. But A Different Game CEO Tom Soderlund wants to bring all of that augmented paranormal activity to your DSi with Ghostwire and turn you into a ghostbuster (minus the proton packs). Now you're armed with a stylus and the power of Nintendo.

Originally conceived four years ago for Symbian-powered smartphones, the idea is to turn your handheld into a tool for communicating with the paranormal world. The built-in camera, sound meters, light meters are all a part of the experience, providing a combination of real-world and computer-generated data. Soderlund's team built an adventure game around it -- you talk to ghosts, find out what's troubling them, and either capture them or attempt to ease their pain.

Continue reading Developer Tom Soderlund explains the frights of Ghostwire

JoystiqDeveloper Tom Soderlund explains the frights of Ghostwire originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 16 Mar 2010 05:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>A Different Gamea-different-gameADifferentGameaugmented-realityDSdsiGDC-2010ghostwiremajescoNintendoTue, 16 Mar 2010 05:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Video: Augmented reality meets Virtual-On]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/26/video-augmented-reality-meets-virtual-on/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/26/video-augmented-reality-meets-virtual-on/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/26/video-augmented-reality-meets-virtual-on/#comments Project Natal? Sony's Motion Controller/Arc/Whatever It's Called? Psshht, whatever. They've got nothin' on the ARToolKit augmented reality Virtual-On demonstration we just watched. Spotted by Mecha Damashii, the tech demo gets our hearts all aflutter with the prospect of fighting a tiny mech while running from room-to-room in our apartment, dodging lasers. We hear those things are bad news! (Lasers, that is.) Regardless, if the video after the break doesn't get your heart racing, you should probably call a doctor -- you might be dead.

[Via GameSetWatch]

Continue reading Video: Augmented reality meets Virtual-On

JoystiqVideo: Augmented reality meets Virtual-On originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 26 Jan 2010 22:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>artoolkitaugmented-realityproject-natalsony-motion-controllertech-demovirtual-onTue, 26 Jan 2010 22:40:00 EST