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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[Project Awakened's Unreal Engine 4 tech demo is impressive, gross]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/01/project-awakeneds-unreal-engine-4-tech-demo-is-impressive-gros/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/01/project-awakeneds-unreal-engine-4-tech-demo-is-impressive-gros/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/01/project-awakeneds-unreal-engine-4-tech-demo-is-impressive-gros/#comments
We don't know if you guys are aware of this or not, but the human body is a disgusting thing. Even the really top notch, showroom-quality human bodies are essentially sacks of greasy tubes and cartilage. Here to remind us of that fact in stunning detail is Project Awakened's Unreal Engine 4 tech demo, which shows just how elaborate the game's character creation system could be.

Now, we doubt Project Awakened will allow players to select from a multitude of different organs or anything, but the super powers shown off are quite impressive looking, if a bit disturbing at times -- we're looking at you, weird split-open-hand-bone-thing.

Of course, Phosphor Games will only be able to turn this flashy demo into something tangible if its ongoing Kickstarter proves successful, but with only four days left on the clock, and around $300,000 in funding still needing to be raised, that looks increasingly unlikely.

[Thanks, Ryan!]

Project Awakened's Unreal Engine 4 tech demo is impressive, gross originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 01 Mar 2013 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>character-creationKickstarterpcphosphor-gamesproject-awakenedtech-demoUnreal-Engine-4Fri, 01 Mar 2013 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA['Epic Citadel' tech demo now on Android]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/29/epic-citadel-tech-demo-now-on-android/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/29/epic-citadel-tech-demo-now-on-android/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/29/epic-citadel-tech-demo-now-on-android/#comments

Epic Games' 'Epic Citadel' tech demo now on Android

Android users still can't partake in the acclaimed slashing hijinks of Epic Games' mobile showpiece Infinity Blade or its sequel, but they can walk around its medieval setting and watch things, like, render and stuff, now that Epic Citadel is available for free on Google Play and the Amazon Appstore.

Originally released on iOS way back in the stone ages (read: September 2010), Epic Citadel serves as both Unreal Engine 3 tech demo and phone hardware benchmarking tool, allowing Android users to not only see how pretty UE3's rivers are, but also how well their devices handle rendering them. Our Galaxy Nexus, for instance, ranked in at the "High Performance" level, churning out an average of 43.9 FPS at 1196 x 720. During testing, framerates peaked just below 60 FPS and momentarily bottomed out around 18 FPS.

As with the iOS release, there isn't a tremendous amount to actually do in Epic Citadel, aside from looking at fluttery banners and lens flares, and its on-screen twinstick controls are only recommended for those who enjoy being 100 percent out of control of their movement. Still, it's very pretty.

Gallery: Epic Citadel (Android)

Continue reading 'Epic Citadel' tech demo now on Android

'Epic Citadel' tech demo now on Android originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 29 Jan 2013 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>amazon-appstoreandroidbenchmarkbenchmarkingEpic-CitadelEpic-GamesGoogle-Playmobiletech-demoTue, 29 Jan 2013 23:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Warhorse Studios 'next-gen' tech video leaked]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/16/warhorse-studios-next-gen-tech-video-leaked/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/16/warhorse-studios-next-gen-tech-video-leaked/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/16/warhorse-studios-next-gen-tech-video-leaked/#comments
A video of Warhorse Studios' next-gen RPG that uses a modified version of CryEngine 3 leaked out recently. Even considering the "bootleg" feel of it, the video shows some impressive textures with murky, yet reflective water in the developer's introductory game.

The video comes from a recent hour-long presentation at a small Czech gaming conference in Prague. Creative Director Dan Vavra clarified in a recent developer diary that the next-gen label is "somewhat misleading." The small demo was shown on a two-year-old laptop with a mobile GeForce 555M, or as Vavra described it: "Not exactly state-of-the-art PC or next gen Xbox." The area shown is 200 x 200 meters, and according to Vavra it "doesn't have the final lighting and there are no effects in it. It's simply an example of the environment."

While the game is expected to run on next-gen consoles, Vavra sternly noted that the environment video is "not at all originally intended officially to support the claim that 'this is what next gen should look like.'"

Warhorse Studios 'next-gen' tech video leaked originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 16 Dec 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>leakednext-gentech-demovideowarhorsewarhorse-studiosSun, 16 Dec 2012 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Agni's Philosophy tech demos showcase insanely detailed faces, adjustable forehead sweat]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/15/agnis-philosophy-tech-demos-showcase-insanely-detailed-faces-a/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/15/agnis-philosophy-tech-demos-showcase-insanely-detailed-faces-a/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/15/agnis-philosophy-tech-demos-showcase-insanely-detailed-faces-a/#comments
In case you missed it during E3, Agni's Philosophy is a series of real-time tech demos created by Square Enix, in order to demonstrate the power and flexibility of its "Luminous Studio" development environment/engine for next-generation video games.

As is clearly evident by these two spankin' new Agni's Philosophy exhibitions (above and after the break), Square Enix certainly has a lot to show off. The video above showcases a somewhat mystical feathered woman, whose incredibly detailed face, hair and clothing are all adjusted in various subtle-yet-crazy ways, apparently in real time. Similarly, the wizened man tucked past the jump is equally tweaked, his beard thickness altered and the amount of sweat on his brow changed simply by moving a slider.

You know what? We don't even need this to become a game anymore. Just give us a character editor with this kind of power and we'll give you as much money as you want.

Continue reading Agni's Philosophy tech demos showcase insanely detailed faces, adjustable forehead sweat

Agni's Philosophy tech demos showcase insanely detailed faces, adjustable forehead sweat originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 15 Dec 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>agnis-philosophyengineluminous-studionext-gensquare-enixtech-demoSat, 15 Dec 2012 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Nvidia releases 'A New Dawn' graphical tech demo]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/24/nvidia-releases-a-new-dawn-graphical-tech-demo/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/24/nvidia-releases-a-new-dawn-graphical-tech-demo/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/24/nvidia-releases-a-new-dawn-graphical-tech-demo/#comments

Nvidia has released an update to its famous Dawn technology demo, putting the exhaustively rendered fairy in an environment that's as lushly portrayed as the original character. This latest version for GTX cards features full DirectX 11 tesselation, with over four million triangles making up the vines and forest bark. Dawn's hair is also shown in much more detail: The original version had 1,700 strands that couldn't move, and this version realistically renders 40,000 strands of hair, reflecting light at various angles.

The fairy's skin is also updated with a feature called "sub-surface scattering," which allows light to enter a surface for a short distance, and then bounce out at a number of angles. This allows the skin to look more real, as opposed to glowy or translucent.

If you have the appropriate hardware and want to run the demo yourself, it's available for download from Nvidia right now. As Nvidia says in the official blog post, "let's hope games catch up to her real soon."

Nvidia releases 'A New Dawn' graphical tech demo originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 24 Jul 2012 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>demographicsgraphics-cardsindustrynvidiapctech-demotesselationTue, 24 Jul 2012 02:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Square Enix tech director on Agni's Philosophy demo, next-gen hurdles]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/10/square-enix-tech-director-on-agnis-philosophy-demo-next-gen-hu/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/10/square-enix-tech-director-on-agnis-philosophy-demo-next-gen-hu/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/10/square-enix-tech-director-on-agnis-philosophy-demo-next-gen-hu/#comments

Square Enix worldwide technology director Julien Merceron realizes the Agni's Philosophy tech demo shows off impressive graphics that could drive next-gen Final Fantasy games, but he also knows that, as a developer, focusing on graphics alone is "a big mistake."

"Focusing on graphics only would be a huge mistake," Merceron tells Games Industry International. "You start to have super-great graphics, characters look really good and you end up in the uncanny valley, but you don't have animation at the same quality level. Same thing with behavior and AI; it animates well and looks good, but it is making stupid decisions. It simply won't be immersive."

As graphics improve, other problems arise, such as facial animations, physics and AI not hitting the same level and creating an obvious uncanny valley, where on-screen actions are disturbing to watch. The uncanny valley will always exist, and balancing engaging gameplay with upgraded graphics and other elements is key to player immersion, Merceron says.

Another key aspect is the hardware itself - this generation of consoles has lasted "way too long" and has helped usher in alternative forms of gaming, via browsers and mobile devices, Merceron says.

"Now you don't need to manage longevity by complexity of programming, because your longevity is ensured by your online model," he says. "And I would suggest that maybe we don't want long generations. We have Sony and Microsoft talking about this generation lasting seven, eight, nine or even 10 years and it's the biggest mistake they've ever made."

Square Enix has recently focused on developing high-end 3D experiences for web browsers, a platform Merceron sees as "instrumental in the world of tomorrow."

"We shouldn't underestimate the kind of experience that you can have in a web browser. Immediately you can play from anywhere. You have browsers all over the place. These cloud storage and computing interfaces will provide better ways for consumers to interact with the experiences they want to have."

Square Enix tech director on Agni's Philosophy demo, next-gen hurdles originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 10 Jul 2012 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Final-FantasyJulien-Merceronmacmicrosoftmobilenext-gennintendopcplaystationps3SONYSquare-Enixtech-demotechnologywii-uxboxTue, 10 Jul 2012 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Unreal Engine 4 demo deconstructed]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/08/unreal-engine-4-demo-deconstructed/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/08/unreal-engine-4-demo-deconstructed/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/08/unreal-engine-4-demo-deconstructed/#comments
Epic's Unreal Engine 4 strides into public view with a spectacular real-time demo, dubbed "Elemental" (seen above). The short film depicts an ancient knight creaking to supernatural life while a decrepit castle comes apart around him, letting in floods of light and gusts of snow. It's a concise showcase of the underlying technology, which features sophisticated dynamic illumination, light-reactive materials, rich particle effects, per-pixel lens flares, and other visual processes that don't sound quite as sexy as they appear.

According to Epic, games running on Unreal Engine 4 won't ship until sometime in 2013 at earliest. With partners already lining up to use it, and the engine running in 1080p on a PC built from off-the-shelf parts (the demonstration I saw was running on a variant of the Falcon Northwest Fragbox, augmented with Nvidia's Geforce GTX 680), Epic can focus on highlighting the usability of the editor that accompanies UE4.

If you peer past the break you'll see a dry, detailed deconstruction of all the effects that comprise "Elemental," and a twist of sorts: the demo runs in real-time right from the editor itself. We'll leave it to Epic to explain how the engine allows for quick iteration on effects, materials and other visual properties, and how it can help manage the blueprints of a game, right down to the behaviour of the smallest particle.

We've also embedded several videos of some simple games created with the aid of Unreal Kismet, an integrated visual scripting system. if you have a cursory interest in the nuts and bolts of game creation, you may appreciate this informative glimpse at our impeccably lit future.

Continue reading Unreal Engine 4 demo deconstructed

Unreal Engine 4 demo deconstructed originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 08 Jun 2012 09:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>e3-2012elementalepicepic-gameskismetpctech-demounreal-engine-4Fri, 08 Jun 2012 09:05:00 EST<![CDATA[Browserquest: an MMO tech demo made to work in browsers everywhere]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/29/browserquest-an-mmo-tech-demo-made-to-work-in-browsers-everywhe/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/29/browserquest-an-mmo-tech-demo-made-to-work-in-browsers-everywhe/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/29/browserquest-an-mmo-tech-demo-made-to-work-in-browsers-everywhe/#comments

Browserquest is a game put together by Mozilla (the company behind the popular Firefox browser) and intended to show off WebSockets, a technology that allows constant communication between your browser and a server online. But outside of the tech, it's a nice little streamlined MMORPG. There's no story to speak of, but you can explore a beautiful world, meet NPCs, and kill creatures while upgrading your items.

Browserquest is also impressive because it's as cross-platform as these things get -- even just resizing your browser screen will change the way the HTML 5 game is displayed, so it works great on your big-screen monitor, mobile devices, or anything else you run it on. If you happen to be a coder, the full source is also available on Github, so you can see how it's all done, and even use that code to build your own games.

The graphics and gameplay are charming enough that you'll wish it was filled out more, but Browserquest already works as a template for what browser-based games might be like in the future.

Browserquest: an MMO tech demo made to work in browsers everywhere originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 29 Mar 2012 07:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>githubmmorpgmobilemozillapcrpgtech-demowebsocketsThu, 29 Mar 2012 07:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Behind the scenes of Quantic Dream's 'Kara' tech demo]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/26/behind-the-scenes-of-quantic-dreams-kara-tech-demo/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/26/behind-the-scenes-of-quantic-dreams-kara-tech-demo/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/26/behind-the-scenes-of-quantic-dreams-kara-tech-demo/#comments

Have you thought about just how Quantic Dream pulled off that "Kara" tech demo on the PS3? If your answer, like ours, was that they actually built a female android and taught it how to speak all those languages and sing, then you're wrong. They didn't do that at all. Female androids don't exist in real life. Sigh.

No, instead they hired an actress named Valorie Curry (actually three different women -- Curry for acting, one for the German and French, and another to sing) to come in and do motion capture for the part, and refined and developed her performance over a series of about eight months before finally capturing it for the tech demo.

You can see the whole process in the video above, and watch the original tech demo below. Yeah, we guess it's cool and all that they put so much care and work into such a quality video -- but not as cool as a real female android. Sigh again.

Continue reading Behind the scenes of Quantic Dream's 'Kara' tech demo

Behind the scenes of Quantic Dream's 'Kara' tech demo originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 26 Mar 2012 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>actresskaramotion-captureperformanceplaystationps3quantic-dreamtechtech-demovalorie-curryMon, 26 Mar 2012 21:30:00 EST<![CDATA['Screenshot' tech demo is two-thirds Portal, one-third time travel]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/25/screenshot-tech-demo-is-two-thirds-portal-one-third-time-trav/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/25/screenshot-tech-demo-is-two-thirds-portal-one-third-time-trav/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/25/screenshot-tech-demo-is-two-thirds-portal-one-third-time-trav/#comments
It's pretty rare for us to post about tech demos here on Joystiq, since they're not actually games and everything, but ThePodunkian's "screenshot" concept is so enthralling and mind-blowing that we had no choice but to share it with the class.

'Screenshot' tech demo is two-thirds Portal, one-third time travel originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 25 Sep 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>pcportalscreenshotstech-demotime-travelSun, 25 Sep 2011 10:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Star Ocean developer's real-time graphics demo is out of this world]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/25/star-ocean-developers-real-time-graphics-demo-is-out-of-this-wo/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/25/star-ocean-developers-real-time-graphics-demo-is-out-of-this-wo/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/25/star-ocean-developers-real-time-graphics-demo-is-out-of-this-wo/#comments

This video shows off the new graphics engine created by Star Ocean dev tri-Ace to great effect. While not based on any existing game (or future title), it does feature clever cameos by a couple recognizable characters -- and looks absolutely stunning.

Continue reading Star Ocean developer's real-time graphics demo is out of this world

Star Ocean developer's real-time graphics demo is out of this world originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 25 Apr 2011 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>microsoftplaystationps3tech-demotri-ACExboxMon, 25 Apr 2011 23:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Octodad meets Kinect: How one of the funniest games ever is finding new legs]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/24/octodad-kinect-demo/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/24/octodad-kinect-demo/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/24/octodad-kinect-demo/#comments

"Loving Father. Caring Husband. Secret Octopus."

Any doubts you may have harbored about the comedic value of Octodad -- the latest project from the increasingly acclaimed DePaul Game Development program -- were almost certainly abandoned after reading the tagline above. Cold souls in need of further convincing only need spend a few minutes with the free indie title to realize its genius. Everyone else is probably dead, or born without a sense of humor, which some might argue to be worse.

Octodad doesn't rely on shortsighted bursts of wit, wordplay or other pre-programmed gags to arouse laughter. Its humor is emergent -- the very act of wobbling the cephalo-protagonist between his patronly objectives simply is funny. Rather, it was funny.

Now that the game's collegiate developers have followed through with their plan to infuse the game with Kinect support, Octodad has reached a plane of comedy few other titles have even approached.

Continue reading Octodad meets Kinect: How one of the funniest games ever is finding new legs

Octodad meets Kinect: How one of the funniest games ever is finding new legs originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 24 Feb 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>demodepaul-game-devjohn-murphykinectoctodadpcphillip-tibitoskitech-demoThu, 24 Feb 2011 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Watch as two women, two WP7 devices, and a Kinect pelt a man with rubber balls]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/14/watch-as-two-women-two-wp7-devices-and-a-kinect-pelt-a-man-wit/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/14/watch-as-two-women-two-wp7-devices-and-a-kinect-pelt-a-man-wit/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/14/watch-as-two-women-two-wp7-devices-and-a-kinect-pelt-a-man-wit/#comments

It's not every day that Microsoft shows off its own technology being used for the forces of evil, but it did just that during company head Steve Ballmer's keynote at Mobile World Congress. Engadget was on hand to witness Kinect Adventures' Rally Ball minigame being controlled not just by a Kinect, but also two Windows Phone 7 devices controlling the flow of rubber balls being distributed. It's all fun and games until the gentleman playing is overtaken by a monstrous flood of rubber balls.

Microsoft notes that the demonstration was strictly a "tech demo," but it certainly hints at the possible future of Windows Phone/Xbox integration. It also opens the pandora's box-like door to Kinect/WP7/Surface crossovers, finally. Get a look at synergy in action just after the break.

Continue reading Watch as two women, two WP7 devices, and a Kinect pelt a man with rubber balls

Watch as two women, two WP7 devices, and a Kinect pelt a man with rubber balls originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 14 Feb 2011 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>kinectKinect-Adventuresmicrosoftmobilemobile-world-congressmwc-2011rally-ballsteve-ballmertech-demowindows-phone-7wp7xboxMon, 14 Feb 2011 16:20:00 EST<![CDATA[PlayStation Move tech demo slices, dices, sets us on fire]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/28/playstation-move-tech-demo-slices-dices-sets-us-on-fire/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/28/playstation-move-tech-demo-slices-dices-sets-us-on-fire/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/28/playstation-move-tech-demo-slices-dices-sets-us-on-fire/#commentsFiled under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

We saw a handful of neat non-gaming applications for the PlayStation Move when the peripheral was first announced during E3 2009. Yesterday, Sony released a video showing even more of the Move's capabilities, such as 3D sculpting, branch climbing and ... um, face stretching? Yes, it stretches faces.

Continue reading PlayStation Move tech demo slices, dices, sets us on fire

PlayStation Move tech demo slices, dices, sets us on fire originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 28 Aug 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>playstationplaystation-moveps3tech-demoSat, 28 Aug 2010 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Microsoft shows how Natal recognizes players, gender]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/15/microsoft-shows-how-natal-recognizes-players-gender/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/15/microsoft-shows-how-natal-recognizes-players-gender/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/15/microsoft-shows-how-natal-recognizes-players-gender/#comments

Have you ever wondered what Project Natal actually sees through its beady, robotic eyes? A direct feed of the Natal's point-of-view was recently revealed to the audience of Microsoft Israel R&D's "Think Next" convention yesterday afternoon. Just past the jump, you can check out NextGen-News' video of a live demonstration from Microsoft VP of Hardware and Technology Dr. Ilan Spillinger and a female participant, both of whose genders and movements were successfully identified and Avatar-ified by Natal.

Watch the video after the jump to see Spillinger get more excited by this technology than anyone has ever been excited for anything else on the planet, ever.

[Via Engadget]

Continue reading Microsoft shows how Natal recognizes players, gender

Microsoft shows how Natal recognizes players, gender originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 15 Apr 2010 17:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>genderIlan-Spillingermicrosoftnatalproject-natalresearch-and-developmenttech-demovideoXbox-360Thu, 15 Apr 2010 17:44:00 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

Video: 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<![CDATA[Rumor: Former GRIN/Square Enix title 'Fortress' tech demo leaked]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/17/rumor-former-grin-square-enix-title-fortress-tech-demo-leaked/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/17/rumor-former-grin-square-enix-title-fortress-tech-demo-leaked/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/17/rumor-former-grin-square-enix-title-fortress-tech-demo-leaked/#comments

It's been awhile since we've heard anything about GRIN's "unreleased masterpiece" -- a collaboration with Square Enix (and assumed Final Fantasy off-shoot) titled Fortress. An anonymous report released last September claimed the title was currently in the hands of another, unnamed developer. Yesterday, some tech demo footage purportedly displaying the fruits of said studio's labor landed on YouTube. We've posted said video after the jump.

Without any inclination of who is responsible for developing Fortress -- if anyone is developing Fortress -- it's impossible for us to test the credibility of this video. The original poster, YouTube user DiipuSurotu, doesn't mention where the video came from, only stating that it's a tech demo for an "official, but currently unannounced sequel to Final Fantasy XII." We've contacted Square Enix to see what they think of the footage.

It doesn't really look like your traditional Squeenix fare, but the character models certainly resemble those featured in the leaked concept art that surfaced last year. Oh, also? There's totally a Chocobo at the 1:15 mark. That's Final Fantasy-y enough for us.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

Continue reading Rumor: Former GRIN/Square Enix title 'Fortress' tech demo leaked

Rumor: Former GRIN/Square Enix title 'Fortress' tech demo leaked originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 17 Jan 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>final-fantasyfinal-fantasy-xiifortressgrinrumorsquare-enixtech-demovideoyoutubeSun, 17 Jan 2010 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[OnLive technology demonstrated at Columbia University]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/29/onlive-technology-demonstrated-at-columbia-university/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/29/onlive-technology-demonstrated-at-columbia-university/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/29/onlive-technology-demonstrated-at-columbia-university/#comments

You might want to go ahead and put on your thickest, darkest sunglasses, because you're about to be blinded with science. OnLive founder and CEO Steve Perlman recently showed off the game-streaming technology's applications to a group of students at Columbia University in New York. Yeah, sure, you can be jealous of their rare opportunity, but take solace in the fact that access to this opportunity probably cost them $35,000 a year.

GamertagRadio snagged a video of the event, which we've embedded after the jump. It's awfully long -- feel free to jump to the 12-minute mark to check out the OnLive user interface, and the 17-minute mark to see the iPhone's social networking functionality.

Continue reading OnLive technology demonstrated at Columbia University

OnLive technology demonstrated at Columbia University originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 29 Dec 2009 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Applecolumbia-universitycrysisiPodonlivesteve-perlmanstreamingtech-demoTue, 29 Dec 2009 12:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Then and now: Sony's motion-sensing, 'magic wand' controller tech ]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/06/17/then-and-now-sonys-motion-sensing-magic-wand-controller-tec/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/06/17/then-and-now-sonys-motion-sensing-magic-wand-controller-tec/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/06/17/then-and-now-sonys-motion-sensing-magic-wand-controller-tec/#comments

Sony's motion-controller technology for PS3 isn't new; in fact, it dates back to the dawn of the PS2's EyeToy. Well before PS3 was ever announced, Dr. Richard Marks, EyeToy / PlayStation Eye creator, was demoing gesture-based, motion-tracking gameplay on PS2 -- using a colored ball and a camera. Sound familiar?

In the video after the break, you can watch Marks using a "wand" topped with a brightly-hued sphere to draw symbols in the air, which are translated into in-game spells -- the effects of which match the movement of the ball. It's very simple -- there's no tracking of depth and it's definitely not 1:1 by any stretch of the imagination -- but it's still interesting to see how far the idea has come since last-gen.

Who knows what improvements can (or will) be made before the PlayStation Motion Controller is supposed to launch in 2010? We've placed this year's press conference demo video after the break for comparison's sake.

[Thanks, dgonchild!]

Continue reading Then and now: Sony's motion-sensing, 'magic wand' controller tech

Then and now: Sony's motion-sensing, 'magic wand' controller tech originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 17 Jun 2009 16:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dr-richard-markseyetoymotion-controlplaystation-eyeplaystation-motion-controllerr-and-drichard-markssceaSony-Computer-Entertainment-Americatech-demovideoWed, 17 Jun 2009 16:25:00 EST<![CDATA[GDC09: Havok demonstrates behavioral tool v6.5 (with ninjas!)]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/28/gdc09-havok-demonstrates-behavioral-tool-v6-5-with-ninjas/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/28/gdc09-havok-demonstrates-behavioral-tool-v6-5-with-ninjas/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/28/gdc09-havok-demonstrates-behavioral-tool-v6-5-with-ninjas/#comments

With so many fantastic panels and discussions happening at GDC, how does a company make its message stand out? The answer: Use ninjas. Apparently the guys and gals at Havok got the "What's awesome?" memo and did just that, showcasing version 6.5 of its new behavioral tool set during the conference. Admittedly, video footage of the tech (found after the break) isn't going to smoke your shorts and knock your socks off, but the event-driven character behavior system hopes to make realistic reactions easier for game developers.

Havok's behavioral tech demo (featuring wacky ninjas) demonstrates animation "tells," allowing characters to properly react to what is about to happen or is in the process of happening. The tech -- which uses the very technical sounding system of Hierarchical Finite State Machines and Blending Trees -- hopes to empower game devs to create realistic scenarios that are easily transferable between artists and designers. What does that mean for the gamer? When a dude gets punched, it looks like that dude done get punched fo' reals. See, we can be technical too ... we have a doctorate in Awesomology.

Continue reading GDC09: Havok demonstrates behavioral tool v6.5 (with ninjas!)

GDC09: Havok demonstrates behavioral tool v6.5 (with ninjas!) originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 28 Mar 2009 18:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>awesomologybehaviorgdc-2009havoktech-demoSat, 28 Mar 2009 18:45:00 EST<![CDATA[The Ultimate Showdown: CryENGINE2 vs. Reality]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/23/the-ultimate-showdown-cryengine2-vs-reality/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/23/the-ultimate-showdown-cryengine2-vs-reality/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/23/the-ultimate-showdown-cryengine2-vs-reality/#commentsFiled under: Culture

Crytek recently whipped up a tech demonstration for their haughty, hardware punishing software, CryENGINE2, to show off at GDC. Mimicking an unforgettable ad for the Sony Bravia, the demo turned quite a few heads -- but how did the visuals of the ball-droppin' doppelganger compare to the original advertisement? Never one to miss an opportunity for a video comparison, Gametrailers whipped up the above video. What do you think -- are video games nearing photorealism? Or were your discerning, pixel-counting eyes not fooled?

The Ultimate Showdown: CryENGINE2 vs. Reality originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 23 Feb 2008 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ballsbraviacommercialcryengine2crysiscrytekenginesonybraviatech-demotechdemoSat, 23 Feb 2008 20:30:00 EST<![CDATA[GDC08: Unreal fluid gets dynamic (on the surface)]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/20/gdc08-unreal-fluid-gets-dynamic-on-the-surface/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/20/gdc08-unreal-fluid-gets-dynamic-on-the-surface/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/20/gdc08-unreal-fluid-gets-dynamic-on-the-surface/#commentsFiled under: GDC, Video

Good enough to drink? Heck, Unreal's new water looks good enough to waste a full clip of ammo on! (Sure beats skipping rocks, eh?) We don't know how much a bottle of this stuff will set you back, but we do know: Gears of War 2 'Water Level' CONFIRMED!!!1

[Video courtesy of our pals at Mahalo Daily.]

GDC08: Unreal fluid gets dynamic (on the surface) originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 20 Feb 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dynamic-fluid-surfacesepicGDCgdc08tech-demounreal-engine-3Wed, 20 Feb 2008 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Alone in the Dark tech demo shows off lighting, inventory system]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/17/alone-in-the-dark-tech-demo/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/17/alone-in-the-dark-tech-demo/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/17/alone-in-the-dark-tech-demo/#commentsFiled under: Videos and Screenshots

While the last Alone in the Dark video seemed to focus less on actual gameplay and more on various methods of chair destruction, this new tech demo video is far more worthwhile. In fact, we'd go so far to say that our anticipation for this game has risen significantly. The lighting looks stunning and the mix-and-match inventory system looks like it could be great fun, especially with the abundant use of sticky tape. We love sticky tape.

The inventory screen looks awesome and finally removes that "so where am I keeping all this junk?" question that pops up in the back of our mind during so many game. It's also nice to see some actual enemies, even if it is from a distance, along with multiple ways to splat them. Alone in the Dark is another game we're picking up from our "Don't Care" pile and sticking firmly on our radar.

Alone in the Dark tech demo shows off lighting, inventory system originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 17 Feb 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alone-in-the-darktech-demoSun, 17 Feb 2008 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Today's handful video: Mario, gesture mash-up]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/23/todays-handful-video-mario-gesture-mash-up/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/23/todays-handful-video-mario-gesture-mash-up/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/23/todays-handful-video-mario-gesture-mash-up/#commentsFiled under: Culture, Hacks, Retro, Video, Peripherals

In what looks like a mash-up tech demo, Super Mario Bros. gets a helping hand from a player, with the plumber being guided and lifted by simple gestures. The video makes us hopeful for fun camera-based games to finally take hold. Bring on the crazy, creative games.

See the video after the break.

[Via BoingBoing]

Continue reading Today's handful video: Mario, gesture mash-up

Today's handful video: Mario, gesture mash-up originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 23 Jan 2008 03:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>camerahackhottest-videohottestvideomariomario-handtech-demovideovideocameraWed, 23 Jan 2008 03:17:00 EST