2013: The year that Valve attacks

2013 The year that Valve attacks

I lost a bet with myself at CES 2013. In the gaming preview we published ahead of this week’s big show, I wrote, “As per usual, the games industry and CES are acquaintances at best — at least from what we’ve heard thus far. Perhaps this will be the year that bucks the years-long trend, but we’re not betting on it.” Wrong. Wrong. But hey, this is one of those, “glad to be wrong” situations. NVIDIA shocked everyone with its first Tegra 4 device, Project Shield, which is essentially NVIDIA’s first in-house dedicated gaming handheld. Not only does it play Android games, but more importantly, it streams full retail games from your NVIDIA GPU-based PC, all on its high-res 5-inch screen. Heck, it even has Steam’s Big Picture Mode built right in, allowing you to explore Steam and purchase games, as well as push them directly to your television (employing Shield as your controller).

And then Valve’s internal hardware prototypes popped up, confirming what we’ve heard murmurs of for months: the company’s head down on creating a PC for your living room. Not exactly shocking, but certainly exciting; the plans are still nebulous, but Valve’s confirmed we’ll see hardware in 2013. We even saw some third-parties stepping up with their own versions of Valve’s initiative. Xi3’s Piston is the first such creation revealed, though the company’s staying tight-lipped about specs — we do know that Xi3’s working directly with Valve on its tiny, modular PC. It’s barely 2013, and already Valve’s Steambox initiative is dominating gaming news. Let’s call it right here — this is the year that Valve attacks.

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The Irrelevance of Ultra HD

CES is about the future of consumer electronics; I get that. We go to see what’s going to make our eyes light up later in the year. But take a glance at our CES 2013 Hub and it’s clear that Ultra HD was the tech most of the big companies were pushing, and it’s arguably the most irrelevant theme to the electronics industry – for the near future, at least – we’ve seen in some years. Not since the very earliest days of 3D have we seen a segment so desperate to validate its own existence, and failing so miserably.

samsung_110-inch_ultra_hd_tv_0

I can understand why manufacturers like Samsung, Sony, Panasonic, and others push TVs as the perfect vehicle for Ultra HD. They’re huge products – physically speaking – and in the charged, competitive, genital-waving atmosphere of Las Vegas, having The Biggest is a fair way to being seen as having The Best. A vast TV looks great on a stage during your keynote, and it provides a great focus point for gawping visitors to your booth.

Practically, though, when you need a huge set to actually take advantage of the technology you’re positioning as the Next Evolution for home entertainment, you’re already irrelevant to a huge swathe of your audience. The most common size was 84-inches – eighty four! – and they started to look small in comparison to the few 110-inch monsters. Worse still, every company did a grossly poor job telling us why we need Ultra HD, relying on big numbers to sell the technology alone.

That’s why, despite the majestic monsters from the main culprits, it was a far smaller – and quite different – interpretation of 4K that I left CES feeling was the best implementation of the technology. Panasonic’s 20-inch Windows 8 tablet may be a fraction of the size of, say, the company’s own Ultra HD TVs, but for once the 4K context made sense. The detailed resolution would be great for digital artists, Panasonic pointed out, as well as those in medical professions and architects.

lg_ultraHD

Samsung even hinted at that alternative strategy itself; when Joe Stinziano, the company’s EVP, told us he saw mass-market relevance for Ultra HD perhaps five years out, he highlighted those fields as potential early-adopters, not people with playing field-scale living rooms.

A 20-inch tablet doesn’t leave you with the feeling that you need to wear sunscreen when you’re basking in its glow, however. And CES is perhaps the place where context has no role: we make these things because we can, is the unspoken message from manufacturers, not because you necessarily realized you needed it, or even wanted it. It’s proof of concept without pause for practicality.

And yet… what will they show us in January 2014? When Ultra HD sets are still the stuff of vastly expensive, niche, 84-inch irrelevance – because, let’s face it, 1080p is going to be the beginning and end for 99.999-percent of consumers this year – what will the TV industry wow us with? It’s an arms race of idiocy, when there are still plenty of far more worthy areas of attention (the broadly appalling smart TV performance of most internet-connected sets, for instance) which affect far more people but are just less attention-grabbing than a $20k luxury toy.

For now, though, the message is simple. Don’t worry about Ultra HD. It really doesn’t matter.


The Irrelevance of Ultra HD is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Why Motion Gaming Should Be Left Out of the PlayStation 4

At the end of February, Sony will be holding a special PlayStation event that, industry experts believe, will be used to show off its next console. Likely dubbed the PlayStation 4, the console is expected to come with an improved online experience, better graphics, and Blu-ray. And since the PlayStation 3 comes with the Move motion-gaming accessory, it’s believed that the console will also integrate a similar function in some way.

But I’m here to tell Sony something. I can appreciate that the company wants to jump on the motion bandwagon made popular by the Wii and arguably better by the Kinect, but bundling such a feature into the PlayStation 4 makes absolutely no sense.

ps4_concept_1-580x410 (1)

[Image credit: Tai Chiem]

Sony is to gaming what a Mercedes-Benz is to cars. The company has for years been delivering the most expensive consoles and its customer base has come to expect a certain level of technical achievement not available elsewhere. Whereas Nintendo appeals to the casual gamer looking for simpler experiences, Sony is trying to woo the hardcore segment that won’t be caught tossing around a Wii Remote.

That’s precisely why the Move controller was such a bad idea. Yes, I know that Sony was trying to catch up to its competitors and it thought that the Move would work, but it’s proven to be a bad idea. The Move is largely ignored by gamers and developers, and there isn’t a single person I know that feels the PlayStation 3 would be better with the Move than without it.

So, why should Sony deliver a console that aims at delivering everything but the kitchen sink? Sony can be successful by delivering a good-looking product with high-end specs that customers actually want. And as long as it plays nice with developers – something Nintendo hasn’t historically been so great at – the company should have a respectable level of success in the next generation.

“Motion gaming is a gimmick. After a few fun plays it becomes old and annoying”

Motion gaming is a gimmick. It’s something that, after a few fun plays, becomes old and annoying. It’s also something that really only makes sense for kids or those who like to throw parties and make fun of drunken fools jumping around the living room with a wand in their hands. Motion gaming like what we find in the Wii and PlayStation 3 has done nothing to improve the overall playability of a game. After a few plays, the neat idea a developer has come up with is tossed aside for traditional play.

The time has come for Sony to acknowledge what its brand and its hardware are really all about. The future resides not in all of the features Sony can add to a console, but in the quality of those features. And motion gaming delivers no added quality that the average PlayStation 4 owner will care about.

So, don’t even think about bringing motion gaming to the PlayStation 4, Sony. Believe me – it’s one hugely bad idea.


Why Motion Gaming Should Be Left Out of the PlayStation 4 is written by Don Reisinger & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Editorial: FTC and Google — why the right decision feels so wrong to so many people

Editorial FTC and Google  why the right decision feels so wrong to so many people

The Federal Trade Commission’s absolution of Google after a lengthy investigation into alleged abuse of market power induced expected reactions from the principle players. Microsoft was infuriated. Google was triumphant and exuberantly overstated the FTC’s exit. (“Google’s services are good for users and good for competition.”) Lawyers and lobbyists bunched on both sides of the fence to issue scathing or praiseful statements. The court of common opinion is now divided between nodding approval and eviscerating censure. The comment hate being hurled at Google is partly derived from general monopoly-busting sentiment, but there is also a stuck-in-the-past misunderstanding of what Google has become.

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Why the Used Game Model Needs Fixing (But Not Banning)

With the recent unveiling of a Sony patent application indicating the company was thinking of killing off used games in the PlayStation 4, speculation has run rampant over how such a tool would affect the games industry. There seems to be a general sense that the implementation of such a product would potentially ruin GameStop, and would benefit game makers. Used games, some say, are bad news.

The reality is, used games aren’t really all that bad. In fact, there’s a good chance that the continued growth of used games is helping the industry in an immense way.

gamestop_preowned_games

Unfortunately, being a gamer is an expensive proposition. In order to even start having the chance to play games, consumers must purchase a console that will set them back several hundred dollars, and then buy games that cost $60. If they want to play handheld titles, buying a device like the PlayStation Vita or Nintendo 3DS XL will once again cost them hundreds.

In a world where economies are slow to turn around and the future is decidedly in doubt, spending that kind of money on video games isn’t always a top priority. And as much as folks might want to enjoy the entertainment value provided by games, dropping $60 for a new title just doesn’t fit into budgets every month.

With used games, though, that changes. Used titles are notably cheaper than their new counterparts, making it more possible for gamers to get titles. And as those folks get titles, they become more invested in certain hardware, developers, and franchises. The result? A more engaged and entertained gaming community.

“A more engaged and entertained gaming community means more online customers”

A more engaged and entertained gaming community means more customers that will sign up for online services, like Xbox Live. It also means that there will be a broader base of customers to whom developers can sell add-on packs and other goodies.

Now, I understand that the main issue with used games is that developers, who spend years of their lives creating games, aren’t actually getting anything in secondary sales. And I would fully agree that that’s wrong. But that’s not enough of a reason for me to believe that used games should be stricken from the industry.

Like it or not, I do believe that retailers have a responsibility to developers and publishers to share some of the revenue generated from used games. Yes, I know that such a move bucks a longstanding trend and GameStop and Amazon hate the thought of it, but there’s something to be said for being fair. And fairness would dictate paying developers for used sales.

How will such an agreement be made? I don’t know. How will the revenue split work? No idea. But it’s about time both sides – developers and retailers – come together and come to an agreement. The fact is, both parties benefit from used games. And it’s about time we all acknowledge that.


Why the Used Game Model Needs Fixing (But Not Banning) is written by Don Reisinger & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

I expected Apple to jump on Leap Motion first, not ASUS

If you can judge a technology’s wow-factor by how much it’s accused of being vaporware, Leap Motion‘s gesture-tracking was a hit from the off; companies jumped on the idea, though it’s perhaps a surprise that the first should be ASUS, not Apple. The matchbox-sized gadget – which can track the movement of ten fingers individually, and 200x more accurately than kit like Microsoft’s Kinect – will soon be integrated into Windows 8 PCs from ASUS, according to a new deal announced today. Microsoft’s OS certainly loves fingers, but Apple’s moves to blend the best of OS X and iOS arguably make it and Leap Motion more obvious bedfellows.

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If you missed it first time around, Leap Motion’s eponymous gizmo is a tiny, $70 box that hooks up via USB and creates a four cubic foot area above itself within which individual finger movements can be tracked. That’s at an accuracy of within 1/100th of a millimeter, and the system can differentiate between fingers and, say, a stylus being held for mid-air handwriting, as well as recognize when finger movements are intended to be linked, such as for pinch-zooming.

Leap Motion walkthrough:


So why would Apple be interested in Leap Motion’s tracking technology? It’s all down to the Cupertino firm’s dual stance on touchscreens. On the iPhone and iPad, Apple hasn’t been slow to adopt touch, driving the adoption of capacitive technology, but its Mac desktop and notebook ranges have stubbornly avoided finger-friendly displays.

“The ergonomics of touch aren’t suited to a notebook or desktop”

Apple’s argument has always been that the ergonomics of touch simply aren’t suited to a notebook or desktop form-factor. Reaching out across to a display – whether to your MacBook screen or to stab at an all-in-one – isn’t comfortable, so their argument goes, when compared with a large trackpad such as the company’s own Magic Trackpad.

leap_motion_imac

It’s a strategy entirely at odds with where Microsoft has pushed Windows 8, with the new Metro-style interface of the latest OS expressly designed for touchscreen computing. ASUS’ deal with Leap Motion, however, means its future laptops and all-in-ones will also support gestural interaction, waving and grabbing at the air in front of the display so as to manipulate what’s on-screen.

That’s actually an area of research that Apple isn’t unfamiliar with: the company has previously filed patents for Kinect-like navigation, including around a 3D display, or by using infrared light bouncing off your hands above a keyboard. None of that research has actually ended up in shipping hardware, however.

OS X has borrowed an increasing number of features and usage concepts from iOS in its latest iterations; that’s only expected to increase with the launch of OS X 10.9 later this year. With iOS so finger-focused, however, the limitations of a trackpad or Magic Mouse will continue to keep the reach-out-and-tweak-it immediacy iPhone and iPad users are familiar with from the desktop experience. Leap Motion’s approach would’ve fit that paradigm perfectly, though I’d be surprised if Apple wasn’t cooking up its own approach as the gap between mobile and traditional computing narrows.


I expected Apple to jump on Leap Motion first, not ASUS is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

My Hope for 2013: Some Small Company Successes

I’m fed up with the technology industry. As great as some products are from companies like Apple, Samsung, Sony, and Microsoft, there are countless devices and services in the wild that come from no-name firms that have been ignored.

There was a time in the technology industry that it didn’t matter how much a company had in its marketing budget. If a company’s products were really great, they would be discovered by the tech addicts out there, and then eventually shared with the rest of the world. It was our job as tech lovers to find the good stuff and tell the “average consumer” why they needed something special.

rooting_for_the_underdog

Over the last several years, though, we’ve let our guard down. We’ve allowed companies like Apple and Samsung to get us too excited, and forgotten about the smaller companies that deserve attention. While we’re telling everyone to get an Apple TV, we forget about recommending a Slingbox. Such scenarios play out across the industry.

So, in 2013, I can’t help but hope that small companies find some more success. The real innovation in the marketplace is not coming from Apple or Microsoft, but from companies run by energetic entrepreneurs that have a really great idea. And each year at the Consumer Electronics Show, those people are packed into corners of the showroom floor hoping that just one or two of us will actually pay attention.

I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve fallen into the trap. I’ve spent too much time focusing on my iPhone and iPad, and not enough time trying to hear about the really great products from companies I’ve never heard about. Once upon a time, those companies were Apple, Google, Samsung, and Sony. And it’s important that I don’t forget that.

“Innovation was once the element that determined success; now it’s a forgotten art”

Unfortunately, the technology industry has grown in such size that money matters more than ever. Companies that spend billions of dollars in advertising every year are far more likely to increase sales than those who only have a few hundred thousand. And although innovation was once the key element that determined success, nowadays, it’s a forgotten art.

There’s also the issue of acquisitions. The big companies keep getting bigger. And as they do, they’re finding it much simpler to acquire a small upstart before it gets too big rather than try to compete. The result? That really great product idea is incorporated into something else, and we never see it again.

I know what I’m hoping for is something that will likely not happen. But why shouldn’t we try? Chances are, the people reading this column are as tech-obsessed as I am. And when they come across a really great product, they can’t help but tell the world.

So, rather than looking in the obvious places, why don’t we spend 2013 checking out the unique, unknown products out there. We might just reveal to the world the next great company.


My Hope for 2013: Some Small Company Successes is written by Don Reisinger & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Which Console Maker Will Win the Next-Generation Battle?

The Nintendo Wii U has kicked off a new generation of consoles. The device, which comes with HD graphics that can about match those we have from the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, will likely be joined by vastly more powerful PlayStation 4 and Xbox 720 consoles at some point in the next year or so.

Once those devices launch, it will be time to handicap the marketplace. Which console will succeed? Which console will fail? And perhaps most importantly, which console will win the next-generation battle?

console_battle

[Image credit: Andreas Levers]

I’m sure there are those in each company’s camp armed with reasons their particular favorite will win.

Those who support Nintendo will say that the company’s commitment to innovation and fun, coupled with its high-quality first-party library, will be enough for the Wii U to dominate the gaming market.

Sony fans disagree. They point to the PlayStation 3’s late surge in the gaming space to make their case. Sony fans believe that the PlayStation 4 will come with high-quality specs and a large game library that will give it the edge. To think otherwise, they might say, would be nonsense.

Microsoft, however, has a different take. The Xbox 360 has proven steady over the last six years, and it’s likely that in the U.S. and Western Europe, it will have a strong showing. And Microsoft’s fans say that the software giant’s online experience and Kinect functionality will impress gamers and get enough people to join up to take over the console market.

I honestly believe that all three companies have a chance at dominating the next-generation console market. After all, coming off the GameCube, no one thought that Nintendo would win the space, but it did so with the Wii. And although the PlayStation 3 got off to a slow start, it’s starting to show now why it had so much promise in the beginning.

“I don’t know how Nintendo expects to hang tough in the long term”

At this point, though, I don’t quite know how Nintendo expects to hang tough over the long-term. The Wii U, while nice for its fans, will be trumped very quickly by whatever Microsoft and Sony offer. And if Nintendo doesn’t find a way to respond with some sort of update or new addition to the console’s featureset, it will be impossible for the game maker to keep pace.

Sony’s issue might have something to do with cost. The company has historically tried to deliver a high-end product, but in the gaming market lately, value has been the name of the game. And I’m not sure Sony realizes that.

Microsoft, meanwhile, might be popular in the U.S. and Europe, but the company has yet to establish itself in Asia. And until it capitalizes on that extremely important continent, the Xbox 720 will have some trouble.

So, while all three consoles might have some features that could push it over the top, they all also have some troubles. And the winner of the next console generation will be determined not by how much “stuff” they all have, but by how well they can get over the issues and capitalize on their virtues.

It should be a fun fight to watch.


Which Console Maker Will Win the Next-Generation Battle? is written by Don Reisinger & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

The Daily Roundup for 12.26.2012

DNP The Daily RoundUp

You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours — all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.

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‘Twas the night before…

'Twas the night before

‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house
Not a gadget was running, not even a mouse.
Updates were posted and tweeted with care
In hope that minutiae would be widely shared.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of Galaxies danced in their heads.
Smartphones and tablets and consoles for gaming,
Their daydreams and night reveries were inflaming.

For Christmas should not be in sad disconnection
From touchscreens and 4G and pixel perfection.
Mini or maxi is not much the point,
But latest and greatest does not disappoint.

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