Hasta La Gadget!

For veteran gamers who enjoyed Doom and Quake, it’s the end of an era — id Software co-founder John Carmack has left the game studio to concentrate all his efforts on his Chief Technical Officer role at Oculus VR. It was just too “challenging” to divide attention between the two companies, he explains. id’s Tim Willits says in a statement that the departure won’t affect any existing projects, but it does leave the firm without the insights of one of the game industry’s brightest programmers. However, his exit is good news for VR fans; Carmack can now pour all his energy into developing cutting edge wearable displays. Check out our recent video interview with him after the break.

Filed under: Gaming, Wearables

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Via: Joystiq, IGN

Source: John Carmack (Twitter)

Irrational Games’ blockbuster BioShock Infinite and EA DICE’s Mirror’s Edge weren’t built with the Oculus Rift in mind, but both are part of a huge list of games supported by a new piece of software available today: VorpX. The still-in-beta, $40 application promises to convert a variety of games from monitor-exclusive experiences to Oculus Rift-ready VR games, including the aforementioned two and a lengthy list of others.

As none of the supported games are meant to work with the Rift, a variety of workarounds are implemented by VorpX. Clicking in and holding down your mouse wheel, for instance, allows you to “edge peek,” which allows users to look freely at the edges of their field-of-view instead of it moving with the headset’s movement. Additionally, since rendering two distinct views of high-def, modern games is taxing, VorpX uses a workaround called “Z-buffer,” which is apparently “the highest performing” of the two available options, but not as pretty. You can also choose “Geometry 3D,” which does render two distinct feeds and, well, we’re jealous of whatever system you’ve got that’s running that smoothly. Not every game supports both modes, but a fair number do (there’s a list right here comparing both). Head below for a handful of video demonstrations of VorpX in action, as well as the full list of supported games.

Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals, Wearables, Software, HD

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Source: VorpX

In another confirmation that Elon Musk lives life differently from the rest of us, he’s just posted a new SpaceX video that’s straight out of a sci-fi movie. In it, he demonstrates designing parts for a rocket the company could use just with hand gestures using a Leap Motion controller. After that, we move to a 3D projection of the part, free standing glass projection just like Iron Man, and even an implementation with the Oculus Rift VR headset. While much of its appeal is watching a billionaire play with the latest tech toys, the video gives a peek at what’s possible with technology that’s actually available to a rapidly growing number of people. Inspiring stuff — we’ll see if we can finish the Hyperloop concept with a Kinect and an old Virtual Boy.

Filed under: Misc

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Source: SpaceX (YouTube)

Successive generations of console gaming have been, historically, defined by improvements in graphics. But Activision CEO Eric Hirshberg envisions a different future for the coming next-gen of gaming and it’s all about connectivity. As he told our own Ben Gilbert at Gamescom 2013 this week, “The same way that Xbox Live and PlayStation Network led to the big trend in this generation being multiplayer games, I think that some sort of connectivity and social amplification of games is probably something you’ll see a lot of creative activity around [in the next-gen].” Hirshberg offered up Destiny, Bungie’s upcoming hybrid FPS / persistent world game as a prime example of this trend, and referred to the title as being “born modern” — a video game and social network rolled into one.

Hirshberg’s aware that not all gamers are ready to jump ship from the current console generation. Which is why his company decided to invest in a new engine for Call of Duty: Ghosts to maximize the beauty of its visuals and audio, but still make it a multiplatform, cross-generational title. Activision’s even partnering up with retailers to offer gamers incentives (in the form of a minimal upgrade fee) to make the next-gen leap should they initially purchase the PS3 or Xbox 360 version.

As for where forward-facing virtual reality hardware like the Oculus Rift fits in, Hirshberg wasn’t as optimistic. He’s used the VR headset before, but primarily views it as a non-additive layer for gaming that’s better enjoyed in “small doses” due to its intensity.

For our full interview with Hirshberg and all his thoughts on the next-gen of gaming, click on past the break.

Filed under: Gaming, Software, HD

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Ubisoft’s Alain Corre isn’t worried about the rise in mobile gaming. On the contrary, Corre, who heads up the company’s overseas operations, seems to welcome the uptick in iOS and Android gamers and not resignedly, either. “What we like in mobile gaming is that it’s bringing a lot of new people to games,” he told us. “Which for us is very good because it’s a teaching thing and… at one point, some of them will feel a bit limited with the scope of mobile games and they’ll want to experience something different in gaming.” Whether it’s the limitations of the casual genre or outright boredom, Corre’s confident a chunk of these new gaming converts will seek out home console or PC experiences. Something more along the lines of a Watch Dogs or Assassin’s Creed, perhaps. And with the advent of the next-gen, the timing for this gaming initiation couldn’t be better for Ubisoft.

Filed under: Gaming, Software, HD

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