At CES this past week many impressive technologies were demonstrated. If you’re into video gaming, then there’s one product you’ll be wanting to keep an eye on, TrueMotion.

Sixsense, the developers behind TrueMotion are taking the ideas behind the Nintendo Wii Remote to a whole new level.

Using an electromagnetic field, TrueMotion looks to capture motion controls a step better than the Wii Remote. Not only can TrueMotion detect movement it can capture where the remote is at in a certain location and reads at what angle it’s being held at. It can do all of this even if the device isn’t being pointed at the screen.

TrueMotion has some mighty obstacles to get around in order to be commercially successful. First, it needs to distinguish itself from the Nintendo Wii. This leads to the problem that it’s being presented as a PC peripheral. Most people have their computers in locations that wouldn’t have space for very much movement. Others don’t realize, or don’t care that most PC’s can be used by their televisions.

Sixsense needs to be seeking partners in order for their product to catch on. I believe that the ultimate goal would to somehow selling Sony, or Microsoft on the technology. With the Wii Remote MotionPlus coming out earlier this year, there’s going to be even greater competition.

TrueMotion is set to release later this year around Christmas. It will come bundled with one controller, the base station, and a bundled game for $100.

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With the birth of the internet, and nearly instant transfer of information it’s been all good things so far. While it’s fun to watch advancements in technology, it’s also sad to see older means of transferring information die. With the latest news that EGM would be publishing its last magazine; it’s representative of the fate that most magazines will have as we go further into the 21st century.

This news follows the earlier reports of the 1UP network being sold from Ziff Davis to the UGO Entertainment division.

EGM had been in print since 1989, and was just now going on its 20th year anniversary. Luckily, 1UP will be still be around but has faced a good number of layoffs as well.

Although the death of most magazines is inevitable, it doesn’t make it less sad to see them go. I remember being a kid, and I couldn’t wait to see what video game news would be popping up in the latest issue. I was always a Gamepro mag fan myself, which could be falling by the wayside soon as well.

It’s a sad day indeed.

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Nielsen, is the place you go for if you’re looking for any stat dealing with electronic media in the United States. If you can think of a type of media that is bought and used, more than likely Nielsen is tracking it. What was really interesting about Nielsen’s Top 10 List for 2008, was the statistics for video game playing.

It’s been 2 years since the “next-gen” phase of gaming started. It was during the winter of 2006 that Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft all had consoles released to the public. Since, all three have sold relatively well and you’d think that they would the Top 3 consoles played in 2008. You’d be wrong, as it’s the Sony Playstation 2 that was the most played console in 2008. Of the consoles played in 2008, the PS2 accounted for 31.7 of the total time used playing video games. The Xbox 360 came in 2nd with 17.2 percent, Nintendo Wii at 13.4 percent. The original Xbox actually outperformed the PS3, which might be the biggest surprise out of the entire data.

Nielsen’s figures on PC Gaming isn’t a huge surprise, as World of Warcraft easily walked away with the #1 game played in 2008. Here’s the entire Top 10 PC Games List:

1. World of Warcraft (Blizzard)
- 671 minutes per week (0.723% of gamers)
2. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Activision)
- 403 minutes per week (0.163% of gamers)
3. Halo: Combat Evolved (Microsoft)
- 295 minutes per week (0.092% of gamers)
4. The Sims (Electronic Arts)
- 213 minutes per week (0.09% of gamers)
5. The Sims 2 (Electronic Arts)
- 291 minutes per week (0.086% of gamers)
6. RuneScape (Jagex)
- 451 minutes per week (0.084% of gamers)
7. Diablo II (Blizzard)
- 313 minutes per week (0.065% of gamers)
8. Team Fortress 2 (Valve)
- 371 minutes per week (0.063% of gamers)
9. Counter-Strike (Valve)
- 282 minutes per week (0.062% of gamers)
10. Counter-Strike: Source (Valve)
- 426 minutes per week (0.061% of gamers)

via: Gamasutra

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The internet has effected so many facets of our lives that it’s impossible to think of where we’d be without it. Video games are a primary example of how the internet has made an impact on a particular industry. If you read game reviews, it’s almost considered a faux pas if a game doesn’t have some kind of online functionality.

As we move forward with integration of video games and the internet, what other changes can we look forward to?

In a recent Joystiq article, one aspect of gaming that is quickly becoming network integrated is the distribution of the games themselves

I think as we move forward to online distribution, it’s important that we look at every angle to make sure that what we’re doing is really helping the industry. Just like any kind of change, it’s important to realize that with the good, there’s always the bad.

For publishers, and developers the greatest advantage for online distribution is cost. It’s much cheaper to put your content online for downloading then to produce cases, instruction manuals for physical copies. I think that the idea of cheaper costs, effects the smaller developers and publishers much more so than the powerhouses. If you have created a game, and are thinking about trying to get it released then making it available online is a much less daunting venture.

Some things that I think publishers, and developers should look out for when looking to distribute online is how overpopulated the landscape could get. There’s already one platform that is a prime example of this trend; the iTunes App Store. There’s already over 3000+ games available for download on the App Store. Which makes it hard to have the worthwhile titles to be more known.

Depending on what kind of consumer you are, digital distribution is a godsend or a nightmare. If you’re a person who’s looking for the most convenient option, then downloads are the way to go. You don’t have to leave your house, deal with annoying salespeople etc… There’s also less physical clutter with purchasing games through downloads compared to physical copies. Accessibility, is another benefit for downloading content. The Steam service that Valve uses is a perfect example of greater accessibility through online distribution. With Steam, once you have installed a game then it is linked to your account rather than the actual game itself. That way, wherever you go, aslong as you have your Steam account you can install your game on any PC.

I think that the negatives for online distribution are a little more subtle than the positives. The greatest risk for looking towards online distribution over physical property is the economy. Publishing, and creating physical media provides jobs to millions of people around the world. People that rely on physical media distribution to help pay the bills. If content goes solely online, then what will happen to these people? If you’re looking for a more personal concern, then how about the idea that it’s fun to own physical property over a file. I think that consumers still like the idea of holding a product in their hands, compared to owning a file. It will take sometime to ween people off of that mindset as well.

As Xbox Live, Playstation Network, and WiiWare all become more viable resources for gaming, this trend will continue to grow. Sony has moved ahead the fastest, already offering downloads of full PS3 games on their network.

It’s very important that we continue to discuss the consequences of moving towards online distribution. There’s great advances to be made, but it’s important to realize what we’re completely effecting with the transition.

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