Star Trek is probably the longest running sci-fi franchise in existence, and merchandising around the popular series has been fanatical for many years. In the world of gaming, Star Trek game designers have developed a suite of amazing games. The latest is in development by a company called Cryptic Studios and will be called Star Trek Online; you can read the latest news and views at http://www.startrekonline.com

The new Star Trek universe will place lovers of MMO games into a very immersive universe. There is no need to worry about being a trekkie or even knowing anything about Star Trek to be able to enjoy the game when it is released, according to Cryptic Studios. No announcement on a live date has been decided yet and no applications for beta testers are being advertised either. It is clear from the web site that production is storming ahead in-house.

Take a peek at the new gameplay QuickTime video that shows some staggering sequences from the current game production at https://www.startrekonline.com/videos. You can also see Leonard Nimoy introduce the game at a Star Trek convention before the chief creative officer of Cryptic Studios, Jack Emmert, appears to talk about the game facets and answer all those trekkie questions.

Cryptic Studios are well known for their popular online games such as City Of Heroes and City Of Villains. The marketing approach for Star Trek Online has been a little drawn out with the company bringing awareness to MMO gamers and Star Trek fans via the site months before any sign of a live date. The company promises trek fans that this is a wait worth bearing as the game will place you in the star trek universe.

It kicks off in the year 2409 (about 30 years after the events of Star Trek: Nemesis) with you selecting a character from a number of races to be the commander of your own starship. The realism of the Star Trek experience will be firmly in place. As captain of your own starship, you will then create AI controlled crew members for your starship and then head off into deep space. Your character will be able to beam down to planets and engage in away missions.

The game has a tool that customizes your race if you so wish using a clever little graphic design program with ‘point and click’ ease of use. Your imagination will be the limit here as you can construct an entirely new Star Trek universe alien being. This is a fantastic difference as you can apply whatever characteristics come to your vivid mind.

The Star Trek online site hosts a community where you can discuss the game with other enthusiasts. It’s worth taking a look at the impressive screenshots from the game as these give you a clearer view of the diverse detail incorporated into the graphics engine. The designers are taking great pains to ensure that the MMO universe includes the star trek elements such as the Borg, Cardassians, and Klingons. Apparently, the game will have some differences that will excite trekkies further such as new races and new interplanetary relationships with Starfleet.

The feel of the MMO genre is not lost as a community building world is still the focus of the game. There will be a strong social networking feel as has come to be expected in these games. You will be able to engage in the missions or go off on your own journey. Either way, collaboration with players worldwide is possible while posted at far away locations in Space. If you love the explorer in you, missions that entail making contact with new civilizations will be nothing short of a thrill ride.

It will be exciting to see how the game progresses towards its first alpha release. With the level of details seen already, Star Trek online is set to occupy a place in the world of Space MMO gaming. Hostile races, fast gameplay…..we can’t wait. C’mon Cryptic Studios, an alpha release please.

Engage!

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Canesta is bringing new meaning to the stereotypical definition of a couch-potato. Full-time TV viewers will no longer have to worry about the calluses they might develop from overuse of the remote, because Canesta has come out with “gesture control” technology.

Monday’s E3 press conference revealed the new “Project Natal,” Microsoft’s attempt to outdo Nintendo Wii by creating video games that are controlled by motion sensors alone, giving gamers no need for a controller at all. Natal is designed to work in conjunction with the Xbox 360 gaming system, but downside is that it requires players to stand for the sensors to work.

While Natal certainly has a novel idea, Canesta’s technology goes far beyond Natal. For the average couch-potato, Canesta’s development of gesture-controlled technology will have a broader scope than Microsoft’s attempt. Just last week, Canesta’s demonstration of their new technology at the D: All Things Digital Conference stunned everyone who saw it.

In last week’s press release, Canesta shared that they are working with Hitachi and GestureTek to produce new technology that is controlled solely by hand gestures. Canesta reports that these new 3-D interfaces will eventually be designed to work with almost all electronic devices, specifically mentioning televisions, media centers, computers, cell phones, and even automobiles and industrial or medical applications.

Canesta believes their new technology will revolutionize the markets in the same way that the iPhone shook things up with their multi-touch screen introduction. But Canesta’s technology is a step beyond the offering of the iPhone or similar technology. Although some companies are working to develop similar technology, Canesta leads the way in this field. Their patented sensors are the only ones that can be used in both total darkness and bright sunlight.

Their goal of the company is to develop the technology at a low cost for consumers, and has plans to release it to the general public by late 2010. They expect some industrial applications of the technology to be introduced even sooner.

Canesta is an up-and-comer in the tech world, having been founded only ten years ago (established in 1999). They are also relatively small, having only 57 employees and associates. But don’t let that fool you. They also have over 40 granted patents, and are fully financed for this project.

The new 3-D vision sensor will certainly bring a whole new dimension to technology and its capabilities. Of course, one can only wonder what the “remote wars” will be like when you are the remote. With possible integration into nearly every type of technology, the next few years could hold some astonishing revelations.

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Microsoft has thrown down the gauntlet to challenge Apple’s dominance of the portable media player market. On Tuesday, they released information regarding an updated Zune HD—a total revamp of the previous-generation media player.

Features for the Zune include the new Windows CE operating system, which may or may not be a selling point. The new Zune has larger display (3.3 inches) with touch screen, widescreen-capable movie watching, Internet browsing capability, and integration with the Xbox 360. It operates off of flash memory, but details of the memory capacity have not yet been disclosed.
The question is, does the Zune offer anything that the Apple’s iPod or Touch doesn’t? The answer is, yes. The Zune HD’s standout feature is precisely what its title indicates: it is a portable HD radio. Not even Apple has a device with a radio receiver, although reports indicate that the next-generation iPod will have such a capability. Stephenson, the marketing manager for the new Zune, explains, “It’s really one of the first portable HD radio receivers out there. It’s going to be important for us to communicate the value of HD radio since it is a fairly nascent technology.”
Not only does the device receive and play HD radio, but it can also output to TVs, using a separate dock. This is one of the device’s most-sellable features. It has been designed not only to integrate with Microsoft’s gaming ware, but also with any HDTV. True to its moniker, it will be able to output high-res video to HDTVs—at least 1280×720, according to the reports. Stephenson’s strategy regarding the Zune was this: “[The Zune is] absolutely about music as it is about video. As we prioritize the things we need to get to market, video was the thing that really lit up. The Xbox experience is a living room experience. So it’s important to think of this as a first step.”

No reliable information is available regarding the cost of the new device, but Microsoft should be releasing the new Zune HD during the fall season, perhaps in September.

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Did you love the action packed space western from Joss Whedon called Firefly? Did you moan when it ended but became elated again at the arrival of Serenity on the big screen?  Well, if you bellowed a resounding YES to those questions, you could soon become elated again. Are you an MMO gamer who loves role playing? Multiverse, a game development company involved in producing MMO games and 3D virtual worlds are in development on a MMO game based on the popular Firefly series.

Launch dates on the game are unclear though Multiverse and 20^th Century Fox have been in communication over the project. The plans began in 2006 and progress has suffered delays since then. Though, the deal still stands and you can monitor the progress at Firefly MMO.

Fans of the series have been commenting in blogs on the creative requirements of the game. A high point is whether or not an episodic approach will set the pace for the storyline. Though, it is likely that more of a free role playing environment will be created to follow the style of current MMOs. The current space MMO games allow players to go it alone or join fleets. It may be important to retain this style as it is the accepted norm within the space MMO paradigm.

Multiverse co-founder Corey Bridges commented back in 2006 at the inception of the project stating:  “It’s our hope that Firefly’s passionate and dedicated community of fans will enjoy the chance to become part of the story as they develop and explore the worlds of Firefly.”
Multiverse Press Release, 8^th Dec 2006

Multiverse will be responsible for the graphics and the programming tasks - client and server code.  There will be collaboration occurring between the developers and the Firefly content developers to ensure that the game engine fits the Firefly profile capturing all the excitement of the ‘western in space’.  There may be opportunities for freelance developers to play a part; it could still be a dream job for the Firefly fan with top notch game development skills.

It became apparent to the company that jumping quickly on the 3D band wagon was the innovative direction.  They developed an enterprising platform for hosting 3D worlds that can be downloaded at http://www.multiverse.net. Games and business services, much like Second Life’s business model, have emerged from the platform.  The client is free to download and this allows you to play all of the MMO games on offer.

It is true to say that since Serenity, nothing has been seen of the gallant space crew. So Firefly fans will be thrilled to see this game rise from the ashes of what seems to be a dead franchise.  Fox are very aware of the huge fan base and what the devoted fans need – to see Firefly in action.

Let’s hope that the space cowboys of the intrepid Firefly crew will be returning. Fans can hope for the return in digital format within an MMO game or a refreshed franchise TV series.  Where the MMO is concerned, role playing in this story should be a fanatic space adventure for the craving fans offering thrills in an immersive world just like the current MMOs hosted today.

Watch this space cowboy!

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