Category Archives: Video Game Technology

February 19, 2013 · 6:33 pm

The Future of PlayStation and Making Trophies Even Better

What is the future of PlayStation?

Let me peer into this cloudy orb – you might call it Orbis – and try to divine the future.

Could we see a new PlayStation console?
Will Sony force Microsoft to show their console first?
Is Sony going to collapse and give up because of its recent business problems?

Oh wait! We’ll find out tomorrow.

In the meantime, I thought of five changes to trophies that I’d like to see in a future PlayStation:

1. Less multiplayer trophies

This is a small change.

I like to sink my teeth into single player games and take time to digest all they offer. I don’t spend much time with multiplayer and can’t afford hundreds of hours to get those rare trophies. The Uncharted series did a good job here: I only had to earn one or two multiplayer trophies.

2. Jump to a trophy you just earned

So you slash your way through a game when something pops up on the screen. You adjust your geeky glasses, held together with tape, and squint at the screen.

“You earned a trophy: Great Job!”

What does that mean?

I’d like to tap a button to find out the details right away. I’m talking about light speed here. I want to know why I got a trophy.

3. More platinum trophies

I wish every game had a platinum trophy. Yes, that would include small PSN games. The platinum trophy is a fun reason to dust off an old game and replay it after you’ve beaten it to death.

4. Bonus rewards for unlocking trophies

You unlocked a trophy! Your eyes light up and sparkle like a diamond when you see it.

Now, imagine if you could unlock some cool weapons at the same time. I think that sounds fun, and it would spur me to play until I unlocked everything in the game.

5. Carry trophies over to the next system

This is the most important item on this list.

I expect Sony will trumpet new things and throw out old failures. I hope they keep trophies on their next system so I can keep stacking them on my virtual shelf.

What do you think Sony should do tomorrow?

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Filed under Video Game Technology

Tagged as PlayStation, PS3, video games

January 27, 2013 · 5:44 pm

Move Over, Motion Control! Play Video Games with Your Thoughts

“These aren’t the droids you’re looking for.” I’m sure all Star Wars fans have longed to use Jedi mind tricks.

What if you could play as Obi-Wan Kenobi in a game and do those tricks? You wouldn’t need a joystick, Kinect or a Wii.

All you need is your brain.

So I know this is old news but it might have slipped past most gamers like a sneaky snake. I’m talking about a New York Times Magazine article from September 14, 2011 by Pagan Kennedy.

Kennedy writes that surgeons use head implants in epilepsy patients as part of their treatment. (Read the article to learn more.)

In the article, “The Cyborg in Us All,” one man with the implant played the classic shooter Galaga. So that sounds normal. Well, the patient used his thoughts to move the ship and a computer understood him.

“Hold it right there! What did you say?”

Yes, you are awake. You read that right.

You could dump all your old school joysticks and motion controllers into the garbage can.

Imagine if you could use your thoughts to play all games. I think most gamers already use their head when they play, except for that one person who’s always team killing. But, seriously, the idea of using thoughts to play a game sounds cool.

I mean, you were probably tired of waggling your Wii mote. You hit your friend so many times in the chest while playing “tennis” that he or she punched you in the face. You were also a little tired of your neighbour watching while you did karate chops in your living room.

What do you think about using your thoughts to control games? Does it sound like video games could rot your brain, or does it sound like next-gen fun?

(By the way, the Galaga thing was just a small part of the article. Read the article to learn more about mind and machine.)

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Filed under Video Game Technology

Tagged as brain, movies, New York Times, technology, video games

January 6, 2013 · 2:41 pm

Amazing Games Aren’t Always Perfect and That’s O.K.

Every now and then you see goofy things in really good games.

That’s not always a bad thing. Sometimes those moments can cause you to spray pop through your nose as you laugh out loud – or not. Other times it just takes you out of the experience.

These two games have some odd moments.

1. In Skyrim, giants wander the land and drag along deadly clubs to beat things to death.

You’d think that club would flatten you into a pancake. But sometimes the clubs send creatures hurtling into the air and flying far across the world.

I have to wonder: was this giant club thing meant as a joke? Maybe Bethesda thought their game could use a bit more humour and threw this in for a laugh. Skyrim is a kind of serious sword and sandal game. I mean, it has it’s own dragon language!

Sounds a bit funny doesn’t it? Well, that’s just only one of the strange things in this otherwise excellent game.

2. Uncharted 3

Naughty Dog makes games that look like you could play them on the silver screen. They did it again with Uncharted 3. The camera angles and set-pieces are worthy of Hollywood. How could the game get any better?

Well, Drake’s death scenes could use a little work. When he dies, everything – surprise – gets somber, but Drake’s corpse tends to fly and his limbs flail wildly. This goofy sight doesn’t really fit a game that looks as good as a blockbuster action movie.

What other amazing games have weird problems that mar your good time?