games: June 2013

Friday, 28 June 2013

Dark truth about Ouya debut: Retail wins, Kickstarter loses

Dark truth about Ouya debut: Retail wins, Kickstarter loses | Crave - CNET CNET Home Reviews Top Categories More Categories Car Tech Cell Phones Desktops Digital Cameras Home Audio Laptops Printers Tablets Televisions Forums Appliances Camcorders Cell Phone Accessories E-book Readers Games & Gear GPS Hard Drives & Storage Headphones Home Video Internet Access Monitors MP3 Players Networking & Wi-Fi Peripherals Software Web Hosting You are here: News Latest News Mobile Startups Cutting Edge Internet & Media Security & Privacy Business Tech Crave Apple Microsoft Politics & Law Tech Culture Blogs Video Photos RSS Download Windows Software Mac Software iOS Apps Android Apps The Download Blog CNET TV Most Popular New Releases Products Tech Shows How To Car Tech Cell Phones Tablets Always On Apple Byte CNET On Cars CNET Top 5 CNET Update Hooked Up Rumor Has It The 404 How To Computers Home Theater Photography Privacy Productivity Security Smartphones Tablets Web Deals Today's Deals Coupon Codes Marketplace Blog .mad_center div, .mad_center table, .mad_center iframe, .mad_center img, .mad_center center, .mad_center object, #adDiv, #adDiv div, #adDiv table, #adDiv iframe, #adDiv img, #adDiv center, #adDiv object {margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;}.mad_center img, .mad_center embed, .mad_center iframe {vertical-align:top;} .mad_center, #adDiv {text-align:center;text-align:-moz-center;text-align:-webkit-center}ie8 fix # .fifpre, # .fifpost {display:block;} # .adHolder div, # .adHolder table, # .adHolder iframe, # .adHolder img, # .adHolder center, # .adHolder object {margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;} # .adHolder {text-align:center;text-align:-moz-center;text-align:-webkit-center;} # .adHolder img, # .adHolder embed, # .adHolder iframe {vertical-align:top;} Log In | Join Facebook Timeline options Log In Join CNET Sign in with Facebook Timeline options My profile Log out .mad_center div, .mad_center table, .mad_center iframe, .mad_center img, .mad_center center, .mad_center object, #adDiv, #adDiv div, #adDiv table, #adDiv iframe, #adDiv img, #adDiv center, #adDiv object {margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;}.mad_center img, .mad_center embed, .mad_center iframe {vertical-align:top;} .mad_center, #adDiv {text-align:center;text-align:-moz-center;text-align:-webkit-center}ie8 fix # .fifpre, # .fifpost {display:block;} # .adHolder div, # .adHolder table, # .adHolder iframe, # .adHolder img, # .adHolder center, # .adHolder object {margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;} # .adHolder {text-align:center;text-align:-moz-center;text-align:-webkit-center;} # .adHolder img, # .adHolder embed, # .adHolder iframe {vertical-align:top;} Click Here

CNET News Crave Dark truth about Ouya debut: Retail wins, Kickstarter ... Dark truth about Ouya debut: Retail wins, Kickstarter loses The much-awaited little Android gaming console arrives at some big retailers, but a number of frustrated early adopters are still waiting in virtual line.

by Christopher MacManus June 25, 2013 11:08 AM PDT Follow @sonyinsider

So close, yet so far for some.

(Credit:Ouya)

It should be a great day for Ouya, the tiny Android-powered gaming console that netted $8.5 million in Kickstarter funding and quickly sold out during its debut appearance at U.S. retailers Tuesday. But not all Ouya enthusiasts are smiling.

Some early adopters who donated to Ouya on Kickstarter months ago are still waiting for their console after being told they would get it before it hit retail. While some did receive their Ouya as promised (albeit perhaps a bit late), a "small subset" (according to Ouya's PR) did not.

Thousands of comments regarding Ouya on Kickstarter and other colloqui indicate that the number of people who didn't get their Ouya might be larger than a "small subset."

An example of the Ouya interface.

(Credit:Ouya)

In any case, they are quite clear about their frustration.

"Just so disappointed and discouraged at this point," said Damian, who contributed to funding Ouya on Kickstarter. "And to think of all the people and friends we've been effectively selling the console to on your behalf. At least the non-backers can get the benefit of owning the console."

Ouya is expressing its own displeasure at the situation.

"I am pissed. Some of you have not yet received your Ouya -- and, to you, I apologize. I did not promise to ship to *most* of you before we hit store shelves. I promised to ship to *all* of you," Ouya founder Julie Uhrman told Kickstarter funders Tuesday on a page visible only to backers that Ouya also shared with CNET.

According to Ouya, the delays aren't the company's fault, but instead are caused by a fulfillment partner in Hong Kong and murky DHL package tracking from China.

"Over the past few months, we encountered and conquered many challenges spanning both hardware and software in order to bring the best product we could to market. We have tried to make sure that the challenges we faced did not impact our early supporters, but unfortunately we came up short," Ken Stephens, head of operations at Ouya, says in the message to backers.

"I know that many of you are frustrated with the DHL tracking system," Stephens adds. "When you receive a tracking number, you expect it to work immediately, but sometimes these tracking numbers don't do that. The reason for this is that when the product leaves Hong Kong, the tracking process does not initiate until it arrives for the first scan at your country's local depot. As a result, you could have a period of up to 10 days within which the product appears in limbo. This, we all agree, is very frustrating."

Adding to the frustration for some is that "it may take another two weeks or more for some of these units to arrive," Uhrman says. Are you a backer affected by the Ouya delay? If so, how are you feeling about it?

Moon-walker Buzz Aldrin sets his sights on Mars

Moon-walker Buzz Aldrin sets his sights on Mars | Tech Culture - CNET News CNET News @import "http://i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/Ads/common/css/SponsoredTextLink/sponsoredTextLink.live.css";Ad: Manage updates with the Download App Home Reviews Top Categories More Categories Car Tech Cell Phones Desktops Digital Cameras Home Audio Laptops Printers Tablets Televisions Forums Appliances Camcorders Cell Phone Accessories E-book Readers Games & Gear GPS Hard Drives & Storage Headphones Home Video Internet Access Monitors MP3 Players Networking & Wi-Fi Peripherals Software Web Hosting You are here: News Latest News Mobile Startups Cutting Edge Internet & Media Security & Privacy Business Tech Crave Apple Microsoft Politics & Law Tech Culture Blogs Video Photos RSS Download Windows Software Mac Software iOS Apps Android Apps The Download Blog CNET TV Most Popular New Releases Products Tech Shows How To Car Tech Cell Phones Tablets Always On Apple Byte CNET On Cars CNET Top 5 CNET Update Hooked Up Rumor Has It The 404 How To Computers Home Theater Photography Privacy Productivity Security Smartphones Tablets Web Deals Today's Deals Coupon Codes Marketplace Blog #adDiv, #adDiv a img, #adDiv div, #adDiv iframe {margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;} #adDiv {text-align:center;} Log In | Join Facebook Timeline options Log In Join CNET Sign in with Facebook Timeline options My profile Log out .mad_center div, .mad_center table, .mad_center iframe, .mad_center img, .mad_center center, .mad_center object, #adDiv, #adDiv div, #adDiv table, #adDiv iframe, #adDiv img, #adDiv center, #adDiv object {margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;}.mad_center img, .mad_center embed, .mad_center iframe {vertical-align:top;} .mad_center, #adDiv {text-align:center;text-align:-moz-center;text-align:-webkit-center}ie8 fix # .fifpre, # .fifpost {display:block;} # .adHolder div, # .adHolder table, # .adHolder iframe, # .adHolder img, # .adHolder center, # .adHolder object {margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;} # .adHolder {text-align:center;text-align:-moz-center;text-align:-webkit-center;} # .adHolder img, # .adHolder embed, # .adHolder iframe {vertical-align:top;}

CNET News Tech Culture Moon-walker Buzz Aldrin sets his sights on Mars Moon-walker Buzz Aldrin sets his sights on Mars It's been four decades since his famous moon walk, but Aldrin has still got the moves, and he's using his fame to urge people to make a commitment to reaching the Red Planet.

by Donna Tam June 27, 2013 1:08 PM PDT Follow @DonnaYTam

Buzz Aldrin at the kickoff of PayPal's galactic payments initiative.

(Credit:James Martin/CNET)

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. -- Astronaut Buzz Aldrin says he's not very good at handling his personal finances, but he knows the ability to pay for things while in space is an important part of getting humans on Mars.

When asked about his role in PayPal's new galactic money transfers initiative, announced Thursday, Aldrin said he's not taking an active role because he's leaving problems associated with financing and transactions to the experts.

"I probably didn't do too well in those subjects -- my bank account kind of reflects that -- but I do think that there are great opportunities for people to get involved in all the aspects to this," he said at a PayPal press conference hosted at the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute.

Though he took those famous almost-first steps -- he was the second man on the moon -- more than 40 years ago, Aldrin knows he's still got the star power to promote the colonization of Mars. While lending his name and presence to PayPal for its charge to create ways to make payments from space, Aldrin also plugged his new book, "Mission to Mars: My Vision for Space Exploration," his role as a space ambassador for AXE body spray ("For you young men out there, if you want to attract the ladies, you should use this fragrance," he told the crowd), and his Twitter handle, @TheRealBuzz.

"I'm the real Buzz Aldrin," he announced as he started to speak, draping a T-shirt with the same phrase over the podium. Wearing a space-themed tie, Aldrin talked about his book "Encounter with Tiber," a novel he wrote in 1996 about people living on Mars. He said he thinks the world he envisioned in the book will become a reality in the next generation.

"Today we're on the cusp of a new era in space: the shuttles have been retired; the dawn of commercial space flight is upon us," Aldrin said. "I think humans will reach Mars, and I'd like to see their commitment to that made in my lifetime."

As for any future space travel for the famed astronaut, Aldrin said he won't be going back anytime soon. He's been offered free rides from companies who wanted the publicity associated with his name, but he's turned them down. "Who is going to get the publicity and who's taking the risk? I don't really see the benefit," he said.

"Besides," he said cheekily, "I've been there before."

Play Pac-Man as a first-person horror game

Play Pac-Man as a first-person horror game | Crave - CNET CNET Home Reviews Top Categories More Categories Car Tech Cell Phones Desktops Digital Cameras Home Audio Laptops Printers Tablets Televisions Forums Appliances Camcorders Cell Phone Accessories E-book Readers Games & Gear GPS Hard Drives & Storage Headphones Home Video Internet Access Monitors MP3 Players Networking & Wi-Fi Peripherals Software Web Hosting You are here: News Latest News Mobile Startups Cutting Edge Internet & Media Security & Privacy Business Tech Crave Apple Microsoft Politics & Law Tech Culture Blogs Video Photos RSS Download Windows Software Mac Software iOS Apps Android Apps The Download Blog CNET TV Most Popular New Releases Products Tech Shows How To Car Tech Cell Phones Tablets Always On Apple Byte CNET On Cars CNET Top 5 CNET Update Hooked Up Rumor Has It The 404 How To Computers Home Theater Photography Privacy Productivity Security Smartphones Tablets Web Deals Today's Deals Coupon Codes Marketplace Blog .mad_center div, .mad_center table, .mad_center iframe, .mad_center img, .mad_center center, .mad_center object, #adDiv, #adDiv div, #adDiv table, #adDiv iframe, #adDiv img, #adDiv center, #adDiv object {margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;}.mad_center img, .mad_center embed, .mad_center iframe {vertical-align:top;} .mad_center, #adDiv {text-align:center;text-align:-moz-center;text-align:-webkit-center}ie8 fix # .fifpre, # .fifpost {display:block;} # .adHolder div, # .adHolder table, # .adHolder iframe, # .adHolder img, # .adHolder center, # .adHolder object {margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;} # .adHolder {text-align:center;text-align:-moz-center;text-align:-webkit-center;} # .adHolder img, # .adHolder embed, # .adHolder iframe {vertical-align:top;} Log In | Join Facebook Timeline options Log In Join CNET Sign in with Facebook Timeline options My profile Log out .mad_center div, .mad_center table, .mad_center iframe, .mad_center img, .mad_center center, .mad_center object, #adDiv, #adDiv div, #adDiv table, #adDiv iframe, #adDiv img, #adDiv center, #adDiv object {margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;}.mad_center img, .mad_center embed, .mad_center iframe {vertical-align:top;} .mad_center, #adDiv {text-align:center;text-align:-moz-center;text-align:-webkit-center}ie8 fix # .fifpre, # .fifpost {display:block;} # .adHolder div, # .adHolder table, # .adHolder iframe, # .adHolder img, # .adHolder center, # .adHolder object {margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;} # .adHolder {text-align:center;text-align:-moz-center;text-align:-webkit-center;} # .adHolder img, # .adHolder embed, # .adHolder iframe {vertical-align:top;}

CNET News Crave Play Pac-Man as a first-person horror game Play Pac-Man as a first-person horror game The hungry ghosts of Pac-Man become a lot more frightening when you experience it like a first-person shooter game.

by Amanda Kooser June 24, 2013 1:20 PM PDT Follow @akooser FPS-Man screenshot

They're coming for you.

(Credit:Screenshot by Amanda Kooser/CNET)

You are caught in a dark maze full of glowing orbs. You're hungry and only the orbs can feed your insatiable appetite. But at each turn, danger lurks. Merciless ghosts haunt your every move. This is the story of Pac-Man.

Freelance game developer Tom Davies has converted Pac-Man into a first-person shooter gaming experience that mines the darker side of the classic. FPS-Man is free to play on gaming site Kongregate.

Maze walls rise up around you and tense music plays, ratcheting it into survival-horror gaming territory. The game really picks up when you munch a power pellet and start running headlong through the maze, looking for ghosties to chow down on.

The immersive viewpoint adds a challenge to the game. You don't have the full top-down map to follow and Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde can sneak up on you, giving only a glow to warn you of their presence.

FPS-Man is no Resident Evil, but it does succeed in creating a much creepier atmosphere than the original game ever attained. It feels both modern and retro at the same time.

(Via BoingBoing)