Giant Robot Store and GR2 News

  “There can be no doubt about the fact that it has been an extremely difficult 12 months for Sony and, as a result, the electronics giant has seen revenue fall 9.6% to $79.2 billion in the fiscal year that ended with March. Those numbers are down from $87.8 billion in 2011.” The factories in Thailand got flooded halting production, a Quake, a Tsunami, and so much competition from everywhere are cited as reasons.
Continue reading
In Wired, Keiji Inafune let’s it out in many ways. Here’s one. “I want to talk about Korean products too. Why are there no Korean products in Japan? Japanese people believe that Korean products are much worse than Japanese ones, that they’re very bad. But throughout the world, they’re more successful than Japanese products.” There are more from the creator of Megaman who’s now making games from his own studio. (Wired – Keiji Inafune)
Continue reading

Annually, Culver City opens it’s doors to IndieCade, a indie convention or conference about indie gaming, their maker and their wares. Most of the events are free which is miraculous. You can stroll into the fire station and jump right into trying the games of the future. Actually that’s not really true, most of these games will stay indie and won’t be highlighted at Best Buy anytime soon. However, the thought process an execution is something you won’t find at Best Buy, but perhaps in a couple of years when an industry creative sees what some of these “kids” are doing with the technology at hand, they’ll incorporated it into a blockbuster video game.

 

 

Pew Pew Pew Pew Pew Pew. That’s the name of the game. Instead of using a button, you can voice your shots. It’s funny because a) you can tap the mic for the missile to fire, or you can b) voice it. Everyone wants to voice it. The sound of a missile is something that you grew up with. Each area or country might have their own, which is akin to the sound of a dog barking. It’s different almost everywhere.

 

 

Black Bottom was created by students at Savannah College of Art and Design and it is a cool table projected game. It may take more space, but the spectacle of playing a game on a table that’s lit works well. Of course, you can lay down that soda, and it might fall, but the electronics are far away where all should be safe. You can eat lunch on it too! The sheer size makes this something fun to look at. Not only did they create the game space, they also created the controller as well.

Continue reading
Japan Unveils Massive Solar Ring Plan for the Moon “Shimizu Corporation proposes the Luna Ring for the infinite coexistence of mankind and the Earth.” One of Japan’s biggest construction companies is perhaps the last source you’d expect to propose encircling the Moon with solar panels to provide us with unlimited energy. NASA, Japan’s JAXA, or the Russian Federal Space Agency? Sure. Still, Shimizu’s proposal, which currently has no established timeline, could in theory provide the Earth with 13,000 terawatts of free and clean solar power. Uh, after the 6,800 mile-long solar ring and the moon-based power transfer facility are built, that is. (The Mail Online – Solar Ring Plan for the Moon) Korean Chef’s Continental Mission “Korean cuisine has a much more complicated flavor profile than soy sauce and kimchi.” Korean celebrity chef Edward Kwon loves to play with kimchi. But he is also out to prove to the rest of us that elements of Korean cuisine are not only world-class, but can be happily incorporated into traditional continental cooking styles. (CNNGo – Chef Edward Kwon) U.S. 9th Circuit Is Not In Liu “He is withdrawing because there is little prospect that the Senate will ever vote on his nomination.” Berkeley law professor Gordon Liu withdraws his name from nomination to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The liberal scholar had been appointed by President Obama, but GOP members of the Senate filibustered to block a vote which may have approved his nomination. (NPR – Professor Gordon Liu) Chinese Prisoners Farm Virtual Gold “Prison bosses made more money forcing inmates to play games than they do forcing people to do manual labor,” Imagine working 12 hours a day at hard prison labor, then being forced to play online games for the benefit of your jailers. Under penalty of physical abuse with, say, plastic pipes. A former prisoner of China’s Jixi Labor Camp tells the story of how prison bosses made him and his fellow inmates play online games (like World of Warcraft) for virtual currency. (Guardian UK – Online Gaming Prisoners) Lacrosse in Shanghai? “People look at you strangely when you mention lacrosse.” Lacrosse, a quintessentially American sport, didn’t exist in Shanghai three years ago. Now, thanks to the support of the Federation of International Lacrosse and an encouraging expatriate coach, a group of Chinese students have their eyes set on the Lacrosse World Championship in 2014. (CNNGo – Shanghai Lacrosse Players)
Continue reading