Friday, April 27, 2007
feedback #2
Well done Myk - you have improved on your case study. Look at some of the other students' blogs and ensure that you have covered every angle.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Gaming Addicts Damage Work, Home & Social Lives
Internet computer gaming is potentially damaging for players' work, home and social life. I have found a survey investigating levels of online gaming addiction.
Online gaming users who are hooked on multiplayer online games can raise social problems. In an online survey of more than 400 gamers who were regularly playing a game called 'Asheron's Call', the research project discovered some players who spent most their time online led to arguments at home and negatively affected their work as well as their social life going downhill. On average they were spending 18.5 hours a week online playing. One player claimed to be spending 100 hours a week online. A survey of the 400 gamers showed that:
Online gaming users who are hooked on multiplayer online games can raise social problems. In an online survey of more than 400 gamers who were regularly playing a game called 'Asheron's Call', the research project discovered some players who spent most their time online led to arguments at home and negatively affected their work as well as their social life going downhill. On average they were spending 18.5 hours a week online playing. One player claimed to be spending 100 hours a week online. A survey of the 400 gamers showed that:
- More than 40% said their social life was suffering
- 30% recognised gaming was interfering with their work
- 40% said it was causing arguments at home
- 50% confessed they were not getting enough sleep
- 35% said they missed meals to carry on playing.
Blu-Ray.......The Next Generation Optical Disc
Blu-ray, also known as Blu-ray Disc (BD), is the name of a next-generation optical disc format jointly developed by the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA), a group of the world's leading consumer electronics, personal computer and media manufacturers (including Apple, Dell, Hitachi, HP, JVC, LG, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, Pioneer, Philips, Samsung, Sharp, Sony, TDK and Thomson).
The format was developed to enable recording, rewriting and playback of high-definition video (HD), as well as storing large amounts of data. The format offers more than five times the storage capacity of traditional DVDs and can hold up to 25GB on a single-layer disc and 50GB on a dual-layer disc. This extra capacity combined with the use of advanced video and audio codecs will offer consumers a remarkable HD experience.
While current optical disc technologies such as DVD, DVD±R, DVD±RW, and DVD-RAM rely on a red laser to read and write data, the new format uses a blue-violet laser instead, hence the name Blu-ray. The benefit of using a blue-violet laser is that it has a shorter wavelength than a red laser, which makes it possible to focus the laser spot with even greater accuracy. This allows data to be packed more tightly and stored in less space, so it's possible to fit more data on the disc even though it's the same size as a CD/DVD allowing Blu-ray Discs to hold 25GB/50GB.
Blu-ray is currently supported by more than 180 of the world's leading consumer electronics, personal computer, recording media, video game and music companies. The format also has broad support from the major movie studios as a successor to today's DVD format. Seven of the eight major movie studios (Disney, Fox, Warner, Paramount, Sony, Lionsgate and MGM) are supporting the Blu-ray format and five of them (Disney, Fox, Sony, Lionsgate and MGM) are releasing their movies exclusively in the Blu-ray format. Many studios have also announced that they will begin releasing new feature films on Blu-ray Disc with DVD.
The format was developed to enable recording, rewriting and playback of high-definition video (HD), as well as storing large amounts of data. The format offers more than five times the storage capacity of traditional DVDs and can hold up to 25GB on a single-layer disc and 50GB on a dual-layer disc. This extra capacity combined with the use of advanced video and audio codecs will offer consumers a remarkable HD experience.
While current optical disc technologies such as DVD, DVD±R, DVD±RW, and DVD-RAM rely on a red laser to read and write data, the new format uses a blue-violet laser instead, hence the name Blu-ray. The benefit of using a blue-violet laser is that it has a shorter wavelength than a red laser, which makes it possible to focus the laser spot with even greater accuracy. This allows data to be packed more tightly and stored in less space, so it's possible to fit more data on the disc even though it's the same size as a CD/DVD allowing Blu-ray Discs to hold 25GB/50GB.
Blu-ray is currently supported by more than 180 of the world's leading consumer electronics, personal computer, recording media, video game and music companies. The format also has broad support from the major movie studios as a successor to today's DVD format. Seven of the eight major movie studios (Disney, Fox, Warner, Paramount, Sony, Lionsgate and MGM) are supporting the Blu-ray format and five of them (Disney, Fox, Sony, Lionsgate and MGM) are releasing their movies exclusively in the Blu-ray format. Many studios have also announced that they will begin releasing new feature films on Blu-ray Disc with DVD.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Sale Figures Compared - Wii, PS3 & Xbox 360
Sony's PS3 games console sold a record breaking 165,000 units during its first week of sales from 23rd March in the UK, it is interesting to compare the corresponding launch week sales of two of the PS3's major competitors, the Nintendo Wii, and Microsoft Xbox 360.
During its launch week at the beginning of December 2006, the Nintendo Wii sold around 105,000 units, 50,000 of which went in the first 12 hours.
In comparison, Microsoft's Xbox 360 sold 70,000 units during its first week of availability in the UK.
These figures are still early days for the PS3 in the UK, and too early to give an accurate picture of how the three main games consoles are competing against each other until well into 2007.
It is easy for manufacturers to choose specific periods in time to place sales figures in their best light, but it is interesting to note sales figures released by research company NPD Group for the three main games consoles for February 2007
In total, 335,000 Wiis, 228,000 Xbox 360s, and 127,000 PS3s were sold in February 2007 in the US. The Wii is outselling all other consoles in the short term but has ways to go to catch up to Microsoft in terms of total sales. The Latest cumulative figures for the US for the three major games consoles: 5.1 million Xbox 360s, 1.9 million Nintendo Wiis, and 1.1 million PS3s.
During its launch week at the beginning of December 2006, the Nintendo Wii sold around 105,000 units, 50,000 of which went in the first 12 hours.
In comparison, Microsoft's Xbox 360 sold 70,000 units during its first week of availability in the UK.
These figures are still early days for the PS3 in the UK, and too early to give an accurate picture of how the three main games consoles are competing against each other until well into 2007.
It is easy for manufacturers to choose specific periods in time to place sales figures in their best light, but it is interesting to note sales figures released by research company NPD Group for the three main games consoles for February 2007
In total, 335,000 Wiis, 228,000 Xbox 360s, and 127,000 PS3s were sold in February 2007 in the US. The Wii is outselling all other consoles in the short term but has ways to go to catch up to Microsoft in terms of total sales. The Latest cumulative figures for the US for the three major games consoles: 5.1 million Xbox 360s, 1.9 million Nintendo Wiis, and 1.1 million PS3s.
Friday, April 20, 2007
Q-u-e-s-t-i-o-n-s-2-a-n-s-w-e-r
- What were the sale figures for the PS3, Wii and Xbox 360 on the day they were launched?
- Who are the winners and losers of the gaming industry's constant development?
- How is the gaming industry finding new ways to satisfy audience demands?
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Feedback on research #1
Well done, some insight and understanding demonstrated here. You now need to research quotations, statistics and add more depth to your study with secondary resources.
Gaming.......The Future
The market for electronic games is expanding. Today's games produce more realism than ever, which gains more fun and more sales. But, what about tomorrow's? What might an electronic game look like in the future after gaming has become a mainstream form of entertainment? What will the platform be like? What moral challenges will it present.
Many have written about the future of gaming predicting which current hardware platform will dominate in the near term. No matter how far technology advances, certain aspects of gaming will remain constant. The plots and characters of today's role playing games will likely remain. Such elements as the marksmanship of shooters, the thrill of speed in the racing genre, the classic dogfight of flight sims, and the strategising of the oldest game in the world, chess will continue.
Many have written about the future of gaming predicting which current hardware platform will dominate in the near term. No matter how far technology advances, certain aspects of gaming will remain constant. The plots and characters of today's role playing games will likely remain. Such elements as the marksmanship of shooters, the thrill of speed in the racing genre, the classic dogfight of flight sims, and the strategising of the oldest game in the world, chess will continue.
Online Features for PS3
PlayStation Network Platform (PSNP). Sony will encourage publishers to integrate online capabilities across different games, but third-party publishers will be able to run their own servers as well.
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Currently Xbox Live does not allow free Silver membership users to participate in online multiplayer games; that content is restricted to paying Gold members. While it is still uncertain of the specific types of PS3 online memberships, Sony says that free memberships will allow users to play multiplayer games to some capacity.
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Technically speaking, Sony's PSNP service will mimic many Xbox Live features including matchmaking, rankings, scoreboards, content download, friends, voice and video chat, and instant messaging. There will also be in-game shops, premium content downloads, and a soon-to-be announced micropayment system.
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PSNP already looks to be head-and-shoulders above the PS2 online infrastructure, and if it really does launch with all the features, will be a strong Xbox Live competitor.
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Currently Xbox Live does not allow free Silver membership users to participate in online multiplayer games; that content is restricted to paying Gold members. While it is still uncertain of the specific types of PS3 online memberships, Sony says that free memberships will allow users to play multiplayer games to some capacity.
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Technically speaking, Sony's PSNP service will mimic many Xbox Live features including matchmaking, rankings, scoreboards, content download, friends, voice and video chat, and instant messaging. There will also be in-game shops, premium content downloads, and a soon-to-be announced micropayment system.
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PSNP already looks to be head-and-shoulders above the PS2 online infrastructure, and if it really does launch with all the features, will be a strong Xbox Live competitor.
Nintendo Wii....The Next Step
Wii sounds like “we,” which emphasises this console is for everyone. Wii can easily be remembered by people around the world, no matter what language they speak. No confusion. No need to abbreviate. Just Wii.
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Every year, video gaming has become an exclusive experience. The complexities of some of the newest games have separated those who used to play games with their entire families. Wii changes all that. Nintendo has created the most inviting, inclusive video game system to date. Thanks to its unique controller, anyone of any age or skill level can pick up and play games on the Wii console.
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Over time, gaming has become overwhelming to people. The Wii console returns gaming to simpler times while featuring game development at the same time. The unique Wii Remote gives parents and grandparents a chance to play games with their children. It gives gamers and traditional non-gamers a chance to share the same experiences in this new generation of gaming. The Wii will also allow kids to be more active during gameplay thanks to the controller design.
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The Wii console makes you feel less like a player and more like you're in the game. Frenzied sword battles are no longer confined to pushing a button. With Wii's unique Wii Remote controller, Nintendo puts you in the middle of the action. Forget about pushing a button to start a golf backswing. Wii lets you swing the club, and no need to push a button to swing a sword, actually swing the sword.http://money.cnn.com/2006/12/08/technology/personaltech/ps3sales/index.htm?postversion=2006120810
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Every year, video gaming has become an exclusive experience. The complexities of some of the newest games have separated those who used to play games with their entire families. Wii changes all that. Nintendo has created the most inviting, inclusive video game system to date. Thanks to its unique controller, anyone of any age or skill level can pick up and play games on the Wii console.
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Over time, gaming has become overwhelming to people. The Wii console returns gaming to simpler times while featuring game development at the same time. The unique Wii Remote gives parents and grandparents a chance to play games with their children. It gives gamers and traditional non-gamers a chance to share the same experiences in this new generation of gaming. The Wii will also allow kids to be more active during gameplay thanks to the controller design.
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The Wii console makes you feel less like a player and more like you're in the game. Frenzied sword battles are no longer confined to pushing a button. With Wii's unique Wii Remote controller, Nintendo puts you in the middle of the action. Forget about pushing a button to start a golf backswing. Wii lets you swing the club, and no need to push a button to swing a sword, actually swing the sword.http://money.cnn.com/2006/12/08/technology/personaltech/ps3sales/index.htm?postversion=2006120810
Second Life...... Issues and Criticisms
Because Second Life is under constant development, and is an open environment that can be used by almost anyone with broadband internet access, Second Life has encountered a number of challenges. These range from the technical budgeting of server resources and moral pornography to the legal position of the Linden Dollar, Linden Lab lawsuit.
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Prior to June 6, 2006, all Residents were required to verify their identities by providing Linden Lab with a valid credit card or PayPal account number, or by responding to a cell phone SMS text message. (Residents providing information were not charged if their account type cost nothing to create.) After that date, it became possible to create an account with only an e-mail address; even standard verification methods such as e-mail reply verification are not used. Access to Teen Second Life still requires credit card details. Linden Lab has the ability to ban Residents from Second Life based on a hardware hash of their local PC, preventing them from returning with other accounts.
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Prior to June 6, 2006, all Residents were required to verify their identities by providing Linden Lab with a valid credit card or PayPal account number, or by responding to a cell phone SMS text message. (Residents providing information were not charged if their account type cost nothing to create.) After that date, it became possible to create an account with only an e-mail address; even standard verification methods such as e-mail reply verification are not used. Access to Teen Second Life still requires credit card details. Linden Lab has the ability to ban Residents from Second Life based on a hardware hash of their local PC, preventing them from returning with other accounts.
PS3.....The Next Online Generation
Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) has announced the first-of-its-kind 3D online user community service for the Playstation 3 computer entertainment system. The service, known as 'Home', will enable users to create their own avatar and explore a real-time virtual community much like the Second Life world.
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Home is a real-time online 3D, networked community available on the Playstation Network. It allows PS3 users to interact, communicate, join online games, shop, share private content and even build and show off their own personal spaces to others in real time. Home will be available as a free download from the Playstation Store and will launch directly from XMB (XrossMediaBar) on PS3.
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With an avatar uniquely customized according to each user's preference, users can explore the 3D community that is Home, a sleek, modern environment featuring spacious common areas; custom spaces dedicated to specific games; and personal apartments. Each user is assigned an apartment in Home where they can invite others to join them as they show off their own style in an area they can personalize themselves with furniture, art and other items, even a different view from their windows. They can also show their personal video, pictures and other digital media content found on their PS3 hard drives in their apartments. Very rich interactive communication with others is achieved through built in text, audio and video chat, along with emotional animations for each character.
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Sharing continues in the 'Hall of Fame', where users can display new 3D trophies that will be unlocked through in-game milestones for the games they own as well viewing the trophies of other users across the Playstation Network and for other games they've yet to purchase.
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Home is a real-time online 3D, networked community available on the Playstation Network. It allows PS3 users to interact, communicate, join online games, shop, share private content and even build and show off their own personal spaces to others in real time. Home will be available as a free download from the Playstation Store and will launch directly from XMB (XrossMediaBar) on PS3.
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With an avatar uniquely customized according to each user's preference, users can explore the 3D community that is Home, a sleek, modern environment featuring spacious common areas; custom spaces dedicated to specific games; and personal apartments. Each user is assigned an apartment in Home where they can invite others to join them as they show off their own style in an area they can personalize themselves with furniture, art and other items, even a different view from their windows. They can also show their personal video, pictures and other digital media content found on their PS3 hard drives in their apartments. Very rich interactive communication with others is achieved through built in text, audio and video chat, along with emotional animations for each character.
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Sharing continues in the 'Hall of Fame', where users can display new 3D trophies that will be unlocked through in-game milestones for the games they own as well viewing the trophies of other users across the Playstation Network and for other games they've yet to purchase.
Second Life.....An Overview
Overview
Developers: Linden Lab
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Second life is an internet based virtual world which came to international attention via mainstream news media in late 2006 and early 2007. It is a downloadable client program that enables its users, called "residents", to interact with each other through motional avatars providing an advanced level of a social network service. "Residents" are able to explore, meet other Residents, socialise, participate in individual and group activities, create and trade items in the virtual world.
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Second Life also features economy and real estate with its own currency referred to as "Linden Dollars, L$". Even the exhange rate fluctuates, as from February 2007 it has been quite stable at around L$ 270 to one US Dollar allowing residents to exchange US$ or other real world currencies for L$. The world also includes communication and transport, creation ( producing in game objects etc) and copyright, businesses and organisations and education.
Developers: Linden Lab
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Second life is an internet based virtual world which came to international attention via mainstream news media in late 2006 and early 2007. It is a downloadable client program that enables its users, called "residents", to interact with each other through motional avatars providing an advanced level of a social network service. "Residents" are able to explore, meet other Residents, socialise, participate in individual and group activities, create and trade items in the virtual world.
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Second Life also features economy and real estate with its own currency referred to as "Linden Dollars, L$". Even the exhange rate fluctuates, as from February 2007 it has been quite stable at around L$ 270 to one US Dollar allowing residents to exchange US$ or other real world currencies for L$. The world also includes communication and transport, creation ( producing in game objects etc) and copyright, businesses and organisations and education.
Monday, April 16, 2007
New Technology of PS3
Sony PS3 - Cost: £425
The PS3 is the hi-tech successor to the world's most popular gaming machine, the PlayStation 2, which has sold more than 110m units around the world since being launched in 2000.
The new machine includes an advanced Cell processor, which Sony claimed would make it superior to anything else available in the console world, as well as a Blu-ray high definition disc drive which the company hopes will become the successor to the popular DVD format.
The new machine includes an advanced Cell processor, which Sony claimed would make it superior to anything else available in the console world, as well as a Blu-ray high definition disc drive which the company hopes will become the successor to the popular DVD format.
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PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3) computer entertainment system combines state-of-the-art technologies featuring Cell, a processor jointly developed by IBM, Sony Group and Toshiba Corporation, graphics processor (RSX) co-developed by NVIDIA Corporation and SCEI, and XDR memory developed by Rambus Inc. It also adopts BD-ROM (Blu-ray Disc ROM) with maximum storage capacity of 54 GB (dual layer), enabling delivery of entertainment content in full high-definition (HD) quality, under a secure environment made possiblethrough the most advanced copyright protection technology. To match the accelerating convergence of digital consumer electronics and computer technology, PS3 supports high quality display in resolution of 1080p (the highest resolution within the HD standard), which is far superior to 720p/1080i
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In games, not only will movement of characters and objects be far more refined and realistic, but landscapes and virtual worlds can also be rendered in real-time, thereby elevating the freedom of graphics expression to levels not experienced in the past. Gamers will literally be able to dive into the realistic world seen in large screen movies and experience the excitement in real-time.
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With the delivery of Cell based development tools that has already begun, development of game titles as well as tools and middleware are in progress. Through collaboration with world’s leading tools and middleware companies, SCEI will offer full support to new content creation by providing developers with extensive tools and libraries that will bring out the power of the Cell processor and enable efficient software development.
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for PS3 specification visit: http://home.btconnect.com/hgi/ps3/ps3-official.html
Friday, March 23, 2007
First Post - The FIVE key Concepts
The 5 Key concepts are:
- Convergence - The Process of multiple technologies being brought together to form a new product. E.g. Game consoles, iPods, Mobile phones etc.
- Personalisation - A characteristic of many NMTs in their ability to offer users a
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