EA and adidas Originals Promote the Run

While many video games these days are getting gamers off the couch, one game will likely get gamers dashing to get a pair of athletic fashion shoes. The upcoming racing game Need for Speed The Run, which will arrive this November for the Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3, PC, Nintendo Wii and Nintendo 3DS will feature the iconic adidas Superstar shoes. Additionally the adidas branded apparel which will be available at all adidas Originals stores across the United States. Continue reading EA and adidas Originals Promote the Run

Hit the Stage and Dance (But Without Any Stars)

The latest trend in video game fitness seems to revolve around strutting your stuff on the dance floor – or basically in front of your TV. This week sees the release of Dance! It’s Your Stage from dtp young entertainment for the Sony PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii and PC. It’s your Stage features 20 brand new tracks, recorded exclusively for the game, each with dynamic and exciting choreography from world renowned professional dance guru ‘Detlef D! Soost’.

Everybody dance now with this game, which offers full support for the PlayStation Move, Wii Balance Board and PC via the Xbox 360 controller and dance mat. The game takes place across 8 detailed locations (all of which are expandable through unlockable content) where you can select from a choice of 6 avatars with over 300 unique styling options. With Dance! It’s Your Stage you won’t be dancing with any stars, but at least you’ll be off the couch!

Dance! It’s Your Stage Official Website

PlayStation Move.Me to Benefit Research and Academic Communities

Anyone who thought that video games are just distractions from academic efforts might want to think again. This week at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco Sony Computer Entertainment America unveiled Move.Me, a software application that academics, researchers, students, and hobbyists can use to create new types of software applications using the PlayStation Move motion controller as an input device on their own PCs, all via the PlayStation3 system.

The Move.Me project has the potential to help medical researchers prototype, for example, rehabilitation applications for patients undergoing physical therapy. The Move.Me application could further help lead game design students to develop new creative concepts for gaming within the areas of 3D modeling, motion capture, and augmented reality. The application is compatible with any Windows or Linux-based PC; other devices, such as tablets and smartphones, can also receive PlayStation Move’s tracking data if they can connect to a PS3 system.

“PlayStation Move’s camera-plus-controller combination allows for the most precise and immersive gaming experiences,” said John McCutchan, senior engineer, SCEA Developer Support. “Now we’re formally taking that advanced technology, which was almost ten years in the making, and offering it to innovators outside of our traditional game development community so they can create their own applications to impact the world in exciting new ways.”

The Move.Me application will be available for download from PlayStation Network this spring.

Sony Computer Entertainment PlayStation Move Official Website

Sony PlayStation 3 Gets Motion

A prototype of the PlayStation 3 Motion Controller.
Due out this fall, Sony PlayStation 3 Motion Controller.

Since before its release, the Nintendo Wii has been heralded as a “fitness” console. The fact that games are played better standing up with arms swinging does well to argue the point. Rival Sony Computer Entertainment today announced plans to release a motion controller of its own. It will become the de facto controller for the PlayStation 3 platform along with the DualShock controller. The Motion Controller does require an additional PlayStation Eye camera accessory to pick up a user’s movements. Before you protest, remember the Nintendo Wii has a motion sensor you have to place within a line of site of the controller to pick up movement.

Sony says the name Motion Controller is a working name and is subject to change. The Motion Controller is due to be released worldwide in fall 2010. The controller looks like a flashlight with a glowing bulb at the end. There will be games available at the time of release from both Sony and third party developers. Ape Escape, Motion Party, Resident Evil 5: Alternative Edition, and Under Siege are among the titles listed in development that support Motion Controller. Additional games include LittleBigPlanet, Pain, Flower, and EyePet. As with the Nintendo Wii controller, some games will take advantage of the motion and get gamers moving. Others games will use smaller motions that don’t offer the calorie burning benefits, and might even allow players to sit on the couch.