Games and gear

SimCity launch a complete disaster

Good luck trying to move into the new SimCity.

Ever since the city management game launched on Tuesday, countless gamers have found themselves battling error messages and random disconnections that prevent them from experiencing what SimCity was supposed to deliver in the first place -- fun. In response, publisher Electronic Arts says it's working around the clock to try to fix the problems and add more servers so people can play without worry.

SimCity Senior Producer Kip Katsarelis issued the following statement to frustrated builders last night, hoping to soothe their nerves:… Read more

The 404 1,221: Where it's the fungus that kills us (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- The Valve Steam Box is coming.

- How HBO will tackle "Game of Thrones" piracy.

- The Last of Us has a unique plotline with clicking mushroom people.… Read more

Temple Run journeys to the land of Oz

I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore, at least not in the latest Temple Run game.

In Temple Run: Oz, you play the role of the Great and Powerful himself as you travel the Yellow Brick Road trying to outrun flying monkeys, avoid dangerous plants, and jump over or slide under an array of obstacles.

Released yesterday for iOS and Android for just 99 cents, Temple Run: Oz combines the usual hazards of the Temple Run games with the wonders and dangers of the land of Oz.… Read more

Valve's Steam Box ready for testing in 'three to four months'

Valve's highly anticipated Steam Box game console will be ready for testing in a few months time.

Speaking to the BBC in an interview published recently, Valve CEO Gabe Newell said that the console should be ready for testing "in the next three to four months," adding that his company will pass out the device to customers to try out.

"There are noise issues and heat issues and being able to [deal with] that while still offering a powerful enough gaming experience is the challenge in building it," Newell told BBC, adding that Valve still hasn't been able to finalize the device's controller design.… Read more

AR setup shoots to improve your pool game

Want to learn how to win at pool and have your friends owe you pitchers of beer? Luis Sousa, Ricardo Alves, and JMF Rodrigues from the University of Algarve in Portugal have designed a solution that could have you sharking before you flash your toothy grin.

PoolLiveAid employs a ceiling-mounted camera hanging above the pool table that reads several different factors that will affect the angle of the shot: the position of the player, pool cue, table, and balls. It then calculates where your shot is likely to end up, mapping it onto the table with lasers. … Read more

Retro gaming rap: Mario gets hard-core hip-hop makeover

I don't know how much crossover there is between fans of old-school Mario games and fans of East Coast hard-core rap duo Mobb Deep, but there's at least one guy who qualifies. Teddy Faley has so much love for each, he created an entire mashup album of the two.

"Mario Deep" (fair warning: adult language in the lyrics) consists of vocals from Mobb Deep playing over a soundtrack culled entirely of samples from the first few Mario games. At first, you might think the combination would be pretty jarring, but after a few seconds, you can really get into the groove of it.… Read more

SW:TOR Cantina Tour keeps the party going

What kind of community do you get for a game that's just over a year old, not to mention one notorious for a rapid drop from its high initial subscriber base?

Ever since my East Coast-based guild disbanded, I've been a party of one in BioWare's Star Wars: The Old Republic MMO. But 478 people RSVPed on Facebook for the San Francisco stop of the game's Community Cantina Tour on Friday.

Still half-expecting it would be just me, the developers, and a snack table, I showed up early. Was that long line of people us? Yes, judging by the woman in the Chewbacca backpack. I waited outside, chatting with friendly strangers about the game and admiring someone's fully detailed lightsaber replica, until we were ushered in to Jillian's -- a wretched hive of scum and billiards -- for mingling time and a standing-room-only Q&A session. … Read more

The 404 1,220: Where it's always greener on the other side (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Lucasfilm forces Flyers goalie to change the "Star Wars" graphic on his mask.

- NIN's "Head Like a Hole" mashed with "Call Me Maybe" is terrible and perfect.

- Teddy Faley made a mashup album using Mobb Deep lyrics over 8-bit Mario samples.

- Never lose at pool again (by cheating).

- Silicon Valley is full of stoners.… Read more

Hubble telescope spots Space Invader in space

Humans have long looked up into space and assigned objects like lions, bears, and hunters to shapes made by the stars. Now the Hubble Space Telescope has looked up into space and discovered an object that looks an awful lot like a classic game creature from Space Invaders.

The image was taken in infrared light by Hubble's Wide Field Camera 3 and combined with near-infrared observations from Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys.

"The gravitational field surrounding this massive cluster of galaxies, Abell 68, acts as a natural lens in space to brighten and magnify the light coming from very distant background galaxies," the Space Telescope Science Institute says. "Like a funhouse mirror, lensing creates a fantasy landscape of arc-like images and mirror images of background galaxies."… Read more