When it comes to adapting popular TV and movies into video games, developers have a poor track record of producing quality results. That doesn’t mean all TV based games are bad. Occasionally a game developer defies the odds and produces something that doesn’t reek of uninspired, phone-it-in game design. In part 2, we’ll look at 4 games based on popular TV shows (at one point or another) worth playing. [Read more…]
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Your TV Tech Fix: 7 TV Related Games Worth Playing – Part 1
When it comes to adapting popular TV and movies into video games, developers have a poor track record of producing quality results. Nonetheless, it’s far safer (meaning easier) for developers to get budget based on a license than try to introduce an original IP, so the gaming industry continues to march forward turning great movie and TV franchises into must-avoid, lifeless interactive experiences.
That doesn’t mean all TV based games are bad. Occasionally a game developer defies the odds and produces something that doesn’t reek of uninspired, phone-it-in game design. In part 1, we’ll look at 3 games based on popular TV shows (at one point or another) worth playing.
Your TV Tech Fix: Hands On With Monsoon’s Slingbox Competitor
Sling Media carved the path for place-shifting and remains the dominant player, but that hasn’t stopped others from trying to get in on the action. Well, one other at least. Monsoon Multimedia, founded by the same guys who created Dazzle back in the 90s, started competing in space several years ago with their lineup of Hava place-shifters. I checked out a demo during CES a while back, but always shied away from doing any reviews personally given my previous role running the former SlingCommunity website. Instead, our friend Doug Feltau if Gizmos for Geeks did a review for DVRplayground, which is well worth a read if you want to learn more about it.
With Sling Media no longer innovating in the consumer place-shifting space since being acquired by Dish Network (they haven’t had a new retail product since the Slingbox PRO-HD launched in September of 2008), it’s high time I take a look at what Monsoon’s entry level place-shifter, the Vulkano Flow, has to offer.
Your TV Tech Fix: Hulu Plus Hits the XBOX 360, Free For Live Members Until May 6th
It’s really turning out to be a bad few weeks for Sony’s Playstation 3. Last week they fell victim to a massive attack from hackers who have stolen the personal information and (possibly) credit card information of their nearly 77 million users, but they’ve had to shut down the Playstation Network entirely while they investigate and rebuild the system with better security in mind. On April 29th, Hulu Plus streaming, a long time game console exclusive for PS3 owners, became available to owners of the XBOX 360. The timing is coincidental, but it really does seem like poor Sony’s getting repeatedly kicked in the crotch while when they’re already down.
Your TV Tech Fix: Would You Pay a Premium to See a TV Show Before It Aired?
Fifty years ago the mere idea of being able to click a button on a remote control and have whatever you wanted to see appear on your screen instantly was nothing more than a pipe dream. Today, what was once impossible almost seems inevitable.
Video on Demand (VOD) services have been around for a long time, but it’s something I’ve never really gotten into. Back when I had premium cable service and a cable box, I watched a few movies they offered for free (not A-list stuff, trust me), but never could justify the high price of VOD when buying it on DVD wasn’t much more. I always thought people who were big into VOD must be insane.
Of course, I found myself questioning my own sanity after reading that DirecTV will be offering a premium VOD (Video on Demand) service that will allow people to watch a movie as soon as 60 days after its theatrical debut… for a hefty $29.99 fee. At first, I was like, “Psshaw! Who would pay $30 bucks to watch a movie that’s already been in the theaters?” After letting the concept settle in for a little while, I’ve actually started to warm up to the idea.
Your TV Tech Fix: Hands-On with Roku XD|S
It may be hard to believe, but not long ago, Roku was only device that could stream TV shows and movies from Netflix. Unlike today, where just about every single device under the sun, from game consoles to mobile phones, help ensure that Netflix streaming accounts for a huge chunk of all web traffic.
Roku was the initial hardware partner for Netflix Instant Watch. Since their very first model, most people have always praised their easy-to-use, no frills approach. Last year when Apple launched their new Apple TV box at $99, interest in Roku’s players surged. Thanks to a little healthy competition, today you can get a Roku streamer starting at $60, with their most feature-packed model topping out at just $99.
Is the Roku XD|S the right streamer for you crazed TV addicts? I’ve gone hands on for for a whole month to find out just that. Read on!
Your TV Tech Fix: Enhance Your TV’s Picture By Getting Black Level Right
The modern day television has a dizzying array of image controls to help you fine tune your television’s picture quality, with the goal to give you the best visual experience possible. Unfortunately, no one knows what half of these controls do. Even a trip to the user manual is often useless, with descriptions like “Super-Whiz-Bang Picture Enhancer: Use this control to adjust the Super-Whiz-Bang Picture Enhancer Feature.”
Here’s the good news. Just about every image control on your modern TV is useless and only serves to actually hurt your image quality. For the most part, if you’re given the option to enable or disable features like “Super Sharpness Enhancer,” “Super Real Picture Enhancer,” or “Super Mario Game Enhancer” (okay, I made that one up), you’ll never go wrong keeping it turned off.
Your TV Tech Fix: Awakened = HEROES in Video Game Form
If you’ve spent your days and nights wishing for NBC to bring back Claire, Sylar, Peter and the rest of the HEROES for a fifth season, you may be waiting a very, very long wait. However, if all you miss is the premise that ordinary people can wield ultra-crazy super powers (along with Sprint cell phones), you may just get your fix in an upcoming video game from Phosphor Games called “Awakened.”
Judging by the trailer, it clearly draws its inspiration from NBC’s former hit (or the timing is ridiculously coincidental):
Your TV Tech Fix: Full Steam Ahead for 3D in 2011
It’s hard to believe it’s been a month since my last entry, and you have my sincerest apologies for the long wait. You see, for a tech writer the holiday season is both the best and worst time of the year. The Christmas holiday leads to New Years, and before we can even settle in for another year we’re all whisked off to Las Vegas for the massive Consumer Electronics Show. Here, manufacturers show us the future of consumer electronics, everything from prototype products that may never see the light of day to actual SKUs bound for stores within the year. Calling it a circus would be an understatement.
For 2011, two major trends dominated the show floor – expect to see 25,000 new tablet computers coming from every manufacturer in the world, and (important for you TV addicts out there) the 3DTV train ain’t stopping any time soon.
Your TV Tech Fix: IBM’s Watson is a JEOPARDY Playing Machine… Literally.
This coming February television and technology are going to collide in a bizarre, yet totally awesome way. IBM’s Watson, a JEOPARDY playing supercomputer, is going to take on the game’s two greatest champions, Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter, over three shows airing February 14th, 15th, and 16th. It’s man versus machine in the biggest thing to happen to the venerable quiz show since Neil Patrick Harris.
But the question is, “Does Watson stand a chance?”