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Halo Wars 'Strategic Options' DLC available now

by Alexander Sliwinski { May 19th 2009 at 12:30PM }

The advanced AI known as Major Nelson informs us that Halo Wars' "Strategic Options" DLC is available now for 800

($10). The pack includes three new game types and 100 points of Achievements (no maps?).

If the price seems a bit steep for a few game types, we've got that covered too. We've got a post up now to win one of five free codes. Good luck!

[Add Halo Wars Strategic Options DLC to your queue]

Gallery: Halo Wars 'Strategic Options' DLC

Sony patented the PlayStation ... robot?

by Xav de Matos { Mar 19th 2009 at 8:30PM }

Last June, Sony Computer Entertainment filled a patent application for a small robot accessory with multiple user-interaction options, according to Siliconera. Along with the ability to bomb around a user's house like a distant cousin of the Roomba, the SCE robot patent calls for the device to include a camera (presumably so it can watch you sleep at night) and display, a microphone for voice and sound command functions and speakers. According to the story, Sony also prepped upgrade options for the ~~bad idea~~ device in the form of an acceleration and gyro sensor, and/or possibly a GPS receiver.

In case the above sarcasm isn't enough, let's be clear. We don't think this is a good idea. No, not because this idea has been tested in the past -- and failed miserably, mind you -- but because giving a robot this many options seems dangerous. A camera to watch you, GPS to track you, speakers to announce the coming Robotocalypse -- No, thank you! If this robot, which we hope is some kind of early and elaborate April Fool's joke, is ever announced and is codenamed Skynet ... just run.

Robot to develop further Halo Wars content, new IP

by Randy Nelson { Feb 17th 2009 at 6:20PM }

Recently formed Robot Entertainment has answered the question of who's going to support Halo Wars after its launch on March 3: the people who made it. Robot -- created by ex Ensemble Studios staff, including its founder, Tony Good -- will not only provide online support and community management for the Halo universe RTS, but will be working with Microsoft Game Studios to create future content for the game.

Robot will also be working with MGS on the Ensemble-created Age of Empires franchise going forward, with the intent to handle support for current and future titles in the series. In a release issued today, the developer also announced that it has begun work on a new project based on an original IP. Given the various unannounced projects revealed when Ensemble closed its doors, we'd be surprised if this new game turns out to be another RTS.

Ensemble Studios founder creates Robot Entertainment

by Ben Gilbert { Feb 14th 2009 at 8:00PM }

It's been just under two weeks since Age of Empires and Halo Wars developer Ensemble Studios closed its doors and already one of the two previously announced development studios springing from its demise is forming like Voltron -- appropriately, they've named the new studio Robot Entertainment. Tony Goodman, founder of Ensemble Studios way back in January of 1996, appears to be heading up the studio, whose website promises "big ideas" and ... well ... not much else.

Will Robot Entertainment be the studio supporting development of the promised Halo Wars dlc? That remains to be seen but, given co-founder Bruce Shelley's words last month in his final blog post on the community site (which is now shut down), there's roughly a 50/50 chance: "There are at least two new studios being formed by ES [Ensemble Studios] employees and I expect both to do very well." We've put in word to Robot Entertainment for comment and will update this post accordingly as news comes in.

[Via Gamasutra]

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Guitar Hero-playing robot takes on Cult of Personality

by Griffin McElroy { Nov 22nd 2008 at 6:00PM }

If you needed further proof that we're quickly approaching the day when robots will outperform humans in all our endeavors, you may want to turn your attention to a tech demo for the Guitar Hero-playing "Cythbot", which we've posted after the jump. Using a light-measuring camera and six pneumatic "fingers", the Cythbot can strum its way through Guitar Hero's more difficult songs with terrifying accuracy -- check out the Expert run through Living Color's "Cult of Personality" in the embedded video.

In a recent write-up of the robo-shredder, Wired compared Cythbot to the chess-playing supercomputer "Deep Blue", which toppled World Chess Champion Garry Kasparov in 1996. We'd like to see the Kasparov of Guitar Hero, Chris Chike, take on the Cythbot in a battle for the fate of humanity -- though we're not certain that Mr. "I scored 100 percent on Dragonforce" isn't, in fact, also a robot.

[Thanks, Saria the Cat.]

Continued →

The robots are coming: Overturn hits Japanese WiiWare next month

by Chris Greenhough { Oct 23rd 2008 at 3:30PM }

Studio Zan is lining up a November release in Japan for Overturn, a new vehicular combat game that sees manga characters (who look oddly out of place next to the game's 3D arenas) take control of hulking great robots.

Overturn has yet to be priced or confirmed for a western release, but a Game Watch preview reveals that it will come with a Story mode, local multiplayer, WiFi play for upto four players, Balance Board compatibility, and full online leaderboards. Nice. Oh, and it reminds us of Robot Wars.

Gallery: Overturn

Wow, that's a Wiimote controlling a spy robot!

by David Hinkle { Oct 15th 2008 at 5:20PM }

The WowWee Rovio is quite the little gizmo. A mobile spy bot with Wi-Fi and a webcam, you can use the robot to speak, see and hear anything through the internet. Utilizing a bluetooth adapter and a Wiimote, the folks over at Robodance have come up with a way to control it with Nintendo's innovative controller, as you can see in the video above. Consider us impressed.

The Wiimote is a powerful tool. Enjoy things such as this? Then be sure to check out our column, Revolutionary, where Mike Sylvester shows us how to do the extraordinary.

DeepNote Guitar Hero robot will rock your face off

by David Hinkle { Jul 14th 2008 at 3:30PM }

Other than "amazing," you may also call the above contraption DeepNote. It's a working robot that can totally destroy you in Guitar Hero. Using a pair of "eyes," it watches the action on-screen, then playing those very notes in real-time. It's all done via a series of photodiodes, which pick up the changes in light from the screen in up to eight nanoseconds. As evidenced by the video above, this thing actually works and is quite impressive.

[Via Engadget]

Robotic arm bends to the will of the Wiimote

by David Hinkle { May 22nd 2008 at 4:00PM }

While we've seen a nunchuk control a robotic camera and the U.S. government's experimental Packbot, we've yet to see anything as sophisticated as this. With the video being past the post break (sorry, but it autoplays and we can't be having that on the main page), we'll save the narrative introduction of describing what this thing is and why it does what it does so well. Just know this: it's pretty awesome.

Cruise past the post break and check out this Wiimote-controlled robotic arm and see for yourself.

Continued →

Friday Video: Nunchuk camera hack

by David Hinkle { Apr 11th 2008 at 7:00PM }

This one is fairly old, but pretty darn good. Well, good if you like robots. And nunchuks. Odds are if you're reading this site, you do. Success!

Anyway, the video may be lacking in the "how to do this" area, but it is certainly not lacking that cool factor. We can imagine a million different uses for a robotic camera such as this. Let us list a few:

Finding loose snack chips that fell behind the sofa
Powerpoint presentations (just attach a pointer to the camera's head)
Spying on your ex-girlfriend or boyfriend
Creating your very own Roboquad

[Via Hack A Day]

U.S. Military using Wiimote-controlled Packbot to disable bombs

by Griffin McElroy { Mar 29th 2008 at 8:30PM }

We like the way the U.S. military thinks. One of the Wii's biggest flaws is the painful stretches of downtime between its bigger releases, causing dust to settle on Nintendo's minuscule console and cobwebs to form on our Wiimotes. What better way to get more mileage out of our neglected gyroscopic peripherals than to use them to blow up actual bombs and landmines?

This must have been the thought process of those techno-wizards at iRobot, who have modified their Packbot model to be controlled by a standard Wii remote. It seems they discovered that Nintendo's motion-sensitive controller doesn't just lend itself to instinctive, natural interaction with games like Wii Tennis, but also with maneuvering rifle-mounted, explosive-detonating robots -- just remember to always use the wrist strap. Impaling a TV screen while hitting the Wii Bowling lanes is embarassing, throwing the reigns of a gun-toting war machine is just plain irresponsible.

New weapon against bomb threats: waggle

by JC Fletcher { Mar 28th 2008 at 10:30AM }

The U.S. government is apparently experimenting with using the Wii remote to control a bomb-defusing robot. They've adapted Packbot, made by the company that built my vacuum cleaner, to accept commands from a Wiimote -- we assume that includes motion input as well, otherwise there'd be no point in using the Wiimote.

The idea behind the experiment is that the Wii's "more instinctive" controls allow for better maneuvering of Packbot and thus more effective (and less dangerous) bomb disposal. As long as nobody on the Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz team is involved with programming the controls.

We're a little bummed that we'll never get a chance to play with the exclusive "Bomb-Defusing Robot" peripheral, although we know the accessories would get expensive, and also we'd probably die.

[Via Game|Life]

Robots recruit DS for inevitable war against humans

by Eric Caoili { Feb 4th 2008 at 2:15PM }

How many times do we have to remind you, kids -- tinkering with advanced robot technology will only lead to humanity's doom. Have you learned nothing from watching The Matrix? 2001: A Space Odyssey? The Terminator? When robots play, they play for keeps! With your life!

Ignoring our pleas of reason, a group of six engineering students in France have been working since last February to enslave a Pekee robot, programming the cute-but-deadly machine to follow orders sent from a Nintendo DS. As demonstrated in the video above, the team developed six different steering methods to pilot the Pekee with:

directional pad
touchscreen buttons
motion-based movements
stylus strokes
target mode (modeled after Super Mario 64 DS)
voice controls via DS microphone

Pretty cool, right? Just think, one day in the not-so-distant future, that little vacuum-shaped automaton will hunt your children down for sport!

Nunchuk robot coming for your soul

by Alisha Karabinus { Jan 14th 2008 at 2:15PM }

So maybe Charlie isn't really coming for your soul, but he is awfully cute, and since he needs only a Wii nunchuk, a transmitter, and a little attention, he's pretty awesome, too. Creator frank26080115 designed the RC robot to work in a variety of ways with the nunchuk for control; he can use the joystick to move the little guy around, or with the Z-button depressed, the scheme allows for full motion controls. Using the C button, he can control Charlie's head. Better still? There's code and more available for all you robot aficionados at home, so you can get to work on your own version.

[Via Hack a Wii]

THQ handling game duties for upcoming Pixar film

by David Hinkle { Jan 3rd 2008 at 11:15AM }

With THQ handling duties on previous Pixar films' game adaptation Ratatouille, it comes as little surprise that they're taking care of business regarding the upcoming game based on the soon-to-release film WALL•E (short for Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class). The story follows a small robot (WALL•E, natch) on a journey of self-discovery.

The movie is currently scheduled for a release this summer.

[Via Joystiq]