When R.U.S.E. was first announced with a trailer showing to players battling it out on a giant touch table, we were skeptical. Then they showcased it at E3 on Microsoft's Surface, and we were impressed. Now that multitouch gameplay is closer to coming home, as Ubisoft and Microsoft team up to ensure your fingers can do the walking in Windows 7.

"Making images interactive is at the core of the video game industry, and over the last few years we have been striving to make this interactivity as intuitive and direct as possible. Today, thanks to Windows 7 and its full multitouch support, the barrier between the player and the image has been removed: they become one", said John Parkes, EMEA marketing director. "As a strategy game relying on a clean and intuitive interface built around the zoom, R.U.S.E. was the perfect candidate for Ubisoft to demonstrate how multitouch improves and streamlines the way games are played".

Of course you'll still need a touch-ready monitor, but hey, in a couple of years they'll just be handing those out to people in the street.

CNN walks us through a number of experimental programs being tested by Homeland Security's Future Attribute Screening Technology, or FAST.

The different systems check a person's heart rate, breathing, eye movement, body temperature and, yes, fidgeting.

There are a number of different devices and technology involved in all of this detection, from thermal imaging to cameras used for eye tracking. But the most interesting to many of you will likely be the improvised fidgeting monitor.

Researchers took a Wii balance board — a device people stand on to interact with certain Nintendo Wii video games — and altered it to show how someone's weight shifts. Studies are now under way to determine whether there is a level of fidgeting that would suggest the need for secondary screening.

Fortunately, the screening wouldn't rely strictly on a person's Wii Fit Age to determine if they're a terrorist or not. Instead, screeners would look at all of the body signs before unjustly labeling a nervous flier a possible suicide bomber.

Will airports screen for body signals? Researchers hope so [CNN, thanks mjarantilla]

According to the Financial Times, Sony boss man Sir Howard Stringer will be announcing the company's plans to invest in 3D LCD TVs at the IFA show in Berlin. And he'll also be announcing Sony laptop computers, PlayStation 3 games and Blu-ray players that will be compatible with the technology.

With the PS3 already capable of playing 4D games, according to former PlayStation exec Ken Kutaragi, one has to wonder "Why the step back?"

Sony plans to put 3D televisions in homes by the end of next year [FT]

America's Army, known for portraying a realistic take on today's wars and United States military operations, is now bringing in new machinery that you'll be able to play with... eventually. While you'll only see the Fire Scout's shadow on some of the game's maps and hovering over grounded planes on others, the America's Army team hopes to make it more interactive in future versions of the game, allowing you to "call upon the Fire Scout for intelligence and support."

Mike Howell, business development manager for Army systems at Northrop Grumman's Aerospace Systems sector, is thrilled to see the Fire Scout's inclusion in the game:

"Fire Scout's introduction in one of the most popular computer games in the world is an exciting venture for us. We are happy to support the U.S. Army with this educational tool that provides some insight into what it is like to serve in the U.S. Army."

If this addition of the Fire Scout is any indication, we may be able to look forward to more realistic gadgetry in future versions of the game.

Northrop Grumman's Fire Scout Featured in Popular America's Army 3 Computer Game [CNN Money]

But the HD World does. A custom F-16 fighter simulator, it runs off 120 dual core PCs with 120 $400 graphics cards inside them, all chained together.

All that processing power gets you 10,000 "entities" on screen at once, realistic explosion and destruction effects and "20-40 visual acuity", which is apparently as close to photo-realism as current projector technology can manage in a situation like this.

Oh, and it all comes wrapped in a 180-degree screen, along with a fully authentic replica of an F-16 cockpit.

If it didn't cost millions and millions of dollars, I'd already have one on order. You can check out a clip of the sim in action below, courtesy of the Star Telegram.

Ultra-HD Military F-16 Flight Simulator Runs on 120 PC Graphic Cards [Gizmodo]

The "Future Soldier 2030" being planned at the Army's Soldier Systems Center in Natick, Mass., is the subject of much oohing-and-ahhhing in today's New York Post. The basis of tomorrow's fighter is a "soldier as a system," philosophy that more or less regards soldiers as battlefield assets like tanks or planes.

Some of this "system's" features include a HUD inside the helmet; voice commands that unlock a weapon or set it to less-than-lethal force, a powered exoskeleton to increase a soldier's movement endurance and even "neural prosthetics" and "drugs that aid cognitive ability." The Army allows that those enhancements might be "controversial now, but perhaps ubiquitous in 2030."

I suppose it's only a natural evolution, the Army's designs somewhat trailing the epochal history of combat games; from flight sims to drone aircraft, FPSes to cyborg soldier.

Soldier of the Future [NY Post, and graphic; thanks randlsa]

This write-up by NFG (of the selectbutton forums) goes into astonishing detail on just why fixed-resolution displays aren't up to the job of displaying retro games the way they were meant to be displayed.

See, old cathode ray tube sets (ie your old TV) could handle the resizing of pixels - which is what your old 8-bit & 16-bit games were made of - just fine. But newer TVs need to digitally "fudge" the picture, and the way they go about fudging it results in a distorted, often ugly image. As you can see above.

Sure, this won't matter for 90% of you (who probably don't even notice anything wrong), but if this kind of thing gets your goat up, the full run-down is below.

Aspect Ratios, Scanlines and Modern Displays [via GSW]

The dual-client nature of EVE Online in its current form allows players with more modern PC technology to enjoy spectacular graphics, while an older Classic Client allows the game to be played on pretty much any system from 1998 onwards. It's a great system for stubborn PC gamers who haven't seen the inside of an electronics store in 10 years, but not so much for CCP, who have to basically create all graphics twice every time they add something to the game. Not anymore.

Starting with the launch of the next expansion, EVE Online: Apocrypha, CCP will discontinue support for ShaderModel 1, replacing the Classic Client with the new Premium Lite Client, which uses downsampled textures from the Premium Client, allowing the company to cut their graphics work by half.

After that, CCP is looking at possibly discontinuing support of ShaderModel 2 with the Winter 2009 expansion.

So how many people will be affected by these changes?

We know this will affect some players out there. What we don't know is exactly how many. We estimate that about 95% of all subscribers currently have hardware that is SM2 compatible. We further predict that in q4 this year over 97% of subscribers will have SM3 capable hardware. This means that an estimate of anywhere from 3%-5% of current subscribers would have to update their computers or graphics cards to be able to continue playing.

Seriously? 3-5% of EVE Online players are running on computer systems from the previous century? Maybe we should start a video card drive for these poor unfortunate souls.

i can totally run that on my amiga [EVE Online via 1UP]

Prof Stone said: "If our research proves that it works come 2009 we will start trying it out on real soldiers.

"It could be rolled out across all the services. It would be Brit soldiers who would benefit."

He explained: "In very basic layman's terms it is a computer game with smell.

"The smell system we are currently conducting research into is very new.

"We are looking into whether it is worth doing, to introduce smell into our games training. We need to make sure it is going to help troops and is not just a gimmick.

The scientists are also looking into defence mental health, with Prof Stone adding: "Smell is so closely linked to emotion and memory, it's something that we need to take seriously.

"We have got a number of virtual environments already in place and are now adding smells to it to see what effect it has on training."

Prof Stone also thinks the device could be up for sale for the general public in a number of years.

As Kieron Gillen of Rock, Paper, Shotgun noted, we can hope this technology makes its way to a wider audience, "if only as it’ll allow us to claim that a game stinks in a more literal sense."

British soldiers could be trained on a computer game with smell [The Telegraph via Rock, Paper, Shotgun

An input audio data stream comprising speech is processed by an automatic censoring filter in either a real-time mode, or a batch mode, producing censored speech that has been altered so that undesired words or phrases are either unintelligible or inaudible.

Personally I would prefer one that replaces offensive speech with happier phrases, but technology can only go so far. "Daddy, he called me a mother hugging rainbow pony!" Of course he did son. Of course he did.

Microsoft gets patent for real-time f-bomb bleeping [Ars Technica - Thanks Brandon!]

XMA certainly — every game uses it, and it's the primary audio format for the Xbox 360. It lets you store between eight and 10 times as much audio into memory. That makes a HUGE difference what a sound designer can deliver. I also found Halo 3's use of the Waves technologies very cool, and we're excited to have partnered with them.

Actually, one of the "most interesting features" that has been used is just the fact that, aside from XMA, we've moved to an easily programmable software audio architecture. I've seen some games do some amazing things because they could just write some C code, either for DSP effects, 3D or entire audio engines. It really has unleashed a lot of creativity in my opinion.

Some obvious advantages are pooled memory and the cell architecture that allow for some serious processing power for more real-time interactive mixing. More channels are good but not necessarily always better.

At the end, a comparison is made between Halo 3 and Uncharted: Drake's Fortune. Anyways, worth a read if you're into the technical side of things.

Next-Gen Audio Square-Off: PlayStation 3 vs. Xbox 360 [Gamasutra]

We keep in touch with companies all over the world - I dare say that in two to three years time we will see something. There already are some individual approaches, especially in the science sector, which show that Raytracing algorithms are scaling very well with the numbers of cores. But the migration to a new programming technology takes years; Raytracing is still in an early stage

We've already seen crude attempts at raytracing Quake 4, with pretty spectacular results. Those of you wondering where graphics could go from here now have your answer.

Raytraced games in 2 to 3 years, says Intel [PCGH]

Real racing in the virtual world [BBC, via Gizmodo]

“We’re deeply impressed by NVIDIA’s commitment to push physics to new levels of fidelity and performance, and their investment in development and support infrastructure across all platforms,” said Torsten Reil, CEO of NaturalMotion. “NVIDIA’s PhysX technology provides a robust, high-fidelity foundation for our advanced character animation algorithms and tools. Through our close collaboration, we will help game developers bring fully interactive and believable characters to a wide range of games.”

It's two great tastes that taste real together! Hit the jump for more details on the partnership between physics powerhouses.

NaturalMotion and NVIDIA Bring a New Level of Realism to Games

Companies Team Up to Integrate Animation, AI and Physics Technologies

SANTA CLARA, CA and OXFORD, U.K. - June 11, 2008 NVIDIA Corporation (Nasdaq: NVDA), the worldwide leader in programmable graphics processor technologies, and NaturalMotion Ltd., the developers behind the highly acclaimed euphoria motion synthesis technology, today announced that the companies have teamed up to offer game developers and publishers easy-to-use, highly integrated solutions for adding animation and physics in next-generation games.

Starting with the upcoming release of NaturalMotion’s morpheme animation engine, NVIDIA’s PhysX technology will provide rigid body dynamics functionality across its product portfolio, supporting both console (PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii) and PC platforms. In addition, PC titles will benefit from GeForce GPU acceleration for both PhysX and future versions of morpheme, bringing additional motion fidelity to the PC game experience.

“We’re deeply impressed by NVIDIA’s commitment to push physics to new levels of fidelity and performance, and their investment in development and support infrastructure across all platforms,” said Torsten Reil, CEO of NaturalMotion. “NVIDIA’s PhysX technology provides a robust, high-fidelity foundation for our advanced character animation algorithms and tools. Through our close collaboration, we will help game developers bring fully interactive and believable characters to a wide range of games.”

“The introduction of NaturalMotion’s AI and Adaptive Behaviors is the next big breakthrough in gaming,” said Roy Taylor, Vice President of Content Relations at NVIDIA. “This technology takes us into a new level of immersion as characters roll, jump, duck and react to the players’ actions and the environments around them. We are delighted to be working with NaturalMotion to bring this new level of character animation to the world.”
For more information, visit www.naturalmotion.com.

If only we had had access to this sort of technology back in 1983. The movie WarGames would have been so much better. "Would you like to play a game? How about Resistance: Fall of Man?"

IBM unveils fast new computer for US Energy Dept. [Newsday.com]

Ma Bell, meet Joe Gamer: Sony Online Entertainment Ushers in New Era OF voice chat FOR ONLINE GAMES with powerful suite of Communication services

- SOE Gives In-Game Chat an Audio Overhaul in Agreement with Vivox® -

San Francisco, Calif. — February 20, 2008 — Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE), a worldwide leader in massively multiplayer online games, is poised to revolutionize the way gamers stay connected with sophisticated new voice services where fellow gamers and guild mates are never more than a shout away.

Need standard chat for groups and raids? Check. Don't want to tie up your own bandwidth? Roger that. Want your voice to sound completely different? Done. Late for your raid but want to take part in the group setup by cell phone? Can do. Dream of having in-game voicemail? There ya go. Playing a non-SOE game but want to use this service, free of charge? Aye.

These powerful community building features and tools are coming to SOE games at no additional cost to players and go far beyond basic real-time chat with the usual headset and microphone setup that is commonly used today.

In an agreement announced Wednesday at the Game Developers Conference between SOE and Vivox Inc., an established provider of high quality voice communications, players will be able to access a suite of voice communication tools including voice mail, voice fonts to synthesize player voices into in-game character voices, and the ability to receive external calls in SOE games.

"We're proud to offer this level of communication power and flexibility to gamers. These new voice services not only replace many of the voice chat options currently available but add a broad range of capabilities that streamline communication and empower gamers to maintain their online relationships in both the real and virtual worlds," said John Smedley, President of Sony Online Entertainment. "We are giving gamers the ultimate one-stop shop to stay in touch at all times."

Beyond voice and guild chat channels, North American players will get a special PIN number to dial in from either a land line or cell phone and connect with fellow guild members. SOE anticipates adding additional features including voicemail, broadcast messages, SMS text messaging and an initial offering of six high-quality voice fonts that replace a player's actual voice with something completely different.

With the 3D voice chat, players will be able to walk their avatars into the taverns in EverQuest II, for example, and strike up a conversation with players like they would walking into a tavern or restaurant in the real world. Gamers can manage their conversations with buddy lists, volume controls and commands to leave and join audio channels at will.

SOE's plan is to add these services to SOE's games, as well as integrate it with SOE's Station Launcher, so anyone who uses the Station Launcher, even if they don't otherwise subscribe to an SOE game, can take advantage of these powerful voice chat capabilities. Furthermore, the voice features will be hosted and professionally managed on the Vivox Network so users won't be cutting into their valuable bandwidth.

"We are thrilled to team up with SOE to bring Vivox voice chat and related services to their game community," said Rob Seaver, CEO of Vivox. "SOE is an industry leader with a long history of offering exceptional games and innovative services to players. Their plan to offer such a comprehensive voice service to their gamers is just another reflection of their commitment to delivering the best possible game experience and fostering community."

SOE's current catalog of massively multiplayer online games includes EverQuest®, EverQuest® II, Star Wars Galaxies, PlanetSide and Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, as well as upcoming titles such as The Agency.

Havok Gives Artists Unprecendented Control With Introduction of Cloth and Destruction

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 19 /PRNewswire/ — Havok(TM), the premier provider of interactive software and services to digital creators in the games and movie industries, today unveiled Havok Cloth(TM) and Havok Destruction(TM) at the 2008 Game Developers Conference (ES162, West Hall). Available for the first time in mid-2008, these two products provide artists with dramatically increased control over interactive cloth and destructible objects within games.

Built on Havok's award-winning modular suite of run-time technology and artists tools, Havok Cloth(TM) and Havok Destruction(TM) will feature out-of-the-box integration with Havok Physics(TM) and Havok Animation(TM), dramatically accelerating the development of cross platform, cutting edge electronic entertainment across all leading game platforms.

"With the release of Havok Cloth and Havok Destruction, the company adds both depth and breadth to our market-dominating suite of physics tools," said David O'Meara, Managing Director of Havok. "Innovative and easy to utilize, Havok Cloth and Destruction are powerful, flexible tools giving art teams more control in the design process, resulting in a more realistic interactive experience for gamers."

David Coghlan, Vice President of Development for Havok said, "Havok Cloth and Havok Destruction will further increase the standard of realism and immersion in games. Havok Cloth enables scalable clothing that will significantly enhance the visual impact of on-screen characters. Havok Destruction will drive high-adrenaline action scenes with unprecedented levels of physics mayhem."

Havok Cloth(TM) is a new performance-optimized development tool designed to minimize the time that game artists spend on animating the behavior of character garments and environmental cloth. It enables increased realism for cutting-edge games, is easily customizable and fits into today's workflow without burdening artists, animators or programmers.

Havok Cloth(TM) features:
— Highly realistic physically-based simulation of cloth and character
clothing with low CPU and memory overhead
— Multithreaded and platform-optimized (including PLAYSTATION(R)3)
— Artist-driven control of the full range of cloth behavioral properties
such as stretching, damping and bending
— Artist-friendly, modeller-based, cloth setup tools

Havok Destruction(TM) is the cross-platform tool for simulation of rigid body destruction. Destruction gives the game artist total control over the simulation, drastically reducing the production time and cost of creating large numbers of realistic destructible game objects. Havok Destruction can create a completely new game play experience by giving additional realism to structural mechanics, graphical effects and game level design.

Havok Destruction(TM) features:
— Dynamic fracture of game objects including: shattering, fracture and
deformation.
— Software Development Kit that is fully multithreaded, optimized for
the PLAYSTATION(R)3 and Xbox 360(R) and makes optimal use of Havok
Physics
— Art Tool Support

Physics is extremely demanding in terms of resources and some of the ideas that I have developed here are not currently achievable — but the advances in the tools and technologies are foreseeable, giving us the power in the future. From now on, gameplay can be improved with uses that are not just cosmetic. The development of dynamic game environments that the player can change on the fly is already a trend in today's level design. Physics makes this evolution possible.

Physics is more than skin deep? It's a short article and not too heavy on the science speak.

Physics in Games: A New Gameplay Frontier [Gamasutra]