The folks at Archie McPhee, one of the world’s favorite purveyors of novelty products, were kind enough to send me a copy of their book “Who Would Buy This?” The Archie McPhee Story—182 pages of the most bizarre crap that anyone ever had the nerve to sell. Not surprisingly, we have discussed many of these products right here on Nerd Approved, but the book presents them in luscious detail—including big color photos and commentary about product origins and stories about both their successes and miserable failures.
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There is no fun in being an expert in physics if you can’t screw with people sometimes. This Cup of Tantalus looks a little odd with the question mark shaped protuberance in it, but no one is going to guess what kind of mess it will make. Once you get the glass filled to a certain point the liquid will begin siphoning out of the bottom. The pourer will have no clue what is going on other than knowing there is red wine pouring all over his carpet. If you get any complaints, just tell them you were trying to educate them on a little physics.
Product Page ($50)
There is no reason to feel badly about having a few beers while learning. And if you can’t learn physics after a six pack, maybe you can answer some silly questions from a plastic bartender. Answer questions from random categories or choose one that fits your level of intoxication. Fittingly, you just pull on the beer tap handle to start.
Product Page (£19.99, about $31.50)
If you are going to sit down and have a little smoke while pondering the universe, then sharing that time with Albert Einstein would seem appropriate. Einstein’s breakthrough explained how we got where we are and how things actually work in our universe. There is still more to be done in that area of physics, and maybe your musings of the universe while smoking will come up with the answer. At least you know you have an excellent role model.
Product Page ($19.95)
Celsia has a line of cooling products that use steam as a heat conductor. They use NanoSpreaders part of which contain a small amount of water, and when they get heated up, the water turns to steam. The steam then transfers the heat to some kind of heat sink to dissipate it. As odd as it sounds, steam is one of the best heat conductors there is. They say their technology is a bit more expensive than heat pipes, but the increased efficiency should leave it cost neutral.
With heat the number one problem in computing today, any advance in cooling technology is bound to garner yourself some attention and maybe some VC bucks. It may just be time to break out those college physics books and see what you can do.
Cnet
As a special “thank you” to the press, Sony gave a behind closed doors look at in-game footage from Killzone. If you recall, a trailer from Killzone made a huge splash at E3 2005 with graphics that seemed too good to be true. If the impressions from various media outlets are any indicator, that would be an accurate assessment.
Keep in mind that Sony Computer Entertainment’s President of Worldwide Studios, Phil Harrison pointed out that “we’re showing you this footage as an example of our technology. Keep that in mind when looking at it and don’t think of it as looking at the game directly.”
Impressions:
Kotaku: “Visually it was certainly less impressive than the infamous E3 2005 pre-rendered target trailer, that’s for sure. Animation quality varied, looking awkward at times. Moments smacked uncomfortably of Vivendi’s F.E.A.R. and will probably cause a bit of fanboy ruckus when it’s finally shown to the public this July at E3. There’s obviously a long way to go, but, in my opinion, Sony was very wise to have kept the game under wraps and not tarnish today’s Home and LittleBigPlanet announcements.”
1UP: “It didn’t look as good as the fake-footage we saw at E3 2005, but it didn’t look bad, either. It was just a half-hearted show of particle effects, bullets ripping through warehouses, tearing apart kitchens and showcasing the rag doll physics in the Killzone engine. If the footage ever surfaces, it’ll likely be treated as an ‘engine’ demonstration, but the first-person perspective, gunplay and action clearly show gameplay in some state.”
IGN: “The best way to describe how the aftermath looked is that it’s “BLACK” for the next generation. There was a high level of destructibility as the bullets flew, and some seemingly-purposeful moments of slowdown (as in bullet-time, not a technical hitch).”
The game is slated for an official public unveiling in July – but it is looking more and more like PS3 fanboys looking for a killer app will have to wait awhile longer.
Today, at the Game Developers Conference, Microsoft announced plans to launch a 512MB Memory Unit for the Xbox 360 an an increase in the official size limit of Xbox Live Arcade games from 50MB to 150MB.
The Memory Unit will be available worldwide starting on April 3, 2007 for an estimated price of $49.99 (U.S.) in North America (£34.99 in the UK). The unit will also come pre-loaded with the Live Arcade game “Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved” for a limited time.
The increase in the Xbox Live Arcade game size limit goes into effect today.
The full press release is available after the break (includes rundown of Arcade games introduced at GDC and set to launch in the near future.)
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The folks at Bungie have been kind enough to put up a set of FAQs about the Halo 3 beta for those who might have questions. For many of you the question on the top of the list might be “can I still get into the beta?” The answer: Yes, if you buy a copy of Crackdown.
For me, the most important question was the following:
“Q: Will we all have to sign NDAs and never speak of the beta? Will you try to contain screenshots and movies coming out of the beta?”
“A: Nope. In a perfect world, maybe, but it’s hard enough when the participants are just a few thousand MS employees, let alone thousands and thousands of Halo fans. We don’t expect anything in the beta to remain a secret. The beta will be covered by a normal user agreement, with lots of caveats about the fact that it’s not finished, only lasts for a short time and so on.”
So make sure to check in with Nerd Approved when the beta is released this spring. We have our invite, and we are going to be posting tons of information.
The full Q & A list, is available after the break -
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Outside of the new Zelda release, Red Steel is probably on the top of the wish list for every new Nintendo Wii owner. The question is, does it impress?
Reviews:
1UP: (6.1 out of 10) “Don’t be fooled into thinking Red Steel reinvents the FPS. It’s nothing more than a ho-hum shooter with a creative but flawed gimmick stapled on. Sure, it might not steal the launch lineup, but at least it proves this type of game is welcome on the Wii.”
CVG: (8.0 out of 10) ” There’s no doubt that Red Steel is worth the purchase when you grab your Wii. It’s a superb shooter with a great plot, innovative gameplay and some really brilliant moments that will surprise even the most seasoned of gamer. It’s a decent length too, with a good 15 hours of play in the main mode. But some control issues and patchy inconsistencies (mainly in the physics and level design) pull it short of earning that juicy 9 score. Still, of the 27 Wii games that will launch in December, Red Steel is certainly one of the best. ”
Gamespot: (5.5 out of 10) “Red Steel isn’t completely devoid of merit, but it’s a half-baked, buggy game that feels rushed and poorly executed. There’s a good concept in here somewhere, as a swords-and-guns shooter pitting you against yakuza villains certainly seems like it could be very exciting. However, the experience itself hardly fulfills any of the promises behind it. So if you’re looking for an exciting new way to simulate gunning or cutting lots of dudes down using the Wii Remote, you’d best keep looking. ”
Screenshots and Videos:
Click here for screenshots and videos from Red Steel.
Product Information:
Price: $50
Website: Redsteelgame
Rated: T (Teen)
Bottom Line: Although CVG seems to like it, Red Steel feels much more like a rent than a buy. The game is fun for awhile, especially since controlling games with the Wiimote is a new type of gaming experience, but players will eventually tire of its mediocre gameplay and poor graphics. On the plus side, 1UP is right when they say that it is refreshing to know that this type of game is welcome on the Wii.
