Soon more game players will be introduced the dark and wonderful 2D platformer, Limbo. The hit and highly acclaimed game from XBLA will be available on other platforms within the next month. Game developer Playdead has announced the release date of Limbo for the PS3′s PlayStation Store and PC’s Steam. Limbo will be available on the PSN on July 19, 2011 in North America and on July 20, 2011 in Europe. A PC Steam release of Limbo will be available on August 2, 2011 worldwide.
Microsoft is hosting several panels on Kinect development this week at MIX11. Several scheduled presentations here on live.visitmix.com discuss how Kinect works with audio and as a natural user interface (NUI). Today Microsoft gave details on some of the features that will be in the Kinect for Windows Beta SDK, coming this spring from Microsoft Research. Here are some of the features, as noted by Microsoft:
Robust Skeletal Tracking for high-performance capabilities that track the skeleton image of one or two persons moving within the Kinect field of view.
Advanced Audio Capabilities, including four-element microphone array with sophisticated acoustic noise and echo cancellation for great audio; beam formation to identify the current sound source and integration with the Windows speech recognition API also included.
XYZ depth camera for standard color camera stream access and depth data that indicates the distance of the object from the Kinect camera.
“Microsoft’s support for Kinect beyond the Xbox platform will increase opportunities for developers to explore new ideas and deliver innovative Kinect applications and experiences. A richer Kinect for Windows API will enable the creativity of these development communities to really come to life,” said Robert Tuttle, chief architect, frog design.
Game developer Rare’s studio manager Scott Henson stated, “We’re going to make using your voice much more front and centre – we’ve just scratched the surface on that. We’ll continue to advance and continue to make it better for both your body and your voice. I would say we’ve only scratched 10 percent of the possibilities of what we can do with Kinect.”
Game developer Frozenbyte is offering a collection of its games, at whatever price you can afford, with The Humble Frozenbyte Bundle. The bundle of games is a charity promotion for the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Child’s Play Charity. The Humble Frozenbyte Bundle includes the following games:
Splot (an upcoming game for Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS and other platforms)
Jack Claw (an unreleased prototype game for Windows. Linux and Mac coming soon)
Soundtracks from the released games are included as well. The offer will be available for about two weeks. See the remaining time on this incredible deal and order The Humble Frozenbyte Bundle, at your price, now at www.humblebundle.com. Watch a video of the games featured in The Humble Frozenbyte Bundle here on YouTube.
Game developers InXile Entertainment today announced an HD revival of the classic video game, Choplifter. The side-scrolling rescue game from the ’80s stays true to its gaming roots, but gets a much upgraded visual presentation. Players must avoid enemy attacks while landing quickly, and carefully, to pickup military prisoners. Different helicopters can be used, and some of the missions also call for rescuing survivors of viral outbreaks. As you will see in the gameplay trailer, the perspective shifts when the chopper touches down. The gameplay is easy enough to get into while still providing a fun challenge.
ChoplifterHD is in development for the PlayStation 3 (to be released on the PlayStation Network) and PC. Watch a gameplay trailer below, or here on YouTube. See screenshots here. Read more details from the full announcement further below.
Atari is delivering a new Dungeons & Dragons game on several digital download platforms, Dungeons & Dragons Daggerdale. Estimated for a Spring 2011 release, Dungeons & Dragons Daggerdale will be available from the PS3′s PlayStation Network, Xbox 360′s Xbox LIVE Arcade and for the PC from Atari.com. It’s and action-RPG for single-player or four-player co-op fantasy adventure.
Details on Dungeons & Dragons Daggerdale from Atari:
“Dungeons & Dragons Daggerdale centers on the desperate struggle to defeat the evil Rezlus and his Zhentarim in their attempt to invade and conquer the Dalelands. Dungeons & Dragons Daggerdale is an engaging multi-player experience that introduces a riveting narrative and treacherous new characters. Players are charged with the task of restoring order to Nentir Vale by unlocking the secrets of the Mines of Tethyamar, defeating the evil within the treacherous Tower of the Void, leading to the final confrontation with Rezlus himself. ”
Watch a trailer from Dungeons & Dragons Daggerdale below, or here on YouTube:
Keep a lookout for more information at www.atari.com.
