Posts by AwesomeMan

  • An US caption

    This is the transcript of the ACTUAL radio conversation of a US naval
    ship with Canadian authorities off the coast of Newfoundland in October
    1995. Radio conversation released by the Chief of Naval Operations
    10-10-95.




    Canadians: Please divert your course 15 degrees the South to avoid a
    collision.




    Americans: Recommend you divert your course 15 degrees the North to
    avoid a collision.




    Canadians: Negative. You will have to divert your course 15 degrees to
    the South to avoid a collision.




    Americans: This is the Captain of a US Navy ship. I say again, divert
    YOUR course.




    Canadians: No. I say again, you divert YOUR course.




    Americans: THIS IS THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER USS LINCOLN, THE SECOND LARGEST
    SHIP IN THE UNITED STATES' ATLANTIC FLEET. WE ARE ACCOMPANIED BY THREE
    DESTROYERS, THREE CRUISERS AND NUMEROUS SUPPORT VESSELS. I DEMAND THAT
    YOU CHANGE YOUR COURSE 15 DEGREES NORTH, I SAY AGAIN, THAT'S ONE FIVE
    DEGREES NORTH, OR COUNTER-MEASURES WILL BE UNDERTAKEN TO ENSURE THE
    SAFETY OF THIS SHIP.




    Canadians: This is a lighthouse. Your call!

  • The worst ever!

    AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAhAHAAHAHAHAHAHa!
    Ohhh.

  • Xbox 360 going 3D? (Answer: sort of)

    What we heard: This morning appeared to be a one-two punch of major Microsoft news. First came a slip-up by a Microsoft Saudi executive that revealed Project Natal is launching worldwide in October. Second was the Engadget report, which bore the headline "Xbox 360 3D gaming a reality with LG partnership."


    Engadget's piece was based off of a South Korean press release, but the Amsterdam-based author of the article didn't identify which company issued it. The blog did post a picture (top) of what were (presumably) LG and Microsoft executives playing a 3D game on a LX9500 LED HDTV above cobranded LG and Xbox 360 promotional materials. "The image above is unmistakeable [sic]: 3D gaming on an Xbox 360 with the help of an LG 3D television," declared the article.


    Coupled with the headline, that last line set off a wave of reports declaring that Microsoft was jumping on the 3D bandwagon with both feet. Such a move would counter Sony's plans to make all PlayStation 3s 3D-capable via a firmware update later this year.


    However, a closer look at the evidence shows that Microsoft's plans are of a much smaller scope than its rival's. On March 29, LG issued a press release to promote the launch of the LX9500 3D HDTV "next month"--i.e. April--although the set still appears to be unavailable. According to a rough translation, the hardware-maker touts a massive bundle, which will include the LX9500, a 3D-capable Blu-ray player, an Xbox 360, an HDMI cable (needed for 3D), and an "Avatar game title."


    Indeed, the game shown in the photo is the critically panned movie-tie-in Avatar (see screen for comparison below), which was released last December with out-of-the-box 3D capability with stereoscopic 3D-compatible TVs. Engadget said the promotion also extended to other "3D-capable Xbox 360 games," of which there are few. Those include the movie tie-in G-Force, which came with old-school red-and-blue 3D glasses, and the just-released game of the year edition of Batman: Arkham Asylum, which uses TriOviz 3D technology to work on any television.


    The official story: Microsoft offered the following statement: "3D games are available today on Xbox 360 and will continue to evolve. Today, you can buy a 3DTV and wear glasses to play games like Avatar, and more titles like Batman: Arkham Asylum are on the way. The promotional partnership with LG announced in South Korea today is specific to the South Korean market, but is further evidence that as 3D adoption grows, Xbox 360 will support 3D games and entertainment."


    Bogus or not bogus?: Bogus that Microsoft has announced a new Xbox 360 with 3D capabilities, which some outlets are reporting despite Engadget's explicit caveat that "we're not seeing anything specific claiming new Xbox 360 hardware." Not bogus that Microsoft is hoping to expand its Korean market share--and test the 3D waters--in a cross-promotion deal with LG.

  • DUST 514 to use Unreal Engine 3

    CCP has announced an agreement with EPIC Games China to licence Unreal Engine 3 for use in the development of DUST 514™. They have also announced that they will be working along side geometrics to integrate their Enlighten real-time lighting product with Unreal technology. Dust 514 is the first sheduled console release to combine the use of Enlighten with the Unreal Engine 3 to produce fully dynamic lighting for console platforms.


    "The dynamic large-scale battlefields of DUST 514 presented an interesting challenge for us," said Hilmar Petursson, CEO of CCP. "We determined Unreal Engine 3 to be the perfect solution because its tremendous flexibility allows us to easily integrate new technology and produce stunning results."


    "In DUST 514, CCP is creating the very first game of its kind, and thus requires an engine versatile enough to handle these new demands," said Paul Meegan, CEO Epic Games China. "Unreal Engine 3 will enable DUST 514 to build upon the standards of visual excellence that CCP achieved in EVE Online. We're avid fans of CCP and their games. The results will be spectacular."


    "Standardizing on Unreal Engine 3 gives CCP's development team the time and flexibility to focus on extensions such as Enlighten, and to perfect the optimal client-side engine and pipeline to fully realize CCP's vision for creative and artistic excellence. With its own Core Technology Platform (CTP), CCP can provide a fully scalable and persistent online gaming experience that meets both the visual, technical and creative demands for DUST 514."


    The lighting technology from Geometrics is now fully integrated with dust 514 which will allow the artists and level designers to enhance the mood and atmosphere of the game through dynamic lighting. This is the same technology that was seen in the early footage of "Incarna" (walking in stations)


    "Having already produced stunning real-time radiosity results with Geomeric's Enlighten technology on the PC platform, we entered into a partnership with them to integrate their technology with Unreal Engine 3. The results knocked my socks off," said Hilmar Petursson, CEO of CCP. "Additionally, we now have rapid iteration on the lighting which is crucial to achieve the high bar we have set for Dust 514."


    "Our advanced lighting technology will help players immerse themselves in the incredible universe CCP is creating," said Gary Lewis, CEO Geomerics. "We look forward to seeing how CCP will take advantage of the integration between Unreal Engine 3 and Enlighten in this new category of videogame."


    All this puts dust 514 in good company. Just take a look at the list of top quality games that use Unreal Technology: Gears of War, Mass Effect, BioShock, Unreal Tournament, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas, America's Army, Mirror's Edge, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell the list just goes on!