OnLive's PlayPack Free for a Month Thanks to GameSpot

Thanks to my friends at OnLive Informer I discovered Gamespot’s OnLive PlayPack offer. If you’re unfamiliar with OnLive then you should know that OnLive is a video game streaming service, which enables all devices to become gaming platforms. iPhones (and iPads!) to netbooks, can now all play high end video games like Assassins Creed, Batman Arkham City, and Saints Row the Third. OnLive does this by processing the gaming on their servers, and streaming you the live video with some specialized codec. I have been an OnLive fan for months because of their competitive prices, and simplicity. And now, Gamespot has brought about a way to allow all gamers to experience the fun of OnLive.

If you go and fill out the form HERE you will get unlimited access to OnLive’s PlayPack for a month. Some of the games include Batman Arkham Asylum, Homefront, and F.E.A.R. 3. On top of the unlimited gaming of over 100 titles, you will receive 30% off any game that you do decide to buy - making the newest Assasin’s Creed priced just under $35 USD. The play-pack is a $10 value that Gamespot is offering free for a month to all new members so make sure you make an account and check it out while you can! Be warned though, the promotion does require you enter a Credit Card.

Onlive Gaming Review - Better Than Expected

Okay, so soon after writing my recent blog post about the OnLive game system, I couldn’t help but caving in and dropping the money. At the sale price of 66 bucks, it was either buy a whole game system with access to hundreds (well, maybe like 40 at the moment) of games, or buy a single game that I will get bored of in a week. Not too hard of a choice. What really amazed me was, as soon as I ordered the system, I instantly had access to the whole game library on my computer. Instantly, with no additional fee. Pretty Snazzy eh?

The whole computer gaming thing has never really been my style, probably because I have a pretty sad computer with almost no graphic card (its integrated). So playing high end games such as Assassins Creed on my computer made me skeptical. But as soon as I downloaded the OnLive client, I was playing Assassins Creed with minimal lag (I’ll say there was lag simply because I kept dying). Instantly, no download and no wait. But the issue remained: I’m not a computer gamer. A mouse and keyboard either confuses me, or causes me to hit the wrong buttons at the worst times. So I had a theory....What if i plug my wired XBox controller into my computer...And yes they still make wired controllers. It worked like a charm, and immediately everything came together. I now have high end games on my computer, and soon on my TV (whenever the box gets here).

Overall I am pretty impressed with the OnLive game system. There is minimal to unnoticeable lag, no high end processing, unlimited game demos, game renting, and all at the price of a new game. I’ll give it 4.5 / 5 gears just because my college Internet is too slow to let me play a game...which you'd figure wouldn't be an issue with the tuition price.

Check out my post below for more info on it! Or click HERE

OnLive - Streaming to a Device Near You

Yeah, I know I’m a bit obsessive, but seriously, the cloud has invaded our lives more than we know. And OnLive gaming is proof of that. OnLive is like a not-so-powerful XBox, or PS3...or a more powerful Wii (Sorry couldn’t resist). It streams gameplay online, so that your piece of hardware doesn't do all of the computing. What does that mean for you and me? No more scratched discs, no more expensive hardware, and no more annoying game updates.

So, there is a disadvantage to this epic game system (if it even qualifies as a game system). The current library of games is...less than expected. There are a few major titles like Borderlands and Assassins Creed, but overall there are just so few games that grab my attention. But, the system is new, and it must be hard for a new system to earn rights to popular titles, so one can only hope better games get adopted as this becomes more mainstream. And at a price of $66 through Jan 9 ($99 normally), how could a person NOT try it out? Think about it, the new Dead Space, or a new game system? Which I might add, allows you to play the games on your computer as well....umm...Maybe Dead Space was a bad example.

Oh yeah, must I add, it is unofficially going to bring these games to the iPad. Kind of cool considering the iPads low processing capabilities. Check out the video below, and make sure to check out their website HERE. Oh yeah, and if you get it or have one let me know how it is! I just bought it, and will soon be posting a review!

The Kinect - For Kids and Hackers Alike

Remember when the Wii came out? It was the hottest new tech toy on the block, and was said to revolutionize modern gaming - not so much. But I guess it was a step in the right direction, considering both Microsoft and Sony have followed suit. The new Xbox Kinect is the hottest thing on the market and it has been reported that it sold just over 2 million within the first week (a lot of cash at $150 a pop).

Well this revolutionary camera is redefining casual gaming all together, and has become the new fad for household hackers. When the Kinect came out, one underground hacker had a $1000 reward for the first person to successfully hack it enough to where a computer could control it, and use it as a peripheral.  Within the first 2 days there was a video of someone controlling the Kinect's internal motors through a terminal window. Now there are a seas of free open source 'jailbreaks' online, each unlocking nerd fantasies.

Anything you can imagine can be done with this person tracking camera. From playing Super Mario, to Minecraft. Yes, even Minecraft has been reported; so would it be wrong of me to want it, but just for the sake of computer games? I don’t think so, I think it would be wrong of me NOT to hack it. Seriously...Minecraft.

Star Wars Thought It, Sony Made It

“Help me Obi-Wan, you’re my only hope” has been a quote among geeks for years...in fact for over thirty years. Star Wars was such a successful movie because of the abundance of futuristic technology in it, able to excite all types of people. Flying cars, droids, and holograms, seemed so far off. But, in less than one lifetime; they exist. Sony released a new hologram machine (well...not technically, but still), that you could soon be seeing in your living room. They call it a “360-Degree Autostereoscopic Display”. This machine is able to take digital data, and convert it into a picture that can be seen from 360 degrees around.


The way that the Autostereoscopic Display is able to display these images, is through actually displaying 360 images, each with one degree of separation. The models appear to be 3D because your two eyes actually see two different images, giving the model the sense of depth. Sadly though, the machine is only able to display an image at an extremely low quality. But the technology is quickly growing. Sony names tons of uses for a device like this, ranging from gaming, to press conferences. I personally am only interested in the video game aspect of it; and am especially looking forwards to a Star-Wars remake, to hopefully, be released with the display. Because if it isn’t, then that day I'll be out to buy myself a Princess Leia costume...erm... maybe not.

Robotic Exoskeleton by Sarcos - Real Life Halo?

Ever play a tad too much Halo, and step away from the Xbox wishing you were in one of those Super Suits? Well so has our military, and it’s already in construction. Sarcos, a military funded company, is building a robotic exoskeleton. With the current model, the user is able to do almost anything they can do normally, but with 10 times more strength. Ever wish you could lift 200lbs, for hours, without breaking a sweat? Well you can now (which might not impress the ladies as much, considering you’ll be in a massive metal suit). The suit also allows the user to run for miles, as well as allowing the user to have enough grace to play ball. Sarcos later plans to fully encase their exoskeleton in armor, to give the soldier better protection. But first-they have to find a way to un-teather it; and still allow it to have enough battery for more than a few hours. Once they figure that out they should probably send that info to my laptop manufacturer, because I’m lucky if I can get the battery to last 2 hours.