| CARVIEW |
RSS
Archive: Gaming
February 10, 2009
Sci-fi modeling masterclass
Several years ago, I got into playing the gothic sci-fi tabletop wargame Warhammer 40,000. I nearly bankrupted my family (and I'm only half-kidding), with all of the models, supplies, games books, terrain pieces I bought. I got to the point, like any addict, where I was "under reporting" my habit and hiding some of my more uncontrolled behavior (online ordering makes late-night force upgrades so easy).
So I got a little queasy when I saw that Forgeworld (Games Workshop's specialty/high-end model shop) has a new book out, Imperial Armour Model Masterclass Volume One (US$38), on building, painting, and creating terrain for their amazing (and absurdly expensive) models. I still have one of their giant resin-cast models, in a box, in my games closet, just waiting for me to have fifty or so free hours to build and paint it. I could probably use this book to get useful building and finishing tips. Hmm... I wonder if they take PayPal...?
Imperial Armour Model Masterclass Volume One
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Feb 10, 2009 03:00 PM
Gaming, Kids, Toys and Games, Virtual Worlds |
Permalink
| Comments (0)
| Email Entry
Online disk archive -- Oregon Trail
Virtual Apple 2 - Online disk archive -- Oregon Trail... a timeless classic..
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Feb 10, 2009 05:00 AM
Gaming, Retro |
Permalink
| Comments (6)
| Email Entry
February 6, 2009
Classic arcade game locations
Classic Arcade Game Locations makes it easy to find old-school arcade games:
Welcome to the largest collection of places that still have classic video arcade games to play. If you walk into arcades today only to walk back out because they do not have any of the old games you loved, then perhaps you can find a better place here. Every place and game on this list came from submissions from people like you, so please submit to the list if you know of a place that is not on here. Also, please submit updates if the location's game information has changed. Your great submissions is what keeps this list useful!
Check it out, and if you know of any not in the list, let them know! I wish I could do ad-hoc queries on this site; I'd like to know when I'm close to pizza place with a cocktail Donkey Kong.
Posted by Brian Jepson |
Feb 6, 2009 05:30 AM
Gaming, Retro |
Permalink
| Comments (3)
| Email Entry
February 4, 2009
Making games with Meggy Jr.
I recently assembled a MeggyJr. RGB kit and was pleasantly surprised at what a solid handheld gaming system it really is. Inspired by Meggy's bright and blinky LED matrix screen, I decided to try my hand at some basic game development. Because I'd never written a game before (though played more than my fair share), I expected the process to be a bit tough - thankfully I was mistaken. Armed with the excellent programming guide from EMSL and previous experience with Arduino coding, coding up my game was a snap.
I started off by opening up the most basic example sketch provided with the MeggyJrLibrary - MeggyJr_Blink. Then I added a few lines altering the position of the blinking dot with every button pressed. A few minutes of improvised coding and uploading later, I was thoroughly entertaining myself with a screen full of flashing colors. After some refinements, improvised animations & sound, came the result of all my pixel-pushing - "Dot", a simple and colorful action game. You can download the source code for Dot and give it a go on your own Meggy. Please hack/mod the game to your heart's content. I commented its inner-workings as much as possible in hopes that future authors might find it useful.
Of course Dot isn't the only title available for Meggy, there's a bunch of good games you can download for the kit over at Google Code. (Gemkeeper's my current fave) Have fun!
Posted by Collin Cunningham |
Feb 4, 2009 04:00 AM
Arduino, Gaming, Kits, Maker Shed Store |
Permalink
| Comments (2)
| Email Entry
January 26, 2009
1914 Cyclopedia of 5,000 Puzzles...By Sam Loyd
I was looking through the old catalogs photostream that Evil Mad Scientist linked to recently, and found this very cool book of puzzles from 1914.
Posted by Patti Schiendelman |
Jan 26, 2009 07:00 AM
Gaming, Kids |
Permalink
| Comments (0)
| Email Entry
iPhone app will help you deconstruct the Rubix cube
The "CubeCheater" iPhone app allows you to take a picture of your existing puzzle and the application will walk you through the solution to the puzzle. Although we're not sure if we want to encourage cheating here at Make, we like the ingenuity of apps like this that mathematically deconstruct objects in order to find out how they tick.
Posted by Jonah Brucker-Cohen |
Jan 26, 2009 05:00 AM
Gaming, iPhone, Mobile, Wireless |
Permalink
| Comments (1)
| Email Entry
January 23, 2009
Portal gun replica befits a safer testing environment
Observe this impressively accurate reproduction of the ASPHD(aka portal gun) from Valve software's acclaimed first-person-puzzler -
My boyfriend made this ASHPD for me for my upcoming Aperture Science Test Subject costume. It lights up both blue and orange along the tube and in the barrel, and the prongs light up red as long as the gun is on.No response from Aperture Science regarding possible IP infringement - Portal gun on Flickr
[Thanks, pinkfairywand!]
Posted by Collin Cunningham |
Jan 23, 2009 03:00 PM
Gaming |
Permalink
| Comments (1)
| Email Entry
PSPSEQ video tutorials
For those who have successfully modded their PSP to run homebrew software, Ethan Bordeaux developer of the PSPSEQ music sequencer has posted an extensive series of video tutorials to get you up and running with the program. The free homebrew sequencer can be a little tough to jump into so this series can prove quite handy. - PSPSEQ on YouTube [via Create Digital Music]
Posted by Collin Cunningham |
Jan 23, 2009 02:00 PM
Gaming, Music |
Permalink
| Comments (0)
| Email Entry
January 22, 2009
Plastic polygon man watches your every move
Here's an interesting take on bringing 3D video game characters into the real world. This "low-polygon" man was made from molded plastic and resembles something like a cross between Grand Theft Auto meets an August Rodin figure.
via Monster Munch
Posted by Jonah Brucker-Cohen |
Jan 22, 2009 05:00 AM
Arts, Gaming |
Permalink
| Comments (0)
| Email Entry
January 21, 2009
Getting Meggies to talk to each other
For today's EMS Labs project, Windell shows you how to connect two Meggy, JR RGB game units to one another, using a hacked CD-ROM-to-Mobo cable. The cable can also be used to provide a serial connection between any two Arduino-compatible devices normally programmed through a FTDI USB-TTL cable.
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Jan 21, 2009 02:27 PM
Electronics, Gaming |
Permalink
| Comments (0)
| Email Entry
kurukuru Kart
Here's a fun combination of Wiimote, Flash, and a bit of physical computing, all cobbled together to make a little car that you can drive around the office Mario Kart style.
There isn't a whole lot of information available on this besides the video captions, but it appears to be using the WiiFlash Flash API for Wiimote input and Gainer for motor control output. WiiFlash looks like a particularly interesting tool for Flash developers. You can run the WiiFlash server component on a Windows or OS X desktop and then use a simple Actionscript API to access the Wiimote within your application.
Posted by Jason Striegel |
Jan 21, 2009 12:00 PM
Electronics, Gaming, hacks |
Permalink
| Comments (0)
| Email Entry
January 20, 2009
Real Virtual Skater - skateboard game controller
Rafael Mizrahi sent in a link to his Real Virtual Skater project, a real skateboard turned game controller for use with Tony Hawk Pro Skater.
The deck uses a Wiimote to capture accelerometer data and send it over Bluetooth to software on the PC. This software then sends emulated keystrokes to the game in response to your movement on the deck. It looks like this was presented at GeekCon, and the creators also hacked some of the game skins to put the presenters' likenesses in the game. Slick.
Posted by Jason Striegel |
Jan 20, 2009 06:00 PM
Gaming, hacks |
Permalink
| Comments (0)
| Email Entry
January 15, 2009
Wiimote controlled coil gun
Jay sent in this amazing Wiimote controlled coil gun. This is certainly an effective way to protect your cubical from unwanted intruders. Just keep in mind, this is a lot more effective dangerous than the Nerf versions.
I've seen some of ioBridge projects recently, and in inspired by "ServoBeer" I thought I'd try my hand at one too! I'm really interested in pervasive sensors and opening up more intuitive ways to control systems and have been fascinated by all the great ways the wiimote been used.
More about the Wiimote controlled coil gun
Posted by Marc de Vinck |
Jan 15, 2009 02:00 AM
Computers, Electronics, Gaming |
Permalink
| Comments (3)
| Email Entry
January 13, 2009
Labyrinth game controlled by an Arduino and Wii Fit
Bill sent in this cool project that uses an Arduino and a WiiFit balance board to control a marble labyrinth game. It looks like a lot of fun! [Thanks Bill]
Plug an Arduino and two servos into a wooden labyrinth board game then add some programming and a WiiFit board and you have instant fun. The robotic labyrinth game debuted as our regular weekly CCCKC meetings resumed after the holidays. It was an instant hit and now videos capturing this inaugural event are showing up around the Internet.
More about a Labyrinth game controlled by an Arduino and Wii Fit [Cowtown ComputerCongress]
Posted by Marc de Vinck |
Jan 13, 2009 02:00 AM
Arduino, Electronics, Gaming |
Permalink
| Comments (0)
| Email Entry
January 9, 2009
Giant Atari Joystick Lamp
Seamster posted this instructable for making an impressively accurate Atari joystick lamp -
I have a few basic hand tools and a few small power tools. I started this project doubtful of how I was going to accomplish each step with my relatively small supply of tools, but I came up with some creative ways to use them to get what I wanted. I did have to practice making most of the parts multiple times before I got them the way I wanted them. This was by far the most difficult and time consuming thing I've ever made, but I'm very pleased with the result.Nicely done! - Giant Atari Joystick Lamp
Posted by Collin Cunningham |
Jan 9, 2009 03:00 PM
Furniture, Gaming, Instructables |
Permalink
| Comments (0)
| Email Entry
Weeboy: A DIY video game system
This DIY portable game console features a color screen, tilt sensors, and 4 games. Of course you can always program more games if you build one for yourself. Check out the link for pictures of the system stuffed inside a relatively small enclosure. This is a great electronics project that is very well documented.
By pulling together a handful of low-cost parts and building the system ourselves, we have demonstrated that a complete programmable portable console can be had for less than $70, even when purchasing the parts we sampled. Our implemenation runs on a single 9V battery and features tilt-based control, monophonic sound, and 3 playable games. We call it the Weeboy because it combines features of the Nintendo Gameboy Color and the Nintendo Wii.
A lot more information about making a Weeboy [embedds]
Posted by Marc de Vinck |
Jan 9, 2009 02:00 AM
DIY Projects, Electronics, Gaming |
Permalink
| Comments (2)
| Email Entry
January 7, 2009
Welcome to Alternative CES -- "alt.CES" - BUGLab modules
Each year over 100,000 people visit the Las Vegas area to celebrate consumer electronics at an event called "CES" - in addition to all of the announcements, press releases and the constant coverage on our favorite gadget sites there's been a dark cloud creeping in, there seems to be a growing resentment among the folks who cover the show - it's just not that fun any more, last year's show was all about giant TVs, and later a controversy about turning those very same TVs off.
I went to CES for years and year and always had a great time, I was attracted to the "weird" section that had Chinese clones and odd undiscovered jewels, it was almost 10 years ago that Danger had a little booth on their own showing the Sidekick, years later the Sidekick became an nationwide best selling phone, it's still one of my favorites. I remember showing friends pictures of the Sidekick, they all thought it was a bizarre little device, and perhaps it was at the time.
So, it's 2009 and on MAKE we cover very high-tech products, mostly in our reviews, green, gadgets and "news from the future" sections - this year we're going to try something new - we'll pick and choose some cool things we see around the web from CES specifically with a MAKE lens, but we'll also post some things we'd like to see or things from the past that would be great to see "CES" style. We're calling this "alt.CES" it's a little parody, a little bizarro world, a little fun and little bit about what's going on in the CES world - we'll have a few posts a day about this, if there's something you see around the web from CES that you think makers would like to check out, let us know.
First up, BUGLabs - last year I think they were the most interesting things at CES and this year they are announcing a ton of new BUG modules... BUGlabs are one of the pioneers in open source hardware - the source, schematics and PCB files are available for their products.
Bug Labs announced five new BUGmodules... Each BUGmodule represents a specific gadget function (e.g. a camera, a keyboard, a video output, etc.) that can be snapped to the BUGbase, a programmable Linux-based mini-computer with four available BUGmodule slots.
The five new BUGmodules are:
- BUGprojector, a mini pico-projector module, incorporating DLP® Pico™ technology from Texas Instruments. With a native resolution of 480x320 pixels, stereo playback and a brightness of 9 lumens, users can project videos, photos and presentations on the go.
- BUGsound, an audio module, providing a flush-mount 20-mm speaker and omnidirectional microphone with hardware stereo codecs and four 3.5-mm stereo jacks for third-party inputs, outputs, headphones and microphones. Use BUG as a portable music player, speakerphone, audio processor or more.
- BUG3g GSM, a 3G mobile radio with SIM card input, enabling BUGs to connect to any high-speed GSM network. Users can place calls, send and receive SMSes or transmit data, opening a world of possibilities for mobile and telephony applications.
- BUGwifi, a dual-function 802.11b/g wi-fi and Bluetoothâ„¢ 2.0 + EDR radio, offering yet another wireless data connectivity option for the BUGbase, while providing a gateway to a variety of peripherals such as keyboards, mice, headsets and more.
- BUGbee, a low-powered 802.15.4 radio, enabling BUG developers to create short-range personal area network (PAN) applications for home automation, sensor networks, automotive and more.
These five modules complement the initial batch of BUGmodules, including BUGlocate (GPS), BUGcam2MP (digital camera), BUGmotion (motion sensor and accelerometer) and BUGview (touchscreen LCD). And with the recent addition of BUGvonHippel, a breadboard module enabling users to add virtually any interface to their BUGbase.
This is really cool news, I can finally re-make my location based MP3 player again, the first one was made in 2002 using Macromedia Flash, GPS and Pocket PC, yikes. The way is works... you put in a playlist based on location, so maybe you'll hear "Eye of the tiger" when it known you're jogging up that HUGE hill, or maybe your MP3 player only plays bands in the town you happen to be in...
Posted by Phillip Torrone |
Jan 7, 2009 01:00 PM
Electronics, Events, Gaming, Open source hardware |
Permalink
| Comments (1)
| Email Entry
January 5, 2009
Reprogramming pinball machines
MAKE Projects Editor, Paul Spinrad, sent me a link to this project and the following message:
Some CS / Game Development students hacked a Lord Of The Rings pinball machine, taking full control of its sensors, actuators, and display, and reprogrammed it to play Pinhorse -- like the basketball game, but you try to match your opponent's pinball shots in a certain amount of time, guided by the playfield lights and display. Control comes from a Linux PC and a Parallax microcontroller. Here's the project page with a video and academic paper. Naturally, they had to do some heavy-duty reverse-engineering.
The video narrative is a little hard to follow, but it does look like an interesting, challenging project.
Project "Programming Pinball Machines" [Thanks, Paul!]
Posted by Gareth Branwyn |
Jan 5, 2009 12:00 PM
Electronics, Gaming, Home Entertainment |
Permalink
| Comments (1)
| Email Entry
December 31, 2008
Interactive gaming with an Arduino
This is a really cool game demo by Lok Neville Lee that uses an Arduino, accelerometer, and Papervision3D to interact with the character on the computer. The graphics look great, and the controls are awesome. I really hope more games are in the works!
More about Interactive gaming with an Arduino
Posted by Marc de Vinck |
Dec 31, 2008 01:22 PM
Arduino, Arts, DIY Projects, Electronics, Gaming |
Permalink
| Comments (0)
| Email Entry
Mario inspired flowerpots ready to bloom
These two Super Mario Bros-inspired flower pots bring back the 8 bit graphics found in that game to your private garden or home. Pretty cool idea to integrate the old school graphics into modern living. Just don't try to head-butt them like Mario used to do.
via FFFFOUND! and via Blade Diary
Posted by Jonah Brucker-Cohen |
Dec 31, 2008 05:00 AM
Arts, Furniture, Gaming, Green |
Permalink
| Comments (0)
| Email Entry
Make: television is here! Visit makezine.tv or iTunes to see all the episodes.
Connect with MAKE
MAKE's RSS feed is here.Add MAKE to iGoogle - GoogleGoogle.
How to add MAKE to your RSS reader - Real simple.
Add MAKE on Twitter.
MAKE's fan page on Facebook.
Add MAKE on FriendFeed
Why advertise on MAKE?
Read what folks are saying about us!
Click here to advertise on MAKE!
Makezine authors!
Gareth Branwyn, Chris Connors (guest author), Collin Cunningham, Marc de Vinck, Peter Horvath(intern), Kip Kay, John Park, Becky Stern, Jason Striegel, Phillip Torrone
Current Podcast
Maker Birthday: Alessandro Volta & the EX-150
Alessandro Volta's was born on February 18th, 1775. He is known for several great discoveries, including the Voltaic Pile, which is an early type of battery. In the spirit of experimenting with electricity, I decided to check out the...
More...
Get the Make blog sent via email
Help | Write for MAKE | Contact Us | Subscribe | Advertise with Us | Privacy Policy| About MAKE | FAQ
© 2009 O'Reilly Media, Inc.
All trademarks and registered trademarks appearing on makezine.com are the property of their respective owners.