Hot off the announcement of their first iOS game (Project Sword – check out the clip at the end of this post!) this morning at Apple’s iPod event, Epic Games (Gears of War, Unreal Tournament) sends word that a playable tech demo of Unreal Engine working on the iPhone is now live on the iTunes store.
Entitled Epic Citadel, the demo gives you a sneak peek as to what kind of graphics you can expect from Project Sword when it releases later this year. As you can see from the screenshots below, the graphics are jaw-droppingly good. It reminded me a little bit of the wonder I experienced when I saw the first Unreal engine fly through way back in the 90′s before the first Unreal game came out.
Now, don’t expect much of a game with Epic Citadel, it’s basically a really pretty graphics tech demo. You can move around using virtual dual analog sticks or you can let the software take over and provide a “Guided Tour”, which is basically an autopilot demo. You can also navigate by tapping anywhere on the screen and the character will automatically walk there.
I gave it a short test drive and the frame rate was locked in at about 30fps for the most part, but dipped below during a flyby or when a lot of the environment was in view. Nevertheless, it’s a real impressive piece of software and might be worth keeping on your iPhone/iPad just to show off to your friends. Plus, at “free”, its the right price.
We’ve already got a cool gyroscope control proof of concept with ngmoco’s Gun Range. Epic’s Epic Citadel shows us what the graphics capability of the iPhone/iPad is. Come on devs, enough with the demos. Let’s get a real game out now, eh?
Download Epic Citadel for free on iTunes
This morning, we finally got confirmation on pricing for Microsoft’s Kinect peripheral for Xbox 360. Now, this shouldn’t come as a surprise to people who noticed that Gamestop had posted the $149.99 price on their website right around E3 time last month. However, Microsoft had been strangely quiet on confirming this price point until today.
Here are the two ways you can obtain Kinect this fall:
- For anyone currently owning an Xbox 360: Kinect peripheral w/ Kinect Adventures game, $149.99
- For anyone without an Xbox 360: New Xbox 360 w/ 4GB memory storage and matte finish + Kinect peripheral w/ Kinect Adventures game, $299.99
Basically, if you are a new Xbox 360 owner, you can grab both for a $50 discount off MSRP. Microsoft also announced that all first-party Kinect launch titles would be retailing for $49.95.
Now, after reading gaming community reactions to this, one would think that Microsoft had done the video game equivalent of leaving Cleveland to join the Miami Heat. The vast majority of commenters and posters on notable video games communities voiced their extreme displeasure at the price point for Kinect. Many labeled Kinect as a “rip-off” and made comparisons to Sega’s ill-fated 32X peripheral addon for the Genesis. One poster on the neoGAF called it “A disaster of Kin proportions.” Even Microsoft’s own community site, Major Nelson, wasn’t immune to the backlash.
What went wrong? Just one year ago, Kinect (then called Project Natal) was the darling of both core gamers and the mainstream media. People were drinking the Kool-Aid of limitless possibilities in hands-free gaming combined with a futuristic “Minority Report’-esque interface for viewing media content.
Two factors led us to this point.
First of all, the launch software simply is not compelling, at least to core game players. The best game Kinect has going for it is a dance game which admittedly is quite good, but may not have quite the same appeal to Johnny McCallofDuty. The other software is widely viewed as non-gamer content (fitness titles and kids software) or glorified Wii mini-game collection knock offs.
Secondly, Microsoft bumbled the pricing information of the product. When first announced, many people were estimating that Kinect would cost at least $199.99. Pricing seemed to be secondary to the wonder and amazement that such a product existed and could be obtainable by the consumer.
In October of 2009, Wedbrush Morgan analyst, Robert Pachter, guessed the price of Kinect (then Project Natal) at $49.99 (!) with a worst cast scenario of $99.99. Gamers were thrilled. Not only was this device imminent, it would be affordable too!
Flash forward to June of 2010 where online retailers such as Gamestop and Amazon put up the Kinect for pre-order at a $149.99 price point. Grumblings were heard throughout the gaming community, but most were holding out for hope that Microsoft would change the pricing back to at least $99.99 when it gave an official announcement. They did not.
Clearly, Microsoft needed to sell the device at the $149.99, but knew that community backlash was already brewing. They tried to compromise by bundling in Kinect Adventures in with the peripheral. (If we assume Kinect Adventures would have cost $49.99 separately, one could derive a $99.99 price for the device and add the $49.99 for the game to get to the $149.99 price point) However, this seems to have gone largely dismissed by the community because it’s a title that no one desired nor was it perceived as being worth the full retail price tag of $49.99.
If it’s one thing people don’t like, it’s the feeling of being bait and switched on pricing, even if said pricing was never confirmed by the manufacturer. Contrast this with the public response to iPad pricing prior to launch.
Popular opinion before Apple launched the iPad was that it would be priced around the $800-$1000 mark. The Wall Street Journal published speculation in early January of 2010 that the device would cost upwards of $1000. When Apple finally announced the product with a starting price point of $499, it was lauded as being “affordable” and public perception was very positive.
Some conspiracy theorists out there feel that Apple “leaked” this misinformation to the WSJ to manufacture this positive perception. Whether or not this was engineered by Apple or predicted organically, the fact remains that it worked. iPad pricing is a virtual non-issue in terms of internet debate fodder. Microsoft would have done well to haved learned from this.
My Take:
Would I have liked the Kinect to be priced at $99.99? Sure, I mean, paying less is always good. Does $149.99 turn me off from purchasing it? At the end of the day, I don’t think it does. I’m still in love with Dance Central and even at the $200 price it’ll take to play it, it’s no worse than shelling out $200 for a plastic instrument Rock Band bundle to me.
The main concern prospective buyers should be having is with the apparent dearth of quality software titles, at least for solo players. If you’re a core gamer who has no interest in dancing, you suddenly have no reason to buy the Kinect at launch, unless you want a slightly clumsy, yet cool feeling way to navigate your media on your Xbox.
If you’re a casual social gamer or want something kid-friendly, then you have a more compelling decision to make this fall. I firmly believe that total hands free gaming is a lot more intuitive and exciting than having to deal with an a peripheral, at least in a social gaming setting. It’s a much more fluid experience to just move people to and from the front of the TV, rather than having to deal with calibrating and passing along multiple controllers. It’s also a better experience for non-gamers to skip having learn how to use any controller in the first place, no matter how simple it is.
Either way, I still believe Microsoft has a promising product here with the Kinect. The idea of hands free interfaces is a mighty compelling one to me and I’ll most likely be in on the ground floor if only to support the initiative. And because I’m a shameless early adopting gadget freak.
Most people, I’d imagine though, would be best served with the “wait and see” approach with Kinect.
The issues surrounding the iPhone 4′s antenna have been fodder for one of the biggest product backlashes in recent memory. I’m sure most readers are aware of the fact that the iPhone 4 seems to lose cellular reception if you hold the phone in a “natural way.” Today, Apple addressed those concerns in a 30 minute presentation along with a Q/A session.
Takeaways:
- Free Cases – Every iPhone 4 owner gets a free case until Sept. 30. You can choose from Apple’s Bumper or other unspecified 3rd party ones. If you bought a bumper already (but not any other case) you’ll get a refund.
- No Restocking Fee Refunds – If you continue to be dissatisfied, Apple will allow you to refund the iPhone 4 within 30 days of purchase with no restocking fees. You will also get your AT&T contract refunded too.
- There Is A Reception Problem, “But It Only Affects A Small Percentage of Users” – Though it was obfuscated in the presentation at first, Apple did acknowledge that the iPhone 4 did seem to suffer from a real issue of losing cell reception when gripped. Jobs wasted no time in pointing out that Blackberry, Android, and Windows Mobile phones also exhibit the same behavior. He then concluded that this issue only affected a small percentage of users.
- The Stats Support That Conclusion – Lots of statistics were presented to put the problem in Apple’s perspective. Out of the 3 million iPhone 4′s sold, only 0.55% of those reported problems to AppleCare. 1.7% of iPhone 4 users have returned their phone, compared to the 6% return rate of the iPhone 3GS. 5,000 people have emailed Steve Jobs personally saying they have no issue. iPhone 4 drops less than 1% more calls than the iPhone 3GS.
My Take:
Let me start by disclosing that I am indeed an iPhone 4 user and that this antenna issue did affect my phone. I can make the bars go down on the display by covering up the antenna at the right spots. It’s a neat parlor trick that you can do at parties and bars, but honestly hadn’t noticeably affected my real world use of the phone. However, I don’t like the nagging feeling that the way I hold my phone could cause decreased usability. It’s a crappy feeling to be lurking in one’s subconscious. Hence, I bought a bumper not only to prevent reception problems, but also because i liked the gripability of the case and the buffer it creates for putting the phone down on public tables.
Nothing in the presentation was especially surprising. The announcement of free cases to given away (and refunds for previous bumper purchasers) was certainly welcome and a sigh of relief that I didn’t just get jacked $32. The restocking fee waiver seemed like a no-brainer too. I doubt most people would return their iPhone 4′s over this, so it’s an easy bone for Apple to throw.
All the stats Jobs rattled off were a nice way to shift perceptions away from the “overblown” media hype. I mean what looks better: 16,500 people have complained about the issue to AppleCare or that 0.55% of all iPhone 4 users did? (Hint: they’re the same) Can’t blame them for doing this though, the tech bloggers and mainstream media have made this out to be a “doomsday”-like scenario. Even non-techies know about this issue. It’s only fair Apple gets to frame perceptions too.
Troll all you want on the web about principles and Apple apologists, but the antenna is simply not a deal-breaking issue. If you’ve decided that the iPhone 4 is the best phone for you, go ahead and buy it. Yes, it’s an admitted issue. No, you shouldn’t interpret that as the Scarlet Letter and avoid the phone solely because of it. Shit, take advantage of the 30 day grace period Apple is giving you now. You can always return it if the antenna issue bugs you so much.
Ultimately, both the media and Apple can be attributed blame for this mess. Consumer Reports’ “non recommendation based on the antenna issue” was simply a shameless attempt at retrieving relevancy again. Apple’s an easy target now because of their success and prominence. It doesn’t hurt that people love reading this stuff too. We’re a society that delights in schadenfreude, especially when the most successful are involved. While it’s easy to poke fun at Apple’s egomania and hubris, there has to be some sort of journalistic restraint involved.
Apple also fucked up in not addressing this as a problem sooner and by initially blaming the user for “holding it wrong.” It’s one thing to stay silent, but it’s another to dismiss a clearly demonstrated problem by blaming the customer. Had they been more transparent and admitted the issue earlier, the media may not have been able to reach the fever pitch that it has in recent days. The issue may even have been contained and forgotten by now.
The Snark:
- So Steve Jobs rattled on about “working their butts off” over the last 22 days to find solutions and the solution was “show videos of other smartphones dropping bars when gripped”? That’s the best their $100 million testing facilities employing more PHD’s than a full NBA roster could come up with? Come on, at least show us some “hard numbers” as the fruits of your labor. Anandtech has written up two very detailed and articulate reports using less than $100 million of equipment. Tell me why Apple can’t provide us with something similar instead of talking down to us like we’re Luddites (or the New York Times).
- Along those lines, I got why they showed one of each Blackberry, Android, and Windows Mobile phones, but why the Droid Eris? Why not show something more relevant, like an EVO or Incredible or even a Nexus One? Maybe these phones didn’t exhibit so many dropped bars…
- Think someone failed on the slide showing the table with the 3 other phones’ “Min” and “Max” bars. Those columns on the table seem to be flipped.
- Gruber asked the Apple execs if they used bumpers or cases for their iPhone4s. Each of them whipped out their phones to show that none of them do. That’s a pretty telling image.
- Steve Jobs explained the delay in making a public stance by needing to collect “hard data”. It’s understandable, but there’s no reason to let this fester without comment for so long or blaming the customer for “holding it wrong.”
- Steve Jobs gives himself plausible deniability on his public email replies by saying that “some of them are made up!” Great, now we’ll never know which assholic dismissals are real or not.
- On the topic of the iOS 4.0.1 update yesterday that “fixes” the reception display algorithm: Someone brought up the fact that Apple supposedly “fixed” the reception bar display algorithm two years ago. Jobs feigned ignorance at this. Uh huh. I still think two years ago they updated the display to show 5 bars even when reception wasn’t that good and now that it’s bit them in the ass, they’re changing it again. Cell phone reception bars are such a load of crap. Personally, I’d love an option to show real dB readings.
image courtesy of Engadget.com
My initial thoughts on the words and pictures sent forth from WWDC today:
- Design – It looks great. A logical evolution of the “iPhone shape”. I definitely would not be embarrassed to be carrying it around. The one “unknown fact” about the device was that the aluminum siding on the phone is actually the antenna. Hopefully, this will help network usage out. (I’m not holding my breath on AT&T, but will be open to pleasant surprise.)
- Screen - Looks to be the best mobile screen on the market. IPS LCD means the highest consumer quality panel tech, while still being fully readable in direct sunlight. The pixel density of the display is almost unheard of for a device so small. It’s approaching native 720p on a 3.5″ screen! However, all the slides, videos, and words in the world can only convey so much. According to everyone at WWDC who’s handled the device, you have to see this thing with your own eyes to really appreciate it.
- Faster processor(A4 chip, same as in the iPad) – This doesn’t sound very exciting, but it’s HUGE if you’re upgrading an older iPhone. If it’s one thing i abhor about my current iPhone, it’s that it takes so damn long to load almost anything. Not to mention sluggish frame rates in games and app animations.
- Gyroscope - Ok, can’t say this excites me greatly. I mean, Sony had SIXAXIS movement 4 years ago and everyone pooh pooh’d that to oblivion. I’d love for there to be awesome new games based on this, but the pragmatist in me worries that this might be a Wii MotionPlus situation where most developers are just going to develop for the lowest common denominator (iPhone 3g tech).
- Camera – 5 megapixels with LED Flash. Finally. This is probably the biggest feature for me. I find myself increasingly unwilling to carry a separate camera around with me to the point of just forgoing photo taking unless I plan in advance. The camera on my iPhone 3G is atrocious in low light conditions and is truly frustrating when I want to take pictures at concerts or dimly lit bars.
- Video Recording- 720p resolution recording at 30 fps. Fuck. Yes. Flip who? We’ll see if the quality is up to snuff, but if the iPhone 4 can really obviate the need for a point and shoot camera and Flip-like video camera, I will be overjoyed. LOVE how you are able to send recorded videos to Youtube/email/mms with 2 taps. Mobile video blogging will also be feasible now with the front facing camera. I may have to try my hand at that.
- iMovie - At first I was like “WHOA!” Then I was like “Ehh, would I really use my phone to edit videos when I already have a Macbook Pro.” But now, I’m thinking that it might actually be a godsend. If it’s one thing I hate about the current iPhone/computer syncing paradigm, it’s the plain annoyance of shuffling content from one to the other. If I can do most edits and production on the phone and publish it, well, that would definitely be worth $4.99.
- iOS4 Stuff – Multitasking, folders, iBooks, iAds, etc. We saw all this stuff in March – it’s needed and will be welcomed.
- Battery/802.11n antenna/dual mics - Longer battery, faster WiFi throughput, and better sound input. Not exactly sexy-sounding, but who wouldn’t want these things?
- FaceTime - This is the “WOW” feature of the new phone. I have to admit, it looks to be the best video conference solution out there in that it “just works.” There’s no account creation, no logins, no setup required. Everything is automagically done via the iPhone. That’s going to be crucial in getting video communication widespread adoption with the mainstream. When Grandma Luddite can video chat with little Timmy, then you’ve got something special. That being said, I can’t see this taking off for a couple more years. Communication methods are only truly compelling once everyone is using them and it’s going to take some time for the required hardware to disseminate. I see myself using it a couple of times for the novelty, but probably not on a regular basis.
If you’ve been following mobile technology at all over the past couple months, none of the iPhone 4 feature announcements should come as a big surprise. That doesn’t mean they should be dismissed though. All of the new features are significant and definitely place the new iPhone on par, if not ahead of other smartphone options out there. However, I think the days of Apple with a 2 year features lead on the competition are over.
In March, Billboard magazine reported that Amazon was asking music labels to give it the exclusive right to sell certain forthcoming songs for one day before they went on sale more widely. In exchange, Amazon promised to include those songs in a promotion called the “MP3 Daily Deal” on its Web site.
The magazine reported that representatives of Apple’s iTunes music service were asking the labels not to participate in Amazon’s promotion, adding that Apple punished those that did by withdrawing marketing support for those songs on iTunes.
First of all, I find it deliciously ironic that the record labels are now the victims of bullying. Secondly, is anyone actually surprised by these tactics? Maybe I’m just jaded, but when I worked in radio implicit threats were an acceptable tool in the arsenal for record promotions.
Record Label: “If you don’t play this record by <insert new band the label is trying to break>, don’t expect to get <multiplatnium selling artist> for your summer festival show.”
Those words were never said explicitly, but the general idea was understood. It also worked the other way:
Radio Station: “You gave <competing station across town> an exclusive interview with <large band>? Don’t expect to get airplay for <your next baby band>.”
Tit for tat business tactics may not be the nicest or most optimal solutions, but they’re human nature. We get wronged; we want revenge. New girlfriend sees you talking to another chick at the bar? DOGHOUSE. The same thing is essentially going on here with Apple, Amazon, and the record labels.
Granted, those were bygone days in which both parties had leverage on each other. It was a symbiotic relationship; a give and take among equal powers. Now, it seems as if Apple has all of the power here. The record labels are so desperate for iTunes’ short-term sales that they’ll acquiesce to these types of demands and whine to Mommy (the DoJ) about it.
At the end of the day, I think this is an irrelevant battle. Inquire and regulate all you want, but you can’t change human nature. On top of this, I don’t see digital a la carte sales being the music market of the future. We’re seeing consumer excitement shift more towards cloud/subscription/social services.
But that’s a discussion for another day.
Here’s the TL;DR of what he had to say:
- Adobe’s Flash is a proprietary and closed platform. Apple’s pushing HTML5, which is an open web standard not owned by Apple.
- Most video on the web is actually in a format viewable by iDevices, H.264. Yes, you can’t play Flash-based games, but games from the app store are better anyway.
- Flash is the number one cause for Mac crashes, is full of security holes, and has never performed well on a mobile device.
- Most Flash video drains battery life at almost double the rate of H.264.
- Flash was designed for mice, not touch devices.
- Allowing developers to use Flash for mobile app development means apps created for the lowest common denominator, rather than apps created to maximize the capabilities of iDevices.
Reading this letter made a whole lot of sense to me. I’m a power user. I own both a Mac and a PC. I know firsthand that Flash makes my Macbook fan spin like a tornado and my PC browser crash every day. I couldn’t care less about what format my web videos play in if they load fast, look good, and don’t slow down my device. Yes, it sucks that I can’t play the latest fad flash game on my iDevice, but rare is the case that I run out of things to do on my mobile that I clamor for it.
I don’t have an allegiance to either company; I just want the day to come where I can go to a restaurant website and not have my browser crash.
(photo credits: macrumors.com)
The biggest surprise to come out of Apple’s WWDC keynote was not the announcement of the iPhone 3G, with its improved battery life, 3G data network support, or GPS functionality. It was the price of such a wondrous device.
Launching in 22 countries on July 11th at a price point of only $199 for the 8GB, it’s clear Apple means to break this device to the masses. There will also be a 16GB model for $299 that will also come in white.
Here’s a slide of the promised battery life improvements – as always, we’ll see how real world use shakes out.
I was actually just wondering about this earlier in the morning as I read Tycho’s latest Penny-Arcade post. It isn’t the best solution for the music-savvy since it most certainly would involve DRM and less than optimal encoding/bitrates. HOWEVER, there are just so many iPod/iTunes users out there that even a DRM hobbled unlimited music subscription model HAS to stick with a significant number of people, right?
Past research and consumer data has “shown” that subscription models have not resonated well with the public. But what if that’s just due to a small userbase? Keep in mind, only Windows Media devices currently have access to subscription music. Who knows how the general iPod owning public would respond to such an offer?
My money’s on it being a raging success.
Read the Financial Times article (warning: requires registration) [ft.com]
Key Features:
- 1.6 Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo processor
- 0.76″-0.12″ thick chassis
- 3lb weight
- 5 hours of battery life
- 13.3″ LED display
- 2GB memory
- 80GB 4200-rpm PATA hard drive
- Built-in 802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
- No optical drive
- iSight camera included
Theres also an option to replace the 80GB hard drive with a 64GB Solid State Drive (flash memory) for $1300 (!).
My initial take:
- Shit, this thing is thin
- Price fits squarely between Macbook and Macbook Pro lines – would have liked to see $1500 price point, but still very competitive with high end ultraportables (e.g. Sony TZ series)
- Lack of optical drive not a big deal, we usually don’t use discs as much as we think we do
- Software to use any computer’s optical drive wirelessly with the Air as a “virtual optical drive” – very cool
- Disappointed the external optical drive is not included ($99 option)
- How the hell did they fit a 1.6 Ghz Core 2 Duo processor in there – that is an amazing engineering feat
- No ethernet jack? come on, that could have fit
- 1 USB port is going to be REALLY annoying – you attach a mouse and you can’t put anything else on (iPod, iPhone, optical drive, etc.)
- Full-size keyboard is awesome for an ultraportable
- Lol @ $1300 option for solid state – I guess we’re a few years away from this replacing real hard drives on notebooks
All this said, I may be picking one of these up. I’ve never owned a Mac before and this may be the right product for me as I own an iPhone and have a screamingly powerful PC desktop already. It may be one of those things where seeing it in person puts you over the edge, but as of now it’s merely a modestly compelling product on its own. Not as mindblowing as the iPhone was last year, but something that makes sense to add to your gadget fleet if you are a tech geek or really need the ultraportability. I couldn’t see this as my primary computer, though. It just lacks the features and power for my needs as a content creator or gamer.
How Lebron’s Choice Is Like An Apple Keynote
Then again, it kind of is a no-win situation for Lebron isn’t it? Choose to stay at home in Cleveland and he gets railed for running to stand still. Choose to go anywhere else and he becomes Ohio’s Judas for All Eternity.
It’s truly amazing that no one has gotten advance knowledge of his final decision, especially in this day and age of twitter, SMS, and instant broadcast media. In fact, one could say LeBron’s been almost Apple-like in keeping his most valued secret. (Well, prior to this year’s BarPhone scandal anyway.)
Think about it, how much speculation does the internet generate before every Apple keynote nowadays? It’s a goddamn free for all out there. Anything within reason gets blogged, tweeted, shared, much like all the different free agent scenarios thrown about with LeBron the past week. Why do we do this?
Because we love this shit.
We love speculation and we love drama. It’s in our DNA as red-blooded humans. We eat it up. It’s fun to analyze every little clue thrown to us. We’ve even made pseudo stars out of the best “detectives” out there. I’m sure Brian Windhorst over at the Cleveland Plain dealer has massively increased his audience lately, becoming the Jon Gruber of the sports media world.
Do you remember what Apple revealed at keynotes prior to the iPhone announcement in 2007? Yeah, neither do I. How about E3′s before the Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and Wii were announced in 2006? Mmmhmm.
Now, we expect the spectacular announcment every year during those shows. We want the circus of rumors, gossip, and speculation to culminate in an orgy of event live tweeting and blogging. Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if the planned TV announcement special becomes the norm for any superstar free agency decision in the future. As American Idol and reality TV have proven over the years, we’re willing to sit through “results” shows where we watch 59 minutes of fluff to get to content that could be over with in one minute. Why wouldn’t LeBron do what he did? There’s already a precedent for it out there.
Personally, as someone who doesn’t have a particular rooting interest in where LeBron goes, I kind of want him to go somewhere else. I want the NBA landscape to be changed. I want to participate in the avalanche of Twitter posts and comments troll hate. More importantly, I want my fascination over this dog and pony show to have been for something. Because what’s shittier than sitting through an Apple keynote only to find out that they’re just selling faster Macs?