Global computer animator, EA Sports have recently announced that they will be providing the branding for a new range of sports equipment created by Toy Island. The high tech “virtual coaching tools”, which will use motion and infrared sensors, are being designed for children of the ages of three to twelve which is a very large and broad spectrum.

The various sports that the equipment will be built for is baseball, American Football, Basketball, Hockey and ‘Soccer’ (Football). There is even talk that they may bring out their own range of surfboards. EA Sports boss Peter Moore said that “Our goal is to take the EA Sports brand much deeper into the fabric of sports, and into new markets that allow more people to unleash their inner spirit of both sports and competition.
Considering that EA Sports are more known for their prominence in the computer animation game industry this is a very interesting development for them. It will add so much to the already huge brand and is sure to almost double their profits. This new concept will also open the doors for new relationships to be carved with local retailers and will get the EA Sports brand recognised on a much larger scale than ever before. Among the aids due to be released you can expect things like, footballs, shin pads, football boots, action figures, snowboards and many more are still to be announced.

It is understandable that Electronic Arts will be looking to branch out especially in such an un-predictable time in terms of our global economy. It is pretty wise of EA to be looking outside of computer animation and into toy making because it is broadening their profit revenue stream. Many companies have been put into liquidation because of their lack of knowledge on the market. In order to help keep your business (small or large) up and standing on its own two feet you will need to diversify the product ranges. This is absolutely crucial.

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Tony Hawk on CNET's The 404 Podcast

CNET’s The 404 Podcast is very proud to welcome Tony Hawk to the studio today! The man who rode skateboarding to mainstream success sits down with us for a chat about his expansive video game franchise, skateboarding being added to the Olympics, and, of course, his newest game, Tony Hawk: RIDE.

All of us have been huge fans of the Tony Hawk video game franchise since the first Tony Hawk Pro Skater, but his latest game, Tony Hawk: RIDE, brings a new level of entertainment to the series with a physical skateboard equipped with a contoured base, infrared sensors, and four smart motion sensors that help you push, turn, lean, and pull off unbelievable tricks within the virtual environments. Tony tells us all about the creation of the board and the prototype decks that didn’t make the cut. He also explains the motivation behind making the switch to a physical board instead of the hand-held controller that propelled the original games into instant classics, making comparisons to the Wii Fit Balance Board to show how much extra work went into the dual accelerometers.

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(Credit:

Activision)

After getting the full scoop about the game (in stores tomorrow for $120), we’re all very excited to see him in action with a live in-studio demo on an Xbox 360. Tony shows us how the accelerometers pick up the movement of your feet on the board and how to grab the nose by simply bending over and reaching toward the front of the board. After he goes through some of the basic moves, he hands the board over to me to give it a shot. Obviously, Tony Hawk himself is a hard act to follow, but I think I pulled off a few tricks before face-planting onto the concrete. Be sure to check out the video for all the action.

After the break, we talk to Tony a bit more about the game and how influential the series has been on bringing the sport to mainstream popularity, the eclectic music choices in the soundtrack, and some of the active characters you can choose. And, of course, we have to get Tony’s take on the future of skateboarding and whether or not the sport will ever go the way of snowboarding to make it as an official event at the Olympics.

There’s a whole lot more to talk about with Tony, a few Calls From the Public, and some insightful questions from the chat room, so be sure to listen or watch the entire episode for the full scoop. Much thanks to Tony for coming on the show and keep listening for a chance to win a copy of the game!

EPISODE 468

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Originally posted at The 404

(Credit: Space Foosball Project)

Wow, the humble foosball table just continues to evolve. This latest incarnation keeps the familiar handles, but replaces the spinning players and ball with physics-powered graphics developed at Ewha Women’s University in Korea. It looks pretty cool in action:

(Credit: Space Foosball Project)

The handles are tracked by infrared sensors, and the software uses that information to make the players spin on the virtual soccer field in a realistic way.

The Space Foosball table was only really built to demonstrate the team’s physics engine, so you won’t be able to pick one up anytime soon. I’m OK with that: it’s nice eye candy, but I’d miss the satisfaction of hearing that old-school mechanical clunk when you score (or get too excited and almost break the table).

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He's much better at this.

(Credit: Jeff Bakalar/CNET)

Activision invited us to check out a handful of upcoming titles last night in midtown New York City. Among all of the titles we had hands-on time with, Tony Hawk: Ride certainly stood out. Not only was it fun to play, but the fact that Mr. Tony Hawk himself sat in to tell us about the game added another dimension to the experience.

Jeff:
I thought I had heard someone say “Tony Hawk is here” as Scott and I entered the Activision demo, but I just brushed that off as “Oh, the new Tony Hawk game is here.” Sure enough, the legend himself walked into our private game demo room and explained to us the process in which Tony Hawk: Ride came to be.

Hawk was honest, saying the franchise had run its course with a conventional controller. Now that game peripherals are becoming much more commonplace, it was clear that a skateboard controller needed to be introduced as an obvious evolutionary step.

After hopping on the board for the first time I was immediately transported back to 1994 when I had a brief stint with the sport. The accessory itself is simply a skateboard deck without trucks or wheels. It feels solid, though it may take a minute or two to find your balance.

The board is an impressive piece of hardware that’s loaded up with motion sensing technology and four infrared sensors. When your hand breaks one of the IR beams coming out from the board, the game interprets that as a grab. When you’ve stopped, a drag of the foot on either side will get you moving again. The motion sensing comes into play when you want to do spins in the air to increase trick points.

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“I need a friend!”, this is what my inner voice keeps telling me for a day or two. I would be thankful if someone came to me and begged for my friendship. I don’t want for people to beg, don’t get me wrong, but I’d like to see a dose of interest showed towards my person. I need a friend and I’d be happy to spread my love and care all over the place, to overwhelm a special someone with everything that I hide somewhere deep inside.

But what I need should be flesh and blood, should be alive just like I am. Imaginary friends, I’ve had so many of them. I’ve shared my secrets with enough souless creatures, so I’m more than entitled to say no to this penguin, even if I love penguins, as I’m one myself. Don’t laugh, there’s someone who thinks I’m a penguin and if he says so, then I will surely believe it myself.

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MyDeskFriend is supposed to be such a friend for those who need a shoulder to cry on. It is presented as the “social-media companion” for people who live their lives on Facebook. Created by Arimaz, the cute penguin is expected to start selling sometime in September. And, for only $99, you’ll be having someone to talk to.

Actually, no. For this amount of money, you’ll have to exercise and feed the creature, if you don’t want him to get moody. And if you feel like you can’t handle the situation, you can always invite some Facebook friends to play with it using the gameplay interface. What you should know right from the start is that you won’t be able to lure the penguin, because te MyDeskFriend comes with five infrared sensors that help it avoid the edges of the desk. So, before making the worst move ever, it will stop.

In addition, the penguin will let you know when your Facebook friend log on, will read your messages, while the eyes are able to display five different moods. Besides the Facebook functions, it can read other information such as e-mail, RSS feeds, weather, Twitter, instant messages and so on. Last, but not least, it can memorize 15 different vocal commands.

(Source: Coolest-Gadgets)