Category: Video Games

Tour de France Rides to the PS4

TourdeFranceThis year you don’t have to just watch the Tour de France – you can ride it in video game fashion. In fac this year there are two games including Tour de France 2014 and Pro Cycling Manager.

Tour de France 2014 invites you to wear the jersey of the greatest champion cyclists and take part in a 2014 Tour in a game packed with new features. The game lets you enter one of the most prestigious cycling competitions in the world that now takes you through the English countryside, London roads, cobbled sections in northern France, legendary mountain stages and the fabulous finish on the Champs Elysées. The 2014 version of the game will arrive on the Xbox 360 as well as PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 in time for the race.

Pro Cycling Manager 2014 on PC is designed to thrill fans of sports management and catapult you to the head of one of the 75 pro teams in a riveting cycling season where you take part in over 200 competitions and 550 stages! This extensive 2014 edition offers meticulously rendered graphics, new off-race management options (R&D, financial management and improved sponsor relations, etc.), a more dynamic transfer market, a more realistic injury system, a brand new and highly intuitive interface and a race gameplay that is full of great features, including consecutive orders and race tactics!

Pro Cycling Manager Official Website

Wii Sports Club Swings with Golf

Wii-GolfIt might be too cold in much of the country to hit the greens, but you can still tee off from home with the Wii U as golf has joined the lineup of Wii Sports Club titles, and is available from the Nintendo eShop. It utilizes the unique controls of the Wii U GamePad and Wii Remote Plus controllers. With the GamePad on the floor players can actually see the golf bag as they look to make their swing.

Wii Sports Club – Golf joins currently available spports Wii Sports Club – Tennis and Wii Sports Club – Bowling. All five classic sports froom the original Wii Sports are being released individually as downloads in the Nintendo eShop, and feature high-definition graphics, controls via Wii MotionPlus technology.

Wii U owners can download Wii Sports Club and get a free pass to play any sports for a 24-hour period, and then can purchase day passes for $1.99 per sport or permanent access to individual sports for $9.99.

Wii Sports Club Official Website

Just Dance Arrives for the Next Generation

httpv://youtu.be/Be1H6MDkI9o

Ubisoft’s hit Just Dance franchise has arrived for next generation systems. Just Dance 2014 is the newest installment on the number one selling dance series, and it is now available for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 video game consoles.

Players on the next-gen consoles will be treated to a unique gameplay experience. Players on PlayStation 4 system will be able to play hands free using the new PlayStation Camera, while those getting the grove on with the Xbox One can use Xbox SmartGlass technology to navigate through the game’s menu and select songs all from their smartphone or tablet. In addition, Just Dance 2014 is playable with up to six people at the same time with the power of Xbox One.

Just Dance 2014 features more than 45 tracks, including “Applause” by Lady Gaga, “Blurred Lines” by Robin Thicke ft. T.I. and Pharrell, “Kiss You” by One Direction, “Get Lucky” by Daft Punk ft. Pharrell Williams and “Starships” by Nicki Minaj. “Roar” by Katy Perry is also available as a free DLC at launch.

Just Dance Official Website

The World is Ready to Party With Zumba

ZumbaCan nearly 10 million people be wrong? When it comes to fitness video games we don’t think so. The Zumba Fitness franchise is still going strong, and that is something to celebrate. This month saw the arrival of Zumba Fitness World Party for Microsoft’s Kinect for Xbox 360, the Nintendo Wii and Nintendo Wii U. The game will also debut later this month as a launch day title for the Xbox One. Continue reading The World is Ready to Party With Zumba

Wii U Sports – It’s in the Game

Wii-Sports-ClubNintendo is offering gamers a chance to download Wii Sports Club and get a free trial pass that will let them play any available sports for a 24-hour period. Once the trial period ends, players can purchase two types of passes exclusively available in the Nintendo eShop: a Day Pass for $1.99 to play all available sports for a 24-hour period, or a Club Pass to gain permanent access to individual sports for $9.99 each.

This includes the five beloved sports from the original Wii Sports game including bowling, tennis, baseball, boxing and golf. These make the jump from the original Wii to the Wii U.

The sports are being released individually as downloads in the Nintendo eShop, and feature HD graphics, enhanced controls via Wii MotionPlus technology, as well as a much-requested online multiplayer versus mode, so users with broadband Internet access can face off against friends and family members online. Players can choose to associate themselves with various state or regional clubs and can send messages to one another via Miiverse. People can play casually against members of their own club, or take on members of rival clubs to increase their club rankings.

Wii Sports Club Official Website

Nintendo Gives Wii Fit U to You

Wii-U-FitOwners of the Nintendo Wii U who own a Wii Balance Board accessory and have access to a broadband connection can now download a trail version of Wii Fit U from the Nintendo eShop. This promotion will run from now until the end of January, and will work for 31 days from when it is first played. That should be enough for users to decide if the Wii Fit U is right for you.

Wii Fit U Official Website

Microsoft Kinect Used to Help Visually Impaired Do Yoga

YogaWhat is the woman in the photo above doing wrong? To those of us that don’t do yoga it looks like a typical yoga pose, but this is actually the incorrect Warrior II pose. For those who are visually impaired it might be hard to follow to visual cues when doing yoga. Now researchers at the University of Washington have developed a program, dubbed the Eyes-Free Yoga, which utilizes the Microsoft Kinect software to track body movements and provide auditory cues in real time for six popular yoga poses.

“My hope for this technology is for people who are blind or low-vision to be able to try it out, and help give a basic understanding of yoga in a more comfortable setting,” said project lead Kyle Rector, a UW doctoral student in computer science and engineering. Continue reading Microsoft Kinect Used to Help Visually Impaired Do Yoga

Weekend Reading List (08.03.2013): Serrota Off the Road, Be the Coach, Hawk and Games

Serrota Off the Road

Serotta

From Bicycle Retailer: Serotta lays off 40% of workforce, planning shutdown
Serotta has laid off 40 percent of its workforce and is planning to shut down production in the next two weeks, CEO Bill Watkins told BRAIN on Wednesday. Continue reading Weekend Reading List (08.03.2013): Serrota Off the Road, Be the Coach, Hawk and Games

Zumba Kids are Alright

Zumba-KidsMajesco Entertainment’s popular Zumba Fitness video game franchise keeps on going, and this holiday the latest version will arrive for the younger crowd. Zumba Kids will arrive later this year on Kinect for Xbox 360 and the Wii, and feature a range of dance styles, creative mini-games, customization and chart-topping hits from Justin Bieber and Willow Smith. It is based on the global dance-fitness brand, but is aimed at kids aged seven to 12, providing that “exercise in disguise” gameplay. Continue reading Zumba Kids are Alright

Fitness Hero

Blue-GojiThe makers of Guitar Hero are looking to do something very different. Kai and Charles Huang, the founders of RedOctane – the company that inspired a generation of gamers to rock out on plastic guitars – have announced a new venture to launch an interactive fitness company called Blue Goji.

The company’s mission is reportedly to transform the cardio exercise experience through immersive gameplay, track activity towards personal fitness goals, and create a social workout experience with friends. The Blue Goji platform combines innovative software and hardware with the portability and power of tablets and smartphones to make cardio exercise routines an entertaining and rewarding experience. We like what we’re hearing.

“Our goal is to help people lead healthier and more active lives by providing anyone across all fitness levels with a fun way to work out, one that is accessible and compelling to use,” said Kai Huang, Blue Goji co-founder and CEO. “With Blue Goji, we’re developing a platform to support a variety of entertainment content that enables people to immerse themselves in their workout routines for a more enjoyable and social experience.”

We’ll continue to watch for this new venture. If Blue Goji can do for fitness games what RedOctane did for music games than perhaps there is hope that games can truly get the world fit.

Blue Goji Official Website

An Object in Motion

Motion-TennisWhile the Wii was a huge hit with casual gamers – including those who wanted to get off the couch – the Wii U hasn’t exactly delivered for Nintendo. Instead it could be that Apple TV could fill the void with games such as Motion Tennis, which utilizes an iPhone for a controller. The game takes advantage of the iPhone’s magnetometer, gyroscope, and accelerometer to accurately interpret your movements.

For those who want to go from Mii (the onscreen characters on the Wii) to I – as in the iPhone, then Apple TV might get you there.

Motion Tennis Official Website

E3 2013: Game Over?

Game-Over

We apologize for the lack of reporting from the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) this week, but we noticed a trend this year – fitness games are over! While Nintendo did announce Wii Fit U, it won’t be in stores until December. The only other “fitness” game that we saw on the show floor was the dance focused Zumba Fitness World Party, but that series has always been as much about the dancing as getting in shape.

While we’ve also questioned whether video games are really an effective form of exercise, we’re sad to see that this trend has run its course. At least there were still plenty of shooters at E3, as somethings never change!