Retro Tech Tuesday: Magnavox Odyssey

Put down those iPod touches for a minute. We're going to go back in time to another era in gaming. I'm talking of course of the Magnavox Odyssey. (Of course! You didn't think this was going to be about the Atari 2600 or Intellivision, did you?) I have an Odyssey in the office here at TDL. Sadly, it's not hooked up (TDL retro-game night, perhaps?) and it would be difficult to use effectively. You see unlike an Atari or other game systems, the (original) Odyssey uses overlays you place on the TV in order to play the games. Unfortunately, this means the overlays only fit 18-25" TV's. It's interesting that all these years later game consoles are adding accessories and doo-dads (fake drumsets/guitars, etc.) to make the game more interactive. What could be more interactive than taping overlays to Mom and Dad's TV's? I say bring it back in a special HD edition with overlays for 42-50" flat panel TVs! Watch this ad, and you'll want to head to your local (now closed) Kay-Bee Toys to pick one up:

Return of the Pippin?

Maybe some of you have seen the latest rumors involving Apple purchasing either Twitter or EA.

You probably think there is no way Apple is going to spend $700 million on a (fad) like Twitter or $10 billion on EA. Maybe you agree with Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter that Apple would be better off spending $3 billion to acquire Warner Music and its 20 percent of all recorded music.

But judging by Apple's latest moves, there is no denying something big is in the works.

-Hiring Richard Teversham from Microsoft's Xbox business
-Hiring Bob Drebin, chief technologist at AMD's graphics group and creator of the Nintendo Gamecube's graphics processor.
-Hiring chip designer Mark Papermaster as head of Apple's iPod business from IBM.
- Purchased 3.6% of U.K.-based ImagInation, licensing its PowerVR graphics technology.
- Last year Apple purchased processor designer PA Semi for $378 million

Dare we dream of an Apple game console?!?

Video Shows the Possible Future of iPhone Gaming

Kudos to Macrumors for sharing this Youtube video  It shows the fascinating melding of real-life with gaming elements, and rather than being a scene from a sci-fi movie, it shows what could become possible as soon as June.

Assuming the new iPhone has video capability, and more importantly, a higher-resolution camera, we could soon be playing games incorporating our surroundings, or using applications to learn about the things we see right in front of us. It's official: we're living in the future.

The Future of Mac Gaming is OnLive?

The most interesting announcement to come out of this weeks Game Developers Conference so far has got to be the unveiling of the new OnLive platform/game service.

In a nutshell it allows Hi-Def Next Gen gaming to be streamed to any Mac / PC or television over broadband eliminating the need for high end video cards or even game consoles. No physical media or downloading required. Think Sega Channel, but without the console.

The onstage demo included the service running on a Macbook. Like many we are very skeptical, but if somehow this crazy voodoo works this is a game changer that could turn the video game industry on its head.

Crazy Tanks for the iPhone and iPod Touch Review

If you remember the classic "Combat" game that shipped with millions of Atari 2600's, then you'll already know the basic idea behind Crazy Tanks. You pilot a tank, and have to shoot enemy tanks and gun positions. Tapping anywhere on the screen allows you to fire, while the radar in the bottom right corner shows the relative positions of enemies, as well as health bonuses, multi-shot upgrades, etc.

Unfortunately, you never see much of that battleground at any given time, and the lack of visibility makes the game more frustrating than it would be otherwise. There are worse ways to spend 99 cents in the app store, and with just a few tweaks, this could be a top game in my book. Don't take my word for it, try it for yourself.