Mad Genius break-apart motion controller is for the serious Skyrim sniper

by Richard Mitchell on May 13th 2013 9:00PM

Split controller designs are nothing new. We've seen them implemented by third parties such as SplitFish and, of course, major players – Nintendo's Wii Remote and Nunchuk, and Sony's PS Move and Navigation Controller. Now, Mad Genius is looking to up the ante with its new break-apart motion controller.

Mad Genius says the controller is capable of tracking movements as minute as 1/100 of an inch. A video demonstrates the controller being used in an unmodified version of Skyrim on Xbox 360, tracking the player's body movement to make the character move in the game world. A more practical application is splitting the controller apart to aim and fire a bow in-game.

Holding the two halves like a bow and arrow, the game automatically equips and begins aiming the bow. The control is so fine, according to Mad Genius, that players will actually have to hold their breath to steady their shots, lest a tiny movement knock them off target.

The motion-tracking system will work with any game on any platform, including even outmoded platforms such as the original PlayStation (though it's not clear how you would actually connect the two together). Mad Genius is planning to launch a Kickstarter to fund the final version of the controller, which will be wireless and, presumably, a bit sleeker.

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[PC, PS3] Skyrim 'Dragonborn' DLC to hit PC, PS3 early next year

[PC, PS3] Skyrim 'Dragonborn' DLC to hit PC, PS3 early next year

Finally a bit of good news for Skyrim players on the PlayStation 3 impatiently awaiting some new content. Bethesda announced today that the brand-new "Dragonborn" DLC, which will be available to Xbox 360 owners tomorrow (December 4th), will be available on PC and PS3 "early next year."

This will be the first add-on available to PlayStation 3 owners as Bethesda allegedly continue to work out the kinks in bringing the "Dawnguard" and "Hearthfire" add-ons, which have both been available on Xbox 360 and PC for quite some time now, to Sony's platform. In response to Joystiq's query on the status of the other content coming to the PS3, Bethesda responded with a rather non-committal answer saying, "We think Dragonborn is our best add-on for Skyrim yet and we didn't want fans to wait long, so that's our current focus. Each platform takes a lot of time and attention."

Written by: Mike Glubish

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December NPD: MW3, Just Dance 3 and Skyrim lead an overall down month

by Jordan Mallory on Jan 12th 2012 6:31PM

The industry as a whole still managed to bang out $3.99 billion in combined new sales of hardware, physical software and accessories between November 27 and December 31, 2011. This is, however, a 21 percent drop year-over-year, as the industry pulled down a combined $5.07 billion during the same period in 2010.

"Overall industry results are not entirely surprising given that we are on the back end of the current console lifecycle, combined with the continued digital evolution of gaming," said Anita Frazier, an analyst with The NPD Group. "Core gamers continue to be engaged and spend on established franchises across both the digital and physical format using multiple devices for different gaming occasions."

A smooth $2.04 billion of that $3.99 billion total was caused entirely by new physical software sales, a dash for the cash that continues to be lead by Modern Warfare 3. The pseudo-medieval allure of November's second place podium finisher, Skyrim, was not enough to keep its throne for a second term; the Dovahkiin has been usurped by Ubisoft's compulsory neon-dancing simulator, Just Dance 3.

Comparatively, Skyrim got off easy: Uncharted 3, Saints Row: The Third and The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, are all absent from December's Top-10 list, just weeks after their respective releases. Skyward Sword wasn't Nintendo's only horse in this race, however, as Mario Kart 7 and Super Mario 3D Land closed out December in fourth and ninth place, respectively. Overall, Nintendo, Ubisoft and Electronic Arts claimed more Top-10 real estate than their competitors, each publishing two of the month's best selling titles.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (360, PS3, Wii, PC)Just Dance 3 (Wii, 360, PS3)Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (360, PS3, PC)Mario Kart 7 (3DS)Battlefield 3 (360, PS3, PC)Madden NFL 12 (360, PS3, Wii, PSP, PS2)Assassin's Creed: Revelations (360, PS3, PC)NBA 2K12 (360, PS3, Wii, PSP, PS2, PC)Super Mario 3D Land (3DS)Batman: Arkham City (360, PS3, PC)

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GameStop's got B2G1, savings on Rage, Skyrim Collector's Edition, more

by Richard Mitchell on Dec 23rd 2011 7:45PM

It's probably a little late to start your holiday shopping, but GameStop is there for you if you're late to the consumer party. Starting today, the retailer is offering a buy two, get one free special on all pre-owned products. That includes both hardware and software, so there's plenty to choose from. The sale runs through December 28. By the way, if you start your Christmas shopping after Christmas, you're really doing it wrong.

GameStop is also offering an in-store sale on the Skyrim Collector's Edition, knocking the usual $150 price down to a (slightly?) more palatable $100. Finally, you can snag Rage for $30, though we'd be remiss in our duties if we didn't mention it's currently available for just under $20 on Amazon.

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Skyrim flies past Modern Warfare 3 on UK charts

by Alexander Sliwinski on Dec 12th 2011 11:26AM

It took some time for the Dovahkiin to level up, but Skyrim has slain a fearsome beast and taken the top spot of Chart-Track's UK sales chart. Five weeks after its debut, Skyrim has grabbed first place from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, thanks to the game's continued buzz and an average price reduction of £13 last week.

But an evil still lingers, growing in strength. Just Dance 3, the latest lieutenant in the army of dance darkness, has entered third place. The launch of the PS3 version of Just Dance 3 helped the game on the all formats chart, but the Wii edition still makes up 89 percent of sales.

The rest of the UK top ten is playing musical chairs -- check those out after the break.

Top 10 UK Software Sales (All Formats); week ending December 10:
The Elder Scrolls 5: SkyrimCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 3Just Dance 3FIFA 12Assassin's Creed: RevelationsBattlefield 3Professor Layton and the Spectre's CallSaints Row: The ThirdUncharted 3: Drake's DeceptionMario Kart 7

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It's a Skyrim Christmas on the UK charts

by Alexander Sliwinski on Dec 19th 2011 9:15AM

Skyrim rested high atop the UK charts last week, breaking an eight year stint by EA and Activision. Bethesda's massive RPG occupied the top spot during week 51 -- dubbed the "Christmas Chart" by Chart-Track. Take-Two's Grand Theft Auto: Vice City owned the chart in 2002, prior to EA's Medal of Honor: Rising Sun and Activision's Call of Duty franchise.

Just Dance 3 came in about 15,000 units behind Skyrim. Followers of the charts can probably predict what's coming in the new year, as the Just Dance series has been a sleeping giant that rises once the holidays are over for the past two years.

The rest of the top ten (after the break) consists of the usual suspects. When the UK charts return in the new year we'll find out how Star Wars: The Old Republic did during its Christmas week launch.

Top 10 UK Software Sales (All Formats); week ending December 17:
The Elder Scrolls 5: SkyrimJust Dance 3Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3FIFA 12Saints Row: The ThirdBattlefield 3Assassin's Creed: RevelationsMario & Sonic London 2012 Olympic GamesNeed for Speed: The RunProfessor Layton and the Spectre's Call

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November NPD: A new record, with Xbox 360 joined by MW3 and Skyrim on top (Update 2: Sony PR added)

by Christopher Grant on Dec 9th 2011 5:57PM

(Update: Microsoft Chief of Interactive Entertainment Aaron Greenberg has released Xbox 360 sales via Twitter, which are included below.)

It's a little good, a little bad with this year's November 2011 NPD results. While "unit sales grew for console hardware, as well as console, portable, and PC software," NPD analyst Anita Frazier warns that "a decline in average retail price in all categories" besides portable hardware resulted in dollar sales that were flat compared to last November. That said, November 2011 "marks the best November on record for sales of new physical content," besting the previous record holder, November 2008.

Unsurprisingly, the Xbox 360 was the top selling piece of gear for the month and Frazier notes that the "gap between 360 sales and sales of the next best selling platform was the largest we've seen since December 2008 when the Nintendo DS was the top selling system." Microsoft Chief of Interactive Entertainment Aaron Greenberg later added via Twitter that the Xbox 360 sold 1.7 million consoles during the month of November, up 23% year over year. For the month, Nintendo announced it sold more than 860,000 Wii systems, more than 795,000 Nintendo 3DS systems and more than 350,000 Nintendo DS systems.

Meanwhile, Sony declined to provide specific sales numbers for the PS3. According to Sony PR chief Patrick Seybold, "PlayStation 3 is off to a phenomenal start to the holiday season, recording the best ever Black Friday sales period in the console's five-year history. According to the November NPD report the PS3 saw a 70% increase in hardware and a 30% increase in software year-over-year." The PS3 sold 530,000 units last year, which would situate PS3 sales for November 2011 in the neighborhood of 901,000 units.

In the software arena, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 took its perch at the top of the charts, besting Black Ops "by about 7%," while Skyrim managed "a five-fold increase over Oblivion's first month sales" coming in just a half-million units short of matching its predecessor's lifetime sales. Other newcomers include single SKU exclusives like Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception in seventh place and The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword in ninth.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (360, PS3, Wii, PC)Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (360, PS3, PC)Battlefield 3 (360, PS3, PC)Assassin's Creed: Revelations (360, PS3, PC)Just Dance 3 (Wii, 360)Madden NFL 12 (360, PS3, Wii, PSP, PS2)Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (PS3)Saints Row: The Third (360, PS3, PC)The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (WII)Batman: Arkham City (360, PS3, PC)

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[360, PS3, PC] The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Preview

Platforms: Xbox 360, PC and PS3

Genre: Fantasy Action/Adventure RPG

Developers: Bethesda Game Studios

Publisher: Bethesda Softworks

Release Date: November 11, 2011

The wait for one of the most anticipated games of this generation is nearly over as Bethesda are less than two weeks from launching their second Elder Scrolls game on the current generation of consoles. Overall Skyrim is the fifth installment of the revered RPG franchise and we're just as excited as you but in the mean time here's a run down on what to expect from Skyrim!

The game once again takes place on the continent of Tamriel but this time you'll be adventuring across the northern region of Skyrim. A mountainous and snow-filled region however there'll still be a range of environments such as forests and dungeons so you won't spend all your time high up on the frost covered peaks and valleys. Skyrim isn't just a wilderness however as across the environment are 5 major cities and several small towns scattered across the landscape which will primarily be populated by the native Nord race of humans, you can get around Skyrim on foot or horse and you can fast travel to previously discovered locations. An example of one of the locations you'll be able to visit and interact with the populous is Winterhold which has developed to an influential town due to the presence of a college and several academic institutions such as a large library, but the residents of Winterhold aren't alone in their occupations as all across Skyrim you'll come across individuals going about their daily routines such as operating a mill. You'll be seeing less of needlessly wandering NPCs and more of them engaging in an activity this time round. Not only do they go about their business but there is also a live economy in the game and you can help or damage it through completing jobs or by sabotaging other's efforts.

The NPCs in Skyrim aren't limited to going about their own daily life in the community as you can interact with them, some can become a companion to aid you in your travels will others may become your enemy. NPCs also serve as the primary quest givers in the game and this time your actions, both during and outside of quests, will be recorded and adjusted by the new Radiant Story feature Bethesda has implemented which basically makes a dynamic consequence action for what you do in the world. For example if you kill a man in a cold blooded act then his family may find out and as such the community they belong to will lose respect for you, or if you get given a dungeon exploration quest then the game will direct you to a dungeon that you haven't previously explored. It is all about making the world more diverse and to show your impact in the world. There is of course some Bethesda-directed quests but the Radiant Story system is present a lot of your quests and actions.

Winter is approaching....
Not everyone in the world works alone and Skyrim has several different factions in the world, each with their own quest line such as the Dark Brotherhood (A fan favorite in the last Elder Scrolls game, Oblivion) or one of the several guilds. Each offering their own bonuses and experiences.

Skyrim is an RPG and as such wants you to develop a character and has a flexible set of options for your character to naturally develop. First up you chose a race to be and in Skyrim there are 10 playable races which are:
ArgonianDunmer (Dark Elves)Altmer (High Elves)Bosmer (Tree Elves)KhajiitNordOrcBretonRed GuardImperial

There are 18 skills to develop, these skills are divided equally into 3 sections which are combat, magic and stealth. You develop the skill the more you use it and level up when you have upgraded skills 10 times. In Skyrim every time you level up you get to pick a bonus or ability called a perk - a feature being carried over from Bethesda's own Fallout 3. This system allows your character to develop and improve in a way personal to them and what they do. Governing the player use are three attributes, first is health which can be restored through resting or through the use of a portion or spell. Second is Magicka which limits how many spells you can cast and third is fatigue which limits your physical ability such as sprinting and jumping - both Magicka and Fatigue automatically restore over time but immediate rejuvenation can be achieved through spells or potions like Health.

At your disposal is a wide range of weapons to use. Shields can be used to block enemy attacks or can be used offensively to bash your opponent, and there are a variety of blunt and bladed weapons such as swords or axes which can be bought, found or forged yourself. The weapons also have unique finishing move animations. You have the ability to dual wield as well meaning you could have a sword and a shield or dual wield two swords among other possibilities. Physicality isn't all what Skyrim is about as there are 85 spells available and the dual wielding system applies here too so you can use a spell by itself, or doubling it up to have a greater effect or you could even use two spells at once for different results. Or perhaps a freezing spell in one hand and an axe in the other to smash your frozen opponent? Or why not attack from range with the bow and arrow. There's also the option to get up close and personal with stealth and then do a sneak attack on an unsuspecting enemy for more damage.

One of the largest differences between Skyrim and its predecessors is the implementations of dragons into the world. Dragons are randomly generated so their number is infinite and they can attack the player out in the open or even reign down on towns and cities. There are several specific dragons and not all are hostile so you can interact with them and this is integral to the story of Skyrim as the player finds out they are 'Dragonborn' which means they can read the language of the dragons and through the world are several walls which if you read you'll gain access to a Dragon Shout which you can use in combat which have different effects, if you slay a dragon and collect its soul then you'll upgrade your Dragon Shouts.

This is just scratching the surface and the basics of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and as you explore the massive region you'll be constantly learning and discovering. It truly is a game massive in scope and if it can avoid a jittery launch which previous Bethesda games have suffered but later recovered from then it'll be a game of the year contender if what we have seen so far is any indication. So, how excited are you for the next installment of the Elder Scrolls franchise?

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[PC, PS3, X360] Xbox gets Timed Skyrim DLC Exclusivity

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