'Beak Impact': Angry Birds and NASA Team Up Again for New Game

Angry Birds and NASA have teamed up for the second time to develop a new version of the popular game. The new iteration of the Angry Birds franchise sends players to the space agency's next cosmic target — asteroids.

In 2012, game developer Rovio Entertainment collaborated with NASA to create and release the mobile app Angry Birds Space, which allowed them to teach people about physics and space exploration through a highly successful and addictive puzzle game. The new edition, called "Beak Impact," was released earlier this month for iOS and Android devices.
"The collaboration with Rovio and Angry Birds Space is an extraordinary opportunity to reach millions of gamers and use the fictional universe to point players to real information about asteroids, why NASA studies them and how they fit into our exploration path to Mars," David Weaver, associate administrator for the Office of Communications at NASA Headquarters, said in a statement.

NASA is currently planning a manned mission to Mars, which is slated to launch by the mid-2030s. To pave the way for this ambitious goal, the space agency is looking to use a robotic spacecraft to capture a relatively small asteroid or a piece of a larger space rock and place it into orbit around the moon. This undertaking would allow astronauts to visit and explore the captured asteroid by 2025, and the skills and technology necessary to get astronauts to and from the asteroid will help inform NASA's mission to the Red Planet.

(As part of NASA's Asteroid Initiative, the agency is also working to detect, track and characterize potentially hazardous asteroids that could harm Earth).
Beak Impact contains 40 new asteroid-based levels for Angry Birds Space that include numerous NASA tie-ins. Hidden within the levels are NASA spacecraft, including the Orion capsule, OSIRIS-REx, Deep Impact and Dawn spacecraft, each of which links players back to NASA information that describes the probes and their related missions.

"It is a great opportunity to educate, inform, and even inspire players about space exploration, all while playing one of the most popular interactive games ever created," Weaver said.
— Joseph Castro, Space.com

10 Exciting Video Games to Look Out for in 2014

The worst part about E3 is the waiting.

After ingesting a flood of information for hundreds of titles and watching their excitement levels rise to critical peaks, players now must sit back and be patient. Some of the games won't be out for months. Others could take years.

we've compiled a list of the games most likely to perform well when they hit stores. Here's what turned our head at this year's E3.

'Destiny'

Made by the creators of "Halo," "Destiny" looks to be one of this year's sure bets.

Set 700 years in the future, the sci-fi action game, which has already received a 10-year commitment from publisher Activision, is absolutely breathtaking, with a focus on co-operative play.

That focus, though, doesn't eliminate the single player story progression. Developer Bungie blends the two wonderfully into a dynamic world where players save the day—and the human race. (Due out Sept. 9, 2014)

'Batman: Arkham Knight'

The Arkham series of Batman games have been among the best super-hero games to hit consoles, so hopes are high for this concluding chapter. And from what was on display at E3, fans should be happy.

The game, set one year after 2011's "Batman: Arkham City" pits Bruce Wayne's alter ego against the Scarecrow, who has brought together the Caped Crusader's enemies to permanently put an end to Batman's reign.

You'll swing around the city and stealthily prowl rooftops as you have in previous games, but this time, you can also summon the Batmobile. (Due out 2015)

'Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare'

"Call of Duty" has never been a particularly light-hearted series, but Advanced Warfare could be the darkest installment yet.

Set in 2054, the game focuses on private military corporations who fight for the highest bidder. Kevin Spacey plays the CEO of the chief contractor—and he sure oozes evil in the snippets we've seen.

Add in exoskeletons, hoverbikes, mechs and cloaking technology and this could silence "Call of Duty" naysayers for a while. (Due out Nov. 4, 2014)

'Amiibo'

It's one of those ideas that just makes sense.

Take Nintendo's sizable lineup of characters and follow the same real toy/virtual toy model that has made Activision billions of dollars.

"Amiibo" gives Mario the Skylanders treatment, letting players raise and train characters in game—and giving kids and collectors something to hold onto in the real world. (Due out holiday 2014 )

'Evolve'

Developer Turtle Rock Studios showed with the "Left 4 Dead" series that it knew how to make multiplayer games that appealed to everyone, even people who don't like multiplayer games.

"Evolve" is the next step. Teams of four hunters seek to take down a monster, controlled by other players.

It's the hybrid of a shooter, sci-fi game and hide and seek. It's one of the more unique titles of the year—and if it can stand out in a crowded month, it could become one of the go-to franchises of this generation. (Due out Oct. 21, 2014)

'No Man’s Sky'

The standout game from Sony's E3 press conference wasn't a big franchise—or even the long--awaited debut of a next generation "Uncharted."

It was a stunning trailer that mixed open world space flight with beautiful worlds, some inhabited with dinosaurs.

Developed by a small four-man team, "No Man's Sky" is a huge game, where every player starts on a unique world, eventually exploring the universe. It's insanely ambitious, but it was a welcome break from the space marines and shooters that were so prominent. (Due out TBD)

'Assassin’s Creed: Unity'

It might be an annual franchise, but this year's "Assassin's Creed" seems in some ways like a new beginning.

Set in the French Revolution, this year's installment features cooperative multiplayer gaming, letting you storm the Bastille among other things with three of your friends.

The graphics are stunning, recreating Paris to the smallest detail — and the action doesn't stray too far from what fans love. It's an iteration, but a significant one. (Due out Oct. 28)

'Halo: The Master Chief Collection'

"Halo" is the reason Microsoft's Xbox succeeded—and with Halo 5 not coming out until next year, Microsoft is counting on nostalgia to keep fans satiated.

"The Master Chief Collection" includes Halo: Combat Evolved (the 2002 orig

inal game), Halo 2, Halo 3 and Halo 4—as well as a digital series overseen by Ridley Scott that will set the stage for next year's fifth installment in the saga of the Master Chief.(Due out Nov. 11)

'Grim Fandango'

How does a 1998 game make it onto a 2014 must-have list? When it's developer Tim Schafer's critically adored game set on the Mexican Day of the Dead, that's when.

This remastered version of the cult hit is something fans have been asking — no, begging — for for years.

Genuinely funny characters, a wonderful story and a soundtrack that combines big band, jazz and multiple international music styles make this a gaming classic that's still relevant today (Due out TBD)

'Oculus Rift/Project Morpheus'

Virtual reality is getting more and more promising—and both Sony and Oculus had plenty to show this year.

While there's still no date on either VR headset, gamers waited for hours to try them—and came out smiling. Whether your preferred platform is the PC (Oculus' focus) or the PS4 (Sony's, naturally), there seems to be a bright future ahead for the virtual world. (Due out TBD)

PlayStation Side Effect: Dangerous Blood Clots, Docs Say

A New Zealand man who played eight hours of video games for four days in a row developed life-threatening blood clots so severe that doctors created a new condition: “gamer’s thrombosis.” The situation involving the 31-year-old PlayStation fan was picked as the case report of the year for 2013 by BioMed Central, a U.K. publisher of science news.
Doctors at Middlemore Hospital in Auckland reported that the young man sat on his bed for four days with his legs outstretched playing PlayStation games. On the second day, he developed pain and swelling in his left leg, but ignored it for two more days. By then, he had developed deep vein thrombosis, blood clots that can potentially break free, blocking circulation and causing death. It took several clot-busting drugs to save him. Other gamers should take heed, doctors say, and get up at least every few hours.

Mirage 2000 Fighter crashes in southeast France

AN AIR Force Mirage jet crashed in hills near Viens, southeast France, this morning.
Authorities confirmed that the pilot and co-pilot ejected and parachuted to the ground safely as the two-seater Mirage 2000B aircraft went down in an uninhabited area on the borders of the Vaucluse and Alpes-de-Haute-Provence departments.

The two crew members, from the Orange base, were on a routine training mission and have been taken to Oppedette, officials said. The cause of the crash has not yet been ascertained.
There have been no reports that anyone has been injured.
It is the second time a Mirage jet has crashed during a training exercise in a few months.
In May, a single-seater Mirage 2000-5F crashed in a field near houses in a tiny village about 100km north of Nancy. The pilot also managed to eject safely. – See more at: http://connexionfrance.com/france-air-fighter-mirage-viens-vaucluse-alpes-de-haute-provence-crash-pilots-eject-hills-16057-view-article.html#sthash.Tb6AsrI9.dpuf

Sony: Project Morpheus virtual reality headset is a significant investment

The virtual reality technology Project Morpheus is "the new frontier of game development" and represents a significant investment by the company, Sony's games chief has said.

Speaking to the Guardian, CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment Andrew House, said, "It's definitely more than an experiment. We've made some commitments; we're putting significant investment into the product."

Revealed at the Game Developer Conference in San Francisco in June, Project Morpheus is a virtual reality (VR) headset which puts two high definition screens in front of the wearer's eyes, providing an immersive 3D view of the game world.

The device also includes movement tracking technologies, so players can move their head to look around the virtual scene. The product will work in conjunction with Sony's PlayStation 4 console, but no release date has been announced.

Although the concept has been around for several decades, virtual reality is only now emerging as a realistic mainstream consumer technology. Headsets launched in the early nineties featured low-resolution screens and significant lag between player movements and on-screen action causing motion sickness.

In 2012, however, a start-up tech company named Oculus successfully crowd-funded a new VR headset on the Kickstarter site and has since sold over 100,000 early versions of its Oculus Rift device to developers. A consumer launch is expected next autumn.

For Sony, virtual reality represents a new way to boost consumer electronics sales. 3D TV has largely proved a failure, as many consumers were unimpressed with stereoscopic 3D effects in the living room. But virtual reality potentially provides a much more complete experience.

"We do now think that we can get to this point of delivering a magical sense of presence - where your brain tricks you into thinking you're actually in this place," said House. "We think there's something there that could be really, really interesting for a next frontier of game development."

"Developers are passionate about VR"

Another important element for Sony is engaging with the game development community. The company's PlayStation 4 console is in burgeoning competition with Microsoft's Xbox One, and both want to attract the most talented game makers to their machines. The huge popularity of Oculus Rift among games coders and designers has encouraged Sony to think that Project Morpheus is a good way of securing talent.

"With Oculus we saw this groundswell of game development that didn't necessarily have a monetisable or a business option, but [developers were] so passionate about this space that they were doing this essentially in their spare time," said House. "It struck that me that if there's a variety of game developersshowing interest in this space then it's probably time to jump in and see if we can play a part and give them the tools they're looking for."

The big question is whether mainstream users will be willing to sit in their living rooms wearing virtual reality headsets. There has been much enthusiasm within the games community, but technologies like this have been largely untested among the wider consumer base. It may be that sales of the Google Glass device, which offers augmented reality technology, provides a useful analogue.

Asked about the mass market potential of the device, House replied, "I don't know, but I think that at the very least it's going to be another really interesting advance for the PS4 ecosystem and another way to deliver brand new experiences. That's what we're all about."

Nepal landslide: India sends its C-130J Super Hercules to transport geologists

The Indian Air Force deployed its C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft to transport a team of geologists and
disaster management officials to Nepal for clearing the landslide in a river there which is threatening to cause flood in
Bihar.A C-130J Super Hercules aircraft carried out a night landing at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu
on Saturday and dropped a team of Geological Survey of India, Central Water Commission and the National Disaster
Response Force (NDRF) there to assist the Nepalese Army in clearing the landslide in a calibrated manner, IAF
officials said.

The aircraft was launched at a short notice on the instructions issued by the Cabinet Secretariat to provide help to Nepal
in handling the flood situation, they said.The Special Operations aircraft used its high-end technology equipment to carry out the landing in the tricky airport, where flights do not operate after dark, they said.
The aircraft returned to India at 0330 hours on Sunday after accomplishing its assigned task, the officials said.
Meanwhile, the IAF has deployed a C-17 heavy-lift aircraft with a team of 20 doctors and a mobile hospital in Purnea
to handle the flood situation.
The force has kept 14 aircraft on stand by mode to participate in relief operations, if required.”One Ilyushin-76 transport aircraft in Chandigarh, two An-32s in Agra along with two Mi-17V5 helicopters in Gorakhpur have been kept on stand by. Four Mi-17V5s have been moved from Baghdogra in West Bengal to Purnea in Bihar for relief operations,” the officials said.
A landslide in Nepal in Bhate Kosi river — a tributary of Kosi river in Bihar, has threatened to cause floods in the state
and efforts are being made to clear the blockage in the river.

Guardians of the Skies: Second Phase of Popular Combat Game to Hit Android Stores on IAF Day

Over the years, the Indian Armed Forces have promoted many campaigns and heavily depended on them to instil pride for motherland among the youth, to promote them to join the Army, Navy and Air Force and to increase awareness about how much their motherland needs them. These campaigns generally always work during recruitment, invoking grand patriotism in them, and promise glory and adventure.
Recently, the Indian Air Force (IAF) employed a novel – at least in India – recruitment strategy by launching mobile game Guardians of the Skies, in an attempt to induce intense patriotism in the youngsters, compelling them to sign up for the IAF.
Launching the 3D mobile game Guardians of the Skies (GOTS), Air Marshal S Sukumar hailed the event as a significant milestone in encouraging youth to join IAF and also expressed concerns over tapping the best of human resources from upcoming generations.
“We are getting the numbers, but we want to attract the best of the boys and the girls to join the Air Force,” Sukumar told Digit.
“The best message actually goes through if we can make people go through the act of playing the game as a fighter pilot,” said Sameer Joshi, former fighter pilot and the creative director of Threye, “a young playful” Delhi-based start-up which created the game.
While your enemies in “GOTS” are the fictional Zazurians of a neighbouring country, the players are privy to the life of an Air Force officer during combat with a briefing before every mission, war-like situations, and search and rescue missions.
Couple it with top-notch graphics, thumping music and aircraft such as Sukhoi 30 and MiG 29, which are real jets flown by the Air Force, you will feel like an actual officer by the time you put the mobile/tablet down. You will even achieve campaign ribbons and gallantry awards as you progresses across various missions.
On 4 June, YouTube channel “Guardians- Indian Air Force” had posted the teaser for the game, which consists of a training mission and two operational missions, under the title, “‘Guardians of the Skies’ – IAF Mobile Game Teaser”, which found over 64,535 views.”‘Guardians’… breaks the cliché by bringing the first Campaign based air combat game play on the mobile platform. It also sets new benchmark in graphic and game play optimization techniques and has the most elaborate collection of flying missions ever seen on a mobile platform,” reads the Windows Phone description of the game.
As hoped by the IAF, the game has evoked many positive responses among the youth