Drop, charge, and lose the cords
Doom Classic brings the ancient, pixelated first-person shooter to the iPhone.
Welcome to today's episode of Recycling Old PC Games for Fun and Profit. Our first contestant: Doom Classic, the first-person shooter that spawned a thousand imitators, several hundred ports, and one horrendous movie.
Next up: Command & Conquer Red Alert, the real-time strategy classic responsible for a massive drop in global productivity.
In my youth I was a tremendous fan of both games, so it stands to reason that I'd welcome them to my iPhone. However, neither is getting a permanent home.
Let's start with Doom. While id Software's official port offers a pixel-perfect recreation, the game is 16 years old--and it shows.
Indeed, juxtaposed with Doom Resurrection, a made-for-iPhone game with 21st century graphics, Doom Classic looks positively ancient. It plays that way, too: You can't even jump.
Part of this is personal bias: I don't think FPS games work well on small screens, especially when touch controls are involved. For me, Doom Classic feels cramped, confined, and seriously out of date.
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CNET)
In addition to the big Apple announcements of new laptops and the iPhone 3G S at this weeks WWDC, other well-known developers used the conference as an opportunity to release some big name iPhone applications. I usually try to balance my coverage of iPhone apps by talking about one game and one useful utility, but with this week's big releases, I'm going to talk about two games. These games are both $9.99, so with the higher price point, I think it's worth it to give you the rundown of both so you can decide if you want to spend the money on either or both of these top-name games.
This week's apps include the latest entry in one of the most popular game institutions of all time and a new racing game from a now highly-respected iPhone game developer.
Just like real life, sometimes you just want to lay back and relax on the couch
(Credit: CNET)The Sims 3 ($9.99) for iPhone and iPod Touch lets you create a character (or sim) and live a virtual life in a full-fledged 3D town. You start by choosing your look including clothing, hairstyle, and eye-color. Then you choose five personality traits from a list, from the mundane like "modest" to more exciting and strange traits like "vain," each of which will affect how you are received by other sims in town. Once you're ready, you begin your life at your small house where you'll need to take care of your sim's every need, from sleeping and eating, to showering and bathroom breaks. As you progress in the game and make more money, you'll be able to remodel your house, advance in your relationships (including marriage) and other fun activities (Woohoo--you'll know why I wrote that once you play).
Clearly, the Sims 3 on your iPhone is not going to be the expansive experience you might have on other platforms. I still found the game oddly mesmerizing as I went into town to find a job, met other sims in the neighborhood, and bought recipes so I could cook more exciting meals at my house besides simple snacks. Part of the fun in Sims games is the ability to try things you wouldn't otherwise do in real life. So don't be afraid to make a "Jerk" character and do things like kick over trash cans and act rudely toward the town people, just to see what happens. If you liked the other Sims games, The Sims 3 for iPhone is worth the price. Make sure to restart your iPhone before playing to avoid crashes.
Choose between a cockpit view or a camera view from behind the car
(Credit: CNET)Real Racing ($9.99) is the long awaited title from Firemint, the makers of the popular air traffic control game FlightControl. Real Racing offers excellent graphics with different camera views, 36 cars in 3 classes, 12 unique tracks, and five game modes--most of which you will unlock as you win races. You also can sync your best times against other players online and even join a league to rise up through the ranks against people across the globe.
Real Racing combines great graphics, excellent goal-oriented gameplay (new cars and tracks) and an online component that's more than just a high score list. But what makes me like this game over all other racing sim-type games for iPhone are the sensitive, but realistic feeling controls, including an autobraking system that helps you learn the ropes to become a better racer. I wasn't able to test the network racing with anyone here at work, but judging from all the other gameplay and attention to detail in this game, I imagine it is quite enjoyable. There was a lot of hype leading up to the release of Real Racing, and now that I've tried it, it seems the hype was all true. Any racing fan should definitely get this game.
What's your favorite iPhone app? What do you think of the iPhone version of The Sims 3? Does Real Racing live up to all the hype? Let me know in the comments!
Chrome is now included as an option when installing RealPlayer.
(Credit: Screenshot by Stephen Shankland/CNET)Google wanted to release version 1.0 of Chrome in part so it could bundled with other products, and now one such deal has arrived.
The option to install Chrome is checked by default, which no doubt will help some people to add the software without really deliberating much on its merits or drawbacks. However, the Chrome option shows on a separate stage of installation, so it's not hidden on some invisible "advanced options" section off the beaten track of the process.
Contrary to its practice with most of its products and services, Google is actively promoting Chrome with advertisements on YouTube, Facebook, and some technology sites.
Update 8:34 a.m. PST: During the Chrome uninstallation process I underwent to test out the Real bundling deal, after Google opens a page in Internet Explorer asking for feedback on why I removed Chrome, Google also promotes its Google Toolbar for IE. "Get your favorite Google Chrome features in Internet Explorer with Google Toolbar," the page suggests.
(Via Google Operating System.)
(Credit:
Screenshot by Stephen Shankland/CNET)
If you use the RealPlayer on Internet Explorer, watch out. Researcher Elazar Broad has posted to the Full Disclosure mailing list a so-called heap overflow vulnerability that makes it possible for an attacker to modify heap blocks after they are freed and overwrite certain registers. This could allow code execution on a compromised machine. The vulnerability affects all versions of RealPlayer running under Internet Explorer.
Exploit code for this flaw has not yet been made public.
Without a patch from RealPlayer, security experts recommend disabling the killbit for the following ActiveX ClassIDs:
- 2F542A2E-EDC9-4BF7-8CB1-87C9919F7F93
- CFCDAA03-8BE4-11CF-B84B-0020AFBBCCFA
To avoid the loss of functionality, security experts recommend using RealPlayer in a browser that doesn't support ActiveX, such as Mozilla Firefox (for Windows and Mac).
Back in May, Señor Bell wrote about the new RealPlayer, which promised users the ability to download video in a variety of formats (Flash, WMV, Quicktime) from a variety of sites (YouTube, Comedy Central, and so on) using a variety of Web browsers. Somewhat unsurprisingly, I've gotten a variety of results. RealPlayer is fresh out of beta (download Version 11 for Windows from Download.com)--the perfect time to put it to the test, in my book. Personally, I don't find the latest version particularly useful for my video tastes, but you may find it compelling, depending on your preferences, when it comes to online video.
Let me just get this out of the way first: The RealPlayer software interface is...unattractive. Mostly it's just cluttered, but the utilitarian look and feel leave something to be desired, as well. It's relatively easy to get the hang of, at least, but I frankly expected better from the peeps who bring us Rhapsody. All that being said, the inconspicuous, integrated "Download This Video" button is both well-designed and useful, and videos are saved in an obvious spot (under Downloads & Recordings) for future access. Now if they could integrate this button's functionality with another jukebox for media organization (say, Rhapsody), I believe we would have something here.
Of course, simple downloading of Internet video is a compelling feature for some. And the fact that it's free makes it all the more user-friendly. However, if you want to actually take your newly downloaded video "to go" on an iPod, you'll need to plunk down $40 (a one-time fee) for RealPlayer Plus. The Plus version also includes several other advanced features (outlined in the screenshot above) that some users might find handy. I tested both the downloading functionality and the iPod transfer feature, and both were pretty slow. It took about 12 minutes to download a 24-minute video clip from Google Video; RealPlayer then took its sweet time--about an hour--encoding and transferring that video to the iPod. It's definitely an exercise in patience, though--to be fair--the video-grab feature is really intended for short video clips of about 5 minutes or less. More unforgivable is the fact that the app refused to play nice with Outlook, causing the e-mail client to crash when any encoding or transferring was taking place.
So what kinds of video can you expect to work with RealPlayer's download feature? The short answer is "nothing with DRM protection of any kind." So if you're thinking of capturing the latest episode of Heroes to watch on your iPod (an especially enticing idea now that the iTunes store is NBC-less) you can forget about it. I also went after some Bravo, FoodTV, Netflix, and Comedy Central content--all to no avail. For Bravo, FoodTV, and NBC, the "Download This Video" button popped up, but the resulting grab was just the commercial segment. Sadly, while Comedy Central videos worked during the beta period, the site has since switched to streaming flash, with which RealPlayer 11 is incompatible (the button changes to "Video cannot be downloaded," though--somehow--commercials are downloadable). Netflix uses a proprietary format that the software doesn't even recognize as video. In any event, this adherence to DRM is better for RealPlayer in the long run, but it's really too bad about the FoodTV restriction--how handy would it be to have quick and easy recipe clips on your iPod?
There are, naturally, plenty of video sites that work just fine with the software. Google Video, YouTube, Metacafe, and any other site with user-generated content are all fair game. Also, there are some TV network sites that keep their formats open and free of restriction--Cartoon Network, Discovery Channel, and National Geographic, for example--though you often have to sit through a loud, unmutable ad while you wait for the video to come on. Of course, this is dependent on the sites and not RealPlayer, but I can't help complaining here. Also, it's worth noting that you don't actually have to watch the video while it's recording: You can pause, mute, or even move onto another video and cue that up for downloading. That's definitely a big plus.
In the end, the usefulness of this new RealPlayer 11 feature depends largely on the type of content you are interested in saving for offline viewing (if you're into music videos, for example, it's great)--and also how enterprising you are (I came across a couple of questionable sites with plenty of network TV content that was readily compatible with the software). It is free, so there's no harm in trying it out--unless you count the harm to your eyes/brain by having to deal with the RealPlayer interface. If you're an iPod user who wants to take videos on the go, just make sure you test out the free version with your favorite content providers before you dole out the cash for the Plus option.
Related stories:
Two of the most effective tools I've found for keeping videos embedded in Web pages are the Free FLV Converter and RealPlayer. Yes, that RealPlayer.
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(Credit:
CNET Networks)
After spending the morning hours organizing his documents and case files, Power Downloader decides it's high time for a break. Though he's happy with his organizational progress so far, Power knows that he can't spend all of his time working. After all, a little relaxation and time out from a project often helps to recharge both the body and the mind.
To make the most of his downtime, Power Downloader decides a little gaming is just the thing to help him relax. With nothing new to play on his computer, Power decides to check out the top games at Download.com. After only a few clicks of his mouse, it doesn't take Power long to find Glest an open-source, free real-time strategy game in the vein of Blizzard's older Warcraft-type games. This game lets Power choose between two races, one whose primary ability is magic and the other, which focuses on tech. Once the game has started, the 3D graphics and slow-moving gameplay provide the perfect escape from Power's cleaning tasks. But Power soon realizes that Glest is more than just a relaxing diversion. To build an ultimate fighting force to stave off his computer controlled enemies, Power will need to plan his strategy, secure his resources, and focus on time-management. By the end of his first game, the enemy outmatched Power's abilities, but it only made him want to master the game and come up with a new strategy.
Managing resources and units in the early part of the game is crucial for success.
(Credit: CNET Networks)Power Downloader knows Glest may not be on par with some of today's popular commercial RTS games, but the classic strategy feel, smooth 3D graphics, and countless weapon- and building-upgrade options make the game both fun and challenging. Also, the variety between the two races gives this free game plenty of replay value.
When Power Downloader finally quits Glest, he realizes that he may have spent a little too much time in his virtual world. With only a few hours left in the day, Power resolves to finish organizing his documents, but when he's done, he'll have more time to build a new strategy for the battlefield.
The new beta version of the classic streaming-media app RealPlayer lets users record both audio and video streams to their hard drives. In this Quick Tips video from CNET TV, Tom Merritt shows you how it's done.
Classics buffs will remember RealPlayer as the first major digital-media player to sweep the MP3 world. RealPlayer 10 (for Mac and Windows ) sees the legacy of managing your digital library and playing tunes, and ups the ante with added features for optimizing tunes and video. Yet information-choked tabs and constant promotions for premium service get real old, real fast--especially when other (truly) free services out there offer most of RealPlayer's features, minus the open, expectant palm.
Will RealPlayer 11 beta's live video streaming feature amp up the product's appeal? Check out a sneak peek of RealPlayer 11 in action in the First Look video below. What do you think? Is RealPlayer just as good now as it was back then?
(Credit:
CNET Networks)
When RealPlayer launched back in 1995, it was mostly used to provide consumers with streaming audio and video content without giving them a local copy. Its feature set has grown considerably in recent years, but it's still surprising to see a new RealPlayer 11 beta version that lets users record YouTube videos and Internet radio directly to their hard drives.
Recording streaming media is nothing new, of course. Open-source app Streamripper32 has been letting users record Shoutcast radio for many years, and my favorite audio player, Quintessential Player, can automatically record nearly any audio stream.
Extensions for Mozilla Firefox like Ook Video Ook allow you to save any embedded content in a Web page, including YouTube videos and MySpace audio streams, whereas VideoDownloader focuses more on simply downloading all online videos.
RealPlayer's emergence into the stream-ripping genre is a definite validation of the concept, though the legal issues around the topic seem far from settled.
What do you use to download streaming audio and video locally? Tell me about it in the comments.
