Capturing the reality of motion; computing power puts video games in television's league

Article Abstract:

The makers of home video and computer game software are increasing the realism of their products through the use of motion capture technology. Electronic Arts Inc., the world's largest video game maker and the creator of FIFA Soccer, uses its new $3.2 million motion-capture studio in British Columbia to capture the movements of soccer players and other characters represented in its video and computer games. The use of human actors has also helped the North American video and computer game industry achieve $6.3 billion in revenues last year. Also, in the latest version of FIFA Soccer, Electronic Arts was able to increase the video speed to 26 frames a second for the Sony Playstation from the previous number of 21. This compares to the 30 frames a second for conventional television and 24 frames a second for most motion pictures. Despite the invention of motion capture technology in the 1970's, its was not until the 1990's that the processing power of the video games systems made it worth the effort and cost of recording human movements for these games.

Product development, Forecasts, trends, outlooks, Game, Toy, and Children's Vehicle Manufacturing, Home Video Games, Games, toys, and children's vehicles, Video Games Cartridges, Technology development, Computer games, Video game industry, Video games industry, Video games, Computer game, Electronic Arts Inc., ERTS, Video game cartridges

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Making the PC come alive: a software language that puts you in the picture

Article Abstract:

Computer industry experts and researchers expect the new programming language, Java, to bring the World Wide Web to its next development level. This new language, developed by Sun Microsystems, was recently introduced to the commercial market after four years of development. Java can act as a gofer and a universal translator, capable of making programs move smoothly between incompatible operating systems. As a gofer, Java retrieves information and programs off Web sites on the Internet and brings them to the users' computer. Many software developers are using the language to make new programs which allow incompatible computers to speak with one another. Sun Microsystems hopes to lead Java into an industry standard position by licensing it to software developers and offering it without charge to universities and individuals. Java has the potential to transform the Internet from a static world to a place where programs are easily shared.

Usage, Internet, Programming language, Programming languages, Technology overview, Technology Information

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Software company's strategy allows it to roll with the punches; Metrowerks is positioning itself for the post-PC era

Article Abstract:

Metrowerks Inc. is in the process of switching its main target market from Power PC application developers to consumer electronics devices and computer game developers. Previously, Metroworks had 95 percent of the Apple Power PC market for application compiling software. However, as Apple's overall market share declined, Metrowerks has shifted its strategy. Already Metrowerks is the developing environment chosen by most programmers coding for the Palm Pilot. Metrowerks has also gotten Nintendo, Sega, and Sony to adopt Codewarrior as the standard. Thus programmers writing for these companies' next generation of games will use Metrowerks software, and can more easily port their programs among the three platforms. Powerparts is the developing environment Metrowerks is releasing for writing programs that enable household appliances to interact with one another.

Strategy & planning, Management, Biography, Company analysis, Galanos, Greg, Metrowerks Inc., MTWKF

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