Mom's Minute

Toshiba's Shibasphere

It's April 1, 2013 when the tech companies as well as others unveil spoofs, pranks and other means of trickery to get you to believe what you know is not true. All in jest and fun, of course.  However, what the tech companies may or may not know is that you are ahead of the game because you know on April Fool's Day to always expect the unexpected.

Or are you really ahead of the game?  What if a well renowned company announced that there is a video game console being unveiled that will be able to measure your emotions when you play a video game.  With the technological advances of the 21st century, could there really be such a machine/system that you can not only connect to video-game-play wise -- but one that can connect to you on an individual, emotional, personal level?

Toshiba Shibasphere

Enter Toshiba's Shibasphere.  In addition to other "innovative" features, the Shibasphere has a local agression monitoring mode.  The spoof video game console can measure your level of aggression and automatically tone or calm things down if your emotional intensity level begins to get out of control. This monitoring would undoubtedly adjust depending on the type video game you are playing.

Even though this console is a April Fool's Day hoax/joke -- to some this hoax may be obvious not only because of the seemingly impossibility of a video game system to have the  ability to measure emotions.  Even more telling is the Toshiba Shibasphere would have created skepticism because it would have been introduced to the public without all the secrets, reveals, press conferences, leaks and other publicity techniques of the marketeers, etc. of the new systems used by those before it -- Xbox 720, PlayStation 4, and the Ouija -- just to name a few. Would Toshiba give a first look at a video game console system, including all its specifications at a first introduction?  As a reminder, you are probably still waiting to see the actual Playstation 4, in spite of all the hype, press confererences, etc. for this system. Need I say more?

Happy April Fool's Day.

Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate

Are you looking to quinch your thirst for Role Playing Games (RPGs) that involve slaying enemy monsters on your WII U and Nintendo 3DS?  If you are --  look no further.  The popular action RPG game, Monster Hunter, has returned to North America and Europe.  Not only will you slay monsters during video gameplay, but you will  also explore settlements in the Monster Hunter universe, earn equipment upgrades, complete quests on your journeys and experience other video game adventures. You will have two companions, Cha-Cha and Kayamba to help you along the way. 

Graphic for Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate 

 The functionalities of the WII U and the Nintendo 3DS  allow you to experience the gameplay using the touch screen features of both systems if you like.  You will be able to access in-game books, weapons, field maps and mini games while you explore the exciting world of this video game with high quality graphics and visuals afforded by the WII U and the Nintendo 3DS.

Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate

There is a 4 player multi-player online option which in addition to regular on-line play, gives you the choice to play the game across video game platforms.  Using a local wireless connection, as a WII U player, you  can connect to the game play of  Nintendo 3DS gamers.

Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate video game was released on March 19, 2013 and is rated T for Teen.

Pandora's Tower

Pandora's Tower video game is a Nintendo Role Playing Game (RPG) published by XSeed and is the third game from Operation Rainfall. The other previous video games were Xenoblade Chronicles and The Last Story.  By comparison, Pandora's Tower is shorter than the other two games, but there is more concentration on the main characters.

Graphic for Pandora's Tower

The story is about a young maiden who must rely on the talents of Aeron to save her from turning into a monster. Aeron must brave the thirteen towers which are suspended  in the middle of a valley by chains connected to surrounding cliffs.  He must use his magical Oraclos Chain to retrieve flesh of giant monsters who live in these towers.  Pandora uses the flesh to try to avert her transformation into a monster.  Aeron's interactions with Pandora have a direct effect on the story which has several possible endings.

Pandora's Tower

Pandora's Tower is rated T for teen, releases in the U.S. on April 16, 2013 and will be playable on the WII console video game system.

The Walking Dead:  Survival Instinct

Did you know that there are several renditions of the Walking Dead, not only in movies, but also in video games? There is The Walking Dead video game by Telltale Games, as well as The Walking Dead first person shooter game developed by Terminal Reality and published by Activision.    The Walking Dead by Telltale Games is based upon the comic book and The Walking Dead by Terminal Reality is a prequel to the television show.

The gameplay for The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct has a setting in Georgia and centers around two characters, Daryl and Merle Dixon as they travel to Atlanta during the early days of the zombie apocalypse.

The actors who play these characters on the television show, Norman Reedus and Michael Rooker, will reprise their roles in the video game, The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct.  Norman Reedus plays the part of the Daryl Dixon character and Michael Rooker plays Merle Dixon.

The Walking Dead:  Survival Instinct

During gameplay, you as the video game player, will play the role of Daryl Dixon.  Also during video gameplay, you will meet other survivals of the zombie apocalypse.

The Walking Dead:  Survival Instinct is rated M for Mature and will be playable on the Xbox 360, PS3, Wii U and PC.  The release date is March 19, 2013 for the U.S. and March 22, 2013 for the U.K. and Europe.

Xbox 720

Your guess is as good as mine as to which rumors about the Xbox 720 to believe, and which ones you should dismiss as obvious speculations.  As we get closer to the big reveal by Microsoft of anything and everything about the Xbox 720, it seems as if more leaks about the new video game system appear to flourish.  The latest rumors, in addition to any of the others you may already be aware of, has to do with the accessibility and storage of the video games that you will play on the Xbox 720, as well as the online status of the system itself.

Xbox 720 Leaks

It is rumored that the system will always be on and connected to the internet.  When not in use, the Xbox 720 will run in a low power state.  Since the system will always be on, as a benefit to both Microsoft and yourself, software system updates will be easily accomplished.

It was previously rumored the system will require the Kinect.  This particular rumor has been confirmed, with the additional information that you will not be able to play games on the Xbox 720 without the Kinect.  In fact, the Xbox 720, when released, will be sold with the Kinect.

Xbox 720

Regarding video games accessibility, all the games you play will be uploaded to the hard drive automatically. When you insert the physical game, the Xbox 720 will immediately save it to the system's hard drive.  You will be able to continue to play the game while the hard drive installation is taking place.

There are also leaks about the Xbox 720 controller which purport that it will be easier for the noncore gamers to use and will be  more ergonomically friendly.

Microsoft is expected to reveal more about the Xbox 720 on and before E3, scheduled for June, 2013 in Los Angeles, CA.  The new video game system's current scheduled release time frame is October - November, 2013.

Xbox 720 Rumored Release Date Read more.