January 2011 Archives
- SOCOM 4 (Zipper Interactive), April 19 for PS3.
- Brink (Splash Damage and Bethesda Softworks), May 17 for PC, PS3 and XBox 360.
- Hunted: The Demon's Forge (inXile Entertainment, Bethesda Softworks), June 1 for PC, PS3 and XBox 360
- Rage (id Software, Bethesda Softworks), Sept. 13 for PC, PS3 and XBox 360
- Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda Game Studios), Nov. 11for PC, PS3 and XBox 360
*All launch dates are for North America. "The greatest hemisphere on earth - the Western Hemisphere, the dancin-est hemisphere of them all!"
The NGP news follows Nintendo's recent announcement that its next portable, the 3DS will go on sale March 27 at the suggested retail price of $249.99. The NGP's price and exact release date went undisclosed when Sony announced the NGP in Tokyo. Here's what the PlayStation makers did say, in addition to the system coming out near the end of this year:
- Multi-touch 5-inch organic light emitting display (OLED) as the front display
- Multi-touch pad on the rear of the device
- Dual analog sticks
- Two cameras (front and rear)
- Software titles on small, dedicated flash memory-based cards
- Three motion sensors, gyroscope, accelerometer and electronic compass
- Wi-Fi and 3G network connectivity
- PlayStation Network access, including ""LiveArea™", "Near" and "Activity" log features Trophy Support
- NGP will be able to play PSP titles, minis, PS one classics, video and comics from the PlayStation Store.
Thus far, 2011 is shaping up to be an interesting one for portable gaming. The Associated Press points out that Nintendo and Sony are not only competing with each other, but smartphone makers like Apple for players' attention and money.
The popularity of smart phones including the iPhone is a potential threat to game machine makers as more people play games, watch video, send e-mail and chat on cell phones. People are also using other portable devices such as Apple's iPod and iPad to play games.
Sony's new machine, known for now by its code-name NGP, comes packed with motion sensor and GPS location technology so that gamers can tilt and sway the machine to play golf games, kill monsters and experience other "virtual realities," said Kazuo Hirai, who heads Sony Corp.'s gaming section
Such features seem to be designed with the so-called "casual gamer" in mind, and this writer would be inclined to say the NGP buyer and person who Angry Birds on his or her iPhone may not be in the same target markets.
But this writer is not a Sony executive, and those who are seem to be intent on doubling down their bet in the gadget market. The much-hyped Sony Ericcson Xperia Play, AKA the PlayStation phone, is also said to be on the way to the marketplace and Engadget has peek at a prototype. Check it out.
Koei's Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage is the kind of fanservice that is rarely seen outside of Japan. It's also not the first time a developer tried to bring the martial-arts mashup to consoles if you remember "The Last Battle" on the Genesis or "Fist of the North Star" for the NES.If you have no idea what the Fist of the North Star is, you might be better served by watching the anime or picking up the manga. Ken's Rage doesn't take a lot of time to explain itself other than being a force of violence through its wrecked landscape. Still, if you like Dynasty Warriors-like action or beat 'em ups in general, you might find something to like within its pugilistic paradise. Just watch where you step. That might be someone's guts over there.
The European release is set for May 20.
The ambitious-looking game puts players in the role of an LAPD detective assigned to protect and serve the people of the City of Angels - and devils. The game takes place in a postwar setting that should be instantly recognizable to fans of film noir and detective fiction. Rockstar mined the conventions and visuals of spaghetti westerns for 2010's "Red Dead Redemption" and L.A. Noire's aesthetic similarly resembles such films as "L.A. Confidential" and "Chinatown."
The gaming media has thus far made much of Rockstar's efforts to use new technology to capture facial movements to such a degree that players will be expected to determine whether NPC's are telling the truth or not during the course of an investigation.
This looks to be one of the most anticipated games of the year and gamers around the world will want to see if the new tech works out as new gameplay mechanism or just makes the characters look cool. At the very least, it will be interesting to see how the company behind the Grand Theft Auto series interpret the world of law enforcement.
From Sweden comes this charming, Flash-based adventure game that you can play in your browser. It's unique in that instead of using flashy graphics or fancy 3D to wow players, the creators instead used cardboard sets and claymation characters to dress it up giving it a special look reminiscent of Wallace & Gromit. It's also a finalist at the Independent Games Festival and feels as polished as any game that you might find on a shelf. The first chapter is free to play. After that, you have to pay to see the other episodes in this five chapter series. As for the story, it follows a couple who move into an apartment and later discover a secret that turns their world upside down. The puzzles aren't difficult with one exception in the first chapter, but they're fun and the characters are as entertaining to watch onscreen as their dialogue is to read.
As something that can be a negative to some prospective players out there, you also have to be online to play it since the whole series is designed to be played from your browser. On their development blog, they've stated that this was necessary to protect themselves from piracy seeing as they don't have the kind of protection that a publisher could have provided them with. They're just indies who want to make a good game, but it's also clear that there are those out there that really don't care as long as they can get their product for free.
Because it's all online, it uses its own cloud system for saves though you will have to create an account to make the most out of it. But this also plays into another reason for why they chose this delivery method: you can play the game from any machine that can support the site, whether it's a Linux box, Windows, or a Mac.So give this a shot if you're hungry for something that's a little different. And when you do, be sure to pick up everything that isn't nailed down. There's no telling when that hangar might be useful. Give it a try at their official site here.
That's May 3 in North America. The rest of the world has to wait three additional days before getting a chance to pay actual money for what may indeed be an actual game. The game is set to be released for XBox 360, PS3 and PC.
Allegedly.
From the press release:
Put on your shades and prepare to step into the boots of Duke Nukem, whose legend has reached epic proportions in the years since his last adventure. The alien hordes are invading and only Duke can save the world. Pig cops, alien shrink rays and enormous alien bosses can't stop our hero from accomplishing his one and only goal: to save the world, save the babes and to be a bad-ass while doing it. The King arrives with an arsenal of over-the-top weapons, non-stop action, and unprecedented levels of interactivity. This game puts the pedal to the metal and tongue firmly in cheek. Shoot hoops, lift weights, read adult magazines, draw crude messages on whiteboards or ogle the many hot women that occupy Duke's life - that is if you can pull yourself away long enough from destroying alien invaders. Duke Nukem was and will forever be a gaming icon, and this is his legend.
The long story of Duke Nukem Forever's banishment to development hell - or perhaps more accurately, development purgatory, is in itself the stuff of near legend. Check the link if you want to read details, but it's probably enough to note here that gamers are just now getting a launch date for a title that was first announced back in 1997.
The year 1997, for those who remember or care, was back when Bill Clinton was president, when Notorious B.I.G. was murdered and continued to rule MTV, when "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" made its television debut, when "The Simpsons" was still funny and when this writer was still in high school. It was, in the parlance of those times, "back in the day."
In video game time, 1997 was a year before the XBox console existed, a year when Sega still made consoles and the year when the Fallout, Gran Turismo, Grand Theft Auto and Age of Empires franchises made their debuts.
After more than a decade, 2K Games and Gearbox Software say Duke Nukem Forever will be out in May. There's even a NSFW trailer with profanity, violence and blurred T & A.
Readers are supposed to be 18 to watch it. That means a baby born in 1997 would still have to wait four years to play the game, assuming strict observance of ESRB ratings.
The 3DS' coming release is not the only sign of rising competition between video game companies within the portable arena. Bloomberg reports that Sony is set to unveil a new PlayStation Portable as early as Jan. 27, with PlayStation smartphone to follow the next month.
The 3DS is designed as a 3D gaming system that will not require players to wear special glasses to see three-dimensional images. The portable's controls will include a "3D Depth Slider" to let players control the degree of 3D effects and a new "Circle Pad" controller that Nintendo asserts will allow for 360-degree controls within the 3-D environment.
Parents will be able to turn off the 3D feature altogether, Nintendo reported. Recent media reports have delved into a medical debate over whether 3D may harm young children's developing eyeballs.
In addition the the 3D screen, the 3DS is also designed with a touch screen and stylus control similar to Nintendo's current portable, the DS. Features also include motion and tilt controls in the fashion of smartphone gaming.
Other phone-like features are MP3 and AAC music playability, "Street Pass" and "Spot-Pass," which are intended to let players transfer packets of game information directly to one another as they pass on the street or via Wi-Fi hotspots or home broadband connections.
More than 30 games will be released during a launch window of about three months, Nintendo reported. The most publicized of which seems to be "Kid Icarus: Uprising," a title that brings back a flagship (?) NES character that has more or less vanished since the Game Boy era.
Other announced titles include "Pilotwings Resort," "nintendogs + cats," the underwater themed "Steel Diver," remakes of Nintendo 64 titles "Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time" and "Starfox 64" and further releases in the Mario Kart and Paper Mario franchises.
Announced third-party titles include "Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition" and releases in the Madden NFL and Resident Evil series.
Facebook users have always had to give app developers permission to access profile information to install an app, such as "Which President Are You?" Whereas users once had some freedom to pick and choose which information they would share, Facebook switched to a one-size-fits-all permission system that required users to grant access to their name, friends' names, gender, profile photos and other "basic information."Facebook recently announced that it is making user phone numbers and addresses available to developers, a move that a security expert said "could herald a new level of danger" for Facebook members.
Facebook isn't just releasing this information into the wild; it's adding it to the company's "User Graph object," or the permissions required to install an app."Because this is sensitive information, we have created the new user_address and user_mobile_phone permissions," Facebook wrote in a blog post. "These permissions must be explicitly granted to your application by the user via our standard permissions dialogs."
Facebook said the permissions only provide access to a user's address and mobile phone number, not their friend's addresses or mobile phone numbers.
The new system would require users to grant their explicit permission to let app developers access phone numbers and address systems. This writer recalls reading a comment on the AV Club (I'm not a hipster, FWIW) in which a reader remarked something to the extent that Facebook's function as a social network is only incidental to its function as a data mining operation.
This latest news leaves this writer to wonder if Facebook and its founder,Time Person of the Year Mark Zuckerberg, have not so much revolutionized human communication as they have figured how to build a digital successor industry to direct mail and telemarketing,
Cabela's Dangerous Hunts
If you're anxious to try out Cabela's Dangerous Hunts 2011, be prepared for a test of patience and endurance. Who knew holding a plastic rifle and cocking your head to the side to look into a scope could lead to shoulder pain and migraines?
In the single-player mode, you follow Rainesford Family's men on a hunting trip. Hunting has been in your blood for generations and your father's incessant nagging about family history and pride don't stop for at least the first 10 minutes of the game.
Your character, Cole Rainesford, begins his adventure hunting elk in a snowy forest, where after his first kill, he is given the honor of eat the heart of the elk you just shot to celebrate the kill. Yummy!
After protecting your father from a wild animal attack, you receive a tongue lashing since you only wounded the animal that attacked him and did not kill it. The game continues with Cole hunting one animal then hunting a large bear that attacked and killed campers in your forest. You move slowly and steadily though the map looking for signs or tracks with the aid of "Hunter Sense," a function that helps you locate tracks throughout the map but ends up making you dizzy.
As you continue through the game, your character follows a narrow predetermined path which leads him through his perilous journey. You control your character with the use of the plastic rifle called the "Top Shot Elite." Moving your weapon left, right, up or down can control the movement of your character. Warning: the combination of the rifle and the scope can make you feel sick.
The controls of the "Top Shot Elite," are easy to use but cumbersome in their placement. The right joystick is used for movement within the game and is conveniently placed behind the trigger, giving you a comfortable shooting grip. Buttons A & B are located right beneath the right controller for quick access. The Y button is designated for action and the X button is set to cycle though the three weapons you have.
When first tested the rifle on my 46" television, the rifle would not properly calibrate, which made moving and shooting difficult. The first five minutes of play brought on the onset of a splitting headache. I powered though, but less than 15 minutes later I was done.
The shooting galleries are a test of skill as waves of different beasts and fowl challenge your aiming abilities. The opening screen in the first gallery begins with just a couple of elks, but soon they are popping out from behind every tree and rock.
Remember, don't shoot the does or you'll lose 500 points for each one. The gallery progresses to a number of other game, such as bighorn sheep, rhinos, wolves, hyenas, hippos and more. A giant grizzly also appears, at times dodging vegetation or rocks as it charges at you. Specially colored animals are also worth more.
In between the volleys of beasts, the fowl take flight. Switch to your shotgun before shooting the birds or you'll lose points. You don't have to hit each and every bird, a blast from the shotgun seems to take out several birds at a time.
Switching between the rifle and shotgun can be a bit slow, if you needed to reload before you attempted to switch.
You can take on the galleries in single-player or multiplayer mode. You get three shots with the rifle and two shots with the shotgun before you have to reload. At each level, you can accumulate extras, such as ammo or glasses that make that animals easier to see.
Passing around the firearm among your friends can really throw off the calibration. The game advises you to recalibrate each time you pass the weapon or change seats. If you don't, you'll soon find it much tougher to zero in on your targets.
The game's lineup of country songs will include Trace Adkins' "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk," Carrie Underwood's "Cowboy Casanova" and Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire."
Other performers set to be heard on the release include Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts and Miranda Lambert.
The ARC System Works developed title is a 2-D scroller in the same vein as previous titles within Konami's Contra series.
The game is scheduled to retail for 1200 Microsoft Points.
Konami reported in December that the title will also be released for PlayStation Network, but a release date for PS3 players was not contained in today's announcement.
The iPhone is the best piece of technology ever invented in the history of mankind, according to its owners.
Apple's competitors, of course, disagree. Motorola's Droid phone is so awesome it practically turns users into a cyborg, according to commercials.
Droid uses Google's Android operating system, but is not the only smartphone to do so. That was different for the iPhone, however. Until Verizon service begins on its scheduled date of Feb. 10, iPhone users had to sign a contract with AT&T to use the popular smartphone.
Verizon customers have not been shut out of the smartphone market, of course. The carrier
Wireless carriers, however, seem to engender less brand loyalty than Apple. The Associated Press reports the news may mean some customers will switch carriers, but how many is hard to say. (Link updated.)
AT&T activated 11.1 million iPhones in the first nine months of 2010. Analysts now expect Verizon to snag some users from AT&T, but the impact will likely be muted because most iPhone users have two-year contracts, and many are on family and employer plans. Verizon did not reveal its service plan pricing on Tuesday.
Verizon's iPhone version will work only on the carrier's current "3G" network even though the carrier has fired up a faster "4G" network in many cities. That super-fast wireless data network is available only to plug-in laptop modems for now, but Verizon will have smart phones for it this summer.
Cook said the first generation of "4G" phone chips would have forced some design compromises, which Apple wasn't willing to make.
"Secondly and most importantly, Verizon customers have told us they want the iPhone now," Cook said. "I can't tell you the number of times I've been asked and my colleagues have been asked . When will the iPhone work on the Verizon network?"
The lack of 4G means the Verizon iPhone will have much slower data speeds than AT&T's, at least in the areas where AT&T has upgraded its 3G network. AT&T spokesman Mark Siegel was quick to point this out, along with the fact that users won't be able to surf and talk at the same time on the Verizon iPhone. International roaming will also be
very limited compared with the AT&T version.
However, Verizon has much wider domestic 3G coverage than AT&T does, especially in the interior of the country. In the big cities of the coasts, iPhone service can be spotty because of crowding on AT&T's network.
Although Verizon did not announce its service plan price, the company plans to sell the iPhone 4 at $199 for the 16 GB model or $299.99 for the 32 GB model with a two-year contract.
No, that's not the new name of Indy's next film or some kind of bizarre crossover with the upcoming Pirates of the Caribbean film, but it is the name of a project that is already ten years in the making by die-hard fans of Lucasarts' classic adventure games featuring the Man in the Hat.This one takes place in 1939, before the invasion of Poland by the Nazis, as they scour the globe in search of yet another artifact for the Reich. But the Fountain may only be the start of a race to attain an ancient weapon of forbidden power and only Indy can stop them in time. Doesn't he always?
The free PC-only demo lets you sample a bit of the impressive gameplay. For those unfamiliar with this type of adventure game, it's the kind of point-and-click exploration and puzzle busting that were incredibly popular in the eighties and the nineties. You'll need to scour scenes for clues, examine notes, and break through devious puzzles to beat those nefarious Nazis.
From the sharp art style and polished soundtrack to the puzzles - and even a little fighting - it's like playing the sequel to Indy's other adventure, the Fate of Atlantis, all over again. So if you miss those old Lucasarts' styled adventures - or need something to help forget Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - try this one out or visit the site and check out the history behind it.
When, and if, the game is finally finished, it's going to be released as a completely free fan tribute. Definitely keeping my eyes on this one.
"Silk" comes courtesy of programmer, Yuri Vishnevsky, as an experiment in "generative art" according to the site. All that you do is draw a line, change the breeze, and let the web do all of the work. It's like fingerpainting, only with your mouse.It doesn't look like you could save your masterpiece, but you can watch an amazing replay of all of the tweaking you did to get it into shape. You can try it out here.
Besides using the DC Comics universe as a setting, the new title is designed to attract new players by offering a slam-bang combat system and gameplay that's relatively quicker than existing MMO titles.
"What felt superheroic was picking up cars and throwing them at people," game director Chris Cao said. "I wanted to make MMOs more fun for more people."
DC Universe Online is scheduled to be released Tuesday, Jan. 11. Sony Online Entertainment is releasing the game for PS3 and PC.
The game allows players to design their own superheroes or supervillains and play under the tutelage of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman or those characters' nemeses, Lex Luthor, Joker and Circe. The storyline casts Superman foe Braniac as lead antagonists, and other DC Universe characters are billed as featured players.
Sony's game is not the only effort to set a well-known fictional universe as the scene of a new MMO. Bioware's "Star Wars: The Old Republic" is set for a springtime release, and Cao laughed a little when asked if he was excited to see his team's game on the market first.Millions of gamers enjoy massively-multiplayer online games, but any quick scan of the Internet can reveal commentary from many other game fans who stay away from the genre. Titles like Blizzard's "World of Warcraft" or NCsoft's "Aion" can attract players with sprawling virtual worlds, but can repel others simply by the prospect of grinding through long hours of gameplay.
Thus in Cao's words, DC Universe Online comes across as a game designed for the MMO newcomer, if not the MMO skeptic. The game has the character creation and raiding features that are common to MMOs, but also player-versus-player challenges that pit skill against skill. In other words, the idea is for playersto be able to to compete against each other even if they haven't spent every waking hour grinding through level after level.
The game's combat system is designed to be more similar to titles like "Bayonetta" or the "Marvel: Ultimate Alliance" series than other RPG's, CAO said.
Grinding is also reduced compared to other MMOs, he said. Players can reach the game's highest level in 40-50 hours.
"If you want to play another game or another couple games, you will be able to," he said.
DC Universe Online is set to retail for $59.99 on PS3 or $49.99 on PC. Monthly subscriptions are set to cost $14.99 after 30 days. PS3 and PC players will play in separate "universes."
The game is rated T for Teen.
The movies are scheduled to be sold in three different box sets. The big nine-disc package is advertised as featuring three discs of alternate and deleted scenes, among other special features, and is expected to retail for $139.99.
The original and prequel trilogies are also set to be sold in their own packages for $69.99 each.
The official announcement does not specify which versions of the original trilogy will be packaged, but the promotional video and Amazon.com chatter indicate that at least some changes made for the 1997 Special Editions or later edits will be included.
Blackberry is taking on the Apple iPad with their new Blackberry PlayBook a sleek 7" LCD Tablet with a multi-touch 1024x600 screen. The PlayBook runs 1Ghz dual-core processor with 1GB ram.
Check out the specs from BlackBerry after the jump
Ultra portable, super convenient
0.4"
Height Width Depth Weight
5.1" / 130mm 7.6" / 194mm 0.4" / 10mm 0.9 lbs / 400g
Best-in-class media
3 MP high-definition forward-facing camera 5 MP high-definition rear-facing camera
Codec support for superior media playback, creation and video calling
1080p HD video; H.264, MPEG4, WMV HDMI video output Micro USB and Micro HDMI ports
Video-conferencing
Crystal clear HD display Rich stereo sound Dual HD video cameras
Built for business
Out-of-the-box compatibility with BlackBerry® Enterprise Server
Seamless pairing for a secure window into your BlackBerry® smartphone
Corporate data access Secure and manageable
BlackBerry Tablet OS
Powerful, user-friendly QNX technology: It's what the World Wide Web runs on
Multi-processing for true multitasking
Rich application ecosystem
Rapid development environment Reliable BlackBerry Tablet OS, powered by QNX technology
Supports POSIX OS, SMP, Open GL, BlackBerry® 6, WebKit, Adobe Flash, Java® and Adobe Mobile AIR
7" LCD display, 1024 x 600 screen resolution Multi-touch capacitive screen
Professional grade performance
Full computing power in a tablet format 1 GHz dual-core processor 1 GB RAM Symmetric multi-processing
Web without limits
Games, media, apps and everything the real Internet offers Full Adobe® Flash® 10.1 enabled Built-in support for HTML 5 No-compromise rendering of text, graphics and video
High-speed connections
3G network access using your BlackBerry® smartphone as a modem 4G network access available on BlackBerry® 4G PlayBookTM tablet Wi-Fi® 802.11 a/b/g/n Bluetooth® 2.1+EDR
Amplified BlackBerry experience
Wirelessly connect to your BlackBerry® smartphone* for real time access to:
Email, calendar, address book, task list and BBMT
Verizon's announcement during CES 2011 was all about 4G LTE. LTE, short for Long Term Evolution, was rolled out on December 5, 2010 in 38 markets and by the end of 2011 they hope to be in 175 markets. After today's announcement they will roll out with ten new 4G LTE devises, 4 cell phone, 2 mobile hotspots, 2 LTE enabled laptops and 2 tablets.
Verizon plans to release these products starting in Q1 of this year.
Unfortunatly no iPhone announcement yet, maybe we'll hear more on this room come Macworld 2011 later this month.
We've all heard the rumors that the iPhone 4 will be in the hands of Verizon this year. When? No one knows, but today at CES, Verizon will be making an announcement at 1pm. Will this be the fateful day that the man in Black comes a knocking. More to come after the announcement.
· 3D or 2D HD recording with double full HD 1920x1080 video recording and 7-megapixel still image capture in photo mode (2D)
· View contents in 3D on the 3.5" WIDE 3D/2D Xtra Fine with TruBlack technology LCD (1229K) without needing 3D glasses
- 64GB of internal flash memory, for 60p/24p recording capability in 2D
- Optical SteadyShot™™ w/ Active Mode and iAuto even in 3D
- 10x optical zoom in 3D (12x in 2D), 17x Extended Zoom
- Event Browse for automatic grouping of content by events and Highlight Playback & Highlight Share (2D only) to create highlight reels automatically
- Built-in mic w/ 5.1ch surround system, Clear Phase stereo speakers with S-Master technology, wind noise reduction, mic/HP jack, and audio level meter
Packing a punch, Sony's Press even was star studded and not only but the movie stars of the upcoming movie the Green Hornet, Seth Rogen and Jay Chou but, by their barrage of consumer electronics centered around the 3D revolution.
Sony unveiled its 3D consumer camcorder, 3D enabled boggie camera and brings their popular Sony Vaio series laptop to the 3D realm.
Whine over. Nintendo and Pokémon Company International are promoting the March 6 release of Pokemon: Black and Pokémon: White for Nintendo DS by offering players access to three new characters, Shiny Raikou, Shiny Entei, and Shiny Suicune.
There are doubtless thousands - if not millions - of kids out there who actually know what those words mean, and by writing those previous words, I am now officially old.
There are several rules interested players can read here. Players must already have English-language copies of Pokémon games in their Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, HeartGold, or SoulSilver versions.
And just because, Voltron:
Google was accused of spying on households yesterday after it admitted secretly copying passwords and private emails from home computers.
The internet search giant was forced to confess it had downloaded personal data during its controversial Street View project, when it photographed virtually every street in Britain.
In an astonishing invasion of privacy, it admitted entire emails, web pages and even passwords were 'mistakenly collected' by antennae on its high-tech Street View cars.
As covered in the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin:
The silver-gray Chevrolet Volt parked in the showroom at an Ontario car dealership on a rainy Wednesday afternoon was one of the first of the new electric cars to be sold in the Inland Empire.That specific Volt, with a sticker price of about $40,000, already had a buyer, and Mark Christopher Chevrolet sales manager Karl Scheiffle expected the car to be driven off the lot on New Year's weekend.
The Ontario dealership has presold about a dozen Volts, Scheiffle said, with the first of the bunch leaving the lot about two weeks ago.
"It's going to take off and people are going to have fun with it," Scheiffle predicted.
Waiting for its buyer, the Volt rested in the Ontario showroom alongside two new Corvettes - one a fiery red and the other in metallic gray.
It was like the old Chevrolet meeting the brand's attempt to reinvent itself. The Corvette has always been designed to burn gasoline and go fast.
The Volt, by contrast, is capable of using gasoline but its selling point is the electric "Voltec" power plant that owners can recharge by pugging in to a household socket or by shelling out for a special charging station.
"There's no question it will transform the industry," said Jay Yerman, sales manager at Tom Bell Chevrolet in Redlands. "It's the stepping stone to the next leap electric cars will take."
The Chevrolet Volt's "Voltec" system can run 25-40 miles on electric power before a gasoline-powered system kicks in, according to an evaluation by Ward's AutoWorld.
Ward's has also checked out the Nissan Leaf, a competing vehicle that relies solely upon electric power. Ward's named both vehicles' "propulsion systems" for the company's annual "10 Best Engines" list.
It will be interesting to see if Americans adopt electric vehicles, and if doing so reduces the nation's pollution and reliance upon fossil fuels, given that the power used for these vehicles is likely to come from power plants that burn coal or natural gas.
1. I would like to see BioWare's "Star Wars: The Old Republic" come out with specs that my computer can handle, and succeed in its developers' declared intention to combine storytelling with MMO gameplay.
