Roboni-i fuses gaming, robotics

A South African/US start-up called Robonica is promising to "redefine the entertainment robotics market" this autumn with the introduction of the Roboni-i robotic gaming system, reports

TechRadar UK.

Fusing elements of robotics, remote control vehicles and electronic gaming, Roboni-i offers gameplay for solo players, teams or online.

The system is based around a programmable, two-wheeled robot that features 16 sensors and four processors, a radio frequency remote control and six pre-packaged games.

What began as a surprise announcement at Siggraph has quickly become an industry-wide movement to ensure the adoption of stereoscopic 3D (S-3D) gaming in consumer homes around the world, according to Earth Times.

"When I saw 'Need for Speed Shift in stereoscopic 3D at Siggraph, I was impressed. The audience was blown away by how well 'Shift's' immersive cockpit was represented by the 3D tech, and we see a great future for S-3D in games,” said Habib Zargarpour, senior art director for Electronic Arts.

“We need an industry-wide standard for S-3D gaming, and S3DGA [S3D Gaming Alliance] has the drive and experience to push this forward. All developers and manufacturers should participate."

With the video gaming industry taking a hard hit from the recession and a bleak Christmas shopping season on the horizon, is it any surprise Microsoft is slashing $100 off the price of its top-of-the-line Xbox 360 console?, asks ChannelWeb.

Microsoft confirmed last week that it's cutting the price of its top-of-the-line Xbox 360 gaming console by $100, setting the stage for a possible price war among the major video game manufacturers.

Sales of video games and consoles in July were down 29% from one year earlier to $848.8 million, marking the fifth consecutive month of decline, according to a report released earlier this month by the NPD Group.