Today's wrap-up includes news on iRiver's new portable media player that may portend a transition into the game market, information on Aspyr's continuing drive into the console market with Funcom's help, and House of Moves' slick moves for Guitar Hero, as well as today's GameSetWatch postings, product news and Gamasutra job postings.
- iRiver, makers of portable MP3 players, have branched out into mobile computing devices with the iRiver G10. The general media player is a slide-out device with color screen, 3D graphics processor, and 10-button interface; the company is launching it as a media player capable of playing videos and music, but the button layout suggests future possibilities as a game system as well, as hinted at in mock-up pictures. iRiver intends to launch the G10 in both 4GB and 8GB variants, with more information scheduled to be announced at CES.
- Long-time Mac, PC, and music/DVD publisher Aspyr Media has announced that its second non-portable console title, following the October 2005 release of Wideload's Stubbs the Zombie, will be Funcom's Dreamfall: The Longest Journey, the sequel to the critically successful adventure game The Longest Journey. "The first time we saw Dreamfall, we were captivated by the art direction, pulled in by the gripping storyline, and impressed by its sophisticated gameplay variety" said Aspyr president Michael Rogers. "There is nothing like it in the market place. It is the next generation of adventure games." Aspyr will publish the game on PC and Xbox in spring 2006.
- Motion capture studio House of Moves is getting in on the Guitar Hero hype wave by trumpeting its involvement in the game's motion-capture sessions, which involved rockers being brought in to perform signature stage moves, such as leaps and twirls, as well as the extremely metal guitar smash. "We've done a lot of motion capture sessions at House of Moves and always get really good results," said Harmonix creative director Josh Randall in relation to his work with the motion capture company.
