Video games have been pushing technology since Pong came out in 1972 and brought the industry into the limelight. Any gamer knows that sheer graphics and technology aren’t everything (the Wii is the perfect example), and that the industry is truly pushed by innovation in terms of interactivity, gameplay, and overall design. Here’s a look at 10 of the most interesting and innovative games that have graced our televisions:

Braid

(Images via ggl wire, bravenewgamer, savetherobot, metagame)

Braid is interesting as an experiment in gameplay. On the surface, the game seems like any side scrolling adventure, until you realize that most of the puzzles and action revolve around the ability to manipulate time. If your character accidentally falls down a hole, you can instantly reverse time and remove him from the situation. You can see several futures at the same time while you’re playing, seeing the potential boons and pitfalls of every potential action. When you add the fact that the backgrounds and characters are beautiful and appear to be hand painted, this game really stands out from the crowd.

Audiosurf

(Images via 4colorrebellion, quaedam, chrisfacezek, kotaku)

Audiosurf is a dynamic racing game that adapts itself to your MP3 collection. Unlike the famous Guitar Hero series, this game does not force you to play a concrete set list, instead it plays your music library, adjusting the racetracks to coincide with the note and tone of the music. This game is basically an interactive audiovisual companion to your favorite tunes.

Dune II: Battle For Arrakis

(Images via vgmuseum, allegro, nokiamobiletalk, webdesignerdepot)

Dune II is famous as the forerunner of the real time strategy game. Its gameplay contained features that continue to be a staple for every game in the genre: for example, the creation of bases to gather resources, defend against attack, and produce new units for your army. The ability to choose which group you’d like to lead (each with different strategic advantages and disadvantages), provides an additional facet to gameplay that hadn’t been fully fleshed out before. Each of these features was a plus, but putting them all together into one game created a legend.

Mirror’s Edge

(Images via gamespot, thehobbyshophero, maxontreik, gameslave)

Mirror’s Edge is famous for its crystal clear graphics and first person perspective. The control of your character is incredibly realistic, and the feedback makes you feel like you’re in the game, and the greatest parkour master of all time. Most of the game revolves around traveling throughout the city by leaping from building to building, and crossing narrow bridges, but the fast pace keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Fable

(Images via unlimitedgamer, softpedia, xbox-360den, gamespot)

Fable took place in a rich three dimensional world in which you were able to roam freely and choose when and where you’d like to start your various adventures, but what truly set it apart was the fact that the decisions you made would affect both how characters would react to your actions, but would also change your appearance and skills. The dynamic nature of the game, and feedback to your actions, made the gameplay incredibly varied and fun to replay… as both a hero and a villain.

Facade

(Images via gamedev, cbc, nerdyheartbeat, gamasutra)

Facade is more of an experiment in artificial intelligence than your typical commercial production. In this game, you find yourself in the sparsely furnished apartment of two characters having relationship issues, and you attempt to help them resolve their problems via your typed reactions to them and their situation. At times the interaction is surreal, as the characters are able to respond appropriately and realistically to your dialogue, but sometimes their reaction isn’t nearly as realistic (or it’s entirely off-base). Regardless of the consistency of the gameplay, the innovative nature of the game opens a door that most game designers hadn’t even known was there.

We Love Katamari

(Images via pwned, armchairempire, gamespot, itreviews)

We Love Katamari is notable for its simplicity: the entire purpose is to roll around gathering as many items as possible within the time allotted. The gameplay is as simple as can be, and surprisingly addictive. Basically anything you touch sticks to you and affects how you roll in terms of which side you’re pulled towards, how quickly you can get going, and how hard it is to stop. There isn’t an incredible amount of skill involved, though playing for a little while definitely improves your game.

The Sims

(Images via angelica686, webdesignerdepot, kotaku, 4ever7)

The Sims was a revolutionary step forward by one of the most esteemed game creators, Will Wright. At the time, it was the culmination of the entire popular Sim series, a chain of successful simulation games that include the famous Sim City franchise, the less well known Sim Farm and Sim Ant. The most interesting aspect of this game was the lack of a concrete goal. The entire game consisted of directing the daily life and career of a family of characters, and handling the purchase and design of their home.

Shadow of the Colossus

(Images via gametrailers, dobbsmethod, personalgaming, vancityguy)

Shadow of the Colossus has a unique premise: in a land full of giants, you are a normal sized man who is tasked with bringing down your gargantuan enemies. The game has an absorbing atmosphere that lends an airy, dreamlike quality to the setting, and seeing a giant lurch out of the fog is amazing. It’s even more amazing to take the giant on, and use the incredibly intuitive controls to bring it to the ground.

Spore

(Images via encefalus, digitalbattle, pastemagazine, jhard713, emol, endsights)

Spore makes the Sims look like a stepping stone, as it takes the entire simulation genre to an extreme. Starting from a two dimensional landscape with a birds eye view, you’re tasked with bringing a single celled organism through every step of the evolutionary process (including designing its form and function) until you have a tribe, and then a city, and eventually, a planet full of your creations. The scale of the game is impressive, but so is the functionality, as the game actually populates your land with other people’s creations that fit well with the balance of your ecosystem. It’s impressive as a single player sandbox, but also with how it manages to integrate the wider scope of the gaming network.

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Clowns have always been scary: when something targeted to juveniles has even the slightest eerie aspects, the terrifying effect is exaggerated. Here are 12 toys targeted to kids that are just plain bizarre, or are so terrifying, they could very well traumatize you and your children:

(Images via nomoreanalog, wickedglee)

Apparently in Japan there’s a common desire to train your children to take razor blades to toddlers and newborns, in an attempt to cleanse them of their hirsute qualities. Your child will be fascinated by the random and extensive patches of hair that cover portions of this doll. Sadly, the hair can’t grow back.

(Images via videogum)

The Laugh a Lot doll is mostly terrifying because of its commercial, directed by someone who must have had a long and prosperous career making horror flicks. The commercial’s fast cuts and maniacal laughter don’t elicit the desired response, instead causing the audience to cringe in terror and confusion.

(Images via damncoolpics, break)

Don’t all parents dream of having their children ride around in the (mostly) hollowed out skull of a gigantic cyclops? Well, your hopes and prayers have been answered. Your kids are now able to play at being Argonauts, as they chase horrified neighborhood children into a lifetime of psychotherapy.

(Images via odditycentral)

Be-A-Doll.com forms your likeness into an action figure. Having a doll that looks exactly like you is all well and good, but before you create one of these mirror images of yourself, be sure to tell your friends a few secrets so they can tell you and your doll apart.

(Images via thegreenhead, geekstuff4u, thepartyanimal)

It’s a mystery whether the Face Bank is supposed to be cute or not, but if so, it’s an absolute failure. With dark, pupil-less eyes, and a vacant stare, this piggy bank mimics the motion of chewing coins like a cow chewing cud, and then lets out a lifeless burp that would never cause laughter. There’s something creepy about something so lifeless mimicking such a common action. Imagine how you’d feel if you took a seat on a bench and noticed a brick gnawing at your shoe… that’s how disturbed this bank makes me feel.

(Images via matthew6870)

The cymbal smashing monkey is as simple and iconic as the eerie ventriloquist dummy, but even worse. The monkey’s expression is so intense and craven that there’s no way its creator could have desired anything but malice to emanate from its red-rimmed eyes. Every time the cymbals crash, you flinch, and can’t help staring at its frozen smile in fear.

(Images via timewarptoys, toys2remember, theshiftedlibrarian)

Hugo, the Man of a Thousand Faces, is a master of disguise, but there’s something eerie about his overly large and realistically detailed face that gives most people the heebie jeebies. Playing with this toy would make you immediately wish for the much less realistic Mr. Potato Head. No matter how many stereotypical and semi-racist moustaches and facial modifications you add, Hugo will still sit there, piercing you with his pale blue eyes.

(Images via blondemomblog, temptingtoys, monsterlandtoys)

Mothra, the gigantic moth that battles Godzilla in films throughout the celebrated franchise, has a child whom she calls to battle with a high pitched song. This toy is her child, and it definitely falls into a “what were they thinking?” category.  It’s strange that this toy even exists, but it’s even stranger how many variations on the design have been manufactured.

(Images via gadgetsexpose, nerdapproved, mentalfloss)

Poop is one of the most juvenile topics of conversation, so it’s natural that someone would try to capitalize on it. Now you can capitalize on it too, literally, with a piggy bank in the shape of a swirling pile of dog feces. If that’s not enough, let your dog tear up a plush chew toy in the shape of its own leavings, and give your toddler the patented “Pee & Poo” toys that are so popular with the youth today.

(Images via cashmenow, sew-dolling)

It’s easy to see the reasoning behind dolls that are handicapped, but it’s still a bit shocking to see a childhood item that usually exemplifies ideals of beauty and turns them into a much more realistic depiction of the tragedy that befalls too many children.

(Images via jdmuniverse, mybangbros)

Barbie has always been a role model for young girls, as the ambitious career woman who becomes anything from a Doctor to a Veterinarian, and now, a mother. I’m highly doubtful that this toy helps clear up a child’s confusion about childbirth, so please, purchase with caution.

(Images via aceofspades)

To end the list of these bizarre and terrifying toys, here’s a game of Russian Roulette available in Japan. Place the gun against your head and hope there isn’t a round in the chamber, or hippo legs will spring out and smack you in the face (really, they do). There are so many reasons why this is a horrible idea, but if you decide to buy this for your children, just be sure you have a gun safe in case they decide to try the real thing.

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Invisible speakers, wireless electricity and games you can control with your brain: all of these things may sound like science fiction, but thanks to recent technological innovation, they’re officially within the realm of possibility – or even already available. Some improve quality of life while others are just plain fun, but all of these futuristic gadgets and technologies will knock your socks off with their brilliance.

Bionic Vision with Cybernetic Contact Lenses

What if contact lenses could not only help you see better, but deliver directions, news, email and weather reports directly to your eyes? The technology is already here, according to a report by Babak A. Parviz, a bionanotechnology expert at the University of Washington. Tiny components like LED lights, tiny antennae and special circuits can be embedded into the polymer of a typical contact lens. A small portable device would process the information, and the lenses could even be used to measure and process information about the user’s health.

Miniscule Adjustick Cell Phone

Cell phones are getting smaller and smaller, almost to the point of absurdity – but though this concept takes small size to the extreme, it’s also functional. The Adjustick was one of many futuristic cell phone concepts shown at Japan’s CEATEC technology convention. The stick-like device projects a usable keyboard and screen when placed on its side.

Games You Control with Your Brain

This alien-looking headset looks capable of doing some insidious things to your brain, but it’s actually a gaming headset by Emotiv that allows you to play a variety of concentration-based games on a Windows PC. That’s right, it actually uses your brain waves to play the games in which you can push and pull boulders, levitate objects and perform other telekinesis-like actions. It works by matching certain brain activities – like concentrating or thinking about something in particular – with certain actions during a calibration that you perform before starting the game.

Portable Gadget That Shoots You to Rooftops

Anyone who has ever admired Batman’s ability to go from street level to the rooftop of a skyscraper in seconds will love the Atlas Rope Ascender, an awesome reverse-rappelling portable gadget that can lift a fully-outfitted soldier up to 600 feet at 10 ft/second on a single battery charge. The device has been tested by military, police and rescue organizations, who might have felt cool while using it, but probably lamented the lack of a cape.

Flexible Customizable Laptop Concept

An eBook reader, full-size tablet, tabletop presentation screen, desktop computer and conventional laptop all in one… it might sound impossible, but designer Tommaso Gecchelin’s MacBook Touch does it all. Theoretically, that is – the integral part of the design that allows such flexibility, called the iSpine, relies on technology that doesn’t exist yet. But the idea has potential, and it’s a tantalizing possibility for anyone who has ever daydreamed about such an achievement in multi-functionality.

18-Button Computer Mouse

If you wonder why on earth a computer mouse would need 18 buttons, perhaps the Warmouse OOMouse isn’t for you. But those who see the potential of this customizable little gadget will be able to save a whole lot of time by packing tons of functions into the press of a button. It’s designed to be used with Open Office, but could also be used with other applications.

Get Directions from a Rainwater-Powered Manhole

Wouldn’t it be nice if, when visiting a new city, you could simply get directions from a nearby urban object instead of unfolding and puzzling over a map? A concept called the EcoSign would turn ubiquitous manhole covers into rainwater-powered information centers that can give you directions. The only problem is, manhole covers tend to be in the middle of busy streets – not exactly safe places for tourists to congregate.

Amoeba Cell Phone

This strange little hunk of ergonomic plastic doesn’t resemble any cell phones currently in mainstream use, but its unusual design isn’t all about aesthetics. The Amoeba Phone contours to the user’s face while in use, and its entire surface is a touch screen.

Invisible Speakers

Speakers are invariably ugly, and even tiny models that pack a big aural punch are just another object to clutter your living space. But an innovative new type of speaker is virtually invisible, pouring surprisingly decent sound forth from a clear membrane across your television screen. Edge Motion invisible speakers work by using piezoelectric actuators to cause sound vibrations in the membrane, which don’t affect the picture quality. The technology is set to be included in a range of upcoming consumer products like hand-held games and portable DVD players.

Prosthetic Limbs Powered by the Mind

Stiff plastic prosthetic limbs may help amputees feel whole again, but they don’t offer much in the way of independence. Luckily for Christian Kandlbauer, who lost both of his arms in a work accident in 2005, amazing new advances in prosthesis technology have enabled him to do things for himself again – through the power of his mind. Kandlbauer is equipped with incredible new prosthetic arms that are wired to his nerves, a procedure that only three surgeons in the world can perform. Now, Kandlbauer can activate his “muscle” movement with impulses from his brain.

Virtual Reality Treadmill

One of the biggest challenges to making virtual reality a – well – reality, is locomotion. Anyone trying to navigate a VR environment needs to be able to walk in any direction, but treadmills only move in one direction. Until now. CyberCarpet is an omni-directional treadmill that densely packs small balls under a walking surface, letting the friction of the user’s shoes to do the moving. The CyberCarpet’s usefulness doesn’t end at gaming, though – it can be used for therapy, training and other applications as well.

Alarm Clock Grades Your Sleep Quality

When it comes to your health, few things are quite as important as getting plenty of sleep. But the quality of your sleep is just as vital as the length of time that you spend in bed each night. A futuristic new alarm clock design called the Zeo alarm clock tracks how much time you spend in each stage of sleep through a thin headband worn by the user, reporting your ‘sleep score’ in the morning. It even has a function that can wake you up at the ideal point in your sleep cycle, so you feel more refreshed.

Bed with Built-In TV, Movie Screen & Video Games

Not only is the slick HiCan bed super cozy and modern, it’s also equipped with everything you need to spend the rest of your life as a media-consuming blob – or at least, be extremely entertained on sick days. This all-in-one bed and entertainment center has a pull-down projection screen, integrated gaming system, built-in lights, and even a control panel that allows you to control your home’s window shades and lighting. The price tag of 42,000 Euro puts this amazing piece of furniture firmly in daydream territory for most.

No Longer Sci-Fi: Wireless Electricity

Imagine being able to place your electronics anywhere you want, with no regard to whether there’s a power outlet nearby. It would cut a whole lot of clutter and eliminate hazards to children, pets and clumsy adults. Somehow it seems like wireless electricity should already be a reality, but there have always been obstacles in the way. However, engineers at MIT  have worked out the kinks and wireless power could be in our homes as early as 2011.

Cybernetic Reading Through Implanted Device

When you come across a word you aren’t familiar with, perhaps you just skip it over or go through the trouble of looking it up in a dictionary or online. Wouldn’t it be so much easier if you could just place your finger over the word and magically hear its definition and pronunciation in your ear? Incredible as it seems, the Touch Hear concept would do just that, minus the magic part. An implanted device in the fingertip recognizes the characters while another device in the ear relays the information. It’s still just a concept, but it could be a viable future option – particularly for blind readers.

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Finally all in one place: the most sensational, educational and inspirational content featuring the past, present and future of gadgets, science and technology – from history-shaping photo-edits of centuries gone by to a just-discovered cure for color blindness to self-driving concept cars, space elevators and teleportation devices of the not-too-distant future. Where can you find such wonders? Gajitz a brand new gadgscitech site from the folks that brought you Webist Media (WebUrbanist & WebEoist) and Misnamed Media (also featuring Dornob Designs). Visit the site and subscribe now!

Kurt Kohlstedt (Founder and Creative Director of WebUrbanist & WebEcoist and Lead Editor of Dornob) has teamed up with Delana Barnes (the otherwise most veteran author at Webist Media and Senior Strange Stuff Correspondent) to launch the all-new Gajitz | Tech with a Twist – but now worries, we are both also as on-the-ball as ever right here on WU as well. The idea is: report on the most offbeat, exotic and eye-popping finds, designs and concepts in the realms of science and technology – and make these subjects engaging and amazing to anyone with a desire to discover and a fascination with the fantastic.

Futuristic can be fun, but not everything exciting is new – some of the most amusing, enlightening or mysterious revelations relate to the rediscovered or uncovered past. Whether they be remarkable futuristic technologies come true or archeological finds that shift entire paradigms, Gajitz brings you not only cutting-edge and near-future technologies and innovative transportation designs but also vintage designs and retro finds of all kinds. Like its sibling site Dornob, Gajitz features multiple to-the-point, information-packed and fully-illustrated articles every day on breaking new discoveries as well as hidden treasures of times past.

It sometimes seems hard to believe that WebUrbanist has grown to reach an audience over nearly 250,000 RSS subscribers and has over 1,000,000 pages viewed by visitors each month. Thank you all, dear readers, for helping growing WU as well as its close sibling WebEcoist and distant cousin Dornob over at Misnamed Media into what they are today. Also, thanks of course our wonderful writers, including Angel, Chris, Delana, Mike, Stephanie and Steve, who make this weird and wacky website work, and to sponsors including Full Sail University of Art, Digital & Media Design, Evinco Design and others (check them out via the banners to your right!).

Click here to check out Gajitz, and be sure to follow up on Twitter, friend us on Facebook, subscribe to the new RSS feed and spread the word around the interwebs however else you wish. Once again, thanks for reading, sharing your thoughts and lending your support all along the way – you are what keeps us going!

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Cover Your Cover Like No Other

(images via: Gizmodo and Funkytrend)

Laptop and netbook covers arrive out of the box all sleek & shiny but it doesn’t take long before they morph into a fingerprinted mess. They’re also magnets for nicks and scratches, not to mention their excruciating boring-ness. One solution is to apply an attractive, resilient cover to the cover, and when it comes to skinning laptops, GelaSkins has got you covered. GelaSkins are made from high-quality vinyl that sticks like the Dickens when applied yet peels off easily without leaving an unsightly sticky mess. A wealth of designs that come in a range of 5 sizes make personalizing one’s laptop as easy as saying “gimme some skin!”

8 Bits To Life

(images via: Raad Technology and Marius Oczon)

Busted! Looks like Mario & Luigi finally slipped up and now their mugs are on display for all & sundry to gaze upon. This cool GelaSkin shows off Nintendo’s plumbers-in-law in a city gritty way you’ve likely never seen before. The disturbing yet compelling mugshot-style image is based on an original artwork by artist Bob Dob called “Rough Night Out”.

Apple Appeal

(images via: ScarletBits and Likecool)

Even the most fanatical Apple fanboys won’t hesitate to protect their objects of affection and in the process, transform them into objets d’art. The classic Apple apple often isn’t obscured in these treatments as doing so would be, well, just wrong.

(image via: 9to5Mac)

Above is another variation on the Snow White theme, courtesy of 9to5Mac.

Dell Licious

(images via: Dell Design Studio and Hot Skins Online)

Dell helps those lacking in DIY gusto to get the custom look just by ordering it up. To quote Dell’s copy, “These designs take a cue from the latest in fashion and textiles, plus traditional and vintage-inspired prints, making your next computer a part of your look.” Need a new laptop case design at ludicrous speed? No problem – you can even go to plaid.

From Art House To Your House

(images via: Laptop Picker)

Dell’s Art House Studio series of designer laptops allow users to display their individual sense of style while contributing to projects dedicated to solving the world’s most intractable problems. Available on Dell’s Studio 15 and Studio 17 laptops, the original (PRODUCT)RED artwork titled New World, Shine Within and Healing Patterns is by artists Joseph Amedokpo, Siobhan Gunning and Bruce Mau. For each laptop ordered Dell is donating $20 to the Global Fund – now that’s a pattern we’d all like to see repeated.

Now Sea Here

(image via: NBS Sportfishing)

Got a vision that reflects your particular interests? Got access to an industrial digital printer and computer-controlled vinyl cutter? Put it all together and you get something like the amazing vinyl laptop skins produced by avid sports fisherman Vinnie Myers. By the way, Myers is also an accomplished tattoo artist with over 20 years experience. My laptop; my self? See Vinnie, maybe you can get a deal on a skin for your laptop and a laptop on your skin.

Stickers ‘R Slicker, Part 1

(images via: BoingBoing Gadgets)

Apply enough stickers to a laptop lid and you’ve got a collage. Do it creatively and you’ve got art; at a bargain price. The near-psychedelic sampling above is from BoingBoing Gadgets, who asked their readers to send in pics of their sticker-shocked machines.

Stickers ‘R Slicker, Part 2

(images via: BoingBoing Gadgets)

These sticker-slathered showpieces are just too good to pass by without a second glance. Note the preponderance of Obama – it’s hard to imagine any images of Dubya displayed on someone’s laptop; at least, not a flattering image.

Art For Art’s Sake

(images via: Laptops Arena)

This trompe l’oeil laptop skin from GelaSkins blurs the line between fantasy and reality by making a laptop case look like an artist’s well-worn box of paints & pastels. One advantage of such visually complex vinyl skins is that should they become scratched or slightly worn with long term use, the effects of such weathering are much less noticeable than on a shiny, formerly-factory-fresh lid.

Steampunk Gears Up

(images via: Zoom CNews and Etsy – thosmhicks)

Steampunk too has made its way, puffing and clanking, onto today’s brassless generation of laptops and netbooks. The clarity and fine detail of these skins does justice to the intricacy of classic steampunk imagery – without all the fiddly gears and sharp edged screw-heads.

Mozilla Is Infectious

(images via: Infectious and Into The Fuzz)

Mozilla – the folks who brought us Firefox – have teamed up with the edgy artists at Infectious to produce a series of 5 custom artworks inspired by Firefox 3.5 and applicable to iPhone skins, car decals and laptop stickers. The piece highlighted above, by the artist currently known as Zeptonn, shows off the fanciful nature of the designs.

Hands Across The Water

(images via: Bid Or Buy)

Here’s a cool laptop art sticker that evokes primitive folk art as it protects and beautifies modern technology. Only available in South Africa unfortunately, the high-quality PP film coating fits 15″, 14″ and 13″ wide laptops (screen width) but can be trimmed manually to achieve a precise fit. As with most better laptop stickers, this one uses special adhesive that makes it both easily removable and repeatedly reusable.

Skins For The Win

(images via: Shopday)

Shopday offers a wide variety of laptop skins with the usual flexibility in sizing and the use of removable adhesive on the back. Ranging from plain & unpatterned to reproductions of famous 19th century artworks by Van Gogh and Seurat, these laptop skins have one other characteristic that will appeal to local buyers – they’re made in the USA.

From The Cradle To Engrave

(images via: Engrave Your Tech)

Stickers aren’t the only way to liven up a laptop lid – engraving is less common (and more expensive) but when done up right can amaze and delight! Above are some Macbook Pro notebooks custom engraved to promote Office:Mac 2008 for MacWorld 2009.

Show Some Skin On Your Skin

(images via: This Next and Nacho the Wonder Drummer)

It’s attractive, photogenic and eye-catching, but is it Art? We close this rundown on laptop art with something some may consider trashy, gaudy or sexist – or all of the above. Whatever, displaying Angelina Jolie and her cleavage on your laptop lid doesn’t necessarily need to be a statement of one’s inner beliefs, and AJ herself is neither devil nor angel. Could be worse… anyone out there making laptop skins in a “Velvet Elvis” motif? Or “Three Wolf Moon”?

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