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The Incredible Machine
''The Incredible Machine'' (''TIM'') is a series of video games in which players create a series of Rube Goldberg devices. They were originally designed and coded by Kevin Ryan and produced by Jeff Tunnell, the now-defunct Jeff Tunnell Productions, and published by Dynamix; the 1993 through 1995 versions had the same development team, but the later 2000–2001 games have different designers. All versions were published by Sierra Entertainment. The entire series and intellectual property were acquired by Jeff Tunnell-founded PushButton Labs in October 2009. PushButton Labs was later acquired by Playdom, itself a division of Disney Interactive, so as of now the rights are held by The Walt Disney Company. A new game by Jeff Tunnell, called ''Contraption Maker'', is the spiritual successor to the ''Incredible Machine'' series. It was produced by Spotkin Games, a company founded by Jeff Tunnell, and features the same developers of the original ''Incredible Machine''. The game was r ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Incredible Machine 3
''The Incredible Machine 2'' is a video game released in 1994 for DOS, and part of '' The Incredible Machine'' video game series. ''The Incredible Machine Version 3.0'' (also marketed as ''Professor Tim's Incredible Machines'') was released in 1995 for Mac OS and Windows containing the same levels as ''The Incredible Machine 2'', but with an improved interface and added extra features like CD music tracks. Re-releases of the series, including the 2009 compilation ''The Incredible Machine Mega Pack'', have included Version 3.0. Gameplay ''The Incredible Machine 2'' introduced new levels, an extended assortment of parts, a new interface, significantly improved graphics, sounds, and music, and two player hotseat play. It also improved on the "freeform" mode, allowing players to create completely playable puzzles by defining not only the participating parts, but also the set of circumstances under which the puzzle will be considered "solved". In terms of gameplay, this version provi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Contraption Maker
''The Incredible Machine'' (''TIM'') is a series of video games in which players create a series of Rube Goldberg devices. They were originally designed and coded by Kevin Ryan and produced by Jeff Tunnell, the now-defunct Jeff Tunnell Productions, and published by Dynamix; the 1993 through 1995 versions had the same development team, but the later 2000–2001 games have different designers. All versions were published by Sierra Entertainment. The entire series and intellectual property were acquired by Jeff Tunnell-founded PushButton Labs in October 2009. Pushbutton Labs was later acquired by Playdom, itself a division of Disney Interactive, so as of now the rights are held by The Walt Disney Company. A new game by Jeff Tunnell, called ''Contraption Maker'', is the spiritual successor to the ''Incredible Machine'' series. It was produced by Spotkin Games, a company founded by Jeff Tunnell, and features the same developers of the original ''Incredible Machine''. The game was r ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sid & Al's Incredible Toons
''Sid & Al's Incredible Toons'' is a puzzle video game developed by Dynamix and released by Sierra On-Line in 1993. Summary This video game is designed with the same style as that of '' The Incredible Machine'', except that the game takes place on a cartoon stage instead of a laboratory. The game focuses on the humorous adventures of the game's two main characters, Sid E. Mouse and Al E. Cat (both puns on 'city mouse' and 'alley cat', respectively), as each tries to make life unbearable for the other. It features 100 puzzles and an editor, which allows players to design their own puzzles. The main objective of the game is to finish a "puzzle-piece" photograph by completing each puzzle. When each puzzle (or level) is completed a missing piece on the photograph is replaced. ''Sid & Al's Incredible Toons'' is the predecessor of '' The Incredible Toon Machine''. Critical reception The game received positive reviews from critics. ''Computer Gaming World ''Computer Gaming World ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Even More Incredible Machine
''The Incredible Machine'' is a puzzle video game released in 1993, and the first release in '' The Incredible Machine'' video game series. The objective of the game is to create Rube Goldberg machines by arranging collections of objects in a complex fashion, so as to perform some simple task (such as "put the ball into a box" or "start a mixer and turn on a fan"). ''The Even More Incredible Machine'' was an extended version of the original, also released in 1993; it had 160 levels, about twice the number of levels in the original game, and had more parts to use in the contraptions. Development ''The Incredible Machine'', the first game in the series, was originally going to be developed by Electronic Arts for the Commodore 64 in 1984, but Dynamix worked on ''Arcticfox'' for the Amiga instead and work did not start on ''The Incredible Machine'' until the spring of 1992. Kevin Ryan programmed ''The Incredible Machine'' in nine months, on a $36,000 budget. The Macintosh and Windows ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1993 In Video Gaming
1993 saw many sequels and prequels in video games, such as '' Dragon Ball Z: Super Butōden'', ''Mortal Kombat II'', ''Secret of Mana'', and ''Super Street Fighter II'', along with new titles such as ''Disney's Aladdin'', ''Doom'', ''FIFA International Soccer'', ''Gunstar Heroes'', ''NBA Jam'', ''Ridge Racer'', ''Samurai Shodown'', ''Star Fox'' and ''Virtua Fighter''. The year's highest-grossing video game worldwide was Capcom's arcade fighting game ''Street Fighter II'' for the third year in a row, while again being the year's highest-grossing entertainment product. The year's best-selling home system worldwide was the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis video game console. Top-rated games Game of the Year awards The following titles won Game of the Year awards for 1993. ''Famitsu'' Platinum Hall of Fame The following video game releases in 1993 entered ''Famitsu'' magazine's "Platinum Hall of Fame" for receiving Famitsu scores of at least 35 out of 40. Financial performance Highe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Deterministic System
In mathematics, computer science and physics, a deterministic system is a system in which no randomness is involved in the development of future states of the system. A deterministic model will thus always produce the same output from a given starting condition or initial state. at Scholarpedia In physics Physical laws that are described by represent deterministic systems, even though the state of the system at a given point in time may be difficult to describe explicitly. In |
Random Number Generator
Random number generation is a process by which, often by means of a random number generator (RNG), a sequence of numbers or symbols that cannot be reasonably predicted better than by random chance is generated. This means that the particular outcome sequence will contain some patterns detectable in hindsight but unpredictable to foresight. True random number generators can be '' hardware random-number generators'' (HRNGS) that generate random numbers, wherein each generation is a function of the current value of a physical environment's attribute that is constantly changing in a manner that is practically impossible to model. This would be in contrast to so-called "random number generations" done by '' pseudorandom number generators'' (PRNGs) that generate numbers that only look random but are in fact pre-determined—these generations can be reproduced simply by knowing the state of the PRNG. Various applications of randomness have led to the development of several different met ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Game Engine
A game engine is a software framework primarily designed for the development of video games and generally includes relevant libraries and support programs. The "engine" terminology is similar to the term " software engine" used in the software industry. The game engine can also refer to the development software utilizing this framework, typically offering a suite of tools and features for developing games. Developers can use game engines to construct games for video game consoles and other types of computers. The core functionality typically provided by a game engine may include a rendering engine ("renderer") for 2D or 3D graphics, a physics engine or collision detection (and collision response), sound, scripting, animation, artificial intelligence, networking, streaming, memory management, threading, localization support, scene graph, and video support for cinematics. Game engine implementers often economize on the process of game development by reusing/ada ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gravity
In physics, gravity () is a fundamental interaction which causes mutual attraction between all things with mass or energy. Gravity is, by far, the weakest of the four fundamental interactions, approximately 1038 times weaker than the strong interaction, 1036 times weaker than the electromagnetic force and 1029 times weaker than the weak interaction. As a result, it has no significant influence at the level of subatomic particles. However, gravity is the most significant interaction between objects at the macroscopic scale, and it determines the motion of planets, stars, galaxies, and even light. On Earth, gravity gives weight to physical objects, and the Moon's gravity is responsible for sublunar tides in the oceans (the corresponding antipodal tide is caused by the inertia of the Earth and Moon orbiting one another). Gravity also has many important biological functions, helping to guide the growth of plants through the process of gravitropism and influencing th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Air Pressure
Atmospheric pressure, also known as barometric pressure (after the barometer), is the pressure within the atmosphere of Earth. The standard atmosphere (symbol: atm) is a unit of pressure defined as , which is equivalent to 1013.25 millibars, 760 mm Hg, 29.9212 inchesHg, or 14.696 psi.International Civil Aviation Organization. ''Manual of the ICAO Standard Atmosphere'', Doc 7488-CD, Third Edition, 1993. . The atm unit is roughly equivalent to the mean sea-level atmospheric pressure on Earth; that is, the Earth's atmospheric pressure at sea level is approximately 1 atm. In most circumstances, atmospheric pressure is closely approximated by the hydrostatic pressure caused by the weight of air above the measurement point. As elevation increases, there is less overlying atmospheric mass, so atmospheric pressure decreases with increasing elevation. Because the atmosphere is thin relative to the Earth's radius—especially the dense atmospheric layer at low altitudes—the Earth' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Candle Wick
A candle wick is usually a braided cotton that holds the flame of an oil lamp or candle. A candle wick works by capillary action, conveying ("wicking") the fuel to the flame. When the liquid fuel, typically melted candle wax, reaches the flame it then vaporizes and combusts. The candle wick influences how the candle burns. Important characteristics of the wick include diameter, stiffness, fire-resistance, and tethering. Wick types Candle wicks are normally made out of braided cotton.Franz Willhöft and Rudolf Horn "Candles" in Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, 2000, Wiley-VCH, Weinheim. Wicks are sometimes braided flat, so that as they burn they also curl back into the flame, thus making them self-consuming. Prior to the introduction of these wicks specialty scissors were used to trim the excess wick without extinguishing the flame. Large diameter wicks typically result in a larger flame, a larger pool of melted wax, and the candle burning faster. In tealigh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Magnifying Glass
A magnifying glass is a convex lens that is used to produce a magnified image of an object. The lens is usually mounted in a frame with a handle. A magnifying glass can be used to focus light, such as to concentrate the sun's radiation to create a hot spot at the focus for fire starting. A sheet magnifier consists of many very narrow concentric ring-shaped lenses, such that the combination acts as a single lens but is much thinner. This arrangement is known as a Fresnel lens. The magnifying glass is an icon of detective fiction, particularly that of Sherlock Holmes. History "The evidence indicates that the use of lenses was widespread throughout the Middle East and the Mediterranean basin over several millennia". The earliest explicit written evidence of a magnifying device is a joke in Aristophanes's ''The Clouds'' from 424 BC, where magnifying lenses to ignite tinder were sold in a pharmacy, and Pliny the Elder's "lens", a glass globe filled with water, used to cauter ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
