News for "Gaming"
| Friday, November 20th 2009 |
Mionix, the Swedish manufacturer of professional high-end gaming accessories today unveiled their new gaming mouse, Mionix Naos 5000. Ergonomically designed and stuffed with new and innovative features, Mionix Naos 5000 not only stands out from the crowd, it sets new standards when it comes to comfort, tracking capacity and customization options.
"When we started this project our goal was to create a fully adjustable and innovative gaming mouse with unique features. It has been very challenging and we put in a lot of effort to archieve our goals. Mionix Naos 5000 is a big step forward to become one of the world's leading manufacturer of gaming accessories with a wide range of gaming products that gamers can identify themselves with. We are very proud to be the first Swedish manufacturer of gaming accessories to develop a gaming mouse", says Carl Conradsson, Mionix.
"When we started this project our goal was to create a fully adjustable and innovative gaming mouse with unique features. It has been very challenging and we put in a lot of effort to archieve our goals. Mionix Naos 5000 is a big step forward to become one of the world's leading manufacturer of gaming accessories with a wide range of gaming products that gamers can identify themselves with. We are very proud to be the first Swedish manufacturer of gaming accessories to develop a gaming mouse", says Carl Conradsson, Mionix.
| Monday, November 16th 2009 |
SteelSeries, the leading manufacturer of gaming peripherals and accessories, today introduced the SteelSeries Siberia Headphone. Modeled from the award-winning Siberia Headset, the new SteelSeries Siberia Headphone presents gamers with an audio option of superior SteelSeries sound quality and comfort at an entry level price point.
"We're introducing the new headphone right before the holidays with the notion that high-quality, professional gaming gear can be offered at an affordable price for both novice gamers and pro-players," said Bruce Hawver, CEO of SteelSeries. "The Siberia Headphone rounds out our audio line-up as the opening level SteelSeries audio option for gamers who are looking to experience professional quality headphone technology."
"We're introducing the new headphone right before the holidays with the notion that high-quality, professional gaming gear can be offered at an affordable price for both novice gamers and pro-players," said Bruce Hawver, CEO of SteelSeries. "The Siberia Headphone rounds out our audio line-up as the opening level SteelSeries audio option for gamers who are looking to experience professional quality headphone technology."
| Tuesday, November 10th 2009 |
Razer, the world's leading manufacturer of high-end precision gaming and lifestyle peripherals, today launched the Razer Abyssus gaming mouse. By combining simplicity with a state-of-the-art 3.5G 3500 dpi infrared sensor, the Razer Abyssus stands ready to frag.
"Less is more," said Robert "Razerguy" Krakoff, president, Razer. "We've taken our ambidextrous three-button mouse design and loaded it with our industry-leading technology without the added cost of too many bells and whistles. Our goal with the Razer Abyssus is to give competitive gamers access to gaming grade hardware without breaking the bank."
"Less is more," said Robert "Razerguy" Krakoff, president, Razer. "We've taken our ambidextrous three-button mouse design and loaded it with our industry-leading technology without the added cost of too many bells and whistles. Our goal with the Razer Abyssus is to give competitive gamers access to gaming grade hardware without breaking the bank."
| Wednesday, November 4th 2009 |
German gaming peripherals and accessories specialist Raptor-Gaming is out with its newest gaming mouse, the M3x. This right-oriented mouse features 7 buttons including the scrollwheel, and provides high-precision pointing along with being able to tailor its weight to preference. The laser sensor resolution can be adjusted in a broad range between 400 and 4800 dpi, in steps of 400 dpi (400, 800, 1200,...). The soft tough surface ensures better grip. It comes with a 2 m long cable, with a gold-plated USB connector. The weight chamber underneath it allows five weight settings using additional weights of 6.5 g each. The unit's weight can be altered from 110 g to 140 g. Available for preorder, the M3x is priced at 70 EUR. Shipping starts later this month.
| Wednesday, October 28th 2009 |
Sharkoon has optimized their Dolby-certified 5.1 headset "X-Tatic Digital" and in the process simplified its particular operation. Instead of previously utilizing two power supply units, the X-Tatic Digital requires only one power supply to provide power to the headset and the Sound Control Unit. The compact power supply is also accompanied with a travel adapter for use in the U.S. and UK. Owners of the X-Tatic Digital Revision III, which was shipped with two power supplies, can purchase the newly designed power supply separately and refrain from having to use two bulky power adapters in the future. In addition, Sharkoon has also simplified the headset connection to the X-box controller and no longer comes in its former heat-sealed Blister, but rather in a quick and easy to open re-sealable package.
Whether a PC, Mac, Home-theater System, DVD player, X-box, or Playstation: The Sharkoon X-Tatic Digital can be connected to virtually all analog and digital audio sources. The headset cable ends in a nine-pin analog connector, which is then connected into the enclosed cable adapter to the Sound Control Unit and other digital audio devices. In addition to the optical digital input, the control unit has a USB port that connects to a PC or Playstation. The X-box is connected to the microphone via a 2.5mm headset jack located on the cable port.
Whether a PC, Mac, Home-theater System, DVD player, X-box, or Playstation: The Sharkoon X-Tatic Digital can be connected to virtually all analog and digital audio sources. The headset cable ends in a nine-pin analog connector, which is then connected into the enclosed cable adapter to the Sound Control Unit and other digital audio devices. In addition to the optical digital input, the control unit has a USB port that connects to a PC or Playstation. The X-box is connected to the microphone via a 2.5mm headset jack located on the cable port.
| Thursday, October 22nd 2009 |
Mionix, manufacturer of professional high-end gaming gear today announced their new gaming mousepad Mionix Sargas, an uncoated gaming mousepad with a unique micro fibre technology that gives more control over the movements without compromising tracking performance. Mionix Sargas comes in 3 sizes, to meet the requirements from all type of gaming styles and desktop size.
The Mionix Sargas is made of a durable cloth material with slightly more friction than coated mousepads. A special micro fibre surface counteracts data loss and improves the sensor tracking performance. The underside is made of a rubber-based material offering a firm grip irrespective of the surface under the mousepad or extensive movements.
The Mionix Sargas is made of a durable cloth material with slightly more friction than coated mousepads. A special micro fibre surface counteracts data loss and improves the sensor tracking performance. The underside is made of a rubber-based material offering a firm grip irrespective of the surface under the mousepad or extensive movements.
| Thursday, October 15th 2009 |
When you're ready to step up your game, the Logitech Gaming Keyboard G110 gives you just what you need to personalise your setup, communicate more effectively, and execute complex commands easily. Backlighting with customizable colours lets you locate the right keys — even in the dark. Plus, you can configure up to 36 single key-presses or intricate macros per game on the programmable G-keys, and use the MR key to record new macros on the fly.
Integrated USB audio makes it easy to strategise with team-mates or trash-talk enemies; while the Hi-Speed USB 2.0 hub port lets you connect your favourite gaming mouse or other peripherals directly to the keyboard. And, to avoid accidentally exiting your game, you can disable the Windows/Context Menu keys with the game/desktop mode switch. The Logitech Gaming Keyboard G110 is expected to be available in EMEA in January, for a suggested retail price of £79.99. For more information, visit the product page.
Integrated USB audio makes it easy to strategise with team-mates or trash-talk enemies; while the Hi-Speed USB 2.0 hub port lets you connect your favourite gaming mouse or other peripherals directly to the keyboard. And, to avoid accidentally exiting your game, you can disable the Windows/Context Menu keys with the game/desktop mode switch. The Logitech Gaming Keyboard G110 is expected to be available in EMEA in January, for a suggested retail price of £79.99. For more information, visit the product page.
| Tuesday, October 13th 2009 |
BFG Technologies, manufacturer of the stunning high performance gaming/home theater system - Phobos, is excited to announce the new Deimos X-10 SLI Gaming Notebook. Deimos X-10 delivers super fast frame rates similar to an SLI desktop rig, but offers gamers the convenient portability of a notebook. Deimos X-10 can be configured with dual NVIDIA GeForce GTX 280M 1GB (SLI) graphics cards, which pump out ultra-lifelike graphics on the gorgeous 18.4" full 16:9 HD (1920x1080) LCD screen.
The Deimos X-10 notebook allows gamers to take full advantage of NVIDIA SLI technology in a portable form factor. With proprietary software algorithms and dedicated scalability logic in each NVIDIA graphics processing unit (GPU), NVIDIA SLI technology delivers up to twice the performance (with 2 cards) compared to a single graphics solution.
The Deimos X-10 notebook allows gamers to take full advantage of NVIDIA SLI technology in a portable form factor. With proprietary software algorithms and dedicated scalability logic in each NVIDIA graphics processing unit (GPU), NVIDIA SLI technology delivers up to twice the performance (with 2 cards) compared to a single graphics solution.
| Thursday, August 20th 2009 |
Patriot Memory, a global pioneer in high-performance memory, NAND flash and computer technology, today announced the release of their new Sector 5 Gaming modules explicitly designed to compliment Intel's new P55 chipset.
Specifically engineered for the new P55 chipset, the Sector 5 gaming modules have been optimized to take full advantage of the dual-channel architecture. Patriot's Sector 5 series will include two options; an extreme latency with speeds from 1333 MHz to 2000 MHz supported with Patriot's award winning Viper II heat shield. In addition, the extreme latency will include Futuremark's 3DMark Vantage, the world's #1 benchmarking software, offering consumers the chance to see how their system performs and stacks up against worldwide contention. The Futuremark Bundle will be offered in kits of 1600MHz and higher. Patriot's second option is their enhanced latency, "G" Series, which gives you the look and feel of many of the high end, gaming memory products, but with an advantageous price.
Specifically engineered for the new P55 chipset, the Sector 5 gaming modules have been optimized to take full advantage of the dual-channel architecture. Patriot's Sector 5 series will include two options; an extreme latency with speeds from 1333 MHz to 2000 MHz supported with Patriot's award winning Viper II heat shield. In addition, the extreme latency will include Futuremark's 3DMark Vantage, the world's #1 benchmarking software, offering consumers the chance to see how their system performs and stacks up against worldwide contention. The Futuremark Bundle will be offered in kits of 1600MHz and higher. Patriot's second option is their enhanced latency, "G" Series, which gives you the look and feel of many of the high end, gaming memory products, but with an advantageous price.
| Friday, May 29th 2009 |
With msi exclusive Turbo Drive Engine Technology, while the msi GT729 is in AC mode, just touch the turbo button above the keyboard and you can increase the speed of your CPU. Your computer will run smoothly to the very best of its abilities.
In order to provide the best and strongest performance ever, the GT729 features the latest DDR 3 System RAM to boost up overall system power. Moreover, in order to deliver innovative mobile solutions with unrivaled processor performance, stunning new HD capabilities, great wireless connectivity, and long battery life for full blu-ray movie playback, it features the latest Intel Centrino 2 Processor Technology, which uses Intel Core 2 Duo processor and Intel PM45 Express Chipset for the best gaming performance.
In order to provide the best and strongest performance ever, the GT729 features the latest DDR 3 System RAM to boost up overall system power. Moreover, in order to deliver innovative mobile solutions with unrivaled processor performance, stunning new HD capabilities, great wireless connectivity, and long battery life for full blu-ray movie playback, it features the latest Intel Centrino 2 Processor Technology, which uses Intel Core 2 Duo processor and Intel PM45 Express Chipset for the best gaming performance.
| Monday, May 25th 2009 |
Raptor-Gaming, a German-based gaming-oriented computer peripheral manufacturer, has announced the H2 5.1 headset, which should be available from next month. The headset comes with a 3 meter long cable, a noise canceling microphone, an amplifier, and features a frequency response of 20Hz ~ 20kHz. The package is completed with a carry pouch. The Raptor-Gaming H2 will be priced at 69.90 Euro.
Source: TechConnect
Source: TechConnect
| Friday, May 22nd 2009 |
Patriot Memory, a global pioneer in high-performance memory, NAND flash and computer technology, today announced the release of their "G" Series DRAM memory kits.
Patriot will spotlight its new "G" Series kits around their 'Enhanced Latency' line for both DDR2 and DDR3 products. With the Patriot "G" Series, you get the look and feel of many of the high end, gaming memory products, but with an advantageous price.
"Consumers are looking for options; our goal is to give them the opportunity to add new technology, at a reasonable cost," says JR Wakabayashi, Patriot's Marketing Manager. "Patriot's 'G' Series is designed with the same quality and reliability that has made Patriot Memory a steadfast name in the gaming industry. The "G" Series will help us reach that segment that is looking for something new and original, but needs an economical solution."
Patriot will spotlight its new "G" Series kits around their 'Enhanced Latency' line for both DDR2 and DDR3 products. With the Patriot "G" Series, you get the look and feel of many of the high end, gaming memory products, but with an advantageous price.
"Consumers are looking for options; our goal is to give them the opportunity to add new technology, at a reasonable cost," says JR Wakabayashi, Patriot's Marketing Manager. "Patriot's 'G' Series is designed with the same quality and reliability that has made Patriot Memory a steadfast name in the gaming industry. The "G" Series will help us reach that segment that is looking for something new and original, but needs an economical solution."
| Wednesday, May 20th 2009 |
iBUYPOWER, one of the largest gaming system manufacturers in the world, is excited to announce the Chimera Gaming System which is built in the company's first advanced function signature case. The Chimera systems combine a glossy fiery exterior with clear side paneling and optional internal lighting to give it the unique look gamers crave. Its three 120mm cooling fans, Asetek liquid cooling solution, and front panel thermal display keep the Chimera's flames at bay, and the system running cool during even the most intense battles.
iBUYPOWER is offering both an Intel Core i7 based system (Chimera X58) and an AMD configuration featuring the AM3 + Phenom II platform (Chimera AM3). The Chimera systems both support multi-GPU solutions from both ATI and NVIDIA to deliver an unparalleled visual experience.
iBUYPOWER is offering both an Intel Core i7 based system (Chimera X58) and an AMD configuration featuring the AM3 + Phenom II platform (Chimera AM3). The Chimera systems both support multi-GPU solutions from both ATI and NVIDIA to deliver an unparalleled visual experience.
| Tuesday, April 14th 2009 |
Microsoft Corp. today announced a new addition to the award-winning family of SideWinder gaming products, the SideWinder X3 Mouse, which combines gaming performance and versatile design at a value price of $39.95. This ambidextrous, eight-button gaming mouse delivers comfort for either hand along with the performance features fans of SideWinder products know and love, including a 2,000 dots-per-inch (dpi) laser-tracking engine with on-the-fly dpi switching between high, medium and low sensitivity. The SideWinder X3 Mouse is easy on the wallet, but it does not skimp on performance, offering gamers a full set of features and launching them ahead of the competition.
"Our research shows that in-game comfort continues to be the main consideration for PC gamers," said Bill Jukes, product marketing manager for Microsoft Hardware. "We designed this mouse to be ambidextrous and small in size, providing comfort to a wider variety of people and making it ideal for gaming as well as everyday use."
"Our research shows that in-game comfort continues to be the main consideration for PC gamers," said Bill Jukes, product marketing manager for Microsoft Hardware. "We designed this mouse to be ambidextrous and small in size, providing comfort to a wider variety of people and making it ideal for gaming as well as everyday use."
| Monday, April 13th 2009 |
A-DATA Technology Co., Ltd., a worldwide leader in high performance memory products, today introduced its newly speed of XPG Gaming Series DRAM module in DDR2-1066, as dual channel 2GBx2/1GBx2 and single channel kits up to 2GB. Designed for consumers who want to enhance their gaming ability, the XPG Gaming Series DDR2-1066G DRAM module provide CL6-6-6-18 timing at 2.0V±0.1V to delivering outstanding performance, speed, and gamer experience.
Optimized for the latest gaming platform, the XPG Gaming Series DDR2-1066G DRAM module delivers the perfect blend of performance, durability, and stability with low power consumption. It is an affordable midrange offering for gamer of all levels and the professionals demanding the latest DDR2 technology.
Optimized for the latest gaming platform, the XPG Gaming Series DDR2-1066G DRAM module delivers the perfect blend of performance, durability, and stability with low power consumption. It is an affordable midrange offering for gamer of all levels and the professionals demanding the latest DDR2 technology.
| Wednesday, April 1st 2009 |
A study has found that gamers' contrast sensitivity vision improves when playing FPS games. Contrast sensitivity is the body's response to a change in visionary situations, enabling you for example, to see in the dark or read. Like everything else it degrades in old age, but a new neuroscience study has shown that this may not be the case for avid gamers who enjoy a good gunfight.
According to leading researcher, Professor Daphne Bavelier of Rochester University "This is not a skill that people were supposed to get better at by training. It was something that we corrected for at the level of the optics of the eye – to get better contrast detection you get glasses or laser surgery."
So, after hooking a group of gamers for more than 50 hours on Call of Duty, and another group on an non-violent game, results showed that the vision of those who played Call of Duty had improved by 43 percent. When set against the results of the other group, whose vision failed to improve at all, such a result can no doubt be deemed as statistically significant.
Source: Bit-Tech and Rochester University
According to leading researcher, Professor Daphne Bavelier of Rochester University "This is not a skill that people were supposed to get better at by training. It was something that we corrected for at the level of the optics of the eye – to get better contrast detection you get glasses or laser surgery."
So, after hooking a group of gamers for more than 50 hours on Call of Duty, and another group on an non-violent game, results showed that the vision of those who played Call of Duty had improved by 43 percent. When set against the results of the other group, whose vision failed to improve at all, such a result can no doubt be deemed as statistically significant.
Source: Bit-Tech and Rochester University
| Wednesday, March 25th 2009 |
We all regard PC games, as an entertainment medium, but spend hundreds to even thousands of Dollars regularly, to keep our PCs up to date, to be able to play the latest PC games. Imagine a medium that rids us of that, and we are able to consume PC gaming like any other content, like the TV or radio. Well, that the potential a new on-demand gaming platform holds - to make you never have to buy/upgrade a gaming PC again.
Called OnLive, the on-demand platform consists of a web service, an internet connection, and a thin-client, called "micro-console" that connects your input (game controllers), and output (monitor/TV/HDTV). You control the game - whichever you're subscribed to and playing - the client relays your input to the OnLive servers, that do the processing, including graphics rendering, and send back output to your client. The client then displays the output. Sounds familiar? Cloud computing? Exactly, but for PC gaming. The platform is conceptualized to be advanced-enough to handle any of today's games, Crysis included. The work-model of this platform is what makes it tick with any game, and is far more future-proof than the present mode of PC gaming (where people own expensive hardware that are in requirement of upgrades, the costs of buying games, buying gaming services separate).
For standard definition television quality, a broadband connection of at least 1.5 megabits per second is required. For HDTV resolution, a connection of at least 5 mbps is needed. The service uses patented algorithms that work to counter lag caused by network constraints. The technology is already gaining attention from major publishers, including EA, THQ, Codemasters, Ubisoft, Atari, Warner Bros., Take-Two, and Epic. People can buy or rent a game to play it, the usage fees are expected not to be much more than the subscription fees for Xbox Live.
Source: Kokatu
Called OnLive, the on-demand platform consists of a web service, an internet connection, and a thin-client, called "micro-console" that connects your input (game controllers), and output (monitor/TV/HDTV). You control the game - whichever you're subscribed to and playing - the client relays your input to the OnLive servers, that do the processing, including graphics rendering, and send back output to your client. The client then displays the output. Sounds familiar? Cloud computing? Exactly, but for PC gaming. The platform is conceptualized to be advanced-enough to handle any of today's games, Crysis included. The work-model of this platform is what makes it tick with any game, and is far more future-proof than the present mode of PC gaming (where people own expensive hardware that are in requirement of upgrades, the costs of buying games, buying gaming services separate).
For standard definition television quality, a broadband connection of at least 1.5 megabits per second is required. For HDTV resolution, a connection of at least 5 mbps is needed. The service uses patented algorithms that work to counter lag caused by network constraints. The technology is already gaining attention from major publishers, including EA, THQ, Codemasters, Ubisoft, Atari, Warner Bros., Take-Two, and Epic. People can buy or rent a game to play it, the usage fees are expected not to be much more than the subscription fees for Xbox Live.
Source: Kokatu
| Monday, March 23rd 2009 |
OCZ Technology Group, a worldwide leader in innovative, ultra high performance and high reliability memory and components, today unveiled two new mice ideal for users seeking an inexpensive gaming solution. Featuring a solid design, maximum functionality, and programmable customization unique to each user, the Behemoth and Eclipse are built with the hardcore gamer in mind. Both mice offer a competitive edge with quality ergonomics and advanced features designed for both gaming and productivity applications.
"OCZ continues to break barriers in the cost for performance arena by offering high performance gaming products that deliver exceptional features, ergonomics, and performance at an aggressive price," commented Ryan Edwards, Director of Product Management for OCZ. "The new Behemoth and Eclipse gaming mice are no exception, offering world-class performance designed to provide the discerning gamer and enthusiast with a superior hands-on control experience whether playing first person shooters or getting creative with design applications."
"OCZ continues to break barriers in the cost for performance arena by offering high performance gaming products that deliver exceptional features, ergonomics, and performance at an aggressive price," commented Ryan Edwards, Director of Product Management for OCZ. "The new Behemoth and Eclipse gaming mice are no exception, offering world-class performance designed to provide the discerning gamer and enthusiast with a superior hands-on control experience whether playing first person shooters or getting creative with design applications."
| Tuesday, March 10th 2009 |
Sharkoon has expanded its Rush gamer line with a new, high-quality laser mouse. The Sharkoon FireGlider Gaming Mouse features an ergonomically formed body, six programmable buttons, weight tuning system and a stylish high-gloss flame design. The black thumb pad features a no-slip grip with angled slits to provide excellent stability even in the most frantic of situations.
The high-quality ADNS-6010 sensor has a maximum resolution of 3600 DPI (7080 fps) and can handle acceleration speeds of up to 20 Gs. The refresh rate can be adjusted on the fly from 600 - 3600 DPI, and multi-colour LEDs show users what the current rate is. Super fast Teflon mouse feet allow for ultra-smooth movement on hard surfaces.
The high-quality ADNS-6010 sensor has a maximum resolution of 3600 DPI (7080 fps) and can handle acceleration speeds of up to 20 Gs. The refresh rate can be adjusted on the fly from 600 - 3600 DPI, and multi-colour LEDs show users what the current rate is. Super fast Teflon mouse feet allow for ultra-smooth movement on hard surfaces.
| Thursday, March 5th 2009 |
iZ3D Inc., designer, developer and pioneer of advanced stereoscopic 3D visualization systems, will have its 2D/3D gaming monitors showcased in the Gainward Stand this week at the CeBit tradeshow in Hanover, Germany in Hall 27, Stand E47. iZ3D brand monitors are top of the line 2D monitors the entire family can use for everyday applications. Then, with the push of a button, users can put on a pair of 3D-glasses and enjoy their favorite off the shelf games in stunning 3D.
"We are pleased that Gainward chose iZ3D monitors to demonstrate the versatility and power of their new graphics cards. 3D as an entertainment delivery medium is here to stay. More off the shelf 3D games, 3D TV broadcasts and a multitude of 3D movies will be distributed this year," commented David Chechelashvili, VP Marketing for iZ3D Inc.
"We are pleased that Gainward chose iZ3D monitors to demonstrate the versatility and power of their new graphics cards. 3D as an entertainment delivery medium is here to stay. More off the shelf 3D games, 3D TV broadcasts and a multitude of 3D movies will be distributed this year," commented David Chechelashvili, VP Marketing for iZ3D Inc.
| Friday, January 9th 2009 |
Following Creative's announcement of its big release for this year, the Zii, the company went back to product launches of what's it's known for the most: consumer electronics. Enter HS-1100 Tournament Gaming headset. This piece will lead Creative's fleet of gaming headset.
Although the "X-Fi" term is out of its product name, the headset does incorporate native X-Fi logic. While the headset connects to the audio source using standard 3.5mm jacks, the local X-Fi logic provides X-Fi Crystalizer and VoiceFX (a voice morphing feature). This eradicates the need for any related software to be installed on the PC. The heatset features active noise cancellation to help gamers in rather noisy environments such as LAN parties and competitions. It features 40mm neodymium drivers for sharp and accurate sound effects. The HS-1100 will hit the shelves around April this year, at an expected price of over US $160.
Source: TechConnect Magazine
Although the "X-Fi" term is out of its product name, the headset does incorporate native X-Fi logic. While the headset connects to the audio source using standard 3.5mm jacks, the local X-Fi logic provides X-Fi Crystalizer and VoiceFX (a voice morphing feature). This eradicates the need for any related software to be installed on the PC. The heatset features active noise cancellation to help gamers in rather noisy environments such as LAN parties and competitions. It features 40mm neodymium drivers for sharp and accurate sound effects. The HS-1100 will hit the shelves around April this year, at an expected price of over US $160.
Source: TechConnect Magazine
| Thursday, January 8th 2009 |
Today, at the Consumer Electronics Show, Razer unveiled a cutting edge of gaming peripherals including the Razer Mamba, a high precision wireless laser gaming mouse, and the Razer Carcharias, a circumaural audio headset. Product demonstrations will be held at the South Hall, meeting room 35166. This new suite of Razer products will give gamers the competitive edge and allow for enhanced game play for longer periods of time. With an emphasis on product design and a focus on proprietary Razer technologies, these latest products will help gamers amplify performance levels with faster response times, increased precision and offer unique design features.
| Wednesday, January 7th 2009 |
Toshiba is taking gaming on the go one step further with the unveiling of its Toshiba Qosmio X305-Q725 laptop. A technically advanced multimedia platform for the gaming and entertainment enthusiast, the Qosmio X305-Q725 blends features built for fidelity and speed, including: a 17-inch diagonal widescreen TruBrite display (1680x1050 resolution), high-performance NVIDIA GeForce 9800M GTX graphics 1GB GDDR3, a variety of Intel Core 2 processors including the 2GHz Core 2 Quad Q9000 quad-core CPU, 4GB of DDR3 SDRAM, premium Harman Kardon stereo speakers and much more. Qosmio X305-Q725 also includes hybrid storage option that consists of a primary 64GB solid state drive and a secondary 320GB 7200 rpm SATA HDD. The Qosmio X305-Q725 is available now at a variety of major consumer electronics and computer stores nationwide or directly at Toshiba Direct. The laptop is available in a range of configurations starting from $1,449 and going all the way up to $2,699.99.
Source: Toshiba
Source: Toshiba
| Tuesday, January 6th 2009 |
The G-series line of gaming peripherals from Logitech gives gamers what they want: complete control. Today, Logitech unveiled an extension of its award-winning G-series by introducing three new products that deliver precision, high performance and customization: the Logitech G19 keyboard for gaming, the Logitech G35 surround sound headset and the Logitech G9x laser mouse. Delivering everything gamers need for a competitive edge – from programmable buttons to 7.1-channel surround sound and 5000 dpi laser sensors to backlit keys – Logitech’s best-in-class gaming peripherals are engineered to deliver everything you have always wanted.
| Wednesday, December 24th 2008 |
Due to show up at the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show in 2009, the new HP Firebird 803 designed by Voodoo has surfaced early with leaked photos and specifications. Unlike the previous firebird, this design is much smaller, however it does come with its draw backs. To get such a small design, the entire unit is custom built and appears to follow no standard layout or format, i.e ATX, BTX, etc. As such one would imagine that upgrading components would be very limited, so this is more like a laptop or games console in which what you buy is what your stuck with. The tower also appears to be watercooled, but to further reduce the size and heat output, the power supply has been made external and judging by the pictures it's roughly twice the size of a normal laptop power supply.
| Thursday, December 11th 2008 |
It appears that G13 won't be the only one new gaming keyboard released this year by Logitech. A pre-production sample of what's to be named Logitech G18 was also spotted sitting next to a G13 by our colleagues at Engadget China. For now we can gather information only from a single picture. There you see a rather standard keyboard design, lots of programmable G keys and other extra keys plus what's maybe the best part of this keyboard - a new color LCD display. Now we wait for the press release.
Source: Engadget
Source: Engadget
| Monday, October 27th 2008 |
Ubisoft's Far Cry 2 suffers from the same issue Bioshock had when it was released. Both games have problems handling widescreen resolutions, but in Far Cry 2 the problem appears to be even bigger. When played in widescreen resolution, the game displays a cropped version of the original 4:3 video aspect. The wider screen resolution you use, the less you'll see because the game cuts the top and bottom edges to fit the wider aspect ratio. If you don't like the sound of that, there's a fix created by Racer_S over at Widescreen Gaming Forum. Please note that the fix only works with Far Cry 2 v1.00 and online players may receive a ban from the server they're playing if they use the hotfixer. The reason, Punkbuster may think you are a 1337 haxxor and ban you from the server. You may download the Far Cry 2 Widescreen fix from here.
| Wednesday, September 17th 2008 |
HP Announced two gaming mice based on the Voodoo DNA design methodology. The first one being HDX Laser Mouse and the other, Laser Gaming Mouse VoodooDNA. The HDX model has five programmable buttons, a somewhat ambidextrous design and 2400 dpi scan resolution (sensitivity). It stores up to five user profiles for button and sensitivity settings.
The VoodooDNA mouse comes with the kind of design you would expect from VoodooPC, a company acquired by HP about two years ago, that specializes in building gaming PCs. It comes with HP VoodooDNA software that gives gamers control over the mouse along with options to tweak and tune it, which also allows storage of up to 25 button profiles that gamers can switch to, specific to their games. It has a resolution of 3200 dpi. The HDX Laser Mouse will be priced at US $39.99, while the VoodooDNA mouse will carry a price tag of $59.99. Images (in order) of VoodooDNA Laser Mouse and HDX Laser are provided.
Source: Softpedia
The VoodooDNA mouse comes with the kind of design you would expect from VoodooPC, a company acquired by HP about two years ago, that specializes in building gaming PCs. It comes with HP VoodooDNA software that gives gamers control over the mouse along with options to tweak and tune it, which also allows storage of up to 25 button profiles that gamers can switch to, specific to their games. It has a resolution of 3200 dpi. The HDX Laser Mouse will be priced at US $39.99, while the VoodooDNA mouse will carry a price tag of $59.99. Images (in order) of VoodooDNA Laser Mouse and HDX Laser are provided.
Source: Softpedia
| Tuesday, September 2nd 2008 |
US based memory maker GeIL has recently unveiled that it will make use of DBT (Die-hard Burn-in Technology) when manufacturing not only its DDR2 SO-DIMMs but also the Black Dragon and BD EVO ONE Gaming series of DDR2 memory modules. Thanks to DBT every module of the above series will go through a series of burn-in tests to detect if there are any early failures. The proces quarantees to improve the overall product quality of GeIL memories and minimize the chance of getting defect GeIL memory to minimum. The DBT process is conducted in GeIL's own designed burn-in chamber called DBT-1. Inside it, 1000 pieces of modules are slotted onto DRAM controller boards. The modules are then dynamically tested by own-designed testing software simultaneously. DBT-1 can elevate the testing temperature up to 100 °C and maintain a full 24 hours of burn-in testing. GeIL will be announcing the following product lines that are scheduled to adopt DPT in the near future.
Source: GeIL
Source: GeIL
| Friday, August 29th 2008 |
With MSI exclusive Turbo Drive Engine Technology, while the MSI GX400 is in AC mode, just touch the turbo button above the keyboard and you can increase the speed of your CPU. Your computer can run smoothly to the very best of its abilities.
The GX400 selects the brand new ECO Engine; the outstanding and unique power saving function by MSI Notebook, the power management function is aimed to extend the battery running time while performing different tasks. Touch the ECO quick launch touch sensor repeatedly to switch among the 5 different modes – Gaming mode, Movie mode, Presentation mode, Office mode, and Turbo Battery mode while performing game applications, playing multimedia applications, performing presentation applications, dealing with office documentation tasks, or looking forward to minimizing the battery power consumption.
The GX400 selects the brand new ECO Engine; the outstanding and unique power saving function by MSI Notebook, the power management function is aimed to extend the battery running time while performing different tasks. Touch the ECO quick launch touch sensor repeatedly to switch among the 5 different modes – Gaming mode, Movie mode, Presentation mode, Office mode, and Turbo Battery mode while performing game applications, playing multimedia applications, performing presentation applications, dealing with office documentation tasks, or looking forward to minimizing the battery power consumption.
| Thursday, August 28th 2008 |
Evo-G innovative Mouse Anchor is a working result of Evo-G end users and Evo-G Design Group. The Mouse Anchor is an efficient and simple cable management system that prevents unwanted mouse movements caused by long wires. With its heavy-duty construction, it effectively secures excess cable and increases stability and accuracy during fast-paced movements.
| Sunday, August 24th 2008 |
OCZ Technology Group, a worldwide leader in innovative, ultra high performance and high reliability memory and components, today unveiled the latest addition to its peripherals with the Dominatrix, a top-of-the-line laser mouse for PC gamers. The OCZ Dominatrix mouse is built with the hardcore player in mind with a solid design, maximum functionality, and programmable customization unique to each user. The Dominatrix offers a competitive edge with quality ergonomics and advanced features to excel even when immersed in the most challenging gaming environments.
“We continue to rapidly diversify our product range at OCZ in order to offer an end-to-end line of high performance gaming solutions to our customers,” said Ryan Edwards, Director of Product Management. “The new Dominatrix mouse is no exception, offering world-class performance and specifications guaranteed to provide the discerning gamer and enthusiast with an unparalleled tactile control experience.”
“We continue to rapidly diversify our product range at OCZ in order to offer an end-to-end line of high performance gaming solutions to our customers,” said Ryan Edwards, Director of Product Management. “The new Dominatrix mouse is no exception, offering world-class performance and specifications guaranteed to provide the discerning gamer and enthusiast with an unparalleled tactile control experience.”
| Monday, August 11th 2008 |
NZXT, a company built on realizing the dreams of gamers worldwide, is proud to announce the Avatar high performance gaming mouse. As with all of NZXT's PC accessories, Avatar is designed to provide gamers with the ultimate crafted gaming armor to emerge victorious in the gaming arena of choice. Avatar provides extreme enhancements to gameplay with the following breakthrough features…
(Editors note: Check out our review of the mouse.)
(Editors note: Check out our review of the mouse.)
| Monday, August 4th 2008 |
MSI Computer, a leading manufacturer of computer hardware products and solutions, is pleased to announce the release of the new GX620/GX720 Gaming Notebook. Winner of a Best Choice Award at COMPUTEX 2008, the GX620 ‘s Blu-Ray player, MSI's VIVID Image Enhancement Technology, the NVIDIA GeForce 9600 GT 3D graphics card and Dolby® 7.1 digital surround sound capabilities guarantee the ultimate gaming or movie watching experience. This powerful notebook is housed in a sleek yet tough alloy case with strong red accents, and features user friendly quick launch touch sensors.
| Friday, July 25th 2008 |
NZXT, a company built on realizing the dreams of gamers worldwide, is proud to announce the Guardian 921, a gaming chassis in the NZXT Crafted Series. Building off of the original Guardian's success, the Guardian 921 features a robust set of features for the budget conscious PC Gamer.
| Monday, July 21st 2008 |
OCZ Technology Group, Inc., a worldwide leader in innovative, ultra-high performance and high reliability memory and PC components, today announced the first memory modules available in their Fatal1ty Series after the partnership was announced last month. These high-performance memory kits were co-developed with the expertise of Johnathan "Fatal1ty" Wendel, 12-time World champion, to meet the specific needs of fellow gamers. OCZ Fatal1ty Professional Series kits are the official memory modules of Championship Gaming Series (CGS), and feature incredible performance to power through the latest PC titles and contribute to the success of professionals and everyday gamers.
"OCZ worked closely with Fatal1ty and his team to design new memory kits that pair perfectly with the top selling motherboards for a superior gaming experience," commented Alex Mei, Chief Marketing Officer of the OCZ Technology Group. "Fatal1ty knows what it takes to win at the highest level of eSports, and these new kits deliver superior stability and performance to gamers whether you are a professional player on the Championship Gaming Series, or a weekend warrior looking to dominate when playing the latest titles."
"OCZ worked closely with Fatal1ty and his team to design new memory kits that pair perfectly with the top selling motherboards for a superior gaming experience," commented Alex Mei, Chief Marketing Officer of the OCZ Technology Group. "Fatal1ty knows what it takes to win at the highest level of eSports, and these new kits deliver superior stability and performance to gamers whether you are a professional player on the Championship Gaming Series, or a weekend warrior looking to dominate when playing the latest titles."
| Tuesday, July 1st 2008 |
Razer, the world’s leading manufacturer of high-end precision gaming and lifestyle electronics peripherals, has announced the launch of Aurantia (China Pro-Gaming Edition) - Razer’s first entry level gaming keyboard that will be sold in China only. Physically the keyboard measures 446mm L x 205mm W x 29mm H (with the wrist rest attached) and offers 104 programmable keys with macro capabilities plus an additional three keys for 'gaming mode' (this one disables the Windows key), 'profile switching', and 'mute' functions. Future owners of Aurantia can also store and load up to 10 different keyboard profiles with on-the-fly switching function. A detachable non-slip wrist rest is supplied with the keyboard's package as well. The Aurantia uses red as lables for the keys and will be sold together with the Razer Salmosa mice (China Pro-Gaming Edition) as a bundle, at an MSRP of RMB 399. The public in China will have a chance to test the Razer Aurantia at the Razer booth at ChinaJoy 2008, happening in Shanghai later this month.
Source: Razer
Source: Razer
| Wednesday, April 16th 2008 |
Launched two years ago, TrackMania Nations became a true video game phenomenon. The free downloadable racing game attracted an unbelievable number of players around the world who were obsessed with the game's fast cars, spectacular tracks single- and multiplayer play and simple yet powerful tools for creating tracks and race videos. For the past two years, it has been installed more than 30 million times and nearly four million players have created an account to play the game online on the game's servers.
Its highly awaited sequel, TrackMania Nations Forever, is now available as a free download. TrackMania Nations Forever offers a new complete "Forever" version of the Stadium environment, a complete solo mode and 65 brand new, progressively difficult tracks. TrackMania Nations Forever will unite an even larger number of players thanks to its engaging multiplayer modes, innovative online functions and revolutionary interactivity between players.
Its highly awaited sequel, TrackMania Nations Forever, is now available as a free download. TrackMania Nations Forever offers a new complete "Forever" version of the Stadium environment, a complete solo mode and 65 brand new, progressively difficult tracks. TrackMania Nations Forever will unite an even larger number of players thanks to its engaging multiplayer modes, innovative online functions and revolutionary interactivity between players.
| Thursday, March 27th 2008 |
Epic has today released a bonus pack for Unreal Tournament 3, which includes three new maps for the game. Gamers may already be familiar with Morbias and Facing Worlds, whilst Searchlight is an all-new capture-the-flag map. You can download the bonus pack from here, which is just under 160MB.
Source: FileShack
Source: FileShack
| Wednesday, March 26th 2008 |
Gears of War was among the first games to make use of the Unreal Engine 3, so Epic Games has decided to show-off how much the engine has been improved since then. At a recent press conference the company used Gears of War 2 to demonstrate various improvements such as better lighting, improved efficiency, more realistic water effects, soft body physics and destructible environments. If you want to take a look at the video, which is just over six minutes long, head over to Shacknews.
Source: Shacknews
Source: Shacknews
Game developers have been gradually trying to create more-open games over the past few years, but it looks like Bethesda is planning to take a huge leap forward with its upcoming title Fallout 3, which will feature over 200 different endings to the game. The company's executive producer, Todd Howard, said:
He explained that small changes and additions to the endings are multiplied by other factors influenced by the player's choices and decisions in the game, adding:
Being that we are Bethesda, everything gets a bit big, so as of last week we're over 200 endings. That's not an exaggeration.
He explained that small changes and additions to the endings are multiplied by other factors influenced by the player's choices and decisions in the game, adding:
Source: Shacknews
Fallout is probably twice the size that we originally had on paper. We've definitely gone overboard... It won't end up being as big as Oblivion, but it's approaching that. The game is easily a hundred hours.
Gearbox Software has reached a deal with advertising company Double Fusion to bring in-game advertisements to some of its future titles. Double Fusion will be providing the developer with dynamic advertising technology to deliver the ads and integrated sponsorships, although Gearbox has not yet disclosed which games will contain these adverts. The companies commented that they will "work together to ensure that all advertising programs are appropriate and add value to the gamers' experience." In-game ads look set to become more common over the next few years, with big names such as Microsoft and EA already having agreed to similar deals.
Source: Shacknews
Source: Shacknews
| Wednesday, March 19th 2008 |
Sony has updated the firmware on its handheld PSP console to version 3.93, which can be downloaded by going to the Settings menu on the device and selecting Network Update. The changes in this version include expanded support for PlayStation Network titles and the introduction of 20 new players to the Internet Radio feature.
Source: PlayStation
Source: PlayStation
| Tuesday, March 18th 2008 |
Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft are the three big names in the console market at the moment, but if a story from German site Gamestar is to be believed, Acer could soon be set to join in the action. Apparently the company's senior vice president, James Wong, cited the proprietary nature of current consoles as the firm's inspiration for creating an open-standard, PC-based "games machine". Unfortunately that's pretty much all Acer has revealed at the moment, and the story remains a rumour, but this could certainly spice-up future console wars a little bit if it's true.
Source: Kotaku
Source: Kotaku
| Thursday, March 13th 2008 |
Sony has updated the PS3's firmware taking it to version 2.17. Unfortunately there are very few improvements with this update - under the main features in this version Sony lists only "The operating stability of some PLAYSTATION 3 format software has been improved." The simplest way to update the firmware is via the PS3's system menu.
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
| Thursday, February 21st 2008 |
In a desperate bid to get children off their rear ends and out into the real world, New Mexico is currently trying to get a bill passed which will effectively tax video games and televisions. At this point, the tax would be almost negligible (1% extra on all appropriate paraphernalia). Dubbed the "Television Tax", the funds gathered from it would actually be put towards noble causes. Funds will be used to...
- Develop curriculum-based programs for teachers to use on public lands and at other outdoor learning sites for outdoor education initiatives.
- Develop hands-on teaching materials for children for use in outdoor education programs.
- Provide transportation for children to experience outdoor education programs.
- Provide substantial and frequent outdoor experiences for children.
- Increase outdoor nature-oriented physical activity programs for school-age children.
| Wednesday, February 20th 2008 |
Global leaders of the PC gaming industry announced today the formation of the PC Gaming Alliance, a non-profit organization that unites hardware and software creators, game developers and publishers, and others committed to the PC gaming market with the common purpose of advancing the PC as a worldwide gaming platform.
Together, PCGA and its member companies will work to accelerate innovation, improve the gaming experience for consumers and serve as a collective source of market information and expertise on PC gaming.
Members of PCGA are Acer Inc./Gateway Inc., Activision Publishing Inc., AMD, Dell/Alienware, Epic Games, Intel Corp., Microsoft Corp., NVIDIA Corp. and Razer USA Ltd.
Together, PCGA and its member companies will work to accelerate innovation, improve the gaming experience for consumers and serve as a collective source of market information and expertise on PC gaming.
Members of PCGA are Acer Inc./Gateway Inc., Activision Publishing Inc., AMD, Dell/Alienware, Epic Games, Intel Corp., Microsoft Corp., NVIDIA Corp. and Razer USA Ltd.
| Tuesday, February 19th 2008 |
When the Nintendo Wii was first released, several people took Wii Sports too seriously. The wrist straps to the controllers snapped, and Wiimotes went flying into a plethora of very fragile things. When Nintendo replaced the straps with much stronger ones, it seems that some people went crazy. Now, several reports are coming in that Wii gamers are facing a new problem: tendinitis, due to moving too much. Since gamers get much more physically into the game than they normally would, they try to mimic the actual movement the activity on screen would require. This stresses muscles a lot more than you'd think, especially after a long period of time. Most problems are surfacing in 30-40 year olds, who really don't play too many video games, and suddenly became very involved in Wii gaming. Strangely, it's actually children that warn adults not to get too into gaming.
Source: Neoseeker
Source: Neoseeker
| Sunday, February 10th 2008 |
With violent video games such as Manhunt 2 causing controversy, the British government is reconsidering the exact rating system. At this point, games are given to the British Board of Film Classification, who slaps an appropriate rating on the game. Selling games to children under the rating's age class is grounds for arrest. However, up to 90% of games needing a high-class rating bypass this system by getting their games rated by the much more relaxed PEGI system. And so, the British government decided that it was high time to change things around. No matter how things turn out, the British government wants their citizens to know that this is being done to "protect children from damaging games". They also want you to know that their definition of a damaging game involves "gross violence towards humans or animals, human sexual or excretory activity, or scenes that would show people how to commit a crime".
Source: The Inquirer
Source: The Inquirer
| Friday, February 8th 2008 |
It's apparently the season for oddball game pitches. Except, this time, the game pitch has already been accepted and is in development. Publisher Mastiff recently took up the concept for a game that will be called "Major League Eating", based off of what some call America's favorite past time. The game itself sounds like something out of a 7-year old's dream. The contest of the "world's greatest gurgitory athletes" will play much like many other fighting games, such as Mortal Kombat. However, instead of using swords and fists, the aforementioned athletes will attack and defend using "burps, belches, and mustard gas", all while making sure that they get their fair share of munchies. Mastiff's announcement did not mention any timeframe for release, or finalize any platforms.
Source: 1Up
Source: 1Up
According to the latest sales trends, it would seem as though the Nintendo "it prints money" DS is starting to lose popularity. In fact, all handheld consoles are beginning to lose their appeal in Japan. Right after the Christmas season, sales of everything went way down, and now that we're in February, the DS is being outsold by the PSP and the Nintendo Wii. Sony ought to be happy to know that PS3 sales are picking up in Japan, most likely due to the release of Devil May Cry 4. The pretty bar chart will answer any further questions you may have on Japanese game platform sales.
Source: Reg Hardware
Source: Reg Hardware
2007 was an epic year for games, as over 1500 were submitted to the ESRB for rating. The ESRB recently released all the ratings they have given games in a pretty pie chart. According to the pretty pie chart, a lot more games than you'd think were actually E-rated. 59% were for "everyone", 15% were for "everyone 10+", 20% were for "teen", and only 6% were for "mature". It should be noted that this chart includes all games, not just blockbusters. It should also be noted that this chart includes all games released on all platforms, even "edutainment" platforms designed specifically around little kids.
Source: DailyTech
Source: DailyTech
| Thursday, February 7th 2008 |
Epic Games is well known throughout the gaming community. Most well known for their Unreal Tournament series and the Unreal engine series, Epic Games has every reason to be at the peak of their game for the PC gaming crowd. However, they are beginning to doubt their fan base. While Gears of War for the Xbox360 was an instant success for the Xbox360, the PC version of Unreal Tournament failed to take off. In an interview, Mark Rein confirms that gaming itself has begun to move away from the PC, and towards consoles. Even inside Epic Games, a sizable chunk of employees play their games on the Xbox360. Outside Epic Games, a paltry 14% of gamers game on their computer. The reason for this, despite the superior technology the PC offers, is the sheer cost of owning and maintaining a gaming habit on the PC. While an Xbox360 is $400USD including games and extra controllers, a PC is upwards of $1000USD for a game-worthy setup, not including games, and only supporting one player at a time.
Source: DailyTech
Source: DailyTech
| Tuesday, February 5th 2008 |
Industry giant Electronic Arts is predicting much greater success for Sony's PS3 console over the next year, following disappointing sales in 2007. Last year the PS3 lagged well behind the Wii and Xbox 360 in terms of sales, with the Wii coming out significantly ahead of both. However, EA is predicting that the coming year will see Nintendo sell between 12m and 14m Wii consoles, Sony between 9.5m and 11.5m PS3s and Microsoft just 6m to 8m Xbox 360s. The PS2 is still expected to sell in its millions, with estimated figures of 3.9m to 4.9m units. Meanwhile EA reckons the DS will continue to dominate the handheld market by selling 14m to 16m units, with the PSP struggling to compete on 6m to 8m. That said, Xbox 360 sales figures can be expected to drop gradually, as the market is likely to become saturated sooner given its much earlier release date.
Source: GamesIndustry.biz
Source: GamesIndustry.biz
| Friday, February 1st 2008 |
A relatively new company, with aspirations of great fame and fortune, is seeking to make a footprint in the IT industry. With the name Rock, Rock has decided to make one massive laptop. Dubbed the "Xtreme SL8", this machine claims roughly 15,000 points in 3DMark06. To do this, it runs the following hardware.
Source: Reg Hardware
- 2.93GHz Core 2 Extreme QX6800
- A pair of NVIDIA GeForce 8800M GTX GPUs
- Up to 4GB of DDR2 800
- Your choice of one 600GB 7200RPM HDD, or 1TB of 5400RPM RAID storage.
- One HD-DVD reader/burner
- 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, as well as a Gigabit Ethernet port.
- 6600mAh battery
Source: Reg Hardware
| Friday, December 7th 2007 |
More and more often, lately, the phrase "it's all fun and games until someone gets hurt" is holding itself true. When one 10 year old boy suffered a seizure in the middle of a game of Rayman Raving Rabbids, his mother didn't let her child become just another statistic. Instead, she's started a legal campaign to prevent more seizures like this in the future. If she succeeds, no game released in the United Kingdom can be played until the game is screened for scenes that might cause an epileptic seizure. While this screening is already required for movies, it has not happened for video games as of yet. As consolation to the boy and his family, Ubisoft is currently testing Rayman Raving Rabbids for said seizure-causing instances. Game manufacturers may deem these methods unnecessary, considering that most games and consoles come with a seizure warning on the box or in the manual.
Source: Reg Hardware
Source: Reg Hardware
| Thursday, December 6th 2007 |
OCZ Technology Group is pleased to announce that gamers and enthusiasts will now have access to purchase pre-built Hypersonic notebooks from a wide spectrum of online and retail outlets. High-performance laptop seekers will be afforded greater and quicker access to laptops that fit their performance expectations, while more selective users can still customize the ultimate gaming notebook through the online Hypersonic boutique store. With these new retail-ready laptops, Hypersonic intends to increase availability of its unique product offering, while maintaining the integrity and performance of its widely-popular gaming notebooks.
| Tuesday, December 4th 2007 |
While some parents are very strict when it comes to letting their kids get video games, others succumb to the constant "mom buy me this game please!" and don't think anything of it until they hear a barrage of swear words and gore noises coming from the living room. To help parents decide whether or not they should be getting a game before they actually buy it, news site Game Daily has compiled a list of games that are most likely to pervert and offend. In order from most to least offensive, they are...
Source: Game Daily
- Manhunt 2
- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
- Beowulf (the game)
- Conan (the game)
- Gears of War
- Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles
- Unreal Tournament 3
Source: Game Daily
| Friday, November 23rd 2007 |
When Epic Studios made Unreal Engine 3, they had PCs and high-definition consoles in mind. When asked if Epic was going to bring Unreal Engine 3 to the Wii, Vice President Mark Rein stated "It's not in our plans to bring Unreal Engine 3 to the Wii. It's really designed for next-gen, high-definition [platforms]." However, it seems like a completely independent (and anonymous) studio is working on getting Unreal Engine 3 to work on the Wii. Rein's opinion of working with the Wii remains unchanged. "There's so many things we can do and are already doing, to improve our engine, on the platforms we're aiming it at, that going back and working on that [for the Wii] just doesn't make sense."
Source: Neoseeker
Source: Neoseeker
| Tuesday, November 13th 2007 |
In the past, many children hoping to get the best video games on Christmas morning have woken up sorely disappointed, because of an ESRB rating that parents think is slightly too high. The "what they play" campaign aims to change all that. Instead of giving parents the weak "E-T-M-AO" system to choose the right games for their children, the what they play campaign will give parents a detailed description of what kind of content is in the game, so that they can make a more educated decision as to what games their kids should be playing. Amazon has already announced a plan to publish these ratings alongside the games they will sell on their website. So far, parents are delighted by the concept of a website that tells them what games are naughty, and which ones are nice.
Source: 1Up
Source: 1Up
| Wednesday, November 7th 2007 |
While the ESRB may have allowed Rockstar games to sell Manhunt 2, retail stores can still choose whether or not they want to sell it. In a move that will please parents everywhere, Target is refusing to sell Manhunt 2 in any of their store locations. They will continue to not-sell-it until all the gore is removed instead of just hidden away, to be unlocked like it was for the PSP. In Target's exact words...
Source: 1Up
Target strives to provide merchandise that will appeal to a wide variety of guests. We also want guests to be comfortable with the purchasing decisions they make at Target. All video games and computer software sold at Target currently carry ratings by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB)--from early childhood through mature audiences. While Manhunt 2 was given a Mature rating by the ERSB, we received additional information that players can potentially view previously filtered content by altering the game code. As a result, we have decided not to carry the game
| Wednesday, October 31st 2007 |
Larry Hryb is a well meaning man, and wants to make sure the Xbox Live community is full of people who do not cheat to get any of their achievements. Hryb is announcing a ban on any Xbox Live user who is caught sharing their account with someone who advances ranks, achievements and Gamerscores while the actual account owner sleeps. In a Halo 3 Blog Post, Hryb urged gamers not to fall to the temptation of cheating, and proposed that cheating is probably not worth the risk anyways (what if the guy supposedly helping you stabs you in the back and steals your account?)
Hryb also announced that cheating through modifying save files will result in your actual console being banned from Xbox Live.
Source: 1Up
Hryb also announced that cheating through modifying save files will result in your actual console being banned from Xbox Live.
Source: 1Up
| Monday, October 29th 2007 |
Apparently, creating, owning, and selling computer chips that modify gaming consoles is very illegal in Britain. A certain Neil Stanley Higgs, who goes by "Mr. Modchips", was found guilty of 26 offenses of "advertising, possessing, supplying, and selling mod chips." The chips Mr.Modchips was selling themselves seem harmless enough, all they do is allow someone to remotely activate or disable a console. Mr. Modchips was found by the court to have made selling the modchips a very lucrative venture, and had made over £1,000,000 just from selling them. Mr.Modchips plans to appeal the decision.
Source: Reg Hardware
Source: Reg Hardware
| Saturday, October 20th 2007 |
When a gamer is shopping for the proper device to game upon, they get a huge headache. There are no less than four different choices (PC, Xbox360, PS3, Wii), and all of them have their individual set of games at different price points that perform differently. Electronic Arts is getting very tired of coding it's games four times over, and wants there to be one open platform to ease the headaches of both consumer and developer. Unfortunately for EA and gamers, console manufacturers would not get very much profit if they all just surrendered their proprietary stuff and made one big happy open-source console. Analysts predict that if game consoles do fade out in the near future, they will be replaced by terminal servers, so that users can simply plug in with a set-top box.
Source: DailyTech
Source: DailyTech
| Thursday, October 18th 2007 |
According to the Australian Office of Film and Literature Classification's (OFLC), SoF:Payback is too violent and gory for the country. Like the Manhunt 2 controversy, the OFLC refused to rate SoF:Payback, making it illegal to sell the game anywhere inside the country to anyone. The main reasons that the OFLC deemed SoF:Payback to be too much for Australia:
- The game contains too much "high impact violence", which exceeds even Australia's MA15+ rating.
- The game contains "substantial blood spray", blood splatters on the ground and wall, and the ability for gamers to target specific body parts
| Friday, October 5th 2007 |
While Gears of War is fast approaching it's first birthday, a PC version is being planned for a November 6th release. Fans of the Xbox 360 version of Gears of War will be happy to know it's not just another lousy port of a console game. DirectX10 support make the visuals positively breathtaking, there are five new single-player chapters (including an encounter with Brumak), three new multiplayer maps, a "king of the hill" multiplayer mode, and of course a map editor. For those truly curious as to the current shape of Gears of War PC, check out the 1Up preview here.
Source: 1Up
Source: 1Up
| Sunday, September 23rd 2007 |
In the past, since the ESRB devised the AO (adult only) rating for video games, it has been a mark of death for the video game in question. Parent groups go ballistic, retail chains refuse to sell them, and some console manufacturers (namely, Sony and Nintendo) do not even allow AO content on their machines. In the past, AO ratings have caused game makers to do whatever it took to get rid of it, going for the much more popular M rating. It seems as though times are changing, however. GameStop recently questioned its policy banning AO games. GameStop recently underwent a campaign to raise awareness of the ESRB ratings, and as a result of this, is considering letting AO games back on the shelves. Gamestop would of course not sell these games to anyone under the age of 18.
Source: 1Up
Source: 1Up
| Friday, September 14th 2007 |
September 23rd will be a great day for racing and gaming fans alike. David Stremme's #40 Dodge Avenger recently got a Microsoft sponsored Halo 3 themed paint job. David Stremme can hardly wait for the Nextel Cup on September 23rd, where he gets to race his new car.
Source: 1Up
However, Master Chief's Dodge Avenger will be facing some stiff competition: Nintendo sponsored a Ford Fusion, which will also be racing at the Nextel Cup on the 23rd.
I'm honored and excited to be running the Halo 3 car at Dover and can't wait to show off this awesome paint scheme," said Stremme. "It's going to be a special experience when the car rolls off the truck for the first time at Dover -- as a Halo fan, I'm thrilled.
Source: 1Up
| Tuesday, September 11th 2007 |
In the United States, games are rated by the ESRB for content. An E rated game has content suitable for Everyone, a T rated game has content suitable for Teenagers, and an M rated game has content suitable for Mature audiences only. However, the ESRB rating system may represent more than just content suitability. A recent study found that M rated games sell a lot better than games rated T or E. And not only do they sell better, review boards generally found M rated games much more entertaining than T or E rated games.
This data is not all that surprising, considering that most game programmers are targeting the 17-32 year old demographic.
Source: Neoseeker
This data is not all that surprising, considering that most game programmers are targeting the 17-32 year old demographic.
Source: Neoseeker
| Saturday, September 8th 2007 |
Anyone who played BioShock last night on the Xbox360 got a seemingly pleasant surprise: there was a patch being installed that would fix some minor in-game issues. More specifically, it "improves stability on autosaves, fixes a bug where an AI will not utilize health stations properly, and fixes a music bug in the title menu". After the patch was applied however, gamers reported several instances of global freezing/glitching, sometimes as often as once every 30 seconds. A 2K Games representative assures us that 2K games is looking closely at the problem, and is working hard to resolve it.
Source: 1Up
Source: 1Up
| Friday, September 7th 2007 |
Transformers producer Micheal Bay was quite confused when deciding what to release his summer blockbuster (the Transformers movie) on. Fortunately for anyone with an HD-DVD player, Paramount studios decided to give Micheal Bay a little advice. By promising Micheal Bay enough profits to create a Transformers 2, Paramount ensured that the only HD format Transformers would see is HD DVD. On October 16th, Transformers fans worldwide can see the movie on HD DVD, as well as the standard DVD format. Transformers fans will also be delighted to hear that Transformers will be coming in a two-disk package, which will be ripe with full-HD features. HD DVD owners will also get the benefits of an "Intelligence Mode", which can describe each robot's strengths/weaknesses as the movie is playing.
Source: DailyTech
Source: DailyTech
I have good news for the crowd of people who can't realistically afford to play Crysis for the next year. We finally have the hardware requirements for Quake Wars, one of the most anticipated shooters of the year (next to BioShock, Unreal Tournament 3, and Crysis). Despite Quake Wars being done off a heavily modified and upgraded Doom 3 engine, which includes John Carmack's famed megatexturing algorithms, all you need to play is a GeForce FX 5700, or an ATI Radeon 9700. As far as CPU and RAM requirements go, those required to play Quake Wars are almost predictable. For XP, you need a 2.8GHz Pentium 4 or AMD equivalent, and 512MB of RAM. If you are running Vista, you need a 3GHz Pentium 4 or AMD equivalent, and 768MB of RAM.
Source: The Inquirer
Source: The Inquirer
| Tuesday, September 4th 2007 |
HP plans to launch a new desktop called the HP Blackbird 002 some time this week. The new Blackbird PC plans to target gamers and PC enthusiasts and will feature:
Source: [H]ard|OCP
- BIOS-based overclocks
- Heat-optimized aluminum chassis and foot
- Liquid cooling system for CPUs and GPUs
- Tool-free upgrades for CPU, GPU, drives
- Pricing between $2500 and $6500
Source: [H]ard|OCP
| Friday, August 31st 2007 |
Anyone with an ATI X8x0 series card is pretty angry at the fact that their card cannot handle a game that an X1300 can. Fortunately for gamers that still have a Shader Model 2 card, hackers are working day and night to bring BioShock to said cards. Instead of buying a SM3 or SM4 card that would cost at least $60, old-school gamers can now apply a hack. You can download and read into this hack here. However, while this is all well and good for people with hearty graphics cards, such as the previously mentioned X8x0 series, people still running the Radeon 9x00 series and the NVIDIA GeForce FX series will probably suffer quite low framerates.
Keep in mind that this is still a beta.
Source: NeoSeeker
Keep in mind that this is still a beta.
Source: NeoSeeker
| Thursday, August 30th 2007 |
I think we would all agree that the PlayStation 2 has had a long run, with no signs of recent sales slowing down. To keep things interesting, this November Sony will release a white PS2 bundled with "SingStar Pop" and 2 USB microphones. The packaged deal will be available for $149.99USD. The new paint job is a welcome aesthetic change for those whose home decor doesn't accommodate for the "flat black" original, or anyone with a different taste in colors.
Source: DailyTech
Source: DailyTech
Nokia is bringing games to their current and future N-series cell phones. The new service entitled "N-Gage" will provide gamers with download access to applications, games, challenges and contests. Games are priced from $8-$10 and are currently compatible with N73, N81, N95 series, N93 series and more coming.
Source: IGN
Source: IGN
| Tuesday, August 28th 2007 |
The latest patch for Tom Clancy's "Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2", v1.04, is now available. There have been a few fantastic changes made, including multicore support and the ability to run multiple dedicated servers on a single machine! The patch includes various minor fixes as well.
Source: WorthPlaying
Source: WorthPlaying
Today marks the official launch of the PS3 only title, Warhawk. In Warhawk, up to 32 players can battle it out in the air and on land, amidst beautifully detailed landscapes and up in the clouds. Your mission: Defend against the invading Chernovan fleet, using tanks, jeeps, transports, fighters and small arms. The SIXAXIS controller is used to pilot the aerial vehicles, sensing your movements to control roll, pitch and yaw. The retail edition costs $60 and comes with a Bluetooth headset. For more screenshots, see Source link below.
Source: WorthPlaying
Source: WorthPlaying
| Monday, August 27th 2007 |
Gabe Newell, one of the more popular directors of Valve Steam, recently berated Microsoft on it's choice of making DX10 Vista exclusive. A recent Steam survey shows that only 2% of gamers own both at least one DirectX10 capable graphics card and Microsoft Windows Vista. Newell also pointed out that none of the next-generation consoles use DirectX 10 features, limiting DX10 support. It would seem as though there is a general consensus among gamers and developers is nicely summed up by The Inquirer:
Source: The Inquirer
(DirectX 10) fractures an already-diverse PC gaming market even more, making consoles look even more attractive. One only has to look at Bioshock - the PC version has staggering requirements, barely any image quality upgrade under DX10/Vista, as well as installation issues - whereas the Xbox 360 version plugs in and works.
| Sunday, August 26th 2007 |
Game developers know that it's pretty hard to get gamers into the game sometimes. While some developers create intense graphics, and others create a brilliant/original storyline, scientists are working on an out-of-the-box approach to immersion. In a controlled experiment, scientists made gamers play Pac-Man...with a twist. Whenever a ghost kills Pac-Man, the gamer gets an electric shock in the real world. The results were astounding and unexpected. Whenever a ghost approached Pac-Man, the gamer got scared. As the ghost got closer, gamers brains stopped thinking logically, and started acting on instincts. While this experience does get the gamer into the game, chances are electrodes will not become the next vibrating controller.
Source: BBC via The Inq
Source: BBC via The Inq
| Friday, August 24th 2007 |
Manhunt 2 by Take-Two and Rockstar has finally been granted an "M" for Mature rating by the ESRB. The game was toned down after it originally earned an "AO" for Adults Only rating, which many stores refuse to carry. The game is now back on schedule to be released October 31st in the US on the PlayStation 2 and Wii.
Source: neoseeker
Source: neoseeker
| Friday, August 17th 2007 |
Epic Games recently announced a partnership with GameSpy. This means that Unreal Engine 3 is about to get a serious amount of multiplayer features. Unfortunately, only PS3 and PC versions of Unreal Engine 3 will have access to these benefits, as the Xbox 360 version is already managed by Xbox Live. According to the press release, Unreal Engine 3 licensees now have access to four new features:
Source: 1Up
- GameSpy "Matchmaking" makes it easy for gamers to find suitable opponents effortlessly.
- GameSpy's "Comrade" in-game middleware enables seamless in-game to out-of-game community features, such as instant messaging.
- GameSpy's "Sake" allows developers to store data online, letting gamers build player profiles and maintain game statistics.
- GameSpy's "ATLAS" is an advanced statistical system for dynamic leader-boards and tournaments within the game and on the internet.
Source: 1Up
| Tuesday, August 14th 2007 |
Microsoft did more than just show off their Xbox Live user base: they listed the ten most popular games in Xbox Live Arcade. Microsoft sorted the list by three categories: Most players, longest time played in one session, and longest time played total. The game with the most players is the classic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, while the longest-session game was Jewel Quest, and the longest-played game was Uno. Check out the rest of the list below.
Source: 1Up
Source: 1Up
| Monday, August 13th 2007 |
Despite the Microsoft Xbox 360 being sold over a year before the Nintendo Wii, the sales figures for both machines are getting closer all the time. A recent analysis shows that 10.1 million Wiis have been sold to date, while Microsoft sold 10.3 million Xbox 360s to date. The Xbox 360 got most of it's sales in America and PAL territories, while the Wii sold 3 million units in Japan, 4 million units in America, and 3 million in PAL territories. Sony sold 4.1 million PS3s to date, and all three consoles pale when compared to hand-held console sales. Nintendo has sold over 44 million Nintendo DS', and Sony has sold 22 million PSP's.
Source: Reg Hardware
Source: Reg Hardware
| Saturday, August 11th 2007 |
Halo 3 is officially one of the fastest selling games in history, passing the 1 million mark for pre-orders over a month and a half before the September 25th release day. The only game that has sold faster than this is the most recent installment in the Halo series, Halo 2, with 1.5 million pre-orders before launch day. Halo 3 could easily surpass that, and Microsoft/Bungie couldn't be happier. All this popularity is putting Halo 3 on the fast lane to more time in the marketing spotlight than the most recent Simpsons movie. Mountain Dew will be making a special version of it's drink for the Master Chief, which will be known for it's "invigorating blast of citrus cherry flavor" and "added caffeine for maximum intensity". Pontiac will be making a special version of it's G6 SUV, and will be hosting several "Gamer Garage" events. And that's not all. At this point, we'll be able to see Halo 3 memorabilia from Doritos, Burger King, Comcast, and even the gas station 7-11.
Source: 1Up
Source: 1Up
The Manhunt 2 incident makes people wonder whether or not the current American video game rating system (the ESRB) is actually doing anything, working, or even making sense. Instead of doing a complete system overhaul to avoid another Manhunt 2 fiasco, the ESRB is launching a new awareness campaign, aimed to tell parents the difference between an "E" (everyone) rating, and an "M" (mature) rating. The new campaign is mainly television and radio spots, with Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick Lynch and his young daughter and son. Such political support is a definite help for the ESRB.
Source: 1Up
Source: 1Up
As some of you know, the source of the recent leaked PS3 price drops is the message board CheapAssGamer (CAG). Unfortunately, Circuit City doesn't like the idea of their fliers getting leaked before their due time. And so, they are giving CheapAssGamer a subpoena to investigate these shenanigans. They want the full identification and IP address of a certain CAG member known as "Speedy1961". CheapAssGamer's CEO David "CheapyD" Adams declined to give any of this information to Circuit City, and will be hiring a legal consult to "deal with the situation".
Source: 1Up
Source: 1Up
Arnold Schwarzenegger, the governor of California, is a pioneer in video game legislature. He recently proposed a bill to ban the selling of M rated games (games meant for people 17 or older, based on the ESRB rating system) to minors (anyone under the age of 18). However, a court recently ruled that such a ban would inhibit free speech, and would hence be unconstitutional. Schwarzenegger vowed to appeal this decision.
Source: Reg Hardware
I signed this important measure to ensure that parents are involved in determining which video games are appropriate for their children," he said in a statement. "Many of these games are made for adults, and choosing games that are appropriate for kids should be a decision made by their parents.
| Thursday, August 2nd 2007 |
Back in mid-late June, the United Kingdom banned the possession and distribution of the game Manhunt 2. This lead to several events that were quite damaging to Manhunt 2's possible business, including an Adult Only rating in the United States and the ban of the game from consoles made by Sony and Nintendo. And so, in response to this, Rockstar was given the option to appeal, which they have finally decided to take advantage of. If Rockstar's appeal succeeds, then the ban (and possibly the Adult Only rating, as well) will be overturned.
Source: 1Up
Source: 1Up
| Wednesday, August 1st 2007 |
MMORPG's have a distinct advantage to them, in the way you can (supposedly) escape reality and live as a completely different creature in a different world. However, this ulterior world attracts more than just people trying to escape life's harsh realities. Games such as Second Life and World of Warcraft have reported several instances of cyber-terrorism. In some instances, Australian police have found evidence that terrorists are using these virtual worlds to recruit terrorists and train them. Experts on the matter say that "terrorists are rehearsing their operations in Second Life because they can't practice in the real world". Experts also notice that terrorists "can gain training in games such as World of Warcraft in a simulated environment, using weapons that are identical to real-world armaments."
Source: The Australian
Source: The Australian
| Wednesday, July 25th 2007 |
Up to this point, DirectX10 cards in DirectX10 benchmarks have performed abysmally. Company of Heroes, Lost Planet, and other DX10 games have all performed at a fraction of the speed that their DX9 counterparts boast. However, this all is about to change, thanks to recent benchmarks from a pre-release version of Crysis. Dignews benchmarked modern DX10 computers, including a Toshiba Satellite notebook with an 8700. And while all of the computers had occasional stutters (which could plausibly be fixed by the time the game is released, considering Crysis is not even in beta yet), all of them also rendered the game in a quality that simply stunned reviewers. The Toshiba Satellite somehow managed to run Crysis with almost all settings maxed out. Please click the source link for the full review.
Source: DigNews via TheINQ
Source: DigNews via TheINQ
| Sunday, July 15th 2007 |
Games Workshop, the maker of several famous miniature-based games such as Warhammer, Warhammer 40,000, and Lord Of The Rings, has just forbid fans to make movies based on it's games. This comes as very unfortunate news to the makers of Damnatus, who have been working since 2003 to make a spectacular Warhammer 40,000 based film. Games Workshop has revised it's IP policy to show it's new stance on fan-made films. In the case of Damnatus, it is not clear if Games Workshop can get away with stopping the film, considering that the makers of Damnatus already got approval from Games Workshop. This move is surprising, considering that the Star Wars and Star Trek franchises both benefit from such classic user generated content as "Space Balls".
Source: The Inquirer
Source: The Inquirer
| Monday, July 9th 2007 |
Any fan of the hit Transformers series that wants to own more than action figures and matchbox cars had better check out some of the auctions on eBay. Certain people have somehow managed to acquire props from the movie Transformers, and feel like sharing via eBay. For what's just over $14,000 now, you can own "Bumblebee", the cute yellow car that turns into a robot. $14,000 does not cover the robot part of the Transformer, unfortunately.
All proceeds of this auction will be donated to Fisher House™ Foundation.
Source: eBay
All proceeds of this auction will be donated to Fisher House™ Foundation.
Source: eBay
| Tuesday, July 3rd 2007 |
Two people fell in love with each other over one of the most addictive MMORPGs ever, World of Warcraft. The couple spent long hours on the phone together, played through countless quests as a couple, and even talked about marriage. There were just two problems with this couple. The groom is 17, and the bride is 31. The two made plans to meet, and the bride flew over from Australia to North Carolina to pick up her dream date on June 12th. Unfortunately for her, anyone under the age of 18 is a minor in the state of North Carolina. After the groom's parents reported him as missing, the police apprehended the couple as they were trying to hitch a ride to Australia on June 26th. The groom is home, almost certainly grounded. However, the bride faired much worse. On July 11th, she goes on trial for the attempted abduction of a minor. If the bride is found guilty, she will get two years behind bars in an American jail. Australian customs is working hard to get the bride set free.
Source: The Advertiser
Source: The Advertiser
Or, at least 80% of all gamers that attended DreamHack Summer 2007. Symantec went around the LAN party, and found that 80% of all gamers there were either infected by malware, or previously had been infected by malware. Symantec claims that the reason the infection rate among hardcore gamers is so high is quite simple. When gamers start practicing/gaming, they turn off their anti-virus programs in order to maximize performance. While this makes sense during the game, as the risk for getting infected while playing a game is very low, most gamers neglect to re-activate the protection of a good anti-virus program.
Symantec claims that with their Norton 360 software, there is no need to worry about this, as their anti-virus solution is designed to encumber performance as little as possible while still providing optimal protection.
Source: Nordic Hardware
Symantec claims that with their Norton 360 software, there is no need to worry about this, as their anti-virus solution is designed to encumber performance as little as possible while still providing optimal protection.
Source: Nordic Hardware
| Sunday, July 1st 2007 |
Anyone who's ever had the Red Ring Of Death (the Xbox 360's way of saying it's dead) knows what an unfortunate position they are in. There are various ways to fix the RROD, but most of them indicate that it's time to get a new Xbox 360. Ordinarily, this would not be a problem. In a classic RMA (Return Merchandise Authorization), a customer says they got a broken product, want a new one, ship the broken one to the manufacturer, and get a new one for their troubles.
However, what happens when this keeps happening? A certain Justin Lowe has done this classic RMA procedure with his Xbox 360 eleven times over, and still isn't sure whether or not he'll have to do it again. And with the wide range of problems he's had, why should he be sure? He's lost three Xbox 360s to the infamous red ring of death, two to disc read errors, two were dead on arrival, several had random audio and video-related issues, and one actually exploded. Customer support was at first friendly and fast, but now, it seems to Justin as if they are slow and unhelpful.
However, what happens when this keeps happening? A certain Justin Lowe has done this classic RMA procedure with his Xbox 360 eleven times over, and still isn't sure whether or not he'll have to do it again. And with the wide range of problems he's had, why should he be sure? He's lost three Xbox 360s to the infamous red ring of death, two to disc read errors, two were dead on arrival, several had random audio and video-related issues, and one actually exploded. Customer support was at first friendly and fast, but now, it seems to Justin as if they are slow and unhelpful.
| Monday, June 25th 2007 |
Doctors backed away on Sunday from a controversial proposal to designate video game addiction as a mental disorder akin to alcoholism, saying psychiatrists should study the issue more. Addiction experts also strongly opposed the idea at a debate at the American Medical Association's annual meeting.
They said more study is needed before excessive use of video and online games - a problem that affects about 10 percent of players - could be considered a mental illness.
"There is nothing here to suggest that this is a complex physiological disease state akin to alcoholism or other substance abuse disorders, and it doesn't get to have the word addiction attached to it," said Dr. Stuart Gitlow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine and Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York.
A committee of the influential physicians' group had proposed video game addiction be listed as a mental disorder in the American Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Mental Disorders, a guide used by the American Psychiatric Association in diagnosing mental illness.
Source: Reuters
They said more study is needed before excessive use of video and online games - a problem that affects about 10 percent of players - could be considered a mental illness.
"There is nothing here to suggest that this is a complex physiological disease state akin to alcoholism or other substance abuse disorders, and it doesn't get to have the word addiction attached to it," said Dr. Stuart Gitlow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine and Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York.
A committee of the influential physicians' group had proposed video game addiction be listed as a mental disorder in the American Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Mental Disorders, a guide used by the American Psychiatric Association in diagnosing mental illness.
Source: Reuters
| Thursday, May 31st 2007 |
According to IGN a release date for September 3rd 2007 has been set, 22 days prior to the Halo 3.
Unreal Tournament 3, previously called Unreal Tournament 2007, is actually the fourth game in the franchise but 2003/2004 is considered by developer Epic as one game due to them being near identical.
Epic, who also made the Xbox 360 title "Gears of War" is also releasing the game on both the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 in addition to the traditional PC version.
Source: IGN
Unreal Tournament 3, previously called Unreal Tournament 2007, is actually the fourth game in the franchise but 2003/2004 is considered by developer Epic as one game due to them being near identical.
Epic, who also made the Xbox 360 title "Gears of War" is also releasing the game on both the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 in addition to the traditional PC version.
Source: IGN
| Wednesday, May 30th 2007 |
A new firmware replacement for the TS-H943 xbox360 drive features:
Source: Xbox Scene
- Defeats all current and some future Xbox Live detection attempts
- Boots ONLY Stealth Xtreme Xbox 360 backups
- Boots ONLY Stealth Xtreme Xbox 1 backups
- Boots all Xbox 360 originals
- Boots all Xbox 1 originals on Xbox 360
Source: Xbox Scene
| Wednesday, May 23rd 2007 |
PowerColor, Cooler Master and Universal ABIT are in search of a challenger in Taiwan to take on Johnathan "Fatal1ty" Wendel, the world's best known professional video gamer, during COMPUTEX 2007. Is this guy human? Can he be defeated? PowerColor, Cooler Master and Universal ABIT want a worthy challenger to give him a run for his money. We will reward the challenger with 100,000 NTD (or about US$3000) if he or she can defeat Fatal1ty on June 5th.
| Sunday, May 6th 2007 |
Lord British himself gave GameIndustry.biz an interview regarding his current, Tabula Rasa, MMOs in terms of subscribing players and their future. Garriott of course speaks about projected life-time sales of Ultima Online and how this demand projection had been missed (in a positive way of course).
Source: GamesIndustry.biz
It's a two parted interview, right now there's the first part online and the second part will be due sometime in next week.
[GI]: So every new MMO game that comes out merely adds players, doesn't necessarily take away previous generations of players?
[Garriott]: I completely believe that is true.
Source: GamesIndustry.biz
| Monday, April 30th 2007 |
At the Tokyo press conference, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata said that Nintendo currently has 124 games in development. Of those, 45 are for the Wii and 79 are for the DS.
According to the Bloomberg news service, Iwata said the next batch of first-party games is coming out at the end of summer and just before one of the more crowded fourth-quarter release slates in years. No specific titles were mentioned as being part of the batch.
Source: GameSpot
According to the Bloomberg news service, Iwata said the next batch of first-party games is coming out at the end of summer and just before one of the more crowded fourth-quarter release slates in years. No specific titles were mentioned as being part of the batch.
Source: GameSpot
If you're really bored and/or are a Xbox 360 fanboy fan and want to watch a guy unpacking the upcoming Xbox 360 Elite console for like 10 minutes you can watch GameSpot's latest "On The Spot" episode where they do a "hands-on" with the Elite.
The conclusion is that the new Elite version of the Xbox 360 is very similar to the original console except for a few differences, like HDMI out, a 120GB HDD (20GB on the original 360) and obsiously the black color of the console and controller. Additionally all of the cables and accessories are gray.
Watch
Source: GameSpot
The conclusion is that the new Elite version of the Xbox 360 is very similar to the original console except for a few differences, like HDMI out, a 120GB HDD (20GB on the original 360) and obsiously the black color of the console and controller. Additionally all of the cables and accessories are gray.
Watch
Source: GameSpot
The third tier version of Microsoft's Xbox 360 gaming console went on sale in North American stores yesterday. The updated version of the original Xbox 360 comes in black, along with a new 120GB hard drive and a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) output. The Xbox 360 Elite console is currently available with an estimated price of $479, which is $80 more than the 20GB version. Unlike the launch of the PS3 and Wii, the Xbox 360 Elite should not be too difficult to find stocked on store shelves in the days following its debut. The new detachable 120GB hard drive will also be available separately for an estimated retail price of $179.99.
Source: TG Daily
Source: TG Daily
| Tuesday, April 24th 2007 |
While E3 2006 was a blow out for the show, with 400 companies exhibiting and over 60,000 people turning up to get their first play on the PS3 and the Wii, this year, there will be just 32 exhibitors and around 3,000 attendees, according to the Entertainment Software Association.
The focus of the event is on small-scale business meetings rather than on big public demonstrations. Whilst E3 was always supposed to be a trade-only event, it turned out that anybody savvy enough to register a blog could get a press pass, which rather defeated the purpose of the whole thing.
Companies such as Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony, Sega, Electronic Arts, Eidos, Atari, Square Enix, Take Two, and others will be present. The event will take place in July.
Source: The Inq
The focus of the event is on small-scale business meetings rather than on big public demonstrations. Whilst E3 was always supposed to be a trade-only event, it turned out that anybody savvy enough to register a blog could get a press pass, which rather defeated the purpose of the whole thing.
Companies such as Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony, Sega, Electronic Arts, Eidos, Atari, Square Enix, Take Two, and others will be present. The event will take place in July.
Source: The Inq
| Monday, April 23rd 2007 |
The folks at Xbox have updated the original Xbox list of games playable on the Xbox 360 game console. This backwards compatibility update adds some rare games such as Panzer Dragoon ORTA, Jet Set Radio Future, Pandemic's Mercenaries, Unreal Championship 2 and Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee. The full list of games is here.
Note: A software emulator is required for each original Xbox game you play on your Xbox 360 console.
Source: Xbox
Note: A software emulator is required for each original Xbox game you play on your Xbox 360 console.
Source: Xbox
| Wednesday, April 18th 2007 |
We can all agree that the tragic incident that happened at Virginia Tech was horrible. However, now is the time that we have to figure out what caused someone to kill this many peers, and how we can prevent this in the future. Unfortunately, as we've seen in the techPowerUp! Forums, this is something that people do not exactly agree on. Professional lawyers, as well as the highly acclaimed Dr. Phil McGraw, are quick to blame violent video games for the killer's maniacally depressed rampage. Currently, there is no evidence that the killer even had access to a video game console, let alone play violent video games. A much more likely possibility is the way the killer reacted to his anti-depressant medications. Instead of the anti-depressants calming the killer down, like they were supposed to, they made him violent and erratic. And so, this instability could easily have caused him to snap when the killer's girlfriend dumped him.
Source: The Inquirer
Source: The Inquirer
Xfire, the program that basically acts like a free Xbox Live for the PC, has a tracking feature that lets you log how many hours you spend on a particular game. This lets you brag to people just how little time you spend outside how good you are at a particular game. Xfire took all the voluntarily sent data, collected it over a 15 month period, and wrote it down in a pretty log. The result? We now know exactly which games are played the most. Are you ready for the list?
1- World Of Warcraft (big surprise)
2- Counter-Strike Source
3- Call of Duty 2 Multiplayer
4- Battlefield 2
5- Guild Wars
If you want the rest of the list, please click here. Over-all, an impressive 92,000 years of time was spent on games over this 15 month period.
Source: 1Up
1- World Of Warcraft (big surprise)
2- Counter-Strike Source
3- Call of Duty 2 Multiplayer
4- Battlefield 2
5- Guild Wars
If you want the rest of the list, please click here. Over-all, an impressive 92,000 years of time was spent on games over this 15 month period.
Source: 1Up
A group of Electronic Arts Canada executives have formed their own video game company focused on creating and porting games to the Nintendo Wii and DS. Jet Black Games will focus on creating Nintendo friendly versions of games and is partnering up with Flashman Studios to create content. Electronic Arts has been a bit slow with the Wii and only has six games for the console. Jet Black executives did not specify any initial games or release dates.
Source: TG Daily
Source: TG Daily
| Monday, April 16th 2007 |
Berkeley, CA -April 2007 - Good Work Systems today announced the release of the Fragpedal Elite, a sleek new edition of their popular new dual-foot 4-button Fragpedal™ USB gaming foot pedal. The Fragpedal Elite follows in the "foot steps" of the original Fragpedal Classic released in early 2006, this time with a new button design nuanced for ultra-fast "twitch" response in First Person Shooters. Both models of the Fragpedal allow gamers to enter mouse and keyboard commands as well as sophisticated macros with both feet, a capability that has been wholeheartedly welcomed by PC gamers.
Most of us natively play our games with a keyboard and mouse - or a gamepad, if you are the owner of a console. There are games that profit greatly from a special controller - I myself couldn't imagine any serious racing games that could be played without a steering wheel. But what about other controllers? How about a control glove, or perhaps a chainsaw, that will definitely make you feel "in the game"?
New launches has a compilation of the Top 10 weird game controllers. For some interesting game controllers, click here.
Source: New Launches
New launches has a compilation of the Top 10 weird game controllers. For some interesting game controllers, click here.
Source: New Launches
We brought news about a suspicion that S.T.A.L.K.E.R. stole from Half life 2 and Doom 3. It now looks like the issue has been resolved, and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. did not steal a thing from the two aforementioned games. Half Life 2, as well as S.T.A.L.K.E.R., use textures from Marlin Studios - hence, the similarity. Furthermore, the IMP_Light texture, which also played part in the scandal as being taken from Doom 3, was, in fact, just a standard Impact Light texture, rather than referring to the Doom 3 monster.
Source: The Inq
Source: The Inq
| Friday, April 13th 2007 |
IRVINE, Calif. – April 12, 2007 – Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. today announced plans for its second BlizzCon gaming convention. BlizzCon is a celebration of the Warcraft, StarCraft, and Diablo franchises and the players who have helped make them so popular around the world. This year's event will take place at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California on August 3 and 4, and will feature various activities for attendees to take part in.
| Saturday, April 7th 2007 |
Transformers lovers everywhere will love this. Frank Welker and Peter Cullen, the original Optimus Prime and Megatron, will be doing the voices in the new Transformers game. The game will come to the PS2, PS3, PSP, Xbox360, DS, Wii, and PC on July 4, 2007.
Source: 1Up
Source: 1Up
| Thursday, April 5th 2007 |
Peter Molyneux, co-founder of the legendary Bullfrog Productions and founder of Lionhead Studios, has lately been entitled 'Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et de Lettres' by the French government. This Fench knight title was given to him for his significant contributions to the arts and literature.
Source: GamesIndustry.biz
"I see this as a credit for everyone at Lionhead Studios, all our games are a team effort. I am just the figurehead. It is fantastic to see videogames honoured in this way,"
| Saturday, March 31st 2007 |
Seems like Game Informer struck a deal with Rockstar Games to exclusively publish a ten-page long article on what seems to be one of the biggest games of this year: GTA IV. Accordingly they revealed the cover of their May issue, which will feature the exclusive article. It's definitely something worth looking forward to.
Source: Game Informer
Source: Game Informer
Its clear as crystal which city Take-Two is imitating in Grand Theft Auto IV - New York. The trailers and screenshots of the upcoming sequel don't leave another choice for the setting. There is the Statue of Liberty, the Brooklyn Bridge and the Cyclone in Coney Island, where else could this game take place then?
This preliminary information made it's way to New York's politicians who were, to put it mildly, not very pleased with the whole situation. I quoted some of their sentences out of an article from the New York Daily News:
Source: New York Daily News
This preliminary information made it's way to New York's politicians who were, to put it mildly, not very pleased with the whole situation. I quoted some of their sentences out of an article from the New York Daily News:
Quite a fuss around a video game if you ask me.
"Setting Grand Theft Auto in the safest big city in America would be like setting Halo in Disneyland," said City Councilman Peter Vallone, chairman of the Council's Public Safety Committee. ...
"The mayor does not support any video game where you earn points for injuring or killing police officers," said Jason Post, a spokesman for Mayor Bloomberg. ...
Source: New York Daily News
| Friday, March 30th 2007 |
Everyone who's bought the Xbox360 game/ Halo 3 Beta invite Crackdown will be pleased to know that a patch for the game has been released. By fixing a ton of minor technical issues, Crackdown is suddenly a ton more fun to play online. This patch will be auto-downloaded right as soon as you log in to Xbox Live. This patch is free, and the makers of Crackdown promise that download-able content is coming.
Source: 1Up
Source: 1Up
As we reported earlier EA promised to address a number of technical issues present in Command and Conquer 3. They kept their promise and here is the official Patch 1.02:
ENGLISH | GERMAN Standard Edition | GERMAN Kane Edition | SPANISH | FRENCH | ITALIAN | SWEDISH | HUNGARIAN | CZECH | DUTCH | KOREAN | POLISH | RUSSIAN | THAI | CHINESE_S | CHINESE_T
Source: Official C&C 3 Patch Website
ENGLISH | GERMAN Standard Edition | GERMAN Kane Edition | SPANISH | FRENCH | ITALIAN | SWEDISH | HUNGARIAN | CZECH | DUTCH | KOREAN | POLISH | RUSSIAN | THAI | CHINESE_S | CHINESE_T
Source: Official C&C 3 Patch Website
| Thursday, March 29th 2007 |
The world's first comunity for gamers made by gamers opened its doors yesterday. GamePN is about all games, all guilds, all clans and alliances, the players themselves create the content and manage the website. While it's not bound to any publishers and therefore is independent of any managers goodwill GamePN could be the home for thousands or millions of players. After one day there have already signed up around 1000 people from all over the world and formed over 350 public and private groups.
So if you are looking for a community to share your thoughts give it a try, it might be worth it.
Source: GamePN
So if you are looking for a community to share your thoughts give it a try, it might be worth it.
Source: GamePN
| Monday, March 19th 2007 |
German researchers have recently conducted a study to determine the effects of games that promote risky decisions on real-world driving. These researchers took a batch of subjects (both women and men), and divided them into three groups. The first group played first person shooter games, such as Medal of Honor. The second group played more calming/family-oriented games, like Crash Bandicoot. The third group played hardcore racing games such as Need For Speed. All test subjects got to play these games on a Sony PlayStation 2 on a gigantic 72" television. The results of this experiment drew parallels between racing games that promoted violent/risky decisions in the game and violent/risky decisions in real life. First person shooters and family-oriented games did next to nothing to a subject's driving ability. However, racing games did a ton to a subject's actual driving.
| Saturday, March 17th 2007 |
In case you haven't heard, there have been various rumors about some kind of PS3 network. Sony has finally let out some details as to what this Home thing is. Basically, take Second Life, stick it on the PS3, add cops, and make everything cost something. Every PS3 owner will have their own house, with various forms of decorations. PS3 owners can then make/maintain their avatar, walk around public places, and visit other PS3 owner's houses. They can communicate with other people via various chat clients (instant messaging and voice chat clients are feasible). Sony Home will allow users to block other users, if they must, and also has police to watch over this community. All the goodies in the game need to be bought with some form of points, which can be acquired either through gaming or actually buying them (sound like Xbox Live points, anyone?). This service is available for anyone with a PS3, all they have to do is register in the online community.
Source: Reg Hardware
Source: Reg Hardware
| Thursday, March 15th 2007 |
Those of you at the event will know that CeBIT, for the third time, hosts the World Cyber Games gaming tournament, which starts today. More than 250 best gamers from 30 Nations are there. Gamers can compete in games like Counter-Strike, WarCraft III (The Frozen Throne), FIFA 2007, Dead or Alive 4 (XBOX) and others. The finale is scheduled for Sunday.
Samsung, the main sponsor of the event, will hand over 100 000 Euro to the best player!
Stay tuned for more.
Source: Fudzilla
Samsung, the main sponsor of the event, will hand over 100 000 Euro to the best player!
Stay tuned for more.
Source: Fudzilla
After more than two decades, Commodore is looking to get back into the market with it’s line of high-end custom gaming PC’s, going head-to-head against the likes of Alienware, Falcon Northwest, and Voodoo PC. Commodore will be offering four different PC models from the entry- to high-end level, named the Commodore Cg, Cgs, Cgx, and Cxx respectively. The initial hardware specifications for the ‘extreme level’ Cxx flagship system are as follows: Intel Core 2 Quad QX6700 2.66GHz quad-core processor, an Asus P5N32-E nForce 680i SLI motherboard, 2x 150GB 10,000 RPM SATA drives in RAID 0, with a spare 500GB 7,200RPM SATA drive, 4GB (2x 2048MB) Corsair 8500C5D Dominator memory running at 1066 MHz, 2x NVIDIA 8800 GTX 768MB videocards, a Creatve Labs X-Fi Xtreme Gamer, 1000W ICE Cube power supply, and Windows Vista Ultimate. All Commodore gaming PC’s will come with two-year warranty on parts and fully personalised custom chassis paint.
Source: Primotech
| Wednesday, March 14th 2007 |
According to Sophos' latest press release Administrators will be able to block network traffic essential for the multiplayer online game Second Life using Sophos Antivirus very soon. The implementation of its application control ability allows to control which websites and online applications can be accessed using the PC. This service, which intention it is to raise productivity in companies, will start with integration of the 'Second Life'-strings into the usual updates on 22nd of March.
That is a pretty unusual approach - Second Life might have 4 Million users. But only around 25000 can be seen online at the same time at most. They should have started with World of Warcraft which has around 2 Million users online everytime. I don't get the hype around Second Life. It's hideous and there is nothing really appealing in it. But that might just be me...
Source: Sophos
That is a pretty unusual approach - Second Life might have 4 Million users. But only around 25000 can be seen online at the same time at most. They should have started with World of Warcraft which has around 2 Million users online everytime. I don't get the hype around Second Life. It's hideous and there is nothing really appealing in it. But that might just be me...
Source: Sophos
The former console entertainment system only service 'XBox Live' gets spread to the PC crowd as well Peter Moore from Microsoft announced lately. 'Windows Live' users will be able to play certain games together with people sitting infront of an XBox. One of the first games will be the Vista version of Halo 2. The release date for Halo 2 will be May 8th.
The cost for this service is 49.95$ a year for the Gold membership. The Silver membership is for free but you won't be able to utilize all the features of course.
Source: TheInquirer
The cost for this service is 49.95$ a year for the Gold membership. The Silver membership is for free but you won't be able to utilize all the features of course.
Source: TheInquirer
| Tuesday, March 13th 2007 |
Nintendo's online gaming service for the Wii will be provided by Fox Interactive Media's GameSpy, a name already familiar to most online PC gamers. Nintendo WiFi, the online service for the Nintendo DS, already uses GameSpy, and this move shows that Nintendo doesn't want to fall behind to Sony and Microsoft in online gameplay. Although there are not yet any online games for the Wii, Pokémon Battle Revolution will change this when it is released on June 25th. "This partnership will expand our wireless community of players on Nintendo WiFi Connection," said Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. "Millions of Nintendo DS users have already logged on using GameSpy's technology, and now Wii owners will be able to do the same in a fun and easy-to-use environment."
Source: BusinessWire
Source: BusinessWire
| Monday, March 12th 2007 |
At the Game Developers Conference (GDC '07), Todd Hollenshead was talking about the piracy problem the game industry is facing today. In his speach "The Videogame Piracy Problem: Fifteen Men on a Dead Man's Chest" he was paying particular attention to the impact Internet piracy has on the PC game industry. Todd's experiences battling pirates and hackers over the past 10 years are quite extreme. Not only got parts or even the full sourcecode stolen of Quake, Quake II, Quake III Arena and the Doom 3 Alpha in the past but he's currently dealing with someone who has an unauthorized copy of Enemy Territory Quake Wars. As you might remember the whole Half Life 2 source code was stolen, compiled by the thieves and released to the public some time ago in 2003. The whole situation changed the minds of many game developers who are now focusing on console games to the disadvantage of the PC.
Source: DailyTech and NextGeneration
Source: DailyTech and NextGeneration
'Pobody is nerfect!' and like so it isn't the English PC Gamer Magazin. Something went horribly wrong when printing their latest issue. An article about Enemy Territory Quake Wars simply was replaced by another one which was then printed twice. To apologize they are hosting the missing article as a downloadable PDF file. Quite a neat gesture if you ask me.
Source: PC Gamer
Source: PC Gamer
| Thursday, March 8th 2007 |
Futuremark Corporation, developers of 3DMark, the worldwide standard in advanced 3D game performance benchmarking went live today with the beta version of YouGamers, the World's First Intelligent Gamer Website. YouGamers (YouGamers.com) is a new destination site for PC gamers offering original game content, previews, gaming industry news, exclusive interviews, and full game reviews. YouGamers initially launches with an English website, with localized language options in the future. In Version 1.0, YouGamers will provide a full gamer community with forums and blogs, offering users' homepages, personal profiles, game lists, and game hardware details. The game database contains approximately 100 top PC titles at launch, with ESRB ratings and publishers' system requirements. The website also offers an easy to use, integrated comparison shopping service with direct shopping links for all games and recommended hardware. Users will also be able to categorize the site's information by tagging, a Web 2.0 feature.
Source: Futuremark
Source: Futuremark
| Wednesday, March 7th 2007 |
SUNNYVALE, CALIF. -- March 7, 2007 --AMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced its strategy to enable visually stunning and immersive games and multimedia content optimized for handheld devices powered by AMD's next-generation graphics technologies. As a leading supplier to the handheld market, AMD is introducing a suite of tools to help content creators jumpstart the development of applications for handheld devices based on OpenVG 1.0 and OpenGL ES 2.0 industry standards and AMD's patented Unified Shader Architecture. AMD is working with content developers now in preparation for the arrival of phones powered by AMD's next-generation graphics technologies expected next year. Leveraging unique expertise in both graphics processing technology and the handheld market, AMD will offer a common toolset and common graphics architectures to empower the delivery of advanced, innovative hardware and true console-quality mobile games.
| Tuesday, March 6th 2007 |
Commodore Gaming has announced the return of the Commodore brand to the computer market, in the form of the gaming pc. Commodore gaming will launch the new brand on March 15 at the CeBIT trade show in Germany. Attendees will be able to play the latest games on the new Commodore systems.
Pictured: The Commodore 64 computer and accompanying disk drive and monitor.
Source: Pro-G
Pictured: The Commodore 64 computer and accompanying disk drive and monitor.
Source: Pro-G
| Friday, March 2nd 2007 |
It's common knowledge by now that the PS3 that's going to ship to PAL territories on March 23rd does not have the PS2 processor in it. This was, until now, expected to seriously reduce the compatiblity of the PS3 with PS2 games. Fortunately, the reduction of PS2 game compatibility is nowhere near as bad as most of us probably thought it would be. The PAL PS3 will be compatible with over 1000 PS2 titles on launch day, and will gain more compatibility as time goes on.
Source: 1Up
Source: 1Up
We reported a couple days ago that Sony would never use rumble in the PS3, as it was a "last generation feature". However, in a recent press release, Sony announced that they had fixed their problems with Immersion, who's technology made it possible for Sony's earlier PlayStation's to have rumble. To make things even more interesting, Sony and Immersion are now business partners. Sony on this partnership:
Source: 1Up
Chances are that this means we'll see a rumble feature in the PS3...eventually.
We are very pleased to have reached a cooperative agreement with Immersion regarding the use of its advanced vibration technology (haptics technology). We look forward to working closely with them as we explore new and innovative ways to utilize this technology in PlayStation products.
Source: 1Up
| Thursday, March 1st 2007 |
Toshiba has announced three new additions to its Satellite P100 range of gaming laptops - the ST9752, the ST9762 and the ST9772, priced $1,999, $2,499 and $2,899 respectively. All three feature Windows Vista Ultimate, NVIDIA GeForce Go 7900GTX graphics, a 17" screen and Bluetooth. The ST9752 comes equipped with a 1.83GHz Core 2 Duo, a 120GB hard drive and 1GB DDR2 RAM, the ST9762 has a 2GHz Core 2 Duo, a 160GB hard drive and 1GB DDR2 RAM, whilst the ST9772 tops the range with a 2GHz Core 2 Duo, a 160GB hard drive and 2GB DDR2 RAM. They come in at 7.1 lbs, with dimensions of 15.5" x 10.8" x 1.41" and are available for purchase now.
Source: DailyTech
| Wednesday, February 28th 2007 |
Sony has released the first information regarding Playstation 3 game prices in Europe, bringing some good (well, arguably) news for a change. The price of both Motorstorm and Resistance: Fall of Man has been confirmed to be €59.99 in mainland Europe and £39.99 in the UK (more or less the same). Games which will be downloadable from the Playstation Network will have introductory prices of between €2.99 and €9.99, with other content (such as game items) starting at €0.99. Some consumers will see this as good news from the view that it is cheaper than Europe's Xbox 360 games which cost as much as €75.00 (£50), but that still works out to be just under $80, whilst in North America gamers are only paying $60.
Source: Entertainmentwise
Source: Entertainmentwise
| Friday, February 23rd 2007 |
When Sony launches the PS3 in PAL territories on March 23rd, it will not be the same model as the one that was released in America and Japan last year. A spokesperson from Sony says "The backwards compatibility is not going to be as good as the U.S. and Japan models". This is because Sony made some changes to hardware dedicated to emulating the PS2. The hardware that was dedicated to emulating PS2 games is being used to accelerate native PS3 games. This will especially come in handy as Sony moves on to making games purely for the PS3.
Source: Reg Hardware
Source: Reg Hardware
| Wednesday, February 21st 2007 |
EB Games, in order to boost Nintendo DS Lite sales, started a new viral advertising campaign. They are offering cash and a DS for you to trade in your old handheld consoles. This includes the Game Boy Advance, the Nintendo DS, and the Sony PlayStation Portable.
Source: 1Up
Source: 1Up
| Wednesday, February 14th 2007 |
Anyone who's played Zelda: Twilight Princess knows that it is an extraordinarily long game, filled with a lot of events that contribute to the plot. It also has a ton of dialog, which would be a real pain to memorize, let alone write down. Yet strangely, a man has somehow find the passion and the disturbing amount of spare time to do just that. This man, who prefers to remain anonymous, claims he can "probably recite every line of dialog front and back while burping, and can espouse all the crazy timeline theories that abound and what it all means in the grand scheme of things". In the event that someone may not want to listen to all this/have time to do so, he wrote the script down as a very long text file, which can be grabbed off of Neoseeker.
Source: 1Up
Source: 1Up
| Tuesday, February 13th 2007 |
One of the main reasons to buy Vista is support for the next version of the Direct3D API, DirectX10. It was apparent from the moment that the first public betas of Vista were released that games were going to be challenging. While Chris Donahue, manager of Microsoft's Games for Windows group, assured us that Microsoft tested thousands of games for Windows Vista, apparently there were a few that failed the tests (he did not comment as to which games those were). Classic first-person shooters, such as Half Life 2 and Doom 3, are having serious issues when being played in Windows Vista. Some games will not run at all, while others will crawl along at a seriously decreased framerate. The main causes of this are a lack of good (or for some video cards, WHQL certified) hardware drivers, the complexity of Windows Vista, and a lack of entry-level/midrange cards that can really handle DirectX10.
Source: ComputerWorld
Source: ComputerWorld
Companies like Steam (and now EA) have already begun distributing their games by allowing users to download them, but Virgin is hoping to launch its own online game distribution service as the gaming equivalent of iTunes. "This is a really exciting development for us, as it gives us the opportunity to do for PC Games what iTunes has done for music," said Sir Richard Branson, Chairman of Virgin. "The GDI technology will revolutionise how the mass market will play games, and will give them more choice for less money." The services will be called A World Of My Own (AWOMO), and should launch towards the end of 2007. Publishers that are interested in the service so far are EA, Ubisoft and Deep Silver, although no agreements have actually been reached yet.
Source: Monsters and Critics.com
The ASUS P5NT WS is built on the NVIDIAC55+MCP55PXE chipset structure which supports a LGA775 Socket for running Intel Dual-core/Quad-core CPUs with 1333/1066/800 MHz FSB and two NVIDIA SLI graphic cards with Dual x16 speeds on the same platform. This allows the user to enjoy the best CPU and graphics for the system build. With the addition of the PCI-X interface, the P5NT WS motherboard provides much more options in I/O configurations for SOHOs and power users to custom-build their ideal working or entertainment environment.
| Monday, February 12th 2007 |
Gamecock, a privately financed video game publishing company aims to foster creativity in the generally, creatively stale entertainment sector that is video games.
Analogous to an independent movie studio, Gamecock offers to allow developers to retain rights to their intellectual property while providing a means for developers to have their game available to be bought. Gamecock claims the royalties paid to the developers will be the highest available.
In return for creative freedom, developers will share the risk of the business venture.
| Wednesday, February 7th 2007 |
According to research by the University of Rochester, video games with a lot of action may actually help to improve performance. During the project, researchers found that those who played video games for a few hours a day over the course of a month improved their ability to identify letters in a cluster by 20%, a test similar to ones used in standard ophthalmology clinics. Those playing Tetris saw no improvement in vision, but those playing Unreal Tournament could see which way the "T" in crowd of other letter and symbols was pointing much easier than before.
Source: DailyTech
Source: DailyTech
| Thursday, February 1st 2007 |
It certainly seems unlike Dell, jumping into a field predominated by the competition. Dell just last year left the MP3 player field, due to their player's inability to crack the domination of Apple and SanDisk in the market. However, Dell seems very dedicated to making it's own entry into the mobile console market. The most logical way to do this based on current tech is to make a Dell Axim model designed for gaming. If it could boot a version of Windows Mobile, it would certainly have access to a lot of games. However, games take a lot of battery power, something Dell should not take lightly. It will certainly be interesting to watch how Dell moves along with this idea.
How The Register imagines it will look-
Source: The Register
How The Register imagines it will look-
Source: The Register
| Tuesday, January 30th 2007 |
Immersion's various legal battles with Sony over the force feedback controller are numerous, to say the least. While it good to see from a legal standpoint that Sony is not ignoring court orders by putting force feedback in their controller, it sure isn't good from a gamer's standpoint. SplitFish stated in a press release today that Sony doesn't have to have a vibration-less controller. SplitFish actually announced that they would be very willing to help Sony develop a force feedback system completely different from Immersion's solution. This means that if Sony wants force feedback in a future SIXAXIS revision, they could very well have it, if they accept SplitFish's offer to help.
Source: 1Up
Source: 1Up
Crytek and Electronic Arts have been rumored to be biding their time until Vista gains serious momentum before unleashing the first major DX10 title. However, a recent chat with the developers of Crysis reveals that this is not the case. In fact, we should be hearing details about a public multi-player beta very soon. We'll keep you posted on how to register for the beta as the information becomes available. However, if there's one thing this beta will show, it is what hardware you really need to run Crysis. All those amazing movies we've seen have been on Crytek's hardware. It will certainly be interesting to see how Crysis runs on a slightly more normal computer.
Source: 1Up
Source: 1Up
| Sunday, January 28th 2007 |
Internet auction giant eBay has officially stopped allowing auctions of virtual property. This means that people hoping to sell currency or characters in an online game will have to look somewhere else. This is actually simply the enforcement of a policy that's been around since eBay's inception.
Source: 1Up
As an example of this policy in action, World of Warcraft currency is technically Blizzard's, so you cannot sell it on eBay.
The seller must be the owner of the underlying intellectual property, or authorized to distribute it by the intellectual property owner.
Source: 1Up
| Saturday, January 6th 2007 |
While both the Microsoft Xbox360 and Nintendo Wii support force feedback, the Sony PS3 somehow lacks anything like it. And so, it is no surprise that the Sony PS3 cannot support force feedback steering wheels. Sony explains it rather vaguely:
Source: Joystiq
Basically, Sony is saying that programming force feedback into PS3 games is not possible, due to the difficulty to adding an additional layer of programming to the "Sixaxis". Sony's lack of force feedback support may have something to do with the 2003 lawsuit brought against Sony by Immersion, and the judge's denial of Sony's subsequent appeal.
"All PS3 games are programmed for the Sixaxis which doesn't have force feedback, therefore the force feedback in the wheels won't be recognized."
Source: Joystiq
| Friday, January 5th 2007 |
Although all the rumour, AMD plans to release the Radeon X1950GT graphics card. However, AMD recently added a restriction to the release, saying that certain partners within certain area would only be supplied to sell the cards, whatever that means? The new X1950GT(RV570LE) model, has a very similar specifications to the PRO edition. The lowered core speed from 575MHz to 500MHz and memory speed from 1.38GHz do 1.2GHz DDR are the main differences from the PRO version. In addition, the "Video In" support in Rage Theater has been removed. Early samples are already manufactured, but the final version of the cards is scheduled for early February 2007.
Source: HKEPC
Source: HKEPC
| Wednesday, January 3rd 2007 |
Apparently, there was a Halo 3 beta key giveaway we missed. However, not to worry, as Microsoft is letting more people register for free entry into the Halo 3 beta program. All you have to do is play Halo 2 online. According to Microsoft's new "rule of three", you need to play Halo 2 for three hours between Thursday, Feb. 1, 2007, 12:01 a.m. EST and Feb. 3, 2007, 11:59 p.m. EST. If you do, then Microsoft will allow the first 13,333 who complete the three hours to get a free registration to the Halo 3 beta program. If you miss this opportunity, buying a copy of the Xbox360 game "Crackdown" will land you a free Halo 3 beta registration. When the Halo 3 beta is released, people who have Halo 3 beta registrations can download it through Xbox Live.
Source: Joystiq
Source: Joystiq
| Thursday, December 21st 2006 |
Vigor Gaming introduced today their gaming PC, equipped with AMD's latest Quad FX platform. Vigor Gaming calls its system Quadfather and the cheapest one with two AMD FX70 CPUs at two times 2.6GHz costs $2999 including a free shipping and has 4x512MB Corsair memory, two 250GB drives in RAID 0, Geforce 8800 GTX and 1100 W Tagan PSU. The company even offers a free Vista business upgrade. You can choose the parts of your system and order one from Vigor Gaming here.
Source: theINQ
Source: theINQ
| Sunday, December 17th 2006 |
When a child is hospitalized, the experience is anything but normal. However, recent studies show that video games can help children feel calmer during treatment. In a particular case, doctors tested whether or not video games helped children forget the pain of an intravenous line insertion. By inserting the IV needle when children were playing a game with vibrating controller and headset, children felt almost a quarter of the pain that children who were not playing video games felt.
When Nintendo found out about this, they put some serious R&D into hospital "Fun Centers". Nintendo supplies 3500 of the 5000+ Fun Centers that are in various hospitals. The Fun Centers are run through Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation, whose aim is to combat the isolation and fear experienced by hospitalized kids. A $3250 donation will buy a Fun Center featuring a Game Cube, DVD player, a flat screen television, and the lifetime upkeep of the unit. Nintendo looks forward to updating all the Fun Centers it owns with the Nintendo Wii in mid 2007.
Source: CNET
When Nintendo found out about this, they put some serious R&D into hospital "Fun Centers". Nintendo supplies 3500 of the 5000+ Fun Centers that are in various hospitals. The Fun Centers are run through Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation, whose aim is to combat the isolation and fear experienced by hospitalized kids. A $3250 donation will buy a Fun Center featuring a Game Cube, DVD player, a flat screen television, and the lifetime upkeep of the unit. Nintendo looks forward to updating all the Fun Centers it owns with the Nintendo Wii in mid 2007.
Source: CNET
| Saturday, December 16th 2006 |
Joel Zumaya, relief pitcher for the Detroit Tigers, was unable to play three baseball games during this major league season. The reason? He had apparently played too much Guitar Hero, and hurt his wrist in a manner that rendered him unable to play. The Tigers asked Zumaya to stop playing Guitar Hero, and he quickly recovered. He played in the world series pain-free, can throw a baseball more then 100 MPH, and was 6-3 with a 1.94 ERA in 2006.
Source: MSNBC
Source: MSNBC
| Saturday, December 9th 2006 |
USA Senators Hillary Clinton and Joe Lieberman have long been advocates of the ESRB's video game rating system. Hillary Clinton worked very hard to get Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas re-rated to Adult Only due to the "hot coffee" mod, and Joe Lieberman forced the gaming industry to adopt a rating system in the mid 1990's. The senators are starting a campaign of public service announcements to get parents to understand the rating system, and are working hard to make stores not sell games to minors without parental consent. Best Buy and Gamespot have already agreed to not sell an M rated game to anyone under 17 years of age without parental consent.
Source: CNET
Source: CNET
| Friday, December 8th 2006 |
Reigning world chess champion Vladimir Kramnik was beaten today by computer Deep Fritz in a 6 game chess match. Kramnik lost 4-2 against the machine which he had previously beaten in 2002. Apparently programmers might now move onto creating computers to play poker at a high level – after all, there can’t be that much more for the chess computers to conquer.
Source: Engadget
Source: Engadget