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- Maxon Redshift With AMD Radeon GPU Rendering Support Now Available
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Techgage Turns Three… Time For a Contest!
Sometimes it’s hard to believe how fast time flies, but it does. It seems like we just launched Techgage, but it’s been three full years already… incredible. But despite time flying fast, it’s sure been a great run so far, to say the least! Our growth over the past year has been fantastic, and we want to make sure we keep that up and continue to improve all around. So of course, it’s time for a contest.
In order to help better the site, we have set up a survey that asks straight-forward questions. We want to know what we are doing right, wrong and what we could do to improve, all while making sure that we are catering to types of content and other things that many of you want. This twenty-question survey should take no more than three minutes for most, and by filling it out, you will be helping us a lot.
Picked randomly, the winner will walk away with an incredible gaming machine valued at over $4,500 complete with everything needed to get up and running. We are not kidding. Not only is a Dell wide screen and Logitech peripherals included, we’ve even added a D-Link gaming router, Ultrasone headphones and Windows Vista and Office 2007 Home & Student. All we left out was a power socket!
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Big thanks to our sponsors this year, especially ASUS who went the extra mile and donated some stellar hardware. Our other sponsors include Intel, Dell, Logitech, Microsoft, Crucial, Seagate, LG Electronics, Ultra Products, Thermaltake, Zalman, Ultrasone, and D-Link. The contest ends at the end of this month, but don’t waste time… get on in there!
Source: Techgage 2008 Birthday Contest
D-Link Launches “Quadband” Dual-Frequency Wireless Router
I have never been a huge networking fan, but lately I’m starting to come around. It’s hard not to when such cool routers as the DIR-855 are unveiled, which is the first to offer “Quadband” operation. D-Link’s latest baby, simply put, supports concurrent wireless transmissions over both 2.4GHz and 5GHz channels at the same time, theoretically allowing a full 600Mbps of bandwidth at any given time.
It might seem like a gimmick, but D-Link is confident this is the future of 802.11n. Because the router utilizes the 5GHz frequency, which is less crowded than 2.4GHz (ain’t that the truth?), it should allow far smoother operation without interfering with other home electronics. With high-definition content becoming ever more popular, D-Link claims that the new router is capable of handling multiple concurrent high-definition streams without slowdown, something that would not be possible on a standard router over WiFi (I’ve tried).
Besides the fact that the router can utilize both frequencies at once, this is a great looking product. I owned an expensive D-Link router about three-years ago, and it sure doesn’t compare to this one. The top-mounted LCD screen will display data related to your network status, making it a router you’d actually want on your desk, not under. The router will be available this May for £169.99 ($337USD!). I only covered the absolute basics here. Hit up the full press release for a much more in-depth look.
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D-Link is for the first time implementing their Green Ethernet technology within a wireless router: the DIR-855 features 5 Green Ethernet Gigabit ports, adding best environmental practice to best performance. To prevent inevitable attacks from the Internet, the DIR-855 uses Dual Active Firewalls (SPI, NAT) Technology to help secure the entire network and personal user information.
Source: D-Link Press Release, Via: Engadget
The ASUS Eee PC Continues to Grow In Popularity and in Size
To say that ASUS is on a roll with their Eee PC would be an understatement. Since its launch late last year, they’ve been selling incredibly well and show no sign of slowing down. But oddly enough, despite it’s small stature as being the reason it’s been so successful, ASUS has unveiled a brand-new 8.9″ model.
The new model, still considered a sub-notebook, offers a much nicer resolution over the original, at 1024×600. Still not mind-blowing, but we are dealing with a small machine here. In fact, despite it’s larger screen, it’s only marginally larger than the original Eee PCs, so they may very well be a better choice for some people.
As you’d expect with an increase in size, the price is affected also. Though, the $600 price tag is a little easier to stomach once you realize that not only the display has been upgraded, but the internal memory as well, at 12GB. The “big” downside is the availability, which will not happen until sometime in the middle of this year.
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As previously reported, the 8.9″ display should have a 1024×600 resolution which is a welcome jump from the confining 800×480 display on the first-generation Eee PC. The increase in screen real estate made a minimal impact on the exterior dimensions of the device — the Eee PC 900 is slightly larger and thicker and features a larger touchpad. The keyboard looks to identical to the previous model.
Source: DailyTech
Can PC Game Piracy Be As High As 70 – 85%?
Is it possible that games for the PC could have a piracy rating as high as 70 – 85%? According to THQ Director of Creative Management Michael Fitch, it certainly is. It’s mentioned in GamePro’s posting that such games as Call of Duty 4 and Bioshock sell far more copies on consoles than they do on the PC. I’d be quick to argue that another reason for this is that many gamers don’t have super-powerful PCs, but do own a console.
But I still have no real problem in believing these figures. I am sure most of us have friends who pirate PC games, while many of them own purchased games for their consoles. I don’t doubt if pirating console games was made much easier, then many of my friends who pirate PC games would pirate those as well. It’s a sad situation, really, since it’s our support that brings on better games (with exception to crap games).
Given these figures, the newly-developed PC Gaming Alliance has a lot to battle with. I don’t even believe game pricing is half of the problem here, because almost always, the PC counterpart costs at least $10 – $20 less, at least in my recent experience. At launch, I picked up NFS: Pro Street for both the PC and Xbox 360, and the Xbox 360 version cost $20 more than the PC version, as an example. If things can improve, hopefully they will soon. The PC used to be such a stellar gaming platform.
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“I didn’t believe [the data] at first. It seemed way too high. Then I saw that Bioshock was selling 5 to 1 on console vs. PC. And Call of Duty 4 was selling 10 to 1. These are hardcore games, shooters, classic PC audience stuff. Given the difference in install base, I can’t believe that there’s that big of a difference in who played these games, but I guess there can be in who actually payed for them,” Fitch said.
Source: GamePro
King of Fighters XII Is 100% Hand-Drawn
Among all of the 2D fighters still remaining, of which there are few, King of Fighters is one series that remains in the hearts of classic gamers everywhere. The series first debuted in the early ninety’s as a direct arcade port for the Neo Geo and was likely the first game to offer a true arcade fighting experience at home. Well, at least for the gamers who could afford that console.
But even after all these years of Mortal Kombats, Tekkens, Virtua Fighters, Street Fighters and others, The King of Fighters series remains strong, and SNK-Playmore wants to show gamers why their game is still a true classic. The upcoming XII version of the game, which will be available for the arcade, Xbox 360 and PS3, will be completely hand-drawn. Everything from the characters, backgrounds, special effects and even the title were created with human fingers.
Being a fan of the series aside, this is one game I plan up for the sheer fact that we now know what kind of effort went into it. Not only should it prove a great fighting title, but it could result as a piece of art as well. Now if only direct images would be released…
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That means that an actual human hands lovingly drew and colored in everything in the game. Every single frame, every character and every background. Everything – down to the game’s in-game title. SNK gave us the full rundown, so here’s how it worked: The original character drawings were modeled into 3D. Those 3D models were then rendered back into 2D. That way the 2D characters could have a greater depth of motion.
Source: Kotaku
OCZ’s Neural Impulse Actuator Enters Mass Production
We’ve covered numerous OCZ products in the past and have been impressed with their quality again and again, whether it be memory, memory or more memory. So when they came out with their Neural Impulse Actuator, I think I can speak for most of us when I say most people had to take a step back and scratch our heads.
“Something like this from OCZ?” Though it was hard to believe, OCZ took the product very seriously and have now hit the mass production part of the time line, so the product is most definitely a reality. Our friend Scott Wasson at the Tech Report took the NIA for a spin during CES and was impressed overall, but admitted a fair amount of work had to be done with the drivers.
Fast forward two months and the product is a go, so we can assume the drivers have been refined a lot since then. And because the hardware itself is feature-complete, future driver updates should be able to take care of any remaining issues. I haven’t tested this out for myself, but I am intrigued. Pricing is not yet known about the NIA, but we may have confirmation at CeBit, where OCZ is demoing the peripheral off.
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Sunnyvale, Calif.-March 3, 2008-OCZ Technology Group, a worldwide leader in innovative, ultra-high performance and high reliability memory and components for enthusiasts and gamers, is pleased to announced the Neural Impulse Actuator (NIA) has begun mass production and launch into channel is imminent. A prototype was debuted last year at CeBIT 2007 which generated a newfound excitement in the global gaming community.
Source: OCZ Press Release
Gamer Sends Signed Xbox 360 for Repairs, Receives Back Clean
Thanks to the Red Ring of Death problem that has plagued the Xbox 360 since its launch, there has been no shortage of stories from people who’ve sent their machine in for repairs. The latest incident is getting a lot of web play. Nathaniel sent his Xbox in to be repaired… nothing out of the ordinary there. Except his console had important signatures all over, including a detailed drawing… all done with permanent marker.
Along with the console was a heartfelt letter explaining the importance of the signatures. He was sure that whoever was to repair the machine would see it, understand the situation and then be careful. As it turns out though, either a disgruntled (read: idiot) worked on the console, or something else completely strange happened, but he received the Xbox back clean of all the ink.
The returned console had a few smudge marks, but most of them were in locations that were not even originally signed. If someone did this out of spite, they could have smudged it up to make it “appear” as though it was cleaned, though in reality, it could be a completely different chassis entirely. I am quite sure cleaning of the consoles body is not in usual form with Microsoft, and especially not with something that would require so much elbow grease.
The lesson? Don’t send in something to get repaired if it means so much to you. $400 is nothing compared to the sentimental value of the console. Put it on a mantle-piece and go out and pick up a fresh one. The hardest lessons are usually learned after-the-fact, sadly.
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This console adorned with things representing very special memories held great sentimental value to Nathaniel as you can imagine. Not even taking into account that it had monetary value as well, it was simply a console that he adored. That is why shipping it off to the repair center was not the easiest choice to make. But between that and trying to repair it himself, it was the better option. Taking it apart would have voided the warranty so if his attempts at fixing it had been unsuccessful, he would have been screwed. Unfortunately he still got screwed, but he didn’t know that would happen at this point.
Source: Hawty McBloggy
Amazon’s MP3 Download Service Now Caters to Linux Users
I’ve been a full-time (more like 95%) Linux user for a while now, and one thing I’ve learned the hard way is that most companies could care less if the OS is supported. Granted, there are a few applications that would require major overhauls in order to function properly, but even small applications that should be supported, aren’t.
Well, Amazon is not looking to leave anyone in the dark (except non-Americans) by updating their MP3 downloader software to work with Linux. Previously, Linux users could download, but it was a chore and was impossible to get full albums at their discounted prices.
The lone downside that I can see is that there are only four distros natively supported: Debian, Ubuntu, openSUSE and Fedora. Not surprisingly, the source is not available, leaving users of other distros to convert or extract those files manually. I’ve had great luck with this in the past, however, and doubt it will be a show-stopper for many.
Despite not being a huge fan of online music buying… I really wouldn’t mind Amazon hurrying up and opening up their service to Countries outside of the US.
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After installing the program, users can then purchase a complete album (or only selected tracks) from the Amazon.com MP3 page. Purchased tracks can then be downloaded quickly from the Amazon MP3 Downloader, which can also playback the audio files. And because these are DRM free MP3 files, they should integrate easily with any MP3 player configured on your Linux desktop.
Source: Download Squad
Intel’s “Silverthorne” Finally Gets a Name: Atom
It seems like we’ve been hearing about Intel’s Silverthorne processors for quite a while, but up until now, we’ve lingered off the codename and minor specifics. We knew that they’d be used in ultra-portables, mobile-Internet devices and other small electronics. Today, Intel unveils a name along with various bits of information we’ve been waiting so long to see.
Intel Atom is the name, which at first glance screams a lack of creativity. But, atoms are small and so are Atom processors, at 25mm². The physical size is not all that’s small, however. Like our desktop processors, Atom will be unveiled in different frequencies, with the top-end hitting 1.8GHz at only 2.5W and a lower-clocked 500MHz version that has an incredibly small 0.6W TDP.
According to Intel, 11 of these babies would fit on a penny, and each contain a staggering 47 million transistors. Aside from the top-branding Atom, the Atom Centrino platform has also been introduced. That features the processor, Intel 945GSE chipset and wireless radio. As DailyTech reports, Atom will be seen in upcoming revisions of the ASUS Eee PC, so support is already building up, with more announcements sure to follow.
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To confuse matters a bit, Intel’s Diamondville processors will also fall under the Intel Atom processor nomenclature. Diamondville-based Atom processors are derived from Silverthorne, feature SMT technology and will be available in both single core and dual core versions. Atom processors based on Diamondville will see duty in low-cost notebooks (known as “netbooks”) and desktop computers (also called “nettops”).
Source: DailyTech
Nine Inch Nails’ Brand-New Album Offers Exceptional Distribution Methods
One has to wonder whether or not Trent Reznor is one of the busiest men alive. In less than a year, he released Year Zero and also a remix album, helped Saul Williams out with NiggyTardust!, flipped the record industry the bird on numerous occasions and now has released a large 36-track compilation entitled “Ghosts I – IV”. Each song is three-minutes on average.
This album is special for more than one reason. The biggest reason for fans is the fact that the compilation is entirely instrumental – previously unconquered territory for the band. For tech enthusiasts, the new album is exciting with its distribution methods. Available right now, the entire album can be had for FIVE DOLLARS on their website, which includes a downloadable PDF. For $10, you can have a hard-copy of the album once available (May 1st).
There is a free download available that contains the first nine tracks off the compilation, which the band helped kick off by putting a torrent up at The Pirate Bay. Two deluxe editions are available as well. The $75 version includes the audio CDs, data DVD (with all the formats), Blu-ray audio and an included photo-book. The larger version ($300) tops things off with virgin LP copies of the entire album, two high-quality photographs ready for framing and Trent Reznor’s signature.
This is a huge step forward for Trent and I hope that other artists will soon follow. If you torrent the full album instead of purchasing, you are a douchebag. For $5, you can legally own the entire album in high-quality MP3, Apple Lossless and even FLAC. A gourmet cup of coffee costs almost the same!
I made a purchase last night and the process was smooth overall despite the server being pounded – something that will no doubt occur once again today. I have only listened to the initial nine complimentary tracks, but am impressed so far. If you don’t mind the fact that it’s different than most of NIN’s ambient tracks, you should definitely give the free songs a listen. Or if you have five bucks to spare, show the band some support by showing the record industry who’s not boss.
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“I’ve been considering and wanting to make this kind of record for years, but by its very nature it wouldn’t have made sense until this point. This collection of music is the result of working from a very visual perspective – dressing imagined locations and scenarios with sound and texture; a soundtrack for daydreams. I’m very pleased with the result and the ability to present it directly to you without interference. I hope you enjoy the first four volumes of Ghosts.”
Source: Nine Inch Nails – Ghosts I – IV
Family Guy’s Cleveland Brown Gets His Own Series
It was only a matter of time before this happened! According to numerous reports, beloved Family Guy character, Cleveland Brown, will be debuting in a spin-off show entitled “Cleveland”. Somewhat uncreative, but let’s assume the name of the show was chosen in the middle of the writers guild strike.
It might seem odd to have a secondary character in a spin-off, but in many ways it makes sense. Despite being a bit on the slow side, he’s a lovable character who throws off some hilarious quotables often. Considering he divorced his wife, Loretta, very early in the Family Guy series, the pilot episode could very-well include a hunt for a woman.
If there is doubt about this rumor being true, Seth MacFarlane himself was the one to admit to it being in production on KROQ’s Loveline in mid-January. Despite being cautious about the series, I am looking forward to seeing how they will handle the character outside of Family Guy and whether or not he will continue be a regular stature in that series.
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Not much is known about Cleveland other than the fact it will revolve around the Brown clan. It’s unclear whether the series will remain set in the town of Quahog or whether Cleveland, along with his wife and son, will continue to appear on Family Guy, though as both series are animated, the double-billing won’t so much be a logistical problem as a creative decision.
Source: E! Online
NVIDIA Uses Undisclosed Trick to Improve 9600 GT Performance
NVIDIA’s 9600 GT is a well-rounded card as we found out throughout numerous reviews late last month, but according to techPowerUp!, there is a new feature with the card that the company did not relay to reviewers. Even better, after some investigation, it seems most NVIDIA employees were unaware of the feature, as well.
On most GPUs, increasing the PCI-E bus frequency in the BIOS yields no performance benefits. It increases the allowed bandwidth between the GPU and the Northbridge, but the extra bandwidth normally goes to waste. On the 9600 GT however, the card automatically increases the PCI-E frequency and does result in a slightly faster card. The compared 8800 GT used in the article showed no improvement whatsoever with a faster PCI-E clock.
No gaming benchmarks were used in the article, which would have been nice, but the fill-rate feature of 3DMark 2006 showed a significant increase. The question is… why did NVIDIA not disclose this feature to reviewers or even make note of it in their press release? It’s a feature that does improve performance, so it’s odd to omit a mention altogether. That aside, free performance is good performance.
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On “normal” VGA cards, when you increase the PCI-Express bus frequency you increase the theoretical bandwidth available between card and the rest of the system, but do not affect the speed the card is running at. On the GeForce 9600 GT, a 10% increase in PCI-Express frequency will make the card’s core clock run 10% faster!
Source: techPowerUp!
New Mexico Game Tax Defeated
Last week, VGVN members in New Mexico sent letters to their state legislators to denounce the proposed bill that subjected video game purchases to an additional tax. Thanks in part to the swift action of New Mexico members, the New Mexico House Business and Industry Committee rejected the bill on a 9-0 vote. Many New Mexico legislators had never heard a constituent defend video games. By taking this step, members across the country can actively participate in defending future legislation.
The Sierra Club of New Mexico supported a video games tax to fund a government campaign to promote outdoor education for children. Adam Thierer, senior fellow at the Progress & Freedom Foundation, disagrees with such a tax. In an editorial on CNET.com, he wrote “legislators shouldn’t be using the tax code to play the role of nanny for our kids. It is the responsibility and right of parents to determine how their kids are raised.”
Proposed laws, like the one in New Mexico, put the fight for video games in perspective. We must continually remind our elected officials that as voters, gamers, developers, and parents, we will not support video games being singled out and treated differently than movies, books and television. When we do stand up and fight, we win.
Find out more at http://www.videogamevoters.org
Microsoft Lowers Prices for Vista Home Premium and Ultimate
In a move that no one saw coming, Microsoft has made the decision to lower the price of a few select versions of Windows Vista. The affected versions will include both Home Premium and Ultimate, with the latter dropping to $219 from $299 and Home Premium to $129 from the original $159.
Although I’m sure adoption of Vista had more to do with the OS itself more so than the price, these drops are fantastic for those looking to jump onto the Vista bandwagon. VP of Windows Marketing, Brad Brooks, noted that in tests done, lowering the price of Vista was more efficient overall. Though they were earning less per copy, the sheer volume went up, overshadowing the downsides.
I will admit though… I made the decision to upgrade the Windows machine to Vista 64-Bit in order to experience using the OS full-time and so far have not run into major issues, like I have in the past. For some reason, I seem to have less problem with the 64-Bit version than I do with the 32-Bit, despite the weaker software support. How long this trouble-free run will last, I’m unsure.
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“I guess at the end of the day anything that makes Vista a little bit more accessible is probably a good thing,” he said, but added that a cut in the price computer makers pay would have a far bigger impact, given new PC licenses account for 80 percent of Vista sales. “The whole notion of upgrading PCs has sort of fallen by the wayside.”
Source: News.com
ATI’s Catalyst 8.3 Driver Will Open CrossfireX and Hybrid GPU Capabilities
Courtesy of our friends at HotHardware comes along some new information regarding ATI’s upcoming Catalyst drive, version 8.3. Some features will include CrossfireX and Hybrid graphics. CrossfireX is the most notable due to the fact that it will enable both triple and quadruple GPU configurations, including dual HD 3870 X2s. If implemented well, there could be some incredible performance awaiting us right around the corner.
Considering there are still some small issues with SLI and Crossfire as it stands, CrossfireX with four GPUs could potentially make things even worse. ATI is working hard to avoid all potential problems, however, and if a game is unable to scale all four GPUs, it will use three instead, so as to avoid any graphical or performance issues.
In addition to CrossfireX support, a new Anti-Aliasing method will be introduced as well that will function with all Unreal 3.0 Engine-based games. That’s not so new in itself, but “Super Anti-Aliasing” can be used along with Anti-Aliasing Edge Detect filters in order to further improve image quality. How the algorithm works exactly is unknown.
Aside from everything else that’s new… I’m really looking to see how CrossfireX will function with four GPUs or dual HD 3870 X2s.
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Another interesting feature of the Catalyst v8.3 drivers brings added flexibility to multi-monitor users under Windows Vista. In the past, users were required to disable CrossFire to watch certain types of video or to utilize additional monitors. But with the Catalyst v8.3 release, that is no longer the case. With cards from the X1800 series on up to today’s HD 3000 series, utilizing an extended desktop in a multi-monitor configuration does not require CrossFire to be disabled.
Source: HotHardware
iTunes Continues to Flourish as CD Sales Drop Further
Latest reports show that iTunes is cleaning house in the music business world, claiming the 2nd spot in music sales for all of 2007, coming short of beating Wal-Mart. As it turns out, people do actually purchase their music at Wal-Mart. The fact that iTunes took the second spot bodes incredibly well for downloadable music as a whole, but not so well for actual CD sales.
As someone who regularly purchases hard CDs, I hate to see the format go downhill so fast, especially since it’s the only way to make sure you have a perfect backup and high-quality version of the music. It’s for those reasons that I can never see myself going to an online-only method of purchasing music, but like many others, I am hoping that the industry as a whole will begin offering downloadable lossless music. It’s sure to happen, it’s just a matter of when and how prevalent it will be.
Overall though, this news is a huge win for Apple, but since they are still without the “big four”, there’s no telling is Amazon (or someone else) is going to catch up. iTunes has a great hold on people though, so shaking people off of it would be a feat in itself.
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Despite the heightened P2P activity, which is estimated to be used in 19% of American households, NDP states that 10% of all music purchased in 2007 was legally downloaded via sites such as iTunes or Amazon. The number of consumers who legally downloaded music grew to 29 million consumers, whereas previous sales figures placed that number at 24 million. Sales growth can largely be attributed to consumers in the 36 to 50 age group, which also happened to purchase a large number of digital music players in the same year.
Source: DailyTech
Fresh PSP and PS3 Bundles En Route
As much as Sony is hated, I have to disagree with anyone who says they don’t do anything cool in the console market. I admit that I am somewhat of a Playstation 3 and PSP fanboy, even though none of it has to do with the current games that are released for either. I am a big fan of classic gaming, and being able to do that on both is fantastic. Converting movies to the PSP and watching them on the go is another one of my favorite features.
But none of that is what matters. God of War for the PSP is almost out and because of it, there is a special edition PSP, dark red in color. The color is being disputed all over the net, but it looks great in my opinion. This special edition PSP will retail for $199 and include the movie Superbad and a voucher to download Syphon Filter: Combat Ops off of the Playstation Store. Sounds like a sweet deal.
In other news, Metal Gear Solid 4’s launch will coincide with a special edition PS3. Retailing for $499, the 80GB model will also include a DUALSHOCK 3 wireless game pad… something we’ve been waiting for since launch, especially since there is supposedly 100 compatible PS3 games. The game pad launches in April, for $54.99USB.
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To coincide with the much-anticipated North American launch of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots in late Q2 2008, SCEA will introduce a PS3 bundle, which will include an 80GB PS3, the upcoming blockbuster Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, and a DUALSHOCK 3 wireless controller for $499.99 (MSRP).
Source: Playstation Blog
Lenovo Makes X300 Official, Unveils Configuration Options
There has been much interest hovering around Lenovo’s X300 for a few months now, but up to now, it’s all been unofficial. Until now. As predicted, a full-featured machine will retail at around $2,799, but foregoing a few features will bring the price down a bit. The X300 has previously been compared to Apple’s MacBook AIR, but it’s difficult to make a direct comparison because both machines are quite different and both have various trade offs.
While the AIR is sleeker, lighter, a bit thinner and also offers better battery-life (the X300 can use two batteries to allow 8 – 10 hours worth, however), it’s not as feature-rich as the X300, even at the base model. One of the biggest benefits of the AIR, though, is the ability to purchase with a standard hard drive, skipping over the expensive SSD. Although Lenovo is strictly going after the businessman, an option with a standard (and larger) 1.8" hard drive would have been appreciated.
In the X300’s favor, a fully-equipped machine costs less overall when compared to the AIR’s SSD offering. Extra features include a wired LAN, wireless USB, three USB ports and a DVD-RW drive. You could also upgrade to 4GB of RAM and still be under the AIR’s $3,098 price point. The biggest selling-point to me, though, is that while both notebooks offer the same-sized display, the X300 has a higher resolution, at 1440×900.
But as another downside to the X300, one gripe I have is that is has a slower included CPU than the AIR (1.2GHz vs. 1.8GHz). Given that fully-configured, the X300 is more feature-rich overall when compared to the AIR, I am sure they had to cut corners somewhere, but seeing a faster processor as an option would have been nice to see at least. As it stands, no one has reviewed the notebook except for Walt Mossberg, so it’s worth a look for an initial opinion.
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Lenovo has used that extra thickness to good advantage. While the MacBook Air’s extreme thinness makes it gorgeous, it left no room for an Ethernet jack, a removable battery, a built-in DVD drive or a cellphone modem. The X300 has all these things, either standard or as options, plus three USB ports, compared with just one for the Apple. The Lenovo even offers GPS location-finding, the ability to connect to new wireless USB devices and future support for a forthcoming wireless network standard called WiMax.
Source: AllThingsD
Intel Purchases Project Offset and Offset Engine
Intel seems gung-ho about delving into the gaming side of things lately, first evidenced by their purchase of Havok last September and further proven by their induction into the PC Gaming Alliance, the PC-gaming-specific research group founded by other major companies, including NVIDIA, AMD and Microsoft. The latest proof, however, is the purchase of Project Offset and the resulting engine.
Project Offset is an impressive-looking title all-around. I first caught wind of it a few years ago with some footage on the now defunct TechTV. I remember being impressed by the fact that the graphics and gameplay were top-notch… and were all delivered from an indie developer. What Intel has plans for is unknown, but Ars Technica jumps to the conclusion that the engine will be used to help them research and develop better support for multi-core processors in gaming… something that’s not been well-executed by anyone.
Although Intel certainly have their own plans, hopefully this acquisition will help move the game along even faster, since it’s been in development for quite a while with no substantial release information available.
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Larrabee may not launch until late 2009/2010, but again, purchasing Project Offset now gives Intel a real-world engine with which to evaluate Larrabee, and ties in well with the company’s purchase of Havok last year. Between the two, Intel has the makings of a very solid offering.
Source: Ars Technica
US Pension Plans Sue Yahoo! for Rejecting Microsoft’s Offer
I think it goes without saying that Yahoo! is in a rough spot. They have been sinking at a rapid rate for the past few months, despite still being a major stature in the online world. Recent layoffs shed some of the excess weight, but there is a lot more the company has to do to regain it’s place as a profitable company… something you’d imagine would be easy to do given their sheer size.
As it turns out, rejecting Microsoft’s offer for buy-out was one of the stupidest things Yahoo! could do. Yahoo!’s future is not looking incredible, so to reject the only real acquisition attempt is foolish, despite it not being that much more than their current stock worth. Yahoo!’s stock hasn’t changed much in the past few weeks, but unless they have better plans, it probably won’t be going higher. I think the big question is how long Microsoft will continue to toy around with the company, because if Yahoo! remains defiant, Microsoft’s pocketbook will continue to be hit hard.
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According to the lawsuit, Yahoo’s board is pursuing “value-destructive” third-party deals in an effort to fight off Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft, which on Feb. 1 announced a takeover bid of $31 per share in cash and stock, a 62 percent premium over Yahoo’s previous day’s closing price.
Source: AOL Australia
“Gold Fraud” Becoming Big Issue
The sad reality with MMO games is that gold farmers ruin the fun for a lot of people. I admit, I never liked the fact that some people could work hard for their in-game items, while others with money could hop onto a website and skip over the hard work simply by buying it straight-out. Regardless of your stance on things, there is an even more serious threat plaguing people: Gold Fraud.
According to PlayNoEvil, a growing trend is people using stolen credit card numbers to purchase subscriptions to the games, in effect giving the thief a free account in which to farm for more gold with. It’s become such a big problem with a UK bank, that they’ve had to stop all payments to Blizzard… truly incredible. It goes without saying… check your credit cards always and make sure there are no payments you are not aware of.
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At the same time, the online game industry has faced a parallel problem. Criminals, recognizing the value of game accounts even if game companies don’t, grew the theft of game accounts and passwords into a major IT security problem. These criminals use phishing techniques and malicious code (trojans and worms) to steal account information so that they can loot a game account on the black market.
Source: PlayNoEvil
Australia Might Add R18+ Rating to Games, Ceasing the Need for Bans
Australia has never been that friendly towards games that offer gratuitous violence or over-the-top sexual content, but that might be changing in the near-future. As it stands, the Australian rating system doesn’t allow games to sell that include a rating above MA15+, which is somewhat right in between the ESRB’s Teen and Mature ratings… so it results in a lot of game titles having to suffer through mass editing or being banned entirely.
But this might change if a few government officials follow through with their ideas. If passed, Australia will be allowed to sell games with an R18+ rating, essentially ridding the need for editing content prior to release and also banning of certain titles. This decision was no doubt helped by the fact that over 50% of the country are 18 years and older, so banning mature titles is cutting out a large part of the market. For the sake of all Aussie gamers, I hope to see this become a reality. Too much of the world is censored for no good reason…
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Luckily for gaming Aussies (50 percent of which are over the age of 18), government officials are considering the addition of an R18+ rating, allowing the sale of more mature titles. This proposition will be discussed at the next Standing Committee of Attorneys-General on March 28. Should the system undergo the change, for the first time in Australian video games, there will be blood, nudity, and strong language. You know, the good stuff.
Source: Joystiq
Convert Your HD DVDs to Work on Your Blu-ray Player
As is well-known by everyone, HD DVD is dead, with Blu-ray reigning supreme. So, what do you plan to do with your huge HD DVD collection that you’ve accrued since launch? Wired’s How-To wiki takes a look at how you can take all of your HD DVD movies and convert them to Blu-ray. If you guessed that such a thing is time-consuming and costly, you’d be right.
Like ripping/backing up DVD movies, the steps are overall rather simple. Rip the movie, convert, burn to new media… it’s not rocket science. However, where a high-definition format is concerned, high prices are sure to follow. Blu-ray burners still retail for around $400, while blank media hovers at around $12. The recommended ripper software costs over $100. That’s quite an investment, and one that makes little sense for most people… or for anyone.
With the time and effort it takes to rip, convert and burn each HD DVD movie, it would require a huge movie buff to want to take the time to process them all. And if you only have a few titles, then it would make no sense to invest in all the required hardware. Given that each blank disc costs $12 alone, and the time to complete one disc could be an entire evening, it would make more sense to just purchase the movies again on Blu-ray and save yourself the hassle. For the movies that have been HD DVD-exclusive, they are sure to be released on Blu-ray in the coming months.
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This means getting the rip ready to burn to Blu-Ray disc: transcoding refers to changing the file format and size, while authoring refers to preparing and arranging the files so that players may properly understand them. If you just want to keep the file on the computer as a backup, you can stop here. Even if no one is making physical HD DVD players, there’ll always be software to play the files themselves.
Source: Wired How-To Wiki
EA Sets Sights on Take-Two, Take-Two Wants to Wait
Nowadays, acquisitions are almost as popular as beginning a new company. The latest attempt is courtesy of EA, who really, really wants Take-Two Interactive. Who can blame them? Despite Take-Two’s shaky history, they own one of the top franchises in the world, which in turn gives them massive potential. EA even went as far as to offer a staggering $2 billion, but Take-Two remains firm and doesn’t plan to consider any take-over until the day after GTA IV launches.
That’s an interesting move, but it could be a smart one on Take-Two’s behalf. The chances of GTA IV being unsuccessful are about as likely as Nintendo closing shop. So once the game drops, chances are good that Take-Two’s stock will rise, in turn increasing their worth.
Kotaku has published a nice write-up about the pros and cons of what such an acquisition would deliver. It goes without saying that EA would be gaining a lot, but that doesn’t necessarily mean gamers would be the beneficiaries as well. The biggest issue would be 2K Sports… it would no doubt cease to exist, because it makes no sense for a company to compete with themselves. Not to mention that future Take-Two DLC would in no way be free. So in the end… this deal looks to be great for EA, and very bad for consumers.
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Remember that nice chuck of free DLC Take-Two released for BioShock at the end of last year? How much do you think EA would have charged for it? My guess? More than free. I’m imagining new car packs for Grand Theft Auto for 500 points a shot here. Maybe even some costly DLC that makes some of those EA Sports titles play like their often superior 2K counterparts! That would just be completely awesome.
Source: Kotaku
New Surveys at The Daedalus Project
A new issue of The Daedalus Project is now available at:http://www.nickyee.com/daedalus/
Also, several new surveys are available for current MMO players. You can participate at: http://www.nickyee.com/mmorpg. In particular, if you are an MMO player and have at least one child below the age of 18, please consider filling out the survey titled “Kids and MMOs”.
You can also read issues of Nick’s findings on subjects from Motivation in MMOs, Being a Guild Leader, Role Playing as well as Therapy and Dependency!