General Gaming Article

General Gaming Article


Maximum PC Intern Wanted

Posted: 23 Oct 2014 05:21 PM PDT

maximum pc intern

Here's your chance to live and breathe PC hardware alongside the Maximum PC staff!

Do you know PC hardware like nobody's business and have an interest in writing about it? Are you a college student who can commute to South San Francisco? Would you like to work with the kick-ass staff of Maximum PC? If you loudly exclaimed, "Yes!" to all these questions, you should first probably stop talking to yourself... and then promptly apply for our new intership position!  

While it may sound like a glamorous gig, the internship entails a lot of hard work: Having to play with PC hardware all day is no easy task, but someone's got to do it. In all seriousness, details of the internship are posted below. If you think you meet the criteria, we highly encourage you to apply!

Ideal candidates should: 

Have writing/reporting abilities

Be well-versed in the PC hardware/software scene

Among the tasks you'll do:

Write /contribute content (news, features, and reviews) for the magazine and website

Build PCs/assist with running PC benchmarks

Upload articles to the CMS/website

Daily tasks as assigned

*This is an unpaid internship—candidates must be able to receive school credit for participating.* 

For more information about our parent company Future US, please check out our website at www.futureus.com

Only applicants who are currently enrolled in a school program will be contacted during this search

What we offer:

A casual, comfortable dress environment.

A culture that encourages a passion for life both inside and outside of the office.

Don't want to drive? Not to worry – Future US offers a free shuttle from BART and CalTrain to the office.

To apply for this position click on the link below:

https://theapplicantmanager.com/jobs?pos=FS170

Graphics Porn (October 2014): Gaming Staples

Posted: 23 Oct 2014 02:56 PM PDT

Mass EffectShowcasing the sexiest, most photogenic game screenshots this side of the Internet

It's hard to argue with Mass Effect, Skyrim, and Fallout screenshots. Sure, we've seen hundreds of them, but they're always stellar. Even beyond their luscious graphics, they're games that gamers of all types love for a wide variety of reasons. PC gamers in particular look towards games like Skyrim and Fallout as the ultimate demonstrations of the platform's superiority. Where else can you choose from thousands of completely free modifications that range from quests to custom NPCs? This month's Graphics Porn features screenshots from gaming staples as well as from more obscure titles like Overgrowth.

Whether you've been using Steam's nifty screenshots feature or simply print screening some beautiful wallpaper-worthy game moments, we want to be able to share your captured works of art with the world. If you think you can do better than the pictures submitted below, please email your screenshots to mpcgraphicsporn@gmail.com so we can show them off. Make sure to include the name of the game, a title for the screenshot, and a description of what's happening on-screen.

Activision Recommends Nvidia GeForce GTX 760 or Higher to Play Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare

Posted: 23 Oct 2014 11:01 AM PDT

Call of Duty: Advanced WarfareIs your system up to snuff?

Activision caught a few gamers off guard when it posted minimum system requirements on Steam for Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. Specifically, the 6GB of RAM and 55GB of hard drive space seemed like steep requirements just to meet the minimum. Ready for some good news? You won't need any additional storage space to meet Activision's recommended system requirements for CoD: Advanced Warfare. However, you will need a well equipped machine.

As a refresher, here's a look at the minimum requirements:

  • Windows 7 64-bit / Windows 8 64-bit / Windows 8.1 64-bit
  • Intel Core i3 530 @ 2.93GHz / AMD Phenom II X4 810 @ 2.6GHz
  • 6GB RAM
  • Nvidia GeForce GTS 450 @ 1GB / ATI Radeon HD 5870 @ 1GB
  • DirectX Version 11
  • Broadband Internet connection
  • 55GB available space
  • DirectX compatible sound card

And here's a look at the newly posted recommended requirements:

  • Windows 7 64-bit / Windows 8 64-bit / Windows 8.1 64-bit
  • Intel Core i5 2500K @ 3.3GHz
  • 8GB RAM
  • Nvidia GeForce GTX 760 @ 4GB
  • DirectX Version 11
  • Broadband Internet connection
  • 55GB available space
  • 100 percent DirectX 9.0c compatible 16-bit sound card

While the storage space didn't change, there's a bump in RAM to 8GB, along with the recommendations for a faster CPU and GPU combination.

This could be where newer games are trending. According to Neogaf, the Korean distributor of Ubisoft Korea listed minimum and recommended specs for Assassin's Creed: Unity, and they're pretty burly. More specifically, you'll need an Intel Core i5 2500K or AMD FX-8350, 6GB of RAM, Nvidia GeForce GTX 680 or AMD Radeon HD 7970, and 50GB of storage space to meet the minimum, and an Intel Core i7 3770 or AMD FX-8350, 8GB of RAM, and a GeForce GTX 780 or Radeon R9 290X to meet the recommended requirements.

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Newegg Daily Deals: Samsung 840 Evo 500GB SSD, Intel Core i5 3570K Ivy Bridge, and More!

Posted: 23 Oct 2014 10:31 AM PDT

Sasmung 840 Evo SSDnewegg logo

Top Deal:

There are several ways to speed up your system, such as swapping out the CPU, RAM, or GPU for faster model. However, the one upgrade that's most likely to make a night and day difference in all-around performance in yanking that crusty old mechanical hard drive out of there and installing Windows (or your OS of choice) onto a solid state drive. To find out for yourself, take advantage of today's top deal for a Samsung 840 Evo 500GB Solid State Drive for $225 with free shipping (normally $260 - use coupon code: [EMCWPHG59]). Using TLC NAND flash memory and a Samsung TEX controller, this drive puts the pedal to the metal to the tune of up to 540MB/s read and 520MB/s write performance.

Other Deals:

Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory for $77 with free shipping (normally $90 - use coupon code: [EMCWPHG64])

Mushkin Enhanced Chronos 2.5-inch 120GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive for $60 with free shipping

Intel Core i5-3570K Ivy Bridge Quad-Core 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 77W Desktop Processor for $215 with free shipping (normally $230 - use coupon code: [EMCWPHW44])

Corsair Obsidian 750D Black ATX Full Tower Computer Case for $110 with free shipping (normally $140 - use coupon code: [EMCWPHW93]; additional $20 Mail-in rebate)

Samsung's New Galaxy Tab 4 Nook 10.1 for Barnes and Noble is $300 for a Limited Time

Posted: 23 Oct 2014 10:06 AM PDT

Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 Nook 10.1The biggest Nook device ever

With some help from Samsung, Barnes and Noble this week introduced the biggest size Nook ever at a special introductory price. For a limited time, you can pick up the Samsung Galaxy Tab Nook 10.1 tablet for $300 (B&N members save an additional 10 percent), which comes with more than $200 of free content from the Nook store, including an assortment of bestselling books, popular TV shows, top magazines, and apps, B&N says.

The newest Galaxy Tab 4 Nook boasts a 10.1-inch HD display with a 1280x800 resolution and 149 ppi density. It has a 1.2GHz Qualcommm APQ 8026 processor with an Adreno 305 GPU, 1.5GB of RAM, 16GB of built-in storage (around 12GB available to the user), microSD card slot, 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera, 3-megapixel rear-facing camera, and a 6,800mAh battery.

While relatively affordable for a 10.1-inch slate, some will undoubtedly be turned off (and away) by the underwhelming resolution at a time when competing tablets are pushing forward with increasingly higher resolutions and more densely packed pixels.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 Nook 10.1 will come with new Nook software that offers a cleaner visual design and user interface, new navigation tools, support for both portrait and landscape mode throughout the Nook experience, and a few other upgrades.

Though the new tablet is available now for $300, B&N didn't say how long the introductory price would remain in effect.

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AOC Rolls Out 17-inch USB Companion Monitor

Posted: 23 Oct 2014 08:56 AM PDT

AOC e1759FwuPair with your desktop or laptop

If you rock a dual-display setup at home, it can be difficult to adjust the single panel setup of your laptop when out and about on business trips. The solution? One way to restore that dual-display goodness is with AOC's 17-inch USB Monitor (E1759FWU) powered by built-in DisplayLink technology. This newest model from AOC is thinner, lighter, and larger than the company's previous USB offerings.

There's no power cord or VGA cable to muck around with, just plug the panel into a USB 3.0 port and you're good to go. It comes with a foldable stand that goes from landscape to portrait model with auto-pivot, along with a carrying case since one of the most likely uses is as a travel companion to your laptop. Once connected to your laptop (or desktop), the integrated DisplayLink graphics allow it to function as a secondary display.

The specs are decent, though not outstanding -- it boasts a 1600x900 resolution rather than Full HD 1080p. It also has a 10ms rated response time (GTG), 650:1 contrast ratio, 220 cd/m2 brightness, and 90 degrees horizontal / 65 degrees vertical viewing angles.

Should you want a more permanent placement, it's VESA 75mm x 75mm wall-mount compliant.

The AOC 17-inch USB Monitor is available now on Amazon for $200.

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Lian Li's PC-Q26 is a NAS-Centric Mini ITX Chassis

Posted: 23 Oct 2014 08:20 AM PDT

Lian Li PC-Q26A case for little boards and lots of storage

Lian Li just introduced its new PC-Q26 case. It's a mini ITX enclosure for users who want to roll their own NAS box with support for up to 11 hard drives, including 10 3.5-inch drives and a single 2.5-inch drive. A hot-swap backplane for two 3.5-inch drives included, and you have the ability to "easily" add more backplanes as needed, Lian Li says. All that potential storage capacity comes wrapped in a small and lightweight brushed aluminum case.

Like a traditional case, the side-panels pop off for easy access to the system's guts and storage. Drives can be tool-lessly installed using thumbscrews with rubber suspensions. You'll also find thumbscrews holding the expansion slots in place.

Cooling duties are handled by three 120mm fans up front to bring cool air in and a 120mm fan up to top to expel hot air. You an also mount an optional 80mm fan on the rear and another 120mm on the side, for a total of six fans.

The case supports expansion cards up to 190mm (7.4 inches), CPU coolers up to 150mm (5.9 inches), PSUs up to 190mm (7.4 inches).

Lian Li says the PC-Q26 is available now in the U.S. for $189 MSRP.

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MMORPG News

MMORPG News


World of Warcraft: Ten Reasons to Look Forward to WoD

Posted: 22 Oct 2014 03:26 PM PDT

Ten Reasons to Look Forward to WoD

I'm not really sure what sparked me to create a list for this week's column. It probably had to do with all the David Letterman I watched last week, which is something I also never really do, but they had the Foo Fighters on all week as their house musical guests and had some tremendous performances. I've also been on a bit of a World of Warcraft kick since I logged back in last week to check out patch 6.0.2.

Shroud of the Avatar: Steam Early Access to Begin November 24th

Posted: 23 Oct 2014 03:50 AM PDT

Steam Early Access to Begin November 24th

Portalarium has announced that Steam Early Access for Shroud of the Avatar will begin on November 24th. Early Access patrons will have an opportunity to help test the build that, with tweaks and fixes, will become the Steam EA build in November.

Dungeon Fighter Online: Building to Beta

Posted: 23 Oct 2014 03:36 AM PDT

Building to Beta

The Dungeon Fighter Online team has let us know that it is running a special Facebook promotion to raise 'likes' to 30,000 by the end of the month. If reaching the goal, fans will be awarded a special avatar when the beta goes live in March 2015.

Swordsman: Expanding into the Gilded Wasteland

Posted: 22 Oct 2014 12:32 AM PDT

Expanding into the Gilded Wasteland

Gilded Wasteland is a new expansion launching tomorrow for free-to-play wuxia MMO, Swordsman. Perfect World Entertainment recently treated us to a demo tour of the new additions players can expect to find when it launches.

EVE Online: Ready to Strike Out in Bold New Directions

Posted: 22 Oct 2014 03:03 PM PDT

Ready to Strike Out in Bold New Directions

The EVE Online Fanfest held last weekend in Las Vegas contained surprises for longtime players and fans alike when it was announced that EVE will be moving in new directions to support more sandbox like play. Starting with the next two updates, Phoebe and Rhea (November and December respectively), the game will be showing off new changes and herald 'drastic' changes coming to EVE in 2015.

Star Wars: The Old Republic: Revanite Lore Revealed

Posted: 22 Oct 2014 02:10 PM PDT

Revanite Lore Revealed

A new in-character lore post has cropped up on the Star Wars: The Old Republic site that gives players some background information about the Revanites and how they came into their current state of existence. Revan and his followers will feature prominently in the forthcoming Shadow of Revan expansion set to be released before the end of the year.

ArcheAge: Players Purchasing Gold May See a Reduction in Wallet Size

Posted: 22 Oct 2014 01:24 PM PDT

Players Purchasing Gold May See a Reduction in Wallet Size

Trion has launched the warning that those ArcheAge players who have purchased gold via gold sellers may see the currency removed from their wallets as part of the company's efforts to clean up the 'dark side' of the game.

Vanguard: Saga of Heroes: Three Things Developers Can Learn from Vanguard

Posted: 20 Oct 2014 05:40 PM PDT

Three Things Developers Can Learn from Vanguard

A few columns ago, I offered an analysis of Vanguard after its sunsetting by Sony Online Entertainment. I presented my case that the game could be considered a success in its presentation of an amazing open world, three "spheres" of gameplay, and a plethora of races and classes. I also touched upon how Vanguard's bug-ridden launch, lack of features to justify its long-standing subscription, and inconsistent leadership led to its inevitable demise.

Rift: Nightmare Tide Launches with New Trailer

Posted: 22 Oct 2014 12:20 PM PDT

Nightmare Tide Launches with New Trailer

The latest Rift expansion has launched as of today. To celebrate the Nightmare Tide release, Trion has sent out a brand new trailer. Check it out!

The Banner Saga: A Gorgeous Handcrafted Game

Posted: 20 Oct 2014 05:31 PM PDT

A Gorgeous Handcrafted Game

The Banner Saga began its life as a Kickstarter created by Stoic, a new company founded by former employees of Bioware Austin. That lineage is unsurprising; The Banner Saga is a story-driven, branching dialogue tactical RPG in the great Bioware tradition. Stoic has mentioned in Kickstarter updates that the Android release is imminent, but for the time being we took the opportunity to review the iOS version and evaluate what kind of fit this already critically successful RPG is on mobile devices.

F.E.A.R. Online: Steam Launch is a Go

Posted: 22 Oct 2014 09:06 AM PDT

Steam Launch is a Go

Aeria Games has let us know that F.E.A.R. Online is now available for worldwide release via the Steam games platform. With the approach of Halloween, the time is just right for a horror-themed game.

Elder Scrolls Online: Crafting Writs - A Reason to Log In Every Day

Posted: 20 Oct 2014 05:18 PM PDT

Crafting Writs - A Reason to Log In Every Day

One thing that has always bugged me about The Elder Scrolls Online was the lack of a need to login to do something. As much as it bugs me to admit this, World of Warcraft did it right with dailies. Dailies give an additional reason to login every day, and give another avenue for players to feel like they are progressing. At least they had that in WoW, no so much ESO. However patch 1.5 is trying to change that.

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