General Gaming Article

General Gaming Article


No BS Podcast 244: VR Talk and Jimmy's Farewell

Posted: 31 Mar 2016 01:45 PM PDT

Newegg Daily Deals: The All Asus Graphics Card Edition!

Posted: 31 Mar 2016 10:50 AM PDT

Asus GTX 980 Ti

Top Deal:

Tired of always going the budget route? Hey, there's nothing wrong with being tight with your money, but once in awhile it's fun to splurge. And with this being the year of VR, if you're need of a new graphics card, now is as good of a time to splurge as any. Need direction? Check out today's top deal for an Asus GeForce GTX 980 Ti S 6GB 384-Bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card for $625 with free shipping (normally $660; additional $20 Mail-in rebate; Free Game: The Division with purchase, limited offer). This fast card wields 6GB of GDDR5 memory and a custom cooler for lower thermals and noise.

Other Deals:

Asus ROG GeForce GTX 980 4GB 256-Bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 HDCP Ready SLI Support Gaming Video Card for $590 with free shipping (normally $600; additional $50 Mail-in rebate; Free Game: The Division with purchase, limited offer)

Asus GeForce GTX 980 4GB 256-Bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card for $520 with free shipping (normally $530; additional $30 Mail-in rebate; Free Game: The Division with purchase, limited offer)

Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB 256-Bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 HDCP Ready SLI Support G-SYNC Support Video Card for $329 with free shipping (normally $349; additional $20 Mail-in rebate; Free Game: The Division with purchase, limited offer)

Asus Radeon R9 Nano 4GB 4096-Bit HBM PCI Express 3.0 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card for $490 with $5 shipping (normally $520; additional $20 Mail-in rebate)

UC Irvine is Handing Out Academic Scholarships to Hardcore Gamers

Posted: 31 Mar 2016 10:38 AM PDT

Gaming the education system

Students League of Legends

Kids looking to convince their folks to let them spend more time in front of the PC playing games can now play the college card. How so? The University of California, Irvine, is launching an official e-sports initiative this fall and plans to hand out as many as 10 academic scholarships to students on the team.

"UCI eSports will be built on four pillars: competition, academics, entertainment and community," said Thomas Parham, vice chancellor for student affairs. "We hope to attract the best gamers from around the world, and our academic programs in computer gaming science, digital arts, computer science, engineering, anthropology, law, medicine, neuroscience and behavior create a strong foundation for research and inquiry related to gaming."

Those selected will have access to a state-of-the-art arena outfitted with high-end gaming PCs. There will also be a stage for League of Legends competitions and a live webcasting studio.

Competitive gaming is growing in popularity. It's also attracting some big names, like Mark Cuban, who invested in an e-sports betting startup called Unikrn last year and has been vocal about e-sports being a real sport.

"It has been a dream for many of us on campus that UCI recognize the importance of e-sports and create a space and a program that cater to the large community of gamers at the university," said Jesse Wang, president of The Association of Gamers. "The eSports team and the arena will ensure that UCI continues to be a leader and trendsetter in collegiate e-sports."

Students who are not on UCI's e-sports team will also have access to the 3,500 square foot facility, which will also serve as a hub for social and competitive gaming in Southern California.

As for the PCs that will be used, UCI didn't provide any specs, but did say that boutique builder iBuyPower will supply 80 of its high-end gaming systems pre-loaded with popular video games.

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Ubuntu Bash and Linux Command Line Headed to Windows 10

Posted: 31 Mar 2016 10:09 AM PDT

Opposites attract

Bash Windows

If you think Windows and Linux go together like peanut butter and mustard, you're in for a surprise. Out of all the things Microsoft has talked about at its Build Developer Conference so far, one of the most interesting is its plan to bring native Bash and with it support for Linux command line tools to Windows 10.

That's right, Ubuntu and Windows 10 are about to become BFFs of sort. One thing that's important to note here is that the integration of Bash isn't through a virtual machine, containers, or otherwise sandboxed. What that means for end users is real access to popular open-source tools right from within Windows.

"You can now run Bash scripts, Linux command-line tools like sed, awk, grep, and you can even try Linux-first tools like Ruby, Git, Python, etc. directly on Windows," Microsoft explains in a blog post. "You can also access your Windows filesystem from within Bash allowing you to work on the same set of files using your preferred Windows tools or Linux command-line tools."

This is a pretty big deal and as such, Microsoft is being careful about the roll out. Rather than bring Bash to all Windows 10 users at once, it plans to first make it available to Windows Insiders sometime after the Build conference, which runs until April 1. Guinea pigs first, everyone else later.

"We know that there are some rough edges and that some things will break! Do not expect every Bash script and tool that you run will work perfectly –there will be gaps. But by trying out this feature, you'll help us figure out what we need to work on in order to greatly improve our reliability, coverage, and reach," Microsoft added (bolded text is by Microsoft, not us).

This collaborative effort between Canonical and Microsoft is mostly aimed at developers. Towards that end, Microsoft warns that this isn't a server platform for hosting websites, running server infrastructures, and things of that nature. Furthermore, Bash and Linux tools can't interact with Windows applications and tools, nor the other way around—that's to say you can't run Notepad from Bash.

So what's the point of all this? Simply put, Microsoft wants developers to choose Windows, and giving them access to Bash within Windows increases the chances they will.

Who ever knew that Microsoft would be the one to Bash Windows?

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Oculus Rift Teardown Reveals a Clever Design without Gobs of Glue

Posted: 31 Mar 2016 09:18 AM PDT

Ripping open the Rift

Oculus Rift Teardown

There's a somewhat depressing trend in today's mobile gear, and that's the copious use of glue to hold things together. It's effective, but it also makes do-it-yourself repair a headache. Unlike the majority of desktop PCs, mobile gadgets just aren't designed to be user serviceable. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule, and it appears the Oculus Rift might be one of them.

The experienced disassemblers at iFixIt got their paws on an Oculus Rift headset and did the only logical thing—they promptly gutted the thing knowing full well that they were embarking on a journey in which the $600 headset might not return. Respect.

This wasn't iFixIt's first rodeo with a virtual reality headset. Those fearless folks tore down two pre-release versions, so they were anxious to see what's changed in the final build that's now shipping to consumers.

"This is definitely the sleekest Rift yet—lightweight, impressively comfortable, and now with earphones built right in for maximum immersion," iFixIt noted right before performing tech surgery.

Things started off easy enough. There's a thick foam frame that's attached with clips and is easily removed. With that out of the way, there's a single cable from the head-mounted display that needs unplugged.

Removing the adjustable earphones proved easy-cheesy as well—an embedded flat barrel nut is all that secures the speaker arm, while spring contacts connect it to the wires inside the headband.

"We've seen our share of expensive, un-repairable, nigh-impossible-to-disassemble earphones, so this is a welcome surprise, especially considering these lil guys are prime damage targets should your headset 'fall' to the ground following a rough PvP match," iFixIt says.

Oculus Rift Motherboard

The deeper into the teardown you go, the more interesting things get. Negotiating components also becomes a little more tricky with hidden interior clips and delicate parts.

As you can imagine, there are a lot of parts that comprise the Oculus Rift, and that's the real challenge. Among the negatives, iFixIt noted an "intricate design and delicate ribbon cables," which makes it "very difficult to remove the lenses, displays, and motherboard." It's also impossible to replace the head strap without cutting the fabric on the headset.

On the plus side, there's no adhesive holding any of the removable parts together, and cable management is much better than it was before. When all was said and done, the Rift left the operating table with a 7 out of 10 Repairability Score—not bad.

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Free Coupons, Discount Coupons for all Online Shopping Needs. Feed

Free Coupons, Discount Coupons for all Online Shopping Needs. Feed


Tikal Shower Curtain

Posted: 30 Mar 2016 05:01 PM PDT


Brighten up the look of your bath space with the Tikal Shower Curtain. Evoking a cool and contemporary feel, this cotton curtain features a stylish ikat motif, accented with fresh, yellow stripes that pop against the grey and white ground.

Michael Kors Sexy Amber Eau de Parfum Spray 50ml Gift Set @Escentual with code £21.75

Posted: 30 Mar 2016 05:01 PM PDT


No idea what this smells like but for the price thought it was a good deal. Add 1.95 for del or free for 30 pound spend. Use code ESCENTUAL25

Tassimo TAS4504GB Joy 2 Coffee Maker £59.00

Posted: 30 Mar 2016 05:01 PM PDT


Excellent Saving it also has saving on TopCashback as below .... New Customer Purchase from Very 7.35% Existing Customer Purchase from Very 1.05%

Superdrug Simply Pure Day Cream 75ml reduced from £4.59 @Superdrug £0.46

Posted: 30 Mar 2016 05:01 PM PDT


Buy One Get One Half Price so 2 for 69p. FREE click and collect. Description: "Simply Pure Aqua Hydrating SPF15 Day Cream is designed to nourish and replenish dehydrated skin whilst protecting against premature skin ageing caused by UV radiation. For

Blue cross sale at Debenhams

Posted: 30 Mar 2016 05:01 PM PDT


Blue cross sale at Debenhams, many at 70% off. It is across all departments. I love their clothes, with 70% off, it's a bargain

Lego Mighty Marvel £9 but £4.50 using double up nectar points @ Sainsbury's

Posted: 30 Mar 2016 05:00 PM PDT


Lego Mighty Marvel £9 but £4.50 using double up nectar points Lego Crossbones Hazard Heist £20 but £10 using double up nectar points You can double up Upto £40 on toys and only use £20 worth of nectar points Plenty of stock at Leeds Moor Allerton Sha

Far Cry 4 - XBOX One - £5.35 - Digital (Argentina Store)

Posted: 30 Mar 2016 05:00 PM PDT


Decent price due to sale in Region - price approximate as depends on your card issuer exchange rate.

Lego Dimensions £55 Sainsbury - nectar double up = £35.00 (£40 voucher for £20 points + £15)

Posted: 30 Mar 2016 05:00 PM PDT


Lego Dimensions (ps4 PS3 xbox one or xbox 360 - plenty in stock in Leeds Moor Allerton - sorry no wii u) Lego 71171 is reduced to £55. double up nectar points in the electronics dept - that means you can get upto £40 voucher for £20 in nectar points

70-piece Household Tool Set - Very - £24.00

Posted: 30 Mar 2016 05:00 PM PDT


Following my tool set of 10 years+ being stolen after some pr1ck broke into my car.. I'm on the lookout for a decent set. Doubt this is your professional quality set that will last several lifetimes, but from reviews looks like it has everything for

Motion activated cordless light £10.98 delivered @ 24 Studio

Posted: 30 Mar 2016 05:00 PM PDT


Motion actives cordless light £5.99

MMORPG News

MMORPG News


The Secret World: Hearing the Call of the Nameless

Posted: 31 Mar 2016 02:27 AM PDT

It's time for The Secret World to wave goodbye to Tokyo. Due out today, Issue 14: Call of the Nameless brings us back to the scorched, shimmering sands of Egypt. Don't expect a Pharaoh's welcome this time around though, as Funcom's latest update has a distinctly Persian feel.

Final Fantasy XI: PlayStation 2 & XBox 360 Versions to Go Dark Today

Posted: 31 Mar 2016 06:42 AM PDT

As announced a year ago and periodically since then, both the XBox 360 and PlayStation 2 versions of Final Fantasy XI will end service at 7:00 am Pacific / 10:00 am Eastern today, Thursday, March 31st. PC service for the game will continue and players of the soon-defunct versions of FFXI can convert their account in order to continue playing.

Skyforge: Alchemist Class Scores Its Own Trailer

Posted: 31 Mar 2016 06:32 AM PDT

While not new to Skyforge, the Alchemist class has never had a starring role in a trailer. My.com has corrected that oversight with today's release of the brand new Alchemist video. Check it out and then head to the Skyforge site to learn more about the class.

World of Warcraft: Latest Legion Alpha Build Includes New Zone & Much More

Posted: 31 Mar 2016 06:29 AM PDT

A new version of the World of Warcraft Legion alpha has been deployed that includes the Azsuna zone, significant redesigns of several class talents, artifact traits, Order Hall campaigns and much more.

The Division: Learn More About Incursions in Today's Special Report

Posted: 31 Mar 2016 06:14 AM PDT

The Division development team will be on hand today in a new edition of Special Report in which the next update will be previewed that includes "Incursions". The event will take place on The Division Twitch.tv channel at 11:00 am Pacific / 2:00 pm Eastern.

Project Genom: New Dev Blog Details Character Development Redesign & More

Posted: 31 Mar 2016 06:09 AM PDT

The latest Project Genom developer update has been published on the game's forum. In it, the most recent updates to the game are revealed including new zones, new character development redesign, the addition of new quests and interactive events, the overhaul of existing quests that now feature up to four ways to complete them and much more.

EVE Online: The Imperium Under Siege

Posted: 31 Mar 2016 05:55 AM PDT

It appears that a war of fairly epic proportion is beginning in EVE Online with an alliance of player organizations taking on the mighty Imperium, the most dominant group in Nullsec. According to many, this is the largest war in years.

Star Trek Online: Ship Customization Coming in Season 11.5

Posted: 31 Mar 2016 05:47 AM PDT

A new blog post has cropped up on the Star Trek Online site to give captains the good news that ship customization is coming in Season 11.5. Using the new Visuals tab, players will be able to deck out ships with Deflectors, Impulse Engines and Shields that will apply a visual effect to the ship that doesn't make use of the items' stats or set bonuses.

Thanatos: New Instanced Dungeon & Special Event Announced

Posted: 31 Mar 2016 05:34 AM PDT

GameAgit.com has announced that a new update will be applied to Thanatos that will bring a new instanced dungeon into the game that will require players to know tactics and to participate cooperatively in order to complete it.

Otherland: Factions to be Introduced in Today's Update

Posted: 31 Mar 2016 04:48 AM PDT

Gamigo has announced that the Steam version of Otherland will be updated today with a significant patch that brings factions into the game along with several issues resolved including display problems and more.

Final Fantasy XV: Platinum Demo Free Out Now, Launch on September 30th

Posted: 29 Mar 2016 09:04 PM PDT

During FFXV's Uncovered event in LA tonight, Square Enix unveiled that the game will be getting a standalone story-based demo where you play Young Noctis as a boy in a sort of prequel/demo that's coming for free soon. Additionally, the Final Fantasy XV official launch will hit on September 30th, 2016 on PS4 and XB1.

Final Fantasy XV: 5 Episode Anime and Full-Length CG Movie Announced

Posted: 29 Mar 2016 08:47 PM PDT

During tonight's livestream "Uncovered: Final Fantasy XV", Square Enix announced that Final Fantasy XV is getting a 5 episode prequel anime centered around the four main characters, and a full-length prequel movie called Kingsglaive.

General: Marvel: Avengers Alliance 2 Officially Launched

Posted: 30 Mar 2016 04:45 PM PDT

iOS and Android users worldwide can now get their hands on Marvel Alliance 2 thanks to its official launch earlier today. Players create a super hero-sized team to take on villains, all using iconic Marvel characters.

Dark Souls 3: Eli Roth Creates 'The Witches' Within the Game World

Posted: 30 Mar 2016 04:40 PM PDT

Movie director Eli Roth has created an animated short called "The Witches" that is set in the Dark Souls III game world. Roth is the director of films that include "Hostel" and "Cabin Fever". Check out the video below and leave us your thoughts in the comments.

Guild Wars 2: Alpine Borderlands Returning, Scribing Cost, Fractal Changes

Posted: 30 Mar 2016 03:44 PM PDT

The Guild Wars 2 site has a short, but sweet, post from ArenaNet's Mike O'Brien about some big happenings in the Spring Quarterly Update set to launch in mid-April. Players can look forward to tiering structure changes in Fractals along with new achievements. Scribing will see a reduction in associated costs across the board. The Alpine borderlands will be making a return when alterations are complete. In the meantime, changes will be implemented on the Desert borderlands until it's ready.

Paragon: Daring To Be the Same

Posted: 29 Mar 2016 11:01 PM PDT

When Epic Games announced its intention to release a new MOBA - in 2016, no less, it had me a bit baffled. I thought to myself, "Epic must have something crazy up its sleeve for Paragon." Nope. Paragon is about as generic as its name, but that doesn't mean there isn't any fun to be had in it.

General: Indie CryEngine Licensees Talk About Their Games

Posted: 30 Mar 2016 12:41 PM PDT

The CryEngine team took to the road recently to visit a trio of independent studios that are building some pretty amazing games. Featured studios include Wolcen Studios, developers of Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem and Warhorse Studios, working on Kingdom Come: Deliverance.

Battleborn: System Specs Revealed to Prepare for May Release

Posted: 30 Mar 2016 12:05 PM PDT

Gearbox Software has sent word that the system specifications, both minimum and recommended, for Battleborn have been revealed. With the knowledge announced, players can prepare for the open beta scheduled to run from April 8th to 18th and for May's release. Check them out to see if your PC measures up.

Tribes: Ascend: New Map & Community Driven Updates Deployed

Posted: 30 Mar 2016 11:59 AM PDT

Hi-Rez Studios has announced the successful deployment of the latest update to Tribes: Ascend. The new patch introduces a new map and community-driven changes including changes to vote kick; ammo and equipment changes and many more.

WildStar: Arcterra Content Expansion Released

Posted: 30 Mar 2016 11:52 AM PDT

NCSoft and Carbine have announced that the newest WildStar content expanions, Arcterra, is now live. Players will take off to the frozen wastes to take on new adventures, quests, monsters and more.

Final Fantasy XV: Get Hyped for Tonight with Leaked Videos

Posted: 30 Mar 2016 09:59 AM PDT

Those who are eagerly awaiting tonight's Final Fantasy XV event from Los Angeles, California, can further stoke the hype machine with a pair of leaked Chinese commercials for the anticipated title from Square Enix. One features a look at Noctis, the main protagonist of the game; the other artwork by Yoshitaka Amano.

Elder Scrolls Online: Put On Your Dancin' Shoes! ESO Is Turning Two!

Posted: 30 Mar 2016 09:50 AM PDT

From April 4th through April 10th, Elder Scrolls Online players will have an opportunity to participate in the game's second anniversary. Developers have lots of cool things for players to take part in including a voucher for a cake from the Crown Store that will kick off the Ache for Cake quest. The reward? A Jubilee Cake to take a proud slot in the Mementos collection and that will provide a 100% XP buff that stacks with others.

Star Ocean 5: Integrity and Faithlessness: PreOrders Begin in Anticipation of June 28th Release

Posted: 30 Mar 2016 09:18 AM PDT

Fans of Square Enix will want to take note of the June 28th release date for the PlayStation 4 title, Star Ocean: Integrity & Faithlessness. The game is now available for preorder from the Square Enix Online Store for $59.99, a 'day one' edition that features a number of in-game items and perks.

Escape from Tarkov: Random Bits of Raw Alpha Gameplay Star in New Video

Posted: 30 Mar 2016 09:08 AM PDT

Battlestate Games has released a short video to show off some random moments of Escape from Tarkov alpha game play footage taken during internal testing. It's a good peek inside the game that will also be shown live on Saturday, April 2nd during a special streaming event.

General: Updating a Classic - Baldur's Gate: Siege of Dragonspear Preview

Posted: 27 Mar 2016 05:23 PM PDT

In recent weeks we have heard that Blizzard is patching Diablo 2 and Warcraft (not World of Warcraft). It continues to be true that quality old games never die and Baldur's Gate is no exception. The game was one of the most fun RPGs in the 1990s (published in 1998). With recent success on mobile platforms and a resurgence in isometric RPGs it is no surprise that Siege of Dragonspear is coming out for fans.

Allods Online: Update 7.0 to Feature Alternative Ways to Gear Up

Posted: 30 Mar 2016 09:02 AM PDT

The Allods Online site has been updated with a preview of Update 7.2: New Order. In the forthcoming content expansion, four new Astral allods and six single-player adventures called "Distortions" will be unlocked, each providing players with different paths to gear up their characters.

Pox Nora: Spirits Beyond Expansion Adding 51 New Runes

Posted: 30 Mar 2016 08:43 AM PDT

Desert Owl Games has announced that the next PoxNora TCG expansion will be released on Wednesday, March 30th. Called "Spirits Beyond", the expansion adds fifty-one new Runes and twenty new abilities and mechanics to the game.

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