General Gaming Article

General Gaming Article

Report: Drop in Ultrabook Prices Imminent

Posted: 30 Nov 2011 08:27 PM PST

Despite affordability being an integral part of Intel's ultrabook vision, PC vendors are finding it difficult to honor the $1,000 price cap stipulated by the chip maker. If it's the price that's keeping you from buying your first ultrabook, you might not have to wait all that long now for a dip in ultrabook prices. Hit the jump for more.

Digitimes definitely has to be one of the world's leading sources of ultrabook news/rumors, having reported (read: speculated) extensively on the subject with plenty of help from its always anonymous friends within the industry. Now, the paper is reporting that a dip in ultrabook prices is imminent.

According to the report, which cites "Taiwan-based supply chain makers", Acer, Asustek Computer and Toshiba are expected to lower the price of their ultrabooks to below $1,000 by the end of 2011, with a further drop of 5-10 percent expected in 1Q12 as a result of a US$100 marketing subsidy from Intel.

Its sources blamed the high price of key components such as processors and SSDs for making it difficult for vendors to price their ultrabooks below the all-important $1,000 mark. A 13-inch SSD-toting ultrabook, for instance, has a total build cost of $940. This includes a $690 BOM (bill-of-materials), $100 OEM costs and $150 in marketing expenses, the sources revealed.

PCIe 4.0 to Double the Speed of PCIe 3.0

Posted: 30 Nov 2011 03:05 PM PST

pciAn announcement from the group that governs the PCI standard, known as PCI-SIG, has offered up the first details on the next-generation PCIe 4.0 standard. It's not going to be showing up just around the bend, rather PCIe 4.0 won't be a thing until around 2015. Before the final specs can be published, the group has to complete feasibility studies around 2013 or 2014. However, we do know that PCIe 4.0 will be shooting for some crazy performance numbers.

The PCI-SIG said that PCIe 4.0 is expected to hit 16 gigatransfers per second (i.e. 16 billion descrete packets of data). This is twice as fast as PCIe 3.0, which will be supported natively on Intel's upcoming Ivy Bridge chips. The first products running PCIe 4.0 will likely be servers and high-end gaming machines. It may be 2016 before it is in wide use.

The PCI-SIG also commented that the new standard could be useful in tablet and other small form factor devices where space and power is limited. These systems have increasing bandwidth processing concerns like any other, after all. 

Clearwire May Miss Debt Payment, Cause Trouble For Sprint

Posted: 30 Nov 2011 02:48 PM PST

sprintMobile broadband provider Clearwire is facing a tough decision as a massive debt payment comes due tomorrow and the company is scrambling to get network upgrades underway. The company is set to pay $237 million in interest, but despite having the cash, it may choose to skip the payment in order to spend more on building an LTE network to replace the current WiMAX one. If Clearwire can't work this out, its carrier partner Sprint could be hit hard down the line.

Clearwire in the last year has switched from a consumer-based retail model to a wholesaler model, but WiMAX also took a big hit as faster and more reliable LTE networks started deploying. In response, Cleawire and Sprint resolved to move to LTE, but that's not a cheap process. Sprint is already a big stakeholder in Cleawire because the carrier simply needs the spectrum for 4G. 

Most analysts believe that Clearwire will seek a 30-day grace period as it scrapes together some more cash to cover its own costs in addition to the debt payments. Skipping the planned payment could prejudice investors against Clearwire in the future. Sprint may also ride to the rescue as it has had to do in the past. 

Dell Pulling Back on CES Presence

Posted: 30 Nov 2011 02:32 PM PST

dellDell has been going all out at the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) the last few years, but this time it's going to be playing it much more cool. In fact, it will be ditching most of the heavy-hitting demos that have been the company's signature. This might be an indication that Dell is looking to tighten its belt as sales continue to slump.

Dell usually rents out an entire floor of the Palms Casino Resort  in Vegas to set up a massive showroom for press and attendees. So that's out this coming January, but Dell will also be backing off on large meetings and may just borrow time in a partner's keynote as their only announcement slot.

It might not be all doom and gloom, though. Some in the industry simply think that big events at CES are a waste of resources. So many companies are vying for attention that it's easy to be drowned out when you're just making PCs. 

The Game Boy: Dear Videogames, Shut Up

Posted: 30 Nov 2011 02:12 PM PST

Game characters talk too much. Unless, of course, they're J'zargo.

I like shirts. I enjoy owning them, wearing them -- pretty much everything you can do with shirts, really. Which is mostly just those two things. So I recently visited a custom T-shirt website, because why not? And then -- because I'm oddly proud of my exceedingly embarrassing geekiness -- I searched for Skyrim apparel. What I discovered made me laugh like a hyena that'd recently eaten a live clown. Then it made me deeply, deeply depressed. Mere days after the game had launched, there were shirts emblazoned with phrases like "You tried mercenary work? It might suit you" and "My cousin's out fighting dragons, and what do I get? Guard duty."

If you've played Skyrim for more than two seconds, those phrases probably haunt your nightmares -- perhaps uttered by deeply unsettling images of your disapproving father as a giant praying mantis. Why? Because Skyrim's all-too-talkative denizens bellow them every time you're within bellowing range. Dovahkiin shouts? The Voice? Those are nothing compared to these all-powerful, sanity shattering sentences. And that's a rather large problem.

Skyrim's blabbermouth inhabitants speak to a much larger issue within modern games: There's far too much telling, and not nearly enough showing. Ken Levine recently put it best when he said, "It's always very tempting to have people talk. We'll do a level review and either me or somebody else will have like an idea, 'this person will say this!', and generally that's the least effective way to get across information in a videogame." Because it really, really is -- and not just in the case of 80-trillion-hour behemoths like Skyrim.

For example, let's take a game that's essentially Skyrim's polar opposite, like Modern Warfare 3 or -- on the console side of things -- Uncharted 3. Both games are so heavily railroaded that, if you so much as briefly wobble off the tracks, everything explodes and dies. Sometimes literally. In Uncharted's case, especially, it's a byproduct of telling a very deliberate, pre-written story. If those spike-and-glass-and-bee-coated guard rails weren't in place, the whole illusion would fall apart. Expertly crafted scripts would be read out of order. The player could put a bullet in allies' one-liner-spewing robo-brains mid-sentence. And that'd make some weird fraction of a liner. A half-liner? Where's the fun in that?

In all of the above cases, dialog -- what the game's explicitly telling us -- is the first thing to break. And when you can see immersion's seams, it's not long until the stuffing's all over the floor and your cat eats it. Dialog, after all, is a limited resource. No matter how much fancy AI or procedural tech you have, you can't magically teleport voice actors back into the studio each time someone scales to the tippity top of a dialog tree. So typically, the character just goes on infinite repeat, and that's the game's way of saying, "Alright, you can go away now. Nothing to see here. Go on, then! Shoe!"

Obviously, good writing -- and, perhaps more importantly, well-placed writing -- can help remedy this to a certain extent. But even then, in order for it to be effective, incredibly restrictive design constraints are pretty much required. Take Portal, for instance. As far as writing and dialog go, it's nearly untouchable. But it's also a few hours long, linear as a maze designed by a Medieval jouster, and good for roughly one playthrough -- at least, storywise. Moreover, one of its best story moments arises not from prose that'd make Shakespeare throw down his quill and pick up some Ben and Jerry's, but from the power of ever-so-slight suggestion.

I'm referring, of course, to the Weighted Companion Cube. GLaDOS -- mostly in an attempt to mess with your head -- briefly imbues the Companion Cube with vaguely human qualities by saying things like "It would rather die in a fire than become a burden to you." The player's brain, however, does the rest. For me, slam-dunking my cuboid companion into certain fiery doom was utterly heartbreaking. Much moreso than, say, the death of what's-his-stubbly-face in Modern Warfare.

The very notion, of course, is silly. I mean, it's a freakin' cube. It can't speak -- let alone posses a well-developed personality. And yet -- during that five-minute-long segment -- Portal subtly pushed me into bonding with it. Not once did it outright say, "Your character wishes to share a long, passionate make-out session with this geometrical object just before the credits roll." It didn't need to.              

And let's not forget the likes of Ico and Shadow of the Colossus -- both of which are held up as de-facto examples of Games As Art because of the overwhelming emotions they evoke with nary a peep from their characters. Also, while we're in console territory, I may as well bring up The Darkness, which I can't seem to go a week without praising like a lovestruck teenager. There's a good reason for that, though: Snuggling up with main character Jackie Estacado's girlfriend on a couch and watching the entirety of "To Kill a Mockingbird" is one of the most convincing moments I've ever experienced in a game. It's one thing for a game to say, "These two characters are in love because of course they are." It's another thing entirely, however, to stick around until after the danger's passed and there's nothing good on TV.     

Hell, I only chose to slap a big "Berate Me" sign on Skyrim's back first because it's so completely brilliant when chatterbox citizens are nowhere to be found. The game's world is so meticulously constructed that -- when I'm off adventuring all by my lonesome -- I can't help but imagine motivations and stories for characters and environments I encounter. Bethesda's sprinkled each area with just enough information -- skeletons, books, half-eaten food, notes, etc -- that my brain practically leaps at the chance to connect the dots.

Ultimately, though, the game tells me I'm a Big Damn Hero with a Big Damn Destiny. So, somewhat ironically, I'm the same as everybody else. But -- through my adventures -- I've molded my character into a Nord who's equal parts just, prideful, and ruthless. He'll never even consider joining the Dark Brotherhood, but if he deems you a drain on society, he'll slice you until you resemble the Black Knight from Monty Python, watch as you hobble away in fear, and bathe you in flames until you don't even look human anymore. Because in his eyes, you never were. 

It's interesting: People love to rationalize events and create stories. Meanwhile, they hate being bossed around and forced into teeny-tiny boxes. So why are videogames so gleefully in love with getting it backwards? 

Samsung Unveils Exynos 5250 Dual-Core SoC in Korea

Posted: 30 Nov 2011 01:39 PM PST

Samsung Korea today announced what it claims is the industry's first next-generation ARM Cortex-A15 equipped 2GHz dual-core system-on-chip (SoC). Dubbed 'Exynos 5250,' this dual-core part is built using a 32nm manufacturing process and offers roughly twice the performance as that of existing 1.5GHz dual-core Cortex A9 products, Samsung claims.

Memory bandwidth is also doubled to 12.8GB/s, which helps the new SoC achieve a new maximum resolution of 2506x1600, paving the way for high resolution displays on upcoming tablets. It's also burly enough to drive 3D content, including high-end games and HD movies.

Other than that, details are in short supply, though we expect to learn more when Samsung issues an announcement in the U.S. In the meantime, you can view the Korean language press release here.

Image Credit: Samsung

How to Install & Configure the Windows 8 Developer Preview

Posted: 30 Nov 2011 01:08 PM PST

With Windows 8, Microsoft is reimagining the most basic premises of personal computers. CEO Steve Ballmer recognizes the drastic changes coming in Windows 8, even calling the platform one of the biggest risks taken by the industry giant. The UI changes and fundamental paradigm shifts that Windows 8 brings to the table are making a lot of power users eager to give the platform a trial run, even in its current state as a Developer Preview.

If you want to take the plunge and give Windows 8 a try, there are some things you should know ahead of time. First, the current build of Windows 8 is intended as a Developer Preview. This is pre-beta software, meaning there will be bugs and even major missing features. We don't recommend installing Windows 8 as your primary system, but we do encourage you to take it for a spin and spend some time tinkering under the hood. And we recommend that you use good backup practices for any data you put on your Windows 8 system, as stability may be an issue.

Step 1 - Prepare to Install

Whenever you are looking to install new software, especially a new operating system, your first step should be to review the system requirements.

Fortunately, the system requirements for Windows 8 are identical to those for Windows 7. In fact, a baseline Windows 8 installation will consume fewer system resources than a baseline Windows 7 SP1 build. So if you're already running Windows 7, you're in good shape. Note, however, that there are special requirements for touch input.

Microsoft has provided both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of the Windows 8 Developer Preview installation media, both freely available from MSDN. For best results, you should verify that your media downloaded correctly using the hash provided by Microsoft. The .iso files provided can be easily burned to a DVD using native tools in Windows 7 or your preferred DVD software.

Step 2 - Install

There are a couple of different decisions that must be made before you begin any OS install. The first is whether you want the OS to coexist with another in a dual-boot scenario or if you are simply going to overwrite any existing OS installs. Dual-booting provides you with some flexibility to fall back to an existing platform, but also adds complexity in terms of drive partitioning. The other decision is the method of installation. The typical method for installing an operating system is using a bootable disc, which gives you the ability to install the Windows 8 OS to a second hard drive or partition. The Windows 8 Developer Preview will also allow you to install from within a previous Windows version, providing you the option to retain accounts, files, and settings (if installing from Vista or Windows 7). We'll walk you through both options.

The most common method for installing a new operating system on your computer is to boot from a setup disc, in this case a DVD. After inserting the disc and choosing to boot from your optical drive, the Windows 8 setup wizard will look very similar to the Windows 7 install. The first screen prompts you to enter your location information in order to configure your keyboard and other locale-specific settings (image above), and the second contains the button to actually begin the installation.

As with most Windows installations, Windows 8 displays Upgrade or Custom (advanced) options. One of the key differences in using the boot-disc installation is that the Upgrade choice is actually a dead-end. To upgrade from a previous install of Windows, you'll need to use the Windows-based setup utility.The next step in this exercise is choosing the drive or partition for your Windows 8 install (image above). As with Windows 7, you have the option to use empty drive space, reformat an existing partition, or install over an existing Windows instance. If you choose the latter option, system and user files will be placed in the Windows.old directory to be accessed later. Choose your option and hit next—the installer will take over from there.

Alternative - Setup From Windows

Using the Setup option from within a previous version of Windows is a relatively simple prospect. After inserting the setup disc, the installer will ask if you'd like to get updates to the installer itself, which is a nice benefit (image below).

You'll be asked a couple of simple questions—click the Install button at the end and setup will proceed. Once installation is complete, you will be prompted to configure Windows 8 for the first time.

Step 3 - Initial Configuration

Once you've successfully completed the install of the Windows 8 Developer Preview, there are still some configuration steps to take before you can start playing around with the system (image below). If you're the impatient type, the "Use express settings" button is your shortcut to the end result. We recommend choosing the Customize option, which allows you to step through each setting and verify that your machine is configured perfectly.

Assuming you chose the Customize button, the next screen you see asks for your sharing settings—basically, whether you want to share files or devices with other computers on your network. The next screen allows you to configure settings for automatic updates and system protection tools like SmartScreen Filter in Internet Explorer. The rest of the configuration process is fairly self-explanatory.

Now that the system is configured, it's time to get your account set up. There are a couple of options at this point that require some attention. Windows 8 will allow you to use local computer accounts, just like prior versions of Windows, or you can log in with your Windows Live account (image above). Using the Windows Live option will give you some additional features, like the ability to synchronize files and settings between multiple Windows 8 computers. If you used the Windows-based setup and selected the option to retain your user account information, you will be required to enter your old password in order to complete that process. Associating your existing account with Windows Live is completely optional, but if you forgo this choice you will miss out on some of the key new functionality in Windows 8.

Step 4 - Try it Out

Now that you've successfully navigated the installation process, it's time to play with the shiny new Metro UI. Resist the urge to jump straight to the Windows Desktop—Metro is the future of Windows (image below). Though the UI is designed to be extremely touch friendly, Microsoft has made an effort to make it usable for users with a mouse and keyboard, as well. You can activate Metro apps with a mouse click, rearrange tiles by clicking and dragging, and search by simply typing a word or phrase.

There are a few common gestures you should become familiar with. Placing your mouse in the bottom‑left corner of the screen will access the "Charm" menu (image below), which gives you quick access to Search, Settings, and Sharing. Placing your mouse on the far left edge of the screen will bring up a thumbnail of the last app you used. Clicking this thumbnail will return you to the app.

OK, the training wheels are off and you're on your own. Enjoy the ride!

Geek Gift Idea: 3D Printed Robot from My Robot Nation

Posted: 30 Nov 2011 11:49 AM PST

For the geek who has everything, from motherboard art to processor keychains, My Robot Nation today announced the official launch of what it claims is the world's first consumer friendly digital-to-actual 3D creation service. Chalk this one up as a rad and unique gift idea, for yourself or someone else. What this company does is let you create your own robot collectible online, then have it made in full-color and in 3D.

My Robot Nation was actually featured as an exclusive beta on the Google Chrome Web Store some time ago and has now graduated as a gold service. The Web-based creation process leverages proprietary online browser technology with WebGL 3D graphics, but more importantly, it puts 3D printing within reach of the average Joe or Jane. 3D printing, while fun and growing in popularity, is typically expensive and complicated because it requires investing in your own 3D printer, some of which can be a bear to assemble. My Robot Nation removes both barriers.

To ensure your robot is one of a kind, there are more than 9 billion possible combinations of body shapes, limbs, colors, decals, and attachments.

"At My Robot Nation, we believe that everyone is creative, and everyone can create – we all just need a fun and easy way to get started. YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter show us how creative everyone can be digitally – we're giving people an amazing new way to bring that creativity into the real world," said Sarah W. Stocker, co-founder of My Robot Nation. "Robots are only the beginning – the My Robot Nation platform is designed to be flexible and allow for the creation and customization of objects of any type. 3D printing is a revolution in creation – we want everyone to have access to it!"

To kick off its launch, My Robot Nation is offering limited edition holiday robot designs. Pricing varies by size:

  • 2 inches: $18
  • 3 inches: $24
  • 4 inches: $53
  • 5 inches: $100
  • 6 inches: $170

You can create your own robot here.

Spotify Unveils Third-Party Apps

Posted: 30 Nov 2011 11:10 AM PST

Spotify may be one of the more successful streaming music services around, but man, the company is tweaking and adding features like it has something to prove. Spotify's only been available in the U.S. since this summer, and since then, they've added mandatory Facebook registration for rookie users (which kind of sucks) and six months of free, unlimited tunes for newcomers (which is awesome). Last week, CEO Daniel Ek promised a big change was coming to Spotify, and today, he unveiled it: external devs can now create apps that link in to the service using "The Spotify Platform."

Six apps are available to launch the new service: Last.fm and We Are Hunted can suggest songs for your listening pleasure, while Rolling Stone, The Guardian, and Pitchfork provide "expert tips," whatever the heck that means. On a more functional note, the Songkick app will tip you off if one of your favorite artists is playing nearby, and TuneWiki will display the lyrics from the song you're listening to, perfectly synced to the music. You'll be able to add those apps – and more, in the future – via an "Apps" listing in Spotify's left-hand sidebar. It's not appearing in our Spotify just yet, though, so we can't offer up an opinion on whether the initial apps are full of win or weaksauce.

Do third party apps make Spotify a more attractive streaming service for you? Might you actually be tempted to whip up an account, forced Facebook integration and all?

ISPs May Institute Usage Fees To Counteract Streaming Video Surge

Posted: 30 Nov 2011 10:45 AM PST

If you've cut the cable and switched to streaming services like Netflix or Hulu to fill your Sons of Anarchy viewing needs, you might be in for a nasty shock before long: higher prices. No, Netflix isn't raising its rates again. It's your Internet connection itself that your wallet should be worried about! Reports say that major U.S. ISPs, including Time Warner Cable, Charter, Cox and AT&T, are experimenting with usage-based Internet fees – not just to quell streaming users' massive broadband needs, but also to make Netflix less attractive (and traditional cable more attractive) to TV watchers. Most of the largest ISPs sell digital TV services as well, remember?

According to Bloomberg, companies like Time Warner are losing cable customers on quarterly basis, partly because of dish-based alternatives, but mostly due to streaming services. Since streaming services require large amounts of bandwidth, the cable companies (who just so happen to also control your Internet tubes) figure they'll make the money back by charging heavy users higher Internet usage fees. And if users balk at the higher Internet costs, what do you know? They can always switch back to cable. Win-win for the ISP! According to the article, "Cable companies see usage-based billing as a way to limit the appeal of online services like Netflix and Hulu, and reduce the threat from new entrants like Amazon and Google." In addition, usage fees are considered by industry insiders as a great way to squeeze out some extra revenue for ISPs, as traditional cable services are losing growth momentum and incurring rising costs.

Thoughts?
Posted by Shri Krishna

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