General Gaming Article |
- Publisher Penguin Pulls Titles from eBook Lending Program
- Apple Forces Pegatron to Drop Asus Ultrabook
- Google Gets US and EU Approval to Buy Motorola
- Maximum PC's 2011 Gaming Awards
- GPU-Z Update Fleshes Out Videocard Support, Acknowledges Packard Bell
- iBuyPower Throws Cost Conscious Gamers a Bone with Intel Core i7 3820 Processor Option
- AMD Readies Half a Dozen New Trinity APUs
- Valve: Hackers Probably Swiped Sensitive User Data In November Steam Breach
- 2013 Might Be the Year of the $600 Ultrabook
- Google TV Unveils Big Surprise Announcement
| Publisher Penguin Pulls Titles from eBook Lending Program Posted: 13 Feb 2012 06:46 PM PST
OverDrive has come under fire itself for its use of DRM, but this was the only way the company could get nearly 1,000 publishers to get on board with its library lending system. Sadly, that wasn't enough for Penguin, which didn't like that patron were able to download content over the air. They preferred a system wherein books would need to be downloaded to a PC, then synced to a device. Penguin isn't the only publisher to eschew lending ebooks. Simon & Schuster and Macmillan don't lend any books, but Random House makes up for that a little by making its entire catalog available for lending through libraries. |
| Apple Forces Pegatron to Drop Asus Ultrabook Posted: 13 Feb 2012 06:33 PM PST
This isn't necessarily a sign of things to come, though. Cupertino-based Apple was apparently a little hot under the collar because the Zenbook bears a striking resemblance to the MacBook Air. Although, going forward we can imagine a lot of Ultrabooks getting more Mac-like. Pegatron was in a particularly tight spot as it just landed the iPhone contract and it would have been very costly to lose the business at this early stage. Pegatron has deals to build a number of other Windows-based systems, but no word on Apple strong-arming them over those. Do you think Apple will continue to lean on Chinese device manufacturers? |
| Google Gets US and EU Approval to Buy Motorola Posted: 13 Feb 2012 03:14 PM PST
Google announced the Motorola purchase last year, saying that it would pay $12.5 billion for the company. In the interest of gaining faster approval, Google said it would run Motorola as a separate business. Of course, that wouldn't stop El Goog from using all 17,000 of those cellular patents Motorola has to protect Android. Regulators also approved the purchase of Nortel's patent portfolio by a group including Apple and Microsoft. At least Google has a little ammo for the always escalating patent war. What do you think is going to happen to Motorola after the buyout? |
| Maximum PC's 2011 Gaming Awards Posted: 13 Feb 2012 12:56 PM PST And the Winners Are…
Yes, a year has passed since we last feted our favorite pastime—PC gaming. In some ways it feels like it's been much longer, so rich was the quantity and quality of titles that PC gamers had to choose from. That abundance served to make our job as awarders especially challenging. Nevertheless, we holed up in an office as we do every year and collectively reviewed the highlights and lowlights of the last year in PC gaming. Now it's time for you to kick back and enjoy the spectacle that is Maximum PC's 2011 Gaming Awards! Game of the Year 2011The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim It's exceptionally rare these days that a single-player game so thoroughly dominates the gaming zeitgeist. But with an arrow to the heart (and in the knee), gamers everywhere have fallen head over heels for Bethesda's latest open-world masterpiece, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Skyrim has a bit of something for everyone. You can live out your virtual Viking fantasies, wandering the pine forests, windswept plains, and snowy peaks, hacking through any beast or bandit that crosses your path. You can walk the arcane corridors of magic, bending fire and lightning to your will. You can stalk the shadows, picking pockets, looting chests, and slitting throats. Or, better yet, you can do all of these things, as you create the character and the story you want. Oh, and there are dragons. www.elderscrolls.com, ESRB: M
The Enhanced Interrogation AwardL.A. Noire We're not sure whether to trust Rockstar Games, doubt its sincerity, or flat-out call it a bait and switch artist. You see, the publisher delivered its usual polished cinematic experience—what it didn't tell us is that L.A. Noire is more an interactive movie than an actual video game. Still, the game's well-written script, fantastic production values, and innovative facial motion-capture technology make it more fun than ever to accuse a grieving widow of being a liar, a murderer, or a whore—or in true Noir fashion, all three. www.rockstargames.com, ESRB: M
Most Succulent GameBulletstorm When you're playing a game where you can basically kick people into the air, fill them with bullets in slow motion, then watch as they cascade off a cliff or into large, conveniently placed cactuses, well, you've got a winner. Aside from introducing mind-blowing FPS gameplay mechanics, Bulletstorm also features some of the most movie-like experiences we've ever seen in its phenomenal single-player campaign. Solid voice acting, amazing graphics, a ridiculous story and points for shooting enemies in the ass (literally), Bulletstorm is zany, bloody, chaotic fun. ESRB: M
The Stretching the Bounds of Physics and Friendship AwardPortal 2 Portal won our hearts with its mix of clever physics puzzles, laugh-out-loud humor, and poignant storytelling. Portal 2 is a dazzling repeat performance, with new types of brain-twisting puzzles and an even better story. The game's co-op mode, instead of dropping another Chell into the single-player campaign, is an entirely new series of test chambers featuring two boistrous robots, and cooperation is key—you don't want to get on GLaDOS' bad side. www.thinkwithportals.com/, ESRB: E
The Non-sequitur AwardDeus Ex: Human Revolution Human Revolution, like the original Deus Ex, gives the player many different paths to success. You can choose to be a hulked-out combat specialist, a hacker, a stealth character, or anything in between. There's no wrong way to play Human Revolution. Until you come to a boss battle. The boss battles are brainless, out-of-nowhere inclusions that completely change the tone of the game, and put non-combat characters at a severe disadvantage. We never asked for this. www.deusex.com, ESRB: M
The Figuratively Jumping the Shark AwardAssassin's Creed: Revelations It's hard to tell when exactly a series that features glowing alien demigods and a millenia-spanning conspiracy theory involving everyone from Da Vinci, to Hitler, to Gandhi, to Adam and Eve "jumps the shark." Until, that is, we realized it's not the game's plot, but developer Ubisoft whose gone off the deep end. Revelations is actually a solid game, but being the third Assassin's Creed game in as many years, the experience is starting to feel a bit like Ezio: old and tired. http://assassinscreed.ubi.com/revelations/en-us/home/index.aspx, ESRB: M
The Literally Jumping over Sharks AwardBatman: Arkham City Batman can knock out anyone, including sharks. This was evidenced in Batman: Arkham City, where in one of our favorite sections of the epic game, you must literally tread thin ice—walk too fast or become impatient, and a massive great white shark shoots out and attacks the caped crusader. That's award-worthy in and of itself, really. Shark-punching aside, Arkham City is an incredible game with one of the darkest and most shocking story lines we've had the pleasure of experiencing since, well, Arkham Asylum (our 2009 game of the year). http://community.batmanarkhamcity.com/, ESRB: T
The Worst Vacation Package Ever AwardDead Island If the Banoi tourism brochure said "Dead Island," we probably would have just gone to Disneyworld instead. Sun, sand, waves… and waves of zombie hordes—what Dead Island lacks in amenities, it makes up for in hands-on service that appreciates you for your brains. But hey, at least when comparing terrible vacation stories, our head-stomping weekend stopover at Dead Island will beat the hell out of our buddy's sob story about stepping on a jellyfish and forgetting his passport at the hotel. www.deadislandgame.com, ESRB: M
The Kid Walks into Magazine, Wins AwardBastion The Kid wakes up, blinks his eyes in confusion, and looks around. Sees a sign on the wall, MaximumPC. Kid remembers the old world, remembers magazines and the stories they told. He finds himself surrounded by a bunch of editors—good folk, simple folk. They begin to tell him a tale, a tale he knows all too well. Kid listens as they praise his journey, tell him he's damn fine with a pistol and a hammer. Tell him his world is bright and vibrant and beautiful. Kid tears up a little, feels a lump swelling in his throat, manages to croak out a single word… "Thanks." www.supergiantgames.com, ESRB: E10+
The Play with the Lights On AwardAmnesia: The Dark Descent Amnesia: The Dark Descent is dark. It's got dark right in the title. It's dark and atmospheric and, at times, genuinely terrifying. And did we mention it's really dark? The loading screen recommends you turn off the lights and plug in some headphones to better appreciate the frightening atmosphere. We, however, suggest otherwise. Turn on all the lights, invite over your neighbors, crank up the stereo—you'll thank us when you're blissfully dreaming of videocards and motherboards and not having horrifying Lovecraftian imagery dominate your nightmares. www.amnesiagame.com, ESRB: M
The These Boots Are Made For Stomping AwardDead Space 2 There's a lot to love about Dead Space 2. There's the creepy, claustrophobic atmosphere, the tense sound effects, the horrific enemy design, and a ton more. What really sets the game apart, however, is the sheer, visceral carnage you can unleash with each of the game's many upgradable weapons. But even if you're out of ammo for your saw-blade launcher, you're not defenseless—there's always Isaac's torso-smashing stomp, which will go down in history as gaming's most grisly looting animation.
The Everyone Saw this Coming AwardDuke Nukem: Forever Look, we wanted Duke Nukem: Forever to be good. All of us did, collectively. But Duke Nukem: Forever, in so many ways, is just a bad game. It isn't funny (purposely, anyway) and the gameplay is shockingly infantile; but the fact that it's terrible isn't really all that shocking. When a game is stuck in development hell for more than a decade, something'll emerge, sure, but it ain't gonna be pretty. Duke Nukem: Forever proved that. www.dukenukem.com, ESRB: M
The Witchiest Game of 2011The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Geralt of Rivia returns with a vengeance in one of the most gorgeous and gritty games of 2011. As in the first game, your choices matter—the game's second act is completely different, depending which side you take in a certain conflict. The Witcher 2 isn't perfect—the learning curve is steep and parts of the game are frustrating in the extreme, but it was still one best RPGs of the year—and certainly the witchiest. Bonus: The game was released completely DRM-free and still sold over 1 million copies. www.thewitcher.com, ESRB: M
The Too Accessible AwardCrysis 2 Crysis 2 looks good, but it wasn't the brutal benchmark that we've coveted for years now. In fact, it was developed primarily as a console game, and, while beautiful, it surely doesn't require the hardware needed to top out its little, more graphically demanding brother, Crysis 1. Regardless, Crysis 2 is a damn fine sequel that's gorgeous, challenging, and engrossing from beginning to end. www.ea.com/crysis-2, ESRB: M
Third-Best Game in Which America Is InvadedHomefront Following the death of Kim Jong Il, his son and successor Kim Jong Un goes on an annexation rampage, swallowing up most of Asia before invading the western half of a weakened United States in 2025. So goes the lead up to Homefront, a lusciously vivid FPS depiction of urban, suburban and rural America as a guerilla resistance battleground. Now that North Korea's supreme leader has in fact expired, time will only tell if this far-fetched premise will play out. We know some things for sure though: the frequently janky gameplay and stunningly short single-player campaign of Homefront had us pining for New York to be shredded to pieces, either via the alien apocalypse of Crysis 2 or the Russian coalition in Modern Warfare 3. www.homefront-game.com, ESRB: M
Best Use of ColorLimbo A freaky-genius masterpiece of a puzzle game, Limbo is an exercise in minimalism and unlike anything we've played before. Developed by gothily named Playdead, Limbo's side scrolling adventures follow a nameless boy as he searches to find his sister in a creepy monochromatic underworld. You will fail him. He will die. Horribly. And often. It's a bit gruesome to constantly watch the boy beheaded, dismembered, impaled, and crushed, but in Limbo, dying is just trial-and-error to get to the next challenge. Using elements of dark and light, shadows, and a complete lack of dialogue, text, or explanation, Limbo creates an intensely eerie atmosphere that extends to each of its puzzles. http://limbogame.org/, ESRB: T
The Tanks for Nothing AwardWorld of Tanks Free to play (aka F2P) games have inspired a lot of anxiety among hardcore gamers. They worry that the game will be an incessant grind, like many Korean F2P MMOs, or that players who pay cash money will have an insurmountable advantage over those who don't (à la Battlefield Heroes). Fortunately, there are a few games around like World of Tanks, which prove that you can get a great, action-packed multiplayer game for free, and that free-to-play doesn't have to mean pay-to-win. http://worldoftanks.com/, ESRB: T
The Most Creative DRM AwardSerious Sam 3 We're not big fans of DRM, but we respect that a game developer has to go to some lengths to protect its work from illegal downloading. We respect it even more when that developer trolls software pirates with an immortal pink scorpion. That's what Croteam did with Serious Sam 3—if you pirate the game, be prepared to go toe-to-toe with a gun toting, lightning-fast arachnid. http://serioussam.com/, ESRB: M
Worst Battlefield SequelCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 We're big Call of Duty fans, but Modern Warfare 3 feels a bit stale, especially when placed next to the revolutionary Battlefield 3, which released around the same time. We understand that if you know what works, stick with it, but innovation is important, too. Activision, please update the graphics engine and take some chances next time around! We're careening into a crazy-ass era of gaming, and we simply want Call of Duty to catch up. www.callofduty.com/mw3, ESRB: M
Best Multiplayer GameBattlefield 3 Battlefield 3 is about as epic a first-person shooter as we've seen in a hell of a long time. Unlike some hyped shooters that offer limited vehicle support, BF3's vehicles give the game a three-dimensional battle space that has to be experienced to be appreciated. Not only are you worried about some frakking sniper, you also have to contend with attack helicopters, jets, tanks, APCs and the other 63 players, too. And all in stunning graphical detail that pushes the PC to its limits. www.battlefield.com, ESRB: M
The Roguelikes Gallery[brief intro]The roguelike—a dungeon-crawler with randomly generated levels, ultra-hard difficulty, and permadeath—is one of the most venerable of game genres. Traditionally crafted with ASCII graphics, roguelikes were the direct precursors to action RPGs like Diablo. That doesn't mean the genre is dead, though—2011 was a banner year for roguelikes. And roguelike-likes. Dungeons of Dredmor Permadeath? Check. Randomly generated levels? Very check. Lutefisk? Scads of it. Dungeons of Dredmor takes the staples of the roguelike genre, adds a bunch of skillsets like Mathomancy, Viking Wizardry, and Necronomiconomics, and graphics reminiscent of '90s LucasArts adventure games. www.dungeonsofdredmor.com, ESRB: NR
Desktop Dungeons An alpha version of Desktop Dungeons appeared in 2010 as a single-level roguelike that could be played in 15 minutes. The game isn't officially out yet, but, as is the current style, you can play the beta version now if you preorder the game. www.desktopdungeons.net, ESRB: NR
The Binding of Isaac From Edmund McMillen (Super Meat Boy), it's a roguelike in the 8-bit aesthetic, featuring a bawling baby, Biblical themes, and poop! As Isaac, trying to escape the aforementioned Binding (it's a bad thing), you defeat your enemies by spraying them with your tears. http://bit.ly/oWF7bP, ESRB: NR
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| GPU-Z Update Fleshes Out Videocard Support, Acknowledges Packard Bell Posted: 13 Feb 2012 12:09 PM PST
Some other notable highlights include:
There are more than a dozen fixes and feature additions implemented in GPU-Z 0.5.9, which is a favorite tool of ours that we often use to verify specs and clockspeeds. You can learn more and download the newest version by going here. |
| iBuyPower Throws Cost Conscious Gamers a Bone with Intel Core i7 3820 Processor Option Posted: 13 Feb 2012 11:51 AM PST
iBuyPower now offers an Intel Core i7 3820 processor option on its X79 systems. The 3820 is a quad-core processor clocked at 3.6GHz with 10MB of L3 cache, whereas the 3930K (3.2GHz, 12MB L3 cache) and 3960X (3.3GHz, 15MB L3 cache) are both six-core CPUs. "We are excited to offer these speedy new CPUs that are faster than the previous generation but more efficient," said Darren Su, Vice President of iBuyPower. "Best of all the Intel Core i7 3820 is priced similarly to the slower previous generation, allowing us to pass that savings on to our customers." iBuyPower offers a range of X79 systems starting at $1.289 (Gamer Paladin F760). The boutique builder also has a number of Valentine's Day specials, which you can view here. |
| AMD Readies Half a Dozen New Trinity APUs Posted: 13 Feb 2012 11:28 AM PST
According to Donanimhaber.com, the following are on tap from AMD:
On the high end of the totem pole is the A10-3800K, a quad-core processor clocked at 3.8GHz (4.2GHz Turbo) with 4MB of L2 cache, Radeon HD 7660D graphics (800MHz), and a 100W TDP. The next three processors -- A10-5700, A8-5600K, and A8-5500 -- are all quad-core parts as well with clockspeeds ranging from 3.2GHz to 3.6GHz. Details are comparatively scarce for the A6-5400K and A4-5300, a pair of dual-core APUs rated at 65W TDP. Processor clockspeeds are unknown for these two chips. Image Credit: AMD |
| Valve: Hackers Probably Swiped Sensitive User Data In November Steam Breach Posted: 13 Feb 2012 11:11 AM PST
Valve boss Gabe Nowell recently posted this update on Steam: Dear Steam Users and Steam Forum Users: We continue our investigation of last year's intrusion with the help of outside security experts. In my last note about this, I described how intruders had accessed our Steam database but we found no evidence that the intruders took information from that database. That is still the case. Recently we learned that it is probable that the intruders obtained a copy of a backup file with information about Steam transactions between 2004 and 2008. This backup file contained user names, email addresses, encrypted billing addresses and encrypted credit card information. It did not include Steam passwords. We do not have any evidence that the encrypted credit card numbers or billing addresses have been compromised. However as I said in November it's a good idea to watch your credit card activity and statements. And of course keeping Steam Guard on is a good idea as well. We are still investigating and working with law enforcement authorities. Some state laws require a more formal notice of this incident so some of you will get that notice, but we wanted to update everyone with this new information now. Stay on your toes (and your credit report), fellow gamers. |
| 2013 Might Be the Year of the $600 Ultrabook Posted: 13 Feb 2012 11:00 AM PST
DigiTimes spoke with several sources in the notebook industry, and the general consensus is that the average selling price of Ultrabooks won't fall to $600 to $700 until 2013. That doesn't mean you won't see any lower priced Ultrabooks between now and then, especially ones that are marked on sale, but on average, consumers will end up paying more, is what they believe. Solid state drives (SSDs) are a double-edged sword for Ultrabooks. They're faster than mechanical hard drives and are part of what makes an Ultrabook attractive (as a whole), but they're also around 10 times more expensive than traditional HDDs, notebook vendors say. Those ultra-thin panels, which are another staple of Intel's Ultrabook form factor, also drive up manufacturing costs. While $600 and $700 Ultrabooks might not be the norm until 2013, notebook vendors says the ASP could drop to $800 in the second quarter of 2012. |
| Google TV Unveils Big Surprise Announcement Posted: 13 Feb 2012 10:48 AM PST
…an update to the YouTube app for Google TV. No, really. That's it. And that's why you shouldn't get pumped for vague PR announcements. In any case, Google claims the updated YouTube app is faster and smoother than ever before, and a new Discovery feature allows you to browse YouTube videos by category. Changes to the channel interface make subscribing and finding videos related to the ones you watch easier, too. All in all, it seems like a solid -- if unspectacular -- update to the YouTube app. But someone at Google should tone down the hype machine (especially on news-light weekends). |
Publishers are more than a little squeamish about ebooks, and lending ebooks doubly so. With that in mind, it's not really a surprise that Penguin Books has decided to pull its content from 
Apple is famous for its stranglehold on supply chains all over the world, and it's now exerting influence with it. According to a report from the Chinese Commercial Times, Apple has 
We heard last week that Google was tantalizingly close to getting regulatory approval in the EU for its proposed takeover of Motorola Mobility, and today the search giant got that 
There's a new version of TechPowerUp's GPU-Z utility available to download, v0.5.9. The newest build has no trouble recognizing AMD Radeon HD 7750 and 7770 graphics cards, and support has also been added for GF108-based Nvidia GeForce GT 520, GTX 555 (non-mobile), GeForce 305M, and 610M GPUs. Some long overdue love was finally given to Packard Bell, which is recognized as a PCI vendor in the latest version of GPU-Z.
Boutique system builders have been pushing Intel's Core i7 3930K and 3960X processors pretty hard, and they're both high potency options if you're cruising the pre-built scene for a Sandy Bridge-E system. They're also a bit pricey. Enter iBuyPower, which has now begun offering a less expensive Sandy Bridge-E option for gamers who want to invest in an Intel X79 foundation without overspending on a CPU.
A Chinese website posted details about six upcoming AMD Accelerated Processing Units (APUs) built around the chip maker's Trinity architecture. These include a pair of dual-core processors and four quad-core parts with improved graphics. Half of the new lineup will ship with a Black Edition label, a designation reserved for processors with unlocked multipliers.
When Steam was hacked way back in November, Valve took the high road and 
Notebook makers find themselves in a bit of a pickle regarding Intel's Ultrabook initiative. On one hand, lower prices are what will truly drive Ultrabook sales, which is something Intel recognized on Day 1 when it advised notebook makers to stay under a $1,000 ceiling. That's well and good for the consumer, but high manufacturing costs cut into profits when you start dipping below a grand. It might be another year before Ultrabook pricing starts to look truly enticing.
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