General Gaming Article

General Gaming Article


Acer, Toshiba, & Asus Unveiling New Windows 8 Tablet Hardware at Computex Next Week

Posted: 03 Jun 2012 08:46 AM PDT

Windows 8 TabletOpinions on Windows 8 as a desktop operating system are definitely a mixed bag. While most people would describe the fusion of Metro and the Desktop as awkward at best, even the biggest of critics have to admit the potential for Metro on tablets is huge. We've had three release previews at this point to give us an idea of what the operating system will look like, but hardware could make or break Microsoft's tablet aspirations. PC OEM's have tripped over themselves trying to duplicate the industrial designs consumers crave, and if Windows 8 ships on 4 inch thick square tablets, they might as well not even bother. Our first glimpse of new Windows 8 tablet hardware will be on display next week at Computex Taipei, with Acer, Toshiba, & Asus showing off new designs.

According to Bloomberg the Asus booth will be the one to watch, as they will have both a Tegra based Windows 8 RT device, and an Intel X86 tablet running side by side. By contrast Acer has confirmed its demo unit will be powered by Intel, and Toshiba is using a Texas Instruments ARM chip for its latest. It will be interesting to find out from the vendors themselves exactly what compromises must be made in size, weight, and battery life if you opt for an x86 design over ARM. I'm guessing more than one Maximum PC reader would be interested in a x86 Windows 8 "Transformer Like" tablet, but of course this will all depend on form factor.   

Google Revealing “The Next Dimension” of Google Maps on June 6th

Posted: 03 Jun 2012 07:51 AM PDT

GoogleGoogle Maps has long been considered the gold standard for mapping services, despite the heavy competition from Bing and countless others. Between Street View, Google Earth, and the amazing turn-by-turn navigation found on Android, it's hard to imagine the service getting any better. Obliviously Google would disagree with me however, and are getting ready to release "the next dimension" on June 6th at 12:30 PM ET.

Brian McCleendon, VP of Google Maps and Google Earth is rumored to be hosting the event, and will be demonstrating a ton of new features. Based on both the name, and the most obvious missing feature, it is expected 3D maps will finally go live. Interestingly enough, this is one area where Bing really shines. According to Google the new features "will help people get where they want to go – both physically and virtually".

Google's last minute timing of the event is likely an attempt to get ahead of the press black hole that surrounds Apple during WWDC. 

iFixit / Chipworks Samsung Galaxy S III Teardown

Posted: 03 Jun 2012 06:00 AM PDT

SamsungDuring my years here at Maximum PC I've noticed a strong correlation between our audience, and the desire to rip perfectly good things apart just to see how they work. When it comes to modern smartphones this can be a bit problematic because they don't always go back together all that well. The use of proprietary screws, glue, and other nasty "innovations" threaten to make future computing devices completely unserviceable. Thankfully sites such as iFixit have popped up to do the heavy lifting for us, and risk their $600+ phones so you don't have to. Today's science experiment is the Samsung Galaxy S III

Most of the items exposed post mortem were already known, but at least now we can see how they all fit together. Up close pictures of the 8-megapixel camera, 2,100mAh battery, and Exynos Quad Core CPU look great, however there is always a catch. The Glass on the display is "fused" to the Galaxy S III frame. This means any accidental drop that breaks the glass will be an expensive, curse inducing mistake. We wish manufacturers would keep reparability in mind when they design phones and gadgets, however the desire to make them thinner and lighter isn't helping.

Hit jump to see the step by step teardown.   

Latest Gaming and MMORPG Updates

Latest Gaming and MMORPG Updates


Gameforumer is on a Move

Posted: 03 Jun 2012 06:51 AM PDT

Hello Gamers,

We are finally moving Gameforumer.com to a stable Google Version of webhost.

Please await for the merger to happen and have a new look with a consist updates.

Thanks,
Admin@ gameforumer.com

Review: Ratchet & Clank All 4 One is Not One 4 All Ratchet Fans

Posted: 03 Jun 2012 06:09 AM PDT

I honestly have no idea how I got through the first few video games I played during my childhood. I’m not just talking about the NES stuff from the mid-’80s, but games like the Smurfs for the Atari 2600. Assuming my memory is correct, there’s a random fence that, if you didn’t jump over in precisely the right way, meant instant game over. And somehow, I had put up with that damn instant death fence — again and again. I’m not sure whether I did so because I was a very perseverant child, or if I simply had nothing better to do than try-and-try-and-try again. Back then, video games for kids were simple, crude, and a bit on the cruel and unrelenting side.

Nowadays, kids games have dialed down the cruelty to the point where failure is not only not an option, but it’s not really even acknowledged. But even though they’ve become easier, they have not progressed much in terms of being less janky. It sort of makes sense for some Flash game on a NickJR or Disney XD website to look like it was made in some high schooler’s programming class, but when you see uninspired characters, repeated assets, and horrible glitches in a retail game meant for a home console, it’s downright disheartening. So it’s nice to see that while Sesame Street: Once Upon A Monster still adopts the lack-of-failure motif, it’s within a game that looks like people cared about its craft.


Squadflow (KR) – New PvP trailer

Posted: 02 Jun 2012 09:46 AM PDT


First announced at G*Star 2010 and development starting way back in 2008, Hanbitsoft's futuristic online shooter, Squadflow, is finally ready for its first ever offline Focus Group Test (FGT). I am not sure what enhancements were made, but the latest trailer gave an insight of the intense PvP action which will be in the game.


Squadflow tells a story where a group of robots are out to protect humans (yeah you play as a robot). The game graphics are kind of unique, since the visual appearance of characters are a little blurred, giving that dreamy and floaty feeling. There are co-op PvE missions available as well. The FGT begins on 6th June this month.


This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Sim City release date announced

Posted: 02 Jun 2012 03:29 AM PDT

EA has announced the release date for SimCity. The reboot of the classic city management series will be launched in February 2013 and along with this pre-E3 announcement, EA has released three new screens (below).

Hopefully the earlier-than expected release date will help mollify fans who may not be so impressed with Sim City’s always-online requirement, a PC-gaming DRM trend that has hardly been well received in the past, but with the recent furore over Diablo III, is bound to stir up some controversy.

simcity3 simcity1 simcity2 simcity-logo

Flying in Pandaria, New Capital Cities, Male Pandaren Emotes, Blue Posts, Fan Art

Posted: 01 Jun 2012 11:26 PM PDT

Diablo 3 - Power Leveling, Item Level Update, User Questions Answered, Blue Posts, and Diablo Wallpaper

Wisdom of the Four Winds
Once you reach level 90, which was unlocked in this patch, you are able to purchase Wisdom of the Four Winds from a flight trainer for 2,500 gold. This will allow you to use flying mounts in Pandaria!



Horde and Alliance Capital Cities in Pandaria
If you are looking for an easy place to purchase that flight training from, look no further than the new Alliance and Horde capital cities that are located in the Vale of Eternal Blossoms.











Male Pandaren Voice Emotes
The male Pandaren had a few new emotes added in this patch.



Blue Posts
Originally Posted by Blizzard Entertainment
Weather Effects
We just added weather to all the zones in the last build. If you are not seeing it yet, just give it some time to show up. (Blue Tracker / Official Forum)

Mage (Forums)
Mage PvP
The intent is that stronger player snares (such as Frost Bomb) should not overwrite weaker player snares (such as Frostbolt). Their effects won't stack, but the debuffs should persist.

Example: You Frostbolt a rabbit. It gets the Frostbolt debuff and is snared by 50%. You then Frost Bomb the rabbit (under the assumption that you are really scared of this rabbit for some reason). The rabbit gets the Frost Bomb debuff and is snared 70%. However, it doesn't lose the Frostbolt debuff and two seconds later when Frost Bomb wears off, it is now snared at 50%. (Blue Tracker / Official Forum)

Fan Art Update
The World of Warcraft Fan Art Section has been updated with three new pieces of fan artwork.

Tribes : Ascend

Posted: 01 Jun 2012 04:01 PM PDT


(Closed Beta signup) I will have to admit I never really played this genre of game until I tried Mars Wars (link), which is now dead and of course, a poor man’s PlanetSide clone called by some. And yes, I never played the original Tribes as well. But Mar Wars really got me hooked, making me clock around 6 hours a day on that game. It will just be natural for me to eventually try out Tribes: Ascend and PlanetSide 2.

IGN posted an awesome footage of the game, and it is being narrated by a staff over at Hi-Rez Studios, the developer of the title. It loos seriously amazing, and I love to see hundreds of players swarm over the maps and seeking kills. The traditional room-based MMOFPS is just… too tiny for me. I think I am getting a little claustrophobic in terms of land size in games.

Tribes: Ascend is Free to Play with players able to purchase the game one a one time fee fro some perks and a VIP status. There will be a Cash Shop as well in the future. Closed Beta begins November 4.

July Cover Revealed: Gears Of War Judgment

Posted: 01 Jun 2012 02:30 PM PDT

Update: The new installment in Epic's billion-dollar franchise is Gears of War: Judgment. The July cover of Game Informer shows series mainstay Damon Baird shackled as the Locust hordes rage around him. Augustus "Cole Train" Cole, soldier and world-famous Thrashball player, dons our second cover image in the same precarious situation.

Check out both of the beautiful covers below, keep an eye out for the issue in your mailbox and on newsstands, and check back Monday for more information on Gears of War: Judgment's multiplayer mode. On Monday we'll launch our Gears of War: Judgment hub, along with a coverage trailer for all the exclusive Gears content you have to look forward to throughout July. Also on Monday you can use Game Informer's new iPad app to read all about Gears of War: Judgment and the rest of our content-packed July issue.

Baird:

 

Cole:

--------------------------------------------

Usually, we like to reveal the name and final cover art for our upcoming issue's cover story the Thursday before it hits subscribers. This time we're saving the full unveiling of the game's title until Monday during Microsoft's E3 press conference, but we can confirm that our next cover is the new installment in the Gears of War series and is coming to Xbox 360. We figure this news and a glimpse of the shrouded Gears of War cover are least some consolation, as the image raises some interesting questions: Who is in chains, and where?

Take your time trying to decipher clues about the next game in the Gears of War universe, and check back on Monday when we fully pull back the curtain on both (yes, we said "both") of our covers. Also waiting for you on Monday is a teaser trailer jammed with sneak peeks at our month of online Gears of War coverage. As always, you can learn more about Epic's new game in the following weeks with a wealth of online videos, articles, and interviews that will populate our upcoming Gears of War hub, including an exclusive and extensive first look here at Game Informer that hits Monday morning. You don't want to miss it.

Our world exclusive first look at next game in the Gears of War franchise isn't the only story worth diving into in our July issue. Get a sneak peek at the splendor of the next console generation with our in- depth article on Epic's Unreal Engine 4. Get ready for Call of Duty: Black Ops II with our extensive feature detailing the game's intense, globe-hopping campaign. We also have a new look at the long- awaited Tomb Raider reboot, along with The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – Dawnguard and some exciting new projects that will be announced next week.

In this upcoming issue we also catch up with Robert Bowling and discuss the first game from his new studio, Robotoki. Ex-Infinity Ward heads Jason Ward and Vince Zampella also reveal more on their side of the Activision/Call of Duty drama and their future endeavors.

Look for the July issue to hit mailboxes and newsstands in the coming weeks, or click here to subscribe or convert your existing physical subscription and get access to the digital edition when it goes live on June 4 – we might even have a new surprise on Monday for digital subscribers as well.

Wizardry Online – English publisher confirmed

Posted: 01 Jun 2012 12:01 PM PDT


[Game info] In what I see as a surprise move, Sony Online Entertainment has announced that it will be publishing Wizardry Online, the MMO reincarnation of the classic franchise. SOE will be having a demo of the game next week at E3 as well. Currently in the commercial phase (P2P) in Japan, Wizardry Online features several hardcore functions such as possible permanent death, tons of maze-like dungeons filled with ferocious creatures/ demons and death traps.


On hindsight, the deal looks like a match since Wizardry Online is developed in Japan by Gamepot, while I am suspecting some of Sony's bosses over at HQ took part in negotiating the deal. Whatever the case is, prepare for a really, really tough game ahead in terms of mechanics. I wonder if it will go P2P as well...



This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Blizzard Seoul office raided

Posted: 01 Jun 2012 11:53 AM PDT

South Korean officials have raided Blizzard’s offices in Seoul over allegations of breaching trade regulations Blizzard Seoul office raidedfor Diablo III. The long awaited sequel to the dungeon-crawling classic has seem more than its fair share of controversy since its launch last month, with players suffering land frequently being unable to access their Diablo III accounts as the servers buckle under the huge demands of 6.3 million players.

According to Korean FTC (Fair Trade Commission) spokesman Kim Hyung-bae, the FTC has "received many complaints from Diablo III users" - and under Korean law, a customer is entitled to a refund on any product up to a week after purchase. Korean Diablo III players have been subject to the same dreaded “error 37″ that prevents access to a Diablo III account and as a result, some Koreans have sought a refund from Blizzard. Unfortunately, Blizzard has a no-refund policy on activated games, which has brought it into conflict with Korean law.

Blizzard has already doubled the capacity of the Korean servers, but that might be too little, too late, as some investigators expect the Korean authorities to enforce a mandate for Blizzard to refund its unhappy Korean Diablo III customers.

Game Informer Goes iPad

Posted: 01 Jun 2012 11:19 AM PDT

With the release of the upcoming July issue next Monday that features the next entry in the Gears of War series, Game Informer is releasing our first digital issue that fully supports iPad.

As part of Apple's newsstand, you can instantly buy single issues ($4.99 each) or purchase a 12-issue subscription for $19.99. Already a digital subscriber? You get the tablet edition for free as part of your browser subscription. Power-Up Pro members and other current Game Informer Digital subscribers just need to download the app, log in using their gameinformer.com account (click the My Account button in the top right corner), and go. This account uses the email that you supplied when you purchased your digital subscription. If you need help logging in, try this FAQ.

If interested, you can switch your print subscription to a digital subscription here. If you wish to subscribe to Game Informer Digital to receive both the browser and the tablet edition, head here

Click here to head to iTunes to pick it up the app RIGHT NOW. It's free and it includes a demo/beta/mini-version of our April issue featuring the entire Assassin's Creed III cover story for your enjoyment.

The next big question: Where is Android? We are currently working on getting this issue out for Android as well, and all interactions and pricing will work the same as described above.

And one last note: print subscriptions and issues are not going away anytime soon so if you love the printed word (like us) no need to post nasty comments below as we have you covered.

Game Informer iPad Highlights

* Embedded movies that you can watch anywhere, plus access to tons of movies online that you can watch from inside the app.

* Links to additional information online that can be viewed inside the app.

* Interactive screenshot galleries and information kiosks (our first issue features monster galleries for Gears of War, interactive E3 Bingo, and an armory for Darksider II's Death).

* All the information of the print edition redesigned for ease of use on tablet.

* Retina display support.

This is just our first issue, but we have lots of ideas in the works to make Game Informer Digital a fun and interactive way to read your favorite magazine.

Check it out!

Head to the store to pick up the free app and demo here.

Only one option is available now (I already downloaded the demo), but as new issues come out this will fill with magazines you can view and archive.

This God of War: Ascension preview from the upcoming issue lets you watch a movie by clicking on the play button...

...or expand the screenshot for a better view.

Download the demo/beta, play with it over the weekend, and let us know what you think in the comments below. Then make sure to come back on Monday for a full featured edition featuring the new Gears of War (or even better, enable push notifications and we will let you know on your iPad when it's ready for download).

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