General Gaming Article

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• Which MOBA Takes DOTA's Crown?
• Microsoft Yanks Unfunny "Fly on the Wall" Videos Mocking Apple
• LEPA Expands Power Supply Line-Up
• Intel's Updated Graphics Drivers for Ivy Bridge, Haswell Stomps Out Bugs in Windows 7 and 8
• AMD Plans to Expand Desktop Richland Family of APUs Ahead of Kaveri Launch
• Microsoft's Answer to Siri and Google Now is Cortana
• Windows Phone Store Now Processing 9 Million Daily Transactions
• Newegg Daily Deals: LG 14X Blu-ray Burner, Logitech F710 Wireless Gamepad, and More!

Which MOBA Takes DOTA's Crown? Posted: 16 Sep 2013 05:38 PM PDT Dota 2, League of Legends, and other MOBAs duke it out to be DOTA's true successor Now that the de facto sequel to Defense of the Ancients has finally been released, it's time to decide which of the many multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) games is the true successor to Dota.  A brief history of DOTA When it was first released in 2003 by Mapmaker Eul, Dota was little more than a Warcraft III translation of the Aeon of Strife StarCraft map. Created with Blizzard's official world editor, Defense of the Ancients quickly gained popularity and reached a crossroad—the launch of The Frozen Throne expansion. When Eul discontinued development of the map, other modders took his place by creating their own variants. The most popular version, DotA Allstars, is what most people now recognize as Defense of the Ancients. Characterized by a map with three main paths—lanes—MOBA games feature never-ending waves of AI-controlled creeps that march across the map. Players usually control a single unit and kill minions, towers, neutral monsters, and other players for gold to buy items that strengthen their hero. The game ends when a team's main base is destroyed. Many of the original contributors to Dota have since moved on to work on games that have been inspired by the mod. Steve 'Guinsoo' Feak, the creator of DotA Allstars, joined Dota-Allstars.com. Creator Steve 'Pendragon' Mescon at Riot Games to create League of Legends. IceFrog, the mod's final superstar developer was the driving force behind Valve's Dota 2. The Contenders Dota 2   When a few quick spells can mean your death, posturing and positioning is incredibly important. Dota 2 isn't just a sequel to the original in name. Its hero list, map design, items, and more are all pulled directly from Dota. After a prolonged trademark battle between Valve and Blizzard, IceFrog's Dota 2 has become what many players see as the true sequel to Dota. The ability to deny creeps is a key mechanic in Dota and Dota 2. It has also gained a reputation for being an unabashedly hardcore game. Mechanics like creep denial—killing a friendly minion to deny your opponent gold—are carryovers from the mod. In fact, many of Dota's defining mechanics, which existed only because of the limitations of the WarCraft III mapmaking tool, are still a large part of Dota 2. That's not to say that this is just a port of the mod, because it isn't. Dota 2 is Valve's attempt to modernize Dota. Gone are the dated graphics, makeshift hero selection menus, and all of the random quirks that come with being a mod to a game that's over a decade old. Detailed tutorials, user created cosmetic items, and an amazing replay and spectate function are just some of the reasons that Dota 2 has a huge fan base. Amazing developer support in the form of official tournaments and constant updates doesn't hurt things either. League of Legends League of Legends is one of the most successful PC games of all time. With Riot reporting over 500,000 peak concurrent users in North America and Europe alone, the game has taken the industry by storm. Personal streamers regularly draw tens of thousands of views whereas tournament streams can stretch past a million unique viewers. Team fights are usually messy and long. Despite being based on the original Dota, Riot has made some major tweaks to the standard MOBA formula. Opting to remove many of the mechanics that make Dota and Dota 2 so difficult—namely creep denial—has made LoL a game that people have flocked to. With simpler gameplay that makes the game easier to learn, League of Legends provides an alternate experience to Dota 2. Manually targeted spells—skill shots—are the highlight and many champions are able to fill multiple roles.  Pushing buttons is encouraged by larger mana pools with lower mana costs. This flashy ultimate shows off the particle effects in LoL. The overall League of Legends experience is less punishing and more casual. With a rotating roster of free champions and a store filled with items available for purchase with in-game currency or a real-world equivalent, you'll start the game with only a small slice of the larger pie. And the Winner Is… We honestly don't think there's any way to definitively state that either game is better than the other, but we do know that if you're looking for the complete MOBA experience, League of Legends and Dota 2 are your best bets. League of Legends is a modern adaption of Defense of the Ancients whereas Dota 2 is the original game polished to a blinding shine. If you're looking for the most authentic experience then stick with Dota 2. If however, you're fine dealing with a champion roster locked behind a paywall—with your choice of time or money—then League of Legends is probably the better choice for beginners and more casual players. Aside from the difference in appearance and monetization, both of these free-to-play games are worth playing. Both have the same underlying gameplay with a few tweaks that change how the games feel. Dota 2 matches are usually more frantic with battles ending in mere seconds. League of Legends matches usually start slow and escalate as the game continues. Honorable Mentions LoL and Dota 2 aren't the only MOBAs in town. There are an incredible array of games that weren't really in the running for the title of true successor to Dota, but are still enjoyed by thousands of players around the world. Heroes of Newerth was quick to try and replace the original DOTA Heroes of Newerth is another MOBA built in part by DotA Allstars contributors. Released in 2010, it acted as a stepping stone for the MOBA community which quickly abandoned the game for League of Legends and Dota 2. Initially available as a retail product, it went free-to-play in 2011. At its core the game is Dota with some slight modifications. Dated graphics, confusing menu systems, and a diminishing community are some of the reasons that HoN isn't popular today. Smite is a third-person MOBA Smite is a unique take on the genre with the traditional RTS-style birds-eye view removed in favor of a third-person perspective. Basic attacks and spells require precise aim which makes Smite play more like a shooter than most MOBAs. It's one of the more radical evolutions of Dota, but it just hasn't had as much of an impact as Dota 2 and LoL have. Hi-Rez Studios is still actively developing Smite and moving the game in the right direction.  Bloodline Champions One of the more obscure veins of the MOBA genre is represented by Bloodline Champions which removes the lanes, creep waves, towers, and minions to opt for a World of Warcraft arena-style PvP. You control a champion with spells that need to be manually targeted and fight in 3-on-3 battles. It's a significant departure from Dota and lacks the depth of most MOBA games. But these games are only the tip of the MOBA iceberg. The original Dota has inspired many other MOBAs such as the Lord of the Rings-based Guardians of Middle-earth, the upcoming DC universe-themed Infinite Crisis, and more.  Do you have a favorite MOBA? Let us know in the comments below!

Microsoft Yanks Unfunny "Fly on the Wall" Videos Mocking Apple Posted: 16 Sep 2013 03:41 PM PDT Microsoft's jabs at Apple miss the mark Oh Microsoft, is it really so hard to spend a portion of your record revenue and obscene profits on humorous advertisements? Apparently so, because the company's latest attempt to poke fun at the competition once again fell flat, only this time the ads missed the mark so badly Microsoft mercifully yanked them off the web only hours after posting them. The ads were supposed to poke fun at Apple's iPhone 5C and iPhone 5S launch, a pair of relatively easy targets. Instead, they came off as trying too hard, leaving that uncomfortable feeling in your gut when you're embarrassed for someone. A series of seven ads titled "A fly on the wall in Cupertino" kick off in a board room with two Apple employees pitching ideas to who is presumed to be the CEO of Apple. All you see of the CEO is the back of the head, and the actor they chose appears more like Steve Jobs in his final days than Tim Cook, so there's a bad vibe right from the get-go. From there, the actors mock Apple's design sessions and the company's over-the-top focus on color options rather than offering real innovations. The premise is solid, but the execution is not, even for a web video. "Are we going to tell people they're made out of plastic? Nah, bro," a supposed Apple employee proclaims at one part in the video. He goes on to talk about all the demographics that like gold, including pirates and leprechauns. Even Microsoft recognized the ads weren't funny. "The video was intended to be a light-hearted poke at our friends from Cupertino. But it was off the mark, and we've decided to pull it down," a Microsoft representative stated in an email to The Next Web. Here's a look at one of the videos: See what we mean? Hopefully next time Microsoft outsources its humor. We'd like to suggest Conan so instead of the above, we'll get something more along the lines of this: Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

LEPA Expands Power Supply Line-Up Posted: 16 Sep 2013 03:16 PM PDT New 80 plus gold and 80 plus bronze PSUs announced LEPA Technology announced new power supplies in the GM MaxGold, BM MaxBron, and MX F1 series, which range from a modest 350 watts up to a more robust 1,000 and targets everybody from entry to enthusiast-level computer builders. The GM-MaxGold and BM-MaxBron are both semi-modular power supplies. They feature a special Anti3s Q-Brick design which is a protective sleeve designed to protect from static, shock, and slip. This protective sleeve comes in both red ad black. In addition, both lines boast an improved DC-to-DC converter which improves stability in C6/C7 sleep modes. This ensures full Haswell support for low power sleep states. The GM-MaxGold comes in three new variants, each receiving an 80 Plus gold rating for up to 92% efficiency. It's available in 500 watts for $90, 600 watts for $100, and 700 watts for $110. The BM-MaxBron sports an 80 PLUS Bronze rating which yields up to 88% power efficiency. It's available in 450 watts for $70, 700 watts for $100, 800 watts for $110, and 1,000 watts for $140. For the entry to mid-range market, LEPA's new MX F1 PSU sits at a cozy $30 for 350 watts, $35 for 400 watts and $50 for 600 watts. The name comes from its F1 racer inspired paint job. This supply sports 6+2 pin PCI-E power connectors for graphics cards.

Intel's Updated Graphics Drivers for Ivy Bridge, Haswell Stomps Out Bugs in Windows 7 and 8 Posted: 16 Sep 2013 11:21 AM PDT Integrated graphics need driver updates, too There's no shame in rocking integrated graphics, especially if you only occasionally play games or don't typically gravitate towards demanding titles that push the envelope. If that's the category of gamer (or non-gamer, as it were) that you fall into, be advised that Intel recently released new graphics drivers for its family of 3rd and 4th Generation of Core processors, otherwise known as Ivy Bridge and Haswell, respectively. Driver versions 15.31.17.3257 (32-bit) and 15.31.17.64.3257 (64-bit) are supposed to fix a whole bunch of bugs in Windows 7 and Windows 8. The majority of bug fixes apply to Haswell, including one that caused corruption seen in the beginning of Bioshock (Windows 7) and another that would cause the screen to turn black after switching to Clone mode (Windows 8). After applying the driver update, Intel recommends applying the latest patches to 3DMark 11, Batman Arkham City, Mafia 2, Company of Heroes, HomeFront, Unigine Heaven, and Battlefield 3 to "avoid any unexpected issues." See more in the release notes (PDF). Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

AMD Plans to Expand Desktop Richland Family of APUs Ahead of Kaveri Launch Posted: 16 Sep 2013 09:56 AM PDT Two more Richland chips are en route AMD originally hoped to launch its 3rd Generation A-Series APUs known as "Kaveri" sometime this year with at least one roadmap indicating an early fourth quarter release. Technically, Kaveri may still launch in 2013, though reportedly it will only end up in the hands of OEMs late this year, followed by a retail launch in 2014. In the meantime, it looks like AMD will flesh out its Richland desktop line with a couple of new processors. According to CPU-World, AMD in August released its A10-6700T chip, the first low power desktop APU rated at 45W. It was launched in Japan and may make its way to U.S. shores in a month or two. In addition, an AMD A8-6500T APU has also been spotted online. Both it and the A10-6700T part are available to pre-order at shopblt.com. The A10-6700T APU is built around AMD's Piledriver architecture. It has four cores clocked at 2.5GHz (3.5GHz Turbo), 4MB of L2 cache, and Radeon HD 8650D graphics. Likewise, the A8-6500T shares the same DNA but is clocked at 2.1GHz (3.1GHz Turbo) and uses Radeon HD 6550 graphics. The GPUs on both parts are clocked at 720MHz. Pre-order pricing for the A8-6500T and A10-6700T sits at $109 and $156, respectively. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Microsoft's Answer to Siri and Google Now is Cortana Posted: 16 Sep 2013 07:47 AM PDT Windows Phone is getting a personal assistant Some still view Siri as nothing more than a gimmick, and perhaps two years ago, that might have been a fair assessment. But with the launch of iOS 7, Siri sheds her beta baggage and is more useful than ever. So is Google Now, which Android fans would argue is an even more intelligent assistant. Regardless of which one is better, it's clear that this is becoming an essential part of the mobile experience, and it's Microsoft's turn to implement a personal assistant of its own. Well, meet Cortana. You may recognize Cortana as the artificially intelligent character in Microsoft's Halo franchise, and yes, that's who the voice assistant software is named after. According to ZDNet, Cortana could be integrated into Windows Phone software as soon as the early part of 2014, which is when Windows Phone 8.1 is scheduled to debut. Like Siri and Google Now, it will learn and adapt to your habits. To do so, it will use machine learning technology and the Satori knowledge repository powering Bing, ZDNet says. "Our UI will be deeply personalized, based on the advanced, almost magical, intelligence in our cloud that learns more and more over time about people and the world. Our shell will natively support all of our essential services, and will be great at responding seamlessly to what people ask for, and even anticipating what they need before they ask for it," Steve Ballmer stated in a memo back in July referring to a family of devices powered by a service-enabled shell. Though it's possible Cortana could debut in Windows Phone 8.1, Microsoft has previously said it won't launch voice assistant software until it has something revolutionary to offer. However, with the recent acquisition of Nokia, we wouldn't be shocked if Cortana came out relatively soon. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Windows Phone Store Now Processing 9 Million Daily Transactions Posted: 16 Sep 2013 06:53 AM PDT Microsoft reveals some surprising statistics Let's be frank, Microsoft's Windows Phone platform isn't anywhere close to threatening Android in the mobile space, nor is it hot on the heels of iOS. Microsoft knows this, though the Redmond company is finding reasons to be optimistic, especially when viewing the mobile race as a marathon and not a sprint. One of those reasons is that the Windows Phone Store has surpassed 9 million transactions per day. Microsoft borrowed that figure from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech and plopped it into a Windows Phone Developer blog post outlining increased advertising opportunities, improved payouts, and dev center updates. "Kantar reports that Windows Phone now accounts for 1 in 10 smartphone sales in Britain, France, Germany, and Mexico. Kantar also reports that Windows Phone is attracting a large percentage of first-time buyers with 42 percent of sales over the past year coming from feature phone owners," Microsoft states in its blog. A 10 percent share in certain territories is nothing to scoff at, and Microsoft has to be encouraged that its marketing efforts are winning over first-time smartphone buyers. What Microsoft does with that information will be up to its next Chief Executive Officer to figure out. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Newegg Daily Deals: LG 14X Blu-ray Burner, Logitech F710 Wireless Gamepad, and More! Posted: 16 Sep 2013 05:56 AM PDT Top Deal: Before you go writing the optical drive's obituary, consider the inevitable zombie apocalypse, which among other things will see the demise of cloud servers (somebody has to man those things, after all). You'll be glad you stockpiled your precious data, like photos of loved ones before they turned, on local media. Or, maybe you have a collection of Blu-ray movies. Either way, you can benefit from today's top deal for an LG 14X Black Blu-ray Burner for $60 with free shipping (nomrally $80 - use coupon code 0910BTS4). It supports tri-layer and quad-layer BDXL (128GB) discs as well as 3D playblack and M-Disc. Other Deals: Logitech F710 Wireless Gamepad for $39 with free shipping (normally $45 - use coupon code: [LOGT98]) Logitech K360 Glossy Black USB RF Wireless Mini Keyboard for $26 with free shipping (normally $30 - use coupon code: [LOGT98]) Rosewill Travel Alarm with Door Clip Alarm Sensor/LED flash light 2 Pieces/Pack for $5 with free shipping (normally $10 - use coupon code: [0910BTS6]) Raidmax Orion Black Steel/Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case for $55 with free shipping (normally $70 - use coupon code: [0910BTS36]; additional $15 Mail-in rebate)

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