General Gaming Article

---

• BioShock Infinite Review
• Get a Visual Tour Inside 1&1’s Massive Data Center
• Valve Teases Trio of Upcoming Steam Announcements
• Steve Ballmer Believes Google Has Reached Monopoly Status
• Google is Rewarding QuickOffice Users with 10GB of Online Storage for 2 Years
• Director Robert Rodriguez Taps AMD Technology to Power "Machete Kills" Film
• PSA: Microsoft Designed the Xbox One Console to Lay Flat
• Newegg Daily Deals: AVerMedia Live Gamer HD, Intel Core i5 4570, and More!

BioShock Infinite Review Posted: 20 Sep 2013 03:57 PM PDT Would you kindly play this game? How do you critique a dream? It's the problem we face in reviewing Irrational Games's BioShock Infinite, a game that straddles the gap between an adventure title and a first-person shooter. The visuals within BioShock Infinite can be awe-inspiring. That's not a reflection of its overt design—BioShock Infinite is, at its core, a title that will leave those with less-developed keyboard and mouse skills a bit sad. Rather, the flawlessness of the game's storytelling and general structure compels a player to want to explore, not shoot. BioShock Infinite, once you beat it—and kudos to you for making it through the game's final challenge, which is a bit of an unexpected kick in the pants to its difficulty level—just makes sense. The game's big reveal helps to write away some of the frustrations you might feel when pushing your way toward the conclusion, ever driven by BioShock Infinite's exceedingly complicated storyline and wonderfully drafted protagonists. We had hoped for a title that eschews raw gunslinging for role-playing, one that allows a player more choice and flexibility in gameplay—sadly, this is not it. Instead, BioShock Infinite offers a fairly linear progression that feels like a step back of sorts from the game's predecessors. BioShock Infinite is the truest journey into the unknown, accentuated by flashbacks and other plot devices that give the story a perfect, full-circle narrative (no spoilers). You'll be confused. You might even be bored at times—thanks to those action elements that, quite frankly, are hardly as compelling as your character's stumbles through a world that doesn't make sense, won't make sense, and makes less sense the more you uncover its secrets. In its third BioShock offering, Irrational has perfected the art of, well, being BioShock, which requires mastering a tricky balance of aloofness, storytelling, and just plain weird that you don't often see quite as brilliantly mixed in other similarly "odd" titles. We're loathe to discuss the plot of BioShock Infinite to our usual detailed degree due to the transformative experience that Irrational builds during your trip through the 1912 world of Columbia—truly, a city in the clouds. In many ways, the game's plot is what you make of it; blast your way through with reckless abandon and you'll lose some of the flavorful storytelling elements that require a bit more sleuthing to uncover. And God help you when it comes time to parse the game's overall plot during its big conclusion—you'll get a nosebleed. What we can say is this: You're tasked with tracking down a girl, Elizabeth. This quest pushes you through all the oddities of an Andrew Ryan–like totalitarianism—based on religious zealotry this time around, not capitalism—throws in the age-old plot device of forcing your character, Booker DeWitt, to run the gauntlet between two warring factions, and then just gets plain strange. The strange parts offer up some of the game's most intellectually stimulating moments, assuming that they don't completely turn you away from finishing the title outright. They could. You'll wonder why '70s rock music and other "modern" songs coexist in the same realm where you're shooting up giant robotic Abraham Lincolns and blasting them with wicked powers from your glowing left hand. A giant George Washington robot carrying a huge gun is something we wouldn't want to piss off. We're not huge fans of the game's combat elements, precisely because they aren't really all that difficult, nor do they offer a great deal of variety or interest. Your guns are fun, but relatively standard—pistols, machine guns, burst-fire machine guns, sniper rifles, etc. They're upgradable to a small extent via purchasable elements from the litany of terminals scattered throughout the game, which present a fun challenge in itself: You have limited resources to upgrade. Unless you frequently spend big on ammunition, you'll find yourself frequently switching between whatever guns you happen to be able to pick up. Which is to say, don't bank on always having a favorite at your disposal during an extended firefight. Your left-hand "Vigor" powers—an icon of the BioShock universe—are a bit more varied. You can zap, firebomb, push, and even turn enemies to your side (they kill themselves when they're finished fighting for you, one of the game's first "oh, wow" moments). These, too, can be upgraded, but at a significantly greater cost than your guns. You can also string your powers together to form some unique and painful combinations, but this is definitely one of BioShock Infinite's less-advertised bits. (We hope you saved your Salts.) The game's baddies are decently intelligent, but BioShock Infinite is a bit fonder of throwing legions of pain at you and forcing you to come up with fun ways to kill them without turning to fisticuffs (which, we note, is still fun). You do get some strategic elements to play with around midway through the game, thanks to your travelling companion, Elizabeth—as to how, we won't spoil. However, these bits make some fights almost too easy, though we do appreciate being able to summon friendly, chaingun-carrying robots to hang out with us. The world of Columbia does tie into historical events… to a certain extent. And then there's Elizabeth. Irrational has polished the nuances of your travelling companion to such a degree that you might actually find yourself emotionally struck by the various twists and turns you two take throughout your journey(s) in Columbia and beyond. Not since Valve's GLaDOS have we felt that a developer perfectly nailed a character's presentation in such a compelling, captivating fashion. This is helped in part by the game's mechanics—specifically, its help-you system, which has Elizabeth tossing you items whenever you seem to need them most. Not only does she save your gaming butt, the experience further cements the unique bond that Irrational often evokes between your character and hers. She's not just a combat droid along for the ride; she's humanity in digital form. If you don't believe us, go hunting around for a guitar within the game; the single scene of Elizabeth singing Columbia's "theme," as it were, is easily one of the more poignant (albeit subtle) moments we've experienced in a first-person shooter. Heck, she'll even warm her hands on a fireplace when you enter a room that has one—it's subtle, but critical believability. BioShock Infinite's pacing and "learnability" is ideal; its complexity is vast yet subtle, precisely based on how deep you're willing to try new tactics and features as you play. Its characterization and environments are as beautiful as its dystopian setting is disturbing and, at times, racist. You owe it to yourself to play this game all the way through, if for nothing else than the hours you'll spend debating its merits (if not its ending) with your gamer friends. The world of BioShock doesn't get much better than this. $60, www.bioshockinfinite.com

Get a Visual Tour Inside 1&1’s Massive Data Center Posted: 20 Sep 2013 11:48 AM PDT Web hosting company invites us to Kansas to check out its 55,000 square-foot facility To celebrate its 10-year anniversary in the United States, web hosting company 1&1 invited us to check out its sophisticated 55,000 square-foot data center in Lenexa, Kansas.  If you're unfamiliar with 1&1, the company started in Germany in 1998 and focuses on helping people and small-to-medium businesses build websites. The company's research shows that many small-to-medium companies want to build professional-quality sites, but are intimidated by the process. When we met with 1&1, the company said that its straightforward "MyWebsite" content management system has gone a long way in streamlining this process for over 500,000 customers. This is quite impressive when you consider that this feature has been around for less than two years. Want to integrate e-shop apps, PayPal support, or social media integration on to your website? Simply drag and drop those supported apps on to your web page using the company's site-building tool. That is not to say the web hosting company doesn't support other content management systems, however. If you'd rather use Wordpress, Drupal, or other popular services and just wanted to register a web domain through 1&1, that's an option too. As a result of its business practices, 1&1 is now one of the largest web hosting companies in the world.  When we spoke with 1&1, the company said that the Internet landscape will really change in the next few years with over 700 new top level domains (TLDs) rolling out. This means that instead of seeing ".com" at the end of every website, you'll begin to see .music, .blog, .nyc, and more. 1&1 says that these new TLDs will bolster relevant search engine optimizations (SEO) and help local businesses with geo-location searches. To take advantage of this, 1&1 says that it has worked out an agreement to register these new  TLDs from the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). It will be interesting to see how these developments affects the online landscape moving forward. Regardless, the thing that got us most excited about 1&1 was being able to visit the company's high-tech data center. To get a glimpse of what it was like on the inside, check out our pics and descriptions below!

Valve Teases Trio of Upcoming Steam Announcements Posted: 20 Sep 2013 11:20 AM PDT Something bold is brewing at Steam Valve co-founder Gabe Newell turned a few heads earlier in the week at the LinuxCon 2013 conference by saying the next step for his company is to release some work it's been doing on the hardware side of things. Many speculated he could be referring to an official Steambox, though even if that's the case, it won't be the only thing Steam is cooking up for next year. Valve will make three announcements next week. If you head over to http://store.steampowered.com/living/room, you'll see the headline, "The Steam Universe is Expanding in 2014," along with placeholders for three announcements at the bottom. The first one will be revealed on Monday, though there isn't much in the way of clues if you're trying to guess beforehand. "Last year, we shipped a software feature called Big Picture, a user-interface tailored for televisions and gamepads. This year we've been working on even more ways to connect the dots for customers who want Steam in the living-room," Valve states on its teaser page. "Soon, we'll be adding you to our design process, so that you can help us shape the future of Steam." Other than an official Steambox, it's possible Valve will announce a Linux-based Steam operating system to drive its hardware. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Steve Ballmer Believes Google Has Reached Monopoly Status Posted: 20 Sep 2013 09:17 AM PDT Ballmer drops the "M" word at Google There was a time not all that long ago that when you heard the word "monopoly" being used in tech circles, it was often directed at Microsoft. Some would still argue that Microsoft is a monopoly, but underscoring the changing of the guard as the market transitions to mobile, Microsoft chief Steve Ballmer tossed the "m" word at Google during an annual meeting with financial analysts. In response to a question about how Microsoft can make money in consumer services, Ballmer pointed out that Google has found a way, and then added a bit of a quip in some followup remarks. "They have this incredible, amazing, dare I say monopoly that we are the only person left on the planet trying to compete with," Ballmer said, according to The Verge. Ballmer points out that Microsoft with its Bing search engine is the only company in the world attempting to compete with Google's dominance in search and advertising. Even though Bing is in second place with a 17.9 percent share of the search market, there's a tremendous gap between it and Google, which commands a 67 percent share. "I do believe that Google's practices are worthy of discussion with competition authority, and we have certainly discussed them with competition authorities," Ballmer added. "I don't think their practices are getting less meritorious of discussion." Ballmer has never been once to mince words, though now that he's announced his retirement, there may be even less of a filter between what he's thinking and what he says. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Google is Rewarding QuickOffice Users with 10GB of Online Storage for 2 Years Posted: 20 Sep 2013 08:58 AM PDT QuickOffice is now free and comes with a perk Google is determined to win the cloud wars, and to prove it, the company announced that its document editing software QuickOffice is now free for both Android and iOS platforms. Prior to Google's pro bono change of heart, this was a $20 program, which is popular for its ability to let you edit Microsoft Office documents on your smartphone or tablet. Not only is it now free, but Google is giving away online storage, too. Just sign into your Google Account from the new QuickOffice app for either platform by September 26, 2013, and you'll receive an extra 10GB of Google Drive storage to your account for two years (it will show up sometime in the next few weeks, Google says). Combined with the free app, that's not a bad haul for no out-of-pocket expense. Google removed the old version of QuickOffice from Apple's App Store and Google Play, so there's no confusing which one you're downloading. The updated app also has some new features, including a refreshed icon, the ability to create ZIP folders, and the ability to view charts in Excel and PowerPoint files. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Director Robert Rodriguez Taps AMD Technology to Power "Machete Kills" Film Posted: 20 Sep 2013 07:52 AM PDT AMD goes to Hollywood You may have seen a trailer for "Machete Kills," an upcoming sequel to "Machete" starring Danny Trejo, Charlie Sheen, Mel Gibson, Sofia Vergara, Michelle Rodriguez, Antonio Banderas, Cuba Gooding Jr., and even Lady Gaga (her first cinematic appearance). There are some big names there, though they're not the only recognizable ones involved with the film. Behind the scenes is another big name: AMD. Quick Draw Studio's visual effects division, Troublemaker Digital, is using AMD Opteron processors and FirePro graphics cards on many of the movies it's involved with, including "Machete Kills." According to AMD, director Robert Rodriguez of Quick Draw Studios is a pioneer in the use of computing technology for big-screen action and high fidelity imagery in major motion pictures. "Editing, content creation and special effects were all made easier with AMD technology in our studios," Rodriguez said. "We just had to put AMD's brand in the film as a special shoutout to a great technology partner, and we had a lot of fun bringing this sequel to life. 'Machete Kills' is action-packed and very visually rich, and we pushed our creative process even further on this release." This isn't Rodriguez's first time tapping into AMD. He's also used the Sunnyvale chip designer's hardware in a bunch of previous films, including the first "Machete," "Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams," "Spy Kids 3D: Game Over," and "Sin City," among several others. "Machete Kills" come to theaters in October. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

PSA: Microsoft Designed the Xbox One Console to Lay Flat Posted: 20 Sep 2013 07:08 AM PDT Go vertical at your own risk Here's a heads up for any of you who may have pre-ordered or otherwise plan on purchasing an Xbox One game console. Depending on how adventurous you're feeling, you may need to rearrange your AV cabinet if you've already made room for the console and assumed it would be okay place it vertically. Turns out it's not okay and you could actually damage the console if you don't lay it flat. So says Albert Panello, senior director of product management and planning at Xbox, who spoke with GameSpot at the Tokyo Game Show this week. "We don't support vertical orientation; do it at your own risk," Panello said. "It wouldn't be a cooling problem, we just didn't design the drive for vertical. Because it's a slot loading drive, we just didn't design it for both." To us, that seems like a major oversight, especially since the Xbox One is the most expensive of all three next generation consoles (it also comes with a Kinect motion controller, so it's not an arbitrary price difference). And it's not like Microsoft is breaking new ground here. Both the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 sport similar designs with slot-loading optical drives, but you're free to orient them vertically or horizontally. Panello reasons that through Microsoft's own research, the company found that 80 percent of people situate their Xbox console horizontally anyway. Even if true, 20 percent is a big chunk to flip the finger at. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Newegg Daily Deals: AVerMedia Live Gamer HD, Intel Core i5 4570, and More! Posted: 20 Sep 2013 05:51 AM PDT Top Deal: If all you're doing is playing video games, you're missing out on half the fun. The other part of the equation is recording your epic gaming moments and sharing them online. All you need is a capture device, and it just so happens that today's top deal is for an AVerMedia Live Gamer HD Capture Card for $150 with free shipping (normally $170 - use couopn code GAMING9212). Armed with a PCI-E x1 interface, this capture card records 1080p@60 gameplay and lets you add live voice commentary, too. Other Deals: Intel Core i5-4570 Haswell 3.2GHz LGA 1150 84W Quad-Core Desktop Processor for $190 with free shipping (normally $200 - use coupon code: [GAMING9197]) LG 24EB23PY-B Black 24" 5ms LCD Monitor w/ Built-in Speakers for $225 with free shipping (normally $250 - use coupon code: [LGCMNT23]) OCZ Fatal1ty 550W Modular Power Supply for $63 with free shipping (normally $70 - use coupon code: [SECX10]; additional $30 Mail-in rebate) Raidmax Helios Black Steel/Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case for $45 with free shipping (normally $60 - use coupon code: [GAMING9188]; additional $15 Mail-in rebate)

You are subscribed to email updates from Maximum PC - All Articles To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610