General Gaming Article

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• Alienware Wants to Abduct Your Console, Will Pay $200 with PC Purchase
• BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea - Episode 1 coming Nov. 12
• Pondering a Jump to Windows 8.1? Test Drive the OS for Three Months
• Microsoft Posts Record First Quarter Revenue of $18.53 Billion; $400 Million in Surface Sales
• Samsung May Opt to Block Third Party Accessories on Galaxy Devices
• Internet Explorer 11 Patch Makes Browser More Reliable in Windows 8.1
• Newegg Daily Deals: NZXT Phantom 820 Series Case, MSI Z87-GD65 Gaming Mobo, and More!
• Batman: Arkham Origins Impressions

Alienware Wants to Abduct Your Console, Will Pay $200 with PC Purchase Posted: 25 Oct 2013 03:00 PM PDT Turn that crusty console into cash when buying an Alienware system Alienware just expanded its trade-in program to include current consoles and is willing to pay $200 for your used Nintendo Wii, Sony PlayStation 3, or Microsoft Xbox 360 when you purchase a new rig. The timing couldn't be any better, because with both Microsoft and Sony getting ready to launch new consoles next month, the value of these systems has never been lower. Trading in a Nintendo Wii is an especially interesting proposition. A brand new Nintendo Wii with Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resort bundle runs $130. Good luck trying to hawk a used Wii sans bundle for anywhere close to what Alienware is offering. Here are the other models that Dell's boutique arm is willing to accept: PlayStation 3 "Fat" (minimum 60GB) PlayStation 3 "Slim" (minimum 120GB) PlayStation 3 "Super Slim" (minimum 500GB) Xbox 360 "Slim" (minimum 250GB) To take advantage of the trade-in offer, you first need to purchase an Alienware system. These machines tend to run higher than non-boutique systems, though you can snag an Alienware X51 small form factor (SFF) gaming rig starting at $699 (read our review of the previous generation model, and check out our autopsy too). After that, visit Alienware's Trade Up Portal to provide a copy of your PC receipt and bank information, then print out the shipping label and send the company your console. Once it arrives and has been inspected, Alienware will initiate a bank transfer for your system's value within 40 days. You can look up the cash back value ahead of time to confirm the amount you should receive, assuming it's in working order. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea - Episode 1 coming Nov. 12 Posted: 25 Oct 2013 02:45 PM PDT Return to Rapture with Booker and Elizabeth BioShock Infinite's first story-driven DLC is hitting the PS3, Xbox 360, and PC on Nov. 12. BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea - Episode 1 will give you the opportunity to explore Rapture "on the eve of its fall from grace." Think of it as a prequel to BioShock and BioShock 2.  It'll be available for $14.99, or as part of the Season Pass which costs $35 and will include both Burial at Sea episodes and the already available challenge-based Clash in the Clouds add-on as well as the Early Bird Special Pack with weapon upgrades and skins.  "This is a love letter to the fans, but it's also the beginning of a story that will give gamers a new perspective on the BioShock universe," said Ken Levine, creative director of Irrational Games. "With Burial at Sea, we built a Rapture not from BioShock and BioShock Infinite scraps and pieces, but with environments almost entirely crafted from scratch." What makes Burial at Sea particularly interesting is that Irrational has moved away from the faster-paced combat of vanilla BioShock Infinite in favor of more stealth and resource management. Follow Ben on Twitter.

Pondering a Jump to Windows 8.1? Test Drive the OS for Three Months Posted: 25 Oct 2013 10:04 AM PDT Try Windows 8.1 for 90 days and you may find you actually like it (or not) It takes some time to get used to the new interface introduced in Windows 8. After all, it represents the most drastic change to Windows since XP and there's an obvious bias towards touch computing. However, underneath the surface are some nice security and performance tweaks, and with the launch of Windows 8.1, it's an even better experience than before. Is it for you? If you'd like to find out without investing your hard earned money, just give it an extended test drive. Over on Microsoft's TechNet channel, the Redmond outfit is serving up Windows 8.1 Enterprise trial good for up to 90 days. That gives you three months to learn the various nuances and decide if you want to plunk down a wad of cash for an upgrade. Both 32-bit and 64-bit versions are available. You do have to register with Microsoft and complete activation before October 31, 2014 (yes, next year), but outside of that, the OS is yours to play with for 90 days, and without any feature restrictions. If you're wondering what's different about the Enterprise versions versus other Windows 8.1 builds, just head over to the Windows 8.1 Enterprise page for more info and comparisons. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Microsoft Posts Record First Quarter Revenue of $18.53 Billion; $400 Million in Surface Sales Posted: 25 Oct 2013 09:20 AM PDT Share of Microsoft are up nearly 6 percent after posting Q1 financial results After taking a $900 million charge on unsold Surface inventory last quarter, Microsoft investors were ready for a bit of good news, and they certainly got it. Kicking off its fiscal year, Microsoft reported record first-quarter revenue of $18.53 billion, resulting in a $5.24 million profit and earnings per share of $0.62. Not too shabby for a company that's in the midst of a transitional phase. Devices and Consumer revenue grew 4 percent to $7.46 billion, while Commercial revenue jumped 10 percent to $11.2 billion. The Redmond company also said that Surface revenue grew to $400 million, noting sequential growth in revenue and units sold over the prior quarter. That number will likely improve with the launch of Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2. "Our devices and services transformation is progressing and we are launching a wide range of compelling products and experiences this fall for both business and consumers," said Steve Ballmer, chief executive officer at Microsoft. "Our new commercial services will help us continue to outgrow the enterprise market, and we are seeing lots of consumer excitement for Xbox One, Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2, and the full spectrum of Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone devices." Despite a very positive quarter, Microsoft said Windows OEM revenue dropped 7 percent year-over-year. In the same breath, Microsoft announced that Windows Pro revenue grew for the second consecutive quarter, but that little tidbit doesn't mask the fact that the PC market is struggling. Still, Microsoft looks to be on solid ground for the time being, especially if the Xbox One gets off to a hot start next month. Investors seem optimistic too, as they sent the share price of Microsoft up nearly 6 percent after the company revealed its first-quarter figures. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Samsung May Opt to Block Third Party Accessories on Galaxy Devices Posted: 25 Oct 2013 08:51 AM PDT A new chip from Samsung checks for authentic accessories Samsung and Apple, the two biggest players in the mobile space, would love it if consumers only purchased authentic first-party accessories for use with their respective handsets and tablets. Unfortunately for consumers, genuine accessories tend to carry a premium price tag over third-party alternatives, making them less appealing. Nevertheless, both companies have taken steps to encourage first-party purchases -- Apple by changing its connector and Samsung by building an authenticity recognition chip. Samsung's solution could be a game changer. According to ETNews.com, the chip might already be installed in the Galaxy Note 3, and if activated, it could prevent certain functions from working properly on third-party accessories, such as wireless charging and other features. If Samsung goes this route, it would likely be a hugely unpopular move, and one that the South Korean electronics maker would defend by pointing out reports of third-party batteries catching fire and other problems associated with third party accessories. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Internet Explorer 11 Patch Makes Browser More Reliable in Windows 8.1 Posted: 25 Oct 2013 08:21 AM PDT Update applies to Windows 8.1, Windows RT 8.1, and Windows Server 2012 One of the most anticipated feature updates introduced with Windows 8.1 was the upgrade to Internet Explorer 11. The new browser was built with touch computing in mind and included several nifty upgrades, such as the ability to have 100 tabs open per window, side-by-side browsing, support for plugin-free HTML5 video, a Reading View, and more. Unfortunately, it also introduced some quirks, which Microsoft hopes to fix with a new patch. There have been complaints over the browser crashing or running slow, websites not loading properly, and other unwanted (and unintended) behavior. Microsoft already listed some troubleshooting steps for specific issues, but if none of those do the trick, applying the patch might resolve any issue(s) you're facing. The update is intended to improve the reliability of IE11 and applies to users of Windows 8.1, Windows RT 8.1, and Windows Server 2012 R2. If you're experiencing problems, give it a go and let us know how it works out. IE11 Reliability Patch Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Newegg Daily Deals: NZXT Phantom 820 Series Case, MSI Z87-GD65 Gaming Mobo, and More! Posted: 25 Oct 2013 06:25 AM PDT Top Deal: Remember playing MASH with your friends when you were younger (hopefully way younger)? Everyone always hoped to land on M for Mansion, but in the real world, few of us get there. You might not be able to afford a luxury home in real life, but you can splurge on an abode for your PC parts. Check out today's top deal for an NZXT Phantom 820 Series Full Tower Computer Case for $184 with free shipping (normally $230 - use coupon code EMCXWXM236). We awarded this case an 8/10 verdict, dinging it in part for its price tag. Marked down like this, it's an even more compelling option with USB 3.0 support, plenty of room for your components, and three separate LED lighting zones. Other Deals: HP Smartbuy LV2311 Black 23-inch 5ms Widescreen LED-Backlit LCD Monitor for $115 with free shipping (normally $130 - use coupon code: [EMCWXVV38]) Asus VS248H-P Black 24-inch 2ms HDMI LCD Monitor for $180 with free shipping (normally $200 - use coupon code: [EMCWXVV249]; additional $20 Mail-in rebate) ASRock 990FX Extreme3 AM3+ AMD 990FX SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard for $95 with free shipping (normally $105 - use coupon code: [EMCWXVV49]) MSI Z87-GD65 Gaming LGA 1150 Intel Z87 HDMI ATX Extreme OC Triple CFX/SLI Intel Motherboard for $168 with free shipping (normally $178 - use coupon code: [EMCWXVV52]; additional $10 Mail-in rebate)

Batman: Arkham Origins Impressions Posted: 24 Oct 2013 09:50 PM PDT Our field report after playing the first few hours of Batman's latest adventure There's a point early on in the third installment of Warner Brother's Batman Arkham series when our hero is unable to save someone from getting murdered. The victim is a completely corrupt menace to society, but Batman still attempts to save the man's life. Gotham City would clearly be better off if the guy wash pushing up daisies, but the Caped Crusader knows that we can't just go around murdering the bad guys, or look the other way and let someone else do the dirty work. At the same time, Batman (especially in this early phase of his career) wouldn't hesitate to break your face or crush your larynx if he decided that you were a bad guy who is in the way of him doing good things. Since he's conditioned himself to peak of physical fitness, it's not a difficult task. This multi-layered moral code is just one of many things that have made him so successful since his debut in 1939. More importantly for gamers, new developer Warner Brothers Montreal understands the character and the world he inhabits; taking over from Rocksteady was no easy task after the stellar Arkham City, but WBM proves that they can develop the over-arching story while keeping the successful gameplay model from previous installments. In fact, if you squint your eyes, you may not be sure which Arkham game you're playing. The eternally nocturnal art style is largely the same; combat has the same chaining-combo model with the lightning bolt icons over incoming attackers; and the map, on-screen indicators, and character dossiers remain intact. The changes unfold gradually. For one, your experience point-based combat rewards you for mixing up your moves now. Throw a batarang in between punches, drop some explosive gel on someone else, do an instant takedown, dodge a blade or two, and you'll get graded higher and earn more points. That allows you to level up faster, at which time your health bar increases and you get access to new abilities. The ability tree has also been completely redone. For one thing, you'll have the enhanced grapple right away this time; that's the one that accelerates your movement and allow you to keep gliding without touching the ground. In the last game, you had to complete a few optional challenges first, and you may never have known that the enhancement was available. This upgrade makes it much easier to get around the city, which is much bigger now. So big, in fact, that WBM introduced a fast-travel system. But the city is broken up into sections that are shielded by towers that you have to disable to get access to your Batwing in that area, so you can go anywhere you want at first. Some towers are inaccessible until you have unlocked the proper tools. A number of other abilities are carried over, and WBM introduces a few new ones, like being able to aim your smoke pellet and increase the area of its effect. As you have probably seen from the advertisements, the game is set on Christmas Eve, about two years into Batman's career. But it does not follow the continuity of the Batman: Year One comic; some characters from there appear here but experience different outcomes, while other characters are introduced that didn't arrive until much later in the Batman canon (we're trying to avoid spoilers here, can you tell?). The usual suspects are still in place, such as Batman's butler Alfred and policeman Jim Gordon. The Batcave, however, has been unavailable in the Arkham games until now. Batman uses this new location to study evidence, train, and even modify some of his gadgets. Speaking of evidence, his "Detective Mode" has been enhanced. At certain points in the game, he can piece together a holographic re-creation of a crime scene and move its timeline back and forth to spot clues. Since Batman has long been billed by DC Comics as the world's greatest detective, it's neat to see this part of his repertoire get a deeper treatment than before. Click here to continue to Page 2 What you probably haven't seen is what it's like to get from Point A to Point B in Gotham. Batman can still grapple-n-glide his way through, but you'll notice that Riddler trophies have been vastly reduced in number. I prefer this change, as having literally 400 of them in the last game felt excessive. This time, the objects you interact with in the open world feel more meaningful. The game will also alert you to crimes in progress nearby, which are like dynamic mini-missions. They mostly revolve around beating up thugs like usual, but they're a nice, optional way to gather up some extra experience points and to practice your moves for the more important fights. Speaking of which, the boss fights. Arkham Asylum had a bit of a reputation for long encounters whose success relied on the careful repetition of narrow timing. This meant that you needed to do the fights several times just to familiarize yourself with the patterns and stages. Arkham City was more forgiving, perhaps too much so. But the encounters used much larger locations, giving both you and the developer more dynamic tactical options, so the relative ease wasn't disappointing. The fight with Mr. Freeze was probably the best example of the second game's approach. Arkham Origins is probably in the middle of the two previous games. The big fights are trickier now, but you can scrape through if you pay attention to the game's on-screen prompts (which you can disable if you want) and don't try to rush things. All of that variety that the game encourages you to participate in when fighting the cannon fodder thugs will also click into place when it comes time to trade blows with truly dangerous characters. You will learn not just to play like you were Batman, but to think like him too. All of this might not fall into place if the game is ugly. But Origins builds on top of that last game's visual prowess. With a 26GB footprint on your hard drive, a game that size is usually packing a lot of high-quality textures, and that appears to be the case here. Nvidia claims it as a member of its "4K gaming" initiative for super high-resolution displays. Everyone looks more detailed than before, though you might need side-by-side comparisons for some returning characters. Nvidia GPU users get more realistic-looking PhysX effects now (Arkham City had a lot of oddly wispy trash floating around). They can also choose Nvidia's TXAA over FXAA to take care of jaggy edges. Or you can use the more standard MSAA, but it can cause a big performance hit. Everyone gets ambient occlusion, which is a pretty and dynamic shadow rendering system, and depth-of-field. Nvidia advertises their own exclusive implementations of these last two technologies as well. But bottom line, you won't mistake this for a console game, no matter which brand of video card you use. You've probably also heard that Mark Hamill has basically retired as the voice of the Joker after 20 years. Troy Baker, who voiced the male leads in Bioshock Infinite and The Last of Us -- and Robin and Two-Face in Arkham City -- takes over the role and does an excellent job. Batman is voiced this time by Roger Craig Smith, who played Ezio in the Assassin's Creed games and who, like Baker, has a long resume of cartoon and video game voice work. WBM says they chose Smith because they needed a younger-sounding Batman for this earlier story. He does fine as well, though his line readings sometimes feel too intense for the situation. We'll need to finish the single-player campaign, test out the New Game+ mode, and delve into multiplayer before we can deliver an actual verdict, of course. But for now, I can say that fans of Rocksteady's last two Batman games should feel right at home in Origins. At work, we tested on a Windows 8 system we built ourselves, containing a Core-i7 4960X overclocked to 4.25GHz and paired with a Radeon HD 7990, followed by a GeForce GTX 690. At home, the test rig was a Windows 8.1 system with an i5-3570K overclocked to 4.2GHz and paired with a GTX 780. The game has no built-in benchmark this time, but according to Fraps, we had no trouble maintaining 60FPS with all settings maxed out at 2560x1600. The GTX 780 was more than enough to max everything out at 1080p. In the coming days, we'd like to test out the game at a variety of performance tiers, so stay tuned for that as well.

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