| E3 2014: Watch Over 15 Minutes of Dragon Age: Inquisition Gameplay Footage [Video] Posted: 11 Jun 2014 02:37 PM PDT  Game is coming along nicely
If you are wondering how Dragon Age: Inquisition is shaping up then we have got you covered. Maximum PC editor Jimmy Thang recorded over 15 minutes of Dragon Age: Inquisition gameplay footage for you to watch and assess. The gameplay shown is an alpha build of the game, powered by DICE's Frostbite 3 engine, with Dragon Age: Inquisition executive producer Mark Darrah talking in the background and talking about some of the game's features. As an open world, action-RPG title Inquisition is the largest game in the Dragon Age franchise. The area shown in the footage, according to Darrah, is larger than the entire playspace of Dragon Age: Origins. Players will be able to choose their character's gender along with four different races and three classes. The game also features mounts for the first time so that gamers will be able to travel more quickly. Dragon Age: Inquisition, being developed by BioWare, is the third game in the franchise and takes place after the events of Dragon Age II. The land is being torn apart by a war between mages and templars with your character and allies trying to end it. During the game, players will be able to set up new camps, deploy troops, and fortify strongholds while trying to bring order throughout the land. Dragon Age: Inquisition will be released October 7 in North America and October 10 in Europe for the Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PC platforms. An Origin account will be required to play the game on PC. Will you be playing Dragon Age: Inquisition in October? Follow Sean on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| E3 2014: Eve: Valkyrie is a Virtual Reality-only Game [Video] Posted: 11 Jun 2014 11:58 AM PDT  It's VR or nothing
Maximum PC editor Jimmy Thang was able to interview Eve: Valkyrie lead designer Ian Alexander Shiels at E3. During their discussion Shiels talked about Eve: Valkyrie and how it is a VR-only experience. Eve: Valkyrie is being developed by CCP Games, the studio known for its ever-growing sci-fi MMO Eve Online. But last year, when the Oculus Rift started to make waves on Kickstarter, CCP Games saw potential with the new device and backed the project. The developer received several Oculus kits and starting developing content that turned into Eve: Valkyrie, a sci-fi multiplayer, dogfighting shooter. When asked if it could be played without a VR headset Shiels replied, "We are not interested in releasing a version without VR because we feel that the VR experience is so compelling and an intrinsic part of what the game is. The whole game has been designed to work in VR and so we feel that experience would be really lacking." He went on to talk about the importance of a high framerate and the Eve: Valkyrie team's experience working with the Oculus Rift team and Sony's Project Morpheus team. When asked when the game would be released, Shiels answered that its release is "related to the release of the hardware." Be sure to watch the video for the entire interview. Follow Sean on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Sound Decision: Logitech Rolls Out a Space Saving Multimedia Speaker System Posted: 11 Jun 2014 11:01 AM PDT  The PC speaker market is still alive, folks!
Speaker makers don't pay as much attention to the PC market as they once did, though they haven't completely abandoned the sector, either. Proof positive of this is Logitech's introduction of the Z213, a brand spanking new set of compact 2.1 multimedia speakers designed for Windows and Mac computer systems, along with tablets, smartphones, and dedicated MP3 players. "The Logitech Multimedia Speakers Z213 are for people who want great sound quality without breaking their budget," said Philippe Depallens, vice president of speaker products at Logitech. "With this 2.1 speaker system, you also get a setup that doesn't compromise valuable space on your desktop or in your living room." Logitech's Z213 sports a down-firing subwoofer with a 4W four-inch driver and a knob on the back for adjusting the bass level. There are two 1.5W (RMS) satellite speakers plus a wired control pod with a 3.5mm audio jack. It's also compatible with Logitech's Bluetooth Audio Adapter, a $40 accessory that costs more than the speaker set itself. 
The Logitech Z213 is available to pre-order for $30; shipping is expected sometime this month. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Edge Memory Touts American Made 7mm Revolution SSD Posted: 11 Jun 2014 09:57 AM PDT  The first of several drives to boast "Made in the USA"
Edge memory is feeling patriotic these days. Never heard of them? According to the company's About Us page, Edge Memory's roots date back to 1986 when a 14-year-old took $2,500 that he saved from his paper route and began buying and selling computer parts in the Dallas Morning News. Now a full fledged business, Edge Memory's newest product is the Revolution, a 7mm solid state drive proudly made in the U.S. "We are proud to support U.S. jobs by designing and manufacturing in our factory near Austin, Texas. While a vast majority of the competition has moved their manufacturing offshore, we have been manufacturing in the US for 27 years and counting", says Ray Agrella, VP of Sales. The Edge Revolution is the first of what will be several "Made in the USA" brand certified SSDs that Edge releases this year. It's available in 120GB, 240GB, and 480GB capacities with the following speed ratings: - 120GB: up to 555MB/s and 25,000 IOPS read, up to 525MB/s and 80,000 IOPS write
- 240GB: up to 560MB/s and 45,000 IOPS read, up to 530MB/s and 80,000 IOPS write
- 480GB: up to 540MB/s and 78,000 IOPS read, up to 460MB/s and 42,000 IOPS write
Edge Revolution SSDs are SandForce driven and feature 256-bit AES hardware encryption, S.M.A.R.T. support, wear leveling support, garbage collection, and other standard SSD tidbits. The drives are available now through select retailers and are backed by 5-year warranties. A quick look online shows street prices hovering around $100 for the 120GB model, $160 for the 240GB model, and $290 for the 480GB model, depending on vendor. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Stealth Launches Handheld Sized Mini PC with Haswell Inside, 4K Capabilities Posted: 11 Jun 2014 09:27 AM PDT  This mini PC comes standard with an Intel Core i7 4800MQ processor
Stealth specializes in small PCs that offer up big performance, and it's newest model -- LPC-681 mini PC -- looks to be no exception. Measuring just a little bigger than a NUC, Stealth's new LPC-681 mini PC brings an Intel Core i7 4800MQ (Haswell) mobile processor to the tiny PC party, along with support for up to 16GB of DDR3L RAM (4GB included in the base configuration) and a 120GB solid state drive that comes standard. If that's not enough storage space, Stealth also offers 240GB, 480GB, and even 1TB SSD options. As for the rest of the LPC-681, it sports integrated Intel HD Graphics 4600 capable of pumping 4K video, a DisplayPort, two HDMI ports, GbE LAN port, two USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 ports, Serial port, two eSATA ports, audio in/output, and optional 802.11n Wi-Fi. More than a few might find the system cost prohibitive -- pricing starts at $2,395 and goes up with each upgrade. For example, going from 4GB of RAM (standard) to 16GB adds $195 to the tally, and if you're lusting over that 1TB SSD, it's an $620 upgrade. The system does, however, come with an OS (Windows 7 Professional 32-bit or 64-bit). Stealth's LPC-681 mini PC is available now. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| E3 2014: Roccat Sova Keyboard Prototype Joins the Living Room Gaming Fad [Video] Posted: 11 Jun 2014 08:56 AM PDT  Roccat experiements with peripheral design for the living room
A portion of PC gamers are migrating to the living room thanks to hard pushes by hardware vendors to build small form factor systems that look like game consoles. We've seen it with Valve and its hardware partners (Steam Machines), as well as boutique builders opting for Windows-based PCs that can take advantage of Big Picture mode in Steam. What's missing, however, are living room peripherals. This is where Roccat is stepping in -- Roccat is showing off its Sova keyboard prototype at E3, so we stopped by to take a look. Roccat describes the Sova as the first fully realized modular wireless keyboard and mousepad combo. It's designed to make gaming from the couch comfortable and is specifically intended to sit on your lap. The final design, if it gets that far, could end up different than what's being shown, but the concept will be the same. "Sova is the option for gamers wishing to expand their arena without sacrificing gaming experience," says René Korte, ROCCAT founder and CEO. "Platforms like Steam are fantastic, but the experience can be devalued by the lack of adequate gaming equipment. Gamers who wish to stream PC games to a living room television will no longer need to put up with latency issues and can now experience couch gaming at its fullest." It has flexible and adjustable parts, multiple USB ports, a machined brush aluminum design, Cherry MX mechanical key switches, and battery life that's good for up to 12 hours of game play (he says 8 hours in the video, but Roccat states 12 hours in its press release). No word yet on price or release date. For now, Roccat is looking for feedback, which you can offer here. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| E3 2014: Up Close and Personal with Origin PC's Chronos Micro Tower PC [Video] Posted: 11 Jun 2014 08:10 AM PDT  Billed as the world's smallest 4K gaming desktop
Boutique system builder Origin PC yesterday announced the availability of Nvidia's mighty GeForce GTX Titan Z inside its Chronos line of small form factor and micro tower PCs, which the company is promoting as the world's smallest 4K gaming system. We had to take a look for ourselves, so Online Managing Editor Jimmy Thang made his way to Origin PC's booth at E3 for a video interview. Take a look. Thang caught up with Origin PC CEO and co-founder Kevin Wasielewski, who was clearly excited about the accomplishment of fitting a Titan Z inside such a small chassis (Silverstone RV201). Wasielewski says the console-like chassis can sit either vertically, as shown in the video, or on its side (horizontally). "It's perfect for your living room, it's perfect for your desk or dorm room, or whatever," Wasielewski says. Configured with a Titan Z, pricing starts at around $4,000 (or around $1,700 without a Titan Z) and includes an Intel foundation and 600W Silverstone power supply. If you want to purchase (or windows shop) a Chronos system with Titan Z, just head over to its product page on Origin PC's website. Also, be sure to check out the photo gallery below. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Newegg Daily Deals: Corsair HX Series 750W PSU, Intel Core i7 3770K, and More! Posted: 11 Jun 2014 07:18 AM PDT |
