| Ubisoft Gives Reason for Disabled Settings in PC Version of Watch Dogs Posted: 20 Jun 2014 05:36 PM PDT  Disabled visual enhancements found in the game's code
The PC version of Watch Dogs has caused quite a bit of frustration for PC gamers since its release back in May. The game's launch was hampered by Uplay issues, Ubisoft's digital distribution platform, and overall performance issues. But the latest controversy has caused Ubisoft to respond to the discovery of deactivated settings for the PC version of Watch Dogs. Modders recently discovered that high-end graphical effects had been deactivated for the PC retail version with NeoGaf user Jibbed documenting the discovery. References were found in the code that suggested the settings and animations were meant for an "E3" mode when the game had been shown at the conference. Meanwhile, the discovery of the deactivated effects in the game's code prompted a modder with the handle TheWorse to release a mod that activates the visual enhancements Speculation on Ubisoft's reasons for disabling the graphical effects had prompted the developer to respond on its official website that reads, "The dev team is completely dedicated to getting the most out of each platform, so the notion that we would actively downgrade quality is contrary to everything we've set out to achieve. We test and optimize our games for each platform on which they're released, striving for the best possible quality." Admitting to the existence of the disabled settings in Watch Dogs, which broke into Raptr's "most-played games on PC" list for the month of May, Ubisoft continued, "The PC version does indeed contain some old, unused render settings that were deactivated for a variety of reasons, including possible impacts on visual fidelity, stability, performance and overall gameplay quality. Modders are usually creative and passionate players, and while we appreciate their enthusiasm, the mod in question (which uses those old settings) subjectively enhances the game's visual fidelity in certain situations but also can have various negative impacts. Those could range from performance issues, to difficulty in reading the environment in order to appreciate the gameplay, to potentially making the game less enjoyable or even unstable." In light of its admittance, will Ubisoft release a patch, or multiple patches, to enable the visual enhancements or will it be up to the modding community to pick up where they left off? Follow Sean on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| No BS Podcast #226: In-depth Interview with AMD Graphics Guru Richard Huddy Posted: 20 Jun 2014 04:06 PM PDT  AMD exec doubles down on assertion that Nvidia Gameworks presents a threat to PC gamers
This week on episode 226 of the No BS Podcast, AMD graphics guru Richard Huddy joins the Maximum PC crew. For those unfamiliar with the AMD exec, Huddy has spent time working at ATI, AMD, Nvidia, Intel, and is now back at AMD. He's also widely considered one of the pioneers of DirectX. Suffice it to say, he knows his stuff. In this special edition of the podcast, we pick his brain on a variety of topics relating to AMD. Easily the most exciting part of the discussion is the fact that Huddy doubles down on AMD's assertion that Nvidia Gameworks presents a threat to PC gamers, most notably by adding lines of code to games that would hinder performance on AMD graphics cards (It's some pretty damning assertions). We also talk about the recent controversy surrounding the PC version of Watch Dogs, discuss Mantle vs DirectX, AMD's answer to Nvidia Gsync, 4K, and the future of graphics/graphics cards.   
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| AMD Adds Game DVR Beta to Raptr Software with New Update Posted: 20 Jun 2014 03:15 PM PDT  New feature lets you record last 10 minutes gameplay
For those who like to record their gameplay sessions, and share them with others, AMD offers a screen recording utility like FRAPS for those with AMD Radeon GPUs and APUs. Recently, AMD released a new update for its Gaming Evolved client that improves the performance. Powered by Raptr, the client's recording utility, thanks to the update, has been fine-tuned so that users will now have high-quality video capture without any impact on performance, according to the hardware manufacturer. Simply restart the client to update or download it directly from Raptr's website. The client's UI has been redesigned so that it is faster and easier to use. In addition, the library of games optimized for the Gaming Evolved client has been expanded to 204 titles. Included in the update is the Game DVR beta that continually records the last 10 minutes of a player's game session and allows them to instantly save a particular moment during their gameplay experience. To use this feature, AMD users just need to click Record in the client's Home tab and it will capture the last fifteen seconds by default (this can be increased to 10 minutes). To save the clip you just hit Page Up + K while pressing Page Up + R will start and stop gameplay capture. Will you be using the Gaming Evolved client to record and stream your games? Sound off in the comments below! Follow Sean on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Microsoft Surface Pro 3 is Now Available at Stores Posted: 20 Jun 2014 08:55 AM PDT  Surface Pro 3 has arrived!
Today we'll begin to find out if Microsoft is on the right track with its Surface hardware. As the company promised, Surface Pro 3 is available at retail stores, online, and through authorized resellers in the U.S. and Canada today, exactly one month after Microsoft announced the upgraded device during a press event in New York City. The caveat? Only the Core i5 version is available straight away. Anyone who pre-ordered a Surface Pro 3 with an Intel Core i5 processor inside will receive them directly. The Core i3 and Core i7 versions will begin shipping on August 1, which is also when they'll be available to purchase in stores and at commercial resellers. As for the docking stating, Microsoft's Panos Panay said it will be available beginning Friday, August 15 in the U.S. and Canada, though you can pre-order one today. There are two versions of the Surface Pro 3 with a Core i5 inside -- a $999 model with a 128GB SSD and a $1,299 model with a 256GB SSD. The least expensive Surface Pro 3 is the Core i3 SKU with 64GB, which starts at $799. Those interested in Core i7 models have the 256GB ($1,549) and 512GB ($1,949) models to choose from. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Titanfall for PC is Free to Play on Origin This Weekend Posted: 20 Jun 2014 08:37 AM PDT  You can't beat the price!
Looking for something to do this weekend? If your'e a PC gamer, you have options. For one, Steam's Summer Sale is underway, which means adding more games to your library than you'll possibly have time to play. If you'd rather not spend a dime but still want something new to play with, good news -- Titanfall on PC is free to play for the entire weekend! We're not talking about a teaser demo, mind you, but the full game. Yes, you have to go through Origin, and not all gamers are cool with that. But it's free for 48 hours, which is a price we can live with. It's part of "Origin Game Time," a new program on Origin that allows you to play full versions of certain titles for as long as there's time on your Game Time clock. "This weekend you'll be able to download Titanfall and play for free for two days straight. We're launching Origin Game Time for Titanfall across the world over the next several hours, so if you don't see it available yet in your territory, you will soon. Origin Game Time games will appear on our Free Games page when they're available to download," EA said. The 48 hour timer begins to roll down after you start Titanfall for the first time and continues to tick down in real time. Your progress will be saved when you take a break, though the timer continues to tick regardless of whether you're playing or not. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| BlackBerry Stops the Bleeding, Posts a Small Profit Posted: 20 Jun 2014 08:20 AM PDT  Struggling handset maker sees light at the end of the tunnel
There may be hope for BlackBerry yet. The company formerly known as RIM -- these days it's just BlackBerry -- surprised investors and analysts by posting a $23 million profit for the three-month period ended May 31, 2014. That's quite a change from the $423 million loss it posted three months ago, and the $84 million loss it posted a year ago after being beaten down by the competition. The gain in profit came despite a $10 million sequential drop in revenue ($966 million for $976 million the previous quarter). About 39 percent of BlackBerry's revenue came from hardware sales, 54 percent from services, and 7 percent for software and other areas. "Our performance in fiscal Q1 demonstrates that we are firmly on track to achieve important milestones, including our financial objectives and delivering a strong product portfolio," said John Chen, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of BlackBerry. "Over the past six months, we have focused on improving efficiency in all aspects of our operations to drive cost reductions and margin improvement. Looking forward, we are focusing on our growth plan to enable our return to profitability." For the first time in a long time, things are looking relatively bright for BlackBerry, or at least brighter than they have been. Following a profitable quarter, BlackBerry's upcoming BB10.3 software will allow users to install Android apps from the Amazon Appstore. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Adobe's $9.99 Creative Cloud Photography Plan Now Permanent Posted: 20 Jun 2014 07:54 AM PDT  Photoshop CC and Lightroom 5 bundle now $9.99 per month
In November of last year, Adobe began offering Photoshop CC, Lightroom, and 20GB of storage for the special price of $9.99 per month. That deal was supposed to run until December 2, but was extended. The same price was available to students. Fast forward to today and Adobe has opted to do away with all the special price shenanigans and make Photoshop CC and Lightroom 5 permanently available for $9.99 per month. Officially, Adobe is promoting this as a new Creative Cloud Photography plan designed for anyone interested in taking and editing photos. Signing up for the monthly plan requires a 1-year commitment, or you can pay the entire sum for the year ($119.88 plus local taxes). "With our Lightroom products alone managing over 100 billion images, we know there's a huge appetite from photography enthusiasts to have powerful, world-class software available on their mobile devices as well as their computers," said Winston Hendrickson, vice president, digital imaging, Adobe. "With Photoshop, Lightroom and new mobile photo apps, we've created the most complete photography solution on the planet, ensuring that anyone interested in photography can be creative with their images, no matter where they are." The benefit to a cloud subscription is that you're ensured of always having the latest version of Photoshop and all the new tools that get released. If you're unsure, there's a 30-day trial available as well. To sign up (or learn more), head over to here. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Newegg Daily Deals: Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3P AM3+ Mobo, Logitech G230 Headset, and More! Posted: 20 Jun 2014 05:31 AM PDT |
