General Gaming Article

General Gaming Article


AMD Will Celebrate 30 Years of Graphics and Gaming with Live Webcast

Posted: 22 Aug 2014 05:41 PM PDT

AMD logoHow time flies

AMD has been keeping itself busy these days. In addition to its Mantle API, the company is working on a line of Radeon-branded SSDs and there are rumors that it will cut the pricing on its FX processors in September. Despite all of this, AMD will be celebrating 30 years of graphics and gaming this Saturday, August 23, with a live broadcast. 

The live stream will start at 7:00 AM PST/10:00 AM EST with AMD chief gaming scientist Richard Huddy as the master of ceremonies. Huddy was a guest on the No BS Podcast #226 for an in-depth interview that we recommend you listen to.

The event will be broadcasted live from the company's Lone Star Campus in Austin, Texas where game developers will be asked about their latest projects. Unfortunately, AMD did not reveal what developers would be interviewed. It will also provide stories that cover the history of the company and, supposedly, there will be some new product announcements.

Everyone will be able to watch it on AMD's website and TwitchTV while a re-broadcast of the event will be available to watch four hours afterwards. 

Will you be watching the broadcast tomorrow and what do you hope to see?

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Google’s Self-Driving Car Will Have A Steering Wheel

Posted: 22 Aug 2014 04:57 PM PDT

Google carCalifornia's new testing rules the reason why

Google has been working on its own self-driving car and putting the vehicle through its paces. One of the interesting things about the car is the fact that it doesn't have a steering wheel. However, a set of new testing rules from California's Department of Motor Vehicles will change that, reports The Wall Street Journal. Now Google's self-driving car will have a steering wheel and a pedal system.

In order for people to test Google's car, according to the new rules, a test driver is "either in immediate physical control of the vehicle or is actively monitoring the vehicle's operations and capable of taking over immediate physical control." In response to the rules, that will take effect on September 16, Google will comply by developing a small, temporary steering wheel and pedal system that can be used during the tests.

Commenting on the new trappings, Google spokeswoman Courtney Hohne said, "With these additions, our safety drivers can test the self-driving features, while having the ability to take control of the vehicle if necessary."

Prior to the rule change, the self-driving car only had a screen that showed the vehicle's route and buttons to start and stop the car. Google plans to produce 100 of its self-driving cars, that have the speed limit capped at 25 MPH, with testing on private roads to begin next month. 

Would you feel safer now that Google's self-driving car has a steering wheel and pedal system?

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Newegg Daily Deals: Corsair Hydro Series H105 Extreme Liquid Cooler, BenQ 27-inch LCD, and More!

Posted: 22 Aug 2014 11:06 AM PDT

Corsair H105newegg logo

Top Deal:

If you live in a part of the country where it snows every winter, then give it a few months and you can crack the window when your PC temps get a bit too high. In the meantime, there are better ways to cool things than to rely on Mother Nature. One of those ways is the topic of today's top deal -- a Corsair Hydro Series H105 Extreme Performance Liquid CPU Cooler for $100 with free shipping (normally $115 - use coupon code: [EMCPBHH52]). It has a 38mm thick, 240mm radiator, dual PWM fans, and tool-less installation.

Other Deals:

BenQ 27-inch 4ms (GTG) HDMI Widescreen LED Backlight LCD Monitor for $180 with free shipping (normally $200 - use coupon code: [EMCPBHH37])

Seagate Expansion 4TB USB 3.0 3.5-inch Desktop External Hard Drive for $125 with free shipping (normally $140 - use coupon code: [EMCPBHH35])

Intel 730 Series 2.5-inch 240GB SATA 6Gb/s MLC Internal Solid State Drive for $171 with free shipping (normally $190 - use coupon code: [EMCPBHH94])

Seagate Hybrid Drive 2TB MLC/8GB 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s NCQ 3.5" Desktop SSHD for $100 with free shipping (normally $115 - use coupon code: [EMCPBHH96])

HP Pushes Windows 7 PCs for Back to School Season with Instant Discounts

Posted: 22 Aug 2014 10:55 AM PDT

HP EnvySave money on a Windows 7 system

With Windows 9 (Threshold) rumored for an introduction next month along with a Release Preview for consumers and developers alike, it's safe to say that the Windows 8 era is winding down, though some would argue it never truly began (market share figures would back that argument). So, what do you do if you're an OEM looking to pick up sales for the back to school season? Well, if you're HP, you promote Windows 7 and offer shoppers an enticing discount.

HP has been sending out a newsletter to customers with the heading, "Windows 7 PCs on sale, just in time for school." That's an interesting sales pitch some two years after Windows 8 has been on the market. Nevertheless, consumers just haven't reacted to Windows 8/8.1 the way Microsoft hoped they would, so this isn't a terrible move by HP.

If you head over to HP's "Laptops & hybrids" section, you'll see HP pushing Windows 7 laptops with instant savings of up to $170. You can save up to 20 percent off of Windows 7 laptops in certain cases, such as the HP Pavilion 15t-n200 -- it normally sells for $750 but is currently marked down to $600. The HP Envy 15t-j100 Quad Edition is close behind with a 19 percent reduction to $730, down from $900.

Time is running out for Microsoft's hardware partners to sell Windows 7 PCs to consumers. After October 31, they'll no longer be able to sell systems with Windows 7 as a standard option.

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Study Shows Near Equal Split Between Female and Male Gamers

Posted: 22 Aug 2014 10:32 AM PDT

Girl GamerFun facts about the video game industry

The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) released a report titled "Essential Facts About the Computer and Video game Industry" that's filled with sales, demographic, and usage data. According to the report, 59 percent of Americans play video games with an average of two gamers in each game playing U.S. household. Some 51 percent of U.S. households own a dedicated game console, and of those that do, most own two. As for the gender breakdown, 52 percent of gamers are male and 48 percent are female. However, things get interesting when you examine the breakdown by age.

"Women age 18 or older represent a significantly greater portion of the game playing population (36 percent) than boys age 18 or younger (17 percent)," ESA states in its report (PDF).

Also interesting is that the number of female gamers age 50 and older increased by 32 percent from 2012 to 2013. ESA didn't provide any reasons for the rise, but we'd guess it has to do with accessibility, such as playing games on tablets and smartphones.

Not surprisingly, casual and social game play on mobile devices and online went up "significantly" as well. Among the most frequent gamers, social games are now the most popular, increasing in popularity by 55 percent from 2012 to 2013.

Image Credit: Flickr (włodi)

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EVGA Posts Teaser Shot of Classified X99 Micro ATX Motherboard on Instagram

Posted: 22 Aug 2014 10:02 AM PDT

EVGA X99 MicroHaswell-E can't come quick enough

Hoping to build a small form factor (SFF) system around Intel's upcoming Haswell-E and X99 chipset launches? That seems to be the trendy thing these days, and you can bet motherboard vendors will step to the plate with smaller size motherboard options. These won't be chintzy slabs, either. EVGA posted a picture to Instagram showing off a small board built around the X99 chipset.

The EVGA X99 Micro is an mATX board ready for Haswell-E. According to Fudzilla, it sports a 10-phase VRM design. You can also see four DDR4 memory slots (two on each side of the CPU socket), six SATA 6Gbps ports, three PCI-Express 3.0 slots, mSATA slot, USB 3.0 and 2.0 connectivity, on-board power and reset buttons, and LED POST.

It's rumored the board will sell for about $250, which is a bit high for an mATX motherboard, though keep in mind it's part of EVGA's Classified family aimed at overclockers and enthusiasts.

As for Haswell-E, there's no official launch date, though recent chatter now has it pegged for August 29th. All Haswell-E chips will require a new X99 motherboard with the revised Socket 2011-3 layout. These boards will also support DDR4 memory.

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AMD Rumored to Cut FX Processor Pricing on September 1, 2014

Posted: 22 Aug 2014 08:56 AM PDT

AMD FX 8-CoreBig savings might be just around the corner

Save for a stint during the socket 939 era when Athlon 64 X2 chips carried premium price tags, AMD has mostly been about delivering competitive pricing compared to Intel. In keeping with that trend, AMD is reportedly getting ready to slash prices of its FX-9000 "Centurion" processors, as well as trim prices less aggressively on select FX Series parts and discontinue certain older models.

According to Xbit Labs and a few other sources on the web, AMD will roll out its new prices on September 1, 2014. One of the biggest cuts is purportedly coming to the FX-9590, which will go down to $215 when purchased in mass quantities supplied in trays -- you can expect retail pricing to be a bit higher. At present, the chip sells for $299, though Newegg has a coupon code that cuts the cost to $260.

Other price reductions include the following:

  • FX-9370: $199 (down from $219)
  • FX-8350: $169 (down from $189)
  • FX-8320: $139 (down from $149)
  • FX-6350: $119 (down from $129)
  • FX-6300: $99 (down from $109)
  • FX-4350: $95 (down from $119)
  • FX-4300: $95 (down from $99)

On top of the above, AMD is reportedly planning to either discontinue or keep the present pricing on its FX-8150, FX-8120, FX-6200, FX-6100, FX-4170, FX-4130, and FX-4100 processors.

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G.Skill Unveils Ripjaws 4 Series DDR4 Memory Kits with Redesigned Heatspreaders

Posted: 22 Aug 2014 07:47 AM PDT

G.Skill Ripjaws 4More parts in preparation for Haswell-E

One thing you won't have to worry about when Intel rolls out its Haswell-E processors is finding supplementary components to accommodate the new parts. That includes DDR4 memory. G.Skill is the latest to jump on the DDR4 bandwagon, and it brought along its familiar Ripjaws branding. The new Ripjaws 4 Series of DDR4 memory kits represent the fourth generation of Ripjaws, and with it comes a redesigned heatspreader.

The aggressive looking heatspreaders come in red, blue, and black. Though the heatspreaders on these kits are reflective of a brand new design, G.Skill says each module still measures 40mm high, the same as previous generation Ripjaws RAM.

G.Skill is releasing a whole bunch of Ripjaws 4 Series kits ranging in frequency from 2133MHz to 3200MHz. They include:

  • 2133MHz; 15-15-15-15; 1.2V; 16GB (4GBx4), 32GB (8GBx4 / 4GBx8), 64GB (8GBx8)
  • 2400MHz; 15-15-15-15; 1.2V; 16GB (4GBx4), 32GB (8GBx4 / 4GBx8), 64GB (8GBx8)
  • 2666MHz; 15-15-15-35; 1.2V; 16GB (4GBx4), 32GB (8GBx4 / 4GBx8), 64GB (8GBx8)
  • 2800MHz; 16-16-16-36; 1.2V; 16GB (4GBx4), 32GB (8GBx4 / 4GBx8), 64GB (8GBx8)
  • 3000MHz; 15-15-15-35; 1.35V; 16GB (4GBx4), 32GB (8GBx4 / 4GBx8)
  • 3000MHz; 16-16-16-36; 1.35V; 32GB (8GBx4)
  • 3200MHz; 16-16-16-36; 1.35V; 16GB (4GBx4)

Memory kits above 2400MHz support Intel XMP 2.0 for easy tuning, and all Ripjaws 4 kits have been validated for compatibility with "most X99 motherboards," G.Skill says.

The Ripjaws 4 kits in capacities up to 32GB are available now ranging in price (street) from around $260 to $530.

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MMORPG News

MMORPG News


Firefall: Much Better, But Still In Progress

Posted: 20 Aug 2014 06:38 PM PDT

Much Better, But Still In Progress

All MMOs are a work in progress long after launch, I get that. But Firefall from Red5 Studios is a particularly special case. Years and years into development, the game has seen complete re-works on several occasions, the most recent of which came after the founder and CEO Mark Kern was removed from his position. Development went dark, and Red5 went hardcore and all-in towards making a game in which they all believed.

Das Tal: Latest Update Announces Veteran Testers & Stress Test

Posted: 22 Aug 2014 06:20 AM PDT

Latest Update Announces Veteran Testers & Stress Test

The latest Das Tal developer blog has been posted to the game's official site. In it, it is announced that a small number of the current tester pool will be promoted to Veteran Tester and will gain 24/7 access to the client. In addition, servers will open on August 24th to players to stress test the servers.

Marvel Super Hero Squad Online: Guardians of the Galaxy Characters Incoming

Posted: 22 Aug 2014 06:07 AM PDT

Guardians of the Galaxy Characters Incoming

Marvel Super Hero Squad Online players will now have the opportunity to play as any one of several Guardians of the Galaxy characters once they make their way into the game. Groot, Rocket Raccoon, Starlord and Gamora will all be arriving soon.

Neverwinter: Vanguard Pack Giveaway!

Posted: 20 Aug 2014 07:41 PM PDT

Vanguard Pack Giveaway!

MMORPG.com has partnered with Perfect World Entertainment to give out Vanguard Pack codes for Neverwinter.

World of Warcraft: New Short Story Ramps Up Bridge to Warlords

Posted: 20 Aug 2014 05:55 PM PDT

New Short Story Ramps Up Bridge to Warlords

With the launch for the World of Warcraft expansion, Warlords of Draenor, a scant three months away, Blizzard is beginning to foment excitement as it begins the bridging lore from where the game is now to where it is going with Warlords. To that end, a new short story called "Hellscream" has been published on the community site that can be read there or downloaded into a PDF file.

Shroud of the Avatar: LiveStream With Richard Garriot & Starr Long (UPDATED!)

Posted: 20 Aug 2014 05:18 PM PDT

LiveStream With Richard Garriot & Starr Long (UPDATED!)

Join MMORPG.com's Rob Lashley Friday at 10:00 pm EDT / 7:00 pm PDT as he interviews Shroud of the Avatar's Richard Garriot and Starr Long. The event will be held via the MMORPG.com Live Stream page so join up early to grab a seat for this exclusive event.

ArcheAge: Closed Beta Event 4: Conflict & Conquest!

Posted: 21 Aug 2014 03:40 PM PDT

Closed Beta Event 4: Conflict & Conquest!

MMORPG.com is pleased to present our fourth round of Archeage beta keys! These keys are for the all new "Conflict & Conquest" beta event that will run from 10:00 AM PDT (GMT-7) on Friday, August 22 and run through 10:00 AM PDT (GMT-7) on Wednesday, August 27. These keys won't last long so get yours now while supplies last!

Dragon Age: Inquisition: New Q&A Focuses on Combat

Posted: 21 Aug 2014 02:50 PM PDT

New Q&A Focuses on Combat

The Bioware Dragon Age: Inquisition team has posted a new interview on the game site that answers player questions about combat. The meaty interview covers such topics as AI tactics, dual wielding, gear wear and tear and whether or not finishing moves will be revived in DA:I.

EverQuest: Still Going After 15 Years

Posted: 19 Aug 2014 05:02 PM PDT

Still Going After 15 Years

At SOE Live, the original EverQuest got its share of the spotlight, and it was clear that despite Landmark and EverQuest Next being the new hotness, the elder game in the franchise still has legs and a future in front of it. We sat down with EverQuest Producer Thom Terrazas to discuss their plans for the game and what that immediate future might be.

Elder Scrolls Online: Loyalty Begins with a Pet

Posted: 21 Aug 2014 12:54 PM PDT

Loyalty Begins with a Pet

Elder Scrolls Online players who have shown a commitment to the game will soon receive a special loyalty reward, and others as time goes on, in recognition of their support of the game. In September, Loyalty Rewards players will receive a High Hrothgar Wraith vanity pet.

General: Shadowgate: Launch Day Arrives with a New Trailer

Posted: 21 Aug 2014 12:13 PM PDT

Shadowgate: Launch Day Arrives with a New Trailer

Zojoi and Reverb Triple XP have announced that Shadowgate, a newly imagined version of the classic game, has been released. Players can grab a copy for 10% off on Steam at $18.00. To celebrate the announcement, Zojoi has released a brand new trailer.

Destiny: Bungie Releases Launch Trailer

Posted: 21 Aug 2014 11:17 AM PDT

Bungie Releases Launch Trailer

Bungie is whipping Destiny fans into a frenzy of excitement with the release of the game's official launch trailer. If you have yet to find out what has people talking about Destiny, check out the trailer and be convinced.

The Secret World: Joel Bylos on the Past, Present & Future of TSW

Posted: 20 Aug 2014 04:45 PM PDT

Joel Bylos on the Past, Present & Future of TSW

Getting the opportunity to interview developers is one of the highlights of my career. Getting the chance to meet them in person is really the only step up from it. I've had the pleasure of not only interviewing The Secret World's Joel Bylos before but I also met him at Gamescom a few years ago. He is passionate about TSW, and loves a good joke. So when the anniversary for The Secret World was approaching I reached out to get an interview.

General: Kyn Trailer Reveals the Viking-based Game World

Posted: 21 Aug 2014 10:01 AM PDT

Kyn Trailer Reveals the Viking-based Game World

Tangrin Entertainment has released a brand new trailer for its Vikings-based game, Kyn. The upcoming RPG is scheduled for release in early 2015. Check it out and let us know what you think!

Neverwinter: There Be Dragons In Them Hills!

Posted: 20 Aug 2014 04:35 PM PDT

There Be Dragons In Them Hills!

Last week Cryptic released the fourth module for Neverwinter, Tyranny of Dragons. If you are a follower of all things D&D, not just the MMORPGs, you are probably aware that this is tied in with a larger global branding initiative by Wizards of the Coast. If you have fallen behind on your D&D information, however, let me quickly bring you up to speed.

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