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| Maingear's 17-inch Nomad 17 Gaming Notebook Comes with Free Custom Paint Job Posted: 30 Sep 2012 07:12 PM PDT
Starting at $1,599, the Nomad 17 is said to be the "only gaming laptop in the industry to have hand-painted premium automotive paint jobs"; in all, there are six different color options to choose from. As for the innards, this 17-incher from Maingear supports up to an Intel i7-3840QM (8MB Cache, up to 3.8GHz w/ Turbo Boost 2.0). The complete specs are as follows:
"The NOMAD 17 is a thing of beauty," said Wallace Santos, CEO and founder of MAINGEAR. "With a custom automotive paint job and performance parts, this roadster of a machine is quite a work of art, technologically and aesthetically. Quite simply, it is the finest gaming laptop we have ever offered." Image Credit:Maingear |
| Is Intel Killing The Motherboard Market? Posted: 30 Sep 2012 05:17 PM PDT
DigiTimes points out what now seems almost completely obvious to industry observers; Intel wants to integrate everything motherboard vendors were once doing short of physical connectors onto the CPU. The push to consolidate North and South Bridge chips directly onto the CPU die are forging ahead with next year's release of Haswell, and will only accelerate as we go forward. This trend has left DigiTimes to speculate on the shaky future of some smaller motherboard manufacturers going forward. Asus, Gigabyte, and ASRock make up the top three, and will likely all find a niche for the next few generations, but then what? If the desktop continues to lose traction to mobile devices going forward, we could well see even the established players begin to struggle. If motherboards become little more than a socket with a few extra USB and thunderbolt chips it could become increasingly difficult to sell premium products, even to power users. Could Intel conceivably kill off the motherboard market within the next 3-5 years? It's starting to look at least somewhat possible. Follow Justin on Twitter |
| Razer Blade Gaming Laptop Hands-On (Video) Posted: 30 Sep 2012 05:08 PM PDT Is the $2,500 Razer Blade gaming laptop worth it?The saying, "You get what you pay for" gets tossed around a lot, but sometimes this proverb doesn't always ring true. At $2,500, the new 17.3" Razer Blade gaming laptop certainly is expensive, but is it worth it?
Specs The Razer Blade features Intel's newly revealed Intel Core i7 3632QM Quad Core CPU, which features a base block of 2.2GHz and overclocks up to 3.2Ghz with turbo boost. In terms of discrete graphics, the gaming laptop features Nvidia's GeForce GTX 660m GPU with 2GB of GDDR5 video memory. Tying the CPU and GPU together is Optimus Technology, which allows the laptop to switch between NVIDIA's discrete graphics and Intel's integrated graphics on the fly. For memory, the Razer Blade features 8GB of 1,600 MHz DDR3 RAM.
Storage side, the laptop comes with a 64GB SSD along with a 500GB 7,200 RPM mechanical hard drive. This combination gave us impressive boot times, allowing the Blade to boot to Windows within 25 seconds. In terms of laptop features, the Blade supports up to three 3.0 USB ports, an HDMI port, and comes with a built-in HD webcam. Design Aesthetically, the Razer Blade looks a lot like a large, black MacBook. Adding some edge to the layout are green-back lit LED keys which complement the simple and elegant design well.
The chassis features a matte aluminum body that looks sleek. One problem we did encounter, however, was that the surface was a sucker for finger prints. This is a shame considering we really like placing our hands on the quiet and responsive keyboard. For the screen, the Blade features an LED-backlit 1080p monitor. Though the monitor looks great head-on, there is a bit of that TN-monitor shimmer when you view it at off angles Because the 17.3 inch monitor is so massive, the laptop can be cumbersome to use in areas where table space is limited, but at only .88 inches, the Razer Blade is impressively thin. Weighing in around 6lbs 11oz, the laptop is by no means light, but it is lighter than similar competitors. The big feature Razer is touting with the Blade is the multi-touch LCD pad with 10 programmable keys. This will allow you to bind custom gaming commands and to open up programs with a single keystroke. In addition, Razer says it will allow owners to download pre-made settings whenever new, popular games come out. While most laptop touchpads are situated below the keyboard, Razer has opted to place it on the right to act as a gaming mouse replacement. Even though gaming with the touchpad worked better than we expected (about on par with an Xbox 360 controller for shooters), most gamers will want to plug in a USB mouse which would neglect Razer's efforts here. Furthermore, considering we have been conditioned to using touchpads below the keyboard for so long, forcing ourselves to keep our hands to the right felt extremely counterintuitive and downright frustrating at points. Performance Gameplay performance for the Blade was very solid. Playing Counter-Strike: Global Offensive with all settings maxed out, FRAPs recorded average framerates around the 60 frames per second mark.
On the audio front, the Blade was plenty loud at full volume with no unwanted distortion. While the sound quality was adequate, audiophiles aren't going to be blown away by these fairly run-of-the-mill laptop speakers. In terms of battery life, The Razer Blade features a 60-watt hour battery. What this translates to is about 2 hours and 45 minutes of non-stop video footage. While this should get you through the majority of movies, it's nothing spectacular. Luckily, Razer has created a small and light battery charger that easily allows you to use the device as a portable gaming desktop. While the laptop can get warm under load, we haven't encountered any temps that would melt the denim off our jeans. Conclusion We are impressed with the look, performance, and build quality of the Razer Blade, but its expensive price point makes it difficult to fully recommend. For the money, gamers can build a much stronger desktop PC AND purchase a decent gaming laptop.
For the final verdict along with more performance, benchmark comparisons, stay tuned for the full-written review. |
| Google Takeout Lets You Download Original Copies of All Your YouTube Videos Posted: 30 Sep 2012 11:54 AM PDT
This officially makes YouTube one of the most affordable ways to archive large video clips, with absolutely no danger of lock in. Wondering how it works? Well, according to the Data Liberation Blog: "With Google Takeout, you can download all of the original videos that you have uploaded in a few simple clicks. No transcoding or transformation -- you'll get exactly the same videos that you first uploaded. Your videos in. Your videos out." Just visit the YouTube site as usual, click your name / "Video Manager", then click "Download MP4" using the drop down arrow next to the edit button for each video. If you have hundreds of uploads this might take some time, however it's still an amazingly selfless service for the company to offer considering they have nothing to gain. Follow Justin on Twitter |
| AMD Partners With BlueStacks to Bring Android Apps To Windows 7 & 8 Posted: 30 Sep 2012 10:36 AM PDT
Desktop users might not find much use for the feature, but where this would really make sense is on Windows 8 tablets. The new Microsoft Windows 8 store currently only offers around 2,000 apps, and it has some pretty glaring omissions when compared to iOS and Android. The emulator would distinguish AMD powered tablets in the market place, and give them an interesting advantage over Intel. According to BlueStacks: "We've worked closely together to optimize the performance of the apps for AMD's unique 'graphics and computing on one chip' setup. The result is awesome - mobile apps run beautifully on their machines." This doesn't mean the emulator will never make its way to Intel chipsets, but my magic eight ball says the outlook is not so good as long as the payments from AMD keep rolling in. Both Intel & AMD users can download the beta version of the BlueStacks App Player from their website, however it will no doubt be locked to AMD hardware in the near future. Follow Justin on Twitter |
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| New Halo 4 Screenshots Surface Posted: 30 Sep 2012 07:47 AM PDT Whether you're most excited about Master Chief's campaign, competitive war games, or cooperative Spartan Ops, 343 Industries has a wealth of new screens to share. The new screens – viewable on the official Halo site – run the gamut of the game's many modes. New campaign screens highlight the Dawn and Infinity missions from the [...]  |
| Is Wii U’s Launch Lineup That Much Different Than Wii’s? Posted: 30 Sep 2012 07:45 AM PDT Nintendo released a list of 23 games expected to ship on day one with Wii U. Initially, this software selection appears to be one of the biggest and best to accompany a system launch. When comparing it to Nintendo's last launch for Wii, the biggest difference is the presence of core blockbuster franchises like Assassin's Creed [...]  |
| Kritika – Closed Beta 2 confirmed for October Posted: 30 Sep 2012 07:41 AM PDT Korea is currently looking at a couple of nice action online games, and Kritika is one of those. Developed by All-M, which recently announced the closure of LuniaZ Korea, it is being published by Hangame. Closed Beta 2 will last from 18th to 24th October, with new maps, skills and more. Players bond together to [...]  |
| Age of Wushu – Official release delayed for over 6 months Posted: 30 Sep 2012 07:35 AM PDT Originally scheduled to be released later next month, Snail Games USA has now announced that Age of Wushu will launch next year, 3rd May 2013 instead. The Closed Beta phase is also delayed, with it now being separated into 2 dates. Below is the new schedule: 1. November 2012 – Closed Beta 1 2. December [...]  |
| Snail Games USA explains sudden delay for Age of Wushu Posted: 30 Sep 2012 07:29 AM PDT As you may have read, Snail Games USA has chosen to delay the launch of Age of Wushu by over 6 months, with the game now set to launch on 3rd May 2013 instead. Of course, the community does deserve an answer since most were preparing for the game to open later next month, and [...]  |
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Latest Gaming and MMORPG Updates |
| New Halo 4 Screenshots Surface Posted: 30 Sep 2012 07:47 AM PDT Whether you're most excited about Master Chief's campaign, competitive war games, or cooperative Spartan Ops, 343 Industries has a wealth of new screens to share. The new screens – viewable on the official Halo site – run the gamut of the game's many modes. New campaign screens highlight the Dawn and Infinity missions from the [...] |
| Is Wii U’s Launch Lineup That Much Different Than Wii’s? Posted: 30 Sep 2012 07:45 AM PDT Nintendo released a list of 23 games expected to ship on day one with Wii U. Initially, this software selection appears to be one of the biggest and best to accompany a system launch. When comparing it to Nintendo's last launch for Wii, the biggest difference is the presence of core blockbuster franchises like Assassin's Creed [...] |
| Kritika – Closed Beta 2 confirmed for October Posted: 30 Sep 2012 07:41 AM PDT Korea is currently looking at a couple of nice action online games, and Kritika is one of those. Developed by All-M, which recently announced the closure of LuniaZ Korea, it is being published by Hangame. Closed Beta 2 will last from 18th to 24th October, with new maps, skills and more. Players bond together to [...] |
| Age of Wushu – Official release delayed for over 6 months Posted: 30 Sep 2012 07:35 AM PDT Originally scheduled to be released later next month, Snail Games USA has now announced that Age of Wushu will launch next year, 3rd May 2013 instead. The Closed Beta phase is also delayed, with it now being separated into 2 dates. Below is the new schedule: 1. November 2012 – Closed Beta 1 2. December [...] |
| Snail Games USA explains sudden delay for Age of Wushu Posted: 30 Sep 2012 07:29 AM PDT As you may have read, Snail Games USA has chosen to delay the launch of Age of Wushu by over 6 months, with the game now set to launch on 3rd May 2013 instead. Of course, the community does deserve an answer since most were preparing for the game to open later next month, and [...] |
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| 38 Studios escapes federal criminal charges Posted: 30 Sep 2012 09:30 AM PDT Filed under: MMO industry, News items, Miscellaneous  U.S. Attorney spokesman Jim Martin told The Associated Press that his office found that 38 Studios did not break any federal laws. That said, what's left of the company is still subject to an investigation being conducted by Rhode Island police to determine if state laws were broken. 38 Studios folded last May despite a $75 million state loan guarantee. The bankruptcy left Rhode Island "on the hook for more than $100 million" which includes the bonds and interest.
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| Previously on MV TV: The week of September 22nd Posted: 30 Sep 2012 08:00 AM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Video, Aion, EverQuest II, Classes, Events, in-game, Interviews, Previews, Wurm Online, Opinion, Ultima Online, Vanguard, Guild Wars 2, Free-to-play, The Secret World, Casual, Virtual worlds, Humor, Allods Online, Community Q&A, Livestream, Sandbox, Dungeons, Crafting, Previously on MV TV, Anniversary, Housing  This week we have MJ returning with her favorite games like EverQuest II, Aion, The Secret World, Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, and Guild Wars 2. Richie joins in with his current favorite, Guild Wars 2, and I round things off with an hour spent with the Ultima Online developer team, a goblinball session with community leaders in Allods Online, and a tutorial on building a house in Wurm Online! Trust me, if there is one goblin-kicking, dev-interviewing, house-building livestream series that you should watch, it's this one! Continue reading Previously on MV TV: The week of September 22nd
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| The Daily Grind: What character creation option do you wish MMOs would include? Posted: 30 Sep 2012 06:00 AM PDT Filed under: Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Miscellaneous  Because of this, it does frustrate me when games skimp out on character creation options. MMOs that have only three hairstyles, or identical faces, or nothing but an absurd standard of beauty have me gnashing my teeth. I don't need sliders all the time, but some interesting options to allow me some degree of personalization would be dandy. So what character creation option do you wish MMOs would include? Are there beards, hair styles, scars, or accessories that you never see but wish you did?  Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
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| City of Steam offers players barrels of fun before beta Posted: 29 Sep 2012 06:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Culture, News items, Free-to-play, Browser, Humor, City of Steam  You see, aside from just talking about the game approaching its closed beta testing phase, this particular developer journal contains an old gem from early internal testing: a minigame built specifically to allow the team to test barrel destruction effects. And wouldn't you know that you can now play with that same tool yourself in your browser? Go ahead and read for updates on development, but stay to wipe out a room full of barrels with an exploding barrel.
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| The Tattered Notebook: What would tempt you to play EQII? Posted: 29 Sep 2012 04:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, MMO industry, Opinion, Free-to-play, The Tattered Notebook  In a recent post to the official forums, EQII Producer Holly "Windstalker" Longdale posted the following: Howdy Norrathians! The team has been brainstorming ideas that would ease the re-entry back into the game and soften the learning curve for returning players as well as creative options for a Refer-a-Friend program. What would float your boat if you are, or were, a returning player at some point? Creative suggestions? And do you have ideas that would make you excited to not just refer a friend, but play with them too?In past columns, we've looked at a few ways to attract new and returning players, but in this week's Tattered Notebook, it's worth looking at the topic again. What would get you to come back to EQII (or try it for the first time)? Continue reading The Tattered Notebook: What would tempt you to play EQII?
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| CCP unveils EVE Online: Retribution, coming this winter Posted: 29 Sep 2012 02:00 PM PDT Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Events, real-world, Expansions, Game mechanics, Launches, Previews, PvP, News items, PvE, Massively Interviews, Massively Event Coverage, Sandbox  We sat down with Jon Lander and Kristoffer Touborg, EVE's executive producer and lead designer respectively, to get a first-hand look at some of Retribution's key features as well as the enormous pile of tweaks, updates, and adjustments players might expect with any CCP-helmed update. One thing is certain: After Retribution, the world of internet spaceships will never again be the same. Continue reading CCP unveils EVE Online: Retribution, coming this winter
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| The Mog Log: Two years of spinning wheels in Final Fantasy XIV Posted: 29 Sep 2012 12:00 PM PDT Filed under: Fantasy, Game mechanics, Opinion, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV, The Mog Log, Anniversary  You'll note that last year's column was mostly about what happened as a result of the game's launch. That wasn't by accident. Launch led to a massive restructuring of the game's design team, and not too long after the one-year mark, the team announced that it was basically remaking the game from the ground up. That fact has dominated the past year, and it's impossible to overstate the importance that announcement has had for the Final Fantasy XIV community. Everything circles around the promise of 2.0 these days. What has that meant for the actual years of the game's operation? Sadly, nothing good. The game has made huge strides, but we as players have been stuck in a nasty little loop. Continue reading The Mog Log: Two years of spinning wheels in Final Fantasy XIV
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MMORPG News |
| EVE Online: Winter Expansion 'Retribution' Unveiled Posted: 29 Sep 2012 01:15 PM PDT We recently attended a press conference with CCP Games' Ned 'CCP Manifest' Coker to learn all about EVE Online's upcoming winter expansion - Retribution. Today, we're bringing you all the details, so be sure to read on!     |
| Darkfall: Unholy Wars: Five New Screens Released Posted: 27 Sep 2012 08:00 PM PDT Aventurine has released five brand new screenshots from its upcoming title, Darkfall: Unholy Wars. DF:UH is expected to hit retail release in November. Check out all of the new screenshots in the Darkfall: Unholy Wars gallery here at MMORPG.com!   |
| Age of Wushu: Release Date Announced Posted: 27 Sep 2012 07:53 PM PDT Snail Games USA has announced that the North American release date for Age of Wushu will be on February 1, 2013. Players can purchase an Elite Pre-Purchase Package for $9.99 which gives a full version of the game, in-game items and access to all beta events between now and the release date.   |
| General: Blade&Sword II In Development Posted: 27 Sep 2012 07:49 PM PDT Chinese MMO developer, PixelSoft, has announced that Blade&Sword II is currently in development. The title is what developers call an "old-brand" game that is set to bring action and hard-core game play to the MMO space.   |
| Dragon Nest: eFusion MMOG GmbH to Publish EU Version Posted: 27 Sep 2012 07:43 PM PDT eFusion MMOG GmbH has announced that it will be publishing Dragon Nest for European customers by the end of 2012. Dragon Nest will be localized into four (unannounced) languages. The team is preparing the first closed beta event that is scheduled to begin at the end of October.   |
| General: Multiplicity 2.0: Control 2-9 Computers Posted: 27 Sep 2012 07:40 PM PDT Multiplicity 2.0 is a new utility to allow a single keyboard and mouse to control between two and nine computers. Users can drag and drop of large files between PCs, copy and paste formatted content across multiple PCs, and send the audio from all PCs to one PC and a set of speakers.   |
| General: The Guru Beta Tournament For Natural Selection 2 Posted: 27 Sep 2012 07:56 PM PDT We've got some interesting news for our readers! The Marine vs Alien FPS/RTS, Natural Selection 2 coming in October will have a tournament sponsored by FPSGuru and RTSGuru. Natural Selection 2 features FPS and RTS elements. There will be prizes from Roccat.   |
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While most web service companies work day and night to lock you in, 
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