Home
Gaming

That's better! A psuedo Syndicate sequel that is half RTS and half global view

Subject: General Tech | September 21, 2011 - 02:53 PM |
Tagged: gaming, cartel, syndicate

Over at Rock, Paper, SHOTGUN is an interview with Shams Jorjani who works for Paradox and is involved in the development of a game called Cartel.  If you don't quite recognize the company's name, Paradox is most well known for Magicka and Mount & Blade. His first response defines what is great about Paradox, "Well we’re making PC games! That’s what we do, right?"

Cartel won't be ready for a year or more but as it is envisioned you will be fighting Cartels (think Megacorporations) with a squad of elite troops that you kit out with the equipment you have stolen or researched.  While Jorjani doesn't like the Syndicate: Total War comparison, it might be a good way for those who have no idea what Syndicate is to grasp the concept.

cartel.jpg

"Paradox are developing a game called Cartel. The timing is interesting, because this is a game of two familiar halves: one real-time squad-based RTS action, the other on a global research and diplomacy map. And it is set in a near-future world of global mega-corporations, or “cartels”, battling for ultimate supremacy. Sound familiar? It should do. This is the antidote to EA’s new Syndicate being an FPS, and Paradox aren’t too shy about it. I talked to Paradox’s Shams Jorjani about what the Swedish publisher is up to, and whether this could be regarded as Syndicate: Total War.

Sadly, there are no images at this time. Boo."

Here is some more Tech News from around the web:

Gaming

Source: Rock, Paper, SHOTGUN

Thermaltake Oversees Production of New Overseer RX-1 e-Sports Computer Case

Subject: Cases and Cooling | September 20, 2011 - 11:08 AM |
Tagged: thermaltake, mid tower, gaming, case

Case and processor heatsink manufacturer, Thermaltake, recently announced a new gaming centric computer case under their e-Sports lineup. The new Overseer RX-1 case is a full tower design with lots of external ports and airflow options. Set to debut in September, the company claims that the steel (SECC) chassis is made specifically for e-Sports fanatics, and lives up to the full tower name with dimensions of 21.1 x 8.7 x 22.8 inches.

Overseer RX-1.jpg

The exterior of the case is dark black with blue LED accents. The top of the case features ridges and two 20mm fan mounts. The top of the case also features a top loading hard drive hot swap bay, two internal USB 3.0 connections, two USB 2.0 connections, and one eSATA port. The front of the case includes a “breath” logo and 20mm fan both back-lit by blue LEDs, as well as four externally accessible 5.25” bays. The fan cover is a black mesh grill with the Thermaltake logo in the center. In total, the case supports six fan mounts. In addition to the previously mentioned fans, there are two optional mounts on the bottom and side panel, and one rear 120mm fan.

The internals are gamer friendly, and support graphics cards up to 12.5” in length. Painted the same dark black as the outside of the case, the interior of the case features a bottom mounted power supply (PSU), six 3.5” drive bays (one externally accessible), three 5.25” bays, a multitude of expansion card slots, two access holes for external water cooling radiators, and tool-free installation for the 5.25” bays. Other notable features include cable management holes, 3.5” bay carriages that are also compatible with 2.5” SSDs, a PSU dust filter, and a front fan dust filter (both removable).

The full tower gaming case is slated to debut worldwide in September, and while its looks are certainly subjective, it does have a lot going for it if you’re into the stylized aesthetics. Unfortunately, there is no word yet on MSRP.  More photos of the case can be found on its product page.

Source: Thermaltake

Corsair Returns With A Vengeance (Line Of Gaming Headsets)

Subject: General Tech | September 17, 2011 - 07:50 AM |
Tagged: usb, PC, mic, headsets, gaming, corsair, analog, 7.1, 5.1

Following in the success of the company’s HS1 gaming headset, Corsair recently unveiled three new gaming headsets in its new Vengeance lineup of gaming peripherals. The new arrivals include the Vengeance 1100, 1300, and 1500 audio peripherals, of which two support USB connections.

The Vengeance 1100 is the smallest of the three gaming headsets, and features a behind-the-head headphone design and boom microphone extending from the left speaker. Using 40mm drivers, the headphones are capable of a claimed 94 decibel dynamic range, and is one of Corsairs lightest headsets. The microphone is of the unidirectional variety and features noise cancellation technology. Connectivity options include two 3.5mm audio jacks at the end of the 1.8 meter cable for headphone and microphone or a single USB connection with the included adapter cable.

1300_right.png

The Vengeance 1300 headset with dual 3.5mm analog connections.

While lightweight and open ear headphones have their place, they are not for everyone. Thankfully, Corsair have also introduced two larger designs dubbed the Vengeance 1300 and 1500 to suit the needs of gamers who prefer (whether out of desire for isolated sound or to appease the significant other) the around-the-ears circumaural design. The 1300 supports connecting to high end sound cards with 3.5mm audio connections for both sound and the noise canceling cardioid microphone while the Vengeance 1500 connects to the computer using USB for both sound and microphone. Both models feature 50mm drivers, 95 decibel dynamic range, 3 meter cables, noise canceling microphones, and support for positional audio. Further, the Vengeance 1300 uses X-Fi CMSS-3D while the 1500 headset supports 5.1 and 7.1 Dolby Headphone positional audio. The larger designs are bound to be relatively heavy compared to the smaller Vengeance 1100; however, the closed ear design should provide cleaner audio while blocking out background noise.

As far as pricing and availability are concerned, the new gaming headsets and other Vengeance gaming peripherals are slated for an October 2011 launch worldwide. The Vengeance 1100 weights in at an attractive $39 US MSRP while the larger 1300 and 1500 have a suggested retail price of $79 US and $99 USD respectively.

Do you game with headsets, or are you more of the crank-the-home-theater-speakers-to-11 (and immerse the whole neighborhood in your Battlefield match) kind of person? I have somewhat recently moved to a pair of headphones for gaming and it definitely has its benefits (including the aforementioned spouse acceptance factor...). How do you think the new Corsair headsets will stack up to the competition? Let us know in the comments!

Source: Corsair

Making Adam Jensen look his best

Subject: General Tech | September 14, 2011 - 02:10 PM |
Tagged: gaming, deus ex 3

[H]ard|OCP has been spending a lot of time in the world of Deus Ex to test the effectiveness of a variety of GPUs in rendering the game and the various effects with.  NVIDIA and AMD have two different methods of taking advantage of the new graphical features in Deus Ex, so this is not just a look at performance but also a look at image quality.  Three cards from each vendor were tested, in single monitor setups as well as multi-monitor scenarios.  See how your card will stack up in the review.

H_deusec.jpg

"Deus Ex: Human Revolution landed a few weeks ago, bringing a worthy addition to one of the most admired PC gaming properties of all time. We've given it a thorough going over, and have lots to share. We test six of the hottest video cards around to show you what this game can really do, along with an in-depth look at image quality."

Here is some more Tech News from around the web:

Gaming

Source: [H]ard|OCP

If the reset doesn't work the first time ... do it harder! Hard Reset Demo available

Subject: General Tech | September 7, 2011 - 03:50 PM |
Tagged: pc gaming, gaming, hard reset, demo

Hard Reset has been described as an Old School Shooter, which you can read as similar to the original Doom.  Rock, Paper, SHOTGUN would like you to know that the demo has arrived on Steam as well as several other locations and that you should try to find time in between Space Marine and Deus Ex to play it.  The only real difference between this game and the predecessors it honours is your weapon.  Instead of starting out against the legions of Hell with a pop gun and hoping to find better weapons before you die, you start with a standard bullet-firing machine gun, and an electricity-firing plasma gun.  Through exploration and bloody killing sprees you gain XP which can be spent to upgrade your two weapons and eventually evolve them into completely different weapons. 

Enough reading, get out there and start blazing away.

do it harder.jpg

"The first mirror I’ve found for the demo of this “old school” PC-only shooter is here. The second is here. And it’s also on Steam. If you want something to read about what is in store for you while it downloads, you can go here. John says: “That’s mostly what Hard Reset is about. Having some weapons, and shooting at the enemies. Also, shooting at the scenery to make stuff blow up to destroy the enemies. And it’s no more sophisticated than that."

Here is some more Tech News from around the web:

Gaming

 

Source: Rock, Paper, SHOTGUN

The trouble with writing a Deus Ex review is that you have to stop playing it

Subject: General Tech | August 31, 2011 - 12:54 PM |
Tagged: gaming, deus ex 3

The release of Deus Ex Human Revolution was a scary time for PC gamers.   The main worries were twofold, with the multiple platforms it was released on there was a very good chance that the game would suffer from severe consolitis and with the memory of the second game still giving us nightmares there was a concern that the new game would follow in the footsteps of the second game, not the first.

Thankfully both worries are laid to rest in the first half hour of game play.  There is no coddling for those with gamepads, a couple of shots and you are dead and there is no auto-aim function present in the PC version.  The hacking mini-game is certainly design such that a mouse is a more efficient interface, especially once the computer catches on to the fact that you are hacking it.  There is also far more reading than you would expect in a console game.  If you need more convincing, The Tech Report is more than happy to provide.

persuasion-il.jpg

"It's now 9PM. My plan was to start writing this post three hours ago, but that didn't pan out. Instead of writing, I found myself running around in circa-2027 Hengsha Island, China, splitting up my time between sleuthing, sneaking, and breaking bones. Deus Ex: Human Revolution is just one of those games—the kind that has you persuading yourself to stop after just one more mission... before playing for another three hours and wondering where your evening went."

Here is some more Tech News from around the web:

Gaming

 

Source: The Tech Report

GameStop pulls Deus Ex: Human Revolution From Shelves

Subject: General Tech | August 25, 2011 - 02:06 PM |
Tagged: PC, gaming, deus ex 3

Yesterday the news broke that GameStop had opened new copies of Deus Ex: Human Revolution PC games, and removed OnLive coupons before selling the games as new. Today, Ars Technica reports that the brick and mortar game retailer has responded to the backlash by taking their ball and going home (as the expression goes) by pulling all copies of Deus Ex: Human Revolution from store shelves.

According to a screenshot of an email posted by GameLife (shown below), GameStop has sent out an email to employees to pull all Regular PC Edition of Deus EX: Human Revolution, and place them in storage to be returned to the vendor in the future. The company further stated that the reason for pulling the copies of the game is due to the included OnLive coupon competing with their own Spawn Labs Gaming Division. “We are returning all copies of the PC regular edition to the vendor in agreement with Square Enix.”

Fortunately, any customers who had the game reserved will still be able to purchase the game if they still wished to. Returns of the game will also be honored for those with a receipt.

deus-ex-update-660x495.jpg

While this move has been supported (publicly) by Square Enix, it is sure to only further enrage customers, and result in bad PR. The issue for most customers is not the removal of the free OnLive coupon included in the package in and of itself, but the fact that GameStop represented these games and new and unopened to customers. When customers found out that their new games, which they paid a new premium price for, were actually opened (and had materials removed) prior to them purchasing them many were understandably displeased over the mis-communication.

While pulling all copies is well within the companies right, as is removing the coupons (so long as the games are not then advertised and sold as new and unopened) it is not going to help calm the waters. It is hardly my place to suggest to the company how they conduct opertions; however, as a consumer I feel that they should know their practice and recent reactions are a bit unnvering.  Do you think GameStop is handling the situation correctly? What would you like to see the company do to assuage its customers?

Source: Ars Technica

Deus Ex gives beautiful performance on cards costing less than $250

Subject: General Tech | August 24, 2011 - 12:24 PM |
Tagged: gaming, deus ex

[H]ard|OCP received a preview of Deus Ex and we at PC Perspective might be jealous but we will still give a nod to them for putting together a preview of the performance you can expect.  Using a base of an ASUS P6T6 WS Revolution, a Core i7 920 overclocked to 3.6GHz, and 6GB of Corsair DDR3-1600, they tested a GTX 580 and GTX 570 and an HD 6970 and HD 6950.  The good news is that even the unmodded HD 6950 could play at an average above 30fps with every option at maximum at a resolution of 2560x1600, AMD's cards using MLAA and NVIDIA utilizing FXAA.  That is great news for those with a single monitor and single GPU setup, but Deus Ex is able to accept up to 5 monitors in EyeFinity or NVIDIA Surround which means you did not waste your money.

See what happens when you don't render tessellated water underground and turn concrete barriers into works of art Crytek?

H_Quality.png

"We secured an advance copy of Deus Ex: Human Revolution so that we could show our readers how the game will perform when it launches later today. We've given it a quick once-over with four different video cards. We have a full run-down of the game coming after it officially launches, but this is here to whet your appetites now!"

Here is some more Tech News from around the web:

Gaming

Source: [H]ard|OCP

Soldner is free, find out if it is a game too ambitious to be or a really well done troll

Subject: General Tech | August 10, 2011 - 03:02 PM |
Tagged: gaming, soldner, free

Söldner (Marine Corps) Community Edition is now free (as in beer) and you really should pick it up as it is well worth the price.  If memory serves it was originally a buggy game that reached for the sky without paying attention to their footing, it is now an even buggier game with extra vehicles and features.   At one point the game would handle 100 people playing, 50 to a team, which was even more confusing than you think.  Terrain could be destroyed, though with some intersting clipping issues you could also discover small hills and other terrain that would kill you for touching it ... they were definately not lava.  Hit the link at Rock, Paper, SHOTGUN and try it for yourself.

sol1.jpg

"Oh my goodness, I have no idea how this news has taken five days to reach me, but by golly thank goodness it finally has. Söldner, one of the most buggy and hilarious games of all time, is now completely free! Get it. Get it NOW."

Here is some more Tech News from around the web:

Gaming

Source: Rock, Paper, SHOTGUN

Bad Steam! Stop downloading DirectX you naughty program you

Subject: General Tech | August 3, 2011 - 02:38 PM |
Tagged: steam, gaming

Could it be?  Is there an actual explanation as to why every single Steam game you ever bought just has to install DirectX, even though you just installed it for that last game you bought and the one before that and the one before ...

Rock, Paper, SHOTGUN has the explanation as to what is going on, though it is up to you to decide if it is reasonable or not.  Gone are the days of one DX fits all games, instead each of the currently used versions of DX, as in DX9, DX10 and DX11 depending on your software and hardware have many sub-versions.  In DX9's case, there are over 40 versions of a D3D helper library called D3DX and that number grows in DX10 and DX11 and that is before you toss in 32bit versus 64bit OS versions. 

Doesn't it make you happier to know the reason why you are stuck watching that stupid progress bar slowly grow instead of being able to play the game you just bought?

RPS_dx.jpg

"Oh God, not again – can’t I just play the damned thing? WHY? [Stomp, stomp, stomp."] This is a sound surely as familiar to the residents of the Brunswick area of Brighton as are the constant squawks of seagulls fighting over the contents of their recycling boxes. This is a sound I make, or at least variations upon it, every single time I first run a game I have downloaded via Steam. This time, I always think. This time it won’t ask me to install DirectX again first. Surely the 1023rd time’s the charm. That dream will likely never come to pass. However, at least we now know why – Valve have explained this particularly modern annoyance."

Here is some more Tech News from around the web:

Gaming

Source: Rock, Paper, SHOTGUN

PC Perspective
Upcoming Events
  • 5/29 @ 7:00pm PDT / 10:00pm EDT
    PC Perspective Podcast
  • 5/30 @ 6:00pm PDT / 9:00pm EDT
    This Week in Computer Hardware