Ex-Microsoft Games Chief apologizes for the "consolization" of PC gaming, not so April Fooled
This is meant to be an April Fools joke but seriously, virtually everything he said as a "joke" is actually true. This makes the entire case even sadder. My readers will know my stance for gaming and how consoles have virtually destroyed quality gaming and the advancement of gaming technology (gaming engines, advancements in actual gameplay, etc).
It has some quotes from Robbie Bach, former president of Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices division:
Am I happy to have been a part of the destruction of PC gaming? No, of course not. But I am proud of the fact that I've helped convince a generation of gamers that it's cool to pay $10 for a pair of virtual sunglasses and that playing online should be considered a premium feature. Look, guys, no one's stopping your from installing Doom II and playing through that again, right? I mean, what's the difference between that and Black Ops, really?
PC gamers have to understand one thing: they're irrelevant jerks, and the whole world will be much better off if they would go away forever. Nobody in the gaming industry cares how much memory they have or how many slots their GPU occupies. Overclock your CPU? Why don't you fill a cup of water and see if it gives a damn because I can guarantee nobody at Activision or EA gives a toss. Do you think we're able to buy pet tigers making sure textures look good at your stupidly high resolutions? We've convinced gamers that sub-720p resolutions blown up to fill 60-inch TVs represents the absolute pinnacle in visual fidelity. Besides, people want to be able to hit the A button and see something awesome happen, not fiddle around with .ini files making sure their FOV-whatever that is-looks good on their monitor. People want to use their mouse to like things on Facebook, not accurately aim their weapon in the 38th shooter they've played this year.
In something that I read knowing it was a joke, it has enraged me even more. Microsoft are probably the number one culprit of killing PC gaming. PC gaming grew up on Microsoft-based OS's over the years and they virtually killed OpenGL with DirectX. Their businesses are only successful because companies such as NVIDIA and AMD require Windows-based customers to survive. On the flip side, AMD and NVIDIA then shoot themselves in the foot by supplying console makers with hardware for their consoles. But, without PC gamers from the past 15 years, both companies would not have had this much support, money and expertise in their respective fields.
But these companies are run like corporate behemoths. Not giving a sh*t about their customers at the end of the day - the almighty dollar wins out in every fight. The only way we have a chance at winning is for 95-percent of the PC market to stop buying Microsoft, AMD or NVIDIA-based hardware. But, I don't see that happening anytime soon.
/cries in the corner
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Arianna Huffington Bashes NY Times in Paywall Prank
This one is only sort of a joke. Arianna Huffington, infamous Editor-in-Chief of online news site, The Huffington Post, did not pull a single punch today when satirically criticizing the New York Times recent Paywall implementation. Huffington announced in a post today that her news site would now be "offering" digital subscriptions exclusively to New York Times employees (and residents of Winnipeg, but that's another story). Huffington writes that current readers of "HuffPo" that are not Times employees will not be affected.
Biting snippets include the introduction of a "first 6 letters at no charge" plan and content availability depending on what site redirected the Times employee to the Huffington Post:
If you come in through Facebook, you'll be able to access for free all stories involving animals born with extra limbs.
If you come in through Twitter, you'll be able to access for free words that contain more than six letters, but only those that refer to antiquated transportation machines (i.e. "funicular").
If you come in through Google, you'll be able to access stories of criminals who break into people's houses and then do strange things, such as take a shower or eat a snack.
If you come in through Digg, you'll be able to read for free all stories that refer to TV's Erik Estrada.
Huffington also took stabs at Bill Keller, NYT Executive editor, for calling her a "queen of aggregation" and claiming that site was only good for pictures of cute animals: Slideshows and videos of adorable kittens (our signature offering) will be available for free only to one very senior New York Times employee.
Gold, Arianna. Pure Gold. Read More ...
April Fools: Apple Store Playmobil Set Now Available
This is a good one. What appeared to be just another product listing on ThinkGeek turned out to be a bittersweet April Fool's prank. Bittersweet, because a lot of us would probably shell out the $180 for the entire Playmobil Apple Store set, including Line expansion.
ThinkGeek really went all out on this one, going so far to create miniature Wozniak on a Segway and miniature Steve Jobs giving the iPad 2 keynote. The sales floor is also suitably accessorized with miniature iPhones and iPads.
If you watched the promotional video first, you were alerted to the nature of the prank (if not from anything else, than the professional titles like "Squinty Bastard". Otherwise, you probably got very excited and pressed BUY NOW, only to be redirected to the "GOTCHA!" page where you promptly felt very sad and alone in the universe. Then again, my personal experience may not be the rule for everyone else.
Favorite quotes:
You'll forget that you're actually playing with something, and not inside an actual Apple Store!
We finally figured out a way to create lifelong customers literally moments after they begin to walk.
Visit the site to check out their photo reel as well as the links to past 4/1 product pranks. Read More ...
GIGABYTE First to Market with AM3+ آ“Black Socketآ” Motherboards
- GIGABYTE First to Market with AM3+ "Black Socket" Motherboards -
-- Enabling Support for AMD Next Generation CPUs for Current AMD 800/700 Series Chipset Motherboards --
City of Industry, California, March, April 01 2011 - GIGABYTE INC., a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards today announced a new line of 16 "Black Socket" motherboards previously unveiled at CeBIT 2011 that offer support for AMD's next generation , 32nm AM3+ CPUs and are based on current generation AMD 800/700 series chipset-based motherboards.
Wanting to ensure users their motherboard is able to take advantage of all the performance enhancements that AMD's upcoming AM3+ CPUs have to offer, GIGABYTE has equipped their entire line of AM3+ CPU ready motherboards with a new black colored socket, making it easy to spot for AM3+ support. In addition, GIGABYTE "Black Socket" series offer full backwards compatibility with AMD's current generation AM3 socket CPUs, allowing for painless migration to the AM3+ CPUs when they become available.
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To learn more about the GIGBYTE AM3+ ready "Black Socket" motherboards, please visit: http://www.gigabyte.com/MicroSite/274/mb-am3plus.html
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AVADirect Now Authorized Asetek System Builder
AVADirect Now Authorized Asetek System Builder
AVADirect has recently become an authorized system builder of Asetek thermal management products. The company was founded in 2000 (interesting, so was AVADirect!) and initially set out to target the enthusiast gamer market. Within the year of 2006 they decided to transition into the OEM market and released the worlds first fully functional, all-in-one liquid cooling unit. By doing this, they were easily able to compete with a majority of liquid cooling manufacturers due to price, and convenience. In 2011, Asetek now supplies many manufacturers with quiet cooling solutions through their all-in-one units at an affordable, reliably refreshing solution. We have been offering Asetek products since they first hit the market in 2000 in our custom liquid cooling systems. We began to stock their all-in-one units in 2008 when we noticed the trend began to set with simple, and quiet liquid cooling setups.We are honored to be a part of the team, and look forward to future endeavors.
You can view more information by clicking here
To view all Asetek products we offer click Asetek Thermal Management Products at AVADirect
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Eurocom launches dual Processor Phantom 4.0 Server-on-the-Go Solution
Eurocom launches dual Processor Phantom 4.0 Server-on-the-Go Solution
Eurocom Corporation (www.eurocom.com), the world's leading developer of highly personalized, high-performance notebook PCs and energy efficient All-in-Ones has been developing a dual CPU notebook solution for years. Eurocom technicians have been testing and verifying the systems performance and quality since the beginning of 2011 and now the system is ready for shipping.
The system is called the EUROCOM Phantom 4.0 and starts at $7999. The EUROCOM Phantom 4.0 can support up to two server class processors, 6 memory slots for 48 GB of RAM via 8 GB sticks, 6 storage drives with RAID 0/1/5/10/30. The Phantom 4.0 supports multiple operating systems (Microsoft Server 2003R2 x32 or x64, Server 2008R2 x64; VMware; Red Hat; LINUX; Solaris; Windows 7)and virtualization.
The EUROCOM Phantom 4.0 is the perfect solution for customer looking for Server-on-the-Go capabilities. Server on the GO is a new category of server-class notebook form-factor computer with integrated display, keyboard and UPS (internal battery) which allows for both "on-the-go", "rapid server deployment" or "Ad Hoc" (temporary network setup) when single server capability is required, multiple operating system compatibility is needed and running virtual machines is a must. A Mobile Server, Transportable Server or Carry on Server is perfect for software and database developers, training centers, military personnel, manufacturing, marketing and trade shows, emergency relief organizations and service organizations.
The EUROCOM Mobile Server Technology significantly reduces the time and cost of deploying short-term LAN based solutions and of extending usage of existing business applications to users wherever is required. Eurocom customers operating a Server-on-the-Go allows Engineers in the field operating under a RED Team strategy to utilize a Eurocom Mobile Server to receive and process feedback while being face-to-face with customers, co-developers, final users and other third parties.
Eurocom now offers two Server capable notebook solutions. The other being the EUROCOM Panther 4.0 offering up to four storage drives in RAID 0/1/5/10, up to 24 GB of triple channel memory, server class CPU's and support for server class Operating Systems.
The EUROCOM Phantom 4.0 starts at $7999
The EUROCOM Panther 3.0 starts at $2631
About Eurocom
Eurocom is a leading developer of desktop replacement and mobile workstation technology. Eurocom began with the goal of creating the most advanced computer systems and using advanced engineering techniques typically unseen in the computer industry. The company has produced many firsts and continues to engineer well-balanced machines and VGA solutions that inspire and enable individuals to reach great possibilities. For more information on programs, such as the "Trade in Program", "Education Program", "Factory Outlet" and "Upgrade Center" or to customize a machine, visit Eurocom.com.
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