IT-Code-News: IT News Head Lines (TweakTown) 8/26/2014

This is the future of FPS gaming: Oculus Rift + motion controllers
If you thought the future of first-person shooters was using a mouse and keyboard, this video will have you thinking again. Half-Life 2 + Oculus Rift + Razer Hydra motion controllers open up an entire new world, a world where my wallet is obviously not accepted through my LCD screen.

Not only is shooting in the VR world improved by many magnitudes, but the reloading of the guns is impressive, with the revolver being the highlight according to YouTuber 'Goldfish'. He explains: "You unlatch the barrel, [physically] flick it over, release the clips, put in the new ones, flick it up and then you shoot".

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Hacker takes down PSN, sends bomb threat for SOE presidents flight
There's one pissed off hacking group right now, which has not only taken down the PlayStation Network, but through Twitter, the group sent a bomb threat on an American Airlines flight that John Smedley was on. Smedly is the president of Sony Online Entertainment, and has confirmed he was indeed on the flight, and that it was diverted for security reasons.

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Smedley tweeted: "Something about security and our cargo". An American Airlines spokesperson confirmed that Flight 362 was diverted for security reasons, and that the FBI was investigating the threat. Before all of the bomb threat hoopla, the hacking group took to Twitter to tweet a threat to American Airlines' Twitter account. While the plane was in the air, the group tweeted an image showing the e-Ticket for Smedley's flight, a confirmation number, and then asking if Smedley and Sony were indeed on the flight.
During the flight itself, the hackers continued to tweet threats. American Airlines Flight 363 was diverted from its patch to San Diego, into Phoenix. There were some 179 passengers and six crew on-board, all safe.

Rumor: AMD's Radeon R9 490X teased, next-gen 'Faraway Islands' in 2015
We're starting to hear more information on AMD's upcoming next-gen GPU architecture, code named "Faraway Islands". AMD's next-gen architecture is shaping up quite nicely, but this is all just a rumor right now. CHW.com seemed to have gotten the information from SemiAccurate, but right now this is in heavy rumor territory.

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While we've heard rumors of NVIDIA skipping the 20nm process and shifting right onto the 16nm process, AMD looks to be baking its Faraway Islands-based GPUs onto the 20nm process, something it'll reportedly do over at TSMC and GlobalFoundaries. This will allow AMD to be first to the market with a new GPU based on a new process node, pushing NVIDIA to the side for a few months enjoying the slew of salivating-at-the-mouths consumers who want a new GPU desperately.
AMD's new Faraway Islands GPU architecture will be baked into all of AMD's future GPUs and APU products, so we should expect some low-power ARM-based SoCs and some decently powerful APUs from this new architecture. When to expect it though? 2015. Pirate Islands is still to come, also based on the 20nm process, but AMD could skip that all together and push right on over to Faraway Islands, either way, new GPUs are on their way!

Sony to shut the doors to PlayStation Home in Japan in March 2015
Sony is shutting down its PlayStation Home service in Japan as of March 2014, with the company announcing the news through its Japanese Home website.

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A translation of this post says that the PlayStation Home service is maintained by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, and Sony Computer Entertainment America are exempt from this shut down, meaning Europeans and Americans are safe from their Home services being closed for good. Sony's PlayStation Home opened up on the PS3 first, back as a beta test in Japan in August 2008.

Take home 'Transcendence' in our latest Blu-ray promotion
Thanks to our friends at Roadshow Home Entertainment, we have copies of this week's Blu-ray release of 'Transcendence' up for grabs for six lucky readers!
Dr. Will Caster (Johnny Depp) is the foremost researcher in the field of Artificial Intelligence, working to create a sentient machine that combines the collective intelligence of everything ever known with the full range of human emotions. His highly controversial experiments have made him famous, but they have also made him the prime target of anti-technology extremists who will do whatever it takes to stop him.

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To go into the running to take one Blu-ray copy home, simply correctly answer the following question:
What is the name of the world's fastest current super computer?
To enter, simply 'like' this post and share via Facebook or Twitter and send your answers, along with your postal address to ben at TweakTown.com before the competition closes on August 28th.

'Transcendence' is available on Blu-ray and UltraViolet Digital Copy combo pack, DVD and Digital Copy combo pack and Digital from Australian retailers on August 27th.

G.SKILL joins the DDR4 game with its new Ripjaws 4 Series DDR4 RAM
We've already seen a bunch of other memory manufactures unveil their DDR4 RAM, but now we have G.SKILL joining the high-speed ranks. The company has just unveiled its new Ripjaws 4 series of RAM, which has speeds starting at 2133MHz, all the way up to 3200MHz.

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There are a bunch of 32GB kits available at 2133, 2400, 266, 2800 and 3000MHz, as well as 64GB kits available at 2133, 2400, 2666 and 2800MHz. If you want the 3200MHz kit, they'll only come in a 16GB kit, with four x 4GB sticks. G.SKILL's new Ripjaws 4 RAM supports most of Intel's upcoming quad-channel capable X99-based motherboards, including Intel's new XMP 2.0 profile standard.

Intel's upcoming Haswell-E platform will reportedly only support up to 2133MHz, with 2400MHz and above kits being helped out by XMP 2.0 to run at their much higher frequencies. G.SKILL has also slapped on an updated heatspreader, which comes in three colors: blue, black and red. Pre-orders are beginning to pop up in the US, with the 2133MHz 16GB kit priced at $259.

Need for Speed (2014) Blu-ray Movie Review

Need for Speed (2014)

Feature film adaptations of video game properties have been fertile ground for Hollywood since 1993's Super Mario Bros, although with the loose exception of a few, including the first Resident Evil and The Prince of Persia, they're generally ill advised. So my only real surprise in hearing that Electronic Art's Need for Speed franchise was getting a feature film adaptation, was how long it took to happen. Imagine my even bigger surprise when it turns out to be quite a decent film in its own right.
When ex-racer Tobey Marshall (Aaron Paul) is offered a deal by arch-nemesis Dino Brewster (Dominic Cooper) which will secure the financial future of his near bankrupt garage business, Marshall reluctantly accepts the offer. When the deal inevitably goes sour with Marshall framed and behind bars for the manslaughter of his friend and colleague Pete (Harrison Gilbertson), he jumps at the opportunity to not only get back in the racing game but also clear his name. However to do so, he'll need the help of his friends, including car dealer Julia (Imogen Poots) and be prepared to break more than a few laws in the process.

Muscling in on territory seemingly cornered by the Fast and the Furious franchise, as it turns out Need for Speed features precious little in common with the gaming franchise, but this has freed up the filmmakers to fully reimagine the world without the shackles of unnecessary fan service and pre-established characters. To this end, they've created a fun story which I believe not only captures the fun of the game series, but also provides enough of a dramatic edge to also be taken semi-seriously.
If anyone has caught more than a few minutes of Breaking Bad's Aaron Paul, his impressive acting chops will come as no surprise. Whilst the material here doesn't stack up to the impressively slow burning Breaking Bad scripts, he does the best he can with the pages, carving out a wholly believable figure under pressure. Suitably impressive too is Imogen Poots as the front seat driver who becomes increasingly charming (and attractive) as the film progresses. The couple has palpable chemistry together, making it very hard to not root for the duo as the plot thickens.
Still, the real star of the Need for Speed is the racing sequences themselves and they are truly impressive - refreshingly far more realistic than that offered by that other racing franchise. Even more remarkable is the apparent fact that no computer graphics were employed in their visualization. Make no mistake - this is old school car racing thrills and spills which channel the likes of classics like Smokey and the Bandit and Bullitt - both of which are referenced throughout, by no coincidence I'm sure.

Video

Need for Speed is presented in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.40:1.
Filmed digitally with Arri Alexa cameras and mastered at 2K resolution, Need for Speed looks near flawless in its Blu-ray debut, as one would naturally expect for a production of such vintage.
The bright and pleasingly contrasting photography from Shane Hurlbut, coupled with the overwhelmingly in-camera effects shots, gives the film a real glossy sheen which translates very nicely to the small screen. The image is sharp and clear at all times, with the exception of a few brief shots captured with obviously lower resolution GoPro cameras. Colors are extremely bold and brilliant, with the primary colors of the hero (and villain) cars really jumping off the screen.
This is a stunningly good transfer from Disney, and one that will automatically go to the demo worthy shelf when visitors come over and want to see an impressive disc.

Audio

Need for Speed is presented in DTS HD Master Audio 7.1 at 24 bits.
A perfect accompaniment to a brilliant video transfer is the equally stunning aural experience, which is just as souped up as any of the cars in the movie.
The surround mix is a real tour de force, showing of the entirety of modern mixing techniques to provide an aggressive, wall and bone shaking mix that just itches to be pushed just a few decibel more. It's hugely satisfying to hear the engines scream from all channels, with a suitable grunt emanating from the subwoofer channel. Even some of the quieter (dialogue) segments don't lose the surround mentality, with a convincing ambience maintained at all times.
This is now, without doubt, my new demo Blu-ray disc. Until the next one comes out.

Extras

Need for Speed comes to disc with a standard collection of extra features, which balance genuine behind the scenes stories with some of the more promotional aspects. Let's take a look.
First up is an Audio Commentary with Director Scott Waugh and actor Aaron Paul which is reasonably engaging, with the pair offering equal parts self-congratulation ("Isn't that great", "I love this shot" etc.) and production stories. The two are pretty affable, but only the most dedicated of fans will sit through it in totality.
Next we have a number of featurettes, including Capturing Speed: Making an Authentic Car Movie which looks at filming vehicle sequences overwhelming in camera, which represents at the intricate logistics over cheating with CG, while Ties that Bind reveals in the multiple generations of screen veteran dynasties that coalesced in production.
The Circus Is in Town takes a look at the production as it travels from location to location, with half a dozen vehicles and hundreds of crew in tow. Perhaps the best featurette; The Sound of Need for Speed gives some illuminating background into how a modern action film is mixed, especially relevant since the track is so accomplished.
Next, we have roughly 5 minutes of Deleted Scenes and a short Monarch and Maverick Outtakes compilation, which is sadly not as riotous as one would anticipate.
Finally, we have a 'Need for Speed Rivals' promotion, but sadly no trailers for the movie proper.

PRICING: You can find the Need for Speed [Blu-ray] for sale below. The prices listed are valid at the time of writing but can change at any time. Click the link to see the very latest pricing for the best deal.
United States: The Need for Speed [Blu-ray] retails for $24.99 at Amazon.
Canada: The Need for Speed [Blu-ray] retails for CDN$26.99 at Amazon Canada.

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Counterspy PS VITA Game Review

To say that the PS VITA is kicking goals as an indie gaming machine is to completely underestimate how much this market is driving the success of the console's success. Along with some assistance from Sony with initiatives such as cross buy, many of the most popular mainline console games are also being released on the handheld. The latest of which is Counterspy, the first game from indie studio Dynamighty and the latest to be offered under cross buy. An interesting premise, and solid previews, had us excited for this one, but the final product is unfortunately not without its issues.
In Counterspy, you take the role of a secret agent sent behind both US and Russian lines in the midst of the Cold War. Both superpowers are trying to send a rocket to the moon, which will inevitably destroy it. The humorous thing about this is that both super powers are planning the exact same military move, in the same way, with the same launch sequences. However, you have no idea when, how, or why, and uncovering this becomes your main task in Counterspy.

Counterspy is an action game that is set within a 3D style engine, but gives a very 2D feel during play. Primarily controlled from a side camera, you as the spy can hide behind objects and generally sneak about the environment, taking out enemies unheard. When the game begins, you have a DEFCON rating of 4, and as you are discovered, succumb to the enemy, or allow an enemy to call reinforcements in, that DEFCON level is slowly increased.

The interesting aspect about the DEFCON gameplay element is that it carries over between missions. So how you perform in one mission directly has a correlation with how wanted you are in the next. There are ways to reduce this level such as finding a captain alone and making them surrender, or buying formulas between missions to lower the DEFCON rating. If the DEFCON rating lowers enough, a panic is triggered, which means you as the spy have sixty seconds to end the level. This leads to a frantic race to the end of the mission trying to ensure the secret documents and cash you have picked up during the mission are not lost.
The actual missions are in general short and sharp. Most can be completed in about five minutes, even with the most meticulous of planning. This is clearly a game that Dynamighty feels you should play many times, as if you are connected online when playing, a challenge score is set on each map, and also the game is relatively short. The length of the game is set by how good you are at it. Manage to find many secret plans on each mission, and it will be over before you know it, but if you struggle to find them, expect a longer experience. We finished it after about three hours of gameplay, so don't expect this to be a lengthy experience.
This is where Counterspy somewhat begins to come unstuck. Each mission is randomly generated (aside from the very final map), and this basically leads you to restarting a mission over and over until a map you manage to complete is generated. This is not necessarily a major problem and does keep you coming back to it, but it also means that you can't plan out strategies to try and beat the mission. The random missions do increase the games longevity, but it would have been nice to see a mission 'locked' to a specific level design during the current play through. It leads to a feeling of the player being fortunate, rather than skilful, in completing some of the missions.

There are some elements in the game that do assist you in planning strategy, such as the store, which is present before each mission. Using the cashed gained in missions, you can buy new weaponry, as well as any formulas you have unlocked. These formulas might be lowering the DEFCON level or offering the spy more health for that single mission. Interestingly, these items are not lost when you fail in a mission, and are retained until you complete it.
One major problem, and this is more PS VITA specific, is that the responsiveness of the controls are not as tight as we would have liked. Often we would press circle to try and hide, only to end up barrelling down towards the enemy. We also played the game on the PS4 and did not experience this, so it's clear the VITA in some areas is struggling. As well as this, on the VITA, we occasionally experienced some choppy frame rates that again was not present in the PS4 version.

Visually the game is impressive on the VITA, but there are a few jaggies that really stick out when playing. There is also the aforementioned frame rate issues that need to be dealt with, but overall, Dynamighty has done a pretty good job. Again, this is significantly better on the PS4, as you would expect. There is no voice acting, instead the cut scenes play out in basic text dialogue on screen, whilst the soundtrack is very much that you would expect from a game set in the Cold War.
Counterspy was one of our most anticipated VITA games, and whilst for the most part it lives up to the hype, there is just enough here to have us cautioning you before a purchase. If you are the kind of gamer that cannot handle frame rate issues, or controls that can seem unresponsive at times, then this game is not for you on the VITA. However, aside from that, this is a solid title, despite the lower power of the handheld. If you have a spare few hours to play a VITA game, you could do worse than Counterspy.

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Available Tags:motion , Radeon , Sony , Blu-ray , DDR4 , DDR4 ,

Monday, August 25, 2014

IT News Head Lines (TweakTown) 8/26/2014

Need for Speed (2014)

Video

Audio

Extras

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