Games Offer More Than Just Fun for the Player
It is certainly true that there are some games in my library that I play just for fun, but there are also some, I would say go farther. Apparently this is not unique to me as researchers at Penn State have come to the same conclusion in a recent study.
The study took 512 gamers and split them into two groups. Both groups were asked to rate their perceptions about a game they played, but as one group had a particularly fun game, the other had a more meaningful game. The two groups agreed the games were fun to play, but those playing the more meaningful game appreciated the experience more.
This finding is probably not that surprising, but may still be important, to show that video games do have a place with other media forms, for giving the consumer a meaningful entertainment experience that is deeply appreciated. Given the interactive nature of video games, the experience could be even stronger, compared to books or movies. While there is nothing wrong with just silly, fun games, this shows that it can be worth it for developers to create the emotional stories and narratives of some games.
Source: Penn State
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AMD Abandons Micro Servers to Concentrate on Traditional Servers
AMD acquired SeaMicro in 2012 to "tackle the dense server market which was believed to be major future growth opportunity at the time." Dense servers are also known as micro servers and use a large number of small, low power CPUs to provide computing power rather than high power, more powerful CPUs. As of yesterday, AMD has decided to exit the micro server market to return its focus to traditional servers and as a result will take a "$75 million special charge." AMD only released a single product as a result of the SeaMicro acquisition and will maintain the intellectual property rights from the acquisition to "use it in products where it’s of benefit."
Source: WCCF Tech
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Star Wars: Battlefront's First Trailer is Here
Star Wars Celebration has been going on since yesterday, and with it has come plenty of news. A new teaser trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens arrived yesterday, and today the first game footage reveal for Star Wars: Battlefront. Whereas The Force Awakens is set years after the original trilogy, Battlefront is set during those movies, with the intense fighting between the Empire and the Rebellion boiling over into assorted battles. The action in the trailer below starts us off on the Forest Moon of Endor, with speederbikes soaring through the trees and Rebel soldiers trying to take them down. One speederbike crashes into a tree right before an AT-ST appears. Soldiers run for cover to avoid the laser blasts, and then two of the soldiers drop down a portable shield before one takes flight with a jetpack. The AT-ST explodes, but then an even more dreaded sight appears: an AT-AT. Luckily some Y-Wings are on hand to lay waste, yet the soliders now have to contend with Darth Vader.
Star Wars: Battlefront does not feature space battles, sadly, but does have dogfights in the planets' atmosphere. There will also be no prequel vehicles, characters, or anything else from that era; this is original trilogy through and through, with some parts from The Force Awakens, too. Nor will it make use of Battlelog, which some people may be happy to see. Gamers can play the game in either first or third-person mode and switch between the two whenever they choose. Battles are 20 vs 20 matches, with yes, Darth Vader, Boba Fett, and other heroes/villains being playable, just like in the previous games. There is also a co-op mode called Battlefront Missions to play with a friend via split screen or online, although full details aren't quite ready for that.
Star Wars: Battlefront arrives on November 17, 2015, for the PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, just like last night's leak predicted. There is a DLC called Battle of Jakku that takes us to the planet seen in yesterday's The Force Awakens trailer, with that desert planet being called Jakku. It will be available on December 1 for anyone who pre-orders Battlefront regardless of platform, with December 8 for anyone who did not pre-order. A Deluxe Edition is also planned to arrive, which contains instant access to five in-game items: three weapons (DL-44 Blaster, Ion Grenade, and Ion Torpedo) and two emotes. The Deluxe Edition will set you back $69.99, while the regular copies are $59.99.
Source: YouTube, IGN, Bravo Intel [1], [2] & [3], NeoGAF, and Game Informer
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