'Happy Forest' is yet another great example of Unreal Engine 4
We've been reporting on many various technology demos using Unreal Engine 4, but this new one has to be the cutest. Check out the 1-minute video of 'Happy Forest', below.
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Turtle Beach opens pre-orders for a wireless headset called the 420X
We're not quite sure if the name of this headset is meant to be a joke aimed at the constant memes and Snoop Dogg 420 references, but either way Turtle Beach has released its 420X Xbox One headset for pre-order.
Set for release on July 18 at a recommended price of $179.95, Turtle Beach CEO Juergen Stark claims this product "will feature our renowned audio and mic quality in a comfortable headset designed to give gamers the most immersive and enjoyable gaming experience."
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Mad Catz faces possible closure due to financial struggles
The well-known brand of arcade sticks and accessories, Mad Catz, is facing some severe financial struggles which may result in closure, GameSpot says.
With Rock Band 4 set to be the make or break for Mad Catz, the stakes are high but the hopes are not, with it explained that all of this uncertainty raises "substantial doubt about the company's ability to continue as a going concern." Speaking to Game Informer, Mad Catz announced a $20 million loan initially, set for a possible increase to $35 million from September, all to ensure a smooth Rock Band 4 launch.
Mad Catz chief financial officer, Karen McGinnis, commented that the reason for this credit warning was due to unambiguous wording within financial document settings. She went on to explain that the situation Mad Catz is in is better than it initially seems.
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GG, Google - there's a new Google Glass coming 'soon'
The first iteration of Google Glass was good, but not great, and while we've known for a while that Google is working on a second version of its ambitious wearable, the first real news on the new Glass is here.
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AOC shows off its 25-inch WQHD monitor, Q2577PWQ
Set for a position on the shelves this coming August, AOC has showcased its new 25-inch WQHD monitor to the public. The Q2577PWQ utilizes an IPS LCD panel with LED lighting, said to use a non-PWM method for brightness adjustment, ensuring a flicker-free experience.
The base enables a height, tilt and 90 degree rotation adjustment. Unfortunately there is no current price listed.
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PS4 sales hit 23 million, Xbox One trails behind with 12 million
It looks like Sony is continuing to dominate consoles sales, where according to the latest sales data from VGChartz, Sony has eclipsed Microsoft by nearly 100%.
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Fnatic CS:GO takes home $100,000 thanks to ESL and ESEA
$100k for a single outing isn't a bad pay day indeed as the Swedes at Fnatic's CS:GO division took home the ESL ESEA Pro League Season 1 Finals with a 3-1 win over American team, Cloud 9.
The Fnatic team of Flusha, JW, KRIMZ, Olofmeister and Pronax also had a great showing in the finals kill/death wise, seeing Flusha finish with a brilliant +21 kills to deaths across his 93 frags in total. Cloud9's Shroud certainly put up a fight of his own, posting 100 kills to 80 deaths at a massive +20 kill/death ratio.
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Superman fan? Rumor has it Warner Bros. is working on a Superman game
With all of the problems surrounding the PC port of Batman: Arkham Knight, we need some good news from the gaming side of Warner Bros., and today is that day.
The screenshot that we have above could obviously be fake, but the sheer tease that Warner Bros. and Rocksteady Studios could be working on a new Superman game is exciting. The timing couldn't be better with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice to be released in March 2016, and Justice League the year after.
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Bluetooth headsets are serious business as LG marks 10 million sold
As reported in a recently issued press release from LG, NPD Group has announced LG's continued reign over the US Bluetooth headset market since May 2012 - owning a massive 40% market share. Said to be mostly thanks to the TONE headset, LG further bragged that many spin-off copies are currently being made of the TONE globally.
It seems that LG didn't expect this headset to travel so well at first, with LG Electronics' vice president for Innovate Personal Devices, Seo Young-jae, commenting "Initially we were quite surprised by the enthusiasm of the feedback we received from people who said that TONE was the most comfortable wireless headset they've ever used." He then went on to congratulate LG's R&D department, stating "We stuck to what worked well and improved upon TONE over the years and we're absolutely delighted by the positive reception we've gotten."
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Peripheral brands make a move into clothing, Tt eSPORTS and ASTRO
Now listed as discontinued, Tt eSPORTS pushed heavily into the clothing scene in the recent past with its Chao series of clothing options - brandishing interesting Tt dragon designs and covering a series of options ranging from shirts to jackets and more.
With so many different peripheral brands now on the market, there is only so much you can do in order to make your headset, keyboard or mouse stand out from the crowd - maybe cool clothing designs is a way to help win over some new customers? You decide.
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F1 2015's latest trailer teases the great visuals for the new racer
F1 2015 is closer to release than ever before, with Codemasters and Bandai Namco releasing a new trailer showing off the features of the game, all while teasing the graphics engine powering the new racer.
He continued: "Our improved vehicle dynamics much more accurately convey the difference in performance and the feel between mechanical and aerodynamic grip. The new Force Feedback system adds to the feeling of connection with the car and track surface. The more natural and realistic nature of the game physics also serves to ensure that the racing experience is more accessible, enjoyable and rewarding for players of all skill levels".
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Toshiba testing its 'scorpion' robot inside Fukushima nuclear reactor
Toshiba is deploying its "scorpion" robot inside of the TEPCO Fukushima No. 1 plant's second reactor next month. The mission is focused on trying to analyze the pressure vessel's melted-down fuel supply, and a robot is needed because of such high levels of radiation inside the reactor. The Japanese electronics company worked with the International Research Institute for Nuclear Decommissioning (IRID) to design the unique scorpion-inspired robot.
Researchers will likely have to spent decades trying to safely decommission the No. 1 plant, after it was devastated by a major earthquake and following tsunami in 2011.
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Americans have streamed 135B songs and music videos in 2015 so far
It looks like Internet users in the United States absolutely love streaming content, with more than 135 billion songs and music videos steamed so far in 2015, according to Nielsen. It's a 50 percent increase year-over-year, with more users enjoying Spotify, YouTube, Pandora, and other services on PCs, mobile devices, and in the living room.
"Obviously, the streaming piece is really great news, when you're talking about darn near 100 percent growth... with no new players," said Dave Bakula, SVP of Nielsen Entertainment, in a statement to Re/code. Of course, the figures compiled by Nielsen Entertainment don't include the recent launch of Apple Music - which may have a significant impact on streaming music.
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Difficulties trying to sell Xbox One, PlayStation 4 in China
The Chinese government's decision to allow foreign game consoles to be sold to consumers initially gave Microsoft and Sony hope - but both companies face a number of challenges while promoting the Xbox One and PlayStation 4.
"Despite China being a predominantly PC online gaming culture, Chinese who are now 26-35 years old grew up in the days of Nintendo Super Famicom consoles and are accustomed to playing games with a controller via TV," said Lisa Cosmas Hanson, founder of Niko Partners, in a statement published by Bidness Etc.
Instead of traditional gaming consoles, there are different opportunities "These gamers will drive adoption of 'over-the-top' (OTT) games played on Smart TVs as well as the use of game consoles, and thus will begin the transformation of the living room to entertainment center."
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Apple's new iPhone rumored to feature 4K-capable, 12-megapixel camera
It looks like Apple will finally be making the iPhone 4K-capable, with the upcoming purported iPhone 6S to feature a 12-megapixel rear-facing camera that will finally bring Apple into the 4K era.
We can be sure that if the new iPhone is 4K-capable, Apple is going to push the marketing quite hard when it gets announced in September.
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Gaming Sponsorship - Part 2: Live events are key to success
Back to part one
Part one of this series covered a basic and ranging explanation of what a sponsorship is, how it works, how you are likely to obtain one and some tips and tricks on how to make yourself valuable to a company or organization.Getting all touchy feely
One of the best ways a sponsor can prove it provides the best products or experience is to immerse the target audience in its company culture. This can be done through simple things as sponsor displays at technology shows or simply by your gaming team rocking up and smashing all of the competition while being nice about it.This method rings true especially for peripheral brands, it's pretty commonly known that in order for you to know if a mouse is good for you or not it has to feel good in the hand - what better way to test out some mice than head along and play with them! There's the added networking opportunities and brand presence of the team being there and then extra flavour is added by enticing people over with flashy lights and prizes.
Here's a list
There are a lot of different live event ideas you as a person, organization or gaming team can carry out in order to show off your sponsors or own brand and help in acquiring a portfolio to attract more in the future. Below I'll put up a list of just a few that I've seen, witnessed or worked on myself.If you're looking for some more tangible ideas, take a look at things like:
- Online 32 team one day competitions: CS:GO, Call of Duty
- LAN competition events, centred around a single game: Here's one I ran 6 episodes of while at Tt eSPORTS
- Auxiliary events to LAN parties: Hosting your own SC2 competition for example and inviting your players
- Seminars: One example is this Master Modding event I am running personally
That's all folks!
Obviously these are just a few simple ideas that can get the creative juices flowing for you, I honestly can't express how important live events are in the mind of a sponsor. It helps put a 'face to the name', it helps you personally engage with company representatives/fans, and helps provide legitimacy to your project.If you want to for some further research on events and ideas, I suggest you start browsing Facebook across gaming team and local hardware company pages.
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Bloodborne PlayStation 4 Game Review
Bloodborne forgets the fantasy style castles and other locations from the Souls series and takes on a much more Victorian England look. Set in a fictional city called Yharnam, the city is rumored to have a medical fix for any ailment hunters have. The hunter (who you play as) arrives in Yharnam only to discover that instead of medical fixes, the city is rife with disease and plagues that has transformed all its inhabitants into powerful enemies. The main aim is to survive the night, to escape the town, but many enemies and bosses await - as you would expect.
For those who have not played the Souls titles, the gameplay basically boils down to this; move from area to area taking out enemies gaining blood echoes whilst trying to find the boss character for that area. That said, the regular enemies are no walk in the park and you will not want to pull three or four at the same time. Whilst taking down the enemies, you collect Blood Echoes, which are used to level up, but you are also gambling with them. Should you succumb to the enemy, you lose all blood echoes currently held, and must return to retrieve them. However, should you succumb again before reaching the echoes, they are gone forever. You are always gambling with the blood echoes when exploring new areas and this fits the risk/reward mentality of the game perfectly.
Although the game remains brutally difficult, it is very clear From Software and Sony wanted this to be a little more accessible than Dark Souls. First of all, there is no weight, so you can carry around as much items as you want without impacting speed. There are also less weapons and in general each of the weapons is enough (when levelled) to finish the game with. The levelling system has been somewhat simplified as well, and one of our favourite changes is that when you succumb to the enemy, you no longer drop in maximum health. This is something that punished new players to the Souls series significantly in Dark Souls 2, so it's nice it is gone. Although we have played the Souls games in the past, we found BloodBorne a lot more accessible and easy to pick up, whilst maintaining the brutal difficulty it is known for.
In terms of the most important aspect of the game in many players' eyes, the bosses, the game offers a ton of variety. You actually are unable to level your character until you find the first boss (levelling up remains locked off), which trains you in how to play the game by having a very weak character against numerous enemies. The boss characters are as epic as ever (we won't spoil any), and before you finish the game, you will have to come up with a unique strategy per boss. Generally, once you figure out a strategy, they are easy to beat, but coming up with it may take hours on end to do.
As well as this, the game has significant load times (around 45 seconds) after each death and to move between the Hunters Dream (where you level up) and back to the game world. It can also be buggy with enemies failing to trigger and also boss characters getting stuck outside the world. From Software has handled this the best way possible by giving you the victory, but when it happens, you feel like a bit of a cheat. To their credit, they have promised to try and patch the load times, and really, once you get used to it, it's not so bad.
Visually the game as you would expect is a significant jump over Dark Souls 2. The PS4 power is on full display with a stunning Victorian world present including some amazing architecture. Just like previously, no map is included, so you need to use landmarks to find your way around. The frame rate generally does not show any niggles and considering how important timing is in this game, that was crucial to its success. The scale of the enemies and environments really is a step above and the world is huge and easy to get lost in.
Bloodborne may be based on an already existing series, but it does enough with mixing up the gameplay to keep it fresh. The fear about guns ruining the game was clearly unfounded and the stronger focus on attacks may make it easier for players to pick up. This is in our opinion the most accessible game of this year yet, however, if you are expecting a walk in the park, then you should look elsewhere.
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Battlefield Hardline Xbox One Game Review
So, how does Visceral Games do with the new Battlefield?
Let's be honest, Battlefield 4 began life as a mess. The game's biggest feature, the destruction of buildings, was crashing servers left, right and center upon launch, and gamers felt cheated. EA had such a problem that they had to give away some of its DLC and promise to fix the game. Once BF4 was solid, it was a good game, but it always had left a sour taste in the mouth. Therefore, when EA announced that Battlefield was taking a break from the main style it was used to and moving to a urban combat model with Hardline, there were many skeptics. However, the pairing of Visceral Games to the Battlefield franchise may have turned out to be a masterstroke, because although the single player is disappointing, the multiplayer is a blast.Battlefield has never really had memorable single player campaigns and Hardline is no different. In the initial sequences of the game, you play as a police officer on the beat trying to take down some drug barons only for your partner to frame you and put you in jail. From there it becomes a tale of revenge and reflection, never really reaching the heights it aims for. There are numerous things about the single player campaign that are surprising and it really seems like Visceral has tried to shake the game up.
Along with this, there are numerous areas where you don't shoot or attack enemies, and instead the main story plays out. For example, you might just be driving from one location to another with some story exposition playing out with the non-player characters. This is clearly Visceral trying to bring its storytelling talent to the series, but it just does not fit. Call of Duty and Battlefield have generally always been about big explosions and non-stop action, and the breakup of the action in Hardline just seems jarring. We admit that part of that awkwardness comes from the fact it's a Battlefield game, and if it was a different franchise, it may seem different, but as a Battlefield game, it just feels strange and too slow. The presentation of the story line is also different with each mission playing out as a TV episode.
However, getting away from that, Visceral has really considered how they could best use the cops versus robbers setting and come up with some interesting modes. One of the most interesting and fun to play is the Hot Wire mode. It plays a bit like Conquest, but instead of having points to capture, they are replaced by vehicles. The aim is to take the vehicle and drive them at high speed to deplete the other team's tickets. It's an interesting take on the concept that fits the vehicular world of Battlefield perfectly. Other modes include Blood Money where the aim is to steal gold and return it back to the base (for both the police and robbers side), Rescue which is a round based mode where the aim is to take out or protect the VIP depending on your side, and Heist where particular assets must be retrieved. Each one of these modes fits the urban combat style well.
Visually, on the Xbox One, the game is a mixed bag. There are some elements of the game that are impressive and the frame rate remains solid, but often in the single player campaign, we came across some textures that should have looked better. The game has a almost 'total conversion' feel to Battlefield 4 with some objects appearing far too blocky and a clear indication that it could look better on the system. This may be a result of the game being available on both generations of console. Sound effects and soundtrack are not memorable and especially on the robbers side, it's as if they tried too hard.
Battlefield Hardline is a tale of two stories. A single player game that whilst slightly impressive, feels like it should not be in a Battlefield game (we do have to applaud Visceral for trying something new), and a multiplayer game that seems an improvement on Battlefield 4. So, it comes down to this - if you are a seasoned campaign player of Battlefield looking for something new and impressive, you won't find it here and will likely be frustrated by its pacing, but if the multiplayer is more your shtick, this is one to pick up. Never has the difference between the campaign and multiplayer, in terms of quality, been so clear.
PRICING: You can find Battlefield Hardline for Xbox One 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: Battlefield Hardline for Xbox One retails for $56.08 at Amazon.
Canada: Battlefield Hardline for Xbox One retails for CDN$61.88 at Amazon Canada.
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Far Cry 4 PlayStation 4 Game Review
In Far Cry 4, you return to Kyrat as an ex-pat who immigrated to the United States with their mother when they were a child. Kyrat is a fictional city in the Himalayas and where the majority of the game takes place. It is also a dictatorship, ruled by one Pagan Min, a dictator on the level of Vaas from the former game, but one that is prepared to go even further. The story in Far Cry 4 is by no means throwaway, and in fact, many times will keep you forging ahead in the campaign, looking to find out what happens next - especially with the decisions you can make along the way to impact the game world.
On the main campaign side, you join a freedom fighter force known as the Golden Path who have been for a period of time attempting to end the reign of Min and restore peace and democracy to the land of the main characters birth. Throughout this campaign, some tough decisions need to be made as to how to advance the story and which main character of the Golden Path you wish to follow. This really mixes up the game, sends the story in different ways, and in many ways every player could have a slightly unique story. It also significantly enhances the replay value of the game, although to be honest, the game is not lacking without it.
When it comes down to it, the actual gameplay, the game shines. Picking up where Far Cry 3 left off, the game is of course primarily a first person shooter. However, it is changes such as being able to ride on the back of an elephant that really make this game a stunning success. You also need to craft items to improve your weaponry and abilities. Instead of just purchasing more inventory space, for example, you need to craft a wallet. To do this, you need to hunt specific animals and skin them. It adds another dimension to the game and a challenging one at that. Most of the animals can be ferocious when attacked and getting their skins is not so easy.
In terms of the environment the game is set in, it is stunning. This is a game that clearly is using the power of the current generation system. You can stand on the top of a cliff just admiring the mountains in the distance and the draw distance is also significant. One thing we noticed is that the game really never misses a beat. Despite huge explosions on screen, large draw distances and tons of action, the frame rate remained rock solid for us throughout. At least we did not notice any major frame rate issues, despite the epic nature of the game. Voice acting was also impressive, especially of the evil protagonist, and the propaganda style radio came across as authentic.
Far Cry 4 is a stunning game that builds upon its predecessor well. It may follow the same path of the main character having to slowly build up a force and take out an evil dictator, but despite it being almost the same structure, it works. The additions made including the new animals and location really do mix it up, however, it must be said that if Ubisoft is to return to the Far Cry universe for a fifth time, doing this over again is not going to be enough. That said, Far Cry 4 is one of the must-play games of 2014.
PRICING: You can find Far Cry 4 - PlayStation 4 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: Far Cry 4 - PlayStation 4 retails for $48.92 at Amazon.
Canada: Far Cry 4 - PlayStation 4 retails for CDN$69.95 at Amazon Canada.
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Dragon Age: Inquisition Xbox One Game Review
The game begins with the peace between the Magi and Templar factions being shattered by a large explosion which takes out members of the chantry who had brokered the peace deal. The land of Thedas is again on the verge of civil war with those who seek revenge and / or power able to now execute their plans. You play a Herald, a chosen character who builds a team of warriors known as the 'Inquisition'. Who you add to your party is entirely up to you and decisions you make directly affect this world as you play through the game with a number of crucial decision points present throughout.
When it comes to the gameplay as per most Bioware games, there are primarily three sections; combat, narrative, and overall universe management. This is very much a game that mixes the combat up with some interesting narrative sections to play through. For example, without spoiling too much, there is a section where you need to perform a dance to impress a royal family. At times, when you think the combat is dragging on a bit, Bioware mixes it up with something new. Along with this, there is also a War Council that you need to convince to explore new areas, take on new missions, and find new mission objectives. To do this, you gain power by completing side quests or performing particularly well in conversation with key NPCs.
The combat itself can be played in two modes; either real-time or in a more tactical view. Which mode you take on is of course personal preference, but there are times in the game where the challenge is such that the tactical view becomes a must. In the tactical view, you can give commands to your non-player controlled characters (you can switch to these characters whilst the gameplay is frozen) that can lead to more co-ordinated attacks.
In the real-time mode, you can also do this, but it's a bit more frantic with less time to think. This is one area where Bioware has managed to meld the best of each of the previous games into something that should please everyone. One thing which really frustrated us and in some ways made no sense was the inability to get to the manage character screen during combat to change weapons - a small thing, but frustrating nonetheless.
The world the game is set in is massive. There are numerous areas to explore and more are found when performing tasks with the War Council. The opening area, the Hinterlands, has enough content for around ten hours of gameplay and that represents only a small area of the game. You will visit huge castles, forests, snow covered areas, and others before the epic story of the game wraps up. This is a game that if you do not rush, will take you around fifty to sixty hours to complete. And aside from the opening section if you get bored in one area, there will generally be many others to explore, gaining power and building the prestige of the Inquisition.
The game also features multiplayer, and as you would expect, it's quite a bit different to the single player mode. Played with friends via co-op, the multiplayer mode puts a number of limitations on you as a character to ensure that you need to work together as a team for success. For example, you will have limited access to weapons and potions, and along with this, you can only succumb to the enemy three times before its game over - in single player, other NPC characters can revive you.
PRICING: You can find Dragon Age Inquisition - Xbox One 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: Dragon Age Inquisition - Xbox One retails for $59.99 at Amazon.
Canada: Dragon Age Inquisition - Xbox One retails for CDN$67.99 at Amazon Canada.
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Halo: The Master Chief Collection Xbox One Game Review
With the release of the third console from Microsoft, the Xbox One, it was a bit surprising to see that no Halo game was made available, and in fact, we have not seen a Halo game released since 2012. So, to fill in the game, 343 Industries has produced The Master Chief Collection. A collaboration of Halo 1 through to 4. However, if you are not a super fan, is there enough here to warrant buying the games again?
First of all, let's get the value for money argument out of the way. Halo: The Master Chief Collection is quite possibly the best value for money game you will ever purchase. It includes four of the best first person shooter games of all time, and the story so far of one of the most interesting game franchises around. Microsoft is asking you to shell out the full price for this one, but considering the content packed in (the game offers 4500 points of achievements just to give an idea of the size), that's not an unfair request in my opinion.
The games can also be modified by skulls that can be found and unlocked in the game world. Instead of just playing regular halo, you can add cheats or other changes to the game world. Again this really adds to the game, especially for those who have already played through the games already and want to mix it up a little.
When it comes to the game themselves, it really comes down to this; if you have not liked Halo in the past, then obviously The Master Chief collection is not for you. However, if you do have a liking for the franchise, what you will find is a game that at times can be a mixed bag. It is awesome that all the games are included in one package at 1080p and sixty frames per second, however, some of those games, especially Halo 1, really are showing their age. At the higher resolution, some of the graphics appear blocky and outdated. This is of no surprise, but when compared to something like Halo 4 in the collection, it really does not stack up well.
The other area where you will find huge amounts of value and entertainment is of course the multiplayer. Whilst in comparison to some recent games, Halo does have fairly slow paced gameplay in the multiplayer arena, it still remains tons of fun to play. As well as this, not only can you mix playlists up between games (that is on one map you may play a Halo 1 based map whilst next map might be from Halo 4), but the physics and nuances from each game has carried over.
This is not a situation where 343 has built one engine and ported all the maps. They have ported all the physics and other slight differences between the game, and it shows. This offers a massive challenge when the playlists contain maps from different games because you are always having to adjust to the new style of play. That said, it is a ton of fun and perhaps the best reason to pick this game up.
PRICING: You can find the Halo: The Master Chief Collection 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 Halo: The Master Chief Collection retails for $50.99 at Amazon.
Canada: The Halo: The Master Chief Collection retails for CDN$68.39 at Amazon Canada.
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Sunset Overdrive Xbox One Game Review
However, Insomniac Games had proven in the past that it could produce quality titles and with Microsoft managing to lure it as an exclusive, Sunset Overdrive became one of the most anticipated games of the year for Xbox One owners. Thankfully for them, aside from a few slight hiccups, the game has been worth the wait.
Sunset Overdrive begins during the release of a brand new energy drink in the town of Sunset City. Rushed to market, Overdrive is the hip new drink that has failed to go through the correct testing and anyone that drinks it, turns into a mutant. After the launch party, the game picks up with you basically trying to escape the city, and with the help of a few quirky friends, try to get the truth behind the drink and why it causes people to turn into mutants. The story itself is not the strongest around, but it does get the job done and is interesting enough to make you want to play more.
Perhaps one of the biggest surprises, given the marketing campaign Microsoft has run with the lead male character, you can completely customise your avatar to be male or female with a whole bunch of different clothing. As you play more, additional clothes are unlocked, and whilst it's only a cosmetic change, it does allow you to play the character how you want to. Along with this, you can unlock 'Amps' by gathering items in the world and 'cooking' them.
Amps are power ups for your character that are triggered by the style meter. To build that meter, you need to move around the world in fluid motions and take enemies out stylishly, as the name implies. Movement is key in this game and generally if you are not continuously moving, you will be overrun by enemies in a very short space of time.
And that is a key word with Sunset Overdrive, fun. Right from the outset, the game clearly wants you to continuously feel like you are having fun playing it. Whether it be the humorous characters present throughout or the non-stop action, this game just generally puts a smile on your face - except for one key facet, tower defence. Sunset Overdrive includes a tower defence offshoot set in the evening where you can unlock more amps to play with. This was our most frustrating element of the game and did not really seem to fit.
Thankfully for the most part, despite sometimes overloading you with enemies, the game does not severely punish you for dying. Instead (except in the previously mentioned tower defence mode), you generally return very close to where you were battling and with your mission progress intact. This is actually a very smart move on the developer's part because it encourages you to try things that may seem stupid, but also keeps you from getting too frustrated with the game. Another master move was that if you happen to fall from a very high platform during a mission, instead of making you traverse all the way back up, the game will place you back near where you were before the fall.
Missions are generally found in hub style areas and usually culminate in a boss fight. Boss fights generally are not exactly fun to play, but in Sunset Overdrive, the combination of how crazy the bosses are, plus the low punishment for dying, makes it actually enjoyable to take them on. Finishing missions will give you badges to buy overdrives with that basically boost your characters health, weaponry, or defence stats. Sunset Overdrive is not even close to an RPG, but has some very basic elements from that genre included.
On the visuals side of things, Sunset Overdrive impresses in two ways; the graphics themselves and the frame rate. The frame rate during our play never stuttered and never dropped below smooth. Despite a gazillion things happening on the screen, the frame rate was rock solid, and given how graphically impressive this game is, that is a feat in itself. The visuals are vibrant bright colors, which is a nice change, and the world feels almost like a cartoon. Sound wise, the voice acting gets the job done, and the music, whilst nothing to write home about, does not feel out of place or cheap. In fact, all of this game smacks of 'AAA' status and has a high level of polish.
Sunset Overdrive was a game closely watched by many gamers due to it being exclusive to the Xbox One. Insomniac Games also needed a win after Fuse failed to shine and people wondered if Insomniac Games would be better off going back to Sony exclusivity. Based on this effort, the answer is an emphatic no. The game does have a few problems, but it's a very polished title that shows off the power of the Xbox One well. If you have an Xbox One console, you owe it to yourself to at least try this game. It's unique, its new IP and it as polished as any other AAA title on the market. Shame about some of the humor though, it really does pull it down.
PRICING: You can find Sunset Overdrive Day One Edition - Xbox One 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: Sunset Overdrive Day One Edition - Xbox One retails for $59.96 at Amazon.
Canada: Sunset Overdrive Day One Edition - Xbox One retails for CDN$64.00 at Amazon Canada.
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FIFA 15 PlayStation 4 Game Review
FIFA 14 was impressive, but as I wrote at the time, it had its problems. Things like players seemingly worse in the game than they are in real life, skill wise. However, EA promised to bring its A game back for FIFA 15 and that is exactly what they have done. Not only is FIFA 15 one of the best football games I have ever played, it is one of the best games of 2014, period.
With the release last year, EA unveiled the Ignite engine to the world. This was the engine EA said would power all its sports games going forward on the new platforms. FIFA, along with Madden, was one of the first games to get the engine, and it was impressive, but the extra twelve months development time has really shown the power of this engine. Last year, FIFA felt a bit stiff and without fluid motion, whilst this year, we were pulling off amazing passes and plays within the first hour of play. There is no doubt that the engine this year has had refinement and is working better than ever.
Other than the engine, there has been some improvements to the management mode, including the brand new Global Transfer Network. You have always been able to trade players in the FIFA games recently, as per the real-world, however, it is even more realistic this year. Instead of searching on numbers (eg a player with a total skill over 80), you research on traits much like a real-world scout would.
This makes the game potentially more difficult, but it allows you to pick up gems for cheap, if you can find them. You need to plan your scouting a lot more - instead of getting to the transfer window and just window shopping, you need to spend time before the window scouting countries and players, readying your moves - just like the real-world scouts. A fundamental change that should be welcomed by most, if not all, players of the game.
As well as this, the in-game UI gets a complete overhaul to appear just like it does in the Premier League broadcasts including upcoming matches, line ups and highlights. We cannot help but feel that this is EA rubbing the competitions nose in it that they have what is seen as the world's biggest league exclusively. It will be interesting to see if they apply the same to La Liga or Serie A etc next year.
This fits in perfectly with EA Sports Matchday, the in-game option to play upcoming games and have the players reflect their current form, injuries or suspensions. Along with this, the Matchday area now also includes a RSS feed of stories from your chosen favourite league, as well as players and teams that are improving, or are declining.
Visually the game is also impressive, especially in the aforementioned Barclays Premier League. The world's best players have again been replicated to the nth degree, right down to their boot choice, and have been given an update again for the next-generation systems. The movement of the players and ball feels incredibly realistic and when a player makes a mistake, you generally know why.
The presentation (even without the BPL skin) is second to none with a strong commentary team present, and in-game visual indicators to see exactly what is happening. EA has also put a lot of effort into the atmosphere of the game and visuals with a lot of 'replays' and other moments like substitutions now rendered completely, including the fourth official.
PRICING: You can find FIFA 15 on PlayStation 4 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: FIFA 15 on PlayStation 4 retails for $56.82 at Amazon.
Canada: FIFA 15 on PlayStation 4 retails for CDN$59.99 at Amazon Canada.
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Forza Horizon 2 Xbox One Game Review
Forza Horizon was a smash hit and one of our personal favourite games of that generation, but with the Xbox One comes Forza Horizon 2, a game which promises to take the extra grunt available in the new generation system, whilst keeping true to its original style from the 360. Thankfully Playground Games has managed to balance this well, and in many ways, eclipsed the Forza release from last year.
Like the original, Forza Horizon puts you in the middle of the Forza Horizon festival. A party mix of racing and music festival, this time set in the middle of Europe, and seemingly with a larger focus on European supercars from manufacturers such as Koenigsegg. The core gameplay remains the same as its predecessor; enter a Horizon festival location, take part in some races before moving onto the next location. However, it's in the main racing where you will find a lot of changes that make the game even better.
The bucket list spreads many of the game's most powerful cars throughout the world for you to find. Once found, you can begin the challenge, which is twofold; beat the time the game wants you to, as well as beat the current leaders of the challenge. It's not long in the game before you find these cars and it really is a smart move on the part of PlayGround Games because saving up to buy some of the best cars in the game can be a lengthy process. To assist with this, each time you level up, now you are offered the opportunity to spin a poker machine style wheel to either win money or a new car to use in a different championship. Again, this is a clever addition, because it gives a lot of reason to continuously gain levels.
The map itself is significantly larger than Forza Horizon and as previously mentioned is set in Europe. More specifically, the game is set in the south of France and the north of Italy. This offers some stunning vistas to race in to say the least and a good variety of events and areas to play in. With the map unlocked right away, there is nothing to stop you just going for a cruise and the game actively encourages this by tracking how many streets you have found on the map - there are 315 overall - as well as experience points, whilst you cruise around.
Forza Horizon was one of our most loved Xbox 360 games and at the time we felt that the developers were well on the way to eclipsing the Forza Motorsport series. Turn 10 better watch their backs because, in our opinion, Forza Horizon 2 delivers and does eclipse the most recent Forza game. A game that was seen as something to compliment the mainline series has in our opinion now become the better game. There simply is right now no better racing game on Xbox One, and if you have any liking of the racing genre, this is a must play. We can't wait to see what Playground Games does next.
PRICING: You can find Forza Horizon 2 for Xbox One 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: Forza Horizon 2 for Xbox One retails for $59.99 at Amazon.
Canada: Forza Horizon 2 for Xbox One retails for CDN$64.95 at Amazon Canada.
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Counterspy PS VITA Game Review
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.
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.
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.
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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Ultra Street Fighter IV PC Game Review
Like its predecessors, Ultra Street Fighter IV has an overall story and one for each of the individual characters. In the arcade mode of the game, when you select a character to complete the story with, a few anime cut scenes play out, giving some background as to why this character is fighting. Some of these are incredibly cheesy and over the top, however, overall they fit the game well, and provide some much needed meat to the arcade side of the game for those who just want to play this game by themselves - which, of course, is generally not what SF is all about.
From a PC perspective, this game runs very well, even on moderately powerful hardware. Given that this game is a last-generation console game, this is of no surprise, but in an interesting move before you can go online for multiplayer, the game benchmarks your system. That benchmark is then displayed to opposing players for them to decide if they want to play you. For example, if someone has an 'E' class system, they may not want to play an 'A' class system. It's quite a strange thing, but the assumption is that a lower powered machine will have a disadvantage, against a higher spec system.
One area where we did feel a bit disappointed was what we experienced of the netcode. The game in general does run quite well, but there were a few stutters here and there. Even when playing against someone in the local country, there was an indication that the connection was very poor, which was surprising - so, playing intercontinental tournaments or fights is likely not going to offer a good experience.
As well as this, it takes a while for the games to connect, and we found sometimes the games would just drop out before even finalizing the connection.
The fact is that if you are a big Street Fighter fan, it is likely Ultra is a no brainer for you, and it's also a no brainer for those who want a fighting game, and have yet to pick up a version of Street Fighter IV. However, for those who already have SFIV or Super SFIV, it is a harder sell. Some of the changes are specifically aimed at very high level play, and the new characters, whilst adding something to the game, are not exactly must have additions.
PRICING: You can find the Ultra Street Fighter IV for PC 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 Ultra Street Fighter IV [Online Game Code] retails for $29.99 at Amazon.
Canada: The Ultra Street Fighter IV PC Game retails for CDN$28.99 at Amazon Canada.
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AMD and Dell Support Bioinformatics Studies at University of Warsaw in Poland
AMD today unveiled innovation in heterogeneous high performance computing (HPC) by delivering more than 1.5 petaFLOPS of AMD FirePro S9150 server GPU performance for the Next Generation Sequencing Centre (NGSC) at the Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw in support of bioinformatics research related to next generation sequencing (NGS) studies. The new ORION cluster features 150 Dell PowerEdge R730 servers with two AMD FirePro S9150 server GPUs, for a total GPU peak of 1.52 petaFLOPS single precision and 0.76 petaFLOPS double precision performance. The energy-efficient cluster enables high speed and efficient calculations for genomic data, applicable to a range of genomics and bioinformatics studies, using a fast and power efficient OpenCL implementation for research applications.
"We had excellent cooperation with Dell and AMD to make this project happen in such a short timeframe," said Dr. Krzysztof Ginalski, head of the Next Generation Sequencing Centre and Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology at the Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw. "The state-of-the-art technology and industry-leading systems management capabilities in the Dell PowerEdge R730 servers along with the AMD FirePro S9150 server graphics deliver an extremely powerful basis for the ORION cluster and provide the compute capabilities we need for our research. The large 16GB of memory of the AMD FirePro S9150 server graphics allows us to run advanced bioinformatics computations on one GPU without inter-GPU communication resulting in very efficient operations. We have chosen a multi-GPU approach with two GPU boards per server to enable cost- and energy-efficient configuration."
"Dell is passionate about the HPC market and committed to powering the revolutionary discoveries being made by top research organizations and enterprise around the world," said Ravi Pendekanti, vice president, product management, Dell Server Solutions. "Together, Dell and AMD have reached a new level with the NGSC project, revealing the true power of the Dell PowerEdge R730 with AMD FirePro S9150 GPUs. There is no doubt that our joint NGSC project delivers top-tier performance for critical HPC applications, while also providing major energy efficiencies."
"We are proud that we had opportunity to build this HPC cluster for NGSC," said Michał Bieńkowski, chief executive officer at Slash sp. z o. o. "Our strong cooperation with Dell and AMD gave us the ability to deliver an effective solution in a very short time. We entered the HPC market several years ago offering high performance solutions in Poland's education field. Our goal is to build fast, reliable and energy-saving data center systems."
NGSC at the Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, located in Warsaw, Poland, is a research facility for top-of-the-line genomics and bioinformatics studies in biology, medicine, diagnostics and therapy. The ORION cluster was designed and built for storing and processing of huge amount of data generated by the sequencers available in the Centre. NGSC conducts a variety of genomics projects in numerous collaborations by providing NGS technology to academia and industry. Researches from around the world are using this facility to perform NGS (e.g. genomic, metagenomic, transcriptomic, epigenetic) experiments that help them make fascinating research discoveries. Many of bioinformatics studies conducted at NGSC require large computational power, which is delivered by the ORION cluster.
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IBM, NVIDIA and Mellanox Launch Design Center for Big Data and HPC
IBM, in collaboration with NVIDIA and Mellanox, today announced the establishment of a POWER Acceleration and Design Center in Montpellier, France to advance the development of data-intensive research, industrial, and commercial applications. Born out of the collaborative spirit fostered by the OpenPOWER Foundation - a community co-founded in part by IBM, NVIDIA and Mellanox supporting open development on top of the POWER architecture - the new Center provides commercial and open-source software developers with technical assistance to enable them to develop high performance computing (HPC) applications.
In addition to expanding the software and solution ecosystem around OpenPOWER, this new collaboration between the three companies will create opportunities for software designers to acquire advanced HPC skills and drive the development of new technologies to bring value to customers globally.
The Center will be led by a team of experts from NVIDIA and Mellanox along with leading scientists from IBM Client Center Montpellier (France) and IBM Research Zurich (Switzerland). The Montpellier-based center is the second of its kind, complementing the previously announced center in Germany established in concert with IBM, NVIDIA and the Jülich Supercomputing Center in November.
"Our launch of this new Center reinforces IBM's commitment to open-source collaboration and is a next step in expanding the software and solution ecosystem around OpenPOWER," said Dave Turek, IBM's Vice President of HPC Market Engagement. "Teaming with NVIDIA and Mellanox, the Center will allow us to leverage the strengths of each of our companies to extend innovation and bring higher value to our customers around the world."
"Increasing computational performance while minimizing energy consumption is a challenge the industry must overcome in the race to exascale computing," said Stefan Kraemer, director of HPC Business Development, EMEA, at NVIDIA. "By providing systems combining IBM Power CPUs with GPU accelerators and the NVIDIA NVLink high-speed GPU interconnect technology, we can help the new Center address both objectives, enabling scientists to achieve new breakthroughs in their research."
"The new POWER Acceleration and Design Center will help scientists and engineers address the grand challenges facing society in the fields of energy and environment, information and health care using the most advanced HPC architectures and technologies," said Gilad Shainer, vice president of marketing, Mellanox Technologies. "Mellanox InfiniBand networking solutions offer more than a decade of experience building the world's highest performing networks, and are uniquely based on an offload-architecture. Only Mellanox offloads data movement, management and even data manipulations (for example Message Passing - MPI collective communications) which are performed at the network level, enabling more valuable CPU cycles to be dedicated to the research applications."
As founding members of the OpenPOWER Foundation, IBM, NVIDIA, and Mellanox share a common vision to bring a new class of systems to market faster to tackle today's big data challenges.
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Synology Announces RS18016xs+ and RX1216sas NAS Servers
Synology America Corp. today announced the release of the RS18016xs+ and its expansion unit RX1216sas with: vast expansion capacities; point-in-time data backup for enterprises; and unparalleled performance throughput. "Belonging to the next generation of NAS servers, the RS18016xs+ can be extended beyond 1PB of storage capacity while simplifying any backup strategy, making it the perfect choice for businesses in need of a cost-efficient, scalable, and modern storage solution," declared Michael Wang, product manager at Synology Inc.
- Extreme performance: providing over 3,900 MB/s and 348,000 IOPS throughput, the RS18016xs+ effortlessly provides storage and application serving to hundreds of users. With a dedicated encryption engine, the RS18016xs+ boasts over 3,000 MB/s reading on encrypted shared folders, ensuring data security without any major performance drop.
- Point-in-time data recovery: The RS18016xs+ brings snapshot technology which allows businesses to automatically capture point-in-time copies of data as frequently as every 5 minutes without occupying system resources. Customize the retention policy to save up to 256 recovery points on an hourly, daily, or weekly basis.
- High uptime: With support for Synology High Availability, as well as numerous redundant hardware components including: redundant data paths, power supplies, system fans, and four network ports with failover support; the RS18016xs+ maximizes service uptime.
- Future-ready: The RS18016xs+ natively supports 6Gb/s SAS/SATA III technologies and can be upgraded with up to 32GB ECC RAM and 10GbE capabilities to ensure maximum compatibility and return on investment.
- Seamless scalability: when storage capacity on the Synology RS18016xs+ reaches its limit, Synology RX1216sas provides an easy way to immediately scale up. Stacking up to 14 RX1216sas expansion units creates a 180-drive cluster managed from a single point of entry.
The RS18016xs+ and RX1216sas are backed by Synology's advanced 5-year warranty and the Synology Replacement Services (SRS) for select regions.
Availability & Price
This release is available worldwide immediately. The RS18016xs+ and RX1216sas are priced starting at $7,599.99 and $2,999.99, respectively.
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Giada Announces the P211 OPS-compliant Mini PC
Giada Technology, an industry leader in mini PCs, embedded computing and servers, is releasing their latest OPS mini-PC that is perfect for digital signage field.
OPS stands for the "Open Pluggable Specification" and was initiated by Intel. It is the first Industry initiative to standardize display and video signage solutions for intelligent, cost-effective, and easily integrated modular digital signage applications. It increases flexibility of digital signage applications and simplifies digital signage development and deployment by enabling easier installation and hassle-free maintenance.
The Giada P211 is an OPS compliant Mini PC for simplified installation, maintenance and usage of digital signage infrastructure. The latest 5th generation Intel CoreTM i5 / i3 CPU and Intel HD Graphics 5500/6000 with 4K video support provide outstanding performance for digital signage and electronic whiteboard applications.
Giada's P211 is an OPS Compliant Mini PC that supports remote control features and enables easier installation, use, and maintenance of digital signage and electronic whiteboards. It was especially designed for long time operation with a metal chassis for optimum heat dissipation while using the Intel Broadwell-U CoreTM i5 / i3 CPU with a low power consumption of 15W TDP. It features Ultra HD that packs around four times as many pixels into screens compared to existing HD sets, producing a sharper, higher-density picture. It supports HDMI 1.4a output for Ultra High-definition video output (1080p, 2160p) and multi-channel digital audio.
Apart from the OPS JAE interface, the P211 provides rich connectivity with 2 x USB 2.0, 2 x USB 3.0, 1 x COM, 2 x Mini PCIE (for mSATA III, Wi-Fi/BT/3G) and 1 x SIM card slot for 3G.
For the purpose of ease of use and efficient manageability, Giada has applied its patented JAHC unattended technology to P211, with built-in capabilities for unattended operations such as auto power on when connected to power, a scheduled power on/off and IR remote control before the OS is on.
It is fully compatible with majority of popular operating systems including Microsoft Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and Linux.
To learn more about Giada's P211 please visit this page.
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Intel Announces Leadership Changes
Today Intel Corporation's CEO, Brian Krzanich, announced a series of leadership and organizational changes in a message to employees. Intel President Renée James informed the board that she will be stepping down as President of Intel to pursue an external CEO role. She has agreed to stay at Intel until January in order to transition the Executive Office. In connection with today's news, James today distributed an employee message about her plans.
In addition, other leadership and organizational changes that are being made to streamline operations and better position Intel for growth include: Arvind Sodhani, President of Intel Capital, will retire in January after a distinguished 35-year career with the company. President of Mergers and Acquisitions Wendell Brooks will take an expanded role to also become President of Intel Capital. Merging these teams under one leader will allow clear focus across all investment opportunities for Intel.
On July 1, the Intel Security organization - formerly the independent McAfee division - was formally integrated into Intel operations under the leadership of General Manager Chris Young. This integration will deliver better technologies for our customers and more effective operations that enable Intel Security to advance the state of security across the industry.
Intel Communication and Devices Group General Manager Aicha Evans has been elevated to the company's Management Committee, reflecting the leadership role she plays across Intel's business and the importance of communication and mobility to the company's growth strategy and product portfolio.
Josh Walden, General Manager of Intel's New Technology Group, now leads all product and research teams that create and deploy new technology categories, such as interactive computing devices, perceptual computing and wearable devices. He is responsible for expanding the power of Moore's Law into entirely new categories.
Associated with these changes, Intel executives Hermann Eul and Mike Bell will leave the company after a transition period.
"We are aligning our leadership structure to continue to become more efficient in order to deliver the benefits of our strategy even faster than before," said Krzanich.
"Over the past 28 years, Renée has contributed immeasurably to Intel," he continued. "On behalf of the Board and management team, we sincerely thank Renée for her tireless efforts toward building the business that we have today, and we fully support her in this decision."
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ASUS GeForce GTX 980 Ti STRIX Graphics Card Starts Selling
ASUS today announced Strix GTX 980 Ti, a super-cool new video card with pumped gaming performance, perfected manufacturing, and strong fortification for extreme reliability and longevity. Powered by the latest GeForce GTX 980 Ti graphics-processing units (GPUs), Strix GTX 980 Ti features GPU boost clock speeds of up to 1291 MHz in gaming mode and 1317 MHz in OC mode, delivering up to 24% faster gaming performance than reference cards in The Witcher 3. It is packed with exclusive ASUS technologies, including DirectCU III with a patented triple wing-blade 0dB fan designed to deliver maximum airflow for 30%-cooler and three times (3X) quieter performance.
Cool, silent gameplay: DirectCU III with triple wing-blade 0dB fan design
Strix GTX 980 Ti is equipped with ASUS-exclusive DirectCU III cooling technology, which features two exclusive 10mm direct-GPU-contact heat pipes - outperforming reference designs for gaming performance that's up to 30% cooler. It has three fans engineered with a patented, new wing-blade design that delivers maximum airflow and static pressure over the heat sink - giving a 105% improvement over fans without wing-blades. This exclusive triple wing-blade design operates at noise levels three times (3X) quieter than reference cards, making DirectCU III the coolest and quietest video card-cooling solution available to date. Strix GTX 980 Ti also features 0dB fan technology, which stops fan rotation completely during lighter gaming sessions - eliminating noise for undisturbed gameplay.
Strix GTX 980 Ti benefits from ASUS-exclusive Auto-Extreme technology, the industry's first 100%-automated manufacturing process that removes human fallibility from the production line for consistent perfection - making it ultra-reliable in all scenarios, from general everyday use to hardcore gaming and overclocking. Auto-Extreme technology eliminates flux to minimize dust buildup and oxidization, and makes the rear side of the video card's printed-circuit board totally smooth, increasing comfort for system-builders and enhancing overclocking capability by freeing space to add POSCAP capacitors. This new manufacturing process is also environmentally friendly, eliminating harsh chemicals and reducing power consumption by 50%.
Strix GTX 980 Ti features Super Alloy Power II components that enhance efficiency, reduce power loss, decrease buzzing under load, and lower thermal dynamics for unsurpassed quality and reliability. Strix GTX 980 Ti features a superior 12+2-phase power design compared to reference cards built with 8+2-phase power designs.
Tweakable and intuitive: GPU Tweak II with XSplit Gamecaster
Redesigned with an intuitive, all-new user interface, GPU Tweak II makes gaming and overclocking easier and more visual than ever, while still retaining advanced options for seasoned overclockers. With one click, the new Gaming Booster function maximizes system performance by removing redundant processes and allocating all available resources automatically. An included 1-year XSplit Gamecaster premium license - a $99 value - lets gamers easily stream or record gameplay via a convenient, in-game overlay.
The final must-have flourish for Strix GTX 980 Ti is the Strix LED that lends a style statement to any system, with pulsating light effects.
Availability
ASUS Strix GTX 980 Ti will be available worldwide from July 2015.
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Turtle Beach Ear Force Stealth 420X Wireless Headset Up For Pre-order
Following the success of the Company's Stealth 500X and Elite 800X gaming headsets, Turtle Beach Corporation (NASDAQ: HEAR), the leading-edge audio technology company and #1 in gaming audio, is pleased to announce that its third 100% fully wireless Xbox One headset, the EAR FORCE Stealth 420X is available for pre-order today! Head over to the Turtle Beach website or your favorite participating retailer and pre-order the Stealth 420X right now to ensure you get it on Day 1 when it becomes available July 18, 2015.
- 100% Fully Wireless - No wires anywhere. Experience crystal clear game and chat audio using the latest, intelligent channel-hopping technology for interference-free wireless gaming.
- Simple Setup - One simple-to-set-up USB connection to the Xbox One and all your wireless gaming dreams come true.
- STOP SHOUTING! - Mic Monitoring lets players hear their own voice in the headset to avoid shouting.
- Game & Chat Volume Control - Independent controls for game and chat audio lets players tune the mix to their preference.
- Mic Check - A high-sensitivity, adjustable boom mic picks-up voice audio loud and clear. Remove the mic to enjoy mobile/tablet gaming, as well as listening to music and watching movies.
- 15 Hour Rechargeable Battery - A built-in rechargeable battery delivers up to 15 hours of wireless gaming.
- Updated Headset Design - An updated over-ear headset design with supple, perforated synthetic leather-wrapped ear-cups provides superior comfort and improved bass response.
- Audio Presets & Voice Prompts - Four Turtle Beach audio presets and audible voice prompts from the headset tell gamers what setting they've selected.
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LG MARKS SALE OF 10 MILLIONTH BLUETOOTH HEADSET
LG Electronics (LG) announced that it has sold its 10 millionth LG TONE Series Bluetooth headset globally since launching the series in October of 2010. With this achievement, LG is now the number one wireless Bluetooth headset brand in the United States in terms of units sold. LG developed the headset series in collaboration with world-leading audio equipment experts such as Harman/Kardon and JBL to ensure the highest level of sound quality.
According to the independent market research company NPD Group, LG has consistently topped the highly competitive U.S. Bluetooth headset market since May of 2012, and has maintained more than 40 percent market share since 2013. The popularity of TONE has not been limited to only the United States. The unique behind-the-neck design of TONE has spawned many imitators and counterfeit models, many even bearing the LG logo.
"It's really inspiring to see consumers wearing LG TONE headsets in cities all around the world, from New York to Shanghai to Dubai," said Seo Young-jae, vice president in charge of Innovative Personal Devices at LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. "Initially we were quite surprised by the enthusiasm of the feedback we received from people who said that TONE was the most comfortable wireless headset they've ever used. We stuck to what worked well and improved upon TONE over the years and we're absolutely delighted by the positive reception we've gotten."
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Sharkoon Gamer Mouse with Bungee Hub - MSRP 47.99 Euros
Sharkoon expands its range of input devices and presents the SHARK ZONE M51+ bundle consisting with the new SHARK ZONE M51 Gaming Laser Mouse and equally new SHARK ZONE MB10 Gaming Bungee Hub.
End customers will find the Sharkoon SHARK ZONE M51+ Gaming Laser Mouse with MB10 Bungee Hub available now for the suggested retail price of 47.99 euros from authorized retailers. The SHARK ZONE MB10 Gaming Bungee Hub is also separately available for 17.99 euros.
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SMITE on Xbox One will have Australian Servers with Open Beta launch next Week
Hi-Rez Studios, developer of free-to-play SMITE, the mythology-themed third-person action game played by over 7 million people, today announced that the Xbox One version of SMITE will have Australian servers live alongside the launch of the Open Beta on Thursday, July 8th.
By offering game servers hosted in Australia, players in Australia and New Zealand will enjoy smoother gameplay experience when choosing the Australia region for matchmaking or custom matches. Existing SMITE players preserve all god unlocks, experience, and cosmetics they have already accumulated.
The SMITE community is already enjoying amazing growth on PC, with a regular community play night, SMITE NITE, on Thors-days, and esports competition in an Oceania Pro League competition providing a pathway for an Australian team to attend the SMITE World Championships in 2016.
Designed from the ground up to play perfectly on a controller, SMITE is the first major MOBA to reach console and its action packed gameplay will test the skills of Xbox One players.
"We're delighted to offer SMITE communities the best possible experience on PC and now console, and we are impressed with the growth of the game on PC in Australia. We are pleased to support the release of SMITE on Xbox One with dedicated Australian servers from next week," said Andy Anderson, Xbox One Senior Producer, Hi-Rez Studios.
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Tesoro Announces The Thyrsus Optical MMO and MOBA Mouse With 6 Thumb Buttons
Tesoro Technology USA Inc., a manufacturer of high-tech gaming peripherals, announces the Thyrsus optical gaming mouse. Named after the staff of Dionysus, the Thyrsus features comfortable, ergonomic design, a high-precision optical sensor, and 6 fully programmable thumb buttons for MMO and MOBA games.
Comfortable and Confident Control
Omron switch technology gives the Thyrsus added durability, tactile feedback and satisfying clicks. The ergonomic design and rubberized coating on both sides give maximum comfort and grip. Gamers can pick from 6 levels of sensitivity adjustable up to 8200dpi. Accuracy is assured with 150 ips (inches per second) motion detection and 30g acceleration. A braided, 2 meter gold-plated USB cable lends added durability and prevents fraying.
New Tesoro User Interface (UI)
The Thyrsus utilizes Tesoro's new UI which has been redesigned to be more user-friendly. Gamers can easily adjust the DPI, record macros, set profiles, and change the illumination color.
- 10 million click duty cycle Omron switches
- 6 levels of sensitivity adjustable up to 8200 dpi
- 64 KB Built-in Memory
- 6 fully programmable thumb buttons for MMO/MOBA
- Total of 10 fully programmable keys
- Full speed processor with 1000 Hz polling rate
- Customizable multicolor lighting
- Soft-touch finished surface
- 2 meter braided cable with gold plated USB plug
- 150 ips (Inches per Second) motion detection and 30 g acceleration
- New TESORO Thyrsus Software
- Model number: TS-H8L
The Tesoro Thyrsus will be available this August in North America for the suggested retail price of $ 69.
For more information, visit the product page.
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PowerColor Announces its Radeon R9 Fury X Graphics Card
TUL Corporation, a leading and innovative manufacturer of AMD video cards since 1997, has released a new video card with the High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) from AMD's latest invention. HBM is a new type of memory chip with low power consumption, ultra-wide communication lanes, and a revolutionary new stacked configuration. HBM's vertical stacking and fast information transfer open the door for truly exciting performance in innovative form factors, not to mention that GPU applications are just the start - look for HBM's superior power efficiency and space savings to spark industry-wide innovation. PowerColor R9 Fury X easily handles the most graphically intense games today due to its advanced and innovative GPU to ever create for the beloved PC gaming community. This power comes from AMD-pioneered High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) integrated on-chip that delivers more than 3 times the bandwidth per watt than GDDR5 along with a 4096-bit memory interface for incredible new advances in power and efficiency.
It's all here - and with incredible new levels of design flexibility and scalability, the slim and compact 7.5-inch card packs a performance punch in a smaller space thanks to the HBM on-chip. The AMD Radeon R9 Fury X GPU is transforming the future with HBM on-chip, leading the way to create small and powerful PCs by packing faster and more power efficient memory into 94% less space than GDDR5. Benefit from the cool, quiet, and reliable operation of closed-loop liquid cooling that includes integrated pump and cooling regulator and maintenance-free flexible nylon-braided tubing connecting a premium matte-black radiator unit with a 3000RPM 120mm fan that cools both ASIC and VRM. Connect displays using 3 Display Port and 1 HDMI connector, monitor real-time GPU activity with the eight-LED GPU Tach activity indicator, and select your operational configuration with the two-position BIOS toggle switch. The PowerColor R9 Fury X supports AMD's newest technologies such as Virtual Super Resolution, FreeSync, Liquid VR, and 4K resolution.
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VisionTek Announces Radeon R9 Fury X, Alongside R9 300 and R7 300 Series
VisionTek Products LLC, a leading manufacturer of award-winning, high-performance upgrades and accessories for PCs and Macs, today announced the Radeon Fury X, alongside five other new Radeon R9 300 and R7 300 video cards designed with Advance Micro Devices (AMD) GPUs. The new VisionTek Radeon video cards will feature a new extreme look and are available starting June 24th, 2015.
A full line of video cards meets the needs of every consumer gaming segment.
VisionTek is also releasing their next generation of R9 300 & R7 300 cards for the most immersive 4K gaming experience, now and tomorrow. The new VisionTek line consists of the R9 390X, R9 390, R9 380, R7 370, and R7 360 models to meet the needs of every consumer gaming segment. These new video cards put 4K gaming and Virtual Reality within reach for smooth, true-to-life, stutter-free gameplay with ultra-high performance. The R9 and R7 cards all support AMD Eyefinity for dynamic, panoramic multi-screen gaming experience. Once again, VisionTek captivates the imagination with an extreme new look & feel to awaken the fire in passionate PC gamers.
"We are focused on alignment with PC Gamers and are excited to announce the new features embedded in AMD's Fury X design," said Michael Innes, President of VisionTek. "We believe Virtual Reality will transform the way we experience and interact with our PC. We are embarking on a new universe of entertainment and the new VisionTek AMD powered cards create the required platform for launch."
- AMD LiquidVR Technology: Offers plug-and-play ease for today's evolving VR head-mounted displays and future-ready support for fantastic new VR technologies that will transform tomorrow's gaming and entertainment.
- AMD Freesync Technology: Provides liquid-smooth, artifact-free, 4K cinematic experience with the highest performance at virtually any frame rate.
- VSR (Virtual Super Resolution): Get quality that rivals 1440p, even on a 1080p display while playing your favorite games thanks to AMD's VSR.
- Graphics Engine: Radeon R9 Fury X
- Core Speed: up to 1050MHz
- Video Memory: 4GB HBM
- Memory Interface: 4096-bit
- Memory Speed: 500MHz
- Graphics Engine: Radeon R9 390X
- Core Speed: Up to 1050MHz
- Video Memory: 8GB GDDR5
- Memory Interface: 512-bit
- Memory Speed: 1500MHz (6Gb/s)
- Graphics Engine: Radeon R9 390
- Core Speed: Up to 1000MHz
- Video Memory: 8GB GDDR5
- Memory Interface: 512-bit
- Memory Speed: 1500MHz (6Gb/s)
- Graphics Engine: Radeon R9 380
- Core Speed: Up to 970MHz
- Video Memory: 2GB GDDR5
- Memory Interface: 256-bit
- Memory Speed: 1375MHz x4 (5.5Gb/s)
- Graphics Engine: Radeon R7 370
- Core Speed: 975MHz
- Video Memory: 2GB GDDR5
- Memory Interface: 256-bit
- Memory Speed: 1425MHz x4 (5.7Gb/s)
- Graphics Engine: Radeon R7 360
- Core Speed: 1050MHz
- Video Memory: 2GB GDDR5
- Memory Interface: 128-bit
- Memory Speed: 1625MHz x4 (7Gb/s)
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EVGA Announces SuperNOVA P2 Series 80 Plus Platinum PSUs
The unbeatable performance of the EVGA SuperNOVA P2 power supply line is now available in 850, 750 and 650 watt versions. Based on the award winning P2 power supplies, these units feature 80 Plus Platinum rated efficiency, and clean, continuous power to every component. The ECO Control Fan system offers fan modes to provide absolutely zero fan noise during low to medium load operations. Backed by an award winning 10 year warranty, and 100% Japanese capacitor design, the EVGA SuperNOVA 850, 750 and 650 P2 power supplies offer unbeatable performance at an unbeatable value.
- 80 PLUS Platinum certified, with 92% (115VAC) / 94% (220VAC~240VAC) efficiency or higher under typical loads
- Unbeatable 10 Year Warranty and unparalleled EVGA Customer Support
- Highest quality Japanese brand capacitors ensure long-term reliability
- Fully Modular to reduce clutter and improve airflow
- NVIDIA SLI & AMD Crossfire Ready
- Double Ball Bearing fan for exceptional reliability and quiet operation
- Heavy-duty protections, including OVP (Over Voltage Protection), UVP (Under Voltage Protection), OCP (Over Current Protection), OPP (Over Power Protection), and SCP (Short Circuit Protection)
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MSI Unleashes the Radeon R9 Fury X Graphics Card
As the world's No.1 in GAMING video cards, MSI is pleased to announce the availability of the revolutionary AMD Radeon R9 Fury X. With the MSI R9 Fury X 4G, MSI adds a new high-end video card to its recently introduced and already heavily awarded AMD R9 and R7 300 series range. The MSI R9 Fury X 4G is equipped with 4GB of the groundbreaking High Bandwidth Memory, which is engineered directly onto AMD's Fiji XT GPU for unprecedented performance. The AMD Fury X is built for the future of ultra-high resolution gaming and Virtual Reality, which is available for enthusiasts to explore.
Next to all the impressive technical feats, the MSI R9 Fury X 4G also brings the bling with multiple LED lights located on the side of the card. Some just for cool light effects, others to indicate the GPU intensity level.
Performance Control by MSI Afterburner
When used with MSI's exclusive Afterburner overclocking utility, gamers can control the MSI R9 Fury X 4G core clock speeds for better performance in the latest games. The Fury X is also equipped with advanced fanspeed control based on GPU temperature, giving optimal acoustic performance. MSI Afterburner supports the video capturing function Predator and can even be used on smartphones to monitor and control the video card in desktop computers.
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