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Nvidia: We're Still Committed to Gaming Hardware

Paul Lilly — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:30:54 -0600

Now is not the time to abandon the PC as a gaming platform, not with all the money at stake. According to Jon Peddie Research, gamers will spend over $32 billion next year upgrading their PCs, and that's the kind of number that draws the attention of hardware vendors. Enter Nvidia, who suddenly felt the urge to reiterate its commitment to the gaming industry.

"Gaming remains our bread and butter focus area. However, there are other opportunities for us to explore as the company grows, such as the HPC sector," explained Bryan Del Rizzo, a spokesman for Nvidia.

Del Rizzo was responding to rumors that Nvidia was no longer interested in gaming for the HPC (high performance computing) market, calling the notion "completely unfounded" and "ludicrous," TGDaily reports.

"Look, I understand that some people might be feeling anxious because we haven't published detailed information about Fermi-based GeForce cards," said Del Rizzo. "But, I can assure you that data is forthcoming. The wait will be worth it, especially when people understand what products based on Fermi are capable of."

So there you have it: PC gaming is alive and well, and so is Nvidia's interest in catering to computer gamers.

Image Credit: computerbazar.files.wordpress.com

This is what Left 4 Dead Looks Like at 3600x1920

Paul Lilly — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 07:30:21 -0600

Ever wondered what it would be like to game at 3600x1920? Of course you have! And lucky for your, [H]ardOCP has posted a screenshot of Left 4 Dead 2 running at just such a resolution courtesy of its Eyefinity setup running on a Radeon HD 5870. Check out the full sized pic here.

In case you haven't been following, AMD surprised everyone in September when it showed off a single videocard powering six 30-inch Dell dsiplays configured as a single, 7680x3200 resolution monitor. Will Smith took the whole thing in and has a writeup on it here.

Best of all, AMD is launching CrossFire Eyefinity support with its awesome HD 5970 videocard. Some 22 games are supported, with more on the way.

Image Credit: [H]ardOCP

Batman: Arkham Asylum

Dan Stapleton — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:15:43 -0600

The Bat is back

We’ve been saying it for years: The moment they stop messing around with rushed, under-funded movie tie-ins and make a real Batman game, we’ll have a huge hit on our hands. With Arkham Asylum, Rocksteady has proved us right—this game finally does justice to the Dark Knight by recreating the monstrous foes, the dark, gritty atmosphere, and Batman’s legendary fighting skills to near perfection.

Arch nemesis Joker, in particular, is a masterpiece. Voiced by Mark Hamill (reprising the role from Batman: The Animated Series) and modeled and animated with some astonishing detail and lighting, he’s genuinely convincing as the deranged, murderous clown who turns the tables on Batman by seizing control of Arkham, Gotham’s supervillain lock-up.

Fights against these 'roid-raging thugs are exciting, but the game goes back to this well a few times too often.

Arkham itself is a joy to explore. It’s a semi-open world that grows as new areas are unlocked by the story and by Batman’s expanding array of gadgetry; each section is loaded with unique details and secrets planted by the Riddler, and subtle (and some not-so-subtle) changes every time you pass through prevent it from ever getting dull. With PhysX turned on, cosmetic improvements like loose papers picked up by the wind, swaying cobwebs, and crumbling stone walls enhance the atmosphere noticeably.

The single best part of the game—the one that will have you playing over and over in challenge mode—is its amazing fighting system. Anyone can jump in right away and feel like a great fighter taking on a group of five or six of Joker’s thugs, with some basic button-mashing resulting in surprisingly smooth and flowing combat animations. With practice, you’ll get the hang of the finer points of combos and timing, turning you into an unstoppable fighting machine capable of beating the crap out of a dozen or more opponents without them laying a hand on you. Rarely does a game make you feel like this much of a badass.

Sonar's for wimps. Detective vision can see henchmen's tiny brains.

Being a bullet-permeable hero, Batman takes an entirely different approach to armed thugs. Using stealth (and convenient stone gargoyle perches) the goal is to isolate and pick the baddies off one at a time. It can be frustrating for players who prefer a direct approach, but Batman has a secret weapon to speed up the process considerably: Detective Mode. Switching this on allows you to see all nearby enemies through walls, so as long as you look before you leap you’ll never be caught with your pants down when you make your move. It’s so effective, in fact, that we felt guilty using it and left it switched off most of the time. It makes a gorgeous game look ugly, anyway.

If not for some repetitious mini-boss fights, the barely interactive “detective work,” and the checkpoint save system, we’d have virtually nothing negative to say about Arkham Asylum. Even the mouse and keyboard controls, often a weak point of cross-platform third-person action games, are elegantly done and arguably better than the gamepad. This is Batman at his best, and you don’t get much better than that.

Class Action Suit in the Works Against Number-Harvesting iPhone Apps

Paul Lilly — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:45:10 -0600

It's all fun and games, until that game you downloaded from the iTunes App Store turns out to be harvesting your cell phone number. That's what gaming developer Storm8 has been accused of doing.

"The wireless telephone numbers of users' phones are not used or necessary to play any of Storm8's games, yet Storm8 has written the software for all its games in such a way that it automatically accesses, collects, and transmits the wireless telephone number of each iPhone user who downloads any Storm8 game," states a lawsuit filed on behalf of Lynwood, Washington resident Michael Turner.

Storm8 first came under fire in late August when news reports pointed out that Storm8's apps appeared to be phoning home. Addressing the reports, the company said the system had a "bug" and that it has since been fixed. But Storm8's explanation isn't enough for Turner's lawyer, who says his goal is to ensure the company is no longer allowed to collect private data in the future.

"A public admission is not the same as a legal representation or legal injunction," Turner's lawyer said.

Freeware Files: ASCII Zombie Games, Nethack Doom, and Huge Space Adventures!

David Murphy — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:00:00 -0600

There's one thing I think of when Daylight Savings Time hits: zombies. Seriously. All that extra time in the dark just fuels the undead flames for an eventual takeover by our semi-bulletproof, plant-hating masters. It only makes sense, then, that I use this weekly freeware roundup column to provide you with some kind of effective training for fending off the gruesome hordes. And beyond that, you'll also find a few more fun freeware games to busy yourself with as the angry, moaning masses slowly overwhelm your pitiful human defenses.

Now that we've established the plot, let's check out the titles!

DoomRL

It's no secret that Nethack is one of the greatest roguelike games of all time. Roguelike, for those not in the know, is a word that's used to describe this particular gaming genre of ASCII-based dungeon crawls. The "rogue" part of the description is actually a game--a 1980s graphical adventure title that's widely regarded as being one of the first of its kind. In this interesting little mashup, we have a combination of Nethack-style gameplay with plot elements from the popular Doom game, which is itself widely regarded as being one of the biggest catalysts for the first-person genre style of gameplay.

Like Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant, these two titans are meeting in an epic battle of text-based dungeon stomping. And yes, this game even comes with achievements of-sorts.

Download it here!

Darkwind

Fans of the MMO genre will surely remember that one failed attempt at a vehicle-based shooter that pretty much went from launch to death in short order. I believe the name of the game was Auto Assault, a far more alliterative title than "Darkwind." Still, this turn-based title is what you'll have to work with if you want to relive the glory days of driving around and killing stuff. And if that's not your bag, be sure to check out the game's economic functions as well. Hey, someone has to drive the truck.

Download it here!

Bombie Zombie

I know, I know--this is the game you were waiting for this whole time. Well don't let me take any more lengthy paragraphs to explain the subtle nuances of this zombie-killing game. In Bombie Zombie, there are a ton of zombies running around. Your job is to kill them, only... you have but one weapon to use: land mines. If only classic Atari games were this cool.

Download it here!

Strange Adventures in Infinite Space

This space exploration game is a bit of a misnomer, because it's not quite as infinite as the title might have you believe. Actually--for better or worse--the game is designed to take only 15 minutes or so to make it through each playthrough. Like a Diablo dungeon, every new adventure you take starts with randomized variables, making no two space explorations entirely alike. More than 21 ship types and 70+ weapons, gadgets, and other ship add-ons await you!

Download it here!

Magnello

Lead a ball into a hole. It's the classic theme behind any number of puzzles you can find in the real world today. But here's a twist I bet you don't come across as often. In Magnello, the ball is magnetic and the hole is electric. And did I mention that the levels are far more challenging than you might except from such a simple concept? Yeah. Grab your nearest stress-busting device and give Magnello a whirl.

Download it here!

David Murphy (@ Acererak) is a technology journalist and former Maximum PC editor. He writes weekly columns about the wide world of open-source as well as weekly roundups of awesome, freebie software. Befriend him on Twitter, especially if you have an awesome app or game you're dying to recommend!

Game Theory: Path to Pretention

Thomas McDonald — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:00:00 -0500

One thing I learned while attending art school was that anyone who thinks he or she is an Artist-with-a-capital-A, isn’t. Anyone who tries to produce Art—complete with layers of meaning and a message and prepackaged interpretations that they are just dying for some sensitive soul to uncover, is inevitably going to produce self-conscious garbage. It will probably be boring, almost certainly ugly, and without question, philosophically tendentious.

In any art, pure technique (honed by hard work and diligent practice) and pure instinct (some mystical combination of observation, perception, and interpretation, most of it subconscious) mingle to create something that speaks as “art.” You can’t fake it.

Thus, when I boot a pretentious art-house game like The Path, I know I’m in for instant seating at the crap buffet, complete with a tepid chaser of trite, high-school-level philosophy about MEANINGFUL THINGS. The Path is… words fail me.

It’s a Little Red Riding Hood game, where you play as six girls, who I guess represent Feminine Archetypes in Our Modern World. (Or something.) I stopped caring when I realized that the designers hate me, which they made clear by firmly instructing me to stay on the path and go to grandma’s house, which is how you lose the game.

You see, you’re not supposed to follow rules! Stupid rules! They’re all arbitrary! Make up your own rules! Grandma is a tool of the establishment! Let her save herself! You have a Voyage of Self-Discovery to embark upon! (Or something.) Wander in the dark and scary forest, complete with fuzzy visuals, sluggish controls, ghastly bits of free verse, and a creepy pedophilic vibe! Get eaten by wolves!

But maybe the wolves are a metaphor for….

And then I realized I don’t like games with metaphors. And I could use about 50 percent fewer similes while we’re at it.

But co-designer Michael Samyn doesn’t think much of your new-fangled games: “Videogames today are simplistic, deal with stale subjects, treat the players like morons, and offer no emotional or intellectual depth, in favor of attempting to please your ego on some caveman level.”

Or something.

Thomas L. McDonald has been covering games for 17 years. He is Editor-at-Large of Games Magazine.

ARMA 2

Evan Lahti — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 12:00:40 -0500

Pilot any plane, shoot any rifle, get blown up by real tanks

To the shooter enthusiast who laments auto-aim, refuses regenerating health, tires of over-protective cover systems, balks at recoilless rocket launchers, and rolls his eyes at infinite respawns, Arma 2 is a love letter perfumed in cordite.

You’re a member of Razor Team, a Marine squad deployed by the United States to assist the Chernorussian government against a well-armed insurgency. Your fire team hits the ground with weapons and equipment modeled after real-life counterparts, tackling objectives with patient tactics as the conflict evolves into a full civil war.

But narrative (even if it’s more of an asset to Arma 2 than its predecessor) isn’t the draw. For gamers who grew up with titles like Comanche, the original Rainbow Six games, and Operation Flashpoint (which was also created by developer Bohemia Interactive), Arma 2 is a platform of comprehensive war realism that appeases those who value complexity, don’t mind obscure keyboard shortcuts (hit Enter on your Num Pad to change between first/third person), appreciate accurate audio modeling (if a tank explodes a mile away, you’ll hear it five seconds after it actually blows up), and know that an M-16 can’t kill someone from three miles away (hello, Call of Duty).

Pull up! For newcomers to simulation games, piloting this UH-1Y and other aircraft takes practice.

The “ultimate military simulator” tagline isn’t far off, but it does come with some well-attached strings. Namely, buggy code that can’t always keep up with Arma 2’s ambitious attempt at realism. For every moment of accurate weapon physics and war atmosphere, there’s a corresponding miscue of brainless AI or broken mission scripting. You can fly teammates over a war zone in a C-130 transport plane to execute a tactical air drop, but sit puzzled when parachuting 10 feet from the ground lets you land unharmed.

Realistic ballistics modeling will have you compensating for bullet-drop and recoil during firefights—but if you’re shot, your AI teammates usually leave you writhing on the ground because they forget to heal you. Fighting against unscripted AI in an unrestricted, 225-square-kilometer slice of fictional Russia means you apply the tactics you want to, but strategy won’t count when an enemy rifleman ignores the bulky shrubs you’re lying prone in and snipes you from a half-mile away. Call out targets with a fully voiced (in Russian, no less) command system, but cringe when your war buddies shout like a Speak & Spell running on dying batteries.

Disciplined tactics and squad maneuvers are key to getting ahead in ARMA 2. Ramboing into a war zone won't get you very far.

Whether or not these incongruent bits of design break the game or just distract you from the fun at hand depends on your patience. And as most of them are AI-related, it’s fortunate that the prime moments still exist in co-op mode. Loading into aircraft with a few buddies, laser-marking an APC while a teammate drops a bomb toward the target, calling out military jargon over voice chat—Arma 2 thrives on these emergent war scenes; it’s at its best when your actions, and not the game itself, are scripting the battle.

That openness-of-experience extends to a deep mission editor that will delight modders. And graphically, Arma 2 has system-busting credibility. Explosions feel organic and the motion blur and first-person head-bob when you sprint is incredibly immersive, but for all but owners of the beefiest systems, the unscripted AI means the frame rate dips as more objects and action enter play.

If looking down the barrel of dozens of nuanced firearms, unpredictable warfare, and plugging in a flight stick float your gamer boat, Arma 2 is a refreshing shift from mainstream gun games that suits the PC’s complexity, even with a few bugs.

Ballmer Hints at Blu-ray Add-On for Xbox 360 Console

Paul Lilly — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 09:26:12 -0500

We've stopped counting the number of rumors suggesting Blu-ray hardware would somehow integrate with the Xbox 360 gaming console, whether as a built-in drive in a revised edition, or as an add-on accessory. The details would vary, but all the rumors shared one thing in common: They were all bogus. So why are we paying it any attention now? Because this time, the rumor's coming straight from Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.

During a video interview with Gizmodo, Ballmer spent a couple minutes talking candidly about the Xbox 360 and project Natal, but he appeared to be caught off guard when asked if Microsoft would adopt Blu-ray in a bid to take over the home theater.

"Well I don't know if we need to put Blu-ray in there," Ballmer began as he wiped his eye. "You'll be able to get Blu-ray drives, and Blu-ray drives as accessories."

Does this mean a Blu-ray add-on is in the works, or did Ballmer simply not word his answer carefully enough? We don't know, but when Gizmodo pinged Xbox spokespeople about Ballmer's answer, more fuel to the speculative fire was added.

"Our immediate solution for Blu-ray quality video on the Xbox 360 is coming this fall with Zune Video and 1080p instant-on HD streaming. As far as our future plans are concerned, we're not ready to comment."

In the past, Microsoft made it a point to quickly squash Blu-ray rumors, but that isn't the case this time around. Draw your own conclusion on what that could mean.

Image Credit: ripten.com