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Archived News:
Electronic Arts has issued a statement about what's
going on at EA Emeryville, confirming its closure, though they seem to be
keeping the Maxis name alive. Here's EA's word on the situation
from Kotaku: Today we are consolidating Maxis IP development to our
studios in Redwood Shores, Salt Lake City, Helsinki and Melbourne locations as
we close our Emeryville location. Maxis continues to support and develop new
experiences for current Sims and SimCity players, while expanding our franchises
to new platforms and developing new cross-platform IP.
These changes do not impact our plans for The Sims. Players will continue to see
rich new experiences in The Sims 4, with our first expansion pack coming soon
along with a full slate of additional updates and content in the pipeline.
All employees impacted by the changes today will be given opportunities to
explore other positions within the Maxis studios and throughout EA. For those
that are leaving the company, we are working to ensure the best possible
transition with separation packages and career assistance.
The NVIDIA blog
unveils the TITAN X GPU, which was used today at the Game Developers Conference
to power a
virtual reality demo. They say this is their new top-end GPU, and while some
technical specs come with the announcement, a full unveil is coming in two weeks
at the
NVIDIA GPU Technology Conference. Here's word on how Tim Sweeney and NVIDIA
CEO Jen-Hsun Huang sprang this on attendees: Tim said that the new VR
experience is so powerful that it requires a new graphics solution with
unprecedented capabilities that aren’t currently available. “Does anyone have
any ideas how we can do this?” he asked the crowd.
A moment of silence. Some rustling. Jen-Hsun quickly emerged from the back of
the room, saying he had one. Unwrapping a concealed box artfully labeled TITAN
X, he unveiled the company’s new top-end GPU.
He was cagey about details, saying they’d be revealed in full in two weeks at
NVIDIA’s GPU Technology Conference. But he said TITAN X, built on the company’s
Maxwell architecture, has eight billion transistors, a 12GB framebuffer and took
thousands of engineer-years to build.
“It’s the most advanced GPU the world has ever seen,” Jen-Hsun said, as he
presented Tim with the company’s very first production unit.
The
Gigantic website has the latest news on Gigantic, a multiplayer game
featuring five-versus-five matches, which makes it sound like a MOBA, but since
no one actually admits to developing for that genre, we can't say for sure. Word
is this is going to be a Windows 10 launch title, implying it won't come to
older versions of Windows, and it will come to Xbox One as well, and will
support opt-in cross-platform play.
This trailer
celebrates the news, and here's their endorsement of Windows 10 and Microsoft's
re-re-recommitment to gaming: Right about now, you’re probably asking
yourself the same kind of questions we had when we first started talking with
Microsoft about Windows 10. We’ve been neck-deep in Windows 10 for a while now,
and we’re impressed at the gamer-centric features it has: social sharing,
streaming from Xbox One to Windows 10 platforms, and more. And when they told us
gamers could upgrade to Windows 10 for free, we were sold.
Maybe more important than any of that, we’ve seen a renewed sense of purpose at
Microsoft to make the Windows 10 launch a moment to really push PC gaming. One
of PC gaming’s biggest powerhouses is upping the ante in a big
way.
Continue here to read the full story.
Paradox Interactive announces a May 26th release date for Magicka 2 for
Windows and PS4, celebrating the news with a
release date reveal
trailer they admit is "aflame with groans" (winter is punning). Preorders of
the Windows edition have commenced, and here's word on how they are
incentivizing buying a pig in a poke: Apart from the opportunity to get
your wizard robes to the cleaners and back in time to play the game on launch
day, pre-orders of Magicka 2 also include an exclusive hands-on sneak peek of
the game. Early supporters will gain access for themselves and three friends to
the sneak peek, taking place on both PC and PS4 on May 5th (May 6th for European
PSN).
All pre-orders will also allow players to sample the Game of Robes by gifting
them a unique in-game robe, available in both Magicka 2 and Magicka: Wizard
Wars; Paradox knows that a robe is the best way to stay warm when winter is
coming.
Continue here to read the full story.
NVIDIA announces that the source code for PhysX is now available to
developers for free, saying this will "will accelerate the adoption of PhysX,"
the physics middleware (thanks
HARDOCP). Here's word: Used in more than 500 games on multiple
platforms, NVIDIA PhysX is one of the most popular physics engines for game
development.
The PhysX software development kit (SDK) is already free on Windows platforms.
We’re now extending this to include PhysX Clothing and PhysX Destruction,
enabling game developers to easily create a more interactive gaming environment.
And starting this month, the PhysX SDK is available free with full source code
for Windows, Linux, OSx and Android on
https://github.com/NVIDIAGameWorks/PhysX.
The PhysX SDK is a proven solution for gameplay physics and simulation-driven
effects. It is integrated into major game engines such as Unreal Engine 3 and 4,
Unity, AnvilNext Engine, Bitsquid Engine, Dunia 2 Engine and REDengine.
NVIDIA PhysX Clothing and Destruction are integrated into the Unreal Engine 4.
PhysX Clothing and Destruction effects can be seen in games such as: Batman:
Arkham Asylum, Batman: Arkham City, Bioshock Infinite, Borderlands 2, Lords of
the Fallen, Monster Hunter Online, Daylight, as well as upcoming titles such as
The Witcher 3.
A major component of the NVIDIA GameWorks library, the latest PhysX version
(3.3.3) is our best ever, with improved stability and performance. Features
include constrained rigid body dynamics, collision detection, scene queries,
character controller, particles, vehicles and much more.
A tweet
from Guillaume Pierre has word that EA is apparently closing the doors on
EA Emeryville, the
developer of SimCity, Spore, and The Sims that was known as
Maxis before being acquired by EA in 1997. There is no official confirmation of
this (in fact, EA is still
advertising jobs at
the studio), but his tweet indicates his
@MaxisGuillaume handle will no
longer be so accurate going forward, as he says: "Well it was a fun 12 years,
but it's time to turn off the lights and put the key under the door.
#RIPMaxisEmeryville." Thanks
Kotaku via nin.
Bethesda Softworks announces Wolfenstein: The Old Blood, a prequel to
Wolfenstein: The New Order, MachineGames' alternate-history first-person shooter, saying
this is coming to Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on May 5th. There's an
official gameplay trailer
on the Wolfenstein website, and here's
the announcement: Bethesda, a ZeniMax Media company, today announced Wolfenstein®: The Old
Blood™, the standalone prequel to the critically-acclaimed first-person
action-adventure shooter, Wolfenstein®: The New Order™. In development at
MachineGames, Wolfenstein: The Old Blood will be available digitally and in
retail for £14.99 / €19.99 / AUD$39.95 from May 5, 2015 for the PlayStation®4
system and PC, and digital only for the Xbox One®, the all-in-one games and
entertainment system from Microsoft.
The year is 1946 and the Nazis are on the brink of winning World War II. In
an effort to turn the tide in the Allies’ favour, B.J. Blazkowicz must embark on
an epic, two-part mission deep within Bavaria. Part one of Wolfenstein: The Old
Blood - Rudi Jäger and the Den of Wolves - pits BJ Blazkowicz against a maniacal
prison warden as he breaks into Castle Wolfenstein in an attempt to steal the
coordinates to General Deathshead’s compound. In part two – The Dark Secrets of
Helga Von Schabbs – our hero's search for the coordinates leads him to the city
of Wulfburg where an obsessed Nazi archaeologist is exhuming mysterious
artefacts that threaten to unleash a dark and ancient power.
“Diving back into the world of Wolfenstein has really been fun for us,” said
Jerk Gustafsson, executive producer at MachineGames. “We’ve enjoyed exploring
the events leading up to The New Order. We think fans will really enjoy the
story, all the action and, of course, jumping back into the combat with new
weapons.”
Wolfenstein: The New Order, released in May 2014, enjoyed worldwide critical
and commercial success with over 75 Game of the Year awards, and was hailed by
The New York Times as “one of the very best releases of the year.”
For more information on Wolfenstein: The Old Blood visit:
www.wolfenstein.com .
Continue here to read the full story.
Konami announces a September 15th release date for METAL GEAR SOLID V: THE
PHANTOM PAIN, on Steam the upcoming conclusion to the METAL GEAR SOLID V
saga, which is a couple of weeks after the worldwide September 1st release date
for the stealthy action/adventure on consoles. PC gamers will be rewarded for
their patience, as the Windows edition will automatically include DLC content
that is a "day one" incentive for the console editions. Here's a
bit: METAL GEAR SOLID V: THE PHANTOM PAIN is the series’ largest and most
ambitious edition to date, expanding upon themes and content seen in the METAL
GEAR SOLID V Experience prologue: METAL GEAR SOLID V: GROUND ZEROES. Set within
huge open-world environments, METAL GEAR SOLID V: THE PHANTOM PAIN is brought to
vivid life with realistic weather patterns and day/night cycles. Thus, players
can adapt their tactics to match the changing environment, creating an intuitive
and non-linear gameplay experience. Similarly, a host of acclaimed METAL GEAR
SOLID troops return in hugely advanced forms, including expanded CQC
(Close-Quarter Combat) skills, vastly improved enemy AI, online elements that
complement the single player campaign, and an all-new version of METAL GEAR
ONLINE, a competitive multiplayer mode, included within the main game.
NVIDIA announces SHIELD, another entry
into the growing field of devices to stream videogames and movies throughout a
home, saying this Android-powered set top box is "Built for next-generation
gaming and entertainment. Powered by a gaming supercomputer in the cloud. SHIELD
is Made to Game." This also marks another entry into the growing field of
devices called NVIDIA SHIELD, as they have previously released a handheld and a
tablet with the exact same name. Word is this will launch in May for USD$199.00.
They tout the SHIELD's ability to stream PC games from the cloud, saying "NVIDIA
GRID is a game streaming service that delivers PC quality gaming to the living
room," adding that this will also introduce "a whole new era" in Android gaming,
as it "enables a new class of Android™ games– with immersive gameplay, intense
multiplayer action and stunning graphics."
Gizmodo has details from the project's unveiling, saying NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun
Huang claims this is 35 times more powerful than the Apple TV and that NVIDIA
claims "whisper quiet" operation and enough power to leapfrog last
(generation's) home game consoles. They have impressions of Android ports of a
couple of real (our term) games as well as the latest on
GRID Game Streaming,
which will also officially launch as a commercial service in May boasting
a bunch of AAA games. Here's
word on two tiers of subscription this will offer: Grid will come in two
tiers—a premium subscription level that streams games in 1080p at 60 frames per
second, and a cheaper model limited to 30fps and 720p, and both will have access
to a ton of always-available games to stream. Want more games? You can buy them
piecemeal, with new AAA games available on launch day and playable within
seconds of buying it.
Huang showed us live on stage, scrolling through the Grid store and picking up a
copy of Resident Evil Revelations 2, launching it from the stage. Yup. You can
totally buy and stream games, assuming your internet connection is up to snuff.
When the service launches in may, NVIDIA plans to have 50 games available, and
will add another 50 within the first six months.
The Grid is more than just simulated console games, though. Huang insists that
it's technically the most powerful gaming platform available today. Technically,
he's right—the service is backed by supercomputers, and just has a lot of raw
power at its disposal. You probably won't ever use it (and you don't have direct
access to it) but as far as specs go, that virtualized super computer blows the
Xbox One out of the water.
Techland announces that March 10th is the release date for The Ultimate
Survivor Bundle DLC, the second phase of season pass content for Dying
Light, their zombie game. They add that this is also when to expect
the promised update to
add a new harder difficulty mode to the game. A
new
trailer shows off the DLC, and here's word on the free update, which
includes additional new content: Also on March 10th, a new free update
for Dying Light will be released. Along with various improvements to the game’s
performance, gameplay balance, online functions, and visual fidelity, patch 1.4
will introduce a specially designed Hard Mode, allowing players to add extra
challenge and realism to their game. Furthermore, the update adds an additional
tier to weapon rarity level, extra rewards for completing the game, more
character outfits, and dozens of new weapons. All content of patch 1.4 will be
available for free on all supported platforms.
Continue here to read the full story.
Capcom announces episode 2 of Resident Evil Revelations 2 is now available,
offering screenshots and a
"Previously on Episode 1" trailer, while warning that the article
and video are potentially spoiling
episode 1 for those who have not played it yet. The second episode is
titled Contemplation,
and it is available separately or as part of a season pass, though the first
episode is required to play this one. Here's word on what it offers including a
couple of orphaned footnotes: Episode Two: Contemplation
Having escaped the detention facility, Claire and Moira join up with other Terra
Save members, only to learn they are infected with a deadly virus. Can the group
overcome desperation and fear to escape the island alive?
Meanwhile, half a year later, Barry must rely on Natalia's memory to track down
his missing daughter, and hope beyond hope that he is not too late.
*Additional Raid Mode characters and stages included.
*Episode One required to play.
Continue here to read the full story.
This video from
NVIDIA's GDC presentation offers a new look at gameplay from The Witcher 3: Wild
Hunt, CD Projekt RED's RPG sequel that's due in May (thanks
DSoGaming). The clip, which (witch?)
demonstrates GRID streaming and includes gameplay footage showing combat along with
commentary (and Polish jokes) from the team. They tout a graphical fidelity
not evidenced by the quality of this clip, which is very steady, but was shot
off a monitor. Continue here to read the full story.
Though achieving permanent invulnerability in Diablo III has
theoretically been possible for a while through hoarding cooldown reduction
items, this has been a difficult process which has resulted in suboptimal
builds. As new items make this more possible all the time, a
Blizzard
community manager reveals that by changing with way cooldowns work, they
will make it impossible to chain immunity skills endlessly, as cooldown timers
will now begin after the effect ends, rather than when the skill is triggered.
On a related subject,
another post
says they recognize the circus of icons constantly appearing and disappearing
from player's screens is confusing at best, and they are looking at clearing
this up. Word is: "That said, we’re currently reviewing how we display buffs and
cooldowns, and looking for ways to ensure this information remains easy to
access and interpret quickly, so you can stay focused on the game." Here's word
on how they are changing cooldown reduction: Starting in the next PTR
patch, we’ll be applying this philosophy to the following immunity skills.
- Spirit Walk
- Serenity
- Smoke Screen
- Laws of Hope – Stop Time
With this, the cooldowns on these skills will begin after their buff ends. To
minimize negatively impacting the normal use case for these skills, we’re
lowering the cooldown time to compensate – for example, Serenity is going from a
20 second cooldown that starts on activation, to a 16 second cooldown that
starts when Serenity ends.
Previously, we may have decided against adding an item power to the game that
might lead to permanent invulnerability. However, with these new changes, we’ll
have much more freedom in designing new and powerful items, since there will be
a stop gap to ensure that permanent invincibility is no longer a
concern.
Matrix Games announces Star Hammer: The Vanguard Prophecy, an upcoming
tactical space combat game for Windows PCs, adding that closed beta testing is
already to get underway for the project. Those interested in being a guinea pig
for this can sign up through the
Slitherine Beta Portal, and here's word on the game to inspire you to
enlist: 22nd Century – Exiled on Novus - a distant exoplanet - as Earth
was not able to shelter humanity anymore, a few courageous settlers struggle to
survive in one of the most dangerous places in the universe. Their First Contact
War with the nautilid species is still fresh in everyone’s mind. Communicating
with such aggressive aliens has never been an option. And the new furtive
offensive they are preparing is another step towards bloody war!
Today we are excited to announce the development of a new 3D tactical space
battles game called Star Hammer : The Vanguard Prophecy. Developer Black Lab
Games is focused on designing a fascinating sci-fi game in which players will
not only step into the shoes of a fleet commander – carefully selecting their
spaceships and crew members – but also be at the spearhead of their squadron,
maneuvering their capital ships like a hard-boiled captain!
The nautilid threat is as varied as it is innumerable and the game offers plenty
of tactical situations in which players will have to take painful decisions. To
succeed, players will need to be quick-learners to identify the weaknesses of
the enemy and adopt an offensive behavior only when a clear breach appears. We
have lost count of all the daredevil commanders who have already sacrificed all
in the service of Humanity
This approachable tactical game is now ready to enter the beta phase on PC! And
we invite players to help us test it! By signing up for the beta, players will
have a chance to be selected to be one of the lucky few who will be able
experience Star Hammer: The Vanguard Prophecy before release and help us with
the final touches, ensuring a smooth release in a few months.
- Antec Nineteen Hundred on
techPowerUp.
- ASUS ROG Poseidon GTX 980 Platinum Video Card on
HARDOCP.
- ASUS Strix Tactic Pro Gaming Keyboard on
Benchmark Reviews.
- CryoRig C1 CPU Cooler on
GameWatcher and
pcGameware.
- Enermax iVektor Mid-Tower Chassis on
eTeknix.
- Intel Core i7-5960X vs i7-5930K Gaming-Performance on
ocaholic.
- Netgear D6300 AC1600 Dual Band Gigabit Modem Router on
Nikk Tech.
- Noctua NH-U9S Compact Lower Noise Heatsink on
FrostyTech.com.
- Sapphire Tri-x Radeon R9 290x 8GB Graphics Card on
eTeknix.
- Western Digital 3.5″ Red 6TB NAS HDD on
eTeknix.
- Western Digital My Cloud DL4100 Business NAS on
AnandTech.
Almost like it knew the time is upon us to change the clocks again, one of the
BlueTower's smoke detectors started beeping last night (Murphy's Law dictates
they always go at night). This is something both the detectors have been doing
lately, way too soon for it to be time to change the batteries. This was the
last straw in my decision they both need to be replaced, and examining and doing
a little reading about them, I realize this is completely on me, as these guys
are close to 15 years old. From what I can tell, they should be replaced
after 8-10 years, so I've been skating along with sketch safety equipment for a
while now, which is scary.
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