StarCraft 2 Heart of the Swarm: when you can start playing

March 12th, 2013, 00:29 Posted By: wraggster

StarCraft 2: Heart of the Swarm officially goes on sale tomorrow, but players in some regions will get to start playing the expansion later tonight.

Ahead of the

StarCraft 2: Heart of the Swarm release date

of March 12, the studio has released an approximate guide to launch times for each region and in many time zones:Southeast Asia

• Indochina Time (Bangkok): 8:01 p.m. March 11
• Philippine Time (Manila): 9:01 p.m. March 11
• Singapore Time: 9:01 p.m. March 11
• Australian Western Time (Perth): 9:01 p.m. March 11
• Australian Eastern Time (Sydney): 12:01 a.m. March 12
• New Zealand Standard Time: 2:01 a.m. March 12

Korea and Taiwan

• China Standard Time (Taiwan): 1:01 a.m. March 12
• Korea Standard Time (Seoul): 2:01 a.m. March 12

EU

• Moscow Standard Time: 3:01 a.m. March 12
• Eastern European Time (Athens): 2:01 a.m. March 12
• South African Standard Time: 1:01 a.m. March 12
• Central European Time (Paris): 12:01 a.m. March 12
• Greenwich Mean Time (London): 11:01 p.m. March 11

Americas

• Brazil Standard Time (Sao Paulo): 4:01 a.m. March 12
• Eastern Daylight Saving Time: 3:01 a.m. March 12
• Central Daylight Saving Time: 2:01 a.m. March 12
• Mountain Daylight Saving Time: 1:01 a.m. March 12
• Pacific Daylight Saving Time: 12:01 a.m. March 12
• Hawaii Standard Time: 9:01 p.m. March 11

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...start-playing/

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Flash coming to Internet Explorer 10 on Windows 8 and RT

March 12th, 2013, 00:10 Posted By: wraggster

Heads up, Windows users. Tomorrow, Microsoft will release an update for Internet Explorer 10 that enables Flash content in both Windows 8 and Windows RT. As many of you are likely aware, the "full web" experience has been limited to the desktop browser on Windows 8 up until this point, which was an intentional move by Microsoft in order to improve performance, battery life and the touch experience. With the update, Internet Explorer 10 users for Windows 8 / RT will be able to access Flash content on all but a few sites that Microsoft has selectively blacklisted due to their negative impact on the user experience. Naturally, users of IE10 within the Windows 8 desktop environment will still be able to access all Flash-enabled content, regardless of whether the site is on the blackballed list. Now that you've waited this long, what's another day among friends?


http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/11/f...dows-8-and-rt/

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Steam top ten sellers chart: March 3-9

March 11th, 2013, 23:50 Posted By: wraggster

Valve has revealed the latest weekly top ten selling products on Steam.
Bohemia Interactive titles claim three of the ten slots, with the alpha launch of Arma 3 propelling pre-orders for the game to the top spot. Arma II products also came in fifth and seventh.
Tomb Raider backed up last week’s first place finish with a runner-up claim this time around.
Pre-order purchases for Bioshock Infinite have the game sitting in fourth, ahead of its launch on March 26th.

1. Arma 3 Alpha
2. Tomb Raider
3. Civilization V: Gold Edition
4. Bioshock Infinite
5. Arma II: Complete Collection
6. Max Payne 3
7. Arma II: Combined Operations
8. Tropico 4 Collector’s Bundle
9. Skyrim
10. Age of Empires II HD

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Windows 8 is no better than Vista, says Samsung exec

March 11th, 2013, 22:19 Posted By: wraggster

Samsung has taken a further shot at Microsoft over its Windows 8 operating system, whilst also taking aim at its Surface tablet, which has struggled since launching last year.
Talking to The Korea Times, Jun Dong-soo, president of Samsung's memory-chip division, had some harsh words for Microsoft's flagship operating system, belittling the firm's claims of innovation through the new OS.
"I think the Windows 8 system is no better than the previous Windows Vista platform," said Dong-soo.
It's interesting that the Samsung man chose to date back to Vista, rather than the current predecessor Windows 7 – further sticking in the boot with the claim that Microsoft's latest OS offers little innovation over a product that launched six years ago.
Following his assault on Windows 8, Dong-soo apparently wasn't quite finished, moving on to Microsoft's Surface tablet, which has experienced a less-than-ideal release since launching last year.
Picking on the device, Dong-soo said: "MS's rollout of its Windows Surface tablet is seeing lacklustre demand."
Whilst harsh, the comments aren't entirely unfounded given the issues that have plagued the device since its launch. The Surface RT has seem limited demand since its launch last year, whilst one Microsoft executive from New Zealand even took to Twitter to sell his own device.
Meanwhile, the launch of the Surface Pro generated stronger demand amongst consumers, but Microsoft has struggled to meet demand as the firm's online store has repeatedly sold out of the device as limited stock issues persist. However, such high consumer demand for the Surface Pro will a comforting sign for Microsoft, even if limited stock issues hinder its availability.
Samsung's relationship with Microsoft has become increasingly distant, with reports from this year's CeBit conference suggesting that the firm will axe its Windows RT devices in Europe as a result of poor demand.

http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/read/...ng-exec/030466

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Kaspersky warns of IPv6 bug that can cause PC freeze

March 11th, 2013, 22:18 Posted By: wraggster

Kaspersky Lab has acknowledged that a bug within its latest internet security software has the potential to be exploited, which can result in a freeze of the system's operating system.
The bug, which is contained within Kaspersky Internet Security 2013 and other Kaspersky products that offer firewall functionality, is vulnerable to specifically designed IPv6 packets, believes security researcher Marc Heuse, posting the findings in a security advisory.
"A fragmented packet with multiple but one large extension header leads to a complete freeze of the operating system," said Heuse, "No log message or warning window is generated, nor is the system able to perform any task."
IPv6 is enabled by default within Windows Vista and newer Windows operating systems, in addition to both Mac OS and Linux, but its use across the wider web is currently limited, so the number of systems at risk is relatively low. However, systems continue to be vulnerable over local networks, as IPv6 addresses are assigned by default.
Acknowledging the bug, Kaspersky issued a statement, stating: "After receiving feedback from the researcher, Kaspersky Lab quickly fixed the error," the firm said.
"A private patch is currently available on demand and an auto patch will soon be released to fix the problem automatically on every computer protected by Kaspersky Internet Security 2013."
Despite acknowledging the bug, Heuse claims he originally warned the firm of the bug back in January, and again in February, but received no response.

http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/read/...-freeze/030469

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SimCity issues persist after UK launch; EA to compensate with free games

March 11th, 2013, 22:17 Posted By: wraggster

Despite initial reports of a smooth UK launch, SimCity players continue to face difficulties logging in and playing the game.
Following SimCity's launch last week, players are flocking to the game's forums and social media in order to vent their frustration over the game and their inability to play.
It summarises a trouble-laden launch for the title, which suffered multiple problems early last week as the game launched in the US. Servers struggled to cope with demand from players as a result of SimCity's required always-connected internet connection – a feature initially heralded as a unique form of multiplayer gaming, which allowed the game to track players through global resource sharing.
However, players who pre-ordered the title in the hopes of playing the game upon its midnight launch were left disappointed as they faced hour long queue times to access the game's single player mode.
In an attempt to avoid a repeat of the troubles across the Atlantic here in the UK, EA introduced an additional European game server, with the hopes of alleviating the pressure caused by excessive demand.
Whilst initial reports indicated a smooth UK launch, players were soon subjected to the same fate of US players, with wide scale reports of server crashes and the inability to access the game.
As issues continue to persist throughout the weekend, Maxis head Lucy Bradshaw took on the role of damage control, hosting a live chat with players via Twitter to address their concerns over the game.
The server issues which began at launch have improved significantly as we added more capacity,” she said in an official statement.
“But some people are still experiencing response and stability problems that we’re working fast to address.
“So what went wrong? The short answer is: a lot more people logged on than we expected. More people played and played in ways we never saw in the beta.
“OK, we agree, that was dumb, but we are committed to fixing it. In the last 48 hours we increased server capacity by 120 per cent. It’s working – the number of people who have gotten in and built cities has improved dramatically. The number of disrupted experiences has dropped by roughly 80 per cent.”
"So we’re close to fixed, but not quite there. I’m hoping to post another update this weekend to let everyone know that the launch issues are behind us.
Bradshaw also confirmed that EA would begin to compensate SimCity players with a free game following the issues.
"We’re going to offer you a free PC download game from the EA portfolio. On March 18, SimCity players who have activated their game will receive an email telling them how to redeem their free game."
Meanwhile, a further update from Bradshaw this morning said: "players have been able to connect to their cities in the game for nearly eight million hours of gameplay time" whilst going on further to highlight that game crashes have been reduced by "92 per cent from day one".
Despite all of the issues, Bradshaw maintains that SimCity has received a positive reception, and has ultimately been a success.
"The good news is that SimCity is a solid hit in all major markets. The consensus among critics and players is that this is fundamentally a great game."

http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/read/...e-games/030475

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Pre-orders open for Xi3's 'Piston' PC, $100 off during SXSW

March 10th, 2013, 23:18 Posted By: wraggster

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Minecraft 'Redstone Update' pre-release goes live

March 10th, 2013, 22:34 Posted By: wraggster

Mojang has made live a 'pre-release' version of its Minecraft 'Redstone' update for PC players.

The full version of the patch goes live next week Wednesday, March 13.The Redstone patch adds a list of new tools and creative functions, including new dispensers, a daylight sensor, a weighted pressure plate, improvements to inventory management and of course the block of Redstone.The pre-release can be downloaded via Mojang's site. Here's the full change log:

• Added Redstone Comparator (used in Redstone logic)
  
  
• Added Hopper (collects items and moves them to containers)
  
  
• Added Dropper (similar to Dispensers, but always drops the item)
  
  
• Added Activator Rail (activates TNT Minecarts)
  
  
• Added Daylight Sensor
  
  
• Added Trapped Chest
  
  
• Added Weighed Pressure Plate
  
  
• Added Block of Redstone
  
  
• Added Nether Brick (item)
  
  
• Added Nether Quartz and ore
  
  
• Added Block of Quartz, with half blocks and chiseled variants
  
  
• New command: /scoreboard
  
  
• New command: /effect
  
  
• Containers and mobs can have custom names
  
  
• Inventory management has been changed, for example you can drag-place items over slots
  
  
• Texture packs now have separate images for each block and item, and can have animations
  
  
• Nether Quartz Ore now spawns in the Nether
  
  
• Smooth lighting now has three settings (none, minimal, maximum)
  
  
• More detailed death messages
  
  
• Some hostile mobs now are harder in Hard difficulty
  
  
• Many, many, bug fixes
  
  
• Removed Herobrine

Minecraft had sold over 20 million copies across all platforms, according to Mojang figures in January.The PC version had accounted for around 9 million of that figure, while Minecraft Pocket Edition had sold 7.3 million copies. The Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition had sold almost 4.5 million copies by December 2012.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...ate-next-week/

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Star Wars: The Old Republic 'Rise of the Hutt Cartel'

March 10th, 2013, 22:32 Posted By: wraggster

BioWare has released a new developer diary video for the Star Wars: The Old Republic 'Rise of the Hutt Cartel' DLC expansion.

Set for release in spring 2013,

Rise of the Hutt Cartel will

introduce new story content, a fresh planet called Makeb, and raise the level cap to 55.Rise of the Hutt Cartel will be priced at $19.99, but subscribers will be able to pick it up for $9.99. Those who pre-ordered the expansion before January 7 will receive five days of early access.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...tel-dlc-video/

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Samsung Electronics exec blames Windows 8 for the decline of the PC

March 10th, 2013, 22:25 Posted By: wraggster


Jun Dong-soo isn't mincing his words. The Samsung Electronics head of memory chip business has a strong distaste for Microsoft's nascentWindows 8 OS, a viewpoint he made clear to reporters in Seoul, South Korea today. Addressing market research that indicates global PC shipments are on the decline, Dong-soo told reporters that the market segment has failed to see a boost from Windows 8 as it's "no better than the previous Windows Vista platform." Dong-soo even went on to link the poor attach rate for ultrabooks to Microsoft's "less competitive Windows platform." Unsurprisingly, this had led the Samsung exec to shift his division's focus from the fabrication of "conventional" memory chips to the more profitable and booming mobile chip segment. A move no doubt bolstered by the continued prominence of Samsung's Galaxy portfolio (e.g., Note II, GS III and upcoming GS IV). You have to hand it to Dong-soo, no one can accuse him of dealing in executive doublespeak.

http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/08/s...or-PC-decline/

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OpenPool transforms billiards with a Kinect camera-controlled light show

March 10th, 2013, 22:15 Posted By: wraggster

Want to know how to make a pool table an attention-grabber on a showroom floor full of highly explosive video games? Try a couple of Kinect cameras, some projectors and a sound system. OpenPool's an open-source project that's looking to bring a little multimedia action to the world of billiards. The company had some reps on the floor of SXSW's Game Expo today, showing off the system, which, at the very least, is most probably unlike any pool game you've played.
The system uses two Kinect cameras to detect ball movement, which in turn directs the motion of the projectors -- not entirely unlike those floor shows in malls that seem to endlessly fascinate small children. The speakers play sound effects and music in sync with the movement as well, signaling noises when balls drop into the pockets. The company is really excited at the prospect of open-sourcing here, and told us you should probably be able to set up your own system at home for around $10,000, pool table included. For those who aren't particularly tech-savvy, the Japanese company is working on building full systems for offices and bars. Having Konami as a partner will certainly help it realize that dream. Check out a video of the table in action after the, you know, break.

http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/09/openpool/

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Kinect Fusion-powered concept demos AR brain models for neurosurgeons

March 10th, 2013, 22:14 Posted By: wraggster

Microsoft has talked up its Kinect Fusion tool since 2011, but it took some time at TechFest this week to show off how the software could be useful in operating rooms. For those who need a refresher, Redmond's solution can create 3D models of whatever an attached Kinect sensor lays eyes on, but in this instance it was leveraged to create an augmented reality experience. Using an off-the-shelf Kinect camera duct-taped to a tablet, Microsoft researchers layered a model of a brain onto a mannequin's head, making its would-be mind viewable on the slate from different angles. Ballmer and Co. reckon that neurosurgeons could use the technique to visualize what's in a patient's noggin and plan how they'll guide their scalpel. Word that Fusion would come to the Kinect for Windows SDK first surfaced last year, but Microsoft now says it'll hit the dev kit's next release, which should arrive shortly. Head past the break to catch a video of the medical concept app in action.

http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/09/k...neurosurgeons/

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Steam Box is exciting - but don't expect it to be "Open"

March 10th, 2013, 22:06 Posted By: wraggster

Valve's entry into the console market is a thrilling prospect, but this isn't about a war between Open and Closed ecosystems
[h=3]Valve Corporation[/h]

Steam Box prototypes will be in the wild for customer testing in the next three to four months, according to Gabe Newell. Valve has given up on pretending that it's not interested in the hardware game; its ambitions are now pretty clear, and somewhat wider than we expected. Where once the concept of a Steam Box was thought to be simply a minimum set of specs for PC manufacturers to follow in order to get a "Steam Powered" sticker on their boxes, now Newell talks openly about the nitty gritty of hardware challenges like heat and noise management, or building biometric sensors into the custom controller for the console.
"While Steam is an amazing distribution platform that has massively boosted the reach of PC gaming, in many ways it's just as much a walled garden as any of the consoles"

A great many people are hugely excited about the Steam Box. I'm one of them, I confess - I think it'll be just the thing to ease me back into PC gaming, which is where my roots as a gamer lie, but from which I've become increasingly (if unwillingly) estranged. However, I think there are some tough questions and unhappy realities about the Steam Box - whatever final form it may take - that still need to be addressed, especially by the most outspoken proponents of the system.
The crux of the problem is this - Valve's console is already being lauded as a chariot of openness, a triumph for all those who love things that are Open as opposed to Closed, even if some of them aren't very good at defining what those terms actually mean. The box will presumably run either Windows or some Linux variant, and if you want to, you'll presumably be able to leave the Steam environment and pop back to the desktop of that OS and run whatever games or other software you want. (That's the assumption, anyway; we shall see.) That's certainly Open compared to, say, a PlayStation 4 or an iPad, which won't run anything Sony or Apple respectively don't want you to run.
However, there are other facets to this which look less convincing. For a start, while Steam is an amazing distribution platform that has massively boosted the appeal and reach of PC gaming, in many ways it's just as much a walled garden as any of the consoles. Indeed, when I wrote a column recently calling on Sony to lower the barrier for indie studios and small firms wishing to publish PSN games (something they seem intent on doing with PS4), many people pointed out that Steam can actually be an even tougher place to publish a game than PSN - and with the advent of a PS4 based on PC architecture and seemingly more open than ever to self-publishing, that contrast may become rather stark. It's already a stark contrast with the iOS App Store and Google Play, which both place only the smallest of barriers in front of creators who want to put their games in front of consumers.
As such, the question I'm asking myself is this; to an average consumer, who doesn't really want to dig around in another OS that sits behind the "console" interface, is Valve's proposed console really all that different to what Sony are suggesting? It seems to me that while Valve and Sony have started out on very different ideological and technological ground (and as such, are bringing along vocal supporters who originate in diametrically opposed viewpoints), they've converged significantly towards a midpoint. Sony, a company whose consoles have been totally closed ecosystems that were extremely difficult to publish on, has made huge strides towards welcoming self-publishing and liberalising its pricing and business models. Valve, a company with its roots in the open free-for-all of PC distribution, has gradually erected taller and taller walls around its garden and will, in the final analysis, build something that's rather more like a games console than most PC gaming fans are comfortable admitting.
That's fine, of course. If anything, it's a triumph for common sense. The companies that used to build totally closed systems are recognising the immense benefits of more open platforms and loosening the reins accordingly. Companies who were ideologically wedded to the concept of openness, meanwhile, are recognising that a certain degree of gatekeeping helps to ward off malware, fraud, viruses and a host of other damaging software. Perhaps the best thing about Steam, from a personal perspective, is that I trust implicitly that both it and the software it hosts will not damage my computer, which is a very major step for PC gaming but not one that could be taken without first stepping back a little bit from the concept of "openness".
"Valve isn't smashing consoles; it's building one. Open isn't obliterating Closed. All the major players are cherry-picking the best bits of both models"

What I'm trying to challenge here, I think, is the notion that whatever Valve does with the Steam Box is necessarily going to ride roughshod over next-gen console efforts. I simply don't think that's a given. The Steam Box will have advantages - a huge catalogue of games being the most obvious - but it's simply wrong to assume that it's going to be waving some extraordinary flag of democratisation and leading the charge against a closed console market. It's just going to be another walled garden among several walled gardens - the good news being that the walls this generation are going to be much, much lower than they've ever been before. It goes without saying, though, that Xbox and PlayStation are much stronger brands with the consumer market than Steam or Valve, so there's an uphill struggle to be fought in that regard.
From both a consumer and developer standpoint, though, this all looks rather positive. Assuming that the leaks about Xbox 3 are correct, we're talking about three consoles backed by serious, heavy-hitting companies, each based on PC architecture that's pretty straightforward to develop for, and in the case of Valve and Sony at least, each courting the notion of openness and self-publishing. That level of competition is very, very healthy indeed - so much for the notion that the console market is moribund and set for an early grave. Consoles are changing and adapting to new conditions; not extinction but evolution. It's great to see Valve being a part of that process and helping to knock down the utterly artificial barrier between PC and console gaming, which have always had far more commonalities than differences.
Developers, publishers and others involved in the industry simply need to be careful about how they conceptualise this shift. There is going to be a lot of fanboy nonsense written and spoken in the coming months about Valve turning up to "smash" the consoles, or about how "Open" is going to obliterate "Closed". Valve isn't smashing consoles; it's building one. Open isn't obliterating Closed; all the major players from both sides of that ill-defined fence are cherry-picking the best bits of both models to create an environment that makes sense for a modern, digital world. It's going to be a topsy-turvy few years - I still can't quite get over being told by several indie developers that they find it easier to publish on Sony's consoles than on the PC via Steam, and I expect to have plenty more such preconceptions and notions being overturned in years to come. The only real certainty about the ongoing digital transition is that it still holds a great many surprises and turnabouts.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...-it-to-be-open

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Chrome OS Remains Undefeated At Pwnium 3

March 10th, 2013, 16:07 Posted By: wraggster

Google has announced that its Chrome OS has managed to remain undefeated during the Pwnium 3 event that was held alongside Pwn2Own. Announced by Google on January 28, 2013 the Pwnium 3 event carried a prize money of $3.14 million. Researchers were asked to carry out attacks against a base Samsung Series 5 chromebook running the latest stable version of Chrome OS. It turns out security researchers were not able to come up with winning exploits even after the competition's deadline was extended. Google Chrome Team has revealed that partial exploit entries have been filled in but, no other details have been released."

http://tech.slashdot.org/story/13/03...ed-at-pwnium-3

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EA Offering Free Game to Users After SimCity Launch Problems

March 10th, 2013, 16:05 Posted By: wraggster

The SimCity launch earlier this week was a complete disaster. Single player games that require an Internet connection to enable forced multiplayer features (as well as acting as a form of DRM) is bad enough, but then to not be prepared for the demand such a popular franchise has, well, that's just dumb, and Lucy Bradshaw, EA's general manager for the Maxis Label,has admitted exactly that."They did not provide much details, but supposedly anyone who has SimCity now should get "a free PC download game from the EA portfolio." They are unrepentant about the always-online requirement though.

http://games.slashdot.org/story/13/0...aunch-problems

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Windows 8 touch-screen laptops face discounts as Microsoft cuts license fees

March 10th, 2013, 15:55 Posted By: wraggster

With word on the street that Microsoft is about to implement Windows 8 discounts to PC makers, touch-screen laptops could soon receive price cuts as a result.
Initially reported by Digitime, the site claims sources at Taiwanese retailers have anticipated that discounts between 10 and 20 per cent are on the way.
The move is expected to boost sales of such devices by as much as double, from the current ten per cent, up to 20 per cent.
Microsoft is widely expected to lower the costs of its latest Windows 8 operating system for PC manufacturers in response to lacklustre sales, with many firms calling out for such a price cut in the hopes of reviving interest in products, which simply aren't selling.
The move isn't simply limited to touch-screen laptops either, with may predicting that lower-cost Windows 8 tablets and hybrid devices will follow.
Bob O'Donnell, IDC analyst told CNET: "The problem is the PC market is horribly stalled so they have make some pretty dramatic moves to reignite the market."
http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/read/...se-fees/030452

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Tablets overtake smartphones as preferred internet device

March 10th, 2013, 15:54 Posted By: wraggster

Consumers are increasingly turning to tablet devices to access the web over smartphones, a report by Adobe Digital Index has found.
Analysing over a thousand websites and 100 billion unique visits, the ADI report found that eight per cent of these monthly visits were by tablet devices, overtaking smartphones, which accounted for seven per cent.
Whilst analysts continue to predict the death of the traditional PC, Adobe's data tells a very different story, as the PC continues to maintain a comfortable lead boasting an 84 per cent share.

The report highlights the explosive growth of tablet devices, which have only recently begun to be owned by most consumers as increased competition drives down prices and lower-priced devices are increasingly introduced.
Despite Apple's flagship iPad surging demand for such devices after its introduction just three years ago, the tablet has quickly gained popularity amongst consumers in order to overtake the smartphone – which has been available for over a decade – as the preferred mobile device for accessing the web.

http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/read/...-device/030457

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Microsoft to offer transferable Office 2013 licenses following backlash

March 10th, 2013, 15:51 Posted By: wraggster

Microsoft has said it will make Office 2013 licenses transferable following fallout from users who condemned the firm's initial restrictions.
Users will now be able to switch their software's license to a different machine every 90 days – or even sooner in the event of system failure.
Despite introducing a host of new features, Office 2013 also brought in an amendment to the software's licensing terms, which prohibited users from transferring their product license to another machine – even in the case of loss or theft.
Initially the software was tied to a user's specific system, which meant that once the user has sold, broken or upgraded to a new machine, the license was effectively rendered useless.
Microsoft has moved to settle unsatisfied users by allowing Office 2013 licenses to be transferable between machines, whilst addressing further concerns over damaged machines. However, it remains unclear if a user will be granted the opportunity to transfer their license in the event of loss or theft.
The firm has updated the licensing terms of its newest Office product, which now mirror those of Office 2010, stating: "Can I transfer the software to another computer or user? You may transfer the software to another computer that belongs to you, but not more than one time every 90 days (except due to hardware failure, in which case you may transfer sooner)."
"If you transfer the software to another computer, that other computer becomes the 'licensed computer'."
Microsoft has said the changes are immediate and will now apply to all of its Office products, including Microsoft Office Home and Student 2013, Microsoft Office Home and Business 2013, Microsoft Office Professional 2013 and the standalone Microsoft Office 2013 software.

http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/read/...acklash/030460

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Stripped-down SimCity celebrates smooth UK launch

March 10th, 2013, 15:50 Posted By: wraggster

Despite a controversial US release earlier this week, SimCity has launched successfully in the UK – all be it with a number of features disabled.
Whilst gamers across the pond have suffered multiple issues with EA's newest title, UK players have reported few issues following the title's midnight launch, with the ability to log onto the SimCity servers and access the game.
However, this is likely a result of the publisher's decision to offer an additional European server in order to alleviate high traffic, which has been highlighted as the source of the game's problems, whilst also disabling some of SimCity's "non-critical" system features, including the game's cheetah gameplay speed.
Unfortunately, the same can't be said for US users and additional players from the rest of Europe, as EA remains under fire for the game's troublesome launch, which has left many users who pre-ordered the game unable to play.
Reports of server crashes and the inability to log in to EA's Origin service, which is required in order to play the game, were widely reported following SimCity's midnight launch in the US earlier in the week.
Players have criticised the publishers inclusion of 'always-online' DRM, which requires a constant internet connection to play – even the title's single player mode. As a result of the technology, the game's servers have struggled with high usage and resulted in a number of crashes and long queue times for users, many of whom have been unable to access the game at all.
The issues grew so bad that online retailer Amazon halted orders of SimCity in the US, stating: "Many customers are having issues connecting to the SimCity servers. EA is actively working to resolve these issues, but at this time we do not know when the issue will be fixed."
In the wake of server issues, EA has taken heavy fire over its handling of the situation, with users reportedly refused refunds of the product – and even threatened with bans over repeated requests.
On such user posted a screenshot of their conversation with an EA customer advisor, which has since gone viral. The advisor appears to threaten the user in question with a ban for demanding a refund, despite an earlier EA statement detailing that disgruntled users could in fact request them as a result of the problems.

http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/read/...-launch/030463

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Age of Empires 2 HD Edition announced, will Rome onto Steam next month

March 8th, 2013, 00:47 Posted By: wraggster

Microsoft has announced Age of Empires 2 HD Edition, a re-release of the historic RTS exclusively for Steam.The new version is due to launch worldwide on 9th April.But those who pre-purchase the game (at a 10 per cent discount) can gain access sooner - on 5th April.The HD Edition includes every campaign from the game's Conquerors expansion, online play, 1080p HD support and a new set of textures.Steamworks integration means the game now has achievements, leaderboards, matchmaking and cloud support, while Workshop features have been built in to enable the sharing of user-generated content.It's all being developed by Hidden Path Entertainment of Counter Strike: Global Offensive fame.The game's first trailer and system requirements lie below.Minimum System Requirements:

• Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8 Pro
• Steam Software Platform
• 900x600 minimum display resolution
• Direct X 9 Capable GPU
• 1.2GHz CPU
• 1GB RAM
• 2GB HDD

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