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September 22nd, 2009, 21:21 Posted By: wraggster
News via http://www.aep-emu.de/
CloneKeen Plus is an interpreter for the Commander Keen 1-3 Series for Windows (2000/XP/Vista) and Linux. CloneKeen Plus is based on CloneKeen.
Quote:
Commander Genius Release v0.3.0.4 (CloneKeenPlus):
--------------------------------------------------
11-09-2009
- many bugs fixes (Many thanks to James K. Beard)
- Graphical improvements and performance (Pickle)
06-09-2009
- The new Graphics Engine is fully implemented and can
handle and speedup all the graphics (tiles, sprites, bitmaps, etc)
- Improved Sound-System. Now 16 Bit is supported! (Many thanks to Pickle for his work!)
- Improved 2-player camera and minor issues! (Many thanks to Pizza2004!)
31-08-2009
- graphics system nearly fully implemented
- load menu cancel fixed
- deleted savegames that came with
- changed the way the camera works while in 2 player mode
26-08-2009
- better twirl on menus
- fixed some bugs that basically froze gameplay
- fixed and improved the aspect ratio feature
- beginnings of new graphics system implemented
25-08-2009
- New Palette system (Thanks to Caitlin Shaw)
- Physics improvement (Thanks to guys of the PCKF Forum)
- Added TGA Graphics
- fixed some bugs that were in the new Timer
- Added new item rising effect (Caitlin Shaw)
http://clonekeenplus.sourceforge.net/
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September 22nd, 2009, 21:20 Posted By: wraggster
News via http://www.aep-emu.de/
Free Heroes2 Engine is a free implementation of Heroes of the Might and Magic II engine using SDL.
Quote:
SVN - up to r1195
Sep, 17, 2009 - Development build, 1195
Users
+ Added pocketpc version interface
+ Added load fheroes2.cfg and gamedata from FHEROES2_DATA environment
+ Added new options: "use fade = on/off", "hide interface = on/off"
+ Added add hot key: m - move hero, o - system dialog, n - start new game
+ Added new interface: hide interface
+ Fixed performance, (remove delay from pathfinding)
+ Fixed castle resource panel
+ Fixed visit obelisk
+ Fixed building for differences plathorm (OSX, mingw32, wince)
+ Fixed Abandoned Mine name, add extra text in quick info.
+ Added zlib support for xml save files
+ Update music readme with more specific information.
+ Update translation files from launchpad
Developers
+ Added CONFIGURE_FHEROES2_DATA build defines for gamedata
+ Added WITHOUT_MIXER build option
+ Redistribute main loop game_startgame.cpp, move radar, buttons, status to interface gui, other small changes.
http://sourceforge.net/projects/fheroes2/
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September 22nd, 2009, 21:19 Posted By: wraggster
News via http://www.aep-emu.de/
PrBoom-plus is a Doom source port based on PrBoom.
Quote:
2.5.0.4.test @ 2009-Sep-20 18:09 - win32 build, sources
[+]Added -nocheats command line parameter and deh_apply_cheats config variable to disable applying cheats from dehacked files.
[+]Full support for wide resolutions. Aspect will be detected automaticaly, but you can force an any from GUI or with helps of new config variable "render_aspect" (0: 4:3, 1: 16:9, 2: 16:10, 3: 4:3, 4: 5:4).
[+]Added key-bind for mouse look.
[+]Added a "map_grid_size" config variable. [*]Less aggressive check for correctness of a patch. Makes sense for OBITUARY. There is no column which begins exactly at the end of the column directory for some patches there. [*]New cheats handler for non-Boom complevels. It works correctly with the following deh cheats:
No Clipping 1 = !@#$%^&*() - you can´t move in Boom with such cheat
No Clipping 1 = bb - works incorrectly in Boom
No Clipping 1 = b/b - does not work at all in Boom, but works in vanilla
Also now if you make a short sequence on a cheat with parameters (idclevXX), this will not work in vanilla (0..6) and lxdoom (10) complevels like original engines do. [*]Ignore sprite lumps smaller than 8 bytes (the smallest possible) in size - this was used by some dmadds wads as an ´empty´ graphics resource. Now you can play 22ventry.wad. [*]Boom DEH parser is restored. You can force it only for demo playback with -boom_deh_parser command line switch.
[-]Fixed crash on wads with incomplete REJECT table. (introduced in 2.5.0.2)
[-]Fixed incompatibility with BOOM if you have player_bobbing 0 in cfg. (introduced in PrBoom 2.2.2) There is no more synch on sewv12r-2135.lmp. -emulate 2.2.2 .. 2.5.0.2 for old buggy behavior.
[-]Fixed crash related to A_BFGSpray with NULL target when using dehacked patches - discovered with insaned2.deh (thanks CSonicGo and fraggle). Certain functions assume that a mobj_t pointer is non-NULL, causing a crash in some situations where it is NULL. Vanilla Doom did not crash because of the lack of proper memory protection.
[-]Fixed crash (division by zero) in Boom HUD code for "Max ammo = 0" in a DEH.
[-]Fixed flats drawing on Mac in case of render_precise 1.
[-]Fixed overflow of mapnames array (-iwad tnt.wad -file ht.wad -warp 33)
[-]Avoid z-fighting between grid and walls on automap in GL mode. (introduced in 2.5.0.3)
[-]Fixed vanilla automap grid bug: losing grid lines near the map boundar. (from EE)
[-]Fixed everything-fullbright-close-up issue. Added a "render_old_lightmaps" config variable for 16 (old) or 32 (new) lighting levels.
http://prboom-plus.sourceforge.net/
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September 22nd, 2009, 21:18 Posted By: wraggster
News via http://www.aep-emu.de/
A new version of OpenTTD has been released. Quote: "OpenTTD is a clone of the Microprose game "Transport Tycoon Deluxe", a popular game originally written by Chris Sawyer. It attempts to mimic the original game as closely as possible while extending it with new features. OpenTTD is licensed under the GNU General Public License version 2.0. For more information, see the file ´COPYING´ included with every release and source download of the game."
Quote:
0.7.3-RC1 (2009-09-13)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Add: [NoAI] AITown::GetLastMonthTransportedPercentage and AIIndustry::GetLastMonthTransportedPercentage (r17294)
- Add: [NoAI] AICompany::Get/Set PresidentGender (r17016)
- Add: [NoAI] AIEngine::GetDesignDate (r17014)
- Add: [NoAI] AIStation::GetConstructionDate (r17012)
- Add: [NoAI] AIAbstractList::SORT_ASCENDING / SORT_DESCENDING (r17005)
- Change: [NoAI] AITown::GetLastMonthProduction now returns the same value as AITown::GetMaxProduction (r17293)
- Change: Mention the MD5 checksum of the original NewGRF in the ´saveload failed horribly´-error message and make it more clear that the filename is of the current NewGRF [FS#3139] (r17267)
- Change: Make overbuilding the front tile of a road station/depot with road consistent with overbuilding the front tile of tunnels/bridges [FS#2802] (r17239)
- Change: Improve error output on missing or corrupt files (r17238)
- Change: [Unix] Only use colorized error output on interactive terminals (r17227)
- Change: [NoAI] Crash an AI when it uses a DoCommand / Sleep instead of just printing an error message in the AI Debug Window [FS#2980] (r17223)
- Change: [NoAI] When the API requests a string as parameter allow every squirrel type and convert to a string [FS#3101] (r17221)
- Change: Make strgen warn if the translation uses STRINGn or RAW_STRING instead of STRING (r17137, r17129)
- Change: [NoAI] Load the API before compiling an AI script so AIs can subclass API classes and use API constants as part of their own constants (r17043)
- Change: Add notion of Ctrl+Click in the tooltip for Loan borrow/repay buttons [FS#3066] (r16979)
- Change: [MSVC] Make all language files depend on english.txt (r16975)
- Change: There is no point in not randomising engine introduction-date before 1922. Instead disable the randomisation for the first two years after game-start, so you do not have to wait for the first engine (r16929)
- Fix: [Squirrel] In some cases the call stack would not be cleaned up properly during crash handling. Occasionally this causes asserts to be triggered or crashes [FS#3189] (r17515)
- Fix: When loading GRFConfigs from ini file, validate them wrt. duplicate GRF IDs [FS#3197] (r17510)
- Fix: When building a part fails during cloning, sell what was already cloned instead of leaving it ´for free´. Also make cloning multiheaded trains possible with with ´max - 1´ vehicles existing [FS#3196] (r17509)
- Fix: [NoAI] The wrong value was restored to SetAllowDoCommand possible resulting in an AI that was not allowed to do any actions (r17500)
- Fix: Road vehicles could get lost when the prelimiary destination (for the pathfinder heuristics) is unreachable [FS#3188] (r17491)
- Fix: When building roads is not allowed for town, then do not build the initial piece either [FS#3173] (r17444)
- Fix: Destruction of depots did not remove any vehicle lists related to the depot, causing windows pointing to deleted depots and (thus) crashes [FS#3180] (r17442)
- Fix: Economy recession would never end when economy is set to Steady while in recession (r17426)
- Fix: The index of orders loaded from old savegames was owerwritten with an unitialized value (r17419)
- Fix: Incomplete check on validity of industry type when building industries (r17413)
- Fix: [Squirrel] Guard against Squirrel stack overflows (r17403)
- Fix: [NoAI] During every save a few slots on the Squirrel stack were leaked (r17402)
- Fix: [NoAI] Several AITile::* functions did not check whether their parameters were valid (r17378)
- Fix: Memory leak when trying to bankrupt the local company, other minor improvements of bankruptcy (r17342, r17341, r17340)
- Fix: Not all non-ASCII characters were entered with escapes in the About window (r17309)
- Fix: [NoAI] AIRail::RemoveRailTrack returned ERR_PRECONDITION_ERROR for road/rail-crossings (r17307)
- Fix: [NoAI] Reloading an AI started a new AI in the first available company slot causing other AIs to be started [FS#3153] (r17298)
- Fix: [NoAI] AITown::GetLastMonthTransported did not work as documented at all, make it return what AITown::GetLastMonthProduction did (r17293)
- Fix: Crash after upgrading base graphics set when opening the game options menu and you were using the upgraded set [FS#3147] (r17291)
- Fix: [Squirrel] Stack was not always cleared properly with tail recursion (r17284)
- Fix: [Squirrel] Calling a function that has default parameters with not enough parameters can cause a crash (r17273)
- Fix: Other tunnel end not shown if building rail tunnels and the first railtype is not available yet [FS#3141] (r17251)
- Fix: [NoAI] AIs that crashed during Save() were not killed as they should [FS#3134] (r17231)
- Fix: [NoAI] Do not assert when an AI uses AI*Mode objects incorrectly but crash the AI instead (r17230)
- Fix: Remove the (deprecated since 2006) Encoding entry from the openttd.desktop file (r17226)
- Fix: With time tables vehicles would stay in the ´loading´ state after they have finished loading [FS#3129, FS#3130] (r17222)
- Fix: Do not ignore white space changes (e.g. alignment fixes) in the exporter (r17220)
- Fix: [NoAI] IsRoadTypeAvailable(GetCurrentRoadType()) was not a precondition for several AIRoad::* functions (r17203)
- Fix: [NoAI] Do not say you are building a depot when you are actually building a station (API docs typo) (r17201)
- Fix: Accept monthly production values in the scenario editor [FS#2406] (r17198)
- Fix: [Squirrel] FPE when an AI tried to do ´% 0´ (r17195)
- Fix: [NoAI] Guard the valuator against ´external´ modifications of the valuated list which could cause it to go into an infinite loop [FS#3124] (r17193)
- Fix: Do not return exit value of rm, but of the actual configure run (r17163)
- Fix: A stuck train could free the reservation of another train if it was reversed or did crash (r17152)
- Fix: A train entering a PBS section through a block signal could cause a train crash if another reservation ending at a safe tile was already present in the section [FS#3104] (r17151)
- Fix: Update vehicle position cache when the vehicle sprite changes [FS#3060] (r17121)
- Fix: Mark industry tiles dirty when trigger are triggered (r17118)
- Fix: Squirrel_export.sh failed for some locales (r17109)
- Fix: Make restart command work again and make the help show how it works and how it does not work [FS#3092] (r17097)
- Fix: News message about ordered refits failing was not very clear [FS#3091] (r17096)
- Fix: Crash when renaming some stations [FS#3082] (r17078)
- Fix: RPM spec file failed for CentOS; apparantly their rpmbuild is pickier or so [FS#3024] (r17077)
- Fix: [NewGRF] Mark house tiles dirty when triggers were triggered (r17047)
- Fix: [NewGRF] Trigger house trigger 02 only for the north tile [FS#3085] (r17046)
- Fix: Graphical glitch with graph key [FS#3083] (r17041)
- Fix: ´[bd]ash´-ism in configure [FS#3076] (r17026)
- Fix: Infinite recursion in content dependency checking [FS#3075] (r17015)
- Fix: Concatenating strings in Squirrel when non-ASCII strings were received from OpenTTD failed [FS#3074] (r17013)
- Fix: [NoAI] Documentation of AITile::LevelTiles was wrong (r17049)
- Fix: [NoAI] AIBridge::GetPrice returned incorrect values (r16986)
- Fix: Make it so that failing to generate many random towns in scenario editor returns a failing message [FS#3059] (r16977)
- Fix: The last manually added server would not be saved [FS#3062] (r16981)
http://www.openttd.org/
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September 22nd, 2009, 21:17 Posted By: wraggster
News via http://www.aep-emu.de/
D2X-XL is an OpenGL-port of Descent II. Supported platforms are Linux, Mac OS X and Windows.
Quote:
v1.14.132
* Fixed: Hires sounds were loaded if present even if hires sound was disabled via d2x.ini
* Fixed: Capturing a flag scored only one instead of five points
v1.14.131
* Fixed: A bug in the sound system causing choppy sound after extended periods of intense fighting
v1.14.130
* Changed: Moved d2x-xl specific sounds to sounds2d2x-xl
* Improved: Sound handling
* New: Added a bunch of d2x-xl addon sounds
* New: Added volume control for ambient sound to sound & music options menu
v1.14.129
* New: Sound creation for triggered events can now be suppressed
v1.14.128
* Improved: Homing missile turn speed will be constant even at less than 40 fps
v1.14.127
* Fixed: Triggered sounds that should have only been played once were replayed everytime a savegame containing such triggers was loaded
* Fixed: Trigger sounds weren´t played anymore
* Fixed: Sound from ambient sound sources was crackling and building up
v1.14.26
* Fixed: Player names in HUD weren´t always rendered on top of the player ships
* Fixed: New and rejoyning players were added to teams using auto balancing when auto balancing was off
* Fixed: When a player rejoined a multiplayer game, the time he had spent in the mine was reset, not allowing him to destroy the reactor even if he should be able to
* Fixed: Fixed: Homing missiles turned to well
* Fixed: The ship thruster sound suddenly got very loud when the ship wasn´t moving
v1.14.125
* Fixed: When a save game was restored that had been saved with the player having acquired a super laser while lasers were set as built-in weapons, the player lost the super laser
* Fixed: The program crashed in multiplayer when a player picked up a missile four pack, giving him more missiles than he could carry and the program tried to leave the excess missiles in the mine
* Fixed: Faces were flickering at highest render quality when viewed close up
* New: Added support for sound effect objects
v1.14.124
* Fixed: In the physics options menu, auto-Levelling mode ´to mine´ didn´t stick
* Fixed: Corrected the auto-levelling menu help texts
v1.14.123
* Fixed: Ogg music wasn´t always played on Windows Vista and Windows 7 (d2x.ini:-midifix 1 required)
* Fixed: Unless effects volume was explicitly changed in the sound options menu, there was no sound in movies, briefings and levels when the game was run with midifix and music was turned off
v1.14.122
* Fixed: The HUD stayed turned off after Descent 1 exit sequences
* Fixed: The self extracting D2X-XL installation archive couldn´t be launched on Windows 7
v1.14.121
* Changed: Addon textures will not be considered vital for program operation anymore
* Improved: Added graphical message boxes for Linux
v1.14.120
* Fixed: The program hung when a plr file was found in its main folder
* Fixed: The setup check will now detect the Descent 2 demo files
* Fixed: Downloading program updates didn´t work anymore
v1.14.119
* Fixed: Flash effects were sometimes taken into the menus
* Fixed: Damage icons were visible after the player´s death
* Fixed: The sound system didn´t always properly update permanent sounds
* Changed: Only the player ship will have blue thruster flames now, all other objects have orange ones
v1.14.118
* New: Added update checking for Linux (newer source packages will only be downloaded, unpacking it and building the program is up to the user)
v1.14.117
* Fixed: With basic lighting D2X-XL kept rendering coronas for lights that had been turned off via a trigger
* Fixed: The new game menu´s ´enable mod´ checkbox had not always been properly displayed or hidden
* Changed: The file descent.cfg will not be considered vital for a D2X-XL installation anymore as it will be created by D2X-XL when it is missing
v1.14.116
* New: Added a check for program updates and a function to download and install program updates (Windows only)
* New: Added a file setup check for Linux
v1.14.115
* Fixed: D2X-XL was considering descent2.p11 and descent2.p22 vital and was terminated when it couldn´t find them, but actually they aren´t
* Fixed: The new game menu offered an invalid level range when being opened after a network game had been played
* Fixed: In Descent 1 missions robots that were at some distance fired huge salvos at the player
v1.14.114
* Fixed: When the minemine cheat was active, no powerups were dropped by robots. That included keys and other important stuff, which now will be dropped regardless of the minemine cheat
* New: D2X-XL will now check whether all required files are available and create any required folders and copy those files there if necessary. Depending on what files are missing, a list of those files will be displayed and D2X-XL will terminate if vital files aren´t available. Please note that this feature currently is only available for the MS Windows version and also works with the -userdir parameter.
v1.14.113
* Fixed: Multicast networking didn´t work properly
* Fixed: Multiplayer game data formats were incompatible across hardware platforms and operating systems
http://www.descent2.de/
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September 21st, 2009, 17:10 Posted By: wraggster
You heard it here first, folks: SuperSpeed USB is a reality. After waiting around for what feels like ages, USB 3.0 can now say it has its first certified product in NEC's xHCI host controller. We know this may not be the most exciting first product to get the all-important seal of approval, but you've got to start somewhere. And hey, for those who know a thing or two about building a product to spec, having a legitimate host controller could sure come in handy. We spoke to Jeff Ravencraft, president and chairman of the USB-IF (the group that oversees certification and the like), and he stated that (officially) the group is still anticipating end products to hit shelves in early 2010. That said, this here host controller is available now in the open market, and he did confess that a number of manufacturers would likely try to get USB 3.0-equipped wares onto store shelves before that magical day in December.
He also noted that a smattering of companies would be showcasing USB 3.0 gear at upcoming trade shows, with a Buffalo external hard drive, an ExpressCard-to-USB 3.0 adapter and even a full-on laptop with a functioning USB 3.0 port making a stop at IDF later this week. Aside from the aforesaid ExpressCard adapter -- which will let existing lappies enjoy the spoils of SuperSpeed USB -- he also noted that a PCI card would be available for desktop users looking to add a few sockets to their rig. We were also informed that USB 3.0 receptor ports will play nice with USB 2.0 cables and gadgets, albeit at USB 2.0 speed; additionally, USB 3.0 wares will be able to connect via older USB 2.0 sockets, though again at a slower rate. We've got to say, the dual-backwards compatibility is pretty sweet.
We also asked him about cabling and the general market transition to USB 3.0, and he did note that USB 3.0 cables will be physically different inside. In other words, a USB 2.0 cable cannot carry data at USB 3.0 speeds, end of story. To enjoy USB 3.0, you'll need a USB 3.0 receptor port, a USB 3.0 cable and a USB 3.0 product; if you swap any of those pieces with USB 2.0, everything slows to USB 2.0 rates. Jeff also noted that the USB-IF would be coordinating the release of end products and cables, and he even said that older USB protocols may actually never completely fade from the market. After all, wireless keyboards would never need USB 3.0 speeds unless some sort of display were integrated, and particularly in cheaper products, using an older USB chipset could help keep costs down and MSRPs lower. So yeah, USB 3.0 is officially here, but the public can't play with any USB 3.0 gear just yet. But if our hunches are correct, we'd bet on at least one or two big players pushing out SuperSpeed-packin' wares before the year ends.
http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/21/f...t-closer-to-b/
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September 21st, 2009, 00:20 Posted By: wraggster
Heres a new update from the ScummVM Team:
As all of you have probably heard, we are still in the testing phase for the 1.0.0 release. So far we have gotten many testings results, because of you, our fellow users. Thanks again to all the people who have already done testing for the next release. Sadly, we are missing some tests for certain games though. Here is the list of games for which we really need some testing results:
The Manhole
Rodney's Funscreen
Elvira II - The Jaws of Cerberus
Bargon Attack
Goblins 3
Bud Tucker in Double Trouble
I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream
Nippon Safes Inc.
If you own one of these games please grab a daily build of ScummVM and play through it. Submit any bugs you discover along the way to the bug tracker. When you complete a game, report it on the forums so we can add it to our release testing wiki page. Be sure to provide the version, language, and platform of the game you're testing (in addition to the name of course) as well as what platform you are testing on. You can find more details on testing over here.
As you can see on our release testing wiki page, almost all testing results are from our desktop ports. If you have ScummVM running on console or handheld ports we also ask you to test your games (not necessarily only the ones mentioned above) there as well, and report your results in the above mentioned way.
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September 20th, 2009, 10:05 Posted By: wraggster
Jolicloud is a new Linux based operating system aimed at netbooks. The developers were nice enough to let us get our hands on their closed development version of the new OS. This distribution is built off of Ubuntu Netbook Remix(9.04 Jaunty Jackalope). At first glance it looks like nothing more than Ubuntu with a new skin, but the difference is deeper. Jolicloud added an App Store type program that offers installation of web applications along with traditional desktop apps. Using Mozilla Prism, web based applications like Facebook, Gmail, and Wikipedia are installed, get their own icon in the launcher, and run without the aid of a browser.
http://hackaday.com/2009/09/19/jolic...past-browsers/
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September 19th, 2009, 11:41 Posted By: wraggster
New from Divineo China
Package includes:
- 4-LED USB Digital Microscope x 1 pc
- Stand x 1 pc
- User Manual x 1 pc
- CD ROM (Driver) x 1pc
Size: 110mm (L) x 33mm (R)
Image Sensor: 1.3 Mega Pixel
Video Capture Resolution: 1028 x 1024, 640 x 480, 320 x 240. 160 x 120
Still Image Capture Resolution: 1028 x 1024, 640 x 480, 320 x 240. 160 x 120
Color: 24bit RGB
Lens: Dual Axis 27X and 100X Microscope Lens
Focus Range: Manual Focus From 10mm to Infinite
Flicker Frequency: 50Hz / 60 Hz
Frame Rate: Max 30f/s under 600Lus Brightness
Magnification Ratio: 10X to 200X
Shutter Speed: 1s to 1/1000s
Video Format: AVI format
White Balance: Auto
Exposure: Auto
Light Source: 4 LED White Light with On/Off Switch
Interface: USB 1.0 and 2.0 Compatible
Operation: System: Windows XP/ VISTA
OSD Language: English
Power Supply: USB Port (5V DC)
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September 19th, 2009, 11:28 Posted By: wraggster
These days, the word "hybrid" gets tossed around like a rag doll. We've got hybrid cars, hybrid SLI and hybrid image stabilization -- and that's just for starters. But friends, this hybrid is one worth paying attention to. DFI has been working overtime in order to concoct the next great mainboard, and if this thing can really deliver as advertised, we'd say the gurus responsible for it will succeed greatly. The Hybrid P45-ION-T2A2 motherboard can actually house a complete Atom / Ion-based system on one side, while handling a traditional Socket 775 CPU system on the other. In other words, this single motherboard can power -- let's say -- a low-power server system and your next gaming setup. At the same time! We're still waiting on a firm release date and price, but 'til then, hop on past the break for a swell demonstration vid.
http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/18/v...tems-simultan/
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September 18th, 2009, 16:02 Posted By: wraggster
Blizzard has revealed the full scale of its World of Warcraft operation, from the number of computer systems it uses (20,000) to the amount of people it takes to create the game's numerous classes, items and levels (37 - who have created some 70,000 spells and 40,000 NPCs since the game's launch five years ago).
Speaking at GDC Austin, executive VP of product developer Frank Pearce and production director J Allen Brack revealed a range of mind-boggling statistics in a keynote entitled 'The Universe of World of Warcraft', as reported by Gamasutra.
"Operating an online game is about more than just game development," pointed out Pearce, demonstrating his point with the revelation that the World of Warcraft team contains no less than 30 department leads.
The game's programming department consists of 32 people, he said, split into teams working on systems, tools, gameplay, server technologies and UI. The art department contains 51 people, including technical, character, environmental, dungeon, prop and concept artists. They have created more than 1.5 million assets, notes the Blizzard exec. The programmers are responsible for some 5.5 million lines of code.
123 people work on the game's cinematics, dealing with machinima sequences, teasers and pre-rendered scenes. Meanwhile, the sound department has created over 27 hours of music for the series. Brack goes on to detail the platform services group - a group of 245 which encompasses localisation and QA.
The original World of Warcraft contains 2600 quests. The Burning Crusade expansion added 2700, and the Wrath of the Lich King 2350. During the testing of every one, the QA group has tackled 180,000 bugs since the first game's launch.
Localisation translates and culturalises WoW into ten different languages, with the team responsible tracking over 360,000 text strings and some two million words. Choosing to launch in a new language is a decision Blizzard doesn't take lightly, points out Pearce, due to the amount of resources required to do the job to a high enough standard.
And the WoW team doesn't end there. For there are yet more Blizzard employees working on online services - monitoring over 13,250 server blades, 75,000 CPU cores and 112.5 terabytes of blade RAM. The company's customer support staff include 340 billing managers and 2056 game masters.
There's a web team overseeing more than 900,000 web files and a corporate applications team working on fraud prevention, bug tracking and on conveying to designers what is most popular with players in the game world.
Blizzard even employs two full time 'lore historians' to work with novelists on the game's story, archive every piece of art and keep track of the Blizzard universe's epic past.
Still more staff on top encompass human resources, finance, legal, information technology, PR and marketing teams, which also contribute to the game's ongoing worldwide success. In all, more than 4600 people are required to keep the game running, said Pearce, and, worldwide, Blizzard is currently recruiting for 221 jobs. More than 20,000 computer systems and 1.3 petabytes of storage are used in total.
Pearce's conclusion - "the moral of the story is that operating an online game is about more than just game development" - certainly couldn't be more true than when applied to the gargantuan universe Blizzard has created with of World of Warcraft.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...raft-operation
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September 18th, 2009, 16:00 Posted By: wraggster
Microsoft revamps its Games For Windows platform for greater accessibility
Microsoft is revising its Games For Windows program in a new bid to gain ground on market leaders Valve.
On the software giant’s website is a new page which outlines self-certification guidelines for developers.
This nine-step process is said to be speedier and more straightforward than the previous set of hoops developers had to jump through.
Microsoft says that the entire certification process will now take, on average, 18 to 27 business days to complete.
The company has also released a set of 22 technical requirements which developers need to adhere to.
According to Microsoft, these requirements are all that’s needed to achieve the following:
* Support both 32-bit and 64-bit Platforms.
* Support Ratings and Parental Controls in Windows 7
* Game titles populated in the Game Explorer.
* Enhanced game update notifications for game titles.
* Create an easier game installation experience.
* Stability, security and compatibility against commonly known issues.
Microsoft says its goal is to attract "more game developers participating with more game titles that pass a standardized set of technical requirements."
The revamp comes weeks ahead of the consumer launch of Windows 7.
http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/32363...mp-ahead-of-W7
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September 18th, 2009, 15:57 Posted By: wraggster
Deal will stay open until January
Cash-strapped students will be able to pre-order Windows 7 for less than half the £80 price tag, ahead of the operating system’s official release on 22 October.
UK university students with a valid ‘.ac.uk’ email address from their institution will be able to pre-order Windows 7 Home Premium or Windows 7 Professional for £30, while US students with a ‘.edu’ address can get their hands on it for $30.
Microsoft’s offer opens on 30 September, and lasts until 3 January 2010. The company hopes that students who want to upgrade their system for the new academic year, but can’t afford a machine, will take advantage of the discounted price.
The offer is Microsoft’s latest effort to generate a buzz about its new operating system. Earlier this month the company began encouraging consumers to throw Windows 7 launch parties to stand a chance of winning a new PC.
http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/32361...tudents-for-30
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September 16th, 2009, 20:15 Posted By: wraggster
Newly released today:
features
PC or Mac
Uses a web browser and internet connection
Head-mounted, moveable camera
Use almost any web accessible device to control Rovio via its wireless connectivity
Easy setup with (Rovio CD)
User friendly interface
Photo taking while patrolling
Limited availability
description
Interface:
- Easy to set up, easy to use
- No subscription fees or professional installation required
Secure:
- Supports WEP, WPA and WPA2*
- Password-protected access
Real-time:
- Connect using your web-compatible device
- Streaming real-time video and two-way audio capabilities
Navigate:
- Send Rovio back to its charging dock with the click of a button
- Automatically drives to pre-recorded destinations
Technical Specifications
- Rechargeable 6V NiMH battery pack
- Charging dock with built-in TrueTrack Beacon
- 3 x onmi-directional wheels
- Head-mounted VGA camera
- LED illumination
- Built-in speaker and microphone
- USB connectivity
- 8V AC/DC adapter
- Wireless connectivity (802.11b and 802.11g)
System Requirements
Device running one of the following browsers:
- Internet Explorer 6 or higher,
- Mozilla Firefox 1.5 or higher,
- Safari 3.0,
- Mobile Safari,
- Internet Explorer Mobile, or
- Opera Mobile.
PC or Mac computer with USB connectivity for Rovio Software
Wireless access point (WAP) device (for example, a wireless router)
High-speed internet connection
Internet Explorer 6 or higher (required for two-way audio feature)
http://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-...j-70-3j7g.html
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September 16th, 2009, 19:21 Posted By: wraggster
Good god, Google's storming forward with these things: Just a year after Chrome first launched, version 3.0 has left Google's beta dungeon, bringing with it much faster Javascript rendering, theme support, a smarter Omnibox, and a reshuffled tab page. Lifehacker's got the whole rundown, and the Windows downlaod is riiiiiiiight here--let us know what you think in the comments.
http://gizmodo.com/5360140/google-ch...-beta-speedily
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September 16th, 2009, 19:12 Posted By: wraggster
British chip designer ARM is launching an outright attack on Intel with the launch of a 2GHz processor aimed at everything from netbooks to servers. ARM claims the 40nm Cortex A9 MPCore processor represents a shift in strategy for the company, which has until now concentrated on low-power processors for mobile devices. In the consumer market, ARM is pitching the Cortex A9 directly against Intel's Atom, claiming the processor offers five times the power while drawing comparable amounts of energy. 'It's head and shoulders above anything Intel can deliver today,' ARM VP of marketing Eric Schom claims. However, it has one major hurdle to overcome: it doesn't support Windows. 'We've had conversations with Microsoft and you can imagine what they entail,' says Schom.
http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/0...k-Stranglehold
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September 16th, 2009, 16:55 Posted By: wraggster
Ongoing Microsoft hype around its Surface touch technology has suggested that, with Windows 7, a touch-based UI revolution is brewing. Unfortunately, the realities of touch use in the desktop environment and the lack of worthwhile development around the technology are conspiring against the notion of touch ever finding a meaningful place on the desktop, as InfoWorld's Galen Gruman finds out reviewing Windows 7's touch capabilities. 'There's a chicken-and-egg issue to resolve,' Gruman writes. 'Few apps cry out for a touch UI, so Microsoft and Apple can continue to get away with merely dabbling with touch as an occasional mouse-based substitute. It would take one or both of these OS makers to truly touchify their platforms, using common components to pull touch into a great number of apps automatically. Without a clear demand, their incentive to do so doesn't exist
http://tech.slashdot.org/story/09/09...ead-On-Arrival
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