Team Fortress 2: Free

Jun 242011
 

 

Somewhere in the future, construction is overseen by two superpowers; the Reliable Excavation, Demolition incorporated, and the Builders League United. After United Nations legislation passed a bill where reconstruction contracts abandoned areas would only be awarded to the company that achieved its mandate, from capturing the opposing company’s flag, or taking ‘control points’ scattered around the map. In what began as a gentlemanly affair, with Engineers trying to go about their business, escalated into an all out war between Snipers, Scouts, Soldiers, Pyromaniacs, Demolitions Specialists, and ‘Heavies’.

Team Fortress 2 is one of Valve’s most renowned First Person Shooters, often praised for its humor, art style, and gameplay. In fact, it is likely even if Valve didn’t update Team Fortress 2, it would still be played by tens of thousands of gamers, all gunning for the next control point, domination, or revenge kill. But Valve is a clever company, suckering gamers into spending more and more time on Team Fortress, through innocuous additions such as hats that each character can equip, to new weapons, abilities, and other ‘items’ to turn the tide on the battlefield. On top of this, Valve introduced RPG elements into the game, allowing players to craft items, and even name them. Humorous weapons include ‘The Benedict Arnold’ for the Spies knife, to the ‘Malpractice’ Medic’s bone-saw.

From its original incarnation, these updates have swelled Team Fortress 2 into a 12 GB package, nearly more than double its original size when it was first released. But the game is still Team Fortress 2, in all of it’s rocket-jumping, minigun spooling, ubercharging glory. And with the release of Valve’s Uber update of Team Fortress 2, the long awaited ‘Meet the Medic’ trailer has been released by Valve. If you haven’t seen the other class videos released by Valve, I highly recommend watching them, they set the tone for Team Fortress 2.

But of course, the long awaited ‘Meet the Medic’ trailer seems almost insignificant to Valve’s announcement after its release. Yes, as you’ve guessed from the title, Team Fortress 2 is free, forever. Backed by a micro transaction system now, Valve’s Team Fortress 2 still lives on, half a decade from the Orange Box’s original release.

To download Team Fortress 2, make a Steam account, and… download the game. Considering 12 Gigabytes will take a while to get from the now overcrowded Steam servers, watch the Meet the Medic trailer while you wait.

 

 

$1 Billion+ Acquisition of Popcap Games?

Jun 232011
 

 

Once, there was a backyard lawn that grew a multitude of plants including, sweet peas, corn, walnuts and sunflowers. However, after an arcane ritual went wrong, causing a devastating plague to sweep over humanity, causing zombification, your plants mutated somehow providing you with a cure against the undead disease as well as becoming your first line of defense against your brain hungry neighbors. In other words, Plants vs Zombies.

The company behind Plants vs Zombies, Popcap Games has been reported by TechCrunch as being under an acquisition process, with offers reportedly reaching over a billion dollars, unfortunately, the possible buyer has not been named yet. Possible suitors by TechCrunch comment that Zynga could have been a possible buyer, but with the Facebook game company’s comparatively low market capitalization, it would certainly be a colossal purchase for them. EA has been hinted at as a possible suitor too, and with its recent purchase of Playfish, EA does seem to be a contender in the acquisition of Popcap Games.

But, with comparatively small market capitalization versus the asking price of $1 billion, it also seems unlikely that EA will pick up the company. That leaves the ‘big 3′ so to say, Microsoft, Google and Apple. Microsoft seems like the most likely purchaser, after all, the massive company already does own an entire console, and the operating system that most games run on. Purchasing Popcap would allow the company to take another step in its plan of gaming domination.

Apple certainly does have the money to purchase Popcap, but it seems slightly unlikely that they would have reason to purchase Popcap Games. Some of the companies products have been released in the App Store anyway, such as Plants vs Zombies anyway. Purchasing Popcap to use as an exclusive application developer seems excessive, considering the huge numbers of willing developers to contribute to the App Store.

And then there’s Google, with their Android devices. Like the other two big companies, money really isn’t an issue here. However, they could use Popcap games to create a ‘killer app’ of sorts, to attract more users to Android phones in general, and embrace the market place. But with the market share of Android phones growing rapidly, it seems that Google won’t feel the need to purchase Popcap games to bolster their already accessible lineup.

Popcap games has refused to comment on these ‘rumors’ at this point in time. But expect a big announcement from the indie games developer soon.

Steelseries – Diablo 3 Headset

Jun 222011
 

 

Normally, licensed products don’t really work out. By licensed, I mean that a company is ordered by another company to make products based on their companies products. An example of such would be those crappy movie games that always accompany the latest kids movie/TV show such as Avatar, Transformers, and so on.

This disdain of licensed products usually causes me to sneer at the general range of licensed products, the ‘Tron’ and ‘Starcraft II’ accessories released by Razer are some that immediately come to mind. Quoted by many as being overpriced for what they can achieve, usually people give them a wide berth when purchasing professional gaming grade products. And that leads onto the second problem, they usually aren’t as good as the standard products the outsourced company makes. So, after being referred to a ‘sick looking Diablo 3 headset’ by a friend, I opened it like a good cynic, expecting to smirk and laugh at them the next day, pointing out the flaws in their product.

And then, that pent up supremacy never came. Based on the Steelseries Siberia V2, these Diablo 3 issue cans look awesome. The little features really do add to the aesthetic appeal of this headset, from the sinister looking obsidian edges, to the red grilles on the outside of the speakers. There are eighteen LED’s incorporated into the device, seven of which can be seen in the picture above. The stylized ‘III’ lights up, as well as the four curved lines that form an incomplete circle around the speaker.

As you can see, the suspension on the headphones is exactly the same as the Steelseries Siberia V2′s. As I’ve been meaning to buy Siberia V2′s for quite a while now, they were recommended to me by quite a few friends as they are extremely comfortable to wear for long periods of time. After trying on a friend’s V2, he wasn’t kidding, it really does feel weightless on your head. The headset also features a retractable microphone that is on the Siberia V2′s, hopefully the microphone quality will be better than it’s cousins one.

Compared with the Siberia V2, the biggest differences between the two headphones, apart from their aesthetics, are the cables that connect the devices to your computer or otherwise. These new headphones feature braided cables, ala Razer Carachias. The cable is significantly stronger compared to the Siberia V2′s, and a lot less likely to break under stress. The integrated controls in the cable feature your standard volume control, as well as the ability to change the pulsation and brightness of the LED’s on the headset.

The Siberia V2′s also have the older 3.5mm jacks that plug into your computer, to provide audio input/output. Using an adapter, it can be connected to an iDevice, such as your iPhone/iPad. Otherwise, when you use it for gaming, you can connect your headset to a provided USB soundcard, which will dramatically increase your devices performance. These new headphones connect directly through USB, so it isn’t possible to connect it with an iDevice… yet. Fingers crossed perhaps.

Otherwise, these headphones are released in October, during Blizzard’s annual… Blizzcon. They are expected to cost around $119, and the only thing lacking is a name at this point. ‘Mephisto’ has a nice ring to it, no?

Terraria on Mac

Jun 222011
 

 

Ever played Minecraft? If not, I really really really do recommend checking that out. But anyway, imagine Minecraft, an epic tale of constructing an invincible fortress against the hordes of zombies, skeletons, and those damn exploder things, and putting it into 2D. Yes, this includes mining… digging an obnoxiously deep hole, before harvesting gold, iron, and diamonds. Now, I want you to imagine Worms, the classic game of using weapons of mass destruction to brutally annihilate other worms, but instead, it moves in real-time, so a bit more like Liero. Lets say that these games were magically fused together. On top of this, add Multiplayer, a deep RPG system, and of course, NPCs that try to sell you obnoxiously overpriced items, while buying your items at obnoxiously low prices, and the game constantly evolves due to frequent updates.

Independent game studio ‘Re-Logic’ has made this awesome sounding daydream a reality with Terraria, an action packed struggle against the evil that plagues your land. Well, sort of. It’s more of a quest to build the biggest castle, and the greatest dictatorship that the world has ever seen, so powerful, that even the monsters that once walked the surface shiver and creep away from your mere presence. Afterwards, throw dynamite, and use star cannons to cleave rival dictators that intrude upon your kingdom. Terraria supports more than eight dictators in a single stretch of land, battling it out to claim that map as their own. Gone is the camaraderie of Minecraft, where users helped each other to make exquisite creations, in the world of Terraria, there is only war.

Currently, Terraria is on Steam, where you can purchase it for around $9.99 for the full game. Unfortunately, due to Terraria being coded in XNA, it is extremely unlikely that it’ll be on Apple computers any time soon. Supposedly, Crossover doesn’t work for the Mac, and more libraries are needed before it’ll even run. Being coded in XNA could possibly result in Terraria appearing on the Xbox Live Marketplace though…

Call of Duty: Black Ops Demo

Jun 222011
 

 

In the depths of the Cold War, caused by the bitter rivalry between the United States, and the Soviet Union, both sides, aware that they were unable to outright destroy the other, without being annihilated themselves, launched proxy wars to weaken the other side. These brutal conflicts include the 1980′s invasion of Afghanistan by Soviet Russia, the Vietnam War in the 1970′s, and of course, the Six Day War in the late 1960′s. Experimental research of questionable ethics, and practices of an even more dubious nature were rife, with programs such as the CIA’s ‘MKULTRA’ a project supposedly designed to discover mind control, only making the light of day many decades later.

In addition to this, spying and assassinations were rife, with some suspecting President Kennedy’s assassination being due to Soviet or Cuban links, while Fidel Castro, president of Cuba, was ordered to be assassinated by CIA operatives a countless number of times. These operations, if conducted publicly, would almost have lead to nuclear war, as well as the mutually assured destruction of both sides. So of course, these rival governments never did tell anyone where these assassins, spies, and other shadowy characters appeared and disappeared. Classified as ‘Black Operations’, the sensitive nature of these missions, is so extensive, that even some members of the CIA that were killed in action, have not had their nature of death, nor their names disclosed after their deaths.

Call of Duty Black Ops explores the brutality of the Cold War, taking a whirlwind tour through the siege of Khe Sanh in Vietnam, fighting off a brutal NVA advance, to the lavish palace of Fidel Castro. Assisted with devestating weapons such as a minigun, crossbows, as well as the modern weapons of the time, your campaign against Communism will be an arduous one, with attack dogs, helicopter gunships, and the odd tank standing in your way.

In addition to this, after finishing the Single Player, Black Ops features a balanced multiplayer, unlike certain other games in the Call of Duty series. This means, no nuclear weapons, no ridiculous perks allowing you to have infinite ammo, no fifty meter knife lunge perk, and certainly no shotguns that have perfect accuracy, and dual wielding.

Interested? Treyarch  have finally released a demo for Black Ops, set in a secret chemical weapons laboratory. Unfortunately, as it is a secret weapons laboratory, a horde of soldiers prowl the premises, and as a result, an American SR-71 Blackbird, the fastest military spy plane in the world, is sent to assist you in this endeavor. With 24 styled countdowns, BASE jumping, and a lot of sneaking around, some players have commented that this level, ‘WMD’ is the best of the single player campaign.

Currently, the demo is only available on the PS3, and the Xbox 360. Check the PSN store, or Xbox Live marketplace to find the demo. For PC users, unfortunately, there have been no details released yet about a PC demo.

 

Nintendo’s new gaming console the ‘Wii U’ displayed at E3 2011

Jun 072011
 

Nintendo has just launched a new gaming console called the Wii U at E3 2011. The new gaming console is said to be powered by a custom made 45nm processor designed by IBM which is supposed to have lot more DRAM and is built using the same technology as was used in the Watson supercomputer. The detailed hardware specifications still remain a mystery as Nintendo did not disclose it just yet. We will let you in on that news once we have an update on it.  On the exterior, the Nintendo Wii U looks a lot similar to the older Wii with a slight change in dimensions. The Wii U is a little thicker and taller than the Wii. On the front there is a power button, a reset button, a red sync button, a disc slot and a compartment with a flip down cover. What is under this hood is still unknown.

Alongside the Wii U, Nintendo also showcased a new controller which has a unique design that hosts a 6.2-inch center mounted touchscreen. There are four face buttons, a D-pad, dual-analog sliders, start button, select button, a front facing camera, and four more buttons round the back: ZL, ZR, L, and R. There is a plain plastic stylus in the top which suggests that the display is resistive which I feel is a bit annoying as resistive displays are no longer popular thanks to the much better capacitive displays. There is no word on the resolution of the controller mounted display yet, although we all want it to be atleast a 16:9 720p display.

With this launch Nintendo will be hoping to give the Sony PS3 and Microsoft Xbox 360 a tough competition. Who knows the Wii U might surpass both of them both in terms of graphics and gameplay. Nintendo has generated quite some interest in this new device by displaying the new game controller alongside the console unlike last year where we saw the console displayed much ahead of the controller. The Tokyo TGS is coming in a few months from now i.e. on the 15th – 18th September 2011 and what better platform for Nintendo to launch the Wii U and its new controller.

Play Angry Birds For Free On Your Computer

May 202011
 

Recently, Rovio released a free Google Chrome-based version of its game, Angry Birds. However, it appears that you can actually run it in any web browser. Just visit http://chrome.angrybirds.com/ and enjoy :)

Rovio also announced that Angry Birds has been downloaded over 200 million times across all the platforms that its available on. The game is $0.99 for the iPhone/iPod Touch, $4.99 for the iPad and free but ad-supported on Android.

And for the Windows Phone 7 users out there, Angry Birds will be available on June the 29th according to this tweet by Rovio.

Angry Birds Rio Video– Official Trailer

Jan 302011
 

You probably have heard about Angry Birds, well this time Angry Birds are going to RIO. New Angry Birds Rio Game and Movie is coming in March to Apple Store, Android Market Store and Nokia Ovi Store. Angry Birds Rio should also be in theaters March 15th.

Here is the official Angry Birds Rio Trailer theaters

Countdown to 10 Billion Apps Started, You Could Win $10,000 iTunes Gift Card!

Jan 182011
 

No kidding, but iTunes is going to give away $10,000 iTunes gift card to one lucky user who downloads its ten billionth app from iTunes. Now this is amazing, and here is what Apple has to say about it,

“As of today, nearly 10 billion apps have been downloaded from the App Store worldwide. Which is almost as amazing as the apps themselves. So we want to say thanks. Download the 10 billionth app, and you could win a US $10,000 iTunes Gift Card. Just visit the App Store, and download what could be your best app yet.”

If you’ve got a chance to visit the announcement page these days, you would have seen that it is showing an animated countdown counter which reveals how fast the apps are being downloaded every second.

App Store Just Going to Hit Ten Billion Downloads, Your Chance to Win A $10,000 iTunes Gift Card!

App Store Just Going to Hit Ten Billion Downloads, Your Chance to Win A $10,000 iTunes Gift Card!

Let’s see who is the lucky winner who not only wins the $10,000 iTunes gift card but also becomes the historic person to download the ten billionth app! See the complete official rules to enter the sweepstakes here.

Acer Reveals Iconia Tab A500 Tablet for Gamers

Jan 092011
 

Tablets keep on coming this year at CES, and here is just another one worth checking out. Acer announced its Iconia Tab A500 tablet which is a 10.1” Android tablet. Though the version OS used is not mentioned yet it uses ‘Acer UI 4.5’ on top of it.

Iconia Tab A500 Tablet Hands-On (via Engadget)

Iconia Tab A500 Tablet Hands-On (via Engadget)

The tablet also features Tegra 2 processor, and a gyroscope, which Acer claims would help it make an awesome tablet for gamers.

Verizon LTE multiplayer gaming on Acer's Iconia Tab (via Engadget)

Verizon LTE multiplayer gaming on Acer's Iconia Tab (via Engadget)

Here is an except of the official press release that tells more about its features:

Acer’s New ICONIA Tab A500 to Support Gamers and Mobile Consumers on the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Network

LAS VEGAS and BASKING RIDGE, N.J., Jan. 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Acer announced today that the new Acer ICONIA Tab A500 will be showcased with Verizon Wireless at the 2011 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), taking advantage of the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Mobile Broadband network.


Providing the backbone for the United States’ fastest, most advanced mobile network, Verizon Wireless 4G LTE ensures an improved end-user experience, including fast navigation and high-definition media streaming. The 4G LTE technology will be showcased on the ICONIA Tab A500 at the Verizon Wireless booth (#35216 in the South Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center) at CES with a live demo.

“Innovation is in our DNA,” said Campbell Kan, vice president of Acer’s Smart Handheld BU. “We are proud to once again offer users the most advanced technologies. With the ICONIA Tab A500 supporting 4G LTE, users will be able to wirelessly navigate, download or stream as seamlessly as they do with a wired connection. This is indeed another step toward a truly mobile Internet experience.”


Sleek, smart and full of innovative features, the ICONIA Tab A500 will be equipped with the latest highly intuitive Android OS and Acer UI 4.5 to reach a whole new level of interactivity. What’s more, the Clear.fi media sharing system will be preloaded on the device to easily access, play and share multimedia across the home network and to instantly publish updates to social media networks.


Designed for HD entertainment, this tablet comes with a high-resolution, high color contrast display, allowing users to play or share HD video with friends on the go. Complete with a built-in HDMI port and 1080p output, it may also be used to enjoy HD content in full HD on a big-screen TV or monitor.

The 10.1″ full capacitive touch screen ensures an optimal on-screen experience from every angle. Aluminum casing provides a cool look and feel, while its high-gloss finish decorated with an engraved pattern demonstrates subtle sophistication. Despite being just 13.3mm thick, it’s powerful enough to provide fun and productivity in any location.

One of the tablet’s most impressive features is its ability to run and play premium HD arcade games and complex online 3D games, thanks to the 10-point multi-touch and gyro meter control, which guarantees an entertainment experience on par with the best game consoles.

The ICONIA Tab A500 will be equipped with NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual core 1.0Ghz processor with Flash 10.1 support for optimized HD Web experience, 3D gaming and multimedia playback anywhere. For seamless communication, it also features the SkyCross antenna and ZTE LTE wireless module.

The availability and price of the tablet is yet to be revealed, but is expected to be released soon.

Microsoft Debuts Avatar Kinect for Xbox 360

Jan 092011
 

After getting an overwhelming response on the release on Xbox Kinect, Microsoft is here with another exciting feature for Xbox users. Steve Ballmer announced ‘Avatar Kinect’ at CES 2011 during Microsoft’s press briefing.

Microsoft's Ballmer delivers keynote at CES 2011

Steve Ballmer delivers keynote at CES 2011

Avatar Kinect is basically an Xbox 360 feature that allows users to act as their digital avatars on the screen using the Kinect for Xbox. It makes use of Xbox Kinect sensors to read the gestures and even the finer moments of smile and eyebrow. These gestures and motions are then replicated on the screen.

Avatar Kinect In Action (via Engadget)

Avatar Kinect In Action (via Engadget)

The idea is a superb, innovative one, you can hang up with friends on Avatar; join the virtual chatroom with other Kinect users over internet and much more. Microsoft describes the phenomena like this:

With Avatar Kinect, a player can invite up to seven friends to join them in one of 15 imaginative virtual environments to reflect their mood and inspire their conversations or performances. Arrive or leave sessions in style with unique animations like flying in with a jet pack, or snapping fingers to vanish. Players can also add cool animated and visual effects to creatively express their thought.

The Avatar Kinect is expected to be released this Spring, and the good thing is it would be available for free to all Xbox LIVE Gold members. Now that’s great, here is Avatar Kinect’s trailer to let you watch it in action!

Microsoft sold over 8 Million Kinect Sensors

Jan 052011
 

Steve Ballmer at CES just announced  that Microsoft sold 8 Million Kinect Sensors in first two months. Not only that but Microsoft also sold over 50 million XBox units world wide and outsold  PS3 and Wii for past 6 months in the United States. Way to go Microsoft?

avatar kinect

Microsoft also announced at CES today that Kinect will get “Avatar Kinect” which basically lets you use your avatar in motion.  Kinect at this point is a bit buggy when it comes to facial detection but over the time they are planning on fixing all the bugs.

Picture Credit: Engadget

Angry Birds for PS3 Will Be Released This Week

Jan 042011
 

Angry Birds for PS3 will be released this week says Ray Gutierrez from Playstation Blog.

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Angry Birds — The survival of the Angry Birds is at stake. Dish out revenge on the green pigs who stole the Birds’ eggs. Use the unique destructive powers of the Angry Birds to lay waste to the pigs’ fortified castles. Angry Birds features hours of gameplay, challenging physics-based castle demolition, and lots of replay value. Each of the 63 levels requires logic, skill, and brute force to crush the enemy.

We don’t know what the pricing for Angry Birds on PS3 will be, but it would be hard to imagine that it’s going to be Free like for Android smartphone owners.

DC Universe Online Coming Soon

Dec 232010
 

Finally, after all the waiting, DC Universe Online is going to be released on January 11th of 2011.  Let’s hope that this time around there are no delays and that the game will be released.  DC Universe Online is going to be for the PC and PS3.

The first delay came around November when Sony Online Entertainment announced the delay of the game from November 15th until sometime in 2011.  There were plenty of comic book geeks in the US have had a heart attack and started writing bomb threats, but now they can breathe easier knowing there will be a release in January, which is less than one month away.

DC Universe Online allows you to create a character from scratch, yes evil or good, and it’s quite a process.  You can get choose all the aspects of your character, including the powers and abilities.  As soon as your character is created, you will be matched up with others that have similar abilities and powers.  You will then be able to progress through the game earning upgrades and such.

There has been a trailer posted, here, and if that doesn’t get you in the mood to game online, I am not sure what will…well, maybe the newest World of Warcraft trailer.  The game will be subscription based, $14.99 reported,  so make sure you are ready to pay another monthly fee, even though I am sure it will be well worth it.

You can pick up the PC version for $49.99 and the PS3 version will be $59.99, but don’t fret, each game comes with a free 30 day subscription.  The PC version will be able to get full access to the game with your Sony Online’s all-in-one ‘Station Access’ subscription.

For the collector’s out there, a special edition will also be available that includes a statuette of Batman, a limited edition comic and art book to users of the PC and PS3 version.

N.O.V.A 2 for iPhone is Available on iTunes

Dec 162010
 

I just got used to playing N.O.V.A on Samsung Galaxy Tab , well now we got option to buy N.O.V.A 2 for iPhone via iTunes. That’s right folks N.O.V.A 2 is out on iTunes for $6.99 and it’s just awesome.

So what’s new with N.O.V.A 2 for iPhone?

N.O.V.A 2 for iPhone

BETTER, FASTER, STRONGER!
- Meet new enemies with improved AI! Volterites’ new tactics make the gyroscope controls ideal
- Master a larger range of weapons & powers
- Much more diversified gameplay: run, shoot, fall, drive a motorbike, pilot a giant mech, and blast a laser
- The more, the merrier, now with up to 10 players in 10 multiplayer maps
- Build a career and rise through the multiplayer leaderboard
- Explore new locations, offering amazing graphics, fully optimized for the Retina display
- Enjoyed the first N.O.V.A. – Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance? Be rewarded with extra bonuses.

AN UNPARALLELED SINGLE-PLAYER CAMPAIGN:
- 12 chapters taking you through hostile, yet amazing environments of various Orbitals
- Over a dozen weapons including the Dual Hand Guns, Assault Rifle, Shotgun, Automatic Shotgun, Sniper Rifle, Rocket Launcher, Grenade Launcher, Alien Plasma Gun, Alien Lightning Gun, Alien Laser Gun, Turrets, Frag Grenades and Mines
- 3 special powers: Freeze, Slow Time and Disc for melee combat
- A wide range of enemies with improved AI, for even more intense combats

INTENSE MULTIPLAYER MODES:
- 1~10 players online or locally
- 5 modes: Free for All, Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, Freeze Tag, and InstaGib
- Ranking & Perk systems
- 10 maps on which to battle it out
- Play against your friends or the entire world through Gameloft LIVE!
- Worldwide leaderboards in the game & on the official website, www.near-orbit-vanguard-alliance.com

EXCLUSIVE REWARDS FOR VETERAN PLAYERS
If you played the first episode:
- Jump into multiplayer with bonus XP, allowing you access to advanced weaponry
- Unlock a special achievement on Gameloft LIVE!

Is that enough? Smile well for the rest of the info on N.O.V.A 2 you can find on iTunes at this link. By the way don’t forget to share this with your followers and friends on Twitter and Facebook via two buttons above (Green, Blue)

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