Mad Catz Reveals Range of Licensed Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier Products

Mad Catz Interactive, Inc. announced today a new range of licensed Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier products, due for release to coincide with the upcoming Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier videogame from Ubisoft, expected to launch in May 2012.

Nintendo WiiU Hardware Less Powerful Than Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3: Developers

Although Nintendo's next-generation WiiU game console can drive 1080p graphics, developers familiar with its hardware specifications say its hardware is not even as powerful as that of current-generation Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. "No, it's not up to the same level as the PS3 or the 360," one of the developers who spoke with GamesIndustry Internation said "The graphics are just not as powerful," they reiterated. Another developer, working for another company backed this view. "Yeah, that's true. It doesn't produce graphics as well as the PS3 or the 360," said the source. This should let us in on Nintendo's focus with the WiiU: gameplay mechanics over visual details. 

Sony May Launch PlayStation 4 in 2012 – Rumours

Sony Computer Entertainment has reportedly began to negotiate with contract manufacturers of electronics in a bid to start production of its next-generation PlayStation 4 video game console late this year with the plan to launch the device in 2012.
Foxconn Electronics and Pegatron Technology, according to a market rumour published by DigiTimes web-site, will start production of the PlayStation 4 game console featuring movement-based control like Kinect at the end of 2011 for launch in 2012. Sony reportedly wants to release at least 20 million PS4 units in 2012.

ASRock Announces New Motherboards Based on AMD 9-Series Chipset

AMD’s latest AM3+ processors are a shot in the arm for PCs, delivering start of the art processing at unmatched performance. ASRock superior AMD 9 series motherboards have been designed to support the new-gen AM3+ processors, while still retaining backward compatible with AM3 processors and unprecedentedly implementing support for SLI technology. To bring the best kit to users, ASRock has thrown everything you could want from the new-gen AMD 9 series motherboards. The innovative features include the ASRock signature XFast USB, On/Off Play Technology, Graphical UEFI, All-in-one AXTU program, and so on.


Unleash The Maximum PC Power : 990FX Extreme4
ASRock 990FX Extreme4 motherboard is ASRock’s top-of-the-range model. Powered by AMD 990FX and SB950 chipsets, this board features Premium Gold Caps, advanced V8 + 2 Power Phase Design and multi-GPU options. ASRock AMD 9 series mainboards also allow users to easily unleash their system's hidden USB performance with ASRock’s innovative XFast USB Technology. Designed for the next generation computing, this board still supports AM3+ socket and is compatible of 8-Core series processors.

Do you desire to make SLI technology running on AMD motherboard? Well, ASRock 990FX Extreme4 allows users to take advantages of both CrossFireX and SLI technologies. We always give you more than you expected!

Performance Gear - 970 Extreme4
Meanwhile, ASRock also introduces another great motherboard: 970 Extreme4. Based on 970 chipset, this board is marked by its versatile solutions. To name a few, 3 PCI Express slots cater for multi-GPU settings, manageable smart switches and Dr. Debug, offering flexible options which will appeal to DIY users. Beside its onboard equipments, this board also features superior software tools such as mouse-controllable Graphical UEFI, XFast USB that optimizes USB transfer speed performance and On/Off Play technology.

What makes this board becomes more distinctive; however, it’s the SLI technology. The ASRock 970 Extreme4 is the first AMD 970 motherboard supporting Nvidia SLI technology in the world! With a wide range of prominent functions, advanced DIY users should not miss 970 Extreme4!

970 Extreme4
The latest ASRock AMD 9 series motherboards come with a bucketful of technologies aimed at delivering the ultimate PC experience.

source: www.techpowerup.com

Toshiba Unveils Qosmio X770 and X770 3D Gaming Laptops

Toshiba's Digital Products Division (DPD), a division of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., today announced U.S. retail pricing and availability for the Qosmio X770 and Qosmio X770 3D series of high-performance laptops. Most ideal for demanding visual tasks like gaming and media creation, these laptops feature a high-performance blend of processor technologies from Intel and NVIDIA, while delivering ultra-fast components, entertainment-focused features and 3D technology for consumers looking for maximum mobile performance. Starting at $1,199 MSRP , the Qosmio X770 and Qosmio X770 3D Series are available at participating retailers later this month.

"Qosmio represents Toshiba's ability to make cutting-edge mobile computing technologies more accessible to the mass market," said Carl Pinto, vice president of product development, Toshiba America Information Systems, Digital Products Division. "With the Qosmio X770 and Qosmio X770 3D laptops, gamers, content creators and multimedia enthusiasts will be able to enjoy the latest HD content with amazing audio, even in vivid stereoscopic 3D."

Qosmio X770 – Serious Power for Serious Gaming and HD Media
Qosmio X770 laptops are equipped with powerful processors, ultra-fast components and latest-generation technologies to meet the needs of consumers demanding more performance from their portable PC. One of the first laptops to feature the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M graphics processor with 1.5GB of discrete graphics memory plus battery-saving Optimus technology, the Qosmio X770 is able to handle demanding DirectX 11 games with ease while delivering plenty of performance for media creation apps. Offering a choice of 2nd Generation Intel Core i5 or i7 processors , configurations are available with up to 8GB RAM3, plenty of ports, including a USB 3.0 port , plus hard drive storage options scaling up to 1 terabyte.

Featuring a 17.3-inch diagonal HD+ TruBrite LED backlit display , the Qosmio X770 features built-in premium harman/kardon speakers and subwoofer tuned with sound enhancement technologies from Dolby and MaxxAudio 3 by Waves Audio. Dressed in a premium Fusion X2 finish and a raised-tile keyboard enhanced with red LED backlighting, the Qosmio X770 delivers distinctive and durable styling that is sure to turn heads. The laptop features a full range of Toshiba "Smart" features, including USB Sleep & Charge and Toshiba Sleep & Music , enhancing the laptop's capabilities to power up smartphones and sound to MP3 players while powered down. Additional configuration options include a Blu-ray Disc player and Bluetooth v3.0.


Qosmio X770 3D - Gaming in the Third Dimension
The Qosmio X770 3D, featuring NVIDIA 3D Vision technology , offers full stereoscopic 3D entertainment for gaming, movies, photos and more. Featuring a 17.3-inch diagonal 120Hz 3D-ready, 1080p HD TruBrite LED backlit display7, this laptop includes a pair of wireless active shutter glasses for out-of-the-box 3D enjoyment, plus essential components for Blu-ray 3D playback, 2D-to-3D movie conversion , plus output to a 3DTV, the Qosmio X770 3D delivers a full suite of 3D enjoyment.

Offering the same high-end processors, components and styling featured in the Qosmio X770, the Qosmio X770 3D maxes out the platform even further with a 1.25 terabyte hard drive6 with Hybrid Drive technology, plus a Blu-ray Disc Rewriteable drive9. The Qosmio X775 3D carries as MSRP of $1,899.99 MSRP.

source: www.techpowerup.com

PowerColor HD 6850 Silent Graphics Card

Perhaps the fastest silent graphics card in the making, PowerColor's new HD 6850 SCS3 finally taken shape, and will launch soon. The card was spotted first in November 2010, but has since undergone many little changes, particularly with its PCB and components. The card is designed to draw power from one 6-pin power connector, and run the GPU at reference speeds, while relying entirely on a massive heatsink to cool it. The heatsink uses five copper heat pipes to draw heat directly from the GPU, and through the large aluminum fin array. The HD 6850 features 960 stream processors, and 1 GB of GDDR5 memory over a 256-bit wide memory interface.

source:  www.techpowerup.com

ASUS P6Z68-V Pro Pictured, Detailed

Pictures of ASUS' upcoming upper-mid range LGA1155 motherboard based on the Intel Z68 chipset, the P8Z68-V Pro surfaced on Chinese websites, revealing what comes across as a blend of P8P67's feature-set, and P8H67's display connectivity (which is what Z68 is all about). The new board makes use of a 14-phase Digi+ VRM to power the CPU. Highlights include CPU overclocking features driven by the UEFI BIOS, coupled with Intel Flexible Display Interface, letting you make use of the processor's embedded Intel HD 3000 graphics with Intel QuickSync accelerated video encoding. Further, the board is Lucid Virtu certified, letting you use (and switch between, depending on graphics load) both the integrated and discrete graphics simultaneously, and saving power in the process.

Expansion slots include two PCI-Express 2.0 x16 (electrical x8 with both populated), one PCI-Express x16 (electrical x4), two PCI-Express x1, and two PCI. This wholesome expansion area is backed by a wealth of connectivity options, including four SATA 6 Gb/s ports (two from PCH, two from Marvell controller), four SATA 3 Gb/s internal, and one eSATA 3 Gb/s; display connectivity that includes one each of dual-link DVI, D-Sub, and HDMI 1.4a; 8-channel HD audio with optical SPDIF output; four USB 3.0 (two internal/by header), a number of USB 2.0 ports, FireWire (by header), Bluetooth, and gigabit Ethernet. A number of overclocking features found on P8P67 series motherboards are present.

source: www.techpowerup.com

PowerColor Officially Launches First HD 6850 Single-Slot Graphics Card

TUL Corporation, a leading manufacturer of AMD graphics cards, today announces the first-to-market video card: the PowerColor HD 6850 single slot edition. The first available HD6850 single slot edition aims to fulfill the desire of performance and multi-function seekers when space is a premium.

The PowerColor HD 6850 single slot edition clocks in at 775MHz core speed and 1000MHz memory speed; accelerating gaming speed with 1.48 teraFLOPs of computing Power. The slim HD6850 can maximize the rig’s performance in a single slot design, allowing a 4 way CrossFireX layout that delivers an out-of-box HD gaming experience like no other.

The PowerColor HD6850 single slot edition also takes advantage of PowerColor’s Platinum Power Kit, utilizing 100% SMT type components: Volterra, Poscap and Proadlizer, enhancing the stability and efficiency for top-tier gaming performance. Furthermore, the latest edition uses the exquisite thermal design, mounting 3 units of 8mm heat pipes with a full cover cooling plate, dissipating heat from its large pure copper base. These features enable a cool entertainment experience when space is at a premium. 
source: www.techpowerup.com

ZOTAC Readies New Monster GeForce GTX 580 Graphics Card

Known for coming up with innovative new high-end non-reference graphics cards for overclocking, ZOTAC is treating the GeForce GTX 580 GPU to a strong VRM and cooling to aim to be every overclocker's desire. To begin with, the card uses a strong 18-phase VRM to power the GTX 580. Power is drawn from two 8-pin power connectors, and is conditioned by the VRM that occupies a large part of the PCB including the rear portion and a top portion that's protruding above the full-height limit. The VRM uses high-grade MOSFETs, server-class capacitors, and proadlizers to condition power. The source notes that the VRM can handle up to 500W load.

To cool the beast, there are two heatsinks, first is the component heatsink that is spread across the length of the card, cooling VRM and memory; and the primary heatsink, which is a massive aluminum fin array to which heat is fed by six 6 mm thick heat pipes. The heatsink is ventilated by two 120 mm fans. The card is overclocked out of the box, with the core running at 850 MHz, 1700 MHz CUDA cores, and 1100 MHz (4.40 GHz effective) memory. Display connectivity includes two DVI and one each of HDMI and DisplayPort. You can use two connectors at a time. There's no info on pricing and availability, though ZOTAC is known for releasing such specialty products in Asian markets only.
source: www.techpowerup.com

James Bond: Blood Stone review

This holiday season, gamers will have the chance to play an all-new James Bond experience, Activision Publishing announced Friday. Penned by Goldeneye screenwriter Bruce Feirstein, James Bond 007: Blood Stone is a third-person shooter, featuring the likeness and voice talent of Daniel Craig, Judi Dench and leading Bond girl Joss Stone.

Activision Publishing’s Head of Marketing for Licensed Properties David Pokress said in Friday’s press release:

“James Bond 007: Blood Stone captures the cinematic intensity of a Bond film by immersing players in an intriguing conspiracy that will require them to think and act like James Bond. In addition, the game will feature a diverse array of multi-player modes and debut strategic objective-based gameplay that will allow Xbox 360, PS3 and PC players to battle as teams of spies and mercenaries through authentic Bond locales.”

Players will experience cover-based firefights, hand-to-hand combat, driving sequences and more as they embark on a global chase across land and sea from Athens to Bangkok. Blood Stone will also feature a 16-person multiplayer mode where spies battle mercenaries.

Developed by Bizarre Creations, James Bond 007: Blood Stone will be available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC this holiday season. An original DS game by n-Space is also under development.

COD BLACK OPS Review

Suddenly the Cold War Is a Cool Event

A screen shot from Call of Duty: Black Ops from Activision, in which players fight around the world in the cold war. The game shattered the industry’s one-day sales record when it was released on Tuesday.
By SETH SCHIESEL
Published: November 12, 2010

I never play games twice. But Call of Duty: Black Ops has made a very happy liar out of me.

As soon as I finished Black Ops the other night on my PC, I got up, walked out of my computer den, went into the living room, fired up my Xbox 360, plopped down in my big, overstuffed chair and started all over again.

I wanted to try to assassinate Fidel Castro during the Bay of Pigs invasion again. And break out of a Soviet prison camp in the Arctic again. And pilot a gunboat through the Mekong Delta again, shooting up sampans while listening to “Sympathy for the Devil.” Black Ops glistens with such moments. The cold war was never so much fun.

Exciting, intense and engrossing, Black Ops has immediately become the definitive contemporary first-person shooter (although if you want to shoot aliens rather than Russians, Halo: Reach is your game). Black Ops, published by Activision, does not really innovate, but it doesn’t have to. Rather, it reflects a keen intelligence and a rigorous, disciplined understanding of each individual element of modern game design and production. Just as important, it then executes and delivers on each of those elements in a way that demonstrates how well oiled a game-making machine Robert A. Kotick, Activision’s chief executive, has created.

When you compare how Activision has managed and built the Call of Duty franchise with how its main rival, Electronic Arts, failed to compete with its recent shooter Medal of Honor, it becomes clear why Activision is the top publisher in gaming today.

A little background: the Call of Duty franchise was created for Activision by a development studio called Infinity Ward and was originally set during World War II. The series was quite successful in its first incarnation but took a leap forward in both setting and popularity with the introduction of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare in 2007. On the strength of Modern Warfare and Modern Warfare 2, Infinity Ward became a very hot property. Meanwhile, Treyarch came to be known as the Call of Duty “backup” studio, working on less ambitious titles in the series like Call of Duty: World at War.

This stew of money, ego and creative control finally boiled over with some of the main people from Infinity Ward ending up in a legal battle with Activision. The upshot was that Infinity Ward’s key people left (and struck a publishing deal with Activision’s competitor Electronic Arts), and the Call of Duty franchise remained in Activision’s control, with Treyarch at its helm.

So the question was whether Treyarch could truly step up and deliver a Call of Duty game as finely honed as Modern Warfare 2. If not, Mr. Kotick would have been seen to have made a colossal mistake by alienating the original team at Infinity Ward.

But for now, Mr. Kotick’s haters (including the Cuban news media,upset over depictions of assassination attempts on Mr. Castro) will have to wait for another day to enjoy his comeuppance. That is because Black Ops, which shattered the gaming industry’s one-day sales record when it was released on Tuesday, makes almost no mistakes. The action is taut and compelling. The overall tone of storytelling is both witty and mature. The fighting comes first, but Black Ops is populated by one of the most interesting casts of characters you’ll see in a running-and-gunning game. (In short, an American special forces killer and what you think is a Soviet dissident soldier appear to make common cause against their venal leaders on both sides; plot twists ensue.)

The game’s core-level design and artificial intelligence scripting are seamless. Some players have complained that the PC multiplayer version suffers from programming faults that make the game’s frame rate stutter, but I did not have any of those problems. Meanwhile, playing Black Ops in 3-D on a suitable television is a revelation. (In a gesture of intercompany detente, I played in 3-D on an Xbox 360 and a glorious Sony television; the combination worked flawlessly.)

Black Ops is what happens when a creative company is at the top of its game. I may even play it a third time.

source: www.nytimes.com