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Earth's Special Forces is back again to push the limits of the Half-Life engine. Having decided to drop the use of BSP files that Half-Life uses, they are now using a newer system that allows for more polygons and textures. For those of you who have no idea what any of that means, it means "ooh, shiny!". Check out the before and after below (I don't think I need to tell you which is which):
As well as increasing the polygon limit to 70,000 per map, other benefits of using their new map system include higher resolution textures, virtually unlimited map sizes, and even as far as animated textures.
A while ago the ESF team also introduced us to their new animations, thanks to their animator Darktooth. With 35+ player models, and 200+ animations for each character, that equals out to be around over 9000! (actually around 7000) animations. To check just a few of them out, take a look at the below video:
In response to a possible class action lawsuit resulting from a recent round of Xbox Live bans, Microsoft has now asserted the legality of its position. A spokesperson has told the Financial Post that piracy is a violation of the company's terms of use and that Microsoft is "well within its legal rights" to ban users from its Xbox Live. It was reported earlier this month that the law firm AlbingtonIP is "investigating" the possibility of a class action lawsuit against Microsoft over the bans. The firm argues that timing of the bans -- shortly after the release of Halo 3: ODST and just prior to the launch of Modern Warfare 2 -- was designed to get as much money from Xbox Live subscriptions as possible. In other words, the firm believes that Microsoft personally waited for a time when many people -- modders in this case -- would be purchasing Live subscriptions for popular games -- money that probably wouldn't be refunded after a ban. Joystiq's Law of the Game columnist, Mark Methenitis, classified the suit as a likely "cash grab," explaining that anyone savvy enough to mod an Xbox would know to stay well away from Xbox Live. We might add that major releases, like ODST and Modern Warfare 2, are the biggest targets for piracy, and likely correspond with rises in illegal downloads. And that just might have something to do with the timing of the bans in question.
Console failure rates have been a common news item throughout the year, with numerous surveys out of the US suggesting that the problem was far greater than Sony, Nintendo and especially Microsoft would like to admit. In August, Game Informer magazine polled 5,000 subscribers and found that a whopping 54.2 percent had reported at least one broken Xbox 360. In September, electronics-warranty company SquareTrade corroborated the findings to a lesser scale, finding that of the 2,500 Xbox 360 consoles it analysed at random, 23.7 percent failed within two years of purchase. Now, a survey from CNET UK shows that the situation is similarly dire in the British Isles. The results from an online user-initiated poll of 1,128 UK-based console owners (of whom 562 owned Xbox 360s, 473 owned PlayStation 3s and 591 had Wiis, with some owning more than one) indicated that 60 percent of Xbox 360 owners had experienced terminal hardware failure of some sort, compared to 16 percent of PS3 owners and just 6 percent of Wii owners. More actual numbers at gamespot.com.
You can tell the recession is dramatically affecting folks all over the United States when stories about kidnappers forcing their detainee to buy them gaming consoles arise. That's exactly what Kyle Yarkosky is alleging that David Daniels and another unnamed suspect did to him, after forcing him at gunpoint into their vehicle, having him steal his stepfather's credit card, and then drive to the local Walmart where they made him buy them a PlayStation 3. Naples News reports that the suspected assailants entered the Pebblebrooke Lakes gated community in a white truck, with Yarkosky following behind on foot, said to be headed to "meet a friend." Instead, the truck allegedly stopped, with Daniels and "an Asian-looking man" exiting and ordering Yarkosky into their vehicle. The two suspects are said to have forced Yarkosky to steal his stepfather's credit card and drive to a local Walmart, where Daniels intended on having a gun purchased. When the gun counter was closed, he then requested Yarkosky purchase a PlayStation 3. According to reports, Daniels then told Yarkosky he was "free to go," thus ending the ordeal.
The Big M swung the banhammer fast and hard earlier this week, leaving as many as 1 million modded consoles without Xbox Live access, reports Information Week. It should be noted that this action comes on the heels of the release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, whose multiplayer functionality is expected to strain the online service substantially. The move may have been accelerated by the troubling number of pirated copies floating around the internet prior to its official launch on the 10th. In an official statement, Microsoft had this to say: “All consumers should know that piracy is illegal and that modifying their Xbox 360 console to play pirated discs violates the Xbox Live terms of use, will void their warranty, and result in a ban from Xbox Live.” At last count, Microsoft’s Xbox Live service boasts an impressive 20 million members, but it’s unclear how many are premium Gold level members as opposed to the free Silver service. Either way, cutting down 1 million players is a substantial chunk of the audience.
GamingUnion.net has prepared a two part interview for later today, and tomorrow, with Silicon Knights president, Denis Dyack speaking on such issues as video game piracy, the injustice of used video game sales, and what digital distribution will do to the industry as we know it. Likely the most debatable issue discussed, used game sales, was a particularly interesting point of discussion.
Seven years ago today, Microsoft launched Xbox Live for the original Xbox. Although the online service did not get off to a hot start, its popularity soared with the release of the popular Halo 2. Xbox Live only went up from there with the launch of the Xbox 360. At last count, there were more than 20 million active users on the online service with as many as 2 million logging in simultaneously. Xbox Live constantly evolved throughout the years with new upgrades and Microsoft isn’t planning to stop anytime soon. The latest Xbox Live update will be available on November 17th and will add Facebook, Twitter and Last.fm support.
Star Trek Online officially beams into retail on February 2, 2010, keeping in line with what an unearthed Atari financial document expected last May. Players will boldly enter 2409 and continue "the story of the latest film installment," according to the press release. Huh, and here we thought it took place after the poorly-received Nemesis and not the "latest" Star Trek movie, which was actually the acclaimed reboot. We contacted Atari to find out which layer of the sci-fi series' multiverse we'll be playing in and a representative apologized for the confusion, saying , "Events in the movie that happened in the prime timeline -- the destruction of Romulus, and the disappearance of Spock and Nero -- have affected STO. You can learn more about the aftermath of these events in the Path to 2409 and in STO itself."
UK supermarket Sainsburys is offering Activision's new shooter for less than half the suggested retail price starting tomorrow.
It's looking like UK console gamers are going to get a pretty substantial break tomorrow when supermarket chain Sainsburys opens for business. According to various reports (via MCVUK) the stores will be selling Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 on console for less than half the suggested retail price. Originally, Activision set the pricing at a steep 55GBP (roughly $92) for the regular edition of the game.
This morning however, websites based in the UK imploded with the news that Sainsburys is going to offer the regular version of Modern Warfare 2 for a skinny 26GBP (roughly $43).
From midnight tonight the supermarket will offer Infinity Ward's latest shooter for an astonishing 26GBP – a price well under half the 55GBP RRP.
Upon phoning a Sainsbury's store this morning, before MCV had even named the game we wanted to know the price of, we were told by a representative of a Hampshire location: "26GBP. Call of Duty, right? You're about the tenth person to call this morning. I spent all day yesterday taking these calls.
"We didn't actually know the price until today – we were told it was secret. But it's advertised in the papers this morning so now we know."
While some sources indicate that this price cut will only last until the first batch of stock is sold, it's going to be interesting to see if other retail outlets jump on the bandwagon and try to price match. One thing's for sure -- gamers that have pre-ordered the game at other retailers for the suggested price are not going to be happy.
With the launch of the 360, I made the transition from PC gamer to console gamer, and I haven't looked back. While there are definite advantages to PC gaming in terms of graphics and customizablity, to me, the ease and consistency of console gaming is much more important than the benefits PC gaming offers. I'm glad to be able to just play without having to think about the difference between system requirements and system recommendations, whether my graphics card is compatible, whether the install will screw up my system registry, etc. But, on the negative side of the ledger, I miss mods a lot. So Valve's plan/vision to bring user-created levels and mission to the 360 version of Left 4 Dead is tantalizing to me. It's the best of both zombie-filled-worlds. "Just put all the PC mods up on Live!" I've thought to myself (I have a rich inner life.) Apparently, it isn't that simple. According to Valve's Chet Faliszek, mods currently aren't "standard" enough to run consistently on the 360, or even lower-end PC. "One of the problems now when you look at a lot of the mods that are made is they can't run on low-end PCs, they can't even run on mid-end PCs often - they can only run on high-end PCs. They can't run on Xbox 360," Faliszek said. This doesn't mean it's not going to happen, of course. Bringing mods to the 360 is still in Valve's sights. Faliszek says the company is planning to work with the mod community, maybe at some point after Left 4 Dead 2 comes out on November 17th. "The coolest thing we could ever do would be to take something that was made by the community and share it with everybody - including Xbox 360 owners," Faliszek said. "How that happens and what work needs to be done is a little bit complicated."
In an effort to gain traction in the growing social gaming and digital spaces, Electronic Arts announced today a $300 million dollar deal to acquire developer Playfish, a company that focuses on creating games for the Facebook, iPhone and Android platforms, among many others. "Social gaming, with its emphasis on friends and community, is seeing tremendous growth and this is the right time to invest to strengthen our participation in this space," said Barry Cottle, Senior Vice President and General Manager of EA Interactive. "EAi has been successfully leading the charge for EA, and with the addition of proven expertise from Playfish, their broad consumer base and strong game brands, we're moving ahead aggressively in our plans to lead in the category of cross-platform social entertainment." Playfish currently has over 150 million games installed and played worldwide, and has over 60 million monthly active players across ten of its biggest titles, including: Pet Society, Restaurant City, and Country Story available on Facebook. "The industry is undergoing dramatic transformation and joining EA is the ideal opportunity for us to push forward our goals to lead in the social entertainment evolution on a faster and much larger scale," said Kristian Segerstrale, CEO and Co-founder of Playfish. "EAi's vision and entrepreneurial culture are consistent with our own, and together, we are in position to be the company that defines new and innovative connected experiences that will change the way people play games."
A video game company is donating $1 million on Tuesday to set up a foundation to help [American] veterans find employment, organizers announced. Activision Blizzard, which produces the popular Guitar Hero and Tony Hawk franchises, said its Call of Duty Endowment (CODE) will support other groups that assist veterans with their careers. Unemployment may have hit double digits in the nation last week, but for veterans, finding a job has always had its challenges. The unemployment rate among people who served in the military since 2001 was 11.6 percent in October, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
GameSpot reports that a man has sued Sony, Sony Online Entertainment and Sony Computer Entertainment of America, contending the company violates the Americans with Disabilities Act for not making its virtual worlds more easily navigable by the visually impaired. The nature of Alexander Stern's visual impairment isn't clear from the report, whether that is total blindness or partial blindness, or some other form of sight disability. But his suit, filed in federal court in California, claims that Sony has ignored repeated requests to modify its games - the suit seems to focus on SOE's MMOs - and that the realms Sony maintains here are essentially public accommodations as defined by the ADA. Stern repeatedly asked Sony for the addition of visual cues to point out destinations for gamers with "disability impaired visual processing." The suit mentions World of Warcraft and another game that, through the allowance of third-party modifications or other features, make their games more accessible to the visually impaired.
A New York company named Virtusphere, Inc. has created a virtual reality experience they call the Virtusphere. The Virtusphere is a 10-foot hollow sphere - big enough to contain a person. Virtusphere, Inc. calls the large sphere a locomotion platform that allows users to be completely immersed into their interactive virtual experience. The person wears a wireless, head-mounted display. The person feels as if they are moving in the virtual reality world as they walk inside the sphere. The company believes its device would work great in theme parks. They are also marketing it to the U.S. Department of Defense.
In little over a month, Windows 7 will officially launch starting at $120 and $200 for their respective Upgrade and Full versions. If you're a college or university student, however, Microsoft has a much sweeter deal in store. Starting today through January 3 next year, anyone with a valid .edu email address can purchase the upgrade version of either Windows 7 Home Premium or Professional for just $29.99.
The operating system will be offered as a download through Digital River, a company which specializes in downloadable software, on October 22. Copies are restricted to one download per email address and you'll have to choose between the 32 OR 64-bit versions.
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