Author - boothby

LucasArts Announces Old PC Titles Will Available via Steam

2009/07/06
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News


Remember the Twitter discussions over the weekend on the upcoming LucasArts announcement for Monday (today)? We have just received word that the company has announced they are unleashing a large number of their old PC titles to Valve’s Steam system beginning on July 8th.

The first round of games to the service will consist of:
* Armed and Dangerous™
* Indiana Jones® and the Fate of Atlantis
* Indiana Jones® and the Last Crusade: The Graphic Adventure
* LEGO® Indiana Jones: The Original Adventure
* LOOM™
* Star Wars Battlefront® II
* Star Wars Republic Commando®
* Star Wars Starfighter™
* The Dig®
* Thrillville®: Off the Rails™

Personally, I was hoping for a full-fledged sequel to an older PC title. This is a bit of a let-down. Hopefully, LucasArts has heard our pleas and is working on something big for us in the near-future.

Windows 7 Beta Shutdowns Start Today

2009/07/01
boothby
News

So you are going about your business, playing a rousing game of whatever on your gaming rig running Windows 7 and wham! Your PC turns off, what gives? Well, chances are you are running the beta version of Windows 7, which begins automatically shutting down every couple of hours today. Your beta license has expired and it is suggested that you install Windows 7 RC1 instead. However, be warned that that version will begin doing the same thing on March 1st of next year.

Batman: Arkham Asylum PC Achievements Released

2009/06/29
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If you are a PC gamer planning to pick up Batman: Arkham Asylum on August 25th on both PC and Xbox 360 platforms, you may want to take a look at the list of Games for Windows LIVE achievements released today. The game features 47 of them, totaling in the magic amount 1,000 gamerscore points. We can only assume that the Xbox 360 version will have the same achievements, but will await on totally confirming this until that list is released.

Via Xbox360Achievements

VUZIX Announces AV310 – 16×9 Stereoscopic 3D Video Eyewear

2009/06/25
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News


Vuzix has taken the lid off of its AV310 video eyewear system. Capable of recreating a simulated 52-inch, 16×9 screen right in front of your eyes, the AV310 can grab video from just about anything with a component output (hello Xbox 360!) or even your iPhone 3G. Most incredibly is that the AV310 is capable of producing those cool stereoscopic 3D images you see in the 3D IMAX movies and whatnot. So, when 3D versions of your favorite flicks hit the consumer market you will not be out of luck.

Official Release:
Vuzix is pleased to announce the AV310, the world’s first true 16 x 9 widescreen video eyewear, is fully compatible with the new iPhone 3Gs and all major 3-D video… (cont.)
(cont.) …formats. Users are able to access all their 2-D and 3-D video content stored on the iphone and view it on the AV310’s simulated 52-inch big screen.

Equally as important is the AV310’s ability to display all major 3-D content formats. As 3-D reemerges as a major video format, consumers are now demanding that their products be compatible with the content formats and hardware of the future.

New Halo: ODST Screenshots Drop in for Your Enjoyment

2009/06/18
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News


Bungie has released some new screenshots from its upcoming Halo 3 expansion, Halo: ODST. Due out September 22nd on the Xbox 360, we learned during Microsoft’s E3 press conference that if you purchase the expansion you will be eligible to take part in the multiplayer beta test for the next big Halo project – Halo: Reach.

Check out the three new screenshots After the Break…because Sgt. Johnson says so and you better listen up as he will be a playable character in the upcoming expansion! *UPDATE: He is playable only if you pre-order ODST and only in one of the new multiplayer modes.

Halo: ODST Declared Winner in Hording Post-E3 Consumer Interest

2009/06/17
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News

Nielsen Company blog, the Nielsen Wire, reports that in the study they did measuring Post-E3 consumer purchase interest of a variety of software products, Halo: ODST was on top of the heap. The upcoming Halo 3 expansion scored a 53% rating. This was followed up by God of War III which garnered 49% interest. One surprising finding is that the Beatles: Rock Band only garnered 30% of post-E3 consumer interest.

The full list (with release date and % interest):
53% – Halo ODST (9/22/09)
49% – God of War III (March 2010)
45% – Wii Sports Resort (7/28/09)
42% – Guitar Hero 5 (9/1/09)
37% – Final Fantasy XIII (April 2010)
35% – Madden 2010 (8/14/09)
34% – Guitar Hero: Van Halen (12/1/09)
32% – Assassins Creed 2 (11/17/09)
32% – Need for Speed: Shift (9/22/09)
32% – Need for Speed: Nitro (10/17/09)
32% – NCAA Football 10 (7/14/09)
30% – Beatles Rock Band (9/8/09)

Via NielsenWire

StarForce Talks Comeback – Gamers Everywhere Feel Disturbance in the Force

2009/06/16
boothby
News

If you think saying that ‘StarForce is attempting a comeback’ sounds cool, think again. StarForce is not some uber-secret space fighter squadron spreading Democracy and freedom across the cosmos, oh no! It is, instead, a vilified (and rightfully so) DRM scheme which installed a malware-like driver onto user’s PCs which did not go away just because the original game was uninstalled. Worse yet, the system did not even work properly as it was only a matter of time before crackers figured out workarounds. It is yet another example of how DRM hurts honest consumers. And now they are coming back, at least, according to a recent interview with GamaSutra.

From the Interview:
‘Why do you think StarForce’s new anti-piracy measures will rebuild the company’s reputation?

I think that new products, excellent customer service, and the right combination between publisher and customer needs will help. We have seriously worked on our errors and offered new solutions. Now we need to receive more feedback to be able to say something specific and continue with improvements. But based on our Russian and Eastern European experiences, both publishers and customers are very delighted with our new steps.’