Category: Games

Angry Birds Go! is now available for all smartphones

Mobile gaming giant Rovio has launched its latest title on Android and iOS today. Anry Birds Go is a free “kart” racer based in the Angry Birds universe, featuring feathered friends from the popular artillery shooter. If you’ve played Mario Kart or any similar titles you’ll know what to expect here — fast-paced 3D racing with a focus on power-ups and weapons, featuring familiar characters (birds and pigs, in this case.) There’s a variety of game modes to choose from besides a straight-up race to the finish, including Time Boom, Fruit Splat, Champion Chase and Mega Match.

Free-to-play is problematic for Rovio, partly because of its generous approach to updates for previous Angry Birds titles – if you paid 59p for the original game in 2011, you were still getting new levels for it in 2013 – and partly because of the large number of children who play the Angry Birds games.

On either front, if Angry Birds Go’s in-app purchase prodding is too aggressive it’ll spark a big backlash. The game is out today for iOS, Android, Windows Phone and BlackBerry 10 – one of the first games to hit all four platforms on its launch day – so how has Rovio done? Pretty well on all counts.
➤ Angry Birds Go: iOS | Android | Windows Phone | BlackBerry 10

Angry Birds Go! obviously isn’t a Mario Kart killer, given that the games exist on completely different devices. The wider threat of a growing number of children spending their gaming time with Angry Birds rather than Mario, Pokemon, Link and co is a separate (and often heated) discussion, but for now the two karting games aren’t going head-to-head.

Angry Birds Go! is great fun now, with plenty of potential for evolution in 2014 and beyond. A few tweaks to the in-app purchases aside, it’ll be raising eyebrows for positive, not negative reasons.

Dec 11, 2013
Watch Dogs Delayed to Spring 2014

Ubisoft has announced that Watch Dogs have been delayed which was previously set for Ubisoft’s current fiscal year (which ends on March 31, 2014) but will now be released in the following fiscal year instead.

In a conference call this morning, Ubisoft said it expects Watch Dogs to be released in the first quarter of its fiscal year (between April 1 and June 30, 2014).

Ubisoft posted the following statement from the Watch Dogs development team on the Ubisoft Blog:

“Our ambition from the start with Watch Dogs has been to deliver something that embodies what we wanted to see in the next-generation of gaming. It is with this in mind that we’ve made the tough decision to delay the release until spring 2014.

We know a lot of you are probably wondering: Why now? We struggled with whether we would delay the game. But from the beginning, we have adopted the attitude that we will not compromise on quality. As we got closer to release, as all the pieces of the puzzle were falling into place in our last push before completion, it became clear to us that we needed to take the extra time to polish and fine tune each detail so we can deliver a truly memorable and exceptional experience.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you. We thoroughly enjoy and appreciate the way you respond on the web, at events, press conferences and other opportunities we have to interact. Your passion keeps us motivated.

We can’t wait to see you in Chicago next spring. We are confident you’ll love this game as much as we love working on it.”

Ubisoft also released the following separate statement from CEO Yves Guillemot:

“Our long term goal is to win the next generation. The tough decisions we are taking today to fully realize the major potential of our new creations have an impact on our short-term performance. We are convinced that, longer term, they will prove to be the right decisions both in terms of satisfaction for our fans and in terms of value creation for our shareholders. We are building franchises that will become perennial pillars of Ubisoft’s financial performance. In a context of growing successes for mega-blockbusters, the additional time given to the development of our titles will allow them to fulfill their huge ambitions and thus offer players even more exceptional experiences.

Fueled by strong momentum for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, calendar 2014 will see the return of growth to the console market. Combined with the quality of our line-up and our strong financial situation, this growth will allow us to achieve record operating income in fiscal 2014-15 and 2015-16.”

Oct 16, 2013
Valve Announce SteamOS powered by Linux

Valve has lifted the lid on the first of it’s three announcements and it’s a corker: say hello to SteamOS…

Yep, you read that right: Valve are to release their own Linux-powered operating system.

The OS “combines the rock-solid architecture of Linux with a gaming experience built for the big screen,” according to the announcement. In-house streaming to a TV, similar to what’s used in Nvidia’s Shield, is a feature of the OS.

Why an operating system? “As we’ve been working on bringing Steam to the living room, we’ve come to the conclusion that the environment best suited to delivering value to customers is an operating system built around Steam itself,” the company’s announcement reads. Valve says that by working at the operating system level, they’ve managed to improve graphics performance, and can also improve audio and reduce controller latency.

Valve are pitching SteamOS as being the heart of their plans for living room (read: Steambox console) gaming, saying:

SteamOS combines the rock-solid architecture of Linux with a gaming experience built for the big screen.”

Valve also emphasises SteamOS’s openness—it’s not the closed system you find on consoles. Users can “can alter or replace any part of the software or hardware they want,” and hardware manufacturers are free to “iterate in the living room at a much faster pace.”

Steam is not a one-way content broadcast channel, it’s a collaborative many-to-many entertainment platform, in which each participant is a multiplier of the experience for everyone else. With SteamOS, “openness” means that the hardware industry can iterate in the living room at a much faster pace than they’ve been able to. Content creators can connect directly to their customers. Users can alter or replace any part of the software or hardware they want. Gamers are empowered to join in the creation of the games they love. SteamOS will continue to evolve, but will remain an environment designed to foster these kinds of innovation.

Steam OS will be available for anyone to download and install on their computers for free, as well as ‘freely licensable’ for manufacturers to install on PCs.

Official Mini-site : http://store.steampowered.com/livingroom/SteamOS/

Sep 23, 2013
How to manually Install/uninstall PunkBuster for any game

These simple steps will solves your errors like “punkbuster not initialized” for games like COD 4 or Battlefield.

The following method will uninstall, clean and reinstall punkbuster files:

1) First of all, download pbsvc ( http://www.evenbalance.com/downloads/pbsvc/pbsvc.exe ), run it and select “un-install/remove punkbuster”.

2) pbsvc is now uninstalling punkbuster and if everything is ok, you will have “OK ” in green at the end of every process pbsvc will do.

3) Now, we’re going to clean the old punkbuster files by deleting the pb directory in your game directory. This way, they will have not any punkbuster files remaining on your computer
delete the “PB” folder in your game directory
example:
Battlefield Bad Company 2 : C:\Program Files\EA Games\Battlefield Bad Company 2
Call of Duty 4 Modern Warfare : C:\Program Files\Activision\Call of Duty 4 – Modern Warfare
Call of Duty World at War : C:\Program Files\Activision\Call of Duty – World at War

4) Now that your computer is clean, we’re going to install punkbuster by running pbsvc again by selecting this time “Install/Re-install Punkbuster service”. Click “Next”.

5) everything should be ok, you will have “OK ” in green at the end of every process pbsvc will do. Just click “Next ” again.

6) When it’s finished the following message appears “Tests completed successfully without error”. If you don’t get this message, go to your firewall settings and be sure to allow “pnkbstrA.exe ” and “pnkbstrB.exe ” ( Allowing these process in your firewall wil also solve problems like “PnkbstrB heartbeats stopped etc…”.

7)Be sure to Restart your computer to finish the reinstallation process.

Now if you are still having problem, just update manually your punkbuster:

1) Download pbsetup.

2) Extract pbsetup from the zip in a random folder( do it, psetup needs temporary files to work correctly )double-click pb setup, windows will probably ask you if you want to allow the program, just allow it and then click “I Agree” at the Punkbuster End user License Agreement.

3) Click “Ok” at the update request.

4) The following windows appears:

5) Click “Add a game “.

6) Select a game in the games list ( Battlefield Bad Company 2 for example ), click “Browse ” to select the correct game path:

7)Click “Add game “.

8)Your game is now added to the list.

9)Click “Check for updates”.

10)PBsetup is now updating your punkbuster files, wait for a while, a windows will appear informing you that your punkbuster files are now updated.

11)Click Ok, You can now close pbsetup.

Jul 27, 2013
EA shows off NBA Live 14 at E3

Adding to the list of jargon terms applied to the tech in EA Sports games, NBA Live 14 includes “BounceTek” physics for dribbling, which apparently improves ball physics, instead of merely expressing them as part of the player character’s hand motions.
More immediately understandable is the way the basketball game handles roster updates. In-game stats will be tweaked in near real time, “an hour after it happens” according to EA’s E3 presentation. From indefinite delays to instant updates! That’s a big promise for NBA Live.

Platforms
PlayStation 4, Xbox One

Release date
Q4 2013

BounceTek

Unlock the full potential of the dribble with all-new physics-based BounceTEK technology. Whether it’s Ricky Rubio’s wrap around or Kyrie Irving’s devastating hesitation dribble, NBA LIVE 14 puts the control b…

CourtQ

CourtQ is the brain of NBA LIVE 14. More than 70 unique statistics and tendencies power every single player on the court, utilizing the same data used by all 30 NBA teams. Players evolve and so does CourtQ, do…

Live Worlds

With fresh content and challenges on a daily basis, NBA LIVE 14 delivers a new experience each and every time you pick up the controller.

Jun 11, 2013
Microsoft’s Xbox One launched with Kinect and Live Tv

Eight years, after the launch of the Xbox 360, Microsoft has launched its successor the Xbox One, which it claims is “the all-in-one entertainment console”. The company says that it will be available for sale by the end of this year but it has not yet revealed the price.Microsoft staked a claim to the Internet Age living room with an eagerly awaited Xbox One console touted as a home entertainment hub that goes far beyond games.
“Today, we put you at the center of a new generation in the living room,” said Don Mattrick, head of Microsoft’s interactive entertainment business, unveiling the new version of the popular game console.

The Xbox One’s hardware specs:

While Microsoft said very little during the unveiling itself, the information we do have seems to confirm that the Xbox One is powered by an 8-core x86 AMD CPU, and a GPU that’s very similar to the Radeon 7790. There’s 8GB of DDR3 RAM (shared between the CPU and GPU), 32MB of very fast SRAM on the graphics die, and a total of 200GB of memory bandwidth (more on that later). There’s also some new silicon in Kinect 2.0, which will come with the Xbox One as standard. Rounding out the hardware, there’s a Blu-ray drive, 500GB hard drive, 802.11n WiFi (with WiFi Direct), HDMI in and out, Gigabit Ethernet (yay!), and USB 3.0. There’ll be three 802.11n radios, so that the console can connect to your gamepads (WiFi Direct), mobile devices, and home network without added latency.

Features:

Kinect: Kinect sensor has seen some serious upgrades in terms of the the camera and voice control, body movement detection etc and its bundled with the console now. The camera resolution is 1080p and is capable of capturing wide angles. It can also capture video at 60 frames per second. Oh, and the sensor can also read your heartbeat as you exercise, and tell whether you’re smiling or not.You can use the voice control on the Kinect to carry out tasks on the Xbox One such as setting up profiles and even turning the console on. You can also dictate activities to Xbox One. There’s also gesture recognition tech for controlling the system with your hands.

Snap Mode: This will let you run two activities simultaneously. Skype has also been introduced to Xbox universe and you can make Skype calls while running another activity on the Xbox. The Xbox One also has a distinct Windows 8 user interface, along with the Xbox OS and you can switch between the two.

New Xbox controller: Not much has changed as far as the controller is concerned, though unlike the Xbox 360 controller which used AA batteries, this will use integrated rechargeable batteries. According to ExpertReviews, the start and the select buttons are gone, replaced two new buttons with which look like they will trigger a menu and multi-tasking respectively.

Xbox Live: It comes with a TV guide which users can navigate by voice commands. The TV guide has a trending section that displays the most popular shows among your friends and the entire Xbox community. Instant Switch feature will you make the switch from gaming to Tv with just a voice command as well.

The console also has deeper Smartglass support, which will let you use your smartphone or tablet on the gaming console to perform secondary functions such as changing channels, etc. There’s also a dedicated game Digital Video recorder to capture and share your winning moments with friends during a game.

Jun 3, 2013
MWC 2013: NVIDIA shows off 5 new Tegra 4 optimized games

With the announcement of the new Tegra 4 processor and devices, NVIDIA is looking to showcase what it is capable of by highlighting 5 new Tegra 4 optimized games in TegraZone. Burn Zombie Burn, Carie: Blood Mansion, CODEX: The Warrior, Dead on Arrival 2 and RU Golf have all been updated with enhanced graphics to show off just what makes Tegra 4 so much more appealing over other processors when it comes to playing games. NVIDIA is well known for partnering with game developers to release these high-end titles via the TegraZone, and these will kick it off for Tegra 4.

More about Tegra 4

Burn Zombie Burn

Developer: Tick Tock Games

Burn Zombie Burn blasts onto the mobile scene for the first time with fast-paced, console-quality action that has you striving to survive against a never-ending horde of zombies. With a slew of weapons available for your zombie-blasting pleasure, you’ll master the art of eradicating the undead.

Carie: Blood Mansion

Developer & Publisher: Neowiz

Tegra device users will get an exclusive map in Carie: Blood Mansion, with even more immersive graphics on Tegra 4 devices. You’ll guide Carie through bloody battles in this action adventure title. Keep an eye on the high-res textures, enhanced physics simulations and optimized fire and smoke effects in the below video.

CODEX: The Warrior

Head-to-head fighting in this RPG title shows off what Tegra 4 is capable of with HDR (High Dynamic Range) lighting throughout.

Dead on Arrival 2

A follow-up to the original, Dead on Arrival 2 adds full map destruction and high resolution models.

RU Golf

Developer & Publisher: Nutgee

RU Golf swung onto the mobile scene last year for Tegra 3-powered devices and will follow through with Tegra 4. Experience mano-a-mano multiplayer online battles with dynamic specular lighting, soft shadows, and bloom and lens flare effects. With various levels and character customizing features, get ready to tee off with RU Golf.

As you can see from the games above, there’s a lot to look forward to. Now we’ll just patiently (or impatiently) wait for Tegra 4 devices to arrive so we can promptly throw our cash at these upcoming titles!

Feb 27, 2013
Sony unveils PlayStation 4 with social, remote features
Sony launched the latest salvo in its ongoing rivalry with Microsoft with the launch of the PlayStation 4, the first of a new generation of consoles. At an event held in the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York’s Manhattan Center, Sony revealed that the PlayStation 4 would go on sale this Christmas. It refused to set a price, or even show the console itself but it is unlikely to cost much less than £300.

With under-the bonnet power considerably in excess of that of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, it will usher in a new breed of games with startlingly lifelike graphics, set in virtual worlds that operate in a much more believable manner than the current crop. But it will not have that ground to itself: Microsoft is applying the finishing touches to a successor for its Xbox 360 which, it is believed, it will unveil at the E3 Show in Los Angeles in June. That, too, is likely to go on sale this Christmas, unleashing a titanic battle for living room supremacy between Sony and Microsoft.

“Today marks a moment of truth and a bold step forward for PlayStation,” said Andrew House, CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment.

Sony said the system will feature an eight-core processor that can juggle more tasks than the PlayStation 3 and be part of a new digital ecosystem that’s “the fastest, most powerful gaming network.”

There was no word on price or availability, other than a flash on the screen saying “holiday 2013.”

The PS4 is arriving amid declines in video game hardware, software and accessory sales. Research firm NPD Group said game sales fell 22 per cent to $13.3 billion in 2012. With the launch of the PS4, Sony is looking to attract audiences who may have shifted their attention to games on Facebook, tablet computers and mobile phones.

Beyond games, the PlayStation 4 will let people create animation in 3-D using a Move motion controller all in real time.

Full Specifications and Features

Main Processor
- Single-chip custom processor
- CPU : x86-64 AMD “Jaguar”, 8 cores
- GPU : 1.84 TFLOPS, AMD next-generation Radeon based graphics engine
Memory
- GDDR5 8GB
Hard Disk Drive
- Built-in
Optical Drive
- (read only)
- BD 6xCAV
- DVD 8xCAV
- I/O
- Super-Speed USB (USB 3.0), AUX
Communication
- Ethernet (10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, 1000BASE-T)
- IEEE 802.11 b/g/n
- Bluetooth 2.1 (EDR)
AV output
- HDMI
- Analog-AV out
- Digital Output (optical)*Specifications are subject to change without notice.
Wireless Controller for PlayStation4 (DUALSHOCK4)

External Dimensions
- Approx. 162mm x 52mm x 98mm (width x height x depth) (tentative, excludes largest projection)
Weight
- Approx. 210g (tentative)
Keys / Switches
- PS button, SHARE button, OPTIONS button
- Directional buttons (Up/Down/Left/Right)
- Action buttons (Triangle, Circle, Cross, Square)
- R1/L1/R2/L2 button, Left stick / L3 button, Right stick / R3 button, Pad Button
- Touch Pad 2 Point Touch Pad, Click Mechanism, Capacitive Type
- Motion Sensor Six-axis motion sensing system (three-axis gyroscope, threeaxis accelerometer)
Other Features
- Light Bar, Vibration, Built-in Mono Speaker
- Ports: USB (Micro B), Extention Port, Stereo Headset Jack
- Wireless Communication Bluetooth Ver2.1+EDR
- Battery Type Built-in Lithium-ion Rechargeable Battery Voltage DC3.7V (tentative) Capacity 1000mAh (tentative)
PlayStation 4 Eye
- External Dimension Approx. 186mm x 27mm x 27mm (width x height x depth)(tentative)
- Weight Approx. 183g (tentative)
- Video Pixel (Maximum) 1280 x 800 pixel x 2
- Video Frame Rate 1280×800 pixel @ 60fps
- 640×400 pixel @ 120fps
- 320×192 pixel @ 240fps
- Video Format RAW, YUV (uncompressed)
- Lens Dual Lenses, F value/F2.0 fixed focus
- Capture Range 30cm～∞
- Field-of-View 85
- Microphone 4 Channel Microphone Array
- Connection Type PS4 dedicated connector (AUX connector)
- Cable Length Approx. 2m (tentative) *Specifications are subject to change without notice.-
Feb 21, 2013
WWE Elimination chamber 2013 Results

WWE Champion The Rock retained his title against CM Punk at the 2013 Elimination Chamber pay-per-view and secured his spot in the main event of WrestleMania 29.

The Rock won the title for the first time in a decade at last month’s Royal Rumble, and his successful title defense was the first of his latest reign. Punk’s inability to re-capture the title will inevitably relegate him from the WWE Championship scene for the road to WrestleMania.

John Cena won the Royal Rumble match and chose to face the WWE champion at WrestleMania 29, and with The Rock’s victory at Elimination Chamber, it’s clear that the company is getting the dream match it wanted for this year’s show.

John Cena vs. The Rock II: Twice in a Lifetime.

The victory for The Rock proves that the plan all along was to have him face Cena once again this year, but with the caveat that the WWE title was on the line. That makes it different.

While many fans will complain about this match, a WrestleMania main event will receive more mainstream buzz with Rock and Cena involved than any other two WWE superstars on the roster.

From a business standpoint, the path the company took is a financial no-brainer.

As for Punk, the versatile worker could be put into a feud with almost any star in the WWE and make it an instant classic. While the loss in the title match doesn’t help the star’s credibility, the fact that Punk was in a title match with The Rock is a huge rub.

Both men benefited from their matches and have done a great job working together. When The Rock comes back after leaving again, another chapter to the feud with Punk would be a great addition to any card.

A battle between Punk and The Rock doesn’t need a championship to be something the fans never forget.

The Rock’s course is very simple and very direct; he’s on a one-way road to the main event of WrestleMania 29 where he will face off with John Cena for the WWE Championship.

After likely dropping the title to Cena in the biggest match of his life, The Rock will return to filming movies and being an actor. The WWE legend should be back for a show or two each year—something similar to Brock Lesnar’s schedule—but odds are that this is the last title reign in The Rock’ career.

The WWE will have something huge planned for Punk while The Rock and Cena are fighting for the title, but it wouldn’t be surprising at all if the WWE decides to pit Cena and Punk against each other after WrestleMania 29.

No matter what’s the road to WrestleMania, it is shaping up to be amazing.

Feb 18, 2013

WWE Elimination Chamber Match 2013

Elimination Chamber (also known as No Escape (2013) in Germany) is an upcoming professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by WWE. The PPV will take place in the New Orleans Arena in New Orleans, Louisiana on February 17, 2013. Elimination Chamber consists of a main event and undercard that feature championship matches and other various matches. The concept of the show is that a main event match is contested inside the Elimination Chamber.

As The Road to WrestleMania makes its last, most brutal pit stop, the WWE Universe is waiting with baited breath to see who will emerge from the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view with momentum on their side as they head to The Grandest Stage of Them All. And with both World Titles on the line, six possible No. 1 contenders to the World Heavyweight Championship and the Money in the Bank wrinkle still in play courtesy of Dolph Ziggler, the potential for a major shake-up in the WrestleMania picture has never been higher. In fact, the only ones more curious than the WWE Universe as to how it will play out are the Superstars themselves. Happily, the locker room had more than a few predictions to share.

No.	Match	Stipulations
Pre-show	Brodus Clay and Tensai vs. Team Rhodes Scholars (Damien Sandow & Cody Rhodes)	Tag team match
1	The Rock (c) vs. CM Punk	Singles match for the WWE Championship. If The Rock is disqualified or counted out, he will lose the championship.
2	Alberto Del Rio (c) vs. Big Show	Singles match for the World Heavyweight Championship
3	Jack Swagger vs. Chris Jericho vs. Daniel Bryan vs. Kane vs. Mark Henry vs. Randy Orton	Elimination Chamber match to determine the #1 contender for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 29
4	The Shield (Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose & Seth Rollins) vs. Ryback, John Cena and Sheamus	Six-man tag team match
5	Kaitlyn (c) vs. Tamina Snuka	Singles match for the Divas Championship
6	Antonio Cesaro (c) vs. The Miz	Singles match for the United States Championship
(c) – refers to the champion heading into the match

Feb 17, 2013

Category: Games

The following method will uninstall, clean and reinstall punkbuster files:

Now if you are still having problem, just update manually your punkbuster:

BounceTek

CourtQ

Live Worlds

The Xbox One’s hardware specs:

Features:

Burn Zombie Burn

Carie: Blood Mansion

CODEX: The Warrior

Dead on Arrival 2

RU Golf

There was no word on price or availability, other than a flash on the screen saying “holiday 2013.”

Full Specifications and Features