Nvidia has announced its latest wizardry for the PC, the parallel computing platform and programming model CUDA 6. The new platform is said to make parallel programming easier and more efficient with the latest GPUs, accelerating CPU-based applications by up to 8 times. Nvidia has also recently launched the GTX 780Ti video card.
CUDA isn’t only used in fancy 3D animations but is also used in scientific, medical and engineering applications.
Here are the key technical features:
Unified Memory – Simplifies programming by enabling applications to access CPU and GPU memory without the need to manually copy data from one to the other, and makes it easier to add support for GPU acceleration in various programming languages.
Drop-in Libraries – Automatically accelerates applications’ BLAS and FFTW calculations by up to 8x by replacing existing CPU libraries with GPU-accelerated equivalents.
Multi-GPU Scaling – Re-designed BLAS and FFT GPU libraries automatically scale performance across up to 8 GPUs in a single node, totalling over 9 TFLOPS.
Version 6 of CUDA is expected to release in early 2014 and members of the CUDA-GPU Computing Registered Developer Program will be notified when it’s available to download. To join, register here.
It looks like the Dead or Alive roster is about to get a little bit bigger because thanks to some leaks from Famitsu magazine, a new character is being added to the arcade version of Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate. In the scan above, a new character named Marirose will be included in the game.
Currently little is known about the character except for her appearance nor has Tecmo Koei revealed any plans to make the character DLC at this point in time, however the company has stated in the past that any character DLC would be free.
Immanitas Entertainment and IronSun Studios’s new action puzzler MonstaFish was released worldwide today. Players will need to keep the protect fish from the mutant MonstaFish in four different modes, each featuring a different method of handing the MonstaFish. Fish Hook mode will require players to rescue goldfish with a fish hook, Fish Hunt will require players to kill the MonstaFish with two crosshairs as quickly as possible, Time Attack mode will have players will tap waves of MonstaFish as quickly as possible, and MonstaFish mode will arm players with a super-Octopus that blows bubbles that can be combined to create more effective bubbles against the MonstaFish.
MonstaFish is now available for $3.99 USD for Windows at major online retailers.
A mysterious adventurer has been seen lately. Her clothes her odd and the sword she wields is unknown to any in the realm. She eliminates her foes but vanishes before anyone can decipher her identity. You and I, of course, know her as Final Fantasy XIII‘s primary protagonist, Lightning.
Eight new weapons and gear tailored for all adventurers can be gotten from the event. Event dates and times include:
From now until Monday, December 9, 2013 at 14:59 GMT (December 10, 2013 at 01:59 AEDT / 03:59 NZDT)
The story arc for this event is comprised of multiple quests that will be released at the following times:
Chapter 1: For the Winsome: From Now
Chapter 2: Seeking the Scoop: From Saturday, November 16, 2013 at 8:00 GMT (19:00 AEDT / 21:00 NZDT)
Chapter 3: The Knight’s Passage: From Monday, November 18, 2013 at 8:00 GMT (19:00 AEDT / 21:00 NZDT)
Chapter 4: Wonder and Lightning: From Wednesday, November 20, 2013 at 8:00 GMT (19:00 AEDT / 21:00 NZDT)
Once Lightning Returns is released in 2014, this event will make a comeback. Be quick this time, though, as quests can’t be finished once the event ends! For full details on the event and locations, be sure to visit The Lodestone.
Capcom fans rejoice because a Dead Rising 3 video was just released and what this footage has to offer is something that will really rock fans of the extremely popular game publisher. Mega Man has always had a place in the Dead Rising games, old-school Protoman and Megaman both made an appearance, and nothing will change with the release of Dead Rising 3 because the video that was just released has shown a great deal of footage of the main character of the game, Nick Ramos, decked out in full Mega Man X attire and this is no early mod or cheap trick, this is the real deal.
Alongside the video has come some information that has let us know that, once you’ve beaten the full game, you will unlock an outfit that looks almost exactly the same as Mega Man X, not only that but by beating Nightmare Mode in the game you can unlock X’s Buster weapon and once you’ve done that, well, THAT’S where the fun truly begins. Dead Rising 3 will be released alongside the Xbox One on the 22nd of November but , until then, enjoy this awesome and exciting video. Mega Man fans unite!
Zabrze, Poland – 14th November 2013 – Starting today, the critically-acclaimed Nightmares from the Deep: The Siren’s Call is available for Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 worldwide. The game is a direct sequel to Artifex Mundi’s smash hit, Nightmares from the Deep: The Cursed Heart, following the further adventures of the intrepid museum curator Sarah Black. In the new installment she must face the insidious Mayor Murray and the legendary sea devil, Davy Jones. The Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 release is available in six languages. It has also been enriched with new features, including an additional adventure.
When Sarah Black received a mysterious package, she did not suspect that its contents would draw her into an ancient dispute between good and evil. After she is suddenly attacked by supernatural assailants upon opening the chest, she slowly begins to realize she is falling headfirst into another nightmare from the deep.
Her adventure takes her to the abandoned fishing town of Kingsmouth, whose citizens suffer from a curse that transforms them into twisted monsters.
Will Sarah be able to break the curse, and save the mystical siren Calliope and the citizens of Kingsmouth from a fate worse than death? Will she gather enough courage to navigate through her haunted surroundings and defeat the legendary Davy Jones, and his strange affiliate Mayor Murray?
The Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8 version of Nightmares from the Deep: The Siren`s Call offers an additional adventure, concept art, and the option to review all the cutscenes and hidden object scenes in the game.
The game is available in six languages (subtitles): English, French, Italian, German, Spanish and Polish. This latest release by the Zabrze/Kraków studio supports Windows 8.1.
The latest generation of Pokemon has set Australia and New Zealand ablaze with the sales of Pokemon X and Y, within its first weekend, absolutely destroying the sales of the previous generation. The first weekend available, Pokemon X and Y collectively sold 100,000 plus units across Australia and New Zealand. The Last generation, being Black and White, within the first week of sales had already sold over 80,000, Pokemon X and Y greatly exceeded that sales record within its first day of availability. This is fantastic news for both Nintendo and Game Freak but unfortunately for those who are yet to get a copy they may be waiting a little bit considering the massive sell out of games.
Demand is so high for these titles that game shops within our little part of the world have been mostly out of stock for a while now but Nintendo Australia are assuring us additional stock availabilities throughout Australia and New Zealand and, in turn, a lot of those who have missed will be able get their hands on a copy and finally they’ll be able to start their new adventure. For those who can’t wait any longer you have to remember that these titles are available for download in the Nintendo eShop for the 3DS. Check out the small gallery below for a couple cool images of the game and head to our comments section and let us know what you think.
Overview So you’ve just beaten the bad guys. Taken down their sinister plot, put an end to the madness and saved the day in general. That’s usually where the story ends. Unfortunately for our hapless heroes, their journey is about to begin all over again, trapped once more in that most charming piece of real estate the galaxy has ever known: a box canyon. With no way out and rescue a fleeting hope, it’s time for the Reds and Blues to do what they do best: Drive each other insane.
Destroy It Yourself renovation
Story After the events of last season, our heroes once again find themselves in their most hated of locales: a box canyon in the middle of nowhere. It would appear that old habits die hard, as both Red and Blue teams decide to set up their own bases…on opposite sides of the canyon…whilst heavily armed. Well first things first, renovations. Explosive renovations. Deciding that their base is considerably less appealing than than their Blue comrades, Sarge decides to borrow a tank in order to help with the remodelling…it goes about as well as you’d think. As just the newest conflict in what has been a fairly strained relationship, the Reds and Blues struggle to keep calm as they start to get on each others nerves. With the whole Freelancer saga put to rest, the teams no longer have the distraction of purpose and begin to slip back into their original dynamic.
Meanwhile, over on Blue Team, Agent Washington is struggling to come to terms with the attitude of his team. Though he’s known them all for some time and experience their habitual stupidity and laziness, this is the first time a major threat hasn’t loomed over their head. Which is about the only thing that can motivate them to do anything. Not quite used to the lazy routine, Wash clashes with Tucker on a regular basis as their ideas of army life meet. This adds a new dynamic to the Blue Team, as Wash and Tucker’s previous interactions were nowhere near as prominent. Their disagreements are one of the major indicators that Wash, whilst a good soldier, has a long way to go when it comes to leading.
One of the major points of conflict and action within the canyon is the Comms Tower. Being their only beacon of hope, both sides naturally want it reactivated. But as we all know, Reds and Blues have different ways of doing things. Wash decides to actually repair the tower, Sarge has another plan. In a moment of true Sarge ingenuity, he decides to build the most useful tool he can think of, a second Spanish robot: Lopez-Dos-Point-0. Thus begins the return of previous characters. With their comms eventually repaired, certain familiar faces return to complete the ensemble, even Andy the Bomb gets a brief vocal cameo. Ah memories…
“I just feel like there’s this wall between us”
This season focuses pretty heavily on returning to the roots of the Red vs Blue franchise. The setting, the cast, the sarcastic humour filled with only a semi serious sense of vitriol. Without the distraction of a third party, Sarge returns to his Blue hating ways, convincing himself that their cooperation in the past must’ve been part of some diabolical ruse. Luckily he follows through about as well as he does when killing Grif, so he’s not too dangerous. Without a female around, Tucker rarely gets the chance to use his trademark phrase. Well he does once, but it’s immediately recinded. Grif does nothing, Simmons continues his sycophantic ways and Caboose makes a new friend. However, this is Red vs Blue, just how long did you expect the “quiet” life to continue? I’ll give you a hint, it’s not that long. It seems that once again the Red and Blue Simulation Troopers have placed themselves smack bang in the middle of a conflict that goes way above their rank…and fitness level.
Season 11 also sees the return/rebirth of some classic RvB jokes. Namely, the UNSCs penchant for choosing vehicle names dubbed stupid by our heroes. Specifically, the Mantis. Both Red and Blue alike wonder why it bears that name. The colour? The legs? The fact that after the act of procreation it consumes its partner in an act of sexual cannibalism? Probably not, but it does have spots on its face and thus Freckles is born. As a character, Freckles seemingly takes on the roles of both the Puma and Sheila from Season 1, being both the source of name confusion and main source of explosions. Caboose’s strong connection with Freckles also harks back to his relationship with Sheila. Though the dynamic is clearly different, we once again see an example of Caboose’s propensity for befriending the equipment.
Isn’t he just the cutest?
The characters also seem rather self aware of their own place within the universe. Sarge notes multiple times how the Blues perform all of the complicated tasks, whilst the Reds stand idly by. For such confusing events with so much left unknown to them, they seem to have a fairly good understanding of the situation. In one instance, Grif goes Meta when he asks Simmons to drop his gun. After all, the Red and Blues are stuck alone in a box canyon, so why do they continue to wear full body armour and stroll around armed to the teeth? This realisation, and his apparent inability to lower his gun, force an understandably freaked out Simmons into a hasty retreat…No trash duty for the slacker in orange.
Season 11 also contains far more pop culture references than any previous season. Characters will constantly reference films, both real and fictional, to get their point across. During one conversation, characters reference both Pokemon and a fictional film entitled Superman Origins III: Revelations, which serves as much as a reference as it does a parody of the certain movie trends. Whilst different from the previous seasons, the referential humour is not misplaced and lends well to the conversational nature of the troops when stranded together without a war to keep them busy.
Tensions run a little high…
Visuals In the words of Caboose “The graphics are incredible!” Considering the fact that this season was shot entirely using machinima, the graphics are identical to Halo 4 because, well, it’s Halo 4. That being said, as the first season set in the new Halo, the graphics are noticeably different to those previous. The characters themselves are all noticeably brighter shades than they have been, due to the new engine, and have a certain glow about them. Certain action packed moments towards the end of the season are also especially dramatic due to the new assassination animations present in Halo 4. You can’t deny the brutality of a back break. You just can’t.
The series does contain some visual effects though they are few and far between. Rather than complicated motion captured action scenes, the effects are generally static objects not present in the games engine, such as the kitchen sink. This further connects Season 11 to the older RvB, where “crappy” 2D effects were fairly prevalent. It’s definitely a matter of “so bad, it’s good”, like the return of the Blue Team chain of command chart (with some amendments).
The characters themselves also note their surroundings, though usually in a negative way. Elements that make a fun Halo multiplayer map apparently don’t translate well into creating a residence. Grif wonders why, when they have it lazily draped over their roof, they don’t use the trap to cover the giant hole in the ceiling and instead get washed away by the rain. Simmons masterful planning also sees the Red Team living underneath the remnants of the crashed ship’s engine, machinery that Sarge notes is highly radioactive…though it does keep the base warm.
Collect the whole set
Audio For the first time in RvB history, a new theme song is used as the series’ default. The full song “Contact” can be heard in its entirety during the credits, but it is the twang of acoustic guitar and calm whistle that you will come to know. However, as it is the new tune that introduces each individual episode of Season 11, it isn’t heard as often in the full release. You’ll also know that a character is important when they enter to the sound of their very own theme song. For example Freckles, being the loveable harbinger of destruction that he is, is introduced to the Red and Blue troops whilst supported by his own lumbering and frightening backtrack, immediately putting you at unease around the new recruit. The Red’s also briefly play their Tejano (Spanish-Mexican) battle music once again, though this is merely for reference as the tune lasts about three seconds.
Certain audio queues are also used as a way to support the machinima of the series. As the visuals are locked to the assets of Halo 4, sound servs as a way to create new elements from existing tools. For example, whilst repairing the Comms Tower, a wrench can be heard. As this is not in the game itself, the sound, along with the inability to see Wash’s hands, creates the illusion that such a tool is being used. A similar tactic is again used when Wash is building his secret project. By swapping the audio of a gun firing with the sound of a saudering iron, we are once again given the combination of visuals and audio that creates something new entirely. Working within boundaries inspires creativity.
Extras The DVD itself contains a decent amount of extra features. The three Season 11 PSAs, Voting Fever, The #1 Movie in the Galaxy and Game Changer, are all included along with outtakes, deleted scenes and a behind the scenes look at production. There is also an audio commentary for the entire season featuring Miles Luna, Burnie Burns, Matt Hullum and Kyle Taylor. There are also a number of trailers for various Rooster Teeth productions such as, RWBY, A Simple Walk Into Mordor, Slow Mo Guys and Season 11 itself.
An enigma, wrapped in a mystery, wrapped in brutality
Overall Red vs Blue Season 11 carries with it the style and feel of the early days, back when the world beyond Blood Gulch was unexplored and irrelevant. Bored, slightly upset at their opposing colour, though not enough to actually do anything about it, fighting just as much within their own ranks…It’s nostalgic. The “reset” seems rather appropriate as the long running Freelancer saga has met its completion and the series now enters uncharted territory…quite literally. That being said, there also exists the sense of drama we’ve come to expect from the newer seasons, with quite a few moments that will warm your heart and maybe draw a tear or two. All in all, whilst Season 11 contains plenty of references to the previous misadventures of the Reds and Blues, it also marks the beginning of a new saga.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
Anyone who has happened to miss all the of the Batman: Arkham games and is still interested in getting their hands on them at some point seems to be in luck. Warner Bros. has just announced that they will be bundling the whole of the Arkham Series together into Batman: Arkham Collection.
Featuring Asylum and City from developer Rocksteady and the newest release Origins from developer WB Games Montreal, this collection offers all three games together. Though it should be pointed out that the Batman: Arkham Collection will be limited to Xbox 360, PS3, and PC, as those are the only consoles onto which all three games have released. PC versions of the Arkham Collection will have the Game of the Year Editions of Asylum and City, while the PS3 will still include the exclusive Knightfall DLC for Origins.
It should also be noted that while the package will include Origins (Review Here) on disc, Asylum and City will be via digital download. With all of that in mind, those interested in the Batman: Arkham Collection wont have to wait too long as it will be releasing in the UK on November 22nd, 2013.
Cosplay has become its own culture in our day and age, people of all makes and sizes love the chance to dress up as their favorite characters from their favorite Comics, TV Shows, Animes and Mangas and the places they do this are usually at conventions and expos which, let’s be honest, long for hordes of die-hard fans in costumes, it’s what makes these events great and without cosplayers these events just wouldn’t be the same. Unfortunately there are some people out there who really could not care less for such things and, sometimes, are actually quite offended by them, which brings me to the point of this article: A poor girl in Kill La Kill cosplay at Singapore’s Anime Festival Asia had a run in with the local authorities when a group of “religiously inclined” people became extremely offended when they caught a glimpse of her attire.
A quote from a Forum Report of the situation:
The event was at Suntec City, which has had quite a few of its shares bought by a company owned by City Harvest Church, and some of the event halls are used by said megachurch to hold services.
This incident happened in the space outside the event hall where a lot of cosplayers had set up impromptu photography areas. (The windows you see are the glass front over the convention centre area.)
Allegedly (this last part is hearsay, but reliable hearsay), the woman (the one with the bare arms and hand under her nose) had just come down from a church service in the upper floors and basically totally flipped out.
The police did not arrest anyone, and the cosplayer in question is not in trouble, although she was rather traumatised.
She was cosplaying as a transformed Ryuko from Kill La Kill, if you’re aware of the anime you’d know that the costume is quite revealing but it covers up the most private areas, it is also NOT the most revealing cosplay to have been in circulation but it is up there on the list. These particular people were so offended by the sight of this girl that they immediately called the police to deal with the situation, luckily no one was arrested and I don’t believe the girl was even charged. I guess this is just a glimpse of what happens when two very different worlds collide.
