Toshiba is well known for their Qosmio gaming laptop series, which always provide PC gamers with a powerful processor and great visuals – basically, everything you need to make your game look and feel stunning. The latest addition to the range has been launched, and man, does it look sleek…welcome, the Toshiba Qosmio X770.
The Qosmio X770 features Intel Core i7 Quad Core processors, a 17.3″ HD and 3D widescreen, 3D Vision to Harman Kardon speakers, Dolby sound, and USB 3.0 speeds – not to mention, of course, the latest NVIDIA technology for wonderful graphics. The finish is metal and in the Qosmio’s signature colors, black and red, and Toshiba even provides you with 3D glasses to get the best from your 3D gaming.
Of course, nothing speaks about power like cold, hard statistics, so here are the specs for this new gaming machine:
Experience intense 3D game play with the dedicated NVIDIA® 3D graphics card and 3D glasses (included)
NVIDIA® 3D Vision with Glasses & 3D Output to 3D TV
Blu-ray ROM drive delivers amazing picture and sound quality
NVIDIA’s Optimus technology automatically shifts from the high performance graphics card to the integrated graphics to extend battery life when full power isn’t required
The Zero Power Optical Disk Drive app helps to further increase the battery’s life
Harman Kardon speakers and sub-woofer combined with Dolby audio processing deliver extraordinary soundscapes and immersive gameplay
Multi-touch control pad with gesture support
Sounds pretty great, huh? To find out more information about the Qosmio X770, including where to buy it, check out Toshiba’s site here.
Almost two weeks ago we posted about a new rumor concerning the next generation Xbox fans are currently calling the ‘Xbox 720’. The story was that a “high-ranking” source at the German developer Crytek told VideoGamer.com that they were currently working on a game called TimeSpliters 4 for the next generation Xbox which Microsoft plans on introducing next year. The source mentioned it was most likely it would be released within the next six months, hinting it would most likely be at E3 next year. Apparently Crytek were using the new CryEngine 3, as well as Microsoft’s DirectX 11 for the development of TS4, because DX11 is apparently the current basis for the next-generation Xbox development.
However, today Crytek has now released a statement to GameSpot saying the company has no knowledge of Microsoft’s future technology, and they do “not have any next generation hardware from Microsoft” and has no clue to when Microsoft will announce plans for the next generation of video gaming.
Crytek didn’t crush the rumour completely however, as they did state that based on their estimates, the CryEngine will be a “next generation engine for all consoles”. as mentioned in the previous post the DX11 patch for Crysis 2 will be released shortly by Crytek, and they stated that they are currently focusing on “pushing the boundaries of what current technology can bring.” So keep an eye out for that, because it may be a taste of what we might graphically get for the next generation Xbox console. Whenever it comes out
EA have released another great video in anticipation for FIFA 12’s release this fall. With the football season over (but yes, yes, Wimbledon is great), these new videos of FIFA 12 are a great way to get excited about the sport all over again.
The new video shows the Gameplay Producer, Santiago Jaramillo, talking about the new additions to CPU for the latest FIFA game. You may remember that in FIFA 11, EA introduced Personality Plus to ensure players looked, moved, and behaved just like their real-life counterparts. This year, FIFA 12 will introduce Pro Player Intelligence: essentially, this allows the players on the field to make decisions based on different movements. The improved AI is one of the ways EA is hoping to further simulate real situations on the football field, and – if it works the way the video demonstrates – could make a real difference in the way we play the game.
Check out the video down below, and click here to read more news about FIFA 12. FIFA 12 is due to be released on September 27, 2011 in the USA, and September 30, 2011 in Europe.
Very nice job Activision. Of course you can make a zombie trailer with heavy metal and lots of explosions and have it draw peoples attention simply because of how loud it is. But you decided to take a completely different route this time around with this latest trailer for Call of Duty: Black Ops' map pack Annihilation. This trailer focuses solely on Shangri-La the latest zombie map to be added to Black Ops.
The unique thing about the trailer below however is the fact that they used "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" as the background music which is certainly a great way to catch peoples attention. Put this together with plenty of zombies in the jungle with lots of gunfire and people trying to survive and you have a marketing masterpiece. Catch the trailer below and the DLC exclusively on the Xbox 360 first tomorrow for 1200 MSP.
Usually when you hear about a game delay you can be left wondering exactly why the company delayed the game, but that isn’t the case this time around. Unfortunately NIS America announced today that they are going to be delaying the release of Cave Story 3D on the Nintendo 3DS until November 8th. But don’t feel too bad about this news, they are doing it for a good reason.
NIS America producer Jack Niida had this to say about the delay: “We are currently undergoing improvements to enhance gameplay. Changes are in the small details, but in order to satisfy both the fans and the new players we need to make sure the game is done right. Please look forward to it this holiday season. Cave Story 3D will be a blast” It is impossible to complain about a delay when the company legitimately wants to improve and polish their title for the fans. You can find the latest screenshots released for Cave Story 3D in our previous article here.
It comes as no surprise that Forza 4 would be released with a collector’s edition variety, but this time aroudn its coming with what Microsoft is calling a Limited Collector’s Edition and it will be available alongside the normal version of the game when it is released in October of this year. The whole package will contain a 96 page photo book, four bonus car packs, exclusive BMW dashboard theme, vinyl stickers and some sort of “special recognition in the Forza community.”
The carp packs will provide plenty of extra variety, such as the VIP pack which gives players five of the worlds fastest cars, such as the Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Superlegger. Also players’ garages will already be full of ten American muscle cars that have not been detailed. The 96 page photo book is going to be called Cars of Forza Motorsport 4 and it will be presented by Top Gear. The book will highlight the game’s vehicles by using images from Top Gear’s own collection of cars. Currently no price has been announced for this LCE but expect it to be around the $70-$90 range.
Now you have to hand it to these people, usually whenever a game is announced for release in Japan and then never is announced for a Western release, people simply sigh, grumble and move on with their gaming lives. Not this group however. In an original and actually possibly effective campaign, fans have began what they are calling “Operation Rainfall” which seeks to have Nintendo localize three RPGs: Xenoblade, Pandora’s Tower and The Last Story.
These fans have done a number of different things, anywhere from spamming Nintendo’s social networking pages and emailing in requests for these three titles to be released, but even mailing in letters to the Nintendo of America HQ. Something that is usually done by some fans but never en masse like now. In a move that probably is going to bring the most motivation however, these fans have also set themselves to pre-order a title known as “Monado: Beginning of the World” from Amazon.com. Now in 2009 Nintendo announced this title and have since changed its name to Xenoblade.
The interesting thing here is that the game has been pre-ordered so much that it is actually in Amazon’s top selling list for video games. The listing itself however has not been updated in two years, so these fans are currently pre-ordering the game in the faith that their intent to buy the title will show Nintendo that they will be receiving plenty of purchases if they do happen to localize Xenoblade. Nintendo has noticed some of their enthusiasm and has tweeted out the minor, but encouraging “Hey fans, we appreciate your enthusiasm. Look for more updates to come soon!”
Though news about the law has been quiet for awhile, the law to ban the sale of violent video games to minors was still kicking around slightly in the American justice system. Though the law had already been ruled against in the lower courts, the Supreme Court itself has issued it’s ruling about the case. Brown v. The Entertainment Merchants Association has once again been ruled against, with the majority opinion of seven out of the nine supreme court Justices to rule against the law.
Their official statement for the majority opinion is below:
Like the protected books, plays, and movies that preceded them, video games communicate ideas-and even social messages-through many familiar literary devices (such as characters, dialogue, plot, and music) and through features distinctive to the medium (such as the player’s interaction with the virtual world). That suffices to confer First Amendment protection. Under our Constitution, “esthetic and moral judgments about art and literature . . . are for the individual to make, not for the Government to decree, even with the mandate or approval of a majority.”
This decision is a major step for both game developers and gamers alike as now that the Supreme Court has made this ruling it sets a precedent for all other cases against video games in the future. As to how well this ruling will hold together in the years to come, one can only guess, but it is certainly good news for those wishing to have video games recognized as legitimate forms of entertainment that deserve the same rights as all other forms of entertainement as mentioned above.
Customizable avatars and Create-A-Character features have been a popular trend video gaming in recent years,and they can be both time consuming and a lot of fun. Recently I had the pleasure to review White Knight Chronicles II and the custom avatar feature really surprised me with how EXTREMELY in-depth it was, to a point it was almost ridiculous! Never before have I seen so many features available to be edited, yet some of these features seemed a little um….unnecessary. However if your one of those hardcore fans of customization who want to perfectly replicate yourself (lets face it, its the closest you’ll get to slaying a real dragon, and for some people, making out the hot girl in an RPG adventure) then I suppose this title may be the one your looking for.
For example, I decided to create Capsule Computers Editor in Chief-Director Master Abbott, and I got him down to the finest hair. I mean just look at this photo of him and this screenshot I took with my iPhone of my complete creation of his face. You seriously CAN’T TELL THE DIFFERENCE!
Capsule Computers Editor in Chief-Director Master Abbott and Life-Like M.Abbott Avatar I Made In White Knight Chronicles II
In all seriousness though, note this is just page 4 of 9 of the features one can edit on the create-an-avatar page. This one allows you to modify eyebrow types, eyebrow height, eyebrow width, eyebrow depth, eyebrow span, eyebrow color, eye type, eye size, eye width plus many more once you scroll down the page! You can really tell Level-5 Studios took their time with this. Good effort!
Game: Trenched
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Developer: Double Fine
Genre: Mech/Tower Defense
Platform: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: June 22, 2011
Price: 1200 MSP – BUY NOW
I cannot lie I am not a huge fan of strategy games. Placing units and barking orders isn’t as much fun as getting in on the action and letting loose. In Trenched it seems Double Fine wants to solve that problem for people who are like me and don’t want to just sit and watch. Trenched takes tower defense games and gives you the ability to join in on the fray and get your hands on a mech and wreak havoc on your enemies. Double Fine gives us a great Xbox Live arcade game that will keep you coming back for more. What makes this mech fighting/tower defense hybrid so good find out in this review.
Story:
The story probably won’t be the biggest driving factor in playing Trenched however it does have one. Two solders who both lost the ability to walk during the war (which I’m assuming is World War I) were listening to a broadcast and somehow became super geniuses. Frank developed mechs to allow people like him the ability to walk again called trenches while Farnsworth made it possible for people to see what was going on in the world from being in your homes using TVs. Farnsworth created creatures called Tubes which he plans on using to take over the world, Frank has now taking on Farnsworth in order to stop him from taking over. You play as one of four solders as you take down Farnsworth’s army of Tube monsters, there is nothing exciting about the story but it can drive the game along for those who care. For the rest of us it will be riding in the back seat.
Graphics:
Treched is has some great art direction. When you take a look at the gameplay and the stills in cutsceens its almost looking into some of the art from the time period. There even seems to bee some steam punk influences as well in Trenched. While the Tubes glow a bright blue or red the character designs really stand out with each enemy class, everyone from the little grunts to the big willies you will see some unique monsters. The different mech designs are great as well with some great names for some of the weapons and parts, I am currently sporting the Hot Pants. You know your mech ain’t stylin’ without some hot pants.
Sound:
Trenched has some great writing and humor in it, it can be smart and very clever at times. There are times that it can fall flat but for the most part it is very entertaining. While on the battle field however this is were you may find yourself and your teammates very annoyed. Lines of dialog repeat a lot and even if you have chosen a different solder to play as they all say the same lines. Even frank during waves will say the same thing over and over about enemies and many things. Voice work is good however repeating lines do nothing really in battle but state the things you already know thats going on.
Gameplay:
Double Fine have always been mad scientist when it comes to creating great gameplay experiences, Trenched maybe one of the best they have put out yet. They took the best parts of tower defense games and added a action mech game layer on it to make one tasty gaming sandwich of win. You will be piloting the trench, setting out guns, dampeners to slow enemies down, healing stations, mines, and even magnets used to pick up scrap laying around. This said scrap laying around the stages will help you build on to your defenses. So its very important that you pick up as much as you can, you even have a built in magnet that you use to pick up the scrap.
Building your mech is fun as well after every mission you can earn money to pimp it out with new bodies, legs, guns, emplacements, colors, and even clothing for your pilot. Seeing some of the crazy weapons and add ons for your mech is nice and names such as Hot Pants or Stunning Legs are always adds to the awesomeness of this game. Each battle is different so before each mission you have to choose what equipment will be right for the situation.
Where the tower defense aspects come into play is when you call upon your emplacements, which are your defenders. You can call down a variety of weapons and other tools from the sky that will aid you on the battle field. Need extra firepower, why not call upon the shotgun or machinegun emplacements. Need to repair your trench, call for a repair station. There are emplacements that even collect scrap for you so you don’t have to venture out of the base to find it. Upgrading, adding, and maintaining emplacements are key to success no matter if you are playing single or playing with a group of friends online.
Getting friends together to play Trenched is where the real magic happens. I ended up playing like 3 hours by myself come back later got online and played with a group of others from late in the evening till 4am. Considering I don’t play a ton of games other than fighters online and I can say no matter what you will have hours of fun. There were a few bugs that did kick me and the other players out of the game like a disk read error. For some reason my Xbox thought I was playing a disk game. Stuff like that can be patched though and the problem only happened after long hours of play and only once.
Conclusion:
Trenched was a game I was not for sure I was going to like and only knew a little going in. I can say this game is well worth the $15 or 12MSP. While some annoying repeating dialog and a few bugs may aggravate a few over all this game is well worth it. Overall if your looking for a fresh new game that won’t break the bank Trenched is fully loaded and worth your time and money, especially when you have a few good allies that are willing to join in on the fight.
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