woikr » Gaming

Xbox 360 Arcade price slashed in India

Setu — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 06:27:44 +0000

The price of Xbox 360 Arcade console in India has been dropped form INR 16,990 to INR 14,676. This is good news for all people who were planning to buy the console.

The Xbox 360 Arcade console comes with Xbox 360 wireless controller, AV cable, arcade games disc and 256 MB memory unit (to save your game progress). This console is compatible with the upcoming Kinect (previously called Project Natal) for Xbox 360.

With this price drop, you can expect the console to be available at even cheaper price on ebay and in grey markets like Palika Bazaar.

In addition to playing games, you can use Xbox 360 to stream content from your PC to your HDTV and Home Theater system.

[via Techtree]

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Introducing the PS3 Slim

Setu — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 04:00:38 +0000

In a much anticipated move, Sony unveiled the PS3 Slim at Gamescom this year. The new PS3, priced at $300, will be available in the first week of September. Compared to the original PS3, the new one is smaller and weighs less. It also sports a 120GB HDD, and consumes 34 percent less power.

In other good news, original PS3s have their prices dropped to $300. In India, the prices have been dropped from INR 24,990 to INR 19,990. IMHO, it would have been great if Sony India dropped another 3k INR to bring it closer to XBox 360 Arcade’s price. Apart from countries where the new one will be available at a later date, it really doesn’t make sense to pay $300 for an 80GB PS3 when you can get the new one with 120 GB HDD at the same price in a few weeks.

Here are the specs:

CPU: Cell Broadband Engine™
GPU: RSX
Audio output: LPCM 7.1ch, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS, DTS-HD, AAC.
Memory: 256MB XDR Main RAM, 256MB GDDR3 VRAM
Hard disk: 120GB 2.5″ Serial ATA
USB 2.0 ports: 2
Networking: Ethernet (10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, 1000BASE-T), IEEE 802.11 b/g, Bluetooth 2.0 (+EDR)
Controller: Wireless Controller (Bluetooth) x 1
AV outputs: HDMI x 1, AV MULTI OUT x 1, Digital out (optical) x 1
Resolutions: 1080p, 1080i, 720p, 480p, 480i (for PAL 576p, 576i)
BD / DVD / CD drive (read only): BD × 2 (BD-ROM), DVD × 8 (DVD-ROM), CD × 24 (CD-ROM)
Power: AC 220 – 240, 50/60Hz
Power consumption: Approx. 250W
External dimensions (excluding maximum projecting part): Approx. 290 × 65 × 290 mm (width × height × length)
Mass: Approx. 3.2kg
Included in box: PlayStation 3 system × 1, Wireless Controller (DUALSHOCK 3) × 1, AC power cord × 1, AV cable × 1, USB cable × 1

Things to note:

You’ll need to buy a $24 stand if you want to stack the new PS3 in a vertical position.
The upcoming PS3 3.0 firmware will NOT be preinstalled on the initial lot of units. It will be, however, available in the later lots.
Your PS2 games will not work on it.
You won’t be able to install Linux on it (yet) as Sony has removed the option to install other OS.
The new PS3 slim features Bravia sync – a useless feature, unless you have a Bravia TV.

Here is a video of Jack Tretton, President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment of America (SCEA) showing off the new PS3 slim:

[via Gizmodo, Engadget]

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Your favorite indie games at upto 75% discount!

Chirag — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 07:46:33 +0000

There is an amazing deal running on Steam this weekend. You can get 10 of the best indie games at upto 75% discount. And the indie games collection is pretty awesome too.

$29.99 Bundle

AudioSurf, Blueberry Garden, Braid, Crayon Physics Deluxe, Darwinia, Everyday Shooter, Gish, Mr. Robot, The Path and World of Goo for just $29.99. Can’t believe it, eh? I was surprised too. It’s like buying Braid and The Path and getting 8 other awesome games for free!

$19.99 Bundle

Blueberry Garden, Braid, Everyday Shooter , The Path and World of Goo for $19.99. Before this deal only World of Goo will cost you $19.99. So it’s like getting the other 4 for free.

The Catch (of course, there is one): The deal is valid only for this weekend. So if you aren’t near you PC, run back and get it while it lasts.

And if you are still undecided about whether you should get one of these (Seriously?), I can guarantee you some of these games will blow your mind away. Most of these games have won some great awards in their categories and some have actually been considered for Overall Game of the Year by major publications. I can personally vouch for Braid, Crayon Physics Deluxe, The Patch and World of Goo.

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Braid is now available on PC! [Video Games]

Project Natal from Microsoft

Setu — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 10:12:39 +0000

Microsoft has wowed everyone by showcasing what might be the next milestone in the gaming & entertainment industry. Project Natal is a new way of gaming where your whole body is the controller. You do not need anything to control the characters in the game.

A step above the wii, Project Natal works using a 3D motion sensing camera hooked up to your Xbox 360. The following video says it all:

Lionhead, a UK based gaming studio (acquired by Microsoft in 2006) has used Natal to develop this awesome prototype, Milo:

Cool eh? We will be eagerly waiting for this technology to come in the market. Project Natal was showcased at Microsoft’s stall at E3 2009. Here is a video of the live demonstration (with some LOL comments in the video):

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Myst now on iPhone

Chirag — Mon, 04 May 2009 10:35:26 +0000

Remember the good old days when point-and-click adventure games used to be awesome. If you do, you sure remember Myst. At that time, I was awestruck by it’s gorgeous artwork and amazing soundtrack. Now, you can experience all that on your iPhone.

It does come at a cost though. It’s a huge 727 MB download! Obviously, it’ll take up all that space on your iPhone as well. And yes it costs $5.99. I’m actually surprised since I was expecting the price to be around $10.

I personally don’t even mind removing all my songs and videos from the iPhone if the game is worth it

Drool on the images ahead.

Myst on iPhone Official Website
iTunes Link
[via - Kotaku]

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Review: Aqua Jigsaw [iPhone Games]

Chirag — Sun, 03 May 2009 16:59:49 +0000

I was introduced to the concept of jigsaw puzzles when my aunt gifted a “kitten-in-a-basket” puzzle to me long back. It was a great new experience for me. A game that was fun, mentally challenging and above all helped me prove to my friends, how stupid they were. So, when I downloaded my review copy of Aqua Jigsaw I was expecting a similar experience.

Aqua Jigsaw, being true to its name, is a jigsaw puzzle game based on aquatic life. It allows you to create puzzles from pictures in categories like fishes, aquatic life and aquatic plants. If you get bored of all the aquatic life you can use one of the wallpapers in your iPhone or just take a picture and use it. The game allows you to choose the shape of puzzle pieces from rectangle or the standard jigsaw puzzle shape and modify the size of each piece.

What I liked

Lots of aquatic pictures to choose from. Also the option to choose your own pictures makes the puzzle images practically unlimited.
Excellent implementation. The blocks have a slight pull from a distance so that you don’t need to align till the last pixel.
Load/resume works perfectly. Great for quick puzzle solving sessions on the way.
Soothing background sea soundtrack. It needs improvements though (See the ‘did not like list’)

What I didn’t like

The UI lags a bit while dragging the pieces.
Soundtrack should have more tracks. And, PLEASE eliminate the glass shattering sound (noise?) when an image is broken into puzzle pieces.

Verdict

If you like solving Jigsaw puzzles, this is a great game for quick on-the-go time pass. It needs improvements but they can be addressed via software updates. The $1.99 price tag may seem a tad high but if you consider it’s excellent implementation, compared to other app store jigsaw puzzle apps, it’s actually quite decent.

Aqua Jigsaw is brought to you by 99games and can be purchased here for $1.99.
Thanks to 99games for the review copy!

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Max Payne 1 and 2 on Xbox Live

Chirag — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 14:17:17 +0000

I have a confession to make. I never played Max Payne. I saw the trailers, read the reviews, I even saw my friends playing it. But, I never played it myself. To add to the shame, I don’t seem to remember any reason for not playing it!

Anyway, when I logged into Xbox Live today, I was pleasantly surprised by 2 new Xbox Originals. Yes, Max Payne 1 & 2 are now available on Xbox 360 for 1200 points!

It actually is a good strategy by Rockstar and Microsoft. Just before the release of Max Payne 3, tempt people with Max Payne 1 & 2. Get publicity for your game and earn money selling your 8 year old games!

Anyway, I’m not complaining. At least I won’t be the “one who hasn’t played Max Payne” any more.

[Announcement]

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Xbox Live free this weekend!

Chirag — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 13:42:40 +0000

Microsoft UK has announced that during Xtival’09 from May 1-4 all Xbox users will have access to free Xbox Live Gold. So you can play with your friends on Live for free!

Here’s what the official website says:

We don’t think anyone should miss out on the treats we’ve got lined-up this year, which is why we’re giving EVERYONE Xbox LIVE Gold membership FREE for the entire weekend.

Let’s hope this is applicable in India too. And while we’re hoping, let’s also hope that Microsoft learns something from Sony and makes Xbox Live free for all

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Braid is now available on PC! [Video Games]

Chirag — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 08:38:12 +0000

Great news for all you PC gamers. Braid, earlier an Xbox Live exclusive, is now available on PC (Windows only).

If you are a gamer and have been living in a cave, Braid is last year’s super hit indie game that won everyone’s heart with it’s ingenious puzzles, art style and music. As described by the creator, Jonathan Blow, “Braid is a platform game in a paintery style where you manipulate the flow of time to solve puzzles”.

Take our word for it, the game is an amazing, mind-bending experience. Gamer or not, you must own and play it. The game is a $15 download away from Steam or various other websites mentioned in the official announcement.

If you’re still in doubt, download the demo from Impulse and prepare to be amazed.

[via - Official Braid blog]

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Another reason to be a game developer [Xbox 360]

Chirag — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 14:49:43 +0000

After finishing a game when you sit back enjoying the credits, don’t you fancy seeing your name scroll through there? If the answer is yes, here is a nightmare for you.

Microsoft has launched new Xbox 360 development kits that’ll make you drool like you never did. These models come in metallic blue and matte black colors and look as hot as a piece of electronic equipment can (and should). And, if you care, they also have 1 gig of RAM to support the hefty debugger I believe.

Xbox 360 Metallic Blue

Xbox 360 Matte Black

Xbox 360 Controller

Now’s the time to quit your boring job.

[via - Kotaku]

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GTA IV The Lost and Damned TV Glitch

Setu — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 17:02:55 +0000

There seems to be a glitch in the proximity sensing algorithm in the latest episode of GTA IV. The Lost and Damned was released on the Xbox Live marketplace on 17th Feb 2009 just as promised by Rockstar. The DLC is doing good all over the world and has received pretty good reviews from almost all the gaming sites.

This is more of a LOL situation rather than a glitch. When you are in the Lost’s clubhouse, go to the roof and go near the TV antenna. There is a spot near the antenna which is just above the TV room on the floor below. Now the proximity algorithm senses that you are within TV’s range and hence gives you an option to watch the TV:

This is what you get on screen when you opt to watch the TV. Clearly, the game shows you a weird screen which it calculated based on your current position and angle from the TV:

When you stop watching TV, you find yourself magically appear n the TV room in front on the TV:

PS: We mean no offense to the creators of this game. We believe that a lot of hard work has gone down in building what can be called as the best game on the planet right now and we thank Rockstar and all the people in the GTA IV and TLOD team for creating it.

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Bend those bullets [Video Games]

Chirag — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 11:02:22 +0000

Remember Wanted? That Angelina Jolie movie from last year where assassin’s could bend bullets and what not!

GRIN, the guys behind the GRAW series and the superb NES remake Bionic Commando: Rearmed, have developed a game that acts as a sequel to the movie. It’s called Wanted: Weapons of Fate.

The game is not a typical third person shooter. It has many cool features which if implemented well may turn out awesome. For one, you can actually bend bullets like in the movie! I’m not sure how the controls will work but from the gameplay video it looks like you’ll have to form a trajectory before shooting and the bullet will follow that path. I can’t wait to try this. Just imagine how much this will add to the standard shooting experience.

Bend it like Jolie?

Apart from this the cover system in the game also looks good. It looks pretty similar to the Gears of War cover system which we all know is awesome. The movements look very smooth and believable (at least in the video).

They also have something called cover stabbing. It is exactly what it sounds like. You can perform melee attacks from within cover! Sounds (and looks) pretty cool.

The game will come out on Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. Check out the gameplay trailer.

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The New Xbox Experience

Chirag — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 22:08:11 +0000

If there’s one product that Microsoft has done right, it’s the Xbox 360. Despite the teething (and heating) troubles Microsoft has managed to make it one of the best choices in the console gaming market. And yesterday they did the unthinkable, they upgraded the perfectly fine Xbox software and made it even better!

Here’s my take on the new experience.

Installation is passable
It’s an over 100 MB download so for normal people with normal Internet connections, it’ll take time. A lot of time. Thankfully, the process is smooth and interruption free. It does run a super cool movie at the end of the install process which sorta makes up for the long wait.

Avatars are cute and simple
I normally hate editing and dressing up the characters in Sims etc but this is pretty cool. Minimal and clear options that allow you to customize to your liking without being tired of flipping through menus and dragging sliders.

That's how I look

You can take a picture of you avatar and use it as you gamer pic. But don’t make it wait for too long or it’ll get bored and start yawning

Yawwn

It’s very flickable
I’m huge fan of flicking based interfaces. MS has done a 2D version. Flicking vertical takes you to different categories like “Welcome”, “My Xbox”, “Friends” and various marketplaces. Flicking horizontally let’s you choose sub-categories as well as view the details of a selected item. And yes, it makes a cool whoosh sound while flicking.

Also, if you move the right stick you can control your avatar just about anywhere!

Whoosh time!

Flick right to see various game info

Xbox Guide
Press the Xbox Guide button anytime, anywhere and the guide menu pops up. The big difference this time is has many more options than before. It’s basically the old dashboard compressed, revamped and linked to the Guide button. It’s really very useful as it makes for an easy exit from whatever deep menu you are stuck in.

Install games to hard drive
Allows you to copy the data from you DVD to the hard drive for faster (supposedly) loading times. You still need the DVD to be in the drive but since it’s no longer accessed all the time, it’ll be less prone to wear and tear. Unlike PS3, Xbox makes a single file image of the game so install/delete is much faster.

Don’t have a hard drive? Microsoft is giving away hard drives for cheap.

Delete zero gamescore games
If you’re the kind who would rather not show your bad performance in a certain game in his/her profile

Support for new resolutions via VGA cable
This one made my day. I play on my 19″ LCD monitor but I’ve always missed the high native resolution it can support. Now the Xbox supports 1440×900 and 1680×1050 natively and you can play all your games at gorgeous resolutions.

Do note that these 16:10 resolutions will display black bars on top and bottom of your monitor. This is because the games are generally designed for 16:9 aspect ratio. But who cares, we’ve spent all our lives watching at CinemaScope Bollywood movies on TV

Errors all around, did anybody even test it?
I’ve been facing errors opening the marketplace or viewing game info very regularly since the update. This never happened before. It just says “Error Code 80072ee2“. Sure looks like a bug but I’m not sure why most others are not facing it.

All in all, Microsoft has done a brilliant job with this update. I’m pretty sure the small issues will be ironed out real soon.

Now, If only they could do a similar job with Windows.
Must reads:
- Major Nelson’s Top 10 things to do when you get the New Xbox Experience
- 30 things you didn’t know about NXE

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Fastest graphics card in history – NVIDIA Quadro FX 5800

Swaroop — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 16:48:46 +0000

A powerful graphic’s card is any gamer’s best wish, of course coupled with the right games to stress it to the extreme. NVIDIA took a huge leap in this race to create the most powerful graphics card in history with this release of NVIDIA Quadro FX 5800 (I am optimistic to see more before I get pwned).

Ofcourse, this graphics card isn’t aimed at us gamers. It’s aimed at more serious stuff. Here’s what NVIDIA claims this is for

The Quadro® FX 5800 ultra-high-end solution gives geophysicists, designers, scientists, engineers, and other technical professionals visual supercomputing from their desktops. Professional applications take advantage of the advanced feature set of the Quadro FX 5800, including 4GB of frame buffer, providing professionals with the right set of tools to deliver results that push visualization beyond traditional 3D.

Thanks to these high end graphics,

We get to see awesome animated movies and get to say, “Yay, can run Crysis now”
The scientists can get to simulate complex molecular collisions and stuff.
Engineers and other technical professionals get to make complex graphical calculations like 4D modelling and all, to give us the next gen cars too.

And guess what, couple 4 of these and you get “Quadro Plex 2100 S4″, an out of this world Visual Computing System. You and me get to wait till we get to use these for our gaming though. [This baby isn't coming cheap at 3500 USD per piece, it ensures only the serious fellows get to use it]

[Via - NVIDIA, Engadget]

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Review: Moto Chaser [Paid iPhone Apps]

Setu — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 14:48:56 +0000

Moto Chaser [iTunes Store URL] is a bike racing game for iPhone and iPod Touch available on the App store for $5.99. The game is getting good reviews by the users lately. The developers reduced the price of the game from $9.99 to $5.99 recently. Is it really worth the price? Lets find out.

The game has a very neat & intuitive menu system. Also, whenever you tap an option, you are confirmed by a feedback flare at the place you tapped. This is a really helpful feature as in some games, you do not know if the menu option was selected if the next screen takes some time to load.

The options menu lets you adjust the sound and music volume in addition to game difficulty.

Once you select Race, you are presented with a screen to select a player out of the 3 available. The touchscreen is very well utilized here as you have to drag the players to scroll through them.

Once you select a player, you can choose the track you want to race through. You can only select from the tracks that you have unlocked. Once you complete one track, the next one gets unlocked and so on.

Gameplay

The controls are pretty simple. There is a gas pedal at the lower left corner of the screen. You keep it pressed using your left thumb. The steering is done using the accelerometer. Tilt the iPhone left or right to steer the bike. Usually, its not easy to control objects using accelerometer, however, it’s not the case here.

It is extremely easy and fun to control the bike. I guess it’s due to the fact that the developers just restricted the left/right steer controls to be controlled via the accelerometer instead of giving it the full control which is irritating (Try controlling the Audi A4 car and you will know).

The object of the game is to complete all the tracks by racing to consecutive checkpoints in each track within the time alloted. The time reduces when you increase the difficulty under options. If you have any time left over from a previous checkpoint, it gets added to the next one.

Sometimes, during the game play, other bikers will appear. Whenever they come, a small punch button also appears at the bottom right corner of the screen. Go near them and hit this button to punch/kick them. Kinda like Road Rash. Cool eh ?

The graphics are pretty good. The best I have seen in any iPhone game. The sound effects are appropriate and the music is good too. During the game play, a speedometer displays your speed and a countdown timer displays the remaining time you have to reach the next checkpoint. You can tap the timer to pause the game.

Conclusion

The game is great fun and a cool time pass. You will never get bored playing it. Even after you complete all the tracks, you will keep on racing again and again. This is totally worth the price. If you love racing games, this one should be on yoru App Store shopping list [iTunes Store URL].

iTunes rating: 4
woikr rating: 5

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