Kevin Tofel of jkOnTheRun has put together a fairly comprehensive list of what's inside the Vista SP2 update—just as the beta rolls out to MSDN and TechNet subscribers. Here is what users can expect:
• Built-in Hyper-V hypervisor
• Event logging support in SPC
• Fixes for DRM issues from WMP upgrades
• Windows Vista Feature Pack for Wireless
• Functionality to reduce resources required for sidebar gadgets
• Improved power settings for Windows Server 2008
The complete list of features:
Emerging Hardware Support
• SP2 contains Blue tooth 2.1 feature pack supporting the most recent specification for Blue tooth technology
• Ability to record data on Blu-Ray media,
• Adds Windows Connect Now (WCN) Wi-Fi Configuration to Windows Vista SP2,
• exFAT file system now supports UTC timestamps, which enable... More »
AOL announced the launch of AOL PlaySavvy.com, a new site that targets parents of children ages 5-17 and helps them decipher the world of games, both PC and console.
PlaySavvy also helps parents stay aware of their kids’ entertainment choices including assisting them in making informed decisions about buying games for their children.
Press Release: AOL Launches PlaySavvy.com
The PlaySavvy.com launch is a continuation of AOL’s overall programming goal to offer consumers interactive and engaging experiences with relevant sites that target people’s passion points.
This year, AOL launched several targeted sites including ParentDish.com, http://www.parentdish.com, Lemondrop.com, http://www.lemondrop.com, WalletPop.com, http://www.walletpop.com, and Holidash.com, http://www.holidash.com.
"Playing video games is one of the top pastimes for children these days, almost more than watching... More »
Empire: Total War, is the new installment in The Creative Assembly’s Total War RTS franchise and will maintain the series 3D battles, grand turn based campaign map and rich historical flavor; while for the first time introducing 3D naval combat into the series.
Below is an interview with one of the game's developers:
WP: Who has the honor to speak with us? State your name, rank, and occupation!
Kieran Brigden, studio communications manager for Creative Assembly.
WP: Empire Total War marks the first time that the Total War series has had really intricate naval battles. Why have them now?
KB: Well, it's a combination of factors. One, we've wanted to do it for a while but the technology was ready now. Two, it's the period that's right for it. When you add naval battles to the game, you have to do it when it's interesting, enjoyable, and fun. The 18th century was the absolute height of cool naval warfare. You had thi... More »
Reports of the "Jasper" model of the Xbox 360 have been reported to have been in stores since as early as late September, and now a newer report gives us some better details on what to look for, particularly the output voltage on the power brick.
The Jasper chipset is, essentially, supposed to be better in every way, this including the amount of power it requires. So it seems, any 360 made after October 23, 2008 should have the chipset.
My only question is: why the heck wouldn't this be advertised and on the box? I guess if they did that a lot of unsuspecting customers would have suddenly been suspecting, meaning less sales since launch. Still!
VentureBeat reporter and "renowned Microsoft digger" Dean Takahashi has done a... More »
Just under a week ago we featured a Compulsive Gamers Not Addicts article, and today a related topic of dicussion is Video Games Versus Real Life.
Since the dawn of time, there have been conflicts. Men Vs Women, Right Vs Wrong, the list goes on. But have we really gotten to the bottom of any of these? Well now, it’s time to solve a conflict so steeped in history that some of you just might not be old enough to remember when it began.
We all know the stereotypes that come into play here. There’s the typical ‘nerd’, complete with sweaty palms and dorky glasses. The other being the ‘jock’. The sports loving, woman seducing bully. Obviously, recent times have changed this situation.
More and more ‘regular’ people are playing games, and the nerd stereotype is becoming less of a crux of gaming. But whenever you picture the Real L... More »
I used the various tools and information from NPD and sites like Chart-Track to compile this list of PS3 games with worldwide sales over one million units, as accurate as I could make it with the latest information I had.
Games listed in order of sales (in millions):
1. Grand Theft Auto IV, Take-Two Interactive - 4.8
2. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Activision - 3.7
3. Motorstorm, Sony Computer Entertainment - 3.6
4. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, Konami - 3.4
5. Resistance: Fall of Man, Sony Computer Entertainment - 3.2
6. Assassin’s Creed, Ubisoft - 2.9
7. Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, Sony Computer Entertainment - 2.2
8. Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, Sony Computer Entertainment - 1.9
9. Pro Evolution Soccer 2008, Konami - 1.6
10. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, RedOctane - 1.6
11. FIFA 08, Electronic Arts - 1.6
12. Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction, Sony Computer Entert... More »
Will splashing out on expensive RAM make a real difference to PC performance? And if so, how much should you buy? We supply the benchmarks and lay the details bare.
According to legend, Bill Gates once concluded that “640KB of memory ought to be enough for anyone” (a legend he’s at pains to repudiate). These days it takes more than 800 times that much RAM just to make Windows Vista work smoothly.
But as the idea takes hold that more RAM is always good, we’re increasingly seeing home systems armed with a vast 4GB of storage. Indeed, with 64-bit Vista gaining traction, we’re sure the 8GB home PC can’t be far away. Is there any need for this much memory, or is it a waste of money beyond a certain point?
This month we set out to discover the truth. Armed with a comprehensive set of benchmarks and a big stack of DIMMs, we’ve tested performance on both XP and Vista to find out how much memory you really need.
The question is, do game companies sell less games because they offer a beta or a demo?
In an interview with GamePro magazine, Gears of War head-honcho Cliff Bleszinski said the following: "Once you play a BETA, you can check it off your list - you can say, yeah, I played it."
So, what Cliff seems to be saying is that they will not sell as many games to the public if they offer a beta/demo. Makes some sense and as the old saying goes, why buy the cow (or GOW in this case...) when the milk is free.
Of course BETAs can be looked at in a slightly different light than demos because a beta is supposed to help the devs sort out issues that they might not have found otherwise. Wide-scale testing also stresses servers and other support systems that routing in-house testing just can't do as effectively.
On the other hand, betas do provide quite a bit of insight into the final product. The gameplay will almost certainly be the same and ... More »
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