Computer & Internet

Domain Gratis .com .net .org

2009-07-06T08:59:00.000-07:00

Domain Gratis .com .net .org mau? hehe sudah seperti iklan operator aja. Kebetulan Pas kemarin-kemarin sibuk facebookan, ada temen yang invite pages ke saya. Dan disitu ada article tentang Domain Gratis. Lalu saya langsung mendapat bisikan untuk menulis artikel tentang Domain Gratis ini di Blog saya.

Langsung aja deh ke cara pendaftarannya.

1. Buka situs FreePremiunDomain.com

2. Setelah masuk anda akan diberikan 2 pilihan yaitu

One Free Domain dimana anda harus mendapatkan 9 referrals untuk mengaktifkanya.
Two Free Domain dimana anda harus mendapatkan 16 referrals untuk mengaktifkanya.

3. Masukan Email anda dan Password, lalu centang pada kotak disamping I Agree, kemudian klik register.

4. Setelah register kita dihadapkan pada form isian identitas. isilah isian di form itu dengan benar. Setelah itu klik Register lagi.

5. Setelah semuanya selesai. Dan anda telah resmi terdaftar di FreePremiunDomain.com.

Keterangan :

Anda akan mendapatkan domain gratis jika anda telah mendapat 9 referrals untuk pilihan yang pertama dan 16 referrals untuk yang kedua.
Untuk mendapat 9 referrals atau 16 referrals anda dapat promosikan Link Url yang diberikan oleh FreePremiunDomain.com, baik melalui iklan, Facebook, Twitter, ataupun Blog pribadi anda agar banyak orang yang mendaftar melalui referral anda.
Silahkan Daftar Disini..!

Film Dokumenter Penampakan UFO

2009-07-04T08:22:00.000-07:00

Tonton aja nih Film dokumenter tentang UFO yang berdurasi lama banget sampai 1 jam setengah. Pokonya seru abiez deh banyak pembuktian tentang Kebenaran UFO dan penampakan-penampakanya. Oia sedikit penjelasan tentang UFO walaupun artikel ini jauh banget sama tema Blog saya, hehe tapi pas kemarin saya browsing-browsing tentang UFO, saya tertarik untuk berbagi Film ini kepada teman-teman yang suka tentang UFO. Enjoyed Watch..!!

UFO merupakan singkatan dari Unidentified Flying Object atau yang artinya benda terbang yang tak dikenal. Istilah UFO diberikan oleh Kapten Edward J. Ruppelt pada tahun 1952. Banyak juga yang menyebutnya piring terbang dan istilah-istilah lainya yang terkait.

Pada kasus terbaru ada seseorang yang melihat adanya benda asing yang menyerupai UFO. Adalah Denna Smith seorang penulis di Amerika serikat. Dia sangat yakin akan temuanya itu dan langsung direkam olehnya, berikut fotonya.

Memang gambar yang aneh, tapi si Denna ini sangat yakin bahwa itu adalah UFO. Nah bagaimana menurut anda? Gambar itu diambil di atas taman wisata Kings Dominion, Virginia. Tapi petugas yang bekerja dilokasi tersebut menyebut itu merupakan kepulan asap yang terbentuk dari gunung merapi disekitar tempat tersebut, tapi si Denna ini sangat yakin atas videonya tersebut. Berikut Videonya

Nah semoga postingannya bermanfaat. Yang suka komentar aja dibawah..!

SATU KLIK SAJA DIBAWAH INI AKAN SANGAT MEMBANTU BAGI SAYA

Page Rank Turun Naik

2009-07-03T01:04:00.000-07:00

Huft, akhirnya setelah menunggu beberapa minggu ternyata Page Rank Blog ku naik lagi jadi 2. ohh senangnya tidak bisa diungkapkan dengan kata-kata, hehe. pada awalnya blog saya juga sudah ber page rank 2 dan sempat menikmati banyaknya kunjungan dari Kang Google dan Turut merasakan Pula menjadi peringkat 1 di google dengan mengetikan beberapa Keyword tertentu. Tapi setelah saya aktif di Program PPC dan Program meningkatkan Traffic pada blog, Page rank saya jadi NOL besar. contohnya Program Traffic yang dapat meningkatkan Traffic di blog kita semisal Fasthits.info, Quadhits.com, dan lain-lain. Saya mendapat rekomendasi dari teman saya untuk mengikuti Program tersebut, lalu saya pun mengikutinya dengan senang hati. setelah diproses kurang lebih selama 2 hari akhirnya saya pun mendapat Traffic yang Lumayan sekitar 100-200 perharinya. Tetapi alangkah kecewanya saya ketika 2 hari kemudian saya mengecek Page rank pada Blog saya Ternyata Turun Drastis Menjadi NOOOOL BesAAAr. Dan mengecek Keyword GAMEGIMI di google pun yang mucul malah blog orang lain, padahal biasanya langsung menuju ke Blog ini. Sedih memang, tapi itu konsekuensi karena kita tidak mencari info terlebih dahulu ketika kita mengikuti Program-program yang justru mengancam Blog kita.

Setelah saaat itu saya pun gencar berGoogling-googling didunia maya guna mendapat informasi mengenai Page rank di blog saya. Ternyata eh ternyata Kang Google tidak suka terhadap blog yang menggunakan Tool peningkat traffic seperti contoh diatas tadi, karena dianggap spam oleh google. Dan imbasnya berujung ke blog saya, Google mencabut blog saya di Search engine mereka dalam beberapa hari dan tentu mempengaruhi page rank kita. Lalu saya delete langsung account di kedua program tersebut. dan menyingkirkan iklan-iklan yang tidak berguna di blog. Dan tidak disangka-sangka setelah menunggu berminggu-minggu akhirnya blog saya pun di anugerahkan Page rank 2 yang sangat indah oleh google. Thanks lah buat google!

Dan satu lagi Tips agar Page rank kita naik. Perbanyak postingan di blog kita karena itu lumayan sangat berpengaruh juga, tapi jangan lupa langsung daftarkan blog dengan artikel terbaru kita ke web-web penyedia jasa layanan PING contoh Google ping, feedping, dan mypagerank. Dan buktinya setelah kejadian Page rank jadi 0, saya posting kurang lebih 5 artikel dalam seminggu. ternyata benar Page rank langsung naik lagi jadi 2. Itu terjadi karena Google melihat rutinitas postingan blog kita dan bagaimana sang admin mengurus blognya.

Nah setelah kejadian ini saya berharap teman-teman tidak mengalami kejadian yang seperti saya, itu membuat kita tidak semangat lagi jadi blogger mania. mudah-mudahan artikel ini bermanfaat untuk anda yang bernasib sama dengan saya, Terimakasih.

Free download Quick Office v4.60 for s60 3rd Edition

2009-07-02T11:20:00.000-07:00

Buat kita yang memiliki HP yang bersistem operasi Symbian S60 3rd Edition misal 6120c, N73, N78, E51, 5700, 5320, N95, N81, dan lain-lain. Kita dapat menginstal beberapa aplikasi tambahan berupa software penunjang di HP kita maupun Games-games yang dapat kita download di mana saja termasuk internet.

Nah untuk yang ingin mempunyai aplikasi yang dapat membuka dan mengedit file Doc seperti, Word, Exel, dan Power point kita gunakan aplikasi Quick Office V 4.60. Kenapa harus pakai Quick Office V 4.60? Karena pada aplikasi ini sudah disertakan fasilitas editing yang sangat berguna bila dibandingkan dengan aplikasi bawaan handphone yang hanya dapat viewer saja atau membaca. download disini..!!!

Tapi sayangnya aplikasi ini masih versi trialnya. Tapi tenang cuy karena pada blog sahabat saya si sang admin alias mas atau kang atau pak atau om atau bos whatever kamu mau manggilnya apa yang jelas namanya Rampadan. nah si empu ini punya keygen yang bisa mengaktifkan versi trial jadi resmi alias Cracked. Tapi si mas rampadan ini tidak memberikan langsung keygen nya ke kita. kita harus ninggalin Comment di bawah postinganya berikut No Imei HP kita dan Typenya jangan lupa masukin email juga. ribet juga yah, tapi itu sudah konsekuensi orang yang pengen download aplikasi yang bagus tapi Gretongan. hehehe.. nih Link ke si mas Rampadan. http://rampadan.blogspot.com/2009/01/aplikasi-quickoffice-pada-nokia-symbian.html

Make money twitter

2009-07-01T08:09:00.000-07:00

If you have twitter account and you have more than 50 follower. Dont missing any changes for bussines in twitter. you can make money in Twitter from revtwt.com. in revtwt.com you can get more facility for publishing ads when you communication with your friend in Twitter. for get all of that is easy. you just sign up here for a moment! and thereupon you can publishing ads in your twitter and get you cash from revtwt.com. Think smart for optimization you activity on the internet. You must fast for sign up because many other people looking for this changes!

Free Download Java Games 240x320

2009-06-28T19:55:00.000-07:00

Free download 30 java games for Nokia, SonyEricsson, Samsung, Siemens, Motorola, and any phone at 240x320 resolution.

Enjoy Download..!!

Pro Evolution Soccer (PES)

Download Pro Evolution Soccer (PES)

And Other 29 Java Games Here !

WWE Smack Down

Download WWE Smack Down

The Sims 2 Pets

Download The Sims 2 Pets

Super Mario Bross

Download Super Mario Bross

Resident Evil 5

Download Resident Evil 5

Pro Rally

Download Pro Rally

Prison Break

Download Prison Break

Prince Of Persia

Download Prince Of Persia

ZUMA

Download ZUMA

Need for Speed Undercover

Download Need for Speed Undercover

Monopoly

Download Monopoly

Metal Slug 4

Download Metal Slug 4

Madagascar

Download Madagascar

Kungfu Panda

Download Kungfu Panda

K.O Fighters

Download K.O Fighters

Iron Man

Download Iron Man

ICE AGE 3

Download ICE AGE 3

GTA IV

Download GTA IV

God Of War

Download God Of War

Ghost Sensor

Download Ghost Sensor

Far Cry 2

Download Far Cry 2

Bejeweled

Download Bejeweled

Devil May Cry 4

Download Devil May Cry 4

Crash Bandicoot Racing

Download Crash Bandicoot Racing

Counter Strike

Download Counter Strike

Call Of Duty (World Of War)

Download Call Of Duty (World Of War)

Call Of Duty 3

Download Call Of Duty 3

Brother In Arms

Download Brother In Arms

Assassins Creed

Download Assassins Creed

1942 Deadly Dessert

Download 1942 Deadly Dessert

Download Yahoo messenger offline

2009-06-27T20:02:00.000-07:00

Apakah anda pernah kesal ketika menginstal yahoo messenger dikomputer anda? pada saat menginstal anda harus menghubungkan computer anda ke internet, dan lama sekali proses installing nya apalagi dengan koneksi internet yang buruk. Saya menyediakan yahoo messenger yang dapat di install secara ofline tanpa harus menggunakan koneksi internet. Anda pun dapat mendownloadnya disini secara langsung dan menginstalnya secara offline sehingga tidak menyita waktu anda dan koneksi internet yang mahal. Dan hanya tinggal menggunakannya ketika computer anda terhubung dengan internet!

Download Now..!!

Cara Pemesanan CD Linux Ubuntu

2009-06-22T10:14:00.000-07:00

Ayo gunakan Linux! Slogan ini memang sedang gencar-gencarnya disuarakan oleh seluruh pecinta Linux kepada para pengguna komputer. kita sama-sama tahu jika memakai Windows maka kita harus membelinya dengan harga sangat mahal terutama pada pengguna komputer kalangan bawah seperti saya juga, hehehe.. Windows berlisensi sedangkan Linux sifatnya freeware atau gratis, walaupun ada juga linux yang berbayar.

Linux pun bermacam-macam jenis nya atau yang lebih populer disebut Distro, contoh : Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Edubuntu, Fedora, RedHat, Debian, Slackware, OpenSuse, Mandriva, Blank On, dan masih banyak lainya.

Disini saya akan menerangkan cara pemesanan CD Linux Ubuntu online secara gratis. saya benar-benar memberikan apresiasi penuh kepada Ubuntu, disaat situasi ekonomi sedang sulit seperti akhir-akhir ini tapi Ubuntu bersedia memproduksi CD Ubuntu secara cuma-cuma berikut pengirimannya secara ekslusif kepada siapa saja yang memesannya.

untuk mulai memesan CD nya kita masuk ke Situs resmi ubuntu yaitu Ubuntu.com. setelah itu kita lihat disudut kiri atas situs ini ada tulisan Get Ubuntu, klik link tersebut.

Kemudian kita akan dibawa ke menu Get ubuntu, ada tiga pilihan disitu ada Download now, Buy on CD or DVD, dan Request a Free CD. kita pilih yang ketiga atau Request a Free CD.

Setelah itu kita akan dibawa ke bagian Shipping atau pengiriman. Disini ada pilihan request Desktop edition atau Server edition. sebagai contoh kita pilih yang Desktop Edition saja.

Kemudian kita diharuskan login menggunakan email kita. Jika belum daftar ya daftar dulu. Disitu ada tulisan No, I want to create account now, pilih kata tersebut lalu continue dan ikuti petunjuk selanjutnya.

Setelah daftar dan verifikasi komplit. lalu kita masuk ke member area, disini kita tinggal memasukan nama dan alamat kita yang nantinya akan jadi alamat pengiriman CD Ubuntu, setelah selesai mengisi identitas maka kita diharuskan menunggu hingga ada approval atau disetujui oleh pihak ubuntu untuk pengiriman, biasanya jika kita hanya memesan 1 CD saja pasti langsung diterima.

Bagaimana jika kita ingin memesan lebih dari 1 CD?

Pertama pada member area kita pilih request CD yang mana saja bisa Desktop bisa juga Server Edition. Diatas form isian alamat ada tulisan you can make a special request. Klik link tersebut lalu isikan berapa CD yang dibutuhkan misalkan 20 CD. Disini kita harus mengisi form alasan mengapa kita membutuhkan CD lebih dari 1, dengan bahasa Inggris Pastinya. Tapi gampang kok buktinya saya pesan 2x20 CD di approve walaupun harus menunggu hingga 3 Hari.

Contoh alasanya : dear Ubuntu team, I need 20 CDs of Ubuntu for my Computer Laboratory. In my Computer laboratory need operating System like Ubuntu cause ubuntu very user friendly for user Computer beginner and amazing Display. So please give me 20 Cds!

Maaf bila inggris saya belepotan dan agak ancur, tapi hanya itu yang bisa saya berikan. Tapi saya request 2x20 CD langsung di approve dengan kata-kata diatas. So try it aja!

Contoh bila permintaan CD kita di approve dan tinggal menunggu pengiriman

Paket kiriman CD ubuntu yang telah saya terima, didalamnya ada 1 CD dan 4 stiker Ubuntu.

Catatan :

paket CD yang kita terima tidak seluruhnya gratis ada biaya POS, kalau di daerah saya yaitu Bandung biaya yang dikenakan Rp. 7000,’

jika ingin memesan lebih dari 1 CD disarankan minimal 50 CD, karena ada kejadian pada teman saya yang request 100 CD dikenakan biaya Rp. 75000.’ Tapi ada juga yang tarif normal Rp. 7000.’ Tergantung daerah tempat tinggal kita. Tapi kita harus jaga-jaga bukan? Gimana kalau kita lagi boke-bokenya eh CD ubuntu datang dan bayar mahal pula. Tapi Up to you sech, its just Information.

Paket Home & Office Version 3.0 [Alnect Komputer]

2009-06-06T10:55:00.000-07:00

Bila anda menginginkan computer desktop yang handal dengan performance yang hebat dan dengan harga terjangkau pastinya. Anda tidak perlu ragu dan sungkan untuk memilih produk paket computer dari Alnect computer. Dengan ditanamkanya prossesor core 2 duo besutan intel maka performance computer ini tidak perlu diragukan lagi. Harga paket yang diberi nama Paket Home & office version 3.0 ini berkisar Rp. 4.700.00. murah bukan..?

silahkan klik disini untuk pemesanan !

Berikut spesifikasinya

Processor : Intel Pentium® Dual Core E7400 ( 2.8Ghz, L2 Cache 2MB, HT, FSB 1066Mhz )

Mainboard : Gigabyte Chipset Intel G31

Memory : 1GB DDR2 PC 5300 Kingston

Hard Disk : 160GB WDC SATA 7200 RPM

VGA Card : Onboard

Optical Drive : DVD-RW 20X SATA Lite-On

Cassing : ATX Ersys EzCool 500 Watt

Monitor : 16'' LCD WXGA LG

Keyboard : Available (Advance - with multimedia and internet hotkeys)

Mouse : Available (Advance)

Speaker : Active Mini Stereo

Other Bonus : Mousepad and Computer Cover

Operating System : Not Included

Alnect Care Warranty : 30 Hari

Standard Warranty : 1 Tahun

HDD External USB Verbatim 320GB [Alnect Komputer]

2009-06-06T10:50:00.000-07:00

Pada saat ini memang keperluan akan besarnya storage hardisk memang sangat besar, terutama bagi mereka yang merupakan penggemar film, games, ataupun lagu-lagu. Tentu tidak akan cukup apabila kita hanya menyimpan pada hardisk kita terutama untuk computer terdahulu yang mempunyai kapasitas penyimpanan hardisk yang relative kecil. Dan akan sangat merepotkan jika kita harus mengganti atau menambah hardisk kita, karena harus membongkar pasang computer kita. Disini saya menyarankan agar menggunakan hardisk eksternal, contoh hardisk eksternal yang paling baik dari segi kualitas maupun kuantitas yaitu HDD Eksternal USB Verbatim 320Gb. Keunggulan dari Hardisk eksternal ini yaitu

berukuran kecil dan ringan sehingga dapat mudah dibawa kemana saja. Dan HDD eksternal ini juga tidak menimbulkan suara yang bising, karena tidak menggunakan kipas. Dan yang perlu diperhatikan adalah fitur plug n play nya yang berarti kita dapan langsung memakainya tanpa harus menginstal software atau drivernya terlebih dahulu. HDD Eksternal USB Verbatim 320Gb ini harganya berkisar Rp. 950.000

untuk pemesanan klik disini

Berikut spesifikasinya

Main PC Connect : High Speed USB 2.0

Bus Transfer Rate : USB 2.0 Up Speed 480 Mb/sec

HDD Form Factor : 2.5''

Speed (RPM) : 5400 RPM

Buffer Size : 8 MB

HDD Interface : Integrated with case

Driver Compability : Plug and Play for PC Windows and Macintosh

Dimension (WHD) : (136.6 x 98.6 x 16) mm

Weight : 147 gram

Alnect Care Warranty : 30 Hari

Standard Warranty : 1 Tahun

Netbook Advan Vanbook A1N70T [Alnect Komputer]

2009-06-06T10:06:00.000-07:00

Produk Netbook yang murah tapi berkualitas keluaran Advan. tidak hanya dari segi tampilan, tapi dari performance nya yang mengaggumkan. dibantu dengan prosesor terbaru dari intel yaitu intel atom yang beraksitektur 45nm. harga yang ditawarkan pun cukup terjangkau yaitu sekitar Rp. 3.595.000, selain murah netbook ini juga mudah dibawa karena berat yang hanya 1,2 kg

untuk pemesanan klik disini

Processor : Intel ATOM N270 1.6 Ghz (533 Mhz FSB, 512 KB L2 Cache, 45 nm Technology)
Chipset : INTEL 945GSE
Memory : 1GB DDR2 PC5300
Video Controller : INTEL 945, 3D/2D Graphics Accelarator, Directx 9 Support, Shared memory
HDD : 1x 160GB SATA
LCD : WXGA (Wide) TFT 10.2
Webcam : Built in 1.3 Megapixels
Card Reader : 4 in 1 card reader port(MMC/MS/SD/MS-pro)
Communication : 10 /100 Ethernet, WLAN 802.11 B/G MiniCard module
I/O Ports : 3x USB 2.0, 1x RJ45 Port, 1x Power Port, 1x Microphone, 1x Lineout/Earphone, 1x VGA Ports
Sound System : Integrated, Realtek ALC662 Azalia standard support, Buit in Microphone, Built in Speaker
Battery : 11.1V/10.8V,2200/2400mAh(3S2P) 3 Cells
OS : DOS Only
Dimension : (WHD) (258 x 189 x 28) mm
Weight : <>
Alnect Care Warranty 180 Hari
Standard Warranty 1 Tahun
Others BONUS : 1x Softcase Cantik, 1x Cooling Pad, 1x Mouse Optik USB, 1x LCD Cleaner Kit

Fifa manager 2009 sacked + patch#2

2009-06-06T09:41:00.000-07:00

Pada pertama kali saya bermain fifa manager 2009, saya sangat senang memainkan game ini dengan tampilan yang mantap membuat saya ingin berlama-lama duduk didepan computer menghabiskan waktu. Hari demi hari saya memainkan game ini kebetulan saya menggunakan team tottenham hostpur. Dengan rekor yang tidak pernah kalah maka saya menjuarai liga primer inggris, dan tentu masuk liga champion. Tetapi alangkah kagetnya saya ketika tanggal 4 juli saya dipecat secara tiba-tiba oleh team tersebut. Sayapun heran, maka saya berinisiatif mengulang permainan ke tanggal 2 juli, tetapi tetap saja dipecat, sayapun tidak putus asa, saya mencoba perpanjangan kontrak terlebih dahulu sebelum tanggal 4 juli, eeeh tetapi tepap saja saya dipecat.

Setelah saya bergerilya didunia maya, dan membaca artikel-artikel serta forum-forum ternyata ada salah di crack yang kita pakai pada saat kita menginstal pertama kali. Dan saya pun mencari crack pengganti untuk fifa manager 2009 ini. Dan saya menemukan crack dan update patch #2. Saya pun langsung mendownloadnya dan menjalankan dikomputer saya. Dan alhamdulilah ternyata saya tidak dipecat lagi dan bermain dengan tenang sekarang.

download crack disini..!

download patch#2 disini..!

Flashget & IDM (Internet Download Manager)

2009-06-06T09:33:00.000-07:00

Kita sering kesal ketika pada saat mendowload file-file yang kita inginkan tiba-tiba berhenti ditengah jalan. Apalagi file yang kita download berukuran besar. Solusinya kita harus menggunakan program bantu untuk mendownload yaitu flashget dan IDM(internet download manager). Perbedaan antara keduanya terletak di lisensi, apabila flashget bersifat freeware dan IDM berbayar. Keunggulan dari keduanya yaitu mengoptimalkan download speed yang kita download . ini terbukti efektif ketika kita berinternet dengan menggunakan koneksi yang buruk, tapi download speed dari kedua program tersebut tetap kenceng. Kami juga menyediakan link untuk mendownload keduanya. Tapi khusus untuk IDM karena berlisensi maka kamipun menyediakan Patch untuk IDM agar dapat menjadi Free.

download Flashget

download IDM + patch

AWsurveys

2009-06-06T06:05:00.000-07:00

Program yang sangat menarik dari internet yang dapat menghasilkan uang total $27 untuk pertama kali daftar. Adalah program AWsurveys, dimana kita hanya bertugas mengkomentari website-website yang telah disediakan oleh AWsurvey. Kita harus berkomentar minimal 3 kalimat dalam bahasa inggris tentunya. Setiap kita berkomentar kita akan mendapatkan earn $4. Dan kita juga akan mendapatkan $1 setiap kita mengajak teman kita untuk bergabung melalui link kita. Kita dapat mengkomentari beberapa website yang telah disediakan.

Tetapi tidak setiap hari kita punya jatah untuk mengkomentari website disitu. Ada interval waktu tertentu yang ditentukan oleh AWsurveys itu sendiri. Kita pun dapat mentransfer uang yang kita peroleh dengan mengirim (redeem) ke account paypal yang kita miliki. Dan jika beruntung kita dapat menghasilkan $100 hingga $300. Belum lagi adanya reward $500 yang diundi setiap bulanya di AWsurveys

Banyak orang yang menganggap program ini sebagai program scam atau program penipuan yang diiming-imingi uang pada saat pendaftaran tapi pada kenyataanya tidak dibayar. Tetapi saya percaya jika AWsurveys akan benar-benar membayar, karena saya sudah mengalaminya.

Tertarik..!!! silahkan join klik disini untuk daftar

Speedy quota alert & java

2009-06-06T05:55:00.000-07:00

Jika anda pengguna speedy. Dengan berbagai paket yang ada, terutama pengguna speedy limited contohnya paket chat (50jam) dan atau paket 15 jam. Tentunya membutuhkan pengingat sisa quota anda. Speedy quota alert solusinya. Kita tinggal mendownload programnya lalu menjalankan dikomputer kita .

jika aplikasi tersebut tidak berjalan dikomputer anda maka anda harus menginstal java terlebih dahulu. Disini kami menyediakan software-sowtware tersebut yang dapat anda download secara langsung.

download speedy quota alert disini

download java disini

PES 2010

2009-05-22T00:37:00.000-07:00

Konami today announced PES 2010, and boldly stated that it "will benefit from the most exhaustive raft of new features in the series' history, with every aspect of the game benefiting from key improvements." The game is coming on PS3, Xbox 360, PC, PSP, PS2 and mobile phones this Australian Spring / American Autumn.

PES Productions, the Tokyo-based development team, is setting out to make this the most realistic football simulation available, with player feedback a key part of the process. "We have been monitoring feedback and comments on the progression of the PES series for some time now, and PES 2010 will see us implementing a great deal of the ideas players have been requesting," commented Naoya Hatsumi, Producer for PES Productions at Konami Digital Entertainment Japan. "We aim to make PES 2010 a more user-friendly, immediate experience that places the emphasis on getting straight into the gameplay for which the series is famed. PES 2010 will look better, will play better, and will recreate real football as closely as the current hardware will allow."

The team has expanded for development of PES 2010, with the creation of a number of dedicated departments focused on different aspects of the game, such as online. The key additions/changes to the game are:

Gameplay: "PES 2010 focuses on enhancing the excitement of matches between players, making for a truly challenging experience that will constantly test the player. Intuitive zonal defending will cover spaces and players need to look constantly for new ways to attack. PES 2010 focuses on being a real football simulation, as it requires both strategic play and quick reactions, as in real life. In addition to key out-field elements, goalkeepers are more versatile and with abilities matching those of modern shot-stoppers. The game's referees have also been reworked, with smarter AI elements allowing them to make more balanced calls during matches."

Improved Visuals: "PES 2010 has undergone a major visual revamp, with its celebrated player likenesses and animations now even closer to those of real-life players – including live player expressions to be depicted with an improved lighting system which differentiates between various conditions! Stadium detail is also massively improved, with the grass and other in-stadium elements finely depicted."

All-new Animations and Moves: "Animations now dovetail into each other seamlessly, with dribbling and shots on goals worked into dribbling animations. More individual skills are also on show, including new flicks and tricks that have a definite showing on the way a game flows. Several elements have been completely reworked, with the dribbling, turning and kicking animations greatly enhanced, while there is a noticeable change in pace when a player passes a ball from a standing position than from within a run."

Enhanced Master League: "Master League has been thoroughly renewed with the enhancement of managerial aspects, which enables users to enjoy managing a team for a longer career lifespan. Seen by many as a key contributor to the series' success, the Master League elements in PES 2010 have been bolstered by far-ranging and vital new additions, dedicated to enriching the mode."

AI: "The Tokyo team has worked to improve the AI of the game, with Teamvision 2.0 implemented. Midfielders and defenders now work together to cover open space and close down attacks, meaning that cover can be provided for lower-ranked defenders. This also has the additional effect of removing soft goals, thus returning PES 2010 to its simulation roots. In terms of attacking, players can also now move several players (at) once, sending them into different areas, opening up more goal-scoring possibilities than ever before. As such, PES 2010 necessitates a new level of control from the player. Strategic thinking is as important as quick passing, but the new system greatly opens the way the player oversees control of the team. In free kick scenarios, for instance, players can now instigate the runs of the players awaiting the ball in the penalty area."

Individual Play Characteristics: "In previous PES games, the team formation has determined the movements of the players. PES 2010 introduces a new system wherein the individual attacking and defending nature of the players is integral to the way they play. Each player enjoys unique AI tied into their best abilities, and is reflected in the actions of their team mates – i.e. if a player who is known to be a good crosser of the ball is in possession, more players will flood the penalty area to receive it. Similarly, if a player is known to be good with close control, defenders will work to cover their stronger side, while lone strikers will be automatically supported by midfielders on receipt of the ball."

Strategy Use: "A new power gauge system allows users to balance their strategy in a quick, but wide-ranging way before a match. Every element – pass frequency, movement, the line of defence, width of play, or the position of the front line – can be altered to match those of a favoured club: Juventus Turin are a dangerous side on the counter-attack, for instance, while FC Barcelona use width in their attack. These formulations can be altered at any point, too, with Home and Away matches forcing different circumstances on the user, as does the rigours of a Master League season."

Enhanced Online: "A new dedicated section of the Tokyo team is committed to improving the online side of PES 2010. More downloadable content is also planned. Konami has supported PES 2009 with the release of new licensed teams, transfer updates, etc, and this support will grow for PES 2010. Team and content updates are planned throughout the game's lifespan. These will make the game even more bespoke to the player's match day needs."

Match-Day Atmosphere: "Crowd reactions to the on-field action are now more varied, with all new chants and cheers. The subtle difference between Home and Away matches will be reproduced, and the crowd will react spontaneously to specific situations in a game, showing their disdain or pleasure as fouls are committed and goals scored. Likewise, the commentary has been altered to offer a fresher, more concise overview of the game."

Penalties: "An all-new system has been implemented, offering greater control, placing and accuracy."

Exclusive Europa League License: "Konami has strengthened its relationship with UEFA and can announce it has secured the exclusive video game rights for the Europa League Licence (formerly known as the UEFA Cup). In addition Konami will be enhancing and developing the use of the UEFA Champions League within PES 2010 to make even better use of the best club football competition in the world."

article by PC IGN

Command & Conquer : Red Alert 3

2009-04-03T15:19:00.000-07:00

You may think you know about the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor, but you don't. In Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3's alternate history, it's the Allies launching a surprise attack on Hawaii, a longtime stronghold of the Empire of the Rising Sun, and that's just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Red Alert 3 puts tongue firmly in cheek and dreams up a bizarre world where armored bears parachute from the sky, transformable Japanese mecha wreak havoc, and Mount Rushmore is actually a secret military facility where Honest Abe's head shoots deadly laser beams out of his eyes.

Red Alert has always been the more "colorful" of the Command & Conquer franchises. Its premise of time travel messing up the space-time continuum allows it to come up with some silly scenarios that are conveyed by scenery-chewing performances by actors in live-action video sequences. So with the Soviet Union facing defeat at the hands of the Allies, a trio of Russia's finest (played by Peter Stormare, Andrew Divoff, and Tim Curry) travel back in time to whack Einstein. This is a tip of the hat to the original Red Alert, where Einstein travelled back in time to whack Hitler. Job done, the Soviets return home only to discover that, like Eckels stomping on a butterfly in A Sound of Thunder, messing with time has unforeseen repercussions.

What results is three campaigns that let you play from the perspective of the Allies, the Soviet Union, and the new Empire of the Rising Sun, basically a Japan that's led by Sulu from Star Trek and armed to the teeth with almost every notable Japanese clich? turned into a unit. There's the aforementioned transformable mecha as well as non-transformable samurai robots, high-tech ninjas, suit-clad engineers, and, yes, even a skirt-wearing schoolgirl armed with Akira-like psychic powers. Not to worry, because the Allies and Soviets can play silly too, with helicopters that shrink opponents to pint size, tuxedo-clad spies, armored zeppelins, and leggy female commandos.

The big new addition in Red Alert 3 is that the entire single-player game has been designed with co-op in mind. You can either play with another human being or with the computer, but basically you each control your own base and forces. If you're playing with a human, there's built-in voice-chat and an ability to drop markers on the map to get their attention. If playing with a computer, you can issue orders for them to seize a location, or strike a certain target. It's a good dynamic because it can make what are traditionally long slogs shorter; you effectively have double the forces that you would normally have in a traditional RTS. Quite often, I let my computer partner tackle half the map while I tackled the other.

There's also a naval element in Red Alert 3, as many maps incorporate bodies of water. You can build submarines, dolphins, carriers, and battleships, though the line between naval and land warfare isn't exactly cut and dry due to the amphibious nature of many units. Vessels can sprout legs or treads and roll up to dry land, and some land units can float. It adds an extra dimension that was lacking in previous C&C games, and it also lets the developers show off the gorgeous water tech.

Aside from that, though, the gameplay formula hasn't changed very much from both ancient and recent Command & Conquer games. The economies have been gated a bit better in Red Alert 3, but aside from that you're in a mad race to gather resources, erect a variety of structures, research upgrades, and churn out armies, navies, and air forces. What's more, the missions have the same puzzle-feel; the campaign gradually unlocks the units and special abilities at your command. It's not until the final mission that you get everything unlocked. That, along with the design of the various missions, reinforces the feeling that you're not so much thinking for yourself as you are doing exactly what the level designer wants you to do. Plus, it's also annoying that you can't pull the camera back to see more; you're limited to the same sized slice of the battlefield as before.

Multiplayer and skirmish play is as cutthroat as ever, even more so in fact due to economy being gated better. In last year's Command & Conquer 3, it was possible to accelerate an economy by building multiple collectors per refinery, but in Red Alert 3 you can only assign one collector and one refinery per resource deposit, which helps to prevent an early game knock out. Still, you're going to need a lot of cunning and aggressiveness to keep the other guy off balance and to seize and maintain the initiative.

The balance between the three sides feels good at first, but if there's one glaring weakness it's the Empire's dire lack of sea-based antiaircraft early in the campaign, when the Allies hurl wave after wave of aircraft at you. What anti-air units the Empire does have require some micromanaging since they're transformable. That's rectified a bit later on, but it's a major headache until then.

The cast looks like they had a lot of fun for the most part. The great J.K. Simmons plays a gung-ho US president, Stormare basically echoes his role as the crazed Russian cosmonaut in Armageddon, and Curry's Russian accent just drips on the floor. Then there's no complaint about the bevy of beauties skimping about in cleavage-showcasing blouses and short skirts, though some of the "flirting" by British bombshell Gemma Atkinson is more than a bit awkward if you're anything other than a 14-year old boy.

Musically, the game has a driving soundtrack that helps fill in the lulls in missions. It works to the game's advantage that composer Frank Klepacki returned to help out with the soundtrack. Klepacki was responsible for Red Alert's iconic and memorable Hell March, and Red Alert 3's soundtrack feels like a fitting successor to that, with a modernized version of the Soviet anthem along with plenty of guitar-riffing background pieces.

Article By : PC IGN

Call of Duty : World at War & Cheats

2009-04-03T12:56:00.000-07:00

War, as Fallout 3 so famously puts it, never changes. While the weapons and tactics may differ, it's still about chaos and fear and the overwhelming of the senses as adrenaline surges through your veins. That's a hard experience to capture on a screen, but the Call of Duty series comes close thanks to its constant redefinition of what "11" is in terms of intensity for first-person shooters. Last year's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare delivered an awesome and varied single-player experience that was matched with an even better multiplayer suite, and it made for some really big shoes for Call of Duty: World at War to fill.

If you've been living in Antarctica the past year and haven't heard, then yes, World at War returns back to the series' World War II roots. This has caused no end of grumbling from fans of Modern Warfare's contemporary setting, as well as the fact that this installment was done by Treyarch, a sister-studio to Call of Duty-creator Infinity Ward. Treyarch did the somewhat-maligned Call of Duty 3, but the studio looks to atone for that by delivering a game with an impressive amount of content. There's a solid single-player campaign, co-op play, a huge multiplayer suite, and even a fun, silly mode featuring zombies.

It certainly helps that World at War focuses on the less popularized theaters of World War II. Instead of serving up Normandy and D-Day for what would have been the umpteenth time for World War II shooters, the game covers the island hopping campaign in the Pacific as well as the Red Army's reversal of the tide at Stalingrad all the way to the Fall of Berlin. This provides some interesting new battlefields set on sun-bleached coral atolls in the Pacific. You will see some more familiar spots with the bombed-out cities and farmlands ofthe Eastern Front missions, but it's still well done.

War tends to be a savage affair, but the Pacific and the Eastern Front were especially so. In the game, Japanese soldiers swarm out of the brush, erupting out of spider holes to charge straight at you in an attempt to run you through with their bayonets. They'll play dead and wait for you to walk into the middle of a trap. Though set outdoors, it feels like close-quarters combat much of the time. Meanwhile, the Russian Front is full of merciless moments; there's plenty of gunning down of wounded and unarmed soldiers by both sides, and sometimes you're asked to pull the trigger yourself.

This remains a Call of Duty game through and through. What that means is that the action is fast and fluid, as well as rigidly scripted. The success of the franchise proves that there's a vast audience for that, and this won't change anyone's mind. Enemy soldiers and your computer-controlled teammates respawn endlessly until you advance far enough to hit the triggers to make them stop reappearing. Then you advance to the next firefight and repeat the process over again. The thing is, you're far too busy shooting and ducking and dying to really notice much of the time. The sense of immersion is pretty complete.

There are plenty of deafening, large-scale set-piece battles, but there's also variation to change things up. Case in point is the PBY mission, where you man the guns on a Navy aircraft. At first glance, this seems to be a mirror to the Spectre Gunship mission in Modern Warfare; in both missions you rain fire down from above. But the Spectre Gunship mission has a cold detachment to it; those tiny blips on the screen that are human beings die from a foe that they cannot see and fight back against. In World at War's PBY mission, you're in the midst of a raging air and sea battle, taking damage and fighting for your life. Or there's a sniper mission to whack a German general that doesn't quite have the cat-and-mouse feeling of Modern Warfare's sniper level.

The campaign does suffer a bit due to its broad scope; the narrative skips over months at a time, showcasing the major battles of the war. The result is that the sense of story doesn't seem as strong as it did in Modern Warfare. It probably doesn't help that we all know how the war eventually turned out; Modern Warfare had the advantage of a fictionalized story with plenty of shocking twists and turns.

All told, the single-player campaign is about as short as that in Modern Warfare, but it doesn't drag on. Plus, there's considerably more replayability here because the bulk of the campaign is playable in cooperative mode with up to three other players. I say the bulk because a handful of missions are missing, notably the sniper mission and the PBY mission; the former wouldn't make sense with four snipers, while the latter doesn't have enough room in the narrow PBY for more than one player to scamper about. Not only is the campaign in co-op, but there's also a Death Card system reminiscent of Halo 3's skull system. Scattered throughout the campaign are death cards that you can find. Each one unlocks a different capability, like Sticks & Stones, which only gives you a knife and dud grenades. Sure, it might seem strange, but it lets you have fun if you want to challenge yourself.

Multiplayer is definitely an area where World at War shines. Modern Warfare had arguably one of the greatest multiplayer suites in recent history, and World at War builds on it. There remains the create-a-class and rank system that lets you unlock perks, weapons, and upgrades that you can then mix-and-match to create different load outs. Many of Modern Warfare's perks are here, adjusted for the earlier age. For instance, what used to be the UAV Jammer is now Camouflage to keep you from being spotted by any spotting planes the enemy calls in.

There are also about a dozen new perks, about half of which are associated with vehicles for the four huge vehicle-enabled maps. And while tanks can deal out a lot of punishment, they're also very vulnerable to infantry antitank weapons and other tanks. Driving around in a tank is cool, but you'll realize just how slow World War II-era tanks are. Just like in real-life, you need to coordinate infantry and armor together for maximum effectiveness, and it's nice that the PC version has built-in voice chat. Fans of Modern Warfare on the PC had to set up third-party voice systems out of game to talk to one another.

The reward mechanic in World at War is also similar, but it does have a nice twist. Three kills in a row gets you a spotting plane rather than a UAV, five kills gives you an artillery strike instead of an air strike, and seven kills without dying lets you call in my favorite new feature: dogs. Yes, you unleash the hounds of war, a pack of killer dogs that will make a beeline to the enemy (helpful in spotting where they're hiding) as well as tear their throats out if they can. The dogs are difficult to take down, because they'll swarm you, and if you're busy shooting at the dogs you're often not paying attention to the fact that an opponent is lining you up in his sights.

All the popular modes from Modern Warfare return, like Headquarters (each team battles to seize a point on the map; the team that does doesn't gets to respawn if they die), search and destroy, team deathmatch and the like. There are also two new modes, war and capture-the-flag. The former is similar to Battlefield's conquest mode; there are five points on the map that must be seized. The kicker is that only one point is under contention at a time, so it focuses the action. (And, yes, Call of Duty 3 fans will recognize that it had war mode as well.)

And then there's the icing on the cake, a silly-yet-fun bonus co-op mode called Nacht der Untoten, or Night of the Undead. It's also referred to as Nazi Zombies, and it's a last stand against waves of oncoming zombies. You and up to three others are holed up inside a bunker; the zombies try to break down the barricades at the doors and windows and you have to kill them. Each wave becomes harder by throwing more zombies at you or making the zombies faster or both. You gain points for killing the zombies and for rebuilding the barricades, and these points can be used to purchase weapons, ammo, and access to other parts of the bunker. There's even a mystery box that can serve up a ray gun straight out of 1940s pulp fiction. Still, eventually the zombies will kill you, and the goal is to survive as long as possible to compare your performance on the leaderboard.

Given that it uses the Modern Warfare engine, World at War looks every bit as good on both the PC and the Xbox 360. I've always been impressed with the level of detail on everything; walk up to a fellow soldier and you can see the seams in their clothing. The most memorable visual in the game for me has to be the arterial blood spray that happens when a human body gets torn apart by explosions and gunfire. The dark red of the blood is in stark contrast to the dust and smoke in the air. And the frame rate is Call of Duty-smooth on both platforms from that I saw. (For comparison purposes, the PC I used had a Core 2 Quad processor with an 8800GTX and 2GB of RAM. All detail settings were set to maximum at 1920x1200 resolution.)

Activision tapped Hollywood's top talent for the voice acting. Kiefer Sutherland does his part for the Marines, while Gary Oldman is the main voice for the Russians. Sutherland's voice is so distinct that it's easy to imagine him in the recording booth, bellowing his lines into the microphone (that must have been some recording session). Oldman, who has made a career out of being an utter chameleon, is almost unrecognizable in his role, and he delivers a convincing Russian accent. The rest of the sound effects are as authentic as we've come to expect; when you hear the metallic thunk of various machine guns you know that the sound guys spent a lot of time shooting and recording those World War II guns in a desert somewhere. Yet it's the mixing of all these elements that makes a Call of Duty game; there's so much audio erupting all over the place, from gunfire, explosions, guys yelling out commands or warnings, the whistle of artillery above, to the rumbling of vehicles nearby. It all combines to create a rich soundscape comparable to those in movies.

Password	Effect
give all	All weapons
sf_use_bw 1	Black and White movie mode
devmap [map name]	Change maps
notarget	Disable AI
god	God mode
sf_use_ignoreammo 1	Infinite ammo
mapname	List maps
noclip	No clipping mode
sf_use_invert 1	Photo negative mode
sf_use_chaplin 1	Silent movie mode

Cheats for RUSSIA vs. GERMANY levels

Go into the options menu and enable the game console, then (in menu or gameplay, it doesn't matter) press the ~ key to open it. Type the password for each level to play it on cheat mode.

Password	Effect
Devmap see2	Play the mission Blood and Iron (VEHICLE LEVEL)
Devmap ber3b	Play the mission Downfall (FINAL USSR LVL)
Devmap ber2	Play the mission Eviction
Devmap ber3a	Play the mission Heart of the Reich
Devmap ber1	Play the mission Ring of Steel
Devmap see1	Play the mission Their Land, Their Blood
Devmap sniper	Play the mission Vendetta
Devmap nazi_zombie_prototype	Play the Nazi Zombie game extension

Cheats for USA vs. JAPAN levels

Go into the options menu and enable the game console, then (in menu or gameplay, it doesn't matter) press the ~ key to open it. Type the password for each level to play it on cheat mode.

Password	Effect
devmap pby_fly	Play the mission Black Cats (VEHICLE LEVEL)
devmap oki2	Play the mission Blowtorch & Corkscrew
devmap oki3	Play the mission Breaking Point (FINAL USA LVL)
devmap pel1a	Play the mission Burn Em' Out
devmap pel2	Play the mission Hard Landing
Devmap pel1	Play the mission Little Resistance
devmap pel1b	Play the mission Relentless
Devmap mak	Play the mission Semper Fi

Level select codes

First unlock the game's console by going to Game Options and select "Yes" for the Game Console. Next open it up with the ~ key. Then, type in these codes to go to the level.

Password	Effect
Devmap pby_fly	Play the mission Black Cats
Devmap see2	Play the mission Blood and Iron
Devmap oki2	Play the mission Blowtorch & Corkscrew
Devmap oki3	Play the mission Breaking Point
Devmap pel1a	Play the mission Burn 'Em Out
Devmap ber3b	Play the mission Downfall
Devmap ber2	Play the mission Eviction
Devmap pel2	Play the mission Hard Landing
Devmap ber3a	Play the mission Heart of the Reich
Devmap pel1	Play the mission Little Resistance
Devmap nazi_zombie_prototype	Play the mission Nacht der Untoten
Devmap pel1b	Play the mission Relentless
Devmap ber1	Play the mission Ring Of Steel
Devmap mak	Play the mission Semper Fi
Devmap see1	Play the mission Their Land, Their Blood
Devmap sniper	Play the mission Vendetta

Unlockables

Modes

Complete certain objectives to unlock different game modes.

Unlockable	How to Unlock
Veteran mode	Reach Level 32 to unlock Veteran mode, which is a Co-op mode with much tougher enemies.
Zombie mode	Successfully complete Campaign mode to unlock Zombie mode, which is a four-player Co-op mode against endless waves of Nazi zombies.

Online Multiplayer Challenges

Complete the following challenges online to unlock the following:

Unlockable	How to Unlock
Aperture Sight for Gewehr 43	Get 75 kills with the Gewehr 43
Aperture Sight for M1A1 Carbine	Get 75 kills with the M1A1 Carbine
Aperture Sight for MP40	Get 75 kills with the MP40
Aperture Sight for PPSh-41	Get 25 kills with the PPSh-41
Aperture Sight for STG-44	Get 75 kills with the STG-44
Aperture Sight for SVT-40	Get 75 kills with the SVT-40
Aperture Sight for Thompson	Get 75 kills with the Thompson
Aperture Sight for Type 100	Get 25 kills with the Type 100
Bayonet for Arisaka	Get 75 kills with the Arisaka
Bayonet for Kar98K	Get 75 kills with the Kar98K
Bayonet for M1 Garand	Get 75 kills with the M1 Garand
Bayonet for M1897 Trench Gun	Get 75 kills with the M1897 Trench Gun
Bayonet for M1A1 Carbine	Get 100 kills with the M1A1 Carbine
Bayonet for Mosin-Nagant	Get 75 kills with the Mosin-Nagant
Bayonet for Springfield	Get 25 kills with the Springfield
Bayonet for Type 99	Get 75 kills with the Type 99
Bipod for BAR	Get 25 kills with the BAR
Bipod for Browning M1919	Get 25 kills with the Browning M1919
Bipod for DP-28	Get 25 kills with the DP-28
Bipod for FG42	Get 25 kills with the FG42
Bipod for MG42	Get 25 kills with the MG42
Bipod for Type 99	Get 25 kills with the Type 99
Box Magazine for M1A1 Carbine	Get 150 kills with the M1A1 Carbine
Dual Magazines for MP40	Get 150 kills with the MP40
Extended Clip for Type 100	Get 25 kills with the Type 100
Flash Hider for M1 Garand	Get 25 kills with the M1 Garand
Flash Hider for M1A1 Carbine	Get 25 kills with the M1A1 Carbine
Flash Hider for STG-44	Get 25 kills with the STG-44
Flash Hider for SVT-40	Get 25 kills with the SVT-40
Grip for Double Barreled Shotgun	Get 25 kills with the Double Barreled Shotgun
Grip for M1897 Trench Gun	Get 25 kills with the M1897 Trench Gun
Rifle Grenade for Arisaka	Get 150 kills with the Arisaka
Rifle Grenade for Gewehr 43	Get 150 kills with the Gewehr 43
Rifle Grenade for Kar98K	Get 150 kills with the Kar98K
Rifle Grenade for M1 Garand	Get 100 kills with the M1 Garand
Rifle Grenade for Mosin-Nagant	Get 150 kills with the Mosin-Nagant
Rifle Grenade for Springfield	Get 75 kills with the Springfield
Round Drum for PPSh-41	Get 75 kills with the PPSh-41
Round Drum for Thompson	Get 150 kills with the Thompson
Sawed-Off Shotgun	Get 75 kills with the Double Barreled Shotgun
Sniper Scope for Arisaka	Get 25 kills with the Arisaka
Sniper Scope for Kar98K	Get 25 kills with the Kar98K
Sniper Scope for M1 Garand	Get 150 kills with the M1 Garand
Sniper Scope for Mosin-Nagant	Get 25 kills with the Mosin-Nagant
Suppressor for Gewehr 43	Get 25 kills with the Gewehr 43
Suppressor for MP40	Get 25 kills with the MP40
Suppressor for Thompson	Get 25 kills with the Thompson
Suppressor for Type 100	Get 25 kills with the Type 100
Telescopic Sight for FG42	Get 75 kills with the FG42
Telescopic Sight for STG-44	Get 100 kills with the STG-44
Telescopic Sight for SVT-40	Get 150 kills with the SVT-40
Telesopic Sight for Gewehr 43	Get 100 kills with the Gewehr 43

Article By : PC IGN

Empire Earth III (3) & cheats

2009-04-03T12:34:00.000-07:00

It's never a good sign when your boss apologizes in advance for assigning you a review so when Dan handed me a copy of Empire Earth III and said "I'm sorry," I was a little nervous to crack it open. I mean, I really, really liked the original Empire Earth, and I was even a fan of Mad Doc's first sequel. What could they possibly have done to depart so radically from the success of the previous game? In short, a lot.

Fans of the series will be disappointed that the sequel removes much of the complexity and variety that separated Empire Earth from the other RTS games. Where the previous games had over a dozen distinct eras and tons of historical civs with unique bonuses, Empire Earth III reduces it down to bare essentials. You can play as the tech-heavy West, the population heavy East, or the unconventional Middle East. Beginning in the Ancient era, you'll have the chance to progress through to Medieval, Colonial, Modern and Future as the game progresses.

While simplicity has its place, it tends to go against the basic point of the franchise and is hardly sufficient to justify the box's claim that the game presents "the entire span of human history." What we're actually getting here is a game that avoids any semblance of historical accuracy and instead mashes together generic units into some broad historical and cultural groupings. Again, by itself that's not necessarily a bad thing in and of itself, but it's 180 degrees away from what I think most of us expected from the series.

Mad Doc has also removed complexity in other areas. Diplomatic relations are limited now to alliance and war, so players won't be able to craft specific proposals with the other players. The incredibly useful Citizen Manager from Empire Earth II is also gone, but you won't really miss it because the resource model has been scaled back as well. Now players will simply build warehouses to collect raw materials and construct markets to collect money. To further simplify things, the types of resources you collect don't even matter; you can build a tank just as easily out of fish as you can out of wood or ore. The caravans that run from your city center to your markets do allow for some interesting raiding opportunities but it's really the only interesting element in the entire economy.

Because there are no limits on the amount of resources you can collect or the amount of defenses you can build, battles can sometimes drag on a bit. There's still a population limit, so you won't be able to field large armies, and while it limits the opportunity for decisive victories, it's ultimately a good thing. Not only does it keep you from amassing framerate-killing armies but it also forces players to focus on the types of units they want to use for the coming battle.

Empire Earth III makes use of the rock-paper-scissors approach to unit design. As long as you've got the right balance of units to take on cavalry, infantry and support units, you can rest assured that you'll have a good chance of taking on any challenges. Throw in a couple of units designed to destroy buildings, and you'll be set for base assaults. The problem is that there are so few units to choose from and so few tech upgrades for them that each battle plays out pretty much the same. There are some significant adjustments you'll have to make as you more from era to era, but even then the battles start to take on a repetitive nature, especially when you consider that your enemies will be using the same types of units. There is a bit of variety, of course, because of the differences each culture brings to the table, but it's not enough to mix up the individual battles all that much.

Empire Earth III also includes a new World Domination mode that works along the same lines as Rise of Nation's Conquest mode. Players fight for control of dozens of territories on a map of the world. Each territory generates income that can be spend for tech upgrades, new armies, and other strategic resources. It's a fun enough mode with plenty of dynamic missions that give the player some specific objectives to shoot for. On the downside, the mode is really missing a historical flavor that would help to make the game feel more substantial.

Moving past how the game plays, the looks aren't much better. Though I don't have a problem with the colorful and stylized look of the units, the animations aren't very good and the performance leaves a lot to be desired. Ships jerk their way across the ocean and trebuchets slide around like they're on sheets of ice. The effects are generally nice, particularly the super explosions and the weather effects, but the game runs poorly, even on my brand new Alienware.

The background sounds are generally good but the audio portion of the game is hampered by the ridiculous jokes and Henny Youngman style one-liners that are constantly uttered by your units. Whether it's funny or not, it ruins the mood of the game.

Codes for EE3

Press enter while in game and type in any of these codes!

Code	Effect
Loot	Adds 10k of every resource
era up	Advance to the next Epoch
idontcheat	Cheats Disabled
icheat	Cheats Enabled
convert	converts a selected unit
sea monkeys	instant build toggle
super cheat	Lots of cash, instant build, max pop cap, FOW turned off
play god	Makes all units and buildings invulnerable
taxes	Resources -100
punish	Selected unit -20 HP
recharge me	Selected unit recharged to 100% power
give tech	Tech points +50
max pop	Toggle max pop capacity
toggle fog	Toggles FOW On/Off
win	Wins the Scenario

Article by : PC IGN

GTA IV & Cheats

2009-01-02T21:31:00.001-08:00

Rockstar's vivid tale of Niko Bellic, an immigrant with convictions powerful enough to rocket him through the crumbling substructures of Liberty City's world of organized crime, is now out on PC. The Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 games shipped this past April, and with this one you'll find a few alterations and additions those who waited are sure to appreciate. Despite what's been put in, if you've already played the console versions it's hard to recommend picking this one up, even though it now includes space for up to 32 players in its multiplayer matches and a robust, easy to use replay editor for recording and fashioning clips from your in-game actions. The Grand Theft Auto franchise rocketed to mass popularity after Grand Theft Auto III's release and the ground rules were set for a different style of game. Since then we've seen slight alterations and tweaks to the core formula with Vice City and San Andreas, and Grand Theft Auto IV represents another step forward. This is a game that strips down a lot of the more zany challenges from games past. You won't be doing any remote control helicopter missions or lowrider matching challenges here. Instead, the focus is on realism, a more mature sensibility, and bringing GTA into the present day.

Starting from dealing with your cousin Roman, a small time operator prone to gross exaggeration, you'll move your way up through criminal rings until you get what you want. Unlike GTA characters of the past, though, Niko isn't trying to prove himself as some sort of badass for the ages, driven to rule the city no matter what. He's looking for something, and the missions he undertakes are really the only way for him to find it. He may perform a number of ruthless acts (which you, by the way, instruct him to), but there are points during the story where you can ease your finger off the trigger or make a choice as to how things proceed. Despite the kind of senselessly violent tendencies many may associate with GTA characters, Niko represents an exception in many respects, as he has a code by which he operates. The game's infrastructure has been made more convenient, though there's still space to improve. If Niko fails a mission, a message asking to retry it pops up as soon as you respawn, and when you die you don't lose your entire arsenal. Getting across the gargantuan metropolis is made easier by hailing cabs that take you to waypoints on your map. Stealing a car and driving yourself is always an option, as is the more immersive element of actually riding in the cab's backseat the whole time, staring out the windows at the passing lights. For anyone who's short on time or would prefer to forego the random dangers of driving across a GTA world, the cabs are certainly welcome. Still, you'll be doing quite a bit of mission restarts, and that often means repeating large chunks of the challenges. Many missions break down into an initial travel segment, some kind of escalation event, a conflict, and an escape. Getting through the on-foot shooting sequences, a real headache with the clunky control schemes of games past, has been made much better with the inclusion of a cover system and, as with all PC versions, mouse and keyboard support for aiming and shooting. From behind cover it's possible to blind fire, rapidly pop out to unload a few shots, or move cover to cover, a system that doesn't always work perfectly but is a definite step up for the series. It's possible to use a gamepad as well, which handles vehicles better than a mouse and keyboard. You can even switch freely between the control devices. Juggling the two input methods depending whether you're driving or shooting is pretty awkward, but it's great that Rockstar built it in without forcing you to fiddle with a control input menu toggle. And if you have to pick one, it's far easier to shoot from a moving car with the mouse and keyboard.

Some of the mission structures can be really impressive and work well in the context of the narrative's direction, but unfortunately the franchise's trial and error nature hasn't disappeared. You could be doing a mission perfectly until you accidentally tap a cop car, inadvertently shoot an item vital to the mission, or misinterpret a new set of directions that require precise timing upon a mission's phase change, and then it kicks you right back out to try again. Some may interpret that as part of the challenge, but it's a setup that's become a little familiar at this point and its continued existence will likely frustrate series veterans. The strength of story and character along with the amazingly detailed world are undoubtedly going to make strong impressions on whoever dives into this version of Liberty City, but GTA has always been about moments. Remember that time you went off the stunt jump and landed on the pedestrian after slamming through the light post with the police chopper crashing to the ground in the background, setting off a string of explosions rocketing through the stalled traffic? With the PC version you'll be able to actually save that sort of thing using the replay feature. Hitting F2 will save a chunk of gameplay roughly 30 seconds long to your hard drive and make it available for use with the integrated replay editor. This suite of tools will let you drop in filters, splice together clips, add text, attach music, adjust camera angles and more so you can recreate your favorite scenes however you see fit. Want a string of shots of you firing at traffic jams from an attack chopper? Remember to hit F2 every time you're in that situation and splicing them all together should be no problem, giving you the opportunity to save and savor those quirky, seemingly impossible-to-repeat moments that pop up in GTA's unpredictable world.

To enter into the editor mode Niko utilizes his cell phone, which acts as a sort of hub for a wide range of activities. It comes into play during the course of missions for checking messages and talking with the game's vibrant, well-realized NPC population as well as serving as a tool built to allow players to live Niko's life as if it were a real one. NPCs will call to talk, for instance, with no purpose other than broadening your sense of their character. You can go on dates, organize a game of darts or pool, and manage relationships much like you might outside of Rockstar's world. Many of these diversions turn out to be fairly tedious after a while, but they're entirely optional so you can just leave them alone if you prefer. Beyond that there's plenty to discover in Liberty City, a stunningly realized virtual version of New York City caked with all the dust, wear, and dents you'd expect to see while walking down an actual street. There you can engage in the missions, sure, but also immerse yourself in activities strictly frivolous, from heading to Internet shops and clicking through fictional junk mail to sitting back in a dimly lit apartment and absorbing the glut of programs and commercials that, in typical Rockstar style, wryly torpedo popular culture.

The series staple radio is very much intact in GTA IV. When set against the Internet and cell phones it seems like somewhat more of an anachronism, but it still delivers the game's fantastic soundtrack and a cavalcade of fake talk programs and sarcastic advertising. Perhaps in GTA V, the protagonist will finally get an iPod. PC gamers will get more freedom when it comes to music selection, as Rockstar has included Independence FM with this version. Since you're bound to get tired of hearing about Dragon Brain and Pisswasser eventually, you can load in music files to a game directory that play when this station is switched to, giving you a better ability to find something you like should you decide to go on one of the adrenaline fueled cross-city cop chases GTA is known for. Then there's the online play, a major addition for the series and a section of the game that's been expanded with a larger player limit in the PC version and better search functionality. Accessed through Niko's cell phone you'll find a wide range of options for play, from races to deathmatches to a number of team-based games with more specific rule sets. The real draw of the online portion here is to engage in 32 person chaos across the expanse of the metropolis in free mode, but the structured content's there for players looking for something more organized. It would have been nice to see a few extra cooperative modes instead of those already packaged in the console versions, but the multiplayer remains a strong component of this product for the freedom it gives those who venture online. Online or off there's no doubt you'll be impressed with some of GTA IV's visuals. It's not so much the character models, but the sheer diversity of the city's sections, from the glitz of Liberty City's "Times Square" to the grime slathered over the industrial areas, Rockstar has produced one of the most authentic, believable settings ever seen in gaming. Yet with the PC version, you're going to need a particularly powerful machine to see it in all its splendor at a decent framerate, as even on our system (Core 2 Quad 2.40 GHz, 2 GB RAM, 768 MB GeForce 8800 GTX with Vista 32) we were having performance problems even after toning down a few of the settings, and some of the effects (the shadows in particular) didn't look so hot when displayed in high resolutions.

The sound is implemented even better. Stellar voice acting throughout an absolutely unbelievable amount of sharply written dialogue conveys and illuminates GTA IV's thrilling tale. As you're driving along the introductory sequence of a mission a second time you'll often be treated to an entirely different, cohesive dialogue thread between the passengers of the vehicle and then understand the lengths to which Rockstar has worked to fill this world with variety and personality. But it's also etched into every environment, from the snippets of pedestrians to the ambient horns, train track squeals, and general mechanical fuzz that suffuses big cities that Rockstar's managed to capture so very well here, and contributes heavily to Liberty City's authenticity.

		Password	Effect
		468-555-0100	Change weather
		486-555-0150	Get a different selection of weapons
		486-555-0100	Get a selection of weapons
		267-555-0150	Raise wanted level
		267-555-0100	Remove wanted level
		362-555-0100	Restore armour
		482-555-0100	Restore health, armor, and ammo
		948-555-0100	Song information
		227-555-0142	Spawn a Cognoscenti
		227-555-0175	Spawn a Comet
		938-555-0100	Spawn a Jetmax
		625-555-0150	Spawn a Sanchez
		227-555-0168	Spawn a SuperGT
		227-555-0147	Spawn a Turismo
		359-555-0100	Spawn an Annihiliator
		227-555-0100	Spawn an FIB Buffalo
		625-555-0100	Spawn an NRG-900

Unlockable	How to Unlock
Assassin's Greed (20)	Complete all 9 assassin missions.
Auf Wiedersehen Petrovic (30)	Win all ranked multiplayer variations, all races and "Cops 'n Crooks", as both sides.
Chain Reaction (20)	You must blow up 10 vehicles in 10 seconds.
Cleaned The Mean Streets (20)	Capture 20 criminals through the police computer.
Courier Service (10)	Complete all 10 package delivery jobs.
Cut Your Teeth (5)	Earn a personal rank promotion in multiplayer.
Dare Devil (30)	Complete 100% of the unique stunt jumps.
Dial B For Bomb (10)	Unlock the special ability of phoning for a bomb to be placed.
Driving Mr. Bellic (10)	Unlock the special ability of taxi.
Endangered Species (50)	Collect every hidden package in the game.
Fed The Fish (5)	Complete the mission "Uncle Vlad".
Finish Him (15)	Complete 10 melee counters in 4 minutes.
Fly The Co-op (15)	Beat our time in ranked versions of "Deal Breaker", "Hangman's NOOSE" and "Bomb da Base II".
Full Exploration (20)	Unlock all the islands.
Genetically Superior (25)	Come first in 20 singleplayer street races.
Gobble Gobble (10)	Score 3 strikes in a row, a turkey, in 10-pin bowling.
Gracefully Taken (10)	Complete mission "I'll Take Her".
Half Million (55)	Reach a balance of $500,000.
Impossible Trinity (10)	Complete mission "Museum Piece".
It'll Cost Ya (5)	Complete a taxi ride without skipping from one island to another.
Join The Midnight Club (10)	Win a ranked multiplayer race without damaging your vehicle too much and with damage enabled.
Key To The City (100)	Achieve 100% in "Game progress" statistic.
King of QUB3D (15)	Beat the High Score in QUB3D.
Let Sleeping Rockstars Lie (10)	Kill a Rockstar developer in a ranked multiplayer match.
Liberty City (5) (20)	After meeting all possible friends, the ones left alive all like you above 90%.
Liberty City Minute (30)	Complete the story missions in less than 30 hours.
Lowest Point (5)	Complete mission "Roman's Sorrow".
Manhunt (15)	Complete the most wanted side missions from the police computer.
No More Strangers (5)	Meet all random characters.
Off The Boat (5)	Complete the first mission.
One Hundred And Eighty (10)	In a darts game score 180 with 3 darts.
One Man Army (40)	Survive 5 minutes on 6 star wanted level.
Order Fulfilled (10)	Complete all 10 Exotic Export orders.
Pool Shark (10)	Beat a friend at pool.
Retail Therapy (10)	Unlock the special ability of buying guns from a friend.
Rolled Over (30)	Do 5 car rolls in a row from one crash.
Sightseer (5)	Fly on all helicopter tours of Liberty City.
Taking It For The Team (10)	Be on the winning team in all ranked multiplayer team games.
Teamplayer (10)	Kill 5 players who are not in your team, in any ranked multiplayer team game.
That Special Someone (10)	Complete mission "That Special Someone".
That's How We Roll! (10)	Unlock the special ability of helicopter.
Top Of The Food Chain (10)	Kill 20 players with a pistol in a ranked multiplayer deathmatch.
Top The Midnight Club (20)	Come first in 20 different ranked standard multiplayer races.
Under The Radar (40)	Fly underneath the main bridges in the game that cross water with a helicopter.
Walk Free (50)	Lose a 4 star wanted rating by outrunning the cops.
Wanted (20)	Achieve the highest personal rank in multiplayer.
Warm Coffee (5)	Successfully date a girl to be invited into her house.
Wheelie Rider (30)	Do a wheelie lasting at least 500 feet on a motorbike.
You Got The Message (20)	Deliver all 30 cars ordered through text message.
You Won! (60)	Complete the final mission.

Article by : PC IGN

The Sims 2 Apartment Life & Cheats

2008-09-01T06:32:00.000-07:00

There are a few certainties in life … death and taxes are the two most often cited, but how about that as long as there is a Sims franchise, EA/Maxis will pump out expansions every couple of months.
Yep, it’s time once again and with Sims 2 Apartment Life, the supernatural gets a shot in the arm with the introduction of witchcraft. The element of witchcraft in the game is part of the new idea that Sims don’t have to own their own homes, but rather can rent. Of course there are rules for renting, like noise levels and making the rent on a timely basis, but the apartment element is surprisingly akin to the homeowners element. You will have visitors and develop social groups.

Part of the vampire element introduced several expansions ago allowed Sims to meet vampires and if they got friendly enough, that vampire might bite them and they would become a vampire. Werewolves got a similar treatment. Well, now it is time to give witchcraft a try. Sims can meet witches or warlocks and befriend them. If all goes well, they may be allowed to learn either the Ways of Light or the Path of Darkness.
When you head down that road, you get a spellbook and cauldron. The spellbook contains all your Sim will learn and the spells fall into three categories – good, neutral and evil. Good spells might include healing sick Sims, neutral allows for teleportation and evil includes starting fires and breaking up relationships.
And because there are witches, that means foregoing mechanical conveyances and riding on the broomstick.

The expansion includes a few new animations available in the radial menu (when at the right place) like a dance kiss, brushing teeth, washing the Sim’s face and jumping rope. A few new objects also enter the scene, like adding closet doors to a small room to create a walk-in closet, and there are also vending machines, a new spiral staircase, ceiling tiles for rooms, a new bed and bookcase and a silent ringer mode for phones.
Because some Sims do not make a lot of money, you can advertise for (and get) a roommate. The roommates are NPCs, and that means they operate under an independent AI. Sometimes the actions seem to make little sense, but generally they can work out fairly well.
As expansions go, Apartment Life adds some nice variety to the series. It does not add anything new in terms of the graphics engine but does bring in some nicer elements to the gameplay. The sound changes little.
Maxis (and EA) must be stretching it a bit to maintain viable content for the Sims 2 series – especially with Sims 3 releasing in 2009. But Apartment Life is a bit more robust than Free Time was in terms of behavioral modifications and that makes it a bit more fun

Codes

Apartment Cheats

Open the cheat box by pressing down Ctrl+shift+C

Code	Effect
gameVersion	After typing 'expand' in, you'll see your game version in the cheat box.
changelotzoning [residential \| community \| apartmentbase]	Before rezoning a lot using this cheat, make sure there are no Sims currently living in the lot. To use this cheat, enter the lot that you would like
clearLotClassValue	clears any "changeLotClassification" cheat used on the lot and sets the lot class to the correct calculated value.
Expand	Expands or contracts the cheat window.
Help	Lists a handful of cheats for the game.
boolProp aptBaseLotSpecificToolsDisabled false	makes all building tools available for building apartments
printLotClass	prints the lot's class (low, middle, or high) as well as the corresponding numerical lot class value.
boolprop locktiles [true/false]	Set to 'false' and you can then place floortiles outside the lot.
Aging [on/off]	Set to 'off' and sims wont age.
changeLotClassification [low \| middle \| high]	This changes the lot classification of the lot. The lot will remain this classification until the following cheat is used.
Vsync [on/off]	Turning 'off' can increase game performance, but at the cost of slight graphical loss.
boolprop aptsublotspecifictoolsdisabled [true/false]	Use false to enable build/buy mode tools on apartment lots, and place objects outside of apartment room limits.

Nintendo Wii – Review

2008-08-13T06:13:00.000-07:00

Advantages: Innovative controller design provides excellent motion-sensitive gameplay possibilities; included Wi-Fi offers you access to free online services and gameplay; Virtual Console appeals evokes a positive nostalgia feeling; Wii is compatible with all GameCube games and controllers available on the market; you can store and view your photos thanks to a SD slot; includes Wii Sports game; currently it is most affordable game console you will find.

Problems: Controller requires lots of batteries’ power and requires some time to get used to; online gaming and community options are disrupted by terrible “friends code” system; nunchuk controller is unfortunately sold separately; there is no advanced HD graphics and surround sound that are present on the Xbox 360 and the PS3; the console needs a wired receiver unit located close to a TV to interface with wireless controllers; it is impossible to play CDs or DVDs.

The Wiimote: In contrast to other next-gen systems, the Wii has one significant feature that simply proves Wii to be a success. The Wiimote. The Wii’s controller makes use of motion sensing technology in order to interact with games. For instance, in the Legend of Zelda, you swing your sword simply by making small slashing gestures with the Wiimote. In another game, the Wiimote is held like a baseball bat and swung in order to hit a ball. The Wiimote is tracked in 3D space, involving rotational orientation, and can also be applied as a pointer on the TV due to an infrared sensor bar.

The bottom line: Although it doesn’t give you the graphical excellence and powerful media features of the Xbox 360 and the PS3, the Nintendo Wii’s mixture of unique motion-sensitive controllers and focus on fun gameplay make the extremely-affordable console an item hard to resist.

Let me just mention about the very attractive price of Nintendo Wii. Certainly the actual price of Wii may be different depending on the shop, but in all cases it should be affordable for all gaming fans. Personally I would recommend searching for the cheapest offer on the web. From my own experience I have found out that both Nintendo Wii and all available accessories can be bought for a very decent price on Amazon.com. Moreover, this shop offers you various discounts and additional offers, so my advice it to buy your gaming device there.

Spectral Force 3

2008-08-11T05:36:00.000-07:00

Given such a ghostly title, you'd expect squads of shimmering spirits and imposing armies of the undead to loom ominously over Spectral Force 3. It's true that this strategic role-playing game features fluttering birdmen, bony grave escapees, and magic-wielding vampires--not to mention purring catwomen, ninjas, and matronly goblins hungry for an afternoon snack. But rather than go hog wild with this campy crowd, developer Idea Factory has created an immediately forgettable experience. Spectral Force 3 plays decently enough--as it should, given that it cribs from decades-old games that have already perfected and reperfected the turn-based formula. But for a game featuring a sasquatch militia, it has no personality, and the practically nonexistent story and weak character development will disappoint even the most stalwart genre enthusiasts.

This lack of character means that the game relies purely on its gameplay for entertainment value, and it partially succeeds, thanks to battles that last just the right length, and an eclectic assortment of units you can recruit to your posse of ragtag mercenaries. As you progress through the game, you will add more and more characters to your list of available party members. In turn, you gain some strategic flexibility, thanks to an assortment of gladiators and gunners you can mess around with on the battlefields. The constants are main character Begina and the cowardly healer Diaz, and several missions require you to protect one or both of these party members to achieve victory. In fact, you'll spend a lot of time protecting Diaz in most scenarios, not just because he is your main healer, but because he can utilize magic squares on the gameplay grid called geomancy lines. When he stands in these squares, the party receives a particular enhancement (say, a hit point boost after every turn), and Diaz can unleash a helpful area attack.

Regardless of the mission objectives, most battles play out in more or less the same way. You plant your selected party on the gameplay grid and take turns moving about and bashing on your AI-controlled enemies. Granted, there are some variants on the usual recipe. By landing successful standard attacks (of which there are light, medium, and heavy variants), you fill the friend gauge. As this gauge fills, you can then string attacks together in one of two ways. With an assist attack, you can land additional blows using nearby party members; with the teamwork command, you can grant an entire additional turn to another character. These mechanics aren't groundbreaking, but they're the key to surviving the hardest missions, some of which can feel incredibly difficult. That isn't to say that Spectral Force 3 is, overall, a punishing game. However, in the midst of the easier tasks, you will encounter some difficult story missions that may have you reexamining your strategies and equipping your characters in a variety of ways.

There are other considerations as well, such as Diaz's healing ability, which is freely usable without depleting any kind of mana gauge. On the other hand, he cannot heal himself with his standard spell, so you need to equip him and other characters accordingly. There are no potions in Spectral Force 3, so you'll rely on a number of equipped items to enhance your party's built-in skills. These run the gamut from additional spells to stat buffs, though you must first create and equip the necessary items to use these abilities. This means a visit to a smith (easily done via the game menus), who will then form the items you find on the battlefield into the necessary object.

Unfortunately, there's no real context for any of this gameplay. The setup sounds like a neat idea: Your group of hirelings seeks work for any of a number of warring factions, which in turn affects the tide of the gameworld's political direction. In practice, this just means you take on any given mission for the faction of your choice while taking on story and recruitment missions. It all feels very random, and there's nothing to draw you into the struggle. Your own mercenary squad will squabble and sass, and there some nice tidbits of dialogue, but there is no standout character, no compelling drama, no unpredictable surprise. Without a real story to pull you through, Spectral Force 3 becomes a series of stand-alone battles in which choice is an illusion and you must create your own sense of forward progress.

Like the gameplay, the visual and sound presentation is simply old. Not only will you probably mute the awful, monotonous MIDI score, but you'll be surprised at just how bad the sound effects are. There is a limited selection of lifeless thumps and swishes, and some of the effects don't even match the accompanying attack. Why would a sword against flesh sound like a club pounding an empty bucket? Spells sound unspectacular as well, which is at least consistent with their visuals, which lack drama and pizzazz. Spectral Force 3 does not look like a current-generation game. Animations are limited, environments are utilitarian, and the overall impression is that of a PlayStation 2 title with a slight high-definition boost. The aging technology powering the game could have been mitigated by an outstanding art design, but like its story and character progression, the game's style is depressingly generic.

There's also a sense of overall sloppiness, from text that spills over the sides of its background, to misspellings, to bee noises that were obviously created by a guy going "bzzz" into a microphone. These things might not bother you if you're a diehard SRPG fan looking for a fix, but Spectral Force 3 projects no sparkle or enthusiasm, and doesn't offer anything to get excited about.

article by:
http://www.gamespot.com/

World of Warcraft

2008-08-10T07:28:00.000-07:00

In the fairness of full disclosure I'm probably the PC editor with the least amount of World of Warcraft time under my belt. So diving into the beta of the upcoming second expansion, Wrath of the Lich King, was an interesting experience. This is, after all, an expansion that packs a lot of new content, as well as a new level 80 cap, for the most popular MMO in the world. How would a relative newcomer take to it?Though I lack a high-level World of Warcraft character, I was still able to make a Death Knight, the new hero class that requires you to have a level 55 character, minimum. The Death Knights are basically the new badasses of World of Warcraft. Armed with a signature runesword, Death Knights were former heroes in life, but after death they've been resurrected by the Lich King to serve as his champions. Thus, you start your career as a Death Knight in Acherus, the grand citadel of death, which happens to be floating above the pastoral lands of New Avalon. It's time to get some war on.

First, however, you've got to do some basic quests to acquaint you with the nature of the Death Knights. Starting off, you must forge your runesword, a fairly simple task since Acherus is full of battle-worn swords. Take one, use it in the runeforge, and you've got a runesword. Next, you must engrave a rune onto your sword, imbuing it with power. There are a number of difference runes to pick from; cinderglacier will boost the power of your frost or shadow spells, frostfever will inflict disease and cause frost damage, swordshattering increases the chance to parry, and so on. Whatever you choose affects the look of your sword, as well as the effect on it, like flame or frost.

With sword in hand, you discover why Death Knights are so cool. You basically have to kill an unworthy Death Knight initiate in battle in order to join the club. So it's a bit like college hazing, only a tad more extreme. Take out the initiate and you prove yourself to the boss, who then gets you ready for the conquest of New Avalon.Next up was a fairly interesting quest to "fly" giant magical eyeballs to scout the fortifications of New Avalon.

Using a mechanism that basically gives you control of the orb, you launch the magic eye at the town below and then maneuver it. The mission is to analyze four key structures, which is done by floating over it and hitting the analyze button. The only problem is that the defending archers below are doing their hardest to shoot down the eye, so it'll take a few attempts to analyze all the structures.Once the scouting is done, it's time to fly a bone griffin done to the ground in one of the shortest rides ever, talk to the ground commander, and get your first mission to start rolling back the defenders.

This involves a typical MMO quest of kill X number of soldiers, but, Death Knights being Death Knights, you're also tasked with chopping down fleeing civilians, as well. Sure, it's evil and such, but if you couldn't figure out the side the Death Knights were on based on their all-black, hooded cloaks, then you probably need to read more fantasy.

Death Knights definitely have some cool abilities, such as being able to raise their vanquished opponents to serve as undead minions in battle. They also have Death Coil, which can dish out the damage. And this is just the start of the Death Knight career; over the next few weeks I'll try and give progress reports as to how my character is shaping up.It's also interesting going back to World of Warcraft after quite some time. Sure, in terms of the graphics engine it is showing its age, but it's impressive the art design has held up so well, as the visuals still look imaginative and compelling. The interior of Acherus is a bit menacing while the overall look of some the landscapes remains eye-catching. And, of course, it's always helpful that your character looks awesome as he or she runs around with a giant flaming runesword strapped to his or her back.

Article By:

http://pc.ign.com/

Beijing 2008 Review

2008-08-10T06:29:00.000-07:00

As the athletes assemble for tonight's opening ceremonies, you may find yourself regretting that your parents loved you too much to foist you on some manic Russian gymnastics coach, or that they couldn't afford to build a heated Olympic-size pool in the backyard, or that they bought the cheap dinner plates that broke the first time you hurled them across the lawn. And as you ruminate about how your Olympic glories were so unjustly denied, you may find yourself looking to soothe the hurt of those broken dreams by watching real, world-class athletes do what they do best in Beijing. Or you may decide to compete yourself in Sega's latest Olympics game, Beijing 2008.
Don't even bother. Sure, Sega's Olympic cash-in is definitely full of all of your favorite events and it has a reasonably authentic visual style, but the gameplay is shallow and repetitive and the basic setup of the competition is clumsy and unsatisfying.

But let's start with the good points first. Whether you're a fan of the 100m hurdles, the uneven bars, or platform diving, you're bound to find something you like among the game's nearly 40 events. Even slightly more offbeat events, such as kayaking, archery and judo, find a place here. If you've got a favorite track and field or gymnastics event, it's probably in the game somewhere.
The overall presentation of events is equally solid. The judges and the overall setup and the apparatus are all set up in a very convincing manner and, gratuitous replays aside, really help to draw you into the experience. The wide range of locations, from the track to the kayak slalom to the judo mat, all feel convincingly real. Though the crowds can be a bit monotonous, you really get a sense of the enormous scale of the competition. In fact, all that separates this from the real broadcast of the Olympics are those annoying movies that show how each of the athletes overcame some profound personal tragedy to compete in the Olympics.

The actual quality of the graphics is also quite good. The athletes all look very real but there is some unfortunate repetition of character models here and there. We were quite amused to imagine the US shot put champion taking the medal stand only to look over and see his identical twin brother from Poland came in second. Boy, we bet there's a heck of a heartwarming tale of how they overcame adversity to compete together. The animations are very lively and add a lot of interest to the game. You really will be fooled at times that you're watching the real deal here.

Unfortunately, the actual mechanics of most of the events are, at best, a prescription for repetitive stress injuries and, in a few rare cases, nearly uncontrollable. When will developers finally find something to replace the aging Track & Field format? Don't get us wrong; we love the old Konami game just as much as anyone, but the concept of rapidly smashing two buttons to simulate running is, at 25 years, well past its prime. You can also toggle the analog stick on your gamepad to get your speed or power up, but try slamming it back and forth for a full three-and-a-half minutes for cycling or the 1500m track events and see if you ever feel like playing again.
And it appears that you have to use a gamepad with this one. We got our first indication when we opened the manual and saw it filled with discussions of left triggers, right thumbsticks, bumpers and A and B buttons, but our fears were fully confirmed when we went into the game's keyboard configuration options and discovered that there's no option for the gamepad's triggers or bumpers. We suppose we could try to play without these buttons but since they control key actions like launching off the line in a race, jumping, throwing, shooting, diving, lifting, dismounting, and balancing. It didn't seem like we would get very far. Nevermind the events like kayaking or archery that require two analog sticks.

Some of the controls for certain events actually work well, and in most cases it's because the controls are really close to the real world action you're simulating. Using the analog sticks to balance on the rings, or to draw and aim a bow, or to do any of the shooting games, is perfectly natural. Rotating each of the sticks in opposite directions for swimming or weight lifting, or using them to track moving targets in diving, is a little more abstract but it can still work if you're willing to just accept it.

The absolute worst events are kayaking and judo. The kayak is as nimble as a tank and is steered with just as much finesse. Having to negotiate a slalom course using the two analog sticks to control your paddles is nearly impossible. But at least with kayaking the controls have an obvious use. In judo, the game pretty much tells you, and this is not a joke, to try different button combinations and see what works. What's even more ridiculous is that the game also advises players on the defensive to use the same button combo of the move that the opponent it using. We honestly can't believe a description like this made it into the manual and the tutorial. These are supposed to be world-class competitors at the top of their game, right? It's appalling that we're being asked to experiment just to discover the basic functionality of an event.

Nevermind all the other problems--how watching the meters and bars keeps you from appreciating the athlete's motion, or the considerable amount of luck involved in starting off the line in a race, or the randomness of the scheme that results in us getting five fouls and one world record all during the same event. The bottom line is that the control scheme for many of the events frustrates your ability to enjoy the few things that the game gets right.

There are two basic formats for the competition here, the à la carte Competition mode where you and your friends can compete in whatever events you like and the more serious, progressive Olympic mode that includes trials and daily challenges. The competition mode is definitely more attractive because you can just jump right to the events you care about, but it doesn't have a big payoff in the form of a big ceremony. For that you'll need to start your own Olympic game.

In this mode, you'll have to qualify for different events day by day, and if you fail at enough of them, you'll have to reload and start all over. This isn't much of a problem if you get a day full of easy events like table tennis or pistol shooting, but if you find yourself stuck with hurdles and pole-vaulting, you may be fighting again and again just to progress to the next stage. The control scheme has an accomplice here and it's the bizarre role-playing system that lets you upgrade your athletes. Nevermind the fact that these athletes come to the Olympics because they're already the best in the world, but who thought it would be a good idea to have the player's team of athletes start out behind the curve? You spend the first part of the Olympic mode playing catch-up, hoping like crazy that the game doesn't load you with a day's worth of terrible events.

And after all, isn't that what the Olympics are really about?
No.

Closing Comments

They scored big here with the authentic presentation and the great selection of events but then they married it to a series of mini-games with such poorly designed controls that favor luck and calloused fingers over skill and insight. Video games based on the Olympics always seem to rely more on the visibility of the actual games than about delivering inventive gameplay and Beijing 2008 is sadly no exception.

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