Gaming News - Page 1775

For those who pre-ordered Battlefield 3, you (like me) have enjoyed the beta for a couple of days now. But, if you have yet to have pre-ordered and would like to try-before-you-buy, well now is your chance. Battlefield 3's multiplayer beta is now open to all, on PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. There is no registration requirement, you just download the beta from Xbox Live, PSN or if you're on the PC, EA's Origin service.

The beta features the map, Operation Metro, and features the game type, Rush where one team must attack two M-Com stations while a defending team tries to prevent them. The map features 4 full unlocked areas that allow up to 32 players to duke it out at once. It clocks it at around 3.9GB for the PC version. The beta lasts for just a week and a half, ending on October 10. You'll have to sit in a pool of your own tears afterwards, right up until the games full release on October 25 in the US and October 28 in Europe.

Before you download it, you might want to download some new graphics drivers too. AMD users, click here. NVIDIA users, you'll need this link.

I don't understand the point of this, and it crosses some very questionable lines for Activision, but to steal Battlefield 3's thunder; it requires thinking outside the square. Activision have teamed up with Pepsi and have announced a promotion called "Rank Up XP". What Rank Up XP offers is, whatever Pepsi products you buy, Mountain Dew and Doritos, players can redeem codes found in the packaging for Double XP time in Modern Warfare 3. A 20 oz gets you 15 minutes whilst a 12 pack gets you 45, and so on.

No, I'm not kidding around. The problem with this is, the XP in Call of Duty is a form of currency. Currency in the game buys you weapons, perks, attackments, killstreaks and so on. For a game that is already over-priced, a re-hash of the older titles, no new graphics engine or technologies built in, charging for the "Elite" service, on top of your monthly Xbox Live membership (PSN is free), this is just a step in the direction of overboard.

Activision are willing to exploit fans even [more] through this promotion. Considering that Activision sold $360,000,000 worth of copies in 24 hours of the last COD title... do they really need to cash in with this type of exploitation? What do you think?

L.A. Noire has enjoyed much success on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, but now PC gamers will be able to get their hands dirty in the 1940s-based crime drama adventure game. L.A. Noire is headed to PCs in November with US gamers being able to grab it on November 8 and it's released in Europe on November 11, for $49.99. No word on the Mac edition yet, but Mac-based users will be able to access the game via OnLive.

It's received a name change also, now dubbed L.A. Noire: The Complete Edition, the package includes all of the downloadable content previously released on consoles. It also includes support for NVIDIA's 3D Vision and will be controllable with either a mouse and keyboard, or a gamepad. System requirement wise, it's not too bad:

· Operating System: Windows 7 / Windows Vista Service Pack 1 / Windows XP Service Pack 3 / OnLive for PC or Mac

Tim Sweeney; you might know this man as the founder of Epic Games and as the father of games such as Unreal, Gears of War and the mind behind the Unreal Engine. Unreal Engine 3 for example, powers a slew of todays AAA titles such as Gears of War, Batman: Arkham Asylum and Mass Effect. IGN interviewed Tim and asked him some interesting questions, one that perked my interested regarded the next-gen Unreal Engine 4, which Tim says is due sometime around 2014:

I spend about 60 percent of my time every day doing research work that's aimed at our next generation engine and the next generation of consoles. This is technology that won't see the light of day until probably around 2014, but focusing on that horizon enables me to do some really cool things that just aren't practical today, but soon will be. Some of our most productive work in the industry was on the first Unreal engine back in 1996, when I wrote a software vendor with a bunch of new features that hadn't been seen before. I feel like that's what I'm doing now on Unreal Engine 4 in exploring areas of the technology nobody else is really yet contemplating because they're still a few years away from practicality. But I see a huge amount of potential there and so it's very, very fun work.

IGN then asked him what the biggest challenge he sees in shifting from the current UE3 to UE4:

This is something I hope to continue on TweakTown, a gaming-related round up instead of multiple gaming-related bits of news. So please do comment and let me know if you like it. First up we have the big 3, all sequels, all third sequels. I hope you enjoyed my pun. First up we have a new full-length Battlefield 3 TV ad, which features not only never-before-seen gameplay footage, but Jay-Z with "99 Problems" as the track choice.

Next up we have Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception. What we have here is the first footage in the while of Drake's desert-based adventure. The footage is off-screen and can be annoying, but if you want to take a glimpse of some in-game footage, take a look. You might want to skip on past the 4:00 mark to hit the gameplay footage. Even as an off-screen video, Uncharted 3 looks unbelievably beautiful and it is the one console franchise I will buy on launch day. The footage shows off some new skills, with the Steel Fist ability allowing you (playing as Drake) to catch an enemy's gun in midair.

Also the ability to pull a pin on an opponent's grenade through a melee kill, this would also help with a group of enemies - some very cool additions in the third outing of Uncharted.

This is what I wanted to see - insane amounts of customization of graphics options in Battlefield 3. A kind Beta player has leaked out a screenshot showing off some beautiful news to my eyes, ears and pants. We get the usual resolution options, vertical sync, but most importantly: field of view. Stereo 3D is included and convergence options are in the menu itself. As for video details we get a huge amount starting with graphics quality which seems to be a pre-determined option that sets the following options (or allows you to use custom to set your own).

Texture quality, shadow quality, effects quality, mesh quality, terrain quality, terrain decoration - can all be set (from what I'm guessing) low, medium, high and then finally, ultra. Antialiasing deferred, antialiasing post, motion blur, motion blur amount, anistrophic filter and finally, ambient collusion.

Is that enough graphic options? I think so. I look forward to seeing a few walk throughs of the difference between them all. I'm so very happy to see that we get a slew of options, compared to the last bring-your-PC-to-its-knees console port and spit on PC users, Crysis 2. That was an excuse of a sequel with no graphics settings. It's great to see DICE sticking to its guns and providing PC users with a million graphics options.

Neo said it in the Matrix Reloaded, "hmm, upgrades" and now I think he was referring to the release of Battlefield 3. DICE Community Manager, Daniel Matros, has come out and said that the PC built around the Battlefield 3 recommended system requirements is only able to run the game at Medium settings. This came about after a Twitter-based question and answer session where Matros stated that "recommended is usually medium".

He was also asked if a single NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 would have enough power to run the game at Ultra settings with Matros saying if you were aiming for that level of detail from the Frostbite 2 engine, you'll probably want to have two GeForce GTX 580s in SLI. There was no mention of the resolutions Matros was referring to but after looking at the videos, screenshots and now the Twitter question and answer session, one thing is for sure: Battlefield 3 is going to push your PC.

But this time, not because it's unoptimised. It's because it is a true next-gen game with next-gen graphics, sound, physical movement and destruction. I'm guessing Medium settings would look better than consoles with High and Ultra just looking uber-amazing. Bring it on.

Diablo 3 has been in a "friends and family" beta for quite a while now, but today that changes. Blizzard have announced that the closed beta test for the game has officially begun, with the first wave of invitations being sent as we speak. More beta invites will fly out over the course of the beta, so refresh your e-mail inbox every 35.2 seconds!

The closed beta test of Diablo 3 has players fighting their way through part of Act I as any of the five hero classes. Barbarian, Witch Doctor, Wizard, Monk and Demon Hunter are all up for play and go head-to-skull against the Skeleton King, taking him on alone or playing co-operatively with other adventurers. You'll also get to meet up with some of the artisans, followers and other key characters from Sanctuary and try out the game's skill and crafting systems.

Mike Morgaime, CEO and co-founder of Blizzard Entertainment says:

Homefront creator KAOS Studios shut down during the summer and it left fans and THQ wondering what would happen to the sequel without its developer and especially after its cliffhanger ending. THQ has now hired Crytek to develop the sequel which is expected to be out in 2014 for PC and console platforms. Crytek only recently launched their DX11 upgrade for Crysis 2 to spruce up the console-ported games graphics so we should see the next Homefront game get a visual polish to define it well.

Danny Bilson, EVP Core Games from THQ says:

Selecting Crytek to take Homefront forward underscores our strategy of working with the industry's best talent. Homefront's unique setting and storyline captivated gamers the world over. With Crytek's industry leading technology and legendary experience in the FPS genre, we're supremely confident that the next Homefront will deliver that AAA-quality experience that players demand.

Battlefield 3's open beta begins on September 29. Yes, you read that right - it's nearly here. Those who pre-ordered through EA's Origin service will have access to the beta 48 hours before the rest of the people who didn't pre-order. Those who purchased the Limited Edition of Medal of Honor will also get access to the beta. EA also say that "ORIGIN WILL BE USED TO DISTRIBUTE THE BETA INSTALLATION AND RUN THE GAME AND THEREFORE NECESSARY TO PLAY." Not my caps, that's EA's work.

As for system requirements, they're not too bad at all:

Minimum: