Mad Catz Cyborg R.A.T. 7 Review
Mad cats, cyborgs, rats, and a mouse. Wait, what?
A new mouse has hit my desk - the so-called Cyborg R.A.T. 7. It's not yet available in Australia, it's been shipped straight from Mad Catz themselves! But, they didn't do it because they love me, it's a review unit so I could analyse it. And analyse it I did!
Check out that link to the review, and leave your feedback. :)
Portal 2: Rise of the Spams!
Starring, everyone's favourite senator!
I'm sure you've all heard about Australian Senator Stephen Conroy's craziness during a recent press conference. The pro-filter communications minister had a few things to say about the usage of portals, and their habit of being targets of malicious spam.
Last day for R18+ game classification review submissions!
Hurry!
If you haven't done so already, here's your last chance to tell the Australian government that we need an R18+ rating for games! You can get the appropriate document here.
Don't fret though, it takes 10 minutes to fill out, and the comment section is optional (it's only 250 words anyway). When you're done, it's as simple as e-mailing the document to the provided e-mail address. Get to it!
Build the Ultimate PC – Q1 2010
Get the power of a custom PC build, without spending a fortune.
Another quarter, another list of parts. I've created five builds ranging from $1000 to $3000, each with high quality components and a strong focus on raw performance. Looking at gaming? No problem. Video editing and graphic design? There's a PC for you.
The online computer store PC Case Gear has been used to produce the price lists. For comparison, prices in brackets were found using an average of the top 5 StaticICE results (minus outliers). Although StaticICE results tend to be marginally cheaper, keep in mind that the cost of delivery from multiple stores may increase the total considerably. Each PC consists of the tower without external peripherals or operating system (OS).
PS3 Hypervisor Hacked
The seemingly uncrackable has been sliced, diced and dissected.
According to George "Geohot" Hoz, the man responsible for jailbreaking the iPhone, the infamous Playstation 3 Hypervisor is no longer an obstacle. His blog entitled On the PlayStation 3 suggests that his attempts at hacking the PS3 were very fruitful.
5 things that’d make Project Natal a worthy technology
What does Natal need to succeed?
Microsoft's Project Natal has been getting mixed responses lately. Some critics liken it to an elaborate Sony EyeToy, whilst others see it as a Wii-like motion control gimmick. Those who like it tend to brush it off as a child's toy. So is there any hope of making Natal an interesting method of control for gaming enthusiasts? I've created a list of the things I'd like developers to implement in their upcoming titles, bar the cliché EyeToy-like functionality.
S.H.M.U.P Game Review
A new side-scroller has arrived on the scene. But does it deliver?
Website: http://charcoalstyles.com/SHMUP/
Price: $9.99
S.H.M.U.P is a new age side-scroller aimed at the casual gamer demographic. The developer Charcoal Styles describes his creation as "...a side scrolling shooter that doesn't need pixel perfect positioning, lightening reflexes or for you to remember bullet patterns. All you need to do is make stuff explode", which is quite an enticing prospect for those who refuse to dedicate countless hours to mastering tactics. It integrates the classic 'ship' vs 'intruders' style of gameplay where the player controls a series of circular ships via the humble mouse. The continually oncoming intruders are made up of basic shapes with a range of offensive and defensive mechanisms to keep the protagonist challenged. It's the duty of the player to protect the wall on the left hand side of the screen.
Australian CRB makeshift R18+ classification for AvP
Sega refuses to tone down the game, the CRB pull some strings, and voilà!
The struggle between an R18+ game classification and Attorney General Michael Atkinson's conservative views has taken an unexpected twist today. Sega's long awaited game Aliens vs Predator (AvP) was refused classification on the 3rd of December due to its high level of realistic violence, but has has been overturned after an appeal by the developer. The games new MA15+ classification comes with a warning of "Strong science fiction violence" which apparently excuses the R18+ level of mature gameplay.
Xbox 360 Wired PC Controller Review
A gaming PC is not complete without a good gamepad.
Website: http://www.microsoft.com/
Price: $38.74AUD + $16 postage - http://www.gizmomart.com.au/ (at time of review)
The Demise of PC Gaming
Are PC gamers just an insignificant bunch of unforgiving pirates?
It's sad, isn't it? It would appear that we have become materialistic sweat-bands soaking up as many goods as we can get our hands on. It has got to the stage where aspects of this have altered the way the industry views consumers. You see, not all of us have the money to obtain everything we want when we want it. It's not feasible, particularly when it comes to software. I'm sure you can see where this is going.
Australian CRB – A joke of the highest order!
The Australian Classification Review Board are making decisions so undeniably mentally handicapped, that they can't even agree with themselves!
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Consistency is key. That's what my high school English teachers used to tell me. If you're going to produce mediocre work, at least be consistent about it. There's nothing like a wave of marks which show that you're not only incompetent, but lazy. Do well, do shit, do well, do shit. It reeks of 'I can't be fucked'. So when I heard that Australia's 'Classification Review Board', now known as the 'epitome of incompetence' released their revised stance on the yet to be released game Left4Dead 2, I couldn't help but notice the lack of consistency that this board appears to thrive on.
Interview with LAN master DasBok
DasBok shares his experiences and observations in the world of LANing.
DasBok has been generous enough to spare some time for an interview regarding his role of planning and running gaming LANs. Check it out. :)
Retro Fun!
Timeless fun. It's like Neverland for mortals!
I'm still quite young, but I do appreciate the games of yesteryear. There are quite a few remakes of some really fun retro games. I've taken the liberty to post a few here for you to check out. Get into it!
TF2 Parodies
A little humour goes a long way. I thought I'd share a couple of my favorite Team Fortress 2 (TF2) parodies with you all.
A game of values
Are we getting more from games than we bargained for?
The luring nature of leisure inducing game titles is enough for most people to part with decent sums of money. There's an attraction to virtual worlds and impossible characters that gamers can't get enough of, whether this is in the form of an action-paced FPS or a casual stroll in a vibrant RPG - or even a mixture, as presented by Bethesda's recent Fallout 3 title. Under these amusing game genres is not just a pretty picture and a procrastination enticing storyline. There's also an oft ignored element of education.