additional charge for online play of used games

The IGN (Imagine Games Network) website has posted an interview with the Hardware Marketing Director of Sony Computer Entertainment America, John Koller.

The future of purchasing used games, and needing to pay additional fees afterwards for online play, was discussed...

John Koller: "...As with many programs, we're investigating future opportunities...

"...We will continue to explore this as an opportunity for the platform going forward...

"...We're continuing to take proactive steps in the fight against piracy and believe this new initiative will be of benefit to the gaming industry."

IGN: How will fans react to this anti-piracy feature?

John Koller: "From our research, this will be received quite positively...

You have been warned.

Before you purchase any game, new or used, check to see if you will be allowed to play online for free.

new SteelSeries Siberia v2 gaming headset

We had reviewed the SteelSeries Siberia, and now a new version is available: the SteelSeries Siberia v2!

The headset on this model is "closed" to keep ambient sounds from causing distractions. The earcups are padded leather cushions. And the frequency response is 10 Hz to 28 kHz.

A uni-directional microphone can be extended from the left ear cup. It has a frequency response of 50 Hz to 16 kHz...and I found it to be the best sounding microphone of their combination headets (3H, 5H, etcetera) that I have used! I am very impressed. I know it's designed for gaming, but I expect it to perform well in broadcast (radio and television) situations.

The cord from the headset to the 1/8" plugs is three feet long. On it is a volume control, and mute switch. A seven foot long dual extension cord, with microphone and headphone connections, is provided.

The SteelSeries Siberia v2 white is the standard edition; the SteelSeries Siberia v2 black will be bundled with a USB soundcard.

Because it is open, the Siberia offers much cleaner bass. It was designed for multi-functionality: to be used for gaming, AND with other audio devices. The Siberia v2 gave more bass...it was "bassier"...but it was a little more muffled. I describe it as a little "fuzzy"...

This is a great headset to use for communication.

be a game tester for Sony Playstation

There is an open casting call for a program that where gamers will compete for a job as a game tester for PlayStation...

The show will be on the PlayStation Network, and it will be called "The Tester". The job will be in San Diego, California in the Sony Computer Entertainment's Quality Assurance department.

You must be at least 21 years old, and legally eligible to work in...and a current resident of...the United States of America. There's an online form that needs to be completed at http://www.us.playstation.com/PSN/thetester

In addition, you need to upload a video (MP4 or MOV, under 100 MB max, under 5 minutes long, and at least 640 x 480) and a picture (JPEG/JPG, and under 5 MB).

If you become a contestant, let us know!

new PS3 news

September 1st, a new system software update (version 3) will be available for the PlayStation 3 (via "System Update" on the XMB/XrossMediaBar). It will add screens for “What’s New" in the PlayStation Store, and recently played games on the XMB.

The price of the 80 GB PS3 is now $299, and the 160 GB version is $399 because...

The newest PS3 is to be in stores September 1 for $299 with a 120 GB hard drive. Per Sony, "...users will not be able to install other Operating Systems to the new PS3 system".

Some upcoming new titles (from SCE Worldwide Studios) are:
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
EyePet
Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time
Heavy Rain
God of War 3
MAG
ModNation Racer
and Gran Turismo 5.

E for All(over?)

The Entertainment for All Expo (E for All) was held October 3rd through the 5th, at the Los Angeles Convention Center. How was it? This year, we were not able to make the trip. And from reports I've read, we weren't the only no-shows. (In general, it seems to me that overall comments this year about gaming conventions weren't good.) Here are some opinions about the latest E for All...

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From a press release:

"...approximately 15,000 hardcore and casual gamers, developers, retailers, students, media and other members of the game community were able to test-drive the latest video games and gadgets, and attend competitive video game tournaments and educational programs...including the 2008 World Cyber Games national finals which crowned 14 national champions who will go on to compete at the WCG 2008 Grand Final in Cologne, Germany, next month."

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Variety reported:

"Attendance at the second annual public videogame expo E for All fell 17% from last year's already weak numbers...only about 15,000 people came to the three-day show, held at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Last year's inaugural E for All drew approximately 18,000 attendees.

"IDG has yet to announce whether it will continue E for All next year and if it would make any changes.

"Though it was billed as a place to see the year's hottest new games, only a handful of major publishers -- including Microsoft and Ubisoft --were on hand to show off new or upcoming titles. Most of the exhibitors were gaming-related events like the World Cyber Games, retailers like Target, educational services for gamers, and broader cultural activities like the Los Angeles Intl. Children's Festival.

"Ticket sales and game-related exhibitors numbered significantly less than August's Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle, which drew nearly 60,000 people and featured most major videogame companies.

"Attendance is also expected to be higher at this coming weekend's BlizzCon in Anaheim, which is focused exclusively on games from developer Blizzard Entertainment, maker of the hugely popular 'World of Warcraft.'

"...E3...is reported to be considering opening up to the public next year after industryites complained about the lack of excitement at this year's confab back in July. In such a case it would likely merge with E for All since both events are organized by IDG."

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From The Jewish Journal:

"...noticeably absent at the Oct. 3-5 event were Nintendo, Sony, THQ, Activision Blizzard (which has BlizzCon next weekend), to name a few.

"...Samsung products, Intel computers, DeVry, Gamer Grub, energy drinks and Fatal1ty products are not why people paid $35 (or $60 for two days, or $75 for all three) to get in. They wanted to check out upcoming games.

"(Target)...gave short shrift to 'Star Wars' fans by setting up one perfunctory XBox to play 'The Force Unleashed'..most of the major games featured at the expo have already been released, leaving little for people to actually preview."

------------------------------------------------------------------

And TG Daily said:

"Last year, we called E for All a 'ghost town' and it seems some of our friends at other publications think the same thing...

"...to be absolutely blunt, Friday was a disaster...several of the exhibitors – all of whom requested to be anonymous – told me...'We won’t be here next year'..."

Steel Series Featured on TechtalkRadio

We have posted the interview with CEO Bruce Hawver and Director of Marketing Kim Rom from Steel Series. The company produces professional products for the gamer and recently produced a mouse for the female gamer, the Iron.Lady Ikari Laser. Carol is raving about this mouse and said it has helped her in Team Fortress 2 gameplay. Even if her computer blows up while she's fragging, she'll go out with an Ikari in her hands! (She needs a new rig!)

Maybe we can get them on the new TechtalkRadio T-Shirts!

Check out the interview at http://www.techtalkradio.com/hardware/steelseries.html

QuakeCon

(I'm not a "gamer", but events like this make me wish I were...I DO want to go...)

Registration has been open for this "gaming festival and party" that's to be held July 31 - August 3 in Dallas (at the Hilton Anatole Hotel).

There will be a BYOC (Bring-Your-Own-Computer) LAN party. When I last checked the website, three-thousand had registered. I wonder if there is a limit...

It's free, but READ THE FAQ.

MMOCOD?

This tidbit was posted recently By Brick On MLGpro.com:

"A Massively Multiplayer Online Call of Duty?! Word on the street (according to IGN and other sources) is that mega-developer Activision is seriously considering such a venture.

With its recent acquisition of Blizzard, Activision thinks it may finally be in a place to enter the MMO market successfully, stating that past attempts have been failures in that they were financial losers or gained low profit margins.

So, as IGN puts it, would you play a CoD MMO?"

Xbox 360 gets cheaper

August 8, Microsoft will lower the cost of an Xbox.

The Associated Press reports that:
the XBox 360 Elite, which offers high-def videos, will have an estimated retail price (ERP) of $449.99...
the 20GB Xbox 360 pack will now cost $349.99, offering a wireless controller and a headset...
and a basic XBox console, which does not have a hard drive, will cost $279.

August 14, the new Madden NFL 08 football game will be released.

The Halo 3-themed console will hit stores in September for $399.99. It will include a Spartan green-and-gold finish, a matching wireless controller, a headset, and an Xbox 360 Play and Charge Kit.

Twelve WIIs at Best Buy this Sunday?

For those of you still waiting to get your hands on Nintendo's little Wii, this coming Sunday may be the day you get lucky. According to an inside source at Best Buy - a surreptitious hero for nerds everywhere - the nationwide retailer will have no less than 12 Wii systems per store that day.

According to a videogame journalist at Gamernode.com, those units will sell out faster than Bruce Springsteen's last concert in New York City. I recommend getting to your local Best Buy EARLY. Bring a chair, some food, and a handheld gaming system, because you may have to wait for a while if you want to be among the first dozen at the door.

If you want to thank someone for this tip, well, you can't. He has chosen, in true superhero fashion, to fade away into the night after.

Category: Wii, Posted: 07/23/2007 by Eddie Inzauto, GN Writer

The Mod Nation

Being an avid Harley Davidson fan and rider, last night I went in search of adding some more pictures/images to my profile on myspace (like I don't have enough... LOL) - myspace.com/mamabear369... In my quest to find some more photos, I stubbled upon a website that personalizes gaming cases... it's a Harley Davidson 100 Years Game Case from The Mod Nation. I also saw that they had another "camo" gaming case... One day I would like to own one, if not both, of these cases for myself.

In researching some more information about "The Mod Nation", I came to found out that the owners were two good friends that merged their two companies into one (Kikboxes and MNPCtech), forming "The Mod Nation, One Nation Under Mod."

The History

Kikboxes started with a single project. During the summer of 2005 Stu King set out on a quest to build a pimped computer for the LAN group he was involved with. Until that time he had never considered the idea of expressing his artistic talents on a computers case. A web designer by trade, Stu had always used web design as his artistic outlet until the day his friend Matt (now business partner) put together a new system in a gleaming red RaidMax case. The idea of building a system as art was very appealing to him because of its great mix of mediums.

That summer, Stu started his first official project, the BooomBox, and never looked back. The BooomBox is a Wave Master case powder coated and polished to perfection. Much research was put into each mod and part integrated into the project. During his research Stu found MNPCtech right in his own backyard. Bill and Stu got together one evening to swap parts and the rest is history. Bill and Stu began trading phone calls to talk about computers, processes, the industry and modding culture.

Upon completion of the BooomBox Stu started getting calls and emails from other modders looking for powder coating services, parts and advice. Recognizing a good business opportunity, Stu brought his good friend Matt Kelly on board to assist in building the business.

Stu began to rapidly explore many areas of modding including airbrushed designs, mass production and even stealth PCs. Over the years Stu has worked with many artists whom he now counts among his friends. Many of these talented people have been featured in his projects from airbrushing, to sculpture, to powder coating. Kikboxes body of work has grown rapidly and exhibits a wide array of ideas, processes and techniques.

In 2006, Kikboxes was commissions to design the enclosure for a line of wireless routers and later that year, was incorporated. Since that time Kikboxes has begun creating custom cases for Xoxide.com, produced a line of production cases (The Modjitsu) and has begun building a presence on eBay selling cases, custom painted mice, wheels and more.

Partnering with his good friend and fellow modder Bill Owen (MNPCtech), Stu has contributed to the rapid rise of The Mod Nation. A project devoted to their work and the mission of nurturing the modding community, The Mod Nation promises to be the driving force that pushes the craft of modding beyond the realm of the hobbyist and into the domain of the artist and professional.

Kikboxes Custom Computer Craft has only begun to explore computers as art. Look for more great projects and products in 2007 and beyond. MOD FOR LIFE!

You can check out "The Mod Nation" at www.themodnation.com or on myspace at www.myspace.com/themodnation.

Photos for the "Camo" case:
http://mnadmin.powweb.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=185&cat=572

Photos for the "Harley Davidson 100 Years" Case

http://mnadmin.powweb.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=394&cat=547

Asus Extreme Striker

Asus provides solutions for all categories of users and especially gamers. The release of the P5N32-E SLI motherboard onto the market also comes with the adoption of the Nvidia 680i SLI chipset. Asus further offers a more "advanced" motherboard with slightly different features and of course price. Asus Striker Extreme aims to become the number one choice where gaming/overclocking needs are concerned. We examine how Asus' Striker Extreme performs and what are its main differences compared with the P5N32-E SLI motherboard.

Asus Striker Extreme

The Asus Striker Extreme is based on Nvidia's 680i SLI chipset, which supports Intel®Core™2Extreme, Core™2Duo, Pentium®4EE, Pentium®D, Pentium®4, CeleronD processors for Socket (LGA775). It features 1333/1066/800/533MHz(FSB), dual-channel un-buffered DDR2 800/667/533 x 4DIMMs with a maximum of 8GB.

Main Features

Overclocking, performance, unique features and a rich software bundle are our 4 basic commitments to R.O.G (Republic of Gamers) members. Striker Extreme provides a detailed BIOS option for enthusiast tweaking, 8-phase capless power to ensure SLI performance reliability, and the unique gaming features, such as LCD poster, EL I/O, Onboard LED, Onboard button,...etc. Once you use it, you would love it. And rich software bundled is a special characteristic, the hottest 3D game-Ghost Recon, 3dMark06 Advanced Edition, and a one-year license Kaspersky anti-virus software. It's a total gaming solution.

The Republic of Gamers consists only of the best of the best. We offer the best hardware engineering, the fastest performance, the most innovative ideas, and we welcome the best gamers to join in. In the Republic of Gamers, mercy rules are only for the weak, and bragging rights means everything. We believe in making statements and we excel in competitions. If your character matches our trait, then join the elite club, make your presence felt, in the Republic of Gamers.

The Main Features Are:

Intel® Quad-core CPU Ready
Intel® Core™2 Extreme / Core™2 Duo Ready
NVIDIA nForce® 680i SLI™
Dual-channel DDR2 800/667/533
Extreme Tweaker
SupremeFX / DTS Connect / Array Mic / Noise Filter
LCD Poster
EL I/O