Ultimate gaming news roundup: SWTOR, Crysis 2, Duty Calls, Yakuza 4 trailers and more..........!!!

A lot has happened in the world of gaming since our last roundup, so sit back, click through, and enjoy the ride! Use the below index for handy navigation:


Crysis 2 minimum requirements:

Crytek has released the minimum requirements of its upcoming first person shooter, Crysis 2. They certainly do not give an indication of how demanding the game will be on Very High or Enthusiast settings, but, if you’ve been avoiding an upgrade for a while, you might just want to check these requirements out. A new trailer were also revealed, seen below:

• OS: XP / Vista / Windows 7
• CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo 2GHz, AMD Athlon 64 X2 2Ghz or better
• 2 GB RAM
• Hard Drive: 9 GB
• DVD ROM: 8x
• GPU: nVidia 8800GT 512MB RAM, ATI 3850HD 512MB RAM or better
• Audio: DirectX 9.0c-compatible
• Keyboard, Mouse or the Microsoft Xbox 360 Controller for Windows



Yakuza 4 cutscene:


According to UK game-ratings board BBFC, the infamous open world Japanese mafia game – Yakuza 4 – will have over 384 minutes of cutscene footage, which translates to over 6 hours of content. The game, known for its brutal violence, has received an age rating of 18 by the board, which claims Yakuza 4 contains “strong bloody violence and strong language.” Already released in Japan, the game will arrive in the rest of the world on March 18th.
Check out some cutscene footage of the game in two trailers below:

F.E.A.R. 3 screenshots and co-op trailer


F.E.A.R 3 is being made by Day 1 Studios, who replaced series creators Monolith Productions. F.E.A.R. 3 will certainly try to up the ante on the already horrifying F.E.A.R series. The below screenshots, as well as the recent co-op trailer, certainly don’t do much to detract from their claim. The game was supposed to arrive on March 22nd, but will now only hit shelves sometime in May.

F.E.A.R. 3 Screenshots

Duty Calls made by Epic Games
 
Epic Games and Cliff Bleszinski have not shied away from using crude phrases and graphic videos to show just how irreverent and self-deprecating their upcoming FPS, Bulletstorm, will be. Now, probably with EA’s explicit permission after the relative failure of Medal of Honor versus Call of Duty: Black Ops, they’ve created a free game that spoofs the COD series, and all military FPS games in general. Called Duty Calls: The Calm Before the Storm, the game is no half-assed demo, and the 758MB download will actually need up to of 8GB of space on your system once installed, and has some pretty mean minimum specifications. Quite amazing the lengths to which competitors go nowadays to defame each other.

Check out the extremely funny game trailer below, and a complete walkthrough video after that (contains spoilers), and download the game from here. 

New SWTOR trailer details Flashpoint gameplay 

The latest SWTOR trailer from BioWare reveals the gameplay of the Republic Flashpoint missions, set on the planet Taral V. It shows some of the combat awaiting players, as well as the manner of the interactive mission briefings.

Taking a little inspiration from the World of Warcraft and its episodic heroic dungeon segments, the Flashpoints are storylines that have extra-strong enemies to fight, requiring co-op teams to play.

The Flashpoints revealed in the trailer include: The Esseles (Early Game, Republic Only); The Black Talon (Early Game, Empire Only); Taral V (Mid Game, Republic Only); Boarding Party (Mid Game, Empire Only); and Directive 7 (End Game, Both Factions).

While rumours are floating around that the Star Wars: The Old Republic MMO might be delayed till September, the latest official announcement by EA CEO show the companies’ expectations of the subscriber base. "We previously described to folks that 500,000 subscribers saw the game as substantially profitable, but it's not the kind of thing that we would write home about. [But] anything north of 1 million subscribers is a very profitable business."

Battlefield 1943 and Bad Company 2: Onslaught now cancelled for PC
 
DICE, the acclaimed developers of Battlefield 2: Bad Company and numerous other popular first person shooter titles, has revealed some rather disappointing information for FPS who use the PC as their gaming platform. DICE’s previously announced PC release for Battlefield 1943, and the upcoming Bad Company 2: Onslaught (a co-op add-on to Battlefield: Bad Company 2), will now not be released for PC, and have “officially been cancelled.”

This move was apparently made to allow the developers as much time and energy as possible in developing the Battlefield 3, which they hope will be the "the best Battlefield game ever" and "the biggest launch in DICE's history."

Painkiller Redemption released

The stunningly fun Painkiller series has had an illustrious and checkered history, releasing to much hype in 2004. Originally developed by People Can Fly (now of Bulletstorm fame) for DreamCatcher Interactive, the game saw an expansion pack (Battle out of Hell) in the same year, before getting a fan-made DreamCatcher funded sequel (Overdose) in 2007. In 2009, JoWood Entertainment and Homegrown Games released yet another sequel (Resurrection).
Now, JoWood Entertainment has announced a new installment of the franchise, a third-party mod called Redemption that it decided to develop into a full game. Set to release later this month, the game allows you to play as the original hero Daniel Garner of Painkiller and Battle out of Hell editions, or, as Belial from Overdose.

Dark Souls intro trailer and screenshots
Dark Souls, scheduled for a holiday 2011 release on Xbox 360 and PS3, is a game that’s been developed by From Software and will be published by Namco Bandai.
Likened to Demon’s Souls, the game certainly looks morbid, and you can check out the trailer and screenshots below:

Dark Souls screenshots

 Battlefield 1943 and Bad Company 2: Onslaught now cancelled for PC

DICE, the acclaimed developers of Battlefield 2: Bad Company and numerous other popular first person shooter titles, has revealed some rather disappointing information for FPS who use the PC as their gaming platform. DICE’s previously announced PC release for Battlefield 1943, and the upcoming Bad Company 2: Onslaught (a co-op add-on to Battlefield: Bad Company 2), will now not be released for PC, and have “officially been cancelled.”
This move was apparently made to allow the developers as much time and energy as possible in developing the Battlefield 3, which they hope will be the "the best Battlefield game ever" and "the biggest launch in DICE's history."
Painkiller Redemption released

The stunningly fun Painkiller series has had an illustrious and checkered history, releasing to much hype in 2004. Originally developed by People Can Fly (now of Bulletstorm fame) for DreamCatcher Interactive, the game saw an expansion pack (Battle out of Hell) in the same year, before getting a fan-made DreamCatcher funded sequel (Overdose) in 2007. In 2009, JoWood Entertainment and Homegrown Games released yet another sequel (Resurrection).

Now, JoWood Entertainment has announced a new installment of the franchise, a third-party mod called Redemption that it decided to develop into a full game. Set to release later this month, the game allows you to play as the original hero Daniel Garner of Painkiller and Battle out of Hell editions, or, as Belial from Overdose.
Dark Souls intro trailer and screenshots
Dark Souls, scheduled for a holiday 2011 release on Xbox 360 and PS3, is a game that’s been developed by From Software and will be published by Namco Bandai.
Likened to Demon’s Souls, the game certainly looks morbid, and you can check out the trailer and screenshots below:

Dark Souls screenshots

Complete Marvel vs Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds intro video, character guide and move list

Set to release on February 15th, 2011, Marvel vs Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds will hit shelves ten years after its predecessor released, and as you can imagine, there are plenty of folks almost dying of anticipation. MTV’s Multiplayer Blog has decided to accumulate the wealth of knowledge that has been revealed about the game, creating complete character guides and moves lists available online even before the game has released. Check it out here

New Batman: Arkham City new screens revealed
Batman: Arkham City is certainly a much looked forward to game that’s scheduled to sometime in Q3 2011. Created by Rocksteady Studios, the developers of the critically-acclaimed Arkham Asylum, the game will sport a variety of new villains, including Two-Face. Check out the new screenshots of the game below, along with Two-Face artwork.
Swimming-simulation game for Kinect

The Kinect has been making its mark as a versatile full-body and gesture control interface as well as a 3D camera, and publishers and developers are now rushing to capitalize on the trend, with numerous new games being announced for the platform. Now, Blitz and 505 Games have decided to develop a swimming simulation game for the Kinect and the Xbox 360, branded with Olympic champ Michael Phelps.
Called Michael Phelps: Push the Limit, the game will apparently release sometime this June, and using the Kinect and BlitzTech middleware will "capture the player’s exact movements to put them in control of an up-and-coming swimmer." The game will also teach strokes and techniques to the player.
Homefront delayed by a week, to arrive on March 15th

At the recent THQ investor call, CEO Brian Farrell revealed that the release of its much awaited FPS – Homefront – has now been delayed by a week to March 15th. While no official reason was given for the change in dates, other major March 8th releases like Dragon Age 2 might just be the deciding factor here.

Funny Scary Videos............!!!

Funny Videos.......!!!

Vacuum-Packed: Waterproof Case for Tablets......!!!

Take your iPad to the beach, the lake, the bathroom or the kitchen and keep it safe with this waterproof iPad case from DryCase. The clear plastic bag seals in your tablet and keeps the water out, and you can keep using it while it is safely sequestered within.

Attentive readers will remember my home-made effort at a kitchen-proof iPad case, fashioned from nothing but a zip-lock bag and a healthy disdain for peril. It worked, but I wouldn’t trust it underwater.

The DryCase, on the other hand, provides a stronger seal. You slide in the iPad (or other tablet, or Kindle) and close the top. You then suck out the air inside using a small (included) bulb-type hand-pump, or just your mouth. The vacuum seals the bag, so nothing gets in or out. Except light (you can use the tablet’s camera), touch and sound – the case has a sealed pass-through headphone jack with a plug inside, and it’s a three-way so you can use it with the iDevice remote and mic.

The DryCase will cost you $60. Steep, but cheaper than a new iPad, and with one big advantage over any other iPad case – unless Apple makes the iPad 2 with a 15-inch screen, the DryCase will fit perfectly, whatever case-shape changes Apple makes.

Available now.

Faith vs. Doubt

Doubt sees the obstacles.
Faith sees the way.
Doubt sees the darkest night.
Faith sees the day.
Doubt dreads to take a step.
Faith soars on high.
Doubt questions "Who believes"?
Faith answers "I". 

LG G-Slate makes its appearance with dual-core processor, 3D display and camera.....!!!

Major U.S carrier T-Mobile and LG have finally released more information about their upcoming G-Slate tablet offering, a device that stayed under covers for the tablet-flooded CES 2011. The LG G-Slate now looks like it might take the cake for the most powerful consumer-grade tablet yet, outshining the Honeycomb-based Motorola Xoom.

Also based on the tablet-specific Android Honeycomb (3.0), the LG G-Slate features Nvidia’s Tegra 2 dual-core SoC processor as its processing and graphics power, a 8.9-inch display (resolution unknown), 32GB of internal storage, two stereoscopic rear video cameras meant for 1080p 3D video capture, a 2MP front facing camera for video chat, 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity, as well as a gyroscope and accelerometer. Interestingly, one of the rear cameras will also provide still camera functionality, equipped with a 5MP sensor and LED flash.

The LG G-Slate’s main differentiator is definitely its ability to display and record 3D content, however, it must be noted users will require glasses to view the content on-device. So while the G-Slate is not autostereoscopic like the Nintendo 3DS, it is as yet unclear whether the glasses required utilize passive or active shutter technology, though passive seems like the best bet for sustained and on-the-move use. While the tablet is only capable of 720p HD and 3D playback on device, it can output and record full 1080p HD and 3D content.

As for pricing and global availability, details are scarce, though we do know the LG G-Slate will arrive exclusively on T-Mobile in March, in the United States. Check out some high res images below:

Micromax Andro A60 - cheap yet worthy smartphone [Review]....!!!

The Micromax Andro A60 is a cheap yet worthy smartphone, considering its rich feature set including 3G, Wi-Fi, touchscreen and Android with GPS enabled applications pre-installed. The icing on the cake - is its decent all-round performance across the tests. At the price of Rs. 6,999, it is seriously recommended for all those who want a taste of everything at a cheap price.

Pros

• Very affordable
• Decent performer
• Supports 3G, GPS enabled services

Cons

• Lacks a hardware keypad
• Slow processor & sluggish UI
• Average ergonomics

Micromax is capitalizing on some of the hottest trends in the Indian mobile market today, taking the Android operating system, a touchscreen, as well as 3G connectivity, and then offering it to the masses in an attractive low-cost package - the Andro A60. Certainly occupying a unique place in the market, the Andro A60 holds the distinction of being India's cheapest 3G, touchscreen Android phone till date (and for now).

Micromax Andro A60 - 360 degree view

The Micromax Andro A60 is well built and comes with a matte black finish on the front & back panels, which is resistant to smudges. However, the LCD screen is too vulnerable to smudges sans the scratch-proof sticker. The standard Android buttons, home, menu and back, are touch-buttons at the bottom of the 2.8-inch touchscreen - no search button. There are four hardware buttons including call answer, call disconnect, navigation control pad below the touchscreen and the volume control button on the left side panel. The battery cover is made of cheap build quality that gives us the feeling it might just break when opening it - snapping off rather abruptly due to the lack of a proper latch mechanism for smooth operation. Removing the battery cover and the battery reveals one GSM SIM slot along with a tiny motherboard battery at the bottom. This signifies that the user has the convenience of replacing the motherboard battery by himself when the battery dies out or becomes weak over a period of time.

Sporting a near-vanilla Android 2.1, the menu and touchscreen UI are their usual neat and well-organized selves. The phone also includes a security lock feature, which requires dual-hand operation to unlock. The menu screen incorporates Micromax's 3D cube interface, where the menu icons are arranged sequentially into three pages that represent the three faces of a cube. This popular interface design seems to be inherited from the Micromax X550 QUBE, which we have reviewed earlier.

In terms of the phone's performance and responsiveness, the slow processor and an equally sluggish resistive touchscreen definitely hamper the potential of Android. The lack of touch responsiveness is especially apparent when trying to type on the onscreen keyboard, and perhaps Micromax should have considered squeezing in a hardware keypad - like the Motorola Charm - to compensate. In terms of software however, the phone's and Android's rich feature set, including Google maps, Gmail, GPS navigation and RSS reader, go a long way in enabling some decent productivity, networking and entertainment on the go.

Performance 

The Micromax Andro A60 delivered consistent signal reception and voice clarity in areas with good signal strength. However, the voice clarity dropped slightly in areas with weaker signals. The loudspeaker produced distorted sounds at volume levels higher than 60%, while the handsfree voice clarity was good up to 80% volume levels. The camera test yielded mediocre results, and drawbacks were the lack of colour accuracy (dull, washed out colours), as well as sub-par image sharpness for distant objects.

The music test yielded a mixed bag of results - the loudspeaker audio distorted even at 50% volume levels, while the bundled earphones delivered excellent sound reproduction sans distortion even at volume levels up to 90%. The bass boost and noise cancellation features built into the earphones enhanced the overall quality of sound during music playback. The video playback is remarkably good, with no stuttering and barely any colour banding (surprising on a 65K colour screen). The quality of display is quite good in terms of viewing angles, however, it offers poor legibility under bright sunshine. Overall, the Andro A60 is a good performer in its price category.

Our Take

The Micromax Andro A60 is a cheap yet worthy smartphone, considering its rich feature set including 3G, Wi-Fi, touchscreen and Android with GPS enabled applications pre-installed. The icing on the cake - is its decent all-round performance across the tests. At the price of Rs. 6,999, we have very little to bargain for, except the lack of a hardware keypad and a fast processor. So far, there is no real competitor for the Andro A60 in this price bracket. But, we cannot ignore the future threat of Intex's proposed launch of its super-cheap Android counterpart. Overall, the positives far outweigh the negatives and hence we seriously recommend the Andro A60 for those who want a taste of everything at a cheap price!

Specifications: SIM (GSM/WCDMA); Display: 2.8-inch, Screen resolution: 240 x 320; Memory: microSD expandable up to 32GB; Battery: 1280mAh, Talk-time: up to 4 hours, Standby-time: up to 10 days; Dimensions: 106.8 x 59.2 x 14; Weight: 105 grams;

Ratings
Features: 7.5
Performance: 6.5
Build Quality: 6.5
Value for money: 8
Overall: 7

rand	Micromax
Model	Andro A60
Price (MRP, Rs)	Rs. 6,999
Features
Physical Specs
Form Factor	Candy Bar
2G Network Bands (MHz)	GSM 900/1800
3G Network Bands	WCDMA 900/2100
Screen Resolution	240 x 320
Screen Size (inches)	2.8-inches
Maximum Screen colours	65K
Touchscreen / Dual Screen (Y/N)	Y
Battery Rating	1280mAh
Dimensions (L x W x H) in mm	106.8 x 59.2 x 14
Weight	105 grams
Expandable Memory Type	microSD
Hot Swappable (Y/N)	Y
Available Colours	Black
Other Features
Operating System	Android 2.1 (Eclair)
Charging via USB (Y/N)	Y
Hardware Keypad (Regular/QWERTY)	N/A
Accelerometer (For auto rotate) (Y/N)	Y
Address Book Capacity	Unlimited
No of calls in register	-
Talk Time / Standby Time *	up to 4 hours / up to 10 days
No of Profiles # / Customisable (Y/N)	-
Offline Operability (Y/N)	Y
Inbuilt GPS / A-GPS support (Y / N)	Y
Connectivity
Browsing (GPRS/EDGE/3G)	Y/Y/Y
EDGE max speed	-
3G max speed	7.2Mbps
Connectivity (WiFi/Bluetooth/IR/USB)	Y/Y/Y
Bluetooth Version/A2DP support (Y/N)	v2.1/Y
Accessories
Bundled Accessories	Charger, handsfree headset, USB cable, 2GB microSD card
Size of memory card provided	2GB
Overall Build Quality (So 10)	6.5
Overall Ergonomics (So 10)	6
Keypad Design (So 10)	6
Camera Specs
Camera Resolution (Mega Pixels)	3.2MP
Video Capture Resolution	-
Dual Cameras / Auto Focus / Flash (Y/N)	N/Y/N
Mirror for self portrait (Y / N)	N
Camera Settings (So 10)	6
Zoom (Optical/Digital)	Digital
Multimedia
Music Formats supported	MP3, WAV, AMR, MIDI
Video formats supported	MP4, 3GP
FM Radio (Y/N)	N
Performance
Signal Reception and Voice Clarity (So 10)
Zone 1	7
Zone 2	7.5
Zone 3	6.5
Device Earpiece Volume	6.5
Device Loudspeaker clarity	6.5
Handsfree Clarity	7
Speaker Volume (on call)	7.5
Bluetooth Transfer Speed (kbps)	Test failed
WiFi signal strength (Zone 2)	Low
Captured Photo Quality (So 10)
Captured Photo Colour	6.5
Captured Photo Crispness	6
Captured Video Quality	6
Loudspeaker Audio Quality	6
Bundled Earphones Quality	7.5
Display
Quality of display	7.5
Viewing angle of display	7
Legibility in bright sunlight	4
Video Playback Quality (So 10)	9

Contact: Micromax Informatics Ltd.
Phone: 011-45082591/92
E-mail: Info@micromaxinfo.com
Website: www.micromaxinfo.com
Price: Rs. 6,999

 

Value the Present.....!!!

Imagine there is a bank that credits your account each morning with $86,400. It carries over no balance from day to day. Every evening deletes whatever part of the balance you failed to use during the day.

What would you do? Draw out every cent, of course!!!! Each of us has such a bank. Its name is TIME.

Every morning, it credits you with 86,400 seconds. Every night it writes off, as lost, whatever of this you have failed to invest to good purpose. It carries over no balance. It allows no overdraft. Each day it opens a new account for you. Each night it burns the remains of the day. If you fail to use the day's deposits, the loss is yours.

There is no going back. There is no drawing against the "tomorrow". You must live in the present on today's deposits. Invest it so as to get from it the utmost in health, happiness, and success!

The clock is running. Make the most of today.

• To realize the value of ONE YEAR, ask a student who failed a grade.
  
  
• To realize the value of ONE MONTH, ask a mother who gave birth to a premature baby.
  
  
• To realize the value of ONE WEEK, ask the editor of a weekly newspaper. .
  
  
• To realize the value of ONE HOUR, ask the lovers who are waiting to meet.
  
  
• To realize the value of ONE MINUTE, ask a person who missed the train.
  
  
• To realize the value of ONE SECOND, ask a person who just avoided an accident.
  
  
• To realize the value of ONE MILLISECOND, ask the person who won a silver medal in the Olympics

Treasure every moment that you have! And treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time. And remember that time waits for no one.