I had the opportunity to chat with Beatrice Spaine of EA about Pogo.com last week. It was really interesting. This whole casual games thing intrigues me because I’m a hardcore gamer, my friends are hardcore gamers, and I sort of target my reviews at hardcore gamers. But these casual games are taking off like wildfire. The most interesting thing is that casual gamers rarely even see themselves as gamers – they’re just having fun. In fact, a lot of them spend a helluva lot of time on Club Pogo so maybe they are hardcore. It sort of makes me question the whole use of the term “hardcore”.
Here’s an example. My father got a Pocket PC last summer and he brought it down the shore for the weekend. He was literally glued to the thing for the whole weekend because he was playing some game where he had to match the color of some balls. I think he even brought it to dinner one night and my mother made him put it away (we had a similar incident earlier in the season when I brought my DS and Nintendogs to the table – hey, Teddy and I were in the middle of a walk). My father is in no way a hardcore gamer, but his behavior reminds me of myself when I get a new game that I fall in love with. What is the real difference between my father playing this ball game and me staying up for 72 hours so I could play through Metal Gear Solid or Medal of Honor? Yes, there was an incident here several years ago with Medal of Honor Rising Sun where my neighbor came downstairs at 2 am to ask me to put the war on hold.
I guess the major difference between my gaming and my father’s gaming is the twitch and coordination factor. One has to be reasonably adept in order to target and shoot, whereas it’s pretty easy to point at balls with a stylus. But in terms of the love of the game it is the same. I think that’s the significant part. People love to play games. Actually, it almost seems like everything alive (with half a brain) loves to play. Not to trivialize the issue, but are my cats casual or hardcore gamers when they’re chasing a catnip mouse around the apartment?
So I think I’ve just stumbled on the bottom line. Gamers want to have fun, pick up a little diversion, and perhaps be challenged. Casual or hardcore, we’re all the same on a basic level. And at the risk of sounding silly, game on everyone. Kick back, have fun. Michael Franti and Spearhead sing that “it’s not who you love, but do you love”, and I think I’m ready to say “it’s not what you play, but do you play?”
I met with Andrew Wong of EA and Bill Roper of Flagship Studios a few days ago to talk about the upcoming action RPG Hellgate London. Overall I was pretty impressed with it and stayed to talk to Bill for a long time.
I’m trying something new with this entry. I took notes during the demo and I’m writing this directly from the notes so it probably won’t flow as well as most of my entries by will probably contain more information. My guess is that you probably came here for information and not for beautiful prose.
They wanted to make the starting area compact and simple for players to navigate. The London Underground is a safe zone so when you’re there you don’t have to worry about getting attacked. Everything starts with a tutorial. NPCs have quests for you so you have to walk around and talk to all of them. If the quest is blue then it is part of the major story arc. The cool thing about the game is that it is both single player and MMO, so in theory there’s tons of replayability which is somewhat refreshing today. You can buy the box and play on your own for about 30-40 hours, then you can go online where there will be additional game modes and story lines. Flagship intends to work tightly with community to tailor the game to be the experience that players want.
Every time you go out on an adventure the area and all the contents are randomly generated. Two people can do the same level or quest and have two totally different experiences. My general impression is that the game looks good and has nice shadowing and fire effects. There’s actually a huge mothership kind of thing that casts a massive shadow over the city so shadows come and go and the effect is very cool. The point of the game is to fight demons on the surface, and they’re an ugly bunch. There’s a lot of finding, buying and selling items which is always a big element of these games.
Flagship has made every effort to make the game playable for both hardcore and nonhardcore gamers. They’ve tried to simplify menus and also make keys context sensitive so you don’t have to hunt for certain functions. For example, the left shift can make you sprint during combat. Alt brings up the action menu, your inventory is drag and drop, as is modding your weapons and leveling up your skills. The automap and quest log shown on the screen.
There is pretty good diversity in game play for the different classes. The hunter is more like an FPS than an RPG where you aim with a reticle and shoot from the hip. The first person features were designed in from the beginning so it feels right. If youŕe hunter with engineering skills (thank you hellgateguru.com) you can build drones that help you fight, drop health, project shields and more. The templar is melee based third person only; he can use the grappler which is a cool weapon that drags enemies in so you can bash them. This can be very useful for enemies with ranged attacks or flying enemies. The game is very playable using each different character class. All of the character classes have to be able to complete the game solo and all character classes have to be playable in solo mode. The cabbalist is a spell caster who uses the powers of the demons against them. They us focus items to channel the energy
One interesting thing is that armor is color themed meaning that individual pieces now match instead of giving the usual patchwork feel. Also you can make a guild color theme and share it with your guild. You can also mod your weapons to enhance capabilities. The armor colors and the mods on weapons are ways to individualize yourself within the game. Using different items require different attributes which creates a whole system of trade offs.
New York (February 1, 2007) – Episodic game maker Kuma Reality Games announced today the release of “Baghdad Surge,” the 81st episode of its video game series Kuma\War, which turns headline news into first-person suspense. Modeling Haifa street – a notorious stronghold of Sunni insurgents just outside of Baghdad’s Green Zone – the “Baghdad Surge” game-episode depicts the real-life battle of January 24, 2007 in which Iraqi and US troops fought to re-assert government control of the war-torn neighborhood. Built from satellite photos and first-hand news reports, Kuma\War Episode 81: “Baghdad Surge” will be available for free public download at Kuma Games (www.kumagames.com) beginning Thursday, February 1.
“Each month hundreds of thousands of gamers experience critical real world events for themselves through Kuma’s 3D game technology,” said Keith Halper, CEO of Kuma Games. “As success in Iraq hinges ultimately on the actions and abilities of Iraqi troops, we felt it was essential to put the player in the position of an Iraqi soldier, giving American gamers a view of Iraqi efforts in this important fight.”
Created within one week of the January 24 events, “Baghdad Surge” puts players in the role of an Iraqi soldier charged with taking back the capital, following a rise in sectarian violence. Using leadership, marksmanship and a little help from U.S. forces, players have the opportunity to fight the insurgent forces in realistic, first-person firefights along stunning recreations of the streets of Baghdad.
As with every Kuma\War mission, “Baghdad Surge” comes accompanied with news reporting, media footage, satellite images, military tactical analysis and eyewitness accounts to help gamers understand a world in crisis. For more than two years, Kuma\War has expanded the boundaries of news reporting through accurate and timely re-creations of real-world military events. As the leading force in episodic games, Kuma is committed to turning around missions for its audience just days or weeks after real-world events take place. Kuma\War episodes are powered by Source – the same award-winning game engine technology Valve® created to power Half-Life® 2 – and are available for free download at www.kumagames.com.
Wednesday 31st January 2007 – With spring training around the corner Sports Interactive, the sports management development specialists, have announced that Out of the Park Baseball 2007 will be available, exclusively via digital download in time for the new season.
In OOTP Baseball 2007 players get the chance to do almost anything a real life general manager can do to guide their team to glory. Players can also create their very own fictional baseball universe, create and import fantasy teams and players or simply compete with other human players in an online league.
“No baseball simulation on the planet offers you this much flexibility and this much fun,†said Marc Duffy, Product Manager at Sports Interactive. “OOTP Baseball 2007 is ideal for historical, fictional, and online fans alikeâ€.
Available for PC and Mac, franchise managers are able to set their line-ups, replace aging veterans with a rookie from the minor leagues, send their scouts to comb the upcoming amateur draft pool, or get a closer look at that free agent pitcher from Japan.
“We’ve spent a long time listening to our fans,†commented Markus Heinsohn, Lead developer of OOTP Baseball 2007. “The last version was a giant step forward for the good of the game and this year sees the addition of some of their most requested features.”
Out of the Park Baseball 2007 will be released on March 23rd 2007 priced at $34.99 / €29.99. Pre orders, blogs and further information can be found at www.ootpbaseball.net
Key Features and improvements
Improved interface and usability
OOTP Baseball 2007 features some great user interface improvements that make the game easier and more enjoyable, including: a league creation wizard, a simplified navigation model with intuitive icons, a detailed in-game help system, improved in-game screens, and manager and online league commissioner “portals†that centralize the most commonly-used tasks.
The ultimate control over your baseball universe
OOTP Baseball 2007’s flexibility in configuring a baseball universe is unparalleled. Players have complete control over the structure, rules, and finances of their world, including the new abilities to add or delete leagues at any time, to have leagues “feed†players into other leagues and many other new league options. No simulation game has ever been this flexible.
Huge advances in the historical league experience
Historical leagues now feature an automatic expansion mode, including protection lists and expansion drafts. OOTP Baseball 2007 can also now import the history of a league prior to the selected year, giving players complete historical data and record books! Other new historical features include automatic adjustment of league financials, league strategies and rules (i.e. playoff format, schedule length). Sports Interactive re-introduce the concept of ghost players and the new option to block fictional players from reaching the major leagues. Combined with vastly improved statistical accuracy in historical leagues, the end result is the best possible way to replay the history of baseball starting in 1901, but yet with OOTP Baseball 2007 characteristic flexibility. A historical fan’s dream.
Fictional
Fictional leagues come to life like never before, thanks to the help of a wider variety of league news & stories, a player morale and popularity system and the ability to create fictional player portraits using the FaceGen technology.
Online
The online league mode of OOTP Baseball 2007 has never been more user-friendly and functional than in this year’s edition. The new commissioner portal will greatly reduce the administrative burden of running a league. Online GMs benefit from new features as well, such as an automatic waiver pullback option and an adjustable draft pool date that will give online leagues much more flexibility in processing amateur drafts. Commissioners can also now add and edit league news items and write game recaps, which will display both in-game and on league HTML reports. Commissioners can also send messages to all users and manually select all-star team members and award winners, including a new custom award of player’s choice! These features are available in solo play as well!
League expansion wizard
The new league expansion wizard helps you expand your league much more smoothly by scheduling an expansion draft and handling the submission of protection lists.
Trading
The trading model in OOTP Baseball 2007 has been vastly improved. GMs can now mark players as “untouchable†or “on the block,†with a corresponding effect on that player’s morale! The “shop player†feature allows you to quickly identify desirable trading partners and new trade-related reports put all of the information you need right at your fingertips. A “make this work now†button asks player’s trading partners to tell them exactly what is needed to make a deal under negotiation to happen immediately!
In-game experience
The experience for those players who enjoy playing out each game has improved greatly in OOTP Baseball 2007, including: strategic one-pitch mode, more natural play-by-play text, a “short PbP†option that displays just the outcome of the play and many other improvements to the in-game screens. Additionally, players can now write their own recap of the game that will appear in a game news article and will be saved along with the history of their game!
Improved AI and player development
The AI does a better job of managing its team than ever before and extensive statistical analysis and testing results in the most realistic player development system in any baseball simulation game.
Returning fan favorite features
Based on popular demand, a number of “fan favorite†features from previous versions of OOTP will return in OOTP Baseball 2007, including: an optional star-based rating system, adjustable AI player evaluation based on statistics/ratings, weather, ghost players, bullpen warm-up, and team focus.
I spent a few days in Las Vegas last week to visit Midway. They booked The Joint at the Hard Rock for a great event that highlighted several of their 2007 and 2008 titles. They had some great sushi and the scotch was flowing freely; what could be bad?
BlackSite: Area 51 This FPS is due to ship summer 2007 for Xbox 360, PC, and PS3. The story is pretty cool. You’re sent into an area because some troops are missing and all of a sudden all hell breaks loose. There are all sorts of creepy crawlies that come after you. My favorite are the ones that you kill but their heads pop off and continue to pursue you. Midway promises realistic sound, but I couldn’t tell because it was in a crowded noisy room. The graphics look great and lighting effects were very cool. The massively destructible environment is another cool thing. All in all, the short level that I played was a whole lot of fun. There’s also a basic squad based element, which I mainly used to order my guys ahead on point. There were some performance issues, but it’s a very early build. All in all, this is a title that I’m looking forward to.
Hour of Victory This Xbox 360 WWII FPS is built on the Unreal Engine 3 so it looked fantastic. The innovation with this title is the ability to switch between 3 characters. There’s the brawny charge ahead and gun Nazis down character, the stealthy slit their necks from behind character, and the eagle eyed sniper. At various points in each level you are given the opportunity to switch guys. Interestingly, you can do any part of the game using any character although some are better at certain parts than others. I found that using the brawny charge ahead and gun Nazis down character made this game feel exactly like Call of Duty. Not a bad thing for me, because I love these WWII shooters. In fact, I can remember a night when the guy in the apartment above me asked me to stop storming the beaches at Normandy (Medal of Honor) because it was 2 in the morning. I wonder how many other people like them. How much of a market is there for them? Very little was said about multiplayer modes, although the level looked like a good multiplayer design. The other cool thing is that you can take over turrets, planes, tanks, etc. That’s always tons of fun in multiplayer.
They also showed Stranglehold which looks like so much fun. I’ve written about it several times before.
They showed a trailer for The Wheelman with Vin Deisel. I can never tell very much about a game from the trailer. It’s too early for me to have anything to say about this one.
They showed a great video about the controls for Mortal Kombat: Armagedon for Wii. This looks like a lot of fun. It’s basically a combination of swipes and motions with the remote and a little button pushing. I’m really looking forward to playing this one.
And finally they had playable The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar which is a MMO for PC. They announced that it will ship on April 24, 2007. They just started a pre-order program which gets you the game for $9.99 per month or $199 lifetime. It looked good and there was a lot of excitement about it.
CHICAGO, IL – JANUARY 29, 2007 – Midway Games Inc. (NYSE: MWY), a leading interactive entertainment industry publisher and developer, today announced BlackSite™: Area 51®, an action packed, first person shooter experience which pits gamers against alien enemy forces using the infamous U.S. government landmark, Area 51®, and the surrounding areas as the battlefield backdrop. BlackSite: Area 51 is currently in development for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and for the PC.
Developed by Midway Studios – Austin, BlackSite: Area 51 is a next-generation game that will redefine the first person shooter (FPS) genre. While other FPS titles claim to feature
“action-packed, highly realistic gameplay,” BlackSite: Area 51 takes next-gen gaming to an
all-new level integrating cutting edge technology, game design and story writing to create the ultimate entertainment experience. The player’s modern-day emotions and fears are driven into a world charged with grave responsibility affecting lives hanging in the balance and eventually finding himself torn between his professional orders and his own ethical standards. In the end, only the actions of the player and his squad can shape the outcome of BlackSite: Area 51 during this potentially pivotal moment in history.
“BlackSite: Area 51 gives players the opportunity to experience next-generation, first person shooter action in one of the world’s most intriguing and mysterious environments,” said Denise Fulton, studio head, Midway Studios – Austin. “Gamers will be instantly immersed in the game’s seamless storyline, set in the desert and small towns surrounding Area 51 that feature highly detailed environments that transform themselves into awesome battlefields. Without question, BlackSite: Area 51 will raise the bar in the next generation FPS genre with its stunning visuals, life-like squad interactions and its multitude of online multiplayer modes.”
The other night my good friends at EA invited me to come over and see some of their upcoming titles. Overall, it looks like they have a strong spring liineup. I spent so much time there that they were kidding me that I should help pack up.
Command and Conquer 3 – The epic struggle between the Global Defense Initiative and The Brotherhood of NOD continues as the third Tiberium war begins. This is a pretty solid RTS for Xbox 360. I was surprised at how easy it was to command my troops across the whole map. The PC version ships on March 28 and the Xbox 360 version ships in Spring 2007.
Def Jam: Icon – What can I say, these Def Jam games are massively popular. This one integrates hip hop music and fighting like never before. The music actually affects the fight. Drive him down with a series of punches that grow stronger because they match the bass line. Environments pulsate and debris flies along with the music. There’s also an all new single player story mode that takes you from nobody to hip hop mogul as you build a record label, discover new talent, and become a hip hop icon yourself.
Medal of Honor Vanguard – I’ve said it before and I’m sure I’ll say it again: Everyone likes killing Nazis. This latest installment of the highly successful WWII FPS is back and it looked great. They’ve simplified the HUD and gotten rid of the medpack system. Now when you’re hurt you go hide in the corner and heal. This ships in March 2007 for PS2 and Wii.
NBA STREET Homecourt – Featuring a brand new game engine that will knock your socks off, this wild street trick basketball game returns. This game is totally next gen with guys sweating, muscles rippling, cloth physics, all very smoothly integrated into game play. A new animation engine makes all the crazy moves you can pull look fluid. New controls let you create hundreds of tricks on the fly. Get ready to defy gravity and practice saying “Not in my house”!
The results are in
Consumers have cast their votes and Xbox 360 was the best-selling next-generation console of the 2006 holiday season in the United States , outselling the PlayStation 3 and Wii combined in December and outselling all next-generation consoles in November and December. The Xbox 360 garnered a 51% market share in the United States for December 2006. ( US NPD, January)
Gamers get into Gear
Like “Halo,” “Grand Theft Auto,” and “Zelda,” “Gears of War,” is tracking to be one of the best-selling video games of all time. By the end of next week, “Gears of War” will have sold more than 3 million copies to consumers worldwide in just 10 weeks.
Following on the success of “Gears of War,” 2007 will quite simply be the best year for great games in Xbox history.
* By holiday 2007, there will be more than double the 160 next-generation games available on Xbox 360 today, including highly anticipated MGS titles such as “Halo 3,” “Blue Dragon,” “Crackdown,” “Forza Motorsport 2,” “Lost Odyssey,” Mass Effect,” “Project Gotham Racing 4” and “Shadowrun.”
* Third party publishers continue to flock to the Xbox 360 for its high definition fidelity, ease of development and unmatched online capabilities. Surefire hits coming from third parties in 2007 include “Assassin’s Creed” (Ubisoft), “Dance Dance Revolution Universe™” (Konami), “Grand Theft Auto IV” (Rockstar), “Guitar Hero 2™” (Activision) and exclusives like “BioShock” (2K) and “Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell” (Ubisoft).
* This week, we announced more than 20 million Xbox Live Arcade games have been downloaded to date, including “Assault Heroes,” “Small Arms,” “DOOM” and this week’s release “Ms. Pac-Man.” Other popular games will join Xbox Live Arcade’s library as the platform’s popularity continues to grow, including the highly anticipated “Castlevania: Symphony of the Night” from Konami and “Heavy Weapon” from PopCap.
Xbox Live—The Largest Social Network in the Living Room
With more than 5 million active members, two-million messages crossing the network a day, and three-billion game play hours logged to date, Xbox Live has become the largest social network on television. And Xbox Live innovations like Achievements, Gamerscore, and Reputation are changing the way people play games and share their games and entertainment experiences with friends.
Xbox Live is also an on-demand culture, where entertainment powerhouses like CBS, Lion’s Gate, MTV Networks, Turner Broadcasting, Paramount Pictures, UFC, and Warner Brothers are entertaining one of the most captive 18-34 year old communities online today. Seven weeks ago, Xbox Live and its studio partners began offering hit TV shows and movies in high and standard definition for download. According to the studios, the social games and entertainment network has already become #2 in Internet downloads of hit TV shows and movies, but #1 in high definition and #1 in the living room—where it matters most.
The countdown is on
200 million Windows gamers around the world can mark their calendars as the availability of Windows Vista on January 30 draws near.
During the CES keynote address, Bill Gates and Robbie Bach demonstrated the ease and simplicity of connecting people who play games on a Windows Vista-based PC to friends who play on Xbox 360 using “UNO” (Mattel Inc.) — one of the many new, upcoming casual games optimized for Windows Vista and one of the top casual games currently on Xbox Live.
At CES, Microsoft also announced the Games for Windows portfolio, which includes “Shadowrun” and “Halo 2,” the first titles to utilize Live services to connect the gaming experience between Windows Vista-based PCs and Xbox 360. And who doesn’t want one Gamertag, one friends list, one set of achievements, as well as voice chat and game invites across Xbox 360 and Windows Vista? It’s something only Microsoft can offer the world’s largest population of game players.
January 8, 2006 – Las Vegas – Razer, a leading manufacturer of high-end precision gaming and lifestyle electronics peripherals, will unveil and provide hands-on demonstrations of the new Razer Mako™ 2.1 speaker system, Razer DeathAdder™ infrared sensor mouse, Razer Pro|Type™ iPod docking keyboard and Razer Pro|Click Mobile™ Bluetooth notebook mouse at CES, January 8 – 11, 2007, at the Las Vegas Convention Center in South Hall, Booth 35160.
“Razer’s new line of products being showcased at CES, which include the Razer Mako, Razer DeathAdder, Razer Pro|Type and the Razer Pro|Click Mobile, truly reflect the future of interactive entertainment,” says Robert “Razerguy” Krakoff, president, Razer Group. “This new product lineup continues to express the originality of our ideas by aggressively pursuing what consumers want in design and engineering. We did not get to where we are today by ‘playing by the rules’; we arrived here by setting them.”
Razer, the creators of the Razer Barracuda gaming audio system, is proud to introduce the Razer Mako 2.1 THX Certified bi-amplified multimedia speaker system at CES 2007. The Razer Mako represents a groundbreaking new desktop speaker design from the sound engineers and scientists of gaming industry leader Razer and audio industry pioneer THX Ltd. The Razer Mako 2.1 is the first desktop speaker system to incorporate THX Ground Plane™ and THX Slot Speaker™ technologies, which raise the bar for acoustic fidelity and performance in the desktop category. Whether the listener has connected their desktop computer, gaming console, television, CD deck, or portable MP3 player as the Razer Mako’s input source, the system will deliver sonic presentations that are the best-in-class for any 2.1 desktop speaker system.
“The advantage of multimedia and PC speakers is that they can be conveniently positioned on desktops and bookshelves. But, sound reflecting from desktop surfaces interferes with the direct sound, creating uneven frequency response at the listener’s ear level,” said Laurie Fincham, chief scientist at THX. “The Razer Mako 2.1 is the first multimedia speaker system designed from the ground up to provide optimal performance on the desktop. The THX Ground Plane and Slot Speaker technologies ensure the speaker drivers are very close to the desktop surface, doubling the output and delivering smooth and even response at all frequencies.”
Features:
* THX Certified for premium sound quality and performance.
* Patented THX Ground Plane and THX Slot Speaker downward-firing mid-range drivers and tweeters design which creates a spacious soundstage that turns any desktop surface from an acoustic hindrance into an integral part of the soundstage.
* True, bi-amplified satellites with two channels of 50W with full digital DSP control.
* An overall system frequency range of 30-20,000 Hz and Axial Response Limits of +/- 2dB at 40-18,000 Hz (-6dB at 30 and 20,000Hz).
* 300W of total system power, with 6 channels @ 50W each.
* ClassHD™ Digital Amplifier technology with full DSP control that makes previous-generation Class AB and Class D amplifiers obsolete.
* ClassHD™ technology scales power in sync with the music, resulting in operation at a much higher efficiency curve, improved Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR), improved EMI, reduced idle consumption, and lowered amplifier delay.
* For those moments when surrounding silence is needed, the Razer Mako offers an amplified headphone jack on the wired remote control. This allows for improved headphone performance over the standard pass-through found in normal desktop systems.
* The sleek Razer design created with premium materials and finishes will deliver best-in-class acoustic performance while maintaining attractive desktop aesthetics.
The Razer DeathAdder 3G infrared sensor gaming mouse is a quantum leap over current generation optical technology. Fully optimized for high speed motions, the Razer DeathAdder features everything needed for high-performance gamers.
Features:
· 1800 dpi 3G infrared sensor technology for enhanced precision.
· 1000 Hz Ultrapolling™/1ms response providing pinpoint accuracy and lighting fast speed.
* Five programmable, ultra-large non-slip buttons with Hyperesponse™.
* A 16-bit ultra-wide data channel.
* Zero-acoustic Ultraslick™ Teflon fleet.
* Always-On™ instant response.
* Award-winning On-The-Fly™ sensitivity drivers.
* Right-handed form factor.
Razer has been building quality input devices since 1999, which makes it one of the select manufacturers in the industry. As the worldwide leader in high-performance input devices for the quickly growing field of motion control, Razer Pro|Solutions are precision instruments built to last, and to deliver increased productivity, control and precision to professional users that demand the best from their electronic peripherals.
Sleek, streamlined and functional, the Razer Pro|Type is the first keyboard to integrate a universal iPod dock into its design, facilitating a lifestyle element prevalent in today’s culture. The pairing of the iPod dock in the keyboard allows for easy synchronization and charging of all iPods without the hassle of additional wiring.
Features:
· 10 customizable profiles where consumers can easily configure keyboard profiles according to their needs.
· 10 programmable keys where consumers can switch profiles and launch applications with just a touch of a button.
· Ultra touch sensitive keys for enhanced and extremely precise key response.
· On-the-fly profile switching that allows viewers to swap keyboard profiles upon program detection.
· A one-touch hub for multi-media programs and everyday computer functions, which includes line-out and two USB ports for convenient connection to other peripherals.
· A full set of media hot keys that provide one-touch access to media programs.
· A gently sloping wrist rest giving way to an ergonomic design, resulting in a mixture of comfortable usability and a clean minimalist design with a pure white exterior paired with blue ambient light.
The Razer Pro|Click Mobile is the most precise Bluetooth notebook mouse in the world today, catered for individuals on the go or whenever space is a constraint.
Features:
* 1200 DPI Infrared Sensor.
* Bluetooth 2.0 (with Adaptive Frequency Hopping).
* Ambidextrous design.
* Long Battery Life.
LAS VEGAS — Jan. 7, 2007 — Kicking off the 2007 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas with a bang, Microsoft Corp. today unveiled revolutionary games, technologies and partner support for the first-class gaming platform, Windows Vista™.
CES attendees will get hands-on experience with 15 of the hottest Games for Windows® titles, including some of the first games to deliver stunning graphics and gameplay through Microsoft® DirectX® 10 that will challenge any game for superiority in visual fidelity: “Crysis™” (EA Partners/Crytek) and “Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures” (Eidos Interactive Ltd./Funcom). Gamers will also experience “Shadowrun™” from Microsoft Game Studios, the first of many titles that will bring the Live games and entertainment network on Windows Vista for true cross-platform gameplay.
In addition, during the CES keynote address, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates and Entertainment and Devices Division President Robbie Bach demonstrated the ease and simplicity of connecting people who play games on a Windows Vista-based PC to friends who play on the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system for a cross-platform game challenge with “UNO®” (Mattel Inc.) — one of the many new upcoming casual games optimized for Windows Vista.
Connecting Windows Vista and Xbox 360
Delivering on a vision that Microsoft presented at Electronic Entertainment Expo 2006, Microsoft Game Studios’ “Shadowrun” and Mattel’s “UNO” are part of the first wave of Live titles that bring the benefits of Xbox Live® to gamers on Windows Vista, including an active community of nearly 5 million gamers, a single identity for each gamer across Windows and Xbox 360, as well as Achievements, which redefine what it means to conquer a game and share accomplishments with friends. The Live gaming and entertainment network will enable gamers to play and communicate online across both of Microsoft’s gaming platforms, bringing more players and their friends together to play and connect in new, exciting ways. In addition, “Halo® 2” for Windows Vista (Microsoft Game Studios/Bungie Studios) will also support Live, including enabling Windows gamers to communicate with Xbox Live gamers and earn Achievements in the famed “Halo 2” campaign — a first for any “Halo” title on any platform.
Optimized Casual Games for Windows Vista
Puzzle-playing, fun-loving casual game players also will benefit from Windows Vista-optimized gameplay, with new titles available on MSN® Games (http://games.msn.com/en/vistagames). Bringing realistically detailed graphics and enriched gameplay features to casual players, the downloadable Windows Vista-based titles will be launched in conjunction with the new operating system in late January. The feature-length games include updated versions of the popular puzzlers “7 Wonders of the Ancient World for Windows Vista” (Mumbo Jumbo) and “Luxor 2 for Windows Vista” (Mumbo Jumbo); the all-new action and adventure game “Bliss Island for Windows Vista” (Codemasters); the crystal-collecting, quick-shooting fun of “Crystal Quest for Windows Vista” (Codemasters); “Spinword for Windows Vista” (Slam Games), a brainteaser combining word puzzles and arcade action; the gem-filled matching puzzle “Jewel Quest® 2” (iWin); and the updated and graphically enhanced action adventure “Darwinia for Windows Vista” (Introversion). In addition, the ever popular “Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved” (Bizarre Creations) will be making its debut on the PC. Requiring fast thinking and an even faster trigger finger, the PC version of this retro-inspired title will, along with most Windows Vista-optimized titles, support gameplay with both the keyboard and the Xbox 360 Wireless Controller for Windows.
Windows Vista itself caters to the casual game player. Updated versions of game classics such as “Minesweeper,” “FreeCell” and “Solitaire,” as well as all-new titles such as “Chess Titans,” “Mahjong Titans” and the family-friendly adventure game “Purble Place,” will be included with Windows Vista from the start and will be easy to discover by way of the new Windows Vista Games Explorer.
Games for Windows Portfolio
Taking advantage of the new operating system’s revolutionary technology and more user-friendly gaming features, the diverse Games for Windows portfolio of titles includes something for everyone, from the most hard-core enthusiast to casual players. Games such as “Crysis” (EA Partners/Crytek) and “Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures” (Eidos Interactive/Funcom) exploit the DirectX 10 technology in Windows Vista with vivid new levels of graphical detail and depth, while the highly anticipated titles “Shadowrun” (Microsoft Game Studios/FASA Studio) and “Halo 2” (Microsoft Game Studios/Bungie Studios) will be the first to utilize Live services to connect the gaming experience between Windows Vista-based PCs and Xbox 360.
The Games for Windows portfolio includes the following titles:
· “Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures” (Eidos Interactive/Funcom)
· “Age of Empires® III: The Warchiefs” (Microsoft Game Studios/Ensemble Studios)
· “Alan Wake” (Microsoft Game Studios/Remedy)
· “BioShock” (2K Games/Irrational Games)
· “Company of Heroes” (THQ Inc./Relic Entertainment)
· “Crysis” (EA Partners/Crytek)
· “Disney·Pixar’s Ratatouille” (THQ/Heavy Iron Studios)
· “Flight Simulator X” (Microsoft Game Studios/ACES Studio)
· “Frontlines: Fuels of War” (THQ/Kaos Studios™)
· “Halo 2” (Microsoft Game Studios/Bungie Studios)
· “Hellgate: London ” (EA Partners/NAMCO BANDAI Games/Flagship Studios)
· “LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy” (LucasArts/TT Games)
· “Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar” (Midway/Turbine Inc.)
· “Marvel Universe Online” (Microsoft Game Studios/Cryptic Studios)
· “Rail Simulator” (EA Partners/Kuju Entertainment)
· “Shadowrun” (Microsoft Game Studios/FASA Studio)
· “Supreme Commander” (THQ/Gas Powered Games)
· “World in Conflict” (Sierra Entertainment/Massive Entertainment)
· “Zoo Tycoon® 2: Extinct Animals” (Microsoft Game Studios/Blue Fang Games)
· “Zoo Tycoon 2: Marine Mania®” (Microsoft Game Studios/Blue Fang Games)
· “Zoo Tycoon 2: Zookeeper Collection” (Microsoft Game Studios/Blue Fang Games)
DirectX 10
The DirectX 10 API (application programming interface) in Windows Vista is built from the ground up to provide gamers with a rich and incredibly detailed graphic experience. Consumers can see this technology in action in the Games for Windows booth at CES with the NVIDIA GeForce 8800, the first DirectX 10-enabled discrete video card to hit the market, powering demos of “Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures” (Eidos Interactive/Funcom) and “Crysis” (EA Partners/Crytek). DirectX 10 utilizes the new Windows Vista Display Driver Model and Shader Model 4.0, giving developers the tools to bring amazing game environments to life and maximize the power of the latest video card technology.
Games for Windows Brand Momentum Continues
Games for Windows has allied with new publishers that are committed to making it easier, safer and more fun to game on Windows. Atari, LucasArts, Midway, Turbine Inc., and 2K Games join THQ, Vivendi Universal, Microsoft Game Studios and other leading publishers in releasing new Windows-based titles that feature the Games for Windows branding bar, which assures consumers that the games will deliver great new gaming experiences on the operating system. Newly announced branded Games for Windows titles include “Disney·Pixar’s Ratatouille” (THQ/Heavy Iron Studios), “Frontlines: Fuels of War” (THQ/Kaos Studios), “Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar” (Midway/Turbine Inc.), “Supreme Commander” (THQ/Gas Powered Games), “World in Conflict”(Sierra Entertainment/Massive Entertainment) and “Zoo Tycoon 2: Extinct Animals” (Microsoft Game Studios/Blue Fang Games). Those games, alongside previously announced branded titles, will meet a set of technical guidelines including easier installation, increased reliability and support for key Windows Vista features such as the Games Explorer and parental controls.
As part of the packaging and branding initiative, Games for Windows branding will be displayed in gaming sections of Circuit City, CompUSA, GameStop Corp. and Wal-Mart. Consumers can explore the Windows platform and titles in stores nationwide, which will help make their experience of finding and buying Windows games faster and easier.
In anticipation of the Windows Vista launch, GameStop is installing playable Games for Windows demo kiosks in 750 GameStop stores across the United States in January, enabling gamers to experience firsthand the latest in Windows games.
In addition, retailer backing for Games for Windows has begun to expand globally, with the first European retailers, PC World and Virgin, rolling out Games for Windows-branded signage and in-store promotions in time for the launch of Windows Vista.
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