Thursday, 6 November 2014

DriveClub

DriveClub

Membership benefits.

Every console needs a killer game or two, titles that redefine the way things are done. Because gaming is so broad, these are genre specific attempts at capturing hearts and minds, and the racing genre is hotly contested. The Xbox, for example, has Forza, which has become something of an unassailable fortress for Microsoft console car gaming. The PS3 had the Gran Turismo series which, despite a wobbly later run, still managed to captivate audiences. For the PS4… well, that space still needs to be filled, really, and it seems that it was the main aim of DriveClub to do just that. But definitive racers need to offer a whole array of positives, including a realistic driving model and, unfortunately, DriveClub doesn’t really deliver in all the areas that it should.

Wednesday, 5 November 2014

The Evil Within

The Evil Within

Get ready for punishment…

Horror is not an easy genre to get right, Whether it be in the format of books or films, scaring the crap out of the audience is a lot tougher than you might think. It is, arguably, easier to do with video games, because the player is so much more involved with the activity, actually providing feedback rather than just receiving information intended to get their heart pounding.

Pay Your e-Troll

e-Troll

The dues of internet usage…

Working in the digital and social media space, everyone in this industry eventually comes across the little understood creature called the troll. Unlike the mythological beast that appears in Terry Pratchett and Harry Potter novels (or in your favourite role playing game), the internet troll is a very real, and very nasty creature. In the books and movies, trolls stick to the dark and dank recesses of the fantasy world to prey on unsuspecting travellers or wayward children, but the internet troll is far more bold and far, far more wicked. Unlike their mythical counterpart, the internet troll uses the anonymity of cyberspace to venture boldly into the public eye, and thrives on the reactions, misery and discord they can sow amongst unsuspecting online communities, rather than simply boiling their bones for meals.

Tuesday, 4 November 2014

XBMC On Your HDTV

XBMC

If Valve’s Steam Machines delay has you feeling down in the dumps about HDTV-based PC gaming, we‘d like to take this opportunity to remind you that alternatives abound. As much as we love the developer for its contributions to PC gaming, the Steam Machine’s core concept — putting a PC in the living room — isn’t terribly novel. Enthusiasts have been connecting PCs to TVs and playing games on them since graphics cards first started shipping with S-Video outputs. Thankfully, in the high-def era, doing so has gotten significantly prettier (and more practical).

Monday, 3 November 2014

How To Buy A Power Supply

power supply

When pricing out a new system, the power supply unit is usually the component at the bottom of the list. We admit, it’s hard to get excited about the PSU. Jacob Freeman, product manager at EVGA, thinks the PSU’s role in gaming, overclocking, and enthusiast computing is underrated. “Due to the nature of the device, it is not easy to measure the performance of the power supply without expensive equipment, thus some users may buy PSUs that offer low efficiency, or have low quality components that can cause all sorts of issues from system crashes to power supply failure.”

No, the PSU doesn’t directly impact the performance of your PC, but it does feed the components that do make that impact. It’s very possible to get it wrong and never know it. Buying too much power wastes energy, and buying an underpowered PSU may prevent your computer from booting, fail whenever you hit it with a load, and limit your overclocking potential and future upgrade options. Read on to determine what to buy when it comes time to replace your power supply.