Everyone’s favorite time waster just got updated, seriously Bejeweled is a decent game.

World’s Most Popular Puzzle Game Series Celebrates 10th Anniversary With First Sequel in Six Years

PopCap Games, the worldwide leader in casual games, today announced the immediate availability of Bejeweled® 3, the first true sequel to its beloved flagship franchise in more than six years. With twice the game modes of its predecessor as well as eight mini-games and a complete revision of sound and graphics, Bejeweled 3 is a quantum leap forward in the match-3 category pioneered by the original Bejeweled. The game is available today on PopCap.com and major portal partners such as MSN Games, Pogo.com, Steam, GameHouse and WildTangent, as well as at retail outlets throughout North America including Walmart, Target, Best Buy, GameStop, and Amazon.com, at a suggested retail price of US$19.95.

Beyond crystal-sharp, high-definition graphics (1920 x 1200 in "ultra" mode) and a catchy new soundtrack, Bejeweled 3 boasts eight different modes containing a cornucopia of new game experiences. Among those, four all-new "secret" modes (Butterflies, Diamond Mine, Ice Storm and Poker) provide exciting new interpretations of the Bejeweled theme. Proclaim your prowess across all the new modes and mini-games by maxing out 65 achievement badges and topping the high score lists, or check your progress with the fun statistics at the end of each game.

"I’ve played Bejeweled nearly every day for 9 years, and have been astounded at how much more there is to explore and enjoy in Bejeweled 3 than in previous editions," said Cindy Morrison, aka Julia Gemstone, author of the unofficial strategy guides for Bejeweled 2, Bejeweled Blitz, and now Bejeweled 3. "Not only do I get to play my favorite Bejeweled game with new gems and Hypercube matches, but the new Quest mode and secret mini-games are beyond incredible fun! I expected fantastic, and it’s so much more than that. My hat’s off to PopCap!"

In Bejeweled 3, Classic mode delivers all the untimed match-3 fun millions of players know and love, but with several new twists, like the powerful Star gem. Fans of Bejeweled Blitz will enjoy the electrifying new Lightning mode, which offers all-out, beat-the-clock action. Zen offers a relaxing endless mode loaded with options for meditation and stress relief, including breath modulation, ambient sounds, binaural beats and mantras for focusing your thoughts. (All Zen mode options can be combined and adjusted in virtually infinite ways to create each player’s own custom "mental vacation.") And for puzzle fans, Quest mode offers dozens of unique variants, like Balance and Alchemy, which will test players’ skills as they try to restore five lost relics.

The four all-new modes of Bejeweled 3 are:

• Butterflies: Match the butterfly gems to free them before they ascend the board. If they flutter all the way to the top, the spider wins!
• Poker: Make matches to create poker hands, with better hands scoring more points. Avoid "outlawed" hands as the game progresses, or only a lucky flip of the coin can save you.
• Diamond Mine: Delve deep beneath the earth by exploding gems to tunnel downward. Unearth gold, artifacts and Hypercubes to score big!
• Ice Storm: Hold back the rising ice floe in this chilling, speed-based variation. Match gems quickly to keep columns of frost at bay.

Since its introduction 10 years ago, Bejeweled has become one of the top 10 video game franchises in history. More than half a billion people worldwide have played the game, and over 50 million units have been sold across 17 platforms. An estimated 7.5 billion hours have been spent playing Bejeweled, and the game continues to sell at the rate of one copy every 4.3 seconds.

About PopCap

PopCap Games is the leading global developer, publisher and operator of casual video games: fun, easy-to-learn, captivating games that appeal to all ages across PC, mobile, social and other platforms. Based in Seattle, Washington, PopCap was founded in 2000 and has a worldwide staff of more than 350 people in Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago, Vancouver, B.C., Dublin, Seoul, Shanghai and Tokyo. PopCap’s games have been downloaded over 1.5 billion times by consumers worldwide, and its flagship franchise, Bejeweled®, has sold more than 50 million units.

The PopCap logo and all other trademarks used herein that are listed at www.popcap.com/trademarks are owned by PopCap Games, Inc. or its licensors and may be registered in some countries. Other company and product names used herein may be trademarks of their respective owners and are used for the benefit of those owners.

SOURCE PopCap Games

Web Site: http://www.popcap.com

Never played any of the WOW games, and have no intention of it either. For those of you that do though, Cataclysm is here for you!

Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. today announced that World of Warcraft^®: Cataclysm^™, the highly anticipated third expansion for the world’s most popular subscription-based massively multiplayer online role-playing game, is now on sale in stores throughout North America, Europe, Argentina, Chile, Russia, Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand, and will be available beginning December 9 in Korea and the regions of Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau.

“We thank all of our beta testers for helping make this our best expansion yet, and we’re looking forward to seeing everyone in the new Azeroth.”

The expansion can now be purchased at retail stores on DVD-ROM for Windows^® XP/Windows Vista^®/Windows^® 7 and Macintosh^® at a suggested retail price of $39.99 USD. A special Collector’s Edition packed with bonus items is also available exclusively from retailers for a suggested retail price of $79.99 USD. World of Warcraft: Cataclysm is also offered as a digital download through Battle.net^® account management (www.battle.net/account/management) for $39.99 USD.

“Cataclysm adds an incredible amount of new content for players to explore, revitalizing the game world and building on everything we’ve learned since World of Warcraft launched over six years ago,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “We thank all of our beta testers for helping make this our best expansion yet, and we’re looking forward to seeing everyone in the new Azeroth.”

In World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, the corrupted Dragon Aspect Deathwing has returned, and the world has been reshaped by the devastation left in his wake. In an effort to survive the planet-shattering cataclysm, two new playable races — worgen and goblins — join the struggle between the Alliance and the Horde. Players can now begin their journey to the new level cap of 85, discover newly revealed locations, acquire new levels of power, and come face to face with Deathwing in a battle to determine the fate of the world.

For more information on World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, visit the official website at http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/cataclysm/.

Today I’ve got a quick review for you of a great little product from Kingston called the HyperX Fan. We know Kingston makes good ram, and now they’ve come out with a fan to help keep it cool. Cooler is better for anything, but especially when you’re overclocking. The HyperX fan can mean the difference between success and failure or stability for your ram. Even if you’re not overclocking though, your system can benefit from it. The fans blow air on the ram and the surrounding areas as well, so it offers to help airflow within your case.

Specifications:

Kingston HyperX Fan

Model: KHX-FAN-B

HyperX Fan keeps memory cool while looking cool.

Kingston proudly introduces the HyperX Fan. Designed with the gamer and PC enthusiast in mind, its dual 60mm fans optimize airflow around the modules to help memory run at peak performance for longer periods of time. The fan is made of anodized aluminum in the same familiar blue color as the HyperX heatspreaders. When turned on, the fan blades are illuminated by eight small blue LEDs.

Product Specifications:
* Whisper-quiet — 28 dBAm maximum
* 12V rated. 8V-13.5V operational range
* RPM: 3000 +/- 10%

Price: $22.99 (Price from NewEgg at time of review)

Unboxing:
The packaging is both cardboard box and plastic box. Included in the box is a brief user manual as you might expect.

The fan comes in essentially seven parts total. The main housing with the two fans, two side pieces and four thumbscrews.

The fan housing is aluminum and it feels lightweight but well made. It’s from Kingston so I would expect nothing less really. It features two 60mm fans controlled by on 3-pin power connection.

The housing is actually two parts, the shroud and the a thin section that holds the fans in place.

Installation, Performance, Comparison 
The first thing you’ll need to do is put it together loosely.  This involves four thumbscrews and the sides. Very simple to do.
 

I’m using the HyperX Fan with my 8gigs of OCZ Gold DDR3 ram.

The HyperX Fan attaches just to the ram clips and is held in place by tension and that’s it.

The fans feature blue LEDs in them to add a bit of color to your case. Here it is installed with flash and without:

The LEDS are fairly bright and look good really. The noise level is very low, the HyperX Fans didn’t add any additional noise to my system at all.

To check to see if the fans were actually doing something I used my infrared thermometer to take temperature readings before and after installation.

I test three spots, top, middle and bottom of the ram.

The average of the three temperatures was 32.6C before and 29.1C after. The ambient room temperature was 21.5C.

So it works as you can see. dropping  a few degrees could mean the difference success and failure when you’re overclocking.

The HyperX Fan seems well made, it’s lightweight and it’s easy to install and of course it looks good.

The Kingston HyperX Fan comes in both Blue and Black colors, I have the blue and I found it wouldn’t work with my previous LG1156 board as it had only ram clips on one side. So that could be a problem, but I haven’t seen many motherboards like that one.

Another issue might be when it comes to large sized ram, the clearance isn’t that big so it might not fit.

And finally the last issue is that the HyperX cooler might not work with large sized CPU cooler, those that over hang the ram slots specifically.

There’s those specific issues yes but they’re exceptions.

Conclusion:
The Kingston HyperX Fan is what you want in your system when you need to keep your ram cool. It cools the ram yes, but the fans also help cool nearby components as well.

The product is well made and it’s very easy to install, and it works.

Pros:
+Easy installation
+Looks good
+Works to cool your ram

Cons:
-Might not fit with ram that have tall heatspreaders
-Might not fit with large CPU coolers

Ratings
Overall: 5 out of 5
Performance: 5 out of 5
Aesthetic: 5 out of 5
Build Quality: 5 out of 5

Disclosure: http://www.bonafidereviews.com/disclosure-policy/

A new Tomb Raider is coming and you can get the inside info in the new issue of Game Informer.

Square Enix, Inc., is excited today to announce TOMB RAIDER, the new game from Redwood City based studio Crystal Dynamics.

After a brutal storm destroys the boat she was travelling on, a frightened young woman is left washed ashore on an unknown beach.  On her own but not alone she has only one goal, to survive’

Here begins the first adventure for a young and inexperienced Lara Croft in a story which charts the journey of an ordinary woman who finds out just how far she must go in order to stay alive.

"Forget everything you knew about TOMB RAIDER," said Darrell Gallagher, Head of Studio, Crystal Dynamics. "This is an origins story that creates Lara Croft and takes her on a character defining journey like no other."

TOMB RAIDER makes its worldwide debut in the January issue of Game Informer magazine. The cover story features 10 pages of exclusive content and is available beginning today for subscribers and on newsstands December 11. Follow Game Informer on Twitter @GameInformer.

Follow TOMB RAIDER on Twitter @TombRaider. For more information on TOMB RAIDER please visit www.TombRaider.com .

A new game from Atari is called Venetia and it’s an RPG set in the 16th century.

Best-Selling German RPG to be Released in January 2011 for Xbox 360, PlayStation®3 and Windows PC

Atari, one of the world’s most recognized publishers and producers of interactive entertainment, in conjunction with Rombax Games, today announced the North American release date for Venetica , the visually stunning role-playing game. With a cryptic storyline and mix of action and adventure, Venetica will make its North American debut on the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Windows PC in January 2011.

Venetica takes players through a unique and vibrant world full of surprises.  Set during the 16th Century in the beautifully rendered city of Venice, Venetica is a visually stunning, action-RPG with an extraordinary and immersive storyline.  Players navigate through a vibrant world in a quest to rid the city of danger.

Assuming the role of Scarlett, a young beautiful woman, players explore the streets and canals of Venice to rid the city of a dangerous necromancer.  Equipped with an arsenal of weapons, Scarlett is the only person who can stop them from destroying the entire living world.

In Venetica players traverse through the city of Venice to conquer a host of nightmare creatures in action-packed battles using the "Twilight World."  With easy pick-up and play controls, gamers use 3D map architecture allowing for multi-dimensional gameplay.  Dynamic day and night cycles allow for a truly unique atmosphere as players progress throughout the game.

"Following the successful German launch, we look forward to introducing North American gamers to the world of Venetica ," says Bob Spellerberg, VP of Sales and Distribution at Atari, Inc.  "With breathtaking graphics and a rich and unique narrative, Venetica offers RPG fans an action-packed adventure into a dark and evil world."

Published by Rombax Games, distributed by Atari and developed by Deck 13, Venetica will be available in January 2011.  For more information, please log onto www.veneticausa.com

Kinect themed stuff animals now? I guess so…

Limited collector’s editions of the “Kinectimals” game packaged with a 7” plush toy are now available at select retailers around the globe. In the U.S., Toys “R” Us® will exclusively sell the King Cheetah limited collector’s edition and GameStop® will exclusively carry the Maltese Tiger limited collector’s edition. Both sell for $59.99 (US ERP).

JAKKS limited collector’s edition “Kinectimals” plush toys work with Microsoft Tag (mtag) technology, allowing players to scan the tag on their plush toy with the Kinect for Xbox 360 sensor and watch the King Cheetah or Maltese Tiger appear in the game. With their very own plush pals, players can keep their new friends with them even when they’re away from their Xbox 360s.

Jack McGrath, Executive Vice President, Operations for JAKKS Pacific, stated, “We are excited to launch an interactive product based on one of the Kinect for Xbox 360 launch titles and pioneer a new way of gameplay.”

“Kinectimals” invites children, their parents and animal lovers of all ages to build lasting friendships with some of the world’s most exotic creatures. Players embark on a journey of discovery with their pets using full body movement, voice commands and gestures, made possible by the controller-free magic of Kinect for Xbox 360. Just like real pets, animals will come running when they hear the player’s voice, respond to commands* like “jump,” “roll-over” and “play dead,” and purr with joy when they are scratched behind the ears.

The “Kinectimals” journey begins when players adopt and name one of five playful feline friends and set out to discover the island they live on. As they journey with their cub to solve the “Legend of Felis Aurum” (the Gold Cat), they will unlock six more animals. The standalone “Kinectimals” game sells for $49.99 (US SRP). For $59.99, the limited collector’s editions allow players to add a choice of two additional furry friends – an exclusive Maltese Tiger or King Cheetah – to the game.

“Our goal with ‘Kinectimals’ was to create a game where players could form a strong emotional bond with animals, so we thought it would be a great extension to have a physical version of our adorable cubs that people could take home, play with and collect,” said Jorg Neumann, Studio Manager for Kinect games. “JAKKS was the perfect partner to create the type of plush toys we felt contained the same high quality and emotional value we focused on in the game. We couldn’t be happier with the end product.”

*Not all countries will receive full voice support features. See www.xbox.com/kinectimals  for a list of supported countries.

www.jakks.com

I’ve never played these games, but I’ve always wanted to, maybe I’ll go and grab this one.

Electronic Arts Inc. and Hothead Games® announced today that DeathSpank: Thongs of Virtue™ (T.O.V.), the follow-up to the award-winning Action/RPG DeathSpank™, is available on PC for $14.99 exclusively via Steam, Valve Corporation’s delivery and management platform. DeathSpank: T.O.V. is a fresh new adventure for the PC where players hack, slash and shoot their way through mission after mission, in search of the six mystical thongs that are corrupting the universe.

“With the success of the DeathSpank series, we decided that it was time to bring the added adventures and compelling story of DeathSpank: Thongs of Virtue to the PC and Mac”

Following the PC release, DeathSpank and DeathSpank: T.O.V. will launch on Mac OSX on December 14 for $14.99 also via Steam. Included in DeathSpank: T.O.V. for PC or Mac are two free pieces of downloadable content: the Snowy Mountain Dungeon, a terrifying, ice-covered dungeon frozen in the North Pole and a new playable co-op character, Sidekick Tankko.

“With the success of the DeathSpank series, we decided that it was time to bring the added adventures and compelling story of DeathSpank: Thongs of Virtue to the PC and Mac,” said Vlad Ceraldi, Director of Game Development at Hothead Games. “By branching out to new platforms we hope to share the charm and wit of DeathSpank with a wider audience.”

DeathSpank: T.O.V. puts players in the mighty boots of DeathSpank in his quest to destroy the six mystical thongs which have taken over the universe by corrupting those who wear them. Players will travel through war-torn country sides, outer space and even the North Pole to fight in an epic battle against the Evil Santa. DeathSpank: T.O.V. also includes a local co-op mode, allowing a second player to aid DeathSpank in his search for the infamous thongs as either of his two trusty sidekicks, Sparkles the Wizard or Ninjatastic Steve. DeathSpank: T.O.V. is also available for download on PlayStation® Network and Xbox LIVE® Arcade.

DeathSpank: Thongs of Virtue is rated “T” for teen by the ESRB. For more information on DeathSpank: T.O.V., visit www.deathspank.com or follow the game on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/deathspank.

December is here already, where did the year go?

Storage Related:

8GB G.Skill Ripjaws 2000MHz DDR3 Memory @ Benchmark Reviews

DESCRIPTION: The maximum speed officially supported by an Intel Core i3/i5 CPU is 1333MHz, and most will know too well that that even lower priced Intel H55/P55 Motherboards can support a 200 BCLK. If you like to dabble in the dark art of overclocking there are a few good reasons to choose a 2000MHz (PC3-16000) RAM kit. Firstly you have the options of lower voltage and tighter timings at lower speeds, and next you have the added benefit of higher memory bandwidth at the top speed. Last but not least though is the overclocking headroom, sure you could try to push your 1600MHz kit to 2000MHz but there are not too many kits that will do that, and you will certainly have to pay a premium. G.Skill have a broad range of DDR3 RAM from basic to extreme, today Benchmark Reviews will be testing the G.Skill Ripjaws 2000MHz CL9 Dual Channel 1.55v 8GB Kit (PN: F3-16000CL9D-8GBRM) priced at $209.99 for your reading pleasure.

ARTICLE URL: http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=671&Itemid=67

==

Zalman N Series 128GB SandForce SF-1222 SSD Review @ Legit Reviews
Article URL: http://www.legitreviews.com/article/1472/1/

It seems like every week another company joins the SSD fray with a drive of their own. Granted, there’s still a lot of users that still haven’t made the leap from the trusty old platter hard drive. Does Zalman, a company best known for their cooling and cases, have what it takes to get a piece of the SSD pie? They’re making an effort with their launch of two different SSD lines. We’ll have a look at the N Series to see if it stacks up with the other SandForce drives already on the market.

==

OCZ RevoDrive X2 240GB PCIE SSD Review @ Legit Reviews
Article URL: http://www.legitreviews.com/article/1460/1/

"OCZ has taken the already impressive RevoDrive and kicked it up to a whole new level with the RevoDrive X2. It simply rocks. It’s hands-down the fastest SSD we have used and its elegant simplicity in use and installation makes it all the more appealing for users of all levels. The performance numbers put up by the OCZ RevoDrive X2 240GB PCIe SSD are insane and part of the reason it can reach such numbers is because of the PCI-E interface. A normal SATA II connection allows a theoretical bandwidth limit of 3Gbps or 375MB/s. The PCI Express interface is necessary to reach the potential of this beast…"

==

Patriot Viper II Sector 5 PC3-12800 2x2GB DDR3 RAM review @ APH Networks

* Description: Whew, time sure flies by. When I pulled up my last Patriot RAM review in preparation for this article today, a quick glance at the date labeled ‘November 8, 2008′ revealed it has been a good two years already (Mind you — the Patriot Extreme Performance series memory we tested back in November 2008 was some very good stuff). For as long as I have been a computer enthusiast, this company has been a prominent player in the industry, making its name among computer enthusiasts as a manufacturer of high performance computer memory products. In addition to the usual flash drives, SSDs, and the such, Patriot also has some cool stuff in their collection, such as the Patriot Box Office network media player we took a look at back in February this year. After giving G.SKILL’s Ripjaws F3-12800CL7D-8GBRH 2x4GB DDR3 a run through our labs, posting a series of very favorable results on the board a couple of weeks ago, it is now the Patriot Viper II Sector 5 PC3-12800 2x2GB set’s turn to step up to the challenge. And what a challenge it is. Retailing at around $80 at press time after mail-in rebate, the Viper II Sector 5 running at DDR3-1600 with 8-8-8-24 latencies is, undeniably, priced very competitively among its peers. As the icing on the cake, Patriot also throws in a copy of Futuremark’s 3DMark Vantage benchmarking software as part of the package. If you have been following APH Networks and have read all our reviews from the last two weeks, the benchmark results in our review today should be nothing new to you. But for the stuff that really matters, like what kind of IC Patriot has plugged in behind the Viper II Sector 5′s heatsink, and how well it overclocks, this is where we will have you all filled in. Let’s jump right in and see what we have found out!

* Link: http://aphnetworks.com/reviews/patriot_viper_ii_sector_5_pc3_12800_2x2gb

==

WOW!! 2.5 million sold is 25 days, that’s a lot of product!

Microsoft Corp. today announced that strong demand over the Black Friday weekend has propelled retail sales of Kinect for Xbox 360 to more than 2.5 million units worldwide since it launched just 25 days ago.

"We are thrilled about the consumer response to Kinect, and are working hard with our retail and manufacturing partners to expedite production and shipments of Kinect to restock shelves as fast as possible to keep up with demand," said Don Mattrick, president of the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. "With sales already exceeding two and a half million units in just 25 days, we are on pace to reach our forecast of 5 million units sold to consumers this holiday."

"Kinect on Xbox 360 was a top performer at Target this weekend," said Nik Nayar, vice president, merchandising, Target. "We expect Kinect will be a must-have gift this holiday season, so Target will continue to receive consistent shipments of Kinect throughout December. The hands-free, active gaming experience that Kinect offers is something that everyone in the family can enjoy."

Kinect is now available at more than 60,000 retailers in 38 countries. It is the only controller-free games and entertainment system available that lets you control games, movies, music and television with gestures and your voice. Retailers, reviewers and analysts are calling it a must-have gift this holiday season.

More information on Xbox 360 and Kinect for Xbox 360 is available at http://www.xbox.com/Kinect or http://www.facebook.com/xbox .

The Move is selling way apparently, while I like the idea of it, I guess I need to get a PS3 first huh?!

Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) today announced that the sales of PlayStation®Move motion controller for the PlayStation®3 (PS3®) computer entertainment system reached over 4.1 million units worldwide(*1).  The milestone was reached in just two months since its release in September for North America, Europe/PAL territories and Asia, and one month since the release in October for Japan.  The number not only shows clear success of the launch of the new motion sensing controller but also indicates positive momentum going in to the holiday season and to the year 2011. 

PlayStation Move motion controller is used in combination with the PlayStation®Eye camera(*2) to detect the precise movement, angle, and absolute position in 3D space of the user, thereby allowing users to intuitively play as if they are within the game.  Delivering the most realistic and immersive experience, PlayStation Move not only captures the user’s motion but also the player’s image itself to offer new augmented reality experiences in select games.

PlayStation Move offers more than 30 supported/dedicated titles for the North American region up to date with a vast line-up of software titles from all genres and all types of audiences.  Some of the successful titles include Sports Champions, Start the Party, EyePet Move Edition, MAG, SingStar Dance and more.  Upcoming PlayStation Move titles include the platform-defining franchises like Killzone 3 and LittleBigPlanet 2 that will further establish PlayStation Move as the must have motion experience for casual and hard-core gamers alike.

More than 41.6 million PS3 systems have been sold globally(*3) and despite entering its 5th year since launch, the system is set to record another year of success.  PS3, equipped with sophisticated processing units as well as future proof cutting-edge technologies, unfolded its potential this year with the introduction of PlayStation Move and stereoscopic 3D capabilities.  SCEI will further continue to deliver strong value to the platform and will accelerate the growth of the platform by vigorously enhancing the entertainment experience only possible on the PlayStation® platform. 

(*1) Number as of November 2010. Cumulative number since its release date, September 15 for Europe/PAL territories and Asian countries/regions, September 19 for North America and October 21 for Japan. The number does not include sales of stand-alone PlayStation®Eye camera or stand-alone PlayStation®Move navigation controller.

(*2) Users will need to use the PlayStation Eye camera to enjoy PlayStation Move motion controller on PS3®.

(*3) Number as of September 2010.

This company’s web site http://www.playstation.com

It’s finally here!

Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC (SCEA) continues their highly successful and critically acclaimed series of racing simulation video games with today’s North American release of Gran Turismo®5, available exclusively for the PlayStation®3 (PS3™) and for the first-time ever in stereoscopic 3-D. Developed by Polyphony Digital Inc., Gran Turismo 5 brings the world’s most realistic and comprehensive driving experiences to fans in one of the most highly anticipated games of all time.  For the first time in the franchise, players can look forward to real-time car damage, dynamic weather effects, kart racing, access to select NASCAR® cars, a Course Maker and robust online community features. The game will also feature an impressive line-up of more than 1,000 licensed cars from the world’s top manufacturers and more than 20 tracks with over 70 variations, including famous world circuits, city courses, snow and dirt, and original environments popular among fans.

"Over the past five years, the team of designers and engineers at Polyphony Digital have worked to set new standards in graphics, presentation, and gameplay within the Gran Turismo franchise," said Scott A. Steinberg, Vice President of Product Marketing, SCEA.  "With Gran Turismo 5, the development team has set a new bar in the racing genre with more than 1,000 vehicles, new racing modes and features, and a robust online community.  We are excited to offer loyal fans a racing experience that remains unmatched."

With exciting new features to suit newcomers, automotive enthusiasts and seasoned fans, Gran Turismo 5 raises the bar on the franchise’s quality of design, physics and technology, while delivering an ultra-realistic driving experience with unparalleled visuals and lifelike graphics that are difficult to distinguish from a live race.  The game will feature a completely new physics engine for an improved and more realistic, and responsive, driving feel across the board, as well as real-time vehicle damage and wear, with adaptive and accurate car deformation based on point of impact and velocity.  Additionally, players will have the chance to utilize face tracking capabilities using the PlayStation®Eye camera, allowing players to look around the interior of vehicles while in the interior dash view.

For the first time, players will also be able to create their own Gran Turismo race track with the in-game Course Maker, as well as take part in kart racing, and race select NASCAR® cars on select NASCAR-sanctioned and other tracks.  Additionally, Gran Turismo 5 will feature an extremely deep online and community feature set where players can race online with up to 16 players through PlayStation®Network via the all-new custom race lounge and exciting new social gaming features that expand the Gran Turismo universe online.  Players can also transfer vehicles unlocked in Gran Turismo® for PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) into their garage in Gran Turismo 5.

Additional Features Include (but not limited to):

• Arcade Mode lets players experience the stunning tracks and environments of Gran Turismo 5, including custom tracks created with Course Maker, alone or with a friend in split-screen two-player mode
• Career mode, which includes a vast and varied lineup of special race events, including appearances by world-famous professional race car drivers, new and used car dealerships, tuning and body shops to upgrade the performance of players’ favorite cars, and more
• Newly expanded B-Spec race team management mode puts players in the role of a race team director, where they can manage and coach a stable of AI (artificial intelligence) race car drivers through career events
• Point-based Championship Race series and License Tests
• Stunning new visual effects include: rain, snow and other weather effects; time transitions where day turns to night; particle effects like tire smoke, dust clouds, and water spray; and new lighting effects including working high beams and flashers, working windshield wipers, and brake lights that light up dust clouds
• Gran Turismo TV Video provides access to a library of great motorsport video programming (both HD and SD – all broadcast quality) through PlayStation Network
• Photo Mode and Photo Travel allows players to capture great GT moments from race replays and exotic locales, and to share with friends online, including stereoscopic 3-D support for taking stunning 3D screenshots (stereoscopic 3-D TV required)  
• Automobile and collectible "trading cards" are also available, which are unlocked every time players log into Gran Turismo 5 online, adding new content to the informative and educational Museum feature.  Cards are awarded randomly and can be traded with friends to build their collections
• Players can create custom soundtracks from music stored on their XMB to play in-game
• PlayStation Network Trophy support

Additionally, SCEA and Polyphony Digital Inc. – in partnership with Nissan North America – will also be making dreams of becoming a real-life race car driver with a professional team a reality beginning this December with the U.S. debut of GT Academy.  Here, players will compete in a series of online time trials in pre-selected Nissan vehicles in Gran Turismo 5. The winner will have a chance to train with elite race car drivers at international tracks and race as a part of a professional team.  Fans who think they have what it takes can register at http://us.gran-turismo.com/ beginning December 6.

About the Gran Turismo ® Franchise

With more than 60 million units shipped worldwide, the award-winning Gran Turismo® franchise for the PlayStation®, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, PlayStation®3 and PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) handheld entertainment system is regarded as the best and most authentic driving simulator ever created due to its true-to-life graphics, authentic physics technology and design. Since the inception of the Gran Turismo franchise, famed creator Kazunori Yamauchi and Polyphony Digital Inc. in Japan have revolutionized the racing category as we know it today. His offerings provide the most realistic driving simulation in the industry and a unique medium for automotive manufacturers to showcase their products.

The independent Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) has rated all Gran Turismo® properties "E" for Everyone.

Web Site: http://us.gran-turismo.com/us/

These won’t help your game much I’m sure, but they sure do look good!

Coy Christmas, President of BGRMODS, LLC—home of the IntensaFIRE rapid-fire device for the Xbox 360 wireless controller, continues to make the gaming experience brighter and better.  Set to release this week, the IntensaFIRE 2.0 and the LED illuminating thumbsticks are just in time for the holidays.

According to Christmas, "We continue to expand our Mods selections for serious gamers. We saw a need in the gaming market, which inspired the creation of the IntensaFIRE for Xbox.  From there we created the PlayStation 3 version of the IntensaFIRE, The NoScope, Gamers Towel, Hub Cap, and a now a revamped Xbox 360 IntensaFIRE and LED illuminating thumbsticks."

If you have an IntensaFIRE 2.0 powered XBOX 360 controller, now you can add the most innovative LED modification on the market!  BGRMods sticks to their "easiest controller mods in the world" mantra with this new product.  If you can turn a screwdriver, you can install LED illuminating thumbsticks!  

The IntensaFIRE 2.0 boast all the old features of the regular IntensaFIRE with more advanced learning modes along with many more detailed features. The LED thumbsticks has 6 modes and 4 color combinations and is available on the web at bgrmods.com.  

The IntensaFIRE Rapid-Fire Mod for XBOX 360 has been a tremendous success since its debut at the Penny Arcade Expo in 2009.  Easy to install, the IntensaFIRE works with all XBOX 360 games, has 5 modes and 255 programmable speeds.  Following on its heels, the IntensaFIRE 8-mode sleeper mod for PS3 was developed, making installation even easier.  

For more information visit www.bgrmods.com

Today for review I’ve got a nice set of earbuds from a company called Earjax. The earbuds are called the Bump, and with a name like that you’d expect good bass and that’s what you’ll get. The Bump are nicely made and are very comfortable to wear, but the best part is that they’re inexpensive.

Specifications:

Earjax Bump

You’ll be amazed at how such incredibly crisp sound, with fantastic treble and deep bass, comes out of such a small device. It may be our little secret but you’ll want to tell your friends.
- Live Passionately.

Specs:
Design: aluminum dome earbud
Speaker Type: high definition mini speaker
Speaker Diameter:     10mm
Frequency Response: 20 Hz – 20k Hz
Power Handling: 3 mW
Magnet Type: neodymium
Impedance: 16 ohm
Cable Length: 49 inches
Cable Type: rubber
Plug Type: gold-plated mini plug

Included Accessories:
-tube carrying case
-earjax lanyard
-multi-tip fit kit – S,M,L, standard – S,M, L, transparent tips – 1 pr. three-tiered tips
-bonus earjax decals

Price: $54.95

Unboxing: 
The Earjax Bump come is a rather unique shaped plastic box.

When you open the package you’ll find a few things in there including documentation, stickers, lanyard strap, several sizes of buds, clip and metal carrying case.

The carrying case is a metal tube with a cap that screws off and there’s a place on the top to attach the lanyard.

Inside the small bag you’ll find many sizes and different style of earbuds along with a small clip.

You can get the Earjax Bump in Gray and Silver or Pink and Silver, I got the pink color.

The earphones are nicely made, they’re small but they fell heavy for their size.

When you remove the buds you’ll see the speaker covers, and one is colored red for right.

Installation, Performance, Comparison
I used the Earjax Bump with both my Zune HD and my Samsung Galaxy S Captivate for testing. I listened to both music and watched a video.

The Bump earbuds are very comfortable for long periods of use, they seem to do a decent, but not perfect job of keeping external noises out.

These headphones retail for about $55, so they’re not exactly expensive or what might be considered high end, that’s for sure.

The sound is surprisingly good, it’s nice and full. There is good bass to them, but in my opinion there’s a bit too much treble.

On a side note, for every pair of Earjx sold a portion of the proceeds go to the Starkey Hearing Foundation, so with each purchase you’re doing something good for someone less fortunate.

Also I think the cord is a bit too short, I’m sure it can be a little bit longer.

Conclusion:
For the price the Earjax Bump sound very good, I don’t think you could find a better set of headphones in this price range honestly.

The included case is very nice and it will do a very good job of protecting the earphones.

There are several earbuds in different sizes and styles included so there’s sure to be one to fit everyone comfortably.

Pros:
+Decent sounding
+Nice carrying case included
+Full sound

Cons:
-Cord is a bit short for my liking
-A bit too much treble

Ratings
Overall: 5 out of 5
Performance: 5 out of 5
Aesthetic: 5 out of 5
Build Quality:  5 out of 5

Disclosure: http://www.bonafidereviews.com/disclosure-policy/

I want a PS3…

On the heels of the European announcement yesterday, Sunflex USA, the exclusive U.S. distributor of the video gaming brand snakebyte  and FINAL FANTASY XIV controller, announces that they will distribute the new line of snakebyte accessories for PlayStation Move. The line includes a Move Motion Controller, Move Navigation Controller and Snake-Eye Camera, which are compatible with all Sony PS3 products and third-party PS3 peripherals.

Both controllers are ergonomically designed and feature a rubberized shell assuring a comfortable grip. In order to easily keep up with future firmware versions, both also have built-in USB ports so they can be quickly updated.

In traditional snakebyte™ style, the Snake-Eye Camera has a sleek and modern design. Built to tracks gamers’ moves with precision, it also comes with a mount so it can be easily attached to the top of a TV.

All products in the line will be available as individual items or can be purchased as bundles, assuring every gamer gets the combination that’s right for them. Aggressive price points can be expected.

“We’re proud to be the first distributor to bring a third-party navigation controller, motion controller and camera for the PlayStation®Move to North America,” said Howard Borenstein, President of Sunflex USA. “With the snakebyte™ Move line we offer gamers the accessories essential to bringing the full PlayStation®Move gaming experience to life.”

Product is scheduled to be showcased the first week of January at the upcoming 2011 International CES in Las Vegas, and will be available to consumers in early Q1 2011.

If you’re interested in connecting with snakebyte™ on popular social networking sites, follow the company on Twitter and “like” them on Facebook.

Happy Saturday!! It’s time for the news from all over the world!

Storage Related:

Putting SATA 3.0 to Work with Areca ARC-1880i and Crucial C300 256GB SSDs
QUOTE: "Today our focus is on SATA 3.0, the latest computer bus interface for mass storage devices like hard drives and of course solid state disk drives. SATA Revision 3.0 or SATA 6 Gbit/s as it is also known replaced SATA 2.0 with several improvements including importantly for us here today a doubling of the maximum throughput from 375MB/s to 750MB/s per connected device.
What do you do with all that extra bandwidth that is offered by the new bus? You put it to work, of course! We hit up the folks over at Areca about a brand spanking new SATA 3.0 SAS controller that they have started selling and they obliged our request and sent on over one of their new ARC-1880i controllers for the job. Next up, we needed something to connect up to this shiny new RAID controller and we enlisted the help of the folks over at Crucial for this part of the mission. They were friendly enough to ship over no less than four of their RealSSD C300 256GB SATA 3.0 solid state disk drives."

==

Mach Xtreme MX-DS 40GB SSD Review – The SSD Review

Intro: The SSD Review has recently taken the time to evaluate solid state drives from around  the world with  reviews on         products from Memoright in Taiwan and Renice in China. We are going to finish off our tour with another peak at the offerings in Taiwan as we review the Mach Xtreme Technology MX-DS 40GB solid state drive.

URL: http://thessdreview.com/our-reviews/mach-extreme-mx-ds-40gb-solid-state-drive-review/

==

OCZ RevoDrive X2 PCI-Express SSD Test @ Benchmark Reviews

DESCRIPTION: Over the past several years, OCZ have transformed themselves from an enthusiast system memory brand into a recognized name for high-performance storage devices. They’ve earned consumer praise for their ability to deliver Solid State Drive technology at a reasonable price, and they push the boundaries with their High Speed Data Link project. There’s a solid middle ground between SATA and HSDL, and that’s the PCI Express bus. Not long ago Benchmark Reviews tested the SandForce-driven OCZ RevoDrive, and now we’re back with the high-level version of that product: OCZ RevoDrive X2. Now using four SF1200 SSDs in RAID-0, the RevoDrive X2 series is capable of up to 120,000 IOPS at speeds up to 740 MB/s.

ARTICLE URL: http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=635&Itemid=60

==

I have COD Black Ops, but I haven’t even put it in my Xbox yet, oh well, I’ll get there eventually.

Largest Entertainment Launch in History Establishes New Xbox® LIVE™ Record with 2.6 Million Unique Players in One Day

Call of Duty: Black Ops Was Best-Selling Video Game Launch of All Time on Amazon.com and at GameStop

Activision Publishing, Inc.  announced today that Treyarch’s Call of Duty ® : Black Ops has shattered theatrical box office, book and video game sales records for five-day worldwide sell through in dollars.  The game established an all-new five-day worldwide sell-through record of more than $650 million, exceeding Activision’s previous five-day worldwide record of $550 million set by last year’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare ® 2 , according to internal Activision estimates.

"Call of Duty has become the first entertainment property in history to set five-day launch records for two consecutive years across all forms of entertainment," said Robert Kotick, CEO, Activision Blizzard.  "The title’s success illustrates the mass appeal of interactive entertainment as millions of consumers are choosing to play Call of Duty: Black Ops at unprecedented levels rather than engage in other forms of media.  The number of people playing online and the number of hours they are playing demonstrates how online gaming has become a mainstream form of entertainment and certainly validates Activision Blizzard’s leadership role in online entertainment."

"There are many reasons for the success of Black Ops , but first and foremost is the fact that our team at Treyarch delivered a truly awesome game, and in the process have established themselves as one of the most talented developers in the world," said Eric Hirshberg, CEO, Activision Publishing.  "There are millions of people all over the world engaging in this community.  It’s our job to keep them coming back for more."

In addition to beating all previous first-and five-day box office, book and video game sell-through records, Call of Duty: Black Ops set two new records on Xbox ® LIVE™. 

According to Microsoft:

• More than 5.9 million multiplayer hours were logged playing Call of Duty: Black Ops by end of launch day, November 9.
• More than 2.6 million unique gamers played Call of Duty: Black Ops in one day on November 9.

"With a record breaking performance on Xbox LIVE, home to the world’s largest Call of Duty gaming community, Call of Duty: Black Ops has already carved out its legacy as one of the biggest video games in history," said Don Mattrick, president of the interactive entertainment business at Microsoft.  "We congratulate our partners at Activision and Treyarch and are proud to continue offering the best Call of Duty experience to our 25 million global Xbox LIVE members by launching all Call of Duty map packs first on Xbox 360."

The game also was a tremendous success on the PlayStation® 3 and the best-selling video game launch of all time on Amazon.com and at GameStop.

" Call of Duty: Black Ops has been an incredible success on PlayStation 3," said Jack Tretton, President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment of America (SCEA).  "Treyarch’s latest efforts are  driving unprecedented traffic to the PlayStation Network with the flagship online experience this holiday season."

" Call of Duty: Black Ops had the highest number of pre-orders of any video game to date," said Paul Raines, CEO, GameStop.  "It went on to become our biggest video game launch ever, which bodes well for game sales as we enter the holidays."

Activision is excited about the performance of Call of Duty: Black Ops , but given that it is still very early in the holiday shopping season, the company remains cautiously optimistic. 

Call of Duty: Black Ops is rated "M" (Mature) by the ESRB for Blood, Drug Reference, Intense Violence and Language. For additional information visit www.callofduty.com/blackops

Another MMO keyboard is here from SteelSeries, this one is called the shift.

-SteelSeries, the leading manufacturer of gaming peripherals and accessories today, introduced the SteelSeries MMO Keyset for the Shift gaming keyboard. The SteelSeries MMO Keyset transforms the Shift into a feature-rich MMO Keyboard with an intuitive, preconfigured layout of keys that are labeled for movement, communication, and emotes. The new keyset brings gamers a superior and more cost-effective keyboard option compared to buying an MMO-only keyboard.

“The new MMO Keyset is an excellent example of how the SteelSeries Shift Keyboard is offering gamers an entirely new set-up, specific to the type of game they’re currently playing, without having to commit to a big purchase”

“The new MMO Keyset is an excellent example of how the SteelSeries Shift Keyboard is offering gamers an entirely new set-up, specific to the type of game they’re currently playing, without having to commit to a big purchase,” said Bruce Hawver, SteelSeries’ CEO.

Each SteelSeries Shift Keyset is identified and made compatible with the Shift’s base through the SteelSeries ID2C, a unique, programmed chip found on the backside of each keyset that is powered by SteelSeries Engine Software. The software provides easy, intuitive drag-and-drop macro management and recording capabilities for every key. Gamers can toggle between three layers of F keys including two emote layers, enabling 24 of the most common pre-programmed MMO emotes. While, on the right side of the Keyset, players can shift between three layers of A keys, which are preconfigured for custom mappings. Users will also appreciate quick access to the voice key for instant push-to-talk.

Compatible with all current MMO titles, the MMO Keyset can be entirely customized, providing gamers with the ability to record a sequence of actions with delays and then map that sequence to any key. Every key can be further remapped in 3 layers allowing several different actions on a single key. With its anti-ghosting capability the Shift allows up to 7 simultaneous keystrokes making it an ultimate tool for keyboard-extensive MMO games.

The SteelSeries Shift MMO Keyset is sold separately from the SteelSeries Shift Keyboard for $24.99 USD/ €24.99. Gamers find more information at http://steelseries.com.

This sound cool and all, I like Yars Revenge a lot actually, brings back a lot of memories. This PR is about that but the problem is that the link to the official site doesn’t work, it only redirects to Atari. Why do companies send out PR with links that don’t work? makes no sense to me at all.

30 years ago Yars’ Revenge took the gaming world by storm as one of the first arcade shooters and became the best-selling original title for the Atari 2600.  Now three decades later, gamers will once again get the chance to avenge the annihilated race of the Yar. Atari, one of the world’s most recognized publishers and producers of interactive entertainment will unleash Yars’ Revenge onto Xbox LIVE® Arcade for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®Network and Windows PC Download in Q1 2011.

Yars’ Revenge brings the legendary title to new artistic heights with an anime inspired art style and captivating narrative that expands upon the original story.  The game also features local co-op gameplay, multiple endings, intense battles, and visually striking landscapes designed to appeal to both casual and hardcore gamers.

In Yars’ , players will take on the role of a nameless Yar, who has been brainwashed by the evil Qotile empire to do their bidding.  After being shot down and rescued by the ancient and mysterious Bar Yargler, she sets off on a ferociously focused mission, to seek revenge on her former master and his deadly squad of assassins.  The bio-technological nightmare of the Qotile home world provides stunning backdrops for players to fly through in aerial combat with their enemy. 

"Yars’ Revenge is one of the most popular Atari games of all time, leaving fans eager to experience the next chapter," says Jim Wilson, President and CEO of Atari, Inc.  "The new Yars’ Revenge updates this classic with anime inspired art direction, intense aerial battles and local co-op gameplay."

Developed by Killspace Entertainment, Yars’ Revenge will be available in early 2011. For more information, please log onto www.atari.com or www.playyarsrevenge.com.

“EA has developed Tetris on more than 15 platforms to date, and we’re excited to bring Tetris to millions of gamers worldwide on PlayStation Network,” said Adam Sussman, Vice President of Worldwide Publishing for EA Mobile. “With new gaming modes, stunning HD visuals and the enhanced audio experience, this truly is the definitive Tetris experience for PlayStation Network.”

“This is Tetris made for a big screen,” said Alexey Pajitnov, creator of the Tetris game. “We’re very excited to bring Tetris to PlayStation Network with new game modes offering different and fun new ways to play. With high-definition graphics and surround sound, this Tetris game is a full experience. We’re thrilled to bring this unique game to longtime fans and new players. We hope everyone shows it off in their home ‘theaters!’”

In addition to stellar audio and visual qualities, Tetris players can now play online or locally with up to six friends in all-new game modes. For those that play well with others, “Shared” mode enables two players to team-up in a single matrix to combine efforts and clear lines together. On the other end of the spectrum, “Team Battle” is the ultimate competitive match-up that allows two teams of two to play against one another, alternating between offense and defense as they compete for the win. Even the well-known “Battle” mode has been enhanced with new Power-Ups for more fast-paced fun.

And long-time Tetris fans need not worry, as Tetris for PSN also includes the famous “Marathon” mode. But for a new twist, now multiplayer games let up to four players locally play “Marathon” mode at the same time. Also included is the new “Challenge” mode, which allows players playing “Marathon” mode or any of the 12 variants to try to beat “replays” of either friends or some of the best Tetris players in the world. Additionally, players can see how they stack up to the best Tetris players internationally by checking out worldwide and regional leader boards, which are refreshed weekly.

please visit www.tetris.com.

www.ea.com

Using the VUDU streaming movie service, PS3 owners will be able to conveniently and instantly access more than 4,000 HD movies from all major Hollywood studios on-demand, including new releases available the same day they are released to DVD or Blu-ray Disc.  The VUDU streaming movie service also offers great value to PS3 households, with an enormous collection of titles available for only $2 for a two night rental.

"PlayStation has long been the leader in providing living room entertainment.  PlayStation Network has emerged as the industry leading entertainment hub for experiencing an unmatched amount of digital content," said Susan Panico, senior director, PlayStation Network.  "With the addition of the VUDU application to our free PlayStation Network, users will have another way to access entertainment, with thousands of HD movies available instantly in the comfort of their own home."

"PS3 is tailor-made for the high-quality, high-speed VUDU streaming experience," said Edward Lichty, general manager, VUDU. "Now with VUDU on PS3, we are able to deliver a completely immersive experience to those loyal to their entertainment system when they want, where they want."

Customers that have a free PlayStation Network account can download the VUDU application in the "Media" category on PlayStation®Store and then access it under the "Video" icon on the XMB™ (XrossMediaBar) menu.  New VUDU customers receive a $5.99 credit, enabling them to watch their first HD movie on the service for free.

Web Site: http://www.us.playstation.com

For more information, visit http://www.vudu.com/.

And in more EA news today, we’ve got the announcement that Fancy Pants Adventures is coming to consoles! Ok, so it’s not that exciting, but it’s a new game.

Electronic Arts Inc. and Borne Games announced that the Flash game phenomenon, The Fancy Pants Adventures, is coming to Xbox LIVE Arcade and PlayStation Network in Spring 2011. The Fancy Pants Adventures is being developed by Over The Top Games in partnership with Borne Games and EA 2D, a dedicated team inside of EA focused on creating high-quality games within the direct-to-consumer market. The classic side-scrolling platformer features a unique, hand-drawn style and has been played over 100 million times on browsers. The Fancy Pants Adventures takes all of the exciting adventures from the original two games and now adds an entirely new world, all-new story and new modes designed exclusively for consoles.

“Working with EA allows me to do more than I could have ever imagined. This is the opportunity of a lifetime.”

“The passion that the fans have shown for The Fancy Pants Adventures has been overwhelming and bringing the game to console will give them the best possible platform gameplay experience,” said Brad Borne, Founder of Borne Games. “Working with EA allows me to do more than I could have ever imagined. This is the opportunity of a lifetime.”

“Fancy Pants is an incredible success story and we are excited to bring this high quality platform gameplay to a console audience,” said Mark Spenner, General Manager of EA 2D. “Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network are the perfect channels to deliver this type of accessible entertainment that will allow gamers to experience the fun and adrenaline of classic side-scrolling action.”

The Fancy Pants Adventures casts players in the role of the game’s hero – a hand-drawn stick figure named Fancy Pants Man who embarks on a mission to rescue his kidnapped sister, Cutie Pants. Sporting his trademark orange pants and a Mohawk, Fancy Pants Man begins his journey in Squiggleville, racing through unique open levels where he must defeat challenging enemies and overcome clever obstacles. Along the way, Fancy Pants will need to utilize a number of tricks and even unlock the ability to wield weapons in order to aid him on his quest to overcome the Pirates.

To learn more about The Fancy Pants Adventures, please visit the game’s official web site at http://fancypantsadventures.com

A Star Wars MMORPG ? I normally don’t like them, but I think I may have to check this one out, it is Star Wars after all!

Electronic Arts Inc.  and Lucasfilm Ltd, announced today an updated global publishing agreement for the highly anticipated massively multiplayer online videogame Star Wars: The Old Republic. With this new agreement, certain publishing, marketing and distribution responsibilities previously designated to LucasArts will shift to EA, so that all publishing, marketing and distribution responsibilities can be centralized for efficiency. Lucasfilm will continue serving as a key partner, collaborating on design and marketing, and as a licensor of the property. Star Wars: The Old Republic is designed to redefine the MMO category by introducing BioWare’s signature storytelling and rich, emotional human performances to the genre. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Star Wars: The Old Republic is one of the most highly-anticipated videogames of 2011, winning over 60 awards at industry tradeshows around the world including the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles and Gamescom in Cologne, Germany. The game is breaking new ground in the genre by building on the traditional MMO gameplay pillars of combat, exploration and character progression, and adding a fourth dimension to the experience – story. In Star Wars: The Old Republic, players will explore an age thousands of years before the rise of Darth Vader when war between the Old Republic and the Sith Empire divides the galaxy. Players choose to play as Jedi, Sith, or a variety of other classic Star Wars roles, defining their personal story and determining their path down the light or dark side of the Force. Along the way, players will befriend courageous companions who will fight at their side or possibly betray them, based on the players’ actions. Players can also choose to team up with friends to battle enemies and overcome incredible challenges using dynamic Star Wars combat.

For more information on Star Wars: The Old Republic, please visit http://starwarstheoldrepublic.com, follow the game on Twitter at http://twitter.com/swtor or “Like” Star Wars: The Old Republic on Facebook at http://facebook.com/starwarstheoldrepublic.

EA Partners, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. announced an exclusive agreement with independent developer, Vanguard Games, to publish the new dual-analogue shooter, Gatling Gears™. From the team that created the award-winning Greed Corp, comes the new game Gatling Gears, set within the same Mistbound universe featuring signature elements like collapsing land, walker units and warring factions, but now with twin-stick shooter controls and a new hero, Max Brawley. In this eclectic steampunk setting, players fill the air with lead as they try to defeat a monopolistic corporation that is depleting the world of its natural resources. Gatling Gears will launch on Xbox LIVE® Arcade, PlayStation® Network and PC in Spring 2011.

“Given our strategy of partnering with the top developers in the world, we are very excited to work with Vanguard as they advance the classic twin-stick shooter genre with new gameplay and beautiful visuals.”

Martin de Ronde, Chief Commercial Officer of Vanguard Games, commented, “It is very exciting to be part of an indie studio again, and bringing best practices from my experience at Guerrilla Games to the development of downloadable games. We feel Gatling Gears is a great representation of what our incredibly talented team is capable of and we can’t wait to bring this game to market together with a strong publisher like EA Partners.”

“When Vanguard Games first showed us Gatling Gears, it was clear we were looking at a best-in-class title developed by people who are passionate about making fun, accessible games,” said Jamil Moledina, Outreach Director, Business Development at EA Partners. “Given our strategy of partnering with the top developers in the world, we are very excited to work with Vanguard as they advance the classic twin-stick shooter genre with new gameplay and beautiful visuals.”

Gatling Gears will be available for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system and the PC. For more information on Vanguard Games, visit their website at www.vanguardgames.net, and follow the development team on Twitter at www.twitter.com/vanguard_eg.

Today the EA Play Label of Electronic Arts Inc.  announced that Create will be available this week to buy on multiple platforms in stores throughout North America and Europe.

Create is an expansive challenge-based game, with a nearly infinite set of solutions for the player to explore. The Challenge mode offers a series of puzzles with a specific goal to be achieved and provides a number of fun and creative objects to come up with a solution. Points are allocated based on the number of objects used, and the overall creativity of the solution. There are numerous types of challenges, from those where players will need to find the most efficient and elegant solution to others where players are encouraged to be as outlandish as possible.

Everything done in the game can earn you Sparks. For every Spark earned, a new item or object to use is unlocked. Sparks also unlock new levels and new challenges. There are hundreds of Sparks to collect in the game and therefore hundreds of game objects/decorative objects the player can earn as they play.

Create also enables players to develop their own set of challenges from scratch, customizing everything from look and feel, to goals and level creation. The vast sets of customization tools that have been developed allow ANYONE to be creative.

The final element of Create is the ability to share – everything from individual creations, challenge solutions and any challenges that have been developed. Friends can download and “remix” solutions and set challenges for other players to download and complete. This option will be available on the PC, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system, and makes the gameplay experience truly social.

Developed by EA Bright Light™ Studio, Create is now available for the Xbox 360®, PlayStation 3 (featuring PlayStation®Move compatibility), Wii™, and Windows PC.

About Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is a leading global interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the Company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, wireless devices and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EA SPORTS™, EA™, EA Mobile™ and POGO™. In fiscal 2010, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $3.7 billion and had 27 titles that sold more than one million units. EA’s homepage and online game site is www.ea.com. More information about EA’s products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at http://info.ea.com.

Finally….

Sony Computer Entertainment America, LLC (SCEA) today confirmed that Gran Turismo 5 will go on sale throughout North America on Wednesday, November 24.

Gran Turismo 5 is an ambitious project, with challenges and complexities which have made it our version of the Apollo Space Program!" commented Kazunori Yamauchi, President of Polyphony Digital Inc. "When we created the original Gran Turismo back in 1997, we wanted to set a completely new precedent for the racing genre. With the technological leap onto PlayStation 3, our objective with Gran Turismo 5 was to create another great revolution which would not only satisfy our own high expectations, but would meet or even exceed the anticipation of the fans. Satisfying the loyal Gran Turismo followers is at the heart of all of our efforts, which is why it was such a difficult decision to delay the release of the game, and one which we did not take lightly. I can only apologize to everyone for making you wait so long, and I hope that when you try out the wealth of driving experiences available in Gran Turismo 5, you will not be disappointed."

In Gran Turismo 5, you can tackle the world’s most famous racetracks, rendered in high-definition that is as vivid as the real thing, and get behind the wheel of some of the most legendary cars in motor racing from past to cutting-edge present.  An impressive line-up of over 1,000 in-game cars will be featured, including the Lamborghini Murcielago LP 670-4 SuperVeloce, the Lexus LFA and the McLaren MP4-12C.  Players will also go head-to-head on famous legacy circuits such as Autumn Ring, Deep Forest Raceway, and the Grand Valley Speedway, in addition to renowned real-life circuits such as Nurburgring and the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

For more information on Gran Turismo 5 visit: http://www.gran-turismo.com

Lots and lots of news for you today!

Storage Related:

OCZ Blade ST 2000MHz Low Voltage DDR3 Memory @ Benchmark Reviews

DESCRIPTION: The default speed for a 2:10 multiplier on a Core i3/i5 CPU is 1333MHz, and most will know too well that that even lower priced Intel H55/P55 Motherboards can support a 200 BCLK. If you like to dabble in the dark art of overclocking there are a few good reasons to choose a 2000MHz (PC3-16000) RAM kit. Firstly you have the options of lower voltage and tighter timings at lower speeds, and next you have the added benefit of higher memory bandwidth at the top speed. Last but not least though is the overclocking headroom, sure you could try to push your 1600MHz kit to 2000MHz but there are not too many kits that will do that, and you will certainly have to pay a premium. OCZ have a broad range of DDR3 RAM from basic to extreme, today Benchmark reviews will be testing the Blade ST 2000MHz Low Voltage Dual Channel 4GB Kit (PN: OCZ3BST2000LV4GK) for your reading pleasure.

ARTICLE URL: http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=210&Itemid=67

==

Last week, Adata asked us to checkout their "Military-Specification" High Speed 16Gb USB2.0 flash drive. According to Adata, this USB flash drive is meant to be waterproof and shock resistant. So when the drive arrived at our labs, we were more than happy to give it a blast!!

Part 1: Waterproof demonstration of the Adata S007 Ultra Rugged USB2.0 Flash Drive. Checkout our video clip below (click "Read more") … it shows how we dunk the unit into a bowl of water, then immediately use it on our notebook … with NO problems whatsoever. Coming soon in Part 2, we will smash the flash drive with a hammer and see much shock it can really withstand. It’s ALL fun ;)

Read the rest of the article + watch the video here … http://www.funkykit.com/gadgets/5906-going-for-a-dunk-with-the-adata-s007-flash-drive.html

==

Unsung Heroes: 14 Years of Hard Drive Performance

http://hothardware.com/Reviews/Unsung-Heroes-14-Years-of-HDD-Performance/

When the likes of WD or Seagate launch a new hard drive, the product is hailed as a more efficient means of storing data. Useful? Very. High class or sexy? Not so much. You’ve got to admit that hard drives have gotten a bum rap. Granted, they’re still the slowest part of the system, but HDD manufacturers deserve a bit more credit than they typically get.
We decided to take a look at how standard, spinning hard drive performance has evolved over the past 14 years. We rounded up a representative group of hard drives, formatted them, scanned them for bad sectors, and ran a few modern benchmarks to see how much performance has improved.

==

Kingston DataTraveler Ultimate 32GB USB3
Quote: " Another flash drive? You’re probably sick of seeing flash drive reviews that basically show a slow device with a moderate capacity. This is different. The Kingston DataTraveler Ultimate is a new USB3 version with write speeds of 60MB/s and reads of 80MB/s. This is more like a SSD than a flash drive. "
Link: http://www.aselabs.com/articles.php?id=13833

==

Rockstar Games, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. and TransGaming, Inc. today announced that the critically acclaimed Grand Theft Auto Trilogy is now available for the Macintosh. The Grand Theft Auto Trilogy revisits the classic entries of the series and includes Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. The Grand Theft Auto Trilogy is available via TransGaming’s GameTreeMac.com Mac gaming portal for 30 days starting today and at retailers across Europe. It will be available at retail in North America starting November 22.

“These games will be broadly available and will be a great catalyst to the increasing popularity of gaming on the Mac.”

Grand Theft Auto III introduced a 3-dimensional Liberty City and a completely open and interactive world, filled with hidden challenges and innovative 3D gameplay. The immense map offered players a scope and depth never before seen in games. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City took a trip back in time and revisited the 1980s, complete with the era’s unique fashion and classic pop music. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City follows Tommy Vercetti, as he attempts to navigate the city’s tropical environment rife with gangsters and other seedy citizens. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas introduced San Andreas, the largest map of the series, which boasts three enormous cities. The narrative explores the life of Carl Johnson as he returns home to San Andreas after learning of the mysterious events surrounding a death in the family.

All three games feature thrilling, deep narratives, acerbic and witty dialogue, a cast of superbly voiced characters, a fleet of vehicles, and hours of music through in-game radio stations ranging from reggae, 80s pop, disco and hip-hop.

“The Grand Theft Auto series has been one of the most highly demanded titles by the Mac community. The availability of this incredible franchise on the Mac underscores TransGaming’s role in transforming the overall Mac gaming market,” commented Vikas Gupta, President & CEO of TransGaming. “These games will be broadly available and will be a great catalyst to the increasing popularity of gaming on the Mac."

Using TransGaming’s Cider Portability Engine, the Grand Theft Auto Trilogy will be available at retail stores everywhere and individually for digital download at www.gametreemac.com.

For more news and information, visit the official website (www.rockstargames.com)

Up on the review block today I’ve got the Thrustmaster Exclusive Edition F1 Ferrari Gamepad with dual analog sticks. This gamepad sell for about $20, and it’s not bad overall, but it has one major flaw in that it’s not compatible with many games at all. other than that it’s a great controller, it’s confortable and it has a lot of buttons.

Specifications:

F1 Dual Analog Ferrari F60 Exclusive Edition

The comfortable, efficient and realistic controller

2 mini-sticks with a rubber texture

* For precise control of your progressive actions and skid-free racing!

Compatible with Windows 7, VISTA & XP.

The ultimate dual analog controller: EXCLUSIVELY by THRUSTMASTER
* Metal design inspired by the "musetto" (nose) of the 2009 Ferrari F1 race car, the F60, for a truly immersive experience in the world of F1 races
* Lower grip featuring a peach skin texture, for unrivalled comfort

10 buttons and 8-way directional cross
* For full compatibility with all PC games
* Easy menu selection

USB Plug & Play connectivity:
* Installation CD not required: the device is directly and instantly recognized in HID games.

Price: $20.11 (from Amazon at time of review)

Unboxing:
The controller comes packaged in a hang style package.

Included with the controller is just a user manual, if you want the software to help program the controller you’ll need to download it from the Thrustmaster site.

The controller sort of resembles that of an Xbox 360 controller, but not really. It’s a bit larger overall.

On the top of the controller you’ll find see the two analog sticks, d-Pad and buttons. There is also two LEDs and single button.

Here’s the front and side views:

On the front you’ll find four shoulder buttons:

On the bottom of the controller you’ll find two more buttons:

Installation, Performance:

It’s USB so it’s plug and play, I plugged it in on my Windows 7 64bit machine and it installed automatically and I was ready to go.

The controller works fine as is, but you can go to the Thrustmaster site and download their software to help you with the controller to program it. Well really it’s not that programmable from the software, if you’re lucky the game you’re playing will recognize it and let you change the buttons, but I didn’t find many that even recognized it.

I used the controller to play games of course but I found out that it doesn’t work with many really. The button in the center between the sticks does allow for better compatibility, but not that much.

Conclusion:

The F1 controller does work well for gaming, it’s sensitive and the build quality is nice, much nicer than I would expect for about $20.

The controller though is rather large and it’s wired, if you’re accustomed to Xbox controller then you’ll find this is quite a bit larger.

If you play a lot of racing games then you should be fine with this controller, but don’t expect it to work with many other games, and that’s it’s largest flaw really.

Pros:
+Programmable
+Comfortable
+Lots of buttons

Cons:
-Doesn’t work with many games really

Ratings
Overall: 4 out of 5
Performance: 5 out of 5
Aesthetic: 5 out of 5
Build Quality: 4 out of 5

Disclosure: http://www.bonafidereviews.com/disclosure-policy/

GameStop, SEGA of America, Inc. and High Voltage Software, Inc. today announced details of the exclusive GameStop Limited Edition of Conduit 2, the epic science fiction shooter exclusively for the Wii system from Nintendo. The Conduit 2 Limited Edition features the 44-page “The Art of the Game” Conduit 2 art book and two unlockable items: a new armor skin and an enhanced ASE search device. Conduit 2 is set to be released in February 2011 in North America.

The Conduit 2 Limited Edition package features:

• 44-page art book featuring a rich selection of concept art and design development insights into Conduit 2’s science fiction world, weapons, and enemies.
• The “Eye of Ra” device is an enhanced in-game "All Seeing Eye" (A.S.E.) device that captures Conduit 2’s hidden secrets in twice the speed.
• The "Gold Destroyer Armor" multiplayer skin based on the lead character’s primary armor.

Conduit 2 will be released for Wii and will be available at GameStop stores nationwide in February 2011.

For more information or to find a store near you, log on to www.gamestop.com

For more information about the game please visit www.sega.com/games/conduit-2.

No I don’t have COD Black Ops yet, I want it yes, but I like single player games much more than multiplayer and I’m tired of paying $60 for only a few hours of gameplay. I’ll get it but I’ll wait until the price comes down a bit. Apparently though a lot of people don’t think like me, or they just really love multiplayer as we’ve got an opening day sales record for it.

Shattering its own day-one sales record, Activision Publishing, Inc.  announced that Treyarch’s highly-anticipated Call of Duty®: Black Ops has become the biggest entertainment launch ever with an estimated sell-through of approximately $360 million in North America and the United Kingdom alone in the first 24 hours of its release, as compared to last year’s estimated day-one sell-through of $310 million for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare® 2 in North America and the United Kingdom, according to internal Activision estimates. 

Call of Duty: Black Ops , marks the second year in a row that the Call of Duty franchise has set day one launch records across all forms of entertainment.  In its first day on November 9, the blockbuster title sold through approximately 5.6 million copies in North America and the United Kingdom, as compared to 4.7 million copies for last year’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 , according to internal Activision estimates. 

Call of Duty: Black Ops is one of the most critically acclaimed games of the year worldwide and was released with unprecedented retailer support and more than 12,000 midnight openings around the globe.

"There has never been another entertainment franchise that has set opening day records for two consecutive years and we are on track to outperform last year’s five-day global sales record of $550 million," said Bobby Kotick, CEO, Activision Blizzard, Inc.  "The game’s success underscores the pop culture appeal of the brand. Call of Duty: Black Ops is the finest game that Treyarch has ever made and raises the bar for online gameplay by delivering the deepest and most intense Call of Duty experience yet. The Call of Duty franchise has over 25 million players around the world that are engaged in billions of hours of online gameplay, and we are committed to supporting them with new content and features on a more frequent and regular basis."

Call of Duty: Black Ops is rated "M" (Mature) by the ESRB for Blood, Drug Reference, Intense Violence and Language. For additional information visit www.callofduty.com/blackops