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Maingear's Axess HD Gamer PC looks to blow your mind, empty your wallet

by Ross Miller, posted Jun 19th 2009 at 4:44AM

Make no bones about, Maingear's new Axess HD Gamer (and by merit of its namesake, HTPC, too) is nothing if not a powerhouse for those wanting to pay an arm and a leg for a souped up gaming experience. You want specs? At its best, we're looking at an Intel Core i7 on a X58 chipset, dual NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GT in SLI, up to 12GB of DDR3 RAM, Blu-ray, Windows Vista / Media Center, and two 3.5-inch storage bays supporting 320GB SSD or 2TB HDD. If you need more nerd cred, ghost of vaporware past Phantom Lapboard serves as one of the bundled input devices, as does the NVIDIA GeForce 3D vision kit and a 22-inch Samsung LCD. Starting price is $1,799, but if you wanna go for broke -- and whether not you can, you probably want to -- top configurations can run you well over $5,000.

James Cameron's Avatar game coming in stereoscopic Sensio 3D on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360

by Richard Lawler, posted Jun 5th 2009 at 9:42PM


We'll admit it, we fell asleep during James Cameron's epic description of the game that will accompany his latest movie, Avatar, during E3 earlier this week, so we have no idea what it will be like. What we do know however, is that the movie is expected to be another leap forward for 3D technology, and apparently the game will be as well, now that Sensio has announced Ubisoft will deliver it in stereoscopic 3D. All that should be required is connecting one of the consoles to a Sensio-compatible TV (Panasonic's 3D Full HD Plasma Home Theater System was used to demo the game at E3, although its unclear if that was a special version) and a pair of 3D glasses.

Marvel vs. Capcom 2 HD video compares upscaling methods

by Richard Lawler, posted May 2nd 2009 at 7:03PM


We've already had a peek at the various sprite filtering modes that can be optionally employed on Capcom's Marvel vs. Capcom 2 port for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, but as usual, one truly need to get a look at the game in motion to judge. Check out Joystiq's YouTube HD footage (embedded after the break) and see if that type of thing has any noticeable effect on the action.

Continue reading Marvel vs. Capcom 2 HD video compares upscaling methods

Marvel vs. Capcom 2's HD upgrade explained

by Richard Lawler, posted Apr 29th 2009 at 3:32PM


Making us a little more comfortable with the slow death of S-Video is the news that the Sega Dreamcast version of Marvel vs. Capcom 2 is coming to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. With its introduction to the HD console era, Capcom's had to make some changes to the classic, although it isn't getting a full frame by frame rework like Super Street Fighter II HD Remix, producer Rey Jimenez blogged about some of the updates, including the three options for sprite filtering seen above to keep things sharp in 1080p. Also new for 2009 is widescreen support (the stages are still the same size) with notes from two prominent player promising "the same game, only prettier." The only real question now is which game is next?

Netflix on the lookout for gaming platforms engineering guru

by Ross Miller, posted Apr 13th 2009 at 4:47PM

We've heard whispers of Netflix heading to other, non-Xbox 360 game consoles before, and now adding to the susurrus is a job listing from the company for Engineering Lead - Gaming Platforms. The description calls for someone familiar with the technical hurdles of current-gen consoles for building a small team to "rapidly prototype and iterate on a variety of platforms." Whether or not this means we'll be seeing PlayStation 3 or Wii services in the near (or even distant) future is anyone's guess, but with Microsoft's version so far a streaming success, we wouldn't be surprised if the company took a few steps to increase the probability that 3 billionth delivered flick is digital.

[Via Joystiq]

Video game sales surpass DVD / Blu-ray for the first time

by Darren Murph, posted Jan 24th 2009 at 12:29AM


Hold on to your caps, folks -- you're about to hear some positive economic news. Baffling, we know. According to Media Control GfK International, worldwide packaged media sales managed to creep up six percent in 2008. Interestingly, it seems that video games were doing the bulk of the driving, as for the first time in recorded history, sales of games exceeded sales of DVD and Blu-ray Discs. Back in 2007, games accounted for 47 percent of the equation, while it scooted up to 53 percent in 2008; analysts are expecting that figure to rise further and hit 57 percent in 2009, though much of this shift has to do with the digital distribution of content and not the disinterest in movies overall. Remember, we're talking about packaged media here. Per usual, loads more numbers await you in the read link if you're the ones and zeros type.

[Via CDFreaks, image courtesy of OrlandoSentinel]

Game exec hints at 3D gaming on Sony's PlayStation 3 in 2009

by Darren Murph, posted Dec 24th 2008 at 2:06PM


Take this one with a sizable dose of salt, but one Neil Schneider, President and CEO of Meant to be Seen (MTBS), Blitz Games Studios, has made known that Sony "fully intends" to throw in its support for "stereoscopic 3D gaming and Blu-ray 3D on PS3 in 2009 with the Blitz Tech engine." Granted, MTBS is a stereoscopic 3D certification and advocacy group, thus the whole "salt warning." The meat of the story is that 3D gaming on consoles will likely need a BIOS upgrade to work with its technology, and that capability could be unique to Sony's PS3. Like we said, this here is far from carved in stone, but given how emphatically movie studios, cinemas and home entertainment companies are pushing the third-dimension on us, we wouldn't be surprised one bit to hear that the next installment of Madden is one that requires tinted glasses to fully enjoy.

[Via HDTV Expert]

Report asserts that pay-TV should watch out for digital downloads

by Darren Murph, posted Dec 2nd 2008 at 5:09AM


Seriously, who's not on watch for digital downloads these days? DVDs? Check. Blu-ray Discs? Check. Pay-TV operators? Check. According to new data gathered by Research and Markets, "console-affiliated media portals such as Microsoft's Xbox LIVE and Sony's PlayStation Network will soon become formidable competitors to incumbent pay-TV services." As the report notes, the digital downloads available via these services will eventually become "compelling alternatives to traditional TV programming by providing a more immersive, interactive video experience." Of course, this "research" comes at a time when everyone and their mother are jumping on this bandwagon, but it's still reasonable to assert that most anything providing access to content via the internet has a serious chance to replace traditional pay-TV services. Whether or not that actually happens en masse, however, remains to be seen.

Full screen Flash-enabling v2.53 PS3 firmware available now

by Darren Murph, posted Dec 1st 2008 at 11:31PM


We're still not over Sony's trickeration -- which led us to believe the version 2.53 firmware update was hitting prior to the US Thanksgiving holiday -- but we're not ones to turn down a free update under any circumstances. As of now (as in, right now), Sony's PlayStation 3 can support full screen embedded Flash videos courtesy of the latest firmware, so there's really no excuse for you not firing up the System Update and sucking it down. Get to it!

[Via PS3 Fanboy, thanks to everyone who sent this in]

PS3 firmware v2.53 bringing full screen Flash support

by Darren Murph, posted Nov 25th 2008 at 3:03PM


It seems like just yesterday (or last month, to be more exact) that we were enjoying the spoils of firmware 2.50, and now, Sony's giving us a little pre-Thanksgiving treat with version 2.53. Slated to hit the wires sometime on November 26th, the latest PlayStation 3 update will bring along full-screen Flash support (huzzah!) among other minor tweaks. Check the full changelog in the read link, and get ready to get your download on tomorrow.

[Image courtesy of Skattertech]

Sony's PlayStation 3 tops another "Best Blu-ray player" list

by Darren Murph, posted Nov 25th 2008 at 11:43AM


For the longest time, the answer to the inevitable "What's the best Blu-ray player?" question was simple: "Sony's PlayStation 3, of course." Now, however, prices of less extravagant decks have plummeted, making the PS3 one of the pricier BD players on the market. True though that may be, Sony's BD-infused console still managed to top CNNMoney's list of "Best of the Blu-ray players." Critics pointed out that its Profile 2.0 support, quick load times and obvious extra benefits (gaming) made it a surefire winner, with the BDP-S350 and Pioneer Elite BDP-05FD notching silver and bronze, respectively. Panasonic's Profile 2.0 DMP-BD50 and Samsung's tried and true BD-P1500 finished out the top five, though it's fairly evident that reviewers didn't bother taking cash into account. We'll keep an eye out for the "Best Of" list for bargain hunters, but you're probably better off just grabbing the cheapest deck you can find this Friday and pondering the decision at a later date.

[Thanks, Anthony]

Microsoft exec touts HD streaming over discs, suggests Xbox 360 will outlast PS3

by Darren Murph, posted Nov 17th 2008 at 3:43PM

Man, talk about talking tough. In a recent interview with Venture Beat, Microsoft executive Shane Kim pointed out that the impending New Xbox Experience would be the beginning of a "fascinating time as all of these different media evolve." Kim got rough when questioned about the value of a built-in Blu-ray player in Sony's PS3, stating that "Microsoft made the right decision by not including HD DVD or Blu-ray in its box and offering HD DVD as an accessory." Following up on that, he noted that "digital downloading of movies to the Xbox 360 over the online connection would likely prove more important than Blu-ray in the long run," and that it would continue producing the 360 "one day longer than the lifespan of the PlayStation 3." My, oh my.

[Via GameDaily]

Sony sees PlayStation 3 sales skyrocket 56%, Blu-ray a factor?

by Darren Murph, posted Nov 15th 2008 at 10:30AM


Despite the weakening economy, video game sales across the board have remained impressively high. Now that each of the big three have reported their Q3 figures, we found Sony's report in particular worthy of critique. Sure, Nintendo moved more Wiis last quarter than Sony did PS3s, and Microsoft sold about twice as many Xbox 360s, but that's beside the point. The most expensive console on the market (by far) still managed to see a 56% sales increase year-over-year, which is pretty remarkable in and of itself. We've no hard evidence suggesting that Blu-ray's victory in the format war helped escalate its sales, but would you be willing to bet that it did? C'mon, the PS3 was widely regarded as the best Blu-ray player in its price range for a solid while there, surely that helped out Sony somewhat -- no? Chime in with your analysis below.

Mitsubishi's 3D plans brought into focus, PC gaming to play a role

by Darren Murph, posted Jul 8th 2008 at 7:04PM


When Mitsubishi admitted that it was holding hands with NVIDIA and Aspen Media for no other reason than to prove that they all three hearted 3D, we must say, we were miffed. Now, however, it seems that plans are finally coming to light, and everything is starting to make a whole lot more sense. Reportedly, the three firms are gearing up to showcase how well they can work together to produce eye-pleasing 3D PC gaming results in select retail outlets this July. At first, none of the components will be sold together per se, but bundle deals are definitely in the works. Whether or not budding PC gamers are ready to switch to a DLP-based HDTV as their primary monitor, however, remains to be seen.

XCM offers up Mega-Cool component-to-VGA converter

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 12th 2008 at 4:50AM


Not like Team Xtender hasn't been offering something similar to this for well over a year now, but hey, nothing wrong with a bit of delayed competition. XCM has just made clear that it will soon be selling the 1080p Mega-Cool VGA box, which takes any component input and shoots it back out via VGA. The box supports PC resolutions up to UXGA (1,600 x 1,200 at 75Hz) or HDTV (up to 1,920 x 1,080). Plug-and-play, NTSC / PAL support and USB power are all included -- you just provide the ins and outs. Mum's the current word on pricing / availability, but we're hearing that e-tailer Total Console will be offering it soon.

[Via IGN]




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