Street Fighter IV Benchmark

The release of Street Fighter IV is only a couple of weeks away, on 3rd July 2009. I’m so excited about this game FINALLY making it to PC. Thankfully the release is part of the “Games For Windows” range. For anyone in the know, that means your (up to 4) XBOX 360 controller(s) will work beautifully. I have a wireless XBOX 360 controller hooked up to our Windows 7 media rig… so this game is going to be a real bonus in our house.

Anyway, Capcom have released a handy little benchmark tool to see if your PC is fast enough to run it.

Downloads

Street Fighter IV  Benchmark Link 1

Street Fighter IV Benchmark Link 2

Our rig scored Rank A @ 1366×768 – 8xAA – 16x AF details & models at high and soft shadows at highest. Serious eye candy!

Street Fighter IV PC Release Date Announced

It seems Capcom don’t hate PC gamers after all. Finally they have (kind-of)  announced the release date for Street Fighter IV. The game will be on store shelves in Japan on 2nd July 2009. European and North American dates have yet to be confirmed. However the following news release leads me to believe we won’t be waiting too much longer. Xbox and PS2 owners already have their version, but now us PC users can practice our uppercuts (and fireballs!) once more. It even sports Games for Windows sleeve and logos. The good news doesn’t stop there, either.

The PC port of the game will come with a few additions. Firstly, a new graphics shader engine. I can’t help but get a little excited over this, personally. The Xbox and PS3 versions look incredible, but I can’t help but wonder what real hardware will play like. The screenshots show four different renders; Normal, Poster, Sumi and Suisai. I’m unsure what “suisai” means… but that image looks lighter and softer. Now sumi are Japanese ink sticks (I think), and that image has defined edges. Poster just looks too over bright and glossy on my display. I welcome simple customisations like this. Very good stuff indeed. I would have liked a cartoon-like cell shader though, Capcom. Tsk..

The PC version will also feature more alternative costumes for the challengers. Hopefully this won’t include a pink robe for Ken this time. There are also rumours circulating, that additional challengers may also exist.

The Japanese version is being shipped with a special Joypad too. It remains to be seen whether or not this will be included in European or North American retail versions. Personally, I doubt it.

I should really also mention, that multiplayer will not extend cross platform. I don’t think that will be a problem somehow though. Not for me anyway. I despise all of my Xbox friends who own this game already, and have no wish to play with them. *sulk*

Don’t take my word for it. Decrypt it for yourself, with the help of google’s translation service.

“PC Version, Release date announced!”夏希Shiozawa

皆さん、こんにちは！ Ladies and Gentlemen, Good afternoon!
まずはお知らせです！ Notice is first!
ここ数日のあいだに、4/24に配信されたタイトルアップデートに関して、 During the last few days, 4 / 24 for delivery to the title update,
いろいろなお問い合わせをコメント欄にいただいています。 And the comments received various inquiries.
このブログですべてにお答えすることはできないのですが、 The answer to all this blog is not,
皆さんが困ったときに参照することができるよう、対応を進めています。 You can see the problem when you are working.
お知らせできる段階になったら、このブログにももちろん書きますので、 Notice if levels can, of course, we write this blog,
よろしくお願いいたします！ Thank you!

さて、今日はいよいよPC版の発売日を発表します！ Now, all the PC today announced the release date!

2009年7月2日（木）、 2009 July 2 (Thu),

日本先行発売！ Japan leading to release! ！ ! ！ ! ！ !

So, faster than anywhere in the world, has decided to release in Japan! ！ !
イエーイ！ IEI! ！ !

希望小売価格は、税込7,340円。 Suggested retail price is 7,340 yen including tax.
対応OSは、Windows XP／Windows Vista。 Supported OS’s, Windows XP / Windows Vista.
もちろん、ヨーロッパ、東欧、北米でも発売されていきますよ！ Of course, Europe, Eastern Europe, it will be released in North America!

そして肝心の内容ですが、基本的にはコンシューマー版とまったく同じです。 And what’s important is, is essentially identical to the consumer version.
Xbox 360®版のタイトルアップデート後の状態が、そのまま移植されている感じ。 The state of the Xbox 360 ® version of the title after the update, it has been transplanted intact.
ただし！ But!

ちょびっとだけ、ほんとにちょびっとなんですが、 CHOBITTO only, I’m really CHOBITTO,
コンシューマー版から新たに追加した要素があります。 There are new elements added to the consumer version.
先日、モナコで行われたCAPTIVATEというイベントで軽く公開したので、 Recently held in Monaco CAPTIVATE event so that the public light,
もしかするとすでにご存知の方もいらっしゃるかもしれませんが、 It may also come in and maybe you already know,
エクストラタッチというものが追加されましたっ！ After the addition of a REMASHI EKUSUTORATATCHI! ！ !
これは、いわゆる“シェーダー”ですね。 This is the so-called “shader”.

Now that looks pretty neat. Not just all that hypnotic text, but the screenshots too.

I just can’t wait until July 2nd 2009. So all you PC gamer Streetfighter fans, I have to ask; AreY0uKen?

Source: http://www.capcom-fc.com/sf4/

Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector XP/Vista Driver Version 1.07 (12/01/08)

Nintendo have released an updated installer for Nintendo Wi-Fi Connector. I can’t see any changes from the previous driver, even the release notes are the same. What’s more strange, 1.06 was labelled “Final” and both versions link to the same file.

It’s very strange. See for yourself in the documentation.

Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector Driver Installation Program Readme
(C) Nintendo Co., Ltd.
September, 2007

This is version 1.06 of the Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector Driver Installation Program.
This version is compatible with Windows XP and Vista.

Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector version 1.06 – Install Instructions

! You MUST uninstall any previous versions of the software.
! You MUST have the Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector plugged in during the uninstall.

1. The uninstall can be found in your Programs list in the “Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector” folder.

2. Run the “Uninstall Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector Registration Tool” click OK.

3. If the software prompts you to insert the Nintendo Wi-Fi USB connector, please ensure the connector is inserted into the USB port it was inserted into during the installation process.

4. The software will ask you to restart your PC, click “Restart.”

5. Remove the Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector.

6. Open the NintendoWiFiUSB106 folder where you found these
Instructions, and open the NintendoWFCReg folder. Run the Setup.exe file found there.

For complete setup instructions:
Wii: http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/systems/wii/en_na/connectingOnline.jsp?entryId=usbInstall
DS: http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/wfc/en_na/ds/connect.jsp?entryId=usbInstall

For troubleshooting, go to:
http://support.nintendo.com

This version features the following upgrades/corrections from version 1.05:
1. Reduction of CPU load when the Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector is not connected.
2. Changes to certain registration tool message displays.
3. Added Windows Vista compatibility.
4. Change to specification that requires the Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector to be attached when uninstalling.

You can download Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector XP/Vista Driver Version 1.07 (12/01/08) from here

Moment of Silence -Review from www.unreality.com

I am imagining some of you here will be new to the concept of adventure gaming as a genre. I myself ploughed through numerous mysterious shenanigans on Monkey Island, for example. I always enjoyed the perplexing puzzles and alternative control methods. For me, it was nice to take a break from the button bashing frenzy that comes with most first person shooters I play. If one thing somewhat aggravated me about the typical adventure game, it would have to be the stereotypical, two dimensional graphics. Let’s face it; the adventure games up until now have all looked a little dated compared to games of other genres released at the same time. That was until The Moment of Silence came along.

Fappin.com - Some of you may remember it as Unreality.com

The narrative behind the game is set in New York, 2044. You are Peter Wright, a communications designer working for a prominent and illustrious company handling many huge consumer corporations. You find yourself working at home late one night when you are disturbed by outlandish noises coming from the apartment next door. Upon additional investigation through the peephole, you are amazed to see an abundance of heavily armed SWAT police kicking in their door and arresting your neighbour. The police disappear; your adventure begins amidst a shroud of mystery and mayhem.

The controls and navigation for The Moment of Silence are far from complex. The left mouse button controls interaction, the right button is your look key. The only other key you’ll need is the “M” key. This will bring up your handheld communication device, the messenger. The “H” key is handy for displaying clues in the form of on-screen icons. I can almost hear people saying “This game sounds too easy”. You’re wrong, very wrong. From the inauguration, I feel this game will bewilder and bamboozle even the most hardened adventure gamer. Once Peter has collected a few objects, the puzzles really begin. Items that are stored in the inventory can have more than one use. Furthermore, items can be combined together to make a different product entirely. This really is the thinking gamer’s genre.

The graphics in the game are primarily a two dimensional affair. Nevertheless they are nothing short of ground breaking. Two dimensional roads unceremoniously slide to the next scene, passing through a three dimensional viewpoint. I found this a truly pleasant transition effect that I’ve never seen before. The cut scenes are a astonishing example of what full motion video should be like in the 21^st century. I’m convinced you’ll be persuaded by the time you’ve seen the introduction sequence. To my astonishment, I only found one configurable option in the graphics hardware setup, 2x Anti Aliasing or 4 x Anti Aliasing. That might give the more knowledgeable ones among you an idea what I’m talking about. Uncomplicated items, such as the microwave found in the work restroom, are rendered beautifully. The detail levels are quite frankly, astonishing. As you progress around the local cybercafé, you are invited to interact with numerous computer related components, rendered perfectly to match their authentic counterparts. This game seriously forces you to acknowledge the age of photorealism has arrived.

Graphics and cut scenes aside, the plot is quite deep and meaningful. The storyline is understandable yet enthralling. Although I should forewarn you to expect a plot laced with deceit and the same moral dilemmas which many of us face today in the real world. It seems so futuristic, yet always appropriate.

Another high scoring factor for me was the general conversation with the actors. The characters interact well with the seemingly endless dialogue at their disposal. Some characters may take more persuasion than others, so don’t be afraid to deal with them in the fashion they deserve. Soon you’ll be hanging with the thugs on the corner, the reefer crazy hippy and lets not forget the ranting lunatic in the park!

To conclude, simply the finest, most technically advanced adventure game to date.

You can find out more information about The Moment of Silence by visiting the official homepage.

If you like the look of this game, why not try the demo from the File Area?

Pros: Gripping plot and cinematic effects. Very Challenging.

Cons: Limited replay value, but that’s assuming you can complete it.

Minimum System Requirements Windows 98/ME/2000/XP. Pentium II 450mhz (or equivalent). 64MB System Memory. 32MB VGA Card. Direct X9. A soundcard. 2x DVD-ROM Drive. Reviewers System Specification Windows XP. AMD 2gHz. 1024MB System Memory. 128MB nVidia 5900XT.

Graphics (1-5)	5	Mostly 2D but photorealistic.
Sound (1-5)	5	Dolby 5.1 Great environmental effects.
Gameplay (1-5)	4	Maybe too slow or too difficult for some players.
Replay (1-5)	3	I’ll probably play it again, but I’m not exactly busy right now.
Overall	4.25

Tribes: Vengance – Review from www.Unreality.com

Tribes: Vengeance

I never had the pleasure of playing the original Tribes, or even its acclaimed sequel Tribes 2. Imagine my surprise when the nice people from Vivendi and Sierra sent me a copy to review. I’ve played most of the first person shooters that use the Unreal engine, but for some bizarre reason I never made it to the Tribes series. I’m looking upon this as a good thing. This is the first game in the series made by Sierra and Irrational Games instead of Dynamix, the company behind the whole Metaltech, Earthsiege and Starsiege thing. Therefore it’s going to be impossible for me to make comparisons between them. What I am able to do is review a unique game and tell you my impressions accordingly.

The story mode behind Tribes: Vengeance sways between the present and the history of three warring factions; The Imperials, Phoenix and the Blood Angels. These futuristic mechanised warriors of death bare the colours blue, red and yellow consecutively. Single player begins with a few really easy missions, giving you clear instructions. Immediately, I found myself mastering the familiar controls used by most games of the same genre. I was disheartened at this stage to tell you the truth. The level design hadn’t been too spectacular either. I was running down repetitive space ship corridor environments not too dissimilar to the likes of Unreal 2, Halo, Doom 3 and Half Life. Thankfully, the introduction of a jet pack spiced things up a little. I pushed on,

I made it out of the first level and was treated to a new map. This enclosed cavern map didn’t exactly excite me either. Keeping up with the trend, the game introduced frictionless skis to compensate. Thankfully, I made it outside. I’ve never played a game using the Unreal engine that allows you to move so fast. Nor have a played a game using the Unreal engine that includes such gigantic maps. I found myself skiing down slopes and boosting up hills. It was a pretty effective way of getting around, covering vast distances with a modest boost and a slight ski. Before my very eyes, I saw a mediocre game transform into a good game. There weren’t many barriers restricting my game play, I was also enjoying the missions that were cleverly introducing me too the unique items.

There are three suits of mechanised armour; heavy, medium and (you guessed it) light. The heavy armour is just that. It’s not great for covering great distance but it can take a beating and it holds masses of ammo. Light armour is feeble but gives superior speed and agility. Each suit has provision for the user to insert a special pack. There are shield, speed, energy and repair varieties. Each will assist you differently and play a vital part in your survival.

Different weapons have to be chosen to match each suit. As with most first person shooters, there are some first-rate guns and there are some unfortunate guns. A couple really stand out as being lousy, but generally they’re pretty good. I especially enjoyed the inclusion of a grappling hook. I found myself flying up to tall structures and attaching the hook. Once I was swinging in the wind, I was then allowed to switch weapon. I happily sniped at the enemy troops, still suspended well out of their reach on my grappling hook’s thread. Not only was I walking, skating and flying, I was now climbing too.

Your armour also has a backpack for storing one inventory item. Deployable turrets, mines, repairers, catapults and deployable inventories are essential to keep the character alive.

The chapters continued, more characters were added. Soon I found myself participating in some arena tournaments. Looking back I can now see this was the equivalent of UT2004’s instant action mode. I interpreted this as warm-up for online play. A few matches won and I was thrust back to cut scenes and the story. The missions were becoming more demanding. In fact, I found myself stuck on quite a few occasions. I died a few times and finally succeeded. My reward at the next level was a shiny, red Rover. Just the thing I needed to race around the ruined city map.

Frankly, the vehicles in Vengeance are technically and visually the best I’ve seen. If you enjoy driving the Hellbender, Manta or Raptor in UT2004, then this game will delight you. There are four different vehicles at your disposal; Rover, Jump Tank, Assault Ship and Fighter Pod. They all move pretty fast and they can all take a good beating. Full marks go to the vehicle development team.

After completing the single player, I decided to practice my new found skills online. The multiplayer part of the game comprises of several different game types, classified as Tribal War. As well as faithful favourites like Capture the flag and the awesome Arena mode, you’ll find game types such as Rabbit, Ball and Fuel. I played all of the categories and CTF and Arena seemed the most playable to me. After a few games of killing nobody and dying plenty, my skills increased and I started to score well.

If I had to be honest about this game, I’d say there’s nothing you haven’t seen before. It’s essentially an Unreal game that lets you ride in jets and tanks, but lets not miss the main issue. This game is good at what it does. I would further like to add that I feel this game does more justice to the Unreal engine than any other has before. Technically, it’s the first one to support great looking features like Pixel Shader 2.0. Provided you have the correct supported hardware, naturally.

I also found some of the maps at opposite ends of the spectrum. Some where a delight to travel around, others were tedious at best. Thank goodness the multiplayer maps are all fantastically designed.

To summarise, I feel that this game exceeds both UT2004 and Unreal 2. I found it more complex and more enjoyable to play. This can only add to the games last appeal. If you’re a fan of the Unreal series of games, Tribes Vengeance is an essential and should on your shopping list.

Half-Life 2 – Review From www.unreality.com

This review was first published at www.fappin.com (www.unreality.com) in November 2004

• Genre: Science fiction first-person shooter
• Publisher: Sierra Entertainment
• Developer: http://www.valvesoftware.com/
• Release Date: November 16, 2004
• Homepage: http://orange.half-life2.com/

I feel I should start this review where the story began for me, November 1998; Valve Software released a landmark in gaming history. The title I’m talking about is obviously Half-Life. I saw it in a local retailer and thought it may be the kind of thing I’d like. I paid for it and went home to install and play. I soon found myself in the shoes of Gordon Freeman, a blameless scientist, working at The Black Mesa Research Facility. When a laboratory experiment goes disastrously wrong, scores of aliens and mutants are released into the area. As luck would have it, the Special Forces are deployed to alleviate the situation. Upon arrival it becomes apparent to me that no witnesses can survive, not even me. I was highly appreciative when Gordon took the only option available. He pulled out the shotgun.

Half Life proceeds to be accredited with over 50 “Game of The Year” awards. I cherished the game; the modifications and expansion packs seriously gave a sense of value and depth. Half-Life redefined the whole gaming community, inspiring an online revolution with it. Like a true hero, it seems Mr Freeman has returned to us in our time of need. Half-Life 2 has been in development for several years. The hype since its release was enormous. The few limited screenshots were drooled over by the gaming populace. Soon there were spectacularly beautiful videos and screenshots in abundance.

When November 16th 2004 finally arrived, grown men cried. At the start of the game will you find yourself on the train pulling in to City 17. It this point I was keenly checking out the windows at the fresh world before me. I also felt compelled to interact with the two civilian passengers. I don’t think I made a good impression, however. The train stopped and I stepped out into the station. Here I found those who liked me even less; The Combine. These militants are the brutal law enforcers of City 17. Clad in leather body armour and carrying stun batons to pacify the suffering civilians. Their police radios sound ultra realistic and you can hear them from quite some distance. On several occasions I picked up small objects and threw them at their heads. This made The Combine irritated and often led to a chase. On the occasion I was unfortunate enough to get caught, I received an unsympathetic thrashing that shook my screen aggressively. I decided to leave the constabulary and aggravated civilians instead. By the time I made it outside, I was by now clearly impressed with the lighting, design and overall smooth, interactive game play. The great outdoors was even more remarkable. I found City 17 to be in a distressing and insolvent situation. Ruined buildings and police roadblocks besieged the streets. Flying mechanised spy craft observed my every movement, blinding me with the bursts from their camera flash. High above a projection screen numbs the minds of the weary populace.

Not only did I think this game had admirable graphics, sound and game play, but I also found the actual ambience impressive too. As I progressed through the game, I was amazed at the rate of which the game play accelerated. Every time things began to get the slightest bit repetitive, something would change. When new weapons and vehicles appear, it certainly changes the plot to say the least. The puzzles got harder too. Not too difficult but hard enough to make you think every few minutes. The choice of maps Valve decided upon is wholeheartedly diverse. I enjoyed every map because they were always striking, practical and filled with masses of hostiles. From the toxic swamp to the city ruins, I was wholly impressed with everything.

I’ve heard a few people complain that the game was too short. The game does leave you feeling a little empty once you have completed it. The closest thing I can compare it to would be the end credits of a movie you just enjoyed watching. It was good, but it had to finish somewhere. This is where most games play their multiplayer card. I was a little disappointed that Half-Life 2 didn’t have a multiplayer option, but I can understand why it didn’t. The environments are beautiful without question, but strain even the highest specification machines. I’m certain that twenty players with shadows, flares and reflections in those environments would humble even the fastest PC. You also have to appreciate Half-Life2 does indeed ship with Counter Strike Source after all. Multiplayer has been rumoured, so we’ll have to be patient.

I’ve also seen people posting about technical problems with the game. You only have to glance at The Steam Forums to see masses of posts regarding errors. I found myself reading posts from individuals who where posting about crashes and hang-ups. Most that I could see weren’t even issues with the game, user errors and software issues mainly. I’ve had no technical issues whatsoever with the game, which pleases me greatly as I don’t own an ATI card. This, in turn brings me to the “Nvidia cards run on DirectX 8.1” complaint. I’m happy that Valve chose to do this myself. There’s not a great difference of image quality, but a sizable performance increase between the two. The game still runs smoother and looks nicer than most FPS that I play. This made plenty of gamers consider further hardware upgrades so close to Christmas, I’m certain.

To summarise, this game is obviously the best single player, first person shooter to date. The graphics, sound and game play are all fine examples of superior craftsmanship. Every microscopic object and detail has been thoroughly checked to ensure the authenticity is never compromised. A good example of the depth would be throwing paint pots at the mutants, which covers them with healthy amounts of Teflon white. The environments are littered with countless objects which are all interactive to some extent. When my ammunition depleted, I never hesitated to throw furniture at the hungry hordes.

I was continually excited by every split second of interactive game play. The path I was following rarely felt like the projected route to take. I unquestionably felt quite free and at ease to progress at the pace of my choosing. If there’s anyone out there who hasn’t bought it yet, I’d wonder what they were waiting for. The lifetime spent in development has matured Half-Life 2 to be the unequalled game that it has become.

I’d like to say an extra special thanks to Valve, who not only provided Half-Life 2, but also a full Steam account. You guys rock, and so do your games.

Nexus: The Jupiter Incident – Game Review

This review was first published at www.fappin.com (www.unreality.com) in 2004

• Genre: Real-time mission based fleet simulation
• Publisher: HD Interactive
• Developer: Mithis
• Release Date: November 5, 2004
• Homepage: www.nexusthegame.com

I love science fiction games so imagine how excited I was to be able to get my hands on a copy of Nexus: The Jupiter Incident, a game which features outstanding real-time battles with overwhelming motion picture quality. In this game you can look forward to taking control of up to 10 fully customisable battleships on the path to save Earth and humankind. The game consists of 6 episodes, which contain more than 25 exciting missions. You’ll also have the satisfaction of dealing with 6 different alien nations, which extraordinarily all have race specific tactics and transportation. Unite all of this with Mithis’ first-class Black Sun Engine and you have a formidable strategy game undeniably.

The storyline behind the game is fairly simple to comprehend and doesn’t seem that unbelievable. You are Marcus Cromwell, a celebrated space skipper with a family history of prestige and popularity. The occupation of space and the colonization of the solar system are in the hands of numerous ambitious corporations. The companies seize territories throughout space causing an extremely volatile equilibrium. By means of your legendary spacecraft, Stiletto, you find yourself caught in the conflict. The controls and navigation for Nexus: The Jupiter Incident are fairly multifaceted and will more than likely thrill RTS fans and spacemen alike. The left mouse button controls your targeting; the right button is your command key key. Holding down the right mouse button will activate free rotation of the camera angle, and the wheel will casually zoom in and out of the targeted object. Most of the other commands such as attack hull can be found on the function keys of your keyboard. I really liked the idea of having an attack device command. This gives you the option to destroy enemy’s weapons, sensors or engines to name but a few. The craft you control also have diverse behaviour modes too, such as offensive, defensive, stealth and manual. Choose wisely which behaviour mode is suitable for the mission you are on, or it could be a shorter mission that you hoped for.

At first glance the graphics in this game seem pretty average, but upon further inspection are beyond a doubt complex and fighting fit. The Stiletto for example has a huge gyrating midsection which casts gorgeous moving shadows across the glistening metallic vessel. You may also notice revolving Lilliputian cannons and radar dishes probing your surrounding environment for enemies. When small ships leave the Stiletto’s dock you will see the bay doors open and close. They don’t just go missing like other games I’ve played of the same genre. I also like the developer’s interpretation of space.

Thousands of high-quality asteroids litter the environment, masking out sensor scans and maybe an enemy armada or two. For the record, the planet Jupiter looks fantastically well lit and textured too. Stars produce flares of light that reflect across the screen, adding another tactical factor to the strategy. The explosions and the gunfire also add valuable detail to the realism. The game undoubtedly gives the feeling of a 3D galaxy, which sorrowfully the screenshots cannot exhibit. Best of all, you will find an enormous selection of options available to improve performance on low end machines. The game play is slow, yet exceedingly focused. There is always the option to replay voice communications and mission briefings in case you are uncertain of the mission goal. Simple touches like this make the game an idyllic choice for gamers who have never had the delight of controlling a space fleet. Once the single player missions are completed you will probably be ready to try out the multiplayer side of the game. The single player missions are great fun, but are only really preparing you for battle against human opposition. The multiplayer side of the game possesses endless fun providing both players have a firm understanding of the game. It’s essentially quite difficult, but ultimately a very rewarding experience.

Old Game Reviews From Unreality.com

I thought I’d begin posting some game reviews I wrote a few years back.

The site in question isn’t online anymore, so it’s nice that they should find a new home here. The reviews were written for www.unreality.com which was the premier Unreal Tournament fan site. Unreality hosted free clan forums, a massive file area and a warm community. If it was Unreal, you would find it here. The site’s owner Preacher was a tough Danish administrator. He enforced high standards, with dedication throughout the day.

With it’s diverse range of visitors from all around the world, the community evolved. The community became focused with all games, rather than just one. I reviewed several games while I was there, and even got to play editor for a while.

After much deliberation, the site changed direction. It moved away from it’s Unreal Engine fanbase. This was due to game’s demise of popularity mainly. Then everyone who was involved in the project started having children, getting new jobs. It later became www.fappin.com and focused more on the fun things in life. Nowadays, it’s only a user forum used by the hardcore elite.

So when you start seeing really old games being reviewed, you haven’t gone mad. I’m just rehousing the orphan reviews.

New Team Fortress 2 Update Sneak Peak.

So there we have it. The first unlockable of the new class has been revealed. You really have to hand it to Valve. Well over a year later and they are still supplying their games with new material. Team Fortress 2 was finished when released, don’t misunderstand. They just keep thinking up so much cool stuff to add to  it.

I was guessing that soldier would get the next update, or spy. As if there weren’t enough snipers already…. I know my kid will love it though.

If I had to pick the best game developer, based on support -it would be Valve regardless.

WTF is CMSS?

It’s becoming apparent that people really don’t know that much about the infamous CMSS and CMSS2  settings featured in the Audigy’s Creative Audio Console or X-Fi. I thought I’d post a few bits that might clear things up for people. I’m not 100% sure of a few things, so feel free to post what a noob I am.

Oh, I better add: Please keep in mind that I hate CMSS with a passion. I’ll try and explain why as we go along. Firstly, let’s see how Creative sell CMSS shall we? Here’s what Creative say.

What is CMSS? and how to use it?

The following information are abstracted from our Knowledgebase on CMSS. Please check the case relevant to your sound card below. You can also access the article on directly from the URL below.

Knowledgebase article SID4883

Creative MultiSpeaker Surround (CMSS) is part of the EAX technology supported by the Sound Blaster audio cards such as Sound Blaster Live!, Sound Blaster Live! 5.1 series, Sound Blaster Audigy series, and Sound Blaster Audigy 2 or later series. It can also be found as a CMSS button on some multichannel speaker systems such as the Creative Inspire T7700, T6600/T6700, Creative Inspire 5.1 or Digital 5700, and on the external Digital I/O modules shipped with Sound Blaster Audigy 2 or Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS.

It can upmix stereo sources such as MP3, WMA, or Wav, to 4.1/5.1/6.1/7.1 channels depending on your speaker setup and sound card model.

What is Upmix and how does it work?

The 5.1 to 6.1 Upmix works by deriving a rear center channel from the rear left and right channel. Illustrated below is the speaker output scheme for the various input sources:

Input Source	5.1 / 6.1 Output Mode	5.1 to 6.1 Upmix Output Mode
6.1-channel	6.1-channel pass-through	6.1-channel with rear center channel derived from rear left & right
5.1-channel	5.1-channel pass-through (without rear center channel)	6.1-channel with rear center channel derived from rear left & right
4-channel	4.1-channel with subwoofer channel derived from front left & right	4.1-channel with subwoofer channel derived from front left & right
2-channel	2.1-channel with subwoofer channel derived from front left & right	2.1-channel with subwoofer channel derived from front left & right

So we’re clear at this point, hopefully. The center speaker will be playing both the same sounds from both left and right speakers. Now that’s plausible for filling large rooms, but on your average room you’re effectively damaging your sound field. You can’t expect to get fully directional sounds, nor can you expect a sound interpretation close to the original. I personally enjoy hearing music “as it was intended”. Now if you’re splitting a 2.0 channel MP3 to 6 channels, that’s 4 channels of stuff that’s already being played somewhere else. You’re just adding volume and digressing from the artistic source.

I understand Dolby ProLogic uses an (almost) identical technique for television, but with one difference. The movie/tv show producers code the content with Dolby in mind, and it’s intended. Somehow I don’t think Iron Maiden had CMSS2 in mind when they wrote “Can I Play with Madness”.

Dolby ProLogic II is a little different. The newer version can create discrete sound channels. To put it simply, ProLogic’s surround speakers play the same sounds -ProLogic II however has different sounds at different times from the rear speakers. This is where we can compare ProLogic II to CMSS2. I’m aware Dolby ProLogic II has a music mode for music -but it still sounds crap compared to a quality pair of stereo speakers or headphones. It’s ok for Movies though, as they were encoded that way.

X-Fi users get that bloatware entertainment thingie where they have to switch modes for music, games and movies etc. Why? Let’s ask Creative again shall we?

If you are listening to stereo content like MP3’s or CD’s and you would like the sound to be played over your surround sound speaker system, you can enable CMSS 3D on your X-Fi card.

It is important to remember that if you do wish to play a 5.1 encoded file like Dolby or DTS soundtracks, you will need to turn CMSS off. Otherwise you might not receive each discreet channel.

There we have it. Even Creative have enough common sense to suggest we turn CMSS off for movies. Why? Because CMSS channel matrix ruins the directional sounds -and you’ll really notice lack of dialogue volume. That’s why I turn it off and use AC3 Filter if any upmixing needs to be done. My son watches a lot of  cartoons recorded in stereo avi format. It’s about the only useful reason to ever use upmix – to get the sound above your display.

CMSS, CMSS2 really don’t sound as good as a home made matrix, tuned to suit it’s need. Room size, room shape, furniture placement, speaker placement, speaker type – there are just too many variations in environments. I’m sure that if people took the time to tune AC3 Filter properly they’d never go back to Creative’s basic “one-size-fits-all upmix effect”.

So I better tie up some sort of conclusion. It’s been about 5 years since I came to it -but here it is anyway. If you want to play MP3/CD/Stereo sources -play them in two speaker. All you’re getting with upmix is a few more watts in volume, but you’re losing quite a few things. If you want to listen to music in 5.1 or above – then buy dts or Dolby Digital Audio DVD. Dolby Digital and DTS simply cannot be compared to inferior upmixes from ProLogic or CMSS.

I did have a URL in my favourites that demonstrated (with some geeky graphs) of what happens to SNR when you enable CMSS or that god-awful Crystalizer thing. I can’t find the link right now, but I’ll post it if it turns up. Anyway,  the sound quality test is enough to make it obvious. If your system sounds better with CMSS on, perhaps your satellite speakers or whatever aren’t suitable for loud music in only 2 channels. Sure they’ll be great for movies and games -but only because they are coded to perform that way. Music is coded in to two channels usually (for your two channel ears).

You can find further information from the links below, check out the Dolby Wiki reference especially.

Dolby Pro Logic

CMSS

AC3Filter

Dolby Digital AC3

Peace!

Wen Iz New Driver, NoMoreGoatSoup?

OK there’s been quite a few hate mails regarding the lack of driver release around here. For a couple of years now we’ve been tinkering with numerous ways to improve the stability and quality of Audigy drivers. So I thought I’d post an official response to “wen iz the new driver?“.

Well it’s coming soon.

The more knowledgeable among you may remember all the trouble daniel_k got himself in to. Those who don’t, you can get all the shocking details of Creative’s treachery here. Anyway, as a consequence, Creative have added in uber file protection to prevent 3rd party developers from revealing their secrets. That really put a dampener on development, sorry. We’re still experimenting with different things though. I’d have to say the new driver concoction is shaping up quite nicely. As soon as we’re happy with the release, it’ll be posted.

Over the next few weeks you can expect to see some further development in the official Creative drivers too. Creative will soon release Dolby Digital Live support for Audigy. This is great because it won’t work with drivers in their current state. Creative have two options.

• Release the Dolby Digital Live pack without new drivers. This might be the case. A while back Creative tried to sell ALchemy to Audigy users, while the drivers didn’t even except anything above stereo! If this is the way it is, x64 users can forget it due to stupid x32 driver limitations.
• Update the Audigy series drivers.

Creative have been saying now for a while Dolby is coming, and it has been delayed twice already. I’m beginning to feel like the unsupported customer again. They said it would be ready at Christmas, then again in the first Quarter of 2009.

We’ll have to see what happens. I bet they’ve conveniently forgotten about us Audigy owners again, though. Either that or the product won’t work.

I bet they drop Support for Windows 7 too.

Fix Punkbuster On Windows 7 (Restriction: Unknown windows API Function)

Well first off,  it’s been a while. I’ve been really busy over the Christmas/New Year period. I’m sorry for neglecting you all, but I really haven’t had anything to rage about. That was until yesterday… We all like Windows 7, right? I imagine most people do considering it’s the most reliable, speedy operating system that Microsoft have released to date. I’ve been a Microsoft partner for several years, and I was very keen to try both Vista and Windows 7. I liked Vista, but I loved Windows 7.

All my minor software bugs vanished. I’d even go as far as to say Vista drivers work better on Windows 7 than they do on Vista! I mustn’t forget the games. Oh god -the frame rates are so much better due to the streamlined architecture of Windows 7. My Call of Duty games played like crap on Vista. As soon as Vista saw DX9 and DX10 shaders, my PC would heat up like an oven and frame rates would plummet. Then I installed Windows 7.

Oh man this was better. It was faster than both XP and Vista. I don’t think I’m alone in this chain of thought. Many hardcore gamers quickly adopted Windows 7 as the “Gaming OS”. The rock solid stability matched with Vista drivers that had matured quite nicely made it a perfect choice for everyone. I played Call of Duty and man it was good.

Trouble is.. Microsoft have just released a very nasty update. Anyone playing a game with Punk Buster on Windows 7 can expect to get kicked as soon as they join a server. The screen will go black and they will see something like this.

Restriction: Unknown windows API Function [131131]

Wow that sucks. Somehow in the last 24 hours everyone’s online fun has been killed. What’s to blame? Punkbuster? EvenBalance? Microsoft? Here’s what I blame…

Windows Update: KB967062 A software update is available that addresses common application compatibility issues in Windows 7 Beta View products that this article applies to. Beta Information This article discusses a beta release of a Microsoft product. The information in this article is provided as-is and is subject to change without notice. No formal product support is available from Microsoft for this beta product. For information about how to obtain support for a beta release, see the documentation that is included with the beta product files, or check the Web location where you downloaded the release.

Well I’ll be removing this update to confirm it’s the cause -but it looks pretty much certain at this point. Let’s see what the kind people at Punkbuster say, shall we? They can help us!

Anyone posting about Windows beta’s not be supported by Punk Buster will have their thread locked with a link to this post. Even Balance has stated they will not support BETA OS’s period. Were not Even Balance so it’s no use whinnying about this on this forum. Use their ticket system to voice your complaints, pro’s and con’s as to why you think this is wrong.

http://www.evenbalance.com/troubleticket/new_ticket.php

System Restore and removing this update doesn’t restore Punkbuster.

UPDATE

Ok seems you can run PunkBuster on Windows 7 after all. After lots of messing about, I’ve found this works well, but only on Windows 7 build 7000.

* Enable Vista compabitility for PnkBstrA/B.exe in c:\windows\syswow64 and c:\users\your_username\appdata\local\punkbuster.
* Running above files with administrator rights.
* Enable Vista compabitility for C:\Program Files (x86)\Activision\Call of Duty 4 – Modern Warfare\iw3mp.exe
* Run iw3mp.exe (cod4 mp) without administrator rights

Thanks to zaggynl for the fix! I played for an hour on CoD:W@W Punk Buster Server!

Left 4 Dead – It scares me!

Well the happy time has come again. Valve have released another blockbuster to keep the goats entertained. Obviously I’m talking about Left 4 Dead. A few years ago Valve gave me a Steam account to play with, and Left 4 Dead has just appeared on the list!

Since it’s release, I’ve been testing it quite a bit. For those who haven’t read, L4D is a Zombie bashing first person shooter. The game uses an advanced Source engine and is capable of effects that blow Half-Life 2 away. Some of the new shader effects are really neat. There’s a wide variety of opponents to fight too. Not every Zombie you’ll face is a normal Zombie. For example the Boomers can blur your vision with fancy pixel shader elegance. This makes fighting the Zombie hoarde a lot harder. Another type will send out a tentacle-like tongue to constrict you. Help!

The team co-operation is essential. Every now and then you’ll need your team-mates to come to your aid. Either by dispensing medicine or simple helping you up off the floor. Fortunatley, the characters have loads of charisma. I don’t know if it’s enough to save them from the invading forces of infected though…

You’ll find plenty of weapons, explosives and environments to battle through. Some situations are really quite creepy. Just be careful crossing that cornfield, okay?

Left 4 Dead is available in all good game shops now on Xbox 360 and PC formats. If you’re already a Steam user, then it’s probably better to buy it online.

Valve are also running a competition to win a copy for yourself. If you fancy your chances of winning a freebie, head over to here!

The demo for L4D is also available on Steam. You can download through your Steam Client, or alternativley visit Steampowered.com to pick it up. It’s rather a large demo -and will certainly give you a taste of the game.

Finally, I’d like to give a very big “thank you” to Valve Software and of course [FAP]Preacher for their continued support.

“I hate railyards!”

atikmdag.exe Errors in Vista. What Is To Blame?

I’ve been a happy ATi user for a while now. I gave up using nVidia after I discovered the drivers were being downgraded for Vista. Anyway, everything was peachy with our trusty 3850 until recently, the display driver would stop responding hundreds of times during games.

I know there’s something of a universal theme to this issue. I’ve seen thousands of posts with unhappy gamers ranting about this, and I must confess I always thought “Pffft… noob”.

This issue is present on both ATi and nVidia graphics cards. It shows no bias concerning motherboard platform or how many “bits” your Vista has either. In fact if you’re running Vista, you’ll probably get it at some point or other. Regardless, I’ll be talking about ATi display drivers only from this point.

I’ve seen some fantastic solutions posted, but so far none worked for me. This is what ATi say can cause it. I’ll try most things once. Let’s see if they can help me, shall we?

Insufficient Power

Bad Memory Modules

Over Clocking

Motherboard/Memory Compatibility

Overheating

Defective Motherboard

Power? Clearly most people getting this error have really beefy PSU. I know this isn’t faulty in my case. Fine I’ll change it. Oh look -It’s still the same!
Bad Memory Modules? Problem persists with the best memory available. I’ve tried several and it doesn’t help me.
Overclocking? I don’t need to overclock. Actually makes no difference if everything is under clocked.
Compatibility? Works fine on Windows XP, Issue remains with all new hardware fitted.
Overheating? Give me a break. I can chill drinks with my case. My temperatures are chilly to say the least.
Defective motherboard? At what point do you stop trying new motherboards? I’ve tried a few and they all exhibit the same issue. It’s the same with other graphics card fitted too.

Other sites have recommended single channel memory configuration, this made no difference whatsoever. So I started messing around with things (as I do). I also read that it was worth going back to the older drivers. Again no joy.

Here’s what I’ve found helps me the most. I’ve cut down my atikmdag.exe errors from “often” to “very rarely”. I can’t offer a 100% fix, but here’s what I’ve discovered… it may not apply to anyone else, but it seems to do the trick for me.

Having Windows Aero Interface turned on will increase the chance of error for me. If I turn it off, errors occur less.

Windows Dreamscene causes more frequent errors. It will crash anyway. If you are getting atikmdag.exe display driver errors, it’s probably a bad idea to enable this feature.

Ok. now for the big one. It warrants quite a big explanation, but I feel there is some great relevance with this issue. It prevents errors for me.

I usually connect my graphics card to a 37″ TFT. It’s connected via VGA > VGA analogue cable and HDMI > HDMI. If I connect using VGA I get the option for 1366×768 which is the native resolution for the monitor at 1:1 aspect ratio. However using HDMI only gives me the option for 1360×768. Fair enough, use the VGA, right? Wrong!

If I connect using one VGA or  one HDMI cable only, I get atikmdag.exe errors. If I connect both and perform the following -the errors rarely occur!

The only drawback so far, I have to visit the Catalyst Control Panel every reboot. For some reason connecting via both cables kills the option for 1366×768. If I change the display in any way and apply it, windows detects new hardware. Now I have both cables connected and 1366×768 becomes available for VGA only. I don’t get atikmdag.exe errors anymore, but very, very rarely the 3D application will crash in another way. After this the desktop resolution has changed back to 1360×768 again….

…but no more atikmdag.exe errors.

I think that I can conclude now. My errors have been vanquished. My atikmdag.exe error isn’t caused by my memory or my PSU -but from a Catalyst/Vista bug.

So the summarise,

I only get the issue when only connecting one cable. Of course then Windows display properties allows me 1366×768 and it will “display driver has stopped responding”. If I use DVI, I’m missing six rows of pixels and it will “display driver has stopped responding”.

I connect both cables. To fix the resolution inconsistency, I have to trigger it from the Catalyst Control Panel. For example, I unchecked “Use EDID” and apply changes. Then Vista detects new hardware, the display driver loads correctly and Vista’s internal display properties now support more resolutions. I can now enable “Use EDID” and it will keep the 1366×768 desktop.

It seems to me that the Cataylst driver is not “passing on” my monitor’s attributes to Windows Vista properly. If I change Catalyst somehow- it will “nudge” my desktop back to the correct resolution. Perhaps it’s Vista not listening to Catalyst? Either way -by clicking apply I can load the driver correctly. Shame I have to do it every reboot….

I get no atikmdag.exe errors after 1366×768 with dual cables is achieved. It’s ridiculously common with one VGA cable @ 1366×768.

I’ve proved it’s the cause on my system. Who knows how many others have mis-loaded display drivers?

I think that further investigation by amd would prove fruitful in the battle against atikmdag.exe errors.

I hope this information helps someone else. It took me ages to fault-find. If it helps one person it was worth posting. It’s a seriously annoying issue.

Creative Open Source Incomplete Linux X-Fi Drivers

Seems like the unthinkable has happened. Creative have released the source code for it’s X-Fi running under Linux. Of course it’s buggy, incomplete and probably dangerous to your system -but it’s a start. Just remember the only reason they have released the source is because they can’t be bothered to develop drivers themselves….

If you’re waiting for the Vista drivers to go open source -I wouldn’t hold your breath.

Hello Everyone,

There is a Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi and X-Fi Titanium Series Linux 32bit/64bit Driver Source released. Please post your feedback here.

 

Release date : 6 Nov 08

File Name : XFiDrv_Linux_Public_US_1.00.tar.gz

File Size: 68.8 KB

 

This download is a source release driver providing Linux® 32-bit / 64-bit OS support for Creative Sound Blaster® X-Fi™ and X-Fi Titanium series of audio devices. For more details, read the rest of this web release note.

Take note of the following:

• We recommend that only experienced users install this driver. Do not install this driver on a system used to perform critical tasks.

This download is intended for the following audio devices only:

• Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty® Champion Series
• Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Professional Series
• Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium Professional Audio
• Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium
• Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Elite Pro 
• Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Platinum
• Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatal1ty
• Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer
• Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeMusic

Current release features:

• ALSA PCM Playback
• ALSA Record
• ALSA Mixer

Known issues:

• External I/O modules are not supported in this driver release.
• Applications from the Installation CD of your Sound Blaster audio device will not work with this driver.

Requirements:

• Linux x86 / x86_64 OS
• Creative Sound Blaster audio devices listed above

Notes:

• To install the driver, do the following:

1. Download the tarball package onto your local hard disk.
2. Un-tarball the downloaded package to unpack its contents.
3. Read the README file and follow the instructions.

You can grab the source code from Creative File Area.

You can tell Creative what you think here. You can also report bugs here, if you want to chance being ignored.