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XP vs Vista vs 7

Jeremy Ford — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:19:10 +0100

Windows 7 is on the horizon. This time next year we’ll either all be using it, wishing we were, or potentially wishing we weren’t. In the meantime, the beta of Windows 7 is out there – games developers and device drivers are testing code on it, and we end users are seeing if it lives up to our expectations. It’s already received favourable mentions from many, but how close to completion is it? That we play games on Windows at all is somewhat remarkable. Beyond the odd game of minesweeper or solitaire, Microsoft didn’t develop Windows as a gaming platform. Gamers flocked to it all the same though, because DOS gaming was such a chore. Indeed, that we’ve all stuck with PC gaming is testament to something – probably just our own bloody-mindedness, but it’s a testament all the same. DirectX was key to the big shift over to Windows and ever since then, Microsoft’s operating systems have been a means of getting our games running. read more »

Electronic Sports League Pro finals this Saturday!

Henry Winchester — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:20:02 +0100

If you find yourself in the vicinity of Tottenham Court Road this weekend - either to buy tech, or for your daily visit to Spearmint Rhino - then it might be worth dropping in to the Congress Centre and checking out the Second Electronic Sports League Pro Series UK Season Finals. Just slips off the tongue, that one. read more »

Point your lens at PhotoRadar

Henry Winchester — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 12:42:16 +0100

As you may be aware, PC Format's parent company, Future Publishing, runs a number of websites to tie into its magazines, and we're affiliated with TechRadar.com. There's a slew of other "Radar" sites, too, such as BikeRadar, GamesRadar, MusicRadar and TombRadar. read more »

Asus unveil new notebooks

Henry Winchester — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:43:09 +0100

Yesterday Asus launched a few new laptops at the Lamborghini showrooms in Kensington. A great setting, although the laptops were slightly overshadowed by the four-wheeled beasts on display.

Headlining was Asus' 16" Lamborghini VX5, which packs a Core 2 Quad processor, 4GB of RAM and a 1920 x 1080 screen. It's packed in a lovely, Lamborghini-styled case, replete with a gearbox-style on-off switch, leather wrist rests and a throbbing engine noise when you power it up. No, really. read more »

Battlefield Heroes are go

Chris Thornett — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:24:09 +0100

This one definitely snuck up on me, commando-style in fact. Battlefield Heroes is out of beta and ready for all the world to enjoy. So whether you want to be a smelly National or a rollickin' Royal, now is the time to hit the battlefield and unleash a can of cartoon violence on your mates.

PCFormat Team Fortress 2 Game Night 1

Chris Thornett — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:39:59 +0100

Or as we’re calling it “Look ma, I shot his bleedin' head off”.

Join us, why don’t you, for a soiree of shotguns, bonesaws, rocket launchers, washed down with a light, but fruity bottle of Jarate. You may even win a prize in a few of our oh-so zany madcap games read more »

The future of 3D

Jeremy Ford — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:22:21 +0100

Are we addicted to graphics power? Are NVIDIA and AMD, in reality, the pushers of the most addictive shader skag? In any other walk of life you’d be dragged off to rehab for this intensely self-destructive cycle of substance abuse. But just like that heroin addict, who’s currently trying to break into your home and steal your pride and joy gaming system, the PC industry is addicted to graphics. It’s the driving force behind the games we love and the reason we love the PC so much in the first place and why consoles will always be toys in comparison. read more »

Happy Birthday Quake!

Chris Thornett — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 17:03:44 +0100

Happy Birthday Quake! June 22nd, the day after the longest day or, more importantly, the 13th birthday of Quake. It isn't so much the single player game that I induces waves of nostalgia for me, but that one word - 'Qtest'. read more »

Extrafootie

Henry Winchester — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 14:53:42 +0100

Here at Format we love football and social networking, so Extrafootie is right up our street. Combining, um, football and social networking, it works like facebook, only you can follow your favourite team, place bets and get free stuff.

The site launched officially earlier this week, and to celebrate - possibly whilst doing a funny dance down the pitch - it's teamed up with the Daily Mail to offer a footie fan's dream prize. If you like AC Milan. You can enter here.

And if you don't like football at all, this will fill one minute and 12 seconds of your Friday afternoon with Jurassic joy. Hey!

Become a game coder (part 5/5)

Jeremy Ford — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 10:22:45 +0100

There are lots of things you could be doing while waiting for Diablo 3 to be released, but most of them are rubbish. Watching TV is for lackadaisical layabouts. Going shopping with your significant other usually results in you being dragged unwillingly out of every games shop on the high street. In fact, it’s easy to get so bored that you’re considering signing up to Twitter to see if you can organise a flash mob at your house just so you can meet some new people.

Stop! Before you type ‘twitter.com’ into your web browser, may I remind you that your computer is capable of doing so much more than providing you with reams of angst-ridden moaning from internet nobodies? Yes, that’s right: a great way to fill up your time and have fun is to open the door to the dark cesspit of your soul and vent your strangely evil ideas into your own computer programs. read more »

Here cometh' the EcoDisc

Jeremy Ford — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 12:39:02 +0100

So what the heck is an EcoDisc then? It's a new form of disc that uses less materials (50% less), and it's better for the environment producing less carbon dioxide emissions during the manufacturing process. As from issue 229 (on sale 3rd of July) and onwards all our issues will come with this planet friendly format of disc.

Don't fret though, it may use less materials but it's still a regular DVD in every other way so you'll still get tons of software on the disc. As a bonus the EcoDisc has the added property of being incredibly flexible without breaking. As you can see from our crash test EcoDisc, after 3 hours the disc returned back to normal and was fully working. Even riding an office chair over the disc has minor effect on the hardy little fella.

Since we've performed all these stress tests on your behalf, you won't need too so please don't abuse them and expect a replacement if you take things too far! read more »

Overlord II demo out for PC!

Chris Thornett — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 15:35:05 +0100

Those with delusions of sinister world domination through the enthrallment of gabbering minions will be happy to know that the PC demo for Overlord II is out - or have been banned from playgrounds everywhere. read more »

PC Specialist Vortex I950 Review

Henry Winchester — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 14:54:30 +0100

Vital Stats

Price £1,749
Manufacturer PC Specialist
CPU 3.07GHz Intel Core i7 950
Motherboard Asus P6T
GPU GTX295
RAM 12GB DDR3
Storage 500GB+ 1TB HDD
Optical DVD re-writer
OS Vista Home Premium 64-bit

The Vortex of the latest Core i7

Seven, it seems, is the magic number in the PC realm right now. Not only has Microsoft’s latest operating system been baptised with the numeric title, but Intel’s Core i7 is the processor du jour. It’s making me wonder if there’s a Dan Brown-style conspiracy afoot, and whether as soon as we add a graphics card with ‘seven’ in its name to this PC, a mystical vortex to another world will open up. read more »

Make a USB telescope

Jeremy Ford — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 12:25:05 +0100

Much like The Wombles we’re always looking to do interesting and what the kids might describe as ‘cool things’ with other people’s – and frankly our own – discarded rubbish. While Management considers our all-day Ebay surfing as frivolous waste of company money and most recently, a sacking offence. We deem it an essential core to our job description, but that’s just between us and an industrial tribunal. read more »

WoW - Can you fly bobby?

Alan Dexter — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 09:51:33 +0100

WoW isn’t a static game. There are constant little changes and tweaks to make the game an ever more compelling experience. Tweaks to the classes, to the mobs, to the dungeons you fight in - all par for the course in keeping the game honed. The next patch (3.2 for those that are counting) is about to make leveling in Azeroth and Outland a whole lot easier though – the cost and level requirement for mounts has been reduced. read more »

AION: Closed Beta impressions Pt1

Chris Thornett — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 19:14:47 +0100

Aion: The Tower of Eternity is NCsoft’s latest attempt to pump some milky goodness from the bulging udders of The West’s MMORPG cash cow; and NCsoft will no doubt want AION to succeed after the closure of Tabula Rasa and Auto Assault. Judging from the free beta keys flying about for it and the marketing machine that's rolling, it's pushing AION hard over here.

It would be disingenuous to say that its other games have flopped in Europe, as MMOs such as City of Heroes/Villains and Guild Wars have been well received, however, Europe only currently accounts for 3 per cent of sales (about £2m last quarter), which may seem a lot, but isn't compared to the 66m made everywhere else and particularly on its home turf in South Korea. read more »

Cheap games offer: Cryostasis for £8

Chris Thornett — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:05:08 +0100

Looks like GamerGate are selling off 1C games cheap right now. Cryostasis is £8, Necrovision is finally a fiver, but there's a little pack deal for £15 that nets you Cryostasis + Vivisector + Necrovision. Russia needs your money, don't let your comrades down.

If Street Fighter were real

Chris Thornett — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 10:18:36 +0100

Alan's been messing about with Street Fighter 4 in the office, which has made me wonder how a fight would go like, if someone were stupid enough to try those moves. Through the power of YouTube we can:

The PCF Right Good Posting Competition

Chris Thornett — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 18:41:16 +0100

As a regular on the PCF forums has recently pointed out: everyone likes free stuff, so we going to give some away! Above is a lovely shot of The Winch sporting a limited edition World in Conflict jacket that we will give away to the best poster of the month. read more »

A serious look at casual games

Jeremy Ford — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 10:51:24 +0100

Casual game. It’s such a horrible, snobby little phrase. There’s something so patronising about it – as if just because it doesn’t offer 70 hours of story, or a hundred rendered cut-scenes, that makes it somehow less of a game. It completely ignores the fact that many of the people playing them can burn through more hours in their company than any World of Warcraft player, not to mention show up any hardcore gamer in a direct competition. Guys, take this as a top tip: never, ever, ever challenge your mother, wife, sister or girlfriend to a game of Worms or Tetris. If you win more than two rounds you’re being hustled. Run! Run before she suggests making it ‘interesting’. read more »