Video games tester

For avid fans of gaming out there, it is probably their ultimate dream to get paid to test video games. Fortunately for them, in the last decade, the video game industry has exploded into a multi-billion dollar industry without any sign of slowing down. Because video game companies are continually making new games, they are also in need of people who will test these games before they are released in the market. However, to become a video game tester, you have to meet some basic requirements.

Basically, you have to possess general video gaming knowledge. Experience in playing different kinds of games is also necessary because as a video game tester, you will have to play test almost all kinds of difficulty levels. You have to possess basic computer skills and basic internet skills as well. You should be good at identifying and isolating technical issues, and also at documenting and reporting these issues that are found within the game.

Because this job can sometimes drain you of your patience, it is important that you have a passion for video games. As a video game tester, sometimes you may need to play the same games over and over again in order for you to identify all the different bugs and errors within the game. Without a passion for gaming, you won't last long.

Video game testing requires team work and communication. That is why having good communication skills and problem-solving skills is also necessary. As a game tester, you will be asked to give feed-backs to game designers and programmers from time to time. A game tester should then be able to work well within a team environment.

Being a beta game tester is, of course, not just about sitting there drinking cola and playing cool video games. It may be a fun job, yes, but it is still a job nonetheless.

The Functions of Windows Registry Cleaners and How it Can Help Your PC

Functions of Windows registry cleaners vary wildly. From clearing out dead registry entries of previously un installed software to removing Trojans hidden in your registry that regular virus protection software cannot find. It truly is a versatile piece of software.

Although the functions of registry cleaners vary, the ultimate goal remains the same. To improve and maintain the speed and performance of your PC.

By removing Trojans and dead registry entries, the functions of registry cleaning software make it easier for your PC to navigate through the registry (which is essentially your PC's instruction manual on how to perform certain tasks successfully. This, in turn, reduces the amount of time that your PC spends searching for the relevant information that it requires, thus producing a noticeable improvement in your computer's performance.

The extent to which the improvement in performance is noticeable is very much dependent upon the quality of the registry cleaning software used. Use a top quality registry cleaner and you could experience a dramatic improvement in performance. Use a poor quality registry cleaner and you will not only find it hard to notice a difference in performance, but it could also cause serious, irreparable damage to your PC's registry.

Choosing the right registry cleaner for your PC is therefore of paramount importance. We have performed thorough tests on 10 of the most popular registry cleaners available to you, assessing each software package on its ability to repair the registry, its ease-of-use, and the customer service that accompanies the software itself.

How to speed up your computer!

Over time, your Windows Vista or XP system can lose performance causing potentially long delays in getting stuff done. This can be very frustrating and many people experience this particularly with computers running Windows.

You might consider radical approaches such as complete re-install of Windows or perhaps even buying a new computer? Usually, there is no need and you can save a lot of time and money with some simple steps to improve your Windows computer performance. The five tips below are the easiest and cheapest ways to speed up your Windows XP or VISTA computer today:

1) Eliminate viruses and spyware

Viruses and spyware are one of the main causes of making your Windows computer run slowly as they deliver nothing but consume valuable system resources.

2) Free up disk space

Windows needs a lot of free disk space to operate. If you are running short on disk space, it can slow down your computers performance.

Free up as much disk space as possible on your system diver (c:) by deleting unwanted programs and data or moving these to cheap USB data keys or other storage devices.

3) Clean the registry

The "registry" is a system file that keeps track of software settings. You don't see it but it's essential for Windows to operate. As you install and uninstall programs, small fragments of data are left hanging around on your computer in its "registry". Over time, these small fragments of old data can cause Windows to slow down.

Using an inexpensive registry cleaner can improve your Windows system performance.

4) Eliminate unnecessary programs

Many programs that you install load into memory every time you start Windows. Loading programs into memory means longer start up time for Windows and slows down performance.

Type "MSCONFIG" into Windows Vista search to identify and disable unwanted programs that run on Windows start up.

5) Optimize your hard drive

As you use your computer, the data becomes scattered across your hard drive. This is perfectly normal but can slow down your Windows performance over time.

Use the Windows built in tool "Defragmentation" [right click a drive -> properties -> tools -> Defragmentation] to optimize your hard disk and speed up your Windows computer.

These steps are easy and can significantly improve your computer's Windows performance. Why not give them a go and see if they can save you time on re-installing Windows or even money on buying a new computer?

Trojan Zlob

Zlob, otherwise known as Trojan Zlob, is a dangerous and debilitating spyware program that, when it makes its way onto your computer can cause a whole host of issues and is extremely difficult to remove manually. That being said, however, there is a Zlob removal method that has shown to be very effective and can have this nasty spyware off your computer in minutes.

Zlob typically finds its way onto your computer via an infected shareware or freeware download, through peer to peer file sharing, or by clicking on infected popups or advertisements from questionable websites.

Once installed on your computer, it can do a number of different things to it, including but not limited to:

- Hijacking your browser
- Slowing down your computer
- Bombarding your computer with popups
- Downloading additional malware and spyware
- Log keystrokes and browsing habits

Easiest Zlob Removal Method

Because this particular Trojan can reinstall itself under different file names and entries, it is very difficult to remove manually. While you may think that you've removed all the infected files, once you reboot you will most likely find that it has reinstalled itself and reinfected your computer.

Therefore, the most effective and easiest method for getting rid of it is to use antispyware software.

Spending a few dollars to protect your data and your personal information from being stolen is a small price to pay considering the alternative if the infection did manage to log vital information such as passwords or PIN numbers and send that off to a remote server for some hacker to access.

But not all antispyware software is equal. When shopping for one, make sure the product you choose includes frequent no-cost updates as well as real time protection to ensure that once you do get rid of Zlob, it won't come back nor will you be infected with any other spyware or adware programs.

So unless you are a computer professional and even then manual removal is not guaranteed, go ahead and invest the small amount of money required to get your hands on top of the line antispyware software and Zlob removal will be a breeze.

How to Transfer Software From One Computer to Another

If you are buying or replacing a personal computer, you may be wondering how you will be able to transfer all those expensive programs and games that you've been using on your old computer. Over time, computer users tend to accumulate a great deal of software from a variety of sources. You may have purchased your old computer already including software that you like, but unfortunately this software is not included with your new unit. Or you may have installed software from an online source or a disk that is no longer available. Whatever the reason is that you want to transfer your favorite software over, it is possible to transfer software from one computer to another. Here are some ways to do that:

Using an external drive

One of the most obvious ways to transfer software from one computer to another is to copy the software from the old computer to an external hard drive or flash drive. Before doing so, you will want to make sure that the drive has enough capacity to hold the software files so that you don't lose any critical components when adding it to the new computer. You may want to use a web-based drive to store the programs as well for ease in accessing them to download them onto your new machine once this process is completed. This is the most time consuming of the methods.

Drag and drop method

If you have the ability to link the hard drives of each of your computers via USB cables, then the easiest way to transfer software from one computer to another is by doing so, then dragging the original downloaded software files from one hard drive to another. However, be advised that if you have ever removed a portion of the software from the original computer, you may not be able to do this correctly. It is best to get someone who is experienced with computers to handle this process for you, if at all possible, to avoid any problems. You also will need to allow your new computer to upload each software file and then re-install it to the new machine, all of which will take some time.

Software transferring application

There are several software transferring applications available on the market, such as 'PC Mover' that can find then copy all the software files from your old machine, then re-install them onto your new computer. This software can be attained relatively inexpensively, less than the cost of taking your computer to an IT support person to do this task. Once you have the software copied, then you will also benefit from having a permanent backup of the software in case of a system crash.

If done carefully, you can easily transfer software from one computer to another by using one or more of the options mentioned above. Be sure to consult with a qualified computer technician if you experience any problems or need additional help.

Traces of RPG

RPG stands for Role Playing Games in which a gamer actually plays the main character and develops a storyline based on his own perspective. In RPGs, the gaming experience becomes individual to the player because everything happens as a result of the choices he makes while playing the game. Because the gamer is not merely a spectator but the main character, he controls the dimension where the events occur, each contributing to how the story eventually comes to an end. This is the unique element that sets RPGs apart from other video games.

While other genres have followed their own paths to perfection, RPG's have always been more notable for the fact that they started out devoid of any digital personality as a pen-and-paper tabletop game in 1974. Known as Dungeons and Dragons, the game required 5-10 players and one dungeon master creating a fantasy world where a plot developed and characters pursued a quest. As with any tabletop game, D & D worked around rulebooks, guidelines and character sheets. But in 1980, everything changed as the world saw the first digital imprints of RPG.

Rapid developments in technology gave rise to the first well-known computerized RPG, Akalabeth, which was released for the Apple II. Mediocre graphics and a lack of depth made it barely a hit, although it did provide such great inspiration for budding developers. The first post-Akalabeth commercial RPG to saturate the market was Ultima which did not only spread like wildfire but was majorly influential as well. In 1982, the first console RPG, AD&D: Treasure of Tarmin, was born to the first gaming console released by Mattel, Intellvision. Since then, the gaming industry has been reaching maniacal heights.

By the nineties, RPGs had exploded into a full-blown phenomenon, eventually making the decade the "Golden Age of RPG" with such releases as the Might & Magic, Final Fantasy and Phantasy Star series. The spirit of active role gaming was so alive it did not only inhabit games and gamers but developers themselves who grew more responsive to the demands of their market by adding more depth, more intensity, boundless creativity and a far superior technical character into their games. No longer were RPG's confined to dungeons and dragons as they now evolved into richer gaming systems that fed every gamer's appetite for adventure.

Today, RPGs are way more advanced than how we knew them back then. But the rules have not changed and though the actual events differ with each game, the role-playing element of RPGs always breathes new life to any gamer who transforms into each animated character he plays.

Save money buying games online

Once you have a gaming system, then your attention is focused on acquiring newer games. Having a great collection of games can always boost a sense of pride but it may not always be financially feasible. Obviously you can't do away with the need to buy games online but you can always opt for channels that ensure that you save money on these purchases.

Instead of being hell bent on buying games online as soon as you read about them, spend adequate time reading reviews to know whether this is a game you really want. That way you won't waste your money on something you didn't really want. Don't ever get card away with market reputation of a game. Always emphasize on whether or not you will really be playing it.

Read plenty of reviews provided by gamers and critics to know what you want to buy.

If you decide to buy, don't click on everything that comes your way because when it comes to paying, it's going to be a huge tab. Instead make a list of what you really want and go ahead and buy those.

Instead of buying games at random, try a renting library at first. This allows you to have a real feel of the game. Playing the game will enable you to know if this is what you want and saves money because it prevents you from buying something you're not really interested in.

One great option is to discuss with a school friend or others in your friend circle to know what they're playing. If your best friend is into gaming, you could even go and play the game for real to make a better choice. It's always a good idea to buy games that your friends are playing as you can enjoy these online multiplayer games with them as well rather than be stuck with a new game and have to find absolute strangers who would play with you online.

Since there are so many online shops that are dealing with online games, find the reputed stores. Once you narrow down, thoroughly scan the lesser known shops because they're likely to offer better deals because they're trying to increase their client base to. In your search for discounts don't settle for a dubious store that's going to turn out to be a scam.

There are many sellers online. Those that enjoy a greater rating have many games to offer. If you're looking at buy a slightly older game, they're likely to offer you favorable discounts that will allow you save a fair bit.
There's always the option of trading games. You can trade your older games to get a discount and something new. This is a wise move because in the world of online games, there's games introduced at regular intervals and most players simply move in. as such, barring a few games that you rate as your favorite, it's always a good idea to part with the others and keep updating.

You'll only save money if you make guaranteed purchases. Don't fall for scams and fake offers, so consult with others, and buy games after reading a full description.

How to Clean the Inside of Your Computer, and Why

Firstly, let's go through the steps of cleaning your computer's inside, then we'll discuss the benefits of the exercise.

TOOLS NEEDED: Star and flat screwdrivers, new 2 inch paintbrush, old toothbrush, air blower, soft damp cloth.

1. Remove any CD's, DVD's, stiffies, flash drives, etc from the drives.

2. Switch the power off and unplug the computer from the wall outlet.

3. After making a careful note of where all the plugs and cables are connected, unplug all the rear cables, and then take the computer to a table outside (or where the light is good), and where you can make a lot of dust. Using the air blower, blow the dust off the outside of the computer case, especially the back connections.

4. Take the cover(s) off the computer case. Usually there are two or more screws at the back, and then the covers slide off rearwards, but there are so many different types of cases, you may have to figure out how they come off!

5. With the air blower, start blowing from a distance of about 2 feet and gradually move closer as needed, being careful not to blow the computer components to bits. You want to remove the dust, not sandblast the thing. Pay special attention to any fans, and also to the main CPU. The main CPU should have a large finned heat sink attached to it, which becomes caked with dust.

6. Once you have blown the worst of the dust off, use the air blower and the paint brush to dust off stubborn caked dust, especially on the heat sink of the CPU, on the fan blades, and around the Power Supply Unit, which is the metal enclosed box where the mains plug goes in. Don't forget the fan at the back of the computer. Using the paintbrush you can get to the fan quite well through the inlet vents.

7. If there is any dust that is too caked to get off with the paintbrush, use the old toothbrush to gently brush it off.

8. Once all the dust is gone, use the soft damp (NOT wet!) cloth to wipe down the outside of the computer case and the loose covers.

9. Put the covers back, take the computer and air blower back inside and connect all the computer's plugs up. Check that they are all correctly and firmly inserted, and then switch the computer on again.

10. Open the CD/DVD drawers and using the air blower, blow into the drawers to remove any dust that may have got into there. DVD players don't like dust on their internal lenses.

BENEFITS OF AN INTERNAL CLEANUP:

Computer CPU's (Central Processing Unit, the "brain" of the PC) generate a lot of heat, due to all the processing going on in their integrated circuits. The finned heat sink mounted on the CPU transfers heat from the CPU to the surrounding air by creating a large surface area (that's what all the "fins" are for.) If this surface area is covered with dust, it traps the heat and the CPU overheats, shortening it's life span.

In the same way, if the fan blades and inlet vents are caked with dust, this reduces the amount of air that can be sucked in to the computer and over the CPU heat sink, so the computer will run at a higher temperature than it should, which will shorten the life of the various components in the computer.

CD and DVD players are very fussy about dust. A few specks on the laser lenses can cause a lot of problems when reading and writing data, in some cases the machine will reject the disk as unreadable.

If you live in a warm climate, this should be done fairly often.

A clean computer should give you many years of trouble free service.

Ikariam

Ikariam is a newly released game by the german game company, GameForge. The company specializes in the coding and design of online browser games such as this one. The basis of the game are simple - build up your city and conquer the world. At the moment, other cities are not destroyable as that would mean one will loose everything he/ she has worked for but it has been announced that this will be changed in a future update.

Other games such as Popodopolous and Zeus worked on the same basis and their simplicity is what made them popular. Well, Ikariam has another popularity factor - the fact that you play it online, for free and without having to download anything on your computer. This feature is amazing as that means you can play it anywhere; at school, on the train, airport lounge or at home!

The game's files which contain all your account details and statistics are stored on a central server at the company's headquarters so you don't have to worry about loosing your files.

Ikariam has only been released in February and it is one of the most searched terms on search engines such as Google and Yahoo. However, Ikariam is still in beta phase so there are a lot of bugs and missing information that you can only get from the developers if you ask on the forums - this can be time consuming as there isn't a 24/7 customer support.

So, say you want to build a new colony or simply expand your palace and what to see what benefits you get. There's nowhere to go apart from the forums as the game is recently released and a lack of documentation exists. There are numerous Ikariam videos in existence on YouTube talking about the high number of bugs in the game and how to fix them, but apart from that you have no other information.

In future i will post fast leveling, faq and answers... posto your questions in comments and we will make helpdesk

The Positive Benefits of Gaming

Gaming is one of the hottest pastime of this generation. Over the past years we have observed many of the benefits of gaming. Truly, this wasn't the intent at first. Primarily gaming was produced just for entertainment. However, as technology progressed, so too, did the advances in gaming.

So, lets take a look at some of these benefits that all ages get from gaming.

- Logic
- Strategy
- Coordination
- Critical Thinking
- Problem Solving
- Socializing
- Communicating
- Competition
- Physical
- Fitness
- Fun

I have only touched on a low portion of the full diversity of benefits that gaming has to offer all who take part in the action. There are dozens more and I'm sure if you sat down and thought about all the aspects of gaming you will come up with multiple benefits yourself.

Many gaming software or online gaming have developed vast communities where all gamers come together and share ideas, secrets, and even trade. We make new friends, find new rivals to play against and do our very best to succeed and in doing so, we ramp up our own confidence and expertise in that particular gaming world.

Even our youngest gamers benefit academically through gaming. They are learning phonics, mathematics, science, technology, languages, critical thinking, problem solving, hand-eye coordination, creativity and so much more.

Our medical facilities have now jumped on board with using gaming software. What are they using gaming for? Let's take a look at some of the gaming benefits for the medical field. They are using gaming for Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation for their patients. Surgeons are using gaming for learning new procedures and practicing precision. Nurses also use gaming for their education. I guess you could say, I feel respectable about this because now I know I am not being used in the medical field as a guinea pig where trial and error is just the common factor. At least we can be assured, new procedures have been tested, tried and succeeded without risking a human or animal life.

Oh, and let us not forget our Military. They too, have climbed aboard in the gaming world. What a great way for our Military to build up their skills in strategy, combat, critical thinking, aiming and precision, tactics and this list can go on forever.

How about sports? Almost every sport you can think of, there is a game for it. Gaming has brought many honorable athletes out in the open. Practice it in the gaming software and then utilize it in the real game. It doesn't matter which sport it is, baseball, football, soccer, bowling, tennis, golf, boxing, and hundreds more.

The bottom line is, to criticize gaming is to breakdown all the benefits that gaming has provided to our culture. Gaming has made us better people, physically, emotionally and mentally. The next time you or your child are playing a game, stop and think about the benefits of the real game play that is going on. So, get gaming, have fun, play, learn. Gaming is molding your body and mind.

Hunting Unlimited 2009 is a hunting game for PC users played in an FPS-style fashion. Just like any hunting game, you will still have moments where animals run in circles, tracking adventures are exciting and times where you get attacked by vicious animals, such as bears.

There will also be substantial times where you may have a tough time finding your targets. As any FPS-styled pc game, you get to have a profile where you get to name a character model out of four (three guys and one gal) and a trophy room (a scrapbook actually) where you can reminisce the killings you have made in previous mission.

If Free Hunt Mode is incapable of satisfying your hunting thirst, there's a Challenge Mode, which provides over a hundred hunting scenarios. There are scenarios where you can snipe animals from a cliff and scenarios where you can ride on a 4x4 truck or a horse, but these things don't steer so easily so it's more comforting to travel by foot. Another game mode is the Target Range, if you are into tournaments and level editing this should you give enough satisfaction. However, the tournament system is a bit tedious. It requires you to download a tourney file and then upload back your score string. The probable reason for this is to allow no real-time online support.

On the other hand, the level editor is worst. The tutorials aren't any good in helping you create your own scenarios, but there's an abundant supply of guides or walkthroughs that you can find online. The graphics is just so-so, but still forgivable.

Overall, with the variety of animals, environments and weapons at your disposal, Hunting Unlimited 2009 can still be entertaining to some extent despite its shortcomings.

PC Gaming Industry Slowly Dying

By now, the decline of the PC gaming industry should be evident to PC gamers around the world.

Part of the decline was due to the new interest in next-generation gaming consoles (XBox 360, PS3, Wii), but sadly, another motivating cause is the continuing piracy of PC games.

As far as I can tell, this demise started sometime in 2007, but had a large noticeable impact in 2008. In 2008, we saw a shift away from PC gaming and much further towards console gaming. Games like Brothers In Arms: Hell's Highway, Rainbow Six Vegas 2, and Fallout 3 were all released on consoles before being released on the PC. The fact that three big name first person shooters were delayed to the PC really says something. Before the next-generation consoles, first person shooters generally favored the PC before the console; now it's the other way around. Fallout was originally a PC game series, however; the tide has turned and Fallout 3 was released to consoles months before it became available for PCs. GRRRRRRRR. . . keyboard/mouse >>>>> controller, damn it!

If that's not enough, how about an FPS and (drum roll please) an RTS game released exclusively for consoles? The two games in question are Battlefield: Bad Company and Tom Clancy's End War. Discovering that Battlefield: Bad Company's PC development was nowhere to be found, I was royally pissed. Battlefield 2142 was long due to be replaced, but EA lent us PC gamers a blind eye. What an insult! They're holding out on the very people who made the Battlefield series a success.

End War is another story - (to the big wigs who thought of this) what the hell guys? You know what gamers think of when you put RTS and console in the same sentence? Starcraft 64 (what a huge blunder that was) . However, the fact that End War is actually a half decent game should leave you to believe that the PC counterpart was in the immediate works. Sadly, that is not the case. Although PC development is underway, creative director Michael de Plater blames piracy for the delay.

So, fellow readers and PC gamers, support the industry you so dearly love. We shoud consider ourselves lucky that Far Cry 2 was simultaneously released on both the PC and consoles, but that may not be the case in the future. How would you like it if Far Cry 3 was a console only game? I hope you see the trend the PC gaming industry is taking. One of the only ways to revive the industry is to stop pirating! Bottomline: Either buy the game and look forward to better games or pirate the game and not even think about a sequel.

WaW

With CoD4 being one of the most impressive and ground breaking releases in terms of photo realistic graphics, game play to die for and a storyline that was so involving it made you want run down to your local recruitment office and sign up! Cod5 had a very tough act to follow, but surely with a team that could put out a title like Cod4 they shouldn't have a problem right?

As soon as I heard they were returning the WWII and the Pacific Theater era I cried a little inside as these scenarios has been covered by more than enough titles, game developers out there; 'The world has moved on, can't you?' Still I was definitely going to get this game no matter what due to Cod4 being so good, I think many people felt this way, and I also think Activision used this fact to their advantage.

So the game...sticking with the same graphics engine as Cod4 (sorry I'll try to stop mentioning it as this isn't a comparison), the visuals are stunning and jungle landscapes really make the game a dream to look at. One of the best things about this engine is just how well it runs on lower end systems. To test this I played it on an AMDx2 4600 at 2.8GHz, 2 gig's of ddr2 ram and a 7800GTX extreme with resolution at 1280x1024 and was getting an average of 50fps with settings on high.

Now this isn't very impressive compared to what can be achieved with newer hardware, however 50fps will give you great game play and considering you can build a system as specified above for ~£150 (excluding monitor and peripherals etc) you can see just how well they have done with this engine.

The campaign is split into two sections, you swap between playing as Private Miller of the U.S. Marine Corps fighting the Japanese Army in the Pacific, and Private Dimitri Petrenko of the Red Army advancing on Berlin. (have I seen this format somewhere before?).

As expected the playability of the game is outstanding, the combat really gets your heart pounding and the games AI really adds a sense of realism that I find lacking in a lot of FPS games. Your buddies will help you out but the pace of each battle really depends on how aggressive you're feeling. This makes for a game that is different each time you play through it as the scenario reacts to your game play style.

The multiplayer is the same format as CoD4 (damn!) giving each player a ranking so you have targets to achieve and the fast paced action will keep you online for days.

And to be honest that's all I have to say about this release because if you've played CoD4 (and who hasn't) you've seen it all before really. Don't get me wrong it is a GREAT game, I enjoyed playing it thoroughly and would recommend it to all as it would turn any WoW addict into an FPS fan. However I still feel a bit let down. It seems as if Activision have made a breakthrough with CoD4, then rather than pushing the boundary further and keeping the gaming community on the edge of their seats, they themselves have sat back and played it safe to get the benjamins rolling in.

They have built a sense trust with their name as one would expect nothing but the best from them now, I pray that they will not abuse this trust that we as consumers have put in them. I hope they will use the profit from this release to good use and get back on the edge of their seats, as we all know what they are capable of when they put their mind to it. It's time to make another giant leap for mankind guys!

Dead Space review

evo mala recenzija...al nek je na engleskom da i ostali razumiju :D

Dead Space

Score: 9.0

Systems: Xbox 360, PS3, PC

Genre: 3rd person survival horror
Length: 15 hours
Difficulty: 7
Developer: EA Redwood Shores
Publisher: EA Games
Release Date: 10/14/08

Pros

- Combat is very fun and good amount of gameplay variety
- Lots of upgrades, gadgets
- Great atmosphere, sound, graphics

Cons

- Environment not as interesting as utopian underwater world of Bioshock
- Difficulty goes from super easy to darn hard at points

The games released in 2008 have been pretty weak thus far. The "big release" games, such as GTA4, MGS4, Mario Kart and Spore have done nothing for me. It seems we got spoiled with the great crop of games that were released in 2007, such as Bioshock, Portal, COD4, Half Life 2 Episode 2, Metroid Prime 3, and Super Mario Galaxy. Well, it seems the industry is following its usual trend of releasing all the great games in the last 2 months of the year. Clearly this is the only time people have disposable cash for great games, right?

Bioshock was one of the best games released last year. The incredibly detailed and creative underwater world and the great variety of gadgets, powers and the ominous Big Daddies combined to create a truly amazing gaming achievement. Like they say, imitation is the ultimate form of flattery. Dead Space emulates many of the Bioshock gaming mechanics in a new environment. It should not be surprising that Dead Space is a great game as well. Both games feature a self contained smallish, but interesting environment where some crazy genius is pulling the strings and making disgusting mutant enemies.

The game is set in a huge space ship. You are tasked to restart the ship's tram, fix its navigation computers and a variety of other believable tasks. While it would nice to just walk around the ship performing your duties to get things running again, it wouldn't make a very entertaining game. That's where the crazy antagonist sets things up to make your life a living hell as he besets countless hordes of disgusting atrocities your way. Your job is to stop him from creating a master race of aliens.

One of the game's innovations is its strategic dismemberment system. While the enemies are really cool, you can't just gawk at them all day or you'll get your ass handed to you. Enemies are virtually impossible to deal with by simply blasting away at them aimlessly. You also have a very limited ammo supply so you need to choose your shots wisely. By aiming at specific body parts rather than simply blasting away at them, you can take enemies down faster and conserve ammo. Some enemies also have inherent weaknesses that can be exposed by targeting them from behind or shooting bombs on them. The limited ability to slow time also makes it easier to target body parts. This system helps to distinguish the game from Bioshock. The game also remembers that you are an engineer and gives you tools of the trade rather than the typical space marine huge grunt weapons of mass destruction. It's nice to see the game separate itself from other shooters.

The game provides a lot of powerups, but none really distinsguish themselves from the pack. You can make better guns to deal with hardier enemies. There are armor upgrades, but they serve to only increase the damage you can absorb. Your main power is the ability to slow down time and move some objects.

Missions provide a good deal of variety. All stages revolve around realistic tasks, such fixing various parts of the ship, rather than the typical shoot everything in sight, grab the blue key to open the blue door and progress to the next level. Some stages revolve around going into zero G environments as you float around searching for an exit and fighting the ever present monsters. These sections change up the action by forcing you to search for enemies that can come at you from all directions. There are also sections where you go into a vacuum and have a limited air supply, which results in a limited time frame to make it through to the next section. Other games with timed sequences can get frustrating if you die in the last 30 seconds of a 10 minute section, but Dead Space gets around these problems by keeping these timed sections limited to just 1-2 minutes.

At the end of major sections of the game you are encountered with some fun boss fights. These fights set themselves apart from the other sections with the creature's unique abilities. As with most games, you just need to learn their weaknesses to defeat them. Several of these fights require you to use your powers in unique ways to defeat them.

There are a number of minor puzzles strewn throughout the game. None of it is very complicated, but the puzzles help to break up the pace of the game and keep it from devolving into a standard run and gun shooter. You can use the power to slow down time to effect your environment. The telekinetic powers also let you move objects to forge your path through the game.

The enemies that jump at from the dark recesses of space have variety as well. Some monsters will cling to walls and jump at you while rebounding to other walls. Other huge creatures are virtually unstoppable and can only be killed from behind. Some enemies are plants that spit smaller aliens at you while others explode into smaller creatures.

The dark and dank atmosphere emulates the Gears of War and Resident Evil games that really set the mood for the horror experience so well. Apparently they just don't pay the light bills in these games. The game takes full advantage of the dark environments by having creatures jump out at you from every nook and cranny. The desperate mood is amplified with scarce ammo supplies. The developers went to great lengths to create a convincing environment, and they don't let the game's HUD ruin it. You will never venture into complicated menu systems to change powers or abilities because everything you need is displayed holographically on your 3D HUD, your suit or your gun.

Some problems I experienced were that there is no clear direction regarding what should be upgraded and would effective later in the game. While the environments and enemies are great, they do get a bit repetitive in the last third of the game. It's always hard to keep the new experiences coming throughout an adventure. The difficulty level isn't a smooth transition as you progress through the adventure. I had no challenge through the first 4 levels then I started getting my butt kicked pretty quickly as ammo and health pickups starting dwindling fast. Gamers should make sure to act like they are stocking up for the winter by holding back on using your equipment unless it is absolutely necessary.

Dead Space drips and oozes with atmosphere and has outstanding graphical effects. The sound quality is also superb. In the vacuum environments, the oxygen tank breathing becomes magnified and the screams of terror become muted. It's these types of attention to detail that make the game continue to stand out.

Overall, Dead Space creates that rare feeling that I just didn't want to put the game down and couldn't wait to get home to play the game. It's quite shocking that Electronic Arts, otherwise know as the former evil empire, developed this game. Over the past decade, EA has created sequel after sequel apparently so detracted from gamers to realize that we want something new and fun to play. Well, its recently lagging financial performance must have woken up the sleeping giant to create this new high quality IP with its innovative gameplay mechanics. Are you listening Activsion and Nintendo? It is still possible for large mass market companies to innovate and satisfy the hardcore gamers. You are on notice that we expect more from you. Heck, even EA can create something new, so I know you guys can do it.

Make sure to visit our site to also view the game's video review, gameplay videos and images along with editorial articles and arcade games.

What makes a great gamer PC

What makes a great gamer PC as opposed to a good computer for office work? While standard office computers are designed to be just good enough to accomplish regular tasks such as word processing and the occasional spreadsheet work, they are not usually up to the task of handling the advanced graphics and CPU utilization that is required to play the more advanced PC games out today. Gaming really stresses a PC, and the average office computer just can't cut it. So, for those wishing to get into gaming, here are some guidelines in what to look for in a great gaming PC.

Everything you want for your computer and more at Newegg.com.

A great gamer PC should be built with high end parts designed specifically to handle the heat and stresses of computer gaming. A great gamer PC should have at least one dedicated, high end graphics card (some times two or three) designed to get the most performance out of single player or multiplayer games, not an on-board video chip that takes away system RAM. A great gaming PC should have plenty of system RAM to run the games, a large hard drive for storage and a fast CPU. A large power supply is also a must to run all those internals and peripherals.

Of course cooling is essential in a performance PC, which is why a great gaming computer should use specially designed heat sinks for extra CPU cooling. Most of these are larger with heat pipes and fins and specially designed fans. System fans and air flow over the memory and graphics cards are also important for great performance.

In other words, what makes a great gamer PC is: quality, reliability and performance. Modern PC Games push the envelope when it comes to graphics and game play. They can really put a lot of stress on a machine. That's why a gaming computer needs to be built for performance and reliability. Upgrade your Video Card at Newegg.com

New

well

this is my first blog...and in future we will have reviews of games, new hardware, news from black chronics etc...

HD 4850 overheat tutorial

Everyone knows that HD4850 series has some HEAT problems on referent models..

You can solve it with buying NEW cooler (for 20 US dollars) zaalman, coolermaster or something like that and install it.

Or you can give extra 20 dollars and buy little more expensive card from better manufacturer like gainward or XFX and play on 55 Celzius...

here is little tutorial for ones who want to buy and install custom cooler on it

...da...

uglavnom

zasad nama gamerima (i onima koji se tako osjecaju) stanje na trzistu je zadovoljavajuce u pogledu grafickih kartica.

Igre koje su nam raspolozive trenutno su dovoljno optimizirane da bi ih tjerale nase grafe.
Govori se o dolasku DX11 s Windows7 i grafickim karticama koje podrzavaju ga, ali bi se trebali zapitati jel nam to uistinu potrebno?

Uglavnom koristimo DX9 jer rijetko koja igra je na DX10 ... sta ce nam DX11 ako jos DX10 nije zazivio???

Ja osobno imam XFX HD4850 i nema igre koju nemogu igrat s svim na max...jedino jednoglavo rjesenje koje je jace od nje je HD4870...

Ako uzmemo u obzir da ATI u travnju ce pustit s lanca HD 4890, mozemo se barem onda nadati nizim cijenama postojecih kartica. Ali prije kupnje novog hardvera moramo se zapitati dal nam je stvarno potrebno to...mislim...ako mogu igrat sve sto postoji trenutno na trzistu, dali ima onda smisla prelazit na novu grafu...

Kid heard that HD4890 is coming

Difference between 2 rival best buys

We assume that RV770 core frequency is not far from the core frequency in RV670. However, the quantity of some functional units in RV770 in comparison with RV670 will be increased, and high-end video card on base of RV770 will get the faster GDDR5 memory .

The TDP level for Radeon HD 4870 will be equal to 160 W, and for Radeon HD 4850 this value will be limited to 110 W. In this case the Radeon HD 4870 will be on average up to 30% faster than Radeon HD 4850.

First, the core frequency in Radeon HD 4870 will be 100 MHz higher. Second, the memory frequency in Radeon HD 4870 will be equal to 3920 MHz DDR, and the radeon HD 4850 memory will operate at 2000 MHz DDR frequency . The first video card will be equipped with 512 mb GDDR- 5 memory, but the second will be limited to 512 mb GDDR- 3 memory . If we believe the existing information, the Radeon HD 4870 will be up to 52% expensive than the Radeon HD 4850 ($349 against $229).

But if we compare the speed level of the new video card AMD with the geForce 9800, then Radeon HD 4870 will be up to 25% faster than GeForce 9800 GTX, and Radeon HD 4850 will be up to 25% faster than GeForce 9800 GT or GeForce 8800 GT.

Are you having problem deciding which graphics card to buy? Do not worry, you are not alone! With a wide range of graphics cards out there, each with different specification and function; it is definitely a difficult choice to make.

To choose the right graphics card, you need to consider the following points:

AGP or PCIe?

AGP is the slot where the graphics card is inserted in the motherboard. It has been the standard for graphics card connection for a long time.

With the introduction of PCIe slot, the days of using AGP slot will soon come to an end. PCIe slot boosts a speed 4 times faster than AGP slot and supports multiple video cards integration (SLi or Crossfire technology). This is something that is impossible to achieve using the AGP slot

If you are looking to build a gaming computer from scratch, it is advisable to get a PCIe graphics card as it will soon take over AGP as the standard for graphics card connection. However, if what you want is only to upgrade a new video card, there are still a lot of great AGP graphics card around for your selection.

GDDR2 or GDDR3?

GDDR refers to the bandwidth of the graphics card memory module bandwidth. It is not the same as the DDR2 computer memory RAM you install on the motherboard.

GDDR2 has been employed by graphics card manufacturers for a period of time. The main drawback for GDDR2 is its severe overheating issue. This has prompted ATI to develop the GDDR3. GDDR3 has a lower power consumption rate and a higher bandwidth, which enables the graphic card to last longer and run faster. GDDR3 is now commonly used in most NVIDIA- or ATI-based video cards. Though price is more expensive, it is definitely a better buy than a DDR2 graphics card.

Memory size

There is a saying "memory is never enough, always upgrade to the maximum". That might be true for computer memory, but when it comes to graphics card memory, I beg to differ. In my opinion, a 512MB graphics card is more than sufficient to handle most of the graphics intensive application. In fact, if you get a 256MB GDDR3 graphics card with a good GPU, the performance might even be better than a 512MB DDR2 graphics card. I own a five years old 128MB graphics card and until now, it's still serving me well and has no problem handling most of the graphics intensive game that I played. Unless you have spare cash to spend, my advice is to get a 512MB graphics card. It should be able to last you for a few years.

Do you need dual graphics card?

SLI or Crossfire technology enables you to connect multiple video cards together. By making use of two or more GPUs connected together, the performance of the system increased by two to three folds. This is a very powerful innovation that greatly improves a system's graphics handling capabilities.

In the current market, there are not many games and applications that can fully utilize this fast processing ability. However, with the speed the graphics technology is advancing, it is only a matter of time that SLI or Crossfire technology becomes the standard for graphics card.

For gamers who want to achieve a faster and better graphics performance, you might want to consider acquiring a SLI or Crossfire ready graphics card.

Hopefully this article has helped you in choosing the best graphic card for your gaming computer. If you want to know more about gaming computer and how to choose the right hardware, check out gaming computer guide.

Damien Oh is an expert in building gaming computer. His website http://www.build-gaming-computer-guide.com provides very detail information on building gaming computer guide and the latest game update and hardware configuration