Steam Machines Won’t Save PC Gaming
The first wave of Valve’s long awaited Steam Machines are now on sale. I’ve already explained what Steam Machines are, but who are they for? Looking at Valve's marketing materials, Steam Machines are “a new family of entertainment devices,” implying a grander vision than just gaming.
Steam Machines were born out the fear that PC gaming is dying because of the popularity of consoles and streaming media boxes like the Apple TV that are bring gaming to a wider audience. PC gaming is now seen as something for hobbyists and in order to change that perception, Valve has to take PC gaming mainstream with its Steam Machines. But there are quite a few challenges that mire Valve’s vision.
New Arkham Knight Challenge Maps Are on the Way
Seven new challenge maps, previously seen in past Batman Arkham games, are coming to Batman: Arkham Knight.
The Community Challenge Pack will arrive in January and features three predator maps, three combat maps, and an endless wave challenge. The full list of maps, including which game they were taken from, is as follows:
Predator
- Wayne Manor Main Hall (Batman: Arkham City)
- Batcave (Batman: Arkham City)
- Sanatorium, Medical Facility (Batman: Arkham Asylum)
Combat
- Iceberg Lounge (Batman: Arkham City)
- Crime Alley (Batman: Arkham Knight)
Walking Dead’s Midseason Finale is This Week’s TV Highlight
It's Thanksgiving time here in the States and while The Walking Dead may be stumbling more than succeeding these days, its upcoming sure-to-be bloody midseason finale is still a big enough event to warrant it being the TV highlight this week.
When we last saw Rick and the Alexandrians, a giant building had just collapsed through one of the town walls, allowing the massive herd of walkers to come flooding in. Will the show actually kill off some beloved characters during the chaos or will more nameless townsfolk get the axe instead? Will we get more fake-outs, or will deaths actually stick this time around? Also, maybe most importantly, does this mean the end for Alexandria? Will Rick and the rest have to hit the road again or can the town actually be saved? We'll have to find out in the midseason finale, "Start to Finish."
Fallout 4 Beta Update Now Available on PC
The first patch for Fallout 4 is now in beta and available for those on PC, Bethesda has announced.
In addition to "general memory and stability improvements," the update adds remapping support for the number pad keys. Plus, Remapping Activate can now be used on Quick Container.
Several technical issues are addressed as well, with fixes for weapon-related glitches and a crash tied to jumping the the water and attempting to reload. Check out Bethesda's patch notes for an overview of everything included in the update.
Since the update is currently in beta, the studio suggests you back up your saved games before downloading the patch. Here are step-by-step instructions on how to access it through Steam:
Yes, There Will Almost Certainly Be Many More BioShock Games
Expect a lot more BioShock in the future. Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick has called the series "unquestionably a permanent franchise."
GameSpot picked up the quote during an MKM Partners Investor conference. Zelnick also went into very minor detail about what the remaining members of Irrational, including co-founder Ken Levine, were up to. He described their small, upcoming project as "something highly creative and innovative."
Their last game, BioShock Infinite, came out in early 2013. Given the three-year gap between the other games in the franchise don't be surprised if we hear more about the next BioShock relatively soon.
The Top 100 Movie Trailers: Day 1
From Star Wars to Terminator to Spring Breakers -- yeah, we went there! -- and basically everywhere in between, there have been some amazing movie trailers over the years. After all, what gets you more excited about seeing a film in the first place than that initial tease?
Let’s not forget the days when you still had to catch a preview in the actual movie theater, seeing what might’ve been your very first glimpse of an upcoming flick. Sure, that era is mostly over now, but still, the power of the trailer has remained even as it has morphed. Nowadays, we all celebrate trailers as they show up online, pouring over every detail for our most anticipated films. And sometimes for the films we’ve barely been aware of until the trailer dropped…
16 Great Gifts for PC Enthusiasts
There is no shortage of cool stuff out there for the PC gamer, which can make buying a gift this holiday season somewhat daunting. To help you sort through the myriad items available to the PC gamer, we've compiled this list of gifts worthy of GabeN himself to satisfy the power-hungry needs of the PC gamer.
A good monitor is the difference between "good" and "holy smokes, I can't believe my eyes!" This BenQ RL2755HM 27-inch 1ms GTG HDMIx2 Official MLG UMG Gaming Monitor will convert anyone to PC gaming, and if you know a serious competitor, the 1ms means lag is all but a thing of the past.
Awaken the Force With Google’s Star Wars Experience
Google wants you to choose a side. In celebration of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Google has launched a tool that allows users to choose whether they'll fall to the light side or dark side of the force.
Google will change your interface to match the side you've chosen. The functionality of Google apps will not be affected—though on the surface, there'll be a whole lot of Star Wars.
Loading bars will appear as red or blue lightsabers, and your boring blue position marker in Google Maps will appear as either an X-Wing or TIE fighter. Google will also add Star Wars-related dates, like the movie release, to your Google Calendar.
Game of Thrones: Season 6 Teaser Poster
While no return date has been given, and rumors even circulate regarding a later-than-usual debut for Season 6, Game of Thrones is still looking to stab us in all the feel spots with this new bit of teaser art.
Spoilers inbound!
Below you'll see what seems to be the lifeless body of Jon Snow. Whether or not this is supposed to be his corpse, his reanimated form, or just his regular self after standing up post-ambush and saying "I'm totally fine, guys!" is unknown at this point. It does suggest though that Jon's death will be a big part of the upcoming season, both directly and indirectly.
Wooga Announces New Futurama Game
Wooga has announced a new Futurama game for mobile.
The game is set to be titled Futurama: Game of Drones, and will send players on a voyage with the Planet Express crew as they attempt to win an unbalanced war against MomCo.
“While delivering dangerous cargo to hazardous locations under ill-advised circumstances,” reads the blurb, “players connect groups of delivery drones to solve an array of fiendish puzzles as they venture into iconic environments from the Futurama universe.”
The story featured in Game of Drones is to be penned by Dave Grossman (Secret of Monkey Island, The Wolf Among Us), Jonathon Myers (Game of Thrones: Ascent) and Patric M. Verrone (The Critic, Futurama).