ALKHOBAR: We’ve entered the best quarter of the year for console addicts. This is the time when companies are rushing to get their products out for the winter holiday season. So suit up and get in gear, because the game is on.
Worlds collide as Midway unleashes the highly anticipated “Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe.” In this title for the Xbox 360 and the PLAYSTATION3, Mortal Kombat (MK) favorites Battle DC Universe (DCU) icons. Some of the most popular characters from the DC Universe, such as Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and The Joker, go toe-to-toe against Mortal Kombat fighters, including Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Liu Kang, Sonya and more. Featuring a brand new fighting system and unique intertwining storyline written by top comics writing team Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray, Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe combines spectacular multitiered fighting environments, such as Metropolis or the Batcave, with a compelling lineup of fighters to challenge and master.
Choose your side and go up against your opponents with a new fighting system including Freefall Kombat and Klose Kombat along with dynamic multitiered environments. Plus, pick your favorite character from MK or DCU and pursue a fighting adventure in the new single player mode with an intertwined storyline and two unique perspectives.
True Mortal Kombat aficionados will be disappointed to learn that the game only received a “T” or Teen ESRB rating instead of its usual “M” or Mature Audiences only rating. However, Midway has put out assurances that the title “embodies all the qualities that made the franchise such an integral part of gaming culture, including the ability to perform the unique Fatalities and Heroic Brutalities that are a signature of the Mortal Kombat series.” To get a preview, see www.worldscollide.com.
Not everyone plays on a console and nobody knows that better than Alienware. This month Alienware, Dell’s high-performance PC gaming brand, takes hardcore gaming mainstream with the launch of the Area-51 750i Desktop and the all-new M17 notebook. Engineered around its namesake the NVIDIA nForce 750i SLI motherboard, the Area-51 750i delivers a combination of performance and flexibility guaranteed to appeal to a broad range of users. Whether you’re looking for a system that can take on today’s most popular titles or a hardcore rig capable of dominating next-generation DirectX 10 games such as Crysis or Far Cry 2, the Area-51 750i can be easily customized to fit your needs. The base configuration delivers intense gaming performance at a budget-friendly starting price of $1,049, while more aggressive configurations include the Intel Core2 Extreme CPU, NVIDIA SLI or ATI CrossFireX multi-GPU graphics, up to 8GB of DDR2 memory and a 64-bit OS.
As for the 17-inch M17 notebook, this gaming platform is powered by the world’s first mobile quad-core processor, the Intel Core2 Extreme QX9300, and is Alienware’s first notebook with ATI CrossFireX multi-GPU technology, featuring dual ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3870 cards. Add DDR3 memory for up to a fifty percent increase in transfer rates, as well as the bandwidth necessary for the notebook’s quad-core capabilities. With up to 4GB of DDR3 memory, the M17 has the edge in data retrieval, load times and multitasking. Dual 500GB hard drives link in a RAID 0 configuration for a massive 1TB storage capacity — enough to hold roughly 160 games, 250 full-length movies or 250,000 songs. The M17 comes in one color only — Stealth Black — with a soft-touch, matte black finish that protects the system from fingerprints and scratches.
If you can’t afford a whole new system but you yearn for some cool new gear, then check out the latest offerings from SteelSeries. This line of gaming accessories is for use with “World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King,” the second expansion to this massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG). The new gear includes a limited edition version of the SteelSeries Zboard Gaming Keyboard, the SteelSeries QcK Limited Edition Lich King Gaming Surface, the 5C Limited Edition Frost Wyrm Gaming Surface and the World of Warcraft MMO Gaming Mouse.
The SteelSeries Zboard Limited Edition Gaming Keyboard has a custom designed keyset featuring labeled commands, in-game shortcuts and artwork of the fearsome Lich King Arthas Menethil, who World of Warcraft players will confront in the expansion. The entire keyboard can be fully customized through the use of the SteelSeries Z Engine software, which enables macros to be dragged and dropped onto specific keys. The package includes a universal keyboard base with internal hub with two USB ports, a standard keyset for everyday use and an ergonomic hand-rest. The Keyboard is compatible with all versions of the World of Warcraft PC game.
The SteelSeries’ World of Warcraft Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) Gaming Mouse is designed with advanced macro creation capabilities, 15 programmable buttons, six possible DPI settings and 16 million profile-specific illumination colors. The World of Warcraft MMO Gaming Mouse’s graphic user interface will be familiar to World of Warcraft players, with a look and feel similar to the game’s interface. With easy to use drag and drop software, players can program all 15 buttons with over 130 in-game World of Warcraft commands.
But maybe with the economy like it is you just don’t have the budget for any new gear — no matter how cool it might be. So how about getting something free? Well, AMD has announced that starting next month, the company plans to release for download a free ATI Catalyst driver update that instantly unlocks new ATI Stream acceleration capabilities already built into millions of ATI Radeon graphics cards.
ATI Stream is a set of advanced hardware and software technologies that enable AMD graphics processors (GPU), working in concert with the system’s central processor (CPU), to accelerate applications beyond just graphics. This results in better balanced platforms capable of running demanding computing tasks faster than ever. ATI Stream-enabled software titles for entertainment, gaming and productivity are being released or are under development by a growing list of independent software vendors (ISVs) including ArcSoft and CyberLink.
To give users immediate benefit from ATI Stream, AMD also plans to release in December a free downloadable version of its ATI Avivo Video Converter utility. This intuitive, easy-to-use application enables transcoding of HD video up to 17 times faster than with the CPU alone, in tests performed using an ATI Radeon HD 4850 graphics card.
Well, that’s enough “Geek Speak” to last us all for a while. Time to move away from violence and hardware, and break into a sweat with EA SPORTS Active. Dump that boring old fitness routine and forget about hauling your body over to the gym. EA SPORTS Active is an innovative, customizable personal fitness product that will get you motivated to move in the comfort of your home. EA SPORTS Active will launch exclusively for the Nintendo Wii in spring 2009.
Developed in collaboration with fitness experts, including Bob Greene — renowned exercise physiologist, author and Oprah’s personal trainer — EA SPORTS Active is perfect for the whole family, though designed specifically for women seeking a simple, fun and cost-effective way to achieve a healthy lifestyle. The product will be the first in a new line of EA SPORTS fitness and sports performance products in development to improve the well-being of people of all ages.
EA SPORTS Active will cost just $59.99 — much less than a gym membership — and will provide a variety of exercises unlike a one dimensional in-home fitness contraption. Plus it will deliver an interactive experience that you can’t get from a DVD. EA SPORTS Active features a wide variety of interactive activities combined into a circuit that target both the upper and lower body as well as cardio, and supports two players to allow family or friends to get fit together. SPORTS Active provides a new level of motivation with on-screen, real-time feedback on your workout such as calories burned, while also allowing you to adjust intensity levels. The workout will ship with two specially-designed leg straps that hold the Wii’s Nunchuk controller to track lower body movements, as well as a resistance band to support a number of upper body strength training exercises.
EA SPORTS Active features a “30 Day Challenge,” a fitness road map for players to reach their fitness goals with the guidance of a virtual trainer. The Challenge provides a new, 20-minute workout every time a player exercises, including clear instruction, feedback on technique and positive encouragement throughout the workout. Each circuit will feel different and increase in intensity as fitness levels improve to help you work up a sweat and work toward your fitness goals. Users can also create their own custom workouts that vary in activity, duration and intensity, and the Wii Balance Board, sold separately, will add functionality to many exercises. For more information, visit www.easportsactive.com.
