We journey to the desert to destroy everything in sight.
PlayStation 3 gamers are in for a special treat on November 19 when the Bad Company 2 multiplayer beta launches exclusively for their favorite system. PC gamers can look for a beta to launch in December, while Xbox 360 users can expect a different demo to launch early next year. I recently got the chance to venture down US-101 to EA’s Redwood Shores studio to get my hands on the PS3 version of the multiplayer beta. Players can look forward to a classic Battlefield experience with tons of vehicles and finely tuned geometry that encourages large vehicular skirmishes in the beta map titled Arica Harbor.
The map is a desert setting with buildings following along a dirt road that bisects pretty much everything in the stage. The mode I played was called Rush and featured an attacking side and a defending side. The attackers were charged with raiding the enemy encampment and destroying two gold bullion locations. You can do this a number of ways. You can either infiltrate the structure housing the gold (or blow the walls up and create your own entrance) and set C4 to do your work, you can rattle off several shots and grenades or you can drive a tank into the place to speed things up.
Among the tanks, hummers and ATVs that Arica houses, there’s also a new vehicle in the form of a small UAV. This is used mainly for scouting as it has limited offensive capabilities. If you get in a bind, there is access to rockets but the reload time is pretty lengthy and the design of the UAV isn’t exactly built for heavy combat.
I found myself selecting the engineer class more often than not as he packs a hefty rocket launcher in his kit along with repair equipment for damaged vehicles. Since this map is filled with all sorts of enemy and friendly vehicles, having the ability to combat and aid them was a must. Grenade shells still do next to nothing against a tank (for whatever reason) so you’ll want to have a heavier weapon in your stash when you hit the sand in Arica.
As I’ve said, this map is perfectly suited for some epic vehicular battles. With TOE missiles garnishing the tops of buildings that look down on the main alleyway there’s plenty of room for players to setup shop above the mayhem. I, on the other hand, liked the more direct approach of hopping in a tank and bringing the hurt. I was disappointed to learn that the build I was playing didn’t feature the squad support that you’ll get to enjoy on November 19. It made it difficult to join up with teammates and formulate a cohesive attack. Hopefully the feature is working well when the beta drops.
The amount of vehicular battles that I saw transpire as my defenders kept getting pushed back — thus making the map expand into new areas — was staggering. Humvees and ATVs were usually the first to hit the scene and were easy enough to deal with, but once the tanks rolled in all hell broke loose. I found that arming myself with a rocket launcher and keeping between the houses worked as the best defense. Tank shells would have to be perfectly aimed to cause damage while sneaking between buildings. It was only when the structures were rendered into rubble that my cover solution got me into trouble.
The Arica Harbor map is a great introduction to classic Battlefield multiplayer for those who haven’t experienced it before. It packs tons of vehicles into a relatively small space and the results can be pretty spectacular. You’ll be able to get your hands on the Arica Harbor map on November 19 if you’re a PS3 gamer, in December if you’re a PC gamer and Xbox 360 players can look forward to a different demo coming early next year.
We’ll have more on Battlefield Bad Company 2 as its March 2, 2010 release date on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC draws closer.
Zune HD users should be able to download the latest firmware update now, and it’s substantial enough to warrant grabbing ASAP. There’s a speedier browser, predictive text entry (a la iPhone), and that’s just the beginning. Updated:
Update: The firmware upgrade went through just fine on my 32GB Zune HD, and I’m definitely seeing an improvement in the browser’s speed. Before, it was mysteriously slow, especially compared to the iPod Touch’s browser—there’s no reason for that, especially given the Zune HD’s speedy Tegra processor. Even with the upgrade, it’s slightly slower than Mobile Safari, especially when loading heavy sites like Gizmodo, but it’s noticeably faster and not at all irritating anymore.
It’s good to see Microsoft offering optimizations, but we’re still waiting for a more major firmware upgrade: Social networking, IM, and YouTube should be top priorities. That being said, I still love the Zune HD—it’s even wowed the notoriously hard-to-please Brian Lam.
Browser:
•Faster performance in navigating web pages
•Option to render pages as Desktop or Mobile (Option in settings)
•Better Tap-To-Zoom
•Better ability to scroll when typing a message online
Keyboard:
•Predictive Text
•Auto capitilization
•Dedicated Settings Menu
•Wider keyboard in landscape mode
Music:
•Artist bios now contain links to songs, other artists, and other albums
Radio:
•Choice of seek method (presets or seek) in settings
Other
•Apps load slightly faster, and the accuracy of the touchscreen is improved during game play.
•Apps close faster
•The power off says “slide down to power off” instead of just “Power Off”
•Faster Startup (less than 15s)
The download should be available through the Zune software, but some 16GB users are reporting it hasn’t been pushed through to them yet. If you can get it, report back with anything else new/better you find.
So let’s just get this out of the way: The Droid is no iPhone killer. But it’s not the iPhone’s doormat, either.
Indeed, I’ve been a devoted iPhone user since the first one came out more than two years ago, but the Droid—with its impressive, easy-to-use interface, killer navigation features, above-average camera, and thriving app store—really got me thinking. Is this the handset that could pry the iPhone out of my cold, dead fingers?
In my case, I’ll probably be sticking with the iPhone for now (especially given that I’m still under an AT&T contract), but that’s me. What about you? Are you wavering between the iPhone and the Droid?
I’ve ticked off 10 categories that should factor into your iPhone-vs.-Droid decision, ranging from how the handsets actually look to how they handle calling duties, Web browsing, navigation, music, video, and more. I’ve tipped a winner for each (well, most) of these categories, but note that the overall score is even, and I haven’t picked an ultimate winner. Why? Because the final decision on which phone’s right for you will depend on your specific needs and wants in a handset.
Still with me? Good. Then let’s begin…
The basics:
Both the 16GB iPhone 3GS and the Motorola Droid (which goes on sale Nov. 6, and comes bundled with a bundled 16GB microSD memory card) sell for $199 with a two-year contract. (If you buy the Droid through Verizon, it’s actually $299 with a $100 mail-in rebate; you can also get the Droid at Best Buy for $199, no mail-in rebate required). Each phone also requires a $30-month 3G service plan. Also, both phones come with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, 3.5mm headset jacks, and (of course) 3G support.
Look and feel:
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, of course, so you’ll have to decide for yourself which phone wins the most style points. Personally, I happen to prefer the iPhone’s sleek lines, slim profile, and relatively light weight. But while the Droid is a bit sharper and boxier, it has a bigger (3.7-inch), sharper display, and at just 0.5 inches thick, it’s the slimmest QWERTY slider I’ve ever laid eyes on. The Droid tips the scales at 6 ounces, nearly an ounce heavier than the iPhone, but it fits quite nicely in a jeans pocket. Winner: Too close to call
Interface:
Google’s Android UI has come a long way in just a year, and with its speedy processor and first-on-the-market implementation of the new Android 2.0, the Droid does a great job of showing off what Android is capable of. I also love the Droid’s ability under Android to let you add live widgets—be they for weather, sports, the music player, Facebook, or Twitter—to the phone’s home screen, and arrange them in any way you so choose. But while the iPhone’s interface isn’t quite as flexible as the Droid’s, it’s unmatched at doing what it does. On the iPhone 3GS in particular, windows, menus, lists, and apps open smoothly and instantaneously, and you’re never at a loss about what to do next. Peppy though it is, the Droid’s UI still feels a big sluggish in comparison. Winner: iPhone
Calling:
The iPhone’s touch-enabled calling interface couldn’t be any easier to use, and it’ll even wirelessly hook into your iCal contacts if you’re willing to shell out $100 a year for a MobileMe subscription. But the Droid arrives with the ability to automatically pull in all your Google and Facebook contacts, for free, and you can also use the downloadable Google Voice app (still unavailable for iPhone) to receive calls from a single Google Voice number, as well as send free text messages and place cheap international calls. Then there’s the issue of which network—AT&T or Verizon Wireless—you want to be on. Your mileage will vary depending on your coverage area, of course, but if I had a nickel for every call my AT&T-bound iPhone has dropped, well … Winner: Droid
Music and video:
Yes, the Droid comes loaded with a basic music player, and there’s also a free podcast application (“Listen”) for download over the Android Marketplace, but neither can hold a candle to the iPhone’s best-in-class, touch-enabled iPod player. And while the Droid packs in a streaming YouTube app, same as the iPhone, it doesn’t come with a build-in video player—that you’ll have to find (and probably pay for) via the Marketplace, (I prefer the 99-cent Act 1 Video player, by the way). Indeed, the Droid doesn’t even support the streaming video clips on Verizon’s V Cast service. The iPhone, on the other hand, plays video out of the box, and you can also rent movies or buy TV episodes over-the-air via iTunes. This one’s a no-brainer. Winner: iPhone
Mapping and navigation:
You can’t beat the iPhone’s Google-powered Maps app when it comes to ease of use, smooth operation, and overall slickness (slickosity?), but the Droid’s mapping features under Android 2.0 pack more punch. Not only do you get the same basic searching and point-to-point direction features, but you also get the digital compass-aided Street View (which automatically changes the Street View perspective depending on the direction in which you’re holding the phone), layers for traffic, satellite view, transit lines, and Wikipedia, and—best of all—Google’s new Navigation app with voice-aided, turn-by-turn directions, just like you’d expect from an in-car navigation system. Great stuff—and free, to boot. Equivalent GPS navigation apps for the iPhone, on the other hand, all come with either monthly fees, exorbitant price tags, or both. Winner: Droid
Web browsing:
The Droid’s solid, touch-enabled Web browser is nothing to sneeze at, and come next year, it’s slated to add support for Flash-powered videos and embedded content. But the Droid’s browser doesn’t support such handy features as multi-touch gestures (for “pinching” or zooming text on a Web page, for example), and it’s not immune to sudden crashes, jerky scrolling, or jumbled HTML rendering. Meanwhile, the iPhone’s Web browser—Flash-less though it is, for now—makes for the smoothest, speediest, and most seamless browsing experience you’ll find on a smartphone. Winner: iPhone
Camera:
The iPhone’s middling camera has been its Achilles heel (or one of them, anyway) ever since it launched, and the iPhone 3GS’s 3-megapixel, auto-focus snapper is only marginally better. The Droid, however, boasts a 5MP camera with auto-focus, a dual LED flash for night shots, and image stabilization, not to mention sharp (if not quite “DVD quality”) video recording. The Droid’s snapshots might not measure up to, say, the gorgeous photos you can get from the Nokia N97 or the Samsung Memoir on T-Mobile, but it easily bests the often-murky pictures that the iPhone cranks out, particularly in low-light conditions. Winner: Droid
Messaging:
Pretty much an even playing field here, especially since AT&T finally enabled picture messaging for the iPhone. Both the Droid and the iPhone now support corporate Exchange accounts, not to mention push e-mail, Web accounts (like Gmail, of course, Yahoo!, AOL, etc.), and POP/IMAP mailboxes. Both handsets do threaded messaging for SMS and picture messages, but neither has a unified inbox for all your e-mail accounts and text messages (the Android- and MotoBlur-powered Motorola Cliq does, but the Droid doesn’t). Winner: Tie
Apps:
The Android Marketplace is undeniably growing at a steady clip, with about 10,000 free and paid apps now available for download, including some (like Google Voice) that you won’t find on iTunes (or at least, not yet). But who are we kidding: Apple’s App Store has close to one hundred thousand apps, including a wide selection of cutting-edge mobile games (Real Racing, Doom: Resurrection, F.A.S.T. Modern Combat: Sandstorm, for starters), productivity apps (like DataViz’s Docs to Go), communication (Skype, now over 3G), social networking (Facebook, MySpace, Foursquare), sports, weather, navigation … the list goes on. The Android Marketplace may be gaining momentum, but the App Store has a massive head start. Winner: iPhone
Battery life:
The iPhone’s become notorious for its iffy battery life, and for good reason. There are days when my iPhone barely limps past dinnertime, and that’s after only moderate use, and since the iPhone battery is sealed inside the case, you can’t swap in a fresh one when you’re on the road. The Droid, on the other hand, does has a user-replaceable battery, and its battery life is pretty solid; in my tests, it made it though nearly six hours of voice calls on a single charge. Watch out for those multitasking Android apps, though. I unwisely elected to allow IM+, an instant messaging application, to stay connected while the phone was asleep; an hour later, the red-hot Droid was burning a hole in my pocket, and its battery capacity had plunged to just 25 percent. Oops. Winner: Droid
So, which phone is right for you? The Droid? The iPhone? Neither? Let us know.
Those lucky enough to live in Europe will soon (as in November 6th soon) be able to purchase a special edition of that black Nintendo Wii some of us have been drooling over for the past few months. Sure, it’s just a regular Wii… but it’s black, which is so much cooler. Well someone’s finally gotten their hands on it and done an unboxing, and we have to say that it looks even better than it did in the press shots. The limited edition Black Wii bundle with Wii Sports Resort and a Motion Plus controller will run you around £164.99 in the UK, and those of us in the US? Well, we’ll just have to make due with the black controller and nunchuk. There are a few more shots after the break. Hit the read link for the full unboxing and video.
Of course this Iron Man anime is totally badass—Japan’s made cartoons about dudes in robot suits for over 40 years. And of course, Iron Man is blowing up a bunch of other dudes in crazy robot suits.
That bad guy is creepy—like a cross between M. Bison and this dude I saw on the cover of an anime in Blockbuster when I was 5 and gave me nightmares for a while and Guyver.
The show’s for the Japanese market by the animation giant Madhouse, so except for Iron Man looking like Iron Man and beating ass, it won’t be a whole lot like the all-American Iron Man we know. Still, I seriously hope they consider re-importing it so I don’t have to download fansub
Ratchet and Clank A Crack in Time finally brings the graphical quality of pre-rendered CGI to video game consoles.
Insomniac’s hard work has finally produced CGI quality graphics rendered in real-time on the PlayStation 3. Sure, it might not quite be at Wall-E level yet, but Toy Story 2 quality pre-rendered graphics have definately been reached.
Insomniac Games, who have produced more games for the PS3 than any other developer (Resistance 1, Ratchet and Clank: Tools of Destruction, Resistance 2) brings their fourth game, Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time (or what they like to call Clock Blockers) with an even more polished engine.
The pre-defined animation and limited scope of the cutscenes mean that Insomniac can pull more out of the PS3 for their real-time rendered cutscenes in A Crack in Time, though the gameplay graphics are just as spectacular.
Have a look at the comparison picture below, featuring a new screenshot released by Insomniac and Sony (it may be a super-sampled shot, but that’s what you can expect to see in the in-game cutscenes), to see how far video game graphics have come: from a rumoured Sony comment that the PlayStation 2 could produced Toy Story quality graphics, to the reality of Insomniac’s work on the PS3.
Step aside Flip, Samsung’s aiming its massive consumer-electronics guns directly at your point-shoot-n-upload to YouTube base. Samsung’s new HMX-U10 fixed-focus, ultra-compact camcorder takes 10 megapixel stills or 1920 x 1080 Full HD H.264 video to SDHC cards courtesy of a 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor. There’s also a 2-inch LCD so you can playback, edit, or upload your videos with help from Samsung’s built-in Intelli-studio software and USB cable, naturally. Unfortunately, Samsung makes no mention of image stabilization typically missing from these pocket camcorders. We do know, however, that it’ll ship in September for $200 with a footprint measuring 56 x 103 x 15.5-mm / 95g and that peculiarly angled lens first seen on Sammy’s HMX-R10 and SMX-C10 camcorders. So for the same price you get a bigger sensor with higher resolution from a better-looking camera that’s also smaller and lighter than the Flip UltraHD. Care to respond PureDigital Cisco?
About This Game:
Shadow Complex is set in the compelling universe of Empire, Orson Scott Card’s best-selling novel outside of the famed Ender’s Game series. The game provides a fresh twist on classic side-scroller action by delivering an original single-player adventure that unfolds across a range of non-linear levels. Gameplay centers around exploration and fast-paced combat as players gather power-ups to overcome obstacles, thwart enemies, and delve into a mysterious and challenging world.
Shadow Complex propels lost hiker Jason Fleming into the hollows of government conspiracy, dark politics and military upheaval. When Jason and his girlfriend, Claire, accidentally stumble upon a rogue paramilitary group called the Restoration, it soon becomes clear that the faction’s intent is to set in motion a chain of events that will cause America to collapse into a civil war. Assumed to be a government agent, the Restoration captures Claire, and while this initially fuels Jason’s motivation to find justice, he soon discovers the magnitude of what the sinister offshoot has planned. Along the way, Jason acquires many high-tech “toys” the Restoration is developing, and eventually becomes a super-powered engine of destruction.
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