The Stoked Gamer

EVGA X58 SLI Micro Motherboard Launched

2009-07-02T06:02:00.013-06:00

EVGA has unveiled the newest member in their motherboard family the EVGA X58 SLI Micro. As the name indicates this motherboard is packing tons of power on a small piece of PCB real estate. Priced at $199.99, PC gamers looking for a compact solution may have found exactly what they are looking for.

Motherboard Features:

-Supports Intel® Core™ i7 Processors
-Intel® X58 Express Chipset with the ICH10R Southbridge
-Supports over 6.4 Giga-transfers per second
-Supports Intel® Turbo Boost Technology
-Supports RAID 0, 1, 5, 10
-EVGA VDroop Control
-100% Solid State Capacitors
-6 DIMM triple-channel DDR3
-Enthusiast layout supporting 2-way SLI
-6 SATA II 3.0GB/s ports
-EVGA E-LEET Tuning Utility Software
-EVGA EZ Voltage - points at the top of the motherboard for 100% accurate power testing.

Street Fighter IV TE FightSticks Are Finally In Stock

2009-07-01T22:21:00.020-06:00

Perhaps the best way that you can prepare for Street Fighter IV is to get equipped with a solid controller. The Street Fighter IV FightStick Tournament Edition is certainly my favorite. With the special integration of Sanwa arcade parts, the ability to mod the joystick, and compatibility with the PC (Xbox 360 FightSticks only) it is easy to see why.

Unfortunately for MadCatz supply has been a real issue in recent months. The demand for this $150 piece of Street Fighter glory has been rather unprecedented. Obviously many people took advantage of this period of time and sold their sticks for ridiculous prices on eBay.

Finally you can purchase this product from many different online stores. For PC gamers this certainly could not come soon enough, because Street Fighter IV PC is released July 7th. If you still haven't purchased, the following onlines stores currently have them available:

Amazon.com:

Official Street Fighter IV FightStick Tournament Edition for PlayStation 3

Official Street Fighter IV FightStick Tournament Edition for Xbox 360

Buy.com:

Official Street Fighter IV FightStick Tournament Edition for PlayStation 3

Official Street Fighter IV FightStick Tournament Edition for Xbox 360

Newegg.com:

Official Street Fighter IV FightStick Tournament Edition for PlayStation 3

Official Street Fighter IV FightStick Tournament Edition for Xbox 360

Below is a link for SFIV Gaming Bundles and other accessories.

GameShark.com:

Street Fighter IV Gaming Bundles and Accessories

Daily Gaming Picture - Christmas in July

2009-07-01T01:11:00.001-06:00

Nothing quite like getting a 5 Kill Streak to unleash an airstrike with. This picture was taken from the Christmas Crash map on Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. I have been playing with the Zombie Squad lately and it has been a ton of fun. Hurry up November, because I need Modern Warfare 2 right now.

Skate 2: Double-Up Weekend

2009-06-30T15:17:00.013-06:00

The team at Black Box is making getting the Maloof Money Cup DLC even sweeter the opening weekend. To celebrate the real life event, players will earn double cash and XP in all online ranked events. Can't wait for next week. Just when I thought there would be no more Skate 2 DLC...bam here it is!

Fans of Skate 2 will also want to check out the Skate 2 Swag at Zazzle.com.

Official Description:

To celebrate the release of the Maloof Money Cup DLC Pack for Skate 2, the team from Black Box is letting you Double Up on in-game Cash and XP starting July 9th to the 12th! Throughout the weekend, anytime you play an online ranked event you'll earn double the cash and XP!

The Maloof Money Cup DLC Pack is available on July 9th in the PLAYSTATION Store for $3.00 and on Xbox LIVE Marketplace for 240 points in North America.

Splinter Cell: Conviction - Behind Closed Doors #1

2009-06-30T11:29:00.006-06:00

The dev team from Splinter Cell: Conviction provide an interesting look into some of the gameplay mechanics that have been incorporated into Sam Fisher's latest stealth adventure. Everything about this game looks extremely solid. I can't wait.

Battlefield Heroes Gameplay Video

2009-06-29T23:33:00.007-06:00

Below is a video that I captured using Fraps last night. I may not be the best pilot, but this is still a pretty good example of what makes this game so much fun. It is quite the experience having teammates sit on each wing while you fly around shooting at whatever moves. Don't forget to checkout our Battlefield Heroes Review. There is really no excuse not to at least check this game out, because it is free and will run on almost any computer.

Skate 2: Maloof Money Cup DLC

2009-06-29T23:13:00.004-06:00

So extremely stoked for this. If there is one game this year I have put the most hours into it is Black Box's Skate 2. Generally I do not take the time to collect all of the achievements in a game, but Skate 2 for me is an exception. I have earned all 1,250 achievement Points. This will be a day one purchase for me. Hopefully I can get the next 250 achievement Points.

Official Press Release:

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. - June 24, 2009 - Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) announced today that starting July 9 gamers can download and compete in Skate 2's Maloof Money Cup Pack, based on the largest pursed event in the history of professional skateboarding. The pack will be available in the PLAYSTATION® Store for $3.00 and on Xbox LIVE® Marketplace for 240 points in North America.

"Skate 2 has been embraced by the gaming and skateboarding community across the globe, making it the perfect stage for the Maloof Money Cup's videogame debut," said Joe Maloof, President of Maloof Companies. "Now players everywhere can experience the world's greatest skateboarding championship and revel in the high-stakes excitement of the competition for themselves."

Skate 2's Maloof Money Cup Pack will feature separate gameplay events both online and offline - freeskate, single player vert and street contests that put gamers against world class pros, and an online competition in which gamers will be able to compete against their friends in new activities and challenges for bragging rights. Xbox 360 gamers get an added bonus as there are 250 achievement points up for grabs.

The Maloof Money Cup presented by etnies and Monster Energy boasts the largest purse in the history of professional skateboarding with nearly $450,000 in cash and prizes. The three-day competition and festival takes place July 10-12, 2009 at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa, Calif., during the opening weekend of the OC Fair. All attendees can ride the virtual course for themselves in the Skate 2 booth, located near the front of the festival, where the Maloof Money Cup Pack will be available for playing.

Skate 2 ups the ante in delivering all the grit, creativity, and culture of skateboarding with all-new tricks that allow players to skate it their way - both on and off the board. Gamers can create their own epic skate spots which can then be shared and experienced by others around the world. The game also features a revamped Thrasher Hall of Meat mode that will have players spending countless hours pulling off bone-crushing wipeouts and bails.

Skate 2 is developed by Black Box, an Electronic Arts Inc. studio in Burnaby, British Columbia. The game is rated "T" for Teen by the ESRB and 16+ by PEGI.

Daily Gaming Picture - Another Batarian Bites the Dust

2009-06-29T19:33:00.006-06:00

Shoot first ask questions later. So goes the philosophy when encountering Batarians in Bioware's recently released title Mass Effect Galaxy for the iPhone and iTouch. Expect a review posted very shortly. Considering that the game is only $2.99, it is a must have for any Mass Effect fan.

Tales of Monkey Island Trailer & Game Update

2009-06-29T12:29:00.016-06:00

PC gamers who enjoyed adventure games in the 90's will certainly remember the Monkey Island series. Filled with great humor and plenty of puzzles it was yet another gem for the LucasArts adventure repertoire. For years fans have been hopeful that a new game would be released for the series. Thankfully LucasArts has teamed up with TellTale Games to create an episodic series of adventures for the game's protagonist Guybrush Threepwood.

This fifth installment of Monkey Island named Tales of Monkey Island will be released for the PC and Nintendo Wii (WiiWare). Each month a new episode will arrive with the very first entitled "Launch of the Screaming Narwhal" releasing July 7th.

Right now over at the Telltale Games website you can pre-order the season for only $34.95 which also includes the following bonuses:

-All 5 Games Delivered Monthly
-Collector's DVD (available at the end of the season for the cost of shipping)
-Exclusive DVD slipcase painted by Steve Purcell
-Free TellTale Games episode of your choice
-Access to exclusive monkey island section of Telltale's Site

For fans of the series and newcomers alike this is an awesome deal, but you better act fast this deal only lasts till July 6th. Hopefully at some point we can also get some Day of the Tentacle, Grim Fandango, and Full Throttle action as well. Also don't forget that The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition will also be available this summer for Xbox Live Arcade and the PC. To help get you ready for all of this swashbuckling action, you may want to download the free soundtrack to the Monkey Island series.

Official Description:

While explosively stripping the evil pirate LeChuck of his demonic mojo, Guybrush Threepwood inadvertently infects the entire Caribbean with the arch-fiend's expelled voodoo, which threatens to transform buccaneers into unruly pirate monsters. Pursued by a notorious cut-throat Pirate Hunter and a creepy French Physician who believes that Guybrush's eerily-infected hand holds the secret of eternal life, Threepwood sails the seven seas in search of La Esponja Grande, a legendary sea sponge with unparalleled voodoo exfoliating abilities. But little does Guybrush know, his quest is part of a larger, more sinister plot, and good and evil are not always as they seem…

Who can Guybrush trust? Where can he turn? Everything you think you know will be challenged as Tales of Monkey Island builds to its unexpected finale!

Review: Battlefield Heroes

2009-06-28T20:55:00.015-06:00

In case you hadn't heard EA has finally released Battlefield Heroes out of beta. It is now open to the public to play for free. Yes..that's right for free. The game itself does not cost a penny beyond having an average PC with an Internet connection. You can go ahead and download and get playing at BattlefieldHeroes.com.

Instead of charging money for the game EA uses microtransactions to generate revenue. Each player has the option of purchasing Battlefunds. A payment structure kind of like Microsoft points is used. In this case $5.00 will purchase 700 Battlefunds and so on. These funds can be used to customize your heroes with clothing, weapons, experience boosts etc.

Currently in Battlefield Heroes you can select between two factions that resemble the British and German armies from World War II. The player can then choose between the soldier, gunner, and commando classes. You can create up to four different heroes total.

Each class offers different weapons and abilities and the battlefield. Obviously with the ability to create multiple heroes, it is good to at least have a hero from each class.

The gameplay itself is based on classic Battlefield 1942 in which each team tries to capture various points on the map. A few vehicles are available at your disposal to accomplish this task such as planes, tanks, and jeeps. Your team wins when they can make the other teams ticker reach zero. This is mostly through kills on the battlefield.

Controlling your character can be somewhat difficult, considering all gameplay is from the 3rd person view. Also the lack of a sprint function can make reaching the next point rather tedious if a vehicle is not close by. I'm not sure if I would completely categorize the character movement as slow and clunky, but it certainly isn't fluid.

Even with the above mentioned control issues I still have had quite a bit of fun with the game. In fact I usually find myself playing about six matches in a row during sessions. In total I have probably played about 45 matches between my beta participation and the publicly released version.

Stoked:

-Fun atmosphere with vibrant cartoon graphics. The player animations can be hilarious at times. It seems that EA was going for a cross between Team Fortess 2 and World War II. This works decently although I still prefer the characters from TF2.
-Classic Battlefield gameplay. In others words crazy things are happening all of the time. Nothing is quite like jumping out of a plane, parachuting into a tank, and then taking out 3 enemies to take control of a point on the map.
-FREE! This should be stated again and again. For a free game certainly expectations should not be through the roof. Nobody is forcing you to purchase Battlefunds. You can jump over to BattlefieldHeroes.com and start playing right after download.

Broke:

-Movement can feel sluggish from the 3rd person view. You can adjust mouse sensitivity, but it doesn't always help.
-Balance on the battlefield can be affected by the amount of players using perks from Battlefunds.

Daily Gaming Picture - Wallace and Gromit Ep3: Muzzled

2009-06-28T19:39:00.007-06:00

A really great episode. I highly recommend it to fans of the Wallace and Gromit Series. I am always impressed by Telltale Games.

Daily Gaming Picture - Poor Electronic Gaming Monthly

2009-06-27T15:25:00.009-06:00

To Maxim or Not to Maxim...That is the question.

Steam Weekend Deal - Might and Magic Games 50% Off

2009-06-26T19:13:00.004-06:00

For this weekend only, you can pick up any of the Heroes of Might and Magic V games or Dark Messiah Might and Magic for 50% off. Basically that makes every game seperately just $4.99. Not a bad deal at all. In fact you can also buy the Heroes Pack which includes all three Heroes of Might and Magic V games and Dark Messiah Might and Magic for $19.99.

Certainly these are not the newest games, but they can still be pretty fun to play. Below you can view the launch trailer for Dark Messiah Might and Magic. Be warned the trailer includes quite a bit of blood.

Daily Gaming Picture - Favorite iPhone Games

2009-06-26T13:00:00.014-06:00

Introducing a new feature that will run everyday the Daily Gaming Picture. Below you can see the very first entry. Enjoy!

Split/Second Explosive Gameplay Trailer

2009-06-25T18:25:00.002-06:00

In 2010 gamers everywhere will have the opportunity to dive into Black Rock/Disney Interactive Studios newest racer Split/Second. Coming off the extremely fun ATV racing title Pure, these studios are offering a different take on the average racer. In order to stop your opponents it will require fantastic timing.

Official Game Description:

Split/Second is an intense arcade action racing game set within the world of a hyper-competitive reality TV show. Competitors vie to be the first across the finish line in a made-for-TV city built for destruction, with the ultimate goal of being the season champion.

Competitors in Split/Second don't just collide with other vehicles to knock them from the track—they can also trigger explosive events that drastically alter the dynamics of the race. Players must use strategy and pinpoint timing to derail opponents, tactically alter the track or create entirely new routes.

This new explosive style of racing was highly regarded by the critics at this years E3. In fact Split/Second won Best Racing Game of E3 2009. This is quite an accomplishment considering that Blur, Forza Motorsport 3, ModNation Racers, and Need for Speed Shift were also nominated. Below you can view the list of the critics who judged and also the E3 trailer.

Metroid Prime Trilogy Collector's Edition Box Art

2009-06-24T20:34:00.011-06:00

Revealed today is the official Metroid Prime Trilogy box art. Personally I was hoping for something more along the lines of this design. Still the official design looks really good and does come with an art booklet, metal packaging and more.

Regardless of how much you love the Nintendo Wii or not, the Metroid Prime Trilogy should be on a your must have list for gaming purchases this year. It is an incredible amount of value that Nintendo is offering with the release of Metroid Prime Trilogy on one disc. Currently Amazon.com is offering the Metroid Prime Trilogy Collector's Editionfor only $46.99 with free shipping. Such a fantastic deal for such awesome games. I can't wait to play the first two games with revamped Wii controls.

Official Product Description:

Metroid™ Prime 3: Corruption set a new standard for first-person motion controls in video games. Now it's bringing those controls to the rest of the celebrated series, allowing players to experience the entire Metroid Prime story arc with the peerless precision of the Wii Remote. Nintendo announces Metroid Prime Trilogy, a new premium three-game collection for the Wii console that bundles all three landmark Metroid Prime games onto one disc and revamps the first two installments with intuitive Wii Remote controls, wide-screen presentation and other enhancements. Metroid Prime Trilogy will be available exclusively for Wii on Aug. 24 at a suggested retail price of $49.99.

Each game maintains its original storyline and settings, but now Metroid Prime and Metroid Prime 2: Echoes let players use their Wii Remote to aim with precision as heroine Samus Aran. Based on the breakthrough control system that debuted in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, these new Wii controls bring an entirely new level of immersion and freedom to these milestone games.

Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood Trailers & Preview

2009-06-23T18:31:00.010-06:00

On June 30th Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood will be available for the PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. PC gamers who purchase Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood on Steam, also receive the original Call of Juarez for free. Specifically when the orginal game was released on the PC it was impressive due to the DirectX 10 utilization. This made the game very impressive graphically at the time. Unfortunately the original only received mixed or average reviews.

Polish developer Techland and publisher Ubisoft are obviously hoping that their next entry in this wild west series is received well. At least from the gameplay footage I have seen, the game looks fantastic. So saddle up this game is available in less than a week. Any Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kidfans out there?

Below you will find two trailers and the official description of the game.

Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood - Brothers Trailer

Official Game Description:

THE MCCALLS ARE COMING

THE OLD WEST, 1864. In order to save their family, the McCall brothers will kill anyone who stands between them and the legendary Gold of Juarez. But when the allure of women and money tests their bond as brothers, will the blood they share prove to be thicker?

Become a Gunslinger – Harness a variety of weapons from various pistols to heavy-caliber cannons and machine guns. Every accurate shot increases your concentration, which allows you to unleash deadly shooting modes when outnumbered – and even deadlier ones when the brothers work together.

Dual Collaborative Gameplay – Choose to embody Ray or Thomas, each with a distinctive gameplay style (close- or long-range), specific abilities (lasso, dynamite, etc.) and arsenal of deadly weapons (dual guns, long-range carbine, etc.). Take advantage of each of their strengths and you just might survive some of the fiercest fights imaginable.

Never Before Seen Western Experience – Experience iconic settings full of outlaws in the West before it was tamed. The McCall brothers face a renegade Apache Chief, a greedy Mexican bandit, a vindictive colonel – just a few of the underhanded villains standing in the brothers’ way. Explore the vast natural landscapes of the mythical Wild West and its legendary period on horseback and in wagons and canoes.

Innovative Online Multiplayer – Unique modes, numerous maps and a variety of classes guarantee endless hours of Wild West action.

Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood - Oh Mama Trailer

Street Fighter IV PC - Video Comparison 30 FPS vs 60 FPS

2009-06-22T01:28:00.030-06:00

One of the most impressive characteristics of Street Fighter IV is the beautiful artistic style that it employs. The graphics and gameplay were spectacular on both the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions, however it is very apparent from the Street Fighter IV PC Benchmark that the game has been fine tuned for it's launch on the PC platform. This is especially evident due to the great amount of graphical settings available to tweak, and the great performance which can be exhibited even on average PC gaming rigs. The game really scales well. Although I am not suggesting that the SFIV is playable necessarily on your laptop, if you have invested in some of the more recent gaming solutions from ATI or NVIDIA then you should be well equipped.

I have captured two videos of the Street Fighter IV PC Benchmark using Fraps. The first video below is locked at 30 frames per second. It is obvious through watching the video below that 30 FPS simply is not playable. And yet there is real value in watching this first video. By slowing the video down to 30 FPS you really start to notice the amazing amount of detail in this game. The character animations are gorgeous and graceful (especially Chun-Li's moves).

The purpose of this video comparison is to help establish a better appreciation of how beautiful SFIV really is. The game looks stunning both at 30 FPS and 60 FPS, but to really enjoy this game your PC should support at least 60 FPS.

Please Note: The videos below were encoded from a 1080p source. By shrinking the size and uploading them the quality has suffered a bit.

Street Fighter IV PCBenchmark At 30 FPS

The second video portrays Street Fighter IV PC running at 60 frames per second. To run this game smoothly it is important that your PC can at least meet the 60 FPS standard. You can either upgrade your video card or turn down the eye candy if you're worried that your PC can't handle this game. I may sound like a graphics wh0re, but there is no way I will purchase a PC game if I can't max out the settings. ;) Enjoy the videos.

Street Fighter IV PC Benchmark At 60 FPS

Street Fighter IV TE FightSticks Are Finally In Stock

Burnout Paradise: Crash TV 35 - Big Surf Island Cars

2009-06-20T19:42:00.006-06:00

If you are still having a difficult time figuring out to unlock all of the Big Surf Island cars, then watch the video below. Big Surf Island designer Tommy Noob explains how to unlock all 9 Big Surf Island cars, including the extremely difficult and time consuming unlock of the Jansen P12 Diamond.

As we explained in our Big Surf Island Review, the Dust Storm Superturbo is an incredible vehicle to drive. You will also want to take the Legendary Toy Cars for a spin as well. And let us not forget the Hunter Olympus Governor which is a takedown beast. To make a long story short all 9 cars are awesome!

Steam Weekend Deal - Empire: Total War 50% Off

2009-06-19T14:39:00.007-06:00

For this weekend only, Empire: Total War and Empire: Total War Special Forces Edition are 50% off on Steam. This is really a great deal! If you have not had a chance to play this great game I would suggest downloading the demo. On second thought, for this price you may be better served just purchasing this game while you can. Empire: Total War is highly acclaimed by all reviewers and this was before the patches had come out to make it even better.

On June 22nd The Creative Assembly will be releasing Update 1.3 for Empire: Total War. According to the full features list this is sure to a game changing update. It is always nice to see developers pampering their game and listening to their community.

If you are trying to decide between Empire: Total War and Empire: Total War Special Forces Edition, I would suggest going with the latter. Paying only $34.99 for this much content is really the way to go. See you on the battlefield.

Street Fighter IV PC Benchmark Results & Screenshots

2009-06-18T02:52:00.018-06:00

A few days ago the Street Fighter IV PC Benchmark was released. Street Fighter IV is superb on consoles, but I have been very interested to see what the game plays like and looks like on a PC. Fortunately with this new benchmark I have been able to test this and it looks incredible.

I have used the benchmark a total of 24 times. Each time has been very impressive. I have not experienced any slowdown and the animations have been even smoother than what I have experienced on the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions. Considering how great this game is on consoles, this is spectacular news for PC gamers.

The PC Settings in the menu consists of a plethora of graphical options to tweak. You can set the antialiasing from none all the way to C16xQAA. There are also a number of resolution, framerate, texture, and shadow settings. There is simply tons to tweak if you are not getting the FPS that you desire.

The benchmark consists of 3 different fights and one scene of the original Street Fighter gang spinning in a circle. All of the fights are very exciting. Many of the moves which are shown can be very difficult to reproduce when actually playing the game. Thankfully there are some awesome accessories available for purchase that work on the PC. Especially I would recommend the Official Street Fighter IV Tournament Edition FightStick. It is really nice that these fantastic arcade sticks are finally in stock at many online retail locations. Kudos to MadCatz for finally having the supply to meet the unprecedented demand.

My test setup for the benchmark included the following:

OS: Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit
CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad 9650 @ 3.0GHz
Memory: Corsair Domainator DDR3 1800 4GB
Graphics Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 280 SSC
Display Setting: 1920x1080 60Hz
Graphic Settings: All Settings Maxed

Certainly not the newest setup, but powerful nevertheless. In case you are concerned if your PC will be able to handle this game you may want to checkout the Street Fighter IV PC Requirements.

The above screenshot represents the benchmark score I achieved the very first time that I tested. Not bad at all! Averaging at least 60 FPS the entire bench session. V-sync was turned on, but obviously that does not guarantee 60 FPS if your system can not handle it. Very impressive considering that I had all settings maxed. The benchmark was buttery smooth.

Now this interesting. This is the result I achieved by alt tabbing out of the benchmark and then returning after it was finished. Obviously this is an absolutely awesome result. Maybe it is an NVIDIA driver issue or pehaps alt tabbing throttles the graphics card.

Needless to say I am downright stoked for Street Fighter IV on the PC. It appears that it will be an incredible experience. Street Fighter IV PC will be available on July 7th. You can purchase Street Fighter IV in two different varitions. One with a Ryu fightpad controller bundled with the game and another that comes with the game only.

- Street Fighter IV MadCatz Bundle

- Street Fighter IV

Below you will find many screenshots which I took while running the benchmark.

Compete Virtually Against Tiger Woods At The US Open

2009-06-17T19:23:00.017-06:00

This weekend millions of golf fans will tune into watch the US Open being played at Bethpage Black in New York. As with almost every tournament he plays in, Tiger Woods is highly favored to win. If Tiger is victorious this weekend it will be his 15th Major Championship Title.

The grand majority of us will never have a chance to compete against Tiger Woods and the rest of PGA players in real life. EA Sports however has made it possible to compete virtually in Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2010. Each gamer can play against the pros scores in real-time via a new feature called Live Tournaments. Specifically the mode found within Live Tournaments called Play the Pros.

According to EA's Mike DeVault:

This tournament type will allow you to compete each week directly against the pro golfer's scores from that week's professional golf tournament. So, for example, when the game ships in June, you will be able to play against Tiger and the boys at the U.S. Open at Bethpage vs. their real life scores, at the course the tournament is being played at, with live weather and as the tournament is happening! These tournaments will start on the Thursday of that week's pro tournament and go through the weekend. There will only be one difficulty setting for Play the Pros, since this tournament type is meant to be the ultimate golf test. We've made sure to customize and tune the settings in Play the Pros tournaments to ensure your scores will be competitive against those of the real life pro golfers. One other unique aspect to Play the Pros tournaments is that unlike Daily and Weekly Tournaments, here, you will only be competing against the pro golfer's scores. So there won't be any other online gamers to contend with.

Starting tomorrow morning you can play aginst the pros scores right from the comfort of your own couch. The US Open is scheduled from June 18th - June 21st. Make sure to tee it up this weekend. It should be a lot of fun to try this new feature. By the way rain is in the forcast, so hopefully you play well when the course is soggy!

Battlefield 1943 Trailers & Release Date Update

2009-06-17T10:53:00.013-06:00

Battlefield 1943 will be available on Xbox LIVE Arcade and the PlayStation Network for download this summer and on PC later this fall. For only $14.99 or 1200 MS points you will be able to download the entire game. A really great deal especially if you are Battlefield fan!

There had been rumors circulating that the console release would be delayed till September. The Official Battlefield 1943 Twitter Page says otherwise:

"September Console delay is not true, Twitter and a Press Release will confirm this before anyone else. Hear it here first for the core fans!"

Initally three maps will be available to play after purchase: Iwo Jima, Wake Island and Guadalcanal. A fourth map will be unlocked at a later time. You can find out the details below in the official description and video.

"Here are the details for the battle plan: the goal to accumulate 43 million kills will begin for Battlefield 1943. The more time you spend putting lead in the bodies of your sworn enemies, the quicker everyone will be able to play Coral Sea. To keep track of the progress keep visiting the website to view the real time kill counter per platform of how you and your fellow soldiers are progressing towards the goal of 43 Million.

Coral Sea is the ultimate online multiplayer dog fighting map ever released! With two aircraft carriers supplying your team with all the F4U and Zero fighters you’ll need as your conquest to control the skies and make your place in history as an Ace Pilot of Battlefield 1943. Use the volcanic island terrain to your advantage and flank your enemies or weave in and out of the low arches to avoid enemy fire. Stay with your wingman, practice the Thach Weave, and soon you’ll dominate the skies of the Pacific! The choice is yours once you’ve helped achieve the 43,000,000 kills."

Zune HD To Use NVIDIA's Tegra Mobile Processor

2009-06-16T10:10:00.016-06:00

Ryan Shrout over at PC Perspective reports that Microsoft's Zune HD will be powered by NVIDIA's Tegra processor.

I actually learned this fact from some NVIDIA staffers over at Computex in early June but I guess I just didn't realize how "news worthy" the information was. No longer do you have to worry about "rumors" on the subject - Tegra has its first major design win.

NVIDIA Tegra likely won the design with impressive statistics like its ability to decode a video stream using just 150 mWatts of power and output audio at only 20 mWatts.

The Zune HD features a stunning 3.3-in OLED touch screen display with a resolution of 480x272 and can playback just about any video including high quality H.264 content. While the resolution on the screen is somewhat limiting, the Zune HD has an HDMI output that will support HD video up to 720p - thus the need for a powerful graphics-based processor like NVIDIA's Tegra. The device also includes an HD radio receiver, IE-based web browser, Wi-Fi and accelerometers for rotation support. Overall I think it will make a great competitor to Apple's iPod touch line up when it comes out later this year.

While we first looked at the technology behind Tegra in June of 2008, the SoC made its first big splash in the technology world at Computex this year where a host of new devices including netbook and MIDs were shown integrating it. Not only that, but Tegra will be the first chip that supports Adobe Flash acceleration - a move that could make the Zune HD the first portable device to get an integrated Flash Player! If that happens, Microsoft might finally have the killer feature needed to give Apple a run for its money.

If Adobe's Flash Player can really be integrated into the Zune HD, it is quite possible that Microsoft will give Apple some serious competition. Churning out flash games is quite a bit easier and faster for developers. Not only that, the browser used in Zune HD would be far superior to what Apple offers with it's Safari Browser on the iPhone and iTouch. Flash based websites would finally be viewable using Zune HD. It will be exciting to see what Microsoft has in store this fall.

You can learn more about the Zune HD and sign up for updates at the official Zune HD webpage.

80 Thermal Compounds Tested and Reviewed

2009-06-16T02:26:00.010-06:00

Nothing can kill an extended PC gaming session more than an unstable system. Any PC gamer who is also a hardware enthusiast understands how critical cooling is. Primarly the CPU who is recognized as the component that needs proper cooling the most.

BenchmarkReviews.com offers an intersting look into the world of CPU cooling with it's review of 80 different thermal paste cooling products.

From the article:

"As I've reiterated over an over again in the article, no thermal paste will offer better results than a properly prepared processor and cooler surface with mounting hardware that creates very high contact pressure. To the average hardware enthusiasts, this doesn't mean very much, since they don't usually want to spend the hours/days/weeks of time lapping, polishing, buffing, and testing the various aspects of their tweak to achieve the best performance. In a classic Hare fashion, they simply want to buy the product and enjoy the same results as earned by the Tortoise. Overclockers know: this isn't a foot race, and slow, steady, deliberate preparations and testing are the only way to obtain dramatic performance improvements."

For anyone with overclocking experience it can take a lot of time, effort, and patience before your PC is tweaked just right. Certainly having the right cooling solution right at the get go can make all of the difference.

Quite a few recognizable products performed very well such as Arctic Silver 5 and OCZ Freeze. Also there were quite a few standouts that are less well known.

BenchmarkReviews.com: 80-way Thermal Interface Material Performance Test