NVIDIA’s® latest 28nm GPU technology offers the best gaming, multimedia, and 3D experience available on the PC and is further enhanced with ASUS’ exclusive GPU Tweak utility
for ultimate control and tunin...

Fremont, CA (March 22, 2012) - The ASUS GTX 680 graphics card features NVIDIA’s® next generation 28nm GPU design that offers the most immersive gaming and media experience. NVIDIA® GPU Boost technology dynamically maximizes clock speeds for maximum performance, while the 28nm GeForce GTX 680 GPU features a very efficient and power friendly design thanks to its SMX architecture. ASUS GPU Tweak helps gamers and overclockers make the most of this powerhouse card through a flexible and intuitive user interface. NVIDIA® Adaptive Vertical Sync promotes a smoother game experience with all details set to maximum and NVIDIA® 3D Vision® provides the best 3D gaming and media experience on the PC.
Harness the latest NVIDIA® GPU technology
Based on the new 28nm “Kepler” architecture, the ASUS GTX 680 delivers unmitigated DirectX® 11 performance and full readiness for the next phase of PC entertainment, which will take gamers and multimedia consumers beyond full HD. Due to its unparalleled processing power, the GeForce GTX 680 can handle ultra HD or 4K resolutions in games and video, extending visual finesse and quality beyond current standards. At the same time, 28nm GPU design means reduced power consumption and greater efficiency, leading to a modest 195W TDP under load.

With its 1536 CUDA cores, the GeForce GTX 680 offers enhanced general processing GPU output to speed up overall system performance. It ships with a 256-bit memory interface and 2GB of GDDR5 clocked at 6008MHz. The new dynamic NVIDIA® GPU Boost modulation means the card can alternate between the base clock of 1006MHz and then increase 1058MHz to or more when extra frames per second are needed in the most demanding games. This flexible design is further improved upon by ASUS through the presence of exclusive GPU Tweak.

Real time intuitive tuning improves graphical fidelity
ASUS GPU Tweak has established a firm reputation among gamers and overclockers as the most flexible and intuitive graphics tuning suite on the market. It features improved GPU versatility via unlocking a wider clock speed range, and therefore blends in seamlessly with the new GPU Boost design from NVIDIA®. GPU Tweak allows overclockers to get the most out of the ASUS GTX 680, with its intuitive and accessible interface putting all tuning resources within easy reach. It can safely overclock the GPU beyond reference specifications and offers improved 2D/3D benchmarking via mode locking. Gamers can also pull up an on-screen widget for instant card monitoring. GPU Tweak ensures the ASUS GTX 680 performs at peak levels with live driver and BIOS updates as they become available.

Smoother and richer gaming with Adaptive Vertical Sync and 3D Vision™
The GeForce GTX 680 serves as the launch vehicle for NVIDIA’s® Adaptive Vertical Sync technology, which dynamically varies VSync on and off to display frames in a regular cadence that minimizes stuttering or reduces tearing in games. The ASUS GTX 680 features an all-new display engine that is capable of driving three displays for gaming and an additional fourth accessory display simultaneously. With its improved performance, the GeForce GTX 680 natively supports NVIDIA® 3D Vision® Surround multi-monitor gaming from a single GPU. NVIDIA® 3D Vision® is compatible with hundreds of PC titles, many of them designed to make the most of it from the ground up. GeForce GTX 680’s display engine also fully supports HDMI 1.4a, 4k monitors, multi-stream audio and a new film-style AA technique called TXAA.

The Blades of Time

Play as the gorgeous gunsword-wielding treasure hunter Ayumi as she carves a path of destruction through a mysterious and dangerous island. While rich with bounty, the island is also caught in the throes of Chaos magic. Ayumi soon discovers that it is also the home of thousands of long-held secrets, including special powers and abilities that she can gain for herself.

Blades of Time offers plenty of variety but without much substance. Combat is fun, levels are enjoyable, and enemies are challenging, but nothing is significant enough to be memorable. It’s fun for the moment, but easily forgotten by the weekend.

2012 Most Anticipated: MASS EFFECT 3

Mass Effect is one of the biggest new IPs this generation. Stepping into the space boots of Shepard, fans of the franchise have seen their fair share of near universal destruction in the first two entries of the series. In a more RPG orientated third-person, we guided the first human Spectre through his mission to take down Saren, a rogue Spectre, as he tries to help Sovereign, a Reaper, gain control of the Citadel and call forth the full Reaper fleet.

We’ve also seen our Intergalactic hero endure a number of tricky situations. With the help of his squad mates, old and new, we sought to defeat the Collectors, an insect-like species that live beyond the Omega-4 relay. Depending on how you play through the game and the decisions you make on the final mission, you may find yourself without a full squad and it is moments like these that have made the series quite special.

OMG angry birds in outer space

I wonder if they'll be knocking out aliens...

New Ipad making waves in video gaming market

REUTERS - Apple Inc's (AAPL.O) faster and sharper-looking new iPad is drawing the notice of the traditional video game industry, as developers are envisioning games for it that have more in common with the visceral 3D shooter "Call of Duty" than "FarmVille."
The company is also setting itself up to take on Microsoft (MSFT.O) and Sony (6758.T) on their home turf of console games.
From Electronic Arts to "Crysis" developers Crytek, industry executives are figuring out ways to migrate graphics-intensive so-called hardcore games to the iPad. Epic Games and Namco Bandai (7832.T) took the stage at Apple's iPad unveiling this week to show off what they can do with an iPad that has a faster quad core processor.
With more than 55 million iPads sold to date, including 15.43 million last quarter, the tablet is quickly catching up to the number of consoles on the market: the PlayStation 3 has sold 62 million units and Xbox 360 has moved more than 65 million units. That growing user base is drawing developers who want to see their games played on as many devices as possible.
"Apple is definitely building their devices as if they care a lot about 'triple-A' games," said Mike Capps, president of Epic Games, the studio behind "Gears of War" for consoles and "Infinity Blade" for the iPad.
The "triple-A" moniker is bequeathed to only the highest-quality video games -- those with the best graphics and that cost in the tens of millions of dollars to produce. So far, not many "triple-A" titles appear on mobile devices.
Capps, who has appeared on stage at all three of Apple's iPad launches, said he is trying to push the console manufacturers, Sony and Microsoft, to come out with more powerful devices so they do not get left behind. On Wednesday, he told the crowd in San Francisco the new iPad has better screen resolution and more memory than Microsoft's Xbox and Sony's PlayStation.
While gamers today might still prefer to play shooter games at home on big screen TVs with a handheld controller, that could soon change, Capps said, especially if a bluetooth controller is developed for the iPad.
"It is quite easy to imagine a world where an iPad is more powerful than a home console, where it wirelessly talks to your TV and wirelessly talks to your controller and becomes your new console," Capps said in an interview.
Meanwhile, the industry is bracing for change. Frank Gibeau, president of Electronic Arts' Labels (EA.O), who oversees the company's biggest games such as "Battlefield 3" and "Star Wars: The Old Republic," said the company is eyeing Apple's moves closely.
"When the iPad gets to the processing power that's equal to an Xbox 360 and it connects to a television, that's no big deal to us. We'll put the game through the iPad and have it display through the television." Gibeau said.
BRING ON THE GAMES
EA has already brought some games from its marquee franchises to the iPad: "Dead Space" and "Mass Effect".
For publishers, "it used to be, oh hey, it's just the Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft show, but that's not the case anymore," Gibeau said.
Germany's Crytek, which developed "Crysis 2" for consoles and PCs, is working on its first game for the iPad, due out in the spring. While that game will be puzzle-based -- minus the free-wheeling pyrotechnics -- the company said it could one day bring that genre of hardcore games to the device.
"As more people come to these platforms, we have to follow our fans," said Kristoffer Waardahl, a Crytek studio manager.
While speedier iPads will soon be getting into more gamers hands, Jeremy Parish, editor in chief of gaming blog 1UP.com, said it does not necessarily put pressure on console makers to come out with a new product any faster. The Xbox 360 launched in 2005 and the PlayStation 3 came out in 2006.
"For the console makers, it has got be a little bit of an embarrassment to say that this tablet has more power and better screen resolution. But at the same time, this will not be the motivating factor to get them to jump into a new generation of consoles," Parish said.
Yet the industry is counting on a new wave of gaming hardware in the near future. Nintendo will release the "Wii U," its first console with high-definition graphics, later this year.
For now, experts are divided as to whether the new iPad will make a dent on consoles but at least one investor said he does expect sales of rival gaming products to be hurt.
"While consoles won't cease to exist, it does create pressure on them by hurting their growth and taking away some of their customers," said Michael Yoshikami, CEO of Destination Wealth Management.
Sony spokesman Dan Race said "the PlayStation 3 business is having its strongest year ever" and the "PlayStation $249 price point is resonating with gamers and families alike."
Nintendo's U.S. executive vice president of sales and marketing, Scott Moffitt said "Regardless of the device, consumers have repeatedly demonstrated that they care more about the experience than the tech specs."
Microsoft declined to comment.
Apart from the iPad, Apple's fledgling TV product is also being watched closely by video game companies. Hudson Square analyst Dan Ernst said he doubts the iPad will affect console sales, but said an Apple TV with an app store could one day pose a viable threat.
-Reuters.

Orcs must die

Just add Orcs and plunge into the melee. Taking the Tower Defense genre to a new perspective, Orcs Must Die! (OMD) prompt players to take the defensive against the hordes of Orcs threatening to overwhelm.

The premise of OMD is about as simple as the title. Players play as an impulsive and overconfident Apprentice tasked to defend the “rifts” from the combined horde of the Orcs and the Mob. The Orcs are similar to the brutish green skin obnoxious creatures found in the Lord of the Rings.

The Mob on the otherhand, is composed of Ogres, Goblins, and Gnolls. The hordes’ true intentions and motivation are unknown as to why they attack the fortresses, but it is hinted that life beyond the rift is better than the life they have in Dead World.

The objective in OMD is simple--- to prevent the enemy forces from reaching the rifts. At each level, player is given a number of life points. If an enemy manages to enter the rift or if the Apprentice dies, the player’s points are deducted.

Each round starts ten seconds after the previous round, after a number of rounds, the player is given a grace period. This grace period gives the player a chance to choose the time of the assault paving way for dismantling and setting traps.

After finishing a level, the player is given a new device to be used in the next stage. These tools are extremely useful in the consequent levels as their strengths are fully utilized with the construction of the level. Levels range from easy levels such as bottleneck bridges, to the harder ones such as halls with more than two entrances.

Traps are the real star in this OMD. Deadly contraptions range from the cartoonish ground pounder, to the traditional floor spikes, down to the gruesome wall grinder. Traps are organized depending on how they are placed and can be upgraded by accumulating orc skulls at the end of each level.

Acquisition of orc skulls are dependent on the player’s performance and may be used to shorten the cooldown times of traps or increase their triggering range.

The Apprentice stands as the last line of defense if all else fails. The player can choose a number of items to equip him depending on his/her playing style. Equipments such as melee spears, fire and ice bracers, and wind belts can be used in synergy with the traps and surroundings.

OMD is cartoonish in terms of presentation. Characters are modeled in a way that would remind you of 3D movies such as Toy Story but with blood and gore. Though violent in its presentation, it’s a bit toned down compared to what we have in our gaming shelves. On the audio side, the audio presentation of OMD is both creative and engaging. The Apprentice will spew out comedic statements from time to time and will definitely tickle some bones. The music itself will inspire the player to cut down some orcs with its speed inducing tunes.

Robot Entertainment developed a game that fully exemplifies what games should be: fun. It may be neither a hardcore shooter nor an intensive RPG game, but I will definitely recommend OMD to persons who love to play tower defense.

Toshiba Excite 10 LE

Soon to come is the TOSHIBA EXCITE 10 LE

Its a beautiful slate, with a 10.1 inch led backlit display, a 7.7 mm ( 0.3-inch) chassis and 1280 x 800 resolution. The cheaper version of the LE has 16GB of storage, while 32GB can be yours for of course a higher price. Both variants are wifi only and will run Android 3.2 out of the box, but they'll be upgradeable to ICS. The 1.2 GHz TI OMAP 4430 processor works up to eight hours on charge; connectivity includes micro-usb, HDMI, microSD; the rear camera shoots 1080p video and 5-megapixel stills.