Battlefield 4 multiplayer beta opens October 1

It’s been known for over a year that a multiplayer beta of Battlefield 4 would debut before the game’s public launch. The game is slated for release on October 29 and now thanks to a recent post from EA’s Peter Moore, we know the multiplayer beta will debut on October 1.

What’s more, the beta will be available for the PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Next generation console hopefuls are out of luck for obvious reasons: the game is launching on other platforms before the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 are scheduled to hit stores. EA, however, envisions players buying the game for current generation consoles to learn the maps and whatnot before transitioning to next generation systems once they become available.

Based on information mined from the game’s official FAQ, beta participants will be able to battle it out using Conquest mode on the Siege of Shanghai map.

Those interested in gaining beta access can do so through a few different methods. One way requires users to pre-order Battlefield 4 Digital Deluxe Edition on Origin. Also, Battlefield 3 Premium members will gain access and finally, registered owners of Medal of Honor Warfighter Limited Edition or Digital Deluxe Edition are being allowed in.

Battlefield 4 Digital Deluxe Edition currently sells for $69.99 on Origin. In addition to beta access, the pre-order also includes the China Rising DLC and three gold battlepacks (a bundle of extra items, weapons and the like).

Far Cry 3 delayed three months, U.S. release is December 4

Although previously scheduled for a September 4 release, Ubisoft has announced it will delay Far Cry 3's launch date by three months. The official North American release date for the first person shooter on all platforms, including PC, Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, is now December 4, 2012. Ubisoft states that the game will land on shelves November 29 for Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Earlier this year, a Far Cry 3 trailer was leaked, ultimately making its way to YouTube. The video claimed a September 6 release date.

Additionally, a couple months ago, we also saw a five minute video which highlighted some of the multiplayer aspects of Far Cry 3. The footage originated from a pre-alpha build.

Based on the multi-player video demo, fellow news contributor Shawn Knight pointed out some of the similarities between Far Cry 3 and Battlefield or Call of Duty, namely experience points, levels, kill-cam and carpet-bombing air support.

Although FC3 definitely borrows some elements from other modern shooters, there were some unique aspects as well. Check out the multi-player video for yourself here. Multiplayer is also expected to feature a 4-player co-op mode, seemingly not unlike what Left 4 Dead offers.

Far Cry 3 E3 2011 Gameplay Demo -- Warning: NSFW - strong language and violence

Far Cry 3 will be based on Ubisoft's Dunia 2 game engine, the successor to Far Cry 2's original engine by the same name. Little is known about Dunia 2, but certain elements from Dunia have made it into other games, like Assassin's Creed II. Currently, Avatar (the game) is the only title based on Dunia other than Far Cry 2 itself. Assassin's Creed II uses its own "Anvil" game engine, however developers borrowed Dunia's excellent foliage and vegetation algorithms.

Assassin's Creed: Revelations Ubisoft Game Review 2011

Assassin's Creed Revelations presents the most immersive experience available in the series to date and the culmination of Ezio's adventure. In Assassin’s Creed Revelations, master assassin Ezio Auditore walks in the footsteps of his legendary mentor, Altaïr, on a journey of discovery and revelation. It is a perilous path – one that will take Ezio to Constantinople, the heart of the Ottoman Empire, where a growing army of Templars threatens to destabilize the region.
In addition to Ezio’s award-winning story, the acclaimed online multiplayer experience from Assassin's Creed Brotherhood returns, refined and expanded, with more modes, more maps and more characters that allow players to test their assassin skills against others from around the world. The latest chapter in the Assassin’s Creed saga also includes revolutionary gameplay, allowing players to manipulate the construct of Desmond’s memories and the Animus to decipher the mysteries of his past and gain insight into the future.


BECOME DEADLIER THAN EVER – Wield the lethal skills of a wiser, more efficient and deadlier Ezio. Swiftly eliminate your adversaries by deploying a new arsenal of weapons and abilities, such as enhanced free-running and hook blade combat. Experience new levels of gameplay customization with bomb crafting, and use heightened Eagle Vision to overcome your enemies and the environment.


TEST YOUR SKILLS AGAINST THE BEST – A critically acclaimed multiplayer experience gets even better, with all-new team modes and infinite replay value.
EXPERIENCE REVOLUTIONARY GAMEPLAY – Explore the farthest reaches of the Animus as you uncover the mysteries of Desmond’s past while gaining insight into what the future might hold.

HP releases 3D-equipped all-in-one PC, 23-inch 3D monitor

HP has released a new all in one desktop PC equipped with a 3D-capable display and a built-in webcam that can shoot 3D images and video. Based on the 620 model released earlier, the 620 3D sports a 23-inch (1920 x 1080) tilt enabled touchscreen, offering a 4ms response time and 250 nits (typical) brightness as well as 1,000:1 contrast ratio.

The TouchSmart 620 3D edition all in one is priced starting at $1800 and is built around Intel's second generation Core i5 2400 processor clocked at 3.10GHz, 8 GB of RAM, and a 1.5TB SATA hard drive (5400 RPM). The 3D capability is powered by software from TriDef and a discrete AMD Radeon HD 6650 graphics card, which can be upgraded to a Radeon HD 6670 for a little more power in case you are planning on doing some gaming.

Other specs include a slot-loading Blu-ray player, GbE LAN, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Beats Audio, built-in TV tuner, an HP Media Center remote, a pair of 3D active shutter glasses, 6-in-1 memory card reader, seven USB 2.0 ports, IR blaster, headphone/mic ports, wireless keyboard and mouse, and Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit.

With a starting price of $1,800, the new HP TouchSmart 620 3D isn't exactly cheap, but it should provide a middle ground between the $2,300 Sony Vaio L-Series 3D Edition and Lenovo's $1,300 IdeaCentre B520. As you'd expect, HP's newest all in one comes with a series of specialized applications tuned for 3D and touch input.

If you are looking for a more affordable way to get stereoscopic 3D into your home, HP is also releasing the 2311GT 23-inch 3D monitor for $299. It features a Full HD (1920x1080) panel with a 5ms response time, 1,000:1 contrast ratio, and ultra-slim profile. The monitor comes with two pairs of 3D glasses and uses a technology called Film Patterned Retarder (FPR) to produce the 3D effect by aligning every other row of pixels with the left or right eye.

Crytek working on new multiplatform shooter IP

Crytek is diversifying its portfolio, continuing to work on games that don't have "Cry" in the title. Having shipped Crysis 2 recently, the company is working on a new multiplatform shooter IP, reportsSupererogatory. Mention of the new IP comes from a LinkedIn profile, which mentions a "New IP, shooter genre, TBA title for Xbox360, PS3 and PC." Vague, but there you have it.

The company was also working on another shooter, which was quietly canceled.

The shuttered project comes from another resume, which doesn't share many details aside from its cancellation and name. According to the resume, it was titled "Redemption," though that may not have been the final planned name. It's also possible, of course, that ideas from Redemption are being used in this new shooter IP.

Crytek has been pushing into broader development plans, expanding its own IP portfolio, showing off CryEngine working on consoles, and inviting indie developers to use the tools as well. It is currently working on Ryse for Kinect, free-to-play Warface, and is reportedly shopping around a new game in the TimeSplitters series.

PC vs PlayStation 3 vs Xbox 360

As a response to an article published by Softpedia News a few days ago one of our readers has dropped a few lines. The question was if the PC can compete with new generation gaming consoles. Here is his opinion:

You are well, probably not looking at this from the PC angle. This may go on for a little bit but it covers a lot of good ranting grounds in regards to video games, and if you start to read it, then finish it or you won't get what I'm trying to say.

Most assuredly PC gaming will never die, especially when the consoles are just like stockcar PC's. My PC is very close to the specs of the PS3. The differences are small such as:

I have one gig of RAM (though in a week will have 2 gigs of PC 4400) the PS3 has some ware around 256, though the new architecture is nice, it still isn't that much, especially for the little things like bodies and shell casings on the ground.

Also the CPU clocks faster than mine and the CELL CPU is a nice piece of technology for size and price, but the AMD FX-55 even at 2.6 GHz still owns it with its 1.5 MB cache, which is the thing that counts the most in games; though it doesn't own it by much. My 6800 ultra is apparently less so than the PS3's but with the new 6800 ultra that has 512 MB of DDR3 RAM, that will more than make up for the slower clock speed, and if I had the money to waist I would get an SLI deck and be about 3-4 times faster than the PlayStation3 GPU.

Online doesn't matter much, just who ever your ISP is, but PC's are upgradeable in ways that can help as well.

Interface wise is all a matter of opinion, I was raised on the keyboard, so that is my preference, but I more than understand that an equal or more amounts of people were raised on the controller. Even in respects to that, the variety of PC controllers don't sit at the keyboard and mouse, variety from something alike a PlayStation 3 controller to a laser mouse in the model of a gun turning any FPS into a really violent version of duck hunt. Though I have to say the controller looks like I could hit people with it, and maybe toss it and have it come back to me.

Games are a real to be decided category but now that consoles like the PlayStation 3 have

caught up to the PC, console ports wont make my skin crawl, in fact gaming will be better in general for every one. Though the PlayStation 3 for the first year or so will probably have more releases than the PC as always, the new technology will make porting the game a near one click process, and not the back breaking process that it is to make a good cross console game these days.

Never the less, I can only wait on this, but releases for the PC will be very well planed out as they usually are (PC exclusive releases that is). But the PS3 may have a lot of crap games released, either way it will still have the good ones, that will match up to what PC games can do for the most part of the first year or so it is out.

Open ends: despite the new consoles internet access and the ability to mod it out on the PC and drop it back into the console, it will never be as open ended as the PC. Consoles are still regulated by the corporations that birth them; the worst example of this is the Xbox 360. (I'm going to call it the Xbox 2 probably once or twice so don't hold it against me) The new Xbox has an ability to mod out things, then upload them and sell them for a buck or so, they call it "mini transactions" doesn't really matter, introducing mods, tweaks, and or home made maps in the same realm as money is a horrible idea, and knowing Microsoft, it will only expand further into something much worse, and that is bound to affect me as a PC gamer. PC's are a compilation of what tools are provided, and what tools exist that you can find on the net, whatever it takes to mod it, mess with it, or run it better; The consoles will no doubt be regulated to the core as to protect its copy rights, or worse.

Longevity is also an issue that PC's own at. By the time the PlayStation 3 is released out in 2006, My PC that is neck and neck to it now, will be leagues ahead of it, either in just additions, or maybe in some new jump in technology. The PlayStation 3 or any new console will stay as it is and grow older and older and will be rinse repeats till the new consoles come out.

Its just too bad the PC games get consolitus towards the end of a consoles life, though there are a few games out there in this twilight period (for the Xbox and PS 2 this was started about 2 years ago until now where PC gamers feel the terrible effects at its worse of the out of date console games).

Game concepts, PC games will have the real time strategy to boast over the consoles, just as consoles will have fighting games over the PC. RPG's are at a crossroads, mutually Morrowind and for the new consoles Oblivion (Xbox 360 maybe but PlayStation 3 is in the picture because Microsoft wont bend to Bethesda's needs in order to port it to the Xbox Live system since it is released in chunks as they finish them); any how, Oblivion is sort of the part were RPG is good on both the console and the PC in an even way, this is probably due to Bethesda's part in both development and publishing, giving it an unbiased view over PC or console, no need to make it any different when it doesn't have to be.

Another aspect of concepts is that of just the game, this is just a common thing since it is real all up to the developer and as long as that developer isn't an Ubisoft related one, the game is the same for all the systems it is released on, unless hardware is an issue.

In conclusion, the PC isn't disappearing, its getting better, It may cost a lot to compete on the front lines for the first year or two with the consoles, but this isn't much if you are already a PC gamer though in the end it is a lot more money than the consoles are. You get what you pay for though and for those whose life is entrenched in video games, or for those who want the best of the best experience, the PC is still and will always be the way to go.

But in defense of the consoles, for those who aren't 3,000 dollars into video games, and want a good premium yet depreciative gaming experience, then by all means go to the consoles, the important thing is that you are frying your brain with mind numbing violence. The problems come when you hurt the other systems out of pure bullsh-t like what Microsoft has been doing with both its Windows XP monopoly hurting gaming performance, to releasing certain games in a series on the PC and not the sequel or so on. Let's not even talk about the screwing they pulled on the PS2.

I understand the world of economics, and I also know that alienating people isn't the way to get them to comply. Attempting to force someone into a situation to buy a product by handicapping others ability to compete is a poor practice, and the Oil companies are finding this out, so will Microsoft hopefully with the PlayStation 3's massive upshot past it. If people would just make their system a better product in order to get sales instead of pulling legal bs on the competitors ability to compete or just spreading crap around about the opfor.

Fortunately the PC isn't a competitor company which puts us out of the way, but that also makes people think we don't exist, or where this whole thing started, The PC market is huge, and if you make a game worth buying for us it will fly off the shelves, look at Half-Life 2 (despite in store copies having bugs).

Also its good to see games like Far Cry sell what they deserve now, Doom3, Raven-shield, BFV and BF 1942, Ghost Recon, COD, Morrowind, Max Payne; PC copies all sold in the millions of each of these games, even though some have console ports still. The PC market is no midget; you just have to have something worth money (unlike PARIAH). With this new generation of games coming out, suddenly something is worth money, and PC copies will sell, as well as will the console ones, and the corporations will make the maximum profit since they are expanding all potentials.

It breaks down into if the game is good. Good games will get good reviews, and that will cause people to want to buy it. Not cause its a PlayStation 3 game or a PC game, cause it doesn't suck, and they will by it for what ever suits them best, so make your console suitable (which Sony defiantly has) and make products.

PC's aren't in the race because the consoles have something over them, they aren't even in the same league (imagine consoles are NASCAR and PC's are Formula 1 racers. The end result is that the drivers are still crazy mother f----s that love driving fast as hell.

PC and consoles are the same only with video games. The only difference that 2006 will bring is that the stockcars will be a hell of a lot better than they were last year, it still doesn't stop the F1 racing or replace it, and it never will.

PC vs PlayStation 3 vs Xbox 360

As a response to an article published by Softpedia News a few days ago one of our readers has dropped a few lines. The question was if the PC can compete with new generation gaming consoles. Here is his opinion:

You are well, probably not looking at this from the PC angle. This may go on for a little bit but it covers a lot of good ranting grounds in regards to video games, and if you start to read it, then finish it or you won't get what I'm trying to say.

Most assuredly PC gaming will never die, especially when the consoles are just like stockcar PC's. My PC is very close to the specs of the PS3. The differences are small such as:

I have one gig of RAM (though in a week will have 2 gigs of PC 4400) the PS3 has some ware around 256, though the new architecture is nice, it still isn't that much, especially for the little things like bodies and shell casings on the ground.

Also the CPU clocks faster than mine and the CELL CPU is a nice piece of technology for size and price, but the AMD FX-55 even at 2.6 GHz still owns it with its 1.5 MB cache, which is the thing that counts the most in games; though it doesn't own it by much. My 6800 ultra is apparently less so than the PS3's but with the new 6800 ultra that has 512 MB of DDR3 RAM, that will more than make up for the slower clock speed, and if I had the money to waist I would get an SLI deck and be about 3-4 times faster than the PlayStation3 GPU.

Online doesn't matter much, just who ever your ISP is, but PC's are upgradeable in ways that can help as well.

Interface wise is all a matter of opinion, I was raised on the keyboard, so that is my preference, but I more than understand that an equal or more amounts of people were raised on the controller. Even in respects to that, the variety of PC controllers don't sit at the keyboard and mouse, variety from something alike a PlayStation 3 controller to a laser mouse in the model of a gun turning any FPS into a really violent version of duck hunt. Though I have to say the controller looks like I could hit people with it, and maybe toss it and have it come back to me.

Games are a real to be decided category but now that consoles like the PlayStation 3 have

caught up to the PC, console ports wont make my skin crawl, in fact gaming will be better in general for every one. Though the PlayStation 3 for the first year or so will probably have more releases than the PC as always, the new technology will make porting the game a near one click process, and not the back breaking process that it is to make a good cross console game these days.

Never the less, I can only wait on this, but releases for the PC will be very well planed out as they usually are (PC exclusive releases that is). But the PS3 may have a lot of crap games released, either way it will still have the good ones, that will match up to what PC games can do for the most part of the first year or so it is out.

Open ends: despite the new consoles internet access and the ability to mod it out on the PC and drop it back into the console, it will never be as open ended as the PC. Consoles are still regulated by the corporations that birth them; the worst example of this is the Xbox 360. (I'm going to call it the Xbox 2 probably once or twice so don't hold it against me) The new Xbox has an ability to mod out things, then upload them and sell them for a buck or so, they call it "mini transactions" doesn't really matter, introducing mods, tweaks, and or home made maps in the same realm as money is a horrible idea, and knowing Microsoft, it will only expand further into something much worse, and that is bound to affect me as a PC gamer. PC's are a compilation of what tools are provided, and what tools exist that you can find on the net, whatever it takes to mod it, mess with it, or run it better; The consoles will no doubt be regulated to the core as to protect its copy rights, or worse.

Longevity is also an issue that PC's own at. By the time the PlayStation 3 is released out in 2006, My PC that is neck and neck to it now, will be leagues ahead of it, either in just additions, or maybe in some new jump in technology. The PlayStation 3 or any new console will stay as it is and grow older and older and will be rinse repeats till the new consoles come out.

Its just too bad the PC games get consolitus towards the end of a consoles life, though there are a few games out there in this twilight period (for the Xbox and PS 2 this was started about 2 years ago until now where PC gamers feel the terrible effects at its worse of the out of date console games).

Game concepts, PC games will have the real time strategy to boast over the consoles, just as consoles will have fighting games over the PC. RPG's are at a crossroads, mutually Morrowind and for the new consoles Oblivion (Xbox 360 maybe but PlayStation 3 is in the picture because Microsoft wont bend to Bethesda's needs in order to port it to the Xbox Live system since it is released in chunks as they finish them); any how, Oblivion is sort of the part were RPG is good on both the console and the PC in an even way, this is probably due to Bethesda's part in both development and publishing, giving it an unbiased view over PC or console, no need to make it any different when it doesn't have to be.

Another aspect of concepts is that of just the game, this is just a common thing since it is real all up to the developer and as long as that developer isn't an Ubisoft related one, the game is the same for all the systems it is released on, unless hardware is an issue.

In conclusion, the PC isn't disappearing, its getting better, It may cost a lot to compete on the front lines for the first year or two with the consoles, but this isn't much if you are already a PC gamer though in the end it is a lot more money than the consoles are. You get what you pay for though and for those whose life is entrenched in video games, or for those who want the best of the best experience, the PC is still and will always be the way to go.

But in defense of the consoles, for those who aren't 3,000 dollars into video games, and want a good premium yet depreciative gaming experience, then by all means go to the consoles, the important thing is that you are frying your brain with mind numbing violence. The problems come when you hurt the other systems out of pure bullsh-t like what Microsoft has been doing with both its Windows XP monopoly hurting gaming performance, to releasing certain games in a series on the PC and not the sequel or so on. Let's not even talk about the screwing they pulled on the PS2.

I understand the world of economics, and I also know that alienating people isn't the way to get them to comply. Attempting to force someone into a situation to buy a product by handicapping others ability to compete is a poor practice, and the Oil companies are finding this out, so will Microsoft hopefully with the PlayStation 3's massive upshot past it. If people would just make their system a better product in order to get sales instead of pulling legal bs on the competitors ability to compete or just spreading crap around about the opfor.

Fortunately the PC isn't a competitor company which puts us out of the way, but that also makes people think we don't exist, or where this whole thing started, The PC market is huge, and if you make a game worth buying for us it will fly off the shelves, look at Half-Life 2 (despite in store copies having bugs).

Also its good to see games like Far Cry sell what they deserve now, Doom3, Raven-shield, BFV and BF 1942, Ghost Recon, COD, Morrowind, Max Payne; PC copies all sold in the millions of each of these games, even though some have console ports still. The PC market is no midget; you just have to have something worth money (unlike PARIAH). With this new generation of games coming out, suddenly something is worth money, and PC copies will sell, as well as will the console ones, and the corporations will make the maximum profit since they are expanding all potentials.

It breaks down into if the game is good. Good games will get good reviews, and that will cause people to want to buy it. Not cause its a PlayStation 3 game or a PC game, cause it doesn't suck, and they will by it for what ever suits them best, so make your console suitable (which Sony defiantly has) and make products.

PC's aren't in the race because the consoles have something over them, they aren't even in the same league (imagine consoles are NASCAR and PC's are Formula 1 racers. The end result is that the drivers are still crazy mother f----s that love driving fast as hell.

PC and consoles are the same only with video games. The only difference that 2006 will bring is that the stockcars will be a hell of a lot better than they were last year, it still doesn't stop the F1 racing or replace it, and it never will.

PC Buyers Guide

Welcome to the PC Buyers Guide - Guru3D Style ...

First off a small note about this editorial, this section is written by our long time forum moderator and editor, David Gunning (DarkWeasel). In this section we'll keep you up-to date on what we think is recommended to buy if you are building a new gaming rig. That right, I say gaming as this is a site that is targeted at gamers.

Keep in mind that what we write here are recommendations, they can be controversial and subjective for you to read. Be sure to read other buyer guides from other media as well to get a complete overview on what's best suited for your specific situation.

You can select from three categories in this buyers guide. Let's quickly walk through them:

• PC Buyer’s Guide – Low End
  This is the computer for a gamer on a budget. This is for the person who has an older system (or a poor college student with no computer) that needs to be retired but doesn't want to spend a lot on a new computer. This computer will easily handle any of modern games, even when you turn on all the eye candy.
  
• PC Buyer’s Guide – Mid End
  This is the computer for the typical gamer. You want to see the eye candy in your games and want to be running at higher resolutions, so you are willing to spend a bit extra to get that performance.
  
• PC Buyer’s Guide – High End
  This is the computer for the hardcore gamer. This is for the person with too much money, who must have the latest and greatest technology. You expect your system to not even to blink when you run the hottest games at 1920x1200 with 8xAA and 16xAF. You're also they type who like to upgrade your computer every 6 months.
  
  Every part you want is in there if it's available (meaning if I could find it online; it's in there). Fastest CPU, video card and RAM ect.