China officially lifted a 13-year ban on foreign console sales on Friday 27th sept., and made plans to allow for foreign tech companies to establish streaming and entertainment services in the country.

The regulations are vague, giving foreign companies few specifics to estimate how much of an impact the new rules will have. The State Council will release more details in the coming months, the Wall Street Journal reports.

The State Council did outline, however, that any companies interested would need to “ensure information security,” and any violations would need special approval from China’s cabinet.

This follows last week’s news that Microsoft is already making plans to tap into the new market, investing $237 million in a joint venture with streaming company BesTV. The venture would operate out of Shanghai’s free-trade zone. With the new rules, though, companies like Microsoft could potentially operate out of China without first joining with an existing company.

The State Council said that the new rules would be implemented over the next three years, so there is no solid indicator of when consoles could potentially be sold in China.

The AMD GPU14 Tech Day Event, held in Hawaii on the 25th, was all about the new series of graphics processors from the technology company. Unfortunately, this was more of a large announcement instead of a full showcase or release event. In fact, there wasn’t even an exact release date given! Still, the show had some interesting takeaways.

One of the cooler points was the progress AMD has made over the years with their GPUs, specifically with regards to the teraflop barriers they have broken:

– In 2008, AMD was the first to cross the 1 TFLOP barrier with the Radeon 4000 series.

– In 2009, AMD was the first to cross the 2 TFLOP barrier with the AMD Radeon 5000 series.

– In 2011, AMD was the first to cross the 3 TFLOP barrier with the Radeon 7000 series.

– In 2012, AMD was the first to cross the 4 TFLOP barrier with the Radeon 7970 Ghz Edition

What are they bringing to the table in 2013? A GPU that will cross the 5 TFLOP barrier!

AMD Radeon R7 and R9 Series

AMD announced a set of five GPUs to appeal to PC gamers with various preferences and wallet sizes. The R7 series includes GPUs for those who don’t wish to spend too much on PC hardware, and the R9 series includes GPUs for big-budget hardcore gamers. The information for each GPU only highlighted the amount of memory it had, the price point, and the score it received in 3DMark Firestrike. For reference, Nvidia’s Geforce GTX Titan and GTX 780 sport scores between 5,000 and 15,000 (The Record).

AMD Radeon R7 250

– VRAM: 1GB GDDR
– Price: <$89
– 3DMark Firestrike: >2000

AMD Radeon R7 260X

– VRAM: 2GB GDDR
– Price: $139
– 3DMark Firestrike: >3700

AMD Radeon R9 270X

– VRAM: 2GB GDDR
– Price: $199
– 3DMark Firestrike: >5500

AMD Radeon R9 280X

– VRAM: 3GB GDDR
– Price: $299
– 3DMark Firestrike: >6800

AMD Radeon R9 290X

– VRAM: 4 GB GDDR
– Price: TBD
– 3DMark Firestrike: See below

As you can see, full specs were not available for the R9 290X, AMD’s next top-of-the-line GPU. According to the chart they were showing off, it should have a score above 8000 on 3DMark Firestrike. There are also a number of rumors going around that it will cost $599, have a 512-bit memory bus, and possibly beat Nvidia’s GTX Titan in performance.

As far as prospective release dates, many believe these GPUs will be available sooner rather than later. A special pre-order bundle will be available starting on October 3rd for the AMD Radeon R9 290X. This special Battlefield 4 Edition will include the game at no extra charge, and seeing as the game is currently slated to release on October 29th, it should be safe to assume the 290X will release sometime before then.

The event went into further detail on AMD’s ace-in-the-hole. Here’s the rest of what they had to say:

– The R9 290X will use the GCN (Graphics Core Next) Architecture

– It’s enhanced to support DirectX 11.2
– It has more than 6 Billion Transistors
– It has over 300 GB/sec Memory Bandwidth
– It can compute over 5 TFLOPS
– It can render more than 4 Billion Triangles/sec

This new GPU will also support Ultra HD 4K Monitors and multi-monitor displays. Most of the time, setting up your GPU on high resolution monitors must be done manually. However, AMD’s Catalyst Drivers will perform automatic configuration on select popular displays. The Panasonic Viera will be one brand to support this standard out-of-the-box.

AMD TrueAudio Technology

The GPU14 Tech Day Event didn’t focus solely on graphics. AMD has been working hard on a new tech called “AMD TrueAudio.” This is a fully programmable audio engine for developers to play with, similar to programmable shaders in graphics. It will allow players to hear more real time voices and channels in-game. It’s designed to work great with both 7.1 channel surround sound systems and 2.0 audio channels for those with headphones or simple stereo speakers. AMD TrueAudio Technology will be available on the R7 260X, R9 290, and the R9 290X.

Mantle

Another technology that was showcased was something called Mantle. Mantle is a new low level application programming interface for PCs. It serves two main purposes:

1. Optimizing games to run on AMD Hardware. This is a bit of a simplified explanation. It will allow games to have better access to the hardware (CPUs and GPUs) to run better and faster.

2. Assisting game developers when porting games to other platforms (PC, Xbox One, PS4)

AMD Gaming Evolved App

The final tidbit was the new AMD Gaming Evolved App powered by Raptr. It can be downloaded right now at Raptr.com/AMD, and has three basic functions:

1. The app supports 28 select games for auto-optimization based on your current PC rig, with more games coming soon.

2. You will be rewarded just for playing games with this app, just like when using Raptr to play console games.

3. You can broadcast live video via Twitch, watch streams, take screenshots, and share them on Raptr, Facebook, and Twitter without ever leaving your game.

Several games built on AMD technology were also played throughout the show, including Battlefield 4, Thief, Lichdom, and Star Citizen. If you haven’t heard of any of them, I suggest checking them out today!

It’s really not as stupid as it sounds – but you still probably won’t want to buy one.

When I heard word Nintendo were due to release a version of their popular 3DS console that didn’t have 3D, I thought I was just hearing crazy rumours and it couldn’t possibly be real. Yet that’s exactly what Nintendo chose to reveal this 29th of September. “Why release a version of a console whose whole gimmick is a glasses-less 3D experience; and remove the 3D? Are they MAD?!?” But then when I thought about it, I realised actually, it makes sense after all – for a certain market, that is.

The Nintendo 2DS is, like the name implies, a new alternative to the 3DS which forgoes the 3D effect. It’s functionally equivalent to the 3DS and plays both 3DS and DS games, so it’s wrong to call it a “new” handheld console – like the Wii had the Wii Mini, this is effectively a trimmed-down redesign of the original concept. For the first time since the original DS in 2006, the new Nintendo 3DS foregoes a clamshell design and goes back to being a single, solid surface not unlike a tablet computer. Rumours suggest that to save costs, the dual screens that define the “DS” part of the entire line are in this console a single touchscreen, with the output of both screens carefully positioned onto separate segments. The plastic bevel hides the unused screen areas giving the illusion of two screens; while also disabling touch for the upper section as only the bottom screen of a DS/3DS has ever supported touch. Other changes include: L and R buttons with a more rounded profile so they can be easily reached (given your hands will have further to stretch); a Sleep switch on the bottom right replacing “closing the lid” on the previous handhelds; and the controls repositioned to the centre of both sides where the screens separate – a change that, unfortunately, has led to the removal of the right speaker from the console, though Stereo output is still possible via headphones.

So, it’s a bulky, flat device with less speakers and reduced portability. Why would you ever want that?

I’ll give you the one reason the 2DS makes sense: Kids playing 3D games. Until now, Nintendo has had real difficulty touting 3DS games and consoles to younger children, a market it has always excelled with before. This is because of the 3D effect itself. Due to the potential of eye strain from watching two images merged together (which is, in basic terms, how stereoscopic 3D works), children under 7 are not advised to use the 3DS with the 3D effect on, for their own health. The problem is, while parents can avoid buying games that use the 3D effect; or can switch it off with the slider on the console’s side, the console’s own built-in software uses the 3D effect and turning it back on is just a case of sliding the switch back up – so a younger child, who probably won’t understand the health risk, can easily be exposed to the unsuitable 3D effect. Therefore, Nintendo can’t target the console or its games to young children, closing it off from one of its best markets – parents buying games for kids. With a new handheld console, with the same features of the 3DS but without the 3D effect as a rule, Nintendo finally make this market their own once again.

Additionally, the lack of hinges on the 2DS, by making it a flat, single surface device, make it less fragile – and we all know how children are with electronics, always dropping them. (On the downside, as the device is permanently open, the screens are always exposed to damage – which Nintendo is resolving by proposing owners also purchase a carry case for the device or screen protectors.) The October 12, 2013 release date of the 2DS – the same day as Pokémon X and Y launches globally – cements the fact that this is a console for the younger children.

The clincher? You can get the new console for just £110 from many UK retailers – significantly less than any 3DS version currently available.

However, those older players like myself – who can take advantage of the 3D effect and which don’t find it causing headaches for them – yet don’t have a 3DS already, might just find the 2DS a bit of a hard sell. While it may support the same games; have the same two internal cameras; the same features; wireless capability and so on, the chunky, non-portable build and the stretch it will cause to press the L and R buttons may be a turn-off, as well as the single speaker; and 3D DOES help to improve the graphics and playability of a fair few titles.

Unless you’re money-conscious, a young child, or concerned about the 3D effect, the Nintendo 2DS is probably best avoided. But if you ARE any of those, you now have an option. And THAT is where the logical insanity of Nintendo makes sense. You’re always welcome at the Sanitarium, Nintendo 😉

Ubisoft Montreal’s trailer for Watch_Dogs, which has been viewed countless times in the last many months – indeed, even at the Eurogamer Developers Presentation today they admitted they’d “seen it way too many times now” (not seen it yourself? YouTube to the rescue!) – makes a big deal of how technology has evolved in ten years, talking about how in 2003, a computer virus blacked out a whole district for a day and led to four people dying; and now ten years later, everything is computerised and a whole town could be hacked by just one individual. Indeed, technology HAS moved fast, even in just half that time. Watch_Dogs is a game that’s been in development for over five years, originally under the codename “Nexus”. Even part of the game’s original logo appears on protagonist Aiden Pearce’s face covering.

However, speaking at Eurogamer, Ubisoft explain that despite the futuristic undertones, Watch_Dogs isn’t as made up as it seems, explaining that in five years technology has evolved from traditional computers to smartphones. “What was the next step up from Smartphones? Smart Cities. It sounds futuristic, but it’s already happening”, citing examples of certain Asian cities investing in city-wide computer networks ahead of the Olympics and other major events. But Watch_Dogs doesn’t take place in Asia – rather, it’s based in modern-day Chicago. Ubisoft cite the reason for this as because Chicago is a large town that’s always evolving; indeed, the Chicago that rose after the Great Fire of Chicago hardly resembles its predecessor. “Every time Chicago has rebuilt, they bring in something new that evolves the town. That was one part of choosing Chicago as the setting. … Another aspect is the density. You need to build chaos. Chicago has complete second layers on the ground, for example intersections where roads go under worlds. No flat world.”

Watch_Dogs tells the story of Aiden Pearce, a vigilante who fears the evolution of a city-wide computer network threatens him and his family. He finds ways to hack the computer network; and using his phone or computer terminals to control it, makes it work for him; uses it to get out of trouble; or gets information about criminals and bad activity around him. Described in Concept Art as “a hero by any means necessary”, Ubisoft explain they take “vigilante” to have a different meaning to the standard assumptions, explaining that when people think of vigilantes, there’s extremes: Many people think of characters like Batman, caped crusaders who deal justice alone; but it’s also true of less “good” characters like Dexter from the TV drama – a serial killer who targets the guilty, thus helping the law but not being part of the law and breaking the law himself with murder. “Aiden is in the middle between Dexter and Batman – Aiden is neither a good guy, nor a bad guy; he’s just taking justice into his own hands to protect him and his family.”

Essentially, Watch_Dogs makes a game of dynamic events and always thinking on your toes. Aiden is constantly aware of his surroundings. For example he always tries to keep his gun concealed; and walks in a relaxed manner, so he doesn’t draw attention. “There’s a lot of different ways to handle a situation. For example, say you have a reputation; and you walk into a shop and while you’re there, a police notice flashes up on screen with your face. One NPC who sees you might try to call the cops. You could shoot him, but then you might attract attention and suddenly there’s two other people calling the cops – then it’s four other people. You can ignore it, but then the cops know where you are and others might call in too as they notice. But if you jam the communications, no-one can make a call. And if you just flash your gun, you might intimidate the first person into thinking twice about making the call himself.”

“Everything is about dynamism. If you’re in an open world and you plan to give people control, everything has to be connected. … A living city has to be heavily pushed. You need to see people interacting, living. … You’re going to escalate matters based on the choices you make; and there’s nothing more satisfying than barely surviving a situation you create because of good, or sometimes bad, choices. So an emphasis is always on choices and consequences … meanings to things.” Later, Ubisoft added: “Nothing is separate elements. Everything is connected.”

This connected focus extends to the game’s multiplayer. Even when playing solo, you are never really alone. Others can potentially join your own games; and just like anyone on the street, you can hack them to get information on and connections from them; but they can do the same to you. As the crowd brought up concerns of griefing, however, Ubisoft explained this has been thought about and will be solved by a Firewall mechanic. All your technology will be protected by a firewall; but if you hack another player, you let down your own defences. When YOU get hacked, however, the firewall goes back on and you can’t be ganged up on by others. Ubisoft plan to adjust the Firewall mechanic based on player feedback. The people who enjoy the challenge may find themselves hacked more often, those who can’t cope will get stronger protection. You can turn it off completely too; but then you’re missing out on what they describe as “a cool additional gameplay experience.”

We’ll leave it to Ubisoft Montreal to have the final words (though these may be somewhat paraphrased):

“It’s absolutely possible to act all the time as you play; so you can think every two seconds. As you play more you’ll think more, and the game will feel fresher. You’ll start thinking more about escape routes as you’re just moving around; avoiding cops if you draw attention etc. – and the game will always feel like something new. That’s what makes our game something truly new.”

Watch_Dogs will hit Windows PCs, PlayStation 3 & 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One and Wii U, with release dates ranging from November 15 to November 29, 2013 depending on platform and region. Here in the UK, all releases except PS4 will be on November 22, 2013; with the PS4 a week later.

So it’s a Friday afternoon and I am finishing up work for the day when Lonesamurai PM’s me saying “Hey want a beta key for War for the Overworld?”  (I picked up a spare beta key for STEAM from the awesome guys at the stand at Eurogamer 2013 ~Lone)

To which I reply “Huh? Is that a new game or something” but already I feel something tingling at the back of my mind like you forgot to get a present for your anniversary or that you are on your way to work and realize that you have the day off.

Then suddenly before my eyes flash visions of imps, Horned Reapers and digging for gold all accompanied by an unforgettable evil narration.

I then dropped everything to install and play the beta that can ONLY be described as the TRUE spiritual successor to one of the greatest game I ever played in my teens. If you ever played either of the originals (and if you haven’t GO DO IT NOW!), then you will IMMEDIATELY be slapped in the face by the back of an evil hand as the waves of nostalgia overcome you.

The interface received a makeover but everything has retained the iconic feel of the original Dungeon Keeper games.

I quickly found myself digging out rooms to lure more monsters into my domain to create an army to thwart a rival “Under lord”.
I played through the 2 “Tutorial” levels of the Bedrock beta and found myself cursing for more story, to hear MORE of the evil tutor’s voice.

The only two times the experience was let down was when the so far fantastic voice acting had its standard lowered by a cliché and not quite as well done section of voice acting by a noble hero who descended into my dungeon (The Fool!!, he died a painful death I assure you!).

The other was that unsurprisingly the game appears to be missing some of the iconic imagery of its spiritual ancestors. The Horned Reaper and “The Mistress” two characters that became a bold symbol of the originals, however I do not hold that against the game as Intellectual Property is a big thing and not something companies would allow the use of lightly.

If I were to give the game a score purely from the beta it would be a solid 9.0 out of 10.0 with room for improved voice acting (to bring it up to the level of my under tutor) and also to beg whomever currently holds the rights to the images that Bullfrog made famous all those years ago.

When this comes out, it will fill a hole that was created by a simple trailer that came with one of his beloved games that until now had been turned into a lie…

For more info on the game, head over to https://wftogame.com/ and also follow Stumpy the Imp on Facebook and Twitter

(Massive thanks to the WFTOGame team at Eurogamer for the codes and putting up with my fanboy jumping around and to Movian, who I dangled this in front of on facebook to try 😛 ~Lone)