Gaming Videos, Headlines, Technology
Raptr Launches Public Beta, Can Now Buy An “O”
Raptr, the social gaming network for “everyone,” launched its public beta yesterday. The system prides itself on avoiding the hardcore and inaccessible “gamer” stigma, aiming to appease everyone, from the “one game of Solitaire after dinner” users to “60 games of Counter-Strike later and I’m out of Bawls” players. Those familiar with Xfire (read: everyone) will find a recognizable companion in this new social experience, as its CEO and founder is Xfire’s co-founder, Dennis Fong.
Apple has been solidly trouncing Microsoft in the public image sector for the past few years. The Mac ads, with Justin Long, have steadily chipped away at Microsoft’s appeal and market share. In fact, they’ve been so effective that Microsoft has had to come out with a ridiculous ad retort called the Mojave Experiment… which has been a complete failure. So what can Microsoft do to combat Apple’s comedic ads? Hire the comedian Jerry Seinfeld.
After ten years of hibernation, the once-epic Fallout series has been woken up and taken off of life support courtesy of Bethesda Game Studios. The makers of Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion promise to champion the franchise back to its sardonic, grisly roots with insanely detailed graphics and a dynamic world where even the most mundane of choices could have earth-shattering consequences. Long-time Fallout fans have reason to rejoice…or do they?
Sony is preparing to roll out PlayTV, a device that adds DVR functionality to the PlayStation 3. It will launch in the U.K. on Sept. 19 for £70 (about $130). While the add-on seems like an excellent move for Sony, it’s not without some glaring drawbacks.
I could ramble on about how The Dark Knight is a masterpiece despite Christian Bale’s bizarre “raspy voice,” or how the Joker was one of the greatest movie villains ever created …but I won’t. I reckon you’ve grown weary of this banter by now. No use in beating a dead, bat-winged horse: we saw it, we loved it, we miss Heath Ledger. We get it.
If you thought Penny Arcade was just a webcomic, then think again. It has become a symbol of gamer culture and the inspiration behind a nation-wide expo that drew a whopping 58,500 people to Seattle, Washington last week, where hardcore gamers dorked it up with each other and listened to some sage wisdom from industry pros—a nerdy pilgrimage of epic proportions jam-packed into 3 days, when it could’ve easily gone twice as long.
Capping off three days of gaming, competing, creating and record breaking was the final keynote address given by NVIDIA Senior VP of Marketing, Daniel Vivoli. It was the culmination of all of the major events of the convention–results for the Guinness World Record, ESWC, the Demoscene and NVScene challenges–as well as the winners of best visual application and emerging companies. But what really stole the show: the Mythbusters blowout demo.