Hardware
Thermaltake Chaser MK-I LCS with E-Sports Theme
By FJ YbarraFor those of you interested in a cool looking case that has the potential to freeze your components, look no further than the Chaser MK – I LCS by Thermaltake. Targeting the e-sports scene, which has taken off with ferocious capacity lately - especially with MLG Raleigh 2011, Thermaltake has hopes to gain the interest of pro gamers and gaming enthusiasts everywhere.
New Nvidia Drivers and a Utility for Battlefield 3
By Steve BurkeAdditionally, the 285.38 beta drivers for the GTX series GPUs will help optimize the performance in id Software's Rage, due to release next month. We've also been told that they should update profiles for SLI when playing Dead Island, Batman: Arkham City, Dragon Age II, and new profiles for Diablo III, Need for Speed: The Run, and Saints Row: The Third.
84% Of Gamers Do Not Meet Recommended Spec for BF3
By Steve BurkeIf you saw our post last week about the rapidly expanding PC market, then you no doubt understand the large influence that PC gamers have over the future of video gaming. This dominance is empowered by our stellar $550 budget gaming PC build list, which has made it possible to enter into the realm of PC gaming without breaking the bank. One of the biggest questions in the comments for all of our builds lately has been simple: "Will it play Battlefield 3 on max settings?" or "Will my PC play Battlefield 3?"
From what we've learned through Steam's hardware survey, a stunning 84% of PC gamers currently do not meet the recommended specifications to play Battlefield 3 (DICE suggests that a GTX 460 or ATi 5830 is the lowest recommended card). Don't fret: these aren't absolute requirements, so you can still play it with an NVIDIA or ATi card that is lower than the recommendation; however, if you're focused on getting the best graphics quality, this may be of particular interest to you.
Rosewill Announces the Ranger Budget Case
By Steve Burke
Every month we release a new "DIY" budget gaming PC build (here's the one from this month, a $550 beast with a Phenom II X4 and 6870), and we always struggle to find a niche case with a clean look and sufficient cooling -- companies like Cooler Master, NZXT, and Zalman are our typical choices; this is where Rosewill enters the arena.
Today Rosewill announced its RANGER, what they claim to be "the best mid-tower case in value." They informed us that the case "has all the features you have come to expect in a top rank mid-tower case, including USB 3.0, top, rear, and front fans." Considering this case is retailing for $80, 3 fans is sort of expected, but USB 3.0 is certainly a nice bonus.
Here are the specs; stick around for the following paragraph if you'd like a break-down of what it all means to you:
Valve Puts Portal in the Bargain Bin - Portal Now Free
By Francisco FantlWe often -do- think with portals here at Gamers Nexus, and our interview with Erik Wolpaw encourages that. One day, for instance, I found Steve "Lelldorianx" Burke talking to himself and looking at a wall, then he jumped into the wall and broke his nose. The moral of the story, obviously, is that Portal is a good game. It also makes people break their noses -- but hey, we're gamers. We heal faster than normal people. Despite some of the repeated puzzles and trials, Portal 2 blew our minds, and we're happy to inform those of you who have gone portal-less for years that the original Portal is now available for free.
SOON.
If you've already beaten Portal thoroughly into submisison, why not try out this Portal Prelude mod?
Soldak Announces Drox Operative - A New Starship Action RPG
By Steve BurkeThe creators of Din's Curse and Din's Curse: Demon Wars have announced their latest upcoming indie game: "Drox Operative," a space game focused on starship combat, action, and exploration. If the below press release tells us anything, it's that we can expect the same kind of awesome AI interaction and dynanicism that was found in Soldak's previous releases. Drox Operative's most notable (current) features are as follows:
- Explore a dynamic and evolving galaxy
- Explore a unique sector of the galaxy in every game, with different "monsters", ship components, quests, and even races
- Fight in the galactic war between the various alien races
- Battle hundreds of different enemy starships
- Build the coolest and deadliest starship in the galaxy
- Outfit your ship with thousands of components and crew
- Adventure with your friends with co-op multiplayer
NVIDIA 3D Vision Impressions and Future-Sight
By Steve Burke
Three towering monitors flanked left, right, and center as I took my place in the throne of NVIDIA's suite in Boston; a keyboard and mouse gleamed in the light shed by the Acer Surround 3D-compatible monitors, clearly awaiting the divine touch of an experienced gamer. In the center of it all rested a pair of sleek, dark active shutter glasses -- this must be what King Arthur felt like when drawing Excalibur from the stone.
It was definitely an impressive future-sight into the world of NVIDIA; added together, I must have had around eighty inches of monitors within two feet of my face. Put it this way: I can now say that I have played games (specifically, Bulletstorm) at a full 5760x1080 resolution in 3D. Within a second of Michael McSorley, Product Marketing Manager at NVIDIA, telling me how to modify the depth level of the display, I had extruded weapons slightly out of the screen and added a feeling of realism to my scope. Just imagine what Battlefield 3 (preview here) will look like in 3D... not to mention Skyrim.
SEGA Spiral Knights Beta Access Giveaway!
By Steve BurkeThe rattle and hum of clockwork machinery as cogs clumsily clash against gears has long been a part of gaming culture; sometimes classified as Steampunk (given the right backgrounds) and other times simply as 'clockwork,' these games have been a big part of our coverage lately. Now's your chance to test our game and level design theories about the clockwork framework, so to speak.
It's been too long since our last giveaway, and thanks to the guys over at Three Rings and SEGA, we have 500 preview copies of the new action-adventure, retro-inspired Spiral Knights MMO to give out! There's a lot more info below, but if you want to grab an account before reading the rest, go for it! That link will take you to the Spiral Knights beta sign-up, no codes involved.
A Very Special Message from Gearbox Software
By Steve BurkeThe guys over at Gearbox Software -- the team developing Duke Nukem: Forever -- have released this special message about our favorite, to quote Doug Lombardi of Valve, "gum-chomping, alien ass-kicking hero." They've dated Duke Nukem for June 14 (June 10 international), but they didn't do so without some self-deprecation first. Check it out below.
RTS/FPS Hybrid with 64-Player Maps - Gettysburg: Armored Warfare
By Steve BurkeSquadrons of steam-powered tanks, laden with thick steel plating and cumbersome turrets, thundered through the green valleys of a disjointed America; soldiers equipped with mobile gatling guns crunched dried leaves underfoot. All these troops converge on one pivotal location: Gettysburg. That's how I've always imagined it, anyway.
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