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/files/u166440/star_trek_online.jpgPlayers visited Vulcan to pay their respects Yesterday, actor Leonard Nimoy passed away at his home at the age of 83. Nimoy was known for his iconic role as Mr. Spock on Star Trek: The Original Series, and subsequent movies, though he was also a director, author, producer, and singer among other things. As a tribute to the actor and his role in Star Trek, Cryptic Studios announced that it will create an in-game memorial for Mr. Spock and Leonard Nimoy in Star Trek Online. Shortly after Nimoy’s death was announced, around a thousand players logged into the free-to-play MMO and travelled to Vulcan to pay respect to the actor and his character, Mr. Spock, which Nimoy voiced in the game. STO developer Cryptic Studios posted its own acknowledgement of Nimoy’s passing and then followed up with an announcement for plans to include an in-game memorial. “I want to once again express my heartfelt condolences to the friends, family, and fans of Leonard Nimoy,” said Star Trek: Online executive producer Steve Ricossa on the game’s official forums. “Everyone at Cryptic Studios was saddened to hear of his passing and we want to make sure we never forget the cultural impact of the man or the character he played. To that end, the Star Trek Online team will implement a standing in-game memorial to Spock and Leonard Nimoy this Thursday March 5th with our regular weekly maintenance.” Ricossa continued, “In this way, we hope to keep his memory as alive in our game as he is in all of our hearts.” Were you one of the STO players who paid tribute to Leonard Nimoy and will you visit the memorial when it is added? Let us know in the comments below! Follow Sean on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook View the full article

Rockstar Games reveals more than a dozen all-new screenshots of the upcoming visually remastered PC edition of Grand Theft Auto V. http://www.geforce.com/sites/default/files-world/styles/210x100/public/thumbnail_image/GTA_V_PC.jpg?itok=Lb1nDwMX View the full article

/files/u166440/resident_evil_re2.jpgPC version was initially advertised to have offline co-op If you were one of those PC gamers who purchased Resident Evil Revelations 2 for its advertised offline co-op, then you already know that the PC version has no such feature. Owners of the game soon discovered that the feature was missing despite it being advertised on the Steam store page. However, Capcom says that it is “currently looking into the matter” in regards to the lack of offline co-op in Resident Evil Revelations 2. “We apologize to our Resident Evil Revelations 2 PC players who purchased the game and expected to have local co-op as a feature,” said Capcom in a statement. “The feature wasn’t intended for this version and that caveat was mistakenly omitted from the product description on the Steam page earlier, and then included as soon as we were made aware. This was an unintentional error and again, we apologize for the confusion this may have caused.” Resident Evil Revelations 2 is an episodic action-adventure, survival horror title that follows Claire Redfield, one of the survivors of Raccoon City, who appears in a number of games in the Resident Evil franchise. The feature was initially advertised on the Steam store page and was quickly removed. But, at the very least, this incident has resulted in Capcom looking for a way to make it up to PC gamers as the statement adds, “We are currently looking into the matter and potential solutions and we hope to have new information to share very soon, so please stay tuned. Thank you for your patience and understanding.” While it doesn’t sound as if Capcom will include offline co-op mode, it did announce that the game’s Raid mode will support online co-op when it releases a patch “shortly after launch.” But in the meantime, feel free to check out our list of The 22 Best Co-op PC Games if you are looking for a co-op game. Follow Sean on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook View the full article

If you’re yearning to install your own hardware and generally get busy inside your rig, these ultra-handy items will make your life a breeze. http://www.geforce.com/sites/default/files-world/styles/210x100/public/thumbnail_image/TOOL_WALL_THUMBNAIL.jpg?itok=gd-3LAXF View the full article

Rocksteady Studios showcases Gotham's most nefarious criminals featured in Batman: Arkham Knight including Penguin, Two-Face, Scarecrow, Poison Ivy, Riddler and more. http://www.geforce.com/sites/default/files-world/styles/210x100/public/thumbnail_image/Batman_Arkham_Knight_Villains.jpg?itok=UK09BUje View the full article

/monthly_02_2015/post-2-0-25340700-1424966352_thumb.jpg They say patience is a virtue When it comes to developer Rockstar Games, PC gamers tend to wait a while before their IPs are brought over to the platform. This holds true for the developer’s popular Grand Theft Auto franchise. So it shouldn’t surprise us that Grand Theft Auto V for PC has been delayed to April 14. “Our apologies to PC gamers worldwide who have been counting down the days until the launch of the game,” writes Rockstar on its website. “A bit more time is needed to ensure that the game is as polished as possible, and to make certain that both Heists and the GTA Online experience are ready to roll out on day one for PC.” This isn’t the first time that the game has been pushed back. Originally slated for release on January 27, 2015, the developer delayed the PC version’s release to March 22. A move that wasn’t welcome considering that GTA V had been released on September 17, 2013 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. However, Rockstar has been working on an updated version of the game for the current generation of consoles, released last year in November, which also meant a PC version at last. Now, PC gamers will have to wait until April 14 to finally pick up a copy of the game. However, the updated version of GTA V will include a new first-person mode, a first for the series, along with enhancements and additions to the game. So a delay this time around is understandable given the scope of the updated version. At this point, though, we are used to getting games from Rockstar much later than the consoles. Hopefully, the PC version of GTA V will be optimized for the platform. Until then, we still have GTA IV with all of its mods. Follow Sean on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook View the full article

Homeworld is back thanks to an amazing remaster that improves every aspect of the critically acclaimed Homeworld and Homeworld 2, the best 3D space RTS games ever made. Before you play though, load up GeForce Experience to grab the SLI profile that'll give you improved performance in Homeworld's massive battles. http://www.geforce.com/sites/default/files-world/styles/210x100/public/thumbnail_image/header_GBX-Homeworld_460x215.png?itok=vyKFTpP0 View the full article

Please join us for a very special event on March 3rd. RSVP Now. http://www.geforce.com/sites/default/files-world/styles/210x100/public/thumbnail_image/newsfeature-made2game.jpg?itok=OlACziqE View the full article

/files/u166440/steam_002.jpgThe fight for the living room just got bigger Unlike most developers and publishers that tend to inundate consumers with trailers, screenshots, developer diaries, and press releases to keep their games in the public’s eye, Valve tends to stay quiet. So while we know that the company has been working on its Steam Machines and perfecting its Steam Controller, it appears that these devices weren’t the only things the company has been working on. In fact, Valve will be unveiling a selection of new living room devices and a SteamVR hardware system at GDC while demonstrating its Steam Machines and finalized Steam Controller. “Steam is bringing the best games and user-generated content to exciting new destinations,” reads a post asking for VR content creators to sign up. “At GDC 2015, we’ll be giving demos of the refined Steam Controller, new living room devices, and a previously-unannounced SteamVR hardware system.” No further details regarding the new devices were provided, though Valve is looking for VR content creators to sign up and that the company will be providing scheduled VR demos during GDC March 4-6. For a while know, we knew that Valve had been dabbling with VR devices and had even shared its research with Oculus VR. But, at that time, the company had stated that there was no interest in releasing its own VR hardware. In addition, Valve provided a few statistics about Steam which now offers around 4,500 games, that there is 400 million pieces of user-generated content from the Steam Community, and that there are over 125 million active Steam accounts worldwide. As for what the new living room devices might be, we couldn’t even begin to guess (perhaps a SteamTV at this rate). Luckily we are scheduled to meet with Valve at GDC and will report back very soon. What do you think Valve will reveal at the event exactly? Let us know in the comments section below! Follow Sean on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook View the full article

Be the Space Commander you were born to be. The closest answers will win you a galaxy of prizes. http://www.geforce.com/sites/default/files-world/styles/210x100/public/thumbnail_image/key-visual-elite-dangerous.png?itok=wYlFUi-q View the full article

Introducing the Battlefield 4 Community Map Project – Your opportunity to work directly with the DICE team and create your own map. Find out more information on our blog: https://battlelog.battle... From: Battlefield Views: 301 http://gdata.youtube.com/static/images/icn_star_full_11x11.gifhttp://gdata.youtube.com/static/images/icn_star_full_11x11.gifhttp://gdata.youtube.com/static/images/icn_star_full_11x11.gifhttp://gdata.youtube.com/static/images/icn_star_full_11x11.gifhttp://gdata.youtube.com/static/images/icn_star_half_11x11.gif 1824 ratings Time: 01:16 More in Gaming

New expansion pack available now for Ubisoft's The Crew brings the Saleen S7 Twin Turbo, Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe Black Series and Alfa Romeo 4C. http://www.geforce.com/sites/default/files-world/styles/210x100/public/thumbnail_image/The_Crew_DLC.jpg?itok=Tjix8I2q View the full article

Building or buying a brand new PC guarantees you the definitive experience with support for the latest standards. You’ll have faster framerates, speedier data transfers, and numerous other benefits that make your PC and games better. But say you don’t have a wad of cash burning a hole in your pocket, how then would you enjoy the latest NVIDIA-enhanced PC games? Well, with a little time and money you can breathe life into just about any PC with a PCI Express slot. Here’s how. http://www.geforce.com/sites/default/files-world/styles/210x100/public/thumbnail_image/thumb-gfgarage-gtx960-upgrade.jpg?itok=Hp4t24NC View the full article

Saints Row IV kicks off the release of three new AAA games on NVIDIA SHIELD. #SHIELDTuesday http://www.geforce.com/sites/default/files-world/styles/210x100/public/thumbnail_image/SHIELD-Social_Media-Grid-Gaming-key-visual-620x265_3games_rev1.jpg?itok=JXce0bnY View the full article

A Steam box for the enthusiast Much like what Alienware did with its Alpha console, CyberPower PC is transforming its Steam Machine into a Windows box (you can thank Valve’s delay of its hardware initiative for that). CyberPower PC is branding its new line of PCs under its Syber Vapor line, which is an obvious nod to Valve’s “Steam” nomenclature. Unlike the Alienware Alpha, however, there is no proprietary 10-foot UI here. Rather, the Vapor boots directly into Steam’s Big Picture Mode. CyberPower PC is billing the Vapor as “the ultimate PC gaming console,” and with some minor quibbles aside, we think the company makes a pretty compelling argument. Arguably, our biggest issue with the Vapor is that it’s... well, pretty big. Don’t get us wrong, at 13.8x13.5x3.8 inches it’s certainly a lot smaller than most gaming desktop PCs, but unlike Alienware’s much smaller Alpha, the Vapor is much too big for backpacks. It wouldn’t even fit in our Everki Beacon backpack, to which, as you might remember, we awarded a 9 Kick Ass and praised for being able to carry large 17-inch gaming notebooks. The portability problem is also exacerbated by the Vapor’s weight—it’s heavy. Whereas the Alpha was a tiny bundle of joy to lug around at 4.5 pounds, the Vapor is likely to strain backs, weighing in at 15 pounds. /files/u154082/cyberpower_pc-2.jpg There are seven LED color schemes to choose from. While it is a bit larger than Microsoft’s Xbox One, it looks more like a console than a PC. The version that we got is white with black trim, but it also comes in an all-black chassis. Even though we like the look of both, we prefer the black and white version a bit more for its contrasting hues. Both color variants offer LED lights on the front, with six colors schemes to choose from via a physical button on top of the case. The colors include red, blue, green, light-green, light-blue, and purple. There’s also an option to have the case cycle through all the colors automatically. There’s something of a Tron vibe to the chassis, but we kind of like it in this case (no pun intended). You can also turn off the LEDs if they don’t appeal to you. Even though Alienware’s Alpha was somewhat modular and allowed you to swap out the storage, RAM, and CPU, that’s about all you could change. With the Syber Vapor, it’s much less proprietary and just about as modular as any Mini-ITX system. It can take a single full-length graphics card, handle up to 16GB of RAM, and can house a standard SFX PSU up to 800 watts. The Syber Vapor boots directly into Steam Big Picture Mode While CyberPower PC comes with a wireless controller, instead of going with the wireless Xbox 360 controller (like the Alienware Alpha), the Vapor includes a Logitech F710 gamepad. The button layout is similar to Microsoft’s equivalent, but the shape of the controller feels similar to Sony’s Dual Shock offering, in that there are dual sticks toward the bottom-middle of the controller. The F710 works OK, but we prefer the Xbox 360 controller, as it contours better to our hands. The F710 isn’t the only peripheral that CyberPower PC included with our unit, however. While some of the more affordable models in the Vapor line include a wireless mini QWERTY keyboard, our system came with Logitech’s K400 wireless keyboard. The K400 has a little touchpad to the right of the keys, so you can mouse around. CyberPower PC opted to include this because, unlike Alienware, it didn’t program its controller to emulate a mouse-and-keyboard setup. While we would have really appreciated this feature, and feel it’s sort of a cheap shortcut on CyberPower PC’s part, the inclusion of the K400 keyboard does open up the system as both a Steam box and a full-fledged Windows PC (You can get to the Windows desktop by exiting Steam). Whereas it was a bit of a chore having to rely solely on a wireless Xbox 360 gamepad to control the Alpha, the Vapor’s included K400 does go a long way to mitigate annoying installation pop-ups in Steam Big Picture Mode. On a related note, as hard as Valve has worked on BPM, it still has some issues to iron out. /files/u154082/cyber_vapor.jpg The case also comes in black. When it came to our Vapor’s specs, we had little to complain about. While there are a couple of different configurations to choose from, CyberPower PC sent us its super-decked-out SKU, which includes components such as Intel’s 4GHz quad-core i7-4790K CPU coupled with Zalman’s CNPS8900 Quiet CPU cooler, Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 980, and 8GB of Corsair Vengeance lower-power DDR3 RAM clocked at 2,133MHz. All of this is sitting on top of an MSI Z97I AC Mini-ITX mobo and has a 450-watt Silverstone ST45SF-G SFX PSU. And for storage, our Vapor has a 120GB Kingston SSD and a 1TB 2.5-inch 7,200rpm HDD. All in all, this is nearly as much computer power as CyberPower PC can cram into this box. The cost of our unit? At the time of print, our particular SKU retails for $1,638 and while that certainly prices it well beyond the consoles, it’s actually quite a bargain. As a matter of fact, when we searched for all the individual components on Newegg to try and replicate the build ourselves, the total tab came out to be $1,807. So, you’re easily saving over $150 here, and you’re getting CyberPower PC’s one-year warranty on top of that. That’s some OEM voodoo right there. To see how it compares to a full-tower DIY system with the same components, we look at the desktop featured in the cover story of our February 2015 issue, which conveniently has the same CPU and GPU. As would be expected, the bigger chassis allowed our desktop to perform slightly better overall, with the Vapor trailing behind one to five percent in our graphics tests. The only graphics benchmark where the Vapor was actually able to outperform our desktop equivalent was in Batman: Arkham Origins, but we suspect it’s because of the newer GeForce drivers we’ve got running compared to the build we originally set up for the February issue. As a gaming machine, our Vapor is a beast and should be able to max out any game you throw at it with smooth framerates. If anything, our unit is overkill for 1080P, with the upside being that it’s a bit more “future proof.” One of our complaints about Alienware’s Alpha is that it didn’t support GeForce Optimal Playable Settings, which is great for console noobs who don’t want to finagle with adjusting graphics settings. With our Vapor, users can simply set everything to max. It’s a brute-force way of tackling a complex problem, but hey, in this case, it works. /files/u154082/k400.jpg Our Syber Vapor came with Logitech's K400 wireless keyboard When it came to the CPU benchmarks, the Vapor trailed the desktop by 5 to 10 percent, but we suspect that mostly has to do with our desktop’s Kraken X61, which is a great CPU liquid cooler. The Vapor is definitely running high-end desktop parts, but its form factor tames its components ever so slightly. But let’s be honest here, a 4790K is overkill for gaming today. Considering the Vapor is meant to connect to your HDTV, all of the power in this box is moot if the user experience isn’t good. Because the Vapor runs Windows 8.1, users will have to go through the annoying Windows 8.1 setup process. Once we got that out of the way, we noticed that the Vapor scaled perfectly to our 1080p Samsung HDTV over HDMI. We couldn’t say the same about the Alienware Alpha, which required us to rejigger our display to fit the confines of the screen. Unfortunately, some games like SpeedRunners boot up in windowed mode, which takes you out of the illusion that you’re playing on a console. And speaking of booting, the startup process took 16 seconds to get to Windows, but then the Vapor automatically boots into Steam Big Picture Mode after that and kicks up the timer to 30 seconds overall. That’s not super-fast, but it’s much faster than the Alienware Alpha, which takes more than three times as long to boot. We have to say that we really missed being able to use the gamepad to emulate the mouse and keyboard, however, as that did work for Alienware’s box in a pinch. Really, who wants to go looking for their wireless keyboard whenever you’re playing a Steam game with only partial controller support? One thing that we really liked about the experience, however, is that our Vapor ran very quietly under load. /files/u154082/f710.png CyberPower includes Logitech's F710 wireless controller We had some relatively small minor issues with the build quality. The unit we tested was actually our second unit; the first unit we received was dead on arrival. But hey, that stuff happens every now and then. The replacement unit reviewed here had its top lid pretty much fall off out of the box; its single screw wasn’t secured all the way. We tightened it easily enough, but then when we placed the Vapor flat on its side (which is one of the ways you can orient the box), one of the rubber feet came off (there was enough adhesive on it to stick it back in place). Little issues like these make us question CyberPower PC’s assembly line. The Syber Vapor certainly isn’t perfect, and neither is Steam’s Big Picture Mode, but as a Mini-ITX gaming PC, it rocks, especially for the price. At this point, you literally cannot beat its price if you tried to DIY. In addition, it’s got enough horsepower to eat any 1080p game you throw at it. Yes, it’s relatively big and heavy, and a part of us would have preferred a smaller, cheaper, and more portable unit with a short GTX 970, but as it stands, this is still one pretty kick ass gaming PC. Syber Vapor Specs /files/u154082/syber_vapor_specs.png Syber Vapor Benchmarks /files/u154082/syber_vapor_benchmarks.png Our full-tower desktop PC uses an Nvidia GeForce GTX 980 and an Intel Core i7-4970K CPU. View the full article

/files/u166440/evolve_003.jpgThe couple that slays together, stays together With Valentine's Day right around the corner, we thought we would look at some of the best PC co-op games out there. And hey, if you're single, there's no better way to stem the fear of dying alone then by playing games with some friends! The list is in alphabetical order but we decided not to include games from genres such as MMOs and MOBAs. We wanted to focus on IPs that can be played not only with a small amount of friends, but with your significant other without causing too much frustration. To that end, we chose a selection of games with a broad range regarding difficulty and genres. So light the candles, open up a bottle of Bond Estates Melbury Red wine from Napa (so long as you are 21 years and older), heat up some hot pockets, and treat your significant other to a fun evening. Or just order a six pack and pizza while playing with friends. What? We heard that red wine pairs perfectly with hot pockets. So what are some of your favorite co-op games? Tell us in the comment section below! Follow Sean on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook View the full article

Gearbox Software and veterans from Relic Entertainment share insight on the epic strategy series launching on Steam later this month in remastered form. http://www.geforce.com/sites/default/files-world/styles/210x100/public/thumbnail_image/Homeworld_Remastered_PC.jpg?itok=luRmiEVJ View the full article

Tripwire Interactive showcases the bloodcurdling enemies players will face in its post-apocalyptic FPS sequel, Killing Floor 2. http://www.geforce.com/sites/default/files-world/styles/210x100/public/thumbnail_image/Killing_Floor_2_Enemies.jpg?itok=sVvJnCvk View the full article

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is now playable on NVIDIA SHIELD. #SHIELDTuesday http://www.geforce.com/sites/default/files-world/styles/210x100/public/thumbnail_image/SHIELD-Social_Media-Brothers-aToTS-620x265-Screenshot-TABLET-1.jpg?itok=A9fB1ITD View the full article

The new GeForce Game Ready Dying Light 347.52 WHQL drivers are now available to download through GeForce Experience, and from GeForce.com. With performance optimizations, SLI profiles, and a variety of other tweaks, our latest Game Ready drivers are a recommended update for all GeForce GTX users. http://www.geforce.com/sites/default/files-world/styles/210x100/public/thumbnail_image/news-featured-nvidia-geforce-drivers_20.jpg?itok=9NDwWFjl View the full article

Evolve showcases true next-generation multiplayer featuring 4v1 action that allows you to either evolve and overpower as the Monster or team up and outnumber as the Hunters. These 6 wallpapers depicting the Monsters and Hunters are available to download in 4 resolutions each, including 4k. http://www.geforce.com/sites/default/files-world/styles/210x100/public/thumbnail_image/Evolve_Nvidia-Wallpapers_Goliath_1024.png?itok=j_9zBWys View the full article

Revolver360 RE:ACTOR is definitely not your average shooter. Discover why on NVIDIA SHIELD. http://www.geforce.com/sites/default/files-world/styles/210x100/public/thumbnail_image/SHIELD-Social_Media-Revolver_360-620x265-TABLET-1.jpg?itok=FvXl1Xft View the full article

Evolve's official mobile companion game, Evolve: Hunters Quest, allows players to unlock features and boosts in the full PC edition of Evolve. http://www.geforce.com/sites/default/files-world/styles/210x100/public/thumbnail_image/Evolve_Mobile_Game.jpg?itok=-eoUPTt6 View the full article

Dying Light has been updated to version 1.2.1. Learn about the changes, see how they affect the game's graphics, and discover how developer Techland has improved performance. http://www.geforce.com/sites/default/files-world/styles/210x100/public/thumbnail_image/dying-light-key-image-640px_1.jpg?itok=qUaFJm4C View the full article