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/files/u166440/sega_logo.jpgStaff offered voluntary retirement Despite successes such as Alien: Isolation, which sold over 1 million copies, and Football Manager 2015, Sega will be making some unfortunate changes. Sega announced that 300 employees will be solicited for voluntary retirement while the company focuses on mobile and PC gaming as part of a restructuring and downsizing process. "Voluntary retirement will be solicited in the aforementioned businesses to be withdrawn or consolidated and downsized, while at the same time personnel will be repositioned in Digital Games and growth areas of Group mainly as development personnel, in order to establish a structure which can constantly generate profits,” the company informed employees. “The purpose of these measures is to improve the business efficiency of the Group." Sega of America will feel the brunt of this process with its business being moved from San Francisco to Southern California. In the meantime, 120 jobs will potentially be lost between February 9 and the end of March though the company will offer incentives to employees who voluntarily retire. “We are confident that by relocating to Southern California we will be able to thrive, grow, and become a stronger company because of it,” said Sega of America president John Cheng. Cheng added, “We are sad to say goodbye to some of the best people in the business and are indebted to them for their hard work and dedication through the years.” Despite the restructuring and layoffs, Sega announced that upcoming game releases will not be affected while developers Creative Assembly and Sports Interactive will be relatively unscathed during the process. Upcoming games include Total War Battles: Kingdoms, Total War: Arena, Total War: Attila, another installment of Football Manager, and a western release of Yakuza 5. Follow Sean on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook View the full article

Get an in-depth look at all of the new innovations and features coming in Battlefield Hardline, a fresh new take on Battlefield that lets you live out your cops and criminal fantasy. Learn... From: Battlefield Views: 168 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_full_11x11.gif 19 ratings Time: 05:40 More in Gaming

We breakdown why Turtle Rock Studios' next-gen sci-fi shooter, Evolve, is one of 2015's biggest titles on PC. http://www.geforce.com/sites/default/files-world/styles/210x100/public/thumbnail_image/Evolve_PC_Feature_GeForce_Thumbnail_0.jpg?itok=hSkF25fm View the full article

Defy physics & get dirty in MX vs ATV Reflex, now available on NVIDIA SHIELD. http://www.geforce.com/sites/default/files-world/styles/210x100/public/thumbnail_image/SHIELD-Social_Media-MX_vs_ATV_Reflex-620x265-TABLET-1.jpg?itok=5fdupBje View the full article

/files/u154082/dsc01600.jpgThe science and testing behind Logitech’s gaming mice This is part two of our in-depth tour of Logitech’s facilities in Switzerland. This article focuses on how Logitech designs and develops its gaming mice. For an inside look at how the company is attempting to reinvent the mechanical keyboard, click here. While Logitech is generally viewed as a peripheral manufacturer, the company views itself as a technology company. In an attempt to show PC gamers that it uses cutting-edge design methodologies, Logitech invited us to its headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland to show us how the company designs and tests it gaming mice. Logitech explains how its G402 mouse uses two sensors /files/u154082/g402_hyperion_fury.jpg Logitech G402 Hyperion Fury The company’s most interesting mouse today is arguably the G402 Hyperion Fury, which it claims to be “the world’s fastest gaming mouse.” Logitech boasts that the G402 can move a blistering 12.5 meters a second. To achieve this, Logitech says it uses a combination of two sensors. At slow-to-moderate speeds, the mouse uses a traditional optical sensor. Optical sensors are arguably the most common sensors used in gaming mice and use high-speed cameras to take blazing-fast images of the surface it rests upon. From here, the sensor then overlaps the images to create a movement map. While the cameras used in Logitech’s optical sensors are magnitudes faster than the traditional point-and-shoot cameras you find at your camera store (think about 12,000 shots a second), the company says that even they have detectable lag when you’re trying to move a mouse at 12.5 meters a second. Therefore, beyond a certain speed threshold, the G402 switches over to an accelerometer/gyroscope solution. It uses a small ARM processor that can switch on the fly, and Logitech claims less than a millisecond of delay results from the switch. While a gyroscope solution isn’t the most accurate sensor at low speeds, Logitech says they excel when there is a quick burst of movement, thus the G402 uses a hybrid solution that aims to leverage both sensor’s strengths to achieve its speed. An indepth interview with Logitech's mouse expert Chris Pate /files/u154082/logitech_g302.jpg Logitech G302 Daedalus Prime While this hybrid sensor seems advantageous for the end user, we were surprised to hear that the company’s even newer G302 Daedalus Prime mouse opts instead to support a more traditional optical solution. Logitech told us the reason the hybrid solution wasn’t included was because the G302 was designed to be a smaller, lighter MOBA mouse, and trying to house two sensors along with the G402’s ARM processor wasn’t ideal to achieve this compact form factor. This isn’t to say the G302 doesn’t have its element of uniqueness, however. Logitech says its mice are good for at least 20 million clicks Because MOBAs like League of Legends and DOTA 2 feature tons of clicking, the Daedalus Prime is largely focused on eliminating the travel between the mouse’s buttons and its microswitches that activate commands. The G302 is able to do this by separating the left and right mouse buttons from the body of the mouse (Logitech says most mice use a monolithic design), and having them rest directly on top of the microswitch. This means that there is no air travel between the button and the switch at all. In the absence of air travel, Logitech designed a new metal spring tensioning system that rests between the button and the switch. When we asked Logitech if this could potentially add unwanted tension, which could theoretically create microscopic amounts of lag in and of itself, the company assured us that it didn’t, but rather aided in a consistent clicking experience. A Logitech contraption that measures mouse accuracy http://www.maximumpc.com/files/u152332/buildit-12387_small.jpg Logitech G602 One of the best-selling mice that Logitech currently offers is its G602 wireless mouse. According to Logitech, when you look at the mouse industry as a whole, wireless mice outsell wired ones. This might not be true for gaming, but with the G602, Logitech worked to overcome many of gamers’ fears. The most obvious concern for gamers is lag. According to Logitech, lag on the G602 is imperceptible. The company ran an experiment where it asked a group of gamers if they could detect any noticeable lag using its wireless gaming mouse. People said they believed it felt laggier than a traditional wired mouse. When Logitech plugged in a faux wired cable (that did nothing), the same users said it felt much more responsive. Essentially, Logitech asserts that it was merely the placebo effect at play. According to Logitech, the G602 is capable of delivering a two millisecond response time. The company says that most people can only detect latency at four milliseconds and beyond. According to its own studies, some people can’t even perceive 40 milliseconds of lag. Logitech has a special room that removes all wireless signals to detect wireless dead zones for its wireless mice. Logitech claims it could have gotten the G602’s response time under two milliseconds, but at the cost of battery life, which is actually the true obstacle of a wireless gaming mouse. By scaling it back to two milliseconds, Logitech says it was able to get much more battery life out of the G602, which it asserts is able to get 250 hours of use out of a single charge. How is the company able to achieve those figures? Logitech says that it designed the G602 with battery in mind and created a sensor specifically for gaming wirelessly. The G602 also uses Logitech’s proprietary USB interface. When we asked them why it didn’t use Bluetooth, the company informed us that the response rate of Bluetooth devices are at the mercy of the host (computer) device. The G602, in particular, uses a 1,000Hz polling rate through USB. Logitech proving that there is no added acceleration to its mice. Other interesting things we learned about mice from Logitech is that no sensor is 100 percent accurate. You might see that terminology used to market mice from other vendors, but Logitech asserts that these claims are simply false. Another question we had pertained to laser mice. Several years ago, laser mice were quite popular because they tracked on a wider range of surfaces compared to optical. While laser mice aren’t terrible, optical mice have one key advantage over them, and that comes down to accuracy variance, more commonly referred to as “mouse acceleration.” Mouse acceleration is undesired for gaming and generally equates to an inconsistent movement experience. According to Logitech, with laser mice, you get about a five to six percent variance, making for an inconsistent experience, compared to and optical sensor’s one percent equivalent. One final interesting tidbit that we learned is that many gamers prefer braided cables on their mice, but Logitech’s data shows that more pros actually prefer plastic cables as they tend to offer more flexibility. So if you want to play like a pro, you might want to consider ditching the braided cable. For more pictures and information from the event, check out our image gallery below. View the full article

A great console-sized PC stuck in the alpha stage As great as PC gaming is, let’s face it, when it comes to gaming in the living room, consoles have the PC beat. Alienware and the Steam Machines were supposed to change that, but considering Valve delayed its hardware initiative, Alienware decided to releases its box early as a small Windows 8.1 PC, dubbed the Alienware Alpha. While the PC does an admirable job of attacking the PC’s problem areas in the living room, as the name implies, it’s still (unfortunately) in a bit of an alpha stage. The chassis is black and small. Measuring 2.1x7.8x7.8 inches, the Alpha is closest in size to Nintendo’s Wii U console. At 4.5 pounds, Alienware’s little PC is also extremely portable. We had an easy time lugging it around to friends’ apartments with four controllers inside a backpack. Speaking of controllers, the unit comes with a black wireless Xbox 360 controller. /files/u154082/alienware-alpha-1920.jpg Ports on the Alpha include two USB 3.0, three USB 2.0, one S/PDIF, and two HDMI (one for output and another for input). It is a little disappointing that there isn’t an analog headset port, but Alienware told us it was one concession it had to make to produce such a small form factor. The box’s aesthetics aren’t very flashy. It’s got some sharp angles, akin to Alienware’s gaming laptops, a glowing triangular LED, and a glowing Alienware power button. You can also customize the LEDs through Alienware’s UI. Overall, it will look nice sitting next to your TV. Inside the box, the Alpha is running a mobile GPU based on Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 860M, which was the same graphics card used in the HP Omen gaming laptop we reviewed last month. Since this box has such a unique setup, the Omen seemed like the fairest candidate for a zero point to test against. Its GPU runs at 1,020MHz and has 2GB of GDDR5 VRAM clocked at 1,253MHz. Compared to our ZP, however, we Alpha’s performance was a disappointing 11 percent slower in our Metro: Last Light and 3DMark 11 benchmarks. It did perform 7 percent better in BioShock Infinite, however. Overall, the Alpha is nowhere near the most powerful gaming PC out there, but it should be able to run most AAA games on medium to high settings. It will, at the very least, be competitive with the next-gen consoles. /files/u154082/alpha_tv.jpg One aspect of the Alpha that we feel isn’t up to snuff is system RAM; our unit only offered what we feel is a minimal 4GB. Sure, the majority of games should run fine on 4GB, but that’s beginning to change with newer titles. We think Alienware should up the Alpha’s base RAM to 8GB. Luckily, you can upgrade the RAM to 8GB, though you’ll need laptop RAM to do so. You can also upgrade the storage with any 2.5-inch drive. If you’re like us, you’ll really want to do this. Our unit came with a 500GB 5,400rpm hard drive, which was embarrassingly slow. It took the Alpha one minute and 35 seconds to boot up, and then another 35 seconds to boot up into Steam Big Picture Mode. If you’re loading a really big game, it’s only going to lengthen the wait. At the heart of the console is the Alpha’s i3-4310QT CPU. Despite the box’s size, it’s actually a quad-core desktop CPU running at 2.9GHz. You can upgrade this to a quad-core i7, too. And you may want to, considering this i3 gets beat up by 30–54 percent compared to the HP Omen’s mobile i7-4710HQ processor. While dual-core CPUs are fine for the majority of games, for a little more future-proofing, we would have preferred at least a quad-core i5 chip. Of course, the hardware means very little if the software isn’t properly optimized to take over the living room. While the Alpha is running Windows 8.1 underneath, Alienware has wrapped its own user interface around it, which you can navigate with a controller. The Alpha UI also allows you to launch directly into Steam Big Picture Mode, which comes pre-installed. Because some Steam games only offer partial controller support, Alienware has done some super-nifty software tweaks to allow you to use an Xbox controller like a mouse in a pinch. You can do this by pressing down on all four shoulder buttons and pressing down on the left stick. This will allow you to navigate past any pop-up window boxes. The Alpha isn’t perfect, however. One of the taglines Alienware is using for the Alpha is that it “combines the freedom of PC gaming with the ease of a console,” but the slogan doesn’t always ring true. We encountered some resolution issues. For instance, in Shadow of Mordor, it defaulted to 1280x1024 resolution on our 1080p TV and had no in-game option to adjust it to 1080p. Some games that allowed us to adjust the resolution ended up blacking out the screen when we cranked it up to 1080p. Meanwhile, some games would open up off-center in a windowed mode by default. When we tried to boot up Skyrim, it gave us an error message that read, “Failed to initialize renderer. Your display doesn’t support the selected resolution.” The consoles also allow you to watch Netflix, and the only real good way to do that on the Alpha at the moment is to boot it up to the desktop mode, but here you’ll need to have a keyboard/mouse plugged in. Because of that, we really recommend getting something like Logitech’s wireless K400 keyboard, which pairs well with the Alpha. /files/u154082/alpha_010.png Another area in which the consoles have at a little easier than PC gaming is that console gamers don’t have to tweak their settings. Nvidia has a solid workaround to this problem with its GeForce Experience, but unfortunately the Alpha does not support GeForce optimal playable settings, which is a shame considering many console noobs might not know which graphical knobs to twist. At $550, the Alpha certainly isn’t cheap, especially when you look at its specs and compare it to the consoles. And the Alpha has a bunch of little software hiccups to overcome. Despite these problems, however, when the Alpha works, it’s awesome. Steam has a surprising number of fun local co-op games like Broforce, SpeedRunners, and more. Alienware’s box does a great job of bringing PC games to the living room. Sure, you could build a cheaper, more powerful system, but Alienware has spent a decent amount of R&D trying to solve the software/UI issues. Yes, the box is in a bit of an alpha stage right now and isn’t the console-killer it set out to be, but we hope that Alienware continues to make future iterations of the Alpha. As it stands, the Alpha is a good machine for the PC vet, but not a perfect solution for the console noob. Alienware Alpha Specs /files/u154082/alienware_alpha_benchmarks.png /files/u154082/new_spec_chart.png View the full article

http://www.maximumpc.com/files/u69/apacer_ssd.jpg Apacer exec expects another free fall in SSD pricing Solid state drives may never reach the tantalizing price-per-gigabyte ratio that mechanical hard disk drives enjoy, though that's okay, we're willing to pay a premium for performance. However, that premium might not be finished shrinking. We already saw NAND flash memory pricing take a nose dive, which in turn led to more affordable SSDs, and now we hear that the cost of SSDs could drop even lower this year. According to Digitimes, Apacer Technology general manager CK Chang believes prices for 256GB SSDs will fall below $70 in the second half of 2015, while prices for 128GB SSDs will hit $40. At present, 256GB SSDs street for around $100 -- there's an Apotop model on Newegg that's priced on sale for $90, while the rest of the 256GB models sell for $100 or more -- and 128GB models go for $60 and up. The reason for the predicted drop in price once again relates to NAND flash memory. Upstream chip vendors have transitioned to 14nm, 15nm, and 16nm, and in doing so, production costs have come down. According to Chang, this will lead to lower priced SSDs. As for Apacer, the company shipped about 4 million SSDs in 2014, accounting for 30 percent of its more than $318 million in revenue. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook View the full article

Overclocking your components is a fantastic way to get the most performance possible out of your system. It’s also an effective tool for snagging those extra frames-per-second when you can’t quite afford brand-new parts. In our seventh skill guide, we walk you through how to safely push your GPU and CPU clock speeds to awesome new heights. http://www.geforce.com/sites/default/files-world/styles/210x100/public/thumbnail_image/thumb-gfgarage-video7.jpg?itok=7cmly4lL View the full article

http://www.maximumpc.com/files/u69/windows_10_3.jpg Can't beat the price! Stop whatever it is you're doing and make a fist. Make sure there isn't a living creature within arm's length, and when the coast is clear, pump your fist in the air in celebration. What are we celebrating? The fact that Microsoft today confirmed plans to make Windows 10 a free upgrade for Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows Phone 8.1 users! This is exactly the type of announcement we were hoping for, but didn't really think would happen. Yes, there were rumors that Windows 9 would be a free upgrade, most of which suggested the free upgrade would apply to Windows 8/8.1 only. And then Microsoft did something nobody saw coming -- it skipped over Windows 9 and announced Windows 10, giving itself an out to the rumors that Windows 9 would be free. Shenanigans, we thought. And we were wrong. Microsoft is holding a press event today in which it's revealing all kinds of details about Windows 10 and related hardware, including confirmation that Cortana is headed to the desktop. We'll have plenty of coverage once things wrap up, but in the meantime, we wanted to give you heads up about Windows 10. This is a bold move by Microsoft, and of course a welcome one by consumers. The free upgrade will be available for the first year, giving consumers plenty of time to make the transition. It should also mean that Windows 10's market share will eclipse that of Windows 8/8.1 in short order. Stay tuned folks, we'll have more to come! Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook View the full article

http://www.maximumpc.com/files/u69/steam_watch_game.jpgFancy new features graduate from beta In case you need any added incentive to hop on Steam and play games, there's a Steam client update available that adds a few new features and a bunch of bug fixes. One of the big additions is that of Steam Broadcasting, support for which was first introduced to beta client users last month -- now it's available to the general public, allowing you to broadcast your gameplay for others to watch. You can invite a friend to watch your gameplay, and likewise, if a buddy is having a tough time getting through a level that you've already beat, you can watch what they're doing and offer pointers. With regards to privacy, it's up to you who gets to watch your gameplay. The first time a friend asks to watch your game, you'll be asked to choose a privacy setting consisting of: Only friends that I invite Friends can request to watch my games Friends can watch my games Anyone can watch my games You can find more information about the Broadcast feature in a related FAQ. Moving on, Valve also added the frames-per-second overlay to the regular client, another feature that had previously been available to beta client users. This one's self explanatory, though it's worth mentioning that it might negate the need for third party programs like FRAPS, at least for those who are only interested in viewing FPS performance. Most everything else included in the update pertain to bug fixes and performance enhancements, including tweaks to the general client, Big Picture mode, in-home streaming, Linux, and Steam OS. You can view them all here. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook View the full article

The Battlefield 4 team has collaborated with Dimitri Vangelis & Wyman X Steve Angello combining their hit song, Payback, with community gameplay clips to create a trailer thanking both fan... 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_half_11x11.gifhttp://gdata.youtube.com/static/images/icn_star_empty_11x11.gif 2850 ratings Time: 03:47 More in Gaming

Rumored features include digital inking support and tab grouping Microsoft has a special press event scheduled for January 21, when it will finally turn the spotlight on Windows 10’s consumer-specific features. Chances are Microsoft could end up formally announcing the new "Spartan" browser, which we first heard about late last month, at the upcoming event, though it’s hard to say anything with certainty at this stage. Well, it may or may not figure on the upcoming company’s agenda for the event, but Spartan has already gotten the tech media buzzing. Over the last couple of days, some fresh details have emerged, along with a couple of purportedly leaked screenshots, courtesy of Chinese site Cnbeta, that show a Chrome-like minimalist browser interface. The new browser, according to a recent The Verge report citing people close to the company’s plans, will have a number of new features not currently found in competing browsers, including digital inking support that lets users add annotations to web pages using a stylus. What’s more, multiple users will reportedly be able to share these annotations with each other using a OneDrive-powered note sharing service. Cortana integration and the ability to group browser tabs are some of the other key features that the browser is rumored to have. http://www.maximumpc.com/files/u46168/spartan-browser-ms-win10.jpg You may have noticed that in the above screenshot the browser’s tabs bar and the Windows taskbar are both dark. That is, per The Verge, part of a Microsoft plan to “build light and dark themes with color accents for Windows 10”, à la Windows Phone. Image Credit: Cnbeta Follow Pulkit on Google+ View the full article

/files/u166440/roccat_nyth.jpgA mouse that can be adapted for various video game genres When it comes to your mouse, you want one that is comfortable to use when it comes to work and playing games. But when it comes to gaming, sometimes a standard mouse isn’t going to cut it. For some consumers, a different kind of mouse that is designed specifically for massively multiplayer online games (MMO) and multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) games are needed for a more efficient and enhanced playstyle. However, players may no longer have to worry about buying a specific mouse for a certain type of game. At CES 2015, Online Managing Editor Jimmy Thang was able to see Roccat’s modular gaming mouse Nyth along with the Ryos MK FX and Ryos TKL FX mechanical keyboards. The Roccat Nyth is the company’s solution to consumers who play games from multiple genres what might want a mouse that can be adapted to enhance the gaming experience when switching from a game like World of Warcraft (MMO) to Dota 2 (MOBA). While designed as an MMO mouse, consumers will be able to transform the MMO layout of the Nyth into a MOBA or FPS layout due to the device’s custom button placement and interchangeable side-parts. But instead of having to purchase different kinds of buttons, though the Nyth will come with two or three sets of buttons according to the rep, those who own 3D printers will be able to print buttons and side-parts from an online file library in order to customize the Nyth (there will also be a third-party service available to print buttons for consumers). Users will be able to add up to 12 buttons. The Roccat Nyth is expected to be out in Q2 or Q3 this year but no price was provided. Meanwhile, Jimmy was also able to check out the prototypes of two new additions to the Ryos series of mechanical RGB keyboards. The Ryos MK FX version excludes the numpad while the Ryos TKL FX is a full-sized keyboard. Both devices feature Cherry MX switches and require two USB ports in order to be used. But regarding the two USB port requirement, Jimmy brought up the fact that Logitech’s keyboard requires only one USB port to be powered and asked the rep why Roccat still requires dual USB ports who replied that it was necessary because of the Cherry MX switches and that the “RGB LEDs are much more power-consuming than the single-color ones.” The Ryos MK FX and Ryos TKL FX are expected to be out in Q3 2015 but no price was forthcoming. What do you think of the Roccat Nyth and its ability to be adapted for various types of video games? Sound off in the comments below! Follow Sean on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook View the full article

http://www.maximumpc.com/files/u69/intel_compute_stick.jpgTurn an HDMI display into a Windows 8.1 PC Intel already used the Consumer Electronics Show as a platform to introduce its newest 5th Generation Core micro-architecture (14nm Broadwell), but that's not all it wanted to show off. On a somewhat smaller scale, Intel today introduced its Compute Stick, a $149 dongle that turns your HDMI display into a low-power Windows 8.1 PC. And though it may seem similar to media streaming devices like Amazon's Fire TV stick, you can do more with Intel's device. The Compute Stick is powered by an Intel Atom Z3735F Bay Trail quad-core processor, at least for now -- a future version could come with a Core M CPU inside. There are two versions -- one that comes preinstalled with Windows 8.1 and includes 2GB of RAM and 32GB of flash storage, and a Linux variant with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage. The Linux version runs $89. Both come with a microSD card slot to add more storage space, and both also sport a full-size USB port, micro USB, Bluetooth 4.0, and 802.11n Wi-Fi. There's enough power here to for light productivity work, surfing the web, streaming media, and more. Whether or not it proves popular we'll have to wait and see -- it's scheduled to be available in March. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook View the full article

/files/u166440/acer_aspire_v_17_nitro_notebook.jpgIntegrated 3D camera might turn heads or a 15.6-inch Chromebook will With all of the new laptops and notebooks being shown at CES 2015, it becomes difficult for a company’s product to stand. But we think Acer might have achieved this with its two new offerings. Maximum PC’s Online Managing Editor Jimmy Thang had the opportunity to visit the company’s booth where he saw Acer’s new Aspire V 17 Nitro gaming notebook and 15-inch Chromebook. The Acer Aspire V 17 Nitro laptop has a couple of features that will make people notice. The first is that the 17-inch notebook comes with an Intel RealSense 3D camera that includes a conventional camera, infrared camera, and an infrared laser projector. The 3D camera, combined with Intel’s RealSense motion-tracking software, creates a touch-free interface capable of responding to hand and head motions. The 3D camera will also be able to do 3D scanning and generate 3D models. But if the 3D camera isn’t interesting enough, the notebook comes with four speakers. The reason for this, according to Acer, is that the four built-in speakers are there to provide surround sound for gaming, movies, and music. Aside from the speakers, the V 17 Nitro notebook will be powered by a 4th Generation Intel Core i7, Nvidia GeForce GTX 860M graphics, and up to 16GB of memory with the option for 128GB or 256GB SSDs and up to 1TB of hard drive space. Unfortunately Acer didn’t provide a price for the Aspire V 17 Nitro notebook, only that the price will vary by region and will be available for purchase in January. Jimmy was also able to see the industry’s first 15.6-inch Chromebook, which we reported on yesterday, up close and personal. Acer decided to add the large laptop to its line of Chrombooks which consists of an 11-inch and 13-inch model. The Acer Chromebook 15 features a 5th Generation Intel Core i3 and next-generation Intel Celeron processors that is based on Intel’s 5th Generation Core micro-architecture. Consumers will have the choice of either 3GB or 4GB of RAM and 16GB or 32GB of SSD storage while it also comes with one each of a USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 port, Bluetooth 4.0, HDMI output, SD card reader, and an HD webcam. The Acer Chromebook 15 will be available in January with a starting price of $249. Follow Sean on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook View the full article

/files/u166440/steelseries_sentryeyetracker_m800.jpgSee what the pro gamers are looking at SteelSeries has been a supporter of eSports for a long time by sponsoring various teams and producing various gaming products. But now the gaming peripheral manufacturer is looking to be more involved with eSports in a different way. At CES 2015, SteelSeries has been demoing its Sentry Eye Tracker and showing the Apex M800 mechanical gaming keyboard which Online Managing Editor Jimmy Thang was able to see in person. The Sentry Eye Tracker is a piece of hardware that will track a player’s eye movements in real time which can be shown to viewers on Twitch who will see what the streamer is looking at the entire time. Both gamers and pro gamers can utilize the device to help improve their skills and their gaming strategy from the information that is gleaned. Software included with the device will track and record eye movements, such as how many times a player will look at a game’s minimap, that can then be reviewed by the player to show what he or she was focusing on and how that might affect their gameplay. According to the rep, the installation and setup is easy and quick. The device comes with a mounting bracket that will attach to a user’s monitor and calibration will take around three to five minutes. The SteelSeries Sentry Eye Tracker will retail for $199.99 at the end of January and support Dota 2 and Starcraft II at launch. SteelSeries is also showing its new Apex M800 mechanical gaming keyboard. It utilizes the company’s own QS1 linear switch that is allegedly comparable to the MX Red switches. The company claims that the keys will have a 60 million click lifecycle. It also features centered, surface-mounted LEDs on every key which has a range of 16.8 million colors to choose from. The SteelSeries Apex M800 will cost $199 and be available at the end of January. Follow Sean on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook View the full article

/files/u166440/gta_iv_001.jpgICEnhancer is easy to install, and somewhat easy on the eyes While Rockstar Games is taking its time with the PC version of Grand Theft Auto V, PC gamers still have Grand Theft Auto IV to fall back on. Although the game is almost six years old, released back in 2008, modders have updated the visuals in various ways to help it keep up with the times. In particular, ICEnhancer mod mod has continued to impress with its upgrades to the game’s visuals. Curious to see what our copy of GTA IV would look like with this mod, we decided to test it out using a PC equipped with an AMD Phenom II X4 965 processer, Nvidia GeForce GTX 780, and 8GB of RAM. In order to compare both versions, we made sure that the game’s settings were ramped up to the maximum and presented in 1080p, so that the original game could look as good as possible. But despite adjusting all the settings to their highest, GTA IV’s age shows. /files/u166440/gta_iv_comparison_004.jpg Click image for an animated GIF We then proceeded to download the ICEnhancer mod, created by Hayssam Keilany, and installed it. For those wishing to install it, you will need a program like WinRAR to extract the files. As a precaution, we recommend you back up the original game before installing ICEnhancer just in case something goes wrong. Once the files had been unzipped, we copied them into our Steam version of GTA IV, located in C:Program Files (x86)SteamsteamappscommonGrand Theft Auto IVGTAIV and made sure to replace the original files. There are two versions of ICEnhancer: 1.0.4.0 and 1.0.7.0. If you do not know which version you have, then locate the GTAIV.exe file, right-click it, and go to “Details” to see what version of the game you're running. /files/u166440/gta_iv_comparison_003.jpg Click image for an animated GIF Installing the mod was very simple but the results of the ICEnhancer mod was not what we expected. There is an improvement to GTA IV’s look, but it is not as overwhelming as we thought or have seen before. While testing, we made sure to compare the original and modded versions under similar light conditions when possible. By doing this, we noticed a big difference when it came to lighting. With ICEnhancer installed, the modded game was much brighter when compared to the original. /files/u166440/gta_iv_comparison_005.jpg Click image for an animated GIF As a result, the sky’s color was a bright blue, clouds looked more realistic, and it was easier to see everything around us in the immediate vicinity; in the distance, though, there was a slight blur or haze. Then we noticed smaller things such as the sidewalk’s pavement having a bit more detail in the modded version. The same for the roads, ICEnhancer gives it a bit more definition with a gravelly look. We also saw that the vegetaion looks sharper and more defined in some cases. /files/u166440/gta_iv_comparison_007.jpg Click image for an animated GIF The cars, though, really shine thanks to the mod. They look better and smoother, and are more detailed compared to the original game. Car windows are more reflective and transparent as well, and there's a nice sheen to the car paint compared to the original version’s, which looks dull in comparison. /files/u166440/gta_iv_comparison_008.jpg Click image for an animated GIF Unfortunately, the mod, like the game itself, is a resource hog. While trying to capture footage with FRAPs, our framerates dropped to around 15fps (as you’ll see that in the final segment of the video we recorded, below). These drastic drops occurred in areas with a lot of traffic or large bodies of water. We also experienced flickering from objects in the distance. So, we would advise you, obviously, to have a PC that can hold its own when running the ICEnhancer mod. What do you think of the changes? Have you tried out the ICEnhancer mod? Let us know in the comments. Follow Sean on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook View the full article

Live out your cops and criminal fantasy in Battlefield Hardline, the fastest Battlefield ever. Learn more at http://battlefield.com/hardline Inspired by great TV crime dramas, Battlefield Hardline... 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 3143 ratings Time: 01:28 More in Gaming

/files/u166440/the_banner_saga_small.jpgGreat games we love made possible by crowdfunding The Kickstarter scene exploded a few years back, as gamers discovered the crowdfunding platform and began to fund various video game projects. The plethora of games seeking funding ranged from new concepts to sequels that boasted new, unique features or appealed to our sense of nostalgia. Because of Kickstarter, we have seen some amazing games that have raised millions of dollars in funding, such as Star Citizen and Pillars of Eternity. Still, other Kickstarter projects raised much more money than their originally stated goals, thanks to an excited gaming community willing to fund them. However, over the past couple of years we’ve seen games that received funding way above their goals, then get cancelled due to not having enough funds (or other reasons). Clang, a project headed by science fiction author Neal Stephenson, was cancelled two years after its successful Kickstarter campaign, because of financial issues. Double Fine, which had two successful Kickstarter campaigns, has stumbled with financial issues, too. Over the past two years, quite a few projects have fallen to the wayside or not lived up to the ambitions set by the developers. Despite such examples, successfully funded games have slowly made their way to the community. So, we decided to list 10 Kickstarter games, in no particular order, that we feel are the best so far. However, we narrowed our list to games that have been completed and not being sold through Early Access. But before you check out the gallery, we must give an honorable mention to Elite: Dangerous, which was recently released. It appears that it could easily make our "10 best" list but we didn't have a chance to play it before this article went to press. We will, however, consider updating this article with more high-quality AAA Kickstarter games as time progresses. Feel free to let us know which Kickstarter-backed game is your favorite in the comments below. Follow Sean on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook View the full article

/files/u166440/minecraft_mojang.jpgA Minecraft game with a story? The acquisition of Minecraft developer Mojang by Microsoft for $2.5 billion took everyone by surprise and caused some debate as to whether or not the purchase was worth it for Microsoft. However, the surprise doesn’t stop there as a new game has been announced. Mojang has revealed that Telltale Games is developing Minecraft: Story Mode in collaboration with the Swedish developer and members of the Minecraft community. Minecraft: Story Mode is going to be a narrative-driven game that will be an episodic series similar to Telltale Games’ other titles such as The Walking Dead and The Wolf Among Us. As to how the community will help with the game, Mojang didn’t expand on their role except that they will help it be as “Minecrafty as possible.” "Set in the world of Minecraft, the series will feature an original story, driven by player choice," stated Telltale Games on its website. "It will not be an add-on for Minecraft, but rather a separate stand-alone product that will premiere in 2015 on consoles, computers and mobile devices." Mojang confirmed that Minecraft: Story Mode will not be an official story and didn’t provide any further details about the world of Minecraft. What do you think about an episodic Minecraft game being developed by Telltale Games? Let us know in the comments section! Follow Sean on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook View the full article

A good sign The word “omen” generally connotes bad juju for most people. For some longtime PC enthusiasts, however, it evokes fond memories of Voodoo PC’s old beautiful and powerful desktops. While HP isn’t bringing Voodoo PC back from the grave, it hopes to pay homage to the Omen namesake by rebirthing it as a modern gaming notebook. /files/u99720/hpomen.jpg The Omen isn't the most powerful notebook, but it's one of the most polished. Right off the bat, you’ll notice that the 15.6-inch HP Omen is one sleek-looking laptop, with its machined-aluminum chassis. The anodized black finish coupled with its thin 0.8 inch body gives the notebook some added sex appeal. It’s also really portable for its class, weighing four pounds, 11.9 ounces. While we were a little dismayed to hear that it uses a 1080p monitor, something we’ve seen dozens of times over, this isn’t some mediocre display. It uses an IPS panel that features a 72 percent color gamut, which provides beautiful, saturated colors. It also sports a touchscreen, which makes it the first gaming laptop we’ve reviewed that offers one. We were generally pleased with the keyboard, which offers seven customizable color zones that you can tweak using HP’s Omen Control Panel software. The keys themselves offer a satisfying amount of travel and feel quite tactile, as a result. You also get a column of six macro keys on the left side of the keyboard, which is rare to see in a notebook of this size. We weren’t enamored of the Omen’s trackpad, however. Measuring 5.5 inches across, it’s so wide that we often found our resting fingers interfering with our swiping gestures. On opposite ends of the trackpad are a pair of LED lights that pulsate with the sound of your audio. It’s a unique touch that gives the notebook added flair. The speakers themselves are quite good and offer decent volume firepower. Despite being licensed by Beats Audio, a company known for its bass-heavy emphasis, the audio here is balanced. Unlike the sexy chassis, the specs of the laptop aren’t super fancy. It uses a 2.5GHz i7-4710HQ processor for its CPU. For its graphics card, HP went with the GeForce GTX 860M, which is the de facto GPU for thin gaming notebooks. The base model comes with two gigs of GDDR5 VRAM, but ours included four. In regard to system RAM, configs starts out at 8GB, which is fine in most instances, but our maxed-out unit came with 16GB. CPU performance was pretty average, performing ever so slightly faster than our Alienware 14 zero-point’s 2.4GHz i7-4700MQ processor. In GPU perf, we saw respectable gains between 20 and 60 percent. In short, our graphics tests reminds us that the 860M is a midrange card. It will run the majority of modern games at high settings with smooth framerates, but don’t expect to max out games here. While the laptop’s performance didn’t blow us away, neither did its fans (pun intended). The Omen isn’t silent, but it’s very reasonable under load. We’d go so far as to say HP found the perfect balance between performance and acoustics. The laptop is able to keep its cool by using dual fans that pull in cool air from the bottom, which it expels through the back. A benefit of this design is that gamers won’t have to worry about warm wrists. When it came to battery life, the laptop was pretty average. The first time we ran our video-rundown test, the notebook lasted a mediocre 172 minutes. When we turned off all the fancy LED lights, we got an extra half hour. Our biggest concern with the Omen really pertained to storage. While we love the fact that it uses the faster M.2 PCIe standard, we’re a little put off that it doesn’t support traditional hard drives. This means you’re topped off at 512GBs. Luckily, the drive is really fast, and allowed the notebook to boot up in 11 seconds. The Omen may not be the most powerful notebook out there, but it’s extremely polished and well-designed. Everything from its looks, portability, and thermals are top notch. While our decked-out unit cost $2,100, if you’re looking for a more affordable configuration, we recommend going with the $1,800 model, which includes a 512GB SSD, 8GB of RAM, and an 860M with 2GB of VRAM. It’s still a pretty good Omen. View the full article

Welcome to the world of Hearthstone /files/u166440/hearthstone.jpgHearthstone has been a major success for Blizzzard that boasts, at last count, 20 million players. Released in March, the digital collectible card game continues to grow at a rapid pace and is available for PC, Mac OS X, and iPad devices. However, Android users have been left out until now. On Monday, Blizzard announced that Hearthstone is now available on Android tablets. Android tablet owners can now download the game, based on Blizzard’s Warcraft franchise, for free on Google Play or the Amazon Appstore. Initially, the Android version of Hearthstone was available only to players in Australia Canada, and New Zealand as part of phase one, but is now available globally. However, Blizzard advises those who picked up the Android version through a third-party channel should delete that version and download it from Amazon or Google Play. The announcement comes shortly after the release of Goblins vs Gnomes, the latest card expansion for Hearthstone. As an incentive, those who decide to give the game a try on their Android tablet will earn a free pack of classic cards. All you have to do is play a complete game of Hearthstone in Play, Arena, or Practice mode and, win or lose, you’ll earn the free card pack. For those wondering if they Android device can handle the game, the minimum requirements for an eligible device is a 6-inch screen or larger, runs Android 4.0, and 1GB of RAM. Some of the Android tablets that can run Hearthstone include Amazon Kindle Fire HD 6, Asus Google Nexus 7, Nvidia Shield Tablet, and the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0. For a list of all Android tablets capable of running Hearthstone, feel free to visit Blizzard’s support page. As for when Hearthstone will be available on smartphones, Blizzard stated that more news will be provided in early 2015 Follow Sean on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook View the full article

http://www.maximumpc.com/files/u69/codaw_0.jpgSteam gives gamers a taste of CoD:AW and knocks 25 percent off the price It seems Steam is always cooking up a sale, and come next week, rumor has it the Winter Sale will kick off. In the meantime, you can still find discounts all over the place, though if you'd rather not spend any money at all, be advised that Steam is making Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare multiplayer free to play for the next couple of days as part of its weekend deal. If you end up getting hooked, you can purchase the title for 25 percent off ($44.99, or $79.99 for the Digital Pro Edition). Free multiplayer ends on Sunday, December 14 at 1PM Pacific (4PM Eastern), while the 25 percent discount will disappear on Monday, December 15 at 10AM Pacific (1PM Eastern), Valve announced. Not a bad deal all around, and a good warmup to the Winter Sale that will presumably kick off on December 18th. As our sister site PC Gamer points out, this isn't confirmed -- it's based on a supposed email from PayPal Japan to a Reddit user. However, Steam's Winter Sale started on the Thursday before Christmas last year, which was the 19th. This year, that day falls on the 18th. You may not care after what's been a busy holiday shopping season up to this point -- there have been lots of sales, including game discounts through GOG and Steam. Of course, the Winter Sale is typically bigger with more games being added to the mix compared to previous sales. The hard part is finding time to play them all. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook View the full article

/files/u166440/steam_holiday_auction.jpgGoing once…going twice…sold! As Steam users wait for the inevitable Winter Sale that will drain their wallets dry, which is allegedly starting December 18, Valve has come up with a way to empty out their Steam inventories too. Valve has launched a new event called the Steam Holiday Auction where users can recycle unused items in their inventory for gems which are then used to bid on games up for auction. The Steam Holiday Auction will let users recycle items such as trading cards, backgrounds, and emoticons, from their inventory, and receive Steam Gems to use for bidding on the games they hope to get. Auctions will be held in rounds with the first round kicking off today and ending on Monday, December 15 at 7:45AM Pacific. In order to win, the Steam User needs to have the highest bid at the end of every round which is 45 minutes. At the end of the allotted time, each top bidder will receive their title and the remaining bids will carry on to the next round. Users will able to track their current bids, top bids, and winning bids in the My Bids section of the Holiday Auction page. The event will end on December 18 at 10AM Pacific. After that, those who didn’t win on the final round of auctions will have their gems returned. According to Valve, the gems will not be removed from everyone’s inventory and can then be used to create booster packs. There will be 100 copies of almost 2,000 titles up for auction that includes both games and software on Steam that was donated by developers and publishers. Among the vast assortment of titles up for auction are newer games such as Alien: Isolation and Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth. However, the most expensive item, that we see so far, is not even a game or software title. It is a 2014 Holiday Profile that will customize a user's profile with the current bid set at 250,100 gems. Will you be participating in this bidding war? If you are, what games or software will you be bidding on? Sound off in the comments below! Follow Sean on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook View the full article

This week’s #GRIDTuesday update adds Stacking and PixelJunk Monsters Ultimate to the GRID Games library on your SHIELD device. http://www.geforce.com/sites/default/files-world/styles/210x100/public/thumbnail_image/SHIELD-Social_Media-Stacking-PixelJunk_Monster_Ult_620x265-TABLET-3.jpg?itok=ut5NIJc6 View the full article