Alienware M17X All Powerful Gaming Laptop

Alienware is king in the realm of gaming laptops, and their newest machine has just been crowned, and sooner than expected. The latest teaser for the M17X was released yesterday with 5 lines of alien-like code. The code has been cracked and it translated into this:

The sum of the first four primes. Which is 17, hinting at either Core i7 or a 17-inch display.
Denotes a state of two parts Which either means dual-GPUs or Core 2 Extreme
Known as the gentleman’s muscle car of 1967 The Plymouth GTX which hints at NVIDIA graphics.
When pure, it will carry a yield strength of 7-11 mpa Which could be an aluminum chassis.
Is always empty in zero sum games Which has something to do with the core.

So, the M17X wasn’t supposed to be released for another four days, but Alienware jumped the gun and unleashed their beast today. Does the actual laptop live up to the decoded message? Yeah……pretty much. The base starter model has a ton of features that should tickle the fancy of any gamer out there. The M17X has a single 1GB nVidia GeForce GTX 260M GPU, which can be upgraded to dual 1GB nVidia GeForce GTX 280M GPUs if you need amazing high end graphics. 4GB of RAM which can also be upgrade to 8GB of 1333MHz DDR3 RAM. A slot-loading DVD-RW drive which, like everything else, is upgradeable to a dual-layer Blu-ray Disc. An nVidia GeForce 9400M G1 GPU with HybridPower technology. The great thing with this is on the motherboard it helps you get scaled-down graphics in case you don’t need dual-card megaton firepower. This kicks in when plugged into AC power, and an optional 1920×1200 resolution edge-to-edge LCD.

But that’s not all. The M17X also has an Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4GHz P8600 CPU which is upgradeable to a Core 2 Extreme Quad-Core CPU. A 250GB 7200-rpm hard drive, also upgradeable to a 1TB 7200-rpm or to a 512MB solid-state storage, RAID 1 or RAID 0. Users can swap out swap their hard drives easily by simply removing the nine-cell battery. Other features include 802.11n Wi-Fi, 4-pin FireWire, 4 USB 2.0 ports, ExpressCard, 8-in-1 media card reader, Display ports, HDMI-outs, VGA-outs, multiple audio-out jacks which allow for 6.1 sound, and an eSATA/USB port.

Alienware always impresses on the visual side of the spectrum, and it is clearly visible in the M17X. It has an anodized aluminum hood with red LED lights illuminating the keyboard, touchpad, trim lights, and numberpad. All of these lights, however, can be customized to your desired satisfaction because Alienware integrated its traditional user friendly performance-shifting software giving you complete control over how exactly you want your M17X to look. The M17X will do well to replace any gaming desktop you have, both in performance and in size. The M17X measures 15.98×12.65×2.11 inches and weighs a hefty 11.68 pounds which could make it a little irritating to lug around, but with the performance this bad boy pumps out, I really don’t think you’re going to mind.

The M17X is called All Powerful for a reason, because it is. This thing has everything your little gaming heart desires in a laptop and everything you would expect from a company like Alienware. The M17X comes under a base price of $1,799. This price includes all the base features mentioned above, and the price may increase when upgrading. $1,799 isn’t a small price to pay, but for all you get with the M17X it is definitely worth it. If you truly want an “all powerful” gaming laptop, then the Alienware M17X All Powerful gaming laptop is definitely for you.

By: Zack Duncan

Microsoft Confirms Zune HD

Microsoft has finally confirmed the rumored Zune HD. So far Microsoft has come out saying this is their answer to the iPod Touch. The two main features of the Zune HD is the touch-screen interface and its HD Radio tuner. Microsoft has also said that you will be able to surf the web using a version of Internet Explorer customized for its touch screen, play HD movies, and play content on your TV.

So far no word on pricing and capacity, but they have stated the Zune HD will only use flash memory. One of the big feautures that has yet to be announced or even mentioned is the Zune HD’s gaming capabilities. Microsoft has said they will announce this and much more at the upcoming E3 this summer.

Expect to see the Zune HD come out this fall and hopefully be the first true iPod Touch contendor.

Guitar Hero: Smash Hits

Activison and Harmonix strikes again with the latest installment in the Guitar Hero franchise with Guitar Hero: Smash Hits. Since its conception in 2005, Guitar Hero has birthed 7 games: Guitar Hero, Guitar Hero 2, Guitar Hero 3, Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks The 80’s, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, Guitar Hero: World Tourr, and Guitar Hero: Metallica.

The two most recent games, Guitar Hero: World Tour and Guitar Hero: Metallica, are the first in the series to incorporate the entire band experience, i.e. being able to play the guitar, bass, drums, and vocals. All previous games were guitar exclusive. However, Guitar Hero is the best selling rhythm game on the market today, and their newest installment looks to be the best yet.

It comes as no surprise to anybody that Guitar Hero would eventually make a “greatest hits” type game. With each game in the series having anywhere between 60 and 80 songs, there is plenty of amazing songs to compile into a game of the best. Guitar Hero: Smash Hits compiles what the developers call “the funnest songs” from the Guitar Hero franchise.

The game does not feature songs from all seven games however. The games that are featured are Guitar Hero 1, GGuitar Hero 2, Guitar Hero 3, and Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks The 80’s. The reason, though not confirmed, for not including tracks from Guitar Hero: World Tour and Guitar Hero: Metallica can be speculated as those games already incorporates all the features; guitar, bass, drums, and vocals; that are being added for the songs of previous versions. As for not incorporating songs from Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, I thus far have no information on a reason for that.

The developers are taking all the upgrades added to Guitar Hero: World Tour, and even some from the Guitar Hero: Metallica and incorporating them into the songs of previous games. They are adding the slider bar effect seen in GH:WT as well as the improved hammer on’s and pull off’s, tapping feature, etc… and from GH:Metallica they added the expert + difficulty level. Guitar Hero: Smash Hits also brings a brand new story line to the game revolving around your character traveling to all the wonders of the world with the god of rock. There are also 8 new venues for you to play in, giving the game a truly unique feel. The create-a-rocker feature is back, allowing you the ability to create and customize your very own rock god as well as the ability to create different things like band logo, guitars, drum sets, tattoos, and more. Plus, all your favorite characters are back to rock out along side you.

Well this wouldn’t be a very good post if I didn’t let you know what songs will be in the game so here you go. For the first time ever, the game features 48 master recordings. The songs are as follows:

Guitar Hero 1:
1.) Godzilla – By Blue Oyster Cult
2.) More Than A Feeling – By Boston
3.) Smoke On The Water – By Deep Purple
4.) Take Me Out – By Franz Ferdinand
5.) Unsung(Live) – By Helmet
6.) Stellar – By Incubus
7.) I Love Rock N’ Roll – By Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
8.) Bark At The Moon – By Ozzy Osbourne
9.) Cowboys From Hell(Live) – Pantera
10.) Killer Queen – By Queen
11.) No One Knows – By Queens Of The Stone Age
12.) Take It Off – By The Donnas
13.) Hey You – The Exies
14.) Thunder Kiss ‘65 – By White Zombie

Guitar Hero 2:
1.) Them Bones – By Alice In Chains
2.) Beast And The Harlot – By Avenged Sevenfold
3.) Mother – By Danzig
4.) Monkey Wrench – By The Foo Fighters
5.) The Trooper – By Iron Maiden
6.) Stop! – By Jane’s Addiction
7.) Carry On Wayward Son – By Kansas
8). Laid To Rest – By Lamb Of God
9.) Free Bird – By Lynyrd Skynyrd
10.) Shout At The Devil – By Motley Crue
11.) Heart-Shaped Box – By Nirvana
12.) Killing In The Name Of – By Rage Against The Machines
13.) Psychobilly Freakout – By Reverend Horton Heat
14.) YYZ – By Rush
15.) Trippin’ On a Hole In A Paper Heart – By Stone Temple Pilots
16.) Message In A Bottle – By The Police
17.) Freya – By The Sword -
18.) Cherry Pie – By Warrant
19.) Woman – By Wolfmother

Guitar Hero 3:
1.) Miss Murder – By AFI
2.) Through The Fire And The Flames – By Dragonforce
3.) Barracuda – By Heart
4.) Rock And Roll All Night – By Kiss
5.) Cult Of Personality – By Living Colour
6.) Hit Me With Your Best Shot – By Pat Benatar
7.) Lay Down – By Priestess
8.) Raining Blood – By Slayer

Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks The 80’s:
1.) Caught In A Mosh – Anthrax
2.) Play With Me – Extreme
3.) Electric Eye – Judas Priest
4.) Nothin’ But A Good Time – By Poison
5.) Round And Round – By Ratt
6.) I Wanna Rock – By Twisted Sister

With a set list like this there is no way you can be disappointed. The songs are amazing, the game is amazing, and everything you have come to know and love about Guitar Hero is all there. Look for this game when it arrives on June 16th, 2009 for the X-Box 360, Wii, PS3, and PS2.

written by: Zack Duncan

War Machine Tomahawk 17 Gaming Laptop

Laptops are becoming more and more popular with computer gamers these days and everyone is looking for the latest and greatest gaming laptops. When most people think of gaming computers, their mind probably automatically goes to a company like Alienware but there are others out there have just about the same quality and maybe for a cheaper price.

War Machine is one of the leaders in gaming laptops these days and their new 17 inch Tomahawk 17 is one of the best with ATI Crossfire video cards, 4GB of DDR3 RAM, and Intel Quad-Core Processor. So here’s the low down on what this laptop is all about.

The laptop itself is about two inches thick with a weight roughly around 10 pounds which makes it pretty heavy but no more than Alienware’s M17X. The laptop has ATI Crossfire video cards for enhanced visual gaming and a Quad-Core processor for fast speed and gaming performance. It has a 17″ display that has full 1920 x 1200 high-definition resolution and an HDMI out. The keyboard area has a lot of wrist space on it which some gamers like but as a result you have to put out a but of a reach to get to the keyboard. Because of this the computer can dig into your wrists and chafe which could make long term gaming uncomfortable. On this not the keyboard is a bit too small for such a large computer. The laptop is large and the keyboard comes with a numerical keypad. If they remove the keypad and stretch a little they could easily fit a full size keyboard onto the laptop.

The design looks pretty cool as well. The Tomahawk is solid black with a glossy finish and the War Machine logo blasted across the back of the lid which makes for a cool and intimidating look. The keyboard is backlit and the overall design is nice looking although the glossy finish does tend to leave fingerprints. But overall the computer plays well and games look great on it. Whether or not this is worth a purchase is still your decision. It comes under a price tag of $2,750. Alienware has better specs, more so in the hard drive and processor areas, for about the same price. But, if you aren’t hard core enough to care about all the details and you have $3,000 to blow on a gaming laptop, then the Tomahawk 17 from War Machine is definitely worth a look.

written by: Zack Duncan

Call Of Duty Modern Warfare 2 Video

Yesterday Activison released a quick 15 second teaser trailer of the much anticipated sequel Modern Warfare 2.

If you are looking to grab all the latest info on the latest game in the series then you might want to hit up game informers next June issue. The newest issue will feature ten pages of Modern warfare 2 coverage.

Also Acitvision has made it official that they will no longer be part of the Call of Duty franchise and are instead just going by the name Modern Warfare 2 for their latest game to be released.

As far as the trailer goes here is what we have learned according to Gamespot:

“A 15-second spot–now viewable on YouTube–confirmed the sequel would have a US/UK-vs.-Russian scenario similar to that of the 13-million-unit best-seller Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. The clip begins with several Hughes MH-6 Little Bird helicopters dropping off a US Special Forces unit onto an airbase in a frozen landscape. That landscape is apparently Russian, since subsequent clips show a MIG-29 fighter-bomber exploding amidst what appear to be soldiers in former Soviet bloc uniforms.

The trailer then goes on to show some new scenarios not playable in Call of Duty 4. Shots reveal an underwater mission with several commandoes decked out in Scuba gear and a snowmobile chase ending in a spectacular crash. The clip ends with a night-vision shot from what appears to be a guided bomb closing in on a solitary figure, closing with the announcement, “world premiere May 24 [during the] Eastern Conference Finals [on TNT].”

Modern Warfare 2 is set to be released on November 10th 2009 on the Xbox 360, PC, and PS3.

Duke Nukem Developer Closes Down

3D Realms, a popular and seasoned games developer has shut down due to a lack of funds. The company, founded in 1987, took the concept of shareware gaming and made it popular and then went on to create and publish the popular games Wolfenstein 3D and Duke Nukem. 3D Realms was working on a follow up title to Duke Nukem, entitled Duke Nukem Forever which has been in development for over 12 years and has since become the cause of ridicule in the gaming industry.

Take-Two, publisher of the game, has decided to no longer fund the game’s development but still holds rights to the game’s title. Take-Two’s Alan Lewis reported in a statement “We can confirm that our relationship with 3D Realms for Duke Nukem Forever was a publishing arrangement, which did not include ongoing funds for the development of the title.”

3D Realms has yet to release an official comment about the situation aside from a post by webmaster of 3D Realms Joe Siegler which was found on a forum. Siegler stated “It’s not a marketing thing. It’s true. I have nothing further to say at this time.” Other companies who had close links to 3D Realms took the same path as Take-Two and put some distance between themselves and 3D Realms very quickly.

Apogee Software said in one of their Twitter posts that they were “officially not affected by the situation at 3D Realms.” They also said that “development of the game is continuing as planned and further announcements about upcoming games will be made in the near future.”

Steve Boxer, a writer for Guardian Newspaper Games said “It is astonishing 3D Realms has not finished the game after more than a decade of development. It would have been nice to see another Duke Nukem game, but given they had more than 12 years it’s just incompetence of the highest order. 3D Realms made some great games in the past, but they got overtaken by the 21st century. Sadly, Duke Nukem Forever was most aptly named title in the history of games. Now, it’s just Duke Nukem Never.”

Many people have been talking and anticipating the release of Duke Nukem Forever and it is sad to see that their wish may never come true. But really, taking so long to make a game is a little absurd, especially in the fast paced society we live in today. Yet some people still hold out hope for the game, and it is those dedicated people that just might see this gme through to the end.

written by: Zack Duncan

Game in 3D With New Glasses from NVIDIA

Everybody loves watching movies, looking at pictures or playing video games. Sitting down and relaxing while doing something like this can be a very enjoyable time. While movies and things are great, nothing gets people more excited than seeing a movie and 3D. But what if you could do everything in 3D? What if all your pictures, movies, and video games on your PC were jumping out of the screen at you? If this has ever been a fantasy for you, then it is about to come true, thanks to NVIDIA GeForce 3D Vision.

You can now upgrade your PC to an incredible stereoscopic 3D experience with the help of NVIDIA GeForce 3D Vision. Advanced software from NVIDIA and new high-tech glasses combine to make up GeForce 3D Vision which automatically makes hundreds of different PC games become full stereoscopic 3D adventures. The process requires a few things to get started. First you need an NVIDIA GeForce GPU. You also need a GeForce 3D Vision-Ready display. And lastly, you need the NVIDIA GeForce 3D Vision glasses. I know what your thinking, “3D glasses? Like those cheap cardboard ones you get from a cereal box?” Well no. The NVIDIA 3D glasses are a stylish looking pair of glasses that don’t look that much different from a pair of sunglasses. Combine all these things together and you will be ready to have all the environments and characters of your games, movies, and pictures come to life with eye-popping super clear details.

Now you need a GeForce GPU to be able to do this. If you already have a GeForce GPU, then you can buy an upgrade kit which includes NVIDIA GeForce 3D Vision and a Samsung SyncMaster LCD monitor for around $598. But, if you already have a GeForce GPU and GeForce 3D Ready monitor, then you can just by the GeForce 3D Vision Kit for $199. Finally, we can play games in 3D. The only thing left is to virtually insert ourselves into the actual game, now that would be cool.

written by: Zack Duncan