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Bigfoot Networks returns with Killer Xeno network card
Our hearts are aflutter this morning, as the long forgotten Bigfoot Networks has returned with a vengeance in order to fulfill desires of steroid-infused network interface cards. Nearly 2.5 years after the introduction of the original Killer comes the Killer Xeno, a next-gen NIC with more memory, an upgraded network processing unit (NPU) and integrated audio for hardware-accelerated voice-chat. Basically, this card promises that hardcore gamers / yappers will enjoy a "hiccup-free" voice experience while fragging, and if you reckoned you'd have to look far and wide to find one, you'd be mistaken. Today at the Game Developers Conference, Bigfoot has also announced a deal with Alienware, which will soon become the first exclusive PC OEM to ship the Killer Xeno Pro; beyond that, EVGA has become the firm's first exclusive third party AIB partner to license Killer Xeno. The Killer Xeno will arrive shortly in two flavors: the 256MB "Ultra" and 128MB "Pro," which will sell for $179.99 and $129.99, respectively.%Gallery-48349%
Wowhead's 12 Killer Days of Khristmas
The Feast of Winter Veil has officially started, and Wowhead is joining in the holiday spirit. The site logo has been made a bit more festive, and the icons for items and users on the forums are now sporting a cheery holly border. They're also running a contest titled (slightly threateningly) "12 Killer Days of Khristmas." Each day between now and December 24, they're giving away fabulous prizes: For phase one of the contest (12/13 to 12/18), winners get a Wowhead Prize Package, containing one of those nifty steins, a (slightly tacky, IMO) K-logo necklace by Killer, an Alienware cap, and a totally rad Wowhead t-shirt.
The Daily Grind: What's your Bartle quotient?
The Bartle Test of Gamer Psychology has long been a staple of the MUD and MMORPG community. We've ever mentioned it here a couple of times.The Bartle Test (developed by -- you guessed it -- Richard Bartle) is a series of questions the answers to which result in the test-taker's Bartle Quotient. In your Bartle Quotient, you're told how closely you identify with each of four types of MMO gamer pychologies -- Achiever, Explorer, Killer, and Socializer. The final figure is a ranking -- from most dominant to least dominant -- of those types in your own gaming personality. For example, this blogger is an ESKA.The test has been criticized over the years as an innacurate or insufficient measurement, but it's remained popular nonetheless. Take the test, and tell us where you stand. Do you feel it's accurate? If not, where did it go wrong?
Player Consequences: PvP Consequences in Age of Conan
Player versus Player combat is always a tricky subject in the realm of MMO design. It has been with us since some of the earliest games in the genre and has had a huge influence on many players. Indeed the demand for PvP game play is now so high, that most developers believe they have to include some form of it or risk losing players. It is easy to see why the developers for Age of Conan chose to have so many different types of PvP in their game. Unfortunately, just rubber-stamping PvP into a game can be bad idea especially, if you do not evaluate its overall impact on your player base. Age of Conan uses a factionless system which makes it very vulnerable to negative forms of PvP like ganking and rez point camping. Some people think that's all there is to PvP in a MMO but there is much more behind the story. Many gamers prefer matching wits against real opponents instead of predictable AI enemies. If you go by the Bartle test then these players can be classified as "killers" though the term has a lot of negative connotations. Not everyone who is a PvP enthusiast is also a griefer out to ruin everyone's fun. This is why Funcom is trying to design a system that allows for player competition, but prevents an overabundance of asshattery.
Forum Post of the Day: Assassination nation
I love what Kre's doing on the forums: he's calling for NPC assassination targets. And he's not all talk -- when he gets asked to take a target out, whether it be Katrina Prestor herself or the Ironforge bread vendor (who will not... shut... up!), he and his assassination crew get the job done.My choice for a kill has already been done (Die, Fandral Staghelm!), but there are all kinds of great requests in the thread -- unfortunately, due to the code of the assassin, Kre can't kill the little kid who stole that dolly in Stormwind, as children are not viable targets. But even Drysc has been sent to meet his maker by these guys. Hilarious. If an NPC has been giving you trouble lately, they'll make sure there are no more problems, if you know what we mean.Not all the war in Warcraft can be fought on the battlefield -- some of it has to be fought in the back alleys and in the shadows. Glad to see that Kre and his crew (Aelas has pulled off some excellent kills here, too) are going a little guerilla in the constant fight against NPCs.
Wii Warm Up: Antisocial behavior
The Wii is a very social console. From the marketing campaign to the pack-in, everything about it is designed to get a bunch of people together and interacting in the same room. It can even be fun to have a group together for single-player games, with everyone helping out and enjoying the events of the game together.But video games are not always social events. Sometimes you just want to get immersed in the game without all the interruptions and talking and people. Are you the kind of gamer who prefers to be alone with your games? Or do you always prefer to share your experiences? Or are there certain games that you just can't stand having people in the room while you're playing? Killer 7 on the Gamecube, for example, was something we preferred to play alone because we didn't think others walking in would have a clue what was going on. Especially since we didn't.
Clipboard Killer
We've all been there– intending to paste a link to that hot new social network but instead exposing your social security number. Indeed, the clipboard can be a fickle and unforgiving mistress. After an unfortunate incident last night (which he won't elaborate on), my buddy Emory decided to pull out of the dangerous game of clipboard copy/paste. He whipped up a neat little AppleScript by the name of Clipboard Killer which will wipe the contents of your clipboard every 25 seconds and replaces it with ...For those readers new to AppleScript, it's easy to turn this into a background application that you can set to launch on login. Simply open Script Editor (found in your Applications folder), copy and paste the code, and save the script as an application.
Bigfoot intros lower-end Killer K1 network interface card
Perhaps a $250 network interface card was a bit too much for your wallet to handle, and even after reading the review, you were left wishing that Bigfoot would introduce a slightly less-spec'd rendition for the budget-minded set. If that's you, today's your lucky day, as you can take the money you didn't end up spending on an overpriced-for-the-day bouquet of roses yesterday and put it towards a probably unnecessary NIC. Similar to its big brother, the PCI-based Killer K1 boasts Lag & Latency Reduction (LLR) technology that "optimizes the way networking works in your computer" in order to deliver the best possible ping times. Moreover, it touts gigabit speeds, a 333MHz network processing unit which runs a unique version of Linux to remove the burden of processing packets from your CPU, 64MB of DDR RAM, a USB 2.0 port for future FNApps upgrades, and support for both Windows XP and Vista. Of course, with a card that looks this good, you'll probably end up forking out for an acrylic case while you're at it, but the Killer K1 itself can be picked up now for a "special price" of $149.99.[Via ExtremeTech]
Columbine game scapegoated for Montreal shootings
The Toronto Sun (above) is one of a number of news outlets playing up the fact the Kimveer Gill, the shooter in a recent senseless attack at a school in Montreal, listed Super Columbine Massacre RPG as his favorite video game in a blog posting. At first glance, it seems like a natural connection -- a Columbine-style killer who was inspired by a game that lets you recreate the tragic events of the Columbine shootings. Yet while news outlets are quick to mention the game's scary name, or simply the fact that the killer "loved ... violent video games," no mainstream news source that I have seen actually looks at the game itself and why a disturbed, potential killer might be drawn to it.More than the crass, exploitative murder simulator that you may expect from the name, Super Columbine Massacre RPG explores the motivations of the Columbine killers and the aftermath of their attacks using quotes and source material from those involved. The game does let you control Columbine killers Dylan Klebold and Matthew Harris, but doesn't come close to glorifying them or their actions. Rather, it shows the killers as confusing, troubled and deeply tragic figures.Is this game the call to murder that the paper's are implying? Or is it a game that creator Danny Ledonne says "dares us into a realm of grey morality with nuanced perspectives of suffering, vengeance, horror, and reflection;" a game that Ian Bogost of Water Cooler Games called "brave, sophisticated and worthy of praise from those of us interested in video games with an agenda;" a game that a blogger at The Pale Writer called "one of the only psychological explorations of the Columbine killers ever completed." The shootings in Montreal are obviously regrettable, but using the occasion to drag an important, intellectual, and well-made game doesn't do anyone any good.
Bigfoot's Killer Network Interface Card reviewed
We were never ones to stand in the way of pure gamer PC overkill, and Bigfoot's Killer Network Interface Card (NIC) fits that bill nicely. They've managed to take a commodity PC component and build $280 PCI card around it, complete with 64MB of DDR RAM and a 400MHz processor. Cries of extortion and vaporware have been leveled, but now that IGN have got their hands on the device, they seem to think it's worth the hyperbole. One thing they were careful to point out before firing it up is that the Killer NIC runs Linux, so that processor and RAM can be put to more use than just routing your frags -- a firewall or a bit of anti-virus software could reside right on the card to check over data before it even gets to your PC, and IGN figures a BitTorrent client would be possible, allowing for full-speed gaming while you use any remaining bandwidth for downloading that dev release of Leopard. As far as actual gaming performance, IGN's preliminary results were fairly impressive. The card bumped the framerate on the bundled F.E.A.R. from 74 to 86 fps, and the ping went from an average of 67ms to 45ms. If you're seriously considering dropping the cash you might want to wait around for a bit more scientific testing, but so far things aren't looking too good for Mr. Videogame's budget and his killjoy Excel spreadsheet of doom.
Bigfoot introduces the Killer Network Interface card
You think you're a hardcore gamer? Really? If you've been looking for the latest piece of hardware to give yourself the one-up, Bigfoot's got you covered. The aptly named Killer Network Interface card just might be the most unique gamer-centric component we've seen; this amped up gigabit NIC has its own 400Mhz network processing unit, 64MB of dedicated DDR RAM, a USB 2.0 port, and touts itself as one of the first consumer uses of Corporate Network Acceleration Technology. So these CAT6-melting specs have to amount to something, right? Gamers can supposedly expect to see noticeable improvements in first-person shooters as well as consistently lower ping times as the self-proclaimed "LLR Technology" offloads network tasks from the CPU to the Killer's NPU. Although pricing is currently unavailable, the tricked-out NIC will be available starting August 16th; for now we'll reserve judgment about how this thing just screams "overkill" on one of the more basic functions of any computer, and bask in its extravagant frivolity. [Via Crowdedbrain]
Joy of Tech with marketing advise for Microsoft's 'iPod Killer'
Joy of Tech has put together a rather humorous comic offering some marketing advice to Microsoft to aid their iPod Killer in its quest. Tips include celebrity endorsements, siphoning Gates' fortune and a contest to win a date with *ahem* Miss iPod Killer.My advice? Instead of naming it Argo, why not just keep the name everyone is already calling it: 'iPod Killer'. That way, everyone will know why they released the device, and it'll be clear what its function is when it locks up, crashes and mysteriously deletes all the users' music beginning with the letter 'i'.
WidgetKiller: stop Dashboard dead in its tracks
WidgetKiller, as its oh-so-deceptive name might betray, is a simple Automator action with one purpose in life: turning on and off Dashboard. If you've been counting every bit and megabyte of RAM that your widgets quietly eat up, this action is for you.WidgetKiller is free and available from Apple's Dashboard downloads section.
Microsoft confirms the 'iPod killer' rumors are false
Yesterday, Engadget posted some less-than-clear images with rumors of an iPod killer coming soon from the Microsoft camp. Today, PC Magazine has confirmation from a Microsoft rep that these rumors were nothing more than hot air. In fact, they were simply the result of a mis-translated Japanese press release about Microsoft's new Windows Media Player 11 software; they had nothing to do with hardware.So for those of you who might have developed a chronic nail-biting habit, worried that Microsoft's new '#1 with a bullet', MTV-infused music service and killer new hardware were going to usurp Apple's iPod and iTunes overnight (ironically, the only time MTV has anything to do with music these days), I think it's safe to say you can give your nerves a rest.[UPDATE: Microsoft was setting other rumors about an iPod killer straight; their announcement wasn't tied to these images that Engadget posted yesterday. Those could be shots of a Gigabeat-S portable media player from Toshiba, for all anyone knows.]
Killer 7 creators to unveil newest project at E3
Revolution Reporter Shawn White tells of a confirmation from Nobuhiko Nakamura, the Project Manager for Grasshopper Manufacturer, that the development house's Revolution title will be shown at E3. Grasshopper Manufacturer, along with Suda 51, were responsible for the game Killer 7 on the GameCube, a title that received mixed reviews around. Whether you enjoyed Killer 7 or not, the game was undoubtedly full of style, which this upcoming game should also be abundant with.What did you guys think of Killer 7? Looking forward to their next title?
