new-model
Latest
New female tauren model
The latest artcraft post has been released on the WoW official website, and it previews nothing less than the new female tauren model. This model update in particular has been highly anticipated, because the old female tauren models are...well, they're not all that expressive, are they? Fortunately, their blank bovine stares are all set to be a thing of the past. The new models take full advantage of newer texture-rendering capabilities, featuring gorgeous detail in the fur, a full range of facial expressions, and far more natural-looking hair. In addition, their hands have also been scaled-down, as Senior Art Director Chris Robinson notes that female tauren hands were particularly huge, even by WoW standards. Head on over to the official site for the full preview, it's well worth your time.
Rumor: Are we getting a new character model preview this Thursday/Friday?
Chris Robinson, Senior Art Director at Blizzard, tweeted a pretty obvious hint of what's to come later this week in a blog post reveal on the official Warcraft site. As pictured above, it really looks like some new hair ... and where would Blizzard showcase new hair? On a new character model. I don't think it's a very big stretch to say that another model preview is on its way. It could just be new hairstyles, however that'd seem pretty anti-climatic, especially given that we haven't seen any of the other models yet. In fact, I'll go as far to say that this hairstyle looks like it belongs on a Human or Blood Elf (which we know are now in-progress for WoD). Stay tuned to your Warcraft news sites (especially on Twitter). Should be interesting!
Lady Sylvanas' model updated
In one of the more unexpected moves in World of Warcraft's upcoming expansion Wrath of the Lich King, Lady Sylvanas, leader of the Forsaken, has finally gotten a new look. Lore purists have argued about why she was modeled on the Night Elf model when Sylvanas was originally one of the High Elves. (Thus her look should have more closely resembled Blood Elves from the Burning Crusade expansion) There's now an equally loud contingent who are complaining that Sylvanas' new look is perhaps a little too... valley elf. To see things for ourselves, we jumped into the Wrath of the Lich King beta and went through the Lady's Necklace quest arc that triggers off her singing Lament of the Highborne. We were curious as to just how the new model would play out in this player favorite arc. If you've never seen the event, are curious about how it looks with the new model, or just like to listen to the song -- join us after the break for an updated look at Sylvanas' Lament!
New 80GB PS3 provides minimal power savings, might have 65nm RSX GPU
Last we heard, it was still up in the air somewhat as to whether upcoming PlayStation 3 consoles would house the elusive 65-nanometer RSX graphics processor. According to a curious buyer of Sony's newest 80GB unit, there is a smidgen of data that hints at a 65nm chip actually being under the hood. By using the oh-so-scientific Kill-A-Watt, he discovered that his older 40GB PS3 sucked down 125.8-watts when idle, while the fresh 80GB edition ate up just 111.9-watts. The findings were similar when looking at power draw during DVD playback and while spinning Metal Gear Solid 4. Unfortunately, this mighty fine fellow is planning to return the new unit after being disappointed by the minimal energy savings, so he's not apt to rip the thing open and prove once and for all what kind of GPU is in there. Meanwhile, we heartily suggest that someone do just that and put this question to bed.[Thanks, Khattab]
Source says Sony still undecided on new PS3 model
There's been so much talk about the possibility of yet another PlayStation 3 model that it's hard not to believe that Sony has something in the works. And GameDaily has learned as much from a "very reliable" anonymous source inside Sony. However, that source said Sony hasn't actually decided what configuration the new model will sport, but that its executives and other officials have been meeting in Japan this week to figure that out. "There are a lot of different strategies under consideration, but nothing is final yet. They are considering ways to put some relevant distance between the two PS3 SKUs, but it's unclear how that will roll out," the source said. Additionally, the source said the reason for Sony considering yet another hardware configuration is because it doesn't believe there's enough difference between the 40GB and 80GB models.So if GameDaily's source is to be trusted, there's definitely something in the works, but it doesn't seem like even Sony knows what will be coming down the pipeline at this point. Either way, consumers won't be too upset if Sony can pack in a bigger hard drive and maybe a DualShock 3 while keeping the pricing structure the same.[Via Joystiq]
40GB PS3 listed on FCC website
The rumors of Sony's mythical 40GB PS3 have been swirling around almost as fast as Lyndsay Lohan ruining her career, but until now, we haven't had any hard proof of the former. A recent Sony FCC filing suggests a new PS3 model, designated CECHG01, is coming, despite the company's recent denials.Unlike what previous stories suggested, it looks like Wi-Fi and USB ports will remain in this new model, but there wasn't any information on the size of its hard drive, which I'm sure the ladies are just dying to know.If Sony can keep everything inside the PS3 that makes it so great, but drop the hard drive down a bit and hit the more consumer-friendly price tag of $399, it could find that audience who has been reluctant to join the Sony Army.[via Engadget]
European PS2 price drop and pretty new pink model [update 1]
Following April's North American PS2 price drop, Sony has announced a European price drop for their top-selling console juggernaut. The formerly €149.99 and £104.99 prices will be lowered to €129.99 and £94.99 respectively, still a good deal more expensive than the $130 US asking price. They've also lowered the price of the Memory Card to €19.99. While this isn't quite the budget pricing we imagine the non-PS2-owner is waiting for, Sony has readied another flank in their assault on these stubborn holdouts.The formula has worked disturbingly well for companies like Nintendo and Apple: a fresh coat of paint and you've opened up a whole new customer base. The new Pink PlayStation 2 will debut at the Leipzig Games Convention in Germany, August 23-27th. This sexy little thing is going out dancing with a pair of Dual Shock controllers and a Memory Card, and they're all wearing their prettiest matching pink outfits. And, UK-only, they'll be joining up with SingStar Pop at the karaoke club! Just how much will this little bundle of fun cost? €159.99 or £129.99 in UK (bundled with SingStar Pop). Seriously, resistance is futile Europe.[Update: These things come in threes. It looks like the PS2 isn't the only console getting the pink treatment. Those rumors (from last year!) may have been premature, but Sony is finally making a pink PSP! Joy! It will be available Oct. 27th in Europe only for €229, or £169. They're also employing colorfully-named popstress P!nk to pimp their pink PSPs. We can think of a lot of things we'd rather have Sony invest their efforts in PSP-wise than a pink version. Just saying.]Read - SCEE Announces Introduction of Pink PS2Read - SCEE Announces New Price for PS2Read - A pink PSP to match the PS2
