Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Engadget evaluates Razer Blade performance]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/22/engadget-evaluates-razer-blade-performance/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/22/engadget-evaluates-razer-blade-performance/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/22/engadget-evaluates-razer-blade-performance/#comments Our fellow bloggers at Engadget have gotten their hands on the Blade laptop from Razer (the very first commercial fruits of that "Switchblade" concept seeded so long ago), and the unit gets some high marks, despite some significant flaws. The worst issue with the laptop seems to be the audio (the built-in speakers are so bad that Engadget suspected their unit was broken somehow), but in general the problem with the Blade seems that it's tuned for a mix of portability and performance, which means neither gets to be perfect.

Yes, the Blade is sleek and super thin for a PC laptop, but it trades on that build by being a "gaming" unit that doesn't play StarCraft 2 on its highest settings perfectly. (see update) For the sticker price of $2,799, Razer traded a little too much performance for the admittedly impressive form factor.

But while Engadget doesn't recommend the laptop wholeheartedly, the site does praise the Blade's "bright and delectably tactile" LED buttons. The article surmises we'll see those types of controls again soon, either in Razer hardware, or units from other device manufacturers.

Update: Engadget has discovered that they didn't have the latest drivers for the graphics card, and with those, apparently Skyrim runs much better. Engadget is working on updated benchmarks for all of the Blade's performance aspects.

JoystiqEngadget evaluates Razer Blade performance originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 22:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bladebuttonshardwarepcpc-gamesrazerrazer-bladerazer-switchbladereviewWed, 22 Feb 2012 22:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Razer tests the waters with Project Fiona at CES]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/16/razer-tests-the-waters-with-project-fiona-at-ces/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/16/razer-tests-the-waters-with-project-fiona-at-ces/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/16/razer-tests-the-waters-with-project-fiona-at-ces/#comments Razer's Project Fiona looks just like you'd expect a prototype to look. Despite a thick but standard tablet-style body and 10.1 inch touchscreen, it has some unfinished aluminum struts sticking out of either side, with not-quite-perfect joysticks and buttons placed unceremoniously on the top. In short, it's a manufactured idea and not a real product just yet. And Razer's purpose at CES last week was to judge, reps told me, just how good that idea actually was.

Playing with the Project Fiona tablet doesn't feel quite right, but not because the games don't work. The Intel Core i7 processor powers a full Windows 7 installation (though it will eventually run Windows 8, says Razer), and the two prototypes at the show had full PC games on them, including the excellent Warhammer 40K: Space Marine. It ran quite well, but it was still difficult to play -- those joysticks and buttons just aren't fully in the right places. My thumbs did find and learn to use them after a few minutes of play, but it's unclear why, when Razer is already borrowing the "console controller" setup, the buttons are so strangely placed.

After about twenty minutes of handling and playing with Project Fiona, I came to the biggest question about the prototype: Why?

Continue reading Razer tests the waters with Project Fiona at CES

JoystiqRazer tests the waters with Project Fiona at CES originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 16 Jan 2012 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cesces-2012gamingmobilepcpc-gamespc-gamingproject-fionarazertabletMon, 16 Jan 2012 21:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Sims 3 expansion beats Star Trek Online in February's PC top 20]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/17/sims-3-expansion-beats-star-trek-online-in-februarys-pc-top-20/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/17/sims-3-expansion-beats-star-trek-online-in-februarys-pc-top-20/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/17/sims-3-expansion-beats-star-trek-online-in-februarys-pc-top-20/#comments NPD has released its monthly list of the top 20 PC games, and while Star Trek Online made a valiant showing in the month of its debut, landing at number two for the main game and number four for the collector's edition, it was beaten in the end by the Sims 3: High End Loft Stuff (yes, "Stuff") content pack. The Sims juggernaut of a brand continued to rock the top 20, claiming six spots total, and perennial favorite World of Warcraft continued to place almost all of its current editions on the list in three different spots.

Other big titles in February were Bioshock 2, the Everquest II: Sentinel's Fate expansion, and Mass Effect 2. Aliens vs. Predator appeared at a miserable number 19, below something called the Mumbo Jumbo Assortment. Full list after the break. We'll say this about PC game players: They know what they like, and they stick with it.

[via Big Download]

Continue reading Sims 3 expansion beats Star Trek Online in February's PC top 20

JoystiqSims 3 expansion beats Star Trek Online in February's PC top 20 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 17 Mar 2010 05:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bioshock-2everquest-2expansionfebruarypc-gamesratingssalesstar-trek-onlinethe-sims-3world-of-warcraftWed, 17 Mar 2010 05:00:00 EST<![CDATA[1C Games: 'Retail is forcing PC games out']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/16/1c-games-retail-is-forcing-pc-games-out/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/16/1c-games-retail-is-forcing-pc-games-out/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/16/1c-games-retail-is-forcing-pc-games-out/#comments Russian publisher 1C Games is the latest in a long line to declare that the PC games market is dying, and its international publishing director Darryl Still tells MCV that retailers are holding the murder weapon. Still says that the drive to digital distribution these days isn't just due to gamer preference, it's due to the fact that retailers aren't supporting PC games the way they should. "You just have to head into a games store and look for their PC titles," he says, "and you'll see there is no focus, listings or promotions for them."

Still says that he predicts the PC market will be completely digital as soon as 2011, two years ahead of estimates that say 50% of PC games sold in 2013 will be digitally delivered. He says that there's more profit to be made with PC games at retail, but that with all of the different providers aiming to release PC titles digitally, retailers very soon won't bother carrying them at all. We're torn -- for every treasured cloth map in a retail box, there are good reasons to stick with digital as well.

Joystiq1C Games: 'Retail is forcing PC games out' originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 16 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>darryl-stilldigital-distributiongamerpc-gamespc-marketpreferencepromotionsretailsalessteamSat, 16 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Best of Big Download: September 22-28]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/28/the-best-of-big-download-september-22-28/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/28/the-best-of-big-download-september-22-28/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/28/the-best-of-big-download-september-22-28/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Fall has arrived but don't let the leaves turning, the economy busting and the candidates feuding get you down. Big Download has been working hard to give its readers the best in PC game related news, features and downloads. Let's look at the highlights for the first week of autumn 2008.

Exclusive Features
  • Reviews: We give our verdict for the recent release of Introversion Software's multiplayer strategy game Multiwinia
  • Previews: We go hands-on with Atari's upcoming revival, Deer Hunter Tournament.
  • Black Ops PC Games: What major PC games are being developed that you might not know anything about? This feature article has the word on the super-secret games under development.
  • Resurgence of Yesteryear: Classic PC games can be revived but which ones should get new versions using their original graphics and technology? We pick 10 PC games that we want to see come back in their original form.
  • Big Iron: Our regular PC hardware column comes back with a look at how a recent message board discussion over FIFA 09 generated a look at console vs PC hardware.
  • Boot Disk: Our new column on retro PC gaming takes a look at the classic adventure title Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Father
  • Mac Monday: Our look at the world of Macintosh gaming continues with examining the unusual action game Miriel the Magical Merchant.
  • MODmonday: Our weekly mod feature continues to look at Max Payne mods; this time its a Max Payne 2 total conversion called Sketchbook Sam that turns the game into a 2D stick figure.
  • Indie Showcase: Our weekly look at indie games continues with a look at titles from the recent Bootleg Demakes competition.
  • Big Ideas: Our weekly look at the "big" game themes goes over a recent Gamasutra article about game journalism
  • Alt-Tab: Our weekly op-ed talks about how "casual" gaming doesn't have to mean "simple"
  • Freeware Friday: It's our weekly look at free games; this time around its for the action-adventure Eternal Daughter
  • BigCast: Our weekly podcast is a special one as we chat with members of Mythic Entertainment to find out what's happening with Warhammer Online after its launch last week.

Continue reading The Best of Big Download: September 22-28

JoystiqThe Best of Big Download: September 22-28 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 28 Sep 2008 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>big-downloadMacmac-gamesPCpc-gamespc-gamingSun, 28 Sep 2008 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[PC game sales only 14 % of industry in 2007]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/28/pc-game-sales-only-14-of-industry-in-2007/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/28/pc-game-sales-only-14-of-industry-in-2007/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/28/pc-game-sales-only-14-of-industry-in-2007/#commentsFiled under:

Yet another gloomy sign for PC gaming enthusiasts: Shacknews recently reported that of the whopping $18.85 billion the video game industry made in North America last year, only $910.7 million (or around 14%) was derived from PC games. When you compare the 267.8 million games sold in total in 2007 to the portion that were on PC (36.4 million) the numbers dip a bit closer to 13%.

Though the news doesn't look great, it's worth noting that this evidence isn't exactly conclusive, as the NPD doesn't track digital sales, a portion of the market that's rapidly increasing on PCs. So dry those tears, pumpkin, that big black box under your desk could be more of a chrysalis than coffin.

JoystiqPC game sales only 14 % of industry in 2007 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 28 Jan 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>PCpc-gamesMon, 28 Jan 2008 16:00:00 EST