"The Force Unleashed requires a dual core processor with a Radeon HD 2900 or GeForce 8600 or better. Please check system requirements before purchasing."
I know dual and quad core CPUs are faster in a lot of things but this is the first time I have noticed a game that "requires a dual core processor". I'm in the middle of fixing my kids' PC that has a 2.66GHz AMD FX-55. For most games it is still fine; it will play all the cool FPS games but it is 5 years old! It's good to see games taking advantage of multi core processors and not holding us back because people want to still use PCs that are 5 years old! Time to upgrade kids! When this game first came out on the PS3 I was pissed off because it was another game us PC gamers missed out on. Now don't get me wrong, I have a PS3 and I love it, it's just that I cannot stand playing FPS style games on it. FPS is still far superior on the PC than any console. Give me a mouse and keyboard any day! The Force Unleashed was the first Star Wars game that I have never bothered to finish (apart from that Rebellion game years ago-did anyone play that?) and this game was about the Rebel logo I have tattooed on my right arm! Now it's on PC, I know I'll finish it and I wont have to fight with a dumb interface on a bad controller that is fine for racing games and arcade games, but SUX for FPS!
So I just got home from taking my kids to the movies to see the new James Cameron movie, Avatar. It's not often you get to experience the cinematic brilliance that I had the pleasure of enjoying this afternoon. Cameron definitely shows us what can be done with CG. Gone are the restrictions that we once had. With the technology used in this film, the only limitation we now have is our imagination. I don't want to give away any plot lines what so ever, apart from telling you that this is the best movie I have seen in ten years - plus. This is a must see for anybody who likes adventure, action, romance, or just breathtaking scenery. It has a very strong moral message as well. Although locally it was classified as rated M, I'd have no problems taking any aged child to see it. This movie is a must see.
So we're coming to the end of the first week of the new patch. I've had a lot of time to play around with the dungeon system and see all the new Boss that are available in Ice Crown. Unfortunately, the first week of a patch is always chaotic. People are having lag issues, unable to get their mods working, and the servers are constantly being retsrated. We were only able to get tow uninterupted days this past week where we could actually raid. Due to the fact that we're working on totally news bosses, by the time you get through explanations of the fights to 25 people and everybody knows that they're doing, you really don't have a lot of time to kill stuff!
The guild I'm in was able to kill the first boss on 25 man and didn't get an uninterrupted chance on the second boss all week. What we ended up having to do was to run a 10 man a little bit later after Blizzard had solved their server crashing issues. Out 10 man group was able to easily kill 3 of the 4 bosses in Ice Crown and I must say, the gunship battle is brilliant.
The pug system in this patch, with the cross server looking for group, seems to be working really well. I've managed to at least get one dungeon in a day to ensure that I get my two emblems of frost. You get a strange mix of people in this cross server looking group. Some people just don't say a word, they just jump straight into killing stuff. It's kind of an eerie atmosphere to be in. My hunter has crazy dps and is able to pull most undergeared pugs through things really quick. I ended up pet tanking most of VH today due to the tank having full blues and no chance in holding threat off me, even just auto-shotting. If you're not using the looking for group pug system, you should be. Yes, you will get a couple of idiots in there and yes, there is some fine tuning to be done, but it's a great way to get your alts or even mains, geared up with 245 gear thanks to the emblems of triumph that drop off every boss.
Leatrix Latency Fix will reduce your World of Warcraft latency significantly by increasing the frequency of TCP acknowledgements sent to the game server. For the technically minded, this is a script which will modify TCPAckFrequency.
You will also see reduced latency in other online games such as Aion, Warhammer and Lord of the Rings. The average reduction in latency (based on feedback from comments) is 66%. Click the Change Log tab above to see a summary of player feedback.
System Requirements
Leatrix Latency Fix is supported on these operating systems only.
Windows XP (SP2 or higher)
Windows Vista (SP1 or higher)
Windows 7
Both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows are supported.
Macintosh users should read the relevant section in the FAQ below.
After playing WoW for a few years, you get to realize that you can't have grand plans on patch day, especially when it comes to raids. People become reliant on mods and patch day always seems to be a lot more laggy than any other day. Not to mention the bugs you have to overcome.
One of the first things I did in game was to check out the new 5 man dungeon. I didn't even bother with normal mode and went straight to heroic. The new 5 man drops 232 loot in heroic and 219 in normal mode. But heroic is not for the feint of heart. If you're a fresh 80 you're not going in there on heroic mode any time soon. I was surprised and pleased at the same time at the difficulty of heroic mode of this dungeon. It provided a challenge, even to players in 245 gear. Something I hadn't seen in a 5 man in a long time.
This place is big. To overcome the size and the time it takes, Blizzard separated it into 3 different wings, so you don't need to spend hours clearing the whole place out, you can just choose a wing and go for it, although you will need to unlock every wing initially. When it came to raiding Ice Crown last night, I was not surprised to find several of our main raiders having problems logging in or having add-on issues. With all the issues last night, we only managed to get 2 tries in on the first boss and called the raid for some 5 man fun to allow people to sort out the issues they were having.
I was happy to log right in this morning when I got up. I went and got my new ring Runed Band of the Kirin Tor. I then went and got 4 Portable Hole's from Haris Pilton. The extra slots will help a lot and I ran out of stuff to spend gold on months ago.
Since I had all my new swag I thought I would give the random hero a go. It took about 4 minutes to get a full group and the ready check popped up. I was ported into Hero Violet Halls, whoot! Violet Halls is one of the easiest and quickest heroes out there. The pug blasted through it. We all had a lot of 245 gear so it was super easy! We got our 2 badges of frost and zoned out. I noticed that I didn't have my add-ons turned on and I wanted to get right into the new 5 man and check it out! So I logged out, checked all my add-ons were up to date and I logged back in ...
Disconnected from server...
And I logged back in...
Disconected from server...
And I logged back in...
Disconnected from server...
And I logged back in...
Disconnected from server...
And I logged back in...
Disconnected from server...
And I logged back in...
Disconnected from server...
So I checked the WoW forums only find 1000s having the same problem. Seems I got lucky the first time I logged in.
It's 2 hours later, the servers are still offline, the official WoW site is going up and down and there is no sign of when the servers will be back. Let's hope they get it fixed soon. We know they are doing what they can so just hang in there people!
Looming over the stark wastes of Northrend, Icecrown Citadel awaits those who would see the Lich King and his Scourge brought low and the threat they pose wiped from the face of Azeroth. The heroes who venture within will face some of the greatest horrors yet seen. But before you burst into the front gate of the citadel, an alternate means of entry beckons. Journey through three separate wings of the new five-player dungeon, Icecrown Citadel: The Frozen Halls, and follow Jaina Proudmoore or Sylvanas Windrunner into the Lich King's domain.
Icecrown Citadel: The Frozen Throne
All across Northrend, many battles have been fought against the vile Scourge. Countless lives have been lost since the Alliance and the Horde first reached these frozen wastes, but the champions of Azeroth continue to march forward -- and Icecrown Citadel, the cornerstone of the Scourge's power and the home base of the Lich King, is their final target. Tirion Fordring and the Argent Crusade have forged an accord with Darion Mograine and the Knights of the Ebon Blade to form the Ashen Verdict. This coalition's strongest combatants, along with the champions of the Alliance and the Horde, will lead the charge against the citadel. In the new Icecrown Citadel raid dungeon, Azeroth's mightiest will face terrifying challenges before ascending to the Frozen Throne, where the Lich King and his runeblade, Frostmourne, await to deliver the heroes to their deaths....
Cross-Realm Dungeon Finder
The Dungeon Finder is now available, providing players with quick and easy access to five-player parties. This feature connects all realms within a battlegroup using an advanced matchmaking system, making it easier for players of all levels to find a dungeon group. In addition, players can reap additional rewards through the Dungeon Finder by choosing the Random option, which is available to both pick-up and pre-formed groups. Check out the User Interface section for more details.
It’s coming up to Christmas. A lots of kids in Australia will be getting new video games under their Christmas tree. But some mums and dads are going to be in for a real shock when they see what their kids have to do in the games they got their innocent little ones for Christmas!
As a father of three I use ratings to judge what is ok and what is not, and if it's rated M 15+ I would expect it to be ok or just on the “mature” side for a 14/15 year old and no problem at all for a 16 year old, right? Wrong !!!
Let’s look at the ratings in Australia:
Advisory The classifications below are advisory in nature—they do not impose any legal restrictions on access or distribution of material. E (Exempt from Classification) - These films may be sold without a specific classification. The assessment of exemption may be made by the distributor or exhibitor (self-assessed) without needing to submit the product for certifying by the Classification Board. Only very specific types of material (including educational material and straight records of artistic performances) can be exempted from classification, and the material cannot contain anything that might lead to an M rating or higher [1]Self-assessed exempt films cannot use the official marking, although it is advised that films and computer games that are exempt display “This film/computer game is exempt from classification”. G (General) — These films and computer games are for general viewing. However, G does not necessarily designate a children’s film or game as many of these productions contain content that would be of no interest to children. The content is very mild in impact. PG (Parental guidance recommended) — These films and computer games contain material that may confuse or upset younger viewers under 15. Before the 2005 coloured rating scheme was brought in, the original description was "Parental Guidance is recommended for those under the age of 15." This description may be found on older DVDs and video tapes. The content is mild in impact. M (Recommended for mature audiences) — These films and computer games contain material that requires a mature perspective, but is still not enough to be deemed too extreme for younger players. This classification was formerly known as M15+, but was changed to simply M to distinguish it from the higher (and restricted) rating of MA15+. The description originally had "Recommended for Mature audiences 15 years and over", though like the above PG rating, the description dropped the 15. This description may be still founded on older DVDs and video tapes. This is the highest unrestricted rating. The content is moderate in impact.
By contrast, the classifications below are legally restricted—i.e., it is illegal to sell or exhibit materials so classified to a person younger than the respective age limit. MA15+ (Mature Accompanied) - The content is considered unsuitable for exhibition by persons under the age of 15. Persons under 15 may only legally purchase or exhibit MA15+ rated content under the supervision of an adult guardian. This is a legally restricted category. , , , and are the current game ratings. Games cannot be given the adult ratings or , instead they will be Refused Classification (Banned) and cannot be sold. Refused Classification games may be edited and resubmitted by their developers to garner an MA15+ classification. People under 15 are not permitted to purchase or rent films or video games classified MA15+ unless they are accompanied by a parent or adult guardian. The content is strong in impact. R18+ (Restricted) - People under 18 may not buy, rent or exhibit these films. The content is high in impact. X18+ (Restricted) - People under 18 may not buy, rent or exhibit these films. This rating applies to sexual content. Films rated X18+ are currently legally available for purchase in only the ACT and the Northern Territory. However these films may be legally purchased from interstate via mail-order. Enforcement is relaxed and most adult shops carry extensive stock of X18+ material. RC (Refused Classification) Films which are very high in impact and/or contain any type of violence in conjunction with real sexual intercourse are rated Refused Classification by the OFLC. Films which may be Refused Classification include content that:
Depict, express or otherwise deals with matters of sex, drug misuse or addiction, crime, cruelty, violence or revolting or abhorrent phenomena in such a way that they offend against the standards of morality, decency and propriety generally accepted by reasonable adults to the extent that they should not be classified.
Depict in a way that is likely to cause offence to a reasonable adult a minor who is, or who appears to be, under 16 (whether or not engaged in sexual activity).
Promote, incite or instruct in matters of crime or violence.
Classification is mandatory, and films that are rated Refused Classification by the OFLC are banned for sale, hire or public exhibition, carrying a maximum fine of $275,000 and/or 10 years jail. It is legal to possess Refused Classification material, unless it has been rated Refused Classification due to illegal content (e.g. child pornography). It is illegal for residents of Western Australia to possess Refused Classification Video Games ever since the Liberal Party came into power in WA in 2008, where the breach of this law incurs either a hefty fine or imprisonment.
The PC and console games industry, one of the biggest adult entertainment money makers, has no adult classification. The highest you get is M15 +. WTF?!
What is happening in Australia is that games that are 18+ in other countries like the UK, US and New Zealand get pushed through as 15+ in Australia. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is the perfect example of this. It’s 18+ in the UK, New Zealand and other countries and M15+ in Australia. Call of Duty: is a massive title world wide and to ban it would cause uproar so it’s easier to give it a 15+ and deceive parents into thinking its ok for their kids for Christmas. Don’t take my word for it, judge for yourself. Warning, this video may be disturbing to some people.
What happens when they ban a game? Most of the time all banning a game will do is drive people to Warez, hacker and pirate sites and with a game like COD MW2, hackers will end up with thousands of unsuspecting Aussies willing to download their key logger and viruses just to get the game the rest of the world can pick up in any shop. And when looking for the hacked game they will also find other games or movies that they may have happily paid for if they where not driven to the hackers’ site in the first place.
The only logical solution is to have an adult 18+ rating. Banning or outlawing something just drives it underground and puts money in the hands of hackers and pirates and drives consumers to untrustworthy sites.
Only having a 15+ rating is not helping parents to choose suitable games for their kids.
Parents look at M15 and compare it to movies. I’ve seen a mum buy a copy of Grand Theft Auto (GTA) for her 12 year old, commenting to the sales rep that her son watches 15+ movies all the time. There is no way in hell GTA should be played by a 12 year old! The Australian government is putting disturbing content in the hands of miners. Content that was never made for them and is classified 18+ in other countries.
http://www.growupaustralia.com/ has a petition for Australia to get an 18+ classification. So if you’re a parent who does not want your child playing games that where clearly designed for adults and not kids, or if you’re an adult that wants the freedom to play games that where designed for adults without having them butchered to a shell of what they were just so a 13 year old can play a game that was never designed for them them, please head over there and singe it. Or contact:
South Australian Attorney-General, Hon. Michael Atkinson MP
GPO Box 464
ADELAIDE SA 5001
Phone: (08) 8207 1723
Fax: (08) 8207 1736
Email: attorney-general@agd.sa.gov.au
Listen up Razer fans! If you love Razer as much as we do then come and tell us all about it Here
Razer’s line of peripherals has been developed by gamers, for gamers. From programmable keyboards and mice, to the most advanced headphones and speaker systems, both MMO and FPS gamers are catered for.
Proudly sponsored by Razer’s Australian distributor Audion, Razer Gamer is the ONLY place online where you can find out the latest news relating to Razer products in Australia.
To kick things off we are giving away a great Razer gaming pack to one lucky winner. All you have to do is sign up to our forum, and come up with a uniquely Australian slogan for our blog and post it in our forums. The slogan can be no longer than 10 words and must be relevant to Razer.
The person who is judged to have come up with the best slogan will win a Razer prize pack consisting of Razer DeathAdder (RAZ014), Razer Lyocsa Backlit Keyboard (RAZ081), Razer Moray Plus (RAZ098) and the ExactMat Bundle Pack (RAZ101).
The competition will run from December 1st 2009 to January 31st 2010, and the winner will be notified via email. All terms and conditions can be found at razergamer.com
So if you want to keep up to date with all the latest on Razer in Australia, including where to buy, events, reviews, videos, special promotions and competitions, come and join all the Razer addicts at http://www.razergamer.com
About Razer Gamer
Razer Gamer is a blog and community portal for users of Razer products in Australia. The guys at Razer Gamer love Razer products and want to share their enthusiasm with the Australian community and also provide the latest information and deals on the products available in Australia.
Audion Innovision was incorporated in Victoria, Australia in 1987. The company is a master distributor of consumer and IT audio, video and multimedia products to conventional channel distributors, dealers and major retail chain stores nationwide. Audio is a distributor of Razer products in Australia.
More information: http://www.audion-mm.com/
OK, now I feel old! I remember Warcraft 1 and II like it was yesterday and my wife can still hum the music from Warcraft II even though she never played the game.
We didn't have a lot but we did have a PC. Fiona, my wife, needed it for her studies and I used it for entertainment from time to time. Back then I spent a lot of time down at my local Archery club and my coach had a 16 year old son, Aaron, that never moved from his PC. We got talking and he showed me this cool game, Warcraft. I could not get how he could spend so much time at his PC when he could be shooting arrows. I got a copy of the game so I could check it out. I was messing around with my 486 SX. I had to upgrade it to a 486 DX just so I could play Warcraft ... then it started.... I was hooked!
And I was about to drive my new wife mad with the music:
From Blizzard:
Over the past 15 years, a lot has changed in Azeroth. Valiant heroes have travelled the length and breadth of Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms, taken wing in Outland to free the Black Temple from Illidan's clutches, and set sail for Northrend to battle the mighty Lich King. Whether you've been part of the adventure from the beginning or are just getting started now, we're glad to have you with us for the five-year anniversary of World of Warcraft and the 15-year anniversary of the Warcraft series.
