I've Become an Xbox 360 Gamer! XD

While it may be old news by now, the ringing in our ears and the cosmic ripples created by the recent ruling against Intel is an event nobody should forget. Antitrust cases are at best a foray into the land of Grey. Corporate responsibility, abuse of dominant position and anti competitive behavior are not synonymous with capitalism but every so often very neutral responsible bodies may need to step in and help the process along. Protecting the consumer is indeed a responsibility, but why did AMD have to spend close on a decade trying to prove this...last we heard they weren't the consumer.

True to squeaky wheeled nature, people just love harping in about the terrible recession that grips the world(myself included). While we would believe that The Recession would stop at nothing short of stealing children in the night and putting the church to flame, the sad fact is that stable economies like many EU states are having trouble breathing. So why whip out the larger rubber one at a time like this?

To impose a fine of 1.06 billion Euros, almost 25% of Intel's sales,reeks of the quasi-socialist desperation that is so typically modern Europe. While the sad evolution of industry and capitalism seems to be touchy, feely, poor consumers freedom. the EU was most definitely not ungroundedin a reprimand. As to the extent of the vindication, I have some serious doubts.

Granted Intel was disgusting in their elbowing and the massive slant in the market is partly as a result, but other factors are also very important, The fact that AMD failed to keep up with the giant on the technological front in many ways over the last decade, their smaller research budget and their outsourced fabrication cannot be entirely attributed to Intel muscling them out of the market.

What does, however, add weight to AMD's case and simultaneously remove it from the EU commission are the proceeds of the enormous fine. While AMD and the consumer have been the apparent victims for the last decade, all that silicon fat cash is going into the EU's central budget where it will perform the noble task of reducing the "membership fees" for participating countries. How this benefits the poor sod running a crappy Duron or an overpriced Core 2 Quad , not to mention the AMD research and ATi merger disaster recovery fund, is yet to be seen.

While this may be the kind of thinking that had people burned in lesser cultures, I can't help but ask why the proceeds of the fine couldn't go to AMD? It could most definitely use a boost and it would do far more to increase competition. Sadly, this would reek of the absolute worst in the American legal system with just a hint of The Communist Manifesto.

Another salient concern in the whole debacle has been Intel's response to the ruling. Hours prior to the announcement of the fiduciary sodomy, Intel began getting the word out that they would be announcing a response. Their response was simply denial and the decision to vehemently appeal has possibly done more harm than good. Antitrust in the IT industry is the equivalent of the medieval witch accusation. Even if Intel avoids the pyre, the consumer is not only going to suspect anti competitive behavior but also that they are trying to escape their slap on the wrist.

There is, however, one shining star to this tale, especially for AMD fans. For years most people have erroneously condemned AMD to budget or gaming CPU's, the Pepsi of processing so to speak. Finally the White Knight has some dirt on his armour. While the damage to Intel's reputation (and budget) went unheeded by investors, people might start to consider the underdog as an option, exactly as they never did with Microsoft.

Looking forward then, the greatest thing any of us could hope for - Intel and AMD included - is a more competitive market;a market in which the title of underdog is once again seasonal.Perhaps in their heavy-hardness the misguided EU will bring balance to The Force, it's just a pity Intel has to pay with its success.

Electronic Arts has officially announced Command & Conquer 4, the next and final chapter in the original "Tiberium series". The storyline begun in 1995's Command & Conquer. The game's existence was not-so-subtly hinted at in a customer survey in June, then preemptively revealed via a Twitter update on 8 July 2009. After declining to comment for weeks, EA is now confirming the features outlined in the survey, including mobile bases, an RPG-like class system, and persistent experience accrual similar to that of massively multiplayer role-playing games.

Tiberian Twilight is the final game in the Tiberium Story Arc, which began in the year 1995, and has a sterner and more mature tone compared to previous games. The game begins in the year 2062, 15 years after the events of Tiberium Wars which led to the invasion of the Scrin and 10 years after the events of Kane's Wrath. In this time period, Tiberium has advanced to the next evolutionary stage and is rapidly spreading across Earth, expected to become uninhabitable by 2068.] At this time of crisis leader of the Brotherhood of Nod Kane heads straight for the headquarters of the Global Defense Initiative, in hopes of forming a "Tiberium control network", which would allow the spread of Tiberium to be controlled, as well as turn it into an inexpensive power source. The campaign starts 15 years after the formation of the network due to a temporary alliance between the two factions, however extremists of both factions cause unrest, which sparks the Fourth Tiberium War ending the alliance. Tiberian Twilight will complete Kane's story, revealing his identity and motives. The Tiberium Universe is planned to continue beyond C&C 4.There will only be two playable factions down from the original three in Tiberium Wars: The Global Defense Initiative and the Brotherhood of Nod, both staples of the Tiberian series. Each faction will be split into three upgradeable ****s: offense, defense and support. Each ****will have its own specialized focus but will all be as equally competent in battles. The ****s would consist of mostly their own unique units with the only shared unit among ****s being the engineer, and will each consist of a unique set of units, structures, powers and upgrades which will form a full faction. Offense ****is focused on tank-based, front-line combat like a ****c faction in previous Command & Conquer games. Defense ****is focused on infantry-based combat as well as strong base defenses such as bunkers and turrets, they are also the only ****to have access to superweapons. While the Support ****is focused on air-combat and custom vehicles to traverse the environment, Support ****is also equipped with special powers which are used to assist teammates.

Tiberian Twilight will feature two non-playable factions which return from previous games in the Tiberium story arc: The Scrin (C&C3: TW) and the Forgotten (Tiberian Sun). This was confirmed in the August edition of gaming magazine, PC Powerplay, which featured a cover story on Tiberian Twilight. It was revealed that The Forgotten, who were excluded from Tiberium Wars, would return as a minor part of the story as well as a neutral ****on the map whom you can either battle against or ally with like the Mutants in Tiberium Wars. The Scrin will not be playable unlike in Tiberium Wars, their story will not be continued from their perspective like in the extra Scrin Campaign in Tiberium Wars.

C&C4 will feature many new units as well as updated versions of previous ****c Command & Conquer units. ****units which will receive a makeover include the Nod Scorpion, Stealth and Flame Tanks, and the iconic GDI Mammoth Tank.

The most notable of the new units is the Crawler, a ****specific unit, it is an all-in-one mobile base which acts as both the traditional base inclusive of Construction Yard, unit production, support powers and upgrades all packed into one as well as a powerful front-line combat unit. The Crawler is one of the most flexible units in C&C4 as it has everything in one place without the need to build a traditional base.

Currently only the return of Joe Kucan as Kane, leader of the Brotherhood of Nod, has been confirmed.

Command & Conquer 4 will also offer two different campaigns for each faction, which can be played solo or in cooperative mode(as was Seen in Red Alert 3). In addition, the game will have a brand-new, five-versus-five, objective-based multiplayer mode for online play. The unrated game will ship sometime in 2010 for the PC(with no specific date confirmed as of yet), with no other platforms yet announced. C&C3 was also ported to the Xbox 360 and Mac, while C&C: Red Alert 3 also made it to the PlayStation 3.


Producer Jim Vessella revealed that the GDI campaign will be titled "The Men That Killed Kane," and Nod's campaign will receive the intriguing title "All Things Must End." EA has promised to reveal everything there is to know about Kane and what his goal is, culminating in a satisfying conclusion for faithful fans. The mission we saw requires you to hold off Nod units while a downed global stratosphere transport (aka dropship) is repowered. One of the biggest changes to the series is the new role-playing-game-like progression system. You level up by earning points through helping allies, killing enemies, activating TCN nodes, and finishing missions. In addition to levelling up as a player, units can level up during missions. Your crawler, for instance, can be upgraded with machine guns and cannons, although this won't persist through future missions.

Outside of the campaign, you'll also be able to earn experience points on skirmish maps and in multiplayer missions. You can unlock new abilities in multiplayer and then use these to complete difficult campaign missions. While were weren't able to see it, C&C4 will feature five-on-five multiplayer, with a greater focus on completing objectives--such as holding control points--beyond merely blowing up an enemy's base. A party system similar to that offered on Xbox Live will also be included, so you can jump from battle to battle with a group of friends.

The world of C&C4 is created in gorgeously crisp detail. Glowing Tiberium contrasts with the bleak wastelands of ash, debris, and scorched earth. Highly detailed units feature some cool glowing parts, as well as procedural damage, and break into multiple sections when destroyed.EA said that a new dynamic lighting system will make night missions particularly impressive, with lasers and explosions reflecting off nearby objects, and plenty of satisfying explosions and fires take place.

With more than 15,000 entries to choose from, EA selected Tiberian Twilight as the official subtitle of the game, calling it the "most popular" suggestion. The subtitle stems from the game's role as the concluding chapter to the series' Tiberium saga, which has seen the benevolent alliance of the Global Defense Initiative battle the evil paramilitaries of the Brotherhood of Nod. The two factions have been fighting over the powerful resource Tiberium for three full games and numerous expansion packs and spin-offs. In a statement, the game's lead producer, Mike Glosecki, said the subtitle "seemed the best fit, embodying that the saga is coming to a powerful and epic conclusion."

I have recently aquired all three downloadable contents or "DLC's"for the game Fallout 3.

Having been a major fan of all fallout games,i am pleased to say that bethesda have outdone themselves with the newest in the fallout series.I was partically interested in the "new" game producers for fallout 3.......bethesda.I had a thousand questions to ask.What would bethesda do to such a good game?Would it be good?would it be so bad it had to be removed from the shelves the day the day it came out?i did not know what to expect....

then it was realesed,and sold millions of copies in weeks.An excellent game which i finished overnight.indeed,i was eager for more....and then it came.....

Operation anchorage was a mediocer game in my books,entertainig yet lacking something that made some games great,that "X" factor as I call it.Finished in 3 hours.

The Pitt was more promising.It was set in an interesting background,intersting characters and a good,if not great storyline.Finished in 4 hours.

And then Broken Steel came out.It was magnificent,incredible and beyond describing.Finished in 6 hours.

It is sad that bethesda have not decided to release anymore DLC's,a great game coming to an end.However,i can not wait for the realese of the new "fallout',Fallout:New Vages.......

On saturday i got the game iv been waitin for for so long.Empire total war.

I must say,its not quite wat i expected.Im not disappionted,im just suprised.

Still,its a very good game with great graphics and HUGE battles(which i luv)....

9 out of ten 10.......Great!!!!

oh,i also got a couple of new games this week.ThAT INCludes:Endwar;Dawn of war 2;Stormrise(terrible) and empire total war(great).

yours sincerely

hairybeanbag

ITs finally out.The game i have alawys been waiting for is out!!!!

Empire total war came out on 3 march 2009 (as many of you might know) and has been rated as one of the best RTs games to grsce our shelves (ever).The game features high quality graphics,a new perspective on the way in which RTS games work and HUGE battles fought all over the world.Nice.

I first became interested in ETW 2 years ago that they were making a sequal to the highly successful game Medival total war.I immediately became interested and to this day,have been loging on to GS everyday (almost every day,that is!!!)to see the latest updates and new pics.Nice

You might be wondering (if your actually reading this) why i decided to post the blog and not just right a review of the game (if i love it so much),but the truth is.....well....i havent got it yet.Not So Nice.

well....i guess this is the end to another blog...thanks for reading it (if you have).

yours sincerely

Hairybeanbag.

ME LIKES GAMES !!!!!!

ME LIKES GAMES !!!!!!

ME LIKES GAMES !!!!!!

oh did i forget to mention...... ME LIKES GAMES