Gaming Feeds

Piracy hit new highs with the release of the PC shooter Crysis, Frankfurt, Germany-based developer Crytek told Next-Gen on Wednesday.

November’s Crysis sold 1 million copies worldwide as of February this year, but Crytek is nevertheless struck by how many illegitimate copies are circulating.

Crytek engine business manager Harald Seeley said that he could not reveal specific internal figures pertaining to piracy of Crysis, but he added, "I can say the level of piracy was the highest of any I’ve experienced on a project."

When asked how PC developers are going to solve to piracy issue, or if digital distribution is the answer, Seeley said he couldn’t answer the question "due to various NDAs."

"…There are multiple possible solutions to the problem but I can’t discuss any of them at this time, or even guess when or if these solutions will become public."

It took about 40 years to find it, but scientists at Hewlett-Packard said on Wednesday they discovered a fourth basic type of electrical circuit that could lead to a computer you never have to boot up.

The finding proves what until now had only been theory — but could save millions from the tedium of waiting for a computer to find its "place," the researchers said.

Basic electronics theory teaches that there are three fundamental elements of a passive circuit — resistors, capacitors and inductors.

Windows XP service pack 3 is not quite as delayed as the next Duke Nukem game but it’s getting there, with the announcement of yet another hold up on the Redmond-based company’s forums.

Now that they’ve got their hands on GTA IV, Sarcastic Gamer’s resident uber-gamer has prepared his guide for newbies, so they can kick some tail in GTA IV’s multiplayer.

From the article: "You may have noticed that this is the Newbie guide to GTAIV. Well, we’re all newbies to the multiplayer, the game is only a day and a half old. I’m just going to focus on the different multiplayer modes with a couple tips for each. Let’s hop right into it!"

Gamasutra writes, "in this in-depth Gamasutra opinion piece, journalist and MMO commentator Michael Zenke takes a close look at Microsoft’s missed opportunities in the MMO space - and how Sony is poised to capitalize."

"The cancellation of Marvel Universe Online was a blow to MMO and comic fans alike. Still, now that the pain has faded somewhat, I think it’s clear that MUO’s death may be a good thing after all."

"Given the rumors of confusion on the dev team about what the game was going to be like at a fundamental level, pulling support from the project seems like a no-brainer. That said, I think MUO’s death highlights Microsoft’s sordid history with Massively Multiplayer games."

For over two years, hardcore gamers have been scratching their heads when presented with the Xbox 360’s technical specifications. Overheating and blinking red lights aside, nothing handicaps the platform more than the non-standard nature of its hard drive. Although a multi-SKU pricing strategy might be dubbed a success by Microsoft’s management, its effects on the platform’s long-term viability are now beginning to become apparent.

Author: Ed Kirchgessner

Welcome to the Rumour mill, VideoGamer.com’s run-down of the big rumours currently doing the rounds in the video game industry. Every week we’ll hunt down the juiciest stories and give our opinion on how legit they are. So, whether you want the ridiculous or the plausible, read on.

BioShock not coming to PS3

The Rumour: Contrary to popular belief, 2K Games’ BioShock or its in-development sequel are not coming to the PlayStation 3. They will remain Xbox 360 and PC exclusive. This is due to Microsoft paying for exclusive rights and the extra effort required of a PS3 port.

Verdict: This one comes from rumour blogging legend Surfer Girl and goes directly against the Rumour from EGM that claimed the original game was heading to the PS3.

"BioShock is still not coming to PS3 nor is there plans for a PS3 version of its sequel," reads the blog.

Given BioShock’s huge success on the Xbox 360 it’s perfectly reasonable to expect Microsoft to want it to remain a platform exclusive. With so little known about the sequel, though, it’s a little early to be saying it’s a guaranteed exclusive.

Plausibility rating: 3/5

It’s a new mod for PC version of GTA Vice city based on the Film Trilogy Back to the future

Yesterday, speaking exclusively to VideoGamer.com, two pupils from Eyemouth High School in Berwickshire, Scotland have revealed that the launch of BBFC 18-rated GTA 4 left the school feeling "deserted".

Former Face and Edge videogame critic slams GTA4 as: ‘Crude, unmediated and violent… [an] alpha male simulator for media-addled introverts’