There has been some new screenshots released for GTA V!
And here they are:
Grand Theft Auto 5 from Rockstar Games will be released later in the year.
Are you going to buy it? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
Last chance to win tickets for The Gadget Show LIVE at the NEC
![gsl_birmingham2013_dates_windows8new[2]](https://i0.wp.com/moviesgamesandtech.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/gsl_birmingham2013_dates_windows8new2.jpg?ssl=1 "gsl_birmingham2013_dates_windows8new[2]")
The Gadget Show LIVE returns to the NEC in a few weeks and we have got 10 pairs of tickets to giveaway.
So all you have to do to win a pair of tickets is click on the Contact Us link at the top of the page and tell us what day you want to go (the tickets are only valid on a weekday). Make sure you use a valid email address when submitting your entry otherwise we can’t contact you. You can enter as many times as you like, but only one entry per day will be accepted.
Each winner will receive a pair of tickets to use on any of the weekday show days. Unfortunately you will have to cover your own transport costs and anything else, but each pair of tickets is worth over £40.
Usual contest rules apply, and the winners will be selected at random and will be contacted after the contest ends.
The contest closes Thursday 28th March, so good luck.
The event takes place on 3-7 April at the NEC, Birmingham, and more details are available from www.gadgetshowlive.net/birmingham.
Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain Announced at GDC
Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain has been announced at the Game Developers Conference.
Franchise creator Hideo Kojima revealed today (27th March) that Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes and The Phantom Pain together make the Metal Gear Solid sequel.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8qugKFaVLE%5D
Described as an open-world game, it follows Snake as he wakes up from a nine-year coma. A gameplay demonstration showed the game’s tutorial, with the protagonist waking up in a hospital and being forced to escape, but too weak to stand. However, Snake is soon aided by a man named Ishmael, a character who many are speculating is voiced by 24 star Kiefer Sutherland.
Kojima was at GDC discussing the new Fox Engine that Kojima Productions was building when he officially unveiled the game. A trailer for Metal Gear Solid 5 was also shown, featuring footage from both Ground Zeroes and The Phantom Pain.
It was confirmed at the end of the video teaser that the game would be coming to both PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.
Guild Wars 2 Flame and Frost: The Razing out now
If you play Guild Wars 2, there is a new update called Flame and Frost: The Razing which starts today.
In addition to the continuing Living Story, which sees a hybrid army erupt through fiery portals in the Shiverpeaks, this update also brings exciting new updates to the Guild Mission systems and World vs. World content:
- Guild Mission Updates – Take on ‘Guild Bounty Target’ missions, cash in for new rewards and many other system improvements
- New Guild Mission Type – The ‘Bounty Hunt Training’ missions are designed to provide small and casual guilds with an avenue for accessing and unlocking guild content
- World XP and World Ranks – Participate in WvW events and defeat players to earn World Experience (WXP) and unlock special World Ranks
- World Abilities, Titles and Scoreboards – Improve your characters, show off your expertise to your enemies through titles and new improved scoreboards
To learn more about this update, click here.
Flame and Frost is part of a multi-stage narrative that will bring big changes to Guild Wars 2 in the months to come.
And in case you missed it, we recently interviewed the Guild Wars 2 Game Director Colin Johanson:
Check out our review of Guild Wars 2Are you playing Guild Wars 2? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
NVIDIA releases GeForce 314.07 WHQL driver with BioShock Infinite support
The new GeForce 314.22 WHQL driver is now available to download. Featuring performance optimizations of up to 41% in BioShock Infinite, and 71% in Tomb Raider, 314.22 WHQL is an essential update for all GeForce GTX systems. Other highlights include single-GPU and SLI performance improvements of up to 30% in Civilization V, 22% in Sniper Elite V2, and 12% in Sleeping Dogs.
314.22 WHQL also includes SLI profiles for Dungeons & Dragons: Neverwinter, Resident Evil 6, and Sniper Elite: Nazi Zombie Army; 3D Vision profiles for Brutal Legend, MUD, and Tomb Raider; and a NVIDIA Control Panel Ambient Occlusion profile for BioShock Infinite.
You can download the GeForce 314.22 WHQL drivers with one click from the GeForce.co.uk homepage. Windows XP, Windows 7 and Windows 8 packages are available for desktop systems, and for notebooks there are Windows 7 and Windows 8 downloads that cover all non-legacy products.
If you have a technical issue please report the problem through the NVIDIA Display Driver Feedback Form.
BioShock Infinite & Tomb Raider Performance Enhancements
GeForce 314.22 WHQL introduces sizeable performance gains of up to 41% in BioShock Infinite, and 71% in Tomb Raider.
Gains will be seen on other GPUs also, though to varying degrees.
In BioShock Infinite, performance improved by 32% at 1920×1080, powering our GTX 680 past 90 frames per second when using Ultra DirectX 11 settings. With optional Alternate Post-Processing added to the mix, we saw a 25% improvement over 314.07 WHQL performance, taking the GTX 680 from 61 frames per second to 76 frames per second.
At 2560×1600, the GTX 680 achieved a result of 41 frames per second using Ultra settings and our older 314.07 WHQL drivers. Following the installation of today’s 314.22 WHQL drivers, performance increased by 41%, yielding an impressive 58.6 frames per second at the demanding resolution. Enabling Alternate Post-Processing’s performance-intensive diffusion-based depth of field effect, meanwhile, saw the frame rate reduced to a still-perfectly-playable 46.2 frames per second, which was 31% faster than the result seen when using 314.07 WHQL.
314.22 WHQL dramatically enhances performance in Tomb Raider, building upon the improvements introduced in 314.21 Beta earlier this month. On the GTX 680 we recorded a 49% improvement at 1920×1080 using Ultra settings, and a 30% improvement using Ultimate settings. At 2560×1600, Ultra performance increased by 59%, and Ultimate performance increased by 40%, pushing the GTX 680 past the all-important 30 frames per second mark.
On the GTX 660 we recorded even greater gains when using the new 314.22 WHQL driver. At 1920×1080, performance increased by 61% using Ultra settings, and by 46% when using the demanding Ultimate settings. At 2560×1600, performance increased by an astounding 71.4% when using Ultra settings, taking the GTX 660 from an unplayable 19.9 frames per second, to a playable 34.1 frames per second.
Please note that performance improvements benefit all GeForce GTX graphics cards, though obviously to varying degrees. We would of course love to show how our optimizations benefit the entire range of GeForce GTX GPUs, but sadly this is unfeasible given the number of benchmarks required. If you test the changes out at home on hardware not represented in this article please share your results with the community via the GeForce.co.uk Forums.
Additional Performance Improvements
In addition to the BioShock Infinite and Tomb Raider optimizations, 314.22 WHQL also includes performance improvements for Batman: Arkham City, Battlefield 3, Borderlands 2, Call of Duty: Black Ops II, Civilization V, Sleeping Dogs, Sniper Elite V2, and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Below, we offer a snapshot of the improvements on a few different configs, but please bear in mind that your results may vary.
GeForce GTX 680
Game Settings & Results:
- BioShock Infinite: Performance increased by 40.9% at 2560×1600 when using Ultra DirectX 11 settings.
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 2: Performance increased by 3.2% at 1920×1080 when using max settings and 4xMSAA.
- Civilization V: Performance increased by 8.7% at 1920×1080 when using max DirectX 11 settings.
- Sleeping Dogs: Performance increased by 12.8% at 2560×1600 when using Extreme settings and High Anti-Aliasing.
- Sniper Elite V2: Performance increased by 22.2% at 2560×1600 when using High settings, High Anti-Aliasing, and 2.25x Supersampling. With Supersampling disabled, frame rates increased by 21%-24% at 1920×1080 and 2560×1600 using High settings, with and without anti-aliasing.
- The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim: Performance increased by 3.6% at 1920×1080 when using High settings.
- Tomb Raider: Performance increased by 29.7%-58.7% at 1920×1080 and 2560×1600 when using Ultra and Ultimate settings.
GeForce GTX 680 SLI
Game Settings & Results:
- Batman: Arkham City: Performance increased by 3.4% at 1920×1080 when using Very High detail settings, Tessellation High, and FXAA High.
- Battlefield 3: Performance increased by 3.2% at 2560×1600 when using Ultra settings and 4xMSAA. Gains of up to 9.9% were registered at lower resolutions and detail settings.
- BioShock Infinite: Performance increased by 30.9% at 2560×1600 when using Ultra DirectX 11 settings and Alternate Post-Processing. At 1920×1080, performance increased by 18.3%.
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 2: Performance increased by 3.2% at 1920×1080 when using max settings and 4xMSAA.
- Civilization V: Performance increased by 30.2% at 2560×1600 when using max DirectX 11 settings and 4xMSAA.
- Sleeping Dogs: Performance increased by 16.9% at 1920×1080 when using Extreme settings and Normal Anti-Aliasing. At 2560×1600 using High Anti-Aliasing, performance increased by 11.9%.
- Sniper Elite V2: Performance increased by 21.8% at 2560×1600 when using High settings, High Anti-Aliasing, and 2.25x Supersampling. With Supersampling disabled, frame rates increased by 19.7%-23.3% at 1920×1080 and 2560×1600 using High settings, with and without anti-aliasing.
- The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim: Performance increased by 3.6% at 1920×1080 when using High settings.
GeForce GTX 660
Game Settings & Results:
- Batman: Arkham City: Performance increased by 5.4% at 2560×1600 when using Very High detail settings, Tessellation High, and PhysX High.
- Borderlands 2: Performance increased by 3.5% at 2560×1600 when using max settings and PhysX High.
- Sleeping Dogs: Performance increased by 7.3% at 1920×1080 when using Extreme settings and High Anti-Aliasing. At other resolutions and detail levels performance increased by 6%-7.8%.
- Sniper Elite V2: Performance increased by 22.2% at 2560×1600 when using High settings, High Anti-Aliasing, and 2.25x Supersampling. With Supersampling disabled, frame rates increased by 21.2%-24.2% at 1920×1080 and 2560×1600 using High settings, with and without anti-aliasing.
- Tomb Raider: Performance increased by 46.5%-71.4% at 1920×1080 and 2560×1600 when using Ultra and Ultimate settings.
Other 314.22 WHQL Highlights
New & Updated SLI Profiles
- Dungeons and Dragons: Neverwinter – Added DirectX 9 SLI profile
- Resident Evil 6 – Updated SLI profile
- Sniper Elite: Nazi Zombie Army – Added DirectX 11 SLI profile
New & Updated 3D Vision Profiles
- Brutal Legend – Rated Good
- MUD – Rated Good
- Tomb Raider – Updated Rating To Good
NVIDIA Control Panel Enhancements
- BioShock Infinite – Added NVIDIA Control Panel Ambient Occlusion support
You can download the GeForce 314.22 WHQL drivers with one click from the GeForce.co.uk homepage.
Watch the First 17 minutes of Battlefield 4
Battlefield 4 is the anticipated return of EA’s premier shooting franchise that’s been teased in one form or another for the past year.
It’s the debut title for the visually impressive Frostbite 3 engine, which powers a more open single-player campaign and a story that aims to be more emotional and personal with its cast of soldiers.
Running on high-end PCs and previously confirmed for next-generation systems, the good news is that Frostbite 3’s scalable nature will also see the title launch on Xbox 360 and PS3 late this year.
Watch the 17 minutes of the game below – the opening mission called ‘Fishing in Baku’ – which sees a tight-knit group of soldiers escape from behind enemy lines with vital information that could have far-reaching ramifications in a world that’s on the brink of global war.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8HVQXkeU8U%5D
A more open, sandbox single player campaign
After a linear, Call of Duty-style campaign, single-player will become more of an open, sandbox experience with the franchise’s trademark “Battlefield moments” that we’ve come to expect from multiplayer.
While the demonstration was book-ended with corridor-shooting and scripted cutscenes familiar to those who played Battlefield 3‘s campaign, the middle section sees your squad stumble across a vast, open construction site that players can freely roam.
Using a vehicle, for example, you’re able to drive around and engage enemies however you want to.
Destructibility is also key to this more open experience. Pinned down by an enemy gunner, the demonstrator used a shotgun to blast apart a nearby wall, followed by a well-placed grenade round on a solidly constructed building to forge their own path around the enemy position to flank them.
Even outside of these sandbox moments there are more options thanks to being able to spot targets, directing the attention of the squad for offensive and defensive options.
One particular moment saw you target around a dozen enemies dotted in a half-finished structure, calling in a helicopter strike that lit up the battlefield with a colossal fireball, causing a nearby wireframe structure to collapse.
We weren’t sure whether this particularly impressive moment had some element of scripting to it – or whether such a prime opportunity like this would naturally emerge during play – but it certainly teases what’s possible from directing team mates and sandbox gameplay.
What can we expect from multiplayer?
Battlefield 4 will obviously feature multiplayer, but with the reveal focused on the single-player campaign, details are currently thin on the ground.
What is clear is that sea combat will feature – as recent teaser videos had suggested – with attack boats and jet skis confirmed to feature in the game.
DICE is also planning for the long haul and has confirmed that Battlefield Premium – the online subscription service that provided players with early DLC maps and exclusive content – will return.
Battlefield 4 will be available on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC in late 2013.
Review of BioShock Infinite
BioShock Infinite, developed by Irrational Games has just been released – is it a worthy successor to the previous BioShock games – read on to find out what we thought.
In BioShock Infinite, you play Booker DeWitt, a former Pinkerton agent who is sent to the flying city of Columbia in 1912 to rescue a girl who has been imprisoned since childhood. He is not there by choice, he owes big on some debts and this is his last chance to make good on them.
The first thing I noticed was the effect of the rain hitting the water – it was amazing with a lot of detail added that really made you believe you were there. The first few minutes of the game have you pretty much just looking at the amazing visuals – the rain, the sky, the lighthouse – Irrational Games have done an amazing job and have pretty much got every last bit out of the current generation of consoles.
When you are walking around Columbia you pass by many of its inhabitants. Unfortunately they cannot be directly interacted with, however they often say hello, or you can just listen to them talking. Occasionally their talking is of relevance to the game and sometimes its just idle chatter. I do recommend taking the time to listen it, you won’t be disappointed.
There are also kinetoscopes placed around Columbia that you can use to learn interesting facts about Columbia and your surroundings. It is certainly worth taking the time to use them as it really adds to the atmosphere of the game. Along with the kinetoscopes, there are Voxphones which are recordings made by the residents of Columbia and again add to the atmosphere. And if you are into achievements there are ones just for viewing and collecting them.
Currency in the game is in the form of silver eagles. You can find these, and other provisions in boxes and trash cans, and all manner of other places. Currency is important, not just for buying provisions but also for when you get killed, more on that in a moment. I’m not quite sure why the inhabitants of Columbia feel the need to throw away money, but they do, and that’s good because you will probably need some at some point!
There are vending machines that you can use to buy items you are in need of, including ammunition, food and salt. Obviously you don’t have to use use them, but they are there if you are running short on something.
You may be asking why salt? Salt is used to power your Vigors and Vigors are a very important part of the game. Throughout the game you obtain new Vigors such as the Devils Kiss (which shoots fire at your enemies and burns them alive) and the Murder of Crows (which unleashes a flock of murderous birds against your enemies) and these can be used in conjunction with whatever other weapons you have. Some Vigors are more useful than others, and that will probably depend more on your style of gameplay, and thankfully you can choose between Vigors as the game progresses.
When you obtain a new Vigor, usually after defeating its current owner, its abilities are explained to you in the form of a short old style film, which fits into the time period of the game whilst at the same time demonstrating, often graphically, just what it does.
Talking of other weapons, you also obtain a Skyhook early on in the game and its placed on your left arm that can not only be used for killing people (sometimes in a very graphic way) but is also used to jump between levels via its magnetic properties. You even use the hook to attach to Columbia’s Sky-Line system in order to navigate your way around – and there are a number of instances where you have to use the Sky-Line system.
When you get killed, you come back (thankfully), less some silver eagles, but your enemies also get a health boost, which certainly makes it more interesting. Once you have completely the game you can play again in a special unlocked mode called 1999, which is significantly harder, resources are a lot harder to find, and worse still, if you run out of money and you die it really is game over. Hard-core fans will be happy!
From the start of the game you are searching for “the girl” and it’s a good 45 minutes or so before you actually find her. In fact, its about 20 minutes or so into the game before you even get a weapon, so take your time during those early stages in the game to soak in the atmosphere and enjoy your surroundings because pretty soon you wont have a chance.
The girl in question is Elizabeth and she will be your companion throughout the remainder of the game. She is also there to help you, and scavenge for you, finding all important ammunition, health and salt when you need it the most. She also has some pretty amazing powers such the ability to open tears in time and space (early on she opens a rift to Paris in 1985 where a cinema is shown playing Revenge of the Jedi) and pull things through that will help you. I really don’t want to give too much away, suffice to say she isn’t a damsel in distress and she is ever bit Booker’s equal.
There are also optional side quests throughout the game, and it is up to you whether you do them or not. If you do them, you will be rewarded with valuable resources that will aid you on your adventure, not to mention give you more of an insight into Columbia. One really nice thing here is that Elizabeth will often remind you about them just before you leave an area, in case you had forgotten, because once you leave an area you can’t go back.
The fight sequences work well and for the most part the enemies are fairly intuitive – and at times they are down right deadly.
I have tried to steer clear as much as possible any real spoilers in the game as the story is very well written, and the voice acting really brings the characters to life, and there are moments in the game where you just have to sit back and try to take it all in. You will understand when you play it, trust me!
From playing BioShock Infinite one thing was certain and that was this it is a worthy successor. You don’t need to have played any of the previous BioShock games to appreciate BioShock Infinite, however there are parts of the game that won’t mean as much to you if you haven’t.
And whatever you do, don’t let anyone spoil the ending for you as the story really does capture and captivate you from start to finish.
Even after completing the game, I found myself wanting to play more. Should I attempt to play 1999 mode, or just wait for the forthcoming DLC. Whatever I choose to do I will be visiting Columbia again. What about you, care to join me?
BioShock Infinite is available now for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC and looks to be one of the best games of the year so far. If you don’t already have it, buy it today, you won’t be disappointed.
Xbox Music app for Windows 8 and Windows RT gets updated
Microsoft have updated it’s Xbox Music app for Windows 8 and Windows RT.
Xbox Music brings you all the music you love in one easy-to-use app. Play and manage music from your personal collection and browse and buy songs from the Xbox Music Store. Instantly stream millions of songs free on your Windows 8 device. Or get an Xbox Music Pass for unlimited access to music across all your devices. Note: Limits on free streaming apply.
This update fixes several bugs.
Xbox Video app for Windows 8 and Windows RT gets updated
Microsoft have updated it’s Xbox Video app for Windows 8 and Windows RT.
Xbox Video brings you the latest HD movies and TV shows on your Windows 8 device. Rent or buy new blockbuster movies and classic favourites, or stay up with last night’s episodes of your favourite TV shows. And with Xbox Video you get instant-on HD to start watching right away. Xbox makes it easy to watch what you love wherever you are. Plus, browse your video collection and play your videos.
This update includes:
Various performance enhancements and feature updates, including the addition of Closed Captioning for most movies and TV shows.
Xbox Games app for Windows 8 and Windows RT gets updated
The Xbox Games app for Windows 8 and Windows RT has been updated.
With Xbox Games, discover the hottest new games, classics you love, and exclusives for Windows. See games from every genre—there’s something for everyone. Plus, see what your friends are up to, compare achievements, and personalise your avatar.
This update includes:
Various performance enhancements and feature updates, including the introduction of game alerts to let you know when it’s your turn and when your friends have invited you to play.