Dead Space A Journey Through Terror Part 2 of 4 The Art of Scares

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Before you take down the terror in Dead Space 3 on February the 8th, take a look back on Isaac Clarke’s journey so far.

In four parts, the Dead Space Journey Through Terror series charts the evolution of the Dead Space series to date – its story, its gameplay and its scares, and also provides a glimpse at what the next chapter has in store for Isaac Clarke in Dead Space 3. The second episode of the mini series focuses on the art of scares. Watch it here.

Lighting in Dead Space is a crucial tool in creating atmosphere; lights can direct player focus to specific objects or locations, give some small comfort in the dark, offer tactical assistance, or even provide tension through their utter unreliability.

The lighting in Dead Space has been specifically designed to evoke a dingy and dilapidated feeling, to match the dated and broken-down technology that the characters use.
Each of the locations featured in the Dead Space series has its own unique look and feel, but all feature gothic style architecture designed to make human body parts spring to mind. Necromorphs are also designed with human anatomy in mind, as they’re made to vaguely resemble the people they once were. The Necromorphs haunt Isaac everywhere he goes, but he isn’t going down without a fight.

Join us tomorrow for Dead Space | Journey Through Terror Part 3 of 4 | Haunting Gameplay

Pre order Dead Space 3 now:
http://www.deadspace.com/uk/content/new-special-offers

Project Gotham Racing 5 for New Xbox Launch?

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Project Gotham Racing 5 will launch alongside the new Xbox, reports have suggested.

The racing game will be developed by Liverpool studio Lucid  Games, which is made up of ex-Criterion and Bizarre Creations staff, reports STFUandPlay.

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An image on the Lucid Games website (above), meanwhile, depicts London with a  “Road Opens 2013” sign in the foreground.

The picture suggests that the  new Xbox will launch later this year, backing up previous  reports.

Project Gotham Racing 3 was an Xbox 360 launch title  and was followed by a sequel, which introduced motorbikes.

Development  studio Bizarre Creations was subsequently purchased by Activision, before closing  down in 2011.

The new  Xbox has reportedly entered beta, with a shipment of brand new prototype  kits having made their way to developers.

Alleged Xbox 720 patent filings  suggest Microsoft’s next console will feature an improved Kinect device and two CPUs, one for gaming and another for multimedia applications.

Borderlands 2 Add-on Content Pack Coming to Disc on Feb 26

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If you are a fan of Borderlands 2, then you might be interested to hear that 2K Games have announced their first add-on content pack on disc, yes disc, coming on February 26th.

This isn’t new content if you have a season pass or have been buying the DLC packs online, this is however an option for those who haven’t bought them yet or can’t download them for whatever reason.

This disc will contain Captain Scarlett and her Pirate’s Booty and Mr Torgue’s Campaign of Carnage.

There will also be some other content, including the my favourite character Guage, the Mechromancer.

2K Games say it will retails for $29.99 – no word on a UK release though so stay tuned.

Are you going to buy it? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

Check out our review of Borderlands 2 here

Plex gets lots of updates for Plex Media Server, Plex for Win8 and Plex/Web

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The Plex guys have updated Plex Media Server, Plex for Win8 and Plex/Web – check out all the changes.

This is what the Plex guys posted on their blog:

Ah, the inexorable march of progress. We have three more releases to talk about today, with lots of goodies. And if you’re getting bored of hearing about the media server, Win8 app, and Plex/Web, you’re in for a treat, because the next blog post is going to be about something new, and very exciting. Promise.

That’s not to say that these updates themselves aren’t exciting. We’ve been doing  a lot of work on the next-generation transcoder in the media server lately. Currently in use for PlexSync and the Win8 app, it’ll soon be available for iOS and Android and Plex/Web as well, as it offers many advantages over the old transcoder. For starters, the new version supports burning PGS and VOBSUB subtitle formats, which has been requested for – literally – years. Secondly, it should offer much better performance, stability, compatibility with codecs, should fix issues with A/V sync, and many other things. Last, but not least, it leverages a powerful server-side profile mechanism which will soon be used universally for DLNA, PlexSync, and “live” transcoding. We’re building the most advanced media server on the planet here, and the new transcoder is at the heart of it!

Here’s a full list of changes in the latest Plex Media Server, available from here:

  • NEW: Greatly improved (Sync and Win8) transcoder subtitle burning: support SSA and SMI, fix crashes, fix subtitle sync when resuming video.
  • FIX: Scanning TV shows near the root directory of a volume didn’t work reliably.
  • FIX: Send Accept-Ranges: bytes HTTP header when answering requests for media. Fixes Win8 seeking in media.
  • FIX: DTS audio inside MP4 container could be incorrectly identified as mp4a during media analysis.
  • FIX: Transcoding certain media files could be pathologically slow. Thanks to Rodger for helping us diagnose the issue!
  • FIX: Transcoding video audio from MP3 to AAC would fail in some rare cases.
  • FIX: A/V sync issues transcoding Smooth Streaming to Windows 8 Store app.
  • FIX: Actor thumbnails weren’t being offered correctly to sync clients.
  • FIX: Removed unnecessary logging when running transcoder.
  • FIX: Add more logging when Win8 app loopback exemption can’t be added.
  • FIX: When a media asset is uploaded, it becomes the default.
  • FIX: Sync item status could be prematurely reported as complete.
  • FIX: Added iPad mini sync profile.
  • NEW: (API) Allow converting SMI to SRT (format=srt).
  • FIX: (Windows) Large log files when number of library paths exceeded 64.
  • FIX: (Sync) A few issues with sync status not being reported correctly.
  • FIX: (Transcoder) An A/V sync issue affecting Win8 app.

Leveraging the new transcoder, and all these other fixes, is the latest update of Plex for Windows 8. It’s taken us a few releases, but at this point media playback support on the app is really super good, and it’s able to play lots of content with remuxing, which (given our support for throttling on the server side), means awesome quality video with minimal CPU usage. Lots of other new stuff, including more keyboard navigation and a cool media information popup, and many bug-fixes.

Plex/Web also got a massive update. A giant, thundering, epic update, featuring a redesigned home screen, greatly simplified navigation, and lots of other goodies. Look at this beautiful new dashboard!

Have you tried it yet? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

Ni No Kuni : Wrath of the White Witch will be back in stock in the UK this week

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Namco Bandai Partners are pleased to confirm that limited stock of Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch will be made available to purchase from leading retailers, across the UK, later this week.

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Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is developed by LEVEL-5, the studio behind the smash hits Dragon Quest VIII, Dragon Quest IX, and the Professor Layton series. LEVEL-5 collaborated with the legendary Studio Ghibli to create the cut-scenes in Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch. Studio Ghibli is world renowned for creating memorable anime masterpieces including My Neighbor Totoro, Castle in the Sky and Spirited Away.  The in-game music was composed by Joe Hisaishi the famed composer of musical scores for over 100 films including many of Studio Ghibli’s greatest productions and was performed by the Japanese Philharmonic Orchestra.

To celebrate the launch of Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch players connecting to the PlayStation Network will receive, for free, two exclusive familiars developed especially for the Western release: Draggle and Golden Hurly.

Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is available now; exclusively for the PlayStation 3system with both English and Japanese voiceovers included as well as French, Italian, German and Spanish texts at retailers and on the PlayStation Store.

The original soundtrack of the game composed by Joe Hisaishi can be purchased worldwide exclusively at Wayô Records shop.wayorecords.net. It includes all 33 tracks from the game on 2 discs plus a bonus collector’s item: 20-page booklet featuring artworks, lyrics and background information.

Our review of Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch should be live shortly.

Check out our Let’s Play Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch

Dead Space A Journey Through Terror Part 1 of 4 Isaac Clarke’s Journey

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Before you take down the terror in Dead Space 3 on February the 8th, take a look back on Isaac Clarke’s journey so far here.

In four parts, the Dead Space Journey Through Terror series charts the evolution of the Dead Space series to date – its story, its gameplay and its scares, and also provides a glimpse at what the next chapter has in store for Isaac Clarke in Dead Space 3. This first episode of the mini series recounts Isaac’s journey so far.

A systems engineer on a team responding to a distress call onboard the USG Ishimura, his life changes forever when they discover the Necromorphs – hideous and deadly creatures reconstructed from the dead crew members. Isaac tries to rescue the Ishimura’s survivors, including his girlfriend Nicole with whom he communicates several times, only to discover that she took her own life prior to his arrival on the ship. A religious artefact known as the Marker had manipulated his mind. Isaac eventually escapes the Necromorph outbreak intact, but is left broken and heavy with guilt over Nicole’s death.

Three years later Isaac awakens from stasis on a huge station orbiting Titan, Saturn’s largest moon. Unfortunately for him, he awakens in the midst of yet another Necromorph outbreak. Gradually, he discovers that whilst he was unconscious his knowledge of the Markers was accessed by EarthGov and used to create blueprints for more Markers to be built, including one on Titan Station itself.

Though still suffering dementia from his feelings of guilt over Nicole’s death, Isaac again manages to stop the Necromorph outbreak despite being pursued by EarthGov and the fanatical Church Of Unitology. Helped by a fellow Titan survivor Ellie, he again escapes into space.

But their part in this tale is far from over…

Join us tomorrow for Dead Space | Journey Through Terror Part 2 of 4 | The Art of Dead Space

Pre order Dead Space 3 now:
http://www.deadspace.com/uk/content/new-special-offers

Star Wars Pinball coming soon for iOS, Android and everything else

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Zen Studios today announced Star Wars Pinball, a brand new collection of tables developed with authentic Star Wars moments.

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The downloadable game, developed in partnership with LucasArts, will be available February 2013 on a variety of digital platforms. The initial three-table pack will be themed around fan favourites including Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, Boba Fett and Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

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Each table features a different iconic moment from the Star Wars universe, with interactive 3D characters, and unique gameplay. With the first table release, players will take control of beloved characters such as Luke Skywalker, Boba Fett, Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano.

Players will also be able to post their scores to global leaderboards, experience in-game friend challenges, local hotseat, online multiplayer, and a host of other features. “It’s been over 30 years since Star Wars, videogames, and solid state pinball all burst onto the entertainment scene, and their popularity endures today. We’re excited to be combining all three for the very first time,” said Neil Sorens, Zen Studios’ Creative Director. “Our designers are huge Star Wars fans, and you can expect every detail in every table to reflect their passion for the Star Wars universe.”

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Star Wars Pinball will be available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.

Star Wars Pinball will also be available as downloadable content for Pinball FX2 on Xbox LIVE Arcade and Windows 8, Zen Pinball 2 on PlayStation Network for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita as Cross-Buy entitled content, Zen Pinball 2 on the Mac App Store and Zen Pinball on the Apple App Store and Google Play.

For more information, visit www.starwarspinball.com or www.zenstudios.com.

Forza Horizon February Jalopnik Car Pack available on Xbox LIVE now

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Microsoft, Playground Games, and Turn 10 Studios have revealed the February Jalopnik Car Pack for Forza Horizon.

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Introducing the cars in this pack:

1970 Nissan Datsun 510

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Practicality and appeal have rarely met more successfully than in the Datsun 510 series. Its inspired design is revered among import enthusiasts worldwide. The 510 proved its race chops with off-road and on-track success in the early 1970s, including the 1970 East African Safari Rally and competitive finishes in the U.S. Trans Am series in 1971 and 1972—where it won the under 2,000 cc class. Early on owners built up their 510’s in the image of the race-winning cars which, in part, inspired today’s “Stance” culture.. The 510’s influence is still felt today and, due to its popularity and easy upgradeability, it is rare to find a stock model these days. Build one in Forza Horizon then take to the roads or rally circuit to experience the joy of this JDM icon.

2012 Toyota FJ Cruiser

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So many SUV’s have gone the way of becoming luxurious coaches. Sure, they can go offroad, but that doesn’t mean they look comfortable doing it. Not the FJ Cruiser! It was cast in the mold of its ancestor– the legendary FJ40 Land Cruiser–with off-road capability at the forefront of its design. The FJ will take you places few other SUVs would dare to tread and it does so in style and comfort. Whether in town or on the highway, it is no lumbering beast. The FJ is well-mannered and its unique retro functional form will always attract attention. Taken off-road its best-in-class ground clearance and mighty approach and departure angles let the FJ articulate its way over most obstacles with ease. It is at home on the trail but is equally welcome to travel about town in rugged grandeur.

2013 Subaru BRZ

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As the phenomenally successful collaboration between Subaru and Toyota, the BRZ has been met with widespread critical acclaim and manic consumer demand. This is a classy, adept, and (with much thanks) rear-wheel drive sports car that puts the emphasis on sports. The BRZ is powered by a new Subaru-designed naturally aspirated flat-four that makes 200 horsepower and screams right up to its 7,400 rpm redline. Keeping the overall weight down and distributing that weight as close to the ground as possible were design priorities. The result is a low-slung and well-balanced disposition. Is the BRZ driftable? Absolutely! Can it also corner predictably and inspire confidence? Indubitably. In fact, complementing its potential as a spirited daily driver, the BRZ is ready for the track. According to Subaru, enough trunk space for a set of race wheels and a toolbox was built into the design from the start.

1991 Ferrari 512 TR

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Whether you call it the replacement for the Testarossa or simply the next evolution, the 512 TR iterates on one of the Prancing Pony’s most celebrated models. Literally, the 512 TR stands for five-liter, twelve-cylinder Testa Rossa. For 1991 its sculpted curves were enhanced, and the nose and rear valance treatments were updated. The most significant improvement, although not visually apparent, was the lowering of the engine and transmission. Handling, already exceptional, was improved to an even higher standard. For 1991, a 4.9 liter, 180-degree, 12 cylinder with four valves per cylinder delivered increased horsepower for a total output of 421 horsepower for U.S. models. Visually stunning with performance to match, the 512 TR should be a welcome addition to any collection.

1973 Mazda RX-3

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The evolution of the Japanese sports car is evident throughout the Mazda RX-3’s history. It is similar in body style to the Nissan Skyline and Toyota Celica of its era, but that is where the similarities end. Mazda’s “Wankel” or rotary motor is a far cry from typical cylinder-driven motors. The internal rotors convert pressure into rotating motion and deliver smooth high-rpm power. For 1973 in the U.S. the RX-3 came with the larger 12A motor that made a healthy 90 horsepower. In a car weighing less than 2,000 pounds, the power-to-weight ratio made the car agile and fairly quick. It could be said the RX-3 is the nemesis of the Skyline, since it won the touring car category of the Japanese Grand Prix in 1972 and prevented the GT-R from winning 50 races in a row. The RX-3 was successful on and off the track placing fifth overall in the 1975 Bathurst 1000 and winning its class two years in a row. The RX-3 remained in production until the design was reconceived as the RX-7.

1966 Ford Country Squire

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Emulating the original look and feel of the real woody sedans and wagons of the 1950’s, the 1966 Country Squire was adorned in fiberglass paneling with a vinyl decal printed to simulate wood. This family truckster was standard fare for middle America in its day and was commonly purchased with a rear-facing third seat. It is obviously designed for families and hauling kids around, but its 315 stock horsepower is no slouch in the giddy up department. Weighing in at more than 4,000 lbs., you can really swing your weight around the roads of Horizon’s Colorado. Even though drifting may never have been in the minds of their original owners, there is something special about getting sideways in a Country Squire.

2010 Devon GTX—February Season Pass Bonus Car

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The Devon GTX targets those who are willing to pay a premium to drive something unique and exclusive. With a price tag of more than a half-million dollars, exclusivity is guaranteed. As for uniqueness, the GTX certainly has that market cornered. Underneath the gullwing doors and smoothly contoured carbon-fiber body is the core of the Dodge Viper. Devon has massaged 50 more horsepower out of the 8.4 liter V-10 and upgraded the suspension and braking. Performance testing at Laguna Seca resulted in lap times just a shade lower than those set by a Viper ACR. Whether gaining a few tenths of a second per lap (and the ability to make even the most posh heads turn) are worth four times the cost of a standard Viper is a decision most of us will never have to make.

Check out our Exclusive Forza Horizons interviews

The February Jalopnik Car Pack is available for 400 MS Points or, for those who own the Forza Horizon Season Pass, the pack will be available for free. “Forza Horizon” Season Pass owners will also receive the February Season Pass Bonus Car, the 2010 Devon GTX for free.

The 1966 Ford Country Squire is free sample car this month for all Xbox LIVE Gold members.

PS Vita 1st birthday sale this week on the PlayStation Network

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To celebrate the first birthday of the PS Vita, Sony have discounted a number of titles by up to 50% on the PlayStation Network.

Here are all the sale items (thanks to Digital Spy for the complete list):

A-men – Was €9.99/£7.99, now €7.49/£5.99
Army Corps of Hell – Was €39.99/£34.99, now €19.99/£15.99
Asphalt Injection – Was €24.99/£19.99, now €12.99/£9.99
BlazBlue Continuum Shift Extend – Was €24.99/£19.99, now €19.99/£14.99
Dungeon Hunter: Alliance – Was €34.99/£29.99, now €17.99/£13.99
Escape Plan – Was €12.99/£9.99, now €6.49/£5.19
Everybody’s Golf – Was €14.99/£11.99, now €9.99/£6.99
F1 2011 – Was €39.99/£31.99, now €19.99/£15.99
Hustle Kings – Was €7.99/£6.49, now €3.99/£3.19
Little Deviants – Was €14.99/£11.99, now €9.99/£6.99
Lumines: Electronic Symphony – Was €34.99/£29.99, now €17.99/£13.99
Michael Jackson The Experience HD – Was €24.99/£19.99, now €12.99/£9.99
MLB 12 The Show – Was €29.99/£23.99, now €14.99/£11.99
ModNation Racers: Road Trip – Was €14.99/£11.99, now €9.99/£6.99
MotorStorm RC – Was €5.99/£4.79, now €2.99/£2.39
PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale – Was €34.99/£29.99, now €19.99/£14.99
Reality Fighters – Was €14.99/£11.99, now €9.99/£6.99
Rayman Origins – Was €34.99/£29.99, now €17.99/£13.99
Ridge Racer – Ultimate Edition – Was €24.99/£19.99, now €12.99/£9.99
Shinobido 2: Revenge of Zen – Was €39.99/£34.99, now €19.99/£15.99
Street Fighter X Tekken Vita – Was €44.99/£39.99, now €29.99/£24.99
Super Stardust Delta + Advanced Star Fighter Pack Bundle – Was €9.99/£7.99, now €4.99/£3.99
Tales from Space: Mutant Blobs Attack – Was €6.99/£5.49, now €3.49/£2.79
Top Darts – Was €7.99/£6.49, now €3.99/£3.19
Touch My Katamari – Was €29.99/£24.99, now €19.99/£15.99
Unit 13 – Was €34.99/£29.99, now €19.99/£14.99

The sale starts tomorrow and lasts all week.

And if you are a PlayStation Plus subscriber you will also receive a further 10% discount.

StableBit Scanner 2.0 for Windows Home Server 2011 updated to version 2.3.1.2860 BETA

StableBit Scanner 2.0 for Windows Home Server 2011, SBS 2011 Essentials and Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials has been updated to version 2.3.1.2860 BETA.

An advanced hard disk surface scanner, monitor and more.

Monitors all your hard drives and ensures that every bit holding your precious data is readable.

2.3.1.2860 BETA

  • In the file scan, when non-recoverable entities are detected (such as unknown file systems), do not allow the user to start recovery on those entities.
  • Open Scanner in local notifications was not working on x64 and only in the Release build (non-WSS only).
  • Increased SMART query timeout in the Release build. It was timing out if you had many disks and SMART would not show up in a timely manner.
Download the latest version from here