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Endgame
Windoctor
I may not like Norton 2002 all that much, but I am a die-hard Norton 2001 guy, and wanted to share a little tip with you all in the spirit of new year goodness. There is a program in Norton System Works called WinDoctor, and one of the functions of this program is to scan, repair and clean up the Windows registry. In my experience, this little utility far out-does the Microsoft provided REGCLEAN application and can help keep your system humming along in a much more stable and speedy fashion. For example, after I uninstalled Norton 2002 and went back to 2001, I got an error that a certain DLL could no longer be found. I ran WinDoctor and it not only found the problem, but corrected it in full throughout the registry. Same goes when you change or update drivers, uninstall programs or update system files. One of the best things is that this utility can run right from the bootable CD so that you can work to eliminate blue-screens and error messages even when your system won't boot properly. You don't even have to go into Safe Mode. Not a bad deal at all. I do miss the old days of Norton and Central Point duking out for the top spot, but I do try to find good things when I can. WinDoctor is REGCLEAN on steroids, and it seems to get the job done very well indeed.
As a follow-up to the scanner information I put forth in my last Ramblings, I wanted to throw in this little diddy. I had done a fresh format and install of Windows 98 SE on my 'server' system after testing some Linux and XP stuff, and set it for a COMPACT install to save some time. I installed all the drivers but for some reason, even though the software said it installed successfully, that new Epson 1650 scanner was just not working at all. I could not get any TWAIN registration to be recognized. I tried installing the TWAIN driver by itself, still nothing. It seems that I'm the proverbial bonehead, because after hours of goofing around, I finally went through the mental checklist in my head, formatted the drive and reinstalled Windows 98 SE, looking carefully at each option. It turns out that the COMPACT install does not automatically install Windows 98 SE's Imaging support, meaning no third party TWAIN driver will work on its own. Some scanner drivers may handle this automatically, but others, including the Epson 1650, may not. So, friendly warning to all - make sure to check the basics before blaming the new hardware or software. Even old folks who have been doing this for over 15 years go brain-numb sometimes.
No-CD Hacks
I don't want to rehash the whole cheating thing here, but want to express a personal opinion regarding No CD Hacks. I love these things! I absolutely love them! I sit here with a fast computer and get so used to everything being lickety-split, then get bummed when I have to hunt around for a game CD and wait for it to recognize. It is so darn annoying, especially when you have say 30 or 40 games loaded and you just want to jump in for a few minutes and blast some people in Descent 3 or Serious Sam. I don't consider No CD Hacks to be piracy, especially since I bought and paid for the games. I wonder how many people do?
Copy Protected Music
Bad, bad news for the music fans among us. It turns out that Universal, the ever-growing music company, is going to copy-protect ALL of their music releases by the middle of 2002. Every single CD you buy from Universal or its subsidiaries will be protected with the goal of preventing users from ripping their legally purchased albums to MP3's, making custom music mixes or even making backup copies! I'm all for being legal, but this is ridiculous! I hate this kind of heavy handed tactic! Music companies have been putting the screws to artists for years by taking way too much off the top, and now they are trying to put the screws to dedicated fans as well? There has got to be something we can do about it, but what? I for one have not bought a new music CD in a few months, and I think I'm going to keep that pattern up for a while. Maybe if a large number of music listeners boycott these copy protected music CD's, we can have an impact on their decision. Sometimes consumers just sit back and let these big companies treat them like garbage, but I'm hoping that the situation will be different with music. Music is something that tends to touch people in a deeper fashion than movies and TV. It has been a key part of almost every culture since the dawn of man, in one form or another, and I just can't see people taking this one on the chin without fighting back. Here's hoping!
Until next time, have a great new year and keep your eyes peeled for good bargains!
Elemental: Fallen Enchantress Preview Elemental: Fallen Enchantress is a standalone expansion pack and follow-up to developer Stardock's previous game in the series, subtitled War of Magic. That 4X strategy game was highly-anticipated and slated to compete with games such as Sid Meier's Civilization V for your turn-based strategy play-time, but was released in an incredibly broken and unfinished state that it never fully recovered from. Lead designer Brad Wardell apologized profusely to fans and set out with his team to go back to the drawing board and try again.
Almost two years later, the result of that proverbial mulligan is currently undergoing closed beta testing. In today's article, Will reports his thoughts on how Fallen Enchantress is shaping up, and will tell you whether or not you should be keeping an eye on it as it nears release later this year.
The Elder Scrolls Online Details Leak - Should Fans Be Excited? The Elder Scrolls Online, long rumored to be in development, was officially announced yesterday. Still in development at Zenimax Online Studios, this MMO aims to combine traditional genre mechanics with the spirit and sensibilities, not to mention setting and lore, of the immensely popular series of single-player RPGs. Though the game is set for a full unveiling in the next issue of Game Informer magazine, what appears to be the entire cover story article has been leaked to the interwebs already. In today's article, you'll find summary and analysis of all the alleged details, as well as feast your eyes on the very first screenshots and concept art from the game. Of course, the burning question now is, should you be excited?
ANNO 2070 Review
The year is 2070. The majority of life on Earth was devastated when global sea levels surged after the melting of the polar ice caps. Swaths of previously habitable land are now deep underwater, and sovereign nations are a relic of the past. But there is still hope...
This city-building RTS/simulation game from Ubisoft tasks you with re-colonizing what little land areas are left on the planet following a global warming apocalypse. Does it have what it takes to be worthy of your time and money, or should it be cast out to sea with the rest of civilization? Find out in today's review!
Hear that? It's the sound of the largest computer chip manufacturer in the world churning out new processors to power your gaming rig. This week, Intel is launching their next generation of Core CPUs, code-named Ivy Bridge. Like last year's Sandy Bridge chips, they're low-power, quad-core powerhouses that also feature integrated graphics processors. Want to find out more? Maybe check out a whole bunch of performance benchmarks on both the CPU and graphics sides of things? Well you can, in today's review!
Intel Z77 Chipset & DZ77GA-70K Motherboard Overview
Looking forward to those new Ivy Bridge CPUs? In anticipation of their release later this month, Intel has already unveiled the new Series 7 chipsets designed especially to take advantage of what will be the 3rd-generation of Core processors. In today's article, we take a look at the architecture of the enthusiast variant, the Z77, and how it's used in the Intel Desktop Extreme DZ77GA-70K motherboard. Even if you're not particularly interested in the motherboard itself, you'll probably want to see some of the new features that come along with it, so read on!
Mass Effect 3 PC Review
This latest release from EA/BioWare is the final entry in their trilogy of sci-fi action RPGs, putting you in a dire situation: rally the troops to save Earth at all costs. There was a lot of hype surrounding the final act of what has been a vast and highly-customizable story-telling experience, and the reception among many hardcore fans has been less than stellar. Even people that haven't played the game have probably heard about all the nerd rage going on over Mass Effect 3's ending...
If you want to cut through all the crap and find out whether or not the rest of ME3 is worth playing, come check out Will's spoiler-free take on the first blockbuster game release of 2012.
Batman: Arkham City PC Review Batman: Arkham City is the sequel to 2009’s smash-hit action game Batman: Arkham Asylum. As the name suggests, you will be reprising your role as the Caped Crusader and going against an even larger 'prison' filled with Gotham's criminals and villains. A textbook example on how to do a proper sequel, Arkham City takes what worked in the original, excised or improved upon what didn’t, and elevated everything to an even greater scope. The PC version suffered from a few months of delay, but in that time, Rocksteady worked closely to NVIDIA to implement some familiar technologies from the last game, such as PhysX and 3D Vision, along with new DirectX 11 optimizations. But how well was the whole package executed? Read on to find out!
Saints Row: The Third PC Review Saints Row is one of most unique series of games to build upon the open-world action template forged by Grand Theft Auto, and has met with plenty of critical and commercial success since it began on consoles back in 2006. This latest iteration, titled Saints Row: The Third promises the most outlandish fun and freedom of customization of them all, and in a much more PC-friendly package than its predecessor. Does it live up to those expectations and, more importantly, is it worth the price of admission? Find out in Will's latest review!
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim PC Review The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is Bethesda Softworks’ latest offering in their series of epic fantasy RPGs, as well as one of the most highly-anticipated PC titles of 2011. As the Dovahkiin, or Dragonborn, prepare to take the fight to the mythical beasts that have returned to the realm after centuries of slumber, all the while exploring a huge and highly-detailed open world.
The PC version of the game promises enhanced graphical fidelity, standard RPG trimmings such as hotkeys and quick-save, as well as unbridled mod support, something we’ll all be thankful for once they release that SDK. Skyrim has already sold millions of copies and set records for play-time on Steam... Find out why in today's review, which happens to be one of the biggest and most in-depth articles on the subject out there!
L.A. Noire Complete Edition PC Review L.A. Noire, as the name clearly states, is a video game built on the tropes of one of the greatest periods of American cinema: film noir. Developed by the now defunct Australian developer Team Bondi and published by Rockstar Games, this title has been out on consoles for a full six months before finally making its way to the PC. This “Complete Edition” of the game features improved graphics, keyboard/mouse controls, and every bit of previously-released DLC for free. But was it truly worth the wait? Read on and find out!
How do you feel about copy protected music CD's? Does the Microsoft Passport program make you nervous at all? Have you been disappointed by recent game demos? What are your thoughts on Aperture Grille vs. Shadow Mask? The Japanese Xbox Controller? Let us know your thoughts in our Comments Section.
Microsoft Madness
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