The Mess Hall News » beta

Google Plans to release a Serial Killer.

theENIGMATRON — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 17:32:29 +0000

Sorry a Siri Killer

Apple is currently leading the smartphone market with Android. But Apple is in a more beneficial condition as its latest generation smartphone, the iPhone 4S has its own voice control assistant called Siri. Of course, it can’t be a revolutionary feature, as Google has been working on such a system for a long time, but at the moment Siri ensures high sales for the iPhone 4S. The truth is Android users envy iOS users and it can’t be ignored. Well, at the moment I have good news for all non-iPhone 4S users — Google’s version of Siri is in works and most likely will be calledMajel.

Siri is a result of long years of work. It was not designed especially for the iPhone 4S, but the latter was in the right place at the right time. On the other hand, other giant tech companies have been working on a similar software simultaneously with Apple. For example, earlier Nokia announced it would use voice texting technology in its Windows Phone smartphones, and though at the moment the Nokia Lumia 710 and the Lumia 800 don’t offer anything like Siri, there is Nokia Drive — the first voice navigation software in the globe.

Moreover, we have already talked about Iris, the twin of Siri, which is designed by third party developers and is meant for especially Android devices. But Google can’t leave things as they are and probably as you know it has been collecting voice samples for a long time now through its Voice Search app. During these years Google learned how people used to make their voice-based commands and looks like the company has discovered the key of creating “natural language” recognition.

Google X Team is currently working on Majel. Its beta version is expected to be launched before the beginning of 2012. If you wonder what Majel means, according to Android and me, it comes from Majel Barrett-Roddenberry, better known as the voice of the Federation Computer from Star Trek.

StarHawk Beta Video

Dazbobaby — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 19:36:19 +0000

Unless you are one of the lucky chosen and cherished few (lucky bastards more like), you won't have seen too many StarHawk gameplay videos.

Well I'm here to make your day… This video is the first game I played of the beta, and it's nearly 20 minutes long.

Enjoy… more will follow!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0JBWQemlyI

StarHawk PSN Beta

CVG on Skyrim problems

theENIGMATRON — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 13:54:27 +0000

Skyrim players continue to be frustrated by significant game lag on the PS3 version of Bethesda’s RPG this week – and in many CVG staffers’ games the problem has been upgraded from ‘bad’, to ‘shocking’.

The problem – which doesn’t seem to affect the Xbox 360 version at all – is said to occur once players rack up a large amount of hours in Skyrim, and save files grow in size.

Earlier this week we showed you how bad the lag could get at around the 35 hour mark, and below you can see the problem’s gotten significantly worse now CVG’s Tim Clark has reached 60 hours (he loves the Skyrim).

Watch in HD No comments yet, be the first!

For the record, the video was made using an original PS3, Tim’s character is lvl 34 and the game had been played for 60 hours in total and two hours up to the point the problem above appeared.

Bethesda confirmed over the weekend that a new Skyrim patch will arrive in a few weeks for all versions of the RPG, and “improved performance for long-term play on PS3″ is on the change list.

Is anyone else still suffering with this? Or have you given up until the patch arrives?

Battlefield 3 Single Player Review

theENIGMATRON — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 04:49:25 +0000

Battlefield 3 is going to be a big game. That goes without question. I could give this game a 0/10 and it would still sell millions upon millions of copies. Luckily, BF3 is a great game with some of the best graphics you will ever see with some intense action scattered throughout the entire experience. The story aspect of the game is very reminiscent of another recent first person shooter (Black Ops) in that it starts out in a flash forward interrogation. US Marine Sergeant Blackburn recalls missions against the PLR. So, in true fashion, you go and play through everything he recalls (even moments he wasn’t there for) leading up to his capture. One downside to this type of storytelling is that where other games would give you brilliant cinematics showing tons of destruction and really cool action effects, you just get told of things that happened by Blackburn. It definitely hurt the overall story of the game but luckily, that isn’t why you play a Battlefield game. You play it for the instense action and the feeling of truly being a soldier. We’ll get to the action in a minute but first off, the game is stunning. While the game does prompt you to download up to 2 GB of HD-content, it is a must. That Texture Pack turns the game from a great looking game to an amazing looking game. Basically, Battlefield’s HD-pack works similar to what RAGE had done with big installs but big pay-off. Now, you will notice some hallways that are just not up to snuff compared to the rest of the game. Lucky for us, these moments are infrequent but still a little annoying. Otherwise, the guns look beautiful and the character models themselves are some of the best I have ever seen. The models are especially shown when you are doing a close up quick time event to kill the enemy. Overall, the single player campaign is a great experience. Anyone familiar with the franchise, or anyone who played the beta, will feel at home with the way the game handles. It feels and controls just how you want from a first person shooter and the intense action packed sequences that you experience throughout the game keep you playing all the way through. The majority of the missions are played out as part of a military squad going through various battlefields and cities that will all have signs of damage once you have left. I even found the squad based parts to e very humanizing. Injuries become very apparent at the beginning of the game and carry on throughout. You really do get attached to all of the characters you take control of. The different characters all have different outcomes to their stories. I won’t give away much but if you played the very first Modern Warfare, you know how one of people will die. As for the other guys, you’ll just have to play the game to see what happens to them. What really differentiates Battlefield from Call of Duty are the inclusion of vehicles… and less zombies. If it weren’t for those vehicles, the game wouldn’t achieve as high level of awesome as it does. You will get to take control of tanks to complete destroy your enemies which makes you feel extremely powerful. Others have you in control of jets and while not as great as the air combat from the most recent Ace Combat, are better than I was expecting from a game that doesn’t really focus on it. There are also lots of breathtaking moments that you’ll experience throughout. When you encounter the T-90 tank and all seems lost when the building collapses, is just video gaming at its best. Mix that with earthquakes happening all around and helicopters crashing into buildings and you will be visually stimulated all the way through. At the end of the single player campaign, you are left satisfied. While it is nothing ground breaking, you will enjoy it and want to replay it on a harder difficulty after you tackle the enormous multiplayer offerings. Sadly, you won’t get to replay it for a while because the multiplayer will have you playing for hundreds of hours. As with all first person shooters, the bread and butter is the multiplayer. While a lot of people were disappointed by the beta, the final product is a huge improvement. I could easily find myself playing this game for months to come and it may even let me skip over Modern Warfare 3. Being in the gunner seat for a tank or a jet in multiplayer is just pure fun. While other FPS’s don’t let you get into vehicles, Battlefield 3 wants you to jump into a vehicle and go and raise hell. DICE just really knows how to make an online multiplayer game fun. As opposed to the single player where nearly everything is scripted so you don’t get that true so of scope, it completely changes in multiplayer. While you are running between a friendly tank and an enemy tank, you have no idea if that enemy tank is going to fire on you or destroy your tank in a huge blast. Couple that with seeing jets dog-fighting in the skies above you as you are just trying to kill someone with a machine gun and you really get the sense that you are part of a larger battle. For the smaller portions of the MP, when you are in the middle of a huge battle and have to run and heal a teammate, your heart will race. Similarly, capturing certain objective points is just as fun as ever. Since the game isn’t officially released yet, the servers do reset after a few matches. While annoying, it does keep people on an even playing field when the offical release happens on Tuesday. Essentially, Battlefield 3 is an amazing game. It has a great single player experience mixed with a perfect online multiplayer experience. People have been wondering if Battlefield 3 was rushed to beat the release date for Modern Warfare 3 but this is a complete game and could end up setting a new standard for graphics on the consoles. The Good: Amazing graphics, great single player, even better multiplayer. The Bad: Rare low-res textures, nothing groundbreaking (but it’s still extremely fun and polished) Score: 9.5/10

Journey Public PS3 Beta

theENIGMATRON — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 10:50:29 +0000

I’ve played through the Beta several times now, and every time I found something new.
But there’s nothing new about the gameplay, it’s becoming “thatgamecompany”‘s trademark, it’s as surreal an gorgeous as Flower was, and as myterious as the Xbox game Limbo.

You find yourself in the middle of a desert with no aim, idea, or clue as to how you got there and why you’re there, you just are OK!
So far, and I mean that because the beta isn’t the complete game, there isn’t a single spoken word, it’s all images and gestures. But they work in guiding you around without much trouble.
And it’s this simplicity that “thatgamecompany” thrives on, and makes the experience pleasurable.

Sadly I dont think this kind of game will suit everyone, but for those who do like it, and those who do “try” it will no no doubt be left feeling relaxed or even a little enchanted.
There’s no gun to pick up, no aliens to destroy, nothing explodes (except for billions of photons, and they do so harmlessly), so no, not everyone will enjoy it. But those who play it will no doubt get something from it.

And thats the point isn’t it? Gaming without violence or frenetic motion for a change? Stress free, relaxing gaming!

But you also dont get to play alone, no there’s no squad! it’s not that kind of game, you just get one other person (whom you’ll NEVER know because their details are hidden from view), you’ll never get to speak to them, but you still have to work together to solve puzzles, and without them, neither of you will progress.
I’ve got to say it’s a novel idea, no direct communication, you just have to hope they have more than 2 braincells or you’re gonna get stuck.

The soundtrack is as good at chillout as anything the Ministry of Sound can produce too, even on par with the excellent Flower soundtrack, and thats no mean feat… I loved it (both I mean).

So come release day you’ll probably find me chilling out, playing this and definately scratching my head more than once. (I don’t have hair so I dont have nits thank you very much).
I just hope you can enjoy it as much as I. Now it’s time to kick ass and chew bubblegum. Roll on Battlefield 3 Beta!

Uncharted 3 Beta Week 3: Bonus Week!

theENIGMATRON — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 21:50:39 +0000

Today, Sunday, July 10, marks the beginning of the final week of the Uncharted 3 Multiplayer Beta! You’ve only got just over 4 days left to get your fill of this preview of Uncharted 3 multiplayer and to achieve the requirements to get your rewards for the full version when Uncharted 3 is released in November.

The Beta recently hit 1 MILLION unique players and our player count was growing steadily over the weekend. I’d love it if we could hit 1.5 million players – that’s absolutely within reach, so be sure to let any of your friends who haven’t checked out the Uncharted 3 Multiplayer Beta to grab their free download from the PlayStation Store and jump in for a match or two, or twenty.

As we head into the final week of the Beta, we made a decision to make sure that everyone was able to try out all of the gametypes and maps! As of today, when you head into matchmaking, you’ll notice that ALL of the gametypes are available to choose from. Be sure to try them all, find your favorites and let us know what you think (and, again, any issues you may be experiencing) on the Uncharted 3 Multiplayer Beta feedback forum, here on NaughtyDog.com.

July 10
to
July 14

Gametypes:

Team Deathmatch, Team Objective, Free For All, Plunder, Three Team Deathmatch, Hardcore, Co-op Adventure, Co-op Arena, Co-op Hunter

Maps:

Airstrip, Chateau, Yemen

If you get the Uncharted 3 Multiplayer itch after the Beta is up, don’t forget that you’ll have one more chance — in October, our partnership with Subway will let you download and play the FULL Uncharted 3 Multiplayer experience BEFORE the game hits retail shelves. Keep on eye out for more details in the next few months to find out how you can get access from a partcipating Subway location.

See you in matchmaking!

Uncharted 3 Open Beta: Starts Today

theENIGMATRON — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 16:39:49 +0000

The time is finally upon us and I’m pleased to be able to share with you the multiplayer beta plans for Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception.

The beta will be available to download from PlayStation Store later today and will run until the 13th July. To download, just go onto the PS Store and click on the Uncharted banner which will take you through to the download page.

As this is a beta, the content and game modes will change over the course of the testing period; overall there will be nine game modes for you to get to grips with, some familiar, some new to Uncharted 3. They are:

Team Deathmatch (5 vs. 5)
Free For All (8 players)
Plunder (capture the treasure 5 vs. 5)
3-Team Deathmatch (three teams of two members competing)
Team Objective (tactical, task-orientated 5 vs. 5 matches)
High Stakes (bet on your skill by putting your XP and cash on the table)

Additionally, three co-op modes will be making an appearance:

Co-op Arena (Survive 10 rounds against the enemy AI with friends)
Co-op Adventure (a unique adventure to play through with friends)
Co-op Hunter (You and a friend join forces with the AI to hunt two heroes)

For those of you lucky enough to get early access to the beta, which varied by territory, let us know your experience so far in the comments section.

I look forward to seeing you guys online this week!

Journey EU Beta soon…

theENIGMATRON — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 09:53:09 +0000

Journey into Mystery…

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Countries: AE, AU, GB, IE, NZ

One of the highlights of E3 for me this year was seeing Journey receive such an enthusiastic response from everyone (and it did look particularly stunning on a 50 inch screen in the SCEE press room). Here’s a few words from thatgamecompany, the talented team behind flOw and Flower, about their exciting new project…

Hello, there! Coming out of E3 a few weeks ago, we at thatgamecompany couldn’t be more excited about the reception our latest game, Journey, received from both the press and general showgoers. Journey is our third game for PS3 and PSN, and we’re trying something new, something that we hope changes the way people think about online gaming.

As you may have heard, in Journey, players take on the role of travelers headed to a mysterious mountain in the distance. But unlike our previous two games, flow and Flower, Journey presents our vision of what an online adventure can be. As you explore Journey, you may cross paths with other travelers. You can to join and play with up to one other player at a time.

But what makes Journey different is that there are no online lobbies, no matchmaking, no PSN IDs, and no chat. You are the character, limited to the ways of communication of the character itself. Will you choose to travel together – or go your own way? What secrets lie in the mysterious, sand-covered ruins of this world?

As mentioned over on the US PlayStation Blog, a small-scale closed beta trial will be taking place in the coming weeks, to test Journey’s innovative and unusual multiplayer functionality. Whilst it’d be amazing to open this out to everyone out there who’s excited about Journey, unfortunately numbers need to be kept very limited for technical reasons. But as it progresses, this trial will be extended into SCEE – the existing Beta Trial community and selected PlayStation Plus members will receive invitations in early July. Look out for more information about selection criteria and timings soon.