Open GL 4.2

The new version integrates shaders with atomic counters as well as load, store and atomic read-modify-write operations to a single level of a texture. Additionally, there is support for GPU-tessellated geometry, the modification of an arbitrary subset of a compressed texture without having to re-download the whole texture to the GPU for significant performance improvements, and the ability to pack multiple 8 and 16 bit values into a single 32-bit value for efficient shader processing.

“OpenGL 4.2 has integrated feedback from developers that are shipping significant OpenGL-based applications and games, making for a faster, more capable API which will continue to evolve to meet market needs,” said Barthold Lichtenbelt, working group chair of the OpenGL ARB and director of Tegra graphics at Nvidia.

Both AMD and Nvidia said that their products will support OpenGL 4.2 in the immediate future.

[Source]

LIMBO, on PC (Steam)

Support innovation and experience exceptional game design and execution with LIMBO, finally on the PC with Steam. (anyone want to guess MS made them wait?)

http://store.steampowered.com/app/48000/

Steam weirdness

I have a Vista 32 box and ran some system updates (scheduled) and then steam.  Well yesterday when I booted it up, Steam had uninstalled itself. WTF?  I ended up rolling back to a Restored Point and all is well.  Have no idea, but heads up as I did find some others who posted about Steam uninstalling itself when updating.  What kind of BUG is that? Gezzzzz.

Battlefield 3 only has four classes, down from seven in Battlefield 2. However, roles have been combined, rather than outright eliminated. The Assault class picks up the eliminated Medic’s healing abilities, although DICE insists it’s still the same old “frontline run and gun class” and players needn’t equip life-giving gear if they want more death-dealing tools instead. “It makes sense that the class on the frontline will be able to revive fallen team mates,” DICE explains.

Engineers are largely the same as ever, able to repair vehicles, and armed with carbines and RPGs.

The Recon class is still a snipe-o-man, though he’s picking up some new toys and tricks DICE isn’t willing to reveal just yet. “Recon traditionally has been seen as just a sniper,” senior mulitplayer designer Alan Kertz said. “We wanted to change that perception, so we’ve built several completely new teamplay oriented gadgets specifically for the Recon class so he can be a team player, even if he’s sitting on the top of Wookie Mountain.”

The light machine gun-wielding Support class, ditched in Battlefield: Bad Company 2, returns with some new mechanics. LMGs can deploy bipods when you’re prone or crouched behind suitable waist-high cover, stabilizing the gun to boost accuracy and lessen recoil.

LMGs will also be handy for laying down suppressive fire, a new mechanic usable by all classes, but perhaps most powerful with machine guns. “When you lay down fire in close vicinity to an enemy, the incoming barrage will show up as a graphical blur effect on his screen to stress him and let him know it’s not safe to pop out from behind cover,” DICE explains. “Just as importantly, this mechanic also affects his character’s in-game firing accuracy, making him less of a threat by using real world tactics. Better yet? You get team play experience points for doing so!”

“Supported shooting with Bipods and Suppressive Fire finally allows us to achieve an obvious difference between Assault and Support, since the heavy LMGs are not terribly mobile,” Kertz said. “When deployed with a Bipod, they become an incredibly powerful force. Suppressive Fire forces the enemy to keep their head down and lets the Support gunner pin his enemies in place so teammates can flank.”

[Source]

Some of these are rendered out ax 4000 x 2250! Wow. Says a holy-hell-of-a-lot about the capabilities of the engine. Now we need to know what the rig config was that made that happen running the Frostbite 2.0 game engine.

Enter BF3 has a lot of details about the game, although these are unconfirmed but interesting to read over.

Some examples below:

Man up, and take it to 1080p FS and put the headphones on.

• PSN Network update (Sony blog)
• Skype deal: The deal includes planned Skype support for a variety of Microsoft devices, including Kinect, and Windows Phones. Microsoft also says it will connect Skype users with established services like Outlook and Xbox Live.The announcement also included word that Skype will still support non-Microsoft platforms. (read more of Steve Watts’s article here: http://www.shacknews.com/article/68395/microsoft-buys-skype-adding-kinect)
• Cyrsis 2 mappack coming, but due to the hack/cheat-holes on the PC (ex. Infinite cloak + infinite armor +infinite ammo + shooting without decloaking) it might not be worth your time or $. (Full article)
• Really impressive videos showing the living environment of Witcher 2.  It will be great when more games go this rout (albeit, sans the mid-evil bit). Check it: http://www.shacknews.com/article/68388/witcher-2-trailers-show-environments

It’s rare to find a game trailer that is not obviously BENT to the 15-25 year old guy, who uses the phrase ‘dude’ 1000 times to many (actually it should never be used). Games HAVE the potential, as an entertainment platform to “take you somewhere”, suspension of disbelief, and like a good book, or movie, you need to have characters you care about.

But in the amalgam of mind-suck “reality-TV” where the most ignorant short sighted behavior is praised and admired, its a rare occurrence.

This game, shows in a trailer more character than most tv shows and movies. How sad is that? Well, impressive on that of the developers (not just coders, story tellers, animators and dear ____, the music score is perfection). Composer is: Giles Lamb, please check out his site support the artist and buy the song on iTunes for only ¢.99.

The recent TV zombie show, “The Walking Dead” on AMC also proved to have more to it than I know I thought it would have. Maybe the character of the zombie allows for us (non zombies) to see the good in us, the little things that matter… etc.

My suggestion: Once it starts, change the quality to 720P and go full screen, and you MUST hear the music so if you can’t play audio (at work) wait and watch it when you get home.

Be sure to watch the 1080p full screen. Created by “Robbaz“.

Nice work G4TV.

Hit Play, then 1080P that F’r, go FS and drink it in.