Archive for December, 2007
Grand Theft Auto – San Adreas
Grand Theft Auto-San Adreas is a 3D video game which was launched in 2004 by Rockstar North, initially to be played in PlayStation2 versions, but now is available in Xbox variants as well and has sold about 14 million copies worldwide. It is an action packed adventure series revolving around the lead character CJ or Carl Johnson who is an African American and member of a gang and it is the user who controls the actions of CJ in course of the game. The game revolves around his journey in unfolding the mysterious death of his mother. This is the main crux of the plot and several other minor incidents like gang wars, action chases add on to the total effect of the game. The city of San Adreas which is no less than a character in this game is a fictional city located somewhere between California and Nevada and apart from this central location, the storyline also takes the players to three other cities like the imaginary San Fierro based on real life San Francisco, Las Venturas and its adjoining desert region modeled on the city of Las Vegas and its adjoining Nevada desert regions and finally the illusionary city of Los Santos based on the city of Los Angeles.
It should be noted here that many characters belonging to the other Grand Theft Auto series of games also feature in this version, like some members of CJ’s gang, Claude and Catalina. This game has also introduced several innovations, unseen in the previous versions. These include the use of around two hundred vehicles, fire arms and greater fire power. With time, the game has turned more realistic and it now allows multi player facility by means of which two players can co operate and play together.
However, Grand Auto Theft-San Adreas has often been in the news for the wrong reasons and ha been removed from the market in some cases because of its alleged adult content.
Mac OS X Server
The Mac OS X functions with the aid of the Mac OS X Server and it is an operating system which works on the basis of the Unix technology and is presently available in both server and desktop versions. The various components which constitute this Mac OS X Server facilitates easy functioning by efficiently handling such purposes like file or print sharing, organizing the networks of Windows personal computers as well as Macs and also assists in case of internet services like site hosting and emailing. Previously such functions as user management and file and printer sharing were managed by Apple’s own software service called Appleshare which handled these server applications.
One of the significant reasons behind the success of Mac OS X Servers is that it uses a specific form of advanced technological tool, the open-source technology. This open-source technology in the Mac OS X Server influences by aiding not only administrative services for Apple but also encourages the swift functioning of various supplementary services like standard-based services which are often very powerful. One such prominent component includes the Open Directory which allows admission to open source technical tools from a single interface.
The first edition of this server was released as Mac OS X Server 1.0 and it was constituted by the Rhapsody 5.3 and the graphic user interface or GUI performed like OPENSTEP and the server package also contained some other applications like NetBoot and WebObjects. The latest edition of Apple’s new operating system, Mac OS X v 10.5, also termed as ‘Leopard’ functions with the aid of the Mac OS X Server and its applications include Wiki Server, Podcast Producer, Spotlight Server, iCal Server. Also several other services like Apache Tomcat, Xgrid, iChat Server, Open Directory can be updated by this server. The Mac OS X Server is also comprised by a set of technical tools which enable it to function in non-Mac equipments as well.
The good site for anyone who wants to be a China Lawyer, it’s the good source for the lawyer because it is the China law blog which is created by the experts of law, Dan Harris and Steve Dickinson.
The two lawyers have been creating the good China lawyer blog which can guarantee its quality from award winning and it’s also one of the leading China blogs.
It you are one of the people who needs to know about China law or need to be a China lawyer in the future, this site is good for you to check out and broaden your knowledge on China law.
Mac OS X
Apple’s premier product is named Mac, is a landmark brand name from the Apple stable. The Mac OS X refers to the operating system which has been devised and marketed by Apple and this was the descendant of the primitive Mac OS which was introduced in 1984. The Mac OS X is based on a different technological norm formulated by a firm called NeXT which was confiscated by Apple Inc in late 1997 and it is an operating system based on Unix. The first version of the Mac OS X was released in 1999 and was named Mac OS X Server which was more of a desktop-centered version. The latest version to hit the market is the Mac OS X v10.5 which is also referred to as ‘Leopard’ with the previous versions being named as Puma, Jaguar, Cheetah etc.
Mac OS X has been a landmark innovation compared to the previous systems introduced by Apple. The core of this operating system is known as Darwin and situated above the XNU kernel is the Unix-like operating system having the basic Unix facilities and components existing from the command line interface. For the perfect functioning of Mac OS X which is a graphic user interface or GUI-based operating system, Apple also included certain other constituents like the Finder and the Aqua interface apart from Darwin. Unlike the previous versions, Mac OS X aimed at being more efficient and trustworthy and therefore it worked towards ensuring memory protection and also pre-emptive multitasking. In terms of the software techniques included in its service, Mac OS X has its own individual software enhancement tool which is called Xcode which aids its working by supporting numerous programming languages like Java, C, C++, Objective C. It was in 2005 that it was announced that Apple would be assimilating the use of Intel processors.
Despite its best efforts, Mac OS X has often been critiqued for its unavailability in far more languages apart from the twenty included.
Namco Museum
Video games have for long been a great source of killing time, at times an obsession and in cases merely a past time. Individuals from age eight to eighty have been hooked to these video games and the scenario hasn’t quite changed with the progress of time. In fact with the coming of computers and newly improved technologies, the graphics and techniques have made the games even more alluring.
Namco Museum is the video game which was introduced by Namco compiling the various games in PlayStation since the 1990s and is now supported by the Wii video gaming console for its usage. While it cannot be denied that Namco Museum received mixed responses upon its initial inception, but somehow there was certain amount of noticeable success which facilitated the release of multiple versions of this game.
The first of this series was Namco Museum Volume 1 which contained the various games from the 1980s like Galaga, New Rally-X, Rally-X, Pac-Man, Pole Position etc. The second volume followed in the same year and this series contained Dragon Buster, Grobda, Mappy, Xevious, Super Pac-Man etc. This was followed by Namco Museum Volume 3 which featured Dig Dug, Pole Position 2, Galaxion and Ms.Pac-Man which became popular in the United States of America in the year 1997. Volume 4 of this game contained Assault, Ordyne, Pac-Land etc. This was succeeded by Volume 5 containing Dragon Spirit, Metro Cross, Pac-Mania etc. Other versions of this game include the Namco Museum Advance, Namco Museum Encore, Namco Museum 64/DC, Namco Museum DC, Namco Museum Battle Collection, Namco Museum Remix etc. The Namco Museum Battle Collection contains some of its best known games like Pac-Man and Galaga and was introduced in the PlayStation Portable. All the games referred to in the above mentioned list included both single and multiplayer options and the multitudes of sequels of this series only justify its popularity.
The Sims refers to a premier video game series which was initially released to be played in PlayStation but is also available now in Xbox variants. It is more of a strategy based game designed by Will Wright consisting of 2D and 3D graphics and it gives an account of the diurnal activities of a group of virtual people called ‘Sims’ in course of living their lives in SimCity. Awarded as the best computer game in the year 2000 by GameSpot, The Sims has been emulated and reproduced in the form of compilations and sequels like The Sims 2 and upon its inception, it is estimated to have sold a whopping amount of around 16 million copies, thus entering into the pages of history as the best selling game ever.
In order to enlighten eth prospective players about this game, it is necessary to refer to the phrase which its creator Will Wright had rightfully commented once that it is a ‘digital dollhouse’. This is quite true as unlike the various computer games which are goal oriented and has definite missions, this game is on a different plane, dealing entirely with the life and times of the inhabitants of the fictional city called SimCity. The characters are already designed and the player usually has the control over the members of a family, consisting at the most eight individuals and his aim is to help the Sim attain his personal objectives. The game is definitely a way of testing the intelligence, presence of mind and strategic abilities of the player in case of similar real life situations. A notable innovation in the game is the language of the Sims which is known as Simlish language. The game does not provide translations into English and in many instances it has been noticed that the players themselves have indulged in re-interpreting the language and thus create dictionaries of their own to refer when needed.
Madden NFL07
Various video games have been launched modeled on the popular sports and the Madden NFL07 is the latest version of the very famous Madden NFL series replicating American soccer matches. The Madden NFL 07 is supported by the Xbox 360gaming console and it has been the first of the Madden series to make its appearance on the Wii and PlayStation3 consoles. The latest version has got certain new additional features. These include the use of jukes and spins, two for each by the players to deal with their rivals, use of highlight sticks, FreeMotion controls and Hikes, Runningback, Quarter Back, Kicker or Punter and Wide Receiver which are available on the Wii versions and can be used in accordance with the Wii Remote. The Lead Block Control is also a latest inclusion which aids the players to sweep past their unpleasant rivals at the time of positioning only. A huge variety of musicians have lent their voice and musical prowess to add to the effects of the game.
Since its inception and arrival in the world market, Madden NFL 07 has earned immense popularity and awards. In august 2006, it was adjudged BB& B’s Sports Game of the year. In the G4 television series X-Play it was again awarded as the Best Sporting Game of 2006. The Spike TV Guy’s Choice Awards, it won accolades for being the Game with the most Game. Moreover, Madden NFL 07’s Wii version was announced as the Best New Control Scheme and the Best Traditional Sports Game of 2006. This award was further facilitated by the exquisite new technical tools like the Wii remote which allowed various upgraded techniques like FreeMotion controls, hikes etc to be introduced as part of the game. So the Wii gaming console too here has a substantial role to play.
Resistance: Fall of Man
Resistance: Fall of Man is at times also referred to simply as Resistance or Fall of Man or RFOM in abbreviation. This game was released in the United States in 2006 and was a first person shooter video game manufactured by Insomniac Games for PlayStation3. From the time of its release, this video game has garnered lots of praise from the critics and has won a series of awards. These include GameSpot’s winner of the Best PlayStation3 game in 2006, being designated as Gameinformer’s one of the top 50 games of 2006, Best First Person Shooter on PlayStation3, Best Original Score, Best Graphics Technology and several more.
The crux of the game is held together by Sgt. Nathan Hale who has the undaunting task of combating the alien invaders who have furtively invaded Britain. The game is set in Siberia and it is interesting to note here how some of the major historical and political incidents of the twentieth century like the Great Depression, World War 1 and 2 and significantly the Red curtain phenomenon in Russia which was penetrated by the Chimera forces, have found their voices indirectly through this game. In the game, chimeras are extraterrestrial or celestial creatures’ whom the human forces guided by Nathan Hale have to contest. Apart from the aerial Chimeras called Angels, another enemy is the Clovens. This is a science fiction game and some of the arms and armaments used have an uncanny similarity with those that were in vogue in the 1950s. There are also certain fictitious weapons and each has separate functions of its own. RFOM allows multiplayer support with a maximum of 40 players.
This game despite its popularity was embroiled in controversy regarding the portrayal of the Manchester Cathedral in the game which shows it as a backdrop of gun fights and bloodshed and this fact was condemned by the church authorities forcing Sony to apologize on behalf of the manufacturers.
The acronym F.E.A.R. is the abbreviated form of the popular 2005 shooter game which is known as First Encounter Assault Recon. It is supported by the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 gaming consoles and it is played from the first person point of view. It is to be noted that prior to its release F.E.A.R. was immensely hyped and once introduced it was greatly appreciated by critics and players alike. In fact it has been Game of the Year by GameSpy. One of the reasons that may have contributed to the popularity of the game is the kind of graphics used like lightmapping, volumetric lighting, normal mapping, shaders and parallax mapping which are components of the Jupiter EX which is the major engine technology used in the game.
The central conflict of the game is between a special intelligence force lead by its front man who is known as Point Man and whose only aim is counterattack the various supernatural forces at work by means of his ability of being able to withstand those attacks. In terms of gameplay, a significant opportunity arrives when the game’s virtual world is slowed down in terms of speed and the player is allowed to commute in normal speed. This is known as ‘reflex time’. There are several weapons which are used in this game like guns and pistols and other firearms and at the same time, there are also certain illusory weapons which are used for example, the particle beam weapons.
First Encounter Assault Recon also allows multiplayer playing and these multiplayer versions were renamed and released in 2006 as F.E.A.R. Combat. Both the PlayStation3 and Xbox versions allow online multiplayer playing facility. The entire thematic is aided by the spooky and ghostly settings of the game.
However there is no denying the fact that while both the Xbox and PlayStation 3 versions have garnered encouraging reception, they have not been able to overcome F.E.A.R.‘s popularity as a PC game.
One of the most popular video game of all times would be Halo 3 which is a part of the Halo series and the sequel to Halo 2 and it was designed particularly for the Xbox 360 gaming console. In fact in the very first day when it was launched, Halo 3 managed to garner a whopping amount of around US$ 170 million within a period of twenty four hours. For this certain amount of credit should also be reserved for the marketing professionals who conceptualized certain techniques like excerpts from the original game in order to saturate enormous hype prior to its release. Halo 3 has been rated highly by all the premier publications like Metacritic, GameSpy, IGN etc.
This story of this first person shooter game revolves around the interplanetary conflict between the alien species known as the Covenants and the mortals headed by the United Nations Space command. The setting is the 26th century and the purpose of the game is to protect the Earth from the aliens. The player assumes the role of the Master Chief who is ably assisted by Mariners and also a group known as Covenant Elites who in their turn are lead by the Arbiter.
There are several innovations with reference to the weapons used in Halo 3 when compared against its predecessors. These include ‘support weapons’ like flamethrowers and machine gun turrets. There were also certain other arms used which have definite functions like the Radar Jammer which is used to obstruct the enemy’s power of vision, Trip Mines and Power Drainers for causing harm or even killing. The various vehicles which constitute the game are also technically superior and some are A-I controlled while majority can be operated by the player himself. There is also a concept called the ‘meta-game’ in which the players earn points by overcoming their opposition with the swift use of strategy and physical strength and the more novel the means, the more points he scores.
