ISSUE 61 / Vol.6 July 2014
www.gameccamag.com
Murdered: Soul Suspect EA Sports UFC Tropico 5 Sniper Elite III GRiD Autosport and more...
Audio Upgraded
Smooth Operator
Razer’s Mamba Gets wireless
Surround sound from Recon 3D
Shooter!
Super-graphic Sniper Elite III
Tropico 5 Absolute Power
Dead Cool
Square Foot makes an impression
ICONic
Coming up: Joburg’s oldest Geek fest
e3
2014
LA Revisited
Happy Birthday
Gamecca!
Five years and going strong...
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Ed’s Choice
Given to products that stand out for various reasons. This award is not dependent on score.
T
here’s an odd feeling to achieving a milestone. “Five years” has always been there, hovering in the future-distance, like a target to aim for. From the word go, the significance of “five years” has been great. Why, exactly? Well, it’s hard to say, really… business analysts will tell you all kinds of theories and practical examples of why “five years” is important to a company. But in more emotional, personal terms, “five years” is an achievement. It’s a significant milestone, simply because it is. 60 months. 1 826 and a quarter days. 43 830 hours. That is how long Gamecca has been around for, and we’re stronger than ever. I would, before I forge ahead into the rest of my Ed’s Note, like to send out a resounding thank you to our readers in South Africa and around the globe, the South African video game (and associated) industry and the Gamecca Crew – particularly my business partner Katia Taliadoros. Without any of you, this project would never have lifted off and soared to the heights we have already achieved, and new heights we keep achieving. I am humbled and gratified. In addition to this being our fifth birthday issue, it is also the first issue that marks the merge of Gamecca with her sister magazine, Gladget. Because of this merge, we are able to concentrate our efforts, and refine the processes and content that go into this magazine. I personally think that the this
From the Editor
TheBigFive by Walt Pretorius
issue is one of our best, if not our crowning achievement to date. You will find everything you expect in it, including our yearly E3 round-up and a number of game reviews. But there is also new stuff to read in this issue, and a whole new way that we present the information. There are three key sections to the new Gamecca – Gaming, Technology and Lifestyle. Each has it’s own flavour and deals with things that gamers, tech junkies and geeks of all kinds want to know about. I know you’re going to enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed putting it together. And these sections will, over the next few months and years, grow and develop even further, turning Gamecca into what we believe will be the definitive gaming magazine – addressing all kinds of things that our readers love. And, of course, there’s the stunning new look that permeates the magazine. The result of blood, sweat, tears and many late nights, this visual redesign not only looks good, but presents information in ways that are clearer and friendlier to our readers. Also, check out the refreshed Gamecca website (www.gameccamag.com). This new virtual home will enable visitors to chat with us, find news and announcement, and access all of our back issues with ease – to mention just a few things. Be sure to check it out – and remember to enter our six awesome competitions, either from the mag or via the website. Before I let you get on with the mag, a personal wish from me… Happy fifth birthday, Gamecca, and many, more. g gamecca61
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THIS MONTH’S COVER
Gamecca is five years old this month!
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Regular: Did you know Some fun facts from the world of gaming
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Feature: E3 2014 Roundup Our 75 favourite games from the LA Expo
Publisher / Editor: Walt Pretorius walt@1337-media.com
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Reviews: Games 9 games under the microscope
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Regular: Legacy Mario - the most iconic game character ever
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Column: Ramjet’s Rantality Why so serious? It’s just a game
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Feature: A NEW Rift Is virtual reality the future of gaming?
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reviews: Hardware Ten bits of tech that will make your life awesome
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Regular: Internet A whole new epidemic
Publisher / Art Director Katia Taliadoros Katia@1337-media.com
Writers: Alex Scanlon Charlie Fripp Lein Baart Nthato Morakabi Rob Edwards Suvesh Arumugam Walt Pretorius Letters: letters@gameccamag.com
Competition Entries: competitions@gameccamag.com
Newsletter Subscriptions: www.gameccamag.com
Marketing Contact:
Copyright © 1337 Media CC 2009 - 2014
marketing@1337-media.com
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Regular: Security Protect yourself from Facebook
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Column: Technically Speaking Here we go again...
Taking fun seriously! All rights reserved. No content may be reproduced, copied or transmitted without the express permission of the publishers. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the editors and publishers. All Trademarks and Registered Trademarks are the sole property of the respective owners.
GAMECCA is published by 1337 MEDIA
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Feature: The Geek Gathering ICON 2014 is happening this month!
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Column: The Time Betwixt It’s not that bad... stay on your phone...
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fEATURE: DEAD COOL Square foot figurines
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Gadgets Six life-improving devices
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COOL STUFF Comics and figurines, oh my!
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Razer Hammerhead Pro Headset
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SteelSeries Siberia V2 CS:GO Headset
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Sniper Elite III
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Seasonic X-Series 1250W PSU
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Razer Kraken World of Tanks Headset
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The Gamecca Birthday Box
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Gamecca Vol. 6 Issue 61 July 2014
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It always seems impossible until it’s done. - Nelson Mandela
FeatureS 12
Gamecca E3 2014 Roundup
Reviews 54 58 62 64 68 70 74 76 80
Murdered: Soul Suspect EA Sports UFC Worms Battlegrounds Tropico 5 PS Vita Pets Sniper Elite III The Sly Trilogy GRiD Autosport Pixeljunk Shooter Ultimate
RegularS 10 82
Did you know Legacy
COLUMN 86
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Ramjet’s Rantality
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INTRODUCING THE WORLD’S FIRST MECHANICAL SWITCH DESIGNED FROM THE GROUND UP FOR GAMING. Featuring blazing fast actuation speeds and increased life span, the all-new Razer™ Mechanical Switches usher in a new era of gaming precision. Now available in the new Razer Blackwidow family.
DISTRIBUTED BY:
AVAILABLE AT:
www.razerzone.com/razer-mechanical-switches Copyright © 2011 - 2014 Razer Inc. All rights reserved. Actual product may differ from pictures. Information correct at time of printing.
1…
that Google made a cardboard V.R system? Virtual Reality is all the rage these days, ever since companies woke up to the idea that it is really amazing, and you can make some bucks (Read: Facebook buying Oculus Rift for $2-billion). Now search engine and technology giant Google has developed a pair of V.R glasses made entirely out of cardboard. It uses Velcro straps and an elastic band to secure it around your head and serves as proofof-concept for inexpensive V.R system. You can build your own by going here. (https://developers. google.com/cardboard/)
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that there is a reboot of Afro Samurai on the way? Redacted Studios and publisher Versus Evil will be working on a sequel to the first game that was based on the hugely-successful anime Afro Samurai series. “This upcoming third person action adventure includes an original storyline, new playable characters and improved special moves and combos which firmly establishes the franchise as the undisputed leader in dynamic dismemberment,” Redacted Studios said.
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that GTA V can be played in First-Person? Grand Theft Auto is the franchise that everybody loves to hate – and secretly loves to play all day long. The game evolved from a top-down driver into a thirdperson action, but an X360 modder developed his own version – into a FPS title. Modder XBLToothPik developed a script that throws the player into a firstperson view, complete with cockpit and dash views when travelling.
GAMING
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DID YOU KNOW?
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Cardboard, Crytek and new consoles...
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that The Settlers will get a follow-on? Developer Ubisoft last month rather quietly announced that the hugely-popular The Settlers franchise will get a new instalment in the form of The Settlers: Kingdoms of Anteria. While not a lot has been revealed about the game, it seems as if it’s a MOBA crossed with the familiar city-building aspect. The developer said that it will offer “brand new experience full of new possibilities to explore.”
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that Crytek is not filing for bankruptcy? We know that the gaming industry can be cruel and labour intensive at the best of times, but while rumours were swirling around that acclaimed developer Crytek is filing for bankruptcy, the company has vehemently denied this. “The information in those reports and in the GameStar article itself are rumours which Crytek deny,” the company refuted. They are currently working on Homefront: The Revolution, Hunt: Horrors of the Gilded Age, Arena of Fate, and Warface.
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that Razer is developing a mini gaming console? Razer is mostly know for the gaming peripherals such as headphones, mice and keyboard, and one wouldn’t expect them to actually get into the gaming industry. Well, the company has done just that by announcing that they will develop a mini gaming console. During Google’s annual I/O conference they said that the game-focused “micro-console” will work with Google’s Android TV platform. It will be able to stream movies, music, and other entertainment apps, and will have a strong focus on hard-core gaming... g
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Gamecca
E3 2014 Round-Up
This year’s E3 Round-Up features 75 games that made an impact on us for one reason or another. And, like last year, we sum them up for you in almostalphabetical order over the next few pages. As always, this list isn’t the beGAMING
all and end-all of E3 – they’re just the games that caught our eye from this year’s LA festival of all things gaming. Go on, you know you wanna get to it! 12
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GAMECCA E3 2014 ROUND-UP
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ast year saw a whole lot of tussling going on at E3, largely between Microsoft and Sony. Both companies had a lot to show and even more to prove, with their next-generation consoles ready to hit the shelves within months. Now we are post launch – well, almost here in South Africa… we have news that the Xbox One will arrive with us on the 23rd of September, which is when we will be properly post launch, with both new consoles available locally. That was one of the announcements at E3 2014.06.30 Most of the other announcements were, as expected, for games. While the consoles dominated proceedings last year, this year a crop of fantastic software took centre-stage. There was one console surprise at E3… and that was that while everyone thought Nintendo might make a big announcement about a replacement for the WiiU, the Japanese giant stood behind their console, despite its flagging fortunes. In fact, a large number of games for the WiiU were announced, with Nintendo obviously hoping to breathe life into the struggling machine.
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On the game side, there were a lot of big names on show. Some were already shown last year (and a few even make it back onto our list). But with Ubisoft announcing titles like Far Cry 4 and Assassin’s Creed: Unity, the new names (even if they are the continuations of existing franchises) certainly got some pulses racing. Other big names on show included The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt, Dragon Age: Inquisition, The Crew, The Division, the long awaited Rainbow Six: Siege, Forza Horizon 2, The Sims 4 and, of course, new entrants into the Call of Duty and Battlefield lines. If you take all the information that flooded forth from LA and distil it, you can see that the video game industry – both in terms of game and hardware development – seems as healthy as ever. Another fact that surfaces is that the remainder of this year and the early parts of 2015 are going to be truly exciting times for those who choose to spend their times with a game controller in their hands. We have a massive twelve months ahead of us, in terms of great titles, innovation and excitement.
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Bayonetta 2 WiiU Oct 2014
It’s been nearly five years since Bayonetta first flashed onto our screens in all her pseudo-porno glory, and now Platinum Games is looking to bring the same frenetic brawler action to the Wii U, replete with a new ability called Umbran Climax, allowing the titular character to wreak even more havoc on her enemies.
Blood Bowl 2 PC TBA
Based on the classic, niche board game of the same name, this latest take on Blood Bowl introduced players to real fantasy football; orcs, elves, dwarves and more take each other on in a brutal game of bloodthirsty football that has few rules and even fewer survivors. Let’s see what Cyanide Studios do with this one…
Bloodborne PS4 2015
GAMING
The ancient city of Yharnam has fallen to a dark and mysterious virus, turning its hosts into mindless creatures. Players must uncover the city’s dark secrets in order to survive the endemic, wielding a unique set of guns and a saw cleaver as weapons in this action RPG title.
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GAMECCA E3 2014 ROUND-UP
Alien: Isolation
PC / PS4 / XO / PS3 / X360 Oct 2014 Yes, there have been a number of Alien games (based on the famous movie franchise) and most have been… well, they didn’t quite live up to the reputation of the source material. But Alien Isolation harks back to a purer form of the movies, drawing inspiration from the original more than anything else. That means it’s less action and more horror. In fact, the game will have the player alone against just one Alien. And if you’ve seen the original film, this could be potentially bone-chilling stuff… if they get it right.
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Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel PC / PS3 / X360 / Oct 2014
The Borderlands franchise is one of the most successful in recent memory, and that is rather cool for a franchise that knows it is over the top with slightly bad graphics. The third game in the epic series will see players take on the role of Handsome Jack and explore where he came from.
Citizens of Earth PC Q3 2014
A whacky retro-inspired RPG, Citizens of Earth will see players take the role of Vice President of the World, leading a select team from a pool of 40 unique characters in an attempt to unearth the mystery behind a series of odd occurrences that seem to threaten earth itself.
Civilization: Beyond Earth PC Q3 2014
GAMING
Essentially the unofficial Alpha Centari sequel, Civilization: Beyond Earth will see gamers colonising a new world, fleeing the nearly uninhabitable Earth in favour of an unexplored alien planet. With a host of new tech and possibilities, players must build an empire that will ultimately determine the fate of human evolution.
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Assassin’s Creed: Unity PC / PS4 / XO Oct 2014
Assassin’s Creed is shifting its time spanning gaze to the land of France, and in this process looks to be taking Ubisoft’s monolith of a franchise to an even greater level of gameplay. Playing as Arno Dorian during the chaotic French Revolution, Unity is set to bring a suite of improved features to the table, such as a new parkour system, improved swordplay based on fencing, and most excitingly, four player co-op missions, most of which are drawn from the from the main story. All this will be backed by new AI and crowd mechanics, and of course that dazzling next-gen shine.
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Counterspy
PS4 / PS3 / PS Vita TBA Side-scrolling games has always been popular, and if you throw in a little bit of stealth, you will get this alternate history Cold War game. The title should be heaps of fun, as it is being developed by the same people who were responsible for Uncharted, Infamous, and the Resistance series.
Crimes & Punishments PC / PS4 / XO / PS3 / X360 Sep 2014
Crimes and Punishments is the next game in Frogwares Sherlock Holmes saga, and the first in which they are leaving behind their proprietary engine and moving to the Unreal 3 Engine for looks. Also, for the first time, the player will be able to get more involved with the investigations. Sounds like fun.
D4: Dark Dreams Don’t Die XO TBA
GAMING
This episodic noir tale will place the player in the shoes of a detective who can travel through time. He has to solve his wife’s murder, as well as prevent it from happening again. It sounds like heady stuff, and those who have a Kinect for their Xbox One will be able to use voice and gestures for greater control.
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GAMECCA E3 2014 ROUND-UP
Battlefield: Hardline PC / PS4 / XO / PS3 / X360 Oct 2014 Joke all you want about map packs and broken games, but the recent slew of Battlefield games have sold more copies than what was originally imagined. The franchise takes a visceral look albeit a bit unrealistic view of what action-packed military combat is all about. For the umpteenth game in the massive franchise, Electronic Arts will be twisting things around a bit, and instead of putting gamers in the shoes of combat medics and snipers, they will be placed within a police squad. It was probably the worst-kept secret of E3, but expect a lot of smashed doors, shotguns and criminal activity.
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Dance Central: Spotlight XO Sept 2014
The Dance Central games have always been popular, as many gamers have taken to dancing in their lounges pretending to be a back-up dancer for some of the industry’s biggest names. More of the same, the title offers eight different routines per song, and that Hi-Def, Miss Aubrey and Taye will be returning.
Defence Grid 2 PC / XO / X360 TBA
The original Defence Grid is arguably the title that started the tower defence craze, and the developers took to crowdsourcing fund raiser Kickstarter to make the sequel a reality. The project was eventually fully funded in 2012, and the developers promise more action than ever before.
Devil’s Third WiiU TBA 2014
GAMING
In this third-person hack and slasher, players will have to make use of a combination of gun-running and fierce melee fighting to fight for survival in a world where everything have gone slightly pear-shaped. To make things a bit interesting, the game’s backstory is based on the Kessler syndrome theory; everything in space collide with each other in a cascading manner.
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GAMECCA E3 2014 ROUND-UP
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Dragon Age: Inquisition
PC / PS4 / XO / WiiU / PS3 / X360 / PS Vita / 3DS Oct 2014 Set once again in the world of Thedas, Inquisition has seen Bioware take player feedback into serious consideration, and the return of features such as tactical combat and multiple playable races, all the while giving players more control of the plot and the world around them, should be met with joy from fans.
Dragon Ball: Xenoverse
PC / PS3 / X360 / Wii U / 3DS / PSV Oct 2013 A brand new character comes to the series. Players can enjoy the thrill of intense battles reminiscent of the anime with new maps, full 3D destructible environments, as well as the freedom to fight in the air or underwater and to explore the earth as seen in the Dragonball universe.
Driveclub PS4 Oct 2014
GAMING
What is being touted as PlayStation’s next premier racing title in the place of Gran Turismo, the title will see players take on the best drivers on high-octane racing. It will also feature a team racing element, with Sony claiming it “will be a truly innovative, socially connected racing game.”
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GAMECCA E3 2014 ROUND-UP
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare PC / PS4 / XO / PS3 / X360 Nov 2014 Spawning the same calibre of jokes as the Battlefield franchise about the new games being nothing more than mere updated map packs and redrawn characters from previous games, the Call of Duty franchise is the top-selling series of games of all time (probably). The previous title managed to cross the $1-billion mark in sales, so that says a lot about it. So it is to no surprise that this year will see another release in the annualised franchise. Players will have stop an evil Kevin Spacey from taking over the world with his private military company Atlas – and that is all there is to it.
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EA Sports PGA Tour PC / PS4 / XO / PS3 / X360 TBA 2014
Formerly known as Tiger Woods PGA Tour, the franchise has been one of the most popular golfing games on the market. Even after dropping Woods from the game, players can expect the same high standard of gameplay as with previous games. This one will also include a host of new golfers and courses.
Fantasy Life 3DS Q3/Q4 2014
Live the RPG fantasy life you have always wanted live, selecting from a variety of lives including blacksmith, woodcutter, paladin, miner and many more. Enter the world and be part of your occupation, embarking on a journey, taking quests that pit you against men and monsters and much more.
FIFA 15
PC / PS4 / XO / WiiU / PS3 / X360 / PS Vita / 3DS Sept 2014
GAMING
There is no doubt that soccer is one of the mostwatched games on the planet, which is further cemented by a solid gaming franchise. For the next edition of the annual series, developers EA have seriously ramped up the graphics and added a new tacking mechanic that will flow the gameplay better.
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GAMECCA E3 2014 ROUND-UP
Destiny
PS4 / XO / PS3 / X360 SEP 2014 The glorious era of peace and technological advancement has seen humans explore outer space and colonize the solarsystem, thanks to an entity known as the Traveller. The Traveller’s ancient enemy, however, found its way to Earth, destroying all in its path save for a single city. Players select between the Humans, Exo and Awoken races and Titans, Hunters and Warlocks classes, each with unique abilities to be utilized to save the city, defeat the enemies while exploring the ruins of space. Multiplayer game modes and an immersive story, combine MMO elements with a FPS title creating a “shared-world shooter”.
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Final Fantasy Type-0 PS4 / XO TBA
It’s not often that we see titles being remastered from handheld to consoles, but such is the case with Final Fantasy Type-0. Part of the FF Fabula Nova Crystallis mythology, and thus linked to FF XIII and XV, Type-0 will likely see a return of the real-time battles from the original release.
Freedom Wars PS Vita TBA
Having already received strong reviews in Japan, Freedom Wars will be making its way to the West this year. A PS Vita exclusive, Freedom Wars is a 3rd ARPG that will have players fighting against one another in a dystopian future in both co-op and competitive modes.
FRU XO TBA
GAMING
FRU is a platformer with a difference. While details about the game are still a bit sketchy and hard to come by, one interesting aspect is known; it uses the player’s silhouette – captured by the Kinect, to reveal hidden layers in the game world. We see odd poses on the horizon…
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GAMECCA E3 2014 ROUND-UP
Dying Light
PC / PS4 / XO / PS3 / X360 Q3/Q4 2014 It’s time to journey through an expansive and dangerous world that has been overrun by an infected population. This action survival-horror game puts players into an open world environment, facing a variety of infected enemies that get stronger and more deadly as night falls. Players will select between four fully customizable characters, scavenging for supplies, weapons and items that will be used to craft new weapons. With amazing, visceral visuals and gameplay mechanics that will see players grapple hook onto roofs, slice enemies in half all while free running through the streets, brings a new dimension to the zombie apocalypse genre in firstperson.
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Gauntlet
PC / PS4 / XO / WiiU / PS3 / X360 / PS Vita / 3DS Sep 2014 Gauntlet, one of the first co-op games ever made, will finally be making a return in all its hack and slash dungeon crawling glory. Featuring the same basic gameplay of the original, including its four classes, Gauntlet will see 4 players traversing procedurally generated dungeons, battling massive swarms of enemies.
Guns Up
PC / PS4 / XO / WiiU / PS3 / X360 / PS Vita / 3DS Oct 2013 Sharing their name with the slogan of a sports team, this free-to-play strategy game will see gamers manage their resources while plotting their attack on the enemy’s base. That on the trusted formula of other strategy games, it is sure to be a lot of fun.
Halo 5: Guardians XO Q3/Q4 2014
GAMING
As the sequel to Halo 4 comes to fruition, we see the return of Master Chief in yet another saga of the Legend himself. The title is set to run its Arena Multiplayer at 60 frames per second (FPS) on dedicated servers, and the Spartan fighters will have new abilities.
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a Razer Hammerhead Pro Headset Courtesy of Razer TO ENTER: Send an email to competitions@gameccamag.com Tell us what score this headset got in our June 2014 issue. Insert “Hammerhead” in the mail’s subject line Subscribe to www.gameccamag.com Become a fan on Gamecca’s Facebook Page
Competition closes 31 July 2014. Gamecca subscribers only. South African residents only. Prizes may not be exchanged for cash. Competition closed to employees (& employee’s family) of 1337 Media CC and Razer. The judges’ decision is final. co mp e t i t i on • c o mp et it io n • c o mp et i ti on • com pe ti ti on • com pe ti ti on • com p etition •
com p e ti ti on • com p e ti ti on • com p e ti ti on • com p e ti ti on • com pe ti ti on • com petition • c omp et itio n • c ompetition • co mpetition
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Hatsune Miku: Project Diva F 2nd PS3 / PSV Q3
The sixth and newest main instalment in the rhythm game Project DIVA will have new ingame mechanisms such as sliding touch screen notes, and double scratch notes, as well as both old and new songs, a returning cast, a series of mini-games and a higher difficulty sure top its predecessors.
Helldivers
PS4 / PS3 / PS Vita TBA In this top down shooter developed by Arrowhead Game Studios, players will have to complete a number of tasks in order to progress. The game will take place across one of the 20 randomly generated maps, and features a 3-stage difficulty setting.
Hellraid TBA XO
GAMING
Hellraid is already available on PC, PS3 and Xbox 360, and will hit Xbox One soon. It’s a combination between RPG, hack and slash and multiplayer, in which the player takes on the armies of Hell to… oh, you get it, right? We’ll wait and see how it looks on XO.
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Far Cry 4
PC / PS4 / XO / PS3 / X360 Nov 2014 If we mention crazy rulers running a reign of terror in remote areas of the world, tons of guns and a good splash of insanity, we can only be talking about Far Cry. Far Cry four will once again visit a far flung region – this time the remote, beautiful and dangerous Kyrat district in the Himalayas. And once again the player will be fighting a desperate struggle of survival and liberation – but this time it will have all the awesome power of the latest console generation backing it up. Can. Not. Wait.
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Homefront: The Revolution PC / PS4 / XO TBA
OK, so… the first Homefront game left a lot of people wanting, but that’s not stopping the new franchise owners, Deep Silver, from forging ahead. And with Crytek at the development helm, this shooter – fighting for the freedom of occupied America – may just deliver the goods. Time will tell on this one.
Hyrule Warriors WiiU Sep 2014
The Legend of Zelda fused with Dynasty Warriors creates this action packed title that brings together the hero Link, as well as Impa and other various playable characters, on a mission to save Princess Zelda and the kingdom of Hyrule. All elements from the Zelda franchise will be included.
InFamous: First Light PS4 Aug 2014
GAMING
Infamous: Second Son is getting its first standalone DLC, and this time it’s Fetch that will take centre stage. Featuring the same gameplay as the original, though obviously limited to neon powers, First Light aims to tell story of how Fetch came to be the vigilante you meet in the Second Son.
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GAMECCA E3 2014 ROUND-UP
Forza Horizon 2 XO / X360 Sept 2014
Forza and its offshoots have taken drivers through a whirl-wind of locations, exotic cars and some of the fastest races imaginable – and the second Horizon will be no different. The game will once again take place during the Horizon Festival, but the location will be shifting towards the south of Europe. Gamers will also have to compete in different races and challenges in order to make it through to the next round. Expect a lot of exotic racing machines, beautiful settings in France and a dynamic weather system. Oh yes, and don’t forget the incredible graphics.
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Infinity: Marvel Super heroes PS4 / XO / WiiU / PS3 / X360 Q3 2014
The full name is Disney Infinity 2.0: Marvel Super Heroes, and it takes the idea that was first used in Skylanders and the original Infinity – collectible figurines that activate in-game characters – to bring the world of Marvel Super Heroes to life. It’s an awesome idea, and one that is sure to strain many wallets in the months to come!
Just Dance 2015
PS4 / XO / WiiU / PS3 / X360 Oct 2014 Once again, Ubisoft will be affording the approximately 100 million Just Dance players around the globe the opportunity to make themselves look really silly in company. With over 40 tracks, including Pharrell William’s ridiculously popular “Happy”, it is bound to get a whole lot of fans on their feet and forgetting their self-esteem.
Kirby and the Rainbow Curse Wii U 2015
GAMING
Kirby returns for another enemy-guzzling spree in this modelling claystylised title. Players will take control of Kirby in another adventure, drawing rainbow coloured lines along the touch screen to direct him and defeat enemies with various forms, such as the submarine, tank and rocket.
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GAMECCA E3 2014 ROUND-UP
Rainbow Six: Siege PC / PS4 / XO 2015
The Rainbow Six games have been around for as long as there has been the ability to shoot enemies in a covert style. Considered to be a follow-up from the now-cancelled Tom Clancy’s Rainbow 6: Patriots, it will stick it its tried-and-tested formula of focussing heavily on realism and a teamplay element. Taking a departure from known games in the franchise, Siege will have a heavy focus on multiplayer, and will also feature a destructible environment. E3 showed gamers a hostage rescue scenario in progress, and from what we can tell, it is going to be awesome.
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Lara Croft & The Temple of Osiris PC / PS4 / XO TBA
A sequel to the fantastic Guardian of Light, the Temple of Osiris is looking to expand on the topdown cooperative play of its predecessor. A mix of combat and puzzles, up to 4 players can now take control of not only Lara Croft, but Osiris and Horus as well as archaeologist Carter.
Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham
PC / PS4 / XO / WiiU / PS3 / X360 / PS Vita / 3DS Q4 2014 Leave the city limits as the wildly popular LEGO Batman franchise takes another swing at bad guys. With over 150 playable characters and more of the awesome stuff that makes LEGO games so great, this one is sure to strike a chord with fans. And you can expect a few new features, too‌
Lego Ninjago Droids PS Vita / 3DS TBA
GAMING
The Ninja’s of Ninjago return to protect their beloved home from the evil Overlord, who now threatens New Ninjago City. Players will jump into giant mechs, fly in a helicopter, solve puzzles, and use combos and special moves through thirty levels of action packed, humour saturated Lego style fun.
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Littlebigplanet 3 PS4 Q4 2014
There’s not a whole lot being said about Littlebigplanet 3, but it is safe to assume that Media Molecule’s physics-based adventure platformer is going to really shine with all that PS4 power behind it. And it’s also safe to assume that the community will be making even more awesome levels to share, too…
Madden NFL 15
PS4 / XO / PS3 / X360 Aug 2014 Not hugely popular in South Africa, the Madden franchise has an incredible following in the US – which isn’t surprising, really. And with EA once again at the helm, gamers can look forward to some serious bone-crunching action, coupled with some of the best graphics in the genre.
Mario Party 10 Wii U 2015
GAMING
The Mario Party continues with more co-op fun as four players compete on an interactive board game with a host of mini-games to participate in. A fifth player will be able to join the action using the Wii U gamepad in the new game mode, Bowser Party.
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GAMECCA E3 2014 ROUND-UP
The Crew
PC / PS4 / XO Nov 2014 The biggest and most anticipated racing game coming to next-gen consoles and PC will look to set a new standard for future titles: recreating the entire United States for amazing open-world racing, with each location offering unique sets of driving challenges, secrets and a host of missions. Build a crew to take down rival faction races, escape police patrols or journey from the West Coast to the East coast in an intense endurance race. Vehicle customization will let players tune their rides accordingly from a Full Stock car ready to be customized, to dirt, street, circuit, performance and raid kits.
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MGS V: The Phantom Pain PS4 / XO / PS3 / X360 TBA
A continuation of the story of Metal Gear V: Ground Zeroes, Phantom Pain will feature same open world and stealth elements of the prequel, though this time featuring a drastically larger world. Those who played Ground Zeroes will also be able to import their saves, thus allowing a continuous narrative to be realised.
Mirror’s Edge 2 PC / PS4 / XO TBA
It’s been six years since we last stepped into the fleet shoes of Faith, and DICE and EA are looking to expand upon her origins with the upcoming Mirror’s Edge 2. Featuring improved combat as well as movement, the game will tell the story of how Faith came to be a runner.
Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate Wii U 2015
GAMING
Step into the shoes of a monster hunter, building your legacy both off and online. With a stronger focus on story and adventure, with improved combat abilities, smarter A.I, two new weapons and three-dimensional movement, this latest title in the series looks to best previous versions.
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GAMECCA E3 2014 ROUND-UP
The Division PC / PS4 / XO 2015
When a disease brings the United States to its knees, collapsing the structure and system in a mere five days, the President activates the Strategic Homeland Division, also known as “The Division�. Together, the team will have to solve the mystery of the virus while uncovering the conspiracy behind it. Players will step into the shoes of a member of the Division, in a massive online multiplayer campaign with RPG elements, and in an open world scenario where players jump in and out of a game at any time; real and AI players will be both help and threat.
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Nero XO TBA
Nero was pretty much just announced at E3 2014, and at this time there isn’t much to say about it. It does look pretty impressive, though, and appears to be shaping into a third person fantasy action adventure. We will stand to be corrected on that. We can say for sure that it will be an Xbox One exclusive.
NHL 15
PS4 / XO / PS3 / X360 Aug 2014 One of the aspects that were revealed during E3, is that the next edition of NHL will feature some of the best puck physics gamers have seen in a long time. EA has sent a great deal of time ramping up the graphics, mechanics and the flow of the game, so it should be brilliant.
Nosgoth PC TBA
GAMING
Nosgoth is looking to take the Legacy of Kain series in a new direction, being the first multiplayer exclusive in the franchise. Something similar to Unreal Tournament, Nosgoth will pit teams in matches where one side plays as melee focused vampires while the second team will take the role of ranged attacking humans.
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GAMECCA E3 2014 ROUND-UP
The Evil Within
PC / PS4 / XO / PS3 / X360 Oct 2014 When The Evil Within debuted at E3 last year it was met with barely contained ecstasy by members of the gaming community, both journalists and gamers alike, with more than a few hailing it as true return to the survival horror. It’s not surprising given that the director of the game is Shinji Mikami, the man who created the first Resident Evil and practically invented the genre. A year later though the excitement is still palpable, with trailers revealing a game that looks to be a classic in the making, mixing supernatural and horror with terrifying cunning.
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Project Spark XO TBA
Microsoft’s “game maker” game is coming to Xbox One, although we’re not too sure when. Taking creativity to new levels will be all too easy when Project Sparks hits the more powerful Xbox One platform, and the community is sure to jump at the chance to sink their teeth into it.
Rise of Incarnates PC 2014
A F2P multiplayer brawler that will see teams of two battling against each other, Rise of Incarnates will be set in dystopian future where special humans have manifested the power of the gods of various mythologies. Only six characters have been announced, but Bandai Namco has promised more before its release.
Scalebound XO TBA
GAMING
Making friends with dragons isn’t something that really tops the charts in epic fantasy, but Scalebound will be more or less all about that. This XO exclusive adventure is already looking pretty exciting, and we know so little about it… but we’re very eager to see more details!
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Corex recommends Microsoft速 Office
Put your iPad to work.
Word, Excel, and PowerPoint available now.
appstore.com/microsoftoffice
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Shape Up XO TBA
Fitness is a huge market across the world, and when combined with a little gameplay, it could actually make it less of a chore. Ubisoft’s newest fitness title aims to do exactly that, by making it actually fun and exciting to get back in shape.
Skylanders Trap Team
PC / PS4 / XO / WiiU / PS3 / X360 / 3DS Oct 2014 Skylanders Trap Team will reverse the process… now, in addition to taking characters represented by real world figurines into the game, Trap Team will allow players to capture villain in-game in real world” traps. They’ll even have audio so that you can hear the guy you caught. Parent, prepare for bankruptcy.
Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric Wii U Q4 2014
GAMING
Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy and two new characters take on Doctor Eggman and his robot army, who are bent on world domination. Players will be able to control each character, switching between them to use their unique abilities or play together in a two to four player co-op.
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GAMECCA E3 2014 ROUND-UP
The Order: 1886 PS4 Feb 2015
The announcement earlier this year that The Order: 1886’s release was to be delayed saw many a disappointed forum post spring up, as it remains one of the most intriguing new IP’s to be revealed for some time. Set in an alternate history where bestial half humans have been a constant threat to mankind for centuries, The Order: 1886 will follow a fellowship of four knights’ battle to protect humanity in a Victorian steampunk version of London. Essentially a 3rd person action game, this year’s bout of trailers have done nothing to dampen the anticipation for the game’s long awaited launch.
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Splatoon WiiU Q1 2015
Switch between human or squid form (as an Inkling) and splatter the levels in ink to mark your turf in this colour frenzied, third person shooter, playable in local co-op and online. Covering the level unlocks stronger weapons and squid form allows players to traverse levels further and faster.
Sunset Overdrive XO Oct 2014
Set in the open world metropolis, Sunset City, in 2027, this quirky shooter is bound to be chockfull of bright colours and offkilter humour. For the setting, players are tasked with cleaning up the mess left behind by a soft drink company – and the partygoers who overdosed on the drink make up for the enemies.
Tales of Hearts R PS Vita / 3DS Q4 2014
GAMING
A JRPG title makes its way to the west with a classic anime styled story incorporated into the game. Explore dungeons, find treasures, visit towns and build relationships with other characters. Anticipate weapon and character upgrades, new skills and abilities which can be chained together in the realtime battle system.
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GAMECCA E3 2014 ROUND-UP
The Sims 4 PC Sep 2014
The Sims have been around for quite some time now, and each iteration hasn’t just seen a whole bunch of expansion packs, but has also gathered a rabid fan following. EA are getting ready to release the fourth instalment in the little people management game, in the form of the Sims 4. This time around the Sims will have more complex personalities, making them more lifelike than ever. A new set of creation tools will also allow the player to create almost any look tey want for their simulated people. In other words, there’s whole new level of addiction on the way in just a few months.
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Tenkai Knights: Brave Battles 3DS Q4 2014
Based on the CanadianJapanese anime series, Tenkai Knights: Brave Battle will allow players to take control of one of the original 4 protagonists of the series. While details are scarce, the game appears to be a 2D fighter with 3D graphics, and is being heavily marketed towards existing fans.
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End PS4 TBA
It’s been some time since we last stepped into the shoes of Nathan Drake, but Naughty Dog is planning to rectify this by releasing what they’re calling Drake’s “greatest adventure yet”. While no concrete details have been revealed, undoubtedly players can look forward to more jaw-dropping, Indiana Jonesesque escapades early next year.
Valiant Hearts: The Great War PC / PS4 / XO / PS3 / X360 Already released
GAMING
OK, it’s a bit of a cheat, because Valiant Hearts: The Great War is already out – it was released not long after E3. But this poignant and thoughtprovoking adventure deserves a mention because it is truly something to experience. It’s uncomplicated yet extremely powerful… don’t miss this one!
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GAMECCA E3 2014 ROUND-UP
The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt PC / PS4 / XO Feb 2015
If you haven’t picked up any of the Witcher games over the last 7 years you have robbed yourself of experiencing one of the best dark fantasy RPGs in recent history. Following the travails of the witcher Geralt of Rivia, The Witcher 3 will pick up where the second game left off, detailing the protagonist’s attempt to stop the travesties of the Wild Hunt and recover his fragmented memories. New to the game, the third instalment will be offer a massive open world with an estimated 100 hours of gameplay, including 80 unique monsters and the franchise’s characteristic divergent plotlines.
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Wii Sports Club WiiU Jul 2014
Wii games always sell pretty well, and this one shouldn’t be any different. Featuring games like tennis, bowling, baseball, golf, and boxing, it is sports fun aimed at the whole family. Players will also be able to join different clubs, representing different regions in the world, just to give it that international feel.
Xenoblade Chronicles WiiU 2015
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Earth has been devastated by an intergalactic war and the remaining monsters threaten the survivors on their beautiful, yet dangerous, home planet. Players will traverse an expansive open-world with their created character, taking on monsters, travelling in mechs and improving their class, combat and abilities in this Sci-Fi RPG title.
Yoshi’s Woolly World Wii U 2014
GAMING
In a world made completely out of wool, players jump into the role of the famous Mario-dino, Yoshi, in a new adventure filled with exciting ways to explore the Yoshi world as you pull and stitch through levels, travel via warp pipes, solve puzzles and discover many secrets; also enjoy a two-player adventure.
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a Siberia V2 CS:GO Headset Courtesy of Megarom TO ENTER: Send an email to competitions@gameccamag.com Tell us which game this headset is a special edition for. Insert “Siberia” in the mail’s subject line Subscribe to www.gameccamag.com Become a fan on Gamecca’s Facebook Page
Competition closes 31 July 2014. Gamecca subscribers only. South African residents only. Prizes may not be exchanged for cash. Competition closed to employees (& employee’s family) of 1337 Media CC and Megarom. The judges’ decision is final. co mp e t i t i on • c o mp et it io n • c o mp et i ti on • com pe ti ti on • com pe ti ti on • com p etition •
com p e ti ti on • com p e ti ti on • com p e ti ti on • com p e ti ti on • com pe ti ti on • com petition • c omp et itio n • c ompetition • co mpetition
WIN
E M W A IE G EV R
Murdered Soul Susp
GAMING
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by Walt Pretorius
Spoonfeeding the clues‌
Murdered: Soul Suspect
d: pect
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then the next ten hours or so manage to under-deliver on those promises, leaving Murdered as a plodding guessing game, rather than a supernatural murder mystery. As a ghost, Ronan learns to use special abilities not available to the living. Think Patrick Swayze in Ghost, but with bullet holes. But these powers – in fact, all of the freedom that the player could have had in Murdered – are severely limited, serving rather as accents to a tightly scripted plot-line, rather than tools to empower the player in any real sense. They are there because they drive the story along, but they don’t go far to making the player feel like anything more than a guy who can walk through walls. Some walls, mind you, because Ronan is restricted in his movement. See, ghosts cannot pass through ghostly material, and they
GAMING
hen detective Ronan O’Connor comes to a grisly and untimely end, he is the only one who can solve his own murder. And he has to… see, the only truly good thing in this bad-boyturned-cop’s life was his wife, whose life was also cut tragically short. If he is to join her in the afterlife, he has to finish business on the mortal plane. Which, of course, means that he has to find out who killed him. It’s a great place to start, and the first few moments of Murdered: Soul Suspect play beautifully into the hype generated around the game. From the death scene, with Ronan desperately trying to get life back into his body before the killer can finish him off, through to the stylised “life flashing before his eyes” that reveals a lot about the characters, the opening moments of Murdered do a lot to get you excited. And
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cannot enter consecrated buildings. The setting of Salem may have a colourful, supernaturally-charged past, but for virtually every building to be consecrated and for ghostly material to be blocking Ronan on numerous occasions seems a little unreasonable. It becomes clear before long that the freedom that should have been available in Murdered: Soul Suspect is not there – very much like the lacking freedom of the Thief reboot. While the game has a massive setting, the player is not really allowed to go beyond the bounds set down by the developers – in other words, the massive setting is an illusion to obfuscate a game that is actually fairly linear. Sure, there are tons of side quests but, while they can add to the experience, they still don’t free the player up in ways that could have been, considering some other
titles out there. The main story will push the player from one venue to another, in which they need to perform investigations into the identity of their killer. These investigations, however, turn into a matter of finding everything, reading every mind and basically picking the area apart, before making a few calls on which are the most relevant clues. Most of these are brutally obvious, but even if the player gets them wrong, they can keep guessing until they get the right answers, like a game of Clue for the mentally feeble. Getting things wrong doesn’t alter the narrative – you don’t screw up, and rating given to the player in terms of their investigatory prowess mean nothing in the greater scheme of things. There is a single story to be told here, and you’ll get to the answers, no matter what. g
AT A GLANCE: Adventure
REVIEWED BY
Murdered: Soul Suspect squanders all kinds of potential by not giving the player the freedom to make a mess of things.
Developer: Publisher: Distributer:
Airtight Games Square Enix Megarom
PARENTAL ADVISORY
16+ gamecca61
Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice
ACCESSIBILITY Hard-Core Medium Casual
PS4 PLATFORMS
GENRE
PC X360 X0 PS3 PS4 Wii U PSV 3DS AND iOS
Score
60 57
E M W A IE G EV R
EA Sports GAMING
‘til you bleed…
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EA Sports UFC
by Walt Pretorius
s UFC
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with EA’s Fight Night series, not go out flailing. It’s a measured approach that works best here, and the player that conserves energy while dishing out powerful blows will be the one that will triumph. Where it fails the larger market almost entirely is in its complexity. Sure, UFC is a complex sport when all is said and done, with real-world fighters having to master numerous techniques and disciplines. But when you get down to playing the game, the complexity of the controls is daunting. The game provides tutorials, sure, but there’s a lot to take in during a relatively short space of time, and unless your memory is nothing short of eidetic, you’re going to spend the first few (or more) fights frustrated while your in-game persona inspects the canvas floor of the octagon up close. It was the problem that THQ’s efforts with the UFC
GAMING
here are a few things that sports games need to do in order to really please the people who play them. And with a number of those games, the fans aren’t always the most hard-core of gamers… the popularity of EA’s FIFA franchise proves that year after year. But for a game to work in a market in which its appeal may be far broader than the ‘traditional’ gamer market, it needs to recreate the sport accurately, it needs to be exciting, and it needs to be accessible. EA’s first steps under the welcome weight of the official UFC franchise have resulted in a game that does some of those things. It looks great, for example, with characters and animations that are extremely lifelike. And it gets pretty exciting, too, with fights that can be very active – but the smart player will, like
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license displayed. And it’s the exact opposite of EA’s previous trip to the octagon; their MMA title was overly simple, at the end of the day. So what EA need to do is strike some kind of balance – it looks like they’re on their way, because this one is slightly less complex than THQ’s efforts. But it is a balance that needs to be struck soon for the franchise to reach wider appeal… as it stands, things are a little too intimidating in the control department. There’s a lot to remember, and the game doesn’t seem interested in giving the player the time to absorb what they have learned. Trial and error will be rife in the beginning. EA Sports’ UFC offers everything you’d expect from this kind of game; from quick fights with famous faces through to a long career mode (that allows the player to improve their fighter and learn new techniques as they
progress) and a competent multiplayer, UFC does have a lot to show. But unless you’re willing (and able) to wrap your head around controls that require numerous button combinations for all kinds of moves, and require an entirely different set of situations depending on circumstances (whether standing or on the ground or grappling, or whatever). It’s a lot to remember while someone is punching you in the face, or at least the virtual version of you. With all that said, UFC shows some great ideas. It certainly is better than MMA was, and if the team behind it keep paying attention, and listen to what their audience wants, they may soon have a game that strikes the perfect balance. And, considering the popularity of MMA these days, that will do almost as much for them as FIFA does. g
AT A GLANCE: Fighting
REVIEWED BY
It’s a good start for the license under EA’s custodianship, but there is a way to go to make this game accessible to the masses who want it. Developer: Publisher: Distributer:
EA Sports Electronic Arts EA South Africa
PARENTAL ADVISORY
16+ gamecca61
Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice
ACCESSIBILITY Hard-Core Medium Casual
PS4 PLATFORMS
GENRE
PC X360 X0 PS3 PS4 Wii U PSV 3DS AND iOS
Score
76 61
E M W A IE G EV R
Worms battlegrounds
GAMING
See you, Jimmy!
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original than most of the later Worms games... and that’s what makes Battlegrounds such a joy to play.
12+
Team 17 Team 17 Silver Screen
Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice
Developer: Publisher: Distributer:
PARENTAL ADVISORY
REVIEWED ON
PC X360 X0 PS3 PS4 Wii U PSV 3DS AND iOS
AT A GLANCE:
It’s more like the
PS4
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Strategy
PLATFORMS
by Alex Scanlon
same console (and sharing the controller, if need be) opponents can hurl bananabombs, homing missiles and the devastating Buffalo of Lies with gay abandon, blasting their enemies to smithereens and turning levels into smoking wastelands. It is Worms in its purest form, really, albeit with much better graphics. There are a number of new weapons and tools available as well, and a purchasing system (using money earned in-level) to get some of the rarer weapons. And let’s not forget the weapons crates, which often hold some of the choicer (read as more destructive) items. This is a game for the fans. Newcomers may well find Worms Battlegrounds a little anachronistic for their sniperscoping, head-shotting tastes, but those that remember the first handful of Worms games will likely crow with delight as they play Battlegrounds. It is a strong homage to the original. Does it measure up to what we could consider modern games? No, not really – it is an old fashioned game, and while most will accept that from indie developers, a mainstream release going back to a simpler approach may not sit very well with those that want their action up-close and realistic. But Worms is a game that should really be given a chance. It’s almost entered the realms of being a party game now, but instead of dancing, you’ll be destroying. And its simplicity is almost joyful (because playing Worms drunk is better than when sober). But most of all it’s the nostalgia and easy-going, fun-filled rivalry that Worms Battlegrounds engenders. It’s not a perfect game at all (it features longer than reasonable loading times and an AI that can be completely thick in one turn, and then shoot the eye out of an earthworm – ahem – in the next), but it can lead to some pretty awesome times. g
Worms Battlegrounds
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eam 17’s Worms franchise goes back many years. It might be giving away my age, but I remember many a night, with a group of friends crowded around the same keyboard, playing the original game into the wee hours, howling a squealing with delight as our low-res invertebrate minions dealt enormous amounts of death and destruction to each other. In fact, many people remember that – and it is that reputation that the franchise was built on. Now Worms is not something that comes along every year, but when it does those memories still arise, resulting in great anticipation for a new batch of homicidal non-arthropods to deal damage with. But the franchise has managed, over the years, to go somewhat astray… experiments with third person (or worm) viewpoints and all kinds of craziness ensued, leaving the reputation of the original somewhat tarnished. Worms Battlegrounds, however, does away with all that silly rubbish, and gets back to the crux of the matter – little cute worms lasting the tar out of each other with large guns and high explosives, all on a highly destructible 2D level. And because of that, more than any other, Worms Battlegrounds actually feel like the “real deal”. It feels like a Worms game should. There is a little bit of an experiment that takes place here, though, in the form of a single player campaign. This will lead the player through numerous missions against AI controlled worms, and can be both challenging and fun – not to mention awfully frustrating. The player will also only have access to certain items; Holy hand-grenades and Concrete Donkeys do not abound in the single player game. They do in multiplayer, though, and that is where this game shines. Playing with up to four players on the
ACCESSIBILITY Hard-Core Medium Casual
Score
75 63
E M W A IE G EV R
Tropico 5
GAMING
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by Charlie Fripp
Sun, surf and despots
Tropico 5
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be out on your bum. Or you could just rig the voting. Starting off in the colonial period, the different eras that the game takes place in are a new addition to the franchise. As the game progresses, players will get to make use of the technology available through the various stages, including the Cold War and Modern times. But… in the beginning the colony isn’t just quite ready for the big time yet, as it still falls under the rule of the British Empire. Players will have to keep the crown happy by completing certain tasks and meeting objective, and to ensure that they mandate as President gets extended. When players feel that they have done enough for the ruling country, they can go at it alone in the form of declaring independence – this is where the actual fun starts. While minimal structures and industries are
GAMING
here is a really special place reserved on earth for tyrannical leaders and eccentric presidents, who more often than not have risen to power by trampling all over their competition. In the latest Tropico title, that special place is a tiny chain of islands that go by the same name. But who is the leader of this despotic nation? Well, you are, of course. For those that are not familiar with the Tropico games, you play the role of El Presidente, the faceless leader elected in charge of the small nation. As the sole ruler of your colony, you have absolute power to do as you please, while making sure that your citizens have everything they need in terms of housing, jobs and security. It does come at a cost however, as come election time, you don’t make the votes you will
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available, kicking it into high gear opens up so much more. As the President, gamers will naturally have a trusty advisor in the form of Penultimo. As a measure of the title’s hilarious sense of humour, Penultimo is also your second-in-command, which is where his name stems from. It’s a play on penultimate, and since he’s second in command… oh, nevermind. Besides for the great gameplay and added new features, Penultimo is one of the best elements in the title. His sense of humour is bound to have you in stiches as his outlook on life is erm… strange to say the least. Tropico 5 can become a bit tricky after a while, as there are so many factors that go into keeping the population happy and healthy. Housing needs to be
provided for all the new immigrants, after which jobs need to be created. Crime, fires and grocery stores play a role in their happiness, as well as the amount of religious and entertainment buildings. Keeping everything safe, players can build up an army to safeguard the citizens from the occasional attack by a disgruntled country. Oh yes, gamers will have to make peace with the US, EU, China and Russia, otherwise they will invade. Think of Tropico as a Caribbean version of SimCity, where instead of players just being the “god” who magically creates a city, they actually have a name, an active role and a very naive advisor (who absolutely steals the show). It’s a great deal of fun, and if players are into city builders with a twist, this one is definitely worth it. g
AT A GLANCE: Management
Implementing a number of new aspects, this one is by far the best
Developer: Publisher: Distributer:
Haemimont Games Kalypso Silver Screen
PARENTAL ADVISORY
10+ gamecca61
Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice
ACCESSIBILITY Hard-Core Medium Casual
REVIEWED BY
PC PLATFORMS
GENRE
PC X360 X0 PS3 PS4 Wii U PSV 3DS AND iOS
Score
81 67
E M W A IE G EV R
GAMING
Speak, Fido! 68
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by Rob Edwards
PS VITA PETS
GENRE
PS Vita Pets will (despite some of its more surreal aspects) provide lots of long term enjoyment... if you
PC X360 X0 PS3 PS4 Wii U PSV 3DS AND iOS
PARENTAL ADVISORY
3+
Spiral House SCEE Ster Kinekor
Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice
REVIEWED ON
PLATFORMS
like dogs.
AT A GLANCE:
In the right hands,
Developer: Publisher: Distributer:
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Simulation
PSV
preservation of sanity that divide needs to be adhered to. It’s probably going to appeal more to youngsters, and female ones at that. Whether there are a lot of little girls out there playing on a PS Vita or not didn’t seem to deter Sony from bringing their answer to Nintendogs to the market. But you are dealing with a game that is as different from the famous DS title as one can get, without breaking genre boundaries. While Nintendogs felt like a virtual pet (which is exactly what it was supposed to be) PS Vita Pets offers a lot more. Yes, there is the “pettish” section with all the grooming and training, but Pets takes the experience further, allowing a “life” with the virtual pet that extends beyond games of fetch and bathing sessions. It is crammed with activities and mini-games, and the Vita does well in making it a much more interactive experience than we have seen before from virtual pet titles. It comes close to striking all the right notes, but there are a few aspects of the game that don’t sit too well. The voice acting, for one, gets a bit much (let’s just ignore the fact that these pets speak). It can be overbearing and almost invasive of the experience, and the repetition can get to be too much. Add to that the fact that the pacing of the game seems off. At times it requires a lot of attention and activity, while at others it feels like a whole lot of time spent doing nothing at all. In the hands of the right player, though, PS Vita Pets will provide a lot of enjoyment, and may even teach kids one of the most valuable lessons of all: patience. g
PS VITA PETS
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nevitably, most kids want pets. And it’s a great way, numerous parents will say, to teach their kid responsibility. Others will just buy their kids a virtual pet and let them do whatever they want with it, which seems to be the increasing case in the modern world. But be warned… if you buy PS Vita Pets for your kid, they may grow up with a slightly skewed sense of reality. First of all, PS Vita Pets seems to define “pets” as four breeds of dog. Nothing against dogs. I am a dog person. But kids might start wondering about cats and stuff, if they have only had this game to teach them about the world of caring for animals. Secondly, the kid in question may be mystified as to why dogs in the real world don’t speak. Because they do in PS Vita Pets. A lot. With tons of truly annoying repetition. OK, maybe it’s not all that bad. In fact, in reasonable doses, Pets can be lots of fun, particularly for a member of its obvious target market (which I am, admittedly, not). There is a wide variety of activities to undertake with your chosen pooch, including playing games (which helps them develop skills for use in other activities), grooming, dressing up (in case they have a little too much self-esteem) and more. In fact, there is even an adventure mode, in which the owner (read player) and pet can explore a large forest. It’s pretty much a guided affair, and progress through it is slow – not least of which because the pet doesn’t like moving faster than a lazy snail. This game is one that very clearly marks one of the divides in the gaming market, and for the
ACCESSIBILITY Hard-Core Medium Casual
Score
70 69
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Sniper ELIT GAMING
By a long shot…
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Sniper Elite III
by Walt Pretorius
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manages to actually provide the player with even more freedom, and doesn’t punish them if they get noticed. That’s refreshing, and ties in to another great aspect of the title: it’s almost sinful, gratuitously graphic violence. See, when using a sniper rifle, long range kills are almost always accompanied by a bullet-camera affair. It never gets old watching your little lead missile of death zooming towards an enemy, and then being treated to a wonderfully anatomically correct x-ray view as it tears through flesh, bone and organs. I found myself guiltily setting challenges like seeing if I could get a pure heart shot or could hit the bad guy in the eye… pleasant, sociable things like that. Because the game doesn’t punish being noisy (other than making enemies aware of your presence) it became a festival of long range annihilation for me. Of course,
GAMING
here are a few elements that take Sniper Elite III and elevate it far above its station. If it wasn’t for these, the game would fall into the realms of humdrum World War II shooter. But thanks to the implementation of this handful of great ideas, Sniper Elite III is actually an extremely enjoyable experience – even though the player will have to forgive it’s weaknesses to gain the best fun from the title. The first is the fact that it is a massive improvement on its predecessor, with vast, open terrains making it possible for a player to take on missions any way they like. And, unlike most stealth shooters, the game doesn’t punish you for taking a less-than-sneaky approach. In fact, because performance is based on kills, the player may forgo small experience bonuses if they go out guns blazing, but little more. So the game
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the game offers opportunities to mask the sound of the player’s gunfire (noisy engines, thunderstorms and so on). And even when the player is discovered, the combination of an AI that is lacklustre at best and a relocation system means that even more fun can be had. Relocation is lots of fun. Snap off a shot, then move to another spot while enemy combatant converge on your last location. And if you get far enough away, they stop looking. It’s a great way to set up even more ambushes and relocation opportunities. It’s not all about long range sniping, though – the player will have plenty of opportunities to get up close and personal, and a fair selection of weapons allows for kills to be performed in numerous way. Trip mines are particularly satisfying. New weapons and upgrades for the sniper rifle get unlocked as play progresses, too,
and the player will be able to trim their load out to near perfection before long. There are also environmental effects that can be triggered, like blowing up trucks and stuff. It all leads to awesome fun, whether you are the quiet, shadowy killer or the brutal guns blazing hero. Another aspect of the title that makes it rather cool is the fact that it takes on an often-forgotten part of the war – the campaign in North Africa. This means there are lots of deserts and rough terrain in the game, which makes for a refreshing break from the usual European campaign. Sniper Elite III is not a perfect game. It has issues with AI, for example, and the story line is often laughable. Even the voice acting is a bit cringe-worthy – but this is a prime example of a title that is what the player makes of it. g
AT A GLANCE: Stealth Shooter
It’s not perfect, but it certainly isn’t broken. And Sniper Elite III allows the player a lot of leeway.
Developer: Publisher: Distributer:
Rebellion 505 Games Apex Interactive
PARENTAL ADVISORY
16+ gamecca61
Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice
ACCESSIBILITY Hard-Core Medium Casual
REVIEWED BY
PS4 PLATFORMS
GENRE
PC X360 X0 PS3 PS4 Wii U PSV 3DS AND iOS
Score
80 73
E M W A IE G EV R
Two plus one equals download…
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released on PS2, remastered for the PS3. Now the same team have brought Sly Cooper and his band of misfit associates to the smaller screen – the PS Vita. The Vita may have had a patchy run, but reviving timeless classics like the Sly Trilogy for the Sony handheld is a great idea. The port is absolutely excellent in this case, and the player will be able to thoroughly enjoy some great moments from yesteryear (or, in the case of gaming, it’s closer to yesterday). The port is not perfect, though. There are a few frame rate drops here and there, but nothing too serious. Of greater concern is the fact that buying the physical version of the game (on a Vita card, naturally) means that you only get the first two parts of the Trilogy. The third needs to be downloaded. Sure, they thoughtfully provide a download code with the product, so no extra expense is required,
GAMING
laying “old” games is something of a niche pastime in the community. That’s something of a sad reality when it comes to gaming; the industry moves so fast, with so many new games hitting shelves all the time that classics soon fall by the wayside Add to that the fact that older games – and the more limited hardware they’re meant to be played on – are often not well received by a community that wants everything bigger, better, faster, shiner… well, you get the picture. Many gems are lost to obscurity, except for the few that choose to relive them. Then again, you do get instances like this; Sly Cooper, the stealthy racoon hero created by Sucker Punch (the team behind inFamous) has been given a new lease on life not once, but twice by Sanzaru Games. The first time saw the three games in the Sly Trilogy, first
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by Alex scanlon
The sly trilogy
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The Sly Trilogy
but a 2GB download on a PS Vita will most certainly incur some kind of extra cost, whether it be time, money or both. Still, the effort is worthwhile, because the Sly Trilogy was not only beautifully crafted and created, but also influential. This is not your average action platformer; at a time when platform games were still plying the new waters of a 3D approach, Sly Cooper was already heading into more complicated areas, like stealth and complex level design. The franchise itself may have fallen by the wayside, but the titles that make it up are as fresh and engaging today as they were way back when. Those that have played the Sly games before will be able to enjoy the nostalgia of perfect remastered recreations of one of the most enjoyable platform series ever made. Those that are new to the franchise will find
games that are slick, well made and challenging, without compromising on accessibility. In short, this is a very welcome addition to the slowly growing stable of PS Vita games. And yet the idea of that extra download still rears its ugly head. IT would be enough to turn all but the most ardent fans of the series away right at the starting gate, particularly here in South Africa where data prices are still at something of a premium. It goes a long way to show that third-world countries do indeed suffer from firstworld problems, but often they are exacerbated by the conditions in those countries. And the situation here is not that bad, either… Still, it’s not the game’s fault – as it stands, this is a great collection, every bit as relevant and entertaining today as it was two console generations ago. g
AT A GLANCE: Platformer
REVIEWED BY
The Sly Trilogy remains as entertaining, engaging and relevant today as it was when it first hit the shelves two console generations ago. Developer: Publisher: Distributer:
Sanzaru Games SCEE Ster Kinekor
PARENTAL ADVISORY
3+ gamecca61
Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice
ACCESSIBILITY Hard-Core Medium Casual
PSV PLATFORMS
GENRE
PC X360 X0 PS3 PS4 Wii U PSV 3DS AND iOS
Score
79 75
E M W A IE G EV R
GRiD Autos
GAMING
Not all created equal…
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GRiD Autosport
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by Walt Pretorius
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considering the hype around the previous two games. And this might be because, in some ways, GRiD Autosport does not necessarily deliver what its fans would want. First of all, it has been created for PC, Xbox 360 and PS3. There are no signs of the game coming to the newer console platforms, which seems like a strange move from a company that clearly wants to reclaim its place in the halls of racing game developers. This is an obvious misstep, though, and perhaps one that is not too damaging (there are, after all, still many players using the older hardware out there). Less obvious and perhaps more damaging is that GRiD Autosport becomes dictatorial in terms of the single player experience, while making the multiplayer the kind of game that single player fans would want. In the single player game the player does not establish a stable of cars, and has limited control over their vehicle’s
GAMING
he racing game arena has been hotly contested for years. Depending on the desire for realism or arcade action, the top titles have been franchises like Forza, Gran Turismo and even Need for Speed. Each brings something different to the table, which is extremely important in such a strong market. Codemasters used to be well known for their racing titles, but have managed to lose a little prominence in the face of such strong opposition. However, a little while back, they launched a new franchise called GRiD, bringing a slightly different racing experience to gamers. The first game was all about track racing, and the second took things to the streets. Now, with the release of GRiD Autosport, they are taking on numerous disciplines in a title that seeks to redefine racing games. It arrived without much fanfare, which is surprising
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GRiD Autosport
tweaks and upgrades, according to the team that they sign on with for a given season. Each season the player can choose one of the game’s disciplines to compete in (Touring Car, Endurance, Open Wheel, Tuner or Street). Ultimately, to advance properly, the player will need to take part in all of these, despite inconsistencies in the design quality that spreads across the five types of racing. Touring car and street racing, for example, are much better than the inconsistent and ill-executed tuner and endurance events. The player has far more freedom in the multiplayer component of the game, which allows the building of a stable and so forth. Additionally, despite good physics and fair handling, the AI can be brutally unforgiving, leaving the player feeling quite inadequate at times. It takes a lot of work
and patience to get good at this game. This combines with graphics that range from really decent through to completely sub-par (in the cockpit) to form an overall impression – when combined with the other aspects of GRiD Autosport – that will disappoint some players. While those that really want to dig into precision handling and performance, or those that prefer their action on the multiplayer level, may well draw a lot of joy out of GRiD Autosport, most players may find it lacking in one way or another. If Codemasters want to take on the broader market, they need to deliver what that market wants… and this title simply doesn’t get all of that right. While the actual game dynamic can shine at times, the overall feel of the game is inconsistent, both in terms of coding and in terms of what players want from their racing titles. g
AT A GLANCE: Racing
REVIEWED BY
GRiD Autosport arrived with little fanfare, and proves to be an inconsistent experience that some will love, and others will love to hate. Developer: Publisher: Distributer:
Codemasters Codemasters Megarom
PARENTAL ADVISORY
3+ gamecca61
Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice
ACCESSIBILITY Hard-Core Medium Casual
PS4 PLATFORMS
GENRE
PC X360 X0 PS3 PS4 Wii U PSV 3DS AND iOS
Score
70 79
E M W A IE G EV R
Pixeljunk Shooter Ultimate More of a puzzler, actually…
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and charged them with rescuing a bunch of scientists from a subterranean research mission. Underground means lots of lava, of course, and the heat generated by the magma is the biggest danger to the player. Flying too close to lava, or getting hit by enemies, increases the ship’s heat level. Taking a dip in water reduces it. If the player’s ship overheats, it slowly plunges downwards… if you’re lucky, it will land in water. If not, time to try again. The lengthy levels have scientists scattered throughout, and the player needs to get close enough too them to snag them with a short range grapple. Sadly, they seem to have no sense of self-preservation, and losing five of these slightly dumb dudes means starting over. The player also needs to collect gemstones hidden in the level, which will unlock subsequent levels. But the biggest part of the game is blasting through rock, cooling lava with
GAMING
he name of this game is something of a misnomer; PixelJunk Shooter Ultimate actually has very little to do with shooting. It’s more about exploration, rescuing stubbornly immobile scientists and avoiding laval flows. Sure, there is shooting involved, but it almost seems secondary to this two-stick game. In truth, PixelJunk Shooter Ultimate feels more like a locational puzzler, with most of the head scratching coming from traversing the large levels. If the name sounds somewhat familiar to you, that’s because Ultimate is a joining together of the two previous Pixeljunk Shooter games, which were also available on PSN. This amalgamation has been beautifully handled, with the two games fitting seamlessly together to form a really long, enjoyable subterranean adventure. The game puts the player in control of an agile ship,
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by Rob Edwards
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Pixeljunk Shooter Ultimate
water (and then blasting through the resulting rock) and avoiding gases and other subterranean hazards. The player will also get “suits” for their ship, which enable them to use different tools and abilities, like spraying lava and so forth. The game also features a very interesting multiplayer mode in which one ship has to rescue scientists, and the other has to take them out. But the hunter cannot see the rescuer unless they’re directly in line of sight, making for an interesting and enjoyable twist. The true value of Pixeljunk Shooter Ultimate lies not in concept like graphics and plot. In fact, the presentation of the game can be considered rather lacklustre. What really shines in this title is the addictive game dynamic, which will have the player scratching their head and cursing in frustration as they head for a perfect score. It’s an extremely logical game, but it takes a lot of skill and
finesse, too – particularly in later levels, where close calls become something of a norm. If you have played the games previously, it’s still worth giving this newer PS4 version a look – it’s a slickly produced title, and features numerous tweaks and fixes… including a graphical overhaul. It’s a solid game that provides a fantastic experience, and the scoring system (as well as the need to gather gems) adds a great degree of replayability to it. Even when you’ve completed a level, there is probably a better, cleaner and faster way to do it, and experimenting over and over again with levels can be very rewarding and great fun. It won’t be for everyone, of course, but those that want the challenge of their game to go beyond headshots will certainly find appeal in this unusual and well put together title. g
AT A GLANCE: Puzzle
REVIEWED BY
Pixeljunk Shooter Ultimate is a great game for head scratching and exploring... and a bit of shooting, too.
Developer: Publisher: Distributer:
Double Eleven PSN PSN
PARENTAL ADVISORY
7+ gamecca61
Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice
ACCESSIBILITY Hard-Core Medium Casual
PS4 PLATFORMS
GENRE
PC X360 X0 PS3 PS4 Wii U PSV 3DS AND iOS
Score
80 81
cy a eg
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All Ha Rotund R GAMING
The most well known gam 82
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All Hail The Rotund Red One
ail The Red One
me character of all time... By Lein Baart
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he word Mario has become synonymous with gaming. From theme music to logos, Mario is undoubtedly one of gaming’s greatest icons, if not the greatest icon, to have ever being conceived. Almost no one has not heard his name or seen his image, and from his humble beginnings in the mid 80’s right up to the present day, he has become a cultural touchstone which anyone who has used any form of digital entertainment is likely to recognise immediately.
GAMING
Why was he created? Mario’s origins are perhaps more humble than one would expect. The brainchild of Shigeru Miyamoto, Mario began life as the protagonist in Donkey Kong, desperately trying to save his girlfriend Pauline from the clutches of his rogue pet gorilla. What may shock many to learn is that Mario was originally designed to be a carpenter, and was actually called Jumpman in earlier releases of the game. Miyamoto had grand plans for his creation however and had in fact intended Jumpman to be a stop-gap character for any game that Nintendo required him to be in, which earned him the name of “Mr Video” initially. Mario’s characteristic look, including his bulbous nose, bushy moustache and red cap, were all implemented to get around the hardware limitations of the time, allowing the developers to avoid having to animate his hair and mouth, but it wasn’t until Mario Bros. that his backstory as an Italian-American plumber was finally settled on. It was the release of Super Mario Bros. on the Nintendo Entertainment System though that saw Mario truly begin to garner his cult status. The game practically revolutionised the industry, almost singlehandedly ushering in an era that saw platformers dominate the early console markets, and Nintendo was quick to capitalise on its success, releasing a slew of follow-up titles which saw Mario’s fame cemented. It wasn’t long
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before all of the characters were given their own spin-offs, and as the popularity of gaming soared during the nineties so did the franchise.
Why do we care? To begin with the obvious, Mario is Nintendo’s most prolific character, and is in fact the most prolific character in gaming history, having appeared in over 200 games (including ports and remakes) and across almost every conceivable genre. His popularity has seen a string of comics, series and films all produced in his honour, and his status has reached a point where several streets in cities across the world have been named him after him. It’s fair to say that Mario, along with other Nintendo stalwarts such as Link from The Legend of Zelda and Megaman, have been the saving grace for the gaming giant on more than one occasion. It was Mario that made the SNES a household name to begin with, and in recent times, with the Wii U sales being what they are, it is Mario that is once again leading the charge to rescue the console from ignominy. After all, the Mario series is the world’s best-selling franchise, with more than 210 million copies having being sold. What truly makes the character great though, the reason why he has become the financial powerhouse that he is today, is because Mario is probably one of the most ordinary heroes ever imagined. The everyman trope has strong appeal to anyone not imbued with fantastical capabilities, and with his short stature and chubby physique, Mario embodies the belief that anyone can accomplish great things. It all sounds very soppy and whimsical, but compared to other characters that make up the world of gaming, Mario is definitely the odd one out. This has only added to charm however, and his enduring legacy itself stands as the surest proof of this. g gamecca61
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have been watching the Football World Cup. That’s soccer to our American readers. Although, quite frankly, soccer is played by using your feet, primarily, so calling it football is quite correct. American football makes use of a lot of hands, so it should be called handball, which is a transgression in football… wait, I am getting away from myself. I have been watching the Football World Cup. I am sticking with football, deal with it. I am not watching it because I am a really big sports fan – I am not. Rather, there are two main reasons for my spending time in front of the TV and watching guys kick a ball about… first off, it only comes around every four years, so it is something of an occasion. Secondly, if you try and have a conversation these days, you need to know what’s going on, because the bulk of the world is discussing it. There’s a third reason,
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too: it’s an excellent excuse for procrastination. One thing has struck me with this whole spectacle – the pure emotional charge that infuses the fans. A team loses, and they wail and cry and scream and moan. Sure, for the players, I can understand, but the fans? I get ideas like national pride and so forth, but let’s get a little real-world here. It’s a game. And like any other game it really means – in a world rife with poverty, hunger, unemployment, homelessness, abuse, war and cruelty – nothing. Nothing at all. It’s entertainment for the fans, and it should never, ever, ever be more. Certainly not a reason to cry and wail and scream and moan. If, say, the country that won the Football World Cup got to rule the world for the period between tournaments, fair enough. I would also get massively emotional, because some of those countries are pretty retarded when it
gamecca61
BY rAMJET
Just.A. Game...
comes to policy. But they don’t. They get a cup, they drink, and they go home, to their poverty, hunger, unemployment, homelessness, abuse, war and cruelty. The very next day, it means absolutely nothing, just like it did on the very first one. What does this have to do with video gaming? A lot, actually, because we, as a species, have a tendency to take all the wrong things seriously, and turn a blind eye to what’s really important. Video gamers do that all the time. It not only makes us look like a bunch of self-involved, spoiled (note the spelling, idiots, it’s not “spoilt”) brats, but taking games too seriously just sucks the fun out of it. So instead of playing online games, I am avoiding them and watching the Football World Cup. In Brazil. The irony of people getting upset by some team losing in that country is almost painful. g
a Copy of Sniper Elite 3 on Xbox 360 or PS4 Courtesy of Apex Interactive TO ENTER: Send an email to competitions@gameccamag.com Tell us who developed Sniper Elite III (and your platform preference). Insert “SE3” in the mail’s subject line Subscribe to www.gameccamag.com Become a fan on Gamecca’s Facebook Page
Competition closes 31 July 2014. Gamecca subscribers only. South African residents only. Prizes may not be exchanged for cash. Competition closed to employees (& employee’s family) of 1337 Media CC and Apex Interactive. The judges’ decision is final. co mp e t i t i on • c o mp et it io n • c o mp et i ti on • com pe ti ti on • com pe ti ti on • com p etition •
com p e ti ti on • com p e ti ti on • com p e ti ti on • com p e ti ti on • com pe ti ti on • com petition • c omp et itio n • c ompetition • co mpetition
WIN
FeatureS 1 2
A New Rift
HARDWARE Reviews 96 98 100 102 104 106 108 110 112 114
Asus G750JX Gaming Notebook MSI Z97M Gaming Motherboard SteelSeries Sensei Wireless Laser Mouse Gioteck AX1-R Gaming Headset for PS4 Asus Maximus VII Ranger Motherboard Razer Adaro Stereos Analog Headphones Crucial MX100 512GB SSD Asus Orion Gaming Headset Razer Mamba Elite Ergonomic Gaming Mouse Creative Sound Blaster Recon 3D Surround Sound Processor
RegularS 116 120
Internet Security
COLUMN 122
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Technically Speaking
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TECHNOLOGY
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he world of gaming has been growing exponentially over the last couple of years, becoming more than just another activity to pass the time. Gaming has evolved into an engaging, interactive experience that is as competitive as it is casual. The joy of seeing fantastical worlds come to life and you, as the player, being thrust into that world is one of the key elements that makes gaming so popular. Whether it’s the experience of rushing on to a field as part of your favourite sports team, or cautiously creeping through an abandoned building that has been cordoned off due to a bio-hazardous plague, the interaction between gamer and game has become the focus for game developers. As the gaming industry has grown over the years, so has the technology used in creating these engaging stories, immersive worlds and lovable characters. The advancement and improvement
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of technology has led to better graphics, more powerful hardware and, as a result of all of this, even better gaming. The graphic output that current generation and new generation consoles are able to display gives game developers the ability to create the worlds and characters as they imagined them, with very little limitation. However, as advanced and graphically amazing as games are now, and even with the level of immersion that they are able to offer, nothing comes close to experiencing the game as though you were the characters themselves… no buttons to push, no controllers to use, just the gamer and the game. If the first thought that came to your mind was Xbox Kinect, you would not be too far off, but rather than a peripheral that “captures” your actions and movements and displays them on screen, how about a device that puts you “in” the game, in the onscreen character’s shoes...almost literally. This is possible through the latest gaming
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peripheral making waves worldwide: the Oculus Rift. The Oculus Rift is a virtual reality head-mounted display device and’ unlike the Kinect, Move, Wii or similar peripherals that use a camera or infrared to detect or capture a player’s movements, it uses the display mounted on the player’s head to “transport” the player into the game. The Oculus is also superior to other head-mounted devices due to that fact that while these other gadgets offer a diagonal field of view of around 40 degrees which the user sees as a small image in the distance, the Oculus gives a 110 degree field of view that completely hides the screen, to create a feeling of true immersion. The device has a 7-inch (18cm) wide screen, with stereoscopic 3D lenses that set to mimic normal human vision, offering peripheral vision to fill the user’s entire field of view. It displays at 1080p, offering DVI and HDMI input, with low latency 3-axis gyroscopes for tracking head movement (measuring
or maintaining orientation based on the amount of rotation an object has), accelerometers (measuring the acceleration experienced by an object) and magnetometers ( to measure the strength and direction of the magnetic field at a point in space); together these instruments ensure that the response time of the device to the user’s movement is accurate and smooth. Cost wise, the Occulus Rift is relatively cheap at US$350, while many other head-mounted displays of a similar nature go for over US$1000. So far, only the Oculus Developer Kit 2 is available for purchase, and it comes standard with a control box that houses all the attachments, including USB, HDMI, DVI and power cables, connecting them all via a single cable from the control box to the headset. The Oculus also comes standard with two DVI cables, a DVI to HDMI converter, USB cable, power cord as well as a set of eye cups that give different focal lengths for different
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perspectives; the device can also be used without the cups should players need to wear their glasses. Through the efforts of 21 year old Palmer Luckey the founder of Oculus VR, funding via Kickstarter and support from video game companies including Valve, Epic Games and Unity, the Oculus Rift Developer Kit has been handed over to video game developers in order to integrate the headset with more games. Many big names have backed the Oculus Rift, such as Scaleform Corporation and Unity (who develop video game engines), the University of Southern California’s Institute of Creative Technologies (USC ICT), Jack McCauley (the inventor of the first scrolling feature of the computer mouse and designer of the the guitars and drums of the Guitar Hero series) and many others. The goal of the companies and individuals working on the Occulus Rift is to create immersive virtual reality technology that is affordable for both gamers
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and developers. Facebook, on the other hand, looks to take the aspect of virtual reality beyond gaming and towards communication, media and entertainment, education and even towards being the next social and communications platform. Facebook has agreed to buy Palmer Luckey’s Oculus VR for US$400 million in cash and $23.1 million in Facebook shares, and should the company reach certain financial targets, Facebook will pay an additional US$300 million. As Mark Zuckerberg himself said regarding the Oculus Rift, “mobile is the platform of today, and now we’re also getting ready for the platforms of tomorrow. Oculus has the chance to create the most social platform ever, and change the way we work, play and communicate.” Sony, on the other hand, have seen the opportunity that the Oculus Rift is to the gaming industry and are developing their own VR head-
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mounted display, known as Project Morpheus, which will be usable with the Playstation 4. Project Morpheus is currently working on a 1080p LCD screen, offering a 90 degree field of view and will work together with the PlayStation camera and PlayStation Move peripherals. Developers, however, have stated that the final device will be quite different to the demos on display currently, both visually and internally. Although Sony is looking towards making the device wireless, the prototype works via a 5m cable and connects using HDMI and USB. Looking sharper and more refined than the Oculus Rift, Sony looks to up the game even further by adding 3D audio technology to Project Morpheus, allowing sounds to change along with the players’ head orientation by recreating positional audio, such as the engine noises of a helicopter flying overhead; the idea is to create
highly realistic sound in an immersive 360-degree virtual world. As for the pros and cons of both devices, they are very similar, much of it relating to the quality of the game objects’ graphics as well as slight nausea caused by motion sickness while wearing the device. However, both projects are looking strong, already integrated into various games that show off the power of the headsets and bring the future of virtual reality one step closer. At present we will not be seeing consumer versions of either device in 2014, though the Oculus Team has said that they would be disappointed if the consumer version was not yet available by 2016. In any case, we can look towards a hopeful 2015 anticipating the next era of gaming that is Virtual Reality. Oh, and if the price tag is too high for you, Google recently released plans for making your own VR headset at home… using cardboard. g
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Asus
G750JX The new monster
TECHNOLOGY
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here is a lot to be debated about getting a gaming notebook PC. You could throw about pros and cons aplenty in the discussion, but we’ll avoid that for here, and just concentrate on what exactly you get when you open the box of the Asus G750JX. And that, quite honestly, is monstrous power. This rather remarkable notebook sports a spec sheet that many desktop users could only aspire to after a lot of upgrading. It is truly a highperformance machine for those that want their gaming accessible anywhere. Along with the impressive spec (which we’ll get to in a few moments) comes a price tag that could also be described as “impressive” (although some may prefer the descriptor “heartstopping”). But that’s the nature of this kind of beats – building all that power into a portable unit comes at a price, and if it’s something you’re after, that’s one of the hazards you’ll need to navigate. So what’s all this power? Well, it starts off with a chunky Intel Core i7 4700HQ CPU, which blasts along at up to 3.4GHz. That is supported by a rather generous 32GB of DDR3 RAM – more than enough in anyone’s book, really. And there’s no sharing of RAM here, either – the graphics solution comes with a very generous 3GB of VRAM, and is powered by a GeForce GTX 770M chipset. Just those numbers along
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are enough to turn almost any PC user green. But the G750JX has even more on offer. Take, for example, the rather sweet 1TB hard drive, supported by an additional 256GB SSD (for that extra operating system speed). Or how about the four USB 3.0 ports, 2-in-1 card reader or Blu-Ray writer? Or how about on-board sound that, while not excellent, is still better than that of the vast majority of notebooks? Some of these specs can be scaled back, for a better price point, of course. But seeing a high spec G750JX in full flight is truly impressive, with crisp, smooth performance delivered via a full-HD 17.3 inch display. Actual full flight is something that it probably won’t achieve. You don’t need to worry about throwing it away in frustration, because it is massive. The dimensions and weight live up to the big spec in this device, and portability is a little less than ideal, thanks to its large size and weight. Still, it is much more portable than any desktop rig would ever be, particularly a higher end (potentially heavier) machine. The real question arises from whether the price tag meets the specifications. This is not a cheap machine, and what the end user is really paying for here is the increased ease in terms of portability, space requirements and set-up. As far as performance goes, though, it is really incredible. g gamecca61
Gaming N
Asus G750JX Gaming Notebook
by Walt Pretorius
Notebook
AT A GLANCE: Summary It costs a lot, it weighs a lot, and it puts out a lot – this is a very powerful machine in a portable package.
Tech Specs: • • • • • • •
3.4GHz CPU 32GB RAM 3GB VRAM GeForce GTX 770M chip 1TB HDD 256GB SSD
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SCORE
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H C EW E T VI E R
MSI
Z97M
Gaming Motherbo
TECHNOLOGY
Building on the new standard‌
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MSI Z97M Gaming otherboard
by Walt Pretorius
oard
T
he aesthetic appeal of a motherboard is a relatively strange thing. Those who really know their stuff can ooh and ah over even the plainest looking board, because they see all the potential in the components. But those that can’t tell what all the bits mean may look for a little more in terms of the overall picture… if it even matters at all. The board may be hidden in a box without a window, after all. But that hasn’t stopped MSI from producing great looking boards for their Gaming Series of components. The Z97M Gaming motherboard is great to look at, with a black finish accented in a vivid red. The new look heat sinks are particularly striking, and anyone using this board in a case with windows is sure to impress. But a motherboard is less about looks and more about performance, really… and it is here that the Z97M Gaming also manages to put up a great show… at an affordable price, too. The formula comes down to a number of things used in combination. We already expect high-grade, top-quality components from MSI’s boards. In fact, these have become a standard across almost all brands now, so their inclusion is becoming somewhat unremarkable. Rather, it turns to systems that are employed by the board, including things like improved audio performance and tweaked LAN capabilities. And, of course, the ever-present potential for overclocking. This board offers all of those and more. Quite honestly, though, many of these features have also become expected from a Gaming Series product. Things like Killer E2200 networking, which prioritises gaming traffic and results in less lag, is something we have seen from several iterations of these boards. It does feature an improved audio system, in the form of Audio Boost 2 technology (which makes use of all kinds of things like high quality capacitors, EMI shielding and gold plated audio jacks), and steady power delivery to USB ports means that audio via USB remains clear and problem free. And, of course, there’s the support for multiple GPUs, as well as the improved Gaming App (which makes overclocking even easier than older MSI solutions). This board really is a great performer, despite the fact that the Gaming Series is settling into welltraversed paths in terms of technology. From its stable, reliable performance through to the 8 USB 3.0 ports it offers (in addition to 6 USB 2.0), the Z97M Gaming motherboard is a great option that won’t break the bank. MSI have done a lot over the years to improve their standing in the components arena, and this is one of the products that shows off their gathered experience and technological advances. And it looks good, too. g
AT A GLANCE: Summary
As to be expected from the MSI Gaming Series component line, this board is feature rich and reliable.
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MS I Co re x w w w . c o re x. c o . z a
Tech Specs: • • • • • • •
Z97 Express chipset 8 USB 3.0 ports 6 USB 2.0 ports 6 SATA ports Killer E2200 Networking Sound Blaster Cinema 2 MSI Gaming App
SCORE
85 99
H C EW E T VI E R
SteelSeries
Sensei
The master, untied…
TECHNOLOGY
T
he days or needing a wired mouse for gaming are pretty much over. Advanced in technology mean that the odd stuttering that could occur while using a wireless mouse for playing games just a few years ago is securely a thing of the past. Additionally, improvements in battery life have made wireless mouse devices a much better option, and most of them – like SteelSeries’ Sensei Wireless – offer options for direct cord plug-in, enabling recharging while the user is still employing the mouse. The Sensei Wireless, as the name implies, takes the popular Sensei mouse and cuts its tail off. It still features the excellent, ambidextrous design that worked so well for the original Sensei. It still comes with a sweat resistant coating, and fully customisable lighting. And it still delivers excellent performance. But now it comes with a study charging base that is also
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customisable in terms of illumination, and can indicate charge level and even currently enabled user profiles. And unlike some other rechargeable gaming mouse devices, the horizontal design of the charging dock makes it almost impossible to misalign; getting the Sensei charging is, quite literally, a case of putting it down on the dock. It rests snugly there, quietly charging away, and won’t easily become unseated. It’s a clever design in all, even though it does take up a little more space than some other docks. As for the mouse itself, well… we expect performance from the Sensei products, and the wireless version is no different. Its laser sensor is extremely sensitive at a rating of 8200dpi, and the 1ms response time is excellent for snap decisions in-game. Of equal importance for a wireless mouse is battery life, which the Sensei does rather well at. With around 20 hours of continuous play from a single charge, it’s pretty
gamecca61
SteelSeries Sensei Wireless Laser Mouse
by Walt Pretorius
Laser Mouse
chunky. Add to that the fact that the UBS cable can easily be unplugged from the charging dock and plugged into the mouse (for charging while playing) and it looks even better. Speaking of looks, the Sensei Wireless sticks to the same stylish yet simple design ideas that can be found in almost all of SteelSeries’ mouse products. Clean lines abound, and a minimum of flashiness keeps things elegant. And, of course, there are the customisation option, which are handled through SteelSeries Engine 3 software (along with other handy things like profiles and such). The Sensei Wireless is a great performer. It’s sensitive and responsive, and feels great in the hand. It’s a little noisier than one would expect, with a audible click response that is greater than most others. But that’s a small price to pay for a really comfortable, ambidextrous, responsive eight button mouse. g
AT A GLANCE: Summary
While the Sensei Wirless may look a bit understated, it’s simpler appearance hides great performance.
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S t e e l S e ri e s Me ga ro m w w w . me ga ro m. c o m
Tech Specs: • • • • • • •
8200dpi 1ms response Wireless Customisable 20 hour battery life
SCORE
90 101
H C EW E T VI E R
Gioteck
AX1-R
Gaming H
TECHNOLOGY
Your PS4 companion
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Gioteck AX1-R Gaming Headset for PS4
by Walt Pretorius
Headset
I
t’s been some time (in terms of the gaming industry, that is, where time works differently) since the release of the PS4, but we haven’t seen many peripherals out of third party manufacturers just yet. The main concentration, it seems, is on headsets – thanks to the new systems and tech built into the PS4, using a headset with it is much easier than with previous generations of Sony’s console. If the third-party manufacturers do things right, it really is just a matter of a single jack plugged into the base of your PS4 controller. A quick setting tweak on the PS4 (outputting all audio to the controller) and you’re done, enjoying personal audio while gaming. That is exactly the approach that Gioteck took with their AX1-R Gaming Headset for PlayStation 4. No mess, no fuss. Just a single jack, a PS4 setting tweak, and you’re good to go with both chat and game audio. It really is that simple – these headphones are so easy to use that anyone – and I mean anyone – could set them up. One criticism that could be aimed at the AX1-R is that they aren’t wireless. But if you consider that the wire they have attached literally goes from the left ear-cup directly to the controller in your hand, that’s not a really big point. They do draw power from the controller, though, and with the PS4 controller already being a bit shy on battery life, that particular impact means that your charging cable may be needed more often than normal. The AX1-R headset is comfortable and relatively compact, with small over-ear cups that are generously padded delivering audio that is quite decent, delivered by 40mm drivers. It isn’t mindblowing, but it certainly gets the job done. The construction of the headset feels a little flimsy, but this is deceptive; this headset is tougher than it appears. The flat cable is great in avoiding tangles, and features an essential in-line volume control. This control only sets overall audio, though – a split between chat and game audio would have been awesome, but as things stand, you’ll need to adjust a general a balance between the two via the PS4 settings. The adjustable mic can be flipped out of the way when not in use, but the ear-cups themselves don’t have a lot of play in terms of rotation. On the whole, the AX1-R feels just a little simple in design. That’s often a good thing, but there are always extra bells and whistles that add improved experience. Still, it’s an early attempt by Gioteck for the PS4, and speaks of great things to come. And its simplicity makes using it extremely convenient, which is always a bonus. g
AT A GLANCE: Summary
This really is an easy headset to use, and while it might have benefitted from a few bells and whistles, it certainly gets the job done for PS4 gamers. Ma nuf a c t ure r D i s t ri but e r: Onl i ne :
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Gi o t e c k A pe x I nt e ra c t i v e w w w . a pe xi nt . c o . z a
Tech Specs: • • • • • • •
40mm drivers Single jack Positionable mic Inline volume controls
SCORE
79 103
Asus
TECHNOLOGY
The subtle difference…
Maximus Vii
Ranger Motherboard
G
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etting the perfect motherboard for your needs can be a fairly tricky exercise. Most people will base their decision on pricing weighed against features, but in the case of comparing Asus’ Maximus VII Hero and Maximus VII Ranger boards, it gets almost silly. The difference between these two boards is almost negligible. Almost, mind you, because the two key differences may be exactly the things you’re looking for. Let’s get them out of the way. The Hero is a little more expensive, because it features eight SATA ports (against the Ranger’s six) and a slightly better power supply to the CPU. And that, friends and neighbours, are the only real differences that come into play. Anything else really is negligible and, for the most part, invisible. Despite running two less SATA ports and a different CPU power architecture, the Ranger is still an extremely good motherboard, and might be a better bet for a cash-strapped individual. Although the Asus Republic of Gamers (ROG) products carry a slightly higher price point than other, often comparable, products, they do tend to deliver a high level of performance. This is because Asus employ an approach that combines high quality components with great architecture and excellent special features. And the approach shows in the Ranger. It sports a Z97 Express chipset (putting it high up in the spec sheets) and supports up the 32GB of DDR3 RAM. It also offer six USB 3.0 and seven USB 2.0 ports, as well as dual PCI-e 3.0 ports, complete with CrossFire and SLI support. And it also offers a host of features that range from excellent sound and superior gaming LAN capabilities, through to keyboard management systems and a host of protective systems to ensure longevity and improved performance. Choosing between the Ranger and the extremely similar Hero variants of the Maximus VII range is difficult. To say that either board is superior to the other is next to impossible. One provides a little more in terms of hardware, while the other offers a better price. Yet their performances are so close that you would need decent analytical systems to really identify a difference between the two, and even then it is minor. It is almost a case of offering too much variety. Some may disagree with that statement, but the minor differences between these two great motherboards may not really be enough to warrant two different versions. You’ll do well with either one, and even at the “lower” end of the comparison, the Maximus VII Ranger is a board that will put many others in it’s class to shame. As always, Asus comes through with a great product in the form of the Maximus VII Ranger motherboard. g gamecca61
by Walt Pretorius
H C EW E T VI E R
Asus Maximus VII Ranger Motherboard
AT A GLANCE: Summary The Ranger motherboard possesses all the reliability one would expect from an Asus motherboard.
Tech Specs: • • • • • • •
Intel Z97 Express chipset CrossFire / SLI compliant GameFirst III technology SupremeFX technology Sonic SenseAmp 6 USB 3.o ports 7 USB 2.0 ports
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SCORE
88 gamecca61
105
H C EW E T VI E R
Razer
Adaro
Stereos Analo
TECHNOLOGY
Breaking new ground
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Razer Adaro Stereos Analog Headphones
by Walt Pretorius
og Headphones
E
xpanding into new areas is almost always vital for a business to not only survive, but flourish. And if those areas are something that the business already has some experience in, then it’s a massive bonus. Even better, that new expansion may be taking existing products and knowledge and applying them to a new market – and it is this latter activity that Razer has begun undertaking with their range of headsets. There really isn’t much reason for the Californian manufacturer to try with the mouse and keyboard side of things, because they already have a strong presence in the gamer market, and that’s the market that really concerns itself with PC input devices that are above the norm. But headphones… well, everyone loves good sound, and Razer know how to produce just that. Last month we took a look at a product that was modified from their existing range to appeal to a broader audience (the Kraken Hooligan ePanda edition headset) but this month we try something different. This headset is aimed at a wider audience without leveraging any of the company’s existing products. While the technology that goes into the Adaro Stereos is something that Razer has worked hard to develop, the product-line itself is brand new. But all that experience means a lot, and it shows in the remarkably good performance that the Adaro Stereos delivers. Making use of custom-tuned 40mm dynamic drivers, the Adaro Stereos deliver audio that is excellent across the whole sound range. From rich, throbbing bass to crisp mids and clear high tones, this headset packs a punch. Not just in quality, but in raw volume power, too. They’re loud when you want them to be, and deliver audio that is free of distortion even at ear-bleeding levels. That does bring up one shortcoming of the Adaro Stereos; no volume control. Perhaps PC users are more used to the idea of in-line or on-ear controls for things like volume, but having that kind of direct control is a great idea for everyone… and an idea that shouldn’t be left by the wayside because the mainstream may not be used to it. Get them used to it. We live in an age of super-convenience, and not having quick access to volume controls is contrary to that idea. Another apparent niggle is the small degree of turn that the ear-cups have. But when you take a closer look, you will notice that the construction of the entire headset allows for great comfort, due to a high degree of flexibility. Despite this, it is still sturdy and extremely comfortable, with generous over-ear padding and a comfy headband. They may not come with all the bells and whistles (or even a mic) but as far as general purpose, stereo headphones go, the Adaro Stereos are a hard act to follow. g
AT A GLANCE: Summary
A great entrant into a wider market from Razer, who show off their personal audio experience with this headset. Ma nuf a c t ure r D i s t ri but e r: Onl i ne :
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Razer Co re x w w w . c o re x. xo . z a
Tech Specs: • • • • • • •
40mm drivers Stereo Lightweight Fully adjustable Compatible with mobile devices
SCORE
89 107
H C EW E T VI E R
Crucial
MX100
by Walt Pretorius
The new monster
512GB SSD
108
AT A GLANCE:
TECHNOLOGY
T
hose few people that still foolishly argue against SSDs have only one weapon left – capacity. An SSD tends to be smaller in capacity that a traditional hard drive, and an HDD arguably offers more bang for your buck. Sure, they are still an expensive prospect, but the capacity argument is slowly being chipped away by devices like the Crucial MX100. This SSD weighs in at 512GB, which is more than enough for what people are normally using as boot drives. And it confirms that we will be seeing larger capacity SSDs soon. And, of course, there is the joy of 6gb/s speeds, as well as the reliability of no moving parts and less heat generation. As soon as pricing on SSDs comes down a bit more, they’re be the new standard – and a better one at that. g
Crucial MX100 512GB SSD SUMMARY
A great brand for SSDs, and a nice size…
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SCORE
91 Cruc i a l S ynt e c h w w w . s ynt e c h. c o . z a
TECH SPECS • • • 2.5 inch drive • 512GB • 6gb/s SATA • •
a Seasonic X-Series 1250W PSU Courtesy of Syntech TO ENTER: Send an email to competitions@gameccamag.com Tell us who distributes Seasonic in South Africa. Insert “Seasonic” in the mail’s subject line Subscribe to www.gameccamag.com Become a fan on Gamecca’s Facebook Page
Competition closes 31 July 2014. Gamecca subscribers only. South African residents only. Prizes may not be exchanged for cash. Competition closed to employees (& employee’s family) of 1337 Media CC and Syntech. The judges’ decision is final. co mp e t i t i on • c o mp et it io n • c o mp et i ti on • com pe ti ti on • com pe ti ti on • com p etition •
com p e ti ti on • com p e ti ti on • com p e ti ti on • com p e ti ti on • com pe ti ti on • com petition • c omp et itio n • c ompetition • co mpetition
WIN
H C EW E T VI E R
Asus
Orion
Gaming Headset
Upgrade your audio…
TECHNOLOGY
S
ometimes tried and tested is better than all new and modern. Sometimes it isn’t. And sometimes it comes down to a matter of taste, like watching movies in 3D or not, or having surround sound as opposed to stereo. None of those situations are really (really, truly) better than the other – they just come down to how you want to experience things. I have to admit that I am still largely undecided on a few of those things – everything has its place, as far as I am concerned. And when you get great audio, the fact that it is stereo does little to downplay it. Asus’ Orion Gaming Headset, part of their Republic of Gamers (ROG) line does just that… this headset delivers exceptionally good sound that is stereo and, quite frankly, that is a great thing. It is better to have great stereo audio than worse sound in surround, even if many feel that surround sound is the be all and end all of audio. Along with the great audio, which delivers clarity across the sound spectrum, comes a massive amount of simplicity. The Orion headset is an uncomplicated affair, making use of a more traditional in-line volume control and dual jacks for sound and mic. The mic volume is unfortunately not adjustable from here, but a handy mute switch is present. The mic is a fully positionable, flexible one
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that retracts into the left ear cup. The ear cups are large, and house wonderfully balanced 50mm neodymium drivers that create great sound. Generous ear cup padding, as well as headband padding, make the already lightweight Orions a joy to use for protracted periods of time. The braided cable is a nice finishing touch; it will remain intact no matter how many times your chair tries to eat it. In addition to comfort and great audio comes 30dB noise isolation, which effectively minimises outside interference without the need for a powered solution. All of this is rendered in a visually striking package that carries the ROG feel beautifully. Tastefully minimal red accents contrast against the matt black finish of the headset, making it look as good as it sounds. The only real downside is that the ear cups don’t feature any real rotation – they can be jiggles from side to side a bit, but they don’t rotate effectively. True, this would only really overly concern people with oddly shaped heads, but the thought would have been nice (particularly considering that rotating ear cups are a feature of many competitor brands). If you like your audio to be stereo-flavoured, the Orion headset is certainly a good bet. It is compatible with a wide variety of devices, too, because of its 3.5mm jacks, even though it is marketed as a PC gaming headset. g gamecca61
Asus Orion Gaming Headset
by Walt Pretorius
AT A GLANCE: Summary
This simple stereo headset delivers a ton of great audio at the end of the day…
Tech Specs: • • • • • • •
50mm neodymium drivers 30dB noise isolation In-line volume controls 3.5mm jacks Stereo
A s us A s us w w w . a s us . c o m
SCORE
85 gamecca61
111
H C EW E T VI E R
Razer
Mamba And it’s wireless, too!
TECHNOLOGY
I
t seems like a great many years ago that Razer introduced their mouse line to the world in the form of the original Boomslang. It was many years ago, actually, and Razer have used the time in the interim to create numerous iterations of pointing devices, improving technology and design steadily as they went. The sort-of culmination of that process (and I say “sort-of” because this certainly isn’t the last mouse that Razer will create) is the Mamba Elite Ergonomic Gaming Mouse. And it screams quality, from its sensible design right through to it’s expensive-looking packaging. Looks are important with a mouse, and the whole package can only be described (and I cringe at using the word) as sexy. From the ergonomically designed right handed mouse through to the non-invasive charging dock, Razer put a lot of thought into the
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Elite Erg
aesthetic that the Mamba offers. It’s not unlike the Ouroboros in concept, but it certainly is a better looking device. It lacks the myriad adjustments of the Ouroboros, too, but it’s slightly larger size and great shaping makes them almost unnecessary. The charging dock features a removable cable that can be plugged directly into the mouse, turning the wireless Mamba into a wired mouse if necessary. Either way, it performs admirably, thanks to 4G Dual Sensor technology that combines an optical and a laser sensor, providing excellent tracking across a massive array of surfaces. This, combines with a sensitivity of 6400dpi and 1000Hz ultrapolling, means that the mouse is extremely sensitive. Add 2.4GHz wireless technology to the mix, for a smooth signal that minimised stuttering, and you don’t run into the issues that made wireless pointing devices a poor choice for gaming a few years ago. Additionally, the dual
gamecca61
Razer Mamba Elite Ergonomic Gaming Mouse
by Walt Pretorius
gonomic Gaming
sensors offer an adjustable tracking distance, meaning that lifting the mouse won’t result in unwanted movement. The user can define this distance, too, which is handy. Additionally, the Mamba offers a great battery life, thanks to a much better battery system. Instead of using rechargeable AA or AAA batteries, the Mamba uses a battery that is similar to those of a mobile phone or digital camera. It’s a bit of a pain to fit, but once you get it seated, it does a fantastic job. The only real problem here is one that arises often with Razer – and almost every other mouse manufacturer. The Mamba leaves lefties cold. It you’re a southpaw, the ergonomic design and placement of the Mamba’s seven buttons won’t work for you. The Mamba is a great mouse, when all is said and done, and goes a long way to prove that the days of gaming mouse devices needing a cable are long gone. g
AT A GLANCE: Summary
Although it marginalises lefties, the Mamba is a fine example of just how far wireless mouse technology has come.
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Razer Co re x w w w . c o re x. xo . z a
Tech Specs: • • • • • • •
4G Dual Sensor technology 6400dpi 1000Hz ultrapolling Wireless 16 hour battery life Multi-colour lighting
SCORE
90 113 113
H C EW E T VI E R
Creative Sound Blaster
Recon 3D Upgrade your audio…
TECHNOLOGY
114
gamecca61
cable to consoles (using a highly specialised optical cable, so don’t lose it). Using a quad-core 3D sound processor, the Recon 3D will produce virtual surround sound (7.1) on any headset… and even though the headset interfaces with the Recon 3D using a standard 3.5mm audio jack, it works. And it can be toggled on and off with the touch of one button. The Recon 3D also offers chat functionality with all compatible platforms, and allows the user to adjust volumes independently. Speaking of volume, it features (also at the touch of a button) a “scout” mode, which enhances audio and theoretically provides players with an edge over those who don’t have it. Hearing them before they hear you might just make all of the difference. In all fairness, whether the Recon 3D will turn you into a better player or not is very highly debatable. However, what it does do is give tools, and these tools provide edges that players can take advantage of. It won’t make you more accurate if you can’t hit an elephant in the butt with a bazooka at three yards, but it will provide a higher degree of audio signals and signs that may just help you get the drop on the dude sneaking up to knife you in the back. And it does the job of creating virtual surround sound really well. g
by Walt Pretorius
T
op notch gamers – actually, any gamer who takes their gaming even moderately seriously – will tell you that great audio is an important aspect of getting things right in a game, whether in competitive multiplayer or single player. Having audio information that is effectively relayed to them can not only improve the experience, but actually provide an edge over those with poorer setups. However, the audio you get delivered to your speakers or headphones (the better option) is only as good as it’s source, and while game developers really do put a lot into making the sound in a game as good as they can, the hardware that lies between the source code and the user’s ears can result in loss of fidelity. For those that want to ensure only the best when it comes to audio, there are a few solutions. Sound cards are one of them. The other option is to have a USB-based sound processor, like Creative’s Recon 3D. The Beauty of the Recon 3D, though, is that it doesn’t only work with your computer… The Recon 3D can be used with PC and Mac, as well as PS3 and Xbox 360. Theoretically it will work with the newer consoles, too, but the chat system employed by it may not be compatible. It connects via USB to a computer, and via USB and optical
Su
Creative Sound Blaster Recon 3D Surround Sound Processor
by Walt Pretorius
AT A GLANCE:
urround Sound Processor
SUMMARY
It might not make you a better gamer, but it will certainly give you an edge or too in audio terms.
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SCORE
89 Cre a t i v e Me ga ro m w w w . me ga ro m. c o . z a
TECH SPECS • • • • • • •
Quad core audio processor PC, PS3, X360 compatible THX enabled Scout mode Chat enabled
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Take an Internet Sick Day TECHNOLOGY
Using tech as an excuse... 116
mgeect 2 c4a 6 1 ggl a ad
by Suvesh Arumugam
in terms of alternative, ergonomic products and treatment. So if you’re looking to find a believable condition to sell to your superiors, I’ve put together a few very plausible ones (and a few that may be a slightly tougher sell). 2014 marked the first Internet Congress on Internet Addiction Disorders, which was held in Milan. The study of Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD) was pioneered by Dr Kimberely Young, who first proposed the condition in
TAKE AN INTERNET SICK DAY
I
n one of my very first jobs as a young post-teenage kidult, I worked in a music retail store with quite a few other guys my age. Having all just traded in our stern high school principal for a watchful store manager, a topic of discussion was often how to get out of work without getting into trouble. After your second sick day in the month, that just happened to be on a Monday after a weekend bender, the wrong eyebrows would invariably be raised. One very brave soul (let’s call him Dave, bless him) happened on carpal tunnel syndrome, a condition causing numbness or weakness due to muscle damage in wrists, as a possible way out. His reason for contracting the condition – excessive mouse movements due to PC gaming. Although we know that Dave was well ahead of his time and would probably have a little more sympathy today, our erstwhile work-bunking pioneer received no quarter. Knowing what we know now, there are probably several thousands of computer users suffering from either carpal tunnel or various forms of fibromyalgia (pain and tenderness in joints, especially shoulders and back) due to long sustained sessions online or in front or a PC or gaming console. Not only is it accepted that there are repetitive stress injuries due to professional and recreational use of computers, but there is a multi-million (billion) dollar industry established
PC screens or game consoles are forces to attended military schoollike bootcamps where they are re-educated. America also has established multiple clinics to treat the disorders (Betty Ford style) with therapy, mediation and methods for addicts to self-regulate their digital urges. Have you ever had that sinking feeling when you post a status update that nobody bothered to like or comment on? Or just realised that it’s been weeks since anyone tagged you or shared something on your timeline. You could have Facebook Depression. Recent academic studies have dubbed this condition that basically applies to people who actively cultivate an online image of the perfect life, while their real lives are far from happy. Symptoms of the condition include obsession about the social media activity, spending most of their time alone engaging online, rapidly degrading academic or work performance, physical health decline and frequent mood swings. Now before you start reeling off your list of conditions to your boss hoping to get out of tomorrow’s stock take or board presentation, you might want to be careful. There is now a condition call Munchausen by Internet. Munchausen Syndrome is a term applied to people who falsify symptoms of various illnesses to draw attention to themselves (named after
Do you have Facebook depression, CIU OR PIU? 1996 (probably to much sneering and derision by the medical community). IAD is also linked to Compulsive Internet Use (CIU) and Problematic Internet Use (PIU). The condition covers multiple aspects of illness including psychological factors, physical damage, emotional impairment, social and functional degradation and more. It essentially deals with excessive online reading, gaming, gambling, infidelity, sexting, porn and video streaming activities that occur to the extent that they impair normal life substantially. If you think it’s a joke – think again. Countries like Korea and China believe this condition is at almost epidemic status. So much so that China declared IAD an officially recognised illness in 2008. Now teens that can’t be separated from their smartphones,
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the famous German Baron who’s fantastic accounts of his deeds were famously fabricated). Munchausen by Internet is a variation where people falsely present themselves with illnesses or symptoms of illnesses, particularly in forums or chat rooms. One of the most memorable examples was Kaycee Nicole, who convinced the internet world that she was a teenager dying of leukemia for two years between 1999 and 2001 (she was really Debbie Swenson, the mother of a teenage daughter). This is not to be confused with Cyberchondria, which is the tendency to believe that you have a disease that you’ve read about online. You might do a little better with Cybersickness. When Apple released IOS in late 2013, support forums started filling with complaints from people feeling disorientated and nauseous after viewing the new interface. This was attributed to Apple using a parallax effect which makes icons on the home screen appear to be moving within a three dimensional space. Cybersickeness has actually been around for almost 25 years and occurs when some people interact with certain digital environments or virtual reality systems, resulting in a kind of motion sickness. If you really want to break the mould, your best bet would be Nomophobia. Simply put, it’s the fear of not having access to a
mobile device. For some this brings on a total panic/anxiety attack, and this phobia is a recognised mental disorder. There are already treatment clinics around the world where you can seek professional help for what many have realised is much more than a First World Problem. People suffering from this phobia probably also show signs of Phantom Ringing Disorder, where patients experience phantom buzzing which leads them
TECHNOLOGY
Cyberchondria, a disease that you have read about online...
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to believe their phones are ringing when they’re not (or sometimes not even in their pockets). You might find some of these a little hard to get your headmaster or team leader to swallow, so my suggestion would be to stick to the basics like Eye Strain, Back Pain or Headaches (and here you can choose from Tension Headaches, Chronic Daily Headaches or Stress Headaches). Of course you will have to find a medical professional to diagnose or verify these conditions. And worse, someone who actually suffers from these conditions may take offense at you using them in such a trivial manner. So when you think of it, there’s nothing more reliable than calling in sick with the flu, and making the appropriate coughs and sneezes over the phone to sell it.
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ccording to research conducted by World Wide Worx and Fuseware, there are 9.4-million active Facebook users in South Africa. This makes Mark Zuckerberg’s pet Harvard project, launched in 2004, the biggest social network in the country at the moment. So it seems to be a given that Facebook dominates virtually everywhere it is accessible. But despite the convenience of using it to stay in touch with family and friends, there is also a dark side associated with it malicious users can take the personal information you share on Facebook, and abuse it for anything from identity theft purposes to potentially breaking into your house while you’re on holiday or more serious crimes. Granted, this is a problem not only relevant to Facebook as any social network by default tries to create a culture of sharing information freely between users. However, since this platform is growing on an annual basis in the country, it warrants closer scrutiny. Cybercriminals use a range of financial scams to steal money and they can make bogus friend requests on Facebook in order to capture your personal information. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when it comes to your Facebook habits, what you put on your profile, and how you share information.
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Verify every Facebook contact. Make sure the person you are talking to is the person you think it is. Protect your banking and financial information. Never disclose anything about your bank accounts, credit cards,
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or any other financial information. Some recommend not even mentioning the name of the bank you are currently with to be extra safe. Be wary of strangers. Just as in the real world, always be mindful of who you are talking to on social networks. Do not just blindly accept friend requests from a person you do not know or one who might share a mutual friend. Keep your password secure. As with any password, use a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols to make it difficult for malicious users to work it out. Change your password frequently and do not use the same password for other Web sites. Secure your computer and mobile devices. Chances are you are using Facebook on a combination of your laptop, tablet, and smartphone. Make sure that each of those devices has anti-malware software installed that is kept up to date against the latest viruses, worms, and other threats. Make sure only your friends can see your profile. You would not walk up to a stranger and tell him (or her) your life story. So why do you want to do it on Facebook? Check your privacy settings on who can see what about your personal profile and posts. Control who can contact you. By default, Facebook allows any friends and people you might know to send a message to your inbox. Increase the filtering to allow only friends to message you to minimise the risk of getting spam or links to phishing Web sites.
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Set up login notifications. Facebook can send you an alert every time someone accesses your account from an unknown computer or device. This gives you a warning that someone has gained unauthorised access to your account. Protecting your personal information. You might have noticed an increase in the amount of ‘social ads’ you see on Facebook. Essentially, Facebook can track what you do on the social network and deliver customised ads to you. What is more, these ads are often the result of ‘liking’ a page so your friends will also get those ads. Visit your account settings in Facebook, go to the ads tab, and choose ‘no one’ if you want to keep ads hidden from friends. Checking in. Many of us like to share when we arrive at a specific location. It could be to catch the latest movie or show where you are travelling. If a malicious user is following you, he or she might use that information to track you or to go to your home when you are not there. Appearing in search results. If someone Googles your name, it is possible that your Facebook profile and picture will be shown in the results. Go to your privacy settings in Facebook and uncheck the public search box in the ‘Apps and Websites’ tab if you do not want this happening. While it might sound like we are needlessly paranoid, it is always better to be cautious when it comes to social networking. Stay safe. Until next month. g
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Protection from Facebook Social networking tips and tricks
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h… it’s funny how technology almost comes full-circle. I guess it can be likened to the horrible fashion and trends from the 1980’s which are surprisingly making somewhat of a comeback. And let’s not get started on the music… For those that can remember, way back in the day the whole virtual reality thing was touted as being the next big thing in gaming since the development of gaming console. We had huge headset devices, dance mats and power gloves. While they were mostly out of the reach of us common folk, they were advertised in seemingly every magazine – in their back and white glory with children happily playing along. And then there was the crash. Well, it wasn’t really a crash as much as it was a very quick fizzle. I guess everybody realized that while the technology was really cool, it was incredibly expensive to buy and even more so to develop for. Before gamers even know that they could be playing in a different reality, the technology disappeared from shelves. I’m not entirely sure if
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it was from a lack of sales, or if children just preferred to play outside, but it is what it is… For two decades everything was quiet and good in gaming land, and then Oculus V.R started development on the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset. Making use of the power of crowdfunding, the company originally took to Kickstarter to get the project underway. Suddenly there was a resurgence (albeit somewhat muted) of V.R and everybody wanted a slice of the headset pie. Needless to say, Oculus got there funding and developed away, producing a working prototype, and then a fully-functioning model. MOST people though it was a nifty but unsustainable business model that they were working on. Just like the early days, it was a “nice to have” but nobody really needed a V.R headset … and then Oculus V.R got bought by Facebook. The watershed moment for virtual reality finally arrived, and all of a sudden it was incredibly hipster to like Rift and support the cause. It can be argued that people outside of the tech world didn’t know about Oculus
before the Facebook buyout, but it definitely helped to elevate their social standing and awareness. It was round about the same time that Sony announced their Project Morpheus headset. Designed on the same principle, it’s the electronics giant’s answer to Rift, and should start hitting the shelves next year or sometime in 2016. Since then a number of other companies have also started development of their own commercial headsets. It’s fast becoming the go-to technology, but it’s not for everyone. Games developer Ubisoft said that a substantial number of Rift units will have to be sold in order for them to start developing games for it. Even still, companies are forging ahead and trying to sell the consumer on the idea that if gaming wasn’t realistic enough, you now need a giant set of goggles that plugs into your console to immerse yourself even further. So we have seen the emergence of the technology, the fateful decline and then an upsurge in popularity and development. It is always funny when technology
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Boxing The Revolution...
(or anything for that matter) comes full circle, and someone will give you a cheaper version, that doesn’t need all the development and research that companies are doing. At the end of Google’s I/O developer conference, they showed off and gave everyone Google’s virtual reality headset. Simply called Cardboard, it is a headset that is held together with glue, elastic bands and some other household items. Oh yes, and it’s made entirely out of cardboard. The company tried to prove that you can don’t need all the expensive gadgets to get a great experience, and even made the blueprints available to the public so that they can build their own. Sure it doesn’t work with your television or gaming console, but Google also released the SDK so that gamers can code their own VR applications for their smartphones. All of this from a piece of cardboard and some thumb tacks. It kind of makes you realize that all this technology that we spend our hard-earned cash on, we don’t actually need. Or there is a cardboard version for it. g
a Razer Kraken World of Tanks Headset Courtesy of Razer TO ENTER: Send an email to competitions@gameccamag.com Tell us which game this headset is a special edition for. Insert “WoT” in the mail’s subject line Subscribe to www.gameccamag.com Become a fan on Gamecca’s Facebook Page
Competition closes 31 July 2014. Gamecca subscribers only. South African residents only. Prizes may not be exchanged for cash. Competition closed to employees (& employee’s family) of 1337 Media CC and Razer. The judges’ decision is final. co mp e t i t i on • c o mp et it io n • c o mp et i ti on • com pe ti ti on • com pe ti ti on • com p etition •
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The Geek Gathering Dead Cool
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The Time Inbetwixt
Gadget Reviews 136 137 138 139 140 141
Logitech K400 Wireless Touch Keyboard Kisai Quasar LCD Watch Romoss eUSB Ranger 95 Charger Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-QX10 Camera Sony Xperia E1 Mobile Handset Sony Xperia M2 Mobile Handset
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Preacher Graphic Novels The Walking Dead Graphic Novels The Sandman Graphic Novels y: The Last Man Graphic Novels
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Gathering
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For over two decades, Johannesburg based fans of comics, cosplay, role-playing, card games, board games and table-top war games have had something to look forward to as have like-minded people from around the county, who travel far and wide to attend ICON. The ICON Comics and Games Convention is a festival of what is commonly referred to as “geek culture”, and was around long before the concept became cool. Over the years ICON has grown from strength to strength, giving thousands of people the opportunity to get their geek on with like-minded people, and providing great times to boot, all in a laid back environment and friendly atmosphere. With ICON 2014 fast approaching, we had a quick chat with Grant Charlton, the organiser of the ICON Comics and Games Convention (and owner of Outer Limits Johannesburg and Cape Town), to find out more about ICON’s history, and what we can expect from the next event. gamecca61
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GM. When did Icon begin? GC. The first ICON was held at Patterson Park Recreation Centre in 1992 in response to an unsatisfactory role-playing con in Braamfontein. The original crew thought they could do better – apparently they could! This year is the 23rd ICON! GM. How has ICON grown over all those years? GC. ICON 1 had about 120 attendee’s , ICON 2013 about 2200. We are constrained by the space we have available – we are limited to small venues as we don’t have major corporate sponsorship and don’t want to charge R 200 a person in entrance fees… So the Dome and Gallahager Estates are out! GM. What can attendees expect at ICON 2014? GC. More fun and games than ever before. Most of your old favourite stalls and a handful of new ones, all selling all the stuff you don’t want to go home without. And enough varied tournaments and demos to make sure you have to come back next year to try the things you never had time for this year! GM. What kinds of activities will attendees be able to participate in at Icon 2014? GC. Table-top wargaming, card gaming, board gaming, role-playing, cosplay and a separate ICON costume competition. Highlights this year are the two board game competitions run by Boardgames SA (Ticket to Ride and Settlers of Catan) where the winners will be sent to represent SA in France and Germany respectively. And let’s not forget the ICON Magic Iron Man Competition… and much more than we can get into now – but we have an online brochure that has more details available. GM. Are these activities open to the public, or do those who want to participate need to register? GC. Most of them are, as that is the point of ICON. Unfortunately lack of space means some restrictions on entry may apply! Registration details will be in the brochure – book early to avoid disappointment.
GM. How many attendees do you anticipate for ICON 2014? GC. Well, that depends on the weather! Apparently geeks and gamers don’t do well in the cold or the wet! In mild weather, I expect at least 2500 – mostly on Saturday morning. Be warned if you don’t like crowds. GM. What kinds of displays and retailers can attendees expect to find there? GC. Comic shops, card shops, game shops, blades, apparel… pretty much anything geek. And plenty of food produced on the premises! Bring all your money! No, really – there are no ATMs on site, but most major retailers will have credit card facilities. GM. How would you best describe the ICON experience to someone who has never attended? GC.Overwhelming! But fun, a whole lot of fun. Expects sights you would never experience anywhere else! GM. Will there be demonstrations and the like for some of the activities that will be taking place? For those new to them, that is… GC. Friday will see a number of table-top demos (40K Warhammer Fantasy, and so on) and all three days there will be board game demos from Boardgames SA and Skycastle games, as well a home-grown one or two. I expect people will also be demoing X-Wing, Android Netrunner, HeroClix and Marvel Dice Masters. GM. What are the details – location, prices and times? GC. The full brochure will be available at your local geek store after 1 July, and it will also be available for download on www.outerlimits.co.za and www.rpg.co.za, as well as our Facebook site (https://www.facebook.com/groups /12781532669/) GM. What is your personal favourite aspect of Icon? GC. Drinking tequila at the after-party once it’s all done! SO there you have it. Check out ICON 2014’s brochure and take the opportunity to experience a great weekend with geeks and gamers of all ages from around the country. g
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THE GEEK GATHERING
GM. So what exactly is ICON? GC. The place and time you can let your inner geek out to play with tons of fellow geeks! Comics, games of all sorts, cosplay and geek culture merchandise of all descriptions: Star Wars, Star Trek, Dr Who, Big Bang Theory and items only the select few have heard of...
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The Time Betwixt
elcome, welcome! Please, take a seat, make yourself at home. Comfy? I’ll just assume so. My name’s Lein (pronounced lane… don’t ask), and I’ll be distracting you for the next five minutes of your life, probably while you wait for the kettle to boil or desperately try to quench a nicotine craving. So you’ve wondered into my little corner of cyberspace, this little segment inhabiting a fraction of your hard drive. My purpose you ask? To expound and expand on all things related to whatever you do in between the time you escape into alternate digital realities. Anyways, enough with the AA introductions. I’ve been given the chance to bitch about express my views on whatever takes my fancy, and I intend to take full advantage. So, without further ado, onwards into the fray my friends. I’ve been seeing a lot of talk lately about the
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evils of our tech driven lifestyles; the decay of our moral fibre and society as we become further isolated from one another by an invisible electronic wall. Facebook means that we no longer need to physically interact, Twitter has replaced genuine communication with byte-sized drivel and all in all we’re destined to decay into a world plucked straight from the imaginings of Ray Bradbury and the like. There’s even been a certain viral video, spoken all in prose, disclaiming the woes of a future lost due to the interference that technology has wrought in our lives. Bullshit. I’m not saying that there aren’t some truths to be found in all of this, but the hyperbole far exceeds the actual concern. Technology is our abused mistress: called upon in times of need but otherwise slandered at every other opportunity. Why wouldn’t we want a world where we can connect to each other at
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a moment’s notice? Have you ever tried arranging a get together or a date without using your phone? Smoke signals or Morse code just don’t cut it. Yeah yeah, we’ve all seen the pictures of teenage girls sitting around a table like some sort of modern day cellular coven, but the simple truth is the technology is prevalent for a reason: it makes socialising easier. Forget the “back in the good old days” crap, it’s a new age and we found new ways to meet and make friends. And trust me, the bars and clubs are not suffering for it. We haven’t lost some sacred connection to the people and communities around us, and we’re not in danger of a cell phone induced extinction. We’re simply doing what humanity has done throughout its existence, just through a digital medium. So climb off the soapbox and deal with reality. If you don’t like it, there’s a simple solution: don’t use it. g
BY Lein Baart
Days Of Our
a Box Full of AWESOME STUFF! Courtesy of OUR FIFTH BIRTHDAY! TO ENTER: Send an email to competitions@gameccamag.com Tell us what you think is in the box. Insert “Box” in the mail’s subject line Subscribe to www.gameccamag.com Become a fan on Gamecca’s Facebook Page
Competition closes 31 July 2014. Gamecca subscribers only. South African residents only. Prizes may not be exchanged for cash. Competition closed to employees (& employee’s family) of 1337 Media CC. The judges’ decision is final. co mp e t i t i on • c o mp et it io n • c o mp et i ti on • com pe ti ti on • com pe ti ti on • com p etition •
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CENTER FOR ZOMBIE CONTROL
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a zombie apocalypse. The
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bulk of the story will also
licensed and unlicensed
be delivered via the CZC
products hitting the
(that’s the Center for
shelves on an almost
Zombie Control) website,
daily basis. They’re the
located at www.czc.co.za.
new décor for geeks,
The other range is a
and many of them are
collection of full zombie
awesome.
figurines call Dead on
Square Foot is a
Their Feet, and explore
company that has
who the zombies were
entered the fray, and is
before they became
producing figurines right
undead. Full of humour
here in South Africa. But
and brutality, the
instead of machine-made,
figurines range from
mass produced products,
blood-soaked little girls
Square Foot figurines
to zombie clowns and
are hand-crafted – that
beyond.
means that the artists responsible for them are
ranges take a unique
truly responsible for each
approach, both to their
and every final product.
subject matter and in the
Square Foot will
manufacturing process,
officially be launching
and would complement
two ranges at this year’s
any collection. Be sure
ICON Comics and Games
to check out the Square
Convention, which will be
Foot stall at ICON, or
held in Johannesburg in
visit their official website
mid-July. The ranges both
at www.sqfoot.co.za for
cover the ever-popular
details on the figurines,
zombie genre, but they
online purchasing and
take a very different
physical retailers.
approach; the CZC series
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The figurines from both
Square Foot not only
is a collection of striking
bridges the gap between
busts that ties into a
geek collectibles and fine
story and mythology
art principles, but brings
created by Square Foot.
the whole process home
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to South Africa. g
little more of the tale, and
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DEAD COOL
CENTER FOR ZOMBIE CONTROL
www.czc.co.za
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ost TVs can accept input from a laptop or computer these days, which is great for viewing videos and other media directly from the device. Controlling the laptop can be a pain, though… but now Logitech have a device that serves as a distance controller, just like your TV’s remote control. The K400 features a full keyboard and a generous touch screen (for mouse control), meaning that you can do whatever you need to on the laptop without leaving the comfort of your couch. It’s easy to set up and features a really long battery life, as well as enhanced controls for the touch pad. g
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Logitech K400 Wireless Touch Keyboard
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ired of ordinary watches? Well, Kisai create a number of very inventive time pieces, like the Quasar. This digital watch features a display that is quite out of the ordinary, and allows the user to use either number or pattern modes to display the time. It takes a bit of getting used to (particularly the latter) but the way that the aesthetic of showing the time has been modified by Kisai is extremely cool. It will certainly keep your friends guessing, and makes for quite the conversation piece. The Quasar is housed in a sturdy rubber coating and strap, and also has date and stop-watch functions. g gamecca61
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Kisai Quasar Digital Watch
Digital Watch
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ar chargers are nothing new – many of use use them to squeeze a little juice into that everdepleting mobile phone battery. But Romoss have a solution that will see more than just your phone getting charged by your car’s power system, thanks to the use of eUSB technology. By intelligently sensing the required voltage of the device plugged into it, the Ranger 95 can be used to charge laptops, phones, music players, handheld game consoles and much more. You can either make use of the numerous included charging tips, or plug your device’s native USB charge cable directly into one of the Ranger 95’s two USB ports.g
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etting better pics with your mobile phone has become easier. Sony have an excellent answer in the form of the Cyber-Shot DSC-QX10. This unique 18.2 megapixel digital camera is fully functional, complete with 10x optical zoom, microSD card compatibility and much more. What it doesn’t have is a screen… and that’s where your phone comes in. Using near-field communications or WiFi, your handset becomes the camera’s LCD screen. It’s an extremely clever idea, and one that keeps the camera itself comparatively very small. It can even clip onto certain phone models, for more ease of use. This device shows some very clever thinking. g gamecca61
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Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-QX10 Camera
DSC-QX10 Camera
The little brother...
Xperia E1
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etting hold of a top-of-the-line mobile phone isn’t always possible. After all, they’re expensive items. But if you want to take advantage of the reliability and great performance of Sony’s new Xperia phones, then the E1 is a great bet for the cash strapped consumer. It’s much smaller than other Xperia models, too, which may serve you well (considering that phones like the Xperia Z2 are quite big). It’s not as powerful or feature rich as other Xperia models, but this entry level handset offers a wide range of functionality, and a lot of reliability to boot.g
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ired of ordinary watches? Well, Kisai create a number of very inventive time pieces, like the Quasar. This digital watch features a display that is quite out of the ordinary, and allows the user to use either number or pattern modes to display the time. It takes a bit of getting used to (particularly the latter) but the way that the aesthetic of showing the time has been modified by Kisai is extremely cool. It will certainly keep your friends guessing, and makes for quite the conversation piece. The Quasar is housed in a sturdy rubber coating and strap, and also has date and stop-watch functions. g gamecca61
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PREACHER
THE WALKING DEAD
Created by writer Garth Ennis, Preacher is a series comprosied of 9 paperback (or six hard cover) graphic novels that tell the tale of Jesse Custer, a small town preacher with some big problems – he has lost his faith. But when he is possessed by a creature called Genesis, he becomes what could be the most powerful creature in the universe, imbued with the power to command the obedience of anyone who can comprehend his words. Joined by his ex-girlfriend Tulip and an Irish vampire named Cassidy, Custer embarks on a journey to confront God himself. The result is a tale that is dark yet funny, powerful yet irreverent and extremely entertaining. Preacher is not for the faint of heart or the easily-offended, but it will provide many hours of reading pleasure for those who pick it up. g
Almost everyone is familiar with the tale of Rick Grimes and his band of rag-tag survivors that are fighting for survival in the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse, because they have probably seen the TV popular series. But did you know that these episodes where based on a comic series written by Robert Kirkman? That should tell you something about this series of 22 (with the last two still coming) graphic novels. The Walking Dead isn’t your average zombie apocalypse tale – the depth of characters and deep investigations that it makes into the nature of humanity when pushed to the limit makes the Walking Dead a compelling, often disturbing and completely brilliant read. A unique art style and masterful story-telling will get you hooked from the first page, and the comic series delves deeper into the lives and minds of Rick and his fellow cast-members than the TV series ever could. This is essential reading. g
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THE SANDMAN
Y: THE LAST MAN
When the dictionary references a graphic novel for an example of an obscure word, you kind of get the idea that the publication in question goes well beyond pretty pictures. The ten volumes that make up the Sandman story offer an experience that is surreal, poignant and deep, all from the pen of acclaimed novelist Neil Gaiman. The Sandman tells the story of Morpheus, also called Dream, who is one of the seven Endless – eternal creatures that govern reality. To try and elaborate on the narrative is next to impossible; The Sandman is a complex and often mind-bending read, emotionally charged and extremely powerful. If anyone ever doubts that graphic novels can be considered a form of true, relevant literature, they have certainly not experienced this tour de force. This awesome series is highly recommended, and has won numerous accolades.g
Created by Brian K Vaughn and Pia Guerra, Y: The Last Man is a 10 volume graphic novel series that tells a tale of a dystopian future. When a strange disease destroys every mammal with a Y chromosome (read as males) the only two non-females to survive are amateur escape artist Yorick Brown and his pet monkey Ampersand. In a world populated by women, Yorick undertakes a journey to try and find a cure for the disease, which many believe has doomed the human race to extinction. Y: The Last Man is an interesting and thought provoking take on the doom of mankind, and the writers have managed to not only tell a tale that is engrossing, but also incredibly thought provoking. As different characters and groups display different reactions to the epidemic, Yorick’s life and views are threatened by a changed world. This is a great read. g
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Final Confession... I
fINAL CONFESSION
must confess that five years ago, when I started this project with Walt, I had no clue about gaming and all its eccentricities. I admit I had no idea what a console was let, alone what the kind of games were out there. What the hell was a box with an X and PS3 to you too! I thought that gamers were too radical and over the top with their ideas and so-called passions. Five years ago I came to South Africa after fifteen years of working abroad on a Mediterranean island and realised that I was living in a bouzouki-smothered Greek coma. What I do remember is that, as a little girl in the ‘80s, my Dad brought home an Atari console one day from work. My very first game was Space Invaders and, as soon as that screen came on, I was awestruck at the thought that I could control images on the TV. This was thrilling, no wait… it was magical! How could I ever get enough of this? Apparently, my father and brother thought so too, and so the thrill of this little box was hijacked by the two men in our family, who were at constant
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war. So being the good little Greek girl that I was, I didn’t even to bother perusing this possible bug. My roller skates came out and I headed for… wait, here it comes… outside! (I’ll explain what that is in another column). I really and truly was happy in my ignorance until five years ago when Mr Pretorius came into my life. A while back, when I was still trying to wrap my head around all this ‘gaming stuff’ in one of our very long and very loud editorial meetings, a question was posed: which game did it for you? Which game infected you with the bug? I was amazed at the responses… not so much the answers, but the expressions on everyone’s faces. Pupils were dilated at the memory of their experiences and an almost goofy smile was the portrait of every journo in the room. From that moment I decided to call myself ‘an observer’. There was obviously something to this. The first game I completed was Heavy Rain. Yeah I know… pretty heavy indeed. But why didn’t anyone
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ever tell me that, in this reality, there was this phenomenal, playful world beyond this one, in which interaction to such a degree is possible? I am not talking about sticking a game into a console and being blown away (which does happen); I am talking about a much more deeper connection where, for a couple of hours (or more), one’s imagination is completely captured, raptured and entangled by a combined visual interaction of exciting, familiar and unfamiliar elements, to the point that time is non-existent. As an observer over the last five years in this world of gaming, gamers and the gaming industry it is time to be called a ‘player’ and play I will… on every level. Speaking of players, allow me to thank all contributors that have, in the last five years, given of their time and energy in making Gamecca what it is today. Without you, we would not be here. To Walt Pretorius, you are and always will be an inspiration, not only to me but to so many. I salute you all. Here is to the next five. g