Interview with music SCENE - NARQ(handle)
Interview With Music SCENE - NARQ(handle) The 20 Most Wanted Games of 2009
A world of words - looking behind the history of words
The Scene
CONTENTS ISSUE 16 | MARCH 2009
General 3. Voice of the Scene
Interview with music SCENE - NARQ(handle).
5. Shattered but not broken Picking up the pieces.
7. Beware of Laughter
Jokes ahead, please enter with care!
8. Peasant Philosophy Descartes and cow dung.
9. A World of Words Know your roots.
11. In the Light Inside the Darkness A poem about the joys of life.
Tech
13. Samsung T240 review So just how good is it?
14. Photoshop Useage See the possibilities.
Games
15. The 20 Most Wanted Games of 2009 2009 games wishlist!
21. Call of Duty - World at War Review Can World at War top Modern Warfare?
24. An In-Depth Look at GTA IV
Game of the year or the biggest let down?
1 Contents
THESCENE / WAREZ-BB.ORG
The Scene
EDITORIAL ISSUE 16 | MARCH 2009
Editor Enigma86 Co-Editor .:Nvidia:. Writers Team Leader Waltereegho Artists Team Leader Chicodelperreo Proofreaders Team Leader Daniel.Blaze Magazine Team Compiler Labonova Writers Team Assistant Dramamine Proofreaders Team Assistant Yawn. Writers Shifty UltraVibrant Dark Elite Kartnite LinuxTrance Turtledude23 Fartermissile Sp33|)|)3v!lX Artists Somebody-else Labonova Oddbrawl Leroy44 Herinjo
Hello everybody, Welcome to yet another release of theSCENE. This release took three months owing to availability of a very limited amount of press team staff who could work on the magazine. The magazine staff fought hard to learn previously unknown technology and techniques to make this release possible. Yet, due to the difficulties we encountered, we deferred many articles over to the next issue. The press team needs the help of warez-bb members to enable an uninterrupted quality release of the magazine. The press team will be glad to receive help from any good members to fill the following positions in press team. We’re in need of many indesign artists who can gfx articles. It has been very difficult to find good indesign artists who have time to spare for the magazine project. If you are a layout designer who could help us, we need YOU for the warez-BB press team. Please don’t hesitate to P.M. me on the forum. In this forum with over 1 million members, every issue of this magazine is downloaded by over 20000 members. Yet, we do not receive many articles from our members. I request and welcome more contributions in the form of quality articles from EVERY member out there. Our team status and grievances aside, we hope that you will enjoy reading this release. Regards, ENIGMA
Quality Assurance Team Clarinda .Hancock Snow.Flake Twist Deadduck_145 MX1CAN Relemar Cover Design Labonova
THESCENE / WAREZ-BB.ORG
Editorial 2
(The opinions expressed are that of the individual and not press team and so debates will not be entertained in our forums.)
n this Edition of theSCENE, we start a new series of interviews with the voices from the SCENE. This month we present you an interview with a member from the music SCENE. Press Team: How long have you been in your group and how would you describe your role in your group? Narc: The group I’m currently in hasn’t been around for a great deal of time, but we’re already rapidly becoming one of the top groups in the team. My general role is a supplier; however, I also run some sites for the group. I have been in groups prior to the current one; overall, I’ve been “around” for a good 6-7 years. PT: How easy/difficult is it to find good suppliers and crackers in groups? Are member affiliations restricted to a single group? N: Finding good, loyal, reliable suppliers and crackers can be difficult. The usual supplier may seem good at first, but then soon get scared, or may just stop receiving whatever he is supplying the group. It’s not often you get decent, long-term suppliers that stick by you. Members are usually restricted to one group, however say you receive promo cds, and get things such as DVD screeners, you can supply two groups at one time. PT: Is content supplied ahead of official release date? Is the content in its protected format when shared to the group? If yes, could that perhaps be a reason, which induces fear in people and makes them feel vulnerable? How good are modern protection technologies like watermarking? N: Generally, the best suppliers get their “stock” way before the retail date. With music, it depends entirely on the label whether it is watermarked or not. If it’s a big label, generally most album promos will be. There is currently no known way to remove watermarks from CDs, however someone I know from a fellow group does in fact know someone who believes they have found a way to bypass the watermarking on music CDs. Music release groups will never accept watermarked releases, not even allow them on their server, as if its watermarked in their suppliers name, their whole group can get caught because of that one single rip. Now for DVD screeners, every one of these is marked in some way so it can be traced back to the owner. However, there are ways to remove these, as you can tell by the huge amounts of screeners 3 \ theSCENE \ WAREZ-BB.ORG
released. But it is known that one group, I think -ORC, recently returned preing DVD screeners well before the theatrical date of the movie had the watermarking still intact, which is an extreme risk.
be sampled out using tools.
PT: Yes, watermarking can be traced to the list of people to whom the content was made available. Hope the group fixes things quickly.
N: They have a job to do, just like we do. They make sure everything is good for the end user. They really keep everything under control. Without them, the scene would be full of people releasing music transcodes/virus software/more stuff stolen off p2p than there is now etc.
PT: Do you believe that the inconveniences caused by software protection encourage even users who buy software to use cracked software? The sony DRM issue if I remember right, awakened many people to privacy intrusions by labels
PT: How important is the SCENE council to release groups?
PT: What are the rules a group member must respect in order to stay?
N: From what I hear the protection used in software is crackable regardless of what it is. It ruins the experience for the person who has legally bought the application or game, so yes I do believe it drives more people to use pirated software and games, and it runs much better, the overall experience is better, and of course it’s free!
N: Stay secure by any means necessary. Don’t let anyone know what you do, and trust no one. Of course anything you have to supply must be good, and compliant with rules, if you start giving us crap then you’re out. Oh and respect other scene members, although wars between groups are all too common, it’s best to try and prevent more.
PT: What do you think about people who sell SCENE releases? What is your opinion on new websites which allow the uploading of material, allowing the uploader to receive cash in return for downloads, when a lot of your material may be uploaded to these websites?
PT: Can release group affiliations with topsites affect acceptance or rejection of a release? How importance is speed to win the battle? From topsites to Dumpsites - How does information move? Does scripting obviate the need for human couriers?
N: Firstly, in regards to the protection used, for music there are always new ones being used, but every single one is crackable. I remember I once had access to the label Metallica are on, whoever they are, I had access to their online distribution service for reviewers. I downloaded almost everything, managed to crack the protection in minutes, and released it all. Online music protection is poor, but I guess that’s a good thing eh. In regards to people selling scene releases, if that is what they want to do, go ahead. I personally don’t care. Sure, making money off piracy is bad, but I do what I do for fun. I love music, and I love to spread new music so everyone hears it. If selling it gets a bigger audience then so be it. However, people that upload scene releases and get money when they’re downloaded, this I do not like. We do all this work releasing the stuff, and then they just upload it off their shitty little ovh server and make a bunch of cash off it. That guy, I think he’s called aeckz, a member of your website. He has been uploading ever scene release for years, he has made hundreds, if not thousands of dollars off megashares, and that is just a load of shit. At least bootlegging takes some effort for your money.
N: Each site has its own ruleset, along with the general rules for each type of release. For example, some topsites block the spreading of 1track promo singes/MAG releases/WEB releases etc, and sometimes this can affect the speed in which a release is spread. There are only very few “top” topsites that groups are actually affiliated on and pre their releases on, all the others are dumps etc. The sites groups pre on are controlled by scripts, the pre’er just enters the command and the release spreads to the affiliated sites. There are then courier groups that take these releases from the big sites onto the smaller ones, usually by scripts but can be done manually and from here they trickle down manually (except for scene torrent sites, they’re all grabbed via scripting. The torrent site SceneAccess actually gets releases before some of the bigger topsites get them, this is because they are either admin of a topsite themselves, or have a scene group member who leeches for them. The release group T33V33 is believed to have links to the site as their releases get uploaded before they’re pre’d, and this can ONLY be done by the admin of the site, or by a member of the group - each group has their own directory and each group can only see their own folder). Generally, speed doesn’t matter for spread. Once the !pre command has been entered, you’ve won the race for that release, Whether it spreads
PT: Online media can often be recorded or the added frequencies for protection, if any can sometimes even
General
everywhere instantly, or if it just stays on 2 sites, you’ve won that release. PT: How long does the whole process of receiving, cracking, and releasing usually take? Are releases ever withheld until the official public release date? N: Depends on a lot of different things. For software/games it depends entirely on the protection used. For music, it can take just a few minutes to rip/tag/release a cd. For movies it can take several hours. And of course it depends on the suppliers internet connection. They have to upload it to the groups private site, and they may only have say 15kb/s upload and they have to upload a 700mb/1.5gb movie, it’s going to take all day. It’s extremely rare for a group to hold a release till its release date, you get more respect the earlier you release something to its release date. PT: How ridiculous is RIAA? N: The RIAA are just a complete joke. No actual scene members take them as a serious threat. If they even try and infiltrate the scene they get found out. It’s rare that the RIAA has ever busted a scene member, they usually get the torrent guys. However when scene members are in fact caught, they get used in a way not too many people are aware of. Basically they get threatened into catching their old friends for the anti piracy organizations in exchange for a lighter sentence. They are used and pressured into people they once shared a passion with, people they used to treat as family, and in my opinion that is worse than a fine (which is all they ever actually get, regardless of what’s reported) PT: Yes, that’s true about torrent users. Anti piracy organizations target consumers of products and tertiary distributors whilst suppliers, crackers and newsgroup users will always remain impossible to trace. Such actions which ignore human elements and emotions to go after easy targets rather than real sources(due to the incapability of anti-piracy organizations) will only trigger hate. SCENERS who are caught are incarcerated for being on the wrong side, despite their genius. Often, the punishment does not merit the alleged offense. RIAA does not know about the importance of socioeconomic justice, human attributes involved and they will only make the piracy chain bigger or push it into darker corners, but never succeed in reducing “piracy”. PT: Were you around when operation Buccaneer occurred? Do you believe that legal action against piracy is justified? N: I was indeed around when the whole Buccaneer shenanigans took place, several people I knew were caught up in it. I got lucky. In my honest opinion I do think that legal action against piracy is justified, however the ways these organizations go about it are not right. We all know what we do is illegal. To us it’s all a game, we all “battle it out” to get the latest releases out first, and we all know we’re doing General
is in some ways “wrong”. However, it’s widely known what we do has boosted the independent music labels greatly, and to be honest the huge, greedy bastards such as Warner, they deserve it. They basically steal off the people they’re supposed to be representing. Anti piracy organizations should go about things the way Web Sheriff do. Web Sheriff are a small UK based anti piracy company that just try and stop leaks spreading, but never take action against people. PT: Do you believe that labels cheat talented people who work on their products and make unjustifiable amount of profit by using piracy as an excuse? After all, the artists are paid through contracts, right? N: The major labels, definitely. They make extreme amounts off profit off the band, whilst the people actually producing the goods only receive a small % of it. It’s because of that many bands are resulting into giving music away free online, which I personally think is fantastic. Our group has released a hell of a lot of music on small independent labels, and we have actually heard from them through the grapevine that by us preing the music, it has actually exposed the bands more than they ever could, generating much more popularity, and money for the bands. I won’t mention who they are though, I don’t think they’d appreciate that. PT: How did you get involved with the SCENE? N: Funnily enough, I actually made my way into the scene via torrents. Many years back I was releasing pre-retail music on private trackers, when I got an email offering me a place. I didn’t actually know what any of it was at the time, but I soon started working my way up the ranks and I was soon co-leader of that group. I then went on to various other groups of the years I’ve been round. PT: Do you have any regrets or feel guilty after releasing something? N: In the past I have yes. Sometimes I’ve released things such as charity singles, unaware that they are in fact charity singles, and that makes me feel sort of bad. Apart from that, no. As I said before, smaller labels appreciate what we do (although they don’t make it publically aware) and of course the big labels bring it on themselves. PT: What was the biggest item you ever spread/were involved in? N: Hmmm its difficult to say, when you’ve released as much as I have you kind of forget. I know I’ve been behind some of the biggest rips of the century (not trying to brag ) but nothing really springs to mind PT: Have you ever got in trouble before with any anti piracy organizations? N: Before I was in the scene, I was threatened regularly, but since then I’ve had no problems.
PT: How many members do you have on your team? How do you recruit them? N: I’d rather not say how many people we’ve got, can be used to find out what team I’m a part of. Recruiting usually happens between teams, say one team decides to stop, all their rippers will go to another team. Or if one team has better things to offer to suppliers, they can “steal” rippers off other teams. It’s rare suppliers come from the outside with no previous scene connection. PT: Are team members your friends in real life? N: I know a few in real life, but I won’t go into detail. PT: What kind of interest do you have besides what you do for the SCENE? Ever plan on a career that has something related to what you do as a SCENER? N: I do like to do sports. Also I like going out with friends to the pub regularly, I have quite a good social life off the PC, however strange that may seem. My career has actually been helped by things I’ve learnt by being a part of the scene. My job is IT based, and many things I’ve learnt through the scene I’ve been able to implement to improve my work, and vice versa. PT: Do you like being anonymous? Isn’t it hard to conceal one’s feelings for a little more appreciation from the crowd if they could have a face to add to those nfo’s? N: To be honest, I used to love all the attention. When I was releasing on torrent websites, everyone downloaded my stuff, always looked for my rips, and no-one could take credit for my work. But it’s too much of a risk. Although it seems unlikely, being in the scene adds some sort of protection to you, remaining anonymous makes it harder for you to be traced. However, the downside of releasing in the scene is all these torrent fags taking credit for your work. There is a website called itleaked. They basically reencode scene releases, and take credit for the rips as if they have done them. Everyone wants to be a member of that website, they think it’s so cool, when all they do is take my, and others rips, reencode them, and take all credit. What a load of bollocks that is. Just use a site like What.cd, at least if they’re not scene releases you know they’re good anyway, and not reencodes from little emo kids that just love attention. PT: If you are married, does your wife know about all this? If yes, what’s her say? If not, do you ever plan to tell her? N: The wife knows what I do, to some extent. She doesn’t know what any of this scene business is, but she knows I upload music to the internet early. She loves the fact I get all these cds through the post well before they’re out, she steals most of them when i’m done with them. They make good free Christmas presents as well! WAREZ-BB.ORG \ theSCENE \ 4
Shattered but Not Broken by LinuxTrance Layout by oddbrawl
M
y grandfather never spoke of the war when I was a child, as he always treated me as if I were so fragile that his harsh words would break something inside me. I remember sitting on the couch next to him for hours talking about the trivialities of life that seemed so important and relevant to a child: Baseball, classes, hiking, pranks, and all other sorts of mindless things that only a grandfather has the patience to hear over and over again. I always wanted to be an “Army Man” like my grandfather. Naturally, I bombarded him with questions about his time in the service: What was it like? Was he ever shot? Did he kill anyone? He deflected these questions with the same answer every time: “I’ll tell you when you’re older.” The finality of his tone never fully registered in my young brain, but it would put me off for a few visits until I had the nerve to ask him again. I sometimes wish I had never received the full answer. I sometimes wish I could have spared my grandfather the pain those memories brought to the surface. However, I idolized him. I coveted his medals from the war, such as the Purple Heart, the commendations, and the letters he kept within the framed military mural on his den wall. Finally, after he was certain I was old enough to not break, his words of war left his mouth and he told me his story. 5 \ theSCENE \ WAREZ-BB.ORG
He enlisted in the army after his older brother (whom he idolized) enlisted in the Service. My grandfather decided upon the Airborne - I never knew if he decided upon the Airborne/Paratrooper division or if it wasn’t fully his choice - and after training, he was sent to World War II. He described the fear he felt as his transport plane left the airfield, knowing he would be in the middle of a firefight he could never have even imagined in his most vivid dreams. The rumble of the plane was unsettling, and it made him nervous. It made him long for home. The rush my grandfather felt as he jumped out of the plane was nothing like the practice jumps; this jump was tempered with fear for himself and his brothers in arms. He said the sky looked like the discharge of fire was all around, and that was when he found his resolve and knew he was prepared to defend his brothers and his country. Within a few feet of the ground, everything changed; an explosion from a grenade impacted a few yards below my grandfather. His next conscious thought was of the moderate sanitary medical facility he found himself in. The attending nurse was my grandmother-to-be, and he said he knew she was the one because of the way she looked at him with such concern and tenderness in her eyes. The injuries he sustained during the war were moderate: a shattered hip, shrapnel wounds, and a burnt scalp. He told me (with a chuckle) that he would have received twice as many wounds if it still meant my grandmother would have been there attending him. The conversation ended at that point. I was sure there was more, but I never felt comfortable asking, as I knew it would just make him sad. His brother never returned from the war, along with many of the men in his unit. I’m sure he wouldn’t want to be reminded of the aftermath of the war, as the price was so evident in his daily life. I’m sure if I had asked him if the price was worth it he would have rebuked me, for my grandmother was a prize that outweighed any price, no matter how severe. Their love was sustaining then and it was what sustained him through another great trial in his life - his battle with Alzheimer’s. General
I remember feeling confused when my father first told me that my grandmother thought my grandfather might have Alzheimer’s. It made no sense to me at the time. My grandfather? He was always so strong and sure. I was certain they were mistaken; it was an impossibility to me, much like if I were to tell you the sun was cold, or that gravity did not exist. My grandfather’s strength, lucidity, and surety of mind were all gravity to me - unmovable, untouchable, and constant. I resisted the idea of Alzheimer’s for more than six months until I saw a shadow of the disease in his interactions with the waitress at a restaurant we had frequented for years. He seemed oddly distracted and perplexed while we ate. This didn’t bother me, as his precious Purdue Boilermakers (football team) had lost earlier that day, and I attributed his lack of concern to that. However, when the waitress came to clear the table, his face became completely blank. He stared at her, not hearing her question, nor understanding that she was asking permission to clear the table. She looked at me and I shrugged, not sure of what was going on, but I watched his face more clearly and it scared me; a shadow of the disease crossed his features, as he seemed so confused and lost, but most of all he seemed so alone. He looked at the waitress again and apologized and then he began to softly cry, and I had no answer or idea as how to help him. I just sat there, grabbed his hand, and told him I loved him. The years progressed slowly for us afterwards. We still talked but it was never the same. He could never hold the thread of the conversation, and he would always stare off into space in mid-sentence, his eyes alight with pain or confusion. I began to distance myself away from my grandfather, and still to this day it is one of the biggest regrets of my life. I have only one pitiful defense; if I told you the world was flat, if I shook your belief system to its very core, would you not turn and run? Or could you stay with me and let my behavior and actions confirm the shattering of your beliefs on a constant basis? I distanced myself in a feeble attempt at self preservation as watching him fade away day by day was enough to physically kill me. I am sure of it. General
I could foresee the end of his battle with Alzheimer’s coming soon, and I made a conscious attempt to try harder and become more involved with my grandfather. It’s funny I think, because up until the very end I was certain that someone, somewhere would develop a miracle cure. I was so sure of it. When the time came where he was so far gone even a miracle cure would have had no effect on his wasted system, I remember cursing at everything and everyone. I ran the gamut. I cursed everyone from my brother, to my friends, even God. No one was safe from my outrage. It was embarrassing I am quite sure, but they put up with me because they knew what my grandfather knew all along. I WAS the fragile one. I was the one that needed protection. I was the one that needed to be so sure of everything, to have my rock and my gravitational pull stay with me all the time as I would be too lost without him. A few days after the outrage and betrayal had passed, once I knew there would be no cure and no help coming, I went to see my grandfather for what I was sure was the last time. I held his hand and prattled on about my day, knowing he understood none of it. My voice always seemed to calm him, almost as though he could hear me, so I would always talk even if I felt I had nothing to say. I had visited him maybe ten times in a row without him having a lucid thought, no conversation, no knowledgeable eye contact, just me and my rambling mouth. This visit, my last, was shaping up to be no different. I was nearly at the point of saying goodbye when he turned to me and spoke my name. I looked at him with shock, and then I threw my arms around him, so happy for this gift! His eyes were focused, they knew who I was, and it made my concerns melt away. The moment of lucidity was very short, just a few minutes, but it was enough for me to put my broken world back together. I told him I loved him and I saw how his mouth settled into a smile once I spoke those words, and I knew that he knew I meant them, and that was enough for me. I received a phone call from my grandmother a few days after my visit, telling me that my grandfather had passed away during the night. She sounded so peaceful and some of that peace washed over to me as I never cried. I wasn’t even sad because I knew he had fought bravely and that this fight had won him more than just a Purple Heart; his prize would be eternal. This is the story of my life with my grandfather, and it is not fictional. What I would like you to take away from this story is this: Tell your family you love them every day. You never know when it might be too late. My grandmother died three short months after my grandfather had passed away. She was in perfect health and a sudden stroke was the apparent cause of her death. Although I don’t doubt the stroke, I attribute her death to a broken heart.
Dedicated to my grandfather, Don and my grandmother, Janet. I love you both more than you’ll ever know. WAREZ-BB.ORG \ theSCENE \ 6
Beware of laughter
hah hah ah ho ahah hii hoho ahha hih ihi hih ioh
Jokes: fartermissile Layout: Somebody-else
School Girls According to a news report, a certain private school in Washington had recently faced a unique problem. A number of 12-year-old girls were beginning to use lipstick and would scribble it in the bathroom. That was fine, but after they put on their lipstick, they would press their lips against the mirror leaving dozens of little lip prints. Every night the maintenance man would remove them and the next day the girls would put them back. Finally, the principal decided that something had to be done. She called all the girls to the bathroom and met them there with the maintenance man. She explained that all these lip prints were causing a major problem for the custodian who had to clean the mirrors every night. To demonstrate how difficult it had been to clean the mirrors, she asked the maintenance man to show the girls how much effort was required. He took out a long-handled squeegee, dipped it in the toilet, and cleaned the mirrors with it. Since then, there have been no lip prints on the mirror.
The Truth to Good Health
A Blonde Joke
It‘s a relief to know the truth after all those conflicting medical studies.
A blonde walks into a restaurant to get some lunch, and while she’s deciding on what she wants to order, a waitress approaches her. The blonde looks up and notices the waitress’ name tag on her shirt. “Gee, that’s nice, what did you name the other one?”
The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than the British or Americans. The French eat a lot of fat and also suffer fewer heart attacks than the British or Americans. The Japanese drink small amounts of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than the British or Americans. The Italians drink excessive amounts of red wine and also suffer fewer heart attacks than the British or Americans. The Germans drink a lot of beer and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than the British or the Americans. Conclusion: Eat and drink what you like. Speaking English is apparently what kills you.
Word Association A kindergarten teacher one day tried to explain to her class the definition of the word “definitely”. To make sure the students had a good understanding of the word, she asked them to use it in a sentence. The first student raised his hand and said “The sky is definitely blue”. The teacher said, “Well, that isn’t entirely correct, because sometimes it’s gray and cloudy”. Another student said, “Grass is definitely green.” The teacher again replied “If grass doesn’t get enough water it turns brown, so that isn’t really correct either.” Another student raised his hand and asked the teacher “Do farts have lumps?” The teacher looked at him and said “No…But that isn’t really a question you want to ask in a class discussion.” So the student replied, “Then I definitely pooped my pants.”
7 \ theSCENE \ WAREZ-BB.ORG
hahah hahahaha hha hohoho hiihihihih ihioh
h haha ahahha h haha o h h ho o ihihihioh h i h i i h
General
Peasant Philosophy “A reconstruction of the misfortunes that occurred to Mister Wallace on the 13th of October in the year 1946”
By waltereegho Layout by oddbrawl
I
t happened on a nice late summer day, the 13th of October 1946 to be precise. The sun was warm and the wind cold, out there in the fields of Lochoch. The birds were quiet, maybe a little too quiet for the time of the year, and the creek whispered silently, again perhaps a little too silently for the time of the year. Witness to all of this beauty was no one less than Mister Wallace, a local farmer who had decided to go for a walk. Mister Wallace was a widower, owned the only tractor within 100 miles, didn’t know what year he was born in, and was a bit deaf. No one really knew him, he lived alone and only came to the nearby village to buy diesel for his tractor (he always went there by foot, because to him, driving to buy diesel was like buying a wallet and then having no money to put in it). Also worth mentioning is that no one knew his name. Some people actually believed that his first name was Mister. So there he was, that Mister Wallace, listening to the birds that were too quiet and the creek that whispered too silently. “Hrrrmmmpppfff ”, he concluded. “It’s going to be a very harsh winter”. Mister Wallace was always right about the weather. If he said that it was going to be cold, you could bet your grandmother’s left sock on it that the thermometer that hung to the left of the door of the mayor’s house, well, that that thermometer would prove it. It should be mentioned though that Mister Wallace always kept his weather forecasts to himself, and that no one was aware of his amazing talent. But that aside. Mister Wallace jumped over the creek (he was in pretty good shape for his unknown age) and sat down on a big flat rock on the other side. That rock was Mister Wallace’s favorite spot. His point of view onto the world, so to speak. Whenever he sat on that rock, with his eyes closed and mouth wide open to breathe, he felt as if he was the center of everything. When the world surrounded him and the rock, he reasoned, this would obviously lead to the conclusion that he was in the middle of the world. If Mister Wallace had known about Déscartes, and if he had owned one of his books, and if he had read it (that is, if hadn’t been illiterate), his reaction would have been: “Hrrrmmmpppfff ”. That was his answer to everything, and he would’ve made no exception for some random bloke. The chickens escaped? “Hrrrmmmpppfff ”. A hole in the roof? “Hrrrmmmpppfff ”. A nuke detonated ten meters from his house? “Hrrrmmmpppfff ”. Basically, this response was to be understood as “I have acknowledged the current event, and, in case of a partial or full compliance with my line of interests, a counter strategy will be deployed in accordance with the observed threat”. Only highly intelligent people are able to compile such a mouthful into just one word. Now, back to the center of the earth. Mister Wallace sat there on that rock and enjoyed the autumn sun on his skinny face. It is safe to assume that he was a reasonably happy man. Unfortunately, Mister Wallace never returned from his little promenade. On the 13th October, in the year 1946, both Mister Wallace and the rock he sat on were abducted by aliens. 8 \ theSCENE \ WAREZ-BB.ORG
General
A World of Words By Kartz
Layout by Herinjo
This may come as a surprise to most of you… de facto, it is true. The English language that we have come to love and learn is a borrowed language. ‘Fruit’, for example, is pronounced froot in English. However, the same word is pronounced froo-i in French, the language from which it has been borrowed. It is the versatility of the English language that has to be appreciated. English is the gateway to the world culture and the lingua franca in most of the occidental nations.
Writing this article gives me some sort of happiness because I have always been fascinated by the language. It is this fascination that helped me learn the subject well at school and college levels. This is a sincere attempt at introducing my readers to a world of words and the intriguing history behind them. Etymology is all about tracking down the origins of a word. Every word has a history behind it. We should know where and how to look for it. Once we are able to do that, we can always remember their meaning by association. After all, the human brain can easily recall things that are associated with something more familiar. There are a number of books that help in enriching our vocabulary. I have referred to a couple of books and the internet in preparing this list. Off we go, on our etymological quest through history We will start with Ancient Greece. Athens! All you Caesar - I, II, III and, IV gamers can recall one word for sure… Agora. (Yes, Caesar was Roman, but Romans loved to copy the Greeks. Heracles became Hercules! Voila!) Agora is a word generally associated with markets or open spaces. In reality, it means a place for discussion. Agora is derived from a Greek verb meaning to speak/discuss. The idea of ‘public speaking’ is kept in the word Agoraphobia – a fear of open spaces. 9 \ theSCENE \ WAREZ-BB.ORG
Now, we travel to Athens’ nemesis – Sparta, in the district of Laconia. Any guesses for the word? Laconic it is… The Spartans left no great speeches as the Athenians. They were, however, known for their sparing use of words and military discipline (300, anyone?) History has many collections of their terse responses. We shall look at one. Plutarch narrates one of the exchanges between Philip (of Macedon; father to Alexander the Great) and the Spartans. When he invaded Greece, he asked the Spartans whether they wished him to come as a friend or foe. The reply he received was nothing but one word – “Neither!” So, a laconic reply is one that is to the point, terse and succinct. For instance, ‘the boss was laconic in dismissing my request for a day off.’ The word has a negative connotation.
We stay in Athens for our next word too. The Athenians accused their fellow Greeks in the land of Soli (Asia Minor) of maltreating the language. A solecism, from the name Soli, is an incorrect grammatical usage; a mistake in the idiom of a language, or any type of error including improper use of words or a deviation from logic. Catachresis, on the other hand, refers to erroneous or strained use of words, as in a mixed metaphor. Moving throughout medieval history, we come across the word accolade. In medieval history, the accolade was the final step conferring knighthood. The early kings of France were etymologically correct when they placed their arms around the neck (ad, to; collum, neck) of the newly-made knights in order to kiss them. The word accolade has made a full circle from its original meaning to its modern figurative meaning – crowning praise.
Luigi Galvani (1737 – 1798) was a professor of physiology in Bologna, Italy. He is known as the father of animal electricity. From his name, we get the word galvanize, which in everyday speech means to electrify or to stir into action as if with an electric shock. Staying in Italy, we find our next word. Niccolo Machiavelli (1469 – 1527) was a Florentine who wrote a famous book titled “The Prince” as a handbook for government rulers at his time. He set down the principles of taking and holding power. The word Machiavellian is now used to mean cunning, crafty and deceitful, albeit originally the book did nothing more than set down a science of what is now called power politics.
For our next word, we travel back to ancient Rome. Among the Romans, the augurs were the priests who foretold the future through the flight of birds, the weather and other signs. To augur well, therefore, means to prophesize favorably. favorable, business could begin; or, inaugurate. (See the connection?)
Thus far, we have been introduced to words that originated from a place or a native custom. Now, let us familiarize ourselves with words that have been derived from people’s names General
Austria is our next stop and the man we are looking for is Leopold von Sacher-Masoch (1835 – 1895), who described an abnormal mental condition in which a person derived pleasure from being abused and punished by someone he or she loved. The word masochism is often used more broadly to mean self-torture. F. A. Mesmer (1734 – 1815) created a sensation in Vienna and Paris by his assertion that there existed a power which he called animal magnetism. At first, the name mesmerism was given to this power; the term later evolved to hypnotism. To mesmerize, therefore, means to hypnotize. France will be the final stop in our journey.
to mean abnormally cruel. In a way, you can infer that sadistic is an antonym of masochistic. That concludes our etymological tour for this edition of theSCENE. I hope you enjoyed reading the article as much as I did in collecting and sharing these bits of information. Like I mentioned earlier, writing this has given me a lot of pleasure. I take it as an opportunity to give back something to a language I have taken up as a passion.
The infamous Count de Sade (1740 – 1814) described a situation in which a person derived pleasure from tormenting someone he or she loved. Such a person – you guessed it – is called a sadist. The word sadistic is often used more broadly today
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General
by Sp33|)|)3v!lx
Well hello everyone! This is my very first article with the Warez-bb press team. I will be mostly writing about life and what happens around us that brings us together and makes us what we are. Everyone’s different as we all know by now, but there’s more to life than just being better than one another. Of course there are challenges or different sports. We are here for a reason, a purpose, a creature created by one god or as many other gods as we make up or look for something that looks alike. Inspire your friends to do what they love, inspire your loved ones to reach out and touch the stars in their dreams. I am inspired by people that never give up for what they believe in. You see if we follow what we believe in we can perhaps be a millionaire sometimes, or a pro football player with a hot wife. Writing is what I do when I feel something to say but cannot express it. Please enjoy a poem called “In the light inside the darkness”. I wrote this when my girlfriend’s brother and dad had to go to war demanded by the U.S. government. It is a poem to inspire her to not to think about these things to focus on life and what she has gained in life.
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General
Thank you for reading my first article I appreciate your patience
General
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The Samsung T240 is the 24” entry into Samsung’s T Series. Personally I own two of these beautiful monitors, and would recommend them to anyone. The T240 is a very sleek monitor boasting a 20,000:1 Contrast Ratio, and a 1920x1200 resolution. The monitor is a mid-priced model with Samsung aiming for a well priced, artistic monitor that would bring a high-end look to the mid-range market. They hit the target dead on.
Samsung wanted to create an artistic monitor that is both amazing on the outside and the inside. On the outside, the monitor has curved edges, a sleek stand, and of course, the “Touch of Color” that Samsung has been adding to their highest end products. The power button is touch sensitive and has a nice red lit accent. The regular menu, up, down, etc buttons are hidden on the right side of the monitor, and are easy to use once you get used to which button is which. The monitor looks amazing alone, or with another “Touch of Color” monitor. Put beside a standard rectangular, sharp edged monitor, it looks out of place, making the other monitor appear outdated in comparison. The inputs of the monitor could be better, but they include a VGA port, DVI port, and HDMI port. As well, it has a built in USB port that provides an alternative, possibly easier to access USB port to those at the back of your computer. It also has audio out and digital audio out if you have a nice sound system and are using HDMI through the monitor.
Having such a huge resolution also means it can play 1080p content, and can support huge resolutions for gaming etc. It uses approx 55W of power during regular use, and less than 2W on stand-by. As I mentioned earlier, I have two of these beasts, and I use them for everything from watching 1080p movies, 720p TV shows, to playing games at the highest resolution possible. It performs better than one would expect for a monitor of this size. The colors are beautiful, and there is no lag or blur. The desktop space is lovely; it is a huge upgrade from my old 19” monitor.
Pros: Huge monitor, Giant resolution, Full HD. Great response time. Accurately represents an image. Cons: It’s a dust magnet. It also has a fairly standard swivel and tilt stand.
Inside the monitor is a very crisp liquid crystal display. It has a 20,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, with 1000:1 being the typical ratio. This helps to create an accurate display of colors, blacks, whites, and create a generally more accurate picture. It has a 5ms response time, which eliminates any blurring that could occur on a slower reacting monitor. It has a 160° viewing angle, and a brightness of 300 cd/m². All of this with a 1920x1200 WUXGA resolution and 16.7 million color support.
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Score: 9/10 Summary: The monitor itself is great, but if it had higher end accessories it would easily be one of the best monitors on the market in this price range.
Price Range: Under $399.99
Tech
In this article, I’m going to be explaining how to get on your way to becoming an experienced Photoshop user, as well as the major fields of graphics which can be explored using this industry leading software.
Photoshop is all too well known for its amazing ability to produce brilliant graphics. It has developed over the years since 1988, and now it wears the crown as the best image editing software in the market. It is used by nearly all high end industry producers, and for good reason. So how do you go about becoming familiar with this highly advanced program? How do you play with nature to create chimeras of animals and perform extreme digital makeovers that look believable? It all begins with the fundamentals. Familiarising yourself with the language that Photoshop understands is probably the best way to go about learning it, but fear not, it doesn’t speak some alien language that only nerds understand, but uses graphic terms instead which are mainly technical jargon. A lot of people would rather learn how to recreate a bunch of effects instead of understanding what is actually happening, but in order to operate as smoothly and efficiently as possible inside Photoshop, an understanding of what’s going on behind the scenes is very crucial. Learning the fundamentals and basics of graphics in general takes a short amount of time, and they are quite simple, however implementing them to create desirable effects is where the creativity and thinking comes into place, and most of the time someone else has already done all of the thinking for you. So why then bother with the boring basics and not jump right into the action? Mainly because doing so will not lead to any improvement on your end and the fun route is the very long and hard way of learning what’s actually going on.
So, where do you begin? I strongly advise you to learn directly from the masters. One of the industry leading graphic artists, Deke McClelland (left), who won the 2002 Photoshop Hall of Fame award, has a list of very useful video training courses - some of which are based on his books - with the online video training library Lynda.com, as well as a few other (similar) courses on TotalTraining.com. He also has a number of bestselling books covering the most important fundamentals that every Photoshop user needs to know. From my own personal experience, he is a very well talented teacher and Photoshop user, and I strongly recommend his books and online courses to anybody who has virtually no experience in using Photoshop, and wants to begin an amazing journey in the digital world of imaging. After you become one with Photoshop’s workflow, you can then do wonders with the program. I will summarize the major fields of graphics that Photoshop is capable of working with:
GRAPHIC DESIGN Probably the biggest field in graphics itself, graphic design ranges from visual communication, visual arts, typography, interface design, page layout, to print making and much more. In English, that translates to making, for example, advertisements, logos, wallpapers, movie posters, album covers, and web graphics. RETOUCHING Retouching is the application of image editing techniques to create an illusion or a deception. It requires some knowledge of graphic design, and the most important part of retouching is to make the end result look realistic and believable.
3D AND VIDEO While the 3D features in Photoshop are relatively new, as they only first appeared one version ago in Photoshop CS3 Extended, they provide the user with a fair amount of control over 3D objects and 3D painting. Photoshop also has video editing compatibility, but frankly I have never investigated these functions, as there are far more sophisticated and specilised programs for these two fields, namely Autodesk 3DS Max and Adobe Premire Pro for 3D modelling and video editing respectively.
OTHERS The beauty of Photoshop is its ability to do so many things in so many different ways, and there are always new short-lived trends in graphics that Photoshop is capable of working with very exceptionally.
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Tech
20 Most Wanted Games Of 2009 by .:Nvidia:.
Layout by oddbrawl
W
ith 2008 gone, we start a fresh new year, a new page, and so does the gaming industry. 2008 was one of the best years ever in the industry, with great line ups and blockbuster releases such as Gears of War 2, Metal Gear Solid 4, Grand Theft Auto 4…you name it! 2009 is no different! I’m sure you’re eager to know what this year will bring us in terms of innovation, game play and so on. I have picked 20 games which I believe will be AAA titles. Let’s see what 2009 has in store for us:
Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X. H.A.W.X. looks like a very promising title with ultra realistic physics and textures. The game allows you to fly in 120km2 of open space and also features an online mode, solid campaign and best of all: a co-op mode. The game will be released on March 3, 2009 for PC, PS3 and 360.
F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin There isn’t much to say about this game due to the huge success of its predecessor. F.E.A.R 2 puts the player into the shoes of a soldier investigating abnormal activities, and the story behind a young girl called Alma. Monolith promised better graphics, improved game play and a rock solid AI. This survival horror FPS will hit the shelves on February 10, 2009 for PC, PS3 and 360.
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Games
Splinter Cell: Conviction Since the release of the first game in 2002, the Splinter Cell series has become a huge success. Splinter Cell Conviction is the fifth game in the series. However, little is known about this game. All we know is that the game is a spin off from older titles. In fact, Sam Fisher becomes the hunted one this time, so the player will assume the role of a fugitive wanted by the agency he once used to work for. The game will feature new game play and stronger environment interaction. No solid release date has been announced, but the game is slated for a 2009 release for 360 and PC with no PS3 version for now.
FIFA 2010 After the epic success of FIFA 09, EA is back once again for an even better version of its popular soccer game. The FIFA series has done very well since the 08 version, leaving PES far behind. For this version, EA will fix some bugs and include better features, such as improving the online mode. We’ll see what this nearly perfect game will look like probably during Fall 2009, across all platforms as usual.
BioShock 2: Sea of Dreams Prequel to the game of the year 2007, Bioshock 2 will probably set a new and higher standard in the FPS genre. We still don’t know much about this game, but the developers are doing their best to deliver us an unprecedented experience: better graphics, improved physics and a deeper story. BioShock 2: Sea of Dreams will welcome you to Rapture sometime in 2009. List of platforms is yet to be announced.
Killzone 2 It’s important to point out that Killzone 2 is a PS3 exclusive. We have already seen a lot of footage from the developers. The game looks amazing simply given that it uses 60% of the PS3 cell power. Killzone 2 features a solid game play, ultra realistic physics, a heart touching story and of course an online mode. The game will be released on February 25, 2009 exclusively for the PS3.
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Resident Evil 5 I personally got the chance to try out the demo. I was impressed! Apart from the beautiful graphics and lighting effects, there is so much more you can do in this game in terms of game play; heal the girl fighting along with you, defend each other, melee attacks… A new co-op mode has also been added plus a solid online mode. The story looks promising too. There is a lot of hype surrounding Resident Evil 5 and I’m sure it will live up to it. You can grab a copy on March 13, 2009 either for the PS3 or 360.
Heavy Rain Developed by Quantic Dream, Heavy Rain is rather an original game. It features very realistic environments and an advanced facial expression system that gives life to the characters. However, the best thing yet is that the player controls the story. In other words, your actions will influence the coming events of the game. We will certainly get more info in the upcoming months. Heavy Rain will hit the shelves sometime in 2009, again exclusively for the PS3.
Wanted : Weapons of Fate As most of you have probably guessed, Wanted is the game derived from the movie of the same title (starring James McAvoy, Angelina Jolie and Morgan Freeman). The core feature is the game play, if you have watched the movie you will know what I mean. You can change the bullet trajectory, go into focus mode, bullet mode…(like ‘The Matrix’). Although games based on movies usually fail to deliver a good experience, Wanted: Weapons of Fate seems to have what it takes. The game will be released on March 24, 2009 for PS3 and Xbox 360.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 If you don’t know the first game (Call of Duty 4), then you have been living under a rock for over 2 years. COD 4 is still today one of the most played games online, with more than 10 million copies sold worldwide. This gives you an idea of how good modern Warfare 2 will be. We have no information at all for now, but I’m sure Activision will enlighten us in the near future. The game will be released in Fall 2009 (probably November) for PC, PS3, 360 (unconfirmed). 17 \ theSCENE \ WAREZ-BB.ORG
Games
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves After the success of the first game entitled Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, Naughty Dog is back once again with a second episode. The developers announced that they will try to max out the PS3 and get the most out of the hardware, even more than Killzone 2 will, so expect highly detailed graphics and physics. In terms of game play, Naughty Dog will better the AI and add new weapons, as well as improving the cover system a la Gears of War. The game will also feature a new stealth system to give players more freedom in the field. Uncharted 2 will hit stores sometime during 2009 exclusively for the PS3.
Fight Night Round 4 After an excellent FNR 3, EA is back once again with the fourth installment of the series. We still don’t know a lot about the game, but I doubt the developers will have a lot of a job to do as the game is already near perfect, thanks to its stunning visuals and realistic game play. The game will be released during 2009, probably on all platforms.
Beyond Good & Evil 2 No solid information has been released for this game. We have only seen a teaser and a bunch of pictures, but due to the success of the first game, Beyond Good & Evil 2 will not disappoint us. The game is scheduled for a 2009 release on PS3 and 360.
Batman : Arkham Asylum Our favourite bat is back again, this time with a game most of the fans are looking forward to. The good thing is that it has nothing to do with already released movies, which should give the game some quality. Rocksteady Studios announced the possibility of upgrading Batman’s weapons and armour. The game will also feature detailed graphics and animations. Hopefully Batman: Arkham Asylum will live up to the expectations, as fans are eagerly waiting to see more of this rather promising game. No official date has been announced yet, but the game is scheduled for a 2009 release on PS3 and 360. Games
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Velvet Assassin Velvet Assassin puts the player in the shoes of a woman named Violette Szabo. The game is set during WW2, but has an original form as you will play as a spy behind enemy lines. The game might not have top notch graphics, but the idea is there. You will get the chance to sabotage and interrupt Nazi plans discretely in this stealthy game. Velvet Assassin will be released during 2009 for the 360.
Halo Wars No, this is not Halo 4. Instead it’s a RTS game based on the Halo series. The player will command different troops on the ground via a very accessible and simple game play, with the game also featuring some nice sound effects. The developers promised a deep campaign mode for both newcomers and Halo fans. Halo Wars will hit stores in 2009 only on 360 of course.
Halo 3: ODST This game is rather an expansion pack for Halo 3, as it lasts only 4 hours. Despite that, Bungie will add an interesting campaign mode. Master Chief is no longer the main hero of the game; instead you will play a soldier fighting deep into the war. The game will also have a “new” and “different” game play as Bungie said. Halo 3: ODST will arrive some time in 2009 exclusively for the 360.
Games
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Fuel This new game from Asobo Studio is a must buy for racing maniacs. Fuel will allow the player to drive in open space with an advanced graphics engine and detailed game play. We don’t know a lot about this title yet, however the developers have promised a great experience and they are doing their best. The release is scheduled for 2009, although no precise date has yet been announced. The game will be shipped for the PC, PS3 and 360.
Sega Megadrive Ultimate Collection They say old is gold and they’re right! Sega announced that it will release a compilation containing 40 epic games. This is a must buy for all those who wish to remember the good old days of gaming. Best of all, Sega will leave most of the graphics untouched, just so we can enjoy the glory of the old Megadrive days. Sega Megadrive Ultimate Collection will hit stores for the PS3 and 360 soon.
Alan Wake Already in development for quite some time now, Alan Wake is developed by Remedy Entertainment exclusively for the Xbox 360. All I’ve got to say is that this is the game I’m looking forward to the most. Although the developers are still going secret, from the trailers we have seen the game offers unprecedented graphics and life-like animations. However, the best part is the deep story the game will offer us. Stay tuned for more info about this game. I suggest you check out the trailers. The game will probably be released late 2009, only for the 360 as mentioned above.
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n conclusion, I would like to say that 2009 looks to be full of potentially great games (I had a tough time choosing these!) and this is only the beginning; Microsoft has said that it has a lot of exclusives in development, but they aren’t releasing anymore information. Mark your calendars and stay tuned for more info about these amazing games!
Games
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Review by Shifty Layout by oddbrawl
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is by far the most played war game of 2007. Officially one of the biggest releases of the year, the title not only delivered a revolutionary multiplayer system but it also provided the most intense and exciting single player campaign that I have played in years. Popular enough to be called the game of 2007, Modern Warfare has it all. If Infinity Ward wanted to top their #1 game, they had a massive job on their hands. So imagine the disbelief for fans all around the world when they discovered the next Call of Duty installment was going back to WWII. When I first heard the news that Activision had taken Call of Duty back to the Second World War, I knew there was going to be outrage. I wanted to see a game that would top the still extremely popular Modern Warfare. All hope had been lost until one day. Eventually the previews for World at War started to come out and 21 \ theSCENE \ WAREZ-BB.ORG
I have to say, I started to regain that hope, that same hope that I had choked and stamped upon days earlier. World at War looked impressive, more so than all of its world war predecessors. Month after month I became fonder of the idea of going back to WWII and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the new installment. Eventually that day came. Welcome to my review. Forgetting the fact that the game was developed by Treyarch, the guys who made a very messy Call of Duty 3, my hopes were still very high for the new addition to the prestigious Call of Duty family. And was I disappointed? Yes and no. In World at War you encounter two very different war experiences, as you play two different characters belonging to two different armies. You’ll play a US marine as the American Army engage in a tug of war with the Japanese over the Pacific Islands. Then you’ll switch to a young Russian private, who eventually joins the fight against Germany and helps the Russians push into German territory. You’ll switch between the two every few missions, giving you a full and detailed perspective of WWII. Games
World at War is a fantastic representation of next-gen graphics. It boasts some of the most amazing scenery seen in any game today. From the shell hit cities of Berlin and Stalingrad, to the Japanese infested jungles of the Pacific, World at War has impressively built on top of its huge predecessor and has created the most realistic looking war game I’ve ever played. That and the fact that it’s extremely fun made me play this game non-stop for days. What also did it for me this year were the two new major weapons; the bayonet and the flamethrower. Both are used in the US campaign to keep the Japs at a distance. These guys tend to hide in trees, pop out of holes in the ground and generally run at you whenever you take a sip of your coffee. You can also use these two new weapons in the multiplayer mode, but we’ll talk about that gem later. Being able to burn enemies in World at War is only light entertainment as the new installment is a lot more violent than Modern Warfare - you’ll see limbs fly off when explosives are successfully used. You can also achieve this with gunfire and if perfectly executed it can give you an imGames
mense feeling of satisfaction, but it may also mean you’re a bit sick. Gameplay overall though can get a little annoying. Sometimes you can be getting shot from an angle that you believe is covered, and when you look for the suspected enemy you won’t find him. You get the feeling that the enemy is shooting you rather easily and this will make you use cover a lot more, which can become tedious. Then we have the grenades, oh god the grenades. If you thought the grenades were a little annoying in Modern Warfare, then you’ll hate them with a vengeance this time around. The enemy seems to have taken professional grenade throwing classes. You’ll be sat in cover, trying to get your breath back and a grenade will land at your feet, not having time to throw it back you’ll be blown to smithereens and will have to load your checkpoint again. Rage. Grenades will most likely be responsible for most of your deaths in the single player campaign, and it doesn’t help when your enemies have Martyrdom. Yes, your single player enemies have perks this time! It would be hard for me
to keep going on about the not so good things of World at War’s single player campaign because, quite frankly, there aren’t many at all. But there isn’t a great deal of new impressive things either. Don’t get me wrong; the single player campaign wasn’t as intriguing or as downright fun as Modern Warfare, but I still had a blast beating it. There were many - in fact, too many - stressful moments, but that’s what a good game always brings. I would find myself running for the next cover point only hoping my team mates would take out any threat that was coming my way. I’d still see muzzle flashes in the distance, but I’d rather take the easy road to the next checkpoint than to head into another gang of heartless Germans. Your team mates are pretty capable; in fact I’d go out on a limb and call them indestructible. This always gave me an extra boost of confidence during levels as I knew if I ran ahead, I’d only have to do minimal killing while my team of heroes took out the ever present enemy swarms. Despite the odd novelty, you still have all your basic weaponry. You’ve got your sub machine gun, machine gun, ri-
fle and your automatic rifle. But as you go through the game you’ll find that you’ll stick with a preferred gun and master it. Overall the campaign is fairly short and can be completed in a night’s hard work, leaving you free to enjoy the other game modes that WaW has to offer, the main one being Multiplayer. Modern Warfare was the reason I got back into multiplayer gaming after years away from it. It had everything. World at War Multiplayer is just as fantastic. This time the catch is experience points. In order to level up through the ranks - for your online ego - you have to collect experience points. You get these by winning matches and completing the almost endless list of challenges on offer. When you rank up you’ll unlock newer weapons and perks, which make things easier for your online experience as you’ll be able to take advantage of the new players with your Type100 sub-machine gun, or your Magnum pistol. Leveling up will also change the way in which you play, as different perks will make you a very different player. You can decide to give yourself more health so it’s harder for you to die, this way you can WAREZ-BB.ORG \ theSCENE \ 22
use a machine gun and decide to play with some muscle. You can also take the stealth road by making yourself lighter on your feet so it’s harder for your enemy to hear you. Other perks include improving your sprint speed and also become invisible to enemy recon planes. There is so much to customize in the Multiplayer mode, it makes it much more addictive to play. You can create various different classes and save them, which also makes it easier to decide what style of play you’re going to take on various maps. There isn’t a great selection of maps and you may eventually become bored of each one, but when you first play them each one is as tantalizing as the next. Most maps are rather large and unlike Modern Warfare it can take you a few hard minutes to spot even one enemy. Certain maps also contain tanks, which can be extremely fun. Tanks aren’t as dominant as you would expect, and are quite hard to control. But every once in a while someone will rack up a few hundred points in one and 23 \ theSCENE \ WAREZ-BB.ORG
you’ll hate their guts. A new addition to Multiplayer this year is probably the most hated but loved. When you rack up a seven kill streak you can unleash a pack of wild dogs. Now unless you’re the owner of these pesky dogs, they can become quite the disturbance. As easy as they are to kill, they can jump out at you from anywhere and are fast; it takes them only two bites to kill you which can be so annoying when you’re shooting at an enemy. However if you’re the lucky soul that sent these dogs looking for flesh, then you can find yourself ten or even twenty kills up as they can pull off some crazy kill streaks. There are two other kill streak awards, which start with the recon plane. To require this, you must get a three kill streak. Once acquired, this recon plane will scan across your map every few seconds and will pin-point enemies for you. The other kill streak reward is Artillery and is probably the least effective. Once you have required this you must pin-point a location for artillery to be dropped from
“the new installment is a lot more violent than Modern Warfare” planes above the map. This can often be annoying as most of the times you don’t get a single kill with it. You can also kill yourself with it if you’re not careful! One other new addition to Multiplayer is the Zombie mode. This is an unlockable mode achieved when you complete the campaign on any difficulty. This mode is loved and hated by many. The people who hate it say Activision should stick to the basics of making war games whilst the people who love it, well...love it! Think of Left 4 Dead, but much worse, set in WWII times. Most will find it fun at first, but it can become tiring and very repetitive. Whilst the mode is definitely worth unlocking, it is nowhere near the stand out new feature Treyarch hoped it to be. However I’m just an opinionated reviewer, so try it yourself and get back to me :). Overall World at War is Modern Warfare in a WWII disguise. While I personally believe
Activision should have moved on with the whole world war theme this installment still has its moments. I still believe Modern Warfare is the better game, but there was no reason why a WWII version of it couldn’t be tried. Now that’s out of the way, I want to see Call of Duty move back into the modern world and progress as one of the biggest first person shooters out there. However with that said, there is no reason why you shouldn’t buy World at War. As much as it is still over shadowed by its predecessor, the game is still indeed an excellent next-gen action shooter. Fun, exhilarating and beyond any of its rivals, Call of Duty World at War is a must buy for any FPS fan. If you’re a fan of the series and can push aside the fact that Modern Warfare is still the dominant installment, then you’ll have hours of fun on the latest addition to the family. I know I did.
Games
With the recent release of Grand Theft Auto 4 on PC, a detailed review of the game had to be published in Issue 16 of theSCENE, due to the hype surrounding it. In this article, we will take a very close look at the PC version of the game like the new features Rockstar included, the graphics, gameplay, and of course the performance; as well as how good the game will run on your PC. I have personally tested the game on various configurations and also included benchmarks from other online sources.
We have seen a lot of good PC games coming out in the past six months like Fallout 3, Left 4 Dead, Dead Space, and many others. However, since its announcement, GTA 4 made it into everybody’s wish list; with a huge success on consoles and many game of the year awards (most recent one from Spike VGA 2008), the game looked very promising on the PC, supported by the modding community from GTA San Andreas.
Yes, GTA 4 PC could be the best version out there, with the power our GPU/ CPU can deliver today. Playing the game at a decent FPS is not a dream. We can play Crysis nearly maxed out with the right hardware, even with AA enabled. At 40 FPS, bear in mind that Crysis is the most demanding game ever made on PC. The game still looks very nice and runs smoothly on older systems, especially Crysis Warhead. Thanks to the optimization that was made by the developers over at Crytek. The main question remains: Did Rockstar really work hard enough to port GTA 4 to PC, or was it an overnight port?
When Rockstar announced GTA 4 for PC, they told us that the PC version will include a nice video editor capable of saving/exporting videos as true 1080p HD videos. They also announced that the PC version will include up to 32 players in online mode, with consoles only supporting 16. This new feature made console fans jealous. The fact is: If the consoles had 32 players support, the game would lag a lot. This again takes a look at the capabilities of our PCs. 24 \ theSCENE \ WAREZ-BB.ORG
Some people are suggesting that the PC version has slightly better/revised graphics. But the real advantage of the PC version is the modding community; the game will have new cars, clothes, weapons, characters, and even new maps all free of charge, made at home by people like me and you. Modding really took GTA San Andreas to the next level; a lot of gamers are still playing it today. Other than that, the game is similar to the console version. You play as Nico Bellic, an illegal immigrant from Eastern Europe, who came to the states for a better life in pursuit of the “American Dream” as described by his cousin Roman Bellic. As soon as he arrives, things are not as Nico expected, and he must fight his way through for a better life with his cousin. The game is set in New York, known as Liberty City in the game. You will find all the famous landmarks of New York such as the Statue of libety, Times Square, and many more. The map is not as big as San Andreas, but contains night/day, the weather system, and a very realistic environment with a deep level of detail. For example: When you hit a wall with your car or any other object hard enough, you will fly through the windshield, leaving a crash mark on the wall. The new car damage engine makes it very realistic when you hit a pedestrian or a nearby car or if you shoot a vehicle, as bullet holes will remain just where they hit the car, the same for the car windows. The water looks real too. Note that the cops can swim this time. Another big improvement is the pedestrians and the way they behave. While playing the game you will see men reading newspapers whilst walking or drinking coffee/soda, workers cleaning the parks/streets, women carrying shopping bags, and a lot more. Also, there’s an ability to carry a camera enabled cell phone, which can be used to make calls, enable/disable cheats, or simply to call one of your girlfriends during the game. You can also call the emergency services such as the police/ fire department/ambulance by dialing the famous 911 number. There are many ways to get around Liberty City, besides cars or bikes. You can use the train, boats, and helicopters. But the best way to enjoy the city is to catch a taxi, as Rockstar added the ability to enjoy Liberty City in FPS view from inside the taxi. Unfortunately, flying an airplane is not supported yet but hopefully will be possible through modding. Life does not get boring in New York; in fact, you can do many different activities such as browsing the net, set up an email account, call one of your friends for a pool game, throw darts or even go bowling.
If you want new clothes, you can go shopping in one of the many stores located throughout the city. If one of the above activities does not suit you, you can watch TV at home, or best of all, go to the theatre for a show by yourself or with a friend. In terms of music, GTA 4 offers a wide range of radio stations with every music genre; from US Hip Hop to Country Music (My favorite one is K-Rose by the way in SA). In the PC version, you can even enjoy your own music tracks which make things even better. Let’s not forget the multiplayer mode, which supports up to 32 players. GTA 4 offers various modes ranging from the basic death match mode to racing and much more. Regarding the game play, there isn’t much to say. GTA has always set the standards in terms of driving in sandbox games. You will be familiar enough with the controls in no time. The biggest addition though is the cover system, as it makes gun fights so much better and far more realistic. You can still play as a taxi driver, or a cop.
- Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo 1.8GHz, AMD Athlon X2 64 2.4GHz. - Memory: 1.5GB. - Free Hard Drive Space: 16GB. - Video Card: 256MB Nvidia 7900 / 256MB ATI X1900. - DirectX 9 compatible Stereo Sound Card. - Keyboard. - Mouse.
- Processor: Intel Core 2 Quad 2.4GHz, AMD Phenom X3 2.1 GHz. - Memory: 2GB (Windows XP) 2.5GB (Windows Vista). - Free Hard Drive Space: 18GB. - Video Card: 512MB NVIDIA 8600 / 512MB ATI 3870. - DirectX 9 compatible Surround Sound Card. - Keyboard. - Mouse.
Furthermore, you can use the video editor to edit your saved clips in many different ways and then export them in HD format. However, the speed depends on the quality of your CPU.
What do you think about these requirements? They look silly to me, seeing a GeForce 8600 512 MB as a recommended GPU brings up two theories: either the game has bad graphics or is too optimized. In fact an 8600 will not be able to handle the game maxed out, not with only 32 stream processors and 512 MB of RAM.
As you can see, GTA 4 on PC is very rich in terms of content just like the console versions, with a solid multiplayer mode and different missions, and highly detailed environments. The question we need to answer now is: How will this baby run on our system?
I have first tried the game with a single core, an old Pentium 4 with HP technology clocked at 3.4 GHz and a GeForce 8600 GTS 512 just for the sake of it, all settings at defaults as recommended by the auto benchmark tool. The game runs but is barely playable, with 14 FPS at a resolution of 1280x1024.
Here we are after a close look at what the game has to offer. We will now test the game with different configurations and see what we get as the result. First of all I would like to remind you of the minimum/recommended requirements for the game:
I then tried the game with the same settings as above but with an Intel E8400 at 3.00 GHz. I got a 15 FPS increase, and the game is playable now but not even close to medium settings. I tried again the same thing but with a Q9450 Quad Core at 2.66 GHz, and I got even better results but at low settings. I got around 25 to 30 FPS. I have tested the game over and over again with the same CPUs as above except the P4 and with an 8800 GT with 512 MB or VRAM and 112 stream processors. The game runs well but it contains several bugs. I concluded that the resolution does not really affect the performance. I played at both 1280x1024 and 1680x1050 but little to no difference was noticeable, texture quality was set to highest view distance of 25, detail distance at 30, vehicle density to 20 and shadows to 10, and I got around 35 FPS. WAREZ-BB.ORG \ theSCENE \ 25
But what I noticed is that GTA 4 is CPU dependant, and is the first game to favor quad cores over higher clocked dual cores, which explains why the game started lagging when I increased the vehicle density. This option has a direct effect on the CPU load/usage, and the performance was better with the Q9450 and will even be better with an i7 Extreme. Later on, I tried it with a GeForce GTX 280 and Q9450. I was able to increase the settings a little bit and get a decent frame rate, but I was unable to set everything at the highest as it takes more than 1500 MB of VRAM which a GTX 280 does not have. SLI is not supported yet, in fact some people get better performance when disabling this function. After spending hours reading through online forums, I came to a conclusion that even people with crazy setups such as ATI Radeon 4870 X2, i7 Extreme and 4 GB RAM cannot max out the game, and get a lot of problems while playing such as missing textures, unstable FPS… If you want my advice to get the most out of the game, make sure to upgrade to XP SP3 or SP1 if you are using Vista, upgrade your GPU driver and try to tweak your configurations. These three settings seem to have a big impact on performance and VRAM usage: View distance, vehicle density and shadow density. Also try to avoid 64 bit OS’ as they are the most affected versions in terms of bugs and crashes.
Grand Theft Auto 4 PC is a great game in terms of content and what the game has to offer. However, the conversion is not, as proven by too many bugs. Sudden drops/instability in FPS, memory leaks, random crashes, textures not showing up… you name it. Even gamers with the highest specs today are encountering problems. This is clearly not a hardware issue or as Rockstar said “GTA 4 is meant for next-gen.” Crysis is much more demanding, has superior visuals and AA capabilities, yet I used to play it at high with a single 8800 GT at 1680x1050. The release of the patch did not correct many bugs, for example, the textures stopped showing up after installing the patch. I think that some problems can be corrected with future patches and better drivers from Nvidia/ATI. However, other issues are clearly related to the game engine and it is rare to see a patch correct these types of issues. All we can hope for is that Rockstar will work hard to correct the endless bugs to make the game better, to offer us a better GTA experience, all simply because it can be done. We all agree that GTA 4 is an epic game; it just needs to be free from performance issues. 26 \ theSCENE \ WAREZ-BB.ORG
.:Nvidia:.