Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Gaming Today

Gaming Today

Sony is Getting Super Serious About 3D on PS3

Posted: 23 Nov 2010 06:55 PM PST

At this week’s Develop Conference in Liverpool, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe’s Mick Hocking spoke to Develop (the publication) and told them Sony is really gearing up for 3D on PS3 on a large scale. We’ve known this in spirit for a while now, but nobody’s really made it plain just how large their efforts truly are. The point of this post is that Hocking did, in fact, finally do that.

Hocking says Sony is preparing 3D on 20 games just at Sony. He says that, including those, 50 games are being prepped for 3D. In terms of what that means, well, I couldn’t tell you. I would, however, venture to guess that those 20 Sony games are all the games Sony is developing, and it would seem likely that many of these titles are PSN games rather than full retail releases.

Since I’m incapable of writing a post about 3D without being negative, I’m going to pull a quote in which Hocking explains this 3D initiative.

Interest in 3D is growing fast, and many different industries are investing heavily in 3D right now. The 3D market is going to continue to grow with film, TV, websites and games all set to embrace the technology.

Once people see the range of amazing content that 3D offers, they'll make the decision to buy a 3D TV set.

Nope, not true. At all. People will buy 3DTVs when they’re as cheap as regular HDTVs are now, and that’s because nobody but rich people will ever buy a new television because they’re so freaking excited about 3D. Sony is making a good move by laying down the foundation, though. By the time people do start adopting — which will be a few years from now — there’ll already be plenty of options.

EA Boss Wants to Kick Gran Turismo 5′s Ass

Posted: 23 Nov 2010 04:35 PM PST

My personal favorite kind of corporate bickering is the kind we have here today. And what we have here today is EA senior VP Patrick Soderland taking some potshots at Gran Turismo 5 (holy s**t that game is out tomorrow) in an attempt to prop up EA’s own NFS: Shift franchise. Let’s see what he had to say to CVG.

If you compare Shift and Gran Turismo, I actually do see Shift as a direct competitor to Gran Turismo for sure.
…
What does make sense to me… I think they have a very sterile, almost car collecting type of product where that’s mainly what we do, and I think we can offer something different. Our idea is that if we can offer the most authentic driving experience and portray what it feels like being inside a race car, then I think that’s where we can excel and where we absolutely will beat them. That I know for sure.

<analysis>”For sure,” eh? I s’pose we’ll find out soon enough, since Shift 2 comes out in March. </analysis>

Report: Elder Scrolls V Is In the Works

Posted: 23 Nov 2010 02:30 PM PST

Eurogamer says they’ve got a source who tells them that Bethesda is presently working on Elder Scrolls V and that actors are in the studio doing some recording right now and that the game will be a direct sequel to Oblivion. Is that all? I think that’s all. This is probably good news (I say “probably” because I never much cared for Oblivion), but I’ve sorta assumed they’ve been working on this for a while, because Bethesda hasn’t released a game they’ve developed since Fallout 3, and they haven’t announced any new projects. They’ve obviously been working on something in secret, and it might as well be a new Elder Scrolls.

Oh, and this is also good, because it means the internet doesn’t have to make up Elder Scrolls stories now. Not saying it won’t happen, but it’s no longer necessary, I think.

Pirate The Witcher 2 and You Could Get Fined

Posted: 23 Nov 2010 08:53 AM PST

CD Projekt is an awesome company. Not only are they behind The Witcher series of RPGs, they’re also responsible for the existence of Good Old Games, the home of DRM-free classic games.

At the same time, they’ve come out quite firmly against piracy, and they’re backing that up with a little steel. Speaking with Eurogamer, CD Projekt co-founder Marcin Iwiński had a bit to say about how they’re addressing piracy on the upcoming RPG, The Witcher 2.

Of course we’re not happy when people are pirating our games, so we are signing with legal firms and torrent sneaking companies. In quite a few big countries, when people are downloading it illegally they can expect a letter from a legal firm saying, ‘Hey, you downloaded it illegally and right now you have to pay a fine.’

While this type of action can result in people with unsecured connections being targeted for downloads they didn’t make, it does give potential pirates something else to think about. Additionally, CD Projekt isn’t resorting to restrictive DRM to protect its games.

In fact, it’s doing just the opposite. You can buy The Witcher 2 on GOG.com, and you can even pre-order it without paying any money up front. Most importantly, it’ll be available completely DRM-free.

This may be the first instance of a company asking pirates to put their money where their mouth is. After all, how many people say they only pirate games because “DRM sucks?” Buy it DRM-free, or chance a fine for pirating it. Doesn’t seem like that hard a choice to me.

Fable 3 Understone Quest Pack Now Available, Title Update Coming Soon

Posted: 23 Nov 2010 08:04 AM PST

Well, we knew this was coming. Microsoft has announced the launch of the first DLC for Fable 3, the Understone Quest Pack.

We’ve already got our review of the DLC up, if you want to find out what we thought/

Along with the news of the DLC release, Micosoft also announced an upcoming title update for Fable 3. It will include, among other things, the following changes:

  • General gameplay progression and spawning issues
  • Sanctuary map and audio functionality
  • Isolated corrupted game saves
  • General performance surrounding Orbs, audio, frame rates and other features

For a full list of the changes in the upcoming update, check out

How to Fix the Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death

Posted: 23 Nov 2010 07:00 AM PST

How to Fix the Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death

While Microsoft may have moved on and completely re-designed the Xbox 360 to avoid heat problems like the Red Ring of Death (aka RROD) many of us still have the old 360 models. These old systems are prone to failure without any warning. One day you’ll be ready to jump into a game of Halo:Reach and BAM! The red ring will appear around your power button and the system will throw up a cryptic error code. So, to stem the red tide of disappointment we offer direction on how to fix the Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death.

Difficulty: Intermediate

Tools:

  • Xbox 360
  • A torx 12, 7 and  6 screwdrivers to remove screws from the 360′s case
  • A 1/4 inch wrench or socket to remove the X-Clamp posts from the heatsink
  • Small Phillips screwdriver
  • Small flat-head screwdriver
  • Arctic Silver thermal compound
  • a Small cleaning cloth
  • A Thin metal stick

Time to Install: 45 minutes

Table of Contents

Official Disclaimer:
Opening up your Xbox 360 is a fairly simple process but novice computer or electronics tinkerers should be cautious. Some of the following steps will require you to remove sensitive electronic components.

Be sure to take precautions to eliminate static electricity and keep your work space orderly to make sure you can reassemble the unit once you’ve completed this process.

As always, remember that opening up your XBox 360 yourself will void any remaining warranty, so if you’ve still got any coverage, send it to Microsoft. If you choose to open it up, you do so at your own risk.

Step 1: Preparations
Before you can begin the steps to repair your Xbox 360 we should find the sorts of Xbox 360 errors that are commonly associated with the “Red Ring of Death”.

The Red Ring of Death is a general hardware failure. The system indicates this problem using 3 flashing red lights (which are green during normal operation of the unit) near the power button.

Normally this condition is an indicator that the Xbox 360 graphics processing unit (GPU) is overheating, causing the system to lock up or fail the initial power on testing process.

When the 360 overheats it may cause the motherboard to warp, making the soldered connections between the CPU and GPU weaker and subject to interruption.

If this is the error you’re seeing then this guide should fix your issue.

Step 2: Disassemble the Xbox 360
Breaking down the Xbox 360 is a fairly lengthy process itself so we’re going to attempt to dissect it in sections, noting the required tools in each part. To reassemble the unit, simply reverse the order of this Step.

Step 2A: Remove the Xbox 360 Outer Shell

  • Remove the 360 Faceplate by inserting two fingers into the USB slot and gently pushing up on the tab.

Step 2B: Remove the Grill Plates

  1. Remove the Xbox 360 Hard Drive.
  2. Insert the thin metal stick through the white holes on the top and bottom of the Xbox 360.
  3. Pull gently on the grill as you disconnect the latches – Do not force this or you WILL break the plastic latches on the grill!
  4. Repeat this process on the other end of the Xbox 360

Step 2C: Remove the Bottom Shell
Now that you have the end pieces off, it’s a simple matter to separate the top and bottom plastic casing of the Xbox 360.

  1. Turn the Xbox 360 to the front side and place it “upside” down.
  2. Using a flathead screwdriver carefully pry the four clips apart, releasing the top and bottom of the unit.
  3. Carefully pull the unit up about 1″. Do not force the unit apart at this point.
  4. Rotate the console until you are facing the rear of the Xbox 360
  5. Use the screwdriver to loosen the remaining rear retainers
  6. Pull the bottom of the shell away from the Xbox 360

Step 2D: Remove the Upper Shell
Now that we’ve removed the bottom of the unit you’ll see the shiny metal casing of the Xbox 360. There are 14 silver screws and 8 black screws that hold all the parts of the Xbox 360 together, including the top shell.

  1. Using your Torx screwdrivers, remove the 12 silver screws (T12 sized) and 8 black screws (T7 sized)
  2. Remove the top shell piece, exposing the inside of the Xbox 360

Step 2E: Removing the DVD Drive
To access the motherboard we will need to remove the DVD drive of the Xbox 360. There are cables and other connectors to unplug before the DVD drive will easily slide out of the case.

  • Disconnect the SATA and power cables from the rear of the DVD drive
  • Pull the DVD drive up and out of the case

Step 2F: Remove the Fan Shroud and Cooling Fans
Next we’ll remove the cooling gear for the Xbox 360.

  1. Compress the sides of the plastic cooling shroud until you hear a click and the unit comes free of the case
  2. Unplug the Fan power plug from the motherboard
  3. Gently pry the cooling fans loose and lift them out of the 360 case.

Step 2G: Remove the IR and Power board
The circular ring of lights on the front of the Xbox 360 also includes the unit infrared receiver. To take out the motherboard we need to disconnect this control panel.

Follow this process to disconnect the light and IR receiver.

  1. Remove the white plastic cover by gently prying it from the circuit board
  2. Remove the three torx screws securing the board to the case using a T6 screwdriver.

Step 3: Remove the Xbox 360 Motherboard
Now that we’ve removed the associated parts the Xbox 360 motherboard should now slide easily out of its metal housing. Carefully lift the motherboard out and set it on a protected surface.

Step 4: Remove the X-clamps
In order to remove the Heat Sinks and apply the thermal paste that will fix the RROD, you first have to remove the retention clips on the bottom of the Xbox 360 motherboard.

This is possibly the most frustrating and difficult part of this entire process. Removing the metal clips requires you to pry the metal restraints off using a tool. Here is how you achieve this feat:

  1. Use a small flathead screwdriver to pry the edge of the X-clamp away from the grooved post.
  2. Carefully repeat this process on the other posts until the clamp comes free of the motherboard.

Be VERY careful here, a steady hand is needed or you could accidentally damage the motherboard of the Xbox 360.

It is not required, but I recommend using a piece of cardboard and placing it between the X-clamp and the motherboard when attempting this step. If you slip, then hopefully the worst damage you’ve done is to dent some cardboard, not destroyed your Xbox 360.

Step 5: Remove the Heatsink
Now that the retaining clips are gone we need to remove the heat sinks from the CPU and GPU on the Xbox 360. Simply lift the large metal heatsinks from the CPU & GPU by lifting them off the posts on the motherboard.

Step 6: Clean GPU & CPU and Apply New Paste
With the heatsink removed you can see the exposed CPU & GPU chips covered in messy thermal paste.

Before we can reassemble the Xbox 360, you need to clean off the old gunk before applying new cooling paste. This is a vital part of fixing the overheating problem.

Carefully wipe down the bottom of the heatsink, taking care to make sure there are no remnants. You should just see nice shiny metal if you’ve gotten all the old paste off.

When you continue and wipe down the motherboard chips you should be careful not to stress the motherboard with too much pressure. The old paste will wipe off with a little persistence, and without a lot of pressure.

Once you have the surface of the heatsink and chips cleaned, it’s time to apply the new thermal paste. You should be very careful when applying the new layer.

The Xbox 360 does not need a lot of thermal paste if it is applied correctly. Using the edge of a credit card or similar tool you should spread a thin layer of thermal paste over the CPU and GPU. The paste should cover the text of the chips and appear smooth.

Remove any excess thermal paste and you should be ready to begin the process of assembly. Carefully seat the heatsink over the chips, being careful not to smash or slide the cooling part while doing so.

If you find that any of the paste is oozing out from under your heatsink, remove the unit and clean and re-apply until there is no excess pushed out.

Secure the X-clamps and begin the process of assembling your Xbox 360.

Closing
Before completely closing up the Xbox 360 and attaching the outer shell, be sure to connect the IR board and DVD drive.

Plug in video and power connections and test the unit to be sure that the fix indeed works. Some Xbox owners find that replacing the thermal paste makes a big difference but others need more drastic means.

Fixing the Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death is not a guaranteed process, over time motherboard warping and solder joint failure can become severe enough that no average person can fix the issue. If that is your case, your best bet may be to just buy a new Xbox 360 Slim.
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