I figured this was fitting news for the PC section... Finally. Though Jim Sterling getting a PC is hard to beat...

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/gaming/2009/11/25/deus-ex-3-is-eidos-and-square-enix-joint-ef/1

Very cool that the complexity is up there to knock consoles out of the running. Maybe they will dumb it down for console in a half a year or so. The first Deus Ex game was so awesome, hopefully this will fall suit. No game since has been made like it. It had everything...

- Persistent stage to stage
- Hit locations
- A great story
- Character upgrades that affect game play choices
- Integration of those choises in an interactive world
- Non-Linear gamplay
- Great stage maps
- Long story and lots of play!

It seemed that many games would follow this scheme, but non did...

Well at least some good news for PC. Hopefully something can be done to help the console out with this in the future.

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=238908

pentium G6950 @ 2.8 GHz 3 MB L3 no turbo boost 2 cores/2 threads, -about $85, 72 watt TDP
core i3 530 @ 2.93 GHz 4MB L3 no turbo boost 2 cores/4 threads, -about $120, 72 watt TDP
core i3 540 @ 3.06 GHz 4MB L3 no turbo boost 2 cores/4 threads, -about $140, 72 watt TDP
core i5 650 @ 3.2 GHz 4MB L3 w/turbo 2 cores/4 threads, -about $170, 72 watt TDP
core i5 660 @ 3.33 GHz 4MB L3 w/turbo 2 cores/4 threads, -about $190, 72 watt TDP
core i5 670 @ 3.46 GHz 4MB L3 w/turbo 2 cores/4 threads, -about $270, 72 watt TDP

This looks good for those that need an upgrade but don't want to pay much $$.

So a brand new system with:
- 2gb of DDR3 ($40)
- MB ($120)
- Processor ($120)

Could cost $280 (even less for more basic parts!) and would be viable for over 4-6 years. Add a nice video card for $150 and you have a Smoking system that would well out preform a console in gaming for about the same price.

Remember, for PC gaming the video card does most of the work so its always better to place less $$ into the bare bones and more into the video.

Now the 32mn allows you to overclock the crap out of these things. So really if one was to take advantage and get (free) core temperature software (to monitor the temps), you could replicate a much higher end stock system.

The future looks bright. Better technology cheaper.

That i3 530 looks pretty sweet to me! Remember these are street prices actual prices may be 10% lower.

So after some searching I came across a very interesting fact.

IW held a contest for PC gamers to create new maps for MW. The maps would be sent in and they would name their winners. It appears that winners were never announced. There were also problems with the contest as the submit dates were changed up and no one was notified.

I first learned of this here:

http://www.codboards.com/showthread.php?t=31565


Here are the images posted from that link.










Now they are not exact. But from what I believe, IW took the original COD4 map and "lightened" it for the consoles. But the design is uncanny. Now remember, these images are from the same map just looking at different points. From a design perspective it would near impossible to recreate this either from memory or by guessing. The intent of the MW2 is clearly copied.

...or stolen.

Here's the famous IW community manager himself... no notice of winner on his blog.
http://www.fourzerotwo.com/?p=274

This link shows the original notice that is no longer available on IW's site.
http://forums.n4g.com/m83771.aspx

...a frustrated DToid Blogger...
http://www.destructoid.com/blogs/JavTheGreat/contest-still-don-t-have-cod4-maps-winners--90000.phtml

If you look at the 3rd post down on this page; this was spot on!!!
http://www.raidersmerciless.com/showthread.php?t=4328&page=10

So. Contest went up. People made maps. No winners. Maps added to MW2.

Its really frustrating to the PC community, because they steal the mods made from COD4 and use them in MW2, but do not allow for any new modding to happen in MW2. Its kinda like saying, "Thanks for the sweat and history PC. See ya later!"

Thanks IW for stealing from the PC community to give to the world. At least say thank you after the rape.

http://www.fudzilla.com/content/view/16389/1/

This has not yet been independently verified, but it is something that PC gamers knew would come. Hacks are all but impossible to stop. Punkbuster seems to do a decent job (not great), but other anti-hack clients have seemed to fall behind very quickly.

In the end if someone wants to cheat, they can. Soon all those XBOX cheaters (that were caught) will be able to re-flash the firmware or get a new chip to get back online and the cycle will continue.

The self regulating, dedicated server communities (some bad and some good) cannot do anything now as before. On PC someone who can hack (it will happen) can get away completly until an update is provided.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8354166.stm

Assuming there are 20 million XBox users this would account for 3% of the population. I don't know... with all the talk about IW move away from dedicated servers for PC due to piracy; you would think that this number of those who have been CAUGHT would be much lower.

Cause we all know that Piracy and Hacking doesn't happen on consoles right?

So what dos this mean? Well Microsoft is taking a direct concern toward these players and hopefully trying to nip it int he bud before getting out of hand. But wouldn't 3% already be out of hand? Maybe the risks of losing the online privilege the console community has kept cheating quite since this seems pretty significant.

I can only assume the same arguments coming toward the PC community that pirating is bad and we are losing games and functionality b/c of it. SO why do the console gamers get away with it...

Oh yeah!

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

There was an Article posted recently where a Valve developer talks about how come modding won't come to consoles. It seems that this made many console gamers mad. Why I'm not sure. Modding has always been around for the PC and most console gamers don't want anything to do with PC gaming, which is why the comments surprised me. you can read it here:

http://www.destructoid.com/valve-explains-why-l4d2-mods-on-xbox-360-can-t-work-154555.phtml&mainnav=PC&mainnav=PC

Now if you read the comments you will see many console gamers getting miffed that they don't get to play like a PC player with mods and all. The confusing is that if you read the console gamer's comments here following an article written by a console gamer, you might see a lot of hostility toward the PC community, PC gaming, and PC features such as modding.

http://www.destructoid.com/nerd-rage-pc-gamers-start-modern-warfare-2-petition-152408.phtml&mainnav=PC&mainnav=PC

So how can this be? I can't be sure of it myself, as the console gamers seem to disagreeing with each other on exactly what they want.

See to make a mod you need several things:
1. a high end computer
2. 3D Studio Max and maybe Maya ($3500)
3. a PC copy of the game
4. technical ability to actually do it

Now to understand a mod is the next step. Mods are created, mainly, by fans of a particular game. They then take their skills with the listed equipment above and make the mod taking many many hours in many cases. A mod for the console would take also:
1. owing the console
2. owing a second copy of the game for console
3. a console emulator for the PC

So the fan of the mod would most likely be a console player, as why would a PC fan mod a game for a console. Real studio development won't take place for modding as mods don't make $$. So lets say someone does this. They still most likely need to do something about licensing fees to someone somewhere, and have to get it to download to the console network. Also the console's hardware is limited and many modders would have to work within the tight framework.

So in the end you would need a console game with a mod tool kit, a team of amateur fans who own high tech stuff with high tech hardware/ software, with the ability to get the content online, and can play test it in real time. Not to mention the online ability to choose and see what variables of the mods are turned on and off. We know this is very limited with console matchplay.

Now technically studio developers could create mods, but why if you can't charge for them? That's what DLC is for so they can hit you in $10 increments.

Consoles are just not built this way. They are designed to NOT be this way. Maybe in the next gen or the following gen? But still most console gamers don't want their console and play style to be PC anyway so why would they want this?