When you purchase a modern graphics card or a new monitor, the most perplexing, ambiguous setup task you're faced with is a choice of interface: Which cable is the best one to use to connect your panel to your PC? The four familiar PC-centric display interfaces--VGA, DVI, HDMI, and DisplayPort--come in various combinations on both video cards and monitors. Often, a cable for one (or more) of them comes bundled with a new monitor. You might be tempted just to plug in that cable and run with it, with no further consideration. But which interface should you be using, especially if you're a dedicated PC gamer? Does it make a difference? Recapping the Big Four Any modern video card will have several display output connectors, and usually among them will be the familiar, many-pinned DVI. That connector is fast becoming a legacy one, though. (The occasional high-end video card these days drops it altogether.) Old-school VGA is fading out even faster, and it now tends to be found only on … [Read more...] about HDMI Vs. DisplayPort: Which Is Better For Gaming?
Virtualization for gaming
This virtual reality game is helping young patients having surgery
Children about to have surgery can now play a virtual reality game to reduce their anxiety. The 360-degree, first-person interactive story is designed for two- to eight-year-olds so that they get to know medical instruments and strange surroundings while becoming a hero with the help of friendly characters. Medical VR Solution by South Korean gaming firm JSC was being showcased at the Wearable Technology Show at ExCeL in east London this week. Five minutes before their procedure the young patient puts on a VR headset to collect “magic items” in the game so the experience is fresh in their mind. They collect items in scenarios including having an injection, going for surgery, getting an X-ray and anaesthesia. The game’s creators say the experience helps reduce stress by 40 per cent. The backdrop the child sees can be changed so it matches their hospital. The missions are completed with the encouragement of a Transformers-style Carbot and there is also a “germ … [Read more...] about This virtual reality game is helping young patients having surgery
Atomontage reveals voxel 3D simulation technology for games
Game developers have battled each other for decades about whether voxels or polygons are best for game graphics. A voxel is volume element, a way of illustrating a 3D image without using traditional polygons. Atomontage‘s founders believe voxels are a much better way to create fully interactive 3D applications, and they’re unveiling a new platform to enable voxel art in high-end video games. Atomontage’s technology is the result of 15 years of research and development by Branislav Siles, who has more than 23 years of experience in graphics programming and volumetric technology. In an interview with GamesBeat, he said breakthroughs in the tech could change the way people create, share, and engage with 3D content. The tech will enable volumetric simulations to scale massively in fully interactive 3D applications, with billions of voxels. The company’s prototypes show that augmented reality and virtual reality rendering and interaction with large … [Read more...] about Atomontage reveals voxel 3D simulation technology for games
ESRB mandating new label for games with microtransactions
If you have played a video game made recently, it is likely you've come across an in-game offer to pay for a bonus level or an extra life. These in-game purchases can include season passes, game upgrades, skins, music, mystery awards and virtual coins.One issue with in-game purchases is that the costs can add up quickly. In 2014, Apple was forced to refund $32.5 million to customers because the company failed to require consent before charging for in-app purchases.Both Google and Apple have since added warnings for games and apps that have in-app purchases.On Tuesday, the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) sought to address in-game purchases for physical video games. The organization announced that it would require any physical video game sold with in-game purchases to be labeled. Specifically, the warning will apply to anything digital bought with real-world currency within a game."With the new In-Game Purchases interactive element coming to physical games, parents will … [Read more...] about ESRB mandating new label for games with microtransactions
The DeanBeat: From the Supreme Court to Anonymous, 2011 was a transformational year for games
Skyrim was the “most played” game of the year, and we voted Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception our Game of the Year. But if you paid attention only to the big games this year, you may have missed some of the most important news ever to hit the game industry. It’s no exaggeration to say that 2011 was a transformational year for the game industry. As the game industry’s trade group chief, Michael Gallagher, said, “The word ‘historic’ is overused, but as we look back on 2011, it is a perfect fit for our industry’s year.” Here’s a recap of 13 events that made this such a big year for games. 1. Video game violence case. The U.S. Supreme Court put to rest a decades long legal debate over video game violence and whether game publishers’ right to publish violent games without restrictions on who could buy them is protected by the First Amendment. The court struck down a California law as unconstitutional because it banned … [Read more...] about The DeanBeat: From the Supreme Court to Anonymous, 2011 was a transformational year for games