Archive for the 'Gaming' Category

So with Crysis Warhead upon us, it goes without saying that having your typical run of the mill mouse for gaming will not suffice. You need something a lot more substantial. Something with fast response time, programmable buttons, sweet ergonomics and on the fly dpi settings. Something that will leave your opponents begging for mercy.

What you need is the Razer Lachesis. With a brooding moniker like “Bringer of Silent Death“, it’s pretty obvious that this mouse is serious business. Razer left no stone untouched here.

The technical specs reveal the Lachesis to be a beast of a mouse.

• 4000dpi Razer Precision 3G Laser™ sensor
• 32KB Razer Synapse™ onboard memory
• Nine independently programmable Hyperesponse™ buttons
• 1000Hz Ultrapolling / 1ms response time
• On-The-Fly Sensitivity™ adjustment
• Variable true dpi setting adjustments in increments of 125dpi
• Always-On™ mode
• Ultra-large non-slip buttons
• 16-bit ultra-wide data path
• 60-100 inches per second
• Ambidextrous design
• Scroll wheel with 24 individual click positions
• Zero-acoustic Ultraslick™ Teflon feet
• Gold-plated USB connector
• Seven-foot, lightweight, non-tangle cord

I think that says it all.

The Razer Lachesis will take your fragging skills to uncharted heights.

We’re big fans of Crysis here at J&R, and Crysis is no stranger to this blog. We gushed about the game because simply put, it rocks. That was last year though, and we need our PC FPS fix ASAP.

Thankfully, the fix is here. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you should know that Crysis Warhead, the parallel campaign to Crysis will be released on Tuesday, September 16.

In Crysis Warhead, you play the role of Sergeant “Psycho” Sykes. Your mission? Take down a brutal North Korean general. Going into details will no doubt reveal spoilers, so I won’t, but it’s safe to say that if you liked the first game, then Crysis Warhead is a must.

Jason Ocampo from IGN just reviewed the game. I think the review speaks for itself.

Are you ready for Crysis Warhead? I sure am.

ATI Radeon just announced the HD 4600 Series Graphics Cards. The two cards announced are the HD 4650 and the HD 4670. These cards are meant to offer state of the art performance, at rock bottom prices. According to ATI, these cards are for the masses and are capable of delivering up to double the performance of the competition at the same price.

These cards use the leading technology found in the award winning HD 4800 series. The two cards in the HD 4800 series are the ATI Radeon HD 4850 and the ATI Radeon HD 4870.

HotHardware just gave the HD 4670 a glowing review. Check it out here.

World of Warcraft, the most popular MMORPG ever, is coming out with a new expansion soon. It’s called Wrath of the Lich King, and it promises to be one of the most exciting additions to the game yet!

The last expansion for WoW was The Burning Crusade, which introduced new races (Blood Elves & Draenei), new professions (jewelcrafting) and a new continent (Outland). The Wrath of the Lich King is adding even more.

Northrend, a cold, icy and unforgiving continent, is the setting for all of this new content. Once a player reaches level 55, they will be allowed to create a Death Knight, a powerful Hero class that uses the dark arts and powers of the undead to conquer foes.

The level cap has also been raised from level 70 to 80, ensuring seemingly unending hours of gameplay time. As you climb through these additional 10 levels, more abilities and talents will become available to your character.

At least two new dungeons have been added, The Nexus and Utgard Keep, that will allow raid sized groups and smaller 5 player groups to experience new battlegrounds and new foes.

Tired of the same look your character has had for years? No problem. Wrath of the Lich King also brings new hairstyle options and dance moves to the game. I mean, admit it, even the elf dance has gotten tiresome at this point.

To see some of the stunning gameplay highlights, check out the trailer below:

Wrath of the Lich King is due out soon, so make sure you keep checking back with JR.com to pre-order your copy.

Mercenaries was a critically acclaimed game that came out in early 2005 for the Playstation 2 and Xbox. The oft-delayed sequel, Mercenaries 2: World In Flames has finally been released.

The game takes place in Venezuela in 2010. The player (Your choice of 3 playable Mercs) is on the trail for Ramon Solano, a political figure who hired you for a mercenary job. He double crosses and tries to kill you. Solano soon becomes the leader of Venezuela after a coup. He uses his position to seize control of the country’s oil supply, resulting chaos. You of course are hellbent on revenge, so your ultimate goal is to get even with Solano.

On your bloodthirsty path for revenge, you will encounter several factions all battling for control of Venezuela’s oil like Rebel Forces sympathetic to Solano, The Venezuelan Army, PLAV-People’s Liberation Army of Venezuela, the Rastafarian Pirates and The AN (Allied Nations) just to name a few.

Sounds like a wicked good time to me. Bring on the Napalm and Weapons of Mass Destruction!

The game is available on the PS3, Xbox 360, PS2 and PC.

Internationally renowned chef Gordon Ramsay isn’t the nicest guy in the world. If you’ve seen the hit show, Hell’s Kitchen, you know that. If he doesn’t like what you’re doing, he’ll let you know in no uncertain terms. It’s a lot of pressure, but isn’t that kind of pressure kind of fun? You know, trying to squeak through and actually get some praise from such a tough critic?

Well, you can find out for yourself by playing Hell’s Kitchen for the Nintendo Wii. You’ll need to master cooking using real, authentic Gordon Ramsay recipes, serving them to tough customers including Mr. Ramsay himself. It won’t be easy, but at the end of the day, if you can survive Gordon’s critical eye, you’ll know you did something right that few have done before you.

The Sims is one of the most popular video games ever, breaking barriers and enticing large groups of people to get into gaming. It was the first game to really go after people other than hardcore gamers: teenage boys. The Sims, which isn’t violent at all, is much more attractive to many more people due to its innocent fun. In it, you get to control the lives of “Sims,” little computer people. You build their homes, control their families, and define their relationships. It is, in a word, a blast.

And now you can give your Sims animal companions with Sims 2 Apartment Pets. Your Sims will live in the most pet-friendly apartment building around, allowing you to give them any number of pets, from dogs and cats to rabbits and birds. You’ll meet your neighbors and your neighbors pets, and there are plenty of mini-games to let you access new and exciting animals. Go ahead, have the impractical pet you’ve always wanted.

The Price is Right is one of those classic TV game shows, one burned into the memory of so many people. From stay at home moms to kids staying home from school sick to college students, everybody has seen the show at least a few times. And once you see it, you love it. But what if you want to enjoy some classic Price is Right but it isn’t on TV at the moment? You’ve gotta take matters into your own hands.

Yes, now there’s The Price is Right for the Nintendo Wii. It’s got all of your favorite classic Price is Right games, from Plinko to Cliff Hangers to Punch-a-Bunch, all culminating in the Showcase Showdown. You can play with up to three of your friends, testing your knowledge of the prices of consumer products. At the end of the day, it’s so close to the real deal that you might just think that you’ve won a new car. Sadly, it’s impossible to win a new car on this game. But hey, it’s still really fun.

Razer is well known for top of the line gaming mice and keyboards. Well, you can add speakers to their list of top shelf products. The Razer Mako Speaker System is a 2.1 offering. It incorporates THX Ground Plane and Slot Speaker technologies; the first of any desktop speaker system. In simple terms, these speakers rock.

I heard these speakers for the first time when pro gamer, Sabian “Clamp-OK” Hayblum was here at J&R, taking on all comers in Quake 4. Now, not to toot my own horn, but i’m no stranger to high fidelity. The Mako speakers sound tremendous. The sub-woofer delivers deep, rich bass; while the satellites sound clear, crisp and precise. They no doubt sound great with games, but they can also be used for music and movies as well.

To top the it off, Razer decided to use a touch-sensitive LED dial to control the system, making usability a cinch.

All-in-one remote control pod with touch-sensitive LED dial

Anyone looking for a top of the line speaker system should look no further, the Razer Mako Speaker System is what they need.

Make sure you check out the Razer website as well.

With summer winding down, that also means the end of something much more important: baseball season. I know, it’s terrible. But just because baseball season is going to be ending in a couple of months doesn’t mean baseball fun has to end for you. In fact, if you have a Nintendo DS, you can enjoy baseball wherever you go year round.

Simply pick up a copy of MLB Power Pros 2008 and you’ll have awesome baseball action on hand at all times. You’ll be able to do everything from work your way up from the minors to the World Series to playing the home run derby to competing in a league with your friends. The gameplay mechanics are excellent, from batting to pitching to fielding, and the graphics are crisp and bright. It has loads of features, enough to keep you deeply immersed until next season.