My C: Drive

EA has announced the release of FIFA online 2 a free online game in the leagues of  Tiger Woods PGA tournament Online which went open beta just now.the game is going to be made available to the public for free and it will be based on micro transaction’s .fifa online 2 is going to have a closed beta later this month and will comprise of 20,000 players.registration for the participation in the beta has started so if you want to beta test the game click here.the beta will go on till June after which the game will be released to a  world wide audience .only the English version of the game will see a world wide launch and after a while other language versions will also be rolled out gradually .EA has partnered with Korean distributor Neowiz  to create this game

The Game will have 30 licensed leagues, 500 clubs, and more than 15,000 players.it will also have several different modes like the FIFA 10 world cup mode,and some tournament modes. players can upgrade their teams kits ,skills,apparels with the money earned from winning matches.you can also purchase the money with real world money. i ’am glad this is not another browser based game like battlefield heroes I got really bored of the game  after a while ,EA  has also announced an NFS game which is also going to be online exclusive and free but no news on that yet.i wonder when will ea release a FIFA game for PC which has graphics in the leagues of the Xbox 360 and Ps3versions.

Many people said that it was going to be a timed exclusive and now the famed GTAIV expansion  Episodes from Liberty City which consists of  The Ballad of  Gay Tony  ,The Lost and Damned  is coming to PC and the PS3 . this news may not be surprise at least for the pc gamers because lost and demand achievements showed up in the GFW live client soon after an update last year so it was expected  but the real surprise is for the PS3 because Microsoft is said to have paid 50 million Dollars to Rock star for the expansions to  remain exclusive to  Xbox360.i have been waiting for this news for quite a while now,as me being primarily a pc gamer and a avid GTA fan ,and with assassins ceed2 and other console games coming to pc platform its going to be one hell of a year for us.Both the  expansions have garnered great reviews from critics around the web so this is a great news for both PC and Ps3  gamers.

The Episodes will be released on disc for the ps3 with a price tag of  39$  and  individual episodes come at a price of 19$ each on the PSN

For the PC version there will be a 32 player multi player matches  and an improvement on the old video editor found in GTA 4 there will also be updated OST for the radio stations in liberty city.no pricing or release date announced yet

The Expansions will be available for download on Play Station Network ,Games for Windows live  and will require an original  copy of GTAIV to play.   

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Developer:Digital Illusions CE
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Platform:XBOX360,PS3,PC

Street fighter for the pc has always been an enigma, no real details of the pc version ever came out after its official announcement for the pc platform by capcom , but now the guys at otaku.com have got an hand's on preview of the game on pc.it seems that the pc version will retain all the features that were found in its console counter parts and nothing has been said about extra content ,but the pc gamers will have options to choose from 3 diffrent colour schemes which will change the overall look of the game.Capcom had announced that the game will be releasing on the 1st week of May all over japan but now it has been postponed to July 2009 nothing has been said for the North American or the European release dates,there has also been a speculation that the game for the pc is possibly going to be released with bundled arcade sticks.its gonna be hadoken time for all the pc gamers pretty soon :D.

you can check the hands on preview here

It's true folks the game has been released in Russia with the draconian star force protection.it is really strange why the developers released it only in Russia though when whole world knew nothing about it.lately video's about the pc version of the game have been found on you tube, the installation the game play every thing is shown in the video.i think we can expect an north American or a Europe release soon but there is no official confirmation about it though.the game has been out on torrents for quite a while now.so far there has been no news about the pc version of the games on major game sites. Here are some PC screens and Videos of the game.

New DLC has been announced for the recently released Prince of Persia. the game received Luke warm reception from the veterans of the series and was criticized heavily for its monotonous game play and poor characterization , but the game was heavily praised for its beautiful cel shaded visuals and superior character animation. Ubisoft the developer and publisher of the game has planned to release the Download able content on 26 February 2009.
for the review click here.

Here is what you get with the DLC:

• New Region: The Underground Palace – A corrupted underground palace from which the Prince and Elika need to escape in a new epic journey.
• New Power: Energize – Reconstruct destroyed areas of the environment to create a path and rush through it before it vanishes.
• New high pace: The new trap challenge – The Prince and Elika will face more cunning foes, cleverer traps and level design, adding more to the difficulty level in over 3 hours of gameplay.
• New Attack: Sprinting Clash – A duel move that lets you or the enemy trigger a sprint attack, charging towards each other, clashing your weapons fiercely.
• New Unlockable Skins: Finish the game and unlock exclusively, from the early development of the game, the Prototype characters of the Prince and Elika.

A Patch for the pc version of the game Saints Row 2 has been released.As the game requires valve's online content distribution platform STEAM.,the patch is automatically provided as an update to the game when users start their steam client.

After a disappointing GTA 4 port for the PC ,gamers were looking forward to Saints Row 2 which has the same open world game play as GTA 4, reviews for the game were really good when it was released for the consoles and it became famous for its in-depth customization options for its players, but when it was released for the pc in January it just became another shitty port .The developers of the game have said that the patch fixes various issues and improves performance. PC gamers can only pray that other high profile titles stated for release this year like F.E.A.R 2 do not end up like another bad console to PC port

* General performance increase around 20%. Note that this will vary depending on the both computer specifications and game settings
* 3rd Party controller scrolling issue has been fixed
* Corrected various crashes reported across all versions
* Corrected a crash in "Drive-By" Diversion for Danish version
* Corrected a crash in "Streaking" Diversion for Spanish version
* Removed original frame cap of 32 FPS
* New variable frame cap has been implemented. This will smooth out spikes in overall frame rate
* Players may notice a small hitch when crossing into new chunks in the world. The amount of time for this has been reduced for recommended spec machines, but may still be noticeable, particularly while driving at high speeds

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Yup get Dark Messiah of Might & Magic for free from this Portuguese gaming magazine site called Bgamer .this game can only be acquired if you have an steam client and an steam account.you don't need to give your phone number,address or anything just follow these steps and get the game for free no strings attached.click here to go to the website.if you don't have a steam account or an client you can get it here .

Follow these steps to get the game.this is not a warez site so don't worry:

1.Click the regista-te
2.Fill out the register stuff (You don't need a valid email)
3.click the green continuar sem preencher button
4.click the clica aqui
5.click that button that has CD-Key on it
6.copy that CD key
7.go to steam games list and click activate a product on steam
8.and then paste it in

UPDATE!!: Due to heavy traffic the site has started to send the keys via email
So register on the site first and then send them an email with your User ID on the site(Which will be your email).click here for more info

here is their mail id: bgamer@goody.pt

That's it your game will be tied to your steam account and you can download it whenever you want.this offer seems to be from a valid site.grab the offer while you still can folks,the site is already not loading dude to overwhelming number of traffic.

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The Sequel to the highly acclaimed game has been in development for quite a while.the game was announced way back in 2007 at liepzig games convention and it is being developed and published by 2k games.new screen shots and a extended trailer of the game has been released this year.the extended trailer was released with a letter from one of the deveopers of the game.in the letter the developer has stated that every thing we see in the trailer has been rendered in real time.the game is expected to be released this year on all the three major platforms.

Mafia was of those rare games which had combined two distinct styles of game play properly.it is like a sand box shooter yet the game had its own set pieces and unique game play.when mafia was released it was reeking with realism and was never dubbed as a GTA clone.the best part about the game was its awesome action sequences backed up with a solid story line.the only thing which was a turn off in the game was the really slow vehicles.due to mafia's strong single player action and awesome graphics these small flaws are easily overshadowed.

Here are some screenies and trailer of the game

Unconfirmed news about Dark sector getting ported to the pc have been around for a while.for the uninitiated Dark Sector is a third person action adventure game which was released last year as an console exclusive.PC version screen shots of the game has been found on digital extreme forums,but the game portrayed in the screen shot seems to be like an Russian release because the whole menu of the game is in Russian and the only thing that indicates this as an pc release is the enter and escape button seen on the bottom of the screen.

the game got pretty average reviews when it was released on console.i guess after dead space,dark sector will be a nice addition on the pc platform.an Russian e-store has announced that the game will be entirely in Russian and will be released in Russia on January 22nd 2009 here is the link for the site

Here are some screenies of the game











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After Free radical entertainment  announced that they lost the rights to develop Star Wars: Battlefront III in October,the rights to develop the game was given to Rebellion developments  known for creating Star Wars Battlefront:Renegade Squadron. On january 15th a leaked footage of the game supposedly captured by cellphone camera during a screening for its in house developers was broadcasted across the internet. The version seen on the footage seems to be like an alpha build of the game. The game is stated for release this year and it is going to be released on PS3,XBX360,Wii,Nintendo DS and PC.

Here is the leaked footage:

The much anticipated shooter is getting a demo on January 22nd for XBOX360 and PS3.However, Qore subscribers will get early access to the PS3 demo a week before that.this information came up in the official fear 2 french blog site.the pc version of the demo is also expected to get released the same day as its console counter parts and they are pushing monolith studio for an exact date.any how the official system requirements for the pc version of the game has been announced.judging by the requirements the game doesn't seem to be as demanding as GTA 4 or CRYSIS.here are the system requirement's.

Min spec
- CPU: P4 2.8GHz (3.2GHz Vista)/Athlon 64 3000+ (3200+ Vista)
- GPU: Fully DX9-compliant graphics card with 256MB (SM 2.0b). NVidia 6800 or ATI X700.
- Memory: 1GB (1.5GB Vista)
- HDD: 12GB
- OS: Windows XP SP2/Vista SP1
- DirectX: 9.0c
- Sound: DX9.0c compliant
- Optical drive: DVD (boxed only)
- Internet: Broadband

Recommended Spec
- CPU: Core 2 Duo 2.2GHz processor family/Athlon 64 X2 4400+ (required for MP host)
- GPU: Fully DX9-compliant graphics card with 512MB (SM 3.0). NVidia 8600 GTS or ATI HD 2900 XT.
- Memory: 1.5GB
- HDD: 12GB
- OS: Windows XP SP3/Vista SP1
- DirectX: 9.0c
- Sound: DX9.0c compliant
- Optical drive: DVD (boxed only)
- Internet: Broadband (768kbit/sec upstream required to host 16 players)

Developers at valve were planning to make a press release regarding down loadable content for their hit first person shooter left 4 dead but due to some unknown reasons the press release was never made .even though valve promised an team fortress 2 update after left 4 dead got released it never materialized, but we know how valve works if something takes more time then it’s going to big and awesome .its 2009 and still there is no announcement regarding DLC for left 4 dead. Unlike previous releases of down loadable content on the PC and X box 360 platform, Valve is trying to make the release of the new down loadable content to appear on the PC and X box 360 platforms at the same time. Valve is renowned for its famous updates for team fortress 2 let’s hope they do the same thing for left 4 dead.

Gamers who have played Fifa 09 on both the console and pc know how inferior the pc version of the game is.a couple of modders from fifa4fans.com have created a mod which adds improved textures and better looking player kits to the game.even though it doesn't make a noticeable difference the modders have at least taken step to implement something that the developers managed to ignore.Fifa 09 for the pc is good in every aspect, but compared to the console versions of the game,the pc version looks like a big joke,lets hope the pc gamers also get the same treatment as the console gamers till then all we can do if look for mods like this.

Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Publisher: Ubisoft
Genre: Action-Adventure (Platformer)

The environments look better than Elika! They really do.

The Prince of Persia series holds fond memories for me. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is in fact the game that introduced me to the last console generation and to mainstream gaming itself and is arguably the best platforming game of that generation. With that in mind, I sat down to review this new Prince of Persia game, the first of the current (7th) console generation.

The Prince of Persia series is finally free of the Sands of Time trilogy. It's not actually a bad thing when you consider that they have some really nifty gameplay elements. The problem with it (the previous series) was the Hollywood sequel effect : Games that were made after SoT (Sands of Time) couldn't retain the charm and lusty world it had. So is the new one any different?

Well, Ubisoft have tried their very best to bring back the "oh-my-god-i-wanna-pluck-my-eyes-out" environments from SoT (by far the yardstick of the series). They've succeeded. And how!

What they haven't succeeded in, however, is bringing back the charm of the game. Mind you, it's still a very very nice game to play. The signature SoT wall running moves are back. Combined with the modifications that they were subjected to in Assasin's Creed, they form the core of the gameplay platforming. Some new moves have been added, namely the vine holding, the claw-down, the roof-run (very well done animations) and the three orb moves. The other aspect of gameplay is the combat, which, is more old-school PoP than SoT. You're no longer fighting hordes of enemies at once, which is sometimes sad because you can never pull off the combos you could in earlier games like the "hit one, wall run hit another, come back and finish the earlier one" moves. Combat seems repetitive and everything's treated like a boss fight which isn't much fun. But never does combat slip into the category of "bad gameplay". I think uninspiring is the word. Overall though, the platforming more than makes up for it and gameplay is a pleasant ride.

On the story front is where the new PoP disappoints. The Prince is no longer the centre of attraction. In this adventure, he acts as a mere sub-ordinate to Elika in her quest to cleanse the fertile lands and rid them off the "corruption" caused by dark lord Saruman, sorry, Ahriman. Anyway, the story plays out typically in that it's a quest. That's fine. A quest is what it should be and I liked the refreshing change of doing good by cleaning the lands instead of the "mad-metal-blood-guts-death" of Warrior Within. However by taking the focus away from the Prince and making him this enigmatic character leaves him as an unfleshed-out hollow bunch of pixels and the story never gives opportunity for his character to evolve in the deep and brilliant way it did in Sands of Time. But I guess they stuck to a proven formula for fear of doing something wrong. On the other hand, Elika is beautifully complex in her character and we learn a lot about her backstory in the game's 'Talk' moments. Even as an AI she is thoroughly well done: never intrusive, always a helping hand and a crucial part in the Prince's more advanced combos. I especially liked the cute animations whenever the Prince and Elika are about to collide or they have to cross paths, a little animation in real time has the prince changing places with her on ledges and catching her when she falls on him.

The unique graphic style is proof of Ubi Montreal's artistic prowess.

The next aspect of PoP is another signature trait. The visuals. Mind you, I didn't say "graphics", and for a reason. For a game like PoP, pushing out poloygons has never been a big priority. And for good reason. Rather, the game's great environments make do with fairly detailed models but with intelligent texturing and a smattering of particle effects for the "magic" look. To this day, I believe that Ubisoft Montreal have the finest art team among all developers. Even Valve. And so the decision to make the whole world into a giant canvas must've come pretty naturally to them. Hence the illustrative cel-shaded look. Often the best moments in the game come because of the visuals: The beautiful vistas that you're greeted with after you've cleansed a fertile land really makes the effort seem worth it.

Stuart Chatwood, composer of Sands of Time's frankly brilliant soundtrack is back here again. And with Inon Zur (of Crysis fame), they lend one of the best game soundtracks of they year. Sure it can't compare to Guitar Hero (because that's a sound based game) and the but the score is soulful and very middle eastern (much more suitable than the rock-headbanging-Godsmack soundtrack of Warrior Within). But all the sound isn't music to the ears. The biggest failing of PoP's sound department is the voice acting. Hammy and cliched dialogues probably hamper it but the voice acting is average at best. Yuri Lowenthal, so very good as the arrogant, cocky Brit sounding Prince in SoT here becomes a more American sounding Prince which probably lessens our affections for him (America and the middle east do not mix dontcha know?). Elika too is sometimes erratic, varying in her mannerisms but she manages to hold her character intact. As for the side characters, the less said the better. They've been battered with corny, unimaginative dialogue and polarised characterisations. But overall, the voice acting is better than the sum of it's parts.

Final thoughts then. Ubisoft have done a rather good job in not letting the franchise dip into total average-ness. The core of the game series has always been good and the same hold true for this edition as well. Great visuals. Solid gameplay. Good sound. The story and the voice acting however prevent a good game from being great. Which is a shame because it's leaps and bounds more likeable than Warrior Within and The Two Thrones (a badly named Lord of the Rings rip off in title, and a patch-up job to appease both SoT's and WW's fans) but it still can't match up to the mighty SoT. And thats it's problem. It'll always be a follow up to try to recapture the SoT magic. But take off the PoP badge, name it "Elika and Man-Servant Rescue the World" and it's a better game by itself.

Rating: 8.5/10

Developer: EA BlackBox
Publisher: EA Games
Genre: Racing (Street)

The game's story does seem a bit elaborate at first glance, but it gets much simpler once you start racing and you get your reputation and Wheel man rank up. You're part of a federal team, consisting of you and agent Chase Linh, played by Maggie Q, that needs to take down an international crime syndicate that deals with smuggling stolen cars and other goods out of the fictional Tri-City area, where the action of the game is placed.

System Requirements

Minimum Requirements:

OS: Windows XP/VistaCPU: Pentium 4 3.2 Ghz or AMD Athlon 64 3500+

RAM: 1GB MB RAM or higher (Windows Vista requires 2 GB RAM)

HDD: 10 GB free disk space or more

Graphics: 256 MB or higher (Pixel Shader 3.0, PCIe only)

DirectX: Version 9.0c

Recommended Requirements:

OS: Windows XP/VistaCPU: Intel Core 2 Duo, AMD 64 X2 5200+ or AMD Phenom

RAM: 2GB MB RAM or higher (Windows Vista requires 3 GB RAM)

HDD: 10 GB free disk space or more

Graphics: 512 MB or higher (Pixel Shader 3.0, PCIe only)

DirectX: Version 9.0c