PART 4: GAME TESTER

Do what is at your means only.

For these types of jobs mentioned above, there are some obviously different talents and certain level of education that might be helpful. The tester that works with the company that makes the game will want to have some talent in computers and it would be helpful to have a background or knowledge in an area that the company uses to make the game. Programming in C/C++ computer language, 3D Studio graphics programs, video hardware knowledge and basic communications skills are all bonuses and can further the job opportunities of someone working in a video game company.



Again for those who work for the publishers, magazines or internet reviews will also find it very beneficial to understand computers. Communication skills are essential as to portray the gaming information in a most beautiful way as possible to ensemble with the already perfect game.

It is also very important for testers to have a solid fundamental background in computers, no matter if they are playing and testing for console games, handhelds or PC games. They will be using a computer to write their part of story, communicating through a computer. And eventually send back the work done to the boss, to his computer

Good communications skills definitely a plus, mind you, is not just being able to talk. They have got to write effectively and put down in a clear understandable way what the game is doing and about the game, so English in school is important. The whole thing boils down to school, and high school diplomas are not going to cut it for a company that wants and needs educated and smart people working for them.

If all you have is a high school diploma, getting a job in the video game industry will be practically impossible. You need to have better education in areas such as, computers, English and math to do well at a job as a tester.

A video game tester is not just a job that plays video games; they test and play the game over and over to make sure all areas of the game work. They have to be able to play the game and write down in a clear, concise way what they are doing in the game in order for others to understand what they mean.

The job is not without its benefits, but for the long hours, especially towards a deadline, and low pay it's not just playing games.


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FIFA 10 vs PES 10

Just now, The Sun UK has just released their game review on the upcoming FIFA 10 and Pro Evolution Soccer 2010

We can't released much of the infos about how the review is conducted but here's some recap from The Sun UK:-


FIFA 10

*EA has gone about as far as they can with licenses, graphics and commentary, so this year they are overhauling the controls.
*EA have created a system where you can now run in 360 different directions. Every possible angle has been mapped so you can make any run and play any ball.

PES 10

*Pro Evo is looking tasty - graphics are amazing and almost photo-quality.
*The pace has been slowed considerably, a good thing, to make the game more realistic.

New additions to the Master League mean a deeper, longer-lasting experience and new power gauges in game let you set out exactly your attacking and defensive stances.

For more review, please click this link FIFA 10 vs PES 10

FIFA 10 will be released worldwide on 2 October 2009 while Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 will be released on 23 October 2009

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YUMMY!

"Gamer Grub" is serving well for starving and exhausted attendees who needed to fill their tummies and get a quick energy boost.

The manufacturer of the snack claims it has been "scientifically formulated to enhance cognitive functions for gamers" and the packaging helps "enhance a gamer's ability to consume the tasty snacks in an efficient manner to prevent keyboard crumbs and greasy fingers".





Gamer Grub comes in four flavours: pizza, wasabi, chocolate and American favourite "PB&J". Screen Play tried both the pizza and chocolate variants, and wasn't keen to go back for more.

As the snack is (hopefully) unlikely to make its way onto Malaysian shores, today Spotgamers would like to hear about your greatest gaming gastronomical goodies.

We have also listed 20 of our top favourite snacks. Perfect with games.

1. Chupa Chups - Perfect for little dosage of glucose to keep you energised plus, you don't need a spare hand.

2. Mars Bars - One bar a day helps you work rest and play.

3. Snickers - just like a GG game, it really is satisfying.

4. Pringles - arguably the least greasy chips around. You don’t want an oily mouse do you?

5. Two minute noodles - You will definitely want to utilize fully that loading time when you are hungry.

6. KFC – Distract your opponents with the aroma….

7. McDonalds - You might as well eat badly too when playing Grand Theft Auto. They come in motorcycle too.

8. Gobstoppers – Ideal for gobsmacking moments in the likes of Final Fantasy, Halo or Metal Gear Solid.

9. Peanut Brittle - Food that is almost as loud and hard to stomach as a wrestling game.

10. Tic-Tacs – Figured you’d do a lot of shouting over the excitement. Pop this to keep screaming your lungs out.

11. M&M's – Melt in your mouth but not in your hand, so don’t have to worry about the mess.

12. Kit Kat - When you need a break...

13. Curry - Give your opponent plenty of it.

14. Breakfast bars - When you've had an all night session and still don't have time to stop.

15. Time Out - Even hardcore gamers need an occasional break.

16. Marshmallows - For soft players that choose the easy difficult settings.

17. Jus Tea – Those bits of aloe-vera just perfect for nibbling when you are tensed up.

18. Peanuts - great ammo if you happen to lose a game.

19. Oreo – Twist and dunk them if you got pawned.

20. Tiger biscuit – Give you that extra edge. Roar!






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PART 3: GAME TESTER

All hail your intelligent graphic artists. You gave us more reason to play games.

Video Creation with Testers


A video game during the creation and design phase is being made by a group of people. Although it is a different set of details in the game, they do tend to work very directly even from the beginning.



Graphic artists make all the things you see. They use very costly and large programs to illustrate and generate state of art in a game - graphics. First and foremost, they need to be an artist with a portfolio of their very unique art, also, computer literacy is a must have to be able to handle programs the company uses for their designing process. Lastly, they need to be familiar with video games and how the art and graphics are used in them. It makes perfect sense as you need to be a gamer to only understand what a gamer really wants from a game.

Next we have the programmer who creates the game engine that runs the game or works on an existing engine to change it to the current game. They work extensively with computers and have a lot of skills with programming and computer languages. This job requires a lot of knowledge and discipline in computers and math.

The level designer takes the game engine and creates the actual worlds that the game is played on and makes the game play that eventually ended up on your screen. He adds the things that the artists create and puts them in the game. People, items, merchants, shops, monsters are basically all the small iconic details that can be found in a game. This gives them things to do, and gives the player the tools to play the game. This job is very difficult as you are the game play of the video game. These guys create how the game is going to run and how much happens to the player at every turn, every detail of it, every surrounding of the character in the game.

Tester then came in the picture to work at seeing that the game runs all right and there are no problems in any area of the game, also commonly known as glitches. Glitches are spots that disappear and will eventually cause the game to fail or other wise disrupt your game play. Their job is basically to identify all such bugs in the game. A tester also plays the game beforehand to make sure the game is playable and can be played for the general audience it is targeted for. He will go through every level and area of the game looking for these glitches and make sure it will be a very smooth game play when the copy is available for the market.

The tester also can be involved with the designers and artists to help make the game better. In some companies they work closely with them to help and improve the game anywhere they can. In other companies they do not work with them but are totally separate so that the game is tested without influence or hints from the designers. These are applicable for types of games that require guessing or logic to figure out how the game parts are to be completed. These types of game require a tester that has to figure out how they could run in the game and also to determine how difficult the game is for them to get the right way around during each stage in the game.


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DEEJAYSHARKY LEAVES INC'EXCELLO!

DeejaySharky Was The Flag Bearer In WCG ASIA 09!

After recently the DOTA scene has been shocked by the resignation of Eryc the manager of Kingsurf, another shocking news arrived at the door of the DOTA community when one of the arguably popular member in INC'Excello DeejaySharky has ended his partnership with the team.


It was to be believed that the end of the partnership was due to the fact that the team feel that his gameplay however didnt really suits the style of the team though INC'Excello admits that DeejaySharky is a great player. But no matter what,it is only fair to put the interest of the team 1st.

For more info on this story head on to Gamosphere.

Source: Gamosphere








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SPOTGAMERS REACHED 300 POSTS!

The Spotgamers team is pleased to announce that we reached 300 posts last week. The 300th post was a review about a graphics card. To reach 100 for anything is considered a milestone, let alone 300, which is something to be proud of. We started off last year and are pleased that the blog is still going strong while we remain true to our principles.

To make our next 300 posts even better, we would like your feedback as much as possible. Comments and constructive criticisms are always welcome, and if there is something that you would like to get off your chest, feel free to drop a message at the chat box. Also, if you like a particular feature of this blog, or would like to know more about a particular game, industry, gaming gear or any tips that might improve yourself, we will always try our best to fulfill your requests.

As always, we are always there to provide the gamers with breaking news, exclusive interviews and special reviews. We aim to let non gamers know more about gaming and gamers, while letting gamers know about the latest development with the gaming industry. Therefore, we are striving hard to improve our posts for the future, and would welcome your support for the blog. Before we sign off, we would like to thank the readers who have been supporting the blog since its inception and have stayed loyal with us through thick and thin.

Thanks for the support again guys! ^^
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PART 2: GAME TESTER

This is just simply spectacular.

The Job


Now back to what a video game tester is, I'll explain how games are made and where the tester fits in. When someone has an inspiration for a video game, the first thing that happens is the prep work for the game itself. Also, which engine or program to be used, what will be the story line or theme of the game; what will the game entail and what do we need to get the game off the ground and kick ass. There are a lot of public opinions that looked into the current video game craze and often try to catch a glimpse of the future to see if the game could make it big.



This is all paper work and to be done at offices at the video game companies. This is then completed by executives and company owners asking designers and programmers about what the game would do and they all ask the publishers what would sell in a year or two. That is how long this will take at a minimum. A video game is like publishing anything else.

Now that the thing is made, which could take more than a year or so, it is then advertised and marketed into the world. It is all pretty much hyped up and such but this also occurs during the design and creation process. New clips and mouth dropping trailers are being released about with the upcoming game. When the company making the game has actual video of the game they come out with screen shots to further entice the public.

When it is completed, a company then publishes it and sells it to the us (the gamers!!) using the media to sell the game and getting reviews from gaming magazines and online sites to further improve the sales. In addition, ads are produced in an advertising department and put out in ways to promote the game.

There are indeed many testers in different stages of this process but they do not just play games, having fun and sipping soda as they blast their way to money while playing. A tester that works for the game designer and making company will work sometimes associate closely with the programmers and developers of the game, at other times they will give feed back and advices to the level designers and artists about what could be better and what just totally stinks in the game. They do not get a choice about what project they want or will play.

Now don't get me wrong, this is over simplifying the whole field but can you imagine if your boss asked you every time what you wanted to work on? You heard me right, ever single time.

If you are fortunate enough, you do get to choose what genre or area of games they want to be involved with but otherwise you don’t really have much choice. Some companies tend to ask if a tester would want to work on games this time around. And this will be the only game he will work on, say a year or two. This is not industry wide but for the tester that works for a company that is making a game, the testers usually work on the same game for awhile, as one tester put it, "to know the game inside and out".


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Sony PS3 Street Fighter PS3 Challenge - Seri Kembangan

Howdy folks, on last Saturday 25th July Spotgamers made their way to Sony PS3 Street Fighter IV PS3 Challenge which was held at Sony Center, MINES Shopping Mall, Seri Kembangan, Selangor. About 60 gamers turned up to participant in the event.

Among the notable faces are Allan and his Outpost cliques and the guys that we met recently during KOF XII Game Preview.


The competition kicks off with a 16 group league-stage where the top 2 gamers qualified for the knockout round. In the end, here's the full result that we took from the event



And here's the highlights from the event



This kid has a talent of playing

While this little baby is watching. This baby grew up playing PS3 given by his dad!

Allan with the cosplayers (with his rented costume) :P

Here's the gamers family with the baby that we mention just now ^^

The final match

The highlights from the final match

Double punch by Ryu and the champion

PSP has gone to the champ of SF4!

Alan is bring us back to the memory with SF Zero 3

Anyway, next week would be a very hectic week for us since there's a lot of events coming up. Stay tuned for more updates on Spotgamers!

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MINISTRY OF YOUTH & SPORTS: YES TO E-SPORTS?

One of our readers, [T2.W|nDs]Bigboss managed to notice in Berita Harian 26 July 2009 there was an article mentioning that the Ministry of Youth & Sports in Malaysia is willing to study on gaming as a sports activities. We manage to search the story on Berita Harian Online.

Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek said that if gaming showed positive aspect such as strategy,intellectual and awareness & reaction speed, it should be included as sports just like snooker or chess.

Though he did mention that gaming has been associated to negative ways of life, but the ministry are willing to get it on if the above criteria fulfilled.

For more info on this, head on to Berita Harian Online

Source: Berita Harian






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PART 1: GAMES TESTER

For this matter, its her ^^

Do you know that video games can ironically help at getting a job in the video game industry, or that there are so many people out there in the video game industry designing, programming, and testing games that you could easily land yourself a job at it if you’d just worked harder at playing games. Yes, you head me correctly, merely by playing games.



Well, the fact might be a little diverse than the ideas many people have in their mind. There are jobs out there indeed for people that test video games. And yes, they do sit all day and play pc, console and handheld video games. That's about it for the testers. Like so many jobs, it could be fun for a day or two but can you imagine being told to play a same old video game for the next six months and playing more. Basically, you are not even able to choose the game, it might be the ones that you have no interest in or a genre you hated a lot. But then again, you are not the boss. The game needs a tester and you are it.

Some of the companies have their testers associated closely with the designers, programmers and developers right from the beginning. They play games all day long and have no choice in that matter. There are numerous of video game companies out there and they all need their games tested. A soda sitting on the side, the screen flashing and the noise with all the squeaks, grunts and groans of the current odd monsters getting bashed around as the guy in the fresh looking clean shirt plays and has fun at his job of playing video games. Yes, I suppose the guy wouldn’t complain having a job like this, but it's probably his first week.


The video game industry hires people to test their games and there are a few different types of companies that do this hiring. There are three basic types of jobs for tester, the tester that works for the developer of the video game, the tester that works for a publishing company and the tester for the reviews and guides. This is one of the important knowledge of the industry if you are really interested in a job like this.

The three categories or areas that testers work in are not the only ones and it is not as simple as saying it's these three. But that's the major types or categories and I'll explain the differences. The first thing though is what is the job really, what do these guy's do and why would my kid really want this kind of job, does he even know what this would involve?

I can generally tell you right off the bat about what a job really is. It's doing what your boss tells you to. I really do not care what your job is and how much you get paid, either you're the boss and you do what is required to get the job done, or being told by your boss what to do to get the job done. Every job is the same, whether you play video games or an accountant. You do what you are paid to or get fired. The job of video game tester is like any other, you do the job or kiss goodbye to your joystick. You can like your job and enjoy what you do or not, but if you expect to get paid, you have to do your job.


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DOTA 6.62 BETA UPDATES!

The world of DOTA really moves fast as the latest patch DOTA 6.62 BETA is coming out. According to sources from Dota Allstars Blog, the difference in this patch is to adjust with the new 1.24 Warcraft III patch.

For more info head on to Dota Allstars Blog.


Source:Dota Allstars Blog






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DO YOU KNOW?

Did you know the first ever website was created by internet pioneer Time Berners-Lee? If there was one site that would change the world for ever, this would be.The site went online on the 6th August 1991 with the introduction of brand new ‘World Wide Web’ (WWW) and being humbly described as a wide-area hypermedia information retrieval project intending to serve as an access point to a large sea of documents to the universe. It's now archived at www.tinyurl.com/3apuu.

Berners-Lee sure knows what was to come.

Below are some of the websites you just can’t live without.


1. GeoCities

The web wasn't a whole lot of fun back then and only after four years of pages created by scientists and academics, David Bohnett and John Rezner, who ran a web directory called Beverly Hills Internet, turned their company into GeoCities, giving anyone the ability to create their own site for free.
GeoCities made it possible for anyone to put something online for practically nothing. This was a huge deal. We owe them so much. This was when the revolutionary of the internet begins.


2. Blogger



GeoCities made it convenient for anyone to build their own personal site, however in August 1999, Blogger made it even easier. Now anyone could post a diary of what they had for dinner or why they hated their boyfriends.

Blogger continues to enable everyone to document their lives without needing to get their hands tied up with HTML. As does WordPress, TypePad, Tumblr and a million other services that have since appeared.


3. Wikipedia


Now just where do we always turn to when we are facing difficulties in our research for our college studies? Wikipedia! This site takes user-generated content to the next level, with an online encyclopedia anyone could edit. Sounds like a disaster where errors or downright lies might come into sight, however they're quick to be corrected by the site's users.

"Yes, the information is imperfect," says Jason Stockwood, "but the rigidly democratic nature of the site means that Wikipedia is a true embodiment of what the internet revolution originally promised."


4. YouTube




And where do you watch your music videos and all your TV? It is all started in a garage by three ex- PayPal employees; one site went on to shake up the whole TV industry. Later it was acquired by Google for $1.6 billion. All that for a company that's less than four years old? Think about it. You've probably heard of it: it's called YouTube.

We are used to find a text search result for every keyword we could think of, now we find a video for every keyword we think of! This is way awesome, and what made it better is the people themselves. They’ve been uploading 10 hours of videos every minute. That’s huge!




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Great Flash Games!

Once in a while we feel we should try this seemingly simple flash games. Since its the weekends today and if you got nothing to do, why not we give a try to some of this great flash games that we have manage to dig around the internet.


Table Tennis


Those good old ping pong, those good old days. It's you against ten computer opponents, starting from level one – believe me, it's almost impossible not to thrash them to a comfortable 5-0 win; to level ten - a level I've never managed to defeat. Along the way you may earn bonus points, which dependent on how swiftly you defeat your opponent. Matches are scheduled to last three minutes, although if you're playing in the tournament, the game doesn't end until someone accumulates all five points. One tip to playing Table Tennis is to not have your mouse speed set too high. If you do, it's awfully hard to keep inside the game's borders, and when that happens, you stop controlling your paddle.


Catch 33

In this game, it's just you against a bunch of numbered squares, which float randomly over the screen. Your objective is to cruise your mouse on top of the thirty-three squares, in ascending order from 1 to 33, hovering them long enough to give a little "pop" and evaporate. But be careful, because if you glide over a number too hastily, it won't disappear at all.


Escapa


It is the simplest idea of all games. You are a red square on a white field surrounded by a black border. Also on the white field are four blue squares and rectangles, which will start moving all over the white field as soon as you move your mouse - Do remember u shouldn’t touch any of the black border around the white area, and don't run into any of the blue objects. Pretty simple concept from what I think. I’m proud of my record for staying alive for 23 seconds. How bout yours?


5-a-side Football

Football makes the world go round. This flash version was one of my favourite games a year ago or so. I haven't played much since then, but in preparing to write this article, I decided to go for a round or two and it's still addictive. It isn't exactly a chore to beat the computer, but what makes the game interesting is that the teams, like in so many video games, are given different attributes. So, using a strong team to beat up on a weak team doesn't necessarily bring you as many points as using a weak team to beat a strong team. My verdict: A very well done game with great graphics.


Soduku

I usually use my standalone Sudoku program when I'm in the mood for a little mental number gymnastics, but when I'm away from my computer; I think this website is by far the best Sudoku that is available around. It offers unlimited puzzle possibilities, and also allows you to select an individual puzzle. Say you're working on a puzzle, but have to leave for the day, and need to shut the computer off. Simply write down the puzzle number and type that in and get back to the exact same puzzle you were working on before the next time you visit the site.


Mahjongg Online


Like my Sudoku playing habits, I typically play Solitaire on my vista. This website, however, is really superb. It gives the player a choice of six different starting layouts, in addition to the traditional tile set (and one that looks like a deck of cards). The game offers hints, shows available remaining moves, and has a zoom function, in case the default size is too small for your eyes. The game is sometimes a bit slow to respond to mouse clicks, and I sometimes wish it had a timer, but all in all, a nice java version of a great game.



Glider


This game is a flash version of one of my favourite Mac games (by John Calhoun and then Cassidy & Greene) and still is. This is - again - a very simple concept. You are a paper airplane. Your only controls are to tilt forward and backward of the plane. The goal is to glide through a series of rooms which have designated floor and ceiling vents, rotary fans, and all manner of other obstacles which you will be affected by, or need to move over or under. Classic but classy, a must try!!



Arkanoid


Arkanoid is another game I played quite a bit of in college. Damn right it is addictive. This flash version is simply good at reinventing the look, sound and feel of the original thing. In reality, Arkanoid is nothing more than a dressed-up version of Breakout, but it's a tonnes of fun to get your fingers hyped up. Do open up your eyes and watch out for power-ups and power-downs that might help you in a way; or not. And always look for the splitter... it's better to have three balls going at once than just one though. Those good old days…

There are plenty more games out there what I've listed. In fact, you may notice that some of your old favourite arcade games are making its way to a new life as flash games on the web.

It is always fascinating when those games I used to spend a lot of time with are suddenly available with a couple clicks on the mouse. Frogger and Pac Man are two fine examples.

I'm not going to review the following, but as kind of a bonus, here are five great arcade games that are now available to play for free on the web:


Prince of Persia
Frogger
Space Invaders
Fighter
PacMan

Have lots of fun guys. Anything other good games to share? I’m itching for more. More is never enough.



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Kingsurf Manager Eryc Quits!

Far Left: Eryc

Shocking news indeed when all of the sudden Eryc the strongman of Kingsurf quits today!.

Source from Gamosphere.com told us that, It was known that tension has long been brewing within the Kingsurf camp often seen as clash of personality between 2 great player, Yamateh and Hyhy, both leader of Ks.my and Ks.sg respectively, sizing each other up. Today it hit a boiling point and the inevitable happened with Yamateh setting an ultimatum.

"Yamateh expressed that he was against the re composition and suggested I should manage only one team,Ks.my or Ks.sg."


At the moment there is no official news regarding this matter from Kingsurf official website.


Source: Gamosphere
Pic Source: Kingsurf






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Hyundai Cup Results: Singapore 2nd Malaysia 4th!

The recently concluded Hyundai Cup saw Korea’s Unlimited bag the Hyundai Verna in the FIFA Online 2 competition. Singapore’s [TitaNs]Xtr3me3 finished 2nd, while Korea had another representative in 3rd place. [T2.W|nDs]Vin from Malaysia did well to finish 4th.

This tournament shows the South Korea is still the nation to beat when it comes to FIFA Online 2, but the South East Asian contingent has been making steady progress, with Xteme3 finishing 2nd against the odds, and Vin entering the semi finals as well. Both would be considered heavy favourites when the One Asian Cup kicks off next month.

Here is the top 4 again by nation, congratulations to the winners.

1st) Korea
2nd) Singapore
3rd) Korea
4th) Malaysia








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The Sony PlayStation® 3 STREET FIGHTER IV Challenge 2009

Want to win a PSP while playing your all time favourite fighting game? Well here’s your chance. Simply walk in to The Mines tomorrow and register yourself as a participant and kick your way to victory. There are other great prizes for other participants who do well too.

Here are the details for this event:

Date: Saturday, 25 July 2009

Time: 11:00 - 15:00

Location: Sony Centre, Level 4, Lot L4-17, The MINES Shopping Fair

Street: The Mines Shopping Fair

Phone: 03-21423088

Email: sales@fotoshangri-la.com

There is a Facebook page created for this event, for more information please click HERE.







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KOF XII Game Preview

Well guys, last Friday Spotgamers was being invited to get a look on a sneak preview of King Of Fighters XII by Sony Malaysia. The game preview was being held in a seclusive area within Sony Style at The Curve, Damansara.

For your information, King of Fighters XII is the latest installment of The King of Fighters series, featuring 20 characters which is half the amount of characters featured in The King of Fighters XI. The game is already released in arcade in Japan on 10 April 2009 and scheduled to be released in Play Station 3 and XBox 360 on this 30th of July.


So, during the game preview itself, there is a small knock-out tournament organized by Sony Malaysia. In the end, Allan from Outpost Cafe (remember Ryu from G&G?) won the tournament, bringing himself a limited-edition figure action and a Playstation Friend T-shirt.










Overall, even though the event was a low-profile event but everyone is enjoying the game. At least everyone can boast that they have played King Of Fighters XII, ahead from others!

Congrats to Sony Malaysia for their effort to promote more people to their events. Microsoft, what say you? :P

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One Asia Cup, One Hundred Grand!

Did anyone think that gaming is boring, an utter waste of time and does nothing to but spoil your eyes? Well think again. Fifa Online 2 are now organizing a large international tournament called Asia Cup, which would include players from Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam to battle it out for USD100000. That’s right, it’s USD one hundred thousand. (There’s no typo just in case you thought this article was done hastily)




The competition is divided into 3 main categories, which is Singles, Doubles and the new Country vs Country category. A total of 2 representatives will be selected for each category from each country, meaning many players will have the chance to participate to do themselves and the country proud.

For the record, the competition will be held on the 19th of September in Suntec Convention, Singapore. Participating gamers will get to pit their wits against the best in the region while enjoying themselves in this beautiful city. Things simply cannot get better than this right?

Details for the Malaysia Qualifier will be announced soon, so do check out Spotgamers to find out how you can book your spot in the Singapore. Meanwhile, you can check out the official website for the One Asia Cup for more details.

Source: One Asia Cup

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A Quieter Radeon HD 4870

by Han
published by Rinie 23 July 2009




For all gamers out there, the graphics card is an essential part of the gaming rig. A gaming rig without a proper, powerful graphics card is pretty useless especially when it comes to playing the high-end games. Today, Spotgamers are going to review 1 of the better graphic cards in the market, the Radeon HD 4870.



Reasonably priced at RM700, the Radeon HD 4870 does not disappoint in relation to size and power efficiency. It is definitely good enough to run most games with high end graphics. Also, this card is very quiet while in operation. When it's running, you only hear a very gentle "whoosh" of moving air. So when the Radeon HD 4870 gets busy with a very graphics-intensive application and gets hot, the fan spins up. Not to a troublesome level though.

Here are the numbers associated with this graphics card:

GPU RV770
Manufacturing Process 55nm
Transistor Count 956 M
Core Clock 750 MHz
Stream Processor Clock 750 MHz
Memory Clock 3.6 GHz DDR
Stream Processors 800
Texture Units 40
Render back end (ROPs) 16
Frame Buffer 512MB
Memory Interface 256 bits
Memory Bandwidth 115.2 GB/sec

How does this graphic card perform when running Crysis compared to other graphics card?

Here is how it works:





Crysis used to be a real sore spot for ATI's cards, relative to Nvidia's, but the new architecture has changed all that. A Radeon HD 4870 is roughly the equal of the GeForce GTX.

Pros and Cons:

Pros: Blazing speed for the price, relatively short card, DirectX 10.1 support and good HDMI output options, Runs smoothly and quietly.

Cons: Runs a bit hot, kind of expensive due to GDDR5 pricing.


In a nutshell, we believe this card is very powerful for its price, and is suitable for gamers out there looking to upgrade their graphics card or building a whole new gaming rig.



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[T2.W|nDs]Vin off to Korea!

Vin On The Right

On the day the Manchester United team leaves for South Korea, Vin is heading in the same direction, but for very a different reason. While the United team will be playing an exhibition match, Vin will be competing with other top gamers for a Hyundai Verna.

Vin clinched his spot as the Malaysia representative by beating his clanmate, a13x convincingly in the final. He actually gave up his place in the Asian World Cyber Games to participate in the qualifiers. That decision is vindicated as only 7 other gamers stand in his way for that magnificent prize.

How does Vin access his chances of winning? He felt that the practice given to him by his clan mates will be invaluable in his quest for success. While losing in the ESWC Asia Masters last time could prove crucial as he learnt the way the top players play, which includes moves that can be useful and included in his arsenal. Either way, he strives to do his best this time round and try to achieve glory for the nation and himself.

For that reason alone, the Spotgamers team wishes he achieves success in Korea. Be sure to read Spotgamers to hear the latest.
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Fufu United Ninja Review

by Han
published by Rinie 21 July 2009






We received a request from 1 of our readers recently to conduct a review about Fufu Ninja, a popular Warcraft 3 map. We even tested the game ourselves to check whether this game is worthy of our time. And luckily for us, this game is simply addictive and we enjoyed ourselves while conducting this review.


The goal of the game is similar to Pudge Wars, which is to reach a certain kill limit faster than everyone else. However, there is an added twist to it- instead of dividing players into teams, this game is purely free-for-all. This leads to fast paced killing and pawning action. There are no complicated item recipes to remember, no ludicrously difficult skill combos to pull off, all you need to do is to hit your enemy and whittle down his single hp to zero.

Tiny Panda, packs a powerful punch!

What are the keys to success in this game? Fast fingers, great reactions and a brilliant sense of anticipation are required. I do not know how many kills I racked up by tossing the lovely shuriken toss into the fog of war. Or making your opponent typing ‘wtf’ repeatedly when you give him a surprise attack when he is hiding in the trees. This game can bring loads of fun and laughter, and it does not take a lot of time as it is only a mini game.

This map was nominated in the Garena Map Awards 2009 and you can see why. Overall, this is how the Spotgamers team rates the map:

Gameplay : 4.5/5 –Very entertaining and has great plots. Provides great fun when you are short on time and have a few mates to play with.

Go ahead and try this on Garena, especially if you liked mini games like Pudge Wars or Footmen Frenzy.

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Xtr3me3 is the Winner of Hyundai Motor Cup 2009 Singapore Qualifiers

Xtr3me3 Himself!

Team Titan’s Xtr3me3 has won the Hyundai Motor Cup 2009 Singapore Qualifiers last Saturday in convincing fashion. He disposed of all of his opponents with a minimum 3 goal margin. Xtr3me3 can now be considered a strong contender to walk away with the Grand Prize of the Hyundai Verna. He will now travel to Korea to compete for that magnificent prize.

This is how Xtr3me3 made it to Korea (source: Titans eports):



GRAND FINALS *1 Match*

Xtr3me3 vs Ronny Wilkins
Time: 5pm GMT+8
Score/Winner: 6 to 2 [Xtr3me3]


Semi-Finals

Xtr3me3 vs Zarates
Time: 4pm GMT+8
Score/Winner: 6: 3 [Xtr3me3]


2nd Match

Xtr3me3 vs zAkizAki
Time: 3pm GMT+8
Score/Winner: 8: 3 [Xtr3me3]


1st Match

Xtr3me3 vs Key
Time: 1pm GMT+8
Score/Winner: 8: 3 [ Xtr3me3]



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Time for Singapore to Select Their FIFA Online 2 rep!

After the euphoria of the Asian WCG last week, its the Hyundai Sg Cup for the Singaporeans this week! It is time for Singapore to select their representative to join Malaysia's Windsvin to battle it out for the lucrative prize of the Hyundai Verna in Busan, Korea.




Who would make it to Korea? Would Team Titan's Xtr3me3 clinch his ticket there? or Blitzrooney be the lucky one to walk away with the trip ? Stay tuned to Spotgamers for more details, OR if you are in Singapore, why don't you head over to E2Max @ Cineleisure at 1pm to watch the action unfold.


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IE A MALARIA?

It looks like there might be a laugh after all in the tech industry. Why is it so? According to Mozilla's VIP of engineering, Internet Explorer is like malaria. "A lot of people have had malaria and a lot have got it, but it doesn't mean that they have to choose it", Mike Shaver said.



Did you catch that Microsoft? Mozilla's just totally dissed you and name you after a pathetic disease. What now?

We suspect that the answer is nothing, and that's a shame. What we’d like to see is Microsoft like any other tech firm to start comparing their features to the rival’s one and prove them wrong.

The more wacky, politically incorrect and complete immature the better. "You claimed IE is like malaria, is it?" "Well, Firefox is like a big fat boy on a girl's bike! And also, your mum is fat!"
Wouldn’t that be just sweet?

The tech industry do prides itself on its innovation, so let's see some innovation in PR. This will provide a great deal of opportunity for the tech industry. Firms could now express their brand values in their put-downs.

We know the industry can do it but all too often the fun stuff is reserved for upholding the companies' own products.

Bungie Jason Jones who described Halo 2 as "a lot like Halo, only it's Halo on fire, going 130 miles per hour through a hospital zone, being chased by helicopters and ninjas. And the ninjas are all on fire too." Imagine that sort of mental firepower used not to fight for the good but for pure sinister plan. What a beautiful world we could have.



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Malaysia Got DreamHacked!

Yes guys, Malaysia has just got "DreamHacked". Thanks to the agreement signed between Go International Group Sdn Bhd and DreamHack, Team Malaysia will stand a chance to make their way to Stockholm, Sweden for DreamHack Winter 2009.

Under the agreement signed between Jasmine Low, Managing Director of GIG Sdn Bhd and David Garpenstahl, Chairman and CEO of DreamHack Sweden, Go International Group will have the right to organize a national e-sports tournament to qualify one Team Malaysia to DreamHack Winter 2009 which is scheduled to be held from 26th-29th of November 2009.


For us in Spotgamers, this is a blessing of disguise for Go International Group despite the end of Electronic Sports World Cup (ESWC). We are confident that Go International Group could pull out something spectacular for the incoming Indie Youth Fest 2009 which will be held in One Utama on 14-18 October 2009.

For your information, the Indie Youth Fest will kickstart the season on 1 and 2 August 2009. During the kickstart, GO.Esc and DreamHack Malaysia registration would kick-off as well.

We would keep you updated from time to time regarding this tournament. Stay tuned for more updates from us! ^^


Source: Go International Group
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The Walkaround: Rakan Muda E-gig 2009

Heyya folks, welcome back to The Walkaround. Sorry for a very late post. This time, yours truly made his way to Kompleks Rakan Muda Puchong for the whole weekend for Rakan Muda E-gig 2009.

Here's an extract of what E-gig means from Rakan Muda E-gig 2009

Rakan Muda E-gig consist a multi-event which includes the first ever Cyber Games Tournament to be held by Rakan Muda. Just in case anybody wonder what E-GIG means, GIG stands for 'gatherings in group' as many of us have in mind that the term GIG normally used for rock concerts for underground music or indie bands, well literally it's something like that except for the letter E carries the 'Electronic' word. In short, E-GIG means Electronic Gatherings in Group.

The event is actually a continuity of the latest Lifestyle branding by Rakan Muda which is called 'Rakan Muda Remaja Siber', launched by our Ex First Lady, Tun Jeanne Abdullah on June 2008.

The event was launched by Puan Wasitah binti Haji Mohd Yusof, Deputy Director General, Rakan Muda Development Division. According to Puan Wasitah while having a light session, this is the first time Rakan Muda is organizing such an event and they are willing to give full support to youths are trying to improve the scene for the benefit of other youths.

During the event, there are Shuffle Competition, Breakdance competition, Live band performance and the main attraction, the Grand Finale of Defense of the Ancients (DotA), FIFA 09, Winning Eleven 2009 and Tekken 5.

We cut short the overview, so here's the full result of DotA, FIFA 09 and Winning Eleven 2009, courtesy of khairil_kaka, dharwin & [MyFeS.INC] aRr0y0s™

FIFA'09 Results

1.[MyFeS.INC] WaRr|oR™
2.[W|nDs] Han™
3.[MyFeS.INC] D3mOn|c™
4.[W|nDs] Shark_Attack™

Winning Eleven 2009 Results

1.shige
2.el nino (khairil_kaka)
3.azuan
4.naruto

Defense of the Ancients Results

1. MU.Gold ( mski )
2. MU.BL
3. Inc.XLO
4. Sinonet

Overall, it was a brave attempt by Rakan Muda to organize such an event, given the limited experience and knowledge of the organizers about the rules and regulations of how the tournament is conducted.

However....

The organizers should review again the participation since there are a lot of walkovers, causing the organizers a big headache to scramble the whole format which causes a lot of confusion to other gamers. Furthermore, the tournament area was too close to the live band performance (Remember Youth'09?) which is quite distracting to the gamers.

As usual, the PROS, CONS and RATING from Spotgamers

PROS - A brave attempt by Rakan Muda and a good choice of diversing the types of games such as DotA, FIFA 09, Winning Eleven 2009. A massive turnup during the first day of the event, signalling that there's some hope for gaming scene in Malaysia

CONS - A lot of delays, participants went missing suddenly, walkovers occured, the format and rules was not standardized. Some DotA teams also complained that they have to wait for a day until their matches started.

RATING - 6/10. A inaugural event that has the potential to be improved in the future. Who knows Rakan Muda can organize a big-scale gaming event just like WCG Malaysia and Indie Youth Fest?

OK, cut the crap please, here are the piktors!


This is a very huge turnout for an e-sports tournament!


The launching ceremony of E-gig Rakan Muda 2009


Yours truly gets the honour to teach the VIP how to rock on Guitar Hero :)

MyFes.INC and WiNDs battle it out for supremacy in FIFA 09


The battle of Defense of the Ancients


One of the DotA teams playing


The atmosphere of Winning Eleven 2009


I was wondering what this kind is thinking actually. Being a Rock Star perhaps?


Yeah baby!


Moar pictures at this link:-
Rakan Muda E-gig 2009

Well, at least all of us have fun anyway.

So, where am I next for The Walkaround? Stay tuned and keep yourself updated with Spotgamers - The Eyes On Gamers! Cheers! ^^

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