Fuster's Gaming Alliance

Lineage II: The Chaotic Throne - Hellbound

NCsoft Europe (http://eu.plaync.com/eu/) today announced the release of Hellbound, the newest addition to the Lineage II (http://www.discoverlineage2.com) franchise, in conjunction with its Limited Collector�s Edition retail package. Continuing the storyline and content in December�s popular expansion Kamael, Hellbound increases the game�s level capacity to 85, and adds significant quests and skills. Players finally get the chance to best the diabolical boss Beleth, fighting their way through multiple towers in the Steel Citadel. Enhancements to the pet system enable players to grow their wolf pet into a mount called a Fenrir. Additionally, this update adds more transformation options, where players earn the ability to temporarily transform into a powerful alter-ego with special skills that will aid them in their ventures into Hellbound.

The Lineage II Limited Collector�s Edition provides players with a whole host of exclusive extras. Featuring the most up to date game client, the Limited Edition includes three exclusive in-game items, discount tokens for server features, a stunning 148 page �The Art of Lineage II� art book, the official soundtrack CD, two exclusive A2 posters and the official Lineage II world map. To complete the pack, each set also includes a highly detailed poly-resin Kamael character figurine.

Lineage II is known as the gaming market�s premier player-versus-player (PvP) online role-playing game, with a customer reach of more than 19 million players worldwide.

�The content in our Hellbound expansion really rounds out what we started in Kamael,� said Tim Tan, NCsoft�s North American producer of Lineage II. �The expansion was very popular with our players and we�re happy to follow up with more content, so soon after its launch. Players can really sink their teeth into the Hellbound area of the game, and the raised level cap gives them a fighting chance against Beleth!�

The Lineage II Limited Collector�s Edition will be available from major retailers at a recommended retail price of £54.99 / �79.99. The standard edition box of Lineage II is available at a recommended retail price of £14.99 / �19.99 and at the PlayNC store (http://eu.plaync.com/eu/store/). Monthly subscription fee to the game is £8.99 / �12.99

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Cyborg Keyboard

Saitek has announced the launch of its new Cyborg Keyboard. This high end gaming keyboard has advanced customisation options for greater control and convenience, and a durable design for improved gaming performance.

Customisable & Programmable

The Cyborg Keyboard features fully customisable, tri-colour key backlighting which can be applied in different colours and brightness for the key gaming areas of the keyboard. The red, green or amber backlights can be programmed to highlight the keys most often used in gaming - the WASD, cursor, ‘C’ and Numpad keys - for convenience and practicality, with current settings saved even after a system reboot.

The touch-sensitive, backlit dashboard control panel allows the user to quickly convert the keyboard from normal mode to gaming mode by pressing the Cyborg button. Gaming mode instantly disables the Windows keys (which can quit games if accidentally pressed) and configures the colour and brightness of gaming keys.

Programmable features include enhanced multiple key presses in gaming areas for complex in-game commands and 12 programmable ‘C’ keys with three programming modes. In addition, keyboard settings and complicated in-game commands can be saved as game-specific profiles using Saitek’s SST software so the user does not have to re-program the keyboard each time a new game is loaded.

Comfortable & Durable

The Cyborg Keyboard has adjustable rake angle at the front and back for maximum comfort, and to prevent strain injuries from intense keyboard use. The WASD and cursor keys are metal plated to prevent wear from prolonged gaming use, and the keyboard also includes pass-through USB, audio and microphone sockets for neatness and increased cable reach.

Gaming & Non-Gaming

While the Cyborg Keyboard is designed for gamers, it can be quickly switched to Normal mode to make it suitable for a work and home environment. In normal mode the ‘C’ keys can be programmed to open files and applications or perform specific actions, such as printing, at the touch of a button. Media keys simplify watching films or listening to music.

Saitek’s Cyborg Keyboard is available from www.amazon.co.uk and www.overclockers.co.uk

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BullGuard Internet Security Gamer�s Edition

BullGuard is offering gaming enthusiasts the opportunity to become dedicated BETA testers for the new BullGuard Internet Security Gamer�s Edition, a security solution designed to provide gamers online security without compromising game play.

Many gamers today either switch off their protection or are continuously frustrated by the way different security applications interrupt their game (e.g. by updating virus definitions, firewall messaging and/or excessive resource consumption).

When a popular game is launched, BullGuard Gamer�s Edition will automatically enter the game mode and activate the corresponding game profile. The game profile consists of optimised security settings specifically developed for that particular game, ensuring that game play remains smooth and secure. This means that the game mode is not merely a generic mode, but rather consists of different preconfigured game profiles to suit specific games.

BullGuard Gamer�s Edition also provides complete security when the PC is not used for gaming, allowing it to replace existing security products.

Those that would like to participate in the BETA test for BullGuard Gamer�s Edition are asked to sign up here: http://www.bullguard.com/why/bullguard-gamers-edition.aspx. Testers will receive a free subscription for the duration of the BETA test.

BETA testers will be asked to provide feedback on the product as well as make suggestions to ensure the product provides the very best solution for gamers. BullGuard will select the BETA testers from the pool of people that sign up and will reward the best testers with a free subscription to the final product.

The Gamer's Edition has been developed by BullGuard in collaboration with SteelSeries, creators of performance enhancing gaming gear.

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Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3

After a seven-year hiatus, Electronic Arts have announced the return of Red Alert, one of the most beloved and best-selling real-time strategy franchises. Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3, for the PC, Xbox 360TM and PLAYSTATION3, takes players on an epic adventure to a breathtaking alternate future spawned by time travel run amok. Developed by EA Los Angeles, Red Alert 3 breaks new ground in the RTS genre, featuring a fully co-operative campaign while bringing back the series’ light-hearted style and classic, action-oriented gameplay.

“The Red Alert games are known for challenging hardcore strategy gamers with depth, variety, and innovative gameplay. But they also belong to that rare breed of games that can draw in more casual players with their over-the-top stories, instantly accessible mechanics, and straight-to-the-fun design,” said Mike Verdu, general manager of EALA. “With Red Alert 3, our team is continuing that proud tradition by introducing genre-first features like co-operative campaign play, which rewards veterans and casual players alike. In Red Alert 3, friends and family can always have your back.”

“It’s been too long.” said Chris Corry, executive producer at EALA. “Fans have been waiting for a new Red Alert game for seven years, and we’re working hard to ensure its well worth the wait. The team is staying true to the series’ roots while adding new elements like a co-operatively played story-driven campaign, an astounding new faction that will shake-up the Red Alert universe as we know it, and units that will help make Red Alert 3 everything our fans have been waiting for. And by bringing naval combat into the heart of the game design, we’re transporting that fast, fun and fluid C&C gameplay to the high-seas in ways that you’ve never seen before.”

In Red Alert 3, the desperate leadership of a doomed Soviet Union travels back in time to change history and restore the glory of Mother Russia. The time travel mission goes awry, creating an alternate timeline where technology has followed an entirely different evolution, a new superpower has been thrust on to the world stage, and World War III is raging. The Empire of the Rising Sun has risen in the East, making World War III a three-way struggle between the Soviets, the Allies, and the Empire with armies fielding wacky and wonderful weapons and technologies like Tesla coils, heavily armed War Blimps, teleportation, armored bears, intelligent dolphins, floating island fortresses, and transforming tanks.

Red Alert 3 asks the question “What If?” What if every bizarre research project and technology experiment for the last 70 years had actually borne fruit? What if the Philadelphia Experiment, time travel theory, teleportation, invisibility, Tesla technology, and a hundred other intriguing research projects had all paid off and gone mainstream? What if the Soviet Union survived and thrived; what would it look like 10 years in the future? What if the Japanese Empire had never fallen and instead became the ultimate high-tech military superpower? The end result is an imaginative and playful vision of an alternate future filled with possibility.

Command & Conquer fans eager to experience Red Alert 3 before anyone else can get early access to the beta (available for the PC only - an announcement about the Red Alert 3 beta dates will be made this summer) by picking up a copy of Command & Conquer 3: Kane’s Wrath later this year.

For fans of Red Alert and Command & Conquer, EA hosts a dedicated online Web cast that goes beyond the game and brings players all the latest series news, tips and strategies. The flagship show, BattleCast Primetime, is a unique program that offers a sportscast look and feel for featured fan multiplayer matches, including expert commentary. Command & Conquer, BattleCast Primetime can be seen on the official Command & Conquer website http://www.commandandconquer.com/

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Saitek Cyborg Mouse

Saitek has announced the launch of its new Cyborg Mouse. The high end laser mouse is designed specifically for gaming and aimed at serious gamers who play intensely for long periods at a time.

The Cyborg Mouse has a unique switch-activated motor that moves the rear shell back and forth, expanding or contracting the mouse to fit any user�s hand. This not only increases control but will also prevent tiredness during long periods of game play. Mouse length can be adjusted using either a software control panel installed with the drivers, or by holding the mode button on the Cyborg mouse down and then pushing the mouse�s d-pad into position.

As well as adjustable length, the Cyborg mouse also features a scroll wheel with adjustable detent force. The scroll force selector switch has three positions and sets the sensitivity of weapon selection from low to high to suit the gamer�s preferences.

Other controls include a 4-way low profile hat switch plus 7 buttons. Controls are programmable using Saitek�s SST programming software which, with the 3 stage mode button, effectively gives a total of 24 programmable commands to customise any gaming experience. The SST software saves chosen settings as game-specific profiles.

The 3-stage mode switch also allows the user to change mouse sensitivity to help with their aim. Adjustable from 400 dpi up to 3200 dpi, the Cyborg mouse�s new anti-deceleration laser technology ensures reliable movement tracking, even at higher speeds.

Official Site: http://www.saitek.com/uk/prod/cyborgmouse.htm

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Men of War

505 Games have announced that the first title to be released under its new 1C Label will be World War II strategy game, Men of War. Men of War is the sequel to the critically acclaimed Soldiers: Heroes of War and Faces of War and will be released across Europe in summer 2008.

Men of War takes place during the height of World War II, across three different campaigns played out through the eyes of Soviet, Allied and German soldiers. Each campaign has its own structured timeline, bringing a different part of the war to life, telling a different story of World War II spanning across Russia, North Africa, Ukraine, Greece, Germany, Italy and the Pacific. The main Soviet campaign sees two student comrades, Smirnov and Kuznetzov, join the army and quickly become brothers-in-arms as they rise through the ranks and experience the rigours of war.

Men of War will feature 50 new units to play with, including new designs on tanks, APCs and heavy guns. Dynamic, in-game video enhances the single player missions, while developer Best Way has given the sounds of war new range with over 100 new effects, recorded under real operating conditions. The single player campaign will also feature a fully customisable user interface, so players are able to setup their command layout just as they please.

In addition to the in-depth single player experience, Men of War also unleashes all new multiplayer maps along with new �capture the flag� and �high-value cargo� modes, all faithfully recreated with stunning graphics and refined AI. A new rating system has also been introduced to ensure a fair fight in online multiplayer battles.

A summary of key additions:

- Three evolving storylines, from Soviet, Allied and German forces, comprising 19 missions
- More than 50 new units to play in multiplayer mode
- Realistic models of armament and military equipment recreated in-line with design drawings and historical documents
- System of ratings and statistics for every participant in multiplayer mode
- Japan is a new nation in multiplayer mode
- Revised controls interface � customisable and more convenient to use
- New multiplayer maps and two new game modes
- Highly detailed WWII environments and characters faithfully recreated with a cutting-edge graphics engine

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S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky is a survival FPS game for PC based on a 'what-if' scenario of the second Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident. The game is created as a warning to mankind against mindless play with technologies. S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky is the official prequel to the renowned S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game by the Ukraine-based GSC Game World studio. The game is set in 2011 and brings forth the events to have preceded the third campaign of Strelok to the Zone center. S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky introduces an alternative look onto the events of the original game and offers the player to try himself out as a mercenary s.t.a.l.k.e.r. in search of his own path in the world of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.

Official game site: www.stalker-game.com

Click images to enlarge

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Codemasters Connect

Connect 2008 is Codemasters Online�s new premier gaming event - to be held on March 14th / 15th at the Omega Sektor, Birmingham - spanning all of Codemasters Online�s gaming titles including The Lord of the Rings Online�: Shadows of Angmar�, ArchLord, RF Online, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS� ONLINE: Stormreach� and much much more.

Visitors to this 2-day gaming extravaganza can expect to be able to meet with their fellow gaming communities and experience all of the latest games from Codemasters Online across 400 fully networked PCs! Visitors will also get a chance to experience Codemasters Online�s yet to be announced persistent games and walk away with exclusive merchandise and game related freebies.

Ed Relf, Director of Marketing, Codemasters Online commented �We are ecstatic to unveil plans on this amazing community orientated MMO gaming event. Codemasters Online Connect 2008 is a milestone in the growth of Codemasters Online as a global gaming force and we can�t wait to welcome the many thousands of people from across all of our gaming communities. Visitors to Connect 2008 can expect an amazing show along with some enormous surprises and announcements that will be revealed in the coming weeks.

Codemasters Online Connect 2008 features 2 full days of gaming activities including opportunities to meet the teams behind all of the games and get involved in round table discussions, Q&A sessions and future game content presentations.

Website: http://www.codemastersconnect.com

The official Myspace and Facebook groups for Connect are now also live at:

Myspace Group - http://groups.myspace.com/codemastersconnect

Facebook Group - http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=7013723158

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Happy 10th Brithday Quake2

That's right.... Quake2 is 10 years old!!!... and to celebrate we've got a Birthday sever running from now until the New Year.

The server is intended to be as inclusive as possible and therefore Anticheat, although enabled, will not be enforced so that players using none-windows platforms or none supported clients may join in the fun. This server also starts a fresh in regards to banned players. That is to say... At the time of launching, no player bans are enforced on this server. Banned players are invited to celebrate this Quake2 birthday event with us over the festive period. Please do not abuse this decision, play fair, play nice and observe the server rules. Server admins will be on hand to deal with troublesome players and bans may issued if necessary, but please people... have fun and play nice!

So, without further ado... old and new players alike, dig out those Quake2 discs and have a fraggy festive period.

Server details are:

Server Name: Happy 10th Birthday Quake2
IP: 62.44.69.98
Port: 27920

Note: During times when Fuster's Deathmatch is full, players connecting to that server will be redirected to this server .

GeForce 8800 GT

The 8800 GT, the latest in the GeForce 8 Series, is hitting store shelves today. Specifically developed to answer enthusiast gamers� demand for high-performing graphics at the �199 to �259 price point, GeForce 8800 GT offers a hyper-reactive, intensely robust gaming experience for the latest next-generation DirectX 10 games, such as Crysis, Hellgate: London, and Gears of War, as well as full support for current DirectX 9 games.

�When we introduced the GeForce 8 Series family, our most savvy customers and press demanded a product with 64 stream processors and a 256-bit memory interface to deliver more performance at the popular �199 to �259 price point. Today we decided to raise the bar and deliver GeForce 8800 GT with 112 stream processors, a fast 256-bit memory interface, and our second-generation PureVideo HD technology, giving our customers an incredible value proposition.� said Ujesh Desai, general manager of GeForce desktop GPUs at NVIDIA. �At this price point, gamers are getting more performance and features than ever before.�

�GeForce 8800 GT is the perfect card for gamers that want to play Crysis,� said Cevat Yerli, CEO of Crytek. �By bringing such high performance to the sub-�250 price segment, NVIDIA is allowing even more gamers to experience the full range of Crysis�s stunning visual effects at maxed-out resolutions.�

In addition to 112 stream processors�each individually clocked at 1. 5GHz�and a 256-bit memory interface running at a blazing-fast 900MHz, the GeForce 8800 GT is designed for the new PCI Express 2.0 bus standard and is backwards compatible with the original PCI Express standard.

The GeForce 8800 GT also marries the best-in-gaming with the best-in-HD. It leverages NVIDIA�s revolutionary second-generation video processing engine to deliver high-quality playback of HD DVD and Blu-ray movies on everyday PCs. The new programmable video processing engine takes on all of the high definition H.264 video decoding, freeing the CPU to perform other tasks and significantly reducing power consumption, heat, and noise.

GeForce 8800 GT-based graphics cards are available now.