Two Worlds II features a brand new engine from Reality Pump that makes the most of dynamic light sources, micro-detail Parallax Mapping, 24 Bit HDR Post Processing, Space Ambient Occlusion and Human Eye Accommodation. The AI and balancing standards have been overhauled as well. The new storyline features the work of experienced authors and the active combat system puts the adventure into this RPG.

When they claim that Two Worlds II will set new standards for graphical excellence, they aren’t bluffing. Just take a look as these screenshots.

Look for Two Worlds II for the PC, Mac and Next-Gen consoles this winter.

Got coding skills? Like the movie WarGames? Like the idea of your “binary baby” killing virtual billions? More importantly, do you like cash?

If you said “You bet.”, then heads up.

Introversion Software has teamed up with the organizers of CIG 2009 to establish a competition aimed to create “the world’s deadliest bot.” The contest, slated for September, is part of an ongoing yearly event that draws in programming talent from abroad in an attempt to create bots from videogames that are “realistic enough into fooling an expert panel of judges that they are actually human players.”

Not surprisingly, the game chosen as the playground for this year’s contest is none other than Introversion’s own nuclear holocaust simulator DEFCON (thumbs up here). And thanks to the concerted efforts of Computer Science geeks over at Imperial College, London, potential contestants now have a practical DEFCON API to prepare with.

Basically, the rules (here) are that programmers will pit their individual DEFCON A.I. against one another in a series (30 actually) of one-on-one matches among each of the possible starting territory configurations. The player with the highest cumulative score wins. Additionally, the grand prize winner’s human creator takes home $500, courtesy of IEEE. At this point, I’m still trying to figure out if you actually have to be physically present to participate.

Anyway, if you are interested in putting your coding skills to the test, you can start by reading here. An important thing to note is that the DEFCON API will also work with the DEFCON demo, which can be freely downloaded here. Again, deadlines and rules for the contest can be found via the IEEE’s CIG website. The press release found after the break contains all sorts of info, links, and contact information.

For those of you chortling “the only winning move is not to play,” I say what’s the worse that could happen? Well, I suppose Barry Corbin could break the bad news to you in person by knocking on your door then announcing his “conclusion that your new defense system sucks.”

Ok, I’ll stop…

PRESS RELEASE

Create the world’s deadliest DEFCON AI bot

London: 16th June 2009

Introversion Software is joining forces with the event organisers of CIG 2009, to host the first ever DEFCON AI competition aimed at creating the world’s deadliest bot.

The contest, scheduled for this September, is a part of an ongoing yearly event that attempts to create bots from videogames that are realistic enough into fooling an expert panel of judges that they are actually human players.

In what has been described as the “Turing Test for Bots”, the competition has chosen DEFCON this year as the game for which bots will be created.

This competition follows on from work that the best brains of Imperial College, London, have developed with a DEFCON API (Application Programmers Interface), which enables anyone to create their own DEFCON bot, in true Wargames fashion.

A group of talented programmers will pitch their DEFCON bot against enemy bots in a series of one-on-one thermonuclear chess games. The winner is the programmer whose bot successfully annihilates its opponents and racks up the highest death count. IEEE is offering a $500 prize to the deadliest DEFCON AI bot competition winner.

Let’s just hope the technology developed at this year’s CIG doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.

Contact Details:

For technical enquiries about the API, please contact Robin Baumgarten: robin.baumgarten06@doc.ic.ac.uk

For enquiries about DEFCON and Introversion Software, please contact Mark Morris: mark@introversion.co.uk

For enquiries about using the API for student projects, please contact Simon Colton: sgc@doc.ic.ac.uk

About DEFCON

DEFCON is an online, competitive, multiplayer strategy game simulating global thermonuclear war. The game, inspired by the 1983 cult-classic film, WarGames, superbly evokes the tension, paranoia and suspicion surrounding the Cold War era. DEFCON was an instantaneous success, receiving an average of 85%+ in game reviews and scores of praise. PC Gamer UK described it as ‘pure, deep, utterly unconscionable fun’, whilst IGN awarded DEFCON an Editors Choice Award and praised it as ‘highly impressive’. DEFCON is available to buy online via Steam and Introversion’s online store.

About CIG 2009

CIG is hosted by the IEEE Symposium on Computational Intelligence and Games. The conference will be hosted at the Politecnico di Milano, from 7-10 September 2009. For more information on the competition format and CIG 2009, please visit: http://www.ieee-cig.org.

About Introversion

Heralded as ‘the last of the bedroom programmers’, Introversion Software is one of the UK’s most-respected and successful independent game developers and publishers. Founded in 2001 by three university students, and starting out with an initial personal investment of just £600, Introversion went on to produce three critically acclaimed titles; Uplink, Darwinia and DEFCON. Their second title, Darwinia, was awarded three prizes at the 2006 Independent Games Festival Awards, including the Seumas McNally grand prize, and Introversion was voted one of the top 50 Best Games Companies in the world. In September 2008, Introversion released its fourth title Multiwinia: Survival of the Flattest. Multiwinia has enjoyed some fantastic reviews and is currently rated at 77 on Metacritic. For more information please visit http://www.introversion.co.uk and our developer’s blog http://www.introversion.co.uk/blog

Personally I don’t have too much trouble with Vista. Once it’s lobotomized, it’s really not all that bad. Of course you’ll want to be extra vigilant with your spyware, adware, and virus programs, but I guess that’s the price you pay for the right to admin your own system.

According to Tech ARP, the wave 0 version of SP2 goes out to the web today. Wave 1 will be released to manufacturing mid June according to the current schedule. Windows 7 will be out before we’ll see Vista SP2. These are some of the features integrated into the pack:

• Adds Windows Search 4.0 for faster and improved relevancy in searches.
• Contains the Bluetooth® 2.1 Feature Pack supporting the most recent specification for Bluetooth Technology.
• Ability to record data on to Blu-Ray™ media natively in Windows Vista.
• Adds Windows Connect Now (WCN) to simplify Wi-Fi Configuration.
• Enables the exFAT file system to support Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) timestamps, which allows correct file synchronization across time zones.
• Adds support for new 64-bit CPUs from VIA Technologies.
• Improves performance for Wi-Fi connection after resuming from sleep mode.
• Adds new capabilities to DirectX, and increasing reliability. The graphics experience will be greatly improved for gamers.
• Improves audio and video performance for streaming high-definition content.
• Improves Windows Media Center (WMC) in content protection for TV.

If you’re interested in making your own Vista OS more user friendly, check out this TweakGuide Tweaking Companion for Windows Vista.

As you may or may not know, this has resulted in a number of criminals storing things they want to keep hidden on their XBox hard drives. According to authorities, this includes a fair amount of child pornography.

You see, the original XBox hard drive has always been able to be modified to make the console act like a PC. Interestingly, there’s no physical evidence this has been done. With current forensics software, investigators cannot examine the bit by bit information stored on the XBox hard drive, meaning that it stays hidden.

In an effort to alleviate this issue, David Collins, a computer scientist at Sam Houston State University, has created a tool that allows authorities to find these hidden files. The program, known as XFT, is the first ever developed for forensic technicians to read XBoxes. Not only does the tool read the information, it record the investigation as it takes place, and allows the recording to be replayed in court.

Now, I know some of you may want to scream about your privacy for your files, but in my opinion, anything that shows that these people are not actually gamers is fine with me. Don’t we have enough of a black eye with the general public? I think so. What we don’t need is for investigators to find a child pornographer storing files on his XBox, and publish news referring to him as a gamer.

What do you think?

In an experiment that most likely involved carting some residents from the old folks home to an internet cafe, researchers have determined that playing strategy games can improve the mental skills of senior citizens. The researchers tested a number of games before selecting 2003’s Rise of Nations — in which players set out to maintain and advance a civilization from ancient times to the modern age in real-time — to use in the experiment. The study showed that adults in their 60s and 70s that played the game would later exhibit cognitive skills not directly related to gameplay. Overall, the group that played games performed better in reasoning and memory tests than a control group. They were also able to switch between tasks at a much faster rate and seemed to have a much stronger short-term memory. On the other hand, researchers found that the game had no effect on long-term memory functions.

I suppose the results of this study make sense in a way. Most of the old people I know spend a lot of their time watching The History Channel, so essentially playing The History Channel would probably be an improvement. Of course, that history could also include the daring defeat of the spear-wielding Americans at the hand of the Incas and their nukes.

A new article on ExtremeTech pits antivirus software against some of the most demanding PC games around. AVG Free, BitDefender (GameDefender edition), Kaspersky and Norton (Gaming Edition) each face off against Crysis, Company of Heroes, Far Cry 2, Supreme Commander and World in Conflict.

ExtremeTech compared the performance of each game on a control system with and without each of the antivirus programs running. Between performance and price points you can get a fairly good idea of which of these software options are best for your gaming PC. Check out the final results from Gaming Performance Versus Antivirus Software on ExtremeTech.

Fans of the game have been privy to its wicked black humor and elaborate magic and fighting system for quite some time, and thanks to the Austrian development studio ClockStone (Avencast) the game is now heading to the Nintendo DS. ClockStone will be working with Vampires Dawn creator Dawnatic and while there are currently no screens for the game nor a concrete release date set in stone, those working on the game feel that the character controls and puzzle mechanics from the original game will transfer very well and easily over onto the DS.

While there are some in the U.S. that may be unfamiliar with the title, it has a great reception over in Germany and Austria, and if you compound that with the world’s lust for RPGs on the DS, it sounds like a good combination. Hopefully, we will get some screens in sometime soon so we can actually see what it is looking like.

Number 8 is the biggest trick of all for Firefox 3.0 and a gaping hole in you personal Internet security fortress that should be plugged quickly. Never fear, the solution to this particular security problem can be easily fixed once you know about it.

Read the full Firefox 3: 8 Untold Secrets on ExtremeTech to get in the know.

The Air Force Research Laboratory is using X-Plane to develop a pilot training program. X-Plane features a system to download real weather for your flight simulations. It handles both subsonic and supersonic flight dynamics as well as space flight via the Space Shuttle.

The AFRL at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is supervising the use of Laminar Research’s commercial title X-plane with military-specific databases to reduce the time and cost of developing a training program for warplane pilots.

The AFRL is actually in the process of recruiting government, industry and academic experts as partners in shared-technology development. If you have skills you think would benefit the U.S. Air Force, you can read more about the effort and find contact information on Dayton B2B.

Have you ever heard the phrase, “Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.” Well apparently this guy never did since he strapped a freakin’ chainsaw to the bottom of an assault rifle, effectively making a working Lancer like the ones in Gears of War. In fact, he even went one better, making the “full-auto bayonet” attachable to other guns, including a 12-gauge shotgun. Crazy? Maybe, but if there’s ever a zombie/Locust uprising, I’d want a guy like that with me. Be sure to check out the video below of this contraption wreaking havoc on some unsuspecting pumpkins.

Blitz Games Studios achieves a world-first with the public unveiling of its ground breaking, proprietary technology showing true stereoscopic 3D games running on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 at the 3D Entertainment Summit in Los Angeles.

Andrew Oliver, co-founder and CTO of Blitz Games Studios, is the only game developer to be talking at the summit alongside movie industry executives from Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Group, DreamWorks, Sony Pictures Imageworks, Dolby Laboratories and Real-D.

Blitz Games Studios’ in-house technology demonstrates that current generation consoles can replicate the full HD 3D experience seen in 3D movie theaters with the 3D images ‘popping’ out of 3DTV screens and into living rooms for the first time.

Andrew Oliver, CTO of Blitz Games Studios said:

“This is an incredibly exciting and huge step forward for videogames. Our BlitzTech technology will prove beyond all doubt that we are already doing what some industry experts have said is impossible on today’s game consoles. Our highly tuned engine is capable of producing real-time interactive graphics that are close to offline rendered CG movie quality.

Many TV manufacturers are already selling sets capable of displaying 3D imagery and we envisage that these sets will rapidly gain popularity as content in the form of movies and games becomes available. Our technology allows for our games to run in both 2D and 3D in one version – by simply flicking a ’switch’ between them. It really has to be seen to be believed.”

Oliver states that games are already arguably more immersive than films, but when created in true 3D will be even more immersive.  However, he admits that the games industry still needs to understand design issues and learn lessons from Hollywood studios which are now producing 3D movies in volume for release in 2009 onwards.

I guess this means that the possibility of seeing the womanizing antics of Kratos up close and personal in the near future is not so far fetched. Or imagine, if you will, a rallyracer in DiRT coming out of the screen as if to run you over. Sounds like loads of fun.

(Thanks Kezins)

This guide serves as a repository of knowledge on various BIOS options. It also serves as a guide on how best to optimize your BIOS. Every system is different and every user has different requirements. What is best for you may not be good for another. So, there’s only one way to decide what’s the best settings for your own BIOS – read the BIOS Optimization Guide and learn how to optimize your BIOS!

BOP v10.2 added or upgraded seven features:

• I/O Interface Security
• Intel Turbo Mode Tech
• Intel Dynamic Acceleration
• SATA AHCI Mode
• LCD Power Saving
• SATA Mode
• SATA Operation Mode

The BOG database now boasts over 350 different BIOS options so chances are you can find a descriptions to help you get your system running at optimal levels. You can consult The Definitive
BIOS Optimization Guide on TechARP.

According to the local Peterborough Examiner, the experience was eye opening for many of the teens that attempted the simulator.

“Dude, the car is mangled,” shouted a group of automotive class students as they tested out the simulator.

“It’s really, really blurry and so hard to see,” said Grade 11 student Tyler Ralph, 16, as he stumbled out of the car. “It really slows your reaction time.”

“You’ll be at one end of the street and think you’re at the other end,” said Grade 11 student Lucas Nelson, 16.

“You wouldn’t think it’s that bad,” Ralph said. “When you’re drunk you’re not really concentrating, either, so it would be even worse.”

“If anyone actually did this they would never want to get behind the wheel of their car (while drunk),” said city police Sgt. John Ogrodnik after trying the simulator.

Students are eager to add to the project and are already working on the details. They want to replace the projector screen with a television to improve immersion and have the hood pop up when the driver hits another vehicle.

It’s good to see people get creative and use videogames that may have a questionable reputation in a positive, productive way. Videogames are a great medium for reaching and teaching the younger generations. Thanks to GamePolitics for the heads up.

Gaming Today has taken another step into the wonderful world of instant communications. Make sure to get signed up for the new Gaming Today Twitter feed. Get all the latest on games and gaming culture at home, in the office and on the go.

Allstate is considering offering their clients 50 and older a discount on car insurance for gaming. The company is running a trial program called InSight which offers specialized computer games to 100,000 customers in Pennsylvania aged 50 to 75.

According to CNN the program features a variety of games designed to reverse age-related cognitive decline and improve visual alertness. In addition to driving games there are also shell games such as Jewel Diver and other brain training exercises.

Posit Science developed the game and will monitor the number of hours played by each subject so they can compare the accident rates of those who played and those who didn’t. Allstate is recommending that older drivers complete at least 10 hours of training which is free to the 100,000 Pennsylvania drivers in the study. Based on the results, they may add other states to the program.

Videogames have proved remarkably effective in rehabilitation in the elderly. They also help older people slow or even reverse the loss of brain function which occurs naturally with time. If Allstate puts InSight into practice Nationwide, older drivers will get more than just a discount on the ever rising cost of insurance. They can prolong their quality of life.

Gamers can used one of several predefined configurations for AoC or create their own. For more on the blade for Age of Conan and other PC games, visit Blue Orb’s SwitchBlade website.

Cartoon Network is taking no chances with children’s safety in its upcoming MMO, Cartoon Network Universe: FusionFall. The sign up process is Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) compliant requiring full parental disclosure and permission for all aspects of the game. Cartoon Network has also hired Crisp Thinking which uses a three pronged attack to head off harassment, cyberbullying, and predators. The first two methods are pretty standard, with profanity filtration and chat monitored for anything like addresses or phone numbers being passed ect. which raises flags for a live FusionFall monitor to check in on the situation. The third is very high tech and invasive.

Finally, Crisp even promises to provide what it calls the Engine for Relationship Analysis, which will work to analyze conversations and relationships over long periods of time, tracking behavioral patterns beyond single-session chatting. Using algorithms developed from millions of children’s IMs and communications from real-life predator cases, the ERA is programmed to detect “grooming” behavior to ensure children aren’t the target of a stalker’s long con.

If Relationship Analysis was applied to an adult MMO, I would ding it as a massive invasion of privacy. However since children are involved I’m all for it. I’ve explained Internet security to my oldest too many times only to have her “forget” to have any illusions that Crisp Thinking isn’t needed.

For screenshots and concept art for Cartoon Network Universe: FusionFall, visit the media archives at FileFront.

An optimistic look at the effects of videogames on players has been offered by the American Psychological Association via the Associated Press. The APA goes as far as to refer to videogames as “powerful learning tools.”

Researchers gathering in Boston for the American Psychological Association convention detailed a series of studies suggesting that video games can be powerful learning tools — from increasing the problem solving potential of younger students to improving the suturing skills of laparoscopic surgeons.

Evidence that playing videogames improves surgical skills is so strong, surgeons may just want to start listing their playtime experience on their resumes.

“The single best predictor of their skills is how much they had played video games in the past and how much they played now,” said Iowa State University psychologist Douglas Gentile. “Those were better predictors of surgical skills than years of training and number of surgeries performed,” Gentile said. “So the first question you might ask your surgeon is how many of these [surgeries] have you done and the second question is, ‘Are you a gamer?’”

However, the APA isn’t just talking about edutainment and simulators put purely entertaining videogames as well. The article cites studies on players of MMOs, particularly World of Warcraft.

Researchers looked at a random sample of 2,000 discussion posts about the popular multiplayer online game World of Warcraft to see what the players were talking about. The game is set in a fantasy world where players hunt, gather and battle to move their characters to higher levels. Players who work together succeed faster.

The study found the game encouraged scientific thinking, like using systems and models for understanding situations and using math and testing to investigate a problem.

Not all of the studies show videogames in such a positive light. Behavioral studies on subjects who played violent videogames are still grim.

Other studies confirmed earlier research that found students who played violent games tended to be more hostile, less forgiving and believed violence to be normal compared to those who played nonviolent games.

Still I wonder if the studies in question prove that violent videogames make players more aggressive, or that people with more aggressive personalities chose to play violent videogames. I would like to see personality profiles of the subjects before and after exposure to violent videogames. that would be more convincing proof that these games are actually changing the players’ natural tendencies.

Now here’s a good idea: just put Will Wright in front of a camera and have him talk about whatever pops into his mind for a minute. Seriously, he’s obviously got a mind that’s full of random information. So that’s exactly what G4TV decided to do. In this video clip, Will Wright quickly discusses a project that Russia had going on in the 70’s that involved an armed space station. It was essentially a manned spy craft that would orbit the Earth taking photos with an anti-aircraft mounted to it. Amazingly, they actually ran some successful tests with the gun, but the cosmonauts were still afraid of being flung out of orbit by it. So now you know, and knowing is half the…um, physics test?