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A new guide up on TechARP shows PC gamers how to soft-mod their NVidia Geforce to a NVIDIA Quadro professional graphics card. The hardware difference between the NVidia GeForce and Quadro graphics cards are negligible. Despite the almost identical make up, customers pay up to 2-5X more for the Quadro.

It all revolves around the driver support for professional 3D applications like 3ds Max or Maya. Quadro drivers allow the Quadro to be used to accelerate the rendering operations of such professional 3D applications while GeForce drivers do not. This is the basis for the premium prices NVIDIA (and ATI) charge for their professional-grade graphics cards.

This new guide will walk you through modifying your software to essentially turn your NVIDIA GeForce desktop graphics card into a NVIDIA Quadro professional graphics card. This will NOT improve your gaming performance, but it will greatly improve your performance with professional 3D applications like 3ds Max and Maya. Get the NVIDIA GeForce To Quadro Soft-mod Guide on TechARP.

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They may have launched a teaser site for Quantum of Solace recently, but the one thing that Activision failed to mention about the game was that it will run on the same engine as CoD4.

While sitting here at my computer listening to the boring audio from the conference call - and wishing I had Irished up my coffee just to make it through the thing, I heard this interesting tidbit after the news that the game would launch the same day as the movie.

According to Chief Executive Officer of Publishing Mike Griffith, Quantum of Solace, “uses the Call of Duty 4 engine and technology to bring Bond games to a new level.” Since the game will be released onto multiple platforms, it will be interesting to see how it will differ from port to port. CoD4 was not released for the Wii, so I imagine (correct me if I am wrong) that either they will have to tweak things a bit or use a different engine for the Nintendo Console. Plus, a myraid of developers will be creating the game for different versions. Treyarch (Xbox 360 and PS3 developers), Vicarious Visions (handheld developer), Beenox (confirmed as the developer for the Wii) and Eurocom (PC devlopers.)

What this means, is that like most multiplatform games, you can expect each one to look drastically different from the next. Unless of course you are looking at PC/PS3/360 comparisons, which mainly just differ in matters of clarity - or so I have found. Of course, this could be because I added a bit of whiskey to my espresso earlier.

For more information on the Activision conference call, check out all the posts related to this bevy of information by hitting this link.

One of the sister publications to those in the 1UP Network, ExtremeTech, has been relaunched with a new design. Even if you’ve never visited the site before, you’ve likely seen some or their excellent content that we’ve written about here on Gaming Today, including how to take advantage of those DX10 Crysis graphics with a DX9 card, how to take apart your Xbox 360 and replace that noisy fan, and how to build a pretty high-end gaming rig for just $800.

The site’s currently in beta, so things are still being fixed up as we speak, but it’s still worth checking out. Make sure and read their review of the Astro A40, which they’re calling the “finest gaming headset,” or look at their overview of several other gaming headsets.

Those of you who employ the Skype support on PSP will be happy to know that the one piece Skype headset, originally scheduled for release last month, has finally been released. You’ll no longer need the two separate pieces that were used previously, but that convenience will cost you $30 — $10 more than Amazon originally had the headset listed at back in March.

$30 is too rich for my blood, considering I don’t really use Skype very often (at least on my PSP) and I don’t play PSP games online enough to justify wanting to really talk to anyone else. Bring on the cheap third-party alternatives!

via PSP Fanboy

Nvidia has announced plans to simplify their product range in the near future. Roy Taylor, VP of Content Business Development at Nvidia, recently stated his company is having trouble reaching a broader audience due to their complicated line of products:

“It is a challenge that we’re looking at right now. There is a need to simplify it for consumers, there’s no question,” Taylor explained. “We think that the people who understand and know GeForce today, they’re okay with it - they understand it. But if we’re going to widen our appeal, there’s no doubt that we have to solve that problem,” he added.

Unfortunately, he didn’t elaborate on what changes might occur exactly. Hopefully it’s just something as simple as changing the names of the graphics cards to better keep track of them. I upgrade my computer’s components every so often, and I even have trouble keeping up with all the cards’ difference.

Via GamesIndustry.biz

As a kid, I remember loving anything that could glow in the dark. It defied all logic, and yet you could hold it in your hand — what was cooler? Soon, you’ll be able to make your PlayStation Portable glow in the dark with a simple replacement cover.

There are a variety of colors available of the XCM-developed mod, which will be available for pre-order from a variety of websites listed at the XCM site.

I can’t imagine what it would actually be like to play with a glowing system in the dark, but the mere novelty of it seems like enough incentive.

via PSP Fanboy

If you aren’t a sucker as much as I am, you’ve probably held off on purchasing the 120GB hard drive for your Xbox 360. You have to be a sucker because the thing costs $180 — an absurdly high amount, particularly when you compare it with an equivalent drive for PS3, which costs just $70. So what’s that extra $110 going towards?

Microsoft’s Aaron Greenberg defended the price a while back, claiming they focus on security and quality. He also said, “[I]t is a little apples and oranges to compare it to internal PC hard drives because those are off the shelf drives that you have to install yourself. You have to format those and figure out how you are going to move your content over.”

But isn’t $180 still rather excessive? MTV Multiplayer enlisted the help of iSuppli, a company that examines gadgets and determines their real cost. You can read about exactly how they came to their estimate at the Multiplayer blog, but the bottom line is that they estimate the drives to cost Microsoft no more than $100.

I now feel that much more ripped off.

The continued success and expansion of the high definition television market can thank the videogame industry for at least 18% of its sales last year. According to a new study from Frank N. Magid Associates, 18% of HDTV buyers in the last year say they bought one specifically to take advantage of the HD capibilities of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, GameDaily is reporting.

As people invest in HDTVs, they’re also much more likely to buy new HD sets in the future, which is a trend that will continue to drive sales for them purty picture boxes.

“Consumers who become accustomed to the sleek and contemporary appearance of their first HD set are now looking to bring that benefit into other rooms in their home,” said Magid Media Futures VP Maryann Baldwin.

So, dear reader, do you own an HDTV? And if so, what was the main driving factor in purchasing one? I know that, personally, I simply couldn’t bare to play through Halo 3 in standard definition, so I picked up an HDTV for myself just in time to finish the fight in HD.

via 1UP

We’ve been reporting on the new N-Gage platform for several months now after learning that Nokia intended to revive the name of its failed handheld device as a mobile gaming platform. Although only supported for a scant few phones currently, Nokia is expecting support to catch on as time goes on.

With sidetalkin’ a thing of the past, 1UP’s Andrew Podolsky got some hands-on time with N-Gage.

Many of these games use complex 3D and look much better than typical mobile games. The games that are rendered in 2D tend to have sharp visuals as well. Most N-Gage games can be rotated 90 degrees into a “landscape view,” which has the added advantage of allowing you to hold your hands on both sides of the screen, like a PSP or DS.

When held horizontally, you can easily reach buttons on the right side of the screen, which have been specifically placed for use during games. The comfortable feel of new systems like the Nokia N-81 cannot be understated, especially considering the problems the old N-Gage had with its form factor.

There’s still a lot of work to be done, and the particulars are far from perfect. With its Xbox Live-styled online service, there is hope that N-Gage might actually catch on this time. The market is certainly there, as Popcap knows from its experience with Bejeweled.

I wondered if there really was much of a market for a peripheral(?) that keeps your PlayStation Portable safe from water when I posted last time about a ziplock-wannabe. I thought $7 for an Aquatalk was asking a little too much, because it’s the sort of thing I might not accept if it were free.

So Cyber Gadgets has its work cut out for it with its new waterproof PSP baggy, which costs just over $12. But wait, there’s more! Not only do you get the stylish bag seen above, handle included, but you also get those suction cup clips to keep it hanging in the shower! Wow! You can click here and see a few more pictures, including one of it floating — unreal!

Honestly, I love videogames and movies and TV. Really, I do — the extreme majority of my time is spent with some mixture of those things. But if you can’t spare 10 to 15 minutes a day for a shower, maybe waterproofing your PSP isn’t your biggest problem right now.

via PSP Fanboy

As is customary with all things in technology, the newest iteration of the PS3’s heatsink has been revealed and it’s both smaller and cheaper. This third-generation heatsink (as developer Furukawa Electric describes it) has taken large strides forward from the older products — the new heatsink consumes only 130-140W and weighs just 350g, compared with the original heatsink’s 200W and 700g weight.

Using just three kinds of components to the original’s 20 have helped to reduce manufacturing costs. The move to 65nm technology from 90nm also reduces the amount of heat generated, meaning the heatsink can compensate for that. The change doesn’t mean a PS3 price drop is imminent, but with each and every way the price to manufacture a PS3 drops, the more likely a price drop for the consumer becomes.

Of course, I’m sure some intrepid modder out there is already at work to create a heatsink that’s comprised of nothing more than a tuna fish sandwich and a paper clip.

Tech-On, via Game|Life

Prepare to be blown away by one of the coolest NES mods ever: what you see above is an NES cart that is an actual NES system. The innards of that poor copy of Super Mario Bros. have been stripped out and replaced with an NES on a Chip, which is a circuit that (tries) to duplicate the NES. As such, you’re not looking at everything from the inside of an NES, but it does have an NES cartridge slot, power and reset buttons, composite outputs, and two controller inputs.

Sure, it’s not perfect due to running on that NOAC, but it’s still pretty incredible to think that someone actually saw this project through. Is there nothing modders can’t do?

via technabob

On the GIRL part of Station there’s an article on video games and parental responsibility; “For Mature Audiences Only.” The author rails against studies and preventative measures taken and paid for by the government ie. from our taxes to prevent children from getting into trouble. Children often indulge in mature video games and destructive behaviors that they should have been taught aren’t acceptable, costing us a bundle.

It’s refreshing to see that this particular article points out that it’s the parents’ responsibility to correct these kids, not the government’s.

Parents should pay attention to all the new stuff in the world that they themselves have never experienced, too. They should become familiar with things like ESRB ratings on games; they know what those movie ratings are, right?… They should teach their children, learn with them when they haven’t a clue and let children mature into responsible adults.

via Gamers In Real Life

Sony has announced two things this morning. One is that PS3 users will have wait on PlayStation Home for just a bit longer, Fall actually. Secondly, the closed beta will continue through Summer and an open beta will start in the Fall.

According to a statement from Kazuo Hirai, Sony Computer Entertainment’s president and group CEO:

“We understand that we are asking PS3 and prospective PS3 users to wait a bit longer, but we have come to the conclusion that we need more time to refine the service to ensure a more focused gaming entertainment experience than what it is today. Our overarching objective is to provide users with new gaming experiences that are available only on PlayStation Home. Spending more time on the development and on the closed beta testing reaffirms our commitment to bringing a quality service, maintaining the PlayStation tradition.”

Originally slated for launch in late 2007, it was pushed to Spring 2008 and this time, instead of giving us another target date, they have just stated Fall 2008. Details of the extended beta testing will be forthcoming according to Sony, so check back often for more updates. The full press release can be viewed after the jump.

Via: Press Release

Read the full article

Nintendo finally has announced the price of Wii Fit in the US, just over a month away from its May 19 release. $89.99, which is what most guesses had predicted, will be the entrance fee to gain access to the Wii Fit movement. You’ll get both the balance board and game for that price, which is exactly what Guitar Hero III and an accompanying guitar will cost you on Wii – sounds fair, no? (That same amount will also get you a copy of Grand Theft Auto IV and a duffel bag which, by comparison, makes the Wii Fit price seem even more reasonable.)

So, $40 for the balance board which by all accounts is actually a solid peripheral. It seems likely that we’ll see other games released that take advantage of the board in the future, so it seems like a pretty fair investment for Wii owners looking to get active (I’ll take Chris Kohler’s word and say it’s not necessarily going to get you in shape).

Of course, that’s just my opinion. I’ll be picking one up now that I know it won’t be way overpriced; how about you?

Pictures of a supposed Metal Gear Solid 4 branded Bluetooth headset had been floating around the web, but most people cast it off as being a Photoshopped image. Turns out, the headset is popping up in retail databases in both Europe and the US, as well as in the catalog of PDP.

While I think it looks pretty cool, $60 for a Bluetooth headset whose quality is highly suspect doesn’t really induce impulses to buy one. A carrying case, eight hours of talk time and a 30 foot range all sound nice, but product descriptions and actual performance are two very different things.

via Kotaku

Following suit with Best Buy and other retailers, Amazon will be offering $50 off a future purchase to anyone who purchased a qualifying HD DVD player through the online retailer. Emails were sent out to those who qualify (all you had to do was buy an HD DVD player before February 23, 2008), so check your spam inbox if you think you qualify and haven’t gotten any notification.

The $50 off has a few caveats, but nothing particularly unreasonable. That amount can’t be applied towards special-order titles, e-books or downloadable e-content, wireless service plans, gift certificates, gift-wrap, taxes, or shipping and handling charges. And to prove that Amazon really cares about its customers, it’ll allow you to receive up to $500 credit, just in case, you know, you bought 10 HD DVD players though Amazon for some bizarre reason.

Metal Gear Solid 4 is coming in so many different forms with so many different box art designs that PlayStation.Blog has a post up to clarify the whats and wheres about it all. In the simplest terms possible, the above image is the MGS4 Limited Edition box art in the US. You can find MGS4 in four different ways: the Standard edition, Limited Edition, Standard Edition Hardware Bundle, and the Limited Edition Hardware Bundle. The Limited Edition of the game will only be available at GameStop. The Metal Gear Saga pre-order bonus and Metal Gear Online beta codes are only available in limited quantities, so don’t think that pre-ordering the game will guarantee you either of those things.

I’ll let you chew on that for however long it takes to read this sentence.

If you’ve alreayd gotten your MGO beta key, don’t bother trying to redeem it on the PlayStation Store right now. It’s not going to work until April 17, so find something better to do with your time, like watch the GTA IV trailers for the thousandth time.

Those that pre-order at GameStop can also get an exclusive art book, and seeing as it’s the only place to find the Limited Edition, it sounds like GameStop is the place to be for MGS4.

More details and pictures on all of this can be found at PlayStation.Blog.

For any of our audiophile readers with a PlayStation 3, you’ll be happy to hear that the upcoming PS3 firmware update (v2.30) will add support for DTS-HD Master Audio output for Blu-ray videos. Odds are if you aren’t familiar with this stuff already, you probably won’t be enjoying all sorts of 7.1 goodness.

Some info from PlayStation.Blog:

The technology delivers audio at the incredibly high rate of 24.5 mega-bits per second (Mbps) on Blu-ray disc, which is significantly higher than standard DVDs. DTS-HD Master Audio also offers 7.1 audio channels at 96k sampling frequency/24 bit depths, so you’ll be totally immersed in the sound. The firmware update will add DTS-HD High Resolution Audio as well, which is a similar output technology that requires less disc space. You can read more about both codecs here.

I guess my decision to buy a 7.1 system recently instead of 5.1 might actually come in handy, provided I can find a movie that actually supports 7.1.

Mad Catz has announced that it has scored a license agreement to put out a line of Arsenal Football Club video game controllers and accessories. Fans can look forward to video game controllers, faceplates, Console Skinz and carrying cases for all the major next-gen consoles.

“Arsenal is one of the world’s premier sporting franchises with a global fan base and the addition of this brand to our robust license portfolio should help strengthen the penetration of Mad Catz’ products in key European markets,” said Darren Richardson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Mad Catz. “We look forward to providing European retailers and customers with a range of Arsenal-branded videogame accessories.”

I can imagine these peripherals will be very popular among UK FIFA fans.

via Business Wire