Universe’s Tech Blog

Geforce 8800 GTX and GTS all clocked the same

NVIDIA told all of its partners that it simply won’t allow the overclocking of G80 cards. It doesn’t want another Geforce 7900 GT overclocking fiasco that caused a too high return rate for the cards.

Remember, Nvidia didn’t allow anyone to overclock Geforce 7950 GX2 and they all worked at the same reference 500MHz clocks as this was what Nvidia guaranteed for these cards.

We still beleive that there is a chance that some Geforce 8800 GTX and GTS might end up a little bit faster, as some of the vendors depends on that. Maybe you can overclock the water-cooled card if anyone makes one.

If you want something done properly, do it yourself, so the saying goes. And Microsoft has done just that when testing beta versions of the upcoming Windows Vista operating system.

A product manager for Microsoft UK visited PC Advisor today and told us that the company has rolled out around 50,000 Windows Vista installs to staff globally, with the majority of Microsoft employees now using the OS.

To all intents and purposes, the operating system is complete, with only a few minor tweaks expected before the release to businesses next month, and consumers in January. Those dates are set in stone now, the Microsoft spokesperson told us.

Compared to previous pre-release versions, the final edition will be quicker to install (it now takes 15 minutes for a clean install), while those upgrading their XP machines will also be pleasantly surprised with the install times, we were told.

Also, keep your eyes peeled for some big software announcements to coincide with Windows Vista’s release. Microsoft said several developers are working on products to make the most of Vista’s advances, and we were told that Microsoft bigwig Jim Allchin, co-president of its platforms and services division, described one as “the best Windows application ever”.

Over the past few years, Google has been pumping out product after product, most of which are still in “Beta” stage at the time they are released. Eric Schmidt admits that Google has been so aggressive in introducing “a blizzard” of new products that “it’s confusing to almost everyone.”

Google co-founder Sergey Brin is leading an initiative to see fewer products launched, but with more features. The concern is that with so many new offerings, “You’ll have to search for our products before you can find them,” Brin said.

Could this mean that Google will start releasing things NOT in Beta stage, but rather in a final fully functional version? I’d say, don’t count on it just yet. While they may slow down the release of new products, they’ll probably still be Beta products.

Personally, I think this is a good move by them, and it shows that they are maturing as a company. Many people don’t know even half of Google’s product offerings, and they could afford to spend more time getting the word out about them to people other than just us techies.

The world’s second most used Web browser is set to unleash the final build of its new version on Tuesday. Firefox 2.0, from the not for profit open source Mozilla Foundation, will be available for download from the Firefox website at getfirefox.com.

Users of the current version of the browser Firefox 1.5 will find that not much has changed as far as the user interface is concerned. There have been some improvements with the tabs feature, such as enabling users to close and reopen individual tabs more easily and a history list of previous tabs that have been opened.

Mozilla is also touting the anti-phishing security feature of Firefox 2.0, which warns users in advance when they look like they might be visiting a malicious web page. IE7, released last week, also has a similar feature.

Looking at the new Firefox and IE7 versions, the two browsers are now much closer in functionality than previously. What’s more, IE7 will be pushed out to existing IE6 users with the next round of automatic updates in November.

The question on the lips of many market watchers is whether Firefox can continue to take market share off Microsoft’s browser now that the gap has been closed.

There were many people who wound up confused after reading Sony’s recent console comparison chart. After all, the chart stated that the Nintendo Wii online functionality will only be free for six months, which direclty contradicted reports from the Big N. Everybody can now breath a deep sigh of relief.

Gaming publication Total Video Games contacted a representative of Nintendo UK to clear this confounding matter up. A spokesman for the company confirmed that the Wii will indeed be free to play online, exactly like DS.

The aforementioned documentation from Sony was distributed during the recent Games Day in the States, in which Sony compared its PlayStation 3 against the other next generation consoles which will be on the market this Christmas.

The chart itself appears extremely misleading for the average consumer. Xbox 360 is described on the documentation as requiring the external HD-DVD drive for play, when in reality the device is optional.

So what was it then that caused Sony to state that the Wii’s online functionality will only be free for six months? Believe it or not, it must “mixed up” with the Opera Web Browser, which will be free for consumers for the initial six months.

Internet Explorer 7.0 is the long awaited tabbed web browser by Microsoft. Nearly four years after the release of Internet Explorer 6.0, in the face of growing competition from Mozilla’s Firefox, Microsoft has finally given the old IE platform a facelift. Optimized design along with new cool interface, favorites centre, search box, RSS feeds and most importantly easy to use tabbed browsing are the exclusive features of this new internet explorer.

You must have Windows XP Service Pack-2 (SP2) in order to install Internet Explorer 7.0. But still you will face a problem while installing this new Internet Explorer if your copy of Windows XP is not a genuine (non-pirated) one, since IE 7.0 installation requires genuine windows validation!!! So what to do??? Don’t worry… There are some tricky steps through which you can install IE 7.0 even in your pirated copy of windows XP bypassing the genuine windows validation. You just have to follow the following steps one by one:

1. Download Internet Explorer 7.0 from the Microsoft site. You have to choose Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) as your operating system. Remember you can’t install IE 7.0 if service pack 2.0 is not installed in your operating system.

2. Extract the downloaded Internet Explorer setup file (IE7-WindowsXP-x86-enu.exe) using WinRAR to a directory (IE7-WindowsXP-x86-enu).

3. Download the patched iecustom.dll and then copy-paste it to the update folder (IE7-WindowsXP-x86-enu\update\) and click yes when asked to overwrite.

4. Run ‘update.exe’ in the update folder (not iesetup.exe!!!). At the end, you have to choose ‘exit/finish without restart’ option to finish the running process of the exe file.

5. Download normaliz.dll and then copy-paste it to “c:\windows\system32\” directory (in order to prevent problems with the file not being found after the installation). And then reboot/restart your pc.

6. After rebooting your pc, you may face a problem with a file called normaliz.dll that can not be found by explorer.exe. If you’re having this problem, you will find your desktop blank.(If you are not facing this problem then just go to step 7) In order to fix this problem, you have to do the following things one by one:

1. Press ctrl-alt-del to go to the task manager.
2. Go to “File -> Run” in the task manager.
3. Type: ‘cmd’ and push enter. The command prompt window will appear.
4. Type:
‘copy c:\normaliz.dll c:\windows\system32\normaliz.dll’
- in the command prompt window and push enter.
5. Reboot your pc and yahoo!!! now you can see your desktop contents!!!.

7. Now you have to run ‘xmllitesetup.exe’ in the update folder.

8. Then reboot your pc again, run Internet Explorer…and you are done!!!

So folks, don’t forget to install Windows Internet Explorer 7.0 in your pc and enjoy the experience of tabbed browsing with lots of new features. And those who are using Firefox, can use a special IE Tab plugin to enjoy browsing in the Internet Explorer environment being in the firefox and switching around from Firefox to IE and IE to Firefox. And thus you can make your web browsing faster and more interesting…

News service cites Sony exec Jack Tretton as saying numbers are “more of a target” than actual projections.

Getting a PlayStation 3 on launch day may be even harder than previously thought. The Bloomberg news service is reporting that Sony’s expected shipments of 2 million PS3s by the end of the year (which was halved from previous numbers) might not be so solid after all.

Bloomberg quotes Sony Computer Entertainment America vice president Jack Tretton as saying, “The honest answer is it’s more of a target” of the PlayStation 3 shipment figures. “Clearly we’ve had production issues.”

Sony currently plans to ship 2 million PS3s to North America and Japan through the end of the year, and 6 million through March 2007.

Because of issues in manufacturing laser diodes for the system’s Blu-ray drive, the company was forced to scale down shipment estimates and delay releasing the PS3 in Europe to 2007. The report did not mention whether launch-day allocation would be affected.

The group marketing manager of Microsoft’s Xbox 360 service talks about the competition’s offerings, the Live Arcade schedule, and more.

Yesterday, Sony finally showed its cards for the PlayStation 3’s online network strategy. At a Gamers’ Day press event in San Francisco, the electronics giant demonstrated a number of features for its PlayStation Network, from streaming video to the PlayStation Portable to downloading new titles and original PlayStation games straight to the PS3’s hard drive.

As closely as gamers were watching the event, it’s a safe bet the architects of Microsoft’s Xbox Live service were just as interested. In July, Xbox Live group marketing manager Aaron Greenberg answered some questions for GameSpot at Microsoft’s Xbox Live Arcade Wednesdays premiere event. In the wake of Sony’s event, GameSpot again went to Greenberg to get his reactions to the PS3 online service and see how much difference a few months can make.

GameSpot: What are your impressions of Sony’s online initiative? What do you think it offers that Xbox Live doesn’t, and vice versa?

Aaron Greenberg: We welcomed the same approach from Sony four years ago. We’re proud that we’ve created a smash hit service that has prevailed over four years by growing to 4 million members during that time. And we’re flattered that we’ve created a service that is breeding yet another knockoff. That said, it’s still hard to comment in much depth around their online announcement since there are still a lot of details that haven’t been made clear and there are a lot of unanswered questions. Is this a fully connected service with one identity across your entire gameplay experience? Is every game online with voice chat integration? Do they have Achievements and Gamerscore? How are they handling safety, security, hacking, viruses, and parental controls? While competition is always great, we feel confident in our leadership position in online, especially given our four-year and 4-million-member head start.

GS: With Sony’s online service being free and apparently offering nearly everything that Xbox Live offers, how will Microsoft justify continuing to charge gamers for online play?

AG: There is so much more for gamers to experience on Xbox Live and so little new news in Sony’s online announcements. We will compete with them in the same way we have for the last four years by out-innovating and focusing on community, value, and the content that gamers want. They offered basic free matchmaking on the PS2, and from what we can tell, their online story has not evolved much. Do they offer the ability to build your reputation across the network? Can you accumulate achievements and gamerscore? Do they have voice in every game? What about cross-game invites and communication? Is every game online enabled? Heck, do they have exclusive titles that can compete with Halo 3, Gears of War, Geometry Wars, Next Splinter Cell, Halo Wars, and exclusive episodic content for Grand Theft Auto IV that you won’t be playing on the PS3?

GS: What do you think of Sony’s choice to use real-world currency instead of a points-based system for purchasing goods online?

AG: We were the first platform to offer a microtransaction model online for a console. With the Microsoft Points model, consumers are able to purchase items for as little as 25 cents all the way up to $15, without burdening the consumer with transaction fees or the need for a credit card. The adoption of Microsoft Points has exceeded our expectations with more than 2 billion Points consumed and over 70 million downloads from Xbox Live Marketplace to date.

GS: As someone who works very closely with an online marketplace, who do you think has a better online marketplace model from what you’ve seen so far–Nintendo or Sony?

AG: We’ve seen a lot of interest from both companies to get into the digital distribution space, similar to Xbox Live Marketplace. It is hard for us to comment specifically on their offerings, as a lot of those details have not yet been provided. But we believe that in order for the online service to be successful, it must be simple, safe and secure. In regards to simplicity, we believe you need one single digital identity and you need the service to be very consistent. For safety and security, you need tools to be able to manage your profile, provide feedback, and offer enhanced matchmaking. Consumers also want to know that their personal information is protected, so your payment methods must always all be secure. And finally, your privacy and family settings are extremely important, and we believe it is imperative to be able to regulate who you play with and who you invite into your community, no matter what your age is. And remember, Xbox Live has been delivering all of these components since we launched.

GS: Are many developers of downloadable games making their titles cross-platform? Or are most Arcade titles going to be console-exclusive?

AG: Our focus with Arcade is to bring both classic/retro arcade favorites, like Street Fighter, Dig Dug, and Doom, as well as provide a platform for independent game developers to bring new, innovative content to gamers. We believe that the majority of the content that you will find on Xbox Live Arcade will not be on any other console platform. And when you start to think about things like the XNA Game Studio Express, we are enabling anyone to create their own games that they can run this holiday on their Xbox 360. We think this will bring even more game creators and new concepts to this space, even allowing a couple of guys in a garage the opportunity to eventually make their own Xbox Live Arcade game.

GS: Any word on when the fall update will arrive or what changes it will include?

AG: It is still on track to release soon, and we can’t wait to talk about even more enhancements to the service, but we haven’t been able to provide any details yet. You will be hearing from us soon!

GS: Can we expect any more backward-compatibility updates?

AG: We have around 300 titles supporting backwards compatibility today, and we are continuing to add to this list, but at this time, we don’t have any new information to share.

GS: In the last few months, we’ve found out about major content upgrades for Xbox 360 games that will be released exclusively over Xbox Live Marketplace, specifically the Oblivion expansion and the episodic Grand Theft Auto IV add-ons, both of which sound like products retailers would love to stock. How are your retail partners responding to these deals?

AG: Our model has not changed. We continue to heavily support the retail channel for all retail software, console hardware, and accessories, including Xbox Live subscriptions, Microsoft Points, etc. We see the digital distribution model as complementary to this. We have Xbox Live Arcade games selling for as little as 400 Points ($5). The economics could not support those games to be distributed at retail. However, we did recently release the Xbox Live Arcade Unplugged retail SKU, and early sales have been very strong and exceeded our initial forecast. We will continue to work closely with and support our retail partners to look for opportunities like this in the future.

GS: Are there any plans for any sort of Web browsing functionality on the 360? Nintendo and Sony are going in that direction. Do you think gamers will want to surf the Internet on their consoles?

AG: There have been a lot of different product offerings like this over the years–even our own WebTV, which we brought out 10 years ago–and none of these products have had much consumer appeal and adoption. People want to browse the Web with their keyboard and mouse on their PC, and we’ve talked to gamers who told us the same thing. You also potentially expose your platform to security risks by opening up access to browsing the internet.

GS: 20GB can be filled up pretty quickly when you’re downloading 1GB demos. How soon can we expect to see larger 360 hard drives, and will memory cards be the only way to transfer content from one to the other?

AG: Our research today indicates that the 20GB hard drive provides sufficient storage for the large majority of consumers, and we haven’t announced any plans to release a larger hard drive at this time. The console design is modular so this does allow flexibility, but again, currently we haven’t announced any plans for a bigger hard drive.

GS: A few months ago Microsoft said we would get 50 Xbox Live Arcade games by the end of the year. Even with a new game every Wednesday from now until the end of the year, we’d still wind up well short of that. Will you fall short of 50? If so, by how much and why?

AG: Our focus is really putting out the best possible games for our community, and we have a commitment to bringing as many quality titles to Xbox Live Arcade as we can by the end of the calendar year. We have 33 titles on the service today with many more great games to come. I don’t have the final projection for how many Arcade titles will be available by December 30, but I know each and every one will offer a great gaming experience for all kinds of gamers.

GS: The Xbox Live Arcade Wednesdays program has provided more consistency to the release of Live Arcade games, but there’s still not much in the way of warning. You announced Lumines Live, Dig Dug, Doom, and TotemBall each just hours before they went up on the Marketplace. Why can’t we get a schedule that looks a few weeks out, like we did with the original Xbox Live Arcade lineup?

AG: The response from publishers and consumers to Xbox Live Arcade continues to amaze us, and our goal is to always give advance notice whenever possible, but with the short development process and the way the title certification works, sometimes we are unable to give as much notice as we would like.

GS: The Xbox Live Marketplace has been criticized for the way it arranges its content. Is there an overhaul for the Marketplace in the works?

AG: As you know, we continually listen to customers and work to evolve the service in response. There are some changes planned for Marketplace this fall, but at this point we are not able to talk about any details. Stay tuned.

One way to tell if someone has been logging some serious hours on their Xbox 360 is to check their Gamerscore. The feature tracks how many Achievements–various game goals set by developers–gamers accomplish by assigning each task a numerical score. By adding up all the numbers, gamers get their Gamerscore and bragging rights (provided they didn’t buy it).

The feature has been a surprise success for the Xbox 360, with gamers playing games they otherwise wouldn’t solely to try to boost their scores.

With its success, many thought Sony would mimic the system for its upcoming PlayStation 3. It was even once rumored that Sony’s system would be called “Entitlements,” causing a bit of a row among Microsoft fans.

Now it appears that Sony isn’t jumping on the bandwagon. According to Wired.com, Jack Tretton, executive vice president of Sony Computer Entertainment America, has said that achievements, entitlements, or whatever else they may be called, will not be a part of the PS3’s program.

When asked about the prospect, Tretton said, “We didn’t mention that, but it is our intention that we would have it–although I think it would be game-centric. It’s very difficult to draw analogies [between] your success on SOCOM and your success on Madden. Madden players care about peoples’ success on Madden.”

So instead of having one score across all games, it appears Sony is opting for glorified leaderboards for each game.

“So the publisher [of each game] will have the flexibility to have a robust ranking system, on a game-by-game basis,” said Tretton. “The intention right now is not to have something that is pan-platform. We do intend to do that with our [first-party] stuff.”

Tretton also admitted that the ranking system would not be included in the launch games. Sony had not responded to requests for comment as of press time.

The PlayStation 3’s wireless controllers may eventually fail to hold a charge, but Sony will reportedly provide a replacement service.

UK trade site GamesIndustry.biz is reporting that Sony has a solution to concerns about the PlayStation 3 controller’s rechargeable batteries. With no way for users to access the controller’s battery compartment to replace them if they eventually fail to hold a charge, there was some concern about what would happen to such controllers.

According to GamesIndustry.biz, a Sony representative told the site that the electronics giant “will provide a service to replace wireless PS3 controllers ‘when and if’ their lithium batteries degrade.” The representative added that it would be many years before the batteries degraded. There was no indication as to how much–if anything–Sony would charge for the service.

Attempts to confirm the replacement policy with American Sony reps were unsuccessful as of press time. However, any such service would presumably be similar to the company’s replacement of PlayStation 2s suffering from the dreaded “Disc Read Error.” That requires a call to SCEA Consumer Service at 1-800-345-SONY (7669) or a visit to its Online customer service center.

It’s been a very good week for those awaiting the PlayStation 3 launch. After holding its cards close to its chest for months, Sony held a Gamers Day event in San Francisco where it showed off the next-gen console. While not Earth-shattering, the event did yield some important nuggets of information about the PS3’s online network, its Sixaxis controller, and its launch plans.

It’s been a very good week for those awaiting the PlayStation 3 launch. After holding its cards close to its chest for months, Sony held a Gamers Day event in San Francisco where it showed off the next-gen console. While not Earth-shattering, the event did yield some important nuggets of information about the PS3’s online network, its Sixaxis controller, and its launch plans.

In October 2005, the game industry was stunned when it was announced that Peter Jackson would executive-produce the film version of Halo. Many assumed that having the imprimatur of the writer-producer-director of the Lord of the Rings trilogy would assure that the Xbox shooter adaptation would buck the trend of game-based films being Uwe Boll-quality.

However, some financial concerns were raised in Hollywood when trade magazines reported that the price of the Halo script was $10 million and its budget would be at least $75 million. Adding to the witch’s brew of doubts about the project were the hiring of novice director Neil Blomkamp and reports that Microsoft was demanding a hefty cut of the box-office proceeds. The film’s original Alex Garland (28 Days Later)-penned script, which received rapturous buzz, was also reportedly rewritten by inexperienced screenwriter D.B. Weiss.

Despite the issues, the box-office allure of the Halo audience–which bought up nearly 15 million copies of Halo and Halo 2–was too much for Hollywood to resist. In June 2005, 20th Century Fox and Universal Studios announced they would cofinance Halo, which would be filmed in New Zealand. Effects would be provided by Jackson’s Weta Workshop and Weta Digital effects houses, which provided the award-winning visuals for Rings and Universal’s own King Kong.

Now, over a year later, it appears that Hollywood is having second thoughts about Halo. An assortment of news outlets, including Variety, report today that both Fox and Universal have decided to back out of the film, which was supposed to hit theaters next summer.

“While rumors had the studios concerned over a budget that was rising above the original projected $135 million price tag, the filmmakers said the double defection came after U[niversal] and Fox played hardball and unsuccessfully tried to get the filmmakers and Microsoft to reduce their profit participation,” reported Variety. According to the trade, Halo’s proposed budget had exceeded $200 million.

When contacted by GameSpot, a Microsoft rep confirmed that Universal had left the Halo project following a disagreement over financing and that the software giant was “disappointed.” However, he could not confirm that Fox had dropped out, insisted the project would continue despite the setback, and underlined the fact that Jackson is still on board.

“The Halo franchise is hugely popular, and our goal remains the same–to find a partner that shares our passion and will creatively collaborate with us to best represent the story and spirit of the Halo franchise,” the rep said. “Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and the rest of the creative team are dedicated to ensuring the Halo movie becomes a reality. We are already in discussions with potential partners who recognize the value of the Halo brand and its appeal to consumers worldwide.”