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So, WTF is multi-boxing? If you must ask, it means you’re normal. That’s right…normally people have no idea what multi- or dual-boxing means. For the gamers out there, like myself (yes I admit), we all know ~exactly~ WTF multi-boxing is. Oh yes, it’s the ever popular sub-culture of playing multiple characters at once.

GAMERS: You can skip this next paragraph, as it’s background info for non-gamers. =)

Ok, so let’s take a step back for a second for those who are not into the gaming scene. Today, you have two different types of games: FPS and MMORPG/MMO games. FPS is “first person shooter”, like Quake or Unreal Tournament, where it’s very fast and very intense but not very lengthy in game play. The gameplay is usually over in a matter of minutes or maybe even a few hours if it’s a really large scale setup. The other is MMORPG/MMO which is “massively multi-player online role playing game” like Everquest and World of Warcraft. These games do have their ‘FPS’ moments, but are usually a longer self-pased interaction that may or may not even have an ending.

Now that we’ve established a background, on to our article! So, FPS games are usually so intense that it takes all you’ve got and then some to make your character do what you want and defeat the other person(s). However, MMORPG games are more stragetic and less ‘in your face’ thus you can control multiple characters (or ‘toons’) at once…if you have the right setup.

The ‘right’ setup:

* One or more decently geared PCs (if you have to ask, then don’t bother) with a recent vid card.

* Synergy (KVM over IP) LINK

* Hotkeynet (Technically BETA, but works GREAT!) LINK

* WoW Maximizer LINK (Sorry EQ folks, I don’t know of an EQ equivliant…)

Short version: You setup said two (or more) systems with Synergy to allow for only one keyboard and mouse. Then, use Hotkeynet to program  your own ’script’ to allow key(s) to be sent to multiple windows over both boxes at the same time. So, when I press hotkey ‘1′ it also sends hotkey ‘1′ (or whatever) to four different windows across two different machines. WoW maximizer allows said windows to be small enough to fit multiple on a decent sized monitor. (Does EQ allow this already?)

Long version: LOL, ya…I’m not giving away all my secrets…try it out for yourself!

Did you mean, OpenGL? Well, no, my friend! We’re speaking about the new ‘Open Computing Language’ which, quoting PC World’s article:

lets any application tap into the vast gigaflops of GPU computing power previously available only to graphics applications.

Apple is pushing for OpenCL to be the next open standard, following up from OpenGL/OpenGL ES, via the Khronos Group, which is the group that regulates standards in this industry.

Digging deeper into the article, it appears that this is not exactly ‘happy’ news for gamers. Instead of trying to get the computer and CPU to push faster frame rates and higher resolutions for games, this seems to only be beneficial to non-gaming tasks, such as encoding video or AutoCAD rendering. That’s ok, I suppose; using the graphics card to perform other tasks but it would be nice if it also helped out on gaming. That is the whole point of a graphics card, right Apple? For gaming?

I love free stuff, even if it’s only a download. On Thursday, you can enjoy this love of freebies as well. =)

EA, the creator of many different gaming titles, will be releasing a free PC demo download of their upcoming game ‘Battlefield: Bad Company’ this Thursday (8/7/08). Personally, I have not played Battlefield, but it has received good reviews in addition to the praise of some fellow gamers.

Not wanting to leave you hanging, here’s what their site says about this game:

Set in the near future, the Battlefield: Bad Company single-player campaign drops gamers behind enemy lines as part of a squad of four soldiers - risking it all to go AWOL on a personal quest. Featuring a dramatic storyline flavoured with attitude, Battlefield: Bad Company leads gamers far from the traditional frontlines on a wild ride with a group of renegade soldiers who decide that sometimes the gratitude of a nation just isn’t enough.

 

The Battlefield: Bad Company cinematic single-player experience captures the freedom and intensity of the Battlefield series’ multiplayer sandbox gameplay in a dynamic world where nearly everything is destructible. Players have total freedom to be daring and innovative, adapting to and tackling challenges in unexpected Battlefield-style ways. Create sniping positions by blowing out a piece of a wall or drive your tank straight through a small house. The ever-changing battlefield forces players, their teammates and enemies to react accordingly.

 

The game also features the all new, objective based multiplayer game mode “Gold Rush”, supporting 24 players online. Play as attackers and defenders and make full use of the tactical destruction as well as the unique vehicle experience of Battlefield: Bad Company.

 

Battlefield: Bad Company is the first game built from the ground up for next-generation consoles using DICE’s bleeding-edge Frostbite game engine, delivering unrivalled graphics, effects and gameplay.

Microsoft plans to announce some of the details surrounding DirectX 11 in a few weeks at the Microsoft Game Technology Conference this month. The XNA Gamefest happens July 22nd and 23rd in Seattle, which gives game developers and hardware vendors ~plenty~ of time to get ready. Maybe too much time, since DirectX 11 is set to be released towards the end of 2009, which is roughly a year and a half from now. It must take awhile to program a game based on their new technology.

Hopefully this version of DirectX will rally more support and excitement than version 10 did, since the gaming community didn’t exactly jump on the DirectX 10 bandwagon.