News::Old Atari games had graphics glitches because of CPU bottlenecks

Now that we know how the graphics worked on the Nintendo Entertainment System and Commodore 64, The iBookGuy wants to tell us all about how the Apple II and Atari 2600 got their groove on. In the latest video he says that the Apple II actually used two different techniques for producing visuals depending on whether you had a monochrome or color monitor unit. And the reason white text on a black background appears almost rainbow-like in nature on color machines has to do with pixel placement. For example, blue and green being next to each other on screen requires perfect alignment lest you want white mages to have spots of the former bleeding into them.

Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD, Apple

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Source: TheiBooksGuy (YouTube)

Tags: apple, appleii, atari2600, gaming, gif, graphics, hd, hdpostcross, retro

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News::There goes the neighborhood: 'Black Ops 3' brings back Nuk3town

Activision announced on Monday that Nuk3town, the single most popular map in the Call of Duty franchise's entire history, will be available on CoD: Black Ops 3. Anybody that pre-orders BO3 for the PS4, XBone or PC will receive a download code that unlocks the legendary map when the game hits store shelves on November 6th. Nuk3town made its debut back in the first Black Ops game and returned as Nuk3town 2025 for BO2.

Filed under: Gaming

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Source: Activision Blizzard

Tags: Activision, Call of Duty, Call of Duty: Black Ops III, fps, gitsome, Nuk3town, Treyarch, videogames

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News::Sale of buried Atari cartridges nets over $107,000

The never-ending saga of the Atari 2600 E.T. cartridges that were famously buried (and later unearthed) in Alamogordo, New Mexico continues to benefit the small town. Last November, a selection of games (including E.T., Asteroids and Missile Command) that were recovered in the excavation were put up for sale on eBay, and now we know just how much cash they generated. According to the Alamogordo News, the game sales totaled $107,930.15, with more than $65,000 going directly to the town. In addition, the Tularosa Basin Historical Society received over $16,000 while more than $26,000 was spent on shipping and other expenses. A total of 881 cartridges covering 60 different titles were sold overall; a copy of E.T. was the highest single sale at $1,535.

Filed under: Gaming

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Via: Ars Technica, Geek.com

Source: Alamogordo News

Tags: alamogordo, atari, atari2600, burial, ET, excavation, new mexico

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News::Nintendo's smaller New 3DS comes to the US on September 25th

When Nintendo decided to release only the New 3DS XL in the US this winter rather than its smaller New 3DS sibling, it left many scratching their heads. Why would Nintendo deprive American gamers of a smaller, more travel-friendly handheld? Well, it's making amends for that mistake very shortly. Nintendo has revealed that it's bringing the New 3DS to the US on September 25th as part of a $220 Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer bundle. So long as you like having the game's charming art plastered all over your handheld, you too can have a more portable option. The NFC Reader (needed to load up on Amiibo figurines and card) will also arrive that day for $20.

Filed under: Gaming, Handhelds, Nintendo

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Via: Nintendo of America (Twitter)

Source: Nintendo (BusinessWire)

Tags: 3ds, amiibo, animalcrossing, animalcrossinghappyhomedesigner, gaming, handheld, legendofzelda, new3ds, nfc, nintendo, videogames

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News::New 'Feminist Frequency' video examines 'women as reward'

In 2012, Anita Sarkeesian asked for $6,000 on Kickstarter to create a YouTube series dissecting the way video games commonly portray women, to be housed under her Feminist Frequency brand. Sarkeesian's project raised $160,000 and she's since released eight videos in the Tropes vs. Women in Video Games series, covering the "Damsel in Distress" trend, "Ms. Male Character" theme and the idea of "Women as Background Decoration." The latest video, released today, covers "Women as Reward" and it discusses the myriad ways women are offered as hyper-sexualized trophies in some popular video games.

Filed under: Gaming, HD

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Source: Feminist Frequency on YouTube

Tags: anita-sarkeesian, anitasarkeesian, feminism, feministfrequency, hdpostcross, tropesvswomeningames, women

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News::Check out some gameplay from Destiny's 'The Taken King' expansion

The Taken King is a massive expansion due to hit Destiny on September 15th, bringing new strike missions, three new subclasses (including skill trees), exclusive gear and more goodies. The expansion's new raid, King's Fall, will not be available at launch, but director Luke Smith tells IGN that Bungie has "a plan for when it's going to be available." Smith promises to give fans a heads up before it goes live.

Filed under: Gaming, HD

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Source: Destiny on YouTube

Tags: Activision, Bungie, Destiny, DLC, expansion, hdpostcross, TheTakenKing

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News::'Uncharted 4: A Thief's End' hits PS4 on March 18th

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, the final game in Naughty Dog's Indiana Jones-style adventure series, will hit PlayStation 4 on March 18th, 2016. We got a taste of the game right after E3 2015 with an extended, action-packed trailer that features protagonist Nathan Drake shooting up bad guys, driving through a mountainside city and surviving all manner of seemingly lethal evasion tactics. There are a few versions of the game up for pre-order this week, including the Special Edition, which costs $80 and includes a steelbook case, an art book, in-game currency, a sticker sheet and the game on Blu-ray.

Filed under: Gaming, HD, Sony

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Source: PlayStation Blog

Tags: hdpostcross, NaughtyDog, ReleaseDate, SCEA, SONY, uncharted4, uncharted4athiefsend

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News::Xbox One bundle packs 1TB hybrid drive and Elite pad for $499

Microsoft is launching a premium "Elite" controller for the Xbox One next month, so of course it's also readying a new console bundle that includes the pad and a 1TB "Solid State Hybrid Drive" system. From November you'll be able to get the set for $499 -- pre-orders start today in the US and it'll be exclusive to GameStop and Microsoft Stores for the first month. For comparison, the regular 1TB Xbox One bundle costs $399 -- so with the $150 Elite controller thrown in, you're getting at least $50 in savings. If you need a reminder, Microsoft's new gamepad has an extra four bumpers on the back, "hair trigger locks" and the ability to customize the thumbsticks and D-pad with swappable parts.

Filed under: Gaming, Microsoft

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Source: Xbox Wire

Tags: microsoft, xboxone, xboxonebundle, xboxoneelite, xboxoneelitebundle, xboxoneelitecontroller

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