WebProNews

Tag: Preview

  • Preview App in macOS Ventura Loses PostScript Support

    Preview App in macOS Ventura Loses PostScript Support

    The latest version of macOS’ Preview app is losing a major feature, especially for Apple’s target audience.

    Preview is the macOS image and PDF viewer. According to a support document, the Preview app is losing support for PostScript files.

    The Preview app included with your Mac supports PostScript (.ps) and Encapsulated PostScript (.eps) files in macOS Monterey or earlier. Starting with macOS Ventura, Preview no longer supports these files. Other apps that can view or convert .ps and .eps files are available from the App Store and elsewhere.

    According to Apple, users can still print .ps and .eps files by dragging them to the printer queue.

    Given that Apple’s target audience includes graphics professionals, the feature removal is an odd choice for the company.

  • Need For Speed: Rivals Brings Playable Cops To The Party

    When Need For Speed: Rivals launches, it will be another step with EA commitment to crossing over the single and multiplayer experiences with their AllDrive feature that promises “seamless” integration between the two styles of gameplay. Whatever your opinion on a game that essentially forces you to play multiplayer, there is reason for excitement concerning the next Need For Speed release: the opportunity to play an undercover cop who can pursue racing punks to your heart’s content. To help celebrate their appearance at Gamescom 2013, a trailer was released focusing on the law enforcement side of the street racing life.

    It should be noted that there’s not much gameplay to see. Instead, a cinematic trailer that supposed to tweak your imagination was the offering:


    According to reports, players will be able to choose from three different kinds of playing styles if they choose the law enforcement side, including patrol officers, enforcers, and undercover cops. The trailer focuses on the undercover aspect, and it looks like players will be able to drive exotic cars allowing them to perhaps enter, and then disrupt races as they try to catch drivers who have no respect for traffic laws. The game is schedule to launch on November 19, and it will be available for all both console generations (PS3 and 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One) as well as the PC environment. There is, of course, a pre-order bonus if you are so inclined.

    This includes the following:

  • Exclusive access to the Nissan GT-R Black Edition
  • Early access to advanced pursuit technology
  • A custom livery

    • Is the Nissan a good enough reason to get in early?

  • Sony Unveils Box Art For Gran Turismo 6

    With the gaming industry about to be turned on it’s ear as the “next-gen consoles” get ready to launch–it won’t be long–news about one of the most popular PlayStation games ever created coming out for the PS3 may be a little surprising. Of course, when Gran Turismo is involved, it’s newsworthy. The fact that the game won’t be available for the PS4 only adds to it. Granted, the game has been in development since 2011, at least according to the initial announcement, and it’s apparent making one for the PS4 in concurrence with the PS3 was not part of the plan; or at least, if it was, that news is being kept under lock and key.

    Anyway, next-gen consoles aside, Sony’s appearance at the Gamescom conference included them confirming the release date for Gran Turismo 6 (December 6, 2013), releasing a new trailer (which can be seen at the top), and releasing the game’s box art for all to see and salivate over:

    Gran Turismo 6 Box
    Click for full size

    There’s also a shot of the Anniversary Edition box cover, for those of you having a hard time deciding between the two:

    Gran Turismo 6 Anniversary

    In case you’re unaware, the differences between the to, aside from price, includes the following:

    …including special Anniversary Edition Steelbook, 20 x 15th Anniversary Edition cars with performance and livery enhancement; 1M in-game credits and custom paint chips, race suit , race helmet and PSN avatar.

    Sony’s post was also eager to point out any pre-order bonuses as well:

    Firstly, anyone who pre-orders the game whether Standard or Anniversary Edition will be able to get their hands on a special five-car pack known as the ‘Precision Pack’… In addition to the Precision Pack, depending on your retail destination you will have a choice of one of the other four car packs; Torque; Velocity; Performance; Adrenaline or 1M in-game credits to start building your own car collection.

    You can pre-order GT6 at the normal retail destinations. Again, the game will hit the shelves on December 16. The question is, will people still have their PS3s out to play the game? Because it’s Gran Turismo we’re talking about, there’s certainly a good chance.

  • Titanfall’s Multiplayer Mode Previewed at Gamescom

    It’s important to keep objectivity when doing these reports, but after watching that 4-plus minutes of Titanfall footage, it’s hard not to get excited and throw the detached writer approach directly out of the window. Obviously, you don’t want to come across as a fanboy or worse, a paid reviewer who’s opinion can be bought and sold; but sometimes, what you’re seeing looks so good, it’s hard not to jump to conclusions about a game that hasn’t even been released yet. After showing off their new trailer at Gamescom, the already high hype meter for Respawn Entertainment’s Titanfall looks like it’s skyrocketing.

    Add me into the group of believers in what’s coming in early 2014.

    While rooted in the FPS Deathmatch presentation, Titanfall looks to be offering so much more. There is, of course, the ability to control mechs, or titans, and judging by the preview, these can either be piloted, ridden, or used as a supporting teammate. As for the action, well, it looks pretty damn intense. From the looks of it, multiplayer games will be full of mechs and armored players going against each other in balls out fashion. I, and judging by the YouTube comments, many others are excited about what we’re seeing from Respawn Entertainment. Here’s one that captures the mood quite well:

    Benjamin Careggio
    This will be the best game of the decade hands down better than halo better than call of duty easily

    While that remains to be seen, Benjamin’s sentiment is shared by many who have watched this particular preview. Titanfall will be out on Xbox One and PC in 2014.

    [Lead image via]

  • A Behind-The-Scenes Look At Call of Duty: Ghosts Multiplayer

    To say that multiplayer gameplay is the bread and butter of the Call of Duty series would probably be an understatement. While the single player storyline is by no means thrown away by Activision/Infinity Ward, it’s not why the game is so incredibly popular. No, pwning noobs and stomping inferior, unbalanced teams is why CoD continues to dominate whenever a new copy is released. That’s why it makes perfect sense for the development crew to create a 6-plus minute video detailing some of the new features that will be available when Call of Duty: Ghosts hits the stores.

    Instead of simply focusing on the developers and their point of view, this promotional video features actual gamers and their reactions to new multiplayer features like Crank. The idea, of course, makes use of the “if these guys like it, other fans of the series will, too” approach. The question is, are these new features enough to attract the “did they really make another CoD game” crowd?


    While such a video is not needed for CoD fans who are already committed to Ghosts when it hits the shelves, how effective is something like this for attracting those with a “wait and see” attitude? Is this the kind of preview that can tip the scale? Not that Activision/IW needs much help in that department, lest we forget the sales figures surrounding Modern Warfare 2. And 3.

    And Black Ops 2.

    In other news, it’s nice to see Games HQ Media is capable of releasing a video that actually adds to the discussion. Granted, it looks like the footage has been copped from somewhere else, but hey, at least it’s useful content.

  • Taking A Look At The Cars of Grand Theft Auto 5

    Driving is an incredibly large portion of open world games. Drive to a checkpoint to pick up a certain objective and deliver it to another side of town; or pick up that passenger and keep them alive for a predetermined amount of time while trying to avoid various baddies trying to knock you off of the road. If you’ve played GrandTheftAutoSaintsRowJustCauseScarfaceTheGodfather, or something similar, you know exactly what I’m referring to.

    Because of that particular feature, the design of the vehicles is an important detail. Granted, in these games, a much more arcade style of driving is present–as opposed to the realism found in Gran Turismo or Forza Motorsport–but, performance still matters.

    You can’t outrun the cops in a hooptie, now can you?

    Anyway, considering you’ll be doing a lot of driving in the upcoming GTA V, information about the available cars can’t be a bad thing. True, this information is available on the official site, but until Games HQ Media showed up, such a showcase wasn’t available in video form:


    If you’ve already visited the vehicles page on the GTA V site, you might have noticed Games HQ Media’s video is awfully similar to Rockstar’s Flash presentation. In fact, it looks like the Flash files were extracted into a video file and then a soundtrack was placed over top of it. While the creators give appropriate credit in the video’s about page, if this was done without the approval of the Grand Theft Auto family, does this mean the video is infringing on Rockstar’s content? With that in mind, would Square Enix approve of a such a video?

    I’m also curious if these user-generated videos really add anything to the discussion? Perhaps if some in-game footage of the cars was included. Apparently, Games HQ Media doesn’t have access to that content yet. It’s not like there was a lot in the reveal trailer.

  • New Football Manager 14 Trailer Focuses On Game Simulation Engine

    Although many prefer their video game sports to be played on consoles with full team control and interactivity, there is a strong community supporting the sports simulation side of the genre. With the 2013 version having a consistently strong showing in Steam’s game stats page, there’s no point in denying the popularity of Sports Interactive’s Football Manager series. In the age where playing in online rotisserie sports leagues is the norm, Football Manager 13’s success only makes sense. The idea of taking control of your favorite team in whatever league they may be in–chances are it’s featured in FM13–is certainly an attractive one.

    Making the soon-to-be-released 2014 version, complete with over “1000 improvements,” an inevitability. And, hopefully, a good thing as well.

    If you aren’t familiar with Football Manager’s presentation, it is essentially an in-depth graphical form of fantasy football (as in soccer, not NFL). As the title implies, you manager whatever team you’ve chosen. This means you’re responsible for the roster, the training, and the match-day preparation. Once these tasks are complete, you unleash your team on the opposition, and pray that your coaching/management impacts your team in a positive manner. In other words, players don’t get to control the players on the pitch once the game begins. This means you won’t be able to take your best player and dribble the length of the field, putting the ball in the back of the net while the defense looks on helplessly. If you want that kind of game, FIFA 14 will be out on September 25.

    Again, those used to fantasy sports should be used to this lack of on-field control.

    While you may not be able to directly impact the in-game outcome, you can watch every tortuous moment of it. To help make this a more enjoyable experience, Sports Interactive added some improvements to the match engine. While we’re not talking photo realism, the simulation doesn’t look bad at all:


    The release date hasn’t been set in stone yet, but according to the Steam page, it’s expected to be launched “late 2013.”

  • Total War: Rome 2 Preview Highlights Naval Battles

    Clear your calendars because the time-sink that is the Total War real-time/turn-based hybrid strategy game is about to pay a return visit to the Roman Empire, allowing players to fulfill their Julius Caesar/world domination fantasies, one turn at a time. The hype meter among the PC gaming community is really high for Total War: Rome 2, and considering the quality and success of the previous installments, it’s easy to see why. While the first couple of previews focused on cinematics and shots of the gameplay map, the latest video from developers Creative Assembly focuses on the naval warfare aspect of the game.

    In short, it looks pretty damn awesome:


    The idea of ramming an enemy ship and boarding it with land troops is an intoxicating one, and it’s just one of the reason PC gamers are excited for September 3rd. Another strong selling point is having the ability to absolutely decimate smaller enemy ships with the larger destroyer style warships. Watching the enemy drops fall into the ocean should give newcomers an idea about the level of detail involved in the Total War series.

    According to the game’s official site, pre-ordering customers will have get access to the first DLC pack for free, and while this is certainly not a pitch for the game–this publication is not a partner with Sega or Creative Assembly–if you’ve made up your mind that Total War: Rome 2 is a must-purchase, it makes sense to do the pre-order because, as most gamers know, free DLC has become a rare beast indeed.

    [Lead image courtesy]

  • A Five Minute Preview of AMC’s ‘Low Winter Sun’

    With Breaking Bad getting ready to deliver its last episodes, AMC has something of a void to fill, because a successful channel won’t be successful very long if it rests on the laurels of soon-to-be past shows. Also showing its mastered the Art of Launching a New TV Show 101, AMC is doing the smart thing by pairing their new series, Low Winter Sun, with the wildly popular Breaking Bad. Of course, success by association won’t be the reason Low Winter Sun continues after Breaking Bad rides off into the sunset. No, for that, it helps if a compelling storyline and great characters are included, and judging by the preview, AMC appears to have filled both quotas.

    In other words, it looks like have the channel has its hands on another potential winner. Before the trailer, however, here’s what AMC has to say about the show:

    The AMC Original Series Low Winter Sun is a contemporary story of murder, deception, revenge and corruption in a world where the line between cops and criminals is blurred. Low Winter Sun begins with the murder of a cop by a fellow Detroit detective. Seemingly the perfect crime, in reality the murder activates forces that will forever alter the detective’s life, and pull him into the heart of the Detroit underworld. Based on the award-winning 2006 British miniseries of the same name..

    As you can see, this is another one of those anti-hero shows, much like Sons of Anarchy and, of course, Breaking Bad. The question is, can the Low Winter Sun rise to the same levels of popularity as its predecessors? From the looks of the preview, it certainly has that potential:


    While I have not seen the British version of the show, Mark Strong played the lead for the BBC’s version. He will also be the lead in AMC’s remake, however, he’ll be using an American-ish accent. The reviews for the BBC version were pretty solid:

    Mr. Strong does the haunted-man thing expertly… There’s a classic severed-head-in-a-gym-bag sequence, and where lazy cop movies set scenes in strip clubs, this one prefers a slaughterhouse. Red meat for the noir fan.

    As indicated, Low Winter Sun debuts on Sunday (August 11) following the premiere of Breaking Bad’s final season.

  • Windows 8.1 Preview Is Now Available

    Windows 8.1 Preview Is Now Available

    As promised, Microsoft has released the Windows 8.1 Preview to the world as part of its annual BUILD developer conference. The preview includes a number of updates that will make Windows 8 more palatable for even the most diehard Windows 8 haters.

    If you’re just joining us, Windows 8.1 is less of an upgrade and more of an acknowledgement on Microsoft’s part that it needs to cater to everybody, not just touch devices, with Windows 8. The original release of the new operating system removed many features that have become integral to the Windows experience (like the Start button). Windows 8.1 brings those features back while adding new features for both the traditional desktop interface as well as the new Metro interface.

    So, what can you expect from the Windows 8.1 Preview? As mentioned above, the big news is that the Start button is back. Another welcome addition is an option to boot directly into desktop mode, bypassing the Start menu entirely.

    As for the Metro additions, Microsoft has added more customization options including live wallpapers and the ability to use your own images as backgrounds. The Live Tiles can also be customized to your needs with new size options, including a manual sizing option.

    Windows 8.1 also brings updates to some of Microsoft’s most popular software including SkyDrive and Internet Explorer. For SkyDrive, Windows 8.1 now allows you to sync your files across all of your Windows devices. As for Internet Explorer, it’s been upgraded to IE11 for faster browsing and better HTML5 support.

    For enterprise users, you’ll want to check out all the enhancements and upgrades Microsoft is bringing to Windows 8.1.

    The Windows 8.1 Preview is available as a free download on the Windows Store right now. You can read more on the preview and how to install it at Microsoft’s site. Windows 8.1 proper will be officially released later this year.

  • DayZ Standalone Details and Pics Released

    DayZ Standalone Details and Pics Released

    DayZ designer Dean “Rocket” Hall was quoted last year as saying the standalone version of the popular zombie survival mod for ARMA II will be out before the end of 2012. That obviously hasn’t panned out, and today Rocket took to the DayZ development tumblr blog to reveal exactly why the game hasn’t been released, show off some textures in screenshots, and tease players with what they can expect in the future. From the post:

    Put simply, DayZ Standalone isn’t here because we had the chance to go from making a game that was just the mod improved slightly, packaged simply, and sold – to actually redeveloping the engine and making the game the way we all dreamed it could be. This blew any initial plans we had dictated to pieces.

    Rocket goes on to say that a closed test for around 500 to 1,000 people will be released “imminently.” After getting the architecture debugged the developers will have a better idea of when the title will be released.

    As for changes from the mod, fans will be very happy to know that the inventory system has gotten a complete overhaul, which Rocket said will “fundamentally change the DayZ experience.” He states that the developers were inspired by Minecraft to “make the UI simple and effective, rather than flashy and complex.” In addition, items can now be damaged:

    You scavenge for items now, as individual parts, picking up pieces rather than piles, looking for cans on shelves or under beds. The new system opens the door for durability of items, disease tracking (cholera lingering on clothes a player wears…), batteries, addon components, and much more. If you shoot a player in the head to take his night vision, you will damage the night vision. The changes to this inventory system are huge.

    Progress on the art assets is coming along and can be seen in the photos that accompany the post. Progress on the revised Chernarus map, however, is being slowed by the fact that the lead designer of the map is currently in a Greek prison on espionage charges.

    Despite all of the delays, it’s a given that fans would rather have a complete game than a rushed one. The implosion of WarZ demonstrated that customer service, honesty, and quality are all more important for developers than shoving a game out as quickly as possible.

  • Windows 8 Preview Presented At Barcelona

    Microsoft launched the Windows 8 consumer preview yesterday to cheers (and jeers) from critics and fans alike.

    Microsoft was in Barcelona yesterday talking up the Windows 8 consumer preview. Here’s a short demonstration of Windows 8 for you to enjoy:

    If you’re feeling up for watching 90 minutes of Windows action, Engadget has graciously provided a video of the entire Windows 8 preview event.

    Are you impressed with what Microsoft has shown so far with Windows 8? Are you still skeptical? Let us know in the comments.

  • Windows 8 Preview Released, Twitter Reacts

    Today Microsoft released a Consumer Preview of its new Windows 8 operating system at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, to much interest – the preview has already been downloaded over 3 million times, according to USA Today.

    Steven Sinofsky, president of the Windows and Windows Live Division at Microsoft states, “with Windows 8, we reimagined the different ways people interact with their PC and how to make everything feel like a natural extension of the device, whether using a Windows 8 tablet, laptop or all-in-one,” adding that Windows 8 is “a generational change for Windows.” The new tile-based user interface of the operating system is based on Microsoft’s Metro design language, and is thoroughly different in form, as compared to Windows version of the past – there’s no start button.

    Here are some Twitter posts regarding the preview:

    @HuntHenning
    Hobie Henning    Okay, Windows 8 freaking rocks. I approve 110% 1 hour ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @hunterv236
    Hunter Versteegh    Installing windows 8. It better be good. 1 minute ago via Twitter for Android ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @AnanasJonas
    JON▲S    Danke Windows 8, dass du in meiner VB nicht funktionierst. 3 minutes ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @rctneil
    Neil Tonge    Really not keen on @Windows 8 so far Metro and standard desktop clash to much, Just not right in desktop env. Mouse support is just rubbish. 1 minute ago via Twitterrific for Mac ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @susiewolter
    Susie Wolter    FREAKING OUT over how good this windows 8 is. I WANT TO LIVE IN MY COMPUTER #WaitIAlreadyDo 1 minute ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @teus_kamerling
    teus    Windows 8 failt hard!!! 3 minutes ago via Twitter for Android ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @blankbaby
    Scott McNulty    I gotta say, Windows 8 looks pretty sweet. 5 hours ago via Twitterrific for Mac ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

  • Chrome OS for Tablets Rears Its Head

    The oft-discussed Google Chrome operating system is being prepped for tablet devices, and now, thanks to a YouTube video posted by Francois Beaufort, we have an idea of how the operating system will look in the tablet environment.

    Beaufort posted the video over at his Plus account, the curiosity that led him to the video’s creation was centered on the touch interface:

    This morning, I was wondering if Google Chrome Team worked a little bit more on the Touch UI during my holidays. Answer is not so much sadly.

    The video, which leads this post, shows a good bit of the operating system, and if tablets are your thing, but you’re looking for an alternative to the iPad, you’ll definitely want to give the video a shot. Over at Tabletbite, their initial review, naturally based on Beaufort’s video, is generally positive. They really seem to like the keyboard, which does look to be a suitable size for tablet typing:

    The QWERTY on-screen keyboard also looks pretty decent, again with big keys and slightly rounded edges. Also, the keys appear to have good response speed and overall they look clean and elegant… Aside from the virtual keyboard, the Chrome OS for tablets, as it is shown in the video, offers quick access to four other options, Web Store, Bookmark Manager, Chrome Web Store and Cloud Print. The browser doesn’t look very different from the computer or laptop versions and presents the same basic options that a browser should include…

    Tabletbites goes on to say the video indicates Chrome for tablets is in the very basic of stages, and probably won’t be ready for primetime consumption for some time.

    Business Insider, however, is a little less forgiving:

    Instead of figuring out how to port the basically-useless Chrome OS to tablets, why not figure out how to port the absolutely stellar Google Chrome browser into Android as an app for smartphones and tablets?

    For 90% of Chrome OS to work, you’ll need an internet connection. How many people are willing to buy a more expensive tablet with an antenna for data, as well as a pricey monthly plan? You’ll need a hefty hunk of data when you’re only using the tablet for internet use.

    Um, aren’t you required to purchase the data plan when you buy an iPad? Why would a Google Chrome OS tablet be different in that respect? Furthermore, I’ve yet to see an iPad with “an antenna for data,” and yet, they connect to the web just fine.

    Maybe BI just doesn’t like Google dabbling in an area Apple currently has control over, because they absolutely hated the Google Chromebook.