Win: an Energizer XP8000 Portable Netbook Charger

Thanks to the fine folks at Energizer, we’re giving away an XP8000 Portable Netbook Charger. Useful for keeping your gizmos going when they’re threatening to die on you at the worst possible time, the XP8000 works with smartphones, cameras, netbooks and more.

More info on the XP8000 can be found right here. To stand a chance to win, simply leave a comment below. The topic for comments is: well, anything really. Perhaps you could share with us a delightful story about batteries. Or something.

A winner will be randomly chosen at the end of February.

Posted by Dane Remendes Jan 24, 2012

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NAG February 2012 Issue

2012 is officially in full swing, and we’d best cram in as much awesomeness as possible before the world goes pop. With that in mind, we present the February issue of NAG, packed full of gaming deliciousness and random thingamajigs sure to delight and surprise. Probably.

We’re once again rolling review-heavy, because of the holiday backlog. So many games, so little time! Previews come in the form of the revitalised SSX and a new developer’s take on Sly Cooper. Reviews include such wonders as the dildo-sporting Saints Row: The Third and the long-awaited Wii-exclusive return of Link in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. Management buffs can get their futuristic kicks out of our Anno 2070 review, while we find out if Need for Speed: The Run can successfully make us believe that scripted events belong in a racer. Trine 2 has us in awe of its sheer beauty, and The Lord of the Rings: War in the North tells the familiar tale from a different perspective.

Hardware aficionados: check out our healthy hardware section. Samsung’s Series 7 gaming notebook aims to wow us. We take a look at another brilliantly built gaming PC from Evetech. ASUS hopes to prove that 3D can be more than a gimmick with their VG278H LED 3D monitor.

The February issue of NAG will magically appear in a store near you this Thursday, the 26th of January.

Click here for the contents PDF [248 KB]

Posted by Dane Remendes Jan 23, 2012

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Feature: hands-on with Spec Ops: The Line

The last time I saw Spec Ops: The Line was nearly two years ago at the reveal event in Berlin. The game’s ducked way below the radar since then, having barely shown its sand-swept face in the time between then and now. Just as I was starting to wonder if the game had stumbled into some weird cancellation abyss, it’s reappeared like a long-dormant Sandworm itching for an easy South African-journalist-flavoured meal. Which is to say that I got an email with “Spec Ops” as its subject header – but simply stating that wouldn’t have been anywhere near as theatrical as it needed to be.

Long story short, I find myself in London, surrounded by more winter clothing than I normally expect to see this time of year. Spec Ops is the purpose of this trip, and I’ve just had the opportunity to spend an action-packed hour getting some hands-on time with a title that still upholds all the gameplay and narrative ideals that it did when I first saw it so long ago.

Win! One of two WRC 2 hampers

Competitions! They’re the lifeblood of society. Mostly because everybody loves free sh*t.

Ster Kinekor Entertainment, distributors of WRC 2 (the official videogame of the 2011 World Rally Championship), would like to offer you, dearest reader, the opportunity to win one of two WRC 2 (official site) hampers, each of which comes packing:

A copy of the game on your choice of platform (PC, 360 or PS3)
A super-awesome WRC 2 T-shirt
A windscreen visor (car not included)
A steering wheel grip (see above)

Now, as much as we’d love to actually show you the contents of these hampers, we’ve not been provided images. But – it’s free! All you have to do to win one of these hampers is leave a comment (the content of which is up to you) below. The competition will end on the 16th of November and the winners will be randomly selected thereafter, but you’ll be awarded bonus Life Points if you make your comment as interesting/outrageous/witty as possible.

As always, this competition is open to South African residents only.

Get Civ V on the cheap this weekend

Steam’s got one of their weekend deals running for the excellent Sid Meier’s Civilization V. If you head on over there right now, you could nab the base game (minus the many DLC packs that have been released for the game) for just $12.50. That’s less than R100, and an amazing price for a game that’s made purely for the purpose of devouring free time (and time that should be spent sleeping) without mercy.

If you end up spending a whole heap of cash on games this weekend, make sure this is one of them – if turn-based strategising is your thing, I mean. Mighty fine game at a might fine price – GO GO GO!

There’s also a weekend deal on various Need for Speed titles. Check it out.

Posted by Dane Remendes Sep 09, 2011

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Here’s some of Rage’s cooperative action

id’s Rage is just around the corner. Let’s have a moment of silence just to honour this beautiful future we have ahead of us…

Right – I’m not sure if that was dramatic enough, but you get the point. We’re excited! Not just any excited either – the kind of excited where we’d sell RedTide into prostitution to get this game out sooner. And he’d do it willingly, with a smile.

Anyway, here’s some footage of two-player Rage action. It’s also a really good indication of what to expect from the game in terms of look and feel. October 7th people. Save the date.

Posted by Dane Remendes Sep 08, 2011

1 Comment

ORION: Prelude shows off some Jurassic Park action

I’m sure at least some of you have heard of ORION: Prelude – that crazy, Tribes-like multiplayer shooter thingamajig that mixes terrifying playable dinosaurs with squishy playable humans. One other game immediately springs to mind that attempted to offer a similar deal, but failed miserably – Dino D-Day. We’re hoping ORION has a better go at the premise, and it’s certainly looking sharp, as you can see from the trailer below showing a bit of pre-alpha footage complete with some of the dinos and a whole lot of jetpacking.

Dinosaurs + jetpacks = automatic win. Just look at that T-Rex! Although it does seem like the players in control of the overgrown lizards might have a bit of a tough time chasing down all the jetpack-powered humies. If you’re interested, head on over here to register for the multiplayer beta. There’s also this: the developer’s official site, which includes a recap of recent development shenanigans.

Man, I love the announcer in this trailer. Extinction!

Posted by Dane Remendes Sep 07, 2011

1 Comment

Minecraft gets adventurous in this new trailer

So! Minecraft – you may have heard that there’s a huge update incoming, given the appropriately important-sounding nickname of “The Adventure Update.” If you’ve been holding off on playing Minecraft for a while in anticipation of this update (like some of us here in the office have been), this trailer should prove that your patience has been worthwhile. Also – cool music bro.

Just by the way, some of the stuff you can expect to see in the update includes sprinting, more options for aspiring virtual farmers, critical hits, a new food system and new hostile mobs – including the creepy-as-hell, teleporting Endermen, who briefly appear in the trailer.

Now that the words are out of the way, onwards to the trailer!

Posted by Dane Remendes Sep 06, 2011

2 Comments

Let’s celebrate the Human Revolution with a launch trailer

Deus Ex: Human Revolution launches this Friday! Are you wearing your excited face? You should be. I haven’t played the game since going all hands-on with that delicious offering of tender ‘n’ juicy preview code a few months ago, but I can safely say that there’s good reason to be foaming at your augmented mouth in anticipation of this – whether you’re a long-time fan or not. It’s like being transported back to a time when shooters didn’t all feel like they might as well be on rails. Choice – it’s everywhere!

The game now has a launch trailer, filled with cherry-picked quotes from early reviews that are sure to give you a big ol’ nerdboner.

Posted by Dane Remendes Aug 24, 2011

2 Comments

Portal gets a live-action short film, world rejoices

This debuted at San Diego Comic-Con not too long ago, and now the Internet has taken it hostage. It’s a high-quality short film directed by Dan Trachtenberg and starring our favourite Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device. Also – Danielle “More Muscular Than Me” Rayne.

Man, that thing looks unwieldy when it’s not just a blip in the bottom corner of your first-person view. Watch it – it’s good stuff.