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Gaming desktops have become impressively diverse over the past few months. The best part is that even the lower-end systems are remarkably capable. It's now possible to spend less than $1,000 on a ready-made gaming desktop from a specialized vendor that will play pretty much any current title you can throw at it.

Whether that accessibility has come from better-designed hardware components, or game graphics stagnating because of the longer life cycle for consoles, it's a great time to be in the market for a new gaming desktop. Below you'll find four of the best systems in the category.… Read more

A sign we live in the future: the next SimCity requires an Internet connection to launch the game, Maxis lead designer Stone Librande said in a recent interview with Joystiq.

Origin, everyone's favorite game distribution punching bag, must run on the computer to launch SimCity. After the initial Origin log-in, you can play SimCity offline without an always-on Internet connection.

The emphasis on an online experience revolves around the expanded multiplayer element, which includes a global economy, regional opportunities, and wide-area issues (pollution, disasters, etc.). This development may startle some veterans of the city builder, as one typically built cities and regions in an offline environment when playing previous versions of SimCity. … Read more

If you're a local fan of digital art, there's a good chance you spent at least part of your weekend at the Creators Project, a celebration of the art form that drew thousands to see a diverse collection of interactive installations here in San Francisco.

From 40-foot-tall latticework cubes filled with LEDs (see video below) to huge triptychs that converted people's body images into flights of fancy, the project showcased some of the best--and worst--digital art around. It also gave visitors access to a collection of films on the topic, and the chance to listen to a number of musicians, including the hit group, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. … Read more

Is PC gaming dead? I've been hearing that argument for as long as I can remember. And although consoles and mobile devices have definitely stolen a lot of thunder from the PC platform, I'd say the latter is alive and well. It's simply...evolving.

And getting cheaper. From now through March 19, EA's Origin store is offering 50 percent off some top PC games. (The sale banner says "Get 50% Off Storewide," but that's just flat out untrue--only select titles are on sale. Come on, EA, you're better than that.)

Among the … Read more

What do billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson, street artist Mr. Brainwash, and music group Black Eye Peas' front man will.i.am have in common? They all had their lives chronicled for 24 hours in Hulu's original TV show by Morgan Spurlock, "A Day in the Life."

Now, this show--which was only available in the U.S.--will be the first to kick off an international first look deal that will bring the online video service's original programming to a global audience, the company said in a statement.

Partnering with FremantleMedia Enterprises--an international creator and producer for … Read more

Nearly 10 years after the last major SimCity release, Maxis Emeryville and EA unveiled information yesterday about SimCity 4's upcoming successor.

The fifth version of the iconic SimCity is due in 2013, and features a large range of graphic and gameplay improvements over previous generations. One major new feature is multiplayer region support (for up to 16 players). Playing with friends enables challenges such as leaderboards and the ability to "launch a space shuttle or build magnificent wonders," according to EA.

Multiplayer relationships go much deeper, though. For example, you can send fire trucks to another region in a massive crisis. If your city turns into a smog-filled re-creation of Los Angeles, then Sims in a friend's area suffer and experience health problems. … Read more

Aloaha PDF Suite is a versatile PDF creation tool that is available in several versions, including a freeware edition that nevertheless has nearly all the features of the full version. It can create high-quality vector-based PDFs from inside any Windows program. The PDFs it creates are fully compatible with other PDF programs. Aloaha PDF Suite installs a special printer driver that lets you create, save, print, and e-mail PDFs whenever you select Print inside any program that runs in Windows and offers a print command, including Word and other Office apps, Web browsers like IE and Chrome, and Windows itself.… Read more

In Electronic Arts' mind, the company isn't any different than the likes of Apple or Amazon.

That is, if EA's online gaming platform, Origin, takes off with consumers. EA Chief Operating Officer Peter Moore believes it's a way to plug in directly to the home similar to Apple's iTunes or Amazon's online storefront. Clearly, Origin is much more limited; beyond games, iTunes and the App Store offer music, videos, and different kinds of apps, while Amazon sells virtually anything on its site. But the concept of creating a direct connection with individuals remains valid.

"… Read more

LAS VEGAS--The case might look more like a piece of HVAC equipment than a gaming desktop, but if it really can hit 5.7GHz with its new cooling system, Origin will be able to offer its customers frankly ridiculous CPU performance.

"Origin PC's exclusive Phase Change Technology...cools the processor to subzero temperatures as low as -40 degrees Celsius," says the company's press release. Origin will offer the cooler as an option in its high-end gaming desktops.

There's always a certain amount of hype that comes with press releases from boutique PC vendors. We've also had our share of difficulty testing even sub-5.0GHz overclocks recently. In fairness, the stability issues that plagued the recent Intel X79 motherboard-based PCs we tested were more to do with prerelease BIOS software than CPU overclocking. Just be aware that specific clock speed claims can be risky due to the variability in CPU silicon.… Read more