Blue Brain

Well it’s finally out! The new Microsoft OS — Windows 7, or as the critics would call it  “the what Vista should have been” OS. I never really understood all the Vista bashing that went on. Although I was not an early adopter of Vista, I did install it and had been running it (after the first major service pack) for about a year and I found it to be a perfectly stable OS. However, I have been running Windows 7 beta for a few months now and have found it to be great product. Again, with any new OS you probably don’t want to install it on older hardware — older hardware seems to operate smoother with an OS of the same era.

So here’s a quick roundup of some great Windows 7 Related articles & Reviews to celebrate the launch.

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On November 10, 2009, Infinity Ward’s Modern Warfare 2 will strike worldwide. The most-anticipated game of the year and the sequel to the best-selling first-person action game of all time, Modern Warfare 2 continues the gripping and heart-racing action as players face off against a new threat dedicated to bringing the world to the brink of collapse.

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It’s only 4 months now until the much hyped and well received Windows 7 OS is launched. Microsoft’s new baby is now available for pre-order; the Home Premium Upgrade and Professional Upgrade packages for $49.99 and $99.99 though July 11th, while supplies last — nothing special there as it’s the standard pricing you’ll find at all your favorite on-line retailers. Amazon does promise, however, that you’ll “receive the product” when released to shops on October 22nd. Note a 3 per customer limit so don’t get greedy, ok? It’s not like Microsoft can just press the OS onto another disc or something.

Sad news for the UK, pre-orders won’t begin until July 15th with prices set at £49 for Windows 7 Home Premium E and £99 for Professional E, both will ship without Internet Explorer. For those wondering about the upgrade prices for Europe… there aren’t any. Microsoft claims that it can’t offer the lower upgrade pricing ($120, $200, or $220 for Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate in the US) in order to comply with European competition regulations, a claim that EU regulators dismiss. As such, going from Vista to Windows 7 will require a clean install in the EU in order to remove Internet Explorer — no in-place upgrades will be possible according to Microsoft.

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I’m a huge fan of Crysis, Crysis: Warhead, and Far Cry 2; so it made me excited to read today that Electronic Arts announced Crysis 2 is on the way. The game is the second entry in the planned Crysis trilogy and will be built on Crytek’s new console-ready CryENGINE 3.

An interesting tidbit EA released that is great news for console owners (who missed out on the original Crysis) is that Crysis 2 will be hitting Xbox360 and PS3 as well as the PC.

No further details or a release date yet, but with E3 kicking-off this week you can certainly expect more information to surface soon.

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Wow! Who would expect a sequel so soon? Valve and EA have just announced the sequel to last year’s multiplayer zombie-killing smash hit. Left 4 Dead 2 will be released on November 17th, and will feature five new campaigns that follow the story of four new survivors. PC Gamer has the full scoop in an exclusive 8-page feature in their August issue, which hits newsstands this month. Check out the cover below, which features two of the new survivors: Rochelle and Coach (Rochelle is an aspiring cable network news anchor, and Coach is a high school PE coach)

According to a preview in PC Gamer, the five campaigns of the sequel will be set in the American south — in Georgia and Louisiana. The game will feature new playable boss infected characters alongside the Boomers, Smokers, Hunters, and Tanks of the original. Melee weapons will also be introduced, including fire axe, chainsaw, and even frying pan. No word yet on backward compatibility with the original Left 4 Dead, though we would expect that Valve won’t split their community in two. You’ll want to check out the PC Gamer preview (the Official Xbox Magazine has their own exclusive preview and interview for console fans) for more details, including the new levels, environmental effects, and how the sequel’s story ties in with the adventures of Bill, Louis, Zoey, and Francis.

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