Killer Old Farts Clan

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Server Update (2010-03-07)

BY: GordonVanDyke of DICE/EA POSTED: Mar 07, 2010, 12:37PM

After optimizations and restarts yesterday, we had been stable across all platforms. Unfortunately, we encountered another outage at approximately 9:30 AM PST today.

X360 was severely impacted, and the service is being restarted. It should be back online and we are monitoring closely.
PC had an outage, but the service is offline currently and the service is being restarted. It should be back online and we are monitoring closely. We will then start checking the quality of the customer experience to determine possible next steps.
PS3 appeared to have a brief outage, but has quickly recovered and the services is functioning properly at this time.

All teams are actively engaged in diagnosis and remediation. We are adding additional services to alleviate load. Despite having a major infrastructure in place, the peak traffic this weekend has been huge, 400% higher than any other Battlefield''s peak simultaneous users. The teams will continue to monitor the services closely. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and will provide further updates on the latest developments as they are relevant.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 PC Walkthough Trailer

Bad Company 2 PC Walkthough Trailer

Yes it is built for the PC! :), support for superior PC hardware, unlocked frame rate, field of view will be configurable and much more...

Battlefield Bad Company 2 Day 1 Map Pack

Battlefield Bad Company 2 Day 1 Map Pack

BY: Bazajaytee POSTED: Feb 25, 2010, 06:42AM

As Battlefield Bad Company 2 comes out next week, I''ll tell you about the Day 1 map pack that is available to all players who purchase the game and apply their VIP code which comes with the game at no extra charge. The map pack contains two new maps which are the Rush map, Nelson Bay and the Conquest map, Laguna Alta which you can check out in the video now. The maps will be available from March 2nd which will allow the lucky North America players to get access and practice while us Europeans wait a few days more.

Later in March another map pack will be released containing Arica Harbor for Conquest and Laguna Presa for Rush

VIP codes are included in the box for all new purchases. Players that buy used versions and don''t have a code can purchase one via the in-game store for $15. PC players will get the content as a game update.

Well its twelve days to go and there is more news on the dedicated servers for Battlefield Bad Company 2

A recent blog post about the server administrative interface appeared on EA''s site:

	Remote Administration interface for BFBC2 PC
	BY: MikaelKalms POSTED: Feb 05, 2010, 02:48AM
	Hi again!
	A lot of people are asking about server administration. What''s up there?
	A little background
	Since the Frostbite engine had not yet been used for any PC titles, there had been no need for advanced server administration tools. BFBC2 PC changed that however. There was a sort of "server console" thing, but it was intended for developer use only. Something easier to use and more stable was necessary when we came closer to release it to the PC users.
	So what are we doing?
	We are creating a separate command console, which is stable, and where the commands will not change. This will be the Remote Administration interface for BFBC2 PC. BF2 console commands have been a good source of inspiration :) The Remote Administration interface is accessible over a network port on the game server.
	While we ensure that there is a solid administration interface, we are not creating any fancy tools. Why not? Because the community will do a much better job! RSPs have already been using the interface for weeks, and several people are working on user friendly tools. We will continue to improve the protocol with functions that are necessary to make good tools.
	When Closed Beta Server R5 (yes, we have already patched the game servers 3 times. I love our new patching system) is released, the RSPs will be allowed to expose the Remote Administration interface on their servers to the public... and we will publish the FULL protocol specification. You have my word on that.
	Closed Beta Server R6 has been released, and the protocol is now public.
For those of you not playing the beta, here is a taste of what some have been doing for the past couple of weeks:

And this just in! EA said: "For the PC Beta players we want to thank you for all your feedback so far, it has been extremely valuable to help ensure a fantastic first PC release on Frostbite. We also want to mention we have contacted PBBans (one of the streaming providers everyone used by top clans for Punkbuster ban enforcement) to help us work on a global ban-list solution to help ensure the best experience for everyone playing BFBC2 on the PC."

Battlefield Bad Company 2 Beta

Battlefield Returns!

With the release of Battlefield Bad Company 2� on March 2nd for PC the series returns to PC with what looks to be an excellent game and yes it will have Dedicated Ranked Servers that we will be renting.

There will be guaranteed access to the beta for anyone that pre-orders. The beta will begin on January 28th. You may be able to access the beta through FilePlanet but that has not been announced. Unlike some other pre orders this one actually comes with percs besides the beta access you will receive 6 unlocks on day one and you will be able to reserve your in game name (first come first serve). The latest news on the beta is that is will include one map. Pre-order through Steam, EAs or GameStops web site. These sites will have it available as a download and the game will be available on the day it is released as well as the beta.

More About the Game

Battlefield: Bad Company 2� brings the award-winning Battlefield game play to the forefront of PC gaming with best-in-class vehicular combat and unexpected "Battlefield moments." New vehicles like the ATV and a transport helicopter allow for all-new multiplayer tactics on the Battlefield. With the Frostbite-enabled Destruction 2.0 system, you can take down entire buildings and create your own fire points by blasting holes through cover. You can also compete in four-player teams in two squad-only game modes, fighting together to unlock exclusive awards and achievements. Battles are set across expansive maps, each with a different tactical focus. The game also sees the return of the B Company squad in a more mature single-player campaign.

Squad Up: Compete as the lone wolf or together in 4-man squads with up to 32 players and multiple game modes including the all new Squad Rush!
Defining Online Warfare: Become the master of land, sea and air on vast battlefields designed for wide open warfare on Ranked Servers.
Intense Solo Campaign: Join Bad Company in a fight through deadly jungles, desert cities and vast arctic terrain on a mission to defuse WWIII.
Tactical Destruction: Create new firing points, chip away enemy cover, and bring down entire buildings full of enemy combatants

Key Features of the full game:

Huge Multiplayer maps
- Each with a different Tactical and game play focus and set across a variety of environments
Ultimate Online Vehicle warfare
- 15 land, sea and air vehicles, each with a Tactical advantage during play. Race into action with the ATV or rain death from above in the UH-60 transport helicopter with its 2 side mounted rail guns.
Intense Singe Player
- From dense jungles to snow-torn mountains, the intense single player campaign follows a more experience and mature ''B'' Company on a daring new mission in an attempt to stave off a new World War.
All-New Squad Play
- Team up with 3 other players and fight together to unlock special awards and achievements in 2 squad-specific game modes.
Destruction 2.0
- Take down entire buildings, create fire-points in cover or blow it up entirely! In Battlefield Bad Company 2� there will be no place to hide!

Click here to Visit the official website for more information!
Or get the latest news on Twitter

Windows 7 Release Candidate is here!

Windows 7 RC - The following is from Microsoft''s Partner Site:

We''re excited to announce the availability of Windows 7 Release Candidate (RC), a prerelease version of the next-generation operating system from Microsoft. Thanks to everyone who participated in the Beta testing period; your feedback was invaluable in helping the Microsoft engineering team make Windows 7 the best Microsoft operating system to date.

Test-drive Windows 7 RC today. Then show your colleagues and customers how Windows 7 can improve management, security, reliability, and performance.

Partners: If you have a subscription to MSDN or TechNet, you can download Windows 7 RC now. Otherwise, you can download Windows 7 RC starting May 5, 2009.

Participate in the Windows 7 Forum: Share your experiences and learn what other partners and IT professionals are saying about Windows 7.

Click "Read More..." below to see the Path to Windows 7 RC and a couple of the added features.

Starbucks Through Your USB
In their ongoing effort to get more people addicted to their coffee. Starbucks has introduced their version of the USB thumb drive called the "Starbucks Plug-n-Pour". This new gadget allows you receive fresh Starbucks coffee directly through your USB drive. Don''t believe me? Check out the picture (link at the bottom).
This is almost as good as Brett Favre coming out of retirement again and playing for the packers. Just think of all the time you could save getting your coffee without having to go to the coffee house and it''s still hot. They even have a beta group for those that want to test it out. You can check it out and signup here.
In response, McDonalds has announced that they''re working on a McNugget dispenser that can be put in place of the DVD drive called the "iButtnugget".
April Fools!!

PS3: A serious case of Consolitious
A British online paper called the Mirror is reporting a very odd story. At the center of it all: a Playstation3 and GTA4. The cast and characters? A couple who had been living together for over 30 years and their 10 year old son. The background? The couple buys their son a PS3 and a copy of GTA4. The end result is a dead woman from playing GTA4 every night till 5 or 6AM. It seems that the system was setup in the bedroom and the husband wasn''t getting any sleep (due to her gaming addition). So in his sleep deprived state, he decided to act out like some WoW character and stab her 20 times.
Can you say over reacted? I can see the guys point that he needs some sleep but this is a tad excessive. I wonder if he checked the receipt to see how much she paid for it and went into a rage? All he had to do was take it back or mash it up into itty bitty PS3 meatballs but NOOOOO, the gaming industry takes another black eye for someone''s rage issues. I can already see the parents reaction. Kids will be banned from playing this game and they won''t get that PS3 they wanted for Christmas (and that''s a bad thing???). There will be congressional hearings about the rating system on video games. Uncle Creepy will play his version of "7 mins in heaven" with me except there''ll be alot more screaming. In short, the apocalypse.
The topper on the cake for this little goat rodeo we call a family is that the man was sentenced to life in prison today. For those you having trouble with remembering your own birthday, today is April Fool''s day. The interwebs is abuzz with deciding whether this is a hoax or not. I''ll let you decide.
On the plus side, maybe this could increase the KOF membership since it means that there will be less consoles and more PC gaming. At least until someone decides to go postal on their Chihuahua for turning their WoW character into a gay troll.
Link to the Neowin Article

Battlefield: Heroes - Return to Toontown
Remember when you were young (for some that may be a bit difficult) and there was that one annoying kid who would copy every word you said? You would say something and they would just repeat it. Just so they could annoy the living shizzle out of you!! Remember how you wanted to choke them till they turned blue in the face? Well, now you can. The annoying kid is EA Games and they''ve decided to copy another company called Valve. It wasn''t enough that they had to drag out the Battlefield series to make us cough up cash like a cat with a furball but then they had to copy someone else''s game.
And so we come to Team Fortress2. If you''ve played TF2, you know that Valve has created a semi-amusing game that features different classes based on the original TF but the way that Valve set it apart from other games is the cartoonish style of play. Enter "Battlefield: Heroes" from EA Games. For those of you that are unaware, this game is a cartoon. A literal cartoon. Once again, EA lacks all originality and decides that they want in on the Valve action. So they take the Battlefield series and tack on one more version for everyone to cough up their furball.
Here''s a suggestion EA, since you can''t seem to come up with any new games, I''ll help you. Let''s try Battlefield: Civil War. When you enter the game, you start as a private entering basic training. Out comes the Drill Sergeant who sounds like the one from the movie Full Metal Jacket. He starts yelling in your face with things like "You wanna make Abraham Lincoln your biotch DON''T YOU!?!?" and "The thought of beating Ulysses S Grant into submission sexually excites you DOESN''T IT?!?!" Ok, maybe I didn''t think that idea all the way through. Either way, it has more originality than EA.
If you wanna see this mockery of a game and actually play it, the beta has been reopened for your fornication. This should be about as much fun as having a laser pointed at your cornea''s while flying a 747.
Link to the Neowin Article

COD:WaW Gets a Little DLC
Ok, so my titles a little lame. It was the best I could come up with given the cir*****stances but in my defense, I''m not the only one using it. If you look at the online articles for this new update, you''ll find alot of places like Neowin that use the new term DLC (not to be confused with TLC unless of course you have nice hair and your name is Rhaegar. DON''T TOUCH THE HAIR!!). In case you''re wondering, DLC refers to Down-Loadable Content. It''s the new term used by DICE to make you feel better about it''s upcoming release in March. So let''s take away the sugar coating and call this what it really is: the new term for EP or Expansion Pack.
Yes, EA is not happy taking your money just one time. They want more and in a down economy, they''re looking for every reason to rob you blind. Don''t think of it as an invasion of your wallet but more like your contribution to feed the starving programmers at DICE and EA. Yes, for mere dollars a day, you too can sponsor a keyboard jockey. They''ll even send you an autographed picture of your byte banger slaving away with fly paper over his cube and pictures of his family he hasn''t seen in months. He''ll send you weekly email updates about his upcoming deadlines and how there''s only one bullet left after he''s played a few rounds of Russian roulette. If the email''s stop coming, you know he won!
Once again, I descend into the 7th circle of hell in search of the proper analogy but returning to reality, EA is planning to release their new frosted sugar-coated expansion pack in March to cheering crowds. This will include 3 new maps; Nightfire, Station, and Knee Deep. It also includes a map for the Nazi Zombie coop-mode called Verruckt (which is German for "EA knows where you keep your wallet"). Also, keep in mind that this is not to be confused with the new 1.2 patch that was released a couple days ago. The patch is designed to fix bugs and the DLC is designed to create more bugs.
I''d almost be excited except that I feel like I''m not getting a reach-around with this DLC.
Link to the Neowin Article with pictures