gamescom 2012 | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net KitGuru.net - Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards Tue, 28 Aug 2012 09:40:51 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cropped-KITGURU-Light-Background-SQUARE2-32x32.png gamescom 2012 | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net 32 32 Exclusive interview with Hauppauge VP on capturing gamers https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/interviews/carl/exclusive-interview-with-hauppauge-vp-on-capturing-gamers/ https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/interviews/carl/exclusive-interview-with-hauppauge-vp-on-capturing-gamers/#respond Tue, 28 Aug 2012 09:38:24 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=106142 For as long as there have been battles, there has been the ‘telling of the tale'. For the Vikings, it was mead and roast pig around wooden tables while the stories would grow bigger and wilder with each telling. These days, forensically accurate uploads of gaming sequences are the method of choice. KitGuru speaks with …

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For as long as there have been battles, there has been the ‘telling of the tale'. For the Vikings, it was mead and roast pig around wooden tables while the stories would grow bigger and wilder with each telling. These days, forensically accurate uploads of gaming sequences are the method of choice.

KitGuru speaks with Hauppauge's VP for Sales and Marketing, Yehia Oweiss, about his company's latest push into the gamer market.

Hauppauge is now a regular feature at major events like GamesCom and this piqued our interest, but its roots are elsewhere. We started off by asking Yehia to give us a quick background on his company.

“Founded in 1992, Hauppauge originally manufactured mainboards for Intel”, explained Yehia. “But we soon moved our focus to TV cards and video capture hardware”.

So what's the full extent of Hauppauge's range these days?

“Well, through Hauppauge Computer Works, PCTV Systems and Hauppauge Digital Europe, we design and deliver a number of digital video products”, said Yehia. “Our three main video solutions focuses on digital video streaming, high definition video capture for the gaming market, and live digital TV receivers for mobile and tablet devices such as the iPhone and iPad”.

You mentioned gaming in there Yehia, that seems to be a departure from pure TV and video. What's that all about?

“Our high definition video capture products are designed for gamers, developed from their feedback to us”, he explained. “Hauppauge is now dedicated to this market and events like GamesCom help us stay connected with our key customers”.

What products specifically?

“At GamesCom 2012, we launched the HD PVR 2 Gaming Edition”, said Yehia. “This is a dedicated gaming capture product”.
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“Every gamer we have spoken with has been really excited by this new development”, he told KitGuru. “It is very easy to install, has HDMI connectivity with pass through at 1080p and the capture quality is stunning”.
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“Whatever you see in your gameplay, can be recorded and played back with no delay”, he said. “Making output to YouTube both simple and gratifying”.
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So how big is the market for HD video capture and playback?   Yehia had the data on hand to answer that question.
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“A recent Neilsen report stated that Brits now watch 18,000 years’ worth of online video a month”. We assume that's not ‘each'.
Yehia continued, “So video touches all of us and Hauppauge is best placed in terms of its video expertise to offer HD video on all platforms – whether that's a mobile phone, tablet TV or any other computer-driven device”.
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“While our focus here is on gamers, we also have products designed for organisations that want to stream high definition video across the web”, he said. “Perfect for broadcasting live events over the internet”.
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Hauppauge VP for Sales and Marketing, Yehia Oweiss, next to a diagram that shows the extensive HD capture capabilities of his company's new HD PVR 2 Gaming Edition. Should any clan be without one?

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KitGuru says: Speaking with Yehia, he seems confident that the future is all about increased participation in video streaming and that Hauppauge offers a high quality, affordable solution to enable that to happen. The promise seems to be ‘Broadcast quality video in an easy to use, consumer-friendly solution'. Just what the Vikings were looking for, surely.
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Comment below or in the KitGuru forums.
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CaseKing and OcUK get into big events in a big way https://www.kitguru.net/components/carl/caseking-and-ocuk-get-into-big-events-in-a-big-way/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/carl/caseking-and-ocuk-get-into-big-events-in-a-big-way/#comments Wed, 22 Aug 2012 12:57:23 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=105206 With Multiplay's i46 gaming extravaganza about to kick off in the Telford International Centre, loads of sponsors will be vying for the attention of the thousands of hardcore gamers who attend. KitGuru takes a look at one of the sponsors and their ‘large event' pedigree. While hands-on gaming stands with the latest, unreleased, triple-A titles …

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With Multiplay's i46 gaming extravaganza about to kick off in the Telford International Centre, loads of sponsors will be vying for the attention of the thousands of hardcore gamers who attend. KitGuru takes a look at one of the sponsors and their ‘large event' pedigree.

While hands-on gaming stands with the latest, unreleased, triple-A titles were certainly the centre of attention over at GamesCom 2012 in Cologne, few hardware stands managed to attract as many visitors as CaseKing. In a second, we'll show you just how CaseKing operates and the level of fevered response they manage to induce in crowds. Let's just say that Overclockers' parent company are well-schooled in the art of crowd-pleasing.

Data from a big Multiplay survey a couple of years ago, showed clearly that almost half the attendees for any given Insomnia LAN gaming event (of which i46 is the latest) is an Overclockers.co.uk customer. On that basis, it only seems right that the crowd's favourite should be in attendance to let the other half find out what they might have been missing.

Enough ado about gaming things, let's roll on with the CaseKing gallery from GamesCom 2012.

CaseKing marketing guru, Vahid, tests the props for his big give-away competition at GamesCom 2012

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Once fully up and running, the CaseKing stand had a series of competitions where any of the hundreds of people surrounding the stage had a chance of winning. Lucking contestants, like this 15 year old chap, were crowned on the throne and thoroughly pampered by the CaseKing Ladies-in-Waiting. Hard life.

When not engaged on the mainstage with winners, the CaseKing ladies would make the products on display look a lot more attractive. But does such a simple tactic work?  Judge for yourselves.

In the following pics, we reckon that the CaseKing ladies like one or two of the technologies they are presenting, MORE than others. But which are their favourites?

Are you feeling the girls' love for Akasa?
Is a Bit of Fenix just what the ladies ordered?
Are they stimulate by nVidia's top end?
Does the Gigabyte range stimulate passion?
Are they ready to go IN for the WIN?
Perhaps hands-on for a little KingMod-ding themselves - like the cheeky monkeys in the background?
What about the smooth-silent type from Lian Li?
Quick check on Xigmatek
Does the VTX3D stand render them speechless?
Do the ladies get flushed for pink chassis?

KitGuru says: It's a toughy, but if we were forced to answer, it does seem that both girls like a little pink. Specifically, the ‘Ladies Phantom' from NZXT. But what do we know?  If you're heading to Telford for Multiplay's i46, then you can check out the Overclockers.co.uk booth babes, Team-GB style, and see if they're a match for the Germans.

Comment below or in the KitGuru forums.

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Overclockers react quickly to AMD price drop https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/jules/overclockers-react-quickly-to-amd-price-drop/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/jules/overclockers-react-quickly-to-amd-price-drop/#comments Tue, 21 Aug 2012 12:20:35 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=105155 Yesterday, KitGuru carried the news that AMD was making some strong price moves. Naturally, these tend to be in dollars, so it's always nice to see how they translate into local currency before we celebrate too much. Checking the latest postings in their forum, it looks like OcUK were quick off the mark. KitGuru pulls …

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Yesterday, KitGuru carried the news that AMD was making some strong price moves. Naturally, these tend to be in dollars, so it's always nice to see how they translate into local currency before we celebrate too much. Checking the latest postings in their forum, it looks like OcUK were quick off the mark. KitGuru pulls out a calculator to check for ‘reasonability'.

According to our sources in the channel, AMD prepared a significant price move yesterday, which reported exclusively here.

To summarise our report, it looked like the reaction to nVidia's launch of the GTX660 would line up as follows:-

  • 1GB 7850 down $40 to $190
  • 2GB 7850 also drops $40 to $210
  • 2GB 7870 down $50 to $250
  • 3GB 7950 down $30 to $320

We've done a quick calculation based on the available $-to-£ exchange rate with 20% VAT added. On that basis, these cards should be around £165 for the 2GB version of the 7850 with the 2GB 7870 under £200 and the 3GB 7950 around £250.

So, in the 24 hours since KitGuru's announcement, what have Overclockers (OcUK) managed?

Case King ladies seen here refreshing the graphics prices a little quicker and harder than those around them

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KitGuru says: It's good that graphics companies are willing to fight for your hard-earned cash. It's also nice to know that when price cuts are announced, that they are made available in the market almost instantly. We're still a little disappointed that AMD did not move the price down just before the new cards launched from nVidia – but now it's happened, all eyes will be on nVidia's GTX660 price to see if it drops in reaction.

Comment below or in the KitGuru forums.

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GamesCom 2012 Booth Babes: Part Zwei https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/carl/gamescom-2012-booth-babes-part-zwei/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/carl/gamescom-2012-booth-babes-part-zwei/#respond Sat, 18 Aug 2012 09:08:21 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=104648 While every game company spends big to make its stand more attractive than the next, the marketing people who create GamesCom exhibits are not shy of using plain, old-fashioned biology. Here's a second selection of the booth babes being used to pull punters on to stands. Don't worry ladies, you haven't been forgotten – KitGuru …

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While every game company spends big to make its stand more attractive than the next, the marketing people who create GamesCom exhibits are not shy of using plain, old-fashioned biology. Here's a second selection of the booth babes being used to pull punters on to stands. Don't worry ladies, you haven't been forgotten – KitGuru has included some firm, pink beef at the end of the article.

In no particular order, here's our second mini-gallery from the hallowed halls of GamesCom 2012 in Cologne.

CaseKing (owners of Overclockers UK) don't mess around when it comes to hiring ladies for their stand. OcUK will have a big presence at i46 - we can but hope that the same rules of Booth Babe Quality will be applied in Telford!

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CaseKing are all about the multi-core approach. Why hire one Playboy Booth Babe,when you can hire two. KitGuru's editorial team can't think of an argument against it. None.

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Crytek seemed to hire cute booth babes for GamesCom 2012 - and then arm them heavily. Unfortunately, despite packing heat, they seemed to be lacking a killer's confidence.

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You'll need to decide for yourselves if the ladies of Navyfield: Conqueror of the Ocean are the best booth babes in town, but these few good (wo)men certainly win a prize for cutest uniforms

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They might be cute and smiling, but checking the muscles on these Tekken babes' arms, we'd happily surrender

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These ladies are, officially, the Thrustmasters of GamesCom 2012 - armed with Ferrari wheels and everything

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Well, we promised some ‘beef' at the end of the article – and here it is. Pink, just the way you like it ladies.

One hundred percent pure man. Honest. We checked under the skirt and everything.

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KitGuru says: GamesCom has a lot for everyone, eye candy included – but the reality is that game play is the real focus and it's easy to see why almost 300,000 hard core enthusiasts attend.

Comment below or in the KitGuru forums.

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Just how big is GamesCom 2012? https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/carl/just-how-big-is-gamescom-2012/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/carl/just-how-big-is-gamescom-2012/#respond Sat, 18 Aug 2012 08:22:54 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=104639 While experts on CNBC spent much of last Wednesday night discussing how likely it was that America would slip into a disastrous 2nd recession in 2013, after the presidential elections, Cologne was gearing up for the first public day of GamesCom 2012. KitGuru operatives sent back some cool shots that give you an idea of …

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While experts on CNBC spent much of last Wednesday night discussing how likely it was that America would slip into a disastrous 2nd recession in 2013, after the presidential elections, Cologne was gearing up for the first public day of GamesCom 2012. KitGuru operatives sent back some cool shots that give you an idea of the enormity of the event.

Estimates for how many people will attend GamesCom this year vary, but they are all close to 300,000. The show is not free, with an average entrance cost, per person, of almost £15 per day. If we say that the basic financials for the visitors is 300,000 x £15 = £4.5 million, then we're probably not far wrong.

On 'build up day', Sapphire's Bill Donnelly takes a moment out from preparations to take a quiet call. Once the doors open (right) there is no peace - unless you count the army of huge, motionless, security guards

Then we have the stands themselves.

Because every company attending is big/serious/loaded, there's very little available in the way of ‘discounts for bigger stand space'. Companies are paying close to £150 for a metre and it's easy to round that up to £200 a metre if you include electricity, Internet access, tickets for staff (yep, no freebies here), food during the day and some accommodation costs for team members based outside Cologne.

Thousands of cherry-picked staff work at GamesCom and you need them when you have stands as huge as the one for the Intel Extreme Masters gaming tournament. Intel's tournament barely fills one end of one hall!

With 11 halls in full effect, the organisers told us that the total area of the Koln Messe (German name for the location) was 120,000 square metres. We'd estimate that around 70,000 square metres of space has been sold – which would give the organisers more than £10 million for the show itself.

These calculations are very rough, but the organisers could be looking at £15 million for one event in a regular German city, in the middle of a boiling hot summer (temperatures nuzzled 30 degrees Cologne yesterday). And we haven't even touched the schnitzel, ice cream , pokie-pola or beer money.

Not bad going. Not bad at all.

These figures (and enormous crowds of German gamers) beg the question, “What recession?”

Apologies, but our operative's 24mm lens could not capture the left & right edge of ONE of these Call of Duty buildings. That's right. There are TWO of these monsters next to each other - 100% full for 4 days.

Remember, if you're based in the UK and want a much more civilised event on a sensible scale, but with equally great access to the new games, then you'd be well advised to make a trip to Multiplay i46 at the Telford International Centre over the Bank Holiday weekend.

It's like someone took the biggest out-of-town supermarket you ever saw, made copies, and arranged 11 of them along the outside of a single corridor - for the sole reason of making hardcore gamers happy.

KitGuru says: We hope you enjoy these shots of an extremely busy first day at GamesCom 2012. Next year, we'll send the chaps to Germany with MUCH wider lenses.

Comment below or in the KutGuru forums.

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