There is a lot of hype building around id Software’s upcoming post-appocalyptic shooter called Rage. They have been pushing it through social media campaigns for the past few weeks, including one with Facebook. They said that, if their Facebook page got 100,000 likes, they would give away the on-rails version of Rage for iOS for Free for one week.

Well, they hit their goal, and we all win because of it. Rage and Rage HD are both available for free from the App Store for one week only. There are two versions, but they are the same game. If you have a recent generation device (iPhone 4, iPad 2), then you should grab the HD version. Any older, and you should grab regular Rage.

Fair warning about the game: It’s pretty violent. The idea is that you are a competitor in a game show. The goal of the game show is to earn as much money as possible while shooting mutants. Considering that this is a mobile version of an upcoming M rated game, I wouldn’t let your impressionable child play it on their own.

I spent a little time with the game and I can say that I really enjoy playing it. Its a nice sized game, and that makes it an even better deal during its time as a freebie. I see it having a great replay value, despite only having 3  different  levels. Get it while you can, and then go play!

Let us know what you think of Rage by leaving a comment down below.

Many internet users love to discover new content. One of the best ways to do that is through StumbleUpon. The issue is that many users are beginning to use their tablets and smart phones more than their computers, and StumbleUpon didn’t always have the best presence in the mobile space. It seems as though that changes today.

StumbleUpon has released an updated version of their iOS, specifically their iPad app. As I see it, this is now a must have app for the iPad. Since I got my iPad back in March, I have wanted something just like StumbleUpon. I use my iPad as a couch computer for browsing the internet and playing games. StumbleUpon helps me discover content I may not have found otherwise.

You are probably asking yourself why I didn’t use Stumble on my laptop then. I think that the screenshot above provides your answer. My laptop’s desktop is really cluttered. When I am on my laptop, I am working, chatting in TWiT’s IRC channel, reading news items, talking on Steam, and browsing the web.

The StumbleUpon iPad app is pretty, and it keeps my attention. When I sit down and use the StumbleUpon app, its all I do. I get he best experience I have ever gotten out of StumbleUpon, and all it took was the iPad. Who would have thought.

One of the big features of this redesign is the social integration inside the app. The “social bar” shows you if users you follow on Stumble have liked a page. If not, you will get a suggestion as to who to follow on Stumble.

As I said, I feel like this app is a must have for all iPad owners. I don’t use those words very often. I think the social integration is amazing, the interface is amazing, and I love it. I whole hearted recommend you go out and get it.

App: StumbleUpon for iPad
Developer: StumbleUpon
Price: Free
Score: 5/5 – A Must Have

Team Fortress 2,  one of the most actively played multiplayer game received an even bigger boost following Valve’s announcement to make Team Fortress 2 free – forever. Released as part of the  Ãœber  update, Valve has made it clear that Team Fortress 2 will henceforth be free to download and play.

In addition to the free to play piece, the  Ãœber  update brings in a new map, redesigned crafting and training screens and a one-click start to play option. This will let you jump directly into a game after selection of the gameplay mode. The player will be pitted against random opponents into the best available server.

If you’re like me who had spent $50 and purchased the retail edition who might be grumbling against the game being free to play – it’s worth noting that your premium account will have access to rare  items by means of item drops. Premium players will also be able to store more items in the backpack, and will have access to more powerful trading and crafting abilities as compared to the free account.

Having said that, credit must be given to Valve for keeping Team Fortress 2 actively updated. To give you a bit of perspective, Team Fortress 2 was released way back in October 2007 after several delays and significant changes in art direction.

In an age where most developers are pushing out half complete games and then  demanding additional moolah for “unlocking” “premium” content – Valve has always been prompt in keeping Team Fortress 2 updated with fresh content, maps and gamestyles – all for free.

So Team Fortress 2 fans who have been holding back on getting it because of lack of funds – your time has come. Go download it from Steam. Get ready for some fryin’.

(Team Fortress old style image courtesy The Wikipedia)

Portal 2 as we all know has stolen our collective hearts (not mine, because I have sadly not played it yet) and is fast becoming the greatest game Valve has ever released (what was that? Oh yes, Half Life and Counter Strike are definitely up there, but we shall not follow that course of conversation for it inevitably leads to one of us giving the other a virtual punch on the nose) and is still racking up about 18,000 players on Steam these days. (Of course Counter Strike is still at the top. I shall politely refrain from saying anything further)

Of course, since it is one of Valve’s newer games, it needs Downloadable Content (DLC) to stay afloat (unlike some other Valve games) and Valve has announced that there is a new Downloadable Content Pack that is in the works for Portal 2. This content pack will contain new test chambers for players, leaderboards, challenge mode for single and multiplayer modes, and more, and will be completely and utterly free on all platforms!

Again Portal 2 is going to have a free DLC pack in the near future for all platforms and will   make sure that Portal 2 stays on top of Steam’s gaming stats.

(Addendum: This post was written in a strange kind of anti-Valve’s-new-games point of view. I assure you that it was humorous, and not cynical in any way. Counter Strike Portal 2 is the pinnacle of modern first person games.)

The worst possible time to make a backup is probably right after a computer crash, but that’s precisely the time when most computer users stop and consider doing so.

For most users backup isn’t a top priority, so they often forget to create regular scheduled backups, in case the worst happens.

However, with the introduction of online backup services, it’s now possible to create and upload backup of your files automatically, the software program runs in the background and uploads all your files onto the server whenever they are saved. This means you have a current and reliable backup to restore from.

There are numerous free online backup services out there, and in this post I will review 4 of the best.

SugarSync

Formerly known as Sharpcast, offers 5GB of online backup space, free for life, it supports automatic file synchronisation which allows you to keep your libraries updated across all your computers. Storage space is upgradable to 10GB if you refer friends, both gaining 500MB each.

Dropbox

Dropbox offers 2GB of free storage space, and is popular amongst computer geeks due to its support for Linux. While 2GB isn’t a lot of storage space, you can upgrade your free account by referring your friends; students get 500MB for each referral, and non-students get 250MB. The max free storage space allowed for students is 16GB and for non students it’s 8GB.

OpenDrive

OpenDrive offers 5GB storage space for free; it has features similar to SugarSync and Dropbox with automatic backups and synchronization abilities. Although it does provide ample space for free account holders, the space is not upgradable by referring friends. I also don’t like the fact that OpenDrive places a watermark on your images if you decide to share them on forums.

Mozy

Mozy is one of the most popular online backup companies out there, and offers 2GB of free storage space. We like the clean interface of Mozy, which is very easy to use. It has bandwidth throttling features to prevent it from clogging up your internet connection.

Out of all of these services, which I have personally tested, SugarSync is my favourite as it has a good 5GB storage space, straight out of the cuff, and is expandable to 10GB which is an impressive amount of storage space.

=== About the Author ===

Guest post written by Abdul Karim, a tech enthusiast, Windows fan and writer for the online backup services website

One does not simply QWOP into Mordor, said Gandalf to Frodo, with a kindly twinkle in his eye the kind that softly pours into your heart akin to looking at a matte print of creamy butter.

Do you have any idea what I am referring to? Yes it is QWOP, the legendary under trained runner who ran in the Olympics and… mostly never finished his 100m race. (I was most definitely not referring to the Lord of the Rings. Not in the slightest bit). From the makers of this horrendous (and hilarious) game comes GIRP.

The thing with QWOP and GIRP from foddydotnet (Dr. Bennett Foddy) is that while most other games are alright with you being slightly inaccurate with your controls, these games punish you, and punish you harshly for even the most minor of infarctions committed while carefully juggling controls.

GIRP is a game where the entire alphabetical keyboard (or most of it, anyhow) is the controller. You are a rock climber. You must press the letter on your keyboard corresponding to the rock climbing ring to grab hold of it. Then you must pull yourself up by flexing your muscles. Sounds easy enough? Oh yes, it is. Very easy. Do check it out for yourself if you want I assure you it’s very easy. (Forsooth, it’s incredibly tough)

The server had crashed after a recent explosion on Reddit and Minecraft creator Notch’s Twitter stream. It’s tough, twisted and way too addictive to be played during office hours.

Do go and spend a few hours on the game.

Yes, I know that was one horrible launch. What Eden Games promised was the seamless integration of single player and multiplayer experiences.   What players got was a glitchy permanent loading screen, corrupted save files and horror of horrors the saves not loading at all (without them being corrupted). So for all those who paid the $50 for the game, it was a heartbreaking (and wallet-shrinking) experience.

So what does Eden Games do? Supply free Downloadable Content (DLC), of course! After taking down a solid chunk of game breaking network components, and slave driving the entire studio force to get the game patched up, the game was somehow salvaged into a working…piece of software. Instead of just an apology, the yet-to-be-released DLC pack will be a free download for everyone who bought the game.

I wonder how long this entire charade of making a buggy-as-hell release of a huge game, patching it up with profuse apologies and then offering free DLC will continue with game studios. It happened with Assassins Creed: Brotherhood (where players got the two Animus Project packs for free), and Fable III players got a free pack of weapons (for the game!) from the game developers. A late, but relatively bug-free experience is infinitely better than a rushed release that has game-breaking bugs. If only someone told those publishers that…

Free-To-Play massively multiplayer shooter M.A.T. (Mission Against Terror) is quite a successful implementation of the free-to-play model. Developed by Toronto based Wicked Interactive, the game has a decent base of users and does a few things right that helps in its user base, such as solid gameplay and the necessary humanity’s survival is at staketrope.

However, now Wicked Interactive along with charity organization Gamers Outreach have been working on a project that will help Dallas Veteran’s Hospital and its patients. The project, GO KART, is basically the manufacture of a portable entertainment kiosk for mobile gaming for patients:-

Project GO KART is an initiative of Gamers Outreach that funds the construction of portable entertainment kiosks which are used to transport video games and other sources of entertainment to patients who have limited access to activities outside their rooms.

Wicked Interactive has announced that for every new registration for M.A.T., they will be donating one dollar for the GO KART project.

This is how you can help the mission as well:-

1.       Check out the Mission Against Terror campaign postcard in the PAX East swag bags.
2.       Use special information printed on the postcard to download and register Mission Against Terror.
3.       Add the special “Support” icon to your Facebook profile or personal blog.
4.       Tell your friends. Remember, for every person who signs up, one dollar will be donated to Gamers Outreach.
5.       Come to the special “Gamers Doing Good” panel on Friday, March 11, featuring Gamers Outreach’s own Zach Wigal and Stephanie Shea. More info: http://gamersoutreach.org/paxeastpanel.

Magicka is pretty funny. I thought it was passably funny until I passed Chapter 4 (A new hope) and went to Chapter 5 (Havindr Strikes Back). The light references to geek culture ranging from the aforementioned Star Wars to the narrative start with Stay a while… and listenfrom Diablo II touches our heartstrings (as does the SkiFree reference, but that’s another story).

But, more importantly, Magicka deals with a fairly unique mechanism of combining the elements into a unique Magick. The host of magical combinations along with collectable spells that deal extra damage is quite interesting. Initially, that is why you play the game. Later, though, when you find out the best combinations for each type of spell, you play the game to find out just how silly yet humorous this game can get.

Although the Arrowhead Studios-developed game was a download-only title for some time now, retail boxes have been produced in the UK and France. Publisher Paradox Interactive believes that this will entice more people to try the (pretty cheap) game and help the developer make mods and sequels (or better games).

This announcement comes hand in hand with the release of the soundtrack of Magicka for free at the game’s website. That’s right, you get twenty-six free ambient music tracks straight from the developer. The game has come a long way from its buggy release, and although the game is not extremely good, it’s well worth the $10 purchase.

Remember All Points Bulletin? At the same time, remember Realtime Worlds? Yes, the same Realtime Worlds (RTW) that made the ill-fated massively multiplayer 3rd person shooter game All Points Bulletin (APB). Their huge initial investment on the Unreal Engine powered game that was released as a buggy, laggy contraption and their subsequent demise as a company served as a reminder for the rest of the gaming world that big investments and pseudo-novel gameplay mechanics do not necessarily always equate to great success.

However, after Realtime Worlds shut shop, California based GamersFirst bought the game’s rights and started their work on publishing the game under the free-to-play model re-titled APB: Reloaded. We have seen that there is a genial amount of interest in this MMO model, and it seems that there is quite a bit of interest for this game. About 100,000 participants have registered for the open beta event of APB: Reloaded. Considering that at its peak the game had 130,000 users, it is fair to say that a good chunk of the previous players have come back for their fix of the crime-shooter. Also, the fact that GamersFirst does some good work with free-to-play games such as War Rock and Knight Online has probably helped in roping in the users.

However, these numbers indicate only the registrants for the beta event. When the game opens up for beta on the 28th of February, there will be a sizeable chunk of registrants who would not download and install the beta client. Only time will tell whether APB actually deserved this second life.