Many computer games and applications require far more processing horsepower than an entry-level PC provides. Here are some of the cool and innovative games and applications that make use of the robust processing power of today’s higher-performance computers. —Steven L. Kent
TOM CLANCY’S SPLINTER CELL:
CONVICTION (LATE 2008)
When you are trained like super-spy Sam
Fisher, you are never unarmed. In this
fifth installment of the Splinter Cell series,
Fisher starts out empty-handed, but he
knows how to blend into the environment,
find black-market arms and survive. This
version features gunfights and chases, but
specializes in stealth and strategy.
MOVIEBOX
ULTIMATE
Whether you are
editing home movies,
converting old video
tapes to DVD, shoot-
ing video clips to upload to You Tube or
doing something big, MovieBox Ultimate
has the hardware and software you
need to turn your computer into a video
editor’s dream.
BIGSTAGE
Take three digital
photos of your face,
upload them on the
BigStage.com Web
site and you can
create an avatar: a
three-dimensional,
highly detailed image
of your face that you
can use in games,
insert into music
videos and use for all
kinds of mischief.
STARCRAFT II:
BLIZZARD (LATE 2008)
Insects, aliens and astronauts go head-to-head in an all-out battle for galactic
control in StarCraft II, the upcoming
sequel to one of the most popular real-time strategy games of all time. What
are the processing requirements?
Controlling armies with hundreds of
autonomous units requires a lot of
fast calculations!
EJAMMING
The band that plays together does not
necessarily need to stay together, not with
eJAMMING, an online service (http://
eJamming.com) that lets players hook up on
the Internet, compiles their tracks in real
time and makes long-distance collaborations nearly as smooth and seamless as
getting together for a garage session.
