This Week In PC Games: ATi's HD Cards & More

By Greg McNevin

ATI Readies HD Graphics
After Nvidia’s chest thumping last week, ATI is getting set to compliment the launch its latest series of high-definition graphics cards by drumming up support from other hardware manufacturers.

ATI believes its Radeon HD 2000 Series of cards feature “superior” DirectX 10 performance and offers “the ultimate HD experience”, however, as it is going after the wallets of hardcore gamers it’s also signing deals left, right and centre with the likes of Coolmax, Corsair, FSP, Seasonic, Sintek and Thermaltake to name but a few.

By signing deals with power supply and cooling manufacturers, ATI is hoping to charm the bucks out of power hungry gamers and customisation enthusiasts who want the latest and greatest bits of bling for their beige boxes.

“With 26 of the world’s top power supply vendors jumping in to develop customised chassis and power supply units, our customers will have tremendous choice when it comes to building their ultimate custom PC,” says Godfrey Cheng, director, Platform Marketing, AMD Graphics Products Group.

ATI says the deals will also ensure much greater noise and heat reduction, something that will no doubt be welcomed by those who have put up with some of the jet-turbine air cooling systems required in the past.

[b]Half Life 2: Episode Two approaching…[/b]
More than a year after the first instalment of Half-Life 2’s episodic content hit Valve’s online gaming and distribution channel Steam, Episode Two is on the horizon and looking prettier by the day.

According to Shacknews.com, we can expect around double the playtime from this episode, with most play testers notching up around eight or nine hours completing the game as opposed to the five or so most players took for Episode One.

Episodic content has enabled Valve to focus on information density, so despite its relatively short playtime you can expect a lot of plot information to be squeezed into this episode. For example the Combine’s plans for a massive reinvasion effort are exposed and the G-Man apparently has large chunks of his role revealed.

Episode 2 is currently expected to ship in September/October this year, and with it and the highly anticipated Team Fortress Two hitting Steam, 2007 will no doubt prove to be a champagne year for Valve first person shooters.

GP Tycoon Coming Soon to a Browser Near You
In other upcoming game news, for those who prefer to play god than get behind the eyes of a scientist with an orange suit and a big gun, Grand Prix Tycoon has been announced by Quasit-Rushyo.

The game puts a Grand Prix team under player control in a persistent online racing universe. Players will be able to hire drivers, conduct R&D, compete for supply contracts, buy and sell shares in other teams and generally do whatever it takes to lay the fiscal smack down on other players.

GP Tycoon will be free and playable via any browser and on mobile phones, and because of this the game is more attuned with the business side of things than being a graphical wonder. This is definitely one for those who like building virtual empires, so don’t expect to be hopping behind the wheel for high-octane thrills.