Lucky StarCraft II Beta Gamers Can Invite Friends

Instant popularity if you have a spare StarCraft II beta invite.

Know someone in the StarCraft II beta right now? It might be time to be their best friend, as there's a chance that he or she might have a spare beta invite key at his or her disposal.

According to Kotaku, Blizzard has recently started sending out beta invites for its current beta testers to award to their best gaming buds.

On the other side of the equation, those of you who have a spare StarCraft II beta invite may suddenly find yourself at a heightened level of popularity. Please choose wisely who you gift the invite to, even if he or she may be the highest bidder.

Sega Talks on Total War MMO, 3D

Sega is considering both 3D and a Total War MMO.

Mike Hayes of Sega West recently spoke with CVG about the company's new strategy for hardcore and casual games, Sony's PlayStation Move, what's coming to E3 2010, and the future of theTotal War strategy series.

Hayes admitted that many people have asked if the company has considered taking the Total War franchise into MMO territory, however he would not confirm that Sega is indeed heading in that direction.

"We're constantly looking at [taking Total War in that direction], but MMO is a very competitive market," he said. "We want to get the core games right before anything else." He also added that MMOs are "feast or famine" with publishers, noting the somewhat-profitable Football Manager Live which has a 35,000-user fanbase.

The core games Hayes refers to is Aliens vs. Predator, Aplpha Protocol, and Bayonetta. He said that Sega is hoping to extend those games into full-blown franchises, to "sequal-ize" these particular titles. With that said, a Total War MMO may be a ways off... if at all.

Hayes also offered his take on 3D gaming, emphasizing that it's important to provide the real enhanced experience rather than throw in the technology "for technology's sake." His comment echos James Cameron and Codemasters Studios VP Gavin Cheshire who both insist that 3D projects are to be constructed from the beginning, and not tacked on in later stages.

"The first few games to prove we can play in three dimensions will be amazing," he said. "But eventually it will go back to what the story is, what the emotional connection is. It will just become: 'Oh, it's 3D again...' For us, we're still some way off 3D games until we can make one that's commercially viable."

Google's Nexus One Now Ready for AT&T, Rogers

Google's Nexus One now ready for AT&T and Rogers Wireless customers not wanting to grab an unlocked no-contract phone.

Have you been eyeing Google's Nexus One phone but you're locked to a provider on the more common 3G/UMTS bands (850/1900/2100 MHz)? That would be you if you're on AT&T or Rogers Wireless networks in North America.

Up until today, only T-Mobile owners could take full advantage of the Nexus One's 3G capabilities, but Google has now made available its premier phone for those who want to buy one to use on AT&T in the U.S. and Rogers Wireless or Fido in Canada.

The price is still $529, but that's a pretty good price for an unlocked smartphone of the Nexus One's caliber. Hopefully this will spur sales of the Nexus One, which so far has dismal numbers compared to the iPhone and Droid.

Internet Explorer 9 Will Never Work on XP

It's a modern browser for modern systems.

Tuesday Internet Explorer general manager Dean Hachamovitch introduced Internet Explorer 9 to MIX10 attendees. The reveal showed that the new browser is slated to support HTML5, hardware-accelerated graphics and text, and will also use a new JavaScript engine. Microsoft even made available a downloadable "platform preview," mainly designed for developers but was also open for general viewing.

However Tuesday we discovered that the IE9 platform preview wouldn't install on Windows platforms older than Vista SP2. The demo itself wasn't really usable as a browser: it lacked a full user interface. But despite its limitations, it was assumed that the lack of pre-Vista SP2 support was only applied to the current download.

That's not the case. In fact, Microsoft has now made it perfectly clear that Internet Explorer 9 will not work on Windows XP now or in the future. "Building a modern browser requires a modern operating system," Hachamovitch said during a press conference at the event.

For users of the older OS, Internet Explorer 8 might be the last new browser from Microsoft.

In related news, CNET reports that Hachamovitch also briefly talked about codecs Microsoft will support in Internet Explorer 9, however Hachamovitch would only "commit to H.264.

Commodore Makes Comeback With Keyboard PC

The old Commodore 64 spirit is channeled in upcoming keyboard PC that may support Hackintoshes

Commodore computers were at one time a big thing, but times have changed. Today Commodore is revived as a brand of gaming PCs and today, that brand now extends to keyboard PCs.

Commodore USA today debuted on its website a keyboard form factor PC that packs in all the necessary parts – except for the display – into the keyboard. Interestingly, Commodore lists on its slideshow for the product that it's compatible with a wide array of operating systems, including Windows, Linux and even Mac OS X. Of course, there's a note saying that Apple's OS is unsupported and that the user must install it himself.

Some may liken this keyboard PC to Asus' still unreleased Eee Keyboard, but the Commodore packs an optical drive and doesn’t have the integrated touchscreen. Engadget did point out that the product pictures do bear a striking resemblance to Cybernet's keyboard computers, which supported Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Quad, with starting prices at $629.

Look for the Commodore Keyboard PC to hit sometime in Spring.