The PC gaming world is on fire.
Quake 4, Call of Duty 2, The Witcher, Need for Speed: Most Wanted, Half-Life 2: Aftermath, Gothic 3, F.E.A.R., The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Prince of Persia: Kindred Blades... Tons of highly anticipated titles are gonna hit the shelves between now and Christmas.
PC gaming hardware is going crazy, too. ATi just released their R520 which isn't such hot stuff, but if you've read anything about the Radeon Xpress 200 motherboard chipset and Crossfire, you know they have a LOT of tricks up their sleeve. Of course, nVidia is still dominating with their 7800GTX and SLI mainly because they introduced it earlier and have no problem with production lines, but you can't put ATi down; they're just busy. Or not, I don't know. My point is, before we knew it, WHAM! a new generation of graphics cards has already hit us. Let's not even consider processors. Dual-core/Dual processors and a multithreading orgy are just around the corner...
Logitech's new G series of mice has just been released, as well as Razer's Copperhead. Microsoft has just attempted to rip us off with their Laser Mouse 6000. Other companies such as Raptor Gaming are also trying to keep up with the times of 2000+ dpi peripherals.
Recently, there has also been a return to the good old cloth mats, and I'm seriously considering getting an Everglide Titan. I have an Icemat Black 2 as of now, but the problem is that sweat which condenses onto the cold surface from my hand screws up my mouse. How? I have the Diamondback Plasma, which has an infrared sensor, and it simply cannot track over wet or even slightly damp surfaces, which is trouble. I'm also tired of hearing the mat and having to clean it frequently. 'Cleanliness is next to Godliness.' Well, yes... but no. Not with a mousepad, at least. Would anybody, given my current situation, actually recommend the Everglide Titan?
Lastly, I built a new rig at the end of July (A64 3000+ Venice, 2x512MB Mushkin Redline PC3200 2-3-2-6, Gigabyte X800XL, LanParty nForce 4 Ultra) and I didn't really appreciate watching the F.E.A.R. demo bring the system to its knees. Most details maxed out at 1024x768x32... 50fps average... God damn :)
I also succeeded in modding my nForce 4 Ultra to SLI, but I don't even know why the fuck I did it, considering the fact that I have an ATi card.
These were just some thoughts on how I see PC gaming now.
If you have nothing to post, at least tell me whether I should get the Everglide Titan or not. Thx.