2020 should become a landmark for Platinumgames – Japanese studio, where they did Bayonetta, Vanquish And Nier: Automata. For February, the company gathered on Kickstarter two million dollars to reprint The Wonderful 101. And at the end of the same month, the Japanese announced the superhero action Project G.G. , where players will fight giant monsters in the spirit of Godzilla.

What else will please us Platinumgames This year, it remains only to guess. To the release The Wonderful 101: Remastered (In the USA, the game will be released tomorrow, May 19, and in Europe – three days later) we decided to release a large review material about the heritage of the legendary studio. We will tell the story of each of their projects: from the debut bitemap ** Madworld ** to the recent action Astral Chain. And at the same time, let's try to figure out what to expect from future creations of eminent developers.

Platin Four

Founder Platinumgames Tatsuya Minami – a native of Capcom ; He worked in the publishing house for almost twenty years and worked on the series Resident Evil , Devil May Cry And Mega Man. However, over time, Tatsuya decided that he no longer wanted to sculpt the sequins of popular franchises; In 2006, he left Capcom, and soon opened his own company.

But he is not the only founder of Platinumgames. Around the same period, Capcom disbanded the internal studio Clover , Famous by Viewtiful Joe, ** okami ** and God Hand. The critics of their games liked the game, but they were sold weakly, so Capcom decided to transfer Clover workers to the Resident Evil and Devil May Cry. But three company employees did not like this decision: they, like mines, wanted to develop something truly unique. Former Clover Executive Director Atsusi Inaba left Capcom shortly after the mines. And after him, two more legendary game designers went: Shinji Mikami, father Resident Evil, and Hideki Kamia – the head of the development of Devil May Cry. Initially, they were going to create games only three, but after a few months they connected to mines – and together with it they founded Platinumgames.

Comedy bitemap God Hand was the last work of Shinji Mikami under the start of Capcom

Under the wing Sega

True, in order to release AAA projects, one talent is not enough. Any serious studio needs a publisher – and Platinumgames agreed with Sega. The new studio with such a gold composition in the SEGA was accepted with open arms – and immediately signed an agreement to create four new projects.

The first of them was Madworld black and white slasher-exclusive for WII , which came out on March 10, 2009. He turned out to be … rather informative. People are accustomed to the fact that WII is a console for the whole family, but Platinumgames has gone from the opposite: filled the project with scenes of violence and black humor. The slasher even wanted to ban in many countries, and in Germany the game never came out.

As a result, Madworld was poorly sold both in the West and Japan – although the game itself turned out to be excellent, and the press collected a good. But in a purely commercial plan, the first pancake Platinumgames came out lumpy. However, the SEGA leadership did not bother.

The next game in the portfolio of the Japanese was Infinite Space -RPG, inspired by the science fiction novel Arthur Clark "End of childhood". There are more than 150 ships in this space simulator – and as many crew members to choose from, and the plot is built on the adventures of a young captain named Yuri, who is trying to protect his native galaxy from a huge military empire. It is not surprising that the "platinum" did it not alone, but with the Tokyo studio Nude Maker. Infinite Space has also become an exclusive for the console Nintendo – Only not WII, but portable DS.

The last witch

And already in October 2009 in Japan I went out Bayonetta , For the development and script of which Hideki Kamia was responsible. It was he who decided that this time the main character should become a woman – but not simple, but a witch from an old clan. And if Dante fought with demons, then the opposite is true: Bayonetta puts his ass to the angels. And four guns help her at once: sage, parsley, rosemary and thymeyan.

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From early childhood, the animator of the Hideti Kai project adored militants with Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, and had not yet missed a single series Kamen Rider or Ultraman And excitedly watched the battles Antonio monks and Akira Maeda. It was these memories that formed the basis of the animations of the Bayonet. And for the witch to seem more feminine, Hidetosi added dance elements in her movement – including ballet.

Literally the whole game is filled with similar important little things. And how many allusions are there for other projects! For example, gathering haze is a direct reference to the rings from Sonic the Hedgehog , and in some katsets the witch quotes openly Devil May Cry.

Bayonetta has become one of the most successful Platinumgames projects. The slasher came out on all possible platforms: from Xbox 360 And PlayStation 3 to Wii U , PC And Nintendo Switch. And on February 18 of this year, there were also versions for PlayStation 4 And Xbox One.

Time to win

And to talk about the fourth game from Platinum, you will have to go from afar. In 2006 studio Epic Games Issued GEARS of WAR – and forever changed the genre of shooters from a third person. American developers decided to take the look from the shoulder that was in Resident Evil 4 , and a system of shelters from Kill.Switch. As a result, it turned out to be an action where players do not just clean the endless waves of enemies, but hide behind objects on locations and make tactical decisions. Gears of War had a huge impact on console shooters, and Vanquish from Platinumgames – one of them.

She had other sources of inspiration. When Shinji Mikami finished his previous God Hand project, he took a vacation for a year and a half-and in order to somehow diversify a long vacation, the game designer began to watch Japanese cartoons. Among them, science fiction anime was closed "Kassyan" , And it was it that produced the developer to create a dynamic shooter, where players will be able to not only slow down time, as in Max Payne , but also quickly slide throughout the location on the reactive engine. Initially, they wanted to make sure that the hero could be worn on a map from one point to another and exterminate enemies in a vast territory, but during the development the team still made the world a linear-but filled it with a huge number of details.

For example, the majority of Robots are red, because they literally serve as an ominous Russian organization Zvezda, and we, of course, play for an American paratrooper who is trying to prevent Russia from capturing the whole world. In a word, the plot of Vanquish is a mishmash of stamps taken from American blockbusters, and even with purely Japanese absurd performance. Fortunately, the shooter can be passed without paying attention to the Katsen: they have little effect on the gameplay, and all the fun is concentrated precisely in battles.

Vanquish was the first and last Sinji Mikami Micks project inside Platinumgames. Shortly before the release, he founded his own company Tango GameWorks , where later and left Platinum. Shinji wanted to give a way to young developers: usually high posts in Japanese studios are occupied by employees older than forty, and young people have almost no chance of promoting their ideas. Therefore, Mikami decided to release his final game, and then give in to the workplace in Platinumgames to someone younger.

And what happened next, you yourself already know: the creator of Resident Evil again took up horror films. Four years after the release of Vanquish, in 2014, he released the debut project of his new studio-Survival-Corror The Evil Within.

Anarchy reigns here

Meanwhile, the SEGA leadership extended the contract with Platinumgames. Their fifth game was a multiplayer action movie Anarchy reigns -The ideological heir to Madworld, only without black and white aesthetics. But the Sega transferred the release of the game in the West for a whole year-from 2012 to 2013-so it took place at the most inopportune moment: a week before DMC: Devil May Cry From Capcom. And although Platinum called its project innovative and unique, critics accepted it ambiguously. The audience hoped to see an entertaining solitary regime with a good story, and instead got a weak plot, repeated missions and an empty game world. The network regime turned out to be much more lively in terms of battles, but there were also gameplay and purely technical problems there. In a word, the project did not live up to the expectations of players or high -profile promises of developers.

Even in Japan, Max Anarchy sales – that’s what the game was called in their homeland – turned out to be too low. Apparently, in Sega it was not for nothing that they spared the money to advance from fear that the project would be commercial failure. After this failure, Platinumgames switched to more “safe” titles in other people's franchises – and the first of them threw up the developers Konami.

Kojima is a genius

All thanks to Hideo Kojima. When in 2008 came out Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots , He began to look for ideas for the new part of the series. One of the employees Kojima Productions proposed to develop the history of a secondary hero – Ryden. I liked the proposal, and already at E3 2009 Kojima presented the fans of the future Metal Gear Solid Riding. The studio spent several years on the development of a slasher, but she did not understand how this project could be implemented from the technical side. The game about cyborg-ninja should be spectacular and dynamic, but the developers from Kojima Productions specialized in stealth-and this was weakly intersected with slasers. By 2011, the studio was at a dead end: it was necessary to either abandon the initial idea, or transfer development to other performers. Kojima proposed the Platinumgames project – and if they rejected it then, then Metal Gear Riding: Revengeance, Most likely, it would not have been born.

The new developers greatly changed the plot so that people who are not familiar with the series understand what is happening there. And, of course, the gameplay was thoroughly redone: many mechanics were changed and even wanted to completely abandon the stealth elements. However, in the final version they are still present, even if they play a secondary role. But tire of enemies in Slow-Mo is a continuous pleasure!

One of the future artists of the project, Kenitiro Yoshimura, was just going to leave the studio for freelance. But a few days before dismissal, he looked at the designers of Metal Gear Rising – and remained in horror. The visual style of the game has not at all echoed with the manner of Yoji Sinkawa, the leading designer of the characters and furs of the original franchise. Yoshimura could not keep silent, went to the director – and so his last three days in Platinumgames have turned into another six months of painstaking work. But this was the right decision: Konami approved most of his illustrations, and even Yoji Sinkava himself was delighted with them.

Illustrations of Sinka

And concept art Kenitiro Yoshimura

In February 2013, Metal Gear Riding: Revengeance finally went to store shelves. The work of Platinumgames was appreciated: the project was approved by critics, fans, and even ordinary players, not a drop who are not familiar with the series https://sister-site.org/players-club-vip/.

On this, the first part of the history of Platinumgames is coming to an end. But soon we will continue it – so subscribe to gambling in social networks so as not to miss the continuation. In it we will tell you why the second part of Bayonetta reached only Nintendo Wii U, which is why we canceled Scalebound And how the beloved was created for everyone Nier: Automata. And at the same time, let's figure out which project can rightfully be called the worst in the history of Platinumgames.

In the meantime, stay with the gambling – and play only the best.

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[[Break]]

Before any decent person stopped looking at computer games as some unpleasant infection, they-games-had to go through a lot. The developers needed to come up with a three -dimensional graphics. It was necessary to spend conditions on screenwriters and producers. It was necessary to learn how to model cities, ecosystems and universe. It was necessary to kill – a flaw, for a long time, expensive, the ions have gone to ensure that people believe in death on the monitor. We needed all the technologies of the world: physically correct dirt, blood, sweat, tears. The latest systems for capturing the movement of the pupil. It was necessary to sort through all the popular cinema and the action: action, horror, noir, detective, comedy. It was finally necessary to turn into a giant, monstrous industry – with their scandals, analysts, corporations and revolutionaries. And all this is so that the thirty -seven -year -old American programmer is almost alone, he created the most adult, simplest and most piercing interactive work with his own money. Braid. Remember this name. After it, computer games will never be the same as before.

The sequence of existence

Let's immediately deal with the basic provisions. Braid is a flat, two -dimensional platformer. Remember Super Mario Bros .? Braid is no more complicated. Here it is necessary to jump on the enemies on the head, fight with the boss-dragon and save the princess. But there is one subtlety. Time. Despite the fact that the “Explanatory Dictionary of the Living Great Russian Language” by Vladimir Dahl interprets the time as “the sequence of existence; Continuation of cases, events ", in Braid, it is not consistent. Moreover, time is behaving like it: it slows down, accelerates, fades back, stands still, repeats and wrapped in a loop. In addition to traditional control keys (forward, backward, up, down, a “gap”), Braid entrusts you with another button – rewinding back. No restrictions, no meters, no resource – you just clamp Shift and see how reality curls backwards: monsters climb into their holes, the hero flies out of the abyss, shells along with smoke go into the cannon. This is not that a revelation-manipulation over time over the past few years has become a common place and only a lazy author did not compose any temporal trick for his game. But here everything is just beginning with rewinding.

In each of the seven chapters of Braid, the time behaves in a new way. The game throws the most spectacular trick literally immediately: in the second world, time depends on you. While you move to the right – it flows with the hero in the usual direction. But it is worth taking a step back – and everything will go the other way around. This is a very, very simple technique, but thanks to him, the game knocks out the soil from under the feet with one blow. A minute ago you worked on genre instincts: a skok-scrap, a young droo. And then everything changes – along with a step to the left, the newly lowered platform rises back. A monster from which it was necessary to push back to the hole. You cling to the time, try to cheat, dodge, somehow dashingly jump, but Braid in Braid is very simple and at the same time very clear rules-everything is designed up to seconds, you will not deceive the time.

And this https://sister-site.org/fancy-reels/ is only the beginning. Already in the next level, the rules are changing: now every time you use rewinding, a hero of the hero appears on the screen, repeating all the movements. And it begins: pull the lever, rinse the time, wait until the same lever pulls your shadow, jump and so on. And then a sphere appears, in the radius of which the time gets away, like a fuel oil. And then – oh, it’s better not to know.

Braid, of course, only pretends to be a platformer. This is actually a puzzle. The purpose of each level is not to run from the beginning to the end, but to collect all the elements of the mosaic scattered in the most inaccessible places. There is not a single identical task here. As soon as you get used to the behavior of time in this world, the game will begin to introduce new conditions: “And now we will have monsters on which rewinding does not work”, “And now everything is the same, but twice as fast”, “And now This key will slip out of hands ". It seems periodically that Braid is mocking – you get out, clench your teeth, squint, get angry, finally find a way out of the situation, just to find out that the tricky trick does not work on the next screen.

The theory of relativity

BRAID – of course, outstanding game design, collection of talented puzzles. The game can be slipped on one sporting interest – and what's next? But you can try to look around. And then it turns out that she has a plot, and what.

Elements of the puzzles that you collect are formed in simple paintings: someone catches a glass of wine, someone is late for a flight at the airport, someone looks into the old children's room. And there are texts. Very simple notes: “Tim is looking for a princess. She was kidnapped by a terrible monster. This happened because Tim made a mistake ". And then something clicks. If you have grown up to that moment in your life, when there is where to look back, then at some point Braid will grab the heart and very, very painfully squeezes. And suddenly in all actions on the screen there will be a real meaning that has nothing to do with computer games. Suddenly, the rewinding will cease to be an entertaining gamed -design trick and it seems that they are talking about very personal things, which, it seems, no one should know. That some mistakes remain to live with you forever. About how you want to apologize to the parents for all those nonsense that you probably spoke to them for so many years. The fact that the "Big Soviet Encyclopedia" is still the rights and time is the main form of the existence of matter. And how scary it is.

Braid legalizes all those thirty years that we drove the pixels and landfills on the screen. Because now the meaning has appeared in this. The pixels suddenly looked from the screen and started talking about questions that are not customary to raise in computer games. About time. About the relationship. About responsibility. In order to start this dialogue in the cinema, David Fince needed terrible millions and Brad Pitt – it turned out to be expensive, bulky and excessive Benjamin Button. Thirty -seven -year -old Jonathan Blow needed several pixels and mechanics "Super Mario".

* * *

Braid steps on an extremely dangerous territory: one wrong step, one fake note – and that’s all, you are already behind the line where graphomania and vulgarity begin. The game not only does not take this step, it perfectly, perfectly withstands all the tests for strength. This is what is called “experience transmitted in sensations” in personal efficiency training – when you suddenly understand and feel so sharply that it is difficult to breathe a thousand times. When after the final credits you cannot find the strength to get up from the chair. In the cinema, this was the last time that took place on the premiere of the “Eternal Synia of Clean Mind”, to which all friends were later reserved for consistently. With Braid, a similar story – I really want to show it to everyone, to persuade everyone who reads this magazine, immediately get up and pay Jonathan Blow his modest $ 15. And then sit down and go through it again.

P . S . Despite the deceptively simple appearance, the Braid PC version has quite serious requirements for the video card: for a comfortable game you will need no less than 512 MB of memory. Also make sure that it supports all modern technologies – Braid uses them in the most active way.

Rehibition – no

Cool plot – yes

Originality – yes

Easy to master – yes

Evidence of expectations: 100%

Gameplay 9

Graphics 10

Sound and music 10

Interface and management 10

Waited? 2D platformer about time management. The most piercing and truly adult game in the world.

Mania rating 9.0

"Fabulous"

[[Break]] parts of mosaics

Braid is an anthology of interactive revelations or the so-called “aga-issues”, as Jason Roorer, an important Indie Figure, the author of the famous Passage. Below are several situations during which the “gambling” employees in their heads joined the joyful “yeah yeah!".

Self -sacrifice

A piece of mosaic hangs humiliatingly above your head, which can’t pick up. Conducting attitude towards monsters is one of the most important revelations Braid. You understand that you need to use the tool entrusted to you not for yourself, but for the enemy to lead it through the ridge of obstacles. And – yeah! – push off from his crown.

Immunity

You solve a lot of riddles, take out the key, carry out tricky combinations to finally get on a platform that is not subject to rewinding effect. Over the next few seconds, in the opposite direction, good twenty minutes of real time will fly in the opposite direction, canceling everything that has been done before. Yeah!

The elusive key

You joyfully grab the key, confidently rush forward, to the door. But it is worth taking a step back to get around the obstacle, as the key falls out of the hands. Yeah, at this stage you can go with the key only from left to right! Going through the level is not so difficult. It is much more difficult to understand why the key eludes Tim. It's all about the design of the world: time is back when Tim goes to the left, which means that the key moves into the past. Why you can’t get it with your hand? Is it possible to turn into half a turn and grab it? This level will make you think deeply.

Parts of the mosaic

Braid-real art game. Everything that her author wants to say, he does interactively. It may seem to you that the mosaics opening each stage will somehow help to understand the history of Braid, but this is not so. Their task is to explain the device of worlds.

Time and Forgiveness

(Time and forgiveness)

At an extremely crucial moment, a man drops a bottle of wine. In this world, we learn about the main feature of BRAID – the ability to rewind time. There is no such mistake that we could not fix. Restore a broken bottle and save a spoiled date – which could be easier for someone who is able to let go of the time?

Time and Mystery

(Time and secret)

The picture itself is clarified little. In this case, the rules of the world are intelligibly set out in green books that the hero reads in the clouds: “From afar, Tim saw a castle whose flags are swaying, even when there is no wind, and bread in the kitchen is always fresh there …” Not everything in this world is subject to time. So we are represented by PHASE – resistance to rewinding. How alcohol is associated with this – think for yourself.

Time and Place

(Time and place)

An adult man enters his children's room. There are his toys, old baseball cap and prehistoric Commodore 64. Returning to places from our past, we seem to be transferred to it. In the world of Time and Place, the time depends on the position of Tim. It moves with him: it freezes when he stands still, and backs up when he goes back.

Time and Decision

(Time and decision)

Take a look at the picture: it depicts two identical people. The action takes place at the airport. One, sad, is waiting for its plane; another, joyful, probably already flew in. The same people with completely different destinies – in this world Tim will have a shadow double, solving his problems.

Hesitance

(Doubt)

"The ring makes itself felt. It shines like a warning sign, repels people ". The wedding ring makes it clear that you already have a loved one. In the picture it lies in the garbage bucket, filling it with its radiance. In this world, you will use the ring to slow down – the closer the objects are, the lower their speed.

Between the lines

• Constellation over the house of Tim – Andromeda
• The artist redrawn the monster's nose twenty times
• Jonathan Blow spent about $ 200,000 personal savings on Braid – most of them went to the fee to the designer
• The working prototype was ready in a year – it had the same levels and riddles as in the final version. Three years were required to finish the design
• If you climb the attic, a panorama of the city with two skyscrapers will open, apparently, towers of the World Commercial Center
• The key object of the plot Braid is an atomic bomb
• Braid has become the best -selling game for the Xbox Live Arcade service
• At different levels, in the house of Tim and even in pieces of mosaic, eight stars are hidden

Time and personality

Jonathan Blood, 37 years old

Programmer, game designer, USA

I don’t remember when exactly the idea of ​​Braid originated. It seems that one morning I woke up and realized what exactly I want to do. The best ideas come in a dream, that's for sure.

Games take a lot of time! I also study the kung fu and gymnastics of Tai-chi, which also takes time. Having finished with the first three hobbies, I'm just looking for a way to spend the rest of the day with benefit.

Once we argued with friends about whether the time rewinds were needed. One of us ardently defended the position that such an opportunity should be in absolutely every game, and in unlimited quantities! It is strange that no one but me tried to check this technique in practice.

The idea was finally formed after a trip to Thailand. Traveling always inspire me. Returning home, I collected the first working prototype in a week.

"Invisible cities" Italo Kalvino and "Dreams of Einstein" by Alan Lightman had a strong influence on the plot and appearance of the game. Braid – the same excursion to unknown worlds.

There were many ideas that fell off in the development process. For example, a step -by -step world "without the direction of time". Ultimately, I left only those with the properties of which can be played for several levels.

Tim is not a hero at all! He is a thoughtful guy who is looking for his place in this world. I don't know why he wears a suit – it should just be so. In addition, a red tie and red hair do not allow it to merge with the background.

Gumba (flattened monster from Mario. – Approx. "Gambling" ) looks so sad to make the player doubt. If you are a cute cartoon man who jumps on the same Milyag, is harmless. But if you are an adult man who crushes unfortunate creatures with human faces, it means that something is definitely wrong here.

Three years took to finish the design of the game. Of course, I was afraid that during this time my idea could be stealing – because I talked so much about Braid. Indeed, several flash clones appeared, but all of them were somewhat different from my game, so it turns out that he just gave people food for thought. I urge everyone: do not be afraid to share your ideas!

I will not tell you anything about the plot. I did not write a novel or a short story, and certainly I can’t express my thoughts in one paragraph. Thoughts laid down in Braid are difficult to take directly.

My next project is dedicated to written speech.

The exam was written, exams are passed, vacation pay was received – the glorious time of the summer holidays is in full swing. With a clear conscience, you can leave the gamepad gather dust on the shelf, and go to warm up the bones to the beach, go to my grandmother in the village or order a tour to a distant country. The current software is dedicated to tourism. Rest in the summer you need to recharge with positive and energy for the entire subsequent labor year. To make the life of a potential tourist a little easier, we selected seven specialized programs for PCs, several applications for mobile devices that will be useful abroad, and collected a selection of extensions for browsers and links on the Internet that will help you choose the travel route.

Our "Gamean Standard" has not gone anywhere; As before, Soft@IGROMANIA mail works.ru. We will be glad to reviews and wishes, we will take note of constructive criticism. Send your programs to the review, and – an unforgettable rest this summer!

PMETRO

In many large megacities of the world, a metro system is developed. Getting, say, in the Tokyo or New York subway, the tourist faces a tooth-free puzzle of Vesti and stations, which this program will help to solve.

Sphere: Catalogs, different

The version in question: 1.29.5

Developer: Boris Muradov

Languages: Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, English

Type of distribution: Freeware

Website: http: // pmetro.SU

Pmetro will build the optimal route from point A to point B in advance, will count the approximate time that you spend underground, and celebrate all forced transplants. You can set several initial and end stations at once, note the obligatory and undesirable stops in the path. Even the eternal problem of the sketching of the escalator is taken into account – you can request a hint in which car is better to sit down to be faster at the exit.

Unfortunately, initially there is not a single card in the database. Will have to download the necessary schemes from the official site in advance. There are few more than two hundred of them. Sorted into three blocs: cities of Russia, cities of the CIS countries and long -distance abroad. Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Nizhny Novgorod, Yekaterinburg, Samara and Kazan are represented from Soviet underground architecture. There are even fictional metro cards. You can find a plan of the non -existent "subway" of Veliky Novgorod – one of the oldest cities in Russia, or Lost Heaven from the first Mafia. In addition, all metro cards support the newfangled 3D mode. The function is completely useless and, in my opinion, even uncomfortable.

However, not a "underground" a single. The program turned out to be omnivorous, all on the same site for it there are references of the ground transport traffic, travel schemes to airports and stations and plans for various objects near the metro stations (theaters, museums, church, cinemas, etc. For the most demanding public, information about mobile operators presented at the stations is provided.

Rating :

Possible alternatives :

• Metro
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• Calendar metro (in the kiosks of every city)

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Country Codes

The most necessary data on more than 250 countries of the world in one small application.

Sphere: Catalogs, different

The version in question: 2.7.0

Developer: Izox Zone

Language: English

Type of distribution: Freeware

Website: http: // izoxzone.Com/

Unfortunately, the developers abandoned the project, and since 2006 the updates have not left. But also the data that is now is still relevant. The full name of the country, geographical location, international telephone code, adopted international abbreviations (IOC code), domain name of the first level, reduction for the national currency and official language – all this can be seen on the main window of the utility, choosing the country's interest from a huge list.

In the upper right corner you can admire the national flag, just lower – to find out the geographical coordinates of the largest cities, as well as compare your own local time with the current time in the selected country and time according to Greenwich. If this information does not seem enough, you can go directly from the program to the country's page in Wikipedia.

For the especially curious, a world map is provided, which shows the location of the country and once again indicates local time. From this window, the utility can throw for additional information to the National Geographic website.

You will not have to write out the necessary data manually. A button is provided at once copying all the displayed information. How to use it further – to solve you already.

Rating :

Possible alternatives :

• Land Info
• Geos
• Geo Information System

Windows 7 knowledge piggy bank

Windows for tourists. The folder C: \ Windows \ Globalization \ MCT contains collections of desktop wallpapers dedicated to different countries. Russia, USA, Italy, Great Britain, Germany, Japan, Australia – only eighteen countries and the same number of folders. Each has six art-sophisticated high resolutions.

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You burn! If you click twice on any ISO-image (provided that this type of files is not tied to any program), a small built-in application for recording the image on a clean disk will start.

Guid code. Having prescribed in the name of the new folder “XXXXX.{78F3955E-3B90-4184-BD14-5397C15F1EFC} ”(without quotation marks), you will get quick access to PC performance parameters. Xs can be replaced with any text that will become the name of the new smart folder.

KVS AVAIABILITY TOOL

A universal remedy for finding air tickets from different air carriers.

Sphere: Catalogs, different

The version in question: 7.0.1

Developer: KVS

Language: English

Type of distribution: SHAREWARE (functional restrictions)

Price: $ 20–45

Payment method: Credit card, PayPal

Website: http: // www.Kvstool.Com/

Without strong drinks, strong words and fitness, FAQ will not work out in the program, we guarantee you. However, choosing a ticket is always a headache. But if you overcome the primary stage of entry, then life will become much easier. Unfortunately, there is another obvious stumbling block – price. More recently, the program provided for a trial version, which was subsequently mercilessly exterminated. Now the utility will not even talk to you until a sonorous coin falls at the expense of the developers. The cost depends on the selected version (gold, platinum or diamond), as well as on the desired period of use – two months, six months, year. Then you have to fork out again. We recommend taking everything to a minimum, all the necessary functionality is laid in the basic version.

KVS AVAIABILYTY TOOL in real time is associated with world Saber, Amadeus and Galileo systems. The desired option must be specified in the upper column "Method" (Method). Then we enter the main data of the request: departure airport, arrival airport, date, time, desired air carrier and class. All primary body movements are carried out in the “AvalaBility” tab. After scanning offers from airlines, the program will provide the most different useful and relevant information: the availability of places, tariffs, docks, tariff rules and route construction, MST (minimum docking hours) and much more. The application will be especially https://sister-site.org/jackbit/ useful when searching for places and building premium ticket routes. The main task is not to be confused in many abbreviations and abbreviations. But for this, the official website provides detailed instructions for use. True, only in English.

Thus, you become an agent in the agency. Almost the entire range of offers from air carriers, with different nuances and subtleties, is revealed before your gaze. The disadvantages include the lack of support for Apollo and WorldSpan systems.

Rating :

Possible alternatives

• Matrix Airfare Search
• Expert Travel Services
• Ozon. Booking air tickets

Expansion for browsers

Even without Google or Yandex, a browser can provide significant assistance in finding tickets, booking rooms in hotels and organizing an entertainment program. You just need to choose the right widgets correctly.

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"Hotel Search" for Opera

The name of the extension is the best characterizes its functionality. We add from ourselves that when clicking on the “House” button, to the right of the navigation panel, a window appears in which you only need to enter the city of stay, the date of arrival and departure and the number of people. After that, the widget will move to the website Hotels.Aviasales (http: // Hotels.Aviasales.ru/), on which all available options will be presented at your request.

Traveler’s Pack for Mozilla Firefox

A selection of six special tour extensions. Although some can only conditionally attribute to the topic of tourism, there is a really useful thing – Invisiblehand. A separate button after installation does not appear, the widget shows activity only when it can really benefit. Its main skill is to track the lowest prices. Whether it is an online store or a ticket booking site, expansion will analyze all offers and indicate the most profitable price.

Touristye Planner for Google Chrome

A very curious application that will help plan a vacation. After installation, you will be asked to enter the system using the login and password Facebook or Twitter. Then we enter the place of rest – any city on Earth – and the number of days. In the block on the left, the application will build a frame of your vacation by the number of days, and in the main window will offer a maximum of possible attractions. Considering photographs and reading brief information, it remains only to decide: go to the Louvre or spend a day on inspection of the beauty of Versailles? Visit Notre Dame or, perhaps, take a walk between the skyscrapers of the business district of La Defans? Having made a decision, we tug a picture with a landmark in a recreation center plan and indicate the time that is not a pity to spend there. The program knows how to display a map with the location of the selected places for visiting and the route. And the full paid version will also help book rooms in hotels.

Tourism: countries and cities of the world

An offline reference book for a real tourist who dreams of visiting as many countries as possible.

Sphere: catalogs, different

Considered version: Not indicated

Developer: Yaxy.ru

Language: Russian

Type of distribution: Freeware

Site: http: // eBook.YAXY.ru/

In fact, we have a regular site that has been reborn to a self-sufficient EXE file and can now be launched on any computer without needing to connect to the Internet. It is far from always far from home to find an access point to the network, so having such an electronic brochure is not superfluous. All material is laid out in two categories: “countries of the world” and “cities of the world”. The official website states that the first more than two hundred, the second – 130. Do not believe. In the list of 198 countries and 192 capitals.

For each city or country, complete information about nature and climate, population, language and religion, development history, cultural significance, state system, as well as transport communication and the main attractions are presented. The educational program ends with the “Information for the Tourist” block, from where you can draw a very specific applied information: the necessary visa, local currency, recommended places for visiting and recreation, trading and power points, travel features.

Read – good, see – even better. Following this principle, the authors complement each article with several photos. The reverse side is a decent weight and not too nimble work. However, this can be forgiven. But definitely one cannot but scold the clumsy design and the navigation block on the left, from which the names of countries and cities are very poorly read.

Rating :

Possible alternatives :

• Wikipedia

Unusual mobile applications

In this issue, we will consider several applications for iOS and Android, which are not so much unusual as just useful. Again – for a traveler.

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Lufthansa for iOS and Android

Lufthansa is the largest European air carrier, the services of which our citizens resort more and more often. The official official application for mobile phones opens access to all the services of Lufthansa Efly: viewing, booking and tracking flights of flights, registration on board and choosing a place in the aircraft cabin. The program will help to monitor the special shares of the company, and you will be able to save significantly on tickets. The only drawback: in our country, online registration can only be held at Domodedovo Airport, since it is there that there are terminals for printing landing coupons.

OffMaps 2 for iOS

VGPS Offline Map for Android

If you prefer to travel not with the group, but, as they say, “savage”, then you will probably purchase paper guides. This archaism can be abandoned by installing offline electronic cards. They will help to navigate anywhere in the world: they will show the current location, conduct to the indicated purpose, talk about architecture monuments along the way, instructed where you can have lunch, mark the location of shops, pharmacies, automobile gas stations and other institutions. The most important thing is to download the maps of those cities that you want to visit in advance. Each weighs in the region of hundreds of megabytes and is sold for $ 0.99, which is definitely cheaper than a printed publication at a price of 5-15 €. For especially curious ones, it is possible to upload an article from Wikipedia to the application, however, only in English.

[Tripit – Travel Organizer for iOS and Android] (http: // itunes.Apple.COM/RU/App/Tripit-Travel-Organizer-Free/ID311035142?MT = 8 https: // play.Google.COM/Store/Apps/Details?ID = COM.tripit & feature = search_result#?T = w251BGWSMSWXLDESIMNVBS50cmlwaxqixq …)

To drive a little further than around the city for barbecue, you need to collect a whole pile of papers. Any avid tourist for all documents even has a special folder. The electronic organizer will help get rid of the need to carry the entire waste paper with you. The data are archived in electronic form: important rooms, flights of flights and reservation numbers, information about hotels and the fare to them, confirming the room of the room, a plan for visiting attractions and information about mandatory meetings – with guides, for example. If the phone is discharged on the road, you can use a regular computer, a backup copy of the trip plan is saved in the online base. Unfortunately, not all airlines perceive data from electronic media. Here you have to shake the dented landing coupon in the old fashioned way.

Land Info

Another utility containing a variety of data on countries and settlements. Its main specialization is the cities and the weight of our vast Motherland.

Sphere: catalogs, different

Considered version: 2.0

Developer: Free Breeze Tools (Veterok)

Language: Russian

Type of distribution: Freeware

Site: the official site is closed, look for a program on the network

In terms of statistical data, it is inferior to the same Country Codes , But he knows how to sing. A thin Midi-headed application sings the bravura national hymns of different countries. Unfortunately, the option is not always available, in addition, over the past few years, some musical national symbols have managed to become obsolete and change. In the dry residue: flag, name of the capital, the country's area, its population, the date of education and the undersized map on which the mainland is noted.

The main scientific value is disclosed on the next three tabs. Information on subjects and cities of Russia has been collected here. By choosing an interest in the region from the list – say, the Tver region, you will learn that it belongs to the Central Federal and Economic District, and its largest cities are Tver, Rzhev and Vyshny Volochek. A brief historical summary, information about the geographical position, area and population is given immediately. For a snack – a flag and a coat of arms, as well as an automotive room index.

On the next tab, the developers have set us with the emblem of each individual settlement, and on the latter – emblems of the current provinces of the Russian Empire. It is pretty curious to look at the coats of arms of the Vasas or Estlyan provinces. And just find out that there were such. By the way, the first is the current Finland, the second is Estonia. Such a storehouse of knowledge for those who are fond of heraldry.

Rating :

Possible alternatives :

• Country Codes
• The hymns of the countries of the world
• Coats of arms of the countries of the world

The nail of the set

Google Planet Earth

We wrote more than once in the journal about this truly unique application – or even the service. However, not mentioning him again in the context of our conversation today will be an unforgivable oversight.

Sphere: Catalogs, different

The version in question: 6.2.2.6613

Developer: Google

Languages: English, Russian, Ukrainian

Type of distribution: Freeware (there is a paid version)

Website: http: // www.Google.COM/intl/ru/earth/index.HTML

In fact, Google opened the whole world before us. I threw at my feet, if you want, wiped the border, canceled the visa. And even more: the underwater kingdom of the earth, the surface of the moon and Mars ceased to be something distant and untouchable. Without getting up from the couch, you can be next to the ancient pyramids in Giza in a matter of minutes, take a walk along the fifth Avenue in the center of Manhattan or repeat the feat of Apollo 17. Simply put, this is a mandatory label on a computer of any avid tourist; He will tell the route more than once and lead out of the debris to the target. There would only be a connection with the Internet.

Unlike your younger brother-web service Google Maps , – Client program significantly saves traffic, preserving weighty images from a satellite on a hard drive for their reuse without rebooting. In addition, the web service does not allow the implementation of many additional functions that are in the application. Global weather with the application of cyclones on top of the three-dimensional model of the Earth, 3D models of different structures, historical pictures that allow you to track the chronology of changes in the landscape and development, inspection of the same street at different times of the day (it is enough to move the corresponding slider), studying the celestial office, loading the images the highest quality, finally, GPS navigation in a paid version and much, much more than another. It does not make much sense to list everything, given that many have been familiar with the program for a long time, and on the official website there are detailed video instructions for use. The creators did not forget about versions for mobile phones based on Android and iOS.

For which I am grateful to the program personally – at one time, Google Earth helped to find Apple's official stores in the center of Paris. First I reached them through virtual streets, and a few days later repeated the walk with my own legs. So we live.

Rating :

Possible alternatives :

• Yandex.Cards
• Cards@mail.ru
• Winglobe

Useful links to tourists

Booking.Com – The first remedy, if you need to reserve a hotel room. One of the largest bases on the Internet, a huge number of promotions and discounts. In the tabs of any tourist.

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Airbnb-A similar service for the search for beds, but not in the midst of hotels, but in the private sector. Will help find a temporary refuge for a more modest fee.

Cheaptrip -Popular Internet community of lovers to relax as cheaper as possible. The people “catch” hot proposals, shares their own impressions of the vacation and collect knowledge on how to save extra 5 € can save.

Lufthansa – Above, we already talked about a special application for mobile phones from this air carrier, but do not forget about their own site. A lot of interesting options are laid out on it.

Travel.ru– a large portal that accumulates a huge number of offers from different Russian tour operators, world air carriers and hotels. On the page "Tourist Representations" (http: // links.Travel.ru/Business/Tourism_org/) several hundred useful links to different countries have been collected.

Ruturist.ru – A collection of useful articles for Russian tourists: how to buy a tour, how to travel with children, how to rent a car … And also – a large archive of materials for different countries: how to prepare for a visit, what to see how to behave on the spot.

Rusadventures -If you roam on the beach at +35 somewhere in Sharm El-Sheikh or Lloret de Mar, it seems boring to you, and on the Eiffel Tower and Empire-Last Building you climbed three times, you may be interested in active rest. Something: casing, canyoning, agrotourism, military tourism or “deep tourism”, no matter what it means – the maximum information was collected on the website of “Russian adventures”. But be vigilant, do not turn your neck during such a holiday.

Digital Frame

After vacation on the flash drives of cameras and cameras, a huge number of memorable personnel accumulate, which we look at the return, show again to friends, and then write to the disk and safely forget about them. Digital Frame will not allow this.

Sphere: graphics, design

The version in question: 2.32

Developer: Digiframe

Language: Russian

Type of distribution: Freeware

Website: http: // digiframe.NAROD.ru/

The program offers to take the best personnel and videos, throw it into the corresponding folders (JPG and Video), which are in the Program Files program catalog, and further contemplate vacation photos as a background of the desktop. At the same time, the frames will change with a given frequency and automatically adapt to the screen resolution. Problems with vertical pictures should not arise. The utility will show each photo twice – first a general view, and then close -up, the central area of ​​the picture.

So that the presentation does not pass with complete silence, the program is able to impose any music in real time. It is only necessary to first specify the desired mp3 files. The volume is adjusted by the mouse wheel.

When the line reaches live records, the utility will be happy to please the video with an rise to the Eiffel Tower or a run along the sea along the sunny Turkish beach. Eight basic file formats with Full HD resolution are supported.

In the latest version, the program learned to work not only with the wallpaper of the desktop, but with the Guardians of the screen. The principle is similar: a full-fledged slide video show is formed from a set of photographs and rollers. Large photos are complemented by dynamic effects – smooth zoom and scrolling.

Important: the application is not displayed either on the taskbar or in the system tray and is called each time a combination of Alt+F9.

Rating :

Possible alternatives :

• Cool Desktop
• Vetton Wallpapers
• Webshots Desktop

Gamean standard

We reanimate our constant column " Gamean standard ". Due to the capabilities of the game portal, the heading will become better and more than the previous. Here you will find the minimum that is desirable to install on any game and not only a computer. These programs will make life easier and more pleasant.

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"Antivirus Kaspersky 2012"

One of the best antiviruses today. The viruses base update every day, in the extended version of Kaspersky Internet Security, the so -called “hybrid protection” is implemented.

Comodo Firewall

Powerful and at the same time easy to handle the firewall. Responsible for the entire network traffic and its security.

Advanced Systemcare Pro 5

So that the system does not create problems, it must be kept in "purity". This product will help to catch advertising, spy and temporary files, clean the registry and perform a hard drive defragmentation.

CCleaner

Specializes in cleaning the disk from temporary files, but at the same time collects the SRD left by other well -known programs. Another program can be acted as an alternative deinstal and a registry cleaner.

Defraggler

The specialization of this little assistant is defragmentation of hard drives. In addition, he can perform an operation on separate files or folders.

Tweak-7

Twizer (or simply adjuster) for Windows 7. Will help change the parameters of the system that you may not even know about. 32- and 64-bit versions of the operating system are supported.

Unlocker

Help to unlock and erase files, access to which the operating system overlaps. The program is built into the context menu "Explorer".

Process Explorer

Alternative to the standard "Task dispatcher" Windows. In two accounts, he fights with perch processes and provides detailed information about the programs in the computer's memory.

Total Commander

Probably the best file manager. A million settings and capabilities and in addition to a two -zone layout that allows you to easily and quickly throw files from one folder to another.

Winrar

The RAR format provides the best compression and surpasses all competitors in terms of convenience and reliability. Winrar archiver will help in creating such wonderful archives.

Alcohol 120%

A powerful tool for creating disks images. Knows how to make working copies of secure games.

Daemon Tools

Small but brisk emulator CD/DVD drives. Works great in tandem with the previous program.

Cyberlink Power2go

A powerful package for copying, processing and recording data, music, video and photos on any type. Supported HD DVD, Blu-Ray, CD-R/RW, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R9 and DVD-RAM.

MSI AFTERBurner

Allows you to disperse the video card and achieve greater performance. To prevent force majeure, it carefully monitors the temperature, load of GPU and memory, the fan rotation speed and other indicators.

Download Master

Downloading files through the browser is slowly and inconvenient, it is better to turn the gaze to special pumping managers. Download Master has an excellent cataloger of uploaded files, there is support for proxy, FTP client, many skins and plugins. There is even its own updated archive of applications and games.

µTorrent

Client for transfer and download files via the Bittorrent P2P network.

ICQ

Living out its term, but still damn popular instant messaging service on the Internet.

Skype

Potential ICQ killer. It is now difficult to imagine a computer without a VoIP mixer installed on it. Text messages, video conferences and calls to ordinary phones – all this is Skype.

XNVIEW

Universal Image Viewer, with elements of a graphic editor. Great alternative to clumsy acdsee. Supports more than 400 formats, works with scanners and can create an HTML page with graphics. In addition, just very nimble.

Foxitreader

In turn, Foxitreader is a quick alternative to Adobe Reader heavyweight. Weighs several times less, loads with lightning speed, PDF files display at the same level.

Winamp

Airbus a380 from the world of players. It has everything and even more. Excellent interface, built-in ripper of audio-disk, the possibility of physical deletion of files directly from the playlist, the organizer of the MP3 collection, countless plugins and skins. And, of course, an excellent sound.

Media Player Classic

Multimedia player, in which the main one is not an external appearance, but performance. If your video does not open, try MPC, in most cases it will cope. Blessed files – its horse.

Fraps

The best option if you need to take a screenshot or record a video from the game.

Gameshadow Pulse

Web browser for gamers, will help to follow the release of fresh patches, videos, demon, modifications and drivers.

YH RSS AGGREGATOR

RSS and Atom Format News program. It combines the material from dozens of sites you are interested in into a single tape, cutting off advertising, navigation tools and other elements of sites that are not related to news.

LEATRIX LATENCY FIX

Not quite a program, rather a script, half a ping in online games. Reducing delays occurs after making magical changes in the system register by the script.

Dragon Unpacker

A powerful tool for extracting game resources – textures, music, sounds, dialogs and other things. Looking for materials even in those files whose format officially does not support.

DOSBOX

The emulator of the ancient operating system DOS and the iron of past times. Allows you to run retro games on modern computers.

Chemax and Chemax FC

Base of codes, secrets and hints. It has 9681 game in a simple version and 12107 – in console (FC).

ArtMoney

Billions of game currency, immortality and endless cartridges – all this can provide this cheat program. Having scanned the game catalog, the application will find all the numerical values, which can then be freely edited.

K-Lite Codec Pack

If the video is not played, most likely, the codec is to blame. Rather, its absence in the system. This monstrous package of all kinds of codecs is designed to fix the situation. The number of supported formats is not amenable to calculus.

Java

Programming language and computing platform, on which many modern programs and websites are based. And they will work only if a “cup of hot coffee” is installed on your computer.

NVIDIA drivers

Here you can find the latest drivers for nvidia video cards. It is only necessary to introduce the type, series and family, which include the device, as well as choose the operating system.

ATI Radeon Drivers

It is necessary to enter similar data in special fields or use the function of auto -determination of the components of the system.

Rating system

What do our estimates mean and what they can be – read under the cut.

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RATING:

(Satisfactorily)

RATING:

(Beware)

The scope of the programs

To determine on whom for whom and what each program is intended, we indicate for it the scope of application. You can familiarize yourself with their list by looking under the cat.

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Audio – Programs for viewing, creating, editing, converting audio files.

Video – Programs for viewing, creating, editing, converting video materials.

Graphics – Programs for viewing graphic files, graphic editors (including 3D).

Text – text editors, from large packages to simple “notebooks”, programs for viewing, recognizing and printing text, utility (such as Punto Switcher), translators.

Net – Programs related to activities on the global Internet and website development.

Safety – antivirus programs, firewriters, safety utilities.

CD / DVD -programs for recording and copying discs, working with images, emulator programs.

Design – Programs with the help of which you can change the appearance of the system (sets of icons, topics, cursors, taskbars, screen keepers, logs, loading screens, as well as programs through which all this can be used).

System – disk utilities, data restoration, defragmentors, programs for working with hard disks at the logical level (sections level), system utilities (deinstal, registers optimizers, testers, collectors about the system, tweeters, etc.D.), as well as organizers, notebooks, etc.D.

File management – File shells (Total Commander, Far, etc.D.), archives, etc.D.

Iron – drivers, applied software interfaces (DirectX and pr.), platforms (Java Runtime, .Net Framework and pr.), programs for working with equipment (processor, RAM, video card, etc.)

Catalogs – Any kind of catalogs, catalogs, reference books, information collections (video texts, auto -scatalogs, etc.D.).

Programming – Specialized programs for the development of software.

Mobile devices -Programs for managing the gadgets connected to the computer (from mobile phones and tablets to webcams and USB fan)

Miscellaneous – programs not included in any of the categories.

Technical characteristics Predator X27
Diagonal: 27 inches
Permission: 3840×2160
Scan frequency: 144 Hz
Type matrices : IPS, Quantum Dot
Bit: 10 (8 + FRC), 1.07 billion shades
Response time: 4 ms
Brightness: 600 KD/m2 (up to 1000 kD/m2 in HDR)
Viewing angles: 178 °/178 °
Interfaces : HDMI 2.0, Display Port 1.4, 4x USB 3.0, 3.5 mm jack
Dimensions: 57.5×62.9×37.5 cm
Weight: 12.3 kg
The price of November 2018: 200,000 rubles ($ 3030)

Today we have a monitor from the future on tests – Acer Predator X27. This is one of the first models with 4K meticars for 144 Hz and a real HDR. Ask for it 200,000 rubles. And this is not for 100 inches and not even for 21: 9, but for a 27-inch matrix! Let's tell you what the developers came up with this.

Matrix

Let's start with the matrix. This is AU Optronics based on IPS-Type. Resolution-4K, native frequency-60 Hz, with the possibility of increasing up to 144, and color coverage is declared as 10-bit, but with reservations.

To begin with, the matrix itself is still 8-bit, and the top ten from it is pulled out using FRC. At the same time, by default, FRC for some reason is disabled, and the expanded color range must be activated manually in the system settings of the display itself.

10 bit the monitor gives out only at a frequency up to 98 Hz. At a higher speed, they say, there is not enough DisplayPort throughput, and the matrix is ​​forcibly transferred to 8 bits.

It sounds, of course, unpleasant, but we must say that we personally do not see anything wrong with this. Firstly, the difference between 8 and 10 bits is not so great as to catch your eye. And secondly, 98 Hz will be enough for almost any tasks, starting with films and ending with Photoshop.

By the way, with respect to Photoshop by measurements, the matrix is ​​very cool – color deviations are laid in 0.52 after calibration.

Now about the backlight system. According to Panelook, in the standard this matrix should go with the usual WLED, but it was redone to the point. And https://sister-site.org/dream-vegas/ not just in white, but on the basis of quantum points. That is, if the lamps usually stand around the perimeter of the matrix in monitors, which can be seen by light on a black background, then the quantum points are evenly scattered along the entire plane of the screen.

At the same time, QD is not just LEDs burning with white light, but a more cunning technology. Behind the matrix there are crystals that can glow in pure flowers, that is, purely red or blue. And these colors are obtained not only much more clear than with standard filtration, but also of prohibitive brightness. Specifically in this model, it can reach 1000 candidal per square meter. And this, as you know, is already the most correct HDR and an incredible level of contrast.

In other words, if something should be bright in the scene, then on this monitor it will be so. In addition, point technology allows you to highlight only the necessary areas. That is, if an explosion in the center is on the screen, then it will blame clearly in the center, and the neighboring zones were dark and will remain.

And it looks amazing; Explosions, shooting, play of light, flash in the night – a completely new level of image. Yes, of course, in online games this is more distracting, but in single projects the correct HDR is what, as they say, must have.

Technique

Naturally, one matrix and illumination were not cost and installed in this monitor also the G-Sync HDR version module. So that he generally somehow copes with the amount of information that they are trying to download it, NVIDIA had to install FPGA here from Intel and equip it with 4 GB of RAM.

And the very presence of G-Sync in this monitor is a very correct move. Because speaking directly, it is almost impossible to rock the matrix to relatives of 144 Hz. At one 1080 Ti at maximum settings, 35-50 frames are obtained. And if you assemble the system for two 1080 Ti, then you can cross for 60, and even for 100 FPS, but for 144 you need to throw off the settings very cool. And what is the meaning in combination with 4K, which is called, on the contrary, to improve the quality of the picture is incomprehensible.

Returning to G-Sync: In a situation of problem performance, it allows you to get rid of the breaks of the picture, which, of course, arise on such a quick matrix. And, I will tell you, the new HDR module is really coping with this.

Monitor

On the assembly we have no complaints about the monitor. A neat laconic inscription Predator on the front panel, a gray frame made of non -acidic plastic and slightly customizable backlight on the back of the case. On the table, all this rests with a rather large, but elegant metal leg. On the table itself, it takes a little place, but due to the design and total thickness of the monitor, the panel is located from the wall by about 20 centimeters.

Monitor connectors – one HDMI and DisplayPort, four USB hub and exit to the headset. Moreover, the USB here is carried out on the left side of the panel, and it is true to use it. Another competent thing is a complete blend that isolates the matrix from external lighting and glare. Two side panels are mounted on screws, and the upper one is inserted into the grooves. Moreover, it made a window through which you can sore the calibrator, and the panels themselves are glued with velvet fabric, which completely absorbs light. And it looks like in black cut the window into the world.

Control

Four buttons in the back and mini-turn directly are responsible for the control of the matrix. The keys, interestingly, are customizable here, and you can hang any action on them, starting with the choice of the source and ending with switching profiles.

As for the menu, in places it is not very obvious, but the settings are above the roof. Of the interesting – many backlight options. For example, you can completely turn off the effect with point lighting, configure the speed of switching quantum points and select options for highlighting dark areas.

Regarding the brightness: even without switching to HDR mode, the monitor is ready to give up to 500 a candle, which is very good in bright light in the room. It is interesting that the slider itself is tied precisely to Kandela, and not to interest.

And finally, Acer has implemented a very cool thing in the menu – three user modes. That is, you can independently wind up a profile for films, for games and purely for work. And it is very convenient.

As for the quality of the matrix, there are no complaints again here. “The colors from the factory suffer from her, but after calibration the delta falls to 0.52. And, of course, according to the 4k + HDR effect with a point backlight – the best that we have seen today. And with these matrices we spent a total of more than three weeks. And every return to such a picture is a true holiday. Take, say, the last Tomb Raider. In principle, the game is completely “graphone” and technically lags behind competitors. But in 4K and HDR the picture is literally transformed!

The monitor is completely fits into the given frames and does what is promised. But against the background of a competitor, it seems more interesting in places. That is, due to the simplest things – the blend and slightly wider settings of the picture – Acer managed to emphasize the uniqueness of this matrix for working tasks.