The release dates of what are set to be two of this year's hottest games have now been announced - making it the perfect time to think about upgrading your broadband to super-fast fibre. Just read on to find out more about Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 and Halo 4, and see how upgrading to super-fast Plusnet fibre-optic broadband could help you to take your gaming to the next level …
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2
One of the biggest buzzes in the gaming world at the moment has got to be Activision's recent announcement that Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 will be released globally on 13th November 2012. And, according to games industry specialists, the single-player version of this latest addition to the hugely popular series is set to have a new feature - a branching story structure which will mean that players will face different outcomes depending upon the decisions that they make within the game. Dave Anthony, game director of Black Ops 2, recently told technology website The Verge that the decisions made by the player won't just have an impact on minor elements of the narrative either - the life and death of significant characters will depend upon the decisions the player makes and, he said, 'At the end of the campaign, you'll see how things could have been different'. Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, which Activision has claimed will provide the "most ground-breaking and visceral Call of Duty experience ever" is set in 2025, in the midst of a new Cold War between America and China. This is the first Call of Duty game to be set in a futuristic environment, and the designers are hoping that this change will mean that it's fresh for gamers who have played the previous games in the series. Other details already released to the public include the fact that the game will include mini-real time strategy levels, known as Strike Force missions, and will also include the ever-popular zombies option. More details, including information about the multi-player version, will be released in due course.
Halo 4
The Halo games have also had huge success in recent years, racking up sales of more than 40 million between them and Halo 4, due to be released globally on 6th November 2012 is likely to be just as popular. Set 4 years after Halo 3, the latest instalment continues the story of Master Chief as he not only 'faces an ancient evil that threatens the fate of the entire universe' but has to 'confront his own destiny' too. The game marks the beginning of a second Halo trilogy, giving fans the exciting prospect of ten more years of first-player shooter action in the world they adore. There is a slight change this time round, however - the previous games in the Halo series were developed by Bungie, a US software company. The first, Halo, was developed by Bungie and previewed at the Macworld Expo 1999. Shortly afterwards, Microsoft announced that it had bought the software company. Halo was a runaway success, resulting in the development and release of two further games - Halo 2, which was released in 2004 and Halo 3, which hit the shelves in 2007. Bungie split from Microsoft in 2007, however, just before the official release of Halo 3. Halo 4 is therefore being designed by Microsoft's in-house games development department, 343 Industries. You can get a sneak peek of what's in store at the official Halo 4 website.
Super-fast fibre - and what's in it for gamers
November may seem like a long way away - but while you're waiting for these fantastic new games to hit the stores, consider whether it's worth upgrading your current home broadband package to super-fast fibre optic broadband to make sure you can make the most of Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 and Halo 4 when you get your hands on them. We know you don't want to spend too much time trying to find out what fibre could do for you - after all, that's time you could be spending increasing your gamerscore or acquiring that ever-elusive trophy/achievement. So we've put together this handy list of benefits for you: • Faster download times - with fibre-optic broadband, getting new games and test driving new demos is a breeze. You can download content in just a few minutes, so there’s no hanging about before immersing yourself in the latest action, or playing through the latest DLC. • Faster response times - whether you're playing an online shoot-em-up or indulging in a bit of high-speed racing action, quick response times can make a huge difference to your gaming. And with fibre, you can be sure of super-fast response times for a better gaming experience. There's no doubting that latency and ping times matter. Colin MacDonald, studio manager of games developer Realtime World - the firm behind Grand Theft Auto - told The Telegraph back in 2010 that latency is the biggest challenge to gaming, and that ideally gamers should hope for a latency of between one and 10 milliseconds. We think this is a tad optimistic but one thing’s for sure - You’re almost guaranteed an improved ping response with Plusnet Fibre compared to our ADSL products. • On-demand services - With the speed boost you’ll get from Plusnet Fibre, you'll be able to take advantage of the latest on-demand gaming services like On-Live and Gakai. Most fibre connections will even support multiple gaming streams at the same time. • Fewer interruptions - There's nothing more frustrating than hitting a critical point in a game and the screen freezing or you losing connection to the server. But with super-fast fibre, irritating interruptions due to problems like lag and dropping connections are starting to become a thing of the past, and you'll enjoy smoother gaming. • Better for homes with multiple users - One of the main benefits of fibre is that multiple people can use the same connection simultaneously - a huge plus for gamers. You can throw yourself into your new game, knowing that you won't be slowed down just because your flatmate's uploading photos to Facebook status or your partner's watching a movie online. Have you upgraded to fibre? How has it improved your gaming experience? Which new games release are you waiting for? Just let us know by leaving a comment below …