Google advances Native Client Web browser technology

Google on Friday began offering a revamped SDK for its Native Client open source technology for running Web applications that execute native code inside a browser.

With the SDK, developers can start building Native Client applications ahead of the official launch. Plans call for putting Native Client technology inside the Google Chrome browser; until then, users cannot access the applications. Google did not have an estimate on when exactly Native Client would be supported in Chrome.

[ Also on InfoWorld.com: Blogger Neil McAllister calls Native API "Google's craziest idea yet." | Stay up to date on the key programming news and issues with InfoWorld's Developer World newsletter. Sign up today! ]

"Today, we've reached an important milestone in our efforts to make Native Client modules as portable and secure as JavaScript, by making available a first release of the revamped Native Client SDK," said Christian Stefansen, of the Google Native Client team, in a blog post.

Developers can view APIs, documentation, and examples to show how to write a module in C or C++ and communicate with JavaScript code executing in a browser. The SDK improves security, removing localhost restrictions in previous releases. "Beyond security, we've also improved the mechanism for fetching Native Client modules based on the instruction set architecture of the target machine, so developers don't need to worry about this anymore," said Stefansen.

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Dungeons

Dungeons follows the mis-adventures of the foremost of all Dungeon Lords, who spends his time luring heroes into his labyrinthine creations with the promise of treasure and a good fight - only to be trapped by his ingenious devices. Once they are in his grasp, our Dungeon Lord must look after and cherish his new found prisoners until they are more comfortable with their surroundings because come the "harvest", happy heroes have more precious soul energy for you to gleefully extract via foul prisons or twisted torture chambers!

In Dungeons, our protagonist falls victim to a devious plot hatched by his vile, nasty and thoroughly vicious ex-girlfriend and finds himself at the bottom of the underworld hierarchy and the top of the dungeon pile which in this world is about as bad as it can get. Our Lord must have his revenge, and make his way back down the dungeon levels to his rightful place - but first he must deal with his new bosses, the three despicable Dungeon Lords who stand in his way.

At his disposal are his dim-witted goblin minions who dig tunnels and build rooms to lay out his lair and trap ever stronger and braver heroes who dare to enter, not forgetting to plot his revenge against his ex-girlfriend and his new bosses who think it's great fun to bombard him with useless tasks. It goes without saying that a malicious and sneaky creature such as our Dungeon Lord has more than a few tricks up his sleeve. Revenge will be sweet indeed.

Get ready for a fight! Lure 10 different hero classes into your dungeon where 15 different monsters lurk in the darkness.
20 challenging campaign missions demand all your cunning to succeed. Survive them - and there's still the custom game waiting for you
In a dungeon there's only one way you can go and that's down. Conquer three different underworld levels and the bosses who guard them to become the one and only Dungeon Lord
Prison cells and torture chambers are at your command and ready to capture your next hero and steal their precious soul energy
Create the dungeon of your dreams (and heroes' nightmares) with 50 different objects at your disposal
Wimpy goblin workers are awaiting your orders to create your next diabolical dungeon masterpiece.

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Tera online

TERA Online, the abbreviation of The Exiled Realm of Arborea, is an upcoming Next generation MMORPG, which is developed by Bluehole Studio and will be released by En Masse Entertainment in Q3 2010.
In TERA Online, you, by choosing from one of the five available classes – Aman, Baraka, Castanics, High Elves, Hunans, and Propri -brave for the Valkyon Federation—an alliance of the world’s surface races—while as well fighting for prestige and supremacy and even your personal gains. With action-packed gameplay and riveting visuals, TERA promises a pulse-pounding and engaging title of all times.
Characterized by many-faced gaming maps and scenarios, and unique weapons and armor, you will be heavily equipped like Superman to battle using your flying mount.
Craft the equipment, establish a team with your friends, or form a guild with your allies, conquer a world strewn with hideous creatures! TERA online distinguishes itself from other MMORPGs, in terms of a cinematic gameplay experience, High supremacy system, Non-grinding clicks, and available controllers.
As a highly rated nex-gen MMORPG, TERA Online currently has eight classes available, including the Lancer, Warrior, Berserker, Sorcerer, Priest, Mystic, Slayer, and Archer, while players have options to personalize their characters.
According the official website, TERA Online is localized into multiple languages, English, German, and French included. The Payment method is not based on free to play business model, but with subscription-based model.
Features:
*A chaos land where gods slumber and demons scheme. You are the hero to take up the leadership of the Valkyon Federation—an alliance of all existing races.
*pulse-poundingly exciting new combat system represent you the most glorious revolution.
*At its first attempt, the studio adopts Pay-to-Play with box sets due to be produced.

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Pandora Saga

Pandora Saga is the first MMORPG title of the Japan-based Gonzo Rosso and involves a large number of top-notch developers devoting to its development and design. Pandora Saga features such elements as large-scale war between nations, high-level of military strategy implementation, horse riding, siege war, flag capture, etc. It is also a game with strong storyline twists, particulary relating to quests. In addition, when players complete a storyline quest, an animation will be played for them, which will surely make them feel rewarding.Since the dawn of ages, a Great Empire had once dominated the whole world under one King. He was well known for his kindness towards all races, thus forming a peaceful land and maintained co-existence among six races. However, these great moments did not last long. One night when the people were sleeping, the dark sky turned into day as large balls of fire shower down upon the earth, consuming instantly everything it touched. The Great Empire was set in ruins overnight and the history records were lost as well in the Great Catastrophe.

Years later after the destruction of the Great Empire, three new nations were formed, struggling for land and power. Leaders of the three nations were fighting for the supreme power held by the Great Empire. The war rapidly grew out of control as terror spreads throughout the world causing great sufferings to all races. Deaths by the thousands polluted the land with blood and decomposed bodies. Meanwhile, leaders of three nations had commanded their subordinates on a quest to search for the long forgotten Legendary Ultimate Weapon. Legend says “He who holds the Ultimate Weapon shall seize the day”. However, the true strength of it remains a mystery.The world suffered for many centuries of endless warring as no nation could dominate over others. However, a man named Brahm, who signed a contract with the devil, planned to start a war for his evil desire to rule the world. As the rage of war spreads into the Neutral Territory of Astir, legions of army of the three nations charged fiercely into the battlefield battling each other. At that moment, a huge lightning struck the troops of the three nations and almost destroyed all the regiments. While most of the soldiers died, those who survived lost all their memories.

You will be an independent adventurer heading for a quest to recover your memory as well as loyalty to your preferred nation......

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Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions

Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions is a thrilling action-packed adventure set in four dramatically different universes from legendary Spider-Man lore, each with a distinct Spider-Man armed with unique skills and strengths, in one original storyline. Players will be transported to new locations never before seen in a Spider-Man game, from lush jungles and dusty deserts to various urban terrains. Acclaimed comic book writer Dan Slott takes players on a mission to contain the magical energy of the Tablet of Order and Chaos, which has been shattered and sent hurtling across parallel universes, and battle fan-favorite villains in a quest to restore the fabric of reality.

• Four Worlds, One Story - Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions gives gamers four unique universes to explore, each featuring authentic and unique art styles, from the classic pen-and-ink-styled Amazing Spider-Man to the moody, 1930s cinema-influenced Noir to the sleek and futuristic 2099 universe.
• The Strength of Four Spider-Men - Players harness new gameplay mechanics through each costume of Spider-Man: The web-slinging, aerial Amazing Spider-Man delivers sweeping blows and powerful kicks in a world that pays tribute to the classic era of our legendary Super Hero, while the mysterious and stealthy Spider-Man Noir prefers to lurk in the shadows of a 1930s-influenced cinematic environment before unleashing his perilous strength.

• Taking the Traditional Spider-Man Game to the Next Level - For the first time, Spider-Man can deliver damage up close and personal via a first-person perspective during key moments of battle. Boss-themed levels with new environments, music and pacing, along with a vast new cast of ferocious villains, will engage gamers in a fast-paced action-adventure. Players will take on the world's greatest hunter Kraven in the Amazing universe; in the service of Goblin (aka "Norman Osborn"), Hammerhead and his henchmen in the gritty Noir universe.
• Variety for casual and hardcore fans - Beyond the four vastly different worlds to explore, players will uncover surprises around every corner, including new abilities and multiple costumes and bonuses to unlock.

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Test Drive Unlimited 2

I wanted to love Test Drive Unlimited 2. I really did. It lets you live the life of a pro racer on the Mediterranean island of Ibiza. It combines traditional racing with an open-world, always-online (except when it's not) multiplayer setup that makes it easy to interact with others. You can even buy property on the island, decorate said property, and show off your exotic car collection to your friends. Doesn't it all sound fantastic? The ideas that went into Test Drive Unlimited 2 are appealing in every way, but the execution is completely off. This open-world driving experience is riddled with problems and even the driving itself is far from perfect.

At the start of Test Drive, you're a down-on-your-luck valet who just got fired for sleeping on the job. But for some reason, the rich gal who got you fired decides to hire you as a temporary chauffer. Her wager: if you get her to a studio taping she has to attend, you can enter Solar Crown -- a luxurious racing competition that takes place across Ibiza. 

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Call of Duty: Black Ops

On the heels of last year's hit Modern Warfare 2, Call of Duty: Black Ops will insert you behind enemy lines again, this time during the Cold War, when large governments were officially not involved in the affairs of smaller countries, but unofficially trying to either topple or prevent the toppling of those dominoes. So when you’re thrown into the boots of elite special forces units engaged in covert warfare, you’d better succeed, because anyone who can help you will say "What mission?" in this era of "deniable operations" in explosive conflicts around the globe.

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Elemental: War of Magic

Elemental is a fantasy strategy game set on a world filled with magic and ancient lore. Rule a fledgling kingdom and expand it across the world through a combination of magical power, military might, diplomatic skill, technological advancement and bold adventuring.

As sovereign, you begin as the only being in your kingdom still able to channel power from the shards of magic, a series of mystical artifacts left over from the cataclysm.

You must decide how much of your power to imbue into your heroes as you build new cities, explore dungeons, perfect spells of ever increasing power and negotiate with friends and foes.
Victory can be yours through conquest, magical supremacy, diplomatic alliances or the completion of the master quest.

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Need for Speed Hot Pursuit

This November, Need for Speed Hot Pursuit will transform online racing by bringing to life the adrenaline and intensity of high speed cop pursuits and changing the way that people connect and compete with their friends.

Need for Speed Hot Pursuit is being developed by Criterion Games, the developers behind the critically-acclaimed Burnout racing series. These renowned innovators are redefining action racing by delivering an experience that connects players through intense competition whether playing online together or taking on friends’ challenges.

At the heart of Need for Speed Hot Pursuit is a suite of connected features called Need for Speed Autolog that enables players to connect, compare and compete with their friends effortlessly.

Exotic cars on the open road, the rush of the escape, the thrill of the takedown – this is Need for Speed Hot Pursuit.

Key Features

• Career – For the first time in Need for Speed history, players will experience the gripping and heart-racing action of both cops and racers. Hot Pursuit seamlessly links a tremendously deep and fully-defined single player career with a groundbreaking multiplayer experience across all race modes. In the end, whether playing online with friends, taking on friends challenges or the single player career, players will earn bounty that levels them up and unlocks new cars, weapons and equipment.
• Need For Speed Autolog – In Need for Speed Hot Pursuit, your friends drive your gameplay experience. Need for Speed Autolog is a revolutionary system that connects friends directly to each other’s games, enabling them to compare and share all their experiences, pictures and challenges. Need for Speed Autolog instinctively delivers challenges based on what your friends have been doing, creating a hugely dynamic, socially competitive experience.
• Weapons and Equipment – Enhance the intensity of the pursuit using multiple weapons as the heat level increases during a pursuit. Whether taking down suspects with a variety of cop weapons or using evasion equipment as a racer to outsmart the cops, players will always have a method for gaining an edge over their opponent.
• Cars – In Hot Pursuit, the cars go from hot to hotter. Experience the thrill of driving the world’s most desirable high performance cars at incredible speeds. Feel the power of busting suspects in supercharged cop interceptors like the Lamborghini Reventon or outsmarting the law as a racer in high performance supercars like the Pagani Zonda Cinque.
• Seacrest County – Explore a world as diverse as the California coastline with desert, forest, seaside and mountainous regions. The open world of Seacrest County is designed to create the most intense pursuit experiences ever found in a racing game.

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