Kotaku: geforce

NVIDIA Dumbing Down Their Product Line

Mike Fahey — Wed, 07 May 2008 09:40:00 MDT

Anyone into computer gaming knows NVIDIA is one of the biggest names in video cards today, but imagine being new to PC gaming, knowing nothing at all about video hardware, and wandering into a Best Buy to try and determine which graphics solution suits your needs. It's like being a man sent to the grocery store for feminine hygiene products (should I get Super?), only slightly less embarrassing. NVIDIA's VP of Content Business Development Roy Taylor says that the company is working to make their products more consumer-friendly.

"It is a challenge that we're looking at right now. There is a need to simplify it for consumers, there's no question," Taylor explained. "We think that the people who understand and know GeForce today, they're okay with it - they understand it. But if we're going to widen our appeal, there's no doubt that we have to solve that problem."

It remains to be seen how exactly they'll manage this - perhaps a big white box that says "Will run World of Warcraft" on it, but it's nice to see them moving in a more consumer friendly direction.

NVIDIA to "simplify" product range [GamesIndustry.biz]

New Nvidia Series Catering To The Great Unwashed

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 21:30:00 MST

The usual strategy for releasing new graphics cards is as follows: company releases ridiculously expensive graphics card, few can afford it, then as its technology ages it gets cheaper and trickles down to the lower ends of the market. Nvidia's strategy for its new GeForce 9600 GT is a little different: it's being pitched directly into the massmarket. The 9600 GT is the first card in Nvidia's GeForce 9 series, and instead of coming in at a silly-expensive price will launch in the entirely reasonable $169-189 range. Bold new territory for a graphics hardware company, then, but it also shows Nvidia are serious about this whole PC gaming alliance deal, as it gives a good slap in the chops to the "upgrading is too expensive" argument.
[Nvidia Product Page]

GeForce Gamers Get Free Cake From Valve, No Lie

Brian Crecente — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 12:00:58 MST

OK, so I lied. The cake remains a lie, but a free copy of Portal doesn't. Effective immediately all NVIDIA gamers can download a free copy of Portal: First Slice, a special version of the game we all know and love, for free direct from Valve.

To get the game you just need to hop onto the Steam site and run a bit of auto-detection software. If it finds NVIDIA hardware it will give you the game free of charge. The link to the freebie will also be included in all NVIDIA drivers moving forward.

"More Steam gamers, including myself, play on NVIDIA hardware than any other GPU," said Doug Lombardi, vice president of marketing at Valve. "That's a testament to the company's long history of innovation and quality. By working together with NVIDIA to expand our development, distribution, and marketing efforts, we're increasing our ability to serve the millions of NVIDIA customers logging onto Steam and help us prepare for our next generation of content."

The First Slice version of portal is just a taste, Lombardi said, the first third or so of the full game.

NVIDIA Steam [Steam Games]

Valve and NVIDIA Offer Portal: First Slice Free to GeForce Users

Leading Developer and Graphics Company Offer Award-Winning Game Via Steam

January 9, 2008 - The most recent Steam® Hardware Survey (http://www.steampowered.com/status/survey.html) shows more Steam gamers play on NVIDIA GeForce hardware than any other graphics platform. In an effort to further support this popular PC gaming configuration - Steam games plus NVIDIA hardware - Valve and NVIDIA have entered into an agreement to collaborate on development, distribution, events, and more.

Effective immediately, all NVIDIA gamers may receive a free copy of PortalTM: First Slice, a special version of the award-winning new game from Valve, by visiting www.steamgames.com/nvidia1 and "Taking the test." Steam will then auto-detect the presence of NVIDIA hardware and make Portal: First Slice available immediately, free of charge. To make it easy for all NVIDIA customers to redeem this offer, a link to the Steam offer will also be included in all NVIDIA drivers.

"More Steam gamers, including myself, play on NVIDIA hardware than any other GPU," said Doug Lombardi, vice president of marketing at Valve. "That's a testament to the company's long history of innovation and quality. By working together with NVIDIA to expand our development, distribution, and marketing efforts, we're increasing our ability to serve the millions of NVIDIA customers logging onto Steam and help us prepare for our next generation of content."

Throughout the coming year, the companies will also be working together to support competitive gaming events for Counter-Strike® and Team Fortress® 2 and will continue to work together to define and support the breakthrough features of tomorrow's games and graphics hardware.

"Valve's endorsement of our technology and tools is yet another example of how the world's leading gaming companies are working with NVIDIA," said Roy Taylor, vice president of content relations at NVIDIA. "Portal is the hottest new, award-winning title from Valve, and we're delighted that Valve will offer First Slice exclusively to GeForce customers."

Portal: First Slice is now available to all NVIDIA customers. For more information about the offer or to take the test, please visit www.steamgames.com/nvidia1

For more information about NVIDIA, please visit www.nvidia.com.