Origin is the new name for the EA Download Manager, a simple application for downloading and playing games from Electronic Arts.

If you prefer to buy digital copies of games instead of going out to the shops, for Electronic Arts games you need to download this application.
As well as managing your premium downloads, Origin also initiates decryption of the games, runs the installer and launches it. If a game requires a DRM (digital Rights Management) license, this will be acquired by Origin too.

As well as downloading games, this app also keeps you up to date with patches and updates for your games, so you'll always be up to date. It is worth noting you cannot run downloaded games without Origin, as the DRM system requires it to be running. 2011's Battlefield 3 will be released exclusively through Origin on PC.

Origin is a perfectly capable download manager, although it is obviously limited to EA games. Time will tell if it competes with Steam or not.

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Features

Allowing you to buy and download any of Valve's games, like the recent, fantastic Left 4 Dead 2, Steam also has a huge library of titles from other big developers, as well as free demos and videos. The list of games is ever increasing, and it also supports non-commercial things like game mods.

Usability

Installing and setting up a Steam account is really easy, and the download manager is very stable. Whatever your internet connection speed, you don't need to worry about stopping a download partway through. If you exit Steam, it will continue your downloads the next time you start it without complaints.

While you miss out on a box or instruction booklet by buying games from Steam, you do get all the latest patches and updates downloaded automatically. There are often exclusive demos and offers available through Steam too, and there's a great community service which allows you to join groups and find people to play online. Its major downfall is that the client auto-updates far too often.

Improvements

This new version of Steam has a much improved interface, with a better news stream and cleaner overall feel. The layout is much simpler, allowing you to quickly navigate between games, available demos and videos. There's a game wishlist feature, and your game library now has real time search and customizable categories.

Conclusion

Steam may not sell every game under the sun, but it's an excellent download application featuring some of the best PC gaming you can find, and the best community features found in PC gaming.

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Project Giana is considered a derivative of The Great Giana Sisters, which was essentially a Super Mario Bros clone. This original PC release is expected to be followed by releases on Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network.

Based around the concept of a little girl stuck in a dream world, Project Giana lets you explore various worlds with beautiful graphics. You can bounce around to avoid opponents and obstacles in each level, as well as collect gems. Jumping on the heads of most enemies will defeat them.

Giana can switch between two appearances at will - either cute or more punky. Each form has its own abilities and vulnerabilities that go along with it. Whenever Giana transforms in Project Giana however, so does the appearance of the dream world. You can switch from a landscape made up of candy to something more nightmarish very quickly as a result. The music will change along with the scenery switch as well.

You can use an Xbox controller or just your mouse and keyboard to control Giana, although the latter is a bit clunky and difficult to maneuver. In this demo version of Project Giana, also note that your progress will not get saved should you die.

The graphics are what makes Project Giana stand out most, although gamers of all ages should find gameplay fun and challengeing.

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Football Manager 2013 features over 50 international teams to choose from and around half a million real life players and managers. Your mission is quite simply to manage your football club to victory in international and domestic competitions.

There are many other features various enhancements in Football Manager 2013 such as a new graphics engine, which improves the movements of the players during matches and makes everything more realistic. There is more detail in the gameplay too such as weather conditions which can change the outcome of a game. The characteristics of both players and game conditions in Football Manager 2013 have been refined and there is more detail such as the addition of Directors of Football and full coaching staff.

You can play Football Manager 2013 in two modes - Classic and Challenge Mode. Classic basically means less responsibilities and things to keep track of so its easier to play. Challenge is just like the real thing and involves genuine stress. Plus new to Steam - Network Play so you can pit your wits against your friends in your own private leagues and cups.

There are new players to buy in Football Manager 2013 and you can now choose to pay either in cash or installments. As well as balancing the books however, you must also put together a coaching staff that's able to take your team to the top. You also have to keep and eye on the news surrounding other clubs and even maintain good relations with the Press. very importantly, its relationship with the press.

Football Manager 2013 is a superb soccer management sim that fans of the Football Manager franchise won't be disappointed by.

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VSO Downloader is free and works with any internet browser. Videos are detected automatically. You do not need to copy and paste urls. The interface is clear and straightforward and the application is available in various languages.

Any one who wants to backup music and or videos from the web to watch at any time even when no Internet connection is available or simply to avoid waiting on buffering for streaming content.

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As far as back stories go, A Virus Named TOM has a fun one. The city that Dr. X lives in is next to perfect. He's helped invent products that make traffic a thing of the past, as well as a lot of other cool inventions. Unfortunately, Dr. X is pretty irritated because he's just been fired by a giant corporation. Now he's created a virus to get back at the people who put him out of work.

A Virus Named TOM is a hybrid action/puzzle game that has a very retro 1960s feel to it. Dr. X's goal is to contaminate each electronic device in the city with TOM, the virus he created. It's your job to help Dr. X solve puzzles in the game to help spread his virus.

Solving the puzzles in A Virus Named TOM requires a great deal of reasoning skills. Plus you'll have to avoid enemies like spiders and electronic vigilantes who are trying to thwart your attempts at spreading TOM around.

A nice feature of A Virus Named TOM is that you can play online matches with up to four friends. The first few levels are easy to master, but the game quickly gets more challenging as you progress.

A Virus Named TOM is a fun take on a hi-tech puzzle game that most users will find to be an interesting challenge.

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Steampunk is a genre created in the 80s and 90s that incorporates science fiction, fantasy, and horror elements. It involves a setting where steam power was the main form of energy, and is often portrayed in a Victorian era England setting.

SteamPac consequently has a nicely grungy steampunk feel to its graphics, and lets users play in 2D and 3D modes. The gameplay is identical to the original Pacman game. You troll around a simple maze, eating little balls and trying to avoid the ghosts who are out to kill you. Turn the tables on the ghosts by eating power balls and chasing after them as well.

The 3D mode of SteamPac is actually really cool, since the camera follows you around as you move Pacman through the maze.

SteamPac is a breath of fresh air in the genre of Pacman games.

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In Dynamite Jack, you're a soldier, captured by the enemy and forced to work in the mines far underground. The goal is to make your escape without being completely blown up by enemy forces. Guards are lurking around every corner, and you've got to make it from one end of the screen to the other without getting completely shot up.

The 2D graphics and scenarios Dynamite Jack are inspired by classic games, and are simple but adequately entertaining. You can wander the maze within the mine and place bombs in strategic locations to unlock paths and open new avenues for potential escape.

In addition to the obstacles in Dynamite Jack, you should make an attempt to neutralize all kinds of security systems designed to detect its presence. Just make sure to avoid the armed guards in the process.

You'll also need to pay attention, because the time to complete each task is limited. Grab your flashlight, turn on the light and use your head to get out of the mine alive.

You'll need to have a Steam account in order to download and install Dynamite Jack.

Dynamite Jack is a fun 2D shooter game that classic game enthusiasts should appreciate.

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In Desura you'll find some free to play games plus some mods to popular games like Half-Life and Red Alert. Unfortunately however, you won't find many major titles on there - it's very limited when compared to Steam.

Desura does however also provide tools and hosting for game developers, as well as a useful forum for the gaming community to exchange opinions and tips. Desura is free to register for and within a few clicks you will be able to play and download games with the rest of the Desura community.

Desura is an interesting alternative to Steam although it lacks many really big games.

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It's fast and furious with various modes and levels plus a "Skirmish mode" which allows you to play against either the computer or another human opponent. This means you can play a human v human tower defense game in real time. However, there are no static towers like in a normal tower defense game - it's all about invading the opponents area with your little men.

You can move your Cubemen around the board at any time or click on an enemy to target them. There are a bewildering array of levels to choose from including 35 Defense Levels, 25 Skimish Levels, 6 Mayhem Levels and 6 Defense Gameplay modes. You can also play a Cubemen Multiplayer game across platforms, so you can play iPad v Steam etc.

Cubemen is a fun and challenging game that takes an original slant on the tower defense genre.

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Desarrollado por Croteam y sustentado en el moto Serious Engine 3, Serious Sam HD: The Second Encounter combina gráficos espectacularmente mejorados, (más polígonos, texturas de más resolución y más efectos especiales) con el desarrollo.

Frenético propio de la saga para que disfrutes de acción sin tregua. El juego, con modos individual, de supervivencia y cooperativo combinados con gráficos brillantemente actualizados, te permite proseguir tu batalla contra el ejército de Mental con la clásica acción desbordante, el humor disparatado y el terror de los mejores shooters en primera persona.

Si a todo ello añadimos sus intensos modos de enfrentamiento y en equipo hasta para 16 jugadores en más de 18 mapas multijugador, la opción de grabar demostraciones, espectadores y un servidor dedicado, Serious Sam HD: The Second Encounter se convierte en un digno sucesor de la obra maestra originalLa clave de activación debe usarse en una cuenta Steam válida.

Requisitos del sistema: OS: Windows XP SP1CPU: Intel P4 3+ Ghz / AMD Athlon64 3500+RAM: 1 GB. For XP / 2 GB. For VistaHDD: 22 GBVideo: nVidia GeForce 7600, ATI Radeon X1600 (Shader Model 30 required)DirectX: DirectX 90c © 2010 Croteam Ltd Serious Sam HD, The Serious Sam HD logo, Serious Engine 3, the Serious Engine 3 logo, Croteam and the Croteam logo are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Croteam All rights reserved

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If you're a huge fan of the GTA series, mods are a great way to enhance your gaming experience. While most mods cater to experienced players, GTA N00bmode might be right up your alley if you're newer to this PC game series.

GTA N00bmode allows experienced and newbie gamers alike to blow off some steam with some great features that let you explore GTA IV without worrying about silly little issues like getting killed. You can avoid car crashes in GTA N00bmode, slow down bullets to be better able to avoid them, and there's even an infinite player god mode so you can never die. In addition, you can create a huge gang, opt to load yourself up with as much money as you want, and teleport to anywhere in San Andreas that's to your liking.

GTA N00bmode comes in three different versions: Normal, Opened Up, and Stripped. In Normal, you gain access to GTA N00bmode's features while playing along with the normal storyline and missions, for example. Stripped gives you just the n00bmode in what essentially amounts to an empty GTA.

Those are just a few of the features you can access with GTA N00bmode. You access these features via an easy to use control window that you can hide once you've made your feature selections.

The only real downside to GTA N00bmode is that it might make the game too easy for experienced players!

For GTA fans who want to explore the game without the pesky risk of dying too early on, GTA N00bmode is a great mod that'll let you do just that.

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-A manager that allow you to delete/ignore/select your desired saves. -A PlaySafe! Mode, to synchronise your savegames while playing to keep them up to date. -Possibility to back-up your Steam savegames. -An intuitive graphical interface. -An Online mode, to send your savegames on a server and to share them with your friends using an ID. -An integrated help, a tutorial video and an online support. -A database updated so very often. -A feature that allow you to make your own savegames path, and to request them.

Savegame manager is light and easy to use as it is a portable application. It's fast backup system allow you to detect and save your savegames in a few clicks. It's database is update every mouths including around 50 new games to support.

This software has been meant for gamers and people who would like to upgrade their systems and prevent the loose of savegames.

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In Blades of Time, you play adventurer Ayumi who's lost in a dangerous island full of mysteries and treasures. She wields swords expertly in an attempt to ward off monsters while she searches for treasure.

Ayumi can solve puzzles by rewinding time. This also helps her fight off monsters. But Blades of Time is more than just a fighter game. You can also interact with other characters, friends and enemies alike. That said, fight scenes are a large part of the game. You can use over 40 different martial arts combo attacks to best your enemies, giving Blades of Time a nice amount of fighting variety.

The landscapes and graphics in Blades of Time are really quite beautiful as well. There's a good amount of variety in the landscape settings in Blades of Time, which should keep players interested. From snow-covered valleys to dense jungles and ancient cities, this game certainly gives players a lot of look at and interact with.

Unfortunately, camera control isn't the best and doesn't always respond the way it should. More advanced gamers might also feel like this game is a bit unoriginal and takes too much inspiration from other games like Prince of Persia.

Note that Steam must be installed in order to play this demo.

Blades of Glory might not be the most original game out there, but fans of the fantasy action genre will enjoy it nevertheless.

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Sniping is one of the most popular and divisive activities in first person shooters. The expert sniper camped out in a well hidden spot ruining everyone's fun, is a well known feature of online gaming. However, there's no denying that being a sniper is quite satisfying, and Sniper Elite V2 makes it an art form.

The WWII setting may be a bit stale, but Sniper Elite V2 looks good, and the physics of the game are great. Depending on the difficulty, you'll have to take into account your heart-rate, wind and distance when taking your shot. You'll soon find the Cadet setting is too simple - it's so much more satisfying when shooting is more complex!

The bullet cam, which comes into play a lot, slows the action and follows your bullet through the air and through your target. Some bullet cam shots will enter 'x-ray' mode and you'll see all the gory details as a bullet passes through your victim. It's pretty gruesome, and really marks Sniper Elite V2 as a game for adults only!

With Sniper Ghost Warrior 2 also on the way, this is a great time for sniper fans, and Sniper Elite V2 is definitely worth checking out.

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Graphically impressive, Raymon Origins offers a cartoon feel, along with gorgeous environments. This demo was released in advance of the full PC game, which is scheduled for release on March 29, 2012.

Rayman Origins takes place in a peaceful world called the Glade of Dreams. Peaceful, yes, until Rayman and his friends' snoring disturbs a Land of the Livid Death inhabitant who sends out an army of evil creatures to capture Electoons and throw the Glad into chaos as retaliation.

The goal of Rayman Origins is to free Electoons and collect ruby teeth throughout the game. You can play the game as Rayman, his friend Globox or one of two Teensies in an up to four player co-op.

As you travel through each level in Rayman Origins, the object is to fight enemies and rescue Electoons that have been imprisoned. Your character will obtain new powers and abilities as the game progresses, from running up walls to gliding in midair, swimming and shrinking in size, which keeps things interesting.

The Rayman Origins demo limits the levels you can play, but it gives you a taste of what the full game will be like. You must have Steam installed to play the game.

Rayman Origins is a graphically stunning adventure with a fun storyline.

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Gameplay in PAYDAY: The Heist is fast-paced and exciting FPS with a great deal of tension.

In PAYDAY: The Heist contains six different missions to play. Each mission contains elements that alter the gameplay and keep things interesting after multiple plays. You can also engage in an up to four player co-op to make things even more interesting.

Players use a wide variety of weaponry in PAYDAY: The Heist to complete objectives in each mission. Assault rifles, shotguns, and sub-machine guns are the weapons of choice.

These objectives usually center around stealing a specific object or obtaining a set amount of money. While there's no major plot in PAYDAY: The Heist, the game focuses on Dallas, Hoxton, Chains and Wolf, four criminals who team up for different heists.

The heists include everything from a traditional bank robbery to defending your hideout long enough to gain access to a locked armored car. In situations where civilians are present, you can kidnap them and later trade them in to gain an extra life is one player dies. Most heists require you to deal with obstacles, and law enforcement agents.

The graphics are detailed, but not game-changing. The game focuses on action and intensity rather than high definition visuals. Due to its violence and mature content, PAYDAY: The Heist is not recommended for younger players.

Steam is required to play the game.

PAYDAY: The Heist is a thrilling FPS with non-stop action and great graphics.

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