PS3 PC Conversion

PS3 PC Conversion theme by ltmreal

Download: PS3PCConversion.p3t

PS3 PC Conversion Theme
(4 backgrounds)

P3T Unpacker v0.12
Copyright (c) 2007. Anoop Menon

This program unpacks Playstation 3 Theme files (.p3t) so that you can touch-up an existing theme to your likings or use a certain wallpaper from it (as many themes have multiple). But remember, if you use content from another theme and release it, be sure to give credit!

Download for Windows: p3textractor.zip

Instructions:

Download p3textractor.zip from above. Extract the files to a folder with a program such as WinZip or WinRAR. Now there are multiple ways to extract the theme.

The first way is to simply open the p3t file with p3textractor.exe. If you don’t know how to do this, right click the p3t file and select Open With. Alternatively, open the p3t file and it will ask you to select a program to open with. Click Browse and find p3textractor.exe from where you previously extracted it to. It will open CMD and extract the theme to extracted.[filename]. After that, all you need to do for any future p3t files is open them and it will extract.

The second way is very simple. Just drag the p3t file to p3textractor.exe. It will open CMD and extract the theme to extracted.[filename].

For the third way, first put the p3t file you want to extract into the same folder as p3textractor.exe. Open CMD and browse to the folder with p3extractor.exe. Enter the following:
p3textractor filename.p3t [destination path]Replace filename with the name of the p3t file, and replace [destination path] with the name of the folder you want the files to be extracted to. A destination path is not required. By default it will extract to extracted.filename.

White Litho

White Litho theme by multiple authors

Download: WhiteLitho.p3t

White Litho Theme
(4 backgrounds)

P3T Unpacker v0.12
Copyright (c) 2007. Anoop Menon

This program unpacks Playstation 3 Theme files (.p3t) so that you can touch-up an existing theme to your likings or use a certain wallpaper from it (as many themes have multiple). But remember, if you use content from another theme and release it, be sure to give credit!

Download for Windows: p3textractor.zip

Instructions:

Download p3textractor.zip from above. Extract the files to a folder with a program such as WinZip or WinRAR. Now there are multiple ways to extract the theme.

The first way is to simply open the p3t file with p3textractor.exe. If you don’t know how to do this, right click the p3t file and select Open With. Alternatively, open the p3t file and it will ask you to select a program to open with. Click Browse and find p3textractor.exe from where you previously extracted it to. It will open CMD and extract the theme to extracted.[filename]. After that, all you need to do for any future p3t files is open them and it will extract.

The second way is very simple. Just drag the p3t file to p3textractor.exe. It will open CMD and extract the theme to extracted.[filename].

For the third way, first put the p3t file you want to extract into the same folder as p3textractor.exe. Open CMD and browse to the folder with p3extractor.exe. Enter the following:
p3textractor filename.p3t [destination path]Replace filename with the name of the p3t file, and replace [destination path] with the name of the folder you want the files to be extracted to. A destination path is not required. By default it will extract to extracted.filename.

Death Note #2

Death Note theme by Maniac21

Download: DeathNote_2.p3t

Death Note Theme 2
(7 backgrounds)

Death Note
First tankōbon volume cover, featuring Light Yagami (front) and Ryuk (back)
Genre
Manga
Written byTsugumi Ohba
Illustrated byTakeshi Obata
Published byShueisha
English publisher
ImprintJump Comics
MagazineWeekly Shōnen Jump
DemographicShōnen
Original runDecember 1, 2003May 15, 2006
Volumes12 (List of volumes)
Further information
Novel
Death Note Another Note: The Los Angeles BB Murder Cases
Written byNisio Isin
Published byShueisha
English publisher
  • NA: Viz Media
PublishedAugust 1, 2006
Anime television series
Directed byTetsurō Araki
Produced by
Written byToshiki Inoue
Music by
StudioMadhouse
Licensed by
Original networkNNS (NTV)
English network
Original run October 4, 2006 June 27, 2007
Episodes37 (List of episodes)
Anime television film
Death Note: Relight - Visions of a God
Directed byTetsurō Araki
Produced by
  • Toshio Nakatani
  • Manabu Tamura
  • Masao Maruyama
Written byToshiki Inoue
Music by
  • Yoshihisa Hirano
  • Hideki Taniuchi
StudioMadhouse
Licensed by
  • Crunchyroll LLC[a]
    • NA: Viz Media
Original networkNippon TV
ReleasedAugust 31, 2007
Runtime130 minutes
Novel
Death Note: L - Change the World
Written byM
Published byShueisha
English publisher
  • NA: Viz Media
PublishedDecember 25, 2007
Manga
Death Note: C-Kira
Written byTsugumi Ohba
Illustrated byTakeshi Obata
Published byShueisha
English publisher
  • NA: Viz Media
MagazineWeekly Shōnen Jump
DemographicShōnen
PublishedFebruary 9, 2008
Anime television film
Death Note: Relight 2 – L's Successors
Directed byTetsurō Araki
Produced by
  • Toshio Nakatani
  • Manabu Tamura
  • Masao Maruyama
Written byToshiki Inoue
Music by
  • Yoshihisa Hirano
  • Hideki Taniuchi
StudioMadhouse
Licensed by
  • Crunchyroll LLC[a]
    • NA: Viz Media
Original networkNNS (NTV)
ReleasedAugust 22, 2008
Runtime100 minutes
Manga
Death Note: a-Kira
Written byTsugumi Ohba
Illustrated byTakeshi Obata
Published byShueisha
English publisher
  • NA: Viz Media
MagazineJump Square
DemographicShōnen
PublishedFebruary 4, 2020
Live-action
Video games
icon Anime and manga portal

Death Note (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese manga series written by Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi Obata. It was serialized in Shueisha's shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump from December 2003 to May 2006, with its chapters collected in 12 tankōbon volumes. The story follows Light Yagami, a genius high school student who discovers a mysterious notebook: the "Death Note", which belonged to the shinigami Ryuk, and grants the user the supernatural ability to kill anyone whose name is written in its pages. The series centers around Light's subsequent attempts to use the Death Note to carry out a worldwide massacre of individuals whom he deems immoral and to create a crime-free society, using the alias of a god-like vigilante named "Kira", and the subsequent efforts of an elite Japanese police task force, led by enigmatic detective L, to apprehend him.

A 37-episode anime television series adaptation, produced by Madhouse and directed by Tetsurō Araki, was broadcast on Nippon Television from October 2006 to June 2007. A light novel based on the series, written by Nisio Isin, was also released in 2006. Additionally, various video games have been published by Konami for the Nintendo DS. The series was adapted into three live-action films released in Japan in June, November 2006, and February 2008, and a television drama in 2015. A miniseries titled Death Note: New Generation and a fourth film were released in 2016. An American film adaptation was released exclusively on Netflix in August 2017, and a series is reportedly in the works.

Death Note media, except for video games and soundtracks, is licensed and released in North America by Viz Media. The episodes from the anime first appeared in North America as downloadable from IGN before Viz Media licensed it. The series was aired on YTV's Bionix programming block in Canada and on Adult Swim in the United States with a DVD release following. The live-action films briefly played in certain North American theaters, in 2008, before receiving home video releases. By April 2015, the Death Note manga had over 30 million copies in circulation, making it one of the best-selling manga series.

Plot[edit]

In Tokyo, a disaffected high school student named Light Yagami finds the "Death Note", a mysterious black notebook with rules that can end anyone's life in seconds as long as the writer knows both the target's true name and face. Light uses the notebook to kill high-profile criminals and is visited by Ryuk, a "shinigami" and the Death Note's previous owner. Ryuk, invisible to anyone who has not touched the notebook, reveals that he dropped the notebook into the human world out of boredom and is amused by Light's actions.[5]

Global media suggest that a single mastermind is responsible for the mysterious murders and name them "Kira" (キラ, the Japanese transliteration of the word "killer"). Interpol requests the assistance of the enigmatic detective L to assist in their investigation. L tricks Light into revealing that he is in the Kanto region of Japan by manipulating him to kill a decoy. Light vows to kill L, whom he views as obstructing his plans. L deduces that Kira has inside knowledge of the Japanese police investigation, led by Light's father, Soichiro Yagami. L assigns a team of FBI agents to monitor the families of those connected with the investigation and designates Light as the prime suspect. Light graduates from high school to college. L recruits Light into the Kira Task Force.

Actress-model Misa Amane obtains a second Death Note from a shinigami named Rem and makes a deal for shinigami eyes, which reveal the names of anyone whose face she sees, at the cost of half her remaining lifespan. Seeking to have Light become her boyfriend, Misa uncovers Light's identity as the original Kira. Light uses her love for him to his advantage, intending to use Misa's shinigami eyes to discern L's true name. L deduces that Misa is likely the second Kira and detains her. Rem threatens to kill Light if he does not find a way to save Misa. Light arranges a scheme in which he and Misa temporarily lose their memories of the Death Note, and has Rem pass the Death Note to Kyosuke Higuchi of the Yotsuba Group.

With memories of the Death Note erased, Light joins the investigation and, together with L, deduces Higuchi's identity and arrests him. Light regains his memories and uses the Death Note to kill Higuchi, regaining possession of the book. After restoring Misa's memories, Light instructs her to begin killing as Kira, causing L to cast suspicion on Misa. Rem realizes Light's plan to have Misa sacrifice herself to kill L. After Rem kills L, she disintegrates and Light obtains her Death Note. The task force agrees to have Light operate as the new L. The investigation stalls but crime rates continue to drop.

Four years later, cults worshipping Kira have risen. L's potential successors are introduced: Near and Mello. Mello joins the mafia whilst Near joins forces with the US government. Mello kidnaps Director Takimura, who is killed by Light. Mello kidnaps Light's sister and exchanges her for the Death Note, using it to kill almost all of Near's team. A Shinigami named Sidoh goes to Earth to reclaim his notebook and ends up meeting and helping Mello. Light uses the notebook to find Mello's hideout, but Soichiro is killed in the mission. Mello and Near exchange information and Mello kidnaps Mogi and gives him to Near. Kira's supporters attack Near's group, but they escape. Shuichi Aizawa, one of the task force members, becomes suspicious of Light and meets with Near. As suspicion falls again on Misa, Light passes Misa's Death Note to Teru Mikami, a fervent Kira supporter, and appoints newscaster Kiyomi Takada as Kira's public spokesperson. Near has Mikami followed whilst Aizawa's suspicions are confirmed. Realizing that Takada is connected to Kira, Mello kidnaps her. Takada kills Mello but is killed by Light. Near arranges a meeting between Light and the current Kira Task Force members. Light tries to have Mikami kill Near as well as all the task force members, but Mikami's Death Note fails to work, having been replaced with a decoy. Near proves Light is Kira discovering Mikami had not written down Light's name. Light is wounded in a scuffle and begs Ryuk to write the names of everyone present. Ryuk instead writes down Light's name in his Death Note, as he had promised to do the day they met, and Light dies.

One year later, the world has returned to normal and the Kira Taskforce Members are conflicted over whether they made the right decision. Meanwhile, cults continue to worship Kira.

C-Kira (one-shot sequel)[edit]

Three years later, Near, now functioning as the new L, receives word that a new Kira has appeared. Hearing that the new Kira is randomly killing people, Near concludes that the new Kira is an attention-seeker and denounces the new Kira as "boring" and not worth catching. A shinigami named Midora approaches Ryuk and gives him an apple from the human realm, in a bet to see if a random human could become the new Kira, but Midora loses the bet when the human writes his own name in the Death Note after hearing Near's announcement. Ryuk tells Midora that no human would ever surpass Light as the new Kira.

a-Kira (one-shot sequel)[edit]

Another ten years later, Ryuk returns to Earth and gives the Death Note to Minoru Tanaka, the top-scoring student in Japan, hoping that he will follow in Light Yagami's footsteps. On explaining the rules to Minoru, Ryuk is surprised when he returns the notebook and tells him to return it and his memory of their encounter to him in two years' time. Two years later, on receiving the notebook back from Ryuk, Minoru reveals he has no plans to use it himself but rather he plans to auction it off to the governments of the world, with Ryuk's help sending his offer out as "a-Kira", having waited two years until he was old enough to have a bank account to allow his plan to work. Elsewhere, Near (as L) is revealed to be developing technology meant to track and eventually find a method of destroying Shinigami, although it is not yet advanced enough to be useful. After selling the Death Note to U.S. President Donald Trump for a sum that would ensure every Japanese citizen under the age of 60 would be financially set for life, Minoru relinquishes his ownership and memory of his plan to Ryuk, assuring his own anonymity, while Trump is left unable to use the Death Note after the King of Death creates a new rule disallowing the Death Note to be sold, and he secretly returns it to Ryuk. Minoru collapses to the ground in the bank after withdrawing his savings. It is revealed that Ryuk wrote his name in the Death Note next to Light's. He longs for a human who will use the notebook for a longer period of time.

Production[edit]

Development[edit]

The Death Note concept derived from a rather general concept involving Shinigami and "specific rules".[6] Author Tsugumi Ohba wanted to create a suspense series because the genre had some suspense series available to the public. After the publication of the pilot chapter, the series was not expected to receive approval as a serialized comic. Learning that Death Note had received approval and that Takeshi Obata would create the artwork, Ohba said, they "couldn't even believe it".[7] Due to positive reactions, Death Note became a serialized manga series.[8]

"Thumbnails" incorporating dialogue, panel layout and basic drawings were created, reviewed by an editor and sent to Takeshi Obata, the illustrator, with the script finalized and the panel layout "mostly done". Obata then determined the expressions and "camera angles" and created the final artwork. Ohba concentrated on the tempo and the amount of dialogue, making the text as concise as possible. Ohba commented that "reading too much exposition" would be tiring and would negatively affect the atmosphere and "air of suspense". The illustrator had significant artistic licence to interpret basic descriptions, such as "abandoned building",[9] as well as the design of the Death Notes themselves.

When Ohba was deciding on the plot, they visualized the panels while relaxing on their bed, drinking tea, or walking around their house. Often the original draft was too long and needed to be refined to finalize the desired "tempo" and "flow". The writer remarked on their preference for reading the previous "two or four" chapters carefully to ensure consistency in the story.[6]

The typical weekly production schedule consisted of five days of creating and thinking and one day using a pencil to insert dialogue into rough drafts; after this point, the writer faxed any initial drafts to the editor. The illustrator's weekly production schedule involved one day with the thumbnails, layout, and pencils and one day with additional penciling and inking. Obata's assistants usually worked for four days and Obata spent one day to finish the artwork. Obata said that when he took a few extra days to color the pages, this "messed with the schedule". In contrast, the writer took three or four days to create a chapter on some occasions, while on others they took a month. Obata said that his schedule remained consistent except when he had to create color pages.[10]

Ohba and Obata rarely met in person during the creation of the serialized manga; instead, the two met with the editor. The first time they met in person was at an editorial party in January 2004. Obata said that, despite the intrigue, he did not ask his editor about Ohba's plot developments as he anticipated the new thumbnails every week.[7] The two did not discuss the final chapters with one another and continued talking only with the editor. Ohba said that when they asked the editor if Obata had "said anything" about the story and plot, the editor responded: "No, nothing".[9]

Ohba claims that the series ended more or less in the manner that they intended for it to end; they considered the idea of L defeating Light Yagami with Light dying but instead chose to use the "Yellow Box Warehouse" ending. According to Ohba, the details had been set "from the beginning".[8] The writer wanted an ongoing plot line instead of an episodic series because Death Note was serialized and its focus was intended to be on a cast with a series of events triggered by the Death Note.[11] 13: How to Read states that the humorous aspects of Death Note originated from Ohba's "enjoyment of humorous stories".[12]

When Ohba was asked, during an interview, whether the series was meant to be about enjoying the plot twists and psychological warfare, Ohba responded by saying that this concept was the reason why they were "very happy" to place the story in Weekly Shōnen Jump.[10]

Concepts[edit]

The notebooks[edit]

The core plot device of the story is the "Death Note" itself, a black notebook with instructions (known as "Rules of the Death Note") written on the inside. When used correctly, it allows anyone to commit a murder, knowing only the victim's name and face. According to the director of the live-action films, Shusuke Kaneko, "The idea of spirits living in words is an ancient Japanese concept.... In a way, it's a very Japanese story".[13]

Artist Takeshi Obata originally thought of the books as "Something you would automatically think was a Death Note". Deciding that this design would be cumbersome, he instead opted for a more accessible college notebook. Death Notes were originally conceived as changing based on time and location, resembling scrolls in ancient Japan, or the Old Testament in medieval Europe. However, this idea was never used.[14]

Themes[edit]

Writer Tsugumi Ohba had no particular themes in mind for Death Note. When pushed, he suggested: "Humans will all eventually die, so let's give it our all while we're alive".[15] In a 2012 paper, author Jolyon Baraka Thomas characterised Death Note as a psychological thriller released in the wake of the 1995 Tokyo subway sarin attack, saying that it examines the human tendency to express itself through "horrific" cults.[16]

Pilot chapter[edit]

The Death Note process began when Ohba brought thumbnails for two concept ideas to Shueisha; Ohba said that the Death Note pilot, one of the concepts, was "received well" by editors and attained positive reactions from readers.[8] Ohba described keeping the story of the pilot to one chapter as "very difficult", declaring that it took over a month to begin writing the chapter. He added that the story had to revive the killed characters with the Death Eraser and that he "didn't really care" for that plot device.[17]

Obata said that he wanted to draw the story after he heard of a "horror story featuring shinigami".[7] According to Obata, when he first received the rough draft created by Ohba, he "didn't really get it" at first, and he wanted to work on the project due to the presence of shinigami and because the work "was dark".[17] He also said he wondered about the progression of the plot as he read the thumbnails, and if Jump readers would enjoy reading the comic. Obata said that while there is little action and the main character "doesn't really drive the plot", he enjoyed the atmosphere of the story. He stated that he drew the pilot chapter so that it would appeal to himself.[17]

Ohba brought the rough draft of the pilot chapter to the editorial department. Obata came into the picture at a later point to create the artwork. They did not meet in person while creating the pilot chapter. Ohba said that the editor told him he did not need to meet with Obata to discuss the pilot; Ohba said "I think it worked out all right".[7]

Anime adaptation[edit]

Tetsurō Araki, the director, said that he wished to convey aspects that "made the series interesting" instead of simply "focusing on morals or the concept of justice". Toshiki Inoue, the series organizer, agreed with Araki and added that, in anime adaptations, there is a lot of importance in highlighting the aspects that are "interesting in the original". He concluded that Light's presence was "the most compelling" aspect; therefore the adaptation chronicles Light's "thoughts and actions as much as possible". Inoue noted that to best incorporate the manga's plot into the anime, he "tweak[ed] the chronology a bit" and incorporated flashbacks that appear after the openings of the episodes; he said this revealed the desired tensions. Araki said that, because in an anime the viewer cannot "turn back pages" in the manner that a manga reader can, the anime staff ensured that the show clarified details. Inoue added that the staff did not want to get involved with every single detail, so the staff selected elements to emphasize. Due to the complexity of the original manga, he described the process as "definitely delicate and a great challenge". Inoue admitted that he placed more instructions and notes in the script than usual. Araki added that because of the importance of otherwise trivial details, this commentary became crucial to the development of the series.[18]

Araki said that when he discovered the Death Note anime project, he "literally begged" to join the production team; when he joined he insisted that Inoue should write the scripts. Inoue added that, because he enjoyed reading the manga, he wished to use his effort.[18]

Media[edit]

Manga[edit]

Death Note, written by Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi Obata, was serialized in Shueisha's shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump from December 1, 2003,[19][20] to May 15, 2006.[b][20] The series' 108 chapters were collected into twelve tankōbon volumes by Shueisha, released from April 2, 2004,[23] to July 4, 2006.[24] A one-shot chapter, titled "C-Kira" (Cキラ編, C-Kira-hen) ("Death Note: Special One-Shot"), was published in Weekly Shōnen Jump on February 9, 2008. Set two years after the manga's epilogue, it sees the introduction of a new Kira and the reactions of the main characters in response to the copycat's appearance.[25] Several Death Note yonkoma (four-panel comics) appeared in Akamaru Jump. The yonkoma was written to be humorous. The Akamaru Jump issues that printed the comics include 2004 Spring, 2004 Summer, 2005 Winter, and 2005 Spring. In addition Weekly Shōnen Jump Gag Special 2005 included some Death Note yonkoma in a Jump Heroes Super 4-Panel Competition.[17] Shueisha re-released the series in seven bunkoban volumes from March 18 to August 19, 2014.[26][27] On October 4, 2016, all 12 original manga volumes and the February 2008 one-shot were released in a single All-in-One Edition, consisting of 2,400 pages in a single book.[28][29]

In April 2005, Viz Media announced that they had licensed the series for English release in North America.[30] The twelve volumes were released from October 10, 2005, to July 3, 2007.[31][32] The manga was re-released in a six-volume omnibus edition, dubbed "Black Edition".[33][34] The volumes were released from December 28, 2010, to November 1, 2011.[35][36] The All-in-One Edition was released in English on September 6, 2017, resulting in the February 2008 one-shot being released in English for the first time.[37]

In addition, a guidebook for the manga was also released on October 13, 2006. It was named Death Note 13: How to Read and contained data relating to the series, including character profiles of almost every character that is named, creator interviews, behind the scenes info for the series and the pilot chapter that preceded Death Note. It also reprinted all of the yonkoma serialized in Akamaru Jump and the Weekly Shōnen Jump Gag Special 2005.

Sunny V2

Sunny Version 2 theme by J Man373

Download: SunnyV2.p3t

Sunny V2 Theme
(8 backgrounds)

P3T Unpacker v0.12
Copyright (c) 2007. Anoop Menon

This program unpacks Playstation 3 Theme files (.p3t) so that you can touch-up an existing theme to your likings or use a certain wallpaper from it (as many themes have multiple). But remember, if you use content from another theme and release it, be sure to give credit!

Download for Windows: p3textractor.zip

Instructions:

Download p3textractor.zip from above. Extract the files to a folder with a program such as WinZip or WinRAR. Now there are multiple ways to extract the theme.

The first way is to simply open the p3t file with p3textractor.exe. If you don’t know how to do this, right click the p3t file and select Open With. Alternatively, open the p3t file and it will ask you to select a program to open with. Click Browse and find p3textractor.exe from where you previously extracted it to. It will open CMD and extract the theme to extracted.[filename]. After that, all you need to do for any future p3t files is open them and it will extract.

The second way is very simple. Just drag the p3t file to p3textractor.exe. It will open CMD and extract the theme to extracted.[filename].

For the third way, first put the p3t file you want to extract into the same folder as p3textractor.exe. Open CMD and browse to the folder with p3extractor.exe. Enter the following:
p3textractor filename.p3t [destination path]Replace filename with the name of the p3t file, and replace [destination path] with the name of the folder you want the files to be extracted to. A destination path is not required. By default it will extract to extracted.filename.

Bugatti Veyron

Bugatti Veyron theme by xXBulletMagnetXx

Download: BugattiVeyron.p3t

Bugatti Veyron Theme
(6 backgrounds)

Bugatti Veyron 16.4
Overview
ManufacturerBugatti Automobiles S.A.S.
Production
  • 2005–2015 (450 produced)
  • 2005–2011 (Veyron 16.4; 252 produced)
  • 2009–2015 (Grand Sport; 58 produced)
  • 2010–2011 (Super Sport; 48 produced)
  • 2012–2015 (Grand Sport Vitesse; 92 produced)
AssemblyFrance: Alsace, Molsheim[1]
DesignerJozef Kabaň[2]
Body and chassis
ClassSports car (S)
Body style
  • 2-door coupé (16.4, Super Sport)
  • 2-door targa top (Grand Sport, Grand Sport Vitesse)
LayoutMid-engine, all-wheel drive
Related
Powertrain
Engine8.0 L (488 cu in) quad-turbocharged Volkswagen WR16
Power output
  • Standard (Coupé), Grand Sport (Roadster): 736 kW (1,001 PS; 987 hp)[3]
  • Super Sport (Coupé), Grand Sport Vitesse (Roadster): 882 kW (1,200 PS; 1,183 hp)[4]
Transmission7-speed Ricardo dual-clutch automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase2,710 mm (106.7 in)
Length4,462 mm (175.7 in)
Width1,998 mm (78.7 in)
Height1,204 mm (47.4 in)
Kerb weight1,838–1,990 kg (4,052–4,387 lb)
Chronology
PredecessorBugatti EB 110
SuccessorBugatti Chiron

The Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4 is a mid-engine sports car, designed and developed in Germany by the Volkswagen Group and Bugatti and manufactured in Molsheim, France, by French automobile manufacturer Bugatti. It was named after the racing driver Pierre Veyron.

The original version has a top speed of 407 km/h (253 mph).[5][6] It was named the 2000s Car of the Decade by the BBC television programme Top Gear. The standard Veyron also won Top Gear's Best Car Driven All Year award in 2005.

The Super Sport version of the Veyron is one of the fastest street-legal production cars in the world, with a top speed of 431.072 km/h (267.856 mph).[7] The Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse was the fastest roadster in the world, reaching an averaged top speed of 408.84 km/h (254.04 mph) in a test on 6 April 2013.[8][9]

The Veyron's chief designer was Hartmut Warkuß, with the exterior being designed by Jozef Kabaň of Volkswagen. Much of the engineering work was conducted under the guidance of chief technical officer Wolfgang Schreiber. The Veyron includes a sound system designed and built by Burmester Audiosysteme.[10]

Several special variants have been produced. In December 2010, Bugatti began offering prospective buyers the ability to customise exterior and interior colours by using the Veyron 16.4 Configurator application on the marque's official website.[11][12] The Bugatti Veyron was discontinued in late 2014, but special edition models continued to be produced until 2015.

Origins[edit]

Bugatti Veyron EB 16/4 Concept, a modified version of the 18/4 Veyron

In May 1998, Volkswagen AG acquired the rights to use the Bugatti logo and the trade name Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S. To succeed the EB 110 model produced under the previous ownership, the automaker quickly released a series of concept cars whose technological advancements would culminate in the form of the Veyron 16.4.

Between October 1998 and September 1999, Bugatti introduced a series of Giugiaro-designed concept vehicles, each with permanent four-wheel drive and powered by the Volkswagen-designed W18 engine. The first car, the EB 118, was a 2-door luxury coupé presented at the 1998 Paris Motor Show. The next car, the EB 218, was a 4-door saloon presented at the 1999 Geneva Motor Show. The third and final car, the 18/3 Chiron, was a mid-engine sports car presented at the 1999 International Motor Show in Frankfurt.[13]

In October 1999, Bugatti unveiled a fourth concept car at the Tokyo Motor Show. The EB 18/4 Veyron was a mid-engine sports car styled in-house under the direction of Hartmut Warkuß.[14] In 2000, a modified version, the EB 16/4 Veyron, was displayed at motor shows in Detroit, Geneva, and Paris. Rather than the three-bank W18 engine of the four previous concept cars, the EB 16/4 featured the four-bank WR16 engine architecture installed in every production example of the Veyron.[15] Warkuß also commissioned SEAT head of design, Walter de Silva, to submit a design proposal for the new Bugatti. The design was ultimately rejected in favour of Warkuß's own proposal.[16]

The decision to start production of the car was made by the Volkswagen Group in 2001. The first roadworthy prototype was completed in August 2003. It is identical to the later series variant, except for a few details. In the transition from development to series production, considerable technical problems had to be addressed, repeatedly delaying production until September 2005.[17]

The Veyron EB 16.4 is named in honor of Pierre Veyron, a Bugatti development engineer, test driver and company race driver who, with co-driver Jean-Pierre Wimille, won the 1939 24 Hours of Le Mans while driving a Bugatti.[18] The "EB" refers to Bugatti founder Ettore Bugatti and the "16.4" refers to the engine's 16 cylinders and quad-turbochargers.[19]

Bugatti Veyron (2005–2011)[edit]

Specifications and performance[edit]

The Veyron's quad-turbocharged W16 engine

The Veyron features an 8.0-litre, quad-turbocharged, W16 cylinder engine, equivalent to two narrow-angle V8 engines bolted together. Each cylinder has four valves for a total of 64, but the configuration of each bank allows two overhead camshafts to drive two banks of cylinders so only four camshafts are needed. The engine is fed by four turbochargers and displaces 7,993 cc (487.8 cu in), with a square 86 by 86 mm (3.39 by 3.39 in) bore and stroke.

Bugatti Veyron 16.4
Bugatti Veyron Interior

The transmission is a dual-clutch direct-shift computer-controlled automatic transmission having seven gear ratios, with magnesium paddles behind the steering wheel and a shift time of less than 150 milliseconds, built by Ricardo of England rather than Borg-Warner, who designed the six speed DSG used in the mainstream Volkswagen Group marques. The Veyron can be driven in either semi-automatic or fully-automatic mode. A replacement transmission for the Veyron costs just over US$120,000.[20] It also has permanent all-wheel drive using the Haldex Traction system. It uses special Michelin PAX run-flat tyres, designed specifically to accommodate the Veyron's top speed, and cost US$25,000 per set.[20] The tyres can be mounted on the wheels only in France, a service which costs US$70,000.[20] Kerb weight is 1,888 kg (4,162 lb).[21] This gives the car a power-to-weight ratio, according to Volkswagen Group's figures, of 530 PS (390 kW; 523 hp) per ton. The car's wheelbase is 2,710 mm (106.7 in). Overall length is 4,462 mm (175.7 in) which gives 1,752.6 mm (69.0 in) of overhang. The width is 1,998 mm (78.7 in) and height 1,204 mm (47.4 in). The Bugatti Veyron has a total of ten radiators:[22]

  • 3 heat exchangers for the air-to-liquid intercoolers.
  • 3 engine radiators.
  • 1 for the air conditioning system.
  • 1 transmission oil radiator.
  • 1 differential oil radiator.
  • 1 engine oil radiator

It has a drag coefficient of Cd=0.41 (normal condition) and Cd=0.36 (after lowering to the ground),[23] and a frontal area of 2.07 m2 (22.3 sq ft).[24] This gives it a drag area, the product of drag coefficient and frontal area, of CdA=0.74 m2 (8.0 sq ft).

Engine power output[edit]

According to Volkswagen Group and certified by TÜV Süddeutschland, the W16 engine utilised by the Veyron has a power output of 736 kW (987 hp; 1,001 PS), and generates 1,250 N⋅m (922 lbf⋅ft) of torque.[25][26][27]

Top speed[edit]

German inspection officials recorded an average top speed of the original version at 408.47 km/h (253.81 mph)[6] during test sessions on Volkswagen Group's private Ehra-Lessien test track on 19 April 2005.

This top speed was almost matched by James May on Top Gear in November 2006, at the Ehra-Lessien test track, at 407.5 km/h (253.2 mph).[6] May noted that at top speed the engine consumes 45,000 L (9,900 imp gal) of air per minute (as much as a human breathes in four days). Back in the Top Gear studio, co-presenter Jeremy Clarkson commented that most sports cars felt like they were shaking apart at their top speed, and asked May if that was the case with the Veyron at 407 km/h (253 mph). May responded that the Veyron was very controlled, and only wobbled slightly when the air brake deployed.[28]

The car's normal top speed is listed at 343 km/h (213 mph). When the car reaches 220 km/h (137 mph), hydraulics lower the car until it has a ground clearance of about 9 cm (3.5 in). At the same time, the wing and spoiler deploy. In this handling mode, the wing provides 3,425 newtons (770 lbf) of downforce, holding the car to the road.[22]

Top speed mode must be entered while the vehicle is at rest. Its driver must toggle a special top speed key to the left of their seat, which triggers a checklist to establish whether the car and its driver are ready to attempt to reach 407 km/h (253 mph). If so, the rear spoiler retracts, the front air diffusers shut, and normal 12.5 cm (4.9 in) ground clearance drops to 6.5 cm (2.6 in).

Braking[edit]

The Veyron's brakes use cross drilled, radially vented carbon fibre reinforced silicon carbide (C/SiC) composite discs, manufactured by SGL Carbon, which have less brake fade and weigh less than standard cast iron discs.[29] The lightweight aluminium alloy monobloc brake calipers are made by AP Racing; the front have eight[22] titanium pistons and the rear calipers have six pistons. Bugatti claims maximum deceleration of 1.3 g on road tyres. As an added safety feature, in the event of brake failure, an anti-lock braking system (ABS) has also been installed on the handbrake.

Prototypes have been subjected to repeated 1.0 g braking from 312 km/h (194 mph) to 80 km/h (50 mph) without fade. With the car's acceleration from 80 km/h (50 mph) to 312 km/h (194 mph), that test can be performed every 22 seconds. At speeds above 200 km/h (124 mph), the rear wing also acts as an airbrake, snapping to a 55° angle in 0.4 seconds once brakes are applied, providing an additional 0.68 g (6.66 m/s2) of deceleration (equivalent to the stopping power of an ordinary hatchback).[22] Bugatti claims the Veyron will brake from 400 km/h (249 mph) to a standstill in less than 10 seconds, though distance covered in this time will be half a kilometre (third of a mile).[22]

Special editions[edit]

Name Picture Release date Release price Notes
Bugatti 16.4 Veyron Pur Sang[30] September 2007 5 units were made. The first Veyron to feature no paint, and instead use an exposed carbon fiber and aluminum finish.[31]
Bugatti Veyron Fbg par Hermès[32] March 2008 €1.55 million, excluding taxes and transport[33] Collaboration with French design house Hermès, featuring a bull calfskin interior. This model was limited to four units. A Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport was later produced in the same configuration.
Bugatti 16.4 Veyron Sang Noir[34] May 2008 12 units were made.
Bugatti Veyron Bleu Centenaire[35] March 2009 1 unit was made.
Bugatti Veyron "Jean-Pierre Wimille"[36] September 2009 Named after French racing driver Jean-Pierre Wimille who was a factory driver for Bugatti in the 1930s.
Bugatti Veyron "Achille Varzi" September 2009 Named after Italian racing driver Achille Varzi who raced for Bugatti in the early 1930s.
Bugatti Veyron "Malcolm Campbell" September 2009 Named after British racing driver Malcolm Campbell who raced for Bugatti in the late 1920s.
Bugatti Veyron "Hermann zu Leiningen" September 2009 Named after German racing driver Hermann zu Leiningen who raced for Bugatti in the early 1930s.

Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport (2009–2015)[edit]

Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport

The targa top version of the Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4, dubbed the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport, was unveiled at the 2008 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.[37][38] It has extensive reinforcements to compensate for the lack of a standard roof[39] and small changes to the windshield and running lights. Two removable tops are included, the second a temporary arrangement fashioned after an umbrella. The top speed with the hardtop in place is the same as the standard coupé version, but with the roof removed is limited to 369 km/h (229 mph)—and to 130 km/h (81 mph) with the temporary soft roof. The Grand Sport edition was limited to 150 units, with the first 50 going exclusively to registered Bugatti customers. Production began in the second quarter of 2009.

Special editions[edit]

Name Picture Release date Release price Notes
Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Sang Bleu[40] August 2009[41] One off model featuring a two tone blue carbon fiber and polished aluminum exterior.
Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport L'Or Blanc[42] June 2011 €1.65 million, excluding taxes and transport Collaboration between Bugatti and the Royal Porcelain Factory in Berlin. Claimed to be the first car to feature real porcelain parts, with a thin porcelain layer coating the exterior, as well as porcelain inlays on the interior and on certain exterior pieces such as the fuel filler cap, badges, and wheel center caps. One made.
Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport "Dubai Motor Show 2011" Special Edition[43] November 2011 €1.58 million, excluding taxes and transport Introduced with a horizontal colour split with a bright yellow body framed in visible black carbon (including black-tinted wheels), seats in yellow-coloured leather upholstery with black stitching, middle console in black carbon, dashboard, steering wheel and gearshift made of black leather with yellow stitching.[44] The car was then shown again at the 2012 Qatar Motor Show.
Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport "Dubai Motor Show 2011" Special Edition November 2011 €1.74 million, excluding taxes and transport Presented in a two-tone horizontal colour split consisting of visible blue carbon, framed in polished, anodised aluminium.
Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport "Dubai Motor Show 2011" Special Edition November 2011 €1.74 million, excluding taxes and transport Came in the newly developed green carbon fibre tone with polished aluminium.
Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Bernar Venet[45] December 2012[46] One off model painted by French conceptual artist Bernar Venet, with designs on the exterior and interior made up of technical equations used by Bugatti engineers during the making of the Veyron.[47]

Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport, World Record Edition (2010–2011)[

Team Fortress 2 #2

Team Fortress 2 theme by octanedude

Download: TeamFortress2_2.p3t

Team Fortress 2 Theme 2
(6 backgrounds)

Team Fortress 2
Promotional art depicting the nine playable classes
Developer(s)Valve
Publisher(s)Valve
Designer(s)
Composer(s)Mike Morasky
EngineSource
Platform(s)
Release
October 10, 2007
  • Windows, Xbox 360 (The Orange Box)
    • NA: October 10, 2007
    • EU: October 18, 2007
    • AU: October 25, 2007
  • PlayStation 3 (The Orange Box)
    • AU: November 22, 2007
    • EU: November 23, 2007
    • NA: December 11, 2007
  • macOS
    • WW: June 10, 2010
  • Linux
    • WW: February 14, 2013
Genre(s)First-person shooter
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Team Fortress 2 (TF2) is a 2007 multiplayer first-person shooter game developed and published by Valve Corporation. It is the sequel to the 1996 Team Fortress mod for Quake and its 1999 remake, Team Fortress Classic. The game was released in October 2007 as part of The Orange Box for Microsoft Windows and the Xbox 360, and ported to the PlayStation 3 in December 2007.[2][3] It was released as a standalone game for Windows in April 2008, and updated to support macOS in June 2010 and Linux in February 2013. It is distributed online through Valve's digital retailer Steam, with Electronic Arts managing retail and console editions.

Players join one of two teams—RED (Reliable Excavation Demolition) and BLU (Builders League United)—and choose one of nine character classes to play as, with game modes including capture the flag and king of the hill. Development was led by John Cook and Robin Walker, the developers of the original Team Fortress mod. Team Fortress 2 was announced in 1998 under the name Team Fortress 2: Brotherhood of Arms. Initially, the game had more realistic, militaristic visuals and gameplay, but this changed over the protracted nine years of development. After Valve released no information for six years, Team Fortress 2 regularly featured in Wired News's annual vaporware list among other entries. Finally released on the Source game engine in 2007, Team Fortress 2 preserved much of the core class-based gameplay of its predecessors while featuring an overhauled, cartoon-like visual style influenced by the works of J. C. Leyendecker, Dean Cornwell, and Norman Rockwell, alongside an increased focus on the visual and verbal characterization of its playable classes and what the developers have described as a 1960s spy movie aesthetic.

Team Fortress 2 has received critical acclaim for its art direction, gameplay, humor, and use of character in a wholly multiplayer game,[4][5][6][7] and since its release has been referred to as one of the greatest video games ever created.[8][9][10] The game continues to receive official Valve server support as of January 2024,[11] in addition to new content being released on a seasonal basis in the form of submissions made through the Steam Workshop. In June 2011, the game became free-to-play, with revenue derived from microtransactions for in-game cosmetics. A 'drop system' was also added and refined, allowing free-to-play users to periodically receive in-game equipment and items. Though the game has had an unofficial competitive scene since its release, both support for official competitive play through ranked matchmaking and an overhauled casual experience were added in July 2016.[12] Since early 2020, the official Valve servers have seen an influx of bot accounts using cheat software, often inhibiting legitimate gameplay, which led to multiple online protests to call for actions against the bots and their hosts.[13]

Gameplay[edit]

A group of RED players attacking BLU spawn on "Well".

In most game modes, two teams, RED and BLU, compete for a combat-based objective.[5] Players can choose to play as one of nine character classes in these teams, each with their own unique strengths, weaknesses, and weapon sets. In order to accomplish objectives efficiently, a balance of these classes is required due to how these strengths and weaknesses interact with each other in a team-based environment. Although the abilities of a number of classes have changed from earlier Team Fortress incarnations, the basic elements of each class have remained, them being one primary weapon, one secondary weapon, and one melee weapon.[14][15] The game was released with six official maps, although over one hundred maps have since been included in subsequent updates, including community-created maps.[16][17] When players choose a gamemode for the first time, an introductory video is played, showing how to complete its objectives. During matches, the Administrator,[18] voiced by Ellen McLain, announces the teams' current objectives over loudspeakers.[19] The player limit for one match is 16 on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and 24 on the Windows edition.[20] However, in 2008, the Windows edition was updated to include a server variable that allows for up to 32 players.[21] Furthermore, in 2023, the Windows edition was updated to have unrestricted player counts for up to 100 players in a single server.[22]

Team Fortress 2 is the first of Valve's multiplayer games to provide detailed statistics for individual players, such as the total amount of time spent playing as each class, most points obtained, and most objectives completed in a single life. Persistent statistics tell the player how they are performing in relation to these statistics, such as if a player comes close to their record for the damage inflicted in a round.[16] Team Fortress 2 also features numerous achievements for carrying out certain tasks, such as achieving a certain number of kills or completing a specific objective. Sets of class-specific achievements have been added in updates, which can award weapons to the player upon completion. This unlockable system has since been expanded into a random drop system, with which players can also obtain items simply by playing the game.[23]

Game modes[edit]

Core game modes[edit]

Team Fortress 2 contains five core game modes.

  • Attack/Defend (A/D) is a timed game mode in which the BLU team's goal is to capture RED's control points. The number of control points varies between maps, and the points must be captured by the BLU team, usually in sequence. To capture a control point, a player must stand on it for a certain amount of time, with more players increasing the speed it is being captured at. RED, who cannot capture points, must prevent BLU from capturing all the control points before the time-limit expires. Once a point is captured, the time-limit will be extended by several minutes.[24]
  • Capture the Flag (CTF) is a mode in which RED and BLU must steal the opposing team's flag (an intelligence briefcase) and prevent their own intelligence from being stolen. When the intelligence is dropped by the carrier, it will stay on the ground for 1 minute before returning to its original location if it is not picked up again. A team's intelligence can be carried only by the opposing team. The first team to capture the enemy's intelligence three times wins.[25]
  • Control Points (CP) is a timed game mode where there are several control points placed around the map, with three (3CP) or five (5CP) control points in total depending on the map. The game will start off with only the middle control point being available for capture, with the other control points split equally among both teams. Once this middle control point is captured, a team can begin capturing the enemy team's points in respective order. The time limit is extended on the capture of a control point by either team. For a team to win, they must capture all the control points within the time limit.[24]
  • King of the Hill (KOTH) is a timed game mode that contains a single control point at the middle of the map that can be captured by both RED and BLU. Should the opposing team capture the point from the team that had it before, their timer will stop and the opposing team's timer will begin or resume. The point can be recaptured by each team as many times as is possible. The first team to control the point for 180 seconds (not necessarily continuous) wins.[26]
  • Payload (PL) is a timed game mode where BLU must push an explosive cart along a track, while RED must prevent the cart from reaching their base. To push the cart, at least one BLU player must be in range of the cart, with more players increasing the push speed. Maps have multiple 'checkpoints' along the track; each checkpoint reached by the cart awards the BLU team with additional time. If the cart is not pushed by BLU for some time, it will begin to roll back to the last achieved checkpoint. RED players can obstruct the cart from being pushed by being within range of it.[27]

Alternative game modes[edit]

There are several alternative game modes in Team Fortress 2. These modes consist of a small number of maps and detach from the core game modes in some way.

  • Arena is a special game mode in which players do not respawn upon death. A team can win either by eliminating all opposing players, or by claiming a single capture point that opens after a certain time has elapsed.[28] This mode is currently unavailable through matchmaking, but is still accessible through community servers.
  • Mannpower is a mode in which players have access to a grappling hook and assorted power-ups laid around the map that grant unique abilities.[29] While not bound to any specific mode, all current official Mannpower maps use a variation of Capture the Flag. In Mannpower's variation of Capture the Flag, both teams have an intelligence flag, and the first team to capture the enemy's intelligence ten times wins. The mode is based on the Quake mod 'Threewave CTF' created by former Valve employee David Kirsch.[30]
  • Medieval Mode is a mode in which players are restricted to using melee and support weapons, with certain exceptions for medieval-themed projectile weapons.[31] While not bound to any specific mode, the only official Medieval Mode map uses a 3CP variation of Attack/Defend. If Medieval Mode is enabled on a map, select phrases spoken by players in the in-game text chat will be replaced with more thematic variants, such as "hello" being replaced with "well meteth".
  • PASS Time is a unique timed game mode inspired by rugby, developed by Valve, Bad Robot Interactive, and Escalation Studios.[32] Three unique goals (the Run-In, Throw-In, and Bonus Goals) are placed on each team's side of the map. A single ball called the JACK will spawn at the center of the map, and players must pick it up and carry it to the opposing team's side. While holding the JACK, players cannot fire their weapons, but passive effects are still applied. Players can score a goal by either carrying the JACK to a Run-In Goal or by throwing the JACK through the Throw-In Goal. Three goals can be scored by throwing the JACK through the Bonus Goal, which is much more difficult to score. To win, a team must either score five goals, or have the most goals when the timer runs out.
  • Payload Race is similar to Payload, but both the RED and BLU teams have a cart that they must push, while preventing the opposing team from doing the same. There are multiple checkpoints along the track, and there is no time limit. The team to reach the end of their track first wins a point. The game lasts until one team gets two points.[33]
  • Player Destruction is a community-made game mode in which a player's death causes a pickup to appear. The first team to collect a set number of pickups and deliver them to a drop-off point wins the game. The players on each team with the most pickups are highlighted for everyone to see, and gain a passive healing effect for themselves and any nearby teammates.
  • Special Delivery is a mode similar to Capture the Flag, but there is only one neutral briefcase that can be picked up both the RED and BLU teams. Upon a team picking up the briefcase, the opposing team will be unable to pick up the briefcase until it has been dropped for 45 seconds and respawns as a neutral briefcase. A team wins by carrying the briefcase onto a loading platform, which will gradually rise until the platform reaches its peak.[34]
  • Territorial Control consists of several control points spread out across a single map. Like Control Points, each point can be captured by either the RED or BLU teams. Unlike Control Points, only two points are accessible at a single time. Upon a team's successful capture of a point, the "stage" ends and the accessible capture points change. When a team only has control of a single control point, they are blocked from capturing the opposing team's control point and the team must wait until the time limit is up and the accessible capture points change. A team wins by capturing all the control points.[24]
  • Versus Saxton Hale is a juggernaut game mode that originated as a mod for the Arena mode developed by LizardOfOz, which was then popularized on community servers. It pits one player as Saxton Hale (on BLU) against all other players (on RED). Saxton Hale is restricted to melee attacks, but he can perform a double jump, a charge attack that allows him to fly in any direction, a body slam that creates a damaging shockwave upon landing, and a super punch, which deals more damage than a regular punch. Like in Arena, Saxton or RED can win by eliminating the opposing player(s), or by capturing a single control point after enough time elapses.[35][36]

Other game modes[edit]

These modes are not categorized with the other modes, and instead have their own separate sections in the game.

  • Halloween Mode is a special mode that is enabled during Halloween, and allows the players access to more than 20 Halloween themed maps, Halloween-exclusive cosmetics and challenges. For example, Halloween 2012 included a difficult Mann vs. Machine mission involving destroying more than 800 enemy forces.[37] Owing to popular demand of the Halloween events, Valve later added the Full Moon event, an event that triggers around every full moon phase throughout the year, which allows players to equip Halloween-exclusive cosmetics. In 2013, Valve introduced an item called Eternaween, and upon use, allows players of a specific server to use Halloween-exclusive cosmetics for 2 hours.[38]
  • Mann vs Machine (MvM) is a cooperative game mode where players must defend their base from waves of robots modeled after all nine playable classes, and in some maps, slow-moving tanks carrying bombs. Robots and tanks drop a currency referred to as Credits upon their death, which players can use to buy upgrades for themselves or their weapons. The players win upon successfully defending their base from the bomb until the last wave.[39] A paid version of this game mode called "Mann Up" is also available, where players buy "Tour Of Duty Tickets" to play a series of missions with the chance to win unique cosmetics, weapons and robot parts that can be used in crafting.[40]
  • Offline Practice Mode consists of the player and computer-controlled bots. The number of bots, their difficulty, and the map can all be adjusted to a player's preference, though only a select amount of maps are available to play.[41][42][43]
  • Training Mode exists to help new players get acquainted with basic controls, and teaches them the basics of four of the nine classes. It uses wooden dummies and bots to teach players the basic mechanics of classes and the game.[41]

Competitive play[edit]

Team Fortress 2 is played competitively, through multiple leagues. The North American league, ESEA, supports a paid Team Fortress 2 league, with $42,000 in prizes for the top teams in 2017.[44][45][46] While formalized competitive gameplay is very different from normal Team Fortress 2, it offers an environment with a much higher level of teamwork than in public servers. Most teams use voice chat to communicate, and use a combination of strategy, communication, and mechanical skill to win against other teams. Community-run competitive leagues also tend to feature restrictions such as item bans and class limits. These leagues are often supported by Valve via in-game medals (which are submitted via the Steam Workshop) and announcements on the official blog.[47][48][49]

In April 2015, Valve announced that a dedicated competitive mode would be added to Team Fortress 2, utilizing skill-based matchmaking;[50] closed beta testing began in the following year.[51] The competitive mode was added in the "Meet Your Match" update, released on July 7, 2016.[52] Ranked matches are played six-vs-six, with players ranked in thirteen tiers based on win/losses and an assessment of their skills.[53] Ranked matchmaking will balance players based on their tiers and rating. A similar matchmaking approach has been added for casual games for matches of 12-vs-12 players. In order to join competitive matchmaking, players must have associated their Steam account with the Steam Guard Mobile Authenticator, as well as having a Team Fortress 2 "premium account", which is unlocked by either having bought the game before it went free-to-play or by having made an in-game item purchase since.[54]

Formats[edit]

Team Fortress 2 is played in a variety of different formats, which dictate the maximum size and composition of a team and can drastically change the impact of a single player's gameplay or choice of class. The two most basic formats consist of 12v12 and 6v6 ("Sixes"), the two being used on official Valve servers for casual and competitive modes respectively with no additional limitations. Most competitive leagues host Sixes but include limits on certain classes and weapons to preserve traditional, skill-based playstyles, for example limiting the allowed amount of Medics or Demomen to one on either team or banning certain movement-enhancing weapons from use. Other popular formats include "Highlander", a 9v9 format with a limit of one player per each of the nine classes, as well as a Sixes-inspired 7v7 variant thereof known as "Prolander" to allow for strategically switching classes during a competitive game.[47][48][55]

Characters and setting[edit]

From left to right: Pyro, Engineer, Spy, Heavy, Sniper, Scout, Soldier, Demoman, and Medic

Team Fortress 2 features nine playable classes, which are evenly split and categorized into "Offense", "Defense", and "Support".[16] Each class has strengths and weaknesses and must work with other classes to be efficient, encouraging strategy and teamwork.[56] Each class has at least three default weapons: a primary weapon, secondary weapon, and melee weapon. Engineers have two additional slots for their PDAs, and Spies have an additional slot for their disguise kit. An additional character, Saxton Hale, is playable in the "Versus Saxton Hale" game mode.[57]

Offense[edit]

  • The Scout (voiced by Nathan Vetterlein) is an American baseball fan and street runner from Boston, Massachusetts who practiced running to be faster than his seven siblings.[58] He is a fast, agile character, who is armed by default with a scattergun, a pistol, and a bat. The Scout can double jump, and is counted twice when capturing control points and when pushing the Payload cart, doubling their respective speeds.

  • The Pyro (voiced by Dennis Bateman) is a pyromaniac of unknown sex and origin who wears a fire-retardant suit and a voice-muffling gas mask.[61] By default, the Pyro carries a flamethrower, a shotgun, and a fire axe. The Pyro's flamethrower can also produce a blast of compressed air which repels incoming enemies and projectiles, and extinguishes burning teammates. The Pyro is deluded and believes they are living in a utopian fantasy world called "Pyroland".[62][63]

Defense[edit]

  • The Demoman (voiced by Gary Schwartz) is a Black Scottish one-eyed alcoholic demolitions expert from Ullapool.[64] Armed by default with a grenade launcher, a "stickybomb" launcher (bombs that are detonated when prompted to by the player, and can stick to any surface), and a glass bottle of scrumpy, the Demoman can use his explosives to provide indirect fire and set traps.[62] Similar to the Soldier's rocket jump, the Demoman can use his stickybombs to "sticky jump" at the cost of some health.

  • The Heavy Weapons Guy, or simply Heavy (voiced by Schwartz), is a large Russian man from the Dzhugdzhur Mountains of the Soviet Union. He is heavy in stature and accent, and is obsessed with firepower. He is the slowest class, and can both absorb and deal substantial amounts of damage. His default weapons consist of a minigun that he affectionately refers to as "Sasha", a shotgun, and his fists.[65]

  • The Engineer (voiced by Grant Goodeve) is an American inventor, engineer, and "good ol' boy" from Bee Cave, Texas.[66] The Engineer can deploy structures to support his team: a sentry gun for defending key points, a health and ammunition dispenser, and a pair of teleporters (one entrance and one exit).[62] The Engineer is armed by default with a shotgun, a pistol, a wrench, which functions as both a melee weapon and to repair and upgrade his buildings, and two PDAs: one to erect his buildings and one to remotely destroy them.

Support[edit]

  • The Medic (voiced by Robin Atkin Downes) is a German doctor from Stuttgart with little regard for the Hippocratic Oath.[67] He is equipped with a "Medi Gun", which can restore health to injured teammates. When healing teammates, the Medi Gun progressively builds an "ÜberCharge" meter, which, when fully charged, can be activated to provide the Medic and his patient with temporary invulnerability. The Medic is also equipped by default with a syringe gun and a bonesaw for situations in which he must engage in direct combat.[68][62]

  • The Spy (voiced by Bateman) is a French covert operative who carries an invisibility device disguised as a wristwatch, an electronic sapper to disable and destroy enemy Engineers' buildings, and a device in his cigarette case that allows him to disguise himself as any player on either team.[70] His default weaponry consists of a revolver and a butterfly knife; he is able to use the latter to instantly kill enemies by stabbing them in the back.[62] He is the only character who does not wear any clothing in his team's bright color or a patch denoting his specialty, instead preferring a balaclava, business suit, necktie, and gloves in muted team-color hues.

Other[edit]

  • Saxton Hale (JB Blanc in "Jungle Inferno",[71] uncredited in-game) is an Australian adventurer and businessman who is the chief executive officer of the fictional Mann Co., a large shipping company which specializes in manufacturing munitions and hats. Saxton is notable for his hypermasculine personality and physique, and his Australia-shaped chest-hair.[72] He is the central character of the "Versus Saxton Hale" game mode, in which he has a large pool of health and superhuman abilities, including immense strength and agility. Saxton can attack only with his fists, but is able to double-jump like the Scout.[35][36]

Non-playable characters[edit]

  • The Administrator or the Announcer (voiced by Ellen McLain) is an unseen announcer who provides timely information about time limits and objectives to players
  • Miss Pauling (Ashly Burch), The Administrator's Assistant .

    Patapon

    Patapon theme by original_copycat

    Download: Patapon.p3t

    Patapon Theme
    (2 backgrounds)

    Patapon
    Developer(s)Pyramid
    Japan Studio
    Publisher(s)Sony Computer Entertainment
    Director(s)Ejun
    Producer(s)Junichi Yoshizawa
    Designer(s)Hiroyuki Kotani
    Programmer(s)Hayato Ikeda
    Artist(s)Rolito
    Composer(s)Kemmei Adachi
    Daisuke Miyake
    SeriesPatapon
    Platform(s)PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 4
    ReleasePlayStation Portable
    • JP: December 20, 2007
    • EU: February 22, 2008
    • NA: February 26, 2008
    PlayStation 4
    • WW: August 1, 2017
    Genre(s)Rhythm game
    Mode(s)Single-player

    Patapon[a] is a 2007 video game developed by Pyramid and Japan Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation Portable (PSP). The game's unique genre was described to be a combination of rhythm and strategy. The game's concept and design were conceived when game designer Hiroyuki Kotani discovered the Patapon designs from French artist Rolito's personal website. The name Patapon was created by Rolito and was inspired by an old French word for "children". Kotani chose the name because it sounded similar to marching and drumming. It was released in Japan in December 2007 and in February 2008 for North America and Europe.

    In the game, the player acts as an invisible deity to a tribe of anthropomorphic eyeballs known as "Patapons" that can be commanded to move forward, attack, defend and retreat by using a sequence of drum beats. The story follows the Patapon tribe in their journey to reach Earthend and gaze upon "IT". They encounter giant beasts and an enemy tribe known as the Zigotons that serve as obstacles throughout their adventure.

    Patapon was well-received among critics with multiple reviewers praising the art style of the Patapon tribe and the music. Some reviewers criticized the repetitive nature of it and the lack of a pause option. The game received multiple nominations including a BAFTA award and won Best PSP Game of 2008 by IGN. The game was followed up by two sequels for the PSP; Patapon 2 and Patapon 3, and a remastered version for the PlayStation 4.

    Gameplay[edit]

    Gameplay of Patapon. The Patapon tribe is attacking the Zigoton tribe.

    In Patapon, the player takes the role of a deity worshipped by an anthropomorphic eye-ball army known as Patapons.[1] The Patapon village serves as the main hub, allowing the player to revive fallen troops, select missions, and play minigames.[1] Before each mission, the player can choose up to three different units for battle with the banner-wielding Hatapon as the leader of the units.[2] There are eight possible units to choose from: The shield and sword-wielding Tatepons, the spear-wielding Yaripons, the bow and arrow-wielding Yumipons, the cavalry lance-wielding Kibapons, the heavy club-wielding Dekapons, bird-riding Toripons, magic-wielding Mahopons, and Tuba-wielding Megapons.[3] Each unit can have a maximum of three or six troops depending on the type of Patapon.[2]

    During missions, the player can command the Patapons by inputting specific sequences using the face buttons on the PSP, each representing a drum. These sequences can command the tribe to move forward, attack, defend, and other actions. A pulsating border signals the player at what rhythm to input the commands.[4] Successfully entering a proper sequence in sync with the rhythm will lead the tribe into a "Fever" increasing their attack and defensive bonuses. Fever can be accomplished by maintaining a combination of 10, or achieved early if a combination is 3 or higher and the command was performed perfectly in sync.[1] If the player ceases to command the Patapons or inputs the commands off-beat of the border's rhythm, the combo and fever will be lost.[5][6] During fever, Miracles can be performed that affect the weather. Examples include summoning rain to cool a scorching desert or summoning strong winds assisting in the range of the Yumipons' arrows.[6][7]

    Once a mission is complete, the player can return to an earlier mission to acquire additional resources and equipment to build up their troops before a larger battle.[1] Materials, weapons, armour, and a currency known as "Ka-ching" can be gained by fallen enemies to fortify the player's troops. If a Patapon is defeated in battle, it will drop a cap that can be used to revive the Patapon once the mission is completed. If the cap is not retrieved during the mission, the Patapon is permanently lost.[1] New Patapons can be created in the Patapon village using the tree of life and requires Ka-ching and materials such as sticks, stones, and branches. Using rarer versions of those materials creates stronger variants of the Patapons.[1][6]

    Plot[edit]

    Patapon follows the tribe of the eponymous eyeball-like creatures, Patapons. In the distant past, the Patapons were a flourishing nation led by their deity, the Mighty Patapon, on a journey to Earthend to gaze upon an enigmatic object known as "IT". The Patapons at one point were banished to the desolate frontier by their sworn enemy of similar eyeball-like creatures known as the Zigotons. The game begins with the Mighty Patapon reuniting with the banner-wielding Hatapon. The Mighty Patapon is led back to the remnants of the tribe to resume their journey to Earthend. The Patapon face large enemies throughout their travels and re-encounter the Zigoton empire. The Zigoton general, Gong the Hawkeye, challenged the Patapons multiple times by provoking them using Patapon hostages and eventually having a final duel. Shortly before his death, Gong reveals to them that the Zigotons have their version of the prophecy foretelling that the world will fall into chaos when the Patapons gaze at "IT".

    As the Patapons progress on their journey, many of the Zigoton warriors sell their souls to the dark forces in exchange for power in an attempt to defeat them. Eventually, the ruler of the Zigotons, Queen Kharma, sells her soul in a final effort to destroy the Patapons. When she is defeated, a gateway to the Dark World unleashes the ancient demon, Gorl. The Patapons manage to defeat Gorl and reach the coastline to witness the sunrise which they assume is Earthend and "IT" respectively. However, unfulfilled by the anticlimactic end of their journey, they realize the rising sun is not "IT" and they have not reached Earthend. Queen Kharma joins the Patapons and admits that the Zigotons also fooled themselves into believing the sun was "IT". The game concludes with the Patapons and Zigotons working together to build a ship.

    Development and release[edit]

    Concept art revealing the development process of Patapon

    Patapon was developed by Pyramid, produced by Japan Studio, and designed by Hiroyuki Kotani.[8] The game was originally announced on June 11, 2007, during the E3 2007 press conference.[9] The designs for the Patapons were created in 2002 by French artist Rolito and were featured on his personal website in 2004.[10] When Kotani discovered their design, he envisioned the creatures marching into battle and chose to create a video game entirely based on their design.[11] Kotani contacted Rolito through a representative group known as Interlink in 2005 and recruited him to develop the game using the Patapon characters.[12] Rolito was tasked with creating a fictional universe for the characters. The development team would provide drafts and be evaluated by Rolito. Once approved, Rolito would provide the final design.[13] The name "Patapon" was conceived by Rolito taken from an old French nursery rhyme that used the word "Patapon" for children. Kotani chose the name due to it resembling the sounds of drums and marching.[12]

    The game developed for two years with the first 21 months developing the prototype and the remaining 3 months dedicated to mass production. Kotani aimed to create a game that never existed before but also to make the game simple.[14][15] Kotani recruited Pyramid to develop their game based on their previous work.[13] The original concept of Patapon was to control the characters using adjectives and complex grammar, however, was simplified to making the commands more onomatopoeic once the name was decided.[16] Due to Patapon having a unique genre with no established name, Kotani dubbed the genre "Command Carnival".[17] The game was developed with the ability to be played as a simple game and as a complex game depending on the player's preference.[15] One of the most difficult challenges to develop was the dialogue for the enemy army, Zigoton, due to the player possibly unable to read it during gameplay.[18]

    Kemmei Adachi served as composer while Kotani wrote the lyrics. Kemmei was recruited from the game's conception and proposed ideas to develop the game. Music was composed of multiple African instruments. Pyramid proposed to make the Patapons sing back to the player once a command was sent. Vocals for the songs were provided by Kotani's son who was 10 years old at the time.[13]

    Patapon was released in Japan on December 20, 2007.[19] It was later released in Europe on February 22, 2008, and in North America on February 26, 2008.[20][21] To promote the game, an event was held from December 5 to December 17, 2007 at the Sample Lab in Omotesandō, Tokyo.[22] A demo was released on February 7, 2008 in Japan.[23] A different demo for North America and Europe was released later on February 14, 2008 and included an exclusive weapon that can be transferred to the full release.[24][25] The game was ported onto PlayStation 4 under the title, Patapon Remastered, and was released worldwide on August 1, 2017.[26]

    Reception[edit]

    Patapon received "generally favorable reviews" according to review aggregator website Metacritic.[27] IGN's Jeff Hayes considers Patapon, "not only one of the best rhythm games ever released, it's also one of the best titles for the PSP."[3] GameSpot reviewer Justin Calvert gave Patapon cited its excellent art design and innovative gameplay.[2] Nick Suttner of 1UP.com noted its understated strategic depth despite the game's faults.[29] Game Informer reviewer Bryan Vore praised the game, calling it" an extremely absorbing gameplay experience". Vore further commended the variety of minigames and missions and noted how it prevented it from becoming a repetitive endeavor.[33] GamePro's Cameron Lewis appreciated the depth of the gameplay, in particular on subtle markers and hidden objects which he deemed vital to progressing the game.[6] Eurogamer reviewer Dave McCarthy praised the gameplay, calling it hypnotic and trance-like and not too complicated to control.[31] Tracy Erickson of Pocket Gamer was pleased that the game wasn't likely to be completed in a single playthrough, noting it had many hours worth of gameplay.[34]

    Despite the positive response to the gameplay, multiple reviewers also had criticism towards it. Luke Mitchell of PALGN and Hayes were disappointed in the lack of a pause option during missions.[5] Vore found fault in the reliance of chance for weapon and army-upgrading material drops.[33] Both Hayes and McCarthy made similar criticism for requiring to replay previous missions to obtain resources.[31] X-Play reviewer Gus Mastrapa noted the gameplay can feel like a grind and also criticized the minigames for requiring up to three songs to obtain a specific item.[7]

    In regards to the visual style, it was received with praise by multiple reviewers. Mitchell complimented the art design, calling it cute and comparing it to paper cut-outs.[5] Lewis called the art style "eye-catching" and noted the Patapon tribe being full of personality.[6] Hayes made similar comments, compared it to playing a cartoon and how expressive the Patapon tribes are.[3] GameDaily reviewer Grant Holzhauer compared the art to the classic children's book, Where the Wild Things Are.[4] Mastrapa praised the art style by calling it gorgeous, however, noted that it may be too cute for some.[7] Erickson described the visuals as an impossibly stylish 2-D world with the Patapon tribe as unbearably cute.[34]

    The music of Patapon was received positively by multiple reviews and described the game as "catchy".[5][4][7] Multiple reviewers also noted the command for attack (Pon-Pon-Pata-Pon) and march (Pata-Pata-Pata-Pon) to be stuck in their head or be chanted after playing the game.[3][6][29] Mitchell particularly praised the music changing when reaching Fever mode.[5] Calvert gave the music a mixed reaction, stating that it's either going to be loved or hated.[2]

    The game has sold 229,000 copies in North America by January 2009.[35] Famitsu inducted into their Hall of Fame under their "Platinum" rank.[32] GameSpot nominated it in their "Best of 2008" awards for "Best Graphic, Artistic", "Best original game mechanic", "Best original IP", "Best Rhythm/Music game", "Best PSP game" and won "Best original music" and "Most innovative game".[36] IGN awarded the game for Best Music/Rhythm game,[37] Best Artistic Design,[38] Best Original Score,[39] Best New IP,[40] and PSP Game of the Year.[41] Patapon was nominated at the 5th British Academy Games Awards for the Handheld category.[42] During the 12th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominated Patapon for "Hand-Held Game of the Year" and "Casual Game of the Year".[43]

    Sequels and legacy[edit]

    Patapon inspired two sequels for the PSP titled Patapon 2 and Patapon 3, becoming the first entry in a trilogy. Patapon 2 was released in Japan on November 27, 2008.[44] It introduced new Patapon units, a customizable Hero character that can be used in multiplayer with a total of four players, and an evolution system to upgrade Patapons.[45] Patapon 3 was released in Japan on April 28, 2011.[46] In 2013, chinese developer Beijing Q&D created a clone game under the title PATAPON - Siege Of WOW! for iOS.[47] A video game inspired by Patapon and Advance Wars titled Jungle Rumble: Freedom, Happiness, and Bananas was developed by indie developer Disco Pixel and released on May 1, 2014 for iOS and Android.[48][49]

    A spiritual successor to the series known as Ratatan was announced by Ratata Arts and Tokyo Virtual Theory. Hiroyuki Kotani serves as director with Kemmei Adachi as director and game designer, Kemmei Adachi as composer, and Kazuto Sakajiri as producer. Initially unveiled at BitSummit 2023, a Kickstarter campaign for Ratatan went live on August 1, 2023 to support the project.[50]

    References[edit]

    Translation
    1. ^ Japanese: パタポン
    Citations
    1. ^ a b c d e f Patapon instruction manual (PDF). North America: Sony. 2008. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 6, 2020. Retrieved October 5, 2020.
    2. ^ a b c d e Calvert, Justin (February 6, 2008). "Patapon Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on September 13, 2017. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
    3. ^ a b c d e Hayes, Jeff (February 15, 2008). "Patapon Review: This rhythm is gonna get you". IGN. Archived from the original on August 5, 2012. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
    4. ^ a b c d Holzhauer, Grant (February 18, 2008). "Patapon Review". GameDaily. Archived from the original on February 28, 2008. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
    5. ^ a b c d e f Mitchell, Luke (March 3, 2008). "Patapon Review: Pon-Pon-PATA-PON!". PALGN. Archived from the original on January 12, 2009. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
    6. ^ a b c d e f g Lewis, Cameron (February 20, 2008). "Review: Patapon Pwns!". GamePro. Archived from the original on June 2, 2008. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
    7. ^ a b c d e Mustrapa, Gus (March 11, 2008). "Patapon Review". X-Play. G4TV.com. Archived from the original on March 27, 2008. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
    8. ^ "Pata-me, Pata-you, Patapon news". PlayStation.Blog. December 21, 2007. Archived from the original on March 11, 2008. Retrieved February 29, 2008.
    9. ^ "Sony at E3 2007". IGN. June 11, 2007. Archived from the original on June 11, 2013.
    10. ^ "Q&A: Patapon's Rolito Talks Art And Inspiration". Gamasutra. March 6, 2008. Archived from the original on May 13, 2012. Retrieved October 5, 2010.
    11. ^ "Origins of Patapon: Kotani comments on the creative design". Siliconera. February 26, 2008. Archived from the original on October 5, 2020. Retrieved October 5, 2020.
    12. ^ a b "Patapon - Rolito Interview". Artoyz.com (in French). April 23, 2008. Archived from the original on October 7, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2020.

No 360’s!!!!!!!!!!!!

No 360’s!!!!!!!!!!!! theme by stoner_paul_m

Download: No360s.p3t

No 360’s!!!!!!!!!!!! Theme
(3 backgrounds)

P3T Unpacker v0.12
Copyright (c) 2007. Anoop Menon

This program unpacks Playstation 3 Theme files (.p3t) so that you can touch-up an existing theme to your likings or use a certain wallpaper from it (as many themes have multiple). But remember, if you use content from another theme and release it, be sure to give credit!

Download for Windows: p3textractor.zip

Instructions:

Download p3textractor.zip from above. Extract the files to a folder with a program such as WinZip or WinRAR. Now there are multiple ways to extract the theme.

The first way is to simply open the p3t file with p3textractor.exe. If you don’t know how to do this, right click the p3t file and select Open With. Alternatively, open the p3t file and it will ask you to select a program to open with. Click Browse and find p3textractor.exe from where you previously extracted it to. It will open CMD and extract the theme to extracted.[filename]. After that, all you need to do for any future p3t files is open them and it will extract.

The second way is very simple. Just drag the p3t file to p3textractor.exe. It will open CMD and extract the theme to extracted.[filename].

For the third way, first put the p3t file you want to extract into the same folder as p3textractor.exe. Open CMD and browse to the folder with p3extractor.exe. Enter the following:
p3textractor filename.p3t [destination path]Replace filename with the name of the p3t file, and replace [destination path] with the name of the folder you want the files to be extracted to. A destination path is not required. By default it will extract to extracted.filename.

Buffalo Sabres

Buffalo Sabres theme by Tony

Download: BuffaloSabres.p3t

Buffalo Sabres Theme
(4 backgrounds)

Buffalo Sabres
2023–24 Buffalo Sabres season
ConferenceEastern
DivisionAtlantic
Founded1970
HistoryBuffalo Sabres
1970–present
Home arenaKeyBank Center
CityBuffalo, New York
Team colorsRoyal blue, gold, white[1][2][3]
     
MediaMSG Western New York
WGR 550
Sabres Hockey Network
Owner(s)Terry Pegula
General managerKevyn Adams
Head coachLindy Ruff
CaptainVacant
Minor league affiliatesRochester Americans (AHL)
Jacksonville Icemen (ECHL)
Stanley Cups0
Conference championships3 (1974–75, 1979–80, 1998–99)
Presidents' Trophy1 (2006–07)
Division championships6 (1974–75, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1996–97, 2006–07, 2009–10)
Official websitewww.nhl.com/sabres

The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team was established in 1970, along with the Vancouver Canucks, when the league expanded to 14 teams. The Sabres have played their home games at KeyBank Center since 1996, having previously played at the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium since their inception. The Sabres are owned by Terry Pegula, who purchased the club in 2011 from Tom Golisano.

The team has twice advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals, losing to the Philadelphia Flyers in 1975 and to the Dallas Stars in 1999. The Sabres, along with the Canucks, are the oldest active NHL franchises to have never won the Stanley Cup.[4] The Sabres have the longest active playoff drought in the NHL and professional sports, at 13 seasons, which stands as an NHL record.[5]

History[edit]

Early years and the French Connection (1970–1981)[edit]

The Sabres, along with the Vancouver Canucks, joined the NHL in the 1970–71 season. Their first owners were Seymour H. Knox III and Northrup Knox, scions of a family long prominent in Western New York and grandsons of the co-founders of the Woolworth's variety store chain; along with Robert O. Swados, a Buffalo attorney. On the team's inaugural board of directors were Robert E. Rich Jr., later the owner of the Buffalo Bisons minor league baseball team; and George W. Strawbridge Jr., an heir to the Campbell Soup Company fortune. Buffalo had a history of professional hockey; immediately prior to the Sabres' establishment, the Buffalo Bisons were a pillar of the American Hockey League (AHL), having existed since 1940 (and before that, another Bisons hockey team played from 1928 to 1936), winning the Calder Cup in their final season.[6]

Wanting a name other than "bison" (a generic stock name used by Buffalo sports teams for decades), the Knoxes commissioned a name-the-team contest. With names like "Mugwumps", "Buzzing Bees" and "Flying Zeppelins" being entered,[7] the winning choice, "Sabres", was chosen because Seymour Knox felt a sabre was a weapon carried by a leader, and could be effective on both offense and defense.[A][B] The Knoxes tried twice before to get an NHL team, first when the NHL expanded in 1967, and again when they attempted to purchase the Oakland Seals with the intent of moving them to Buffalo. Their first attempt was thwarted when Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney persuaded his horse racing friends James and Bruce Norris to select Pittsburgh over Buffalo,[9] while the second attempt was due to the NHL not wanting an expansion market to give up on a team so soon, nor isolate the Los Angeles Kings (the only NHL team other than the Seals west of St. Louis at the time) from the rest of the NHL entirely. At the time of their creation, the Sabres exercised their option to create their own AHL farm team, the Cincinnati Swords. Former Toronto Maple Leafs general manager and head coach Punch Imlach was hired in the same capacity with the Sabres.

The year the Sabres debuted (1970) was an important year for major league sports in Buffalo. In addition to the Sabres' debut, the Buffalo Bills officially joined the National Football League, and the National Basketball Association's Buffalo Braves also began to play, sharing Memorial Auditorium with the Sabres. The city of Buffalo went from having no teams in the established major professional sports leagues to three in one off-season, a situation that proved to be unsustainable. Between the Braves and the Sabres, the Sabres would prove to be by far the more successful of the two; Paul Snyder, the nouveau riche Braves owner, publicly feuded with the old money Knoxes and the local college basketball scene, eventually losing those feuds and being forced to sell his team in 1976. Subsequent owners of the Braves, in a series of convoluted transactions tied to the ABA–NBA merger, moved the team out of Buffalo.

When the Sabres debuted as an expansion team, they took the ice to Aram Khachaturian's Armenian war dance, "Sabre Dance".[10] The music has been associated with the team as an unofficial anthem ever since.[11] It is often played between periods and after goals.

The consensus was that the first pick in the 1970 NHL Amateur Draft would be junior phenomenon Gilbert Perreault. Either the Sabres or the Canucks would get the first pick, to be determined with the spin of a wheel of fortune. Perreault was available to the Sabres and Canucks as this was the first year the Montreal Canadiens did not have a priority right to draft Quebec-born junior players.

The Canucks were allocated numbers 1–10 on the wheel, while the Sabres had 11–20. When league president Clarence Campbell spun the wheel, he initially thought the pointer landed on one. While Campbell was congratulating the Vancouver delegation, Imlach asked Campbell to check again. As it turned out, the pointer was on 11, effectively handing Perreault to the Sabres.[12] Perreault scored 38 goals in his rookie season of 1970–71, at the time a record for most goals scored by a NHL rookie, and he received the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's rookie of the year. Despite Perreault's play, the Sabres finished well out of playoff contention.

A statue of the French Connection line stands outside KeyBank Center. Consisting of Gilbert Perreault, Rick Martin, and Rene Robert, they played together from 1972 to 1979.

In the team's second season, 1971–72, rookie Rick Martin, drafted fifth overall by Buffalo in 1971, and Rene Robert, acquired in a late-season trade from the Pittsburgh Penguins, joined Perreault and would become one of the league's top forward lines in the 1970s. Martin broke Perreault's record at once with 44 rookie goals. They were nicknamed "The French Connection" after the movie of the same name and in homage to their French-Canadian roots. The Sabres made the playoffs for the first time in 1972–73, just the team's third year in the league, but lost in the quarterfinals in six games to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Montreal Canadiens.

After a subpar year in 1974 that saw them miss the playoffs (as well as aging defenseman Tim Horton's death in a DUI-induced car accident), the Sabres tied for the best record in the NHL in the 1974–75 regular season. Buffalo advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in team history to play against the rough Philadelphia Flyers (who had been recently nicknamed the "Broad Street Bullies"), a series which included the legendary Fog Game (Game 3 of the series). Due to unusual heat in Buffalo in May 1975 and the lack of air conditioning in the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, parts of the game were played in heavy fog that made players, officials, and the puck invisible to many spectators. During a face-off and through the fog, Sabres center Jim Lorentz spotted a bat flying across the rink, swung at it with his stick, killing it. It was the only time that any player killed an animal during an NHL game. The Sabres won that game thanks to Rene Robert's goal in overtime. However, Philadelphia would wind up taking the Stanley Cup in six games, winning the series 4–2.

The French Connection, joined by 50–goal scorer Danny Gare, continued to score prolifically for the Sabres in 1975–76, but the team lost in the quarterfinals to the New York Islanders. The Sabres had success through the late 1970s behind Gare and the French Connection (Perreault, Martin and Robert), but they were unable to return to the Finals despite a Wales Conference championship in 1980 and being the first team to beat the Soviet Olympic Team when they toured the United States. The French Connection era ended with Robert's trade to the Colorado Rockies in 1979 and Martin's trade to the Los Angeles Kings in 1981, by which time Martin's career was essentially finished as the result of a devastating knee injury in 1980. All three players have had their sweater numbers (11, 7 and 14, respectively) retired and a statue erected in their honor at KeyBank Center in 2012.

Adams/Northeast Division rivalries (1981–1996)[edit]

In 1981–82, the NHL realigned its conferences and adopted an intra-divisional playoff format for the first two rounds. It was the beginning of an era in which the Sabres would finish in the middle of the Adams Division standings with regularity, and then face the near-certainty of having to get past either the Boston Bruins or Canadiens to make it to the conference finals. Aside from first-round victories over Montreal in 1982–83 and Boston in 1992–93, the era saw the Sabres lose to division rivals Boston, the Quebec Nordiques and Montreal in the Adams Division semi-finals (first round) a combined eight times, and miss the playoffs altogether in 1985–86 and 1986–87—only third and fourth times out of the playoffs in franchise history. Perrault reached the 500-goal mark in the 1985–86 season and retired after playing 20 games in 1986–87, 17 years after joining the Sabres as their first draft pick.

The Sabres drafted Pierre Turgeon with the first pick in the 1987 NHL Entry Draft, and he quickly made an impact with the team. During his rookie season in 1987–88, he helped the Sabres reach the playoffs for the first time in three years. He was joined in 1989 by Alexander Mogilny, who with the help of Sabres officials became the first Soviet player to defect to the NHL, and cleared the way for all other Russian players to follow. In the 1989–90 season, the Sabres would improve to finish with 98 points—third-best in the NHL—but the playoff futility continued with a first-round loss to Montreal. The Sabres traded Turgeon to the New York Islanders in 1991 as part of a blockbuster seven-player trade that brought Pat LaFontaine to Buffalo.

In 1992–93, goaltender Dominik Hasek joined the team in a trade from the Chicago Blackhawks. In the 1993 playoffs, the Sabres upset the Bruins in a four-game sweep in the Adams Division semi-finals, their first playoff series victory in ten years. Brad May's series-winning goal in overtime of Game 4 in Buffalo was made famous by Rick Jeanneret's "May Day!" call. However, the eventual Stanley Cup champion Montreal Canadiens swept the Sabres in the division final, with the Sabres losing all four games by a 4–3 score (the last three games in overtime).

With the NHL adopting a conference playoff format for the 1993–94 season, the Sabres faced the New Jersey Devils in the Eastern Conference playoffs' first round. Despite Hasek winning a 1–0 (quadruple overtime) goaltending duel with the Devils' Martin Brodeur in Game 6—the Sabres' longest game ever, which went into quadruple overtime—Buffalo would lose the series in seven games. Another first-round playoff loss to the Philadelphia Flyers in the lockout-shortened 1994–95 season was followed by a fifth-place finish in the Northeast Division in 1995–96, as the team missed the playoffs for the first time in nine years. It was the first season under head coach Ted Nolan and the last for the Sabres at Buffalo Memorial Auditorium. Nolan brought an exciting brand of hockey to Buffalo. During his coaching tenure, Buffalo was referred to as the "hardest-working team in hockey".[13] This season also featured the debut of "walk-on" veteran Randy Burridge, who earned a spot on the roster after he attended training camp on a try-out basis. He scored 25 goals that season and was second in team scoring to Pat LaFontaine. Burridge also earned the Tim Horton Award for being the unsung hero and was voted team Most Valuable Player.

The final game in Memorial Auditorium was played on April 14, 1996, a 4–1 victory over the Hartford Whalers. Sabres principal owner Seymour Knox died a month later, on May 22, 1996.

The black and red era (1996–2006)[edit]

Ted Nolan and the Sabres rebounded in 1996–97, their first at Marine Midland Arena, by winning their first division title in 16 years, with Nolan winning the Jack Adams Award as the NHL's top coach, Dominik Hasek winning both the Hart and Vezina Trophies (the first goaltender to do so since Montreal's Jacques Plante in 1962), Michael Peca taking home the Frank J. Selke Trophy as the best defensive forward in the NHL and general manager John Muckler honored as Executive of the Year.

However, the regular season success was overshadowed by what had taken place during the playoffs. Tensions between Nolan and Hasek had been high for most of the season. After being scored upon in Game 3 of the first round against the Ottawa Senators, Hasek left the game, forcing backup Steve Shields to step in. Hasek claimed he felt his knee pop, and the team doctor pronounced him day-to-day. The Buffalo News columnist Jim Kelley wrote a column that night for the next day's newspaper that detailed the day's events, which irked Hasek. After the Senators won Game 5, Hasek came out of the Sabres' training room and attacked Kelley, tearing his shirt. Despite the fact Hasek issued an apology, things went downhill after the incident. Shields starred as the Sabres rallied to win the series against Ottawa. But before the next series against the Philadelphia Flyers, the NHL announced Hasek had been suspended for three games, with the Sabres informing the NHL Hasek was healthy (Hasek most likely would not have been suspended had he not been cleared to play). Set to return in Game 4 with the Sabres down by three games to none, Hasek told the Sabres' coaching staff he felt a twinge in his knee and left the ice after the pre-game skate. Shields turned in another season-saving performance as Buffalo staved off elimination with a win in overtime. Again before Game 5, Hasek declared himself unfit to play and Buffalo lost 6–3 and the series.

Team president Larry Quinn fired general manager John Muckler, who had a noted feud with Nolan. Hasek, who supported Muckler, openly told reporters at the NHL Awards Ceremony he did not respect Nolan, placing new general manager Darcy Regier in a tough position. He offered Nolan just a one-year contract for a reported $500,000. Nolan refused on the grounds his previous contract was for two years. Regier then pulled the contract off the table and did not offer another one, ending Nolan's tenure as Sabres coach. Nolan was offered several jobs from the Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Islanders, which he turned down, and was out of the NHL until June 2006 when he was named coach of the Islanders. Former Sabres captain Lindy Ruff was hired as head coach on July 21, 1997, agreeing to a three-year contract. The Sabres organization, after having their most successful season in nearly two decades, had fired both the reigning NHL Executive of the Year (Muckler) and Coach of the Year (Nolan).

New owners and return to the Finals[edit]

During the 1997–98 season, the Sabres, which had lost $32 million over the previous three seasons and nearly missed payroll in December 1997,[14] were sold by Northrop Knox to John Rigas, owner of Adelphia Communications. Shortly thereafter, Quinn was dismissed and replaced by John Rigas' son, Timothy Rigas. Behind Hasek, left-winger Miroslav Satan (who led the team in scoring), right-winger Donald Audette, center Michael Peca and several role-playing journeymen including Matthew Barnaby, the Sabres reached the Eastern Conference Finals that season, but lost to the Washington Capitals in six games.

The Sabres playing a game during the 1998–99 season. The Sabres were later crowned the Eastern Conference champions following the 1999 Stanley Cup playoffs.

In 1998–99, Miroslav Satan scored 40 goals. The Sabres would add centers Stu Barnes from the Pittsburgh Penguins and Joe Juneau from the Capitals. Michal Grosek had the best season of his career, and the team finally returned to the Stanley Cup Finals, this time against the Presidents' Trophy winner, the Dallas Stars. In Game 6, Stars winger Brett Hull's triple-overtime goal ended the series, and the Stars were awarded the Cup. In 1999, it was illegal to score a goal if an offensive player's skate entered the crease before the puck did. However, NHL officials maintained that Hull's two shots in the goal mouth constituted a single possession of the puck since the puck deflected off Hasek. The rule was changed for the following season, allowing players to be inside the goaltender's crease as long as they do not interfere with the goaltender.

The next year was a disappointing season. The team struggled in the regular season, due to injuries to Hasek as well as other tired and discouraged players. Doug Gilmour was acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks at the trade deadline and sparked the Sabres to a playoff berth. However, Gilmour was stricken by stomach flu during the postseason, and even Hasek's return could not prevent a first-round playoff series loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. Like the previous season, there would be an officiating controversy. In Game 2, Flyers left wing John LeClair put the puck in the net through a hole in the mesh. While replays appeared to show the puck entering through the "side" of the net, the goal was allowed to stand. The Flyers would win the game 2–1 and go on to win the series four games to one.

Captain Michael Peca sat out 2000–01 due to a contract dispute, and was later traded to the New York Islanders in June 2001 in exchange for Tim Connolly and Taylor Pyatt. Even so, the Sabres still defeated Philadelphia in six games in the first round of the playoffs (with a resounding 8–0 victory in the series-winning game). In the second round, they faced the underdog Pittsburgh Penguins, led by rejuvenated superstar Mario Lemieux and captain Jaromir Jagr, who had won his fifth Art Ross Trophy that season, losing on a seventh-game overtime goal scored by defenseman Darius Kasparaitis. After lengthy and failed negotiations with their star goaltender, the Sabres traded Hasek to the Detroit Red Wings in the summer of 2001, bringing a five-year era of playoff success to a close. Without Hasek and Peca, the Sabres missed the 2002 playoffs.

Ownership turmoil and lockout[edit]

In May 2002, John Rigas and his sons were indicted for bank, wire and securities fraud for embezzling more than $2 billion from Adelphia. Rigas was later convicted and presently is appealing a sentence of 15 years in prison. The NHL took control of the team, though the Rigas family remained owners on paper. For a while, there were no interested buyers. After the two-year period of uncertainty, including rumors of relocating to another city or even straight out folding, the team was sold to a consortium led by Rochester, New York, billionaire and former New York gubernatorial candidate Tom Golisano and former Sabres president Larry Quinn, whose bid included no government funding. Golisano was introduced as team owner on March 19, 2003.

With the 2002–03 season having started under NHL control, general manager Darcy Regier could make only minimal moves. However, with the consultations of impending new ownership, the team began their rebuilding process around the March 2003 trade deadline by clearing out veteran players. The first to go was winger Rob Ray, who was sent to the Ottawa Senators. The team then sent center and team captain Stu Barnes to the Dallas Stars in exchange for young winger Michael Ryan and a draft pick.

A third deal sent center Chris Gratton to the Phoenix Coyotes with a draft pick for Daniel Briere and a draft pick, adding a player who would play a key role in the Sabres' resurgence in later years. The 2003–04 season saw the team emerge from its financial struggles and, though the Sabres narrowly missed the playoffs, the development of prominent young players. Although the 2004–05 NHL season was canceled due to a labor dispute, the league and the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA) were able to agree on a new collective bargaining agreement in the summer of 2005, thus enabling NHL hockey to return for the 2005–06 season.

Lindy Ruff was awarded the Jack Adams Award in 2006. He was the second Sabres coach to win the award.

On January 19, 2005, the Sabres lost their main cable television broadcaster, as the Empire Sports Network (which had been on the air since 1991) ceased operations in a cost-cutting move during the Adelphia scandal and reorganization. (Like the Sabres, Empire had been owned by Adelphia prior to the NHL's seizure of the franchise.) Adelphia sold their rights to Sabres telecasts and for the 2005–06 campaign Madison Square Garden Network (MSG), a New York City-based channel which broadcasts New York Rangers, New York Islanders and New Jersey Devils games, took over the rights to broadcast Sabres games to television viewers in western New York, with the Sabres controlling all aspects of the broadcast. The agreement was later extended through 2017, then again through 2027.

In 2005–06, the Sabres took off, finishing with their best record in over 20 years and clinching their first playoff berth since the 2000–01 season. The team finished the regular season with 52 wins, surpassing the 50-win mark for the first time in franchise histor

Star Wars for Lawk

Star Wars for Lawk theme by sjarper

Download: StarWarsForLawk.p3t

Star Wars for Lawk Theme
(5 backgrounds)

P3T Unpacker v0.12
Copyright (c) 2007. Anoop Menon

This program unpacks Playstation 3 Theme files (.p3t) so that you can touch-up an existing theme to your likings or use a certain wallpaper from it (as many themes have multiple). But remember, if you use content from another theme and release it, be sure to give credit!

Download for Windows: p3textractor.zip

Instructions:

Download p3textractor.zip from above. Extract the files to a folder with a program such as WinZip or WinRAR. Now there are multiple ways to extract the theme.

The first way is to simply open the p3t file with p3textractor.exe. If you don’t know how to do this, right click the p3t file and select Open With. Alternatively, open the p3t file and it will ask you to select a program to open with. Click Browse and find p3textractor.exe from where you previously extracted it to. It will open CMD and extract the theme to extracted.[filename]. After that, all you need to do for any future p3t files is open them and it will extract.

The second way is very simple. Just drag the p3t file to p3textractor.exe. It will open CMD and extract the theme to extracted.[filename].

For the third way, first put the p3t file you want to extract into the same folder as p3textractor.exe. Open CMD and browse to the folder with p3extractor.exe. Enter the following:
p3textractor filename.p3t [destination path]Replace filename with the name of the p3t file, and replace [destination path] with the name of the folder you want the files to be extracted to. A destination path is not required. By default it will extract to extracted.filename.