Suikoden theme by KaiserAlucard
Download: Suikoden.p3t
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| Suikoden | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre(s) | Role-playing |
| Developer(s) | Konami, Hudson Soft |
| Publisher(s) | Konami |
| Creator(s) | Yoshitaka Murayama |
| Platform(s) | |
| First release | Suikoden December 15, 1995 |
| Latest release | Genso Suikoden: Tsumugareshi Hyakunen no Toki February 9, 2012 |
Suikoden (Japanese: 幻想水滸伝, Hepburn: Gensō Suikoden, lit. "Fantasy Water Margin") is a series of role-playing video games created by Yoshitaka Murayama. The games are loosely based on the classical Chinese novel Water Margin,[1] whose title is rendered as Suikoden (水滸伝) in Japanese. Each individual game centers on themes of politics, corruption, revolution, mystical crystals known as True Runes, and the "108 Stars of Destiny"—the 108 protagonists who are loosely interpreted from the source material.
Although the events of the games are not chronological, the entire series (except for Tierkreis and Tsumugareshi Hyakunen no Toki) takes place within the same world, among continuing and overlapping histories. In some cases, several characters appear in multiple installments.
A spiritual successor to the series titled Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes was released on April 23, 2024.[2] A high-definition remaster of the first two games under the title Suikoden I & II HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars is set to release later in 2024.[3]
Games[edit]
Main series[edit]
| Title | Original release date | ||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Japan |
North America |
PAL region | |
| Suikoden | December 15, 1995 | December 23, 1996 | April 11, 1997 |
Notes:
| |||
| Suikoden II | December 17, 1998 | September 29, 1999 | July 28, 2000 |
Notes:
| |||
| Suikoden III | July 11, 2002 | October 24, 2002 | June 23, 2015 (PlayStation Network) |
Notes:
| |||
| Suikoden IV | August 19, 2004 | January 11, 2005 | February 25, 2005 |
Notes:
| |||
| Suikoden V | February 23, 2006 | March 21, 2006 | September 22, 2006 |
Notes:
| |||
Spin-offs[edit]
| Title | Original release date | ||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Japan |
North America |
PAL region | |
| Gensō Suikogaiden Vol. 1 – Swordsman of Harmonia | September 21, 2000 | none | none |
Notes:
| |||
| Gensō Suikogaiden Vol. 2 – Duel at Crystal Valley | March 22, 2001 | none | none |
Notes:
| |||
| Gensō Suikoden Card Stories | September 13, 2001 | none | none |
Notes:
| |||
| Suikoden Tactics | September 22, 2005 | November 8, 2005 | February 23, 2006 |
Notes:
| |||
| Suikoden Tierkreis | December 18, 2008 | March 13, 2009 | March 19, 2009 |
Notes:
| |||
| Gensō Suikoden: Tsumugareshi Hyakunen no Toki | February 9, 2012 | none | none |
Notes:
| |||
Compilations[edit]
| Title | Original release date | ||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Japan |
North America |
PAL region | |
| Suikoden I & II | February 23, 2006 | TBA (remaster) | TBA (remaster) |
Notes:
| |||
Elements[edit]
Gameplay[edit]
In the Suikoden series, the player takes control of a battle party having a maximum of six people (consisting of the protagonist and 5 other characters), Suikoden IV, however, reduces the party to four fighters and one support. The goal of the game is for the protagonist to defeat the opponents who are trying to oppose his/her team. This becomes possible as every game in the series revolves around the recruitment of the 108 Stars of Destiny; wherein the fighter characters recruited from the bunch can be used as members for the battle party; every game in the series has their respective Stars of Destiny. The series practically makes use of running around towns on different islands and into dungeons filled with monsters or enemies. A base or headquarters will also be obtained by the player which is usually abandoned, monster-infested castles which turns into bustling communities when captured.
Battle modes[edit]
The most typical form of battle in the series is the turn-based battle wherein the 6-man team faces the opponents. However, it is not the sole form of battle featured in the games. There are 3 different types of battle present which recurs and have been accustomed to every game. They are: 'Basic Battle', 'One-on-one Duel' and 'Strategic War Battle'.
- Basic Battle: It is the most common form of battle. It is when the protagonist's 6-man team will have to battle out. This mode allows the player to control the 6 party members with different commands such as the 'Fight' where the player designates the action he/she wants the characters to perform, 'Run' to escape, 'Bribe' to use the party's money called Potch to bribe the enemy for escape and the 'Auto' command in which the game automatically designates the 'Attack' command for every character.
- One-on-one Duel: A battle where only a single character fights and happens only in special events. It is a turn-based duel in which the player chooses command to attack (instead of manually controlled fighting). Duels in the series is typically not time-based except Suikoden V wherein choosing a command is timed for 3 seconds. Duels are usually accompanied by dialogue exchange between the player and the enemy, with the dialogue giving clues to what command the enemy will choose next (Essentially rock, paper scissors with the enemy commentary telling the player which they chose).
- Strategic War Battle: A turn-based strategic battle between the protagonist's side and the enemy. In more accurate terms, this is a battle between armies of the protagonist and the enemy. The protagonist's army is made up of many units which could be organized by the player however he/she desires. Every game in the series has different forms of war battles most notably in Suikoden IV, where the battles are done in the sea. Suikoden V however, is the first game to make use of real-time strategy.
Development[edit]
The Suikoden series was created, written, produced, and overseen by Yoshitaka Murayama, who left Konami near the end of Suikoden III's development. Noritada Matsukawa took over as Senior Director of Suikoden III following Murayama's departure. Suikoden IV was directed by Matsukawa as well but was produced by Junko Kawano, who was the chief designer in Suikoden I. Suikoden V was directed by Takahiro Sakiyama, a relative newcomer to RPGs.
Future[edit]
In an interview conducted by Japanese website 4gamers.net regarding the RPG Frontier Gate, Konami developers revealed that the Suikoden development team has been disbanded with members scattered about teams within Konami and elsewhere. This led to speculation that the franchise had indeed been abandoned following disappointing sales of the latest entries in the series.[4]
Despite these rumours, Konami presented a trailer for a new Suikoden game on Tokyo Game Show 2011: Genso Suikoden: The Woven Web of a Century (Genso Suikoden Tsumugareshi Hyakunen no Toki).[5] It came out in Japan for PSP on 12 February 2012 to generally lackluster reviews.
According to an article published by The Nikkei in 2015, development on the series has been halted.[6]
In 2020, one of Suikoden's development crew left Konami and named a new studio called Rabbit & Bear, founded by some of the key creative minds behind the classic PlayStation-era roleplaying series, including Yoshitaka Murayama, director and writer on the first two Suikoden games, and the creative team also includes Junko Kawano, the lead artist on Suikoden 1 and 4; Junichi Murakami, art director on Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow; Suikoden Tactics director Osamu Komuta; and composers Motoi Sakuraba and Michiko Naruke. Murayama directed to a Suikoden follow-up game called Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, slated to release worldwide in 2024.[7]
World, setting, and concepts[edit]
Essentially, each game follows the plot formula of a coup d'état by corrupt power holder(s) and the protagonist is an exile from his/her home. The plot also follows the disastrous misuse of the "True Runes" while the hero struggles, despite overwhelming odds, to bring peace to the land alongside his/her friends, and the climactic showdown with the corrupted True Rune incarnation.
The 27 True Runes[edit]
The 27 True Runes are powerful sources of all magic and primal forces in the world of Suikoden. Wholly sentient and possessing their own will, the True Runes hold immeasurable power, and are the equivalents of gods in the Suikoden world. Many wars have been fought over them in the past, some instigated by the will of the runes themselves. True Runes are often sought by the powerful and influential due to their shared property of granting immortality to those who will bear them. All bearers of True Runes stop aging and become immune to disease and all other natural causes of death, though they can still die from physical trauma such as accidents or murder.
The True Runes often attach themselves to living beings. Doing so gives the True Rune holder great power over the aspect of nature the Rune governs, as well as immortality so long as they bear the Rune. Bearing a True Rune can also have negative consequences, as in the case of the bearer of the Moon Rune being transformed into a vampire. A True Rune can also take the shape of a physical object, as is the case with the Star Dragon Sword being a manifestation of the Night Rune. They can also incarnate themselves unattached from a host, as the Beast Rune did during the Highland-Jowston conflict, self-activating and then feeding of its own will.[8]
Origin of True Runes and the Creation of the Suikoden Universe
The story of the creation of the Suikoden universe can be found in books discovered in most games. The story from "Old Book Vol.1" from Suikoden I reads:
In the beginning...there was "Darkness". "Darkness" lived for eons in a rift in time. Suffering in solitude for so long, "Darkness" finally dropped a "Tear". Two brothers were born of "Tear". "Sword" and "Shield". "Sword" said he could cut anything to pieces. "Shield" swore he could protect anything. And so, the two went to battle. The battle lasted seven days and seven nights. "Sword" cut apart "Shield", and "Shield" broke "Sword" into pieces. Fragments of "Sword" fell and became the sky. Fragments of "Shield" fell and became the earth. Sparks from the battle became the stars. The 27 jewels that adorned "Sword" and "Shield" became the "27 True Runes," and the World went into motion.
Known True Runes[9]
- Gate Rune
- Governs the connection between worlds
- Split between the Front and Back halves; Front Gate Rune formerly held by Windy, the Back Gate Rune held by Leknaat (Suikoden I, II, III, IV, V)
- The Blue/Pale Gate Rune is derived from this rune
- Rune of Life and Death (also known as the Soul Eater)
- Represents life and death, and grants the bearer power over them
- Considered a cursed rune, it steers the fates of those near the rune bearer to their deaths
- Held by Ted, Ted's grandfather, and the first Hero (Suikoden I, II, and IV)
- The Darkness rune is derived from this rune
- Rune of the Beginning
- Represents the conflict between the brothers "Sword" and "Shield" at the creation of the Suikoden universe; governs war and conflict
- Almost always exists split into two aspects: the Bright Shield Rune and Black Sword Rune, and the bearers of each rune are destined to fight each other (Suikoden II)
- Held by Genkaku and Han Cunningham during the first Highland-Jowston conflict, later held by the second Hero and Jowy (Suikoden II)
- The Shield rune is derived from the Bright Shield Rune
- Rune of Punishment
- Governs atonement and forgiveness
- Considered a cursed rune, use of its power drains the rune bearer of life force, and bearers of the rune tend to have short lives
- Held by the Queen of Obel, Graham Cray and his son, Rakgi's father, Steele, Brandeau, Glen Cott, and the Hero (Suikoden IV)
- True Elemental Runes (Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, and Lightning)
- Govern the five fundamental elements of the Suikoden universe; each rune grants the bearer great power over that element
- All elemental runes are derived from these True Runes
- True Fire Rune - held by the Flame Champion, and later either Hugo, Chris Lightfellow, or Geddoe (Suikoden III)
- True Water Rune - held by Wyatt Lightfellow, and later either Chris Lightfellow or Hugo (Suikoden III)
- True Earth Rune - held by Bishop Sasarai of Harmonia (Suikoden II and III)
- True Wind Rune - held by Luc (Suikoden II and III)
- True Lightning Rune - held by Geddoe or Hugo (Suikoden III)
- Sun Rune
- Governs the power of light
- While the rune can be borne by a person, it drives its bearer insane and is typically kept sealed away
- Two child runes, the Twilight Rune and Dawn Rune, were created from the separation of the Sun Rune and the Night Rune and govern the Sun Rune's power
- A treasure of the Queendom of Falena, the Sun Rune was formerly held by Queen Arshtat Falenas
- The Dawn Rune is held by the Prince, and the Twilight Rune is held by Alenia, Sialeeds, and Lyon (Suikoden V)
- Sovereign Rune
- Represents authority and the power to rule; grants bearer immunity from all other runes
- Held by Emperor Barbarossa of the Scarlet Moon Empire (Suikoden I)
- Hachifusa (Eight-Fold) Rune
- Held by Yuber (never featured in a game; Yuber's Eight-Devil Rune in Suikoden III is assumed to be related to it)
- Circle Rune
- Represents order, harmony, and stagnation
- Held by Harmonia's leader, High Priest Hikusaak (never featured in a game)
- Rune of Change
- Governs change
- Speculated to be held by the leader of the ancient nomadic Sindar people (never featured in a game)
- Moon Rune
- Represents compassion and destruction
- Transforms the rune bearer into a vampire
- Held by Neclord, and then Sierra Mikain (Suikoden I, II)
- Night Rune
- Represents night and darkness, and is the opposite of the Sun Rune; originally born joined with the Sun Rune, it but it took the form of a sword and separated itself
- Incarnated as the Star Dragon Sword (Zodiac Sword), which is wielded by Viktor during Suikoden I and II, and Edge in Suikoden III
- Grants the wielder the power over "creatures of the night" such as vampires
- Its child rune, the Star Rune, is held by Zerase (Suikoden V)
- Beast Rune
- Represents rage, passion, and bloodlust
- Sealed in the capital of Highland, L'Renouille Palace (Suikoden II)
- Dragon Rune
- Governs dragons, and is the source of dragons in the Suikoden universe
- Grants the bearer the ability to command dragons
- Held by Joshua Levenheit, and later Milia, as leaders of the Dragon Knights
The 108 Stars of Destiny[edit]
A concept borrowed from the Chinese novel Shui Hu Zhuan, each Suikoden game has featured 108 characters who band together to ward off a threat. In each main Suikoden game (excluding the Suikogaiden games and Suikoden Tactics), there are 108 notable characters, all of which are recruitable except for in Suikoden III, where several of the stars of destiny were the antagonist characters. While recruiting all of the Stars of Destiny is not a requirement to finishing the game, recruiting all of them gives certain bonuses that affect the story of the game.[citation needed]
Geography[edit]
The Suikoden series is set in a world with many countries. The political geography has changed over the series chronology; while the most recent game in the setting is Suikoden V, chronologically, Suikoden IV is the earliest game while Suikoden III occurs latest within the time span of the series.
Suikoden, Suikoden II and Suikoden III are set on the Northern Continent, a land mass composed of several regions. Suikoden takes place in the Scarlet Moon Empire, which is located on southeastern coast of the Northern Continent, and is composed primarily of the Toran region, with Lake Toran at its centre. Notable locations in this area include Gregminister, the empire's capital situated in Arlus, the Warrior's Village in the Lorimar region, and the Great Forest. At the end of Suikoden, the empire is replaced by the Toran Republic.
Suikoden II is set in the Dunan region, north-west of the Toran Republic, and initially comprises the Highland Kingdom in the east and the Jowston City-States, a confederation of politically autonomous states, in the west. Significant locations in Jowston include the cities-states of South Window, Greenhill, Muse, and Two River, and the Knightdom of Matilda. Following the Dunan Unification War, the Highland Kingdom falls and it, along with the Jowston City-States unite to form the Dunan Republic. The Tinto region lying in the west, separated from Dunan by mountains, chooses to remain politically independent and becomes the Tinto Republic.
Sharing Dunan's western border and north of Tinto are the Grasslands, which stretch from the centre of the Northern Continent to a small portion of the continent's west coast. The area is composed of the six clans: the Lizard, Duck, Karaya, Chisha, Safir, and the Alma Kinan. Directly west of the Grasslands and bordered in the east by Tinto is the Zexen Confederacy, located on the west coast of the Northern Continent and historically an offshoot of the Grasslands. Important locations include the Zexen capital Vinay del Zexay and Budehuc Castle, which lies close to the Grasslands border in northwest Zexen. The primary conflict of Suikoden III occurs in these areas. The northwestern portion of the continent, due north of the Grasslands and Zexen, is the Knightdom of Camaro and the surrounding Nameless Lands.
The largest country in the north is the Holy Kingdom of Harmonia, located in the northeastern portion of the continent. Since its establishment, it has assimilated various neighbouring countries, such as Sanadia, as well as a portion of the Grasslands – the Kanaa clan of the Grasslands became Le Buque under Harmonian rule after the First Fire Bringer War. Notably, the Scarlet Moon Empire originally formed after obtaining political autonomy from Harmonia and taking Harmonia's old capital as its own, renaming it Gregminister, resulting in Harmonia establishing a new capital at the Crystal Valley. Harmonia is also home to the Tower, a location reserved for training and housing members of the Howling Voice Guild.
Other major areas on the Northern Continent include the Kooluk region and Kanakan. The Kooluk region was originally the Kooluk Empire during the course of Suikoden IV and eventually dissolved in Suikoden Tactics to be left as a group of independent settlements. It takes up most of the southern edge of the Northern continent and directly borders the Toran Republic in the east and the Dunan Republic in the north. Off the eastern coast of Toran is the island of Kanakan.
Lying directly south of the Northern Continent is the ocean and several islands, including Obel, Middleport, and Razril. At the end of Suikoden IV, most of these islands are unified to become the Island Nations Federation. The largest island in the area, the Dukedom of Gaien, remains independent. West of Gaien is the island nation of the Kingdom of Zelant.
Due south of the Island Nations is the Southern Continent, a landmass composed primarily of three countries: the Queendom of Falena, and its neighbours, the theocracy of Nagarea in the southwest and the New Armes Kingdom in the southeast. As the setting for Suikoden V, Falena has a large network of rivers and lakes throughout the country and the Ashtwal Mountains in its northern region. Key locations include the cities of Stormfist and Doraat in the west; Rainwall, Estrise, and Sable, located on the Armes border, in the east; Lelcar, Lordlake, and Sauronix in the south; and the Falenan capital, Sol-Falena, and the holy land of Lunas, governed by the Oracle, in the north. Falena has been protected from the militant theocracy Nagarea since the mountain pass between the nations was destroyed, though Armes continues to remain a threat throughout Suikoden V.
Northeast of Falena also appears portion of a landmass of considerable size. West of the Northern and Southern Continents and the Island Nations is a landmass referred to as the Western Continent, of which few details are known. Scattered across the world are mysterious ruins attributed to the lost Sindar race, which is a recurring theme throughout the Suikoden series.
Music collections[edit]
The Suikoden games have generally been considered to have soundtracks very well liked by the gaming community, though they have only been released in Japan as of 2007.
A series of arranged soundtracks were released from late 2001–2004. Despite the first being released slightly before Suikoden III and the last at around the same time as Suikoden IV, the music was always taken from music in Suikoden, Suikoden II, Suikoden III, and (rarely) the Suikogaiden side-stories.
- Genso Suikoden Music Collection Produced by Hiroyuki Nanba — a 10-track arrangement released on 29 December 2001. The production and arrangement were both done by Hiroyuki Namba, as the name indicates.
- Genso Suikoden Music Collection Produced by Kentaro Haneda — another 10-track arrangement released on 24 April 2002. Kentarō Haneda was only the producer; the arrangements were done by Kousuke Yamashita, Michiru Oshima, Rie Akagi, Kenji Yamamoto, and Hiroshi Takagi.
- Genso Suikoden Vocal Collection ~La passione commuove la storia~ — a 10-track arrangement released on 3 July 2002. The first piece is an instrumental, but the other tracks all feature vocals. The arrangement was done by Kousuke Yamashita, Hiroshi Takagi, and Megumi Ohashi. Performers included Yuko Imai, Risa Oki, and Yoko Ueno.
- Genso Suikoden Vocal Collection ~Distant Stars, Echoes of Love~ — a 10-track arrangement released on 22 January 2003. The arrangement was once more done by Kousuke Yamashita, Hiroshi Takagi, and Megumi Ohashi. Performers included Sanae Shintani, Yuko Imai, and Tomoko.
- Genso Suikoden Piano Collection ~Avertunerio Antes Lance Mao~ — a 13-track arrangement released on 18 December 2002, arranged by Shusei Murai. Despite the name, these are not piano solos; most include orchestral backup, and some have vocals as well.
- Genso Suikoden Celtic Collection — a 12 track arrangement in the style of celtic music released on 5 March 2003. The arrangements were done by Yoko Ueno, Mina Kubota, Yuko Asai, Shigeyoshi Kawagoe, and "The Rain Book."
- Genso Suikoden Celtic Collection 2 — a 12-track arrangement released on 20 August 2003. Arrangement was done by Yoko Ueno, Yuji Yoshino, Yuko Asai, and Shigeyoshi Kawagoe.
- Genso Suikoden Music Collection ~Asian Collection~ — a 12-track arrangement released on 27 November 2003. It was arranged by Kiyoshi Yoshida, Hidenori Maezawa, Yuko Asai, and Shigeyoshi Kawagoe.
- Genso Suikoden Piano Collection 2 — a 12 track arrangement released on 21 January 2004, arranged by Shusei Murai.
- Genso Suikoden Celtic Collection III — a 13 track arrangement released on 14 April 2004, arranged by Yuji Yoshino.
Publications, adaptations, and other material[edit]
Many publications, such as the Suikoden World Guide and Suikoden Encyclopedia, exist for the Suikoden series, though the majority are only in Japanese. Suikoden and Suikoden II have light novel adaptations written by Shinjiro Hori released only in Japan. Suikoden III was adapted into a manga by Aki Shimizu, which was released in English markets by Tokyopop.
Cameos[edit]
- Tokimeki Memorial: Forever with You (1995) (PlayStation, Sega Saturn, PlayStation Portable)
- Mitsumete Knight R (1998) (PlayStation)
The protagonist of Suikoden I is one of the characters in this game.
- Konami Wai Wai Sokoban (2006) (mobile phones)
The protagonist of Suikoden I is one of the selectable characters in this game.
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S.A.F.C.
Hockey
Hockey theme by Kaler
Download: Hockey.p3t
(3 backgrounds)
Hockey is a term used to denote a family of various types of both summer and winter team sports which originated on either an outdoor field, sheet of ice, or dry floor such as in a gymnasium. While these sports vary in specific rules, numbers of players, apparel, and playing surface, they share broad characteristics of two opposing teams using a stick to propel a ball or disk into a goal.
There are many types of hockey. Some games make the use of skates, either wheeled or bladed, while others do not. In order to help make the distinction between these various games, the word hockey is often preceded by another word i.e. field hockey, ice hockey, roller hockey, rink hockey, or floor hockey.
In each of these sports, two teams play against each other by trying to manoeuvre the object of play, either a type of ball or a disk (such as a puck), into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick. Two notable exceptions use a straight stick and an open disk (still referred to as a puck) with a hole in the center instead. The first case is a style of floor hockey whose rules were codified in 1936 during the Great Depression by Canada's Sam Jacks. The second case involves a variant which was later modified in roughly the 1970s to make a related game that would be considered suitable for inclusion as a team sport in the newly emerging Special Olympics. The floor game of gym ringette, though related to floor hockey, is not a true variant due to the fact that it was designed in the 1990s and modelled off of the Canadian ice skating team sport of ringette, which was invented in Canada in 1963. Ringette was also invented by Sam Jacks, the same Canadian who codified the rules for the open disk style of floor hockey 1936.
Certain sports which share general characteristics with the forms of hockey, but are not generally referred to as hockey include lacrosse, hurling, camogie, and shinty.
Etymology[edit]
The first recorded use of the word hockey is in the 1773 book Juvenile Sports and Pastimes, to Which Are Prefixed, Memoirs of the Author: Including a New Mode of Infant Education by Richard Johnson (Pseud. Master Michel Angelo), whose chapter XI was titled "New Improvements on the Game of Hockey".[1] The belief that hockey was mentioned in a 1363 proclamation by King Edward III of England[2] is based on modern translations of the proclamation, which was originally in Latin and explicitly forbade the games "Pilam Manualem, Pedivam, & Bacularem: & ad Canibucam & Gallorum Pugnam".[3][4] The English historian and biographer John Strype did not use the word "hockey" when he translated the proclamation in 1720, instead translating "Canibucam" as "Cambuck";[5] this may have referred to either an early form of hockey or a game more similar to golf or croquet.[6]
The word hockey itself is of unknown origin. One supposition is that it is a derivative of hoquet, a Middle French word for a shepherd's stave.[7] The curved, or "hooked" ends of the sticks used for hockey would indeed have resembled these staves, and similar folk etymologies exist for the bat-and-ball sports of Croquet and Cricket. Another supposition derives from the known use of cork bungs (stoppers), in place of wooden balls to play the game. The stoppers came from barrels containing "hock" ale, also called "hocky".[8]
Modern usage[edit]
The word "hockey" in Canada, the United States, Russia, and most of Eastern and Northern Europe, typically refers to ice hockey. 
Sledge hockey (or "sled hockey") is now called "Para ice hockey". It is the only hockey sport on ice created exclusively for participants with physical disabilities. In most of the world, the term hockey when used without clarification refers to field hockey, while in Canada, the United States, Russia and most of Eastern and Northern Europe, the term usually refers to ice hockey.[9]
In more recent history, the word "hockey" is used in reference to either the summer Olympic sport of field hockey, which is a stick and ball game, and the winter ice team skating sports of bandy and ice hockey. This is due to the fact that field hockey and other stick and ball sports and their related variants preceded games which would eventually be played on ice with ice skates, namely bandy and ice hockey, as well as sports involving dry floors such as roller hockey and floor hockey. However, the "hockey" referred to in common parlance often depends on locale, geography, and the size and popularity of the sport involved. For example, in Europe, "hockey" more typically refers to field hockey, whereas in Canada, it typically refers to ice hockey. In the case of bandy, the game was initially called "hockey on the ice" and preceded the organization and development of ice hockey, but was officially changed to "bandy" in the early 20th century in order to avoid confusion with ice hockey, a separate sport. Bandy, while related to other hockey games, derives some of its inspiration from Association football.
Sledge hockey, a variant of ice hockey designed for players with physical disabilities, was created in the 1960s and has since been renamed, "Para-ice hockey".[10]
History[edit]
Bas relief approx. 600 BC, in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens Games played with curved sticks and a ball can be found in the histories of many cultures. In Egypt, 4000-year-old carvings feature teams with sticks and a projectile, hurling dates to before 1272 BC in Ireland, and there is a depiction from approximately 600 BC in Ancient Greece, where the game may have been called kerētízein (κερητίζειν) because it was played with a horn or horn-like stick (kéras, κέρας).[11] In Inner Mongolia, the Daur people have been playing beikou, a game similar to modern field hockey, for about 1,000 years.[12]
Most evidence of hockey-like games during the Middle Ages is found in legislation concerning sports and games. The Galway Statute enacted in Ireland in 1527 banned certain types of ball games, including games using "hooked" (written "hockie", similar to "hooky") sticks.[13]
...at no tyme to use ne occupye the horlinge of the litill balle with hockie stickes or staves, nor use no hande ball to play withoute walles, but only greate foote balle[14]
Bandy, ». a game, like that of Golf, in which the ad- verse parties endeavour to beat a ball (generally a knob or gnarl from the trunk of a tree,) opposite ways...the stick with which the game is played is crook'd at the end.[15]
By the 19th century, the various forms and divisions of historic games began to differentiate and coalesce into the individual sports defined today. Organizations dedicated to the codification of rules and regulations began to form, and national and international bodies sprang up to manage domestic and international competition.
Subtypes[edit]
Bandy[edit]
Bandy game in Sweden Bandy is played with a ball on a football pitch-sized ice arena (bandy rink), typically outdoors, and with many rules similar to association football. It is played professionally in Russia and Sweden. The sport is recognized by the IOC; its international governing body is the Federation of International Bandy.
Bandy has its roots in England in the 19th century, was originally called "hockey on the ice",[16] and spread from England to other European countries around 1900; a similar Russian sport can also be seen as a predecessor and in Russia, bandy is sometimes called "Russian hockey". Bandy World Championships have been played since 1957 and Women's Bandy World Championships since 2004. There are national club championships in many countries and the top clubs in the world play in the Bandy World Cup every year.
Field hockey[edit]
Field hockey game at Melbourne University Field hockey is played on gravel, natural grass, or sand-based or water-based artificial turf, with a small, hard ball approximately 73 mm (2.9 in) in diameter. The game is popular among both men and women in many parts of the world, particularly in Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Argentina. In most countries, the game is played between single-sex sides, although they can be mixed-sex.
The governing body is the 126-member International Hockey Federation (FIH). Men's field hockey has been played at each Summer Olympic Games since 1908 except for 1912 and 1924, while women's field hockey has been played at the Summer Olympic Games since 1980.
Modern field hockey sticks are constructed of a composite of wood, glass fibre or carbon fibre (sometimes both) and are J-shaped, with a curved hook at the playing end, a flat surface on the playing side and a curved surface on the rear side. All sticks are right-handed – left-handed sticks are not permitted.
While field hockey in its current form appeared in mid-18th century England, primarily in schools, it was not until the first half of the 19th century that it became firmly established. The first club was created in 1849 at Blackheath in south-east London. Field hockey is the national sport of Pakistan.[17] It was the national sport of India until the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports declared in August 2012 that India has no national sport.[18]
Ice hockey[edit]
Ice hockey game between the Barrie Colts and the Brampton Battalion Ice hockey is played between two teams of skaters on a large flat area of ice, using a three-inch-diameter (76.2 mm) vulcanized rubber disc called a puck. This puck is often frozen before high-level games to decrease the amount of bouncing and friction on the ice. The game is played all over North America, Europe and to varying extents in many other countries around the world. It is the most popular sport in Canada, Finland, Latvia, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia. Ice hockey is the national sport of Latvia[19] and the national winter sport of Canada.[20] Ice hockey is played at a number of levels, by all ages.
The governing body of international play is the 77-member International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). Men's ice hockey has been played at the Winter Olympics since 1924, and was in the 1920 Summer Olympics. Women's ice hockey was added to the Winter Olympics in 1998. North America's National Hockey League (NHL) is the strongest professional ice hockey league, drawing top ice hockey players from around the globe. The NHL rules are slightly different from those used in Olympic ice hockey over many categories. International ice hockey rules were adopted from Canadian rules in the early 1900s.[21]
The contemporary sport developed in Canada from European and native influences. These included various stick and ball games similar to field hockey, bandy and other games where two teams push a ball or object back and forth with sticks. These were played outdoors on ice under the name "hockey" in England throughout the 19th century, and even earlier under various other names.[22] In Canada, there are 24 reports[23] of hockey-like games in the 19th century before 1875 (five of them using the name "hockey"). The first organized and recorded game of ice hockey was played indoors in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on March 3, 1875, and featured several McGill University students.
Ice hockey sticks are long L-shaped sticks made of wood, graphite, or composites with a blade at the bottom that can lie flat on the playing surface when the stick is held upright and can legally curve either way, for left- or right-handed players.[24]
Para ice hockey[edit]
Ice sledge hockey, or "para ice hockey", is a form of ice hockey designed for players with physical disabilities affecting their lower bodies. Players sit on double-bladed sledges and use two sticks; each stick has a blade at one end and small picks at the other. Players use the sticks to pass, stickhandle and shoot the puck, and to propel their sledges. The rules are very similar to IIHF ice hockey rules.[25]
Canada is a recognized international leader in the development of sledge hockey, and much of the equipment for the sport was first developed there, such as sledge hockey sticks laminated with fiberglass, as well as aluminum shafts with hand-carved insert blades and special aluminum sledges with regulation skate blades.
Inline sledge hockey[edit]
Based on ice sledge hockey, inline sledge hockey is played to the same rules as inline puck hockey (essentially ice hockey played off-ice using inline skates). There is no classification point system dictating who can play inline sledge hockey, unlike the situation with other team sports such as wheelchair basketball and wheelchair rugby. Inline sledge hockey is being developed to allow everyone, regardless of whether they have a disability or not, to complete up to world championship level based solely on talent and ability.[citation needed]
The first game of organized inline sledge hockey was played at Bisley, Surrey, England, on December 19, 2009, between the Hull Stingrays and the Grimsby Redwings. Matt Lloyd is credited with inventing inline sledge hockey, and Great Britain is seen as the international leader in the game's development.
Roller hockey (inline)[edit]
Inline hockey uses inline skates and a type of either a puck or ball. 
Inline hockey using a ball is more common in Europe. Though inline hockey is considered a variant of roller hockey a.k.a. "rink hockey", it was derived from ice hockey instead and uses a type of hockey puck or a ball. Both roller games use a type of wheeled skate but inline hockey uses inline skates rather than roller skates or "quads".
The puck-based inline variant is more commonly played in North America than Europe while the ball-based variant is more popular in Europe.
Inline hockey puck variant is played by two teams, consisting of four skaters and one goalie, on a dry rink divided into two halves by a center line, with one net at each end of the rink. The game is played in three 15-minute periods with a variation of the ice hockey off-side rule. Icings are also called, but are usually referred to as illegal clearing.[26] The governing body is the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), just as it is for ice hockey, but some leagues and competitions do not follow the IIHF regulations, in particular USA Inline and Canada Inline.
Roller hockey (quad)[edit]
Rink hockey – Rollhockey – Hoquei em Patins Roller hockey, also known as "quad hockey", "international-style ball hockey", "rink hockey" and "Hoquei em Patins", is an overarching name for a roller sport that uses quad skates. It has existed long before the invention of inline skates. The sport is played in over sixty countries and has a worldwide following. Roller hockey was a demonstration sport at the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympics.
Street hockey[edit]
Also known as road hockey, this is a dry-land variant of ice and roller hockey played year-round on a hard surface (usually asphalt). A ball is usually used instead of a puck, and protective equipment is not usually worn.
Other forms of hockey[edit]
Native Mapuches playing palín, shown in Histórica Relación del Reino de Chile by Alonso de Ovalle, Rome, 1646 Other games derived from hockey or its predecessors include the following:
Box Hockey being played in Miami, Florida, 1935 - Air hockey is played indoors with a puck on an air-cushion table.
- Beach hockey, a variation of street hockey, is a common sight on Southern California beaches.
- Ball hockey is played in a gym using sticks and a ball, often a tennis ball with the felt removed.
- Box hockey is a schoolyard game played by two people. The object of the game is to move a hockey puck from the center of the box out through a hole placed at the end of the box (known as the goal). The players kneel facing one another on either side of the box, and each attempts to move the puck to the hole on their left.
- Broomball is played on an ice hockey rink, but with a ball instead of a puck and a "broom" (actually a stick with a small plastic implement on the end) in place of the ice hockey stick. Instead of skates, special shoes are used that have very soft rubbery soles to maximize grip while running around.
- Deck hockey is traditionally played by the Royal Navy on ships' decks, using short wooden L-shaped sticks.
- Floor hockey: a variety of games with different codes usually played on foot on a flat, smooth floor surface, usually indoors in gymnasiums or similar spaces.
- Floorball is a form of hockey played in a gymnasium or in a sports hall. A whiffle ball is used instead of a plastic ball, and the sticks are only one meter long and made from composite materials.
- Foot hockey or sock hockey is played using a bald tennis ball or rolled-up pair of socks and using only the feet. It is popular in elementary schools in the winter.
- Gena[27] is a field hockey sport played in Ethiopia, with which the Ethiopian Christmas festival shares its name. The equipment consists of a strong stick curved at one end, and a ball of two kinds: either called srur (made out of a rounded piece of hard-wood) or tsng (made by weaving a long strip of leather into a rounded shape).
- Gym ringette is the off-ice floor variant of the ice skating team sport of ringette rather than ice hockey. It is not a direct variant of the style of floor hockey which helped inspire ringette.
- Gym hockey a.k.a. floor hockey is a form of ice hockey played in a gymnasium. It uses sticks with foam ends and a foam ball or a plastic puck.
- Hurling and Camogie are Irish games bearing some resemblance to – and notable differences from – hockey.
- Indoor hockey is an indoor variant of field hockey.
- Mini hockey (or knee-hockey), also known as "mini-sticks" is a form of hockey played in the United States and Canada in the basements of houses. Players kneel, or crouch, and use a miniature plastic stick, usually about 15 inches (38 cm) long, to manoeuvre a small ball or a soft, fabric-covered mini puck into miniature goals. In England 'mini hockey' refers to a seven-a-side version of field hockey for younger players, played on an area equivalent to half a normal pitch.
- Nok Hockey is a table-top version of hockey played with no defence and a small block in front of the goal.
- Pond hockey is a simplified form of ice hockey played on naturally frozen ice.
- Power hockey is a form of hockey for persons requiring the use of an electric (power) wheelchair in daily life.
- Ringette is primarily a variant of an early 20th century style of floor hockey, but played on ice hockey skates and designed for female players; it uses a straight stick and an air-filled rubber ring in place of a floor hockey puck (open disk). Though played on ice hockey rinks, the rules and strategy differ considerably from those of ice hockey and bear a closer resemblance to basketball. It should not be confused
Planets #2
Planets theme by JanoNath
Download: Planets_2.p3t
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Redirect to:
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Dr. Who Tardis
Dr. Who Tardis theme by JanoNath
Download: DrWhoTardis.p3t
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P3T Unpacker v0.12
Copyright (c) 2007. Anoop MenonThis 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.Borg
Borg theme by JanoNath
Download: Borg.p3t
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The Borg Star Trek race 
Created by Maurice Hurley In-universe information Base of operations Delta Quadrant Leader Borg Queen The Borg are an alien group that appear as recurring antagonists in the Star Trek fictional universe. The Borg are cybernetic organisms (cyborgs) linked in a hive mind called "The Collective." The Borg co-opt the technology and knowledge of other alien species to the Collective through the process of "assimilation": forcibly transforming individual beings into "drones" by injecting nanoprobes into their bodies and surgically augmenting them with cybernetic components. The Borg's ultimate goal is "achieving perfection."[1][2]
Aside from being recurring antagonists in the Next Generation television series, they are depicted as the main threat in the film Star Trek: First Contact. In addition, they played major roles in the Voyager and Picard series.
The Borg have become a symbol in popular culture for any juggernaut against which "resistance is futile" – a common phrase uttered by the Borg.
Concept[edit]
The Borg represented a new antagonist and regular enemy which had been lacking during the first season of TNG; the Klingons were allies and the Romulans mostly absent. The Ferengi were originally intended as the new enemy for the United Federation of Planets, but their comical appearance failed to portray them as a convincing threat. The Borg, however, with their frightening appearance, their immense power, and their sinister motive, became the signature villains for the TNG and Voyager eras of Star Trek. In Voyager episode "Q2", even the near-omnipotent Q tells his son, "Don't provoke the Borg!"
Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG) writers began to develop the idea of the Borg as early as the Season 1 episode "Conspiracy", which introduced a coercive, symbiotic life form that took over key Federation personnel. Plans to feature the Borg as an increasingly menacing threat were subsequently scrapped in favor of a more subtle introduction, beginning with the mystery of missing Federation and Romulan colonies on both sides of the Neutral Zone in "The Neutral Zone" and culminating in the encounter between Borg and the Enterprise crew in "Q Who".[3]
Depiction[edit]
The Borg are cyborgs, having outward appearances showing both mechanical and biological body parts.[4] Individual Borg are referred to as drones and move in a robotic, purposeful style, ignoring most of their environment, including beings they do not consider an immediate threat. Borg commonly have one eye replaced with a sophisticated ocular implant. Borg usually have one arm replaced with a prosthesis, bearing one of a variety of multipurpose tools in place of a humanoid hand. Since different drones have different roles, the arm may be specialized for myriad purposes such as medical devices, scanners, and weapons. Borg have flat, grayish skin, giving them an almost zombie-like appearance.
Borg are highly resistant to energy-based weapons, having personal shielding that quickly adapts to them. In various episodes, phasers and other directed energy weapons tend to quickly become ineffective as the Borg are able to adapt to the specific frequencies on which these weapons are projected once a ship or an individual drone is struck down by them. Later attempts to modulate phaser and other weapon frequencies have had limited success. Borg shields are ineffective protection against projectile or melee weapons, and several have been defeated in this way, or through hand-to-hand combat.
Borg possess a "cortical node" that controls other implanted cybernetic devices within a Borg drone's body; it is most often implanted in the forehead above the organic eye. If the cortical node fails, the drone eventually dies. Successful replacement of the node can be carried out on a Borg vessel.
Borg Collective[edit]
An occupied Borg "alcove" prop on display at the Hollywood Entertainment Museum Borg civilization is based on a hive or group mind known as the Collective. Each Borg drone is linked to the collective by a sophisticated subspace network that ensures each member is given constant supervision and guidance. The mental energy of the group consciousness can help an injured or damaged drone heal or regenerate damaged body parts or technology. The collective consciousness gives them the ability not only to "share the same thoughts", but also to adapt quickly to new tactics.[5] Individual drones in the Collective are rarely seen speaking, but a collective "voice" is sometimes transmitted to ships.
"Resistance is futile"[edit]
Individual Borg rarely speak, although they do send a collective audio message to their targets, stating that "resistance is futile", often followed by a declaration that the target in question will be assimilated and its "biological and technological distinctiveness" will be added to their own. The exact phrasing varies and evolves over the various series episodes and film.
In Star Trek: First Contact, the voice of the Borg is spoken by Jeff Coopwood. The Borg's warning is:
We are the Borg. Lower your shields and surrender your ships. We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. Your culture will adapt to service us. Resistance is futile.[6]
Nanoprobes[edit]
Nanoprobes are microscopic machines that inhabit a Borg's body, bloodstream, and many cybernetic implants. The probes maintain the Borg cybernetic systems and repair damage to the organic parts of a Borg. They generate new technology inside a Borg when needed and protect them from many forms of disease. Borg nanoprobes, each about the size of a human red blood cell, travel through the victim's bloodstream and attach to individual cells. The nanoprobes rewrite the cellular DNA, altering the victim's biochemistry, and eventually form larger, more complicated structures and networks within the body, like electrical pathways, processing and data-storage nodes, and ultimately prosthetic devices that spring forth from the skin.[citation needed] In "Mortal Coil", Seven of Nine says the Borg assimilated the nanoprobe technology from "Species 149". In addition, the nanoprobes maintain and repair their host's mechanical and biological components on a microscopic level, imparting regenerative capabilities.
Though used by the Borg to exert control over another being, reprogrammed nanoprobes were used by the crew of the starship Voyager in many instances as medical aids.
The capability of nanoprobes to absorb improved technologies they find into the Borg collective is shown in the Voyager episode "Drone", where Seven of Nine's nanoprobes are fused with the Doctor's mobile emitter, which uses technology from the 29th century, creating a 29th-century drone existing outside the Collective, with capabilities far surpassing those of the 24th-century drones.
The Borg do not try to immediately assimilate any being with which they come into contact; Borg drones tend to completely ignore individuals that are identified as too weak to be an imminent threat or too inferior to be worth assimilating. Captain Picard and his team walk safely past a group of Borg drones in a scene from the film Star Trek: First Contact while the drones fulfill a programmed mission. In the Star Trek: Voyager episode "Mortal Coil", Seven of Nine told Neelix the Kazon were "unworthy" of assimilation and would serve only to detract from the Borg's quest for perceived perfection.
Travel[edit]
The Borg are a spacefaring race, and their primary interstellar transport and combat vessel is known as a "Borg Cube" due to its shape. A cube was first seen during the Borg's introduction in the Next Generation episode "Q Who", which established the vessel as vastly exceeding the capability of the Enterprise – the main ship of the series and Federation flagship – to defend against or escape it without outside intervention. The episode "The Best of Both Worlds" and the film Star Trek: First Contact both depict single cubes as critical military threats, capable of fighting or defeating an entire fleet of ships.
Common capabilities of cubes include high speed warp and transwarp drives, self-regeneration and multiple-redundant systems, adaptability in combat, and various energy weapons as well as tractor beams and cutting beams. As with most other Star Trek races, the Borg have transporter capability. Cubes are also distinguished by their immense size and lack of streamlined aesthetic.[7]
Different types and sizes of cubes have appeared, as well as Borg spheres and some smaller craft.[8]
Assimilation[edit]
Assimilation is the process by which the Borg integrate beings, cultures, and technology into the Collective. "You will be assimilated" is one of the few on-screen phrases employed by the Borg when communicating with other species. The Borg are portrayed as having found and assimilated thousands of species and billions to trillions of individual life-forms throughout the galaxy. The Borg designate each species with a number assigned to them upon first contact, humanity being "Species 5618".
When first introduced, the Borg are said to be more interested in assimilating technology than people, roaming the universe as single-minded marauders assimilating starships, planets, and entire societies to collect new technology. They are discriminating in this area, finding certain races, for example the Kazon, to be technologically inferior and unworthy of assimilation. The Borg then place the assimilated children into maturation chambers to quickly and fully grow them into mature drones.
Patrick Stewart as Locutus of Borg, the assimilated Jean-Luc Picard In their second appearance, "The Best of Both Worlds", they capture and assimilate Captain Jean-Luc Picard into the Collective, creating Locutus of Borg (meaning "he who has spoken", in Latin).
The method of assimilating individual life-forms into the Collective has been represented differently over time. The Borg in Star Trek: The Next Generation assimilate through abduction and then surgical procedure. In Star Trek: First Contact and Star Trek: Voyager, assimilation is through injection of nanoprobes into an individual's bloodstream via a pair of tubules that spring forth from a drone's hand. Assimilation by tubules is depicted on-screen as being a fast-acting process, with the victim's skin pigmentation turning gray and mottled with visible dark tracks forming within moments of contact. After assimilation, a drone's race and gender become "irrelevant". After initial assimilation through injection, Borg are surgically fitted with cybernetic devices. In Star Trek: First Contact an assimilated crew member is shown to have a forearm and an eye physically removed and replaced with cybernetic implants.
The Borg also assimilate, interface, and reconfigure technology using these tubules and nanoprobes. However, in "Q Who" a Borg is depicted apparently trying to assimilate, probe, or reconfigure a control panel in engineering using an energy interface instead of nanoprobes.
Some species, for various reasons, are able to resist assimilation by nanoprobes. Species 8472 is the only race shown to be capable of completely rejecting assimilation attempts. Other species, such as the Hirogen, have demonstrated resistance to assimilation as well as Dr Phlox, who was able to partially resist the assimilation process in the Star Trek: Enterprise episode "Regeneration".[9]
Borg Queen[edit]
Alice Krige as the Borg Queen in Star Trek: First Contact Before the film Star Trek: First Contact (1996), the Borg exhibited no hierarchical command structure. First Contact introduced the Borg Queen, who is not named as such in the film (referring to herself with "I am the Borg. I am the Collective... I am the beginning, the end, the one who is many") but is named Borg Queen in the closing credits. The Queen is played by Alice Krige in this film, in the 2001 finale of Star Trek: Voyager "Endgame", the Star Trek: Lower Decks second season episode "I, Excretus" and the last two episodes in the final season of Star Trek: Picard. The character also appeared in Voyager's two-part episodes "Dark Frontier" (1999) and "Unimatrix Zero" (2000), but was portrayed by Susanna Thompson.[10] Whether or not these appearances represent the same queen is never specified. The queen appeared to be killed in both First Contact and "End Game", so there may be a total of three queens throughout the series. In First Contact, the Borg Queen is seen during a flashback of Picard's former assimilation, establishing she was present during the events of "Best of Both Worlds".
The Borg Queen is the focal point within the Borg collective consciousness and a unique drone within the Collective, who brings "order to chaos", referring to herself as "we" and "I" interchangeably. In First Contact, the Queen's dialogue suggests she is an expression of the Borg Collective's overall intelligence, not a controller but the avatar of the entire Collective as an individual. This sentiment is contradicted by Star Trek: Voyager, where she is seen explicitly directing, commanding, and in one instance even overriding the Collective. The introduction of the Queen radically changed the canonical understanding of the Borg function, with the authors of The Computers of Star Trek noting: "It was a lot easier for viewers to focus on a villain rather than a hive-mind that made decisions based on the input of all its members."[11] First Contact writers Brannon Braga and Ronald D. Moore have defended the introduction of the Queen as a dramatic necessity, noting on the film's DVD audio commentary that they had initially written the film with drones, but then found that it was essential for the main characters to have someone to interact with beyond mindless drones.
The Borg Queen returned in the second season of Star Trek: Picard, played by Annie Wersching and Alison Pill.[12] This Borg Queen was from an alternate timeline created by Q's manipulations and she merged with Doctor Agnes Jurati. After being convinced to create a Collective based on free will, she departs in Agnes' body in 2024. In 2401, the same Queen reappears at the head of a Borg faction seeking to join Starfleet and defend the galaxy from an unknown threat that is coming. After recognizing the Queen as Agnes, Picard allows her to proceed.
In the third season of Star Trek: Picard, the Borg Queen, this one representing the main faction of the Borg, returns in the penultimate episode where she assimilates Jack Crusher and is revealed to have been behind the Changelings' actions throughout the season, using them for a plan to infiltrate and take over the Federation. In the series finale, the Queen reveals that the Borg were decimated following the events of Star Trek: Voyager and she now seeks to evolve and propagate her race while annihilating all other life forms in the galaxy, having cannibalized many of her remaining drones to survive. After Picard rescues Jack, the Borg Queen is killed when her Cube is destroyed by the Enterprise-D, freeing Starfleet from her assimilation.
Borg appearances[edit]
The Borg were introduced on syndicated television on May 8, 1989, in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Q Who", and rose to further prominence in the two-part cliffhanger "Best of Both Worlds, Part I",[13] which aired on June 18, 1990, with the sequel airing on September 24, 1990. In the Star Trek in-universe timeline, the earliest the Borg have been displayed is in 1996's Star Trek: First Contact.
Overall, Borg aliens appear in a total of about a hundred episodes of various incarnations of Star Trek.[14] This number includes all episodes featuring Seven of Nine, a former Borg drone;[14] discounting these appearances, the Borg appear in six episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, one episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, 23 episodes of Star Trek: Voyager, and one episode of Star Trek: Enterprise.[14]
The Next Generation[edit]
The Borg first appear in the Star Trek: The Next Generation second-season episode "Q Who", when the omnipotent life-form Q hurls the Enterprise-D across the galaxy to challenge Jean-Luc Picard's assertion that his crew is ready to face the galaxy's dangers and mysteries. The Enterprise crew is overwhelmed by the Borg, and Picard begs for and receives Q's help in returning the ship to its previous coordinates.
The Borg next appear in The Next Generation's third-season finale and fourth-season premiere, "The Best of Both Worlds". Picard is abducted and assimilated by the Borg and transformed into Locutus (Latin for "he who speaks"). Picard's knowledge of Starfleet's strengths and strategies is gained by the Collective, and the single cube destroys the entire Starfleet armada at Wolf 359. The Enterprise crew manages to capture Locutus, gain information through him that allows them to destroy the cube, and then reverse the assimilation process.
In the fifth-season episode "I, Borg", the Enterprise crew rescues an adolescent Borg they name "Hugh". The crew faces the moral decision of whether or not to use Hugh (who begins to develop a sense of independence as a result of a severed link to the Collective) as a means of delivering a devastating computer virus to the Borg, or return to the Borg with his individuality intact.[15] They decide to return him without the virus, but in the sixth-season episode "Descent", a group of rogue Borg who had "assimilated" individuality through Hugh fall under the control of the android Lore, the "older brother" of Data. Lore also corrupts Data through the use of an "emotion chip", simultaneously deactivating Data's ethical subroutines and projecting only negative emotions to it. Under this programming, Data participates in the capture of Picard, La Forge and Troi, but they are able to reactivate Data's ethical subroutines, allowing him to recognize that his current actions are wrong and leading him to deactivate Lore. Data recovers the emotion chip and the surviving Borg fall under the leadership of Hugh.
In 2017, SYFY listed "I, Borg" among the 25 best science fiction episodes of the last 25 years.[16]
First Contact[edit]
The Borg return as the antagonists in the Next Generation film Star Trek: First Contact. After again failing to assimilate Earth by a direct assault in the year 2373, the Borg travel back in time to the year 2063 to try to stop Zefram Cochrane's first contact with the Vulcans, change the timeline, and erase Starfleet from existence. The Enterprise-E crew follows the Borg back in time and restores the original timeline. First Contact introduces the Borg Queen as played by Alice Krige, who later reprised the role on United Paramount Network for the finale of Star Trek: Voyager.
Deep Space Nine[edit]
There is only one appearance of Borg in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, in the series premiere "Emissary".[14] The episode's prologue depicts Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) as First Officer on the USS Saratoga, in the Starfleet armada dispatched to confront the Borg at Wolf 359. The Saratoga is destroyed by the Borg, killing Sisko's wife, Jennifer. Later in the episode, Sisko's meeting with Picard is tense, as he blames Picard for the actions of Locutus. Throughout the remainder of the series, references to the Borg are made occasionally, including the design of their ship, USS Defiant, and the battle from Star Trek: First Contact being used as a plot point in the fifth season, when Starfleet is spread too thin to deal with a Dominion incursion.
Voyager[edit]
Actress Susanna Thompson was cast as the Borg Queen in "Dark Frontier" and "Unimatrix, Part I" and Part II. The Borg make frequent appearances in Star Trek: Voyager, which takes place in the Delta Quadrant. The Borg are first seen by Voyager in the third-season episode "Blood Fever" in which Chakotay discovers the body of what the local humanoids refer to as "the Invaders"; which turns out to be the Borg. In "Scorpion", the Borg are engaged in a war of attrition against Species 8472, whose biological defences are a match for the Borg's nanoprobes. In one of the few instances of the Borg negotiating, in exchange for safe passage through Borg space, the Voyager crew devises a way to destroy the otherwise invulnerable Species 8472. A Borg drone, Seven of Nine, is dispatched to Voyager to facilitate this arrangement. After successfully driving Species 8472 back into their fluidic space, Seven of Nine is severed from the Collective and becomes a member of Voyager's crew. Seven of Nine's rediscovery of her individuality becomes a recurring theme throughout the series.
The Hollywood Reporter ranked "Scorpion" as the 4th best episode of Voyager in 2016,[17] and the 37th best Star Trek episode.[18] In 2017, Den of Geek rated "Scorpion" among the top 50 Star Trek episodes overall.[19]
In the fifth season, we see the Borg in "Drone", where an advanced Borg drone is created when Seven of Nine's nanoprobes are fused with the Doctor's mobile emitter in a transporter accident. The Borg play a peripheral role in "Infinite Regress", when Seven of Nine is exposed to a weapon against the Borg that essentially causes her to suffer from multiple personality disorder (MPD), being taken over by the personalities of other assimilated beings, such as a small child, a Klingon and a Vulcan. In "Dark Frontier", Voyager steals and uses a transwarp coil to both rescue Seven of Nine from the Borg Queen and then cut another fifteen years off their journey home before the coil burns out.
Juliette Harrisson, writing for Den of Geek in 2017, gave actress Susanna Thompson and Alice Krige as Borg Queens an honorable mention in a ranking of best guest stars on Star Trek: Voyager.[20]
In the sixth-season episode "Collective", the crew of Voyager encounter a damaged cube that is holding Tom Paris, Neelix, Harry Kim and Chakotay hostage. With all the adult drones dead, the ship is run by five Borg children who are saved by Voyager and deassimilated. The later episode "Child's Play" reveals that the cube was infected by a pathogen that Icheb, one of the children, had been engineered to act as a host for by his parents, but the crew rescue Icheb before he can be sent back to the Borg. The crew encounter the Borg again in "Unimatrix Zero", a two-part cliffhanger between seasons six and seven.
In "Q2", Q's son brings several Borg cubes and drones into conflict with Voyager for his own amusement, before Q rescues them and warns his son not to provoke the Borg. In "Shattered", a freak accident allows Chakotay to travel to various time periods in the ship's history, including the events depicted in "Scorpion", where he interacts with the full drone Seven. In the series finale, "Endgame", a future Admiral Janeway tries to bring Voyager back to Earth using a Borg transwarp hub. During this episode, she infects the Borg with a neurolytic pathogen which infects the collective and kills the Queen.
There are 26 major episodes featuring the Borg in Voyager; however, there are about 100 if counting those with Seven of Nine.[14]
Enterprise[edit]
In the Star Trek: Enterprise episode "Regeneration", the remnants of the destroyed sphere from Star Trek: First Contact are discovered in the Arctic along with two frozen drones. The Borg steal a research ship and send a transmission toward the Delta Quadrant before they are destroyed, creating a perpetual time loop/predestination paradox.
Picard[edit]
The first season of Star Trek: Picard included four recovering ex-Borg characters: Picard, Seven of Nine, Hugh (featured in "I, Borg" and "Descent"),[21] and Icheb. The Borg are described as "hobbled" and "decimated", with many Borg drones being de-assimilated and Borg cubes and vessels dismantled for their valuable technology. However, they remain a potent threat, with Seven even briefly assuming the role of a Borg Queen to reactivate several inactive drones and use them against the Tal Shiar.[22]
In the second season, a damaged Borg Queen is recruited by Picard to help him and his crew travel into the past and prevent the creation of the xenophobic and totalitarian "Confederation of Earth".[23] The Queen, taking an interest in Picard's friend Agnes Jurati, assimilates her and takes control of her body while plotting to steal an advanced space shuttle so she can assimilate the galaxy before the birth of the Federation. However, Agnes persuades the Queen that the Borg will always be defeated because their collective is built on fear and domination rather than trust. Intrigued by the possibility of finally attaining perfection, the Queen departs Earth to test Agnes' theory.[24]
Upon returning to the 24th century, towards the end of the Season 2 finale, it is revealed that a volatile trans-warp conduit threatens to destroy part of the galaxy. Picard orders the fleet to comply with the Borg Queen’s wishes to take control of all vessels in order to create a force field. After the successful containment of the emissions from the conduit, it remains open but nobody knows where it leads. Fearing it may attract belligerents, the Borg Queen volunteers the Borg to protect the conduit, expressing her wish to align the Borg with Starfleet and join the Federation with Agnes as the human counterpart of the Borg Queen.[25]
In the third season, it is revealed that the original Borg had allied with Changelings to infiltrate Starfleet and assimilate it by stealth. They did so by stealing the original body of Picard from Daystrom Station[26] and extracting a part of his brain matter that had been altered during his transformation into Locutus. What had been mistaken for a defect in Picard's brain had actually been the Borg alterations which turned Picard into a receiver for the Collective, allowing him to hear them even without implants and eventually causing his physical death. The Changelings then infiltrated Starfleet and sabotaged its transporter systems, overwriting parts of the transporter code with code created from the genetic material, with the effect that it would implant Borg genes into everybody who used transporters. However, only those who did not have a fully-developed frontal cortex (those under age 25) would be affected when the Borg send a signal that activates the assimilation process.
The Borg hijack Frontier Day and order the death of everyone who has not been assimilated. The Borg also show an interest in Jack Crusher, the son of Picard and Beverly Crusher, as he also carries Borg DNA inherited from his father, although his more developed genes make him a transmitter instead, resulting in Jack hearing the Collective in his head throughout his life. He is also assimilated, becoming Vox.
With Starfleet compromised by the Borg, the crew of The Next Generation press the rebuilt Enterprise-D—the only functional ship immune to the Borg takeover—back into service.[27] Locating the Queen's ship above Jupiter, Picard confronts her, and the Borg Queen explains that following the events of "Endgame," the Borg were decimated to the point of near destruction by the future Janeway's pathogen, leaving only the Borg Queen, a handful of drones and a single Borg Cube by the time that Picard meets the Queen again. Driven insane by loneliness and forced to resort to cannibalism of her own drones to survive, the Borg Queen no longer seeks assimilation, but rather evolution, propagation and the annihilation of all other lifeforms in the galaxy. However, Picard is able to break Jack out of the Borg Queen's control while the Enterprise destroys the Borg Cube and with it, the Borg Queen and all of the remaining Borg drones.[28] Destroying the Borg Cube breaks the Borg's control over Starfleet and Beverly Crusher is able to come up with a solution to remove the Borg DNA from those afflicted with it.[28]
Origin[edit]
The origin of the Borg is never made clear, though they are portrayed as having existed for hundreds of thousands of years (as attested by Guinan and the Borg Queen). In Star Trek: First Contact, the Borg Queen merely states that the Borg were once much like humanity, "flawed and weak", but gradually developed into a partially synthetic species in an ongoing attempt to evolve and perfect themselves.
In TNG's "Q Who", Guinan mentions that the Borg are "made up of organic and artificial life [...] which has been developing for [...] thousands of centuries." In the later episode of Star Trek: Voyager, "Dragon's Teeth", Gedrin, of the race the Vaadwaur, says that before he and his people were put into suspended animation 892 years earlier (1482 A.D.), the Borg had assimilated only a few colonies in the Delta Quadrant and were considered essentially a minor nuisance. Now awake in the 24th century, he is amazed to see that the Borg control a vast area of the Delta Quadrant. Seven of Nine comments that the Borg's collective memories of that time period are fragmentary, though it is never established why that is.
Non-canon origin stories[edit]
The Star Trek Encyclopedia speculates that a connection could exist between the Borg and V'ger, the vessel encountered in Star Trek: The Motion Picture. This idea of a connection is advanced in William Shatner's novel The Return. The connection was also suggested in a letter included in Starlog no. 160 (November 1990). The letter writer, Christopher Haviland, also speculated that the original Borg drones were members of a race called "the Preservers", which Spock had suggested in the original series episode "The Paradise Syndrome" might be the reason why so many humanoids populate the galaxy. It was confirmed in the TNG episode "The Chase" that an ancient species seeded hundreds, if not thousands of planets with their DNA, creating the Humans, Vulcans (and Romulans as they are a Vulcan offshoot race), Cardassians and others.
Star Trek: Legacy game version[edit]
The extra section of the game Star Trek: Legacy contains the supposed "Origin of the Borg", based on a scene in Star Trek: The Motion Picture which tells the story of V'ger being sucked into a black hole. V'ger was found by a race of living machines that gave it a form suitable to fulfilling its simplistic programming. Unable to determine who its creator could be, the probe declared all carbon-based life an infestation of the creator's universe. In order to prevent the destruction of Earth by the V'ger probe, Commander Decker volunteered to merge with it so that it could fulfill its purpose, albeit a purpose which space and time had corrupted to the point that only fusing with its creator could satisfy it. From this, the Borg were created, as extensions of V'ger
Alienware
Alienware theme by alex-du-30
Download: Alienware.p3t
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This article is missing information about additional details and history prior to the Dell acquisition. (October 2019)Alienware Corporation 
Headquarters in 2008Company type Subsidiary Industry Computer hardware Founded October 24, 1996[1][2] (as Saikai of Miami, Inc.) Founders Nelson Gonzalez, Alex Aguila, Frank Azor Headquarters United StatesKey peopleMichael Dell (CEO) Products Desktops
Notebooks
Peripherals
MonitorsNumber of employees490[3] Parent Dell Website www .dell .com /en-us /gaming /alienware / Alienware Corporation is an American computer hardware subsidiary brand of Dell. Their product range is dedicated to gaming computers and accessories and can be identified by their alien-themed designs.[4] Alienware was founded in 1996 by Nelson Gonzalez and Alex Aguila.[5][6] The development of the company is also associated with Frank Azor (co-founder),[7] Arthur Lewis (vice president),[8][9] Joe Balerdi (investment partner),[10] and Michael S. Dell (CEO). The company's corporate headquarters is located in The Hammocks, Miami, Florida.[11]
History[edit]
Founding[edit]
Established in 1996 as Saikai of Miami, Inc. by Nelson Gonzalez and Alex Aguila, two childhood friends, Alienware assembles desktops, notebooks, workstations, and PC gaming consoles.[12][13][14][15] According to employees, the name "Alienware" was chosen because of the founders' fondness for the hit television series The X-Files, which also inspired the science-fiction themed names of product lines such as Area-51, Hangar 18, and Aurora.[16] In 1997, the corporation changed its name to Alienware.
Acquisition by Dell[edit]
Dell had considered buying the Alienware company since 2002, but did not go through with the purchase until March 22, 2006.[17][18] As a subsidiary, it retains control of its design and marketing while benefiting from Dell's purchasing power, economies of scale, and supply chain, which lowered its operating costs.[18]
Initially, Dell maintained its competing XPS line of gaming PCs, often selling computers with similar specifications, which may have hurt Alienware's market share within its market segment.[19][20] Due to corporate restructuring in the spring of 2008, the XPS brand was scaled down, and the desktop line was eliminated, leaving only the XPS notebooks,[20] but XPS desktop models had returned by the end of the year.[21] Product development of gaming PCs was consolidated with Dell's gaming division, with Alienware becoming Dell's premier gaming brand.[22][23] On June 2, 2009, The M17x was introduced as the first Alienware/Dell branded system. This launch also expanded Alienware's global reach from six to 35 countries while supporting 17 different languages.[24]
Computer systems models (after acquisition by Dell)[edit]
Windows OS-based consoles[edit]
Alienware announced that it would be releasing a series of video game consoles starting in 2014, aiming to compete with the Sony PlayStation 4, Nintendo Wii U, and the Microsoft Xbox One.[25] The first version in this series, the Alpha, ran Windows 8.1.[26] The operating system and ability to play PC games is what separates the Alpha from the eighth generation of video game consoles. At E3 2016, Alienware announced the second rendition of the Alpha, the Alpha R2. The R2 adds 6th generation Intel processors, a choice of either AMD's Radeon R9 M470X or Nvidia's GeForce 960 graphics cards, and support for Alienware's proprietary Graphics Amplifier. It also ships with Windows 10.[27]
Graphics Amplifier[edit]
The Graphics Amplifier allows an Alienware laptop to run most full length (or smaller, non-hybrid) desktop GPUs.[28] A proprietary PCIe 3.0 ×4 cable is used instead of the Thunderbolt 3 cable used on most other eGPUs .[29]
Laptops[edit]
18 inch
- M18x (discontinued) – Introduced in 2011, it is considered a replacement for the original M17x design, but with a bigger chassis, a screen up to 18.4 inches (47 cm), dual MXM 3.0B GPU support, special keyboard macros, and up to 32 GB of DDR3-1600 MHz RAM. Shipped with Intel Sandy Bridge processors and the option of single or dual AMD Radeon 6870M/6970M/6990M Radeon HD 6000 series GPU(s), single or dual Nvidia GeForce 500 series GPU(s). Factory CPU overclocking was also an available option.
- M18x-R2 (discontinued) – 2012 revision of the M18x; originally shipped with Intel Sandy Bridge processors, later shipped with updated with Intel Ivy Bridge processors, single or dual Nvidia GeForce 600 series GPU(s), single or dual AMD Radeon HD 7970M Radeon HD 7000 series GPU(s), up to 32 GB of DDR3-1600 MHz, and optional factory overclock.
- Alienware 18 (discontinued) – 2013 refresh of the M18x; updated with Intel Haswell Processors, single or dual Nvidia GeForce 700 series GPU(s), single or dual AMD Radeon R9 M290X GPU(s), and up to 32 GB of DDR3L-1600 MHz RAM, and 1 TB RAID 0 SSDs along with facelift with new design. Marketed as "Alienware 18" but listed in some countries as "M18XR3 Viking".[30]
- Alienware 18 R2 (2014) (discontinued) – 2014 Updated version of the Alienware 18 or "M18x R3"; updated with Intel Haswell micro architecture processors, single or dual Nvidia GeForce 800 series GPU(s), up to 32 GB of DDR3-1600 MHz, and optional overclock.
- Alienware 18 R3 (2015) (discontinued) – 2015 version was a limited re-release of the previous Alienware 18, with updated dual Nvidia GeForce 900 series GPUs and up to 32 GB of DDR3L-1600 MHz.
- Alienware m18 (2023) – The new version of the Alienware m series featuring 18 inch display, 13th Gen Intel Core / Ryzen 7000 series CPU and Nvidia GeForce RTX 40 Series Laptop GPU.[31]
17 inch
- M17x (discontinued) – Introduced in 2009, it is the first laptop released by Alienware after the company was bought by Dell. The name and some of the design is based on the Alienware 17 inch laptop, the Alienware M17.
- M17x-R2 (discontinued) – 2010 Revision of the M17x, adding support for Intel i5 and i7 processors, dual MXM 3.0B graphic cards.
- M17x-R3 (discontinued) – 2011 Revision of the M17x, changes from aluminium chassis to a simplified plastic design, 3D Ready through a 120 Hz screen. Removes Dual-GPU capability.
- M17x-R4 (discontinued) – 2012 Revision of the M17x, updated with Windows 8, Intel Ivybridge Processors and Nvidia GeForce 600 series or the AMD Radeon HD 7970M.
- Alienware 17 (discontinued) – 2013 refresh of the M17x, updated with Intel Haswell Processors and Nvidia GeForce 700 series GPUs or the AMD R9 M290X with new facelift and body design. Marketed as "Alienware 17" but listed in some countries and order details as "M17XR5 Ranger". Updated with Nvidia GeForce 800 series in 2014
- Alienware 17 R2 (discontinued) – 2015 revision of the Alienware 17, updated with Nvidia GeForce 900 series. Features FHD matte display or FHD touch display. A port on the rear for graphics amplifier. This model introduced BGA mounted CPU and GPU, removing the ability to replace the CPU or GPU without changing the entire motherboard.
- Alienware 17 R3 (discontinued) – 2015 refresh of the Alienware 17, Windows 10 available. Features FHD overclocking display. Ultra HD IGZO display also available, as well as a Nvidia GeForce 900 series with 4 GB GDDR5 and 8 GB GDDR5 option.
- Alienware 17 R4 (discontinued) – 2016 Alienware 17 (2016), Windows 10. Features 6th / 7th generation Intel CPU, Tobii eye tracking, Ultra HD display also available, as well as a Nvidia GeForce 1000 series with up to 8 GB GDDR5.
- Alienware 17 R5 (discontinued) – 2018 Alienware 17 (2018), Windows 10. Features Tobii eye tracking, Ultra HD display also available, as well as a Nvidia GeForce 1000 series with up to 8 GB GDDR5, 8th / 9th generation of Intel processors.
- Alienware M17 (discontinued) – 2018 Thin and light gaming laptop for 17" category. Comes with 8th Gen Intel CPU up to Core i9-8950HK, RTX 2070 Max-Q, 16 GB of RAM and 17.3 inches (44 cm) 1080p display with optional 4K upgrade.[32]
- Alienware Area-51m (discontinued) – 2019 desktop replacement gaming laptop with a desktop CPU, up to Intel Core i9-9900K (from i7 8700 to i9 9900K), 128 GB of upgradeable memory, upgradeable GPU (ships with GTX 1080 but will be upgraded to RTX 2080) and overclockable as well. Also features two power adapters and new Legend design language for Alienware.[33][34]
- Alienware M17 R2 (discontinued) – 2019 Thin and light gaming laptop for 17" category, replace the M17 after 6 months of announcing. Comes with 9th Gen Intel CPU up to Core i9-9980HK, up to RTX 2080 Max-Q, 16 GB of RAM and 17.3 inches (44 cm) 1080p display with optional 4K upgrade. The Alienware m17 R2 will be based on the same design language and chassis material as the beefier 17.3-inch Area-51M.[35]
- Alienware Area-51m R2 (discontinued) – 2020 Alienware took the world's first fully upgradable gaming laptop and added the latest 10th-gen Intel processors and an optional 4K screen — a first for the Area-51 lineup.[36][37]
- Alienware M17 R3 (discontinued) – 2020 Thin and light gaming laptop for the 17" category. Comes with 10th generation Intel CPU up to Core i9-10980HK, up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Super 8 GB GDDR6, 32 GB of RAM and 17.3-inch (44 cm) 3840 × 2160 60 Hz 25 ms 500 cd/m2 100% Adobe RGB color gamut display with Tobii Eye tracking technology.
- Alienware M17 R4 (discontinued) – 2021 Thin and light gaming laptop for the 17" category. Equipped with 10th generation Intel CPU up to Core i9-10980HK, up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 16 GB GDDR6 Graphics Card, 32 GB DDR4 RAM at 2933 MHz, 17.3-inch (44 cm) 3840 × 2160 60 fps.[38] The RTX 3080 also includes support for ray tracing and DLSS.[39]
- Alienware X17 R1 (discontinued) – 2021 Thin and light gaming laptop for the 17" category. Equipped with 11th generation Intel CPU up to Core i9-11900H, up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 16 GB GDDR6 Graphics Card, 32 GB DDR4 RAM at 3466 MHz, 17.3-inch (44 cm) 3840 × 2160 60 fps. Thinnest 17 inch Alienware laptop so far.[40]
- Alienware M17 R5 – 2022 Thin and light gaming laptop for the 17" category. Equipped with 6th generation AMD CPU up to Ryzen 9 6900HX, up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080Ti 16 GB GDDR6 Graphics Card, 32 GB DDR5 RAM at 4800 MHz, 17.3-inch (44 cm) 3840 × 2160 60 fps.
- Alienware X17 R2 – 2022 Thin and light gaming laptop for the 17" category. Equipped with 12th generation Intel CPU up to Core i9-12900H, up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080Ti 16 GB GDDR6 Graphics Card, 32 GB DDR5 RAM at 4800 MHz, 17.3-inch (44 cm) 3840 × 2160 60 fps. Thinnest 17 inch Alienware laptop so far.[41][42]
16 inch
- Alienware m16 (2023) – The new version of the Alienware m series featuring 16 inch display, 13th Gen Intel Core / Ryzen 7000 series CPU and Nvidia GeForce RTX 40 Series Laptop GPU.[43]
15 inch
Alienware M15x - M15x (discontinued) – 2010 With 1st generation Intel i3/i5/i7 and Nvidia GeForce 200 series.
- Alienware 15 (discontinued) – 2015 revision of the M15x, updated with Intel Haswell Processors and Nvidia GeForce 900 series. Features FHD matte display or UHD touch display. Features a port on the rear for graphics amplifier.
- Alienware 15 R2 (discontinued) – 2015 refresh of the Alienware 15, updated with Intel Skylake processors and using the same NVIDIA graphics chipsets. Uses same FHD and 4K UHD screens and graphics amplifier port on the rear.
- Alienware 15 R3 (discontinued) – 2016 Alienware 15 (2016), Windows 10. 6th / 7th gen Intel CPU, 1080p standard display and Ultra HD 4K display and 120 Hz TN+WVA Anti-Glare 400 nit NVIDIA G-SYNC Enabled Display also available, as well as a Nvidia GeForce 1000 series with up to 8 GB GDDR5.
- Alienware 15 R4 (discontinued) – Early 2018 Alienware 15 (2018), Windows 10. Features Tobii eye tracking, Ultra HD Display also available, as well as a Nvidia GeForce 1000 series with up to 8 GB GDDR5, 8th / 9th gen Intel CPU (i7 8750H or i9 8950HK)
- Alienware M15 (discontinued) – 2018 thin and light gaming laptop. 1080p standard display and Ultra HD 4K display and 144 Hz IPS 1080p display also available, as well as a Nvidia GeForce 1000 series with up to a GTX 2070 Max-Q design.
- Alienware M15 R2 (discontinued) – 2019 thin and light gaming laptop. 1080p standard display and 60 Hz Ultra HD 4K display, 144 Hz IPS 1080p, and 240 Hz IPS 1080p display also available, as well as a Nvidia GeForce 20 series with up to a RTX 2080 Max-Q, 9th gen Intel CPU.
- Alienware M15 R3 (discontinued) – 2020 thin and light gaming laptop. 1080p standard display and 60 Hz Ultra HD 4K display, 144 Hz IPS 1080p, and 240 Hz IPS 1080p display also available, as well as a Nvidia GeForce 20 series with up to a RTX 2080 Super Max-Q, 10th gen Intel CPU.
- Alienware M15 R4 (discontinued) – Early 2021 thin and light gaming laptop. 1920 × 1080 standard display and 60 Hz 3840 × 2160 display, 144 Hz IPS 1920 × 1080, and 300 Hz IPS display also available, as well as a Nvidia GeForce 30 series with up to a RTX 3080 mobile and Intel 10th generation CPU. Features Tobii eye tracking with 3840 × 2160 variant.[44]
- Alienware M15 R5 (discontinued) – 2021 thin and light gaming laptop. 1920 × 1080 standard display and 60 Hz 3840 × 2160 display, 144 Hz IPS 1920 × 1080, and 300 Hz IPS display also available, as well as a Nvidia GeForce 30 series with up to a RTX 3080 mobile and AMD Ryzen 5th generation CPU. Features Tobii eye tracking with 3840 × 2160 variant.
- Alienware M15 R6 (discontinued) – 2021 thin and light gaming laptop. 1920 × 1080 standard display and 60 Hz 3840 × 2160 display, 144 Hz IPS 1920 × 1080, and 300 Hz IPS display also available, as well as a Nvidia GeForce 30 series with up to a RTX 3080 mobile and Intel 11th generation CPU. Features Tobii eye tracking with 3840 × 2160 variant.
- Alienware X15 R1 (discontinued) – 2021 thin and light gaming laptop, updated with Intel 11th gen Alder Lake processors and Nvidia RTX 30 series GPUs. Thinnest 15 inch Alienware laptop so far.
- Alienware M15 R7 – 2022 thin and light gaming laptop. 1920 × 1080 standard display and 60 Hz 3840 × 2160 display, 144 Hz IPS 1920 × 1080, and 300 Hz IPS display also available, as well as a Nvidia GeForce 30 series with up to a RTX 3080 mobile and Intel 12th generation CPU. Features Tobii eye tracking with 3840 × 2160 variant.[45][46][47]
- Alienware X15 R2 – 2022 refresh of the X15 R1, updated with Intel 12th gen Alder Lake processors and Nvidia RTX 30 series GPUs. Thinnest 15 inch Alienware laptop so far.
14 inch
Alienware M14x - M14x (discontinued) – Introduced in 2011 as a replacement for the M15x, with Nvidia GeForce 500 series and support for Intel i5 and i7 processors.
- M14x-R2 (discontinued) – 2012 revision of the M14x, updated with Intel Ivy Bridge processors and Nvidia GeForce 600 series and Blu-ray slot drive.
- Alienware 14 (discontinued) – 2013 refresh of the M14x, updated with Intel Haswell Processors and Nvidia GeForce 700 series and Blu-ray slot drive with new facelift and body design. It also features an IPS display. Marketed as "Alienware 14" but listed in some countries and order details as "M14XR3".
- Alienware X14 – 2022 refresh of the 14, updated with Intel 12th gen Alder Lake processors and Nvidia RTX 30 series GPUs. Thinnest 14 inch gaming laptop in the world!
13 inch
- Alienware 13 (discontinued) – Introduced in 2014 as a replacement for the M11x, with Nvidia GeForce GTX 860M and ULV Intel Haswell and Broadwell i5 or i7 processors. Features HD or FHD matte displays or QHD touch display. Alienware's thinnest gaming laptop to date. Updated with Nvidia GeForce GTX 960M in 2015. A port on the rear for graphics amplifier.
- Alienware 13 R2 (discontinued) – 2015 refresh of the Alienware 13 featuring ULV Intel Skylake processors. It retains the same Nvidia GeForce GTX 960M from the previous generation.
- Alienware 13 R3 – Refreshed 2016 Alienware 13 featuring either a 13.3 inches (34 cm) FHD (1920 × 1080) IPS Anti-Glare 300 nit display or a 13.3 inch QHD (2560 × 1440) OLED Anti-Glare 400 cd/m2 Display with Touch Technology. It is equipped with a Nvidia GeForce 1000 series GTX 1060 with 6 GB GDDR5. This generation also saw the use of the H-series quad-core CPUs as opposed to the ULV CPUs.
11.6 inch
Alienware M11x - M11x (discontinued) – First introduced in early 2010, it was the smallest-size gaming laptop from Alienware. It was equipped with 1 GB DDR3 RAM and a Penryn dual-core processor, with a Pentium SU4100 at the entry-level and a Core 2 Duo SU7300 at the top. Driving the 11.6 inches (29 cm) screen were two video processors, a GMA 4500MHD integrated and a discrete Nvidia GeForce GT 335M.
- M11x-R2 (discontinued) – The late 2010 revision, it used ULV Intel Arrandale Core i5 and i7 processors. The revision also added a rubberized "soft-touch" exterior to the design. The same GT 335M was used for video; however, NVIDIA's Optimus technology had been added to automatically switch between it and the still-used GMA 4500MHD.
- M11x-R3 (discontinued) – The 2011 revision, it added support for the second generation of Intel's Mobility series Core i3, i5, and i7 processors. It also provided a 500 GB 7200 RPM HDD. It included the Nvidia GeForce GT 540M and integrated Intel HD Graphics 3000. A second revision of the motherboard design used on the R3 series came in Q4 2011, although on a limited amount of laptops. This version used the Nvidia GeForce GT 550M.
In 2012, Alienware announced that they would discontinue the M11x model due to decreasing consumer interest in small form factor gaming laptops.[48] The company went on to offer refreshed models for the rest of their laptop range: the M14x, M17x, and M18x.[49]
Desktops[edit]
Aurora
- Aurora R1 (discontinued) – This model was based on the Intel's X58 platform (LGA 1366 Socket). It shared identical hardware with the Aurora ALX R1. The Aurora R1 is equipped with 1st Gen Intel Core i7 and i7 Extreme processors. In order of model number: 920, 930, 940, 950, 960, 965, 975 (quad core), 980X, 990X (six core). Sealed liquid cooling units for the processors came factory installed. The R1 used triple channel memory and had dedicated graphics card options from AMD's HD 5000 series line as well as Nvidia GeForce 400 series and Nvidia GeForce 500 series line. Power supply options included 525 W, 875 W, and 1000 W output power. Both SLI and CrossFireX were supported.
- Aurora R2 (discontinued) – This was the second revision of the Aurora, and the first Alienware desktop to be sold in retail chains such as Best Buy. It was based on Intel's P55 platform (LGA 1156 Socket). Processors include the Core i5 and i7 (first generation Lynnfield quad core only). In order of model number: i5-750, i5-760, i7-860, i7-870, i7-875 and i7-880. Sealed liquid cooling units for the processors came factory installed. The R2 used dual channel memory and had dedicated graphics card options including AMD Radeon HD 5000 series, Nvidia GeForce 400 series and Nvidia GeForce 500 series. Power supply options were 525 W or 875 W. Both SLI and CrossFireX were supported.
- Aurora R3 (discontinued) – This was the third revision of the Aurora. It was based on Intel's P67 platform (LGA 1155 Socket). Processors included Core i5 and i7 processors only (second generation quad core Sandy Bridge). In order of model number: i5-2300, i5-2400, i5-2500, i5-2500K, i7-2600, i7-2600K. Sealed liquid cooling units for the processors came factory installed. The R3 used dual channel memory and had dedicated graphics card options including AMD Radeon HD 5000 series and Radeon HD 5000 series as well as Nvidia GeForce 400 series and Nvidia GeForce 500 series. Power supply options were 525 W and 875 W. Both SLI and CrossFireX were supported.
- Aurora R4 (discontinued) – This is the fourth revision of the Aurora. It is based on Intel's X79 platform (LGA 2011 socket). This model shares identical hardware with the Aurora ALX (R4). Processors include Core i7 processors only (third generation quad core and hexacore Sandy Bridge Extreme). In order of model number: i7-3820, i7-3930K (six core) and i7-3960X (six core). Sealed liquid cooling units for the processors came factory installed. The R4 is the first to use quad channel memory and has Dedicated graphics card options including AMD Radeon HD 6000 series and Radeon HD 7000 series as well as Nvidia GeForce 500 series. Nvidia GeForce 600 series were added later in the year. Power supply options were 525 W and 875 W. Both SLI and CrossFireX were supported. The optional ALX chassis offered thermal controlled venting, tool-less/wireless hard drive bays, internal theater lighting and an extra array of external LEDs. Coupled with the TactX keyboard and mouse it offered up to 25 billion lighting color combinations.
- Aurora R5 (discontinued) – The fifth revision of the Aurora was announced on June 13, 2016, and was available to purchase June 14, 2016. The updated Aurora was given a facelift and ergonomic handle on the top of the case and is the first of its kind to offer tool-less upgrades to graphics cards, hard drives, and memory. The Aurora was being marketed as being VR ready out of the box, even so far as being HTC Vive Optimized and Oculus Certified. The base model was released with an MSRP of US$799.99 and adding all the extra hardware can cost the consumer up to US$4,189.99. The processor options are Intel based; i3-6100, i5-6400, i5-6600K, i7-6700, and i7-6700K. The Aurora R5 was released during the transitioning phase between the GeForce 900 series and GeForce 10 series graphics cards, and the list was extensive; GTX 950 with 2 GB GDDR5, GTX 960 with 2 GB GDDR5, GTX 970 with 4 GB GDDR5, GTX 980 with 4 GB GDDR5, and the GTX 980 Ti with 6 GB GDDR5, all of which could also be put in SLI. Alienware, however, would only allow one GTX 1070 with 8 GB GDDR5 or one GTX 1080 with 8 GB GDDR5X to be installed at launch. Consumers were also allowed to purchase but one GPU from AMD, the Radeon R9 370 with 4 GB GDDR5 (CrossFire R9 370 was optional). PSU choices were 460 W or 850 W, or a liquid cooled 850 W PSU. Hard drive and SSD options ranged from 1 TB and 256 GB, respectively to 2 TB and 1 TB, respectively. RAM was available at launch between 8–64 GB of DDR4 all clocked at 2133 MHz.[50]
- Aurora R6 (discontinued) – The sixth revision was announced on February 22, 2017. According to Windows Central, "The Aurora R6 is only a mild refresh over the previous generation R5, with the main attraction being the new 7th Generation Kaby Lake processors from Intel."[citation needed] There are dozens of factory-built combinations possible. Four processors to choose from i5-7400, i5-7600k, i7-7700, i7-7700k. Video cards offered include AMD RX 460, 470, 480, Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti, 1060, 1070, 1080, 1080 Ti (11 GB), Titan X (12 GB), Dual RX 460 (Crossfire Enabled), Dual GTX 1070 (SLI Enabled), Dual GTX 1080 (SLI Enabled), Dual GTX 1080 Ti (SLI Enabled), Dual GTX Titan X (SLI Enabled). Memory options start at 8 GB and max out at 64 GB. Factory-installed storage can be a single drive (7200 RPM drive or PCIe SSD) or dual drive including both. Standard PSU or one with liquid cooling in 450 W or 850 W is offered in Aurora R6.
- Aurora R7 (discontinued) – The Aurora R7 included 8th Gen Intel Cores.[51][better source needed]
- Aurora R8 (discontinued) – The Aurora R8 included 9th Gen Intel Cores.[52]
- Aurora R9 (discontinued) – The Aurora R9 was first made available to purchase August 20, 2019. It comes in both Lunar Light and Dark Side of the Moon color options.[53]
- Aurora R10 – The Aurora R10 features AMD's Ryzen CPU's.[54]
- Aurora R11 (discontinued) – The Aurora is similar to the R10 but with Intel CPU's. The R11 was released on May 13, 2020.[55]
- Aurora R12 (discontinued) – The Aurora R12 Was available to purchase on March 19, 2021. It had the Intel 11th Gen Cores.[56]
- Aurora R13 – The Aurora R13 became available to purchase on October 27, 2021. It brought in several new features and specifications, including more decoration, a bigger chassis for more airflow, and higher available specs. The R13 has several options for design available, including a clear side panel on the left side of the machine, letting you view all the RGB inside, along with an added bar at the top of the panel inside, featuring the word "Alienware", in RGB. The R13 also made available the RTX 3070, 3070 Ti, 3080, 3080 Ti, and 3090, leading to increased performance, and bringing in the newer 12th gen Alder Lake intel core i9. This system also brought the CryoTech cooling option, which was influenced from an Alienware employees rant about the Intel chip's heat problem, influencing the engineers to make a solution. (Default color is Static Blue)
- Aurora R14 – The Aurora R14 is nearly identical to the R13, with the only difference being that the R14 is for AMD processors, not Intel processors. (Default color is Static Red)
- Aurora R15 – The Aurora R15 was released on November 10, 2022. This was a more incremental release, as the major changes are upgrades of components (such as the upgrade to 13th generation Intel Core processors, and 40 series Nvidia GeForce RTX GPUs.) Additionally, half of the side panel was replaced with venting to improve airflow. Another version of the R15 was released that resembles the R14, as the Intel Core processors are swapped with AMD Ryzen processors.
Aurora ALX
- ALX (R1) (discontinued) – This model is based on the Intel's X58 platform (LGA 1366 socket). This model shared the identical hardware with the Aurora R1. The ALX R1 is equipped with 1st generation Intel Core i7 and i7 Extreme processors. In order of model number: 920, 930, 940, 950, 960, 965, 975 (quad core), 980X, 990X (six core). Sealed liquid cooling units for the processors came factory installed. The R1 used triple channel memory and had graphics card options from AMD's Radeon HD 5000 series, Nvidia's GeForce 400 series and Nvidia's GeForce 500 series line. Power supply options included 525 W or 875 W. Power supply and motherboard supports both SLI and CrossFireX. The ALX (X58 platform) was offered from the beginning alongside the Aurora R1, R2 and R3. It offered thermal controlled venting, toolless/wireless hard drive bays, internal theater lighting and an extra array of external LEDs. Coupled with the TactX keyboard and mouse it offered up to 25 billion lighting color combinations.
Area-51
Area-51 ALX R1 - Area-51 R1 (discontinued) – This model is based on the Intel X58 platform (LGA 1366 socket). This model shares identical hardware with the Area 51 ALX. The Area-51 R1 is equipped with 1st Gen Intel Core i7 and i7 Extreme processors. In order of model number: 920, 930, 940, 950, 960, 975 (quad core), 980X, 990X (six core). The Area 51 used triple channel memory and had graphics card options from AMD's Radeon HD 5000 series, Radeon HD 6000 series and Nvidia's GeForce 400 series and GeForce 500 series. Power Supply options included 1000 W or 1100 W. Power supply and motherboard supports both SLI and CrossFireX. The Area 51 was offered from the beginning alongside the Aurora R1, R2, R3 and the Aurora ALX (R1). It offered thermal-controlled active venting, tool-less hard drive bays, internal theater lighting and an array of external LEDs. Area-51 was offered in either semi-gloss black or lunar shadow (silver) finishes, with a non-motorized front push-panel. Command Center software and AlienFX features are offered via a discrete master I/O daughterboard.
- Area-51 ALX R1 (discontinued) – Alienware's most expensive desktop to date ($5000–$7000 US fully equipped), ALX offered every available option as the standard model (see above); ALX is distinguished from the standard model by its matte black anodized aluminium chassis, and motorized front panel powered by a dedicated ALX-specific master I/O daughterboard.
- Area-51 R2 (discontinued) – unveiled late August 2014 – available October 2014; newly redesigned Triad chassis; Intel x99 Chipset, support for socket LGA 2011-3 Intel Haswell-E processors; 2133 MHz DDR4 memory; up to 1500 W power supply; support for 3-way/4-way SLI graphics; liquid cooling and the return of Command Center 4.0 with AlienFX/overclocking features via front I/O daughterboard.
- Area-51 R3 (discontinued)
- Area-51 R4 (discontinued) – The fourth revision of the Area-51 was announced at E3 2017. The base model was released with an MSRP of US$1899.99 and adding all the extra hardware can cost the consumer up to US$6,659.99. The Area 51 R4 is based on the Intel X299 chipset and the processor options include Intel based; Core i7-7800X, Core i7-7820X, Core i9-7900X Core i9-7920X,
SurrealPrjct
SurrealPrjct theme by R.W.Remow
Download: SurrealPrjct.p3t
(3 backgrounds)
P3T Unpacker v0.12
Copyright (c) 2007. Anoop MenonThis 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.NHL #3
NHL theme by bluezfan8
Download: NHL_3.p3t
(1 background)
Redirect to:
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Dragonball
