Gaming
First ever World of Warcraft MMO Gaming Mouse
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SteelSeries has unveiled the first ever gaming mouse aimed at the global community of World of Warcraft (WoW) Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) players. Co-designed with WoW publisher Blizzard the MMO Gaming Mouse features advanced macro creation capabilities, six possible DPI settings, 16 million profile-specific illumination colors and manages to squeeze in15 programmable buttons to give players that extra edge. Read More
ECCI Trackstar 6000 series racing wheels and pedals
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One for serious gamers, the ECCI TRACKSTAR 6000 sim-racing controls feature and ergonomically shaped, 13-1/2" two-tone leather steering wheel, a customizable steering resistance system with fluid damping, behind-the-wheel paddles and a USB interface as standard... and it really looks the part. Read More
ASUS releases enthusiast level ROG Rampage II Extreme motherboard
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ASUS has released the Republic of Gamers (ROG) Rampage II Extreme high performance enthusiast motherboard featuring the latest Intel chipset and SLI/CrossFireX on Demand provide support for the new range of Intel processors and multi-GPU technologies. Read More
Logitech's premium Guitar Hero controller
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In news for lounge-room Rock Gods, Logitech has announced the Wireless Guitar Controller Premiere Edition for the PS3 and PS2. The premiere edition of the Logitech Wireless Guitar Controller is the first in Logitech’s planned line of premium peripherals for the Guitar Hero franchise. Officially licensed by Activision, the guitar is compatible for all Guitar Hero games, including the highly anticipated Guitar Hero World Tour. It features a wood neck, rosewood fingerboard and metal frets and tuning peg handles to provide that little bit of extra realism for belting out your favorite tunes. Read More
New Mégane Coupé to get video game introduction
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Move over motor shows, it seems that video games are becoming the platform of choice for manufacturers wanting to throw a spotlight on their shiny new wares. Citroen is using this tactic to showcase its latest concept car and now Renault has announced that video game fans will be the very first to get behind the wheel of its new Mégane Coupé in the latest installment of Electronic Arts’ popular Need for Speed series: Need for Speed Undercover.
Wii Music aims to take music gaming to the masses
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While music based rhythm games such as Guitar Hero and Rock Band let players let out their inner Rock God, Nintendo, like they have done for the majority of their Wii titles, have aimed for a different demographic with Wii Music. With the standard lead, bass, drums and vocals combo pretty well catered for, Wii Music has widened the net by bringing more than 60 instruments to your living room. And unlike other games where the object is to hit the right note at the right time, Wii Music lets you put your own spin on songs. According to Nintendo, it’s all about improvisation, creativity and fun. Read More
New series of joysticks for flight sim fans from Genius
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PC input peripheral and audio device company, Genius has announced a new gaming joystick series aimed at frustrated pilots everywhere. Each joystick in the MetalStrike series has a turbo function, while the MetalStrike FF and Pro joysticks feature a force feedback function for feeling every bump, crash or shot when playing air combat games. Read More
GTbyCITROEN brings Gran Turismo 5 to life
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It may be destined for the game console rather than the garage, but the GTbyCITROËN concept is still one of the most outlandish examples of automotive design to emerge from the 2008 Paris Motor Show where it's making its global debut. The car is the result of a collaboration between Citroën and the creators of Gran Turismo and will appear in its virtual form in the 5th installment of the popular Playstation game. The imposing real world version stands at five meters long and features a wrap around windscreen, gullwing doors, huge air intakes and an over-sized, mobile rear spoiler. Not surprisingly for a car inspired by a computer game, tech specifications for the GTbyCITROËN are a little light on, although within the game it will do its bit for the promotion of greener motoring with a fuel cell powered electric drive train that's totally emissions free (apart from the electricity running the console of course). Read More
Game Console Online Content set to boom
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It’s a wireless world we are living in, and the next decade will see countless changes in the way we access, consume and pay for what we want. Further evidence of this arrived today in the form of Parks Associates’ forecast revenue streams for online content and services for Internet-connected game consoles. The research company expects the three game console manufacturers (Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo) to be generating over US$8 billion in global revenue by 2013. The anticipated increase in revenue is expected to come from digital video distribution, downloadable games and content, virtual worlds and avatar-based microtransactions, multiplayer gaming services, and dynamic in-game advertising. Read More
Sony to launch 160GB PS3 in October
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Sony is launching the 160GB Playstation 3 on October 31. The console is an early Christmas present for gamers in Europe and the US where it will retail for €449 and US$499 respectively. Features include Playstation Network content, a Blu-ray Disc player, DUALSHOCK3 wireless controllers, video chat and online play.
Sony working to make Rock Band, Guitar Hero instruments compatible
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Sony has been working with rhythm based games developers to ensure compatibility between the various companies’ peripherals on the PS3 for Rock Band 2, Guitar Hero: World Tour and Rock Revolution titles. Read More
ASUS Eee Stick motion sensing game controller
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ASUS has officially unveiled its new the Eee Stick - a Wii-like motion sensing wireless game controller for PC that reproduces users hand motions on screen. The unit is vibration capable, effective at up to 10 meters and has three modes of operation - 3D motion captures horizontal, vertical and rotational movement, Pointing mode is designed for use with first person shooter games and Tilt mode reproduces forward, backward and sideways motion. Read More
Racing against real F1 drivers in real time – the future of gaming?
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July 23, 2008 Video games have evolved to the point where they fairly accurately depict what a real racing car driver experiences as they hurtle around the track. Gamers can compete against friends and strangers across the globe thanks to the Internet, but now BBC News is reporting on a new technology that will allow gamers to take on real opponents in real races in real time, using GPS data from the cars. Read More
Logitech's new Driving Force wireless force feedback racing wheel for the PS3
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July 21, 2008 Following the release of the Driving Force GT, the official wheel of Gran Turismo for the PS3 just a couple of months ago, Logitech have followed up with the one-piece Driving Force Wireless force feedback racing wheel for the PS3. Read More
New Wii accessories launched
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July 17, 2008 In news for Wii users– we know there’s a lot of you out there - InvenSense Inc., a provider of MEMS-based motion sensing solutions for image stabilization, dead reckoning navigation, 3D remote control, and gaming devices, has announced that its IDG-600 multi-axis MEMS rate gyroscope has started shipping in mass production quantities to Nintendo for its Wii MotionPlus accessory. The upcoming Wii MotionPlus accessory attaches to the end of the Wii Remote and, combined with the accelerometer and the sensor bar, allows for more comprehensive tracking of a player's arm position and orientation. In the new Wii Sports Resort, for example, the ability to throw a disc through the air and control the angle of flight is now possible. Read More
Guitar Hero release for Metallica’s new album
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July 17, 2008 Metallica fans will be able to rock out to new anthems from the band in Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock with Metallica’s highly-anticipated full studio album, “Death Magnetic”, to be available simultaneously in record stores and as downloadable content for the game. Lounge room rockers will be able to unite on drums, guitar and vocals when the album and game content is released in September. The downloadable content will also be available for Guitar Hero World Tour when it ships this Fall. Mike Griffith, president and CEO of Activision Publishing also said that Guitar Hero World Tour will, “deliver unprecedented innovation to the rhythm-based genre with new instruments, a significantly expanded song list, and a music creator to share user-generated soundtracks.” Read More
Acer claims world’s first 50000:1 contrast ratio HD LCD monitor with the G24
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July 6, 2008 Acer’s new G24 LCD monitor is the first in the world to claim a 50000:1 contrast ratio courtesy of Acer’s Adaptive Contrast Management (ACM), which Acer claims produces dramatic improvements in gradation and detail, especially for dimmer and brighter scenes as well as enabling the G24 to use less power. Designed to entice PC gamers, the G24 supports high-definition (HD) graphics in a high contrast orange-black colored package that matches the Aspire Predator desktop PC. Read More
Man vs Machine foosball
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Up until now foosball aficionados have had to find another living, breathing human being to engage in rod spinning combat. Not anymore, thanks to a highly competitive automated foosball table capable kicking human opposition ‘off the park’. Read More
NVIDIA unleash GeForce GTX 200 GPUs
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NVIDIA’s new family of GeForce GTX 200 graphics processors (GPUs) - which includes the GeForce GTX 280 and GeForce GTX 260 GPUs - include NVIDIA CUDA technology and the new CUDA runtime for Windows Vista, which allows programmers to offload the most intensive processing tasks from the CPU to the NVIDIA GPUs. The GPUs also deliver 50% more gaming performance over the Company’s previous NVIDIA GeForce 8800 Ultra GPU with impressive shading horsepower at resolutions as high as 2560 x 1600. Read More
Swinxs: a toy for active play
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The Swinxs is a unique games system which encourages children to move and run while they’re having fun. Designed for active indoor and outdoor play the Swinxs communicates, cheers players on, explains games, referees and keeps game scores with the help of RFID wristbands worn by each player. Read More
Basketball Intelligym computer game improves on-court basketball skills
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May 6, 2008 There’s an overwhelming body of evidence that the brain, much like any other part of the human body, can be trained for improved performance in a host of different ways. Now a computer game that uses technology originally developed to help train fighter pilots is getting remarkable results in helping aspiring professional basketballers improve their real, on-court game. Known as Basketball IntelliGym the system looks like an innocent computer game – but much more is actually going on. As the player manipulates simple movements on the screen, “shooting” ammunition at moving targets, the system is busy analyzing skills and customizing a training program for the player. Read More
Review: Logitech's Driving Force GT force-feedback wheel for the PS3
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The Gamer Gene recently got their hands on a Logitech Driving Force GT, the official wheel of Gran Turismo for the PlayStation 3, and are reporting significant improvements in fun factor and immersion, and a decline in the brutal learning curve of Gran Turismo 5 Prologue. Read More
Porsche 911 leather steering wheel for PC and PS3
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April 29, 2008 Gamers have long been able to take their dream ride for a virtual spin, and now high-end input device producer Fanatec is offering Porsche fans and gamers alike an authentic look and feel with the introduction of the Porsche 911 Turbo Racing Wheel for PC and Sony PlayStation 3 (PS3). The leather-covered wheel features a tuning display that allows gamers to change settings like sensitivity or Force Feedback during gameplay. A Mabuchi RS 550 Motor is responsible for the extra strong Force Feedback effects with additional Force Feedback actuators in the wheel used to stimulate motor vibrations. Read More
Alienware Area-51 Desktop PC
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March 25, 2008 Alienware’s new Area-51 desktop PC now offers unprecedented multitasking capabilities thanks to an Intel QX9770 Core 2 Extreme Quad-Core processor featuring four cores churning out clock speeds of 3.2GHz. With Intel building the QX9770 around 45nm microarchitecture and its dynamic thermal management solutions the Area-51 has the grunt to take next-generation games, 3D and video rendering or day-to-day productivity applications in its stride. A 1600MHz Front Side Bus allows for faster read/write speeds between the processor and memory and any PCI-Express devices while the new NVIDIA nForce 790i motherboard, with support for both DDR3 memory and PCI-E 2.0, ensure the Area-51 desktop speeds keep power users happy. Read More
Second lease of life: researchers develop online character with reasoning abilities
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March 12, 2008 Users worldwide have relished the opportunity to live out parallel existences in virtual worlds such as ‘Second Life’, but the characters within those worlds have traditionally been mindless avatars only performing tasks as directed by their human puppet masters. Now, a team of researchers from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is working to engineer characters with reasoning abilities similar to that of a child. Read More
Xyber Technologies' silent, fan-less PCs
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February 28, 2008 Consumers who use PCs for high-end gaming or media work can invest in a top-of-the-line computer and still be held hostage by a ticking time bomb cooling system. While fan-based systems are slowly corrupted by dust, and liquid cooling systems face the problems of evaporation and highly damaging seeping, Xyber Technologies offers an alternative that it claims is quieter, more efficient, and more stable. Read More
Nokia to add Creebi virtual pets to n-gauge
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December 17, 2007 It seems that virtual pets such as Tamagotchi and their electronic brethren are a fad that just won’t go away. Now Nokia has announced that the Creebies virtual pet-care game will be available through the N-Gage mobile games service, giving each player their own 3D Creebi to care for, entertain, feed and even breed. Read More
Two wheels versus four in Project Gotham Racing 4
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December 11, 2007 The Project Gotham Racing (PGR) franchise has always put gamers behind the wheel of some of the world’s most powerful and desirable cars, but with PGR4 gamers now also have the chance to throw a virtual leg over of some of the world’s best two wheeled vehicles including BMW's K 1200 R. Read More
Samsung announces world’s fastest graphics memory
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December 3, 2007 Samsung has developed a GDDR5 (series five, graphics double-data-rate memory) chip that can transfer data at six gigabits per second - more than four times faster than that of current game consoles. The new memory also operates on less power at 1.5 volts, an improvement of 20 percent on the GDDR3 graphics chip. Read More
Play Big IN1 portable gaming projector
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November 12, 2007 InFocus Corporation has released the Play Big IN1 Gaming projector, designed specifically for gaming consoles. The IN1 is designed as an all-in-one solution combining high-end audio, multiple inputs for connectivity to DVD players, cable and satellite boxes, a projected image of up to eight feet in size, plus a mirror that flips the image on the ceiling for a truly laid back gaming experience - all in a compact unit weighing less than 10 pounds. Read More
Real-world toys enter virtual reality
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September 13, 2007 In days gone by the only virtual reality was the one we created in our heads. Before Atari and Space Invaders, and certainly before Tamagochi and Wii, kids had to rely on their imagination to generate fanciful worlds in which to play. Nowadays the imagination gets a kick-start from electronic gadgets, gizmos and games based on emerging technologies that are transforming the world of "playtime". Bratz dolls and MyPets are among the latest to embrace this idea with the launch of websites based on their respective toys that act as virtual worlds for kids to explore. Read More
Nissan’s stunning Mixim all-electric concept
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August 29, 2007 At this year’s 62nd Frankfurt Motor Show, Nissan will be showing its Mixim Concept Car - a compact vehicle for young drivers who are mostly engaged by their computer and the world via the internet. The driver sits centrally, with two seats either side, while the steering wheel and controls are inspired by the interfaces so familiar to computer gamers. Read More
"Brain Age 2" released for Nintendo DS
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August 22, 2007 Nintendo has launched its second release in the burgeoning world of brain games in effort to attract non-gamers to pick up the controller. Brain games are designed as exercise for our grey matter based on the notion that our neural systems are constantly changing throughout life and that effective instruction can actually alter brain function. Read More
Comparing film and video game ratings
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August 20, 2007 Statistics show that computer games are no longer the domain of children and teenagers yet the general perception exists that games are corrupting our children and should be subject to censorship. Indeed, so strict is the current ratings system in comparison to film ratings that Factor 5 president Julian Eggebrecht described the current censorship regime as McCarthyism in his keynote today at the prestigious Games Convention Developer’s Conference in Leipzig. The keynote, entitled “No Sex, No Drugs, and Little Rock and Roll” covers the history of the ratings system for both films and games and the bizarre inconsistencies between them. TheGamergene has full video of Eggebrecht’s fascinating and thought provoking presentation here. Read More
Game Advertising growing at 33% CAGR - more than any other medium
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June 29, 2007 Computer games, be they console- or PC-based, elicit a level of involvement far beyond anything man’s ingenuity has previously created. The ability to produce an instantaneous and appropriate response to every action can generate a realism and intensity of connection waaay beyond the passive experience of watching television, or the audio wallpaper of radio, with a passion approaching that of procreation. This has not escaped the world’s most creative and influential minds (aka advertising creative directors) who see this as the ideal circumstance in which to deliver a message that will stay with us – gaming offers both a wonderful new way to interact with a brand, and an opportune time to tattoo a brand name on the psyche while the brain is open and engaged. Right now, household penetration of game consoles is approaching mainstream media status, yet the average monthly household advertising expenditure of the medium is less than 50 cents, compared to US$37 for broadcast TV. Is it any wonder then that this seriously under-leveraged advertising medium will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 33% until 2012, much higher than that of other major advertising media, including TV, radio, print, and the Internet. Read More
