gaming
Nintendo Greases Wii U Wheels
Nintendo’s Wii U will be out in time for the 2012 holiday season and will feature NFC technology, according to the company. The next-generation Nintendo Wii will also have a handheld controller with a touchscreen that can interact with what’s showing on the TV screen.
Alienware Packs Big Gaming Power Into Little Box
Dell’s gaming computer brand, Alienware, has released a new desktop computer that — while not quite in keeping with the trend toward mobile gaming — is compact, powerful and sleek. The X51 is unobtrusive enough to be placed near a television. It is powered by a range of graphics cards and several Intel Core processors.
With Razer’s Fiona Project, Tablet Gaming Could Go Hardcore
Gaming equipment maker Razer has shown a prototype hybrid PC/tablet gaming device design at the Consumer Electronics Show. The device, presently dubbed "Project Fiona," will be a way to combine control and touch elements to create a unique gaming experience, according to the company.
Gadgetwise Blog: Playing Games Without Sore Thumbs
An iPhone case with special grips to help with finger fatigue when playing games.
Gadgetwise Blog: Pricing for Sony’s PlayStation Vita
Sony announces pricing plans for its PlayStation Vita on AT&T. The device is to arrive in American stores on Feb. 22.
Analyst: Zynga’s Plunge Into Puzzles a Smart Move
Zynga is plowing new ground with "Hidden Chronicles," a game it has launched on Facebook. Zynga is touting it as its first social hidden object game, and indeed, it is a departure from the ‘Ville model that made the company famous. It invites players to uncover hidden objects, solve puzzles, and unlock mysteries. As is typical of Zynga games, there is a heavy emphasis on the social element.
Gadgetwise: Top 10 New iPhone Gaming Apps for 2011
From Scribblenauts Remix to Minecraft — new games for all ages for casual mobile players.
Getting Your Video Game Fix Without a Console
Are we about to see the demise of the game console? It’s hard to believe the days of Sony’s ubiquitous PlayStation system, introduced in 1994 — or even those of the Xbox — may be numbered. But with changing delivery systems, the spreading cloud, and processor advances, those PlayStations and Wiis may be going the way of the Walkman.
OnLive’s Cloudburst: It’s Raining Games on Tablets, Phones
Online game service OnLive is bringing its cloud magic to smartphones and tablets. The pioneer in cloud-based gaming has introduced a free app that allows gamers to play console-style games on their smartphones and tablets. Although the application was announced Thursday, when it appears in app stores will vary.
Next Kinect Could Be a Lot More Understanding
The next generation of Microsoft’s Kinect input device may be able to read users’ lips and emotions. The forthcoming device, which is expected to come bundled with Xbox consoles, reportedly will not just sense motions the way the current Kinect generation does, but will also allow games to read lips, recognize which way players are facing, and detect when they are angry.
Xbox 360 Goes Metro With New Dashboard
Microsoft will release an update to the Xbox 360 dashboard for all Xbox Live members on Dec. 6. The update is reportedly modeled after Microsoft’s new Metro user interface, which is used for Windows Phones and will be part of Windows 8. It will offer new personal and social features, cloud storage, Beacons, enhanced family settings and integrated voice and gesture controls.
Kinect for Kids: The Forgiven Video Games?
Microsoft is partnering with two of the most visible players in the education industry — Sesame Workshop and National Geographic — to roll out a series of new "edutainment" video games for its Xbox 360 platform. The games — "Kinect Sesame Street TV," "Kinect Nat Geo TV" and the code-named "Project Columbia" — let children interact with characters on screen.
