Zune XNA Games Preview In May?

Microsoft are aiming for the first community technology preview of their XNA games for the Zune to be released in May. Zune games are able to support ad-hoc wireless play, supporting up to eight players, however, the devices don't currently have hardware 3D acceleration. However Microsoft already have several proof of concept games up and running.

Microsoft Announces Xbox 360 Price Cuts For Some Eastern Markets

Microsoft announced that they will be discounting the Xbox 360 in four of its five Asian markets. They are hoping that this will continue expand their market share. There are currently over 19 million Xbox owners.

The Saitek PK17U Cyborg Gaming Keyboard

Talk about tech for the Terminator, but this keyborad from Saitek looks totally the part. A keyboard designed for hardcore gaming and it is definitely not for the weak of heart. The bezel above the keys is illuminated and provides feedback on audio and mode settings. The keyboard has 3 different backlight colors, which are adjustable and can even be mixed in different color combinations. Key features include: Multi-colour backlighting with Tru Vu illumination through keys (mix shades from Red through Amber to Green) and adjustable brightness. Touch-sensitive, backlit dashboard control panel WASD, cursor, ‘Cyborg’ and NumPad keys can be lit independently from the rest of keyboard to highlight commonly used gaming keys Cyborg Mode – instantly disable the Windows keys and configure the colour and brightness of your gaming keys at the touch of a button Set and forget – persistent key illumination settings ensure colours remain even after a system reboot 12 programmable ‘Cyborg’ keys Hard wearing, metal-plated key caps in key gaming areas Pass-through USB, audio and microphone sockets Enhanced multiple key presses in gaming areas for complex in-game commands Adjustable wrist rest and keyboard rake angle (front and back) Gold-plated connectors for USB and Audio The keyboard is USB 2.0 compliants and is compatible with Windows XP, XP64 and Windows Vista. The PK17U can be preordered from amazon.com today... SRP of Approx $80.

N-Gage Gaming Launched For Phones

Nokia have finally launched their N-Gage mobile games service. The service will allow Nokia users to download some cool games for their mobile phones. Currently only the Nokia N81, N81 8GB, N82, N95 and N95 8GB phones will be supported. But this will be extended to the N73, N93 and N93i in short order. Nokia are allowing users to try all of the games before buying and games will cost between £4.75 and £8. Multiplayer Gaming will be supported through the N-Gage Arena community and they will be able to join forums, use live chat and take part in tournaments. The crop of games will include EA Sports’ FIFA 08, Brain Challenge and Asphalt 3: Street Rules, World Series of Poker Pro Challenge, Hooked On: Creatures of the Deep and System Rush: Evolution. Soon to be followed by Tetris and The Sims 2 Pets, Block Breaker Deluxe, Dogz, Snakes Subsonic, Space Impact: Kappa Base and Mile High Pinball. Visit the N-Gage Website for more information.

Belkin's N52te Gaming Pad

Belkin and Razer have teamed up to release an update to the N52 Gaming Pad. This new unit looks very cool and should appeal to hardcore Gamers. The new device is kitted out in cool black and Blue LED backlighting. The n52te also features the addition of hot-swappable profiles and an improved 8-way directional pad. Due out in November, it should retail for around £50.

Direct X 10 Put To The Test

Twitch Guru have put Direct X 10 to the test using Lost Planet on a Dell XPS running Vista. In their Test they compared the same game on the Dell XPS with Vista against a similarly configured Windows XP system with DX 9. The bottom line is that there are differences in performance and detail but not as great as we've been led to expect. Visit Twitch Guru to read more...

Apple Gets Into Gaming

Apple last week announced that they had signed deals with EA, its EA Sports division and iD software. The deals signify that titles such as Battlefield 2142, Command & Conquer 3, Need for Speed, Tiger Woods 08, Madden 08, the yet to be announced iD FPS will be appearing on OS-X

50 Greatest Female Characters In Video Game History

Twitch Guru have posted a gallery of what they consider as the 50 greatest female characters in video game history. This post is about as close to an April fools joke, as I'm likely to get, however the gallery certainly makes for interesting viewing. In many respects is also represents a historical overview of the history of gaming graphics and it's increasing sophistication. Visit twitchguru and take a look.

Dragon's Lair Becomes First Blu-ray Game

Talk about a trip down memory lane. Anyone who lived through the eighties and played arcade games will remember this one. The cartoony sword and sorcery video game that looked like a Disney feature is going to be coming to a Blu-ray player near you. In fact any Blu-ray player which supports Blu-ray Java or BD-J, should be able to play it. Digital Leisure who make Dragon's Lair also plan to release Don Bluth's follow up, Dragon's Lair II: Time Warp and Space Ace in Blu-ray format.

Playstation Home Revealed

Second Life beware, Sony are planning an invasion of your virtual world. Ok so it's not quite an invasion but a foray into the concept of virtual interaction. I haven't as yet played with Second Life, nor do I plan to, but I know a few people who enjoy interacting in this virtual world. If you want to read more on Playstation Home, visit Engadget where there is a video demonstrating some of the capabilities of this virtual world. Some of the features demonstrated included being able to watch virtual video games and watch movies in a virtual world.

Commodore Returns

The folks over at The Register are reporting that Commodore are making a comeback. Reports are that they will be branded as Commodore Gaming, and that they will focus on producing PC's dedicated to Gaming.

Panoramic Gaming

The good folks over at Digital Tigers have come up with the ultimate gaming display set-up ... The Zenview Powerscape Ultra HD is a 5 screen display configuration that offers the ultimate experience for the loaded gamer. Yeppers, talk about expensive, but at US$5,499 it's not for the squeemish. Featuring a central 30" 2540x1600 display and 4 1200x1600 secondary displays you've got a lot of room to play.