Xbox One Update: Introduces Media Remote, OneDrive Now Available Worldwide this March

Microsoft recently revealed some exciting updates to its latest gaming console Xbox One which will start rolling out this March.  Major improvements on multiplayer and party experiences are some of the exciting updates Xbox One players are to going to get next month.

NVIDIA's Android gaming device Shield to start shipping July 31st

Barely meeting promised delivery on extended launch window, NVIDIA has confirmed that Shield will definitely ship starting July 31st.

Nvidia says Sony's PS4 comparible only to "Low-end" PC

After the recent Nvidia and Sony hullabaloo over the PS4 hardware deal, Nvidia's Tony Tamasi compared the new PS4 to be only as good as any "Low-end" PC.

Sony PS4 beta test offers are fraud

It seems like fraud offers like these are on the rise, luring and gagging unsuspecting online users who will always step in to get something for free. And recently, these PS4 beta test offers have been circulating around, most notoriously on Facebook, asking users to like their Facebook page and share the post for a chance to get selected as PS4 beta testers and get the chance to keep the unit for themselves.

Genius released ultimate 3-in-1 gaming combo KMH 100

Gamers will be able to take their games to next level with the ultimate combo pack from Genius, the KMH 100. This bundle includes the Imperator gaming keyboard, the Maurus Black gaming mouse, and the Lychas gaming headset. The 3-in-1 pack are all part of the Genius GX-Gaming series and is now selling for US$129.99.

Sony Confirmed PS4 Release Date and Specs

After a long wait, Sony has finally confirmed the the much anticipated PS4 release date and most of its specs. A lot of us have been enamored during the launch when Sony revealed some amazing features this latest gaming console will have. Disappointingly, we are still in the dark with regards to how the new console will look like.

Sony PSP (PlayStation) Phone Leaked from China

Few days ago, a rumored PSP Phone popped-up on a Hong Kong forum (HKGolden). Said units seemed to have leaked out of the factory in sufficient quantities as the lucky forum poster revealed he has two units on hand. The unit obviously has an XPERIA logo on it which many speculated it could be named something like XPeria Play. But experts also noticed the model number series of R800i which is associated with previously rumored PSP Phone Zeus Z1.



Latest confirmation was revealed again later by Chinese website IT168. They now confirmed the specs of the said Xperia-branded PSP device. Here's a quick specification rundown:

* CPU - 1GHz Snapdragon QSD8255 (featured on the HTC Desire HD)
* GPU - Qualcomm Adreno 205 GPU
* Battery - 1,500mAh
* Display - 854 x 480 resolution, 4-inch touchscreen LCD
* Camera - 5 megapixel autofocus with LED Flash
* Memory - 512MB RAM, 512MB ROM
* Others - MicroSD Slot, SIM slot, micro-USB, secondary mic at the back (for active noise cancellation)



Benchmark reports an impressive 59.1fps figure from Neocore while Quadrant reported a high score of 1,733. Specs of the rumored PSP Phone above has significant disparity from the PSP Go who only has a 333MHz processor, 64MB RAM, and a 3.8-inch 480 x 272 display. So everything is lining up nicely for the new PSP Xperia Gaming Phone.

Cheaper Nintendo Wii at $199 in September 27?

Last week, we got a peek at an alleged Walmart ad that indicated an official price drop for the Wii. Then, it appears that retailer Toys R Us may have heard the same thing. And now, folks at Nintendojo were apparently on a retailer conference call where Nintendo "confirmed" the new $199 Wii price, which will supposedly go into effect Sunday next week September 27. If they really say that it's officially confirmed, then we have to take Nintendojo's word for it -- not that we have any reason not to, but for now we'll have to just wait until the "unconfirmed confirmation" gets officially confirmed by Nintendo themselves or at least until we really see from the retailer's shelf -- before we go into an all-out celebration mode.

Netflix Officially Exclusive Only to Xbox 360 Consoles

Sorry PS3 and Wii fans. The Netflix Watch Instantly integration is now an "exclusive partnership" between Microsoft and Netflix. Microsoft is also going so far saying that the Xbox 360 will be the only console to offer Netflix movie-watching experience. It will be available to Xbox Live Gold Members who are also Netflix unlimited plan subscribers. Full excerpt quoted below.

Netflix Partnership

This exclusive partnership offers you the ability to instantly stream movies and TV episodes from Netflix to the television via Xbox 360. Xbox 360 will be the only game console to offer this movie-watching experience, available to Xbox LIVE Gold members who are also Netflix unlimited plan subscribers**, at no additional cost.

From the Netflix Web site, simply add movies and TV episodes to your instant Queue, which will appear automatically on the TV screen via Xbox 360. Once selected, movies will begin playing in as little as 30 seconds. In addition to instantly streaming Netflix movies to the TV, Xbox LIVE Gold members can browse and rate movies, fast-forward, pause and rewind, all using either their Xbox 360 Controller or Universal remote.

Facebook Connectivity for Nintendo DSi Now Available

If you've been taking a lot of snapshots with your Nintendo DSi's built-in camera and was wondering what to do with them, then you're in for some good news! After 5 pm Eastern time a system update will be released and made available for all Nintendo DSi. This new update will allow you to upload your pictures directly to Facebook! Awesome!



If you want to spice up your profile pictures or simply want to amaze all your FB buddies that your are uploading directly from DSi, then this is what you need. Nintendo explains the process that "While reviewing pictures they've stored in the Nintendo DSi Camera album, which includes photos taken by users and manipulated using the built-in interactive lenses, users can simply tap the Facebook icon on the system's touch screen to instantly transmit photos to the user's Facebook profile," the company also states, "The user's system must be configured to a wireless broadband Internet connection for the transmission of photos."

This interesting announcement also came along with some news that DSi has sold 1.7 million units in the US alone. That's not bad for a system that launched at a higher price point than the original, also brandishing updates handheld gaming users wasn't sure they wanted... such as the Facebook remote uploading feature.

Sony Initiates "Snackable" PSP and PSP Go! mini games

Sony has revealed its development strategy as explained by Zeno Colaço, Sony's head of developer relations. They have revealed plans for “snackable” titles that gamers could download to their PSP Go in less than a minute, taking on Apple’s iPhone and iPod touch in the process. Sony announced its intentions to bring more developers to the PSP platform at the big E3 gaming show last month. And the move to simplify its development tools was seen as a hint of new PSP applications beyond games.

"One of the things that has been exciting in my time at Sony is the big shift changes we have seen – the latest is that consumers have been consuming digital content in a totally different way. Sony’s been working very hard to find our position in that and bring top-end gaming to not just the consumers who were there for the launch of PSP, but extending to an audience that is changing how it consumes entertainment and applications. We’re introducing new initiatives for the PSP which take it beyond traditional gaming, but still includes elements from gaming, and also includes new developers” Zeno Colaço, head of developer relations, SCEE"

To better encourage developers to dip into these mini-titles, Sony has has dramatically cut the cost of the PSP SDK by 80-percent. They’ve also removed many of the barriers that typically stand in the way of getting games published, including removing concept approval, streamlining the quality assurance process, and allowing for very low price points for new titles. It seems their stratefy is working, as apparently over 50 studios (including CandyStand and iPhone developer Subatomic Studios) are working on "new kinds of games and applications" that will be sold via a "specially-branded separate area" of the PlayStation Store accessible by PSP and PSPgo owners.

Unlike Apple’s, Sony's PSP SDK will not be free and will still require a team – albeit “a small team” says Colaço – Sony believes the changes will alter the restrictions of disc-based gaming. One of the only confirmed titles will be Subatomic’s Fieldrunners tower defense game.

Sony PS3 2.70 Firmware Upgrade Offers Chat and Video Backup Plus More

Sony's PS3 2.70 firmware upgrade is now available. Packed with some great new features, this could be the start of what Sony committed about adding more value to the PS3 in lieu of the previously speculated price cut down.



Two top new features included in the new firmware are text chat between games and video files external backup. You can chat with up to 15 other friends at any time and join up to three chat rooms, that is if you can keep up with all those conversations while playing your game. You can also sort your friends list in many different ways, while sending files to friends was upgraded from 1MB to 3MB.

With the new video backup feature, you can save your video files on an external storage and restore them later when you need them. Purchased video titles for PSP can now also be transferred to PS3 for playback. Not just that, the PS3 now supports a quick search function that will look up online information about the title you're playing, plus a musical equalizer that keeps the volume from jumping between tracks when you're listening to music.

It may not appease all PS3 gamers considering the price Sony is charging, but these improvements will suffice for now.

Heres a short video from playstation.blog previewing some of the new 2.70 firmware features:


Source: blog.us.playstation.com

New Zeebo Game Console Launches in Brazil

Just when you thought everything's about Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft in the gaming console world, then comes Zeebo, the brightest and cheapest new kid in the gaming block. Wireless chip designer Qualcomm said Monday that it's backing an effort from start-up Zeebo to build a gaming console for the developing world. With a vision of providing one game console per child. Hopefully, it's as good as it sounds.

Zeebo will build the $199 console, which goes on sale in Brazil next month and is one-fifth the price of consoles sold there. (Zeebo is also backed by Tectoy SA, which will build the console in Brazil.) In other markets, Zeebo says it will sell the console for less than $179 this year and less than $149 next year.

Good thing Zeebo got strong support from the game publishers, they’ve managed to get some big names. EA Mobile, Namco Networks, THQ, and the 800 gorillia of the casual game market, PopCap have all signed on to support the Zeebo. Because no matter how great your console is, if the publishers don’t make games for it, you’re screwed.

Basic Zeebo specifications:

Zeebo is a game console based on Qualcomm technologies for high-end mobile devices. It has a nominal processing power somewhat equivalent to a PSP, OpenGL|ES 1.0 hardware compatibility over a dedicated GPU and is capable of 3G mobile network connection (HSUPA), scaling back at 2.5G (EDGE) or 2G (GPRS) where necessary. It features BREW 4.0 as the operational system, three USB ports for joysticks and accessories, one SD card port, and composite video output along with stereo audio. There is no media - games are downloaded through ZeeboNet network, making Zeebo the first of the forthcoming download-centric generation of game consoles.

Zeebo Press Release:

Zeebo Targets the Next Billion Gamers in Emerging Markets

SAN FRANCISCO, March 23 /PRNewswire/ — Capcom(R), EA Mobile(TM), Namco Networks, PopCap Games and THQ today announced their endorsement of Zeebo, the first affordable 3D videogame console designed specifically for emerging global markets. The innovative console will launch in Brazil next month. The console features secure 3G wireless game delivery and addresses the special requirements of these regions where current generation videogame consoles are expensive for the middle class and software piracy is rampant.

“We are humbled to have the support of these gaming industry giants,” said John F. Rizzo, CEO, Zeebo. “Content is critical for the launch of any new console platform and with the support from these influential publishers, and the long list of impressive brands they have to offer, we are well on our way to making gaming for the next billion a reality.”

“We are excited to partner with Zeebo on their visionary and ambitious global gaming initiative,” said Takeshi Tezuka, general manager of Mobile Contents Development, Capcom Co., Ltd. “The evolutionary combination of fast 3G wireless digital distribution and a simple yet elegant business model will open up new avenues to reach gamers directly with some of our top titles such as Street Fighter(R) Alpha.”

“Zeebo is an innovative partner in our efforts to reach consumers in emerging markets, we are supporting their launch in Brazil,” said Antonio Curi, EA Mobile. “We are supporting the Zeebo launch, offering Need for Speed Carbon and FIFA 09, which will feature a Portuguese voiceover.”

“Zeebo’s vision to bring gaming to the ‘next billion’ aligns well with our goal of bringing casual entertainment to consumers any time and any where,” said Scott Rubin, senior vice president of sales and marketing, Namco Networks America. “We are pleased to support Zeebo as they enable gaming in emerging markets around the world by publishing games like PAC-MANIA, Ridge Racer and Alpine Racer for the platform.”

“The emerging markets of the world have historically presented a very interesting dichotomy between a huge untapped consumer base and a very real piracy issue,” said Doug Clemmer, president of THQ Wireless. “Zeebo has solved this problem by providing THQ a direct path to deliver a great entertainment experience to consumers in emerging markets.”

Additional publishers and developers actively supporting the Zeebo console platform include Com2uS, Digital Chocolate, Gameloft, Glu, Id Software and Machineworks Northwest LLC.

For more information on the Zeebo videogame console please visit www.zeeboinc.com.

Mike Yuen from Qualcomm and John F. Rizzo from Zeebo will present “4 - Gaming for the Next Billion,” this morning at 10:30am PDT at Game Developers Conference Mobile in San Francisco in Moscone North, Room 134. On Tuesday, March 24 at 11:00am PDT, Rizzo will also participate on the panel, “How will startups and the industry giants wrestle over the future of games?” at the GamesBeat 2009 Conference at the Mission Bay Conference Center.

Upcoming Games for Nintendo Wii and DSi Revealed

Heads up Nintendo fans! Here are some upcoming games lineup for Nintendo Wii and DS, as well as the upcoming DSi.

“Rhythm Paradise” or music themed games will launch on 1 May for the DS, that uses the stylus to tap, flick or slide the touchscreen in time with a rhythm or cue.

Pokemon Platinum Version for the DS that offers wireless play for up to 20 players and is described as an “epic adventure” will be launched on May 22nd

Also due in May is “Punch-Out!!” for the Wii that promises Wii-motion ducking and weaving action for wannabe Wii pugilists

Other releases for the Wii include the “NEW PLAY CONTROL!” series that sees classic games reinvented to take advantage of Wii’s motion-sensing capabilities that will include Donkey Kong Jungle Beat.

Certainly looks like a cool line up of games and features for Nintendo enthusiasts to look forward to!

Meanwhile, here are some close up photos of the electric blue DSi circulating around. Check these out.