But what’s it like to use? Well BT is offering its broadband subscribers an exclusive opportunity to get the OnLive PlayPack Bundle free for three months when they sign-up before January 31 2012. As part of this promotion they sent me an OnLive Micro-Console to test.

As far as setting up goes, it’s a relatively simple beast, with ports for power and ethernet on the back and usb ports to charge the controllers on the front. You can buy a wireless adaptor but unless you have a rock solid connection that you trust whole heartedly I wouldn’t recommend it. It merely took minutes to get going and creating an account is also child’s play. I have a modest 8 Mbps connection at home with Be Broadband (a far cry from the “up to 24 Mbps” advertised but that’s a grumble for a different day) so I wasn’t sure what to expect when I first plugged the Micro-Console in.

Actual use was an interesting experience. The quality of graphics is surprisingly high but you can definitely tell you are streaming. The occasional artefacts will appear on screen in a cut sequence. I popped on Arkham City as a free trial and was able to be up and running in mere minutes – far superior to the current “download and wait for endless updates” system on conventional consoles. Street Fighter IV played back flawlessly, with no discernable albeit with image quality not quite up to playback from a physical disk. Batman Arkham City suffered from a tiny bit of lag on some of the fight sequences, but not enough to be off-putting.

If you are an avid gamer and rip through the latest titles (and then sell them) week after week, it’s pretty easy to recommend giving the OnLive system a go – provided you have the bandwidth to handle it.

As I mentioned at the start of the article, BT is offering its broadband subscribers an exclusive opportunity to get the OnLive PlayPack Bundle free for three months when they sign-up before January 31 2012. This means people will be able to play over 100 top video games on their TV, laptop or tablet, such as Fear 3 and Batman: Arkham Asylum, at any time without the need for software. Plus you get access to the latest games such as Saints Row: The Third and Batman Arkham City for an additional fee.

For more information head to BT

[Source: Hands on with OnLive and the future of gaming]

Assassin’s Creed Revelations – Technically the fourth game in the Assassin’s Creed series, Ezio once again faces the might of the evil Knights Templar, with the setting this time based in the sprawling Renaissance city of Constantinople. Production values have never been higher, with jaw dropping graphics and breathtaking action to be had.

Elder Scrolls: Skyrim – Already one of the fastest-selling video games of all time, the world of Skyrim offers up to 300 hours of gameplay to keep you occupied for many months to come. In fact, chances are you will still be playing this epic RPG by the time Christmas 2012 comes around.

LEGO Harry Potter Years 5-7 – The sequel to the first Harry Potter LEGO game follows the exploits of the last three books (or last four films) in the series. The Potter-themed combination of exploring, solving puzzles and building LEGO items is a winner.

Saints Row 3 – GTA may grab all the headlines, but everybody knows that Saints Row is a far superior sandbox game in almost every respect. Refuses to take itself seriously, and is all the better for it. Outrageous, over the top action with a wicked sense of humour.

Batman Arkham City – We have saved the best until last here. The Dark Knight returns in this sequel to Arkham Asylum. Fans of the caped crusader will be in heaven here, and this is a strong contender for one of the greatest video games of all time, it’s that good.

[Source: Hottest Video Games to buy this Christmas]

The keyboard is perhaps the most visually stunning example we have seen, complete with its night-vision LED backlit keys to look the part. Seeing as most gamers prefer to play with the lights off, this can prove to be a real boon when burning the midnight oil.

Featuring six fully programmable G-keys, the G105 can keep up to 18 macro combinations to assist you whilst you play. With one press of the button, once programmed, you can perform complex maneuvers which normally require a combination of different keystrokes.

Advanced anti-ghosting technology allows you to press up to five different keys at once, thus allowing you to aim, shoot, run, jump and make a cup of tea all at the same time. What more could you want?

The mouse too, has been designed with the serious gamer in mind, with an ultras precision speed of up to 165 inches per second. Need to move your gun around in a hurry and fire with pin-point precision? Then this is the mouse for you. You can even adjust the pixel targeting from 200dpu up to an incredibly rapid 5700dpi, making this an impressive bit of kit, and the mouse of choice for the hardcore gamer.

Whilst we have not been given a release date, rest assured as soon as we do we will test them to death and give you the full lowdown on both.

For more information, please visit www.logitech.com

[Source: Gear up for war! Logitech announce new Call of Duty-inspired keyboards and mice]

On paper the LG Optimus 3D has a lot going for it – the huge screen and glasses-free 3D should make for a incredible mobile gaming experience. The size is a definite advantage, and although a little awkward to use as a phone you do appreciate the screen real estate when gaming. Games such as Asphalt and N.O.V.A look amazing. However the glasses-free 3D fails to live up to expectations, and despite being an impressive feat of engineering (and amazing thing to demo with your mates) is still very much on the side of “headache-inducing” rather than awe inspiring. More often than not I found myself hitting the 3D kill switch (great name for a band if you’re looking btw) just so I could actually enjoy the game. Maybe a 3D slider like the Nintendo 3DS would be a better approach.

For simpler puzzle games or anything where the touchscreen added, rather than detracted from the experience however, the Optimus 3D was great fun to use. I didn’t have time to get fully lost inside an RPGS but I can imagine exploring worlds with that huge screen would be enjoyable. However the perennial problem for touchscreen phone gaming – a lack of dedicate hardware gaming buttons, means that it will still be a while before “hardcore” gamers (unlike softcore Leisure Suit Larry gamers) will be able to leave their handheld console of choice at home.

The LG Optimus 3D is out not from Three

[Source: Smartphone gaming, convergence and the LG Optimus 3D]

One such attempt is the new Hector franchise; a new-school point and click adventure that attempts to capture the irreverent spirit of classics such as The Secret of Monkey Island or Day of the Tentacle.

Hector is a tough-talking, soft-bellied British cop with an unhealthy taste for all things criminal or smothered in curry. When terrorists strike in the crime-ridden town of Clapper’s Wreake, this drunken lawman becomes the only hope for justice. Now, the flatulent detective has a choice to make: carry out the terrorist’s curiously altruistic demands, or watch as his fellow officers are picked off one by one. Hector is still on the fence.

If you smiled at all at that comic conceit then you will probably be ok dropping a few pounds and spending a few hours in the company of that mindset. Games like this live or die on how amusing you find the writer’s style however – if you find it funny enough you’ll forgive any slips in logic, gameplay or graphical style.

We Negotiate with Terrorists is the first of a three episode game series. Episode 2 – Senseless Acts of Justice and Episode 3 – Beyond Reasonable Doom will release on PC, Mac, iPad and iPhone in Autumn 2011.

Developed in partnership with Straandlooper, Telltale games’ Hector: Ep1 HD – We Negotiate with Terrorists on iPad can be purchased from the App Store for £3.99/€5.49 ($6.99). There is also a previously released PC and Mac version available to download for £8.75/ €9.99 ($9.99).

[Source: Hector: Ep1 HD – We Negotiate with Terrorists]

Quite why Nintendo thought it would be a good idea not to show the actual console is puzzling. Either they wanted the controller to take centre stage or they haven’t actually got a console. Were betting on a bit of both. It’s almost as if they forgot to show off the console for us it was one of the most bizarre console unveiling in E3 history.

They did have some small wafer thin box next the screen in some of the videos on show, but they didn’t show it off physically or go into detail about it. Today it was all about the controller, not the box that powers it.
The Wii U has what Nintendo and others are calling the most advanced controllers ever. It looks like a small 8-inch tablet device with DS-like screen and traditional Xbox/Playstation controls all baked into one rather impressive looking controller.

Nintendo showed off how you can play games on a normal HDTV using the controller like you would any other consoles. And how can play games on both your HD TV and on the 6.5-inch on the controller at the same time or just on the 6.5-inch on it’s own.

They then went on to show innovative ways on how future games could use the second screen. One eye catching example was the new controller laying on the ground showing a golf ball in a bunker on the screen. The user was the stood over the controller with the original Wii remote and nunchuk and the game on the HDTV in front of the player. It looked mighty impressive. All at the same time seamlessly with no lag or latency.

Nintendo went on to promise that all the controllers from Wii would be backwards compatible; so you’ll be able to use your Wii Fit Board, Wii remote and nunchuck for the new console.

The tech demos showed off new types of gameplay you’d usually expect to find on the DSI and 3DS on the new console. Players can use the touchscreen with your fingers or Nintendo Stylus a la DSI or 3DS on the controller, which then appeared on your TV seamlessly with no latency. One such example was painting on Art Academy on the new controller then appearing in real time in high-def on your TV.

They promised that the controller would have gyroscope, accelerometers, front facing camera and microphone. The console and controller would have internet browsing as well as video chat all through the controller and TV.

What didn’t say anything about is how long does the controller last on battery, does it even run on batteries or have they created all-new power source? Most worrying was the lack of price or release date during the press conference.

They went on to announce a new partnership with EA, which will see all of its massive gaming franchises coming to the new console including BF3, Madden and FIFA. There will be full online gaming for all the titles, as well as exclusive support of the second screen capabilities. This was shown off with Madden, where all plays were handled on the screen on the controller leaving the TV for the actual gameplay.

We’re slightly concerned that there wasn’t any mention of the actual console. Call us old fashioned but how can we make a judgment on the console if we can’t even see it. We have no idea how powerful it is, what media will the games come on? Is it Full HD? Even little things like how many controllers can play together. Most of all is how much is this very impressive new controller going to be? What storage solutions will be offered? All of this was not mentioned during the press conference.

Nintendo always do things a little different, but for consumers to take the new console serious we need to see some bricks and mortar. Today’s announcement has left more questions than answers. There’s no chance that you’ll seeing this console anytime soon. They haven’t even got a console from the looks of it. They’ve got a controller. All be it a very nice one. So we need to be patient and see what they come up with. The controller looks incredible. But it looks like it is going to cost an arm and a leg. Then you have to buy the yet to be seen console. Were slightly worried. But Nintendo has a lot to still show off. When. That is the million-dollar question. Nobody knows.

Although they didn’t say any of this Nintendo during the event – the new console will run in full HD, via HDMI, but the touchscreen isn’t HD. The console has internal Flash memory which can be augmented with “SD Card or USB solutions”. It will play optical disks and downloadable content, and will be backwards-compatible with Wii software. And it will launch some time between 1 April and 31 December 2012.

It will be the oddest console ever, and possibly the best, too. Or it may turn out to be a complete cul-de-sac. But one thing is for sure: it won’t just be another generic games console.

Batman: Arkham City, an Assassin’s Creed game, Dirt, Ghost Recon Online, Tekken, Metro Last Light,Aliens Colonial Marines, Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge, and Darksiders II all got a mention as coming to the Wii U. Yes!

[Source: Nintendo at E3: Wii U and endless unanswered questions]

Before any of the announcements Sony US boss Jack Tretton took to the stage and talked about the Playstation Network hack and offered his and the companies sincere apologies.

Addressing consumers, he said: “You are the lifeblood of the company. Without you there is no PlayStation. I want to apologise personally and for the company for any anxiety caused. It’s you that causes us to be humbled and amazed by the support you continue to give”.

To Sony’s third-party publishing partners, Tretton said: “I know the outage has been costly. We wouldn’t be where we are without you”.

He added: “We are committed more than ever to making sure the PlayStation experience is entertaining and secure for everybody”.

PSN was taken offline on 20th April following a security breach that left personal information tied to some 77 million user accounts compromised and the details of around 12.3 million credit card possibly stolen.

The phased restoration of the service began on 14th May, culminating in Welcome Back content being made available to users on 3rd June.

Tretton then went on to show what Sony has planned for the gaming over then next 12 months. The big news came in the form of the NGP which has now been named PS Vita, (Vita meaning life apparently) and more importantly, the release date and price was announced.

Sony has said that Vita would be release this holiday season in America with the UK release date soon after.

Vita will come in two flavours and two prices. Vita will retail for $249 (£150) for the Wi-Fi only model but will likely to cost closer to £200 when it lands on UK shores. But if you’re in America when it’s out you could save yourself a decent chunk of money.

The 3G model is be price at $299 (£182) but is likely to see mobile phone subsidies when the networks offer you a decent data package.

Sony announced that Vita would be exclusive with mobile operator AT&T which means we are likely to see the same deal for a UK network – don’t be surprised if Vodafone or O2 snap up the exclusive rights for the new 3G version of the portable.

Sony’s next big announcement came in the form of 3D. Tretton talked up the 3D capabilities of Sony and announced at that they are going to release a Playstation 24-inch 3D TV.

The monitor won’t be available just yet but should be available by Christmas 2011. The set has been designed for those of you who want a device in the bedroom or snug space. Sony’s idea is to bring a decent affordable 3D screen to the masses.

Sony’s new TV does have one particularly impressive party piece. It will allow users to play games with split screen action but each user will see a full screen instead of half. Were not sure whether it will only work with the glasses, but the the idea and tech is very clever indeed.

Included in the price of $499 you get a pair of 3D active shutter glasses, a 6FT HDMI cable and a copy of Resistance 3. Sony stated that the glasses can be bought separately for $69.99 and will be compatible with other screens.

Included in the price which we will get to in just one moment, will be a pair of 3D active shutter glasses, 6ft HDMI cable and a copy of the game already mentioned Resistance 3, for a price of $499. Sony have also pointed out that the new glasses can be purchased for $69.99 and will work on their different TV’s.

There was of course and a full compliment of new software for the Sony family and lots of new Move content for the next 12 months.

[Source: Sony at E3: Alive & kicking with PS Vita and Playstation 3D TV]

If you’re under 18, you’ll know what it’s like. You have your powerhouse of a laptop, but your super-hot games console is tied to your living room TV. And your mum’s on it. And  you’re a bit interested in what’s going on in Coronation Street, anyway. The Roxio Game Capture solves your problem – it can take in your console’s video signal and transfer it via USB to your computer.

Using the Capture software, you can then watch it live and full-screen, without ever touching a TV. And because the Game Capture also outputs to your TV, you can leave the device plugged in as normal, and then just plug the USB cable into your laptop to game, instead of battling with the parents over TV rights.

Oh, and you can also use it record and edit your gaming prowess, to share on YouTube or broadcast live over the internet, like a USB-attached webcam.

There are a couple of drawbacks to the plan, though. Firstly, your computer has to be a bit of a beefcake. Nothing ridiculous, but you’re looking at an Intel Core 2 Duo Processor at 1.8GHz, or an AMD x2 64 at 2GHz. Then throw in 2GB RAM. You’ll also need 2GB free harddrive space for the initial install, and an additional 10GB+ for recording videos.

And Mac users – you’re out of luck. You definitely need Windows Media Player 11 or higher.

The GameCapture box accepts component cables, so in theory, anything can plug into the device. Another games console? Specialist camera? Blu-ray player? The limit is your imagination… And the 480p, 60/frames per second recording limit. None of your games will come out HD in your recordings, but then, that would be difficult to stream on the internet, and take an age to upload.

Output formats include AVI, DV-AVI, WMX, DivX and MP4 video, with MP£, WAV, WMA and ACC audio options. You can also take screenshots in JPG, PNG, TIFF, BMP or GIF formats.

The box itself is pretty compact and doesn’t require a plug socket – so it is really flexible to take places or hide away when not in use.  There’s also some video editing software (available separately), that works fairly well – especially when you’re used to it.

Slight issues include a faint ghosting on the video as it passes through to the TV – not ideal. There have also been reports that the required computers specs are a bit higher than those advertised – we couldn’t test this, as our computers are all drastically over-powered.

[Source: Roxio Game Capture]

Certainly among primary-school children the DS is the gaming console of choice, whether they’re in the car or on a train – and it’s a piece of kit that is shared by kids and adults alike.

Now Nintendo has taken it to another level – the 3DS comes to UK shops on March25, will be priced around £200, and has one big USP – it offers the full 3D gaming experience without the need for 3D specs.

So what do the experts say about the new 3DS?

At Tech Radar, they commented on its build quality, saying: “In terms of how the new device is to hold, the 3DS doesn’t feel quite so expensive or solid as something like the Sony PSP. The d-pad, face and shoulder buttons are small with that distinctly ‘clicky’ feel. We’d also say that when fully open, the top panel encroaches on the space your fingers need around the shoulder buttons.”

Another negative is the battery life, according to Ryan Fleming at Digital Trends, who comments:

“Nintendo claims that the battery is good for around five hours of use, and that is being generous. If you are using it fairly intensely, with the brightness turned all the way up, the volume at full, and the 3D as high as it can go, plus you are connected via Wi-Fi, you will probably run out of juice in less than three hours.”

Yes, yes, but you want to know about that 3D don’t you? First, let Luke Westaway at CNET explain how it works: “The 3DS uses parallax barrier technology to create a 3D effect without requiring the user to wear glasses. The parallax barrier is a layer within the screen that’s covered in tiny slits, allowing two different images to be fired from one display in slightly different directions. Align your eyes correctly, and you’ll see a 3D image.”

Okay, now we’re getting to it. The Telegraph’s Tom Hoggins tried out the 3D effect and found it was not without problems:

“The 3D has its problems, however. Shift the console out of that 3D sweet spot, and it can be tricky to find it again, often creating a ghosting effect. It’s distracting when playing Pilotwings and the hoop you are flying towards suddenly splits in two. It’s also unquestionably a strain on the eyes after prolonged play, and will have many reaching for the 3D slider that can switch the effect off. Fortunately, the 2D visuals look good too.”

In fact, back in December the company’s Japanese website warned that children under the age of six should not use the 3D functionality as it could affect their eye development (that will be my argument if number one son asks for one for his birthday!)

And on MSNBC Winda Benedetti had the same problem: “…to see the 3D imagery correctly, you have to keep your head directly in front of your 3DS. There’s only a small window for wiggle room. Moving your body around and keeping your head aligned with the gadget at the same time isn’t horribly difficult. But it does require some extra attention and, if you move your eyes too far out of alignment, the visuals go wonky.”

Ben Kuchera at Ars Technica was more complimentary:

“The 3DS’ main gimmick is the glasses-free 3D screen, but Nintendo included a slider on the right-hand side of the device that allows you to adjust the 3D effect up and down or turn it off entirely. You don’t have to go to a menu, you don’t have to reboot the software, you can adjust the 3D whenever you’d like—even just to let someone watch over your shoulder—and it works beautifully.”

So the jury’s divided on the Nintendo 3DS –some think it is too pricey, and that the battery life lets it down big time – so it definitely seems like a case of try-before-you-buy to see whether you really get on with the 3D offering before splashing your cash.

[Source: Nintendo 3DS review of reviews]

Each of Zone’s products closely resembles a market competitor: the Zone 3D is Playstation-like, the 60 is all Wii (complete with accessories) and the 100 has a more-than-passing resemblance to the Xbox 360. Still, if you can’t afford any of the main consoles, you can always buy one of these and hope your friends are stupid. It’s a shame, because if they didn’t try to look like the major consoles, they’re not without some positives.

Zone 3D

Still in development, the Zone 3D should have between 20 – 30 3D games. This’ll be bolstered by around 80 bonus 2D games, meaning that everyone should find something to gauge their interest.

We played a skateboarding gaming, which responded well to the wireless controller. The graphics and gameplay were about on-par with a Playstation One. The 3D is powered by anaglyph – the old style green and red offset with compulsory goggles. It does mean you get 3D gaming without buying any special (expensive) kit, but it’s not the most impressive.

The system is available in the summer for around £50.

Zone 60

The sequel to the original Zone 40, the new system has bumped up the graphics to 32-bit. We didn’t see any 3D, so expect lots of SNES-style gaming. It didn’t look the best on the HD LCD TV was saw it on, but it’s not finished yet so it’s hard to pass judgement. There will be around 25, 32-bit games, the rest 16-bit ports from the old system.

We got to play a Table Tennis game on beginner mode, and thoroughly thrashed the opponent by simply mashing the A button. Although it looks like a Wii, swinging the remote was completely unnecessary for our victory. On the other hand, there’re plenty of accessories to tack onto the remote, which was half the Wii-fun. Summer, £50.

Zone 100

This one was out of batteries when we got to the stall, but simply it looked like a white Kinect. The benefit is that you can plug it into the TV without pluging in a power cord, so it’s highly portable. The downside? Running out of battery while gaming is frustrating.

[Source: Zone – console gaming on the cheap]