Want to own these? Yes, you too can have your own Handheld Portal Device made by Aperture Science for just 16,000 yen (or around AUD$193). I mean, who doesn’t want to own a gun that makes teleporting portals out of thin air?

Yes, of course I know it’s not real. It’s just a replica. But it is a really good replica of the gun, and even comes with lights that can change to blue and orange. And plus, who doesn’t want it. I mean, look at it. It’s the freaking Portal Gun!

You can obviously tell Portal is one of my favourite games. I can also tell you that list isn’t long – it’s like ten games I’ve played. And the only reason why I played it was because my friends strapped me down and forced me to play it. Though, I wouldn’t have played this voluntarily if they hadn’t forced me to do so.

Anyway, it will cost 16,000 yen and will be released on April 2012. You can get it from this Japanese store called Mamegyorai (translation).

The editorial team for Australian gaming website PALGN will leave the site on February 10 – or tomorrow – with the executive editor citing problems with the new management and its owner Roland Kulen.

“The reason for this decision stems from an inability for the editorial team and the PALGN ownership to come to agreement on how the site would function. Whether or not PALGN will continue to produce any video game content will be solely at the discretion of the current ownership, and what they wish to do with the site,” Jeremy Jastrzab said in a statement.

Can’t believe I missed this, but then again, when you don’t check into your gaming news for a while, then you tend to miss this.

Kulen is currently leading the campaign for an R18+ classification, and is also a lobbyist for GAME in Australia. He also owns PALGN since 2008.

Leaked emails have been posted by a “guest” on pastebin, revealing the team’s discontent about the management. They cite several problems including server problems – turns out, it does not have enough RAM to handle the load; the lack of transparency and what appears to be constant infighting between Kulen and the team.

I believe this single email explains it:

Given the dire situation of the site, there is no point holding back any frustrations now:

Server

The biggest issue of all is simple: PALGN IS TOO SLOW. Embarrassingly and unpredictably slow. I don’t know how much more specific we can get. It is a complete shambles when compared to just about every single other internet site currently accessible. I doubt that anyone would argue that this issue has almost single handedly been responsible for eroding our user base, to the point where it will now be extremely difficult, if nigh on impossible, to repair.

The issues that have been listed as causing the site issues reek of being menial. However, while I’m no expert on these matters, it has to be quite clear that they stem from neglect and failure to update. And as mentioned, this isn’t something that can sit around and wait. Too much damage has been done. I don’t know why you’re not discussing a server upgrade. Everything points to that being the most pragmatic immediate fix.

Quote:

Also, I’m pissed off that someone has put instructions on how to check the temperature of a car – BIG joke

Why do we have to keep hearing about this? Four separate administrators have been told about this, at least three months ago but it seems that nothing has been done about it. As I explained before, this is either a remnant from the past administration that tried to tinker with video hosting (pre-2007), or a casualty of a hacker war that we got caught in the middle of in 2007. This has to be the least important issue currently affecting the site, but it still seems to be brought up. Get over it.

The content of the server should not be focus at the moment. The sole immediate focus should be making sure that PALGN runs properly and promptly. Flushing a database table every now and then just doesn’t work. Bringing cars back into it, there is no point of sprucing up the interior and have the car brimming with features if it doesn’t run properly. Once the site is running properly, then clean up the server.

Action

The second biggest issue is timeliness of action. The inability to get any of this done has been an abysmal failure.

I can understand the length of time required by the R18 campaign but the above mentioned site issues are purely mechanical. A Boeing 747 mechanical fault can be fixed in a number of hours ñ a website doesn’t require weeks to fix, let alone more than a year of neglect. Everyone agrees ñ this should not have ever reached the point that it has, nor should it require any longer to fix. October 9th should be the absolute latest for fixing this, not the time to finish taking ësubmissions’.

From an administrator perspective, these three plans have been talked about since before I went to Los Angeles in June, yet nothing has been done about them. Quite frankly, I have no motivation to work on them when:

1) There is clearly no proper leadership or deadlines for completing them.

2) That I only have a ceremonial leadership role, where even if I did try to implement some of these ñ particularly technical items ñ I wouldn’t be able to do anything about it.

Furthermore, I’ve thought all along that these plans sound like a load of bullshit, and totally redundant. Our editorial standards are constantly evolving, while Adam, Anthony and I have put in a huge amount of work to fix our relationship with our publisher partners. And since James V can no longer access the server, we can’t actually implement a lot of the things that we want. So the lack of action has made a lot of this null and void.

If you are serious about saying you’re here to fix it all, then action needs to be taken NOW. If not, you might as well not bother at all because there won’t be anything of a site left soon.

Communication

While I’m heartened to see that this post was made in the forums, communication between yourself, Roland, and PALGN has been completely unprofessional and unacceptable. Myself and the other administrators are regularly in contact with one another, and I speak to each of the staff whenever I can. Part of the reason that there has been such a vehement reaction is that every single one of us has been that none of us actually know what you’re supposed to be doing? Seriously, what do you do? That’s something that I’m sure EVERYONE would really want to know.

Regular openness and communication, is absolutely essential to a place like PALGN, where we don’t have much face-to-face contact. And that’s what the PALGN forum is for. And this is the first time in THREE years that you’ve actually approached the staff and talked about site related issues on the forum. It wouldn’t have been difficult to, every now and then, pop in and give staff an update on what has been happening. But no, there has been absolutely nothing. And I know that you don’t read much in the forum either, as you tried contacting me while I was away in Nepal, when I clearly had told everyone on the forum that I was away.

Maybe that’s simply because nothing has been happening? And if this is the case, it’s completely unacceptable as well, particularly for the person that is meant to be in control of ownership of the site.

Luke Van Leuvren was asked to leave the site because his communication with the site and its partners had completely broken down and he was using site materials for personal financial gain. Luke Mitchell was also dismissed for complete and utter failure to fulfil his duties in a senior position on the site, and complete failure of communication. In both cases, the reputation of the site took a lot of damage and the core issue was a failure of communication, which is what is occurring here. This is an area that needs significant improvement.

Trust

Quite frankly, my trust that anything will be done has been completely broken. I’m a very loyal and trusting person, but once this has been broken, it’s impossible to recover it. Here are a number of issues that have caused my trust to be lost for good:

*Firstly, why did the administrators have to beg, kick and scream to find out that there had been a change in ownership? James Peter didn’t tell us until March 30 this year: http://palgn.com.au/viewtopic.php?t=60337 but it is very clear that the change of ownership had happened long before that. It’s unacceptable that we had to wait possibly up to 6 months to find this out, for something that would have taken very little effort to relay to us. It only makes us suspicious that there is something to hide.

*Secondly, as extremely disappointed I am that you cut access to the server for James Varoutsos, the manner in which you did it was completely underhanded and unprofessional. The passwords were changed and you refused to tell ANY of us that it happened and even danced around the issue when asked.

I couldn’t care less what happened between you two, but in either case, it’s damaging the site now because James was the one who was taking care of the minor fixes for the site, and there are a fair few lined up now.

Quote:

As you’ll recall, James V I called you on a number occasions – no response.

Still, who am I more likely to trust? Someone who I’m in regular contact with and has implemented the things I’ve asked even if it took a little bit of time, or someone who only contacts me when they feel the need to feed me some intangible and vague musings?

While there are always two sides to every story, I have no reason to believe this one. I don’t care that you, Roland, wound yourself into some deal with Hasbro that required immediate action and got upset that someone couldn’t answer their phone while working. The fact that you went behind James’ back to lock him out of the server and not tell a single one of us, or even have the professionalism explain your actions was pretty much the straw that broke the camel’s back. There is no way I can fully trust a single thing that you say to me after that.

James needs access to the server. Put that on your list for items that require immediate access.

*Thirdly, who is Jason and why is he away now? As far as I understand, he’s had access to the servers for nearly four months now and has done nothing. Ok, maybe he has been flushing a database table here and there, and he helped clean out the portal when it got flooded but he shouldn’t be waiting on us to fix such a major problem. James at least understands the site and the exact functional issue at hand. And again, you told us nothing about this for several months, which makes me scratch my head and wonder, why? What did you have to hide?

I respect that our input is needed before we can redesign, but as I said before, there is no point changing the contents until the engine is fixed.

*Fourthly, why don’t you tell us more about what you’re supposed to be doing and the different partnerships and sponsorships that PALGN has been blessed with? And why are you so clandestine about it, refusing to tell us if something happens ñ where we often don’t know or find out one day when we log onto the site.

For example, why didn’t you tell us anything about PALGN sponsoring Supernova? I only found out from a publisher that we were involved. Couldn’t the staff have been told at least, let alone at least offering the staff in the respective cities a chance to go in without paying?

*Fifthly, why can’t we be told more about the efforts to get PALGN out into the further media? Most of us have seen the video that you filmed with GameTV, but none of us were told that you had something like this lined up. Yes, it was a great opportunity for the site, and as someone who has been working extensively on the R18 campaign, you were the right person to be doing this. However, my biggest worry is that we are representing PALGN on one front, while you are doing so on another. And while we know what we’re doing, we don’t know whether what you’re doing is for the betterment of PALGN or to raise your own profile. Everyone here is happy to follow a common goal, but not only do we have no idea what your goal is, none of us actually have any confidence that it is what we feel is best for the site.

*Finally, I can’t see any tangible gain that you’ve given to the site during your tenure. As we see now, nothing has been done with the site’s future in mind and we’re paying for it dearly now. Everyoneplays was a great cause and the end result fantastic, but you fucked me up the ass with the amount of work I eventually did for this, in the process burning me out and driving me to the brink of leaving the site. I’m staying on now to try and prevent leaving everyone the mess that was left for me. You’ve USED other staff members as well and paid off some good kids with token gestures.

Aspects such as the Hasbro connections, Supernova connections are all good and well, the Sony Ericsson phone was worth a shot, but at the end of the day, PALGN is heading towards oblivion. And fast. The site is barely accessible, load times are unacceptable, advertising is a failure and we can’t even make minor fixes at the moment. And that’s despite the efforts that myself, Adam and Anthony have put in to keeping aspects such as publisher relations, and the effort from EVERY SINGLE STAFF MEMBER to make sure that we’ve covered EVERY SINGLE IMPORTANT TITLE during your tenure.

And none of this mentions the trail of broken promises, unfulfilled potentials and wasted opportunities.

Seriously, I have no faith that anything will be done about this. It’s all completely gone.

Quit dodging questions, start being open with us and get things done. Everything that needs to be done is quite simple, it’s just a matter of doing it. No stuffing around with vague plans and vapid discussions. The initial problems are clear, and once they’re fixed, I’m sure every single person on board will happily give their suggestions for improving the functionality of the site.

And I won’t be answering the phone on these issues. A phone call is too ëoff the record’, and everything should be written here and discussed in the open. I’m sick of keeping the staff in the dark, whom I have a great deal of respect for, and they deserve to know what’s going on.

It’s now or never. Show me and everyone else that you’re going to fix this.

The email also appears to show that the email was conducted for weeks before the editorial site decided to leave. Talking to MCV, managing editor Adam Ghiggino said that the email leak was “unfortunate.”

“It’s unfortunate that the circumstances of our departure have come to light like this, as we would have preferred if those private conversations had remained as such.”

“However, I can confirm that the remaining members of PALGN’s editorial staff intend to leave in the near future, after tying up some loose ends. Most of us will be leaving to pursue other projects, both in video games journalism and other fields.”

The site’s future is up in the air, so it may or may not shut down. But those former contributors, if you still want to contribute to video gaming journalism, could you help us with ours?

Now you can battle the Dark Lord himself (Image: LucasFilm/Microsoft/Supplied)

Kinect Star Wars has now a release date. The new game in the massive franchise, allowing fans to experience the entire universe (apparently), will go on sale on April 5 for AU$69.95 – two days after it goes on sale in the US on April 3. After the jump, you can see some gameplay footage and gallery of new images for the upcoming game.

Podracing on Kinect Star Wars

The game features five dynamic modes – Jedi Destiny: Dark Side Rising, Podracing, Rancor Rampage, Galactic Dance Off, and Duels of Fate; and all five are essentially all mini-games attracting to different types of people. For instance, the Dance Off mode is a Star Wars-branded Dance Central, while Jedi Destiny is more a typical story game. Duels of Fate, which was also announced, lets you pretend to be a Jedi and fight against the Dark Side – so if your into that, feel free to get the game.

Microsoft will also sell limited edition for AU$549 that will include the game, a White Kinect unit, and a themed unit and controller. In addition, the Limited Edition will give you an exclusive C-3PO character for Dance Mode.

Yes, I know. I don’t get it either.

To be honest, I personally don’t really care much for Star Wars – I know, a total nerd who doesn’t like Star Wars; and maybe should have consulted any of my friends about anything about the series before writing this post. But, if you want to play it and/or a massive fan, feel free.

Gallery, trailer and some gameplay footage can be found below.

Spying on players in order to get personal data, no wonder Facebook and Zynga need each other. A former ex-Zynga staff member has opened up an IAmA Reddit post, revealing both the good and the not-so-good bits of the company.

“No, this isn’t payback, or about a grudge. This is just word from someone who’s seen what this industry is capable of doing,” he writes explaining his motivation to do so.

So, what did the former employee reveal?

• Zynga hires contractors and “treats them like second citizen employees, they almost have no feedback or say on their work schedule… they are [also] NOT welcome to company events, they are openly excluded from them. Yet they want them to work twice as hard as regular full timers.”
• They spy on their players, “getting intimate gaming data, their habits, their networks and how to effectively monetize given X”. Also revealed was to skew gameplay in order to profit.
• Worst things on the office? “Color Wars”, which was a company ‘cheerleading’ event apparently; and their walls covered with old memes. If you need an image – “Just imagine a bunch of noobs in /b/ mass bukkakeing your workspace with old memes.” Good luck getting that image out of your head.
• “If you can’t buy em, clone em.” He even reveals that the core technology for FarmVille was bought. Though, he does point out that MafiaWars2 was “homegrown”. Also, to any developer, “Lawyer up” and “resist the urge to get bought out”.
• What are some of the good things? “An awesome chowhall for food. 2 meals a day. Arcade machines all over the campus. Living in the carcass of the old SEGA building. Brogrammers committing bad XML and pretending to be programmers. (entertainment value) Designers and Artists committing bad XML. (moar entertainment value)”
• All the best coders are flagged for Farmville, and all the crap games are “shipped to India, to die. Zynga India is ‘maintenance’”.

So, if you do find anything else interesting, do post in in the comments.

The reasoning is that Sony wants you to use the same ID on all services, such as Music Unlimited, Video Unlimited (not available in Australia yet), and PlayMemories Online.

Why they would add the word ‘Entertainment,” I don’t know. Maybe Sony Network was taken? All I can hope is that Sony Entertainment Network doesn’t also get compromised and actually has some good security systems in place.

UK gaming retailer GAME looks likely to be pulling out of the Australian market, after striking a deal with its creditors to save the company from bankruptcy due to poor Christmas sales which includes plans to sell its overseas stores.

The deal allows GAME to continue lending, albeit within a lower limit. In return, the company has to provide an updated plan that will be approved by the lenders. The plan also includes a review of overseas operations – which could suggest the company could be looking for a buyer for its international assets to keep its UK stores afloat.

The company has 664 international stores – including 115 stores in Australia.

The company has reportedly been struggling due to the rise of online stores in the UK as sales during the Christmas holiday shopping season fell 15 percent. It has already announced it will be making a £18 million loss, and closing 60 of its 610 stores across the UK and Ireland by 2013. This is on top of the 39 stores it closed last year.

The struggle has also seen EA spooked. CEO John Riccitiello has noted during an investor call that he was concern of a “major European retail partner” – with many in the gaming press assuming it was Game.

The game isn’t coming out until February 3, but Konami has released some new screenshots of its new demonic action game NeverDead – created by Shinta Nojiri, known for his work on the Metal Gear Solid series. Gallery is after the jump.

Silent Hill: Downpour – the eighth installment in the survival horror game series – isn’t coming until March, but Konami has released some new screenshots to keep you awaiting. You can flick through these screenshots after the jump.

Razer has announced another gaming mouse. Called the Naga Hex, it features six large thumb buttons on the side that are designed to have shortcuts for your action-RPG and Multiplayer Online Battle Arena games (whatever that is),

It also includes its Synapse 2.0 service, meaning that your custom mouse settings and profiles will be saved to their cloud server. Therefore, plugging this on another computer will mean that you will not lose any shortcuts or other customisations that you had on your previous computer.

It will ship at the end of January from its website, with pre-orders starting now. Otherwise, worldwide store availability will be in March. Retail price is US$79.99. Gallery and press release below.

PERFECT YOUR LAST HITS WITH RAZER NAGA HEX GAMING MOUSE

Razer releases all-new gaming mouse with six thumb buttons designed for MOBA, action-RPG and hack and slash games pwnage

Consumer Electronics Show, Las Vegas, Nevada – January 10, 2012 – (Virtual Press Office) – Razer, the world leader in high performance gaming hardware, is taking your intense arena battling and frenzied hack and slash gaming to the next level with the Razer Naga Hex MOBA/action-RPG gaming mouse. Inspired by the award-winning Razer Naga MMO gaming mouse’s 12-button thumb grid, the Razer Naga Hex features six large thumb buttons optimized for the user interfaces found in action-RPG and MOBA games.

Excitement in the world of gaming is heating up with the rise of the Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) genre, with games like the critically acclaimed League of Legends. Games that throw champions into a ring to arm themselves, level up, and duke it out against one another while defending massive super structures.

Six mechanical buttons optimized for MOBA/action-RPGs

Enter the Razer Naga Hex, designed with six mechanical buttons to specifically bind the spells, abilities, items, and other invaluable commands in MOBA games like League of Legends for faster and easier actuation. With a mechanical key infrastructure that requires less force to actuate, you gain the edge in speed over enemies, attacking before they can react. The Razer Naga Hex is also perfect for obsessive clicking in hack and slash games.

High performance buttons up to 250 clicks a minute

Since both the RPG and MOBA game genres require intensive clicking, the Razer Naga Hex’s buttons are constructed with special switches for a performance of up to 250 clicks per minute – perfect for pro-gamers with lightning fast reflexes. Don’t worry about hyper-clicking though, as the Razer Naga Hex utilizes switches that are good for up to a whopping 10 million clicks.

Ergonomic shape and interchangeable thumb rests

The Razer Naga Hex is designed with an ergonomic curvature that fits your hand comfortably. The placement of the six thumb buttons has also been perfected over countless design reiterations, and validated by MOBA pro-gamers to ensure you’re getting the best game control and grip. 3 interchangeable thumb rests of different heights are included so you get the best comfort and grip that suits you. This is especially important for reducing strain during lengthy gaming sessions at home or at highly competitive tournaments.

Synapse 2.0 enabled

The Razer Naga Hex will also be Razer Synapse 2.0 enabled – this means the mouse is installed with the world’s first cloud-based storage software that automatically saves all user custom mouse settings and profiles to a cloud server. These settings can then be accessed from any computer, with any Razer Naga Hex, ensuring that the mouse is ready for use instantly, and setup just the way you like it.

“I love RPG and MOBA games. And I believe that having the right abilities available is the difference between slaying enemies and winning, or dying a miserable death and having your character wiped in hardcore mode,” said Robert ‘RazerGuy’ Krakoff, President, Razer USA. “That’s why we designed the Razer Naga Hex – we believe that the six mechanical thumb buttons are going to help gamers stay ahead of the competition with the best ergonomic control.”

About the Razer Naga Hex Gaming Mouse

The Razer Naga Hex is perfectly suited for pro-gamers and fans of the MOBA/action-RPG game genres. It is primed with six mechanical thumb buttons for the exact number of controls necessary to suit the user interfaces of those games. Bind your skill-bar or inventory grid to the six buttons for faster, more comfortably efficient access to your full range of powers as you take the competition down.

Price: $79.99

Availability
Razerzone.com : 10 January Pre-orders open, Ship End January
Worldwide : In stores March 2012

Product features:

• 6 MOBA/action-RPG optimized mechanical thumb buttons
• 11 total programmable buttons
• Special switches in buttons for up to 250 clicks per minute
• 10 million click life cycle
• Ergonomic curved design
• Razer Synapse 2.0
• 5600dpi Razer Precision 3.5G Laser Sensor
• 1000Hz Ultrapolling/1ms response time
• Approximate Size : 116mm/4.57″ (Length) x 78mm/3.07″ (Width) x 42mm/1.65″ (Height)
• Approximate Weight: 134g/0.30lbs

While the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 are started to lag behind PC gaming, there is still a lot of life in the consoles. And the longer we wait, the better the next generations technology will be. If the new consoles are announced now using current technology the leap will not be as big as the leap from PlayStation 1 to 2 or to 3.

The big question is whether Microsoft will beat Sony to shelves again, jeapordizing sales of the PlayStation 4 with the next Xbox. Or whether the Wii U will arrive this year. There is also a chance that the plans for a PS4 are still on track for E3 2012 but Sony just doesn’t want to slow PS3 sales yet.

Either way, it’s going to be an interesting time for the next year or so and you can find it all here on TECHGEEK.com.au.

Razer, known for their other concept we covered from last year’s CES, has unveiled another concept for gaming. Dubbed “Project Fiona”, this concept lets you play any PC game anywhere in a lightweight and small form factor – the tablet.

They worked with Intel and is using Intel’s third-generation Core i7 processor, making it more “akin to a fully functioning PC” despite the smaller form factor. In addition, any PC games running on this concept will work without any modification. The concept utilises dual game controllers with ultra-precise analog sticks; accelerometers and the multi-touch screen to let you play the game – with any future game able to take advantage of the latter two.

Razer, however, is also trying to work on an actual product, to be shipping in Q4 of this year with a price tag of under US$1,000. Developer units will be sent soon to interested parties. Press release and gallery below.

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Consumer Electronics Show – Razer™, the world leader in high performance gaming hardware, is proud to announce their newest gaming concept design – the Project Fiona PC Gaming Tablet. Unlike other tablets designed for general use and casual gaming, Project Fiona is a tablet concept designed to play the most popular PC games of today with an intuitive control setup for a phenomenal on-the-go gaming experience.

Powered by Intel® Core™ i7

Razer worked closely with Intel to harness the power of its third generation Intel® Core™ i7 processor in Project Fiona. As a result, Razer’s tablet is more akin to a fully functioning PC; and yet in a form factor and platform highly familiar to everybody.

Instead of relying on developers to work on a suite of brand new applications for Project Fiona, many PC games today run natively on the tablet concept without the need to be ported, optimized, or developed from scratch.

Moreover, Project Fiona will feature one of the most powerful processors integrated in a tablet form factor. Instead of the casual and mobile-only games that run on under-powered tablets, Project Fiona will run full-fledged PC games that have never run on a tablet form factor before until today.

“Project Fiona’s combination of high performance Intel-based gaming hardware and innovative tablet design is specifically focused for PC gamers. It will unleash the PC gamer to play their existing and future high-end games in one of the most exciting new form factors – a tablet,” said Brad Graff, Director of Partner Marketing, Netbook & Tablet Group, Intel.

PC Gaming User Interface Designed For a Tablet Form Factor

Razer’s multi-award winning user interface and ergonomics team have developed an all-new hybrid user interface scheme for Project Fiona. Featuring integrated dual game controllers with ultra-precise analog sticks, Project Fiona runs gamepad-enabled PC games right out of the box.

Along with the game controllers, Project Fiona is also designed with ultra-precise accelerometers and a highly sensitive multi-touch screen. This provides game developers with new game experiential opportunities to develop around the hybrid game control experience offered by Project Fiona. It also ensures current-generation PC games run on the tablet concept, as well as any existing games optimized for the touchscreen interface of a tablet.

Future games developed for Fiona are expected to take advantage of not just the integrated gamepad controls but also integrate core game functionality controls for the touchscreen and accelerometer-based controls.

“While multi-touch screens have become the de facto user interface for tablets, they are not the right interface for serious PC gaming,” said Min-Liang Tan, CEO, Razer. “The user interface we have designed for Project Fiona allows all existing PC games to be played right out of the box and also provides game developers new opportunities as they develop next-gen games on a highly-intuitive platform. Both developers and gamers are going to love the new user interface that combines the best of a gamepad, multi-touch screen and accelerometers for an all-new gaming experience on-the-go.”

The Most Immersive Gaming Experience on a Tablet

To further intensify the gaming experience with Project Fiona, Razer’s integrated dual controllers deliver full force feedback, so every explosion or gun recoil can be felt in the gamer’s hands.

THX® Ltd., which works with many of the world’s most innovative audio and video home entertainment manufacturers, agrees that the tablet adds tremendous flexibility to a gamer’s lifestyle. “Video games, music and entertainment that previously were mainly enjoyed within the home can now be enjoyed anywhere through tablets such as the Razer Concept PC Gaming Tablet,” said Chris Golson, Senior Director, Business Development, THX.

Developer units of the Project Fiona Concept PC Gaming Tablet will be made available soon. Interested parties should email developer@razerzone.com for more information. Project Fiona will be on display at Razer’s booth in South Hall 3, #31473.

About the Project Fiona Concept PC Gaming Tablet

Project Fiona is the only tablet in the world designed for PC gaming.

Price: Estimated below USD $1,000

Availability: Actual product shipping Q4 2012

For more information about the Project Fiona Concept PC Gaming Tablet, please visit www.razerzone.com/projectfiona

Amidst the lackluster keynote from Microsoft – it’s final one – was this little product announcement. The Kinect will soon be heading for Windows officially on February 1 in twelve countries – including the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. This will include software that would make it compatible with your computer without any sort of trickery.

The price tag is US$249 and includes the one-year warranty, access to critical software updates and as a small investment to the cause.

And you would have thought Sony would have learnt from their security problems of the year – such as the PSN network and the constant attacks on Sony’s affiliates. Turns out, maybe not. A hacker has found a flaw in the PS Vita in how it encrypt data.

SKFU – known for his attempts in trying to crack the PS Vita to allow users to play homebrew apps – found the flaw and has posted it up on his blog, noting:

After a complete freeze of the system within the first 5 minutes after unboxing (*always happens to new consoles 4 me rofl*), I went on and noticed that there is a problem with the VITA’s encryption functions and was able to decrypt some test files directly via the system.

Should we be worried about this? Well, maybe. It does allow people to decrypt the firmware and see what is inside.

We’ve asked Sony for a comment – but most likely won’t hear back until next year.

[Thanks PS3Hax]

While this drop could be linked to the reported bugs and glitches with the console or the shortages in stores, it might start looking grim if sales fall any more than they already have. It might also be a sign that consumers are over dedicated gaming systems and would rather a multifunction device.

The PlayStation Vita will launch in Australia on February 23 in 2012 (I’ve pre-ordered mine), so let’s hope that Sony’s new console has a better launch internationally. Let us know in the comments if you’ve pre-ordered or not and why.

The game will continue to be released overseas and it again shows how terrible lack of an R18+ game rating is for Australia. EA has officially responded to the ban saying that

It’s regrettable that government policy in Australia is denying adults the right to play Syndicate.  The game will be not be available in Australia despite its enthusiastic response from fans. We were encouraged by the government’s recent agreement to adopt an 18+ age rating for games. However, delays continue to force an arcane censorship on games – cuts that would never be imposed on books or movies. We urge policy makers to take swift action to implement an updated policy that reflects today’s market and gives its millions ofadult consumers the right to make their own content choices.

EA has said that they will definitely no longer be attempting to release the game in Australia because of this and will not be appealing the decision. They also say that the game is made for a mature audience and any changes would affect the quality, according to EA. New Zealand will be getting it on the 24th February 2012 and it will be rated R18 there.

Let’s hope that EA and every other publisher, gamer and developer’s wishes finally come true and we get an 18+ rating soon. Otherwise, expect more censorship that hurts the Australian gaming industry.

UPDATE – Terence Huynh: The Classification Board gave refused classification because the board did not like the “intense sequence of violence which include detailed depictions of decapitation and dismemberment” and the fact that the player has the choice of “whether to target [civilians] or not”. They can be shot but not decapitated or dismembered.

The full decision can be seen below, which we have acquired from the Classification Board.

Looking for something for Christmas in which the family can enjoy; or a replacement for a recently broken down Xbox? Well look no further, we’ve found a great deal for you – and just in time before Christmas.

Harvey Norman they are offering a 4GB Xbox 360 for only $168. Normally the Xbox 360 Slim 4GB currently retails at $250. Therefore it is a saving of $82 or roughly 33%. The discounted Xbox 360 currently has no expiration date, so it is great last minute gift for the family.

For all you doubters who are thinking why would I need an Xbox? My response to that is that think as it as an investment. Currently the Xbox 360 offers a variety of uses, such as active motion gaming via the Xbox Kinect, and TV streaming via the new SBS on Demand application. And to those who are thinking that a 4GB hard drive is minuscule for all the current games that are available, the Xbox 360 can use either an external USB flash drive or an 250GB hard drive retailing at $150 AUD.

So whether if you are planning to united the family over a fun, entertain games, or watching a movie bunched together, or just upgrading to a current model; this deal is great one not to miss.

Those who love the Metal Gear franchise must have been pleased when this year sees the release of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. Developed by Platinum Games, the new game shifts towards a more action-based game rather than what it was previously announced.

We’ve just received some images and the trailer for the game from Konami, so check them out below. No release date has been announced yet, but we’ll keep you up to date when we do hear word of Australian availability.

Also announced was Konami’s new site for fans – MetalGearSolid.com. The new site has been designed to allow fans to contribute their own content, such as personal memories of playing Solid Snake. It’ll also keep fans up-to-date with the latest developments of several games – including Revengeance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3H-VkA9xzk8

The latest game in the Assassin’s Creed series – Revelations – is here. Featuring all three major characters from the earlier games of the series – Ezio, Altair and Desmond. However, does it better its predecessors or does it fall flat? As well, as it is the last game to play as Ezio, does this serve as a fitting farewell?

Nicholas Munro reviews Assassin’s Creed: Revelations, which is after the jump.

Warning: this review may contain spoilers.

Story and Graphics

The story in Assassin’s Creed: Revelations follows much the same structure as the previous game with Ezio Auditore and the Assassins in their war against the Templars (a mysterious group intent on world domination). This time round Ezio is striving to find five keys to the ancient library of Altair, the protagonist of the first game, before the Templers.

These keys are artefacts of an ancient civilisation known only as “the First Civilisation” so one may assume that the library holds more than just books. Much like previous titles in this all takes place in the head of Desmond Miles who through a device known as the Animus (which allows an individual to view the memories of their ancestors). This time, however, Desmond is not there by choice. After the events of the last game left him in a coma, he has hooked up to the Animus to keep his mind from shattering, and with the help an individual known as “Subject 16” Desmond must work to unravel his ancestors memories before they all begin to collapse together.

Graphically you will notice little graphical improvement from the previous game. However, that’s not to say that this is not a beautiful game. Yet again, Ubisoft have constructed a rich, vibrant world from the ground up. As with the previous game, this is set in three locations: Constantinople (or Istanbul, it really depends who you talk to), Animas Island (the land where Desmond may wander between memories) and the Assassin’s stronghold from the first game (both in the time of Altair and in Ezio’s time). All these locations have been beautifully crafted to fully immerse the player into this world.

Gameplay

To be honest, ACR has not changed a lot from the previous title in the series, Brotherhood. So let’s just look at what is new. One of the most obvious new features is bomb crafting. Bombs are used in much the same way as smocked bombs in Brotherhood; however this time, they may be customised to serve the player’s purpose. Bombs may be customised for assault or stealth by adding items like shrapnel that can make them deadly or adding sheep’s blood to make a non-deadly bomb that will cause the target to believe they have been hit.

The hook blade is also new. This changes things up a little – it is designed to compensate for Ezio’s age and to make climbing somewhat faster (much like the climbing gloves from the last game). The blade also allows Ezio to use the zip lines that connect many of the buildings throughout the city. This allows for greater ease whilst travelling along the rooftops – the only true way to travel in the Assassin’s Creed series. ACR again lets you recruit and train assassins (like Brotherhood), however their missions have been somewhat tweaked so that their goal now is to take control of the cities around the Mediterranean away from the Templars. A tower defence-styled game has also been added, now Templers will seek to regain lost area within Constantinople and Ezio must use an assorted selection of assassins to defend the base that controls the region of the city.

It is not with Ezio that the player experiences the greatest amount of innovation. This is also found within Desmond’s storyline with Animus Island. As Ezio, you collect various “Animus data fragments” throughout the city; and these can be redeemed when playing Desmond. This allows the chance to travel deep inside the Animus as raw data. Here, the game switches to first person and removes the ability to climb. Instead, you are presented with an alternative to move up levels. Though, you’ll have to find out by the playing the game.

Conclusion

This is quite possibly the best game in the franchise and is a truly great game. However, it is also the sought of game that probably would have benefited from coming out a different time of year and not come up against titles like Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Uncharted 3 and Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary -  all of which offer ether a high level of innovation or nostalgia. So although it is a great game, one cannot help but to feel that the changes are just too small to let it stand out from the crowd.

Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com

Update: Nintendo has told Reuters Japan that the reports of Miyamoto stepping down are false. Their official statement says:

This is absolutely not true. There seems to have been a misunderstanding. [Miyamoto] has said all along that he wants to train the younger generation. He has no intention of stepping down. Please do not be concerned.

Nintendo stock fell 2% after the report. Is Nintendo in damage control or is the report from Wired false?

Original Story: Shigeru Miyamoto, the man behind Super Mario Bros, The Legend of Zelda and other major franchises is stepping down from his position at Nintendo as Senior Managing Director and General Manager of Nintendo’s Entertainment Analysis and Development Division.

In an interview with Wired.com, Miyamoto has said that he would stop supervising the development of major titles and instead give younger developers a chance to change gaming like the 59-year-old gaming legend has.

“Inside our office, I’ve been recently declaring, ‘I’m going to retire, I’m going to retire,’” he said through an interpreter. “I’m not saying that I’m going to retire from game development altogether. What I mean by retiring is, retiring from my current position.”

He also said, “What I really want to do is be in the forefront of game development once again myself. Probably working on a smaller project with even younger developers. Or I might be interested in making something that I can make myself, by myself. Something really small.”

He wants to start a smaller project in 2012 and show the game within a year, also adding that he’s not looking at starting projects that “require a five-year development time.” He also wanted to let the younger developers know that he won’t always be around to work with them.

The full interview will be published at Wired.com next week and we’ll be digging out some of the highlights right here at TECHGEEK.com.au.

The Last Of Us, as it’s called, will be shown at the Spike TV Video Game Awards on the 8th of December and until then all we have is a screenshot of a lush rainforest which looks very nice, apart from the fact that it reveals nothing about the game.

Another screenshot, which is a little more revealing, shows the frontpage of a newspaper stuck in a rusty newspaper dispenser. The headline is, unsurprisingly, “THE LAST OF US.” and to the right the page has a picture of a US president. Below that is a caption which says “Our union remains strong… The military is mounting large guns and securing additional quarantine zones. This is our turning point. We can not and will not become the last of us. Mankind will prevail.” It also says that “MILLIONS MORE ARE FEARED DEAD OR INFECTED,” leaving the speculating video game public to believe it is a post apocalyptic horror game with a different kind of setting when compared to, say, Fallout.

A video has also been released which shows an ant and has literally been taken from the BBC documentary Planet Earth. It ends, however, with a cranking noise, a panting person and then a scream of some kind of creature, person or some other apocalyptic figure.

Update: The update is rolling out now and should be available to all 35 million members of Xbox Live either now or very soon.

Original Story: Uh oh. The Xbox Dashboard update, which was scheduled for release at 2AM AEDT has been delayed according to Microsoft’s Larry Hyrb (known online as Major Nelson).

This post will update as the update status changes and as usual TECHGEEK.com.au will have the latest on the delay as news rolls out. Unfortunately at the moment this is all we know.

FYI: The timing for Xbox 360 dashboard update has been slightly delayed. I’ll have a status update later today

December 7, 2011 1:31 AM via TweetDeckReplyRetweetFavorite

@majornelson

Larry Hryb

We are still working to get the release out. Stay tuned, we’ll have an update this afternoon (PT) on when it will begin rolling out.

December 7, 2011 4:20 AM via TweetDeckReplyRetweetFavorite

@majornelson

Larry Hryb

While we’ve heard about GTA 3 for mobile before, Rockstar Games has now given out a release date for the mobile version of the 10 year old game. Not only was the game revolutionary when it was released but it changed the sandbox genre and what people thought of open-world video games. Not only could you now see everything on new PC and PS2/Xbox graphics, but you could do anything you wanted to do in 3D (not the current definition of it, mind you). The possibilities were endless.

And now we’re so spoilt with amazing mobile hardware that Rockstar Games has ported the full game to some iOS and Android phones and tablets.

From December 15, or December 16 for Australians (we presume), Grand Theft Auto III: 10 Year Anniversary Edition will be available on the iPad 1 & 2, iPhone 4 & 4S and iPod touch 4th Generation for AU$5.49. It’s Universal too, so you can buy once and play it on any iOS device that’s compatible. It will also work with the HTC Rezound, LG Optimus 2x, Motorola Atrix 4G, Motorola Droid X2, Motorola Photon 4G, Samsung Galaxy R, and T-Mobile G2x. If Android tablets are your thing you’ll be able to find it on the Acer Iconia, Asus Eee Pad Transformer, Dell Streak 7, LG Optimus Pad, Motorola Xoom, Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 and 10.1, Sony Tablet S and Toshiba Thrive. Obviously more Android phone support will come.

It’s crazy to think of playing full console games on mobile devices but it looks like the future of gaming on the go is bright. On the Apple side the game will be AU$5.49 and on Android it will cost US$4.99. Let’s hope the onscreen controls aren’t too bad.

So, if you haven’t heard, there’s a new Xbox 360 Dashboard. What’s also new is that you’ll now be able to watch video content for free and on demand right from your Xbox 360 – meaning that you’ll no longer need to hook up your television to your computer. But what exactly is coming to your Xbox 360?

We’ve already confirmed that ABC’s iView service and SBS’s own SBS ON DEMAND will be heading to your Xbox 360, but also confirmed to come to Australians will be access to YouTube – so you’ll be able to watch those very same cat videos on your own television. It should also be noted that for ABC iView, it is not unmetered if you have that arrangement with your current ISP.

Also coming to the Xbox 360 will be content from NineMSN – no surprise, given that it is a 50/50 partnership with Channel Nine. This will let users stream video from Nine News, the Today Show and other content from the site. Also coming is Sony’s Crackle service, giving you access to its own original content and French video site DailyMotion.

All of these services will be coming in “late December”.

For those interested in baseball, you’ll also be able to access season games from MLB.TV directly from your Xbox 360 console from Australia. That will be active, however, in “early 2012″.

People will also be pleased to know that you’ll now be able to navigate with your voice, as this update will now be activated in all Kinects in Australia. As well, there will be a companion app for Windows Phone 7 to let people navigate the same content from your phone.

343 Industries, the new owners of the Halo franchise, with the help of Certain Affinity and Sabre Interactive, have released a remake of Halo: Combat Evolved. Dubbed “Halo Anniversary”, it also comes with new features that will excite many Halo fans. However, with Halo 4 coming next year, will this show 343 Industries is the right group to handle the franchise?

Our gaming editors, Ashton Bernard and Adrian Cajili, give their verdict after the jump.

As this is a dual-review, Adrian with be in red and Ashton will be in blue. The score is an average of what the editors have provided. Their scores can be found in the Conclusion section of the post.

Campaign

Adrian: Being a massive Halo-fan, I remember the first time playing Halo and experiencing a new , mysterious universe. From getting off the Pillar of Autumn onto Halo, encountering the flood in 343 Guilty Spark, and the drive to the Longsword in The Maw. 343 has done an amazing job in trying to stay true to Halo CE’s gameplay and physics.

For people who played the original campaign at an early age, Anniversary helped explain certain moments that were a bit confusing 10 years ago. Also, the inclusion of skulls and terminals makes Halo Anniversary greatly appealing to the core Halo fans with a back story of 343 Guilty Spark and the Halo Array.

Ashton: I, myself, am also a huge fan of Halo, but ten years ago I did not play the original game and so Halo Anniversary was a great means for me to experience the campaign that started it all. From breezing your way through on normal difficulty in the beaches and tunnels of Halo to defying devilish foes on Legendary, Halo Anniversary sucked me in with breath-taking visuals and a musical score that left me thinking nostalgically of my own Halo experiences.

However many levels on “classic” and “remastered” graphics seemed very repetitive (more likely a trademark of games of that era) this did somewhat make the campaign at times quite tedious. However co-op over Xbox Live is heaps of fun, whether your buddy is trying to stop you from getting a skull or you teabag a dead hunter for a solid 10 minutes Halo Anniversary encapsulated all things Halo. Nice one 343! 

Graphics and Gameplay

Adrian: Being able to change from Classic to Remastered graphics is the key feature to Anniversary, which shows how far technology, as well as Halo, has come in the last 10 years. With these new graphics, levels were more easy to navigate, and showed how enemies, levels and enemies should have looked like. Although the level designs got a bit repetitive in the classic and remastered version, just being able to switch from the two was very nostalgic.

Ashton: Hitting the back button in most games is usually just a menu (if it does anything at all) yet in Halo Anniversary, you experience much more than that, you see how far Halo and games in general have come in the past 10 years. Finding a real scenic spot and just switching up the graphics is pretty damn awesome! Gameplay is a huge plus. Who needs recoil on a sniper rifle when you’re the Chief right? Not to mention tearing up terrified enemies and anything else stupid enough to stand in your way with the pistol. It is incredibly enjoyable and a great way to satisfy your “grunty-thirst.”

Multiplayer

Adrian: Multiplayer was a bit odd, playing on the reach engine, aside from the 7 new maps available, including my all-time favourite ‘Hang ‘em High’, 343 brought back the overpowered pistol. After a few hours of gameplay, the pistol seemed to overpower the Shotgun, Energy Sword, Rocket launcher and DMR, as it was greatly used from close to mid-range, or even long-range. Also, it took 3 melee attacks to kill and enemy. But overall, the only thing that drew me in were the Multiplayer maps, and seeing how Certain Affinity can remaster a simple Halo CE level into something visually amazing. 

Ashton: Jumping back into Halo Anniversary’s multiplayer with the Reach engine is a peculiar experience. Immediately I forget that I could no longer sprint and that the DMR is weaker than my side arm, but after a bit of practice the controls become more user-friendly and no sooner does this occur that you get absolutely destroyed by the pistol. Get a bad spawn? Well then say good-bye to your health bar because you are gonna die very, very quickly. In contrast, if you manage to get a jump on an opponent delivering death with the surprising, yet familiar strength of the pistol, can lead to some rewarding killing sprees. Except on High Noon (Hang em’ High remake) cause on that map you cannot hide my friends.

Kinect Functionality

Adrian: Kinect was a new feature that was announced days before the game was released. With Kinect, you can ‘Analyse’ and ‘Scan’ objects to add to your Library. The Library includes all the items you have scanned, Enemies, Weapons, Vehicles, and lets you look at them in detail, as well as learn about the object, or its history. There were a few problems with the Kinect implementation as it would randomly pick up noises and randomly throw a grenade, or go to the start menu, as well as having a few seconds of delay. 

Ashton: The Kinect functionality in the game is at times quite enjoyable, waiting that half a second after you say “reload” and seeing your TV give into your commands tend to be quite magical. But unfortunately the technology is not perfect, sometimes common expressions like “its lagging” can be interpreted as “library” and then would open up your library of scanned items. Or sometimes a grenade is accidentally thrown which is extremely frustrating especially when afterwards you say “I didn’t throw a grenade” only to see you waste more grenades and possibly kill your friends in co-op. Thanks a lot Adrian!

Conclusion

Adrian: Halo Anniversary is a present to the Halo fans, and shouldn’t really be compared to the games that have been recently released. Celebrating 10 years of Halo, 343 Industries have shown us how dedicated they are to the Halo franchise, as well as their upcoming game Halo 4. The elements of the game really did make me remember the times playing Halo CE and I applaud 343 Industries for their magnificent work. Although there could’ve been a few minor adjustments, this game should be in the hands of all true Halo fans, so they can experience the ‘campaign of the decade’ in a remastered version, and see what it was like to play Halo 10 years ago.

I give this game an 8.9/10

Ashton: This holiday season was jam-packed with games, but if you loved the original Halo or are huge fan of the series like myself or Adrian, then you should certainly get this game. There’s not much in gaming that can match the nostalgic feeling of Halo. You are constantly reminded of how large the Halo universe is, how far it has come, and seeing the craftsmanship and dedication that 343 Industries put into this game gets me personally excited of what else they can bring to the fore.

Bravo 343, keep it up! 8.8/10