The new M17x (third revision) is Alienware’s first 3D-capable gaming laptop.To get the 3D features you’ll need to go for the 20Hz, WideFHD WLED LCD display model with the 1.5GB Nvidia GTX 460M graphics card.

This 17-inch monster packs the new Intel i5 or i7 Sandy Bridge processors, with an Intel P67 Express chipset, HDMI-in and wireless HD capabilities. If you don’t need or want 3D (and you want to save a few quid) you can also opt for an ATI 1GB HD6870M or a 2GB 6970M graphics version

The Alienware M17x R3 will be available from 10 January, with prices starting from £1,799.

There was also an Alienware desktop machine announced at CES – the Aurora, which will cost you at least £999, and packs Sandy Bridge chips (overclocked liquid cooled) and graphics from either AMD Crossfire X or Nvidia SLI modes. continue to read »

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has confirmed in an interview with the BBC that Kinect is going to be PC-compatible.

When asked if we’d eventually be able to plug the Kinect into a PC he replied:

“We’ll support that in a formal way, in the right time.”

“We’re trying to do two major things,” he said.

“We’re trying to move beyond gaming – to include the world of socialisation movies, TV and music – and we’re trying to make the whole experience accessible to everybody in the family, not just the traditional gamers.”

Back in August at Gamescom 2010, Microsoft’s Kinect guru Kudo Tsunoda told Pocket-lint that the opportunities for Kinect stretched beyond just gaming

“It’s all stuff that you could integrate into a multitude of devices, whether it’s phones or it’s PC’s, or anything that requires some sort of input,” he said.

“It’s all stuff that you could work into phones as well if you wanted to…if like you worked at a company that did stuff with phones and PCs then maybe something like that would be possible”.

Turtle Beach is using CES to unveil three new gaming sets that range in both price and ability. All will be available in the Spring of this year. Check below for a picture and breakdown of each headset.

I think it’s cool that the company is giving us choices. These headsets can be pretty expensive, though the pricier ones tend to be worth it for people who are big into audio.

The information below was taken directly from the Turtle Beach  press release.

Name: Ear Force PX5
Price: $249.95
Website: www.turtlebeach.com/px5
Info: The PX5 is designed for PS3 and XBOX 360 gaming to allow independent customization of the chat, game, and microphone signals.  Custom settings stored in the headset as presets can be selected during specific parts of the game to emphasize sounds like footsteps or reloads that might otherwise be difficult to hear.

It can even be programmed to disguise a gamer’s voice or to enhance the voices of online players when the game gets louder. These personalized presets will be possible with software available from the Turtle Beach website.

The PX5 is also the first headset to incorporate dual radios. One is for immersive, Dolby Digital surround sound  and a second for chat on the PlayStation Network via Bluetooth. The Bluetooth feature also supports stereo audio streaming for listening to music while playing a game and can accept a phone call while wearing the headset.

Name: Ear Force P11
Price: $59.95
Website: www.turtlebeach.com/p11
Info: The Turtle Beach Ear Force P11 Gaming Headset is designed for the PlayStation 3 and also compatible with PC/Mac. It’s powered directly through a USB connection and 50mm high fidelity speakers. This headset also has independent volume controls for chat and game audio.

Name: Ear Force XC1
Price: $24.95
Website: www.turtlebeach.com/xc1
Info: This one is designed specifically for the XBOX 360.  The XC1 allows you to hear external game sound and internal chat at the same time. The fully adjustable, single ear lightweight design fits comfortably on either ear and is perfect for long gaming sessions.

Avatar Kinect:

The update will bring a new way to chat with your friends with your Avatar and Kinect.

Avatar Kinect is a new social entertainment experience on Xbox LIVE bringing your avatar to life! Control your avatar’s movements and expressions with the power of Avatar Kinect. When you smile, frown, nod, and speak, your avatar will do the same.

Invite up to 7 friends, and chose from over 15 virtual environments.

There was no date announced at CES, but all we know is that you can see the Update hit your console in Spring.

Below is the video of Sony’s CES 2011 Press Conference Highlights

Below is the video from CES 2011 of Microsoft Press Conference Analysis

This  purportedly leaked slide of Microsoft’s 2011 CES keynote speech, snapped by blog Glimpse Dog, shows off an upcoming Xbox 360 feature the company is calling”Avatar Kinect.”

Blizzard has revealed that Starcraft 2: Heart Of The Swarm is likely to miss a 2011 release date.

According to Blizzard’s Chris Sigaty, the second chapter int he SC2 trilogy “probably” won’t be ready until 2012.

Speaking at a Blizzcon Q&A, the studio was cagey on details. It was able to confirm that Heart Of The Swarm take place after the events of Starcraft 2: Wings of Liberty.

Cheekily, it said that the title would be set less than 100 years after its predecessor, but greater than one hour.

Thanks chaps. That’s very helpful.

The firm also failed to give us a release date for Diablo III – but did reveal that it would have PvP play and a Demon Hunter class.

Blizzard may love its e-sports, but it doesn’t want them in Diablo III.

As demonstrated here at BlizzCon 2010, Blizzard’s games have a very dedicated competitive multiplayer fanbase, whether it’s World of Warcraft‘s arenas or the tournaments for StarCraft and StarCraft II alike. With the recent announcements of PvP arenas in Diablo III, wouldn’t you expect Blizzard – one of the biggest advocates of videogames as a sport – to plan the same in its upcoming hack-and-slash? continue to read »

World of Warcraft Class Q&A Panel

• Hunters are awesome all day with their new Focus resource mechanic. A lot of Hunter players are still what WoW players derisively refer to as “huntards.”
• Shadow Priests are currently really heavy on burst damage, which creates a bit of an imbalance between player-versus-environment (PvE) and player-versus-player (PvP) content. Blizzard plans to address this once they’ve collected more data after Cataclysm launches.
• With Rogue weapon specializations removed, daggers are supreme to other weapons groups, due to superior weapon speed. Blizzard’s OK with this — because Rogues use daggers, fantasy nerds — but they may play with the mechanics down the line.
• Blizzard is fine with the Warrior’s Inner Rage ability staying as a passive, rather than an active, skill.
• The Warlock’s level 85 Demon Soul ability is designed as a nichey skill to provide a bit of burst damage capability.
• The Rogue’s Combat talent tree is relatively weak now, and it’s getting buffed soon. The Rogue’s Mastery skill will soon see a quadruple increase in effectiveness to compensate.
• Hunter weapon scopes will be re-evaluated at some point; Blizzard feels they’re currently pretty boring.
• The Hunter’s minimum attack range creates issues when groups employ strategies that involve stacking up on certain raid bosses. Blizzard acknowledges that the situation is not ideal — but at the same time, Hunters can also do things like shoot while moving.
• Where did the Paladin’s holy power bar come from? Answer: It’s a meaningful resource decision that doesn’t gimp you once the bar’s dry (AKA mana). It’s similar to the thought process behind the Hunter’s new Focus mechanic.
• Blizzard has never considered implementing a class change feature — leveling is pretty easy at this point, and heirloom items help to address the facilitation of alt characters.
• Will racial abilities ever be a bit more normalized? Blizzard says they’re fine; some races are better at PvE, some races are better at PvP. And Blizzard likes it that way.
• No comment on whether murlocs will ever be added as a playable race. We can dream!
• On the subject of Death Knight raid viability, Blizzard feels they’re fine, and very flexible, and can act as a main tank for any raid. Bottom line: Learn to play your class well!

World of Warcraft Open Q&A Panel

• An automated raid party-finder would be pretty tricky to implement, since so much care goes into class composition for endgame content.
• Blizzard is looking into ways to better customize endgame characters and make their appearance more distinct.
• No plans for a guild-merging mechanic. Cataclysm’s guild perks and achievements should make players want to stick with their guild long-term.
• Female-specific Druid forms may be a possibility in the future.
• Blizzard feels Cataclysm will bring avbout a lot more interest in battlegrounds, possibly at the expense of arenas.
• Talent trees will receive more tweaks as Blizzard collects data from Cataclysm players.
• Blizzard wants crowd control to be a bigger deal in Cataclysm’s instanced content. As PvP goes, they’re trying to slow down the encounter speed overall — which should reduce the impact of crowd control as well.
• The lack of a legendary (orange) dagger is due to how few classes could benefit from using it (as Blizzard wants each individual legendary weapon to be desirable to several classes).
• Blizzard’s still committed to balancing classes in arena PvP combat.
• No additional plans for the Mage’s water elemental, but it might be up for consideration in future expansions.
• The Rogue’s Subtlety tree is “supremely difficult” to balance — hence Shadow Dance’s current use to allow safe energy replenishment, rather than employing it as a big damage-enhancer.
• Further use of the Emerald Dream and its associated fiction is a “when” — not an “if.”
• Achievement points still won’t allow you to buy power, people. They’re just fake points — or, as Blizzard puts it, something of a “high score” counter.
• Legendary weapons will be available to both 10- and 25-man raids. Balancing their scaling is a tricky prospect, but Blizzard wants them to stick around far longer than normal items.
• More account-bound items are coming, including a guild mount.
• A storage solution is incoming at some point for festival items and other collectible stuff.
• Some achievements will be removed in Cataclysm, due to geography and faction changes.
• Pandarens may make an appearance in the game at some point — no clear answer yet.
• Additional character slots are not on the horizon.
• Sidekicking systems have been discussed, in order to address friends playing together despite large level disparities. This might be added down the line.
• A tabard tab is in the works.
• New customizable dance animations, via a “dance studio” mechanic, are being worked on.