Todd Howard, head of Skyrim development studio Bethesda Game Studios, took to the stage to deliver his keynote at the DICE 2012 gaming conference.

As well as detailing the development process of one of 2011's game's of the year, Howard also revealed Bethesda's post-release "Gam Jam" week for Skyrim, which saw all the game's designers go crazy for a week and work on their own personal projects that they would like to have seen in the game.

Collected into a short video by Bethesda, Howard showed off the results at the DICE conference. It was basically a sneek peak at possible DLC headed to the Elder Scrolls V in the future.

Some really wacky ideas were produced, including:

• Seasonal foliage with falling tree leaves.
• Spears.
• Kill cams for magic and ranged combat, like in Fallout 3.
• Stealth enhancements such as water arrows.
• Paralysis runes locking enemies to the floor.
• New follower commands for combat style and training.
• The ability to build your own home.
• Goblins. Which looked great.
• Waygate fast travel.
• Mounted combat.
• Dragon mounted combat.
• Kinect-enabled shouts.
• Enhanced underwater visuals with wavy effects.
• Ice and fire arrows.
• A Werebear.
• Lycanthropy skill tree.
• Becoming a flying vampire, with minions..
• An enormous, screen filling mud crab boss.
• "Fat giants."

The whole keynote, courtesy of Gamespot, can be found above.

Sci-fi fans rejoice! EA have confirmed that a new third-person shooter set in the Mass Effect universe is headed to iOS devices like iPhones and iPads.

Mass Effect Infiltrator is a companion app to Mass Effect 3 for the PC, Xbox 360 and PS3, allowing those that play the game to increase their "galactic readiness" in the console and computer game, which will help those who play it to achieve the best possible ending in Mass Effect 3.

EA describe the app in a press release as follows:

Take the all-out galactic war in Mass Effect 3 on-the-go with Infiltrator, a fully-featured iOS third-person shooter showcasing stunning graphics and authentic weapons and powers from the Mass Effect series.

Inspired by the deep and immersive Mass Effect 3 universe, in Infiltrator players will help to free prisoners from a hostile Cerberus base and will receive rewards for collecting evidence of Cerberus' crimes along the way. Every completed rescue and intelligence discovery in Infiltrator will increase a player's Galactic Readiness rating directly through the Galaxy at War system in Mass Effect 3.

No news on how the cross-platform integration will be achieved yet, but we expect EA's Origin platform to play a part somewhere down the line. More news on this release soon.

Skyrim gets a major update across all platforms today, one that should make PC and PS3 gamers in particular very happy.

While Xbox 360 and PS3 gamers still have to wait for the patches to be greenlit by Microsoft and Sony respectively, PlayStation fans will be happy to hear the patch should fix the continued issues with lag that has plagued the game since launch. Numerous bug and quest fixes roll out across all platforms too.

PC gamers, who already have access to the 1.4 patch, now get access to the Syrim Creation kit for modders, as well as mod download integration through Steam.Bethesda have also thrown in a new high-res texture pack for PC gamers, though it's arguable that the modding community have already done a better job polishing up the visuals than what's being offered here.

The full patch notes follow. Fixes are across all platforms unless stated otherwise:

NEW FEATURES

The Unusual Gem that was inside the Thalmor Embassy is now accessible after finishing "Diplomatic Immunity"
In "Breaching Security", the quest token is no longer required to receive a fortune reading from Olava the Feeble
Fixed issue where Galmar would not complete Joining the Stormcloaks properly if "Season Unending" was an active quest
Fixed issue where starting "Season Unending" after finishing "Joining the Stormcloaks" would prevent "The Jagged Crown" from starting properly
Fixed issue where progressing through "Message to Whiterun" while "Season Unending" was still open would block progression for both quests
In "Arniel's Endeavor", fixed issue where a quest journal would trigger multiple times
In "Forbidden Legend", the amulet fragment can no longer disappear after player leaves a dungeon without taking it
Fixed rare issue in "Forbidden Legend" where killing Mikrul Gauldurson while sneaking would make his corpse unaccessible
In "The White Phial", the phial can no longer disappear if player leaves dungeon without taking it
"The White Phial" will now start properly if player already has a briar heart in their inventory
Player can no longer get stuck in Misty Grove after completing "A Night to Remember"
Fixed issue where leaving Riften during "A Chance Arrangement" would prevent quest from progressing
In "Darkness Returns", a door in Twilight Sepulcher will properly open if the player leaves the dungeon for an extended period of time before completing the quest
In "Revealing the Unseen", if the player leaves the Oculory for an extended period of time after placing the focusing crystal and returns, the quest will proceed correctly
"Onmund's Request" will now start properly if player has already found Enthir's staff before receiving this quest
Fixed instance where Tonilia would stop buying stolen items and also would not give Guild Leader Armor
"Repairing the Phial" will start properly if player already has unmelting snow or mammoth tusk in their inventory
Finding Pantea's Flute before speaking with Pantea no longer prevents her quest from updating
In "The Break of Dawn", fixed rare instance where a quest object would spawn incorrectly on the Katariah during Hail Sithis
Fixed rare issue in "The Mind of Madness" where player is unable to equip the Wabbajack
Fixed issue in "Pieces of the Past" where Mehrunes Dagon's Razor will not trigger properly if player leaves the cell for extended period of time before activating it
"Blood's Honor" will start properly if you visited and completed Driftshade and an extended period of time passes before starting the quest.
Fixed rare issue where "Dampened Spirits" would not start properly
Fixed issue where player would be unable to become Thane of Riften if they purchased a home first
Fixed issue where killing guards in Cidhna Mine would block progression for "No One Escapes Cidhna Mine"
Fixed numerous issues with "Blood on the Ice" not triggering properly
In "Blood on the Ice", Calixto can now be killed if player owns a house in Windhelm
In "The Cure for Madness", killing Cicero then resurrecting him no longer impedes quest progress
Fixed rare issue in "To Kill an Empire" where an NPC would fail to die properly
Clearing Knifepoint Ridge before starting "Boethiah's Champion" no longer prevents quest from starting.

After a string of delays that saw the game miss its 2011 Christmas release date, Star Wars Kinect for the Xbox 360 finally has a firm release date. Those hoping to feel the Force with their Kinect motion-sensing controllers will be able to do so from April 3rd.

Five play modes will feature in the game, described by Microsoft as:

o Space battles: As you travel the Galaxy to face an evil that threatens to undermine the fabric of the Republic, you'll engage with forces of the Empire in intense space battles

o New Galactic Dance Off mode loaded with Star Wars-themed pop tunes where those still honing their Jedi skills can take a break to battle Darth Vader on the dance floor or bust a move "Solo style."

The game itself will cost £39.99, but those looking to prove their full Star Wars fanboy status can pick up a bundle which includes and R2-D2 themed console, a C-3P0 gold controller and the game for £349.99,

Sony's PlayStation Network will be re-branded this week, going under the new umbrella of the Sony Entertainment Network.

The PSN will join all of Sony's other online offerings under this new banner as of February 8th, marking the first time the company has bunched all its online platforms together for a unified approach.

"This transition is based on Sony's goal to enhance its unique digital entertainment offering. As a series of these activities Sony started last September, PlayStation Network will be aligned with Sony Entertainment Network," said the Sony release.

"This helps us get closer to our goal of establishing a global comprehensive network platform of services across games, movies, music and more, all accessible from one convenient account."

As for changes to the actual workings of the PSN, it will be business as per usual. No significant changes will be made to how you use the Sony store to browse and purchase game and video content, barring the odd logo or title change here or there.

Sony's new president Kazuo Hirai, who takes over from outgoing boss Howard Stringer from April 1st, was incidentally the mastermind behind the new Sony Entertainment Network umbrella.

It may not even be out in the UK until February 22nd, but the PS Vita will be getting a firmware update as soon as the 8th of February, which will see video recording and map browsing added to the system's long list of features.

The Vita (which is already in the hands of lucky Japanese gamers) appears to be using Google Maps as its mapping service. However, its functionality will be limited on the Wi-Fi only variants of the handheld gaming device, as only the 3G edition of the Vita will come with GPS hardware built in.

Video recording will be an addition to the Photos app that is already part of the Vita software.

Mac users can also breathe a sigh of relief; Sony will also be releasing a Mac version of the Vita's Content Manager application, letting Mac users shift digital content from their computers onto the handheld, a glaring compatibility issue at launch.

A Taiwanese PC gamer died at his computer in an Internet cafe in Taipei, but none of the 30 other people in attendance noticed his passing for nine hours.

Chen Rong-yu, 23, had settled down for a session of online multiplayer game League of Legends on Tuesday night, but was found a few hours later "rigid on a chair with his hands stretched out towards the keyboard and mouse," said local police.

Mr Chen, who had been treated for a heart condition back in September 2011, had been taken frequent naps during the session, which goes some way towards explaining why it wasn't until the following Wednesday morning that a female staff member spotted something was wrong.

Police are stating the cause of death as cardiac arrest, brought on by the cold weather, Chen's tiredness and his lack of movement.

Via: Kotaku

Grand Theft Auto V may currently be floating around in the "TBC" netherworld of release dates, but a new report from Take-Two has hinted at a Christmas 2012 release date for the open-world crime sim.

Take-Two, parent company of GTA publisher Rockstar Games, has reported a drop in profits for its fiscal Q3 ending December 31st. Despite this, they've bullishly tipped fiscal 2013 to be one of the most lucrative in the company's history, suggesting a late 2012 release for the next GTA game with the Christmas period being the most profitable point for boxed games.

"Fiscal 2013 is expected to be one of our best years ever, with substantial revenue growth and non-GAAP net income in excess of $2 per diluted share. We are well positioned to continue to deliver growth and profitability over the long-term," said Take-Two chairman and CEO Strauss Zelnick.

Though GTA V will lead Take-Two's profit charge, there are plenty of other promising titles heading out this year under their umbrella. Max Payne 3, Spec Ops: The Line, XCOM: Enemy Unknown and BioShock Infinite are all due later this year while there's also Borderlands 2 and the XCOM FPS game out in Take-Two's fiscal 2013 too.

Videogame retailer GAME are facing stiff financial challenges after poor profits last year rocked its credit insurance line.

The retailer is now in talks with individual games publishers regarding the financial difficulties to ensure its stores are continued to be stocked with new releases.

It's not only GAME's own fortunes that hang in the balance, but the profits of many videogame publishers, who see GAME as the primary retail channel for their wares. Most notably mega-publishers EA have rallied around GAME, noting the importance of the company staying afloat.

"We are concerned with the financial condition of one of our major European retail partners," said EA boss John Riccitiello told investors yesterday, "which could lead to both increased bad debt and lost sales."

CFO Eric Brown also added: "We are focused on some isolated European retailer issues that have recently been announced. A negative outcome could adversely affect our Q4 results."

We'll bring you more on this story as it develops.

Via: MCV

Right on cue, Microsoft have announced the availability of the Kinect for Windows hardware and Software Development Kit, hitting the February 1st release date that Microsoft boss Steve Ballmer promised at CES.

Built for developers as "a fully-tested and supported Kinect experience on Windows", it shares the same look as the regular Xbox 360 version, but has a few key differences.

Most notably, it comes with a "commercial ready installer that makes it easy to install Kinect for Windows runtime and driver components for end-user deployments", but also offers better speech and audio capabilities thanks to the inclusion of the latest Microsoft speech components, as well as improved skeletal tracking and the ability to work within a Macro mode of just 40cm away from the sensor.

"It's been just over a year since we launched Kinect for Xbox 360, and we're only starting to scratch the surface of what's possible with Kinect," said Craig Eisler, general manager for Kinect for Windows.

"By offering hardware and software that's designed specifically for Windows applications, we hope to inspire visionaries around the world to create transformative breakthroughs with Kinect - taking its gesture and voice capabilities beyond the living room into other industries such as education, manufacturing, healthcare, and retail."

Launching intially Stateside for $249, it'll hit Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Spain, and the United Kingdom in the near future.

Tech Digest's wasted youth has paid off; we're now official holders of a Guinness World Record for playing Tetris!

Myself (Gerald) and ShinyShiny editor Becca Caddy now hold the record for the "Highest score on Tetris (Nintendo, 1986) for a team of two."

"The highest score achieved by a team of two sharing one controller on Tetris (Nintendo, 1986) is 23,552, achieved by Becca Caddy and Gerald Lynch (both UK) at the launch of Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2012 at Liverpool Street Station, London, UK, on 18 January 2011," confirmed the record tracking team today.

As if testing our dexterous digits wasn't enough, the Shiny team broke the record using the world's biggest NES controller, which measured a whopping 12ft x 5ft 3 in x 1ft 8 in.

I type this with a tear in my eye. It's the pinnacle of my geeky life. Great job!

Out now, the Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2012 is available from all good bookstores. And some rubbish ones too!

Upcoming mutant open-world bloodbath Prototype 2 will launch with a limited "RADNET Edition" premium version of the game alongside the regular edition too, publishers Activision revealed today.

The RADNET Edition will ship with a one-time use online content pass code, which will unlock 55 additional bits of the content to the game, rolling out on a weekly schedule across 7 weeks.

This weekly scheduled content will include in-game Events, Challenges, Avatar Items, Dynamic Themes and Behind-the-Scenes videos, as well as bonus Mutations for PROTOTYPE 2's main campaign.

"Radical Entertainment has always focused on bringing long lasting fun to its fans, and PROTOTYPE 2's RADNET content is our way of rewarding the game's most loyal supporters - the early adopters, the one's who will replay it over and over again," said Ken Rosman, Studio Head, Radical Entertainment.

"We think this is great because we're giving our fans hours of additional gameplay outside PROTOTYPE 2's main narrative, and cool rewards - all delivered weekly following the game's launch!"

As it's a one-time use code, it's unlikely you'll get access to this content if you pick up the game second hand, though we'd expect it to hit as paid-for DLC later on in the game's life cycle.

Tech Digest went hands-on with a preview build of Prototype 2 today, and while we're still uneasy about the whole concept of online content passes, we can confirm Prototype 2 is looking FANTASTIC. We'll have a full run down of our play through on February 16th, so head back to Tech Digest then for the full d-lo.

Prototype 2 hits the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC on April 24th.

Gerald takes a look at the new, free Steam Mobile app from Valve, which gives gamers on-the-go access to the popular PC gaming platform.

Running through the features of the Android version (though available on iOS devices like the iPhone and iPod Touch too), Gerald gives an overview of messaging on the app, navigating the store catalogue, checking out purchases and editing profiles and preferences.

Though available to download now from Apple's App Store and the Android Market, Steam Mobile's full features are currently only available to those who have been chosen to beta test the service.

"The Steam app comes from many direct requests from our customers," said Gabe Newell, co-founder and president of Valve.

"Seeing which of your friends are online and playing a game, sending quick messages, looking at screenshots for an upcoming game, or catching a sale - these are all features customers have requested. Mobile is changing the way people interact, play games and consume media, and the Steam app is part of our commitment to meet customer demands and expand the service functionality of Steam to make it richer and more accessible for everyone."

To be in with a chance of trying the service early, download the app now, sign in with your Steam account, and wait for Valve to send you a beta invite.

Hit the video above to see what's going to be on offer.

For gamers keeping a track of the rocky development of upcoming sci-fi shooter Aliens: Colonial Marines, it's been a rocky road full of scares just as big waking up after a deep sleep to find a little alien critter using your guts as a holiday home.

First announced (and then swiftly canned) in 2001, the game set just after the events of James Cameron's action classic was then picked up again by Sega in 2006, before being handed over yet again to developers at Gearbox.

Seemingly finally on course for a Spring 2012 release date, Gearbox, makers of the popular Borderlands shooter, have no confirmed that Aliens: Colonial Marines won't hit the Xbox 360, PC or PS3 until "fall 2012".

"Aliens: Colonial Marines is a process of creativity and invention and those don't necessarily follow the structure of an assembly line," reads the statement sent to Game Informer.

"While setting clear goals, deadlines and predictions is helpful, they are often subjective. We don't want to sacrifice the creative process just for the sake of following a blueprint. We prefer to have the creative discovery shape that blueprint because our goal is to make a great game, and we are prioritizing this goal over the previously targeted date."

A squad-based multiplayer shooter set in the Aliens universe, Colonial Marines is looking very promising, so I've no qualms with the team taking a little bit more time to perfect what is now looking like one of the most highly anticipated games of 2012.
Hopefully Colonial Marines' release date wont become another gaming in-joke, like another notable Gearbox property. Also picked up late in its development life cycle by Gearbox was Duke Nukem: Forever, which took 15 years to make it into stores before getting a critical panning.

Still, while you're quietly waiting for the Xenomorph infestation to hit computers and consoles, checkout the latest cinematic trailer for the game, embedded above.

As well as revealing the Nintendo Network online community features, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata confirmed new capabilities were being added to the tablet-like controller of the upcoming Wii U console.

Top of the list of new features was NFC tech, or "Near Field Communication", which is the communications standard used in many new smartphones and London's Oyster Card transport payment system. It allows the transfer of information just by putting two NFC-enabled devices close to each other.

"By installing this functionality, it will become possible to create cards and figurines that can electronically read and write data via noncontact NFC and to expand the new play format in the video game world," said Iwata.

"Adoption of this functionality will enable various other possibilities such as using it as a means of making micropayments."

Interesting concepts there from Iwata, that bring to mind similar ideas as seen Activision's Skylanders game and toy range. As well as the obviously application of pairing the wireless controllers with the Wii U console itself, it'll be intriguing to see what other ideas Nintendo bring to the relatively-unexplored NFC gaming table.

Though no precise date has been placed on the release of the Wii U, Nintendo yesterday revealed that they are on track for a Q4 2012 (October-December) release date.

Nintendo are to launch a new online service called the Nintendo Network that will not only be compatible with their current Nintendo 3DS console, but also their forthcoming Wii U machine.

According to Nintendo president Satoru Iwata, who revealed the platform at an investor presentation, Nintendo Network will offer "competitions and communication among users, as well as the sales of digital content."

Sounding like a marked improvement over the current Nintendo Wi-Fi Channels system in place on the original Wii, it'll offer support for multiple personal user accounts on each console.

Sounding familiar? A little bit like Xbox Live perhaps, with its deep community features, online gaming, store and separate user accounts on each console.

It makes perfect sense of course; games like Super Smash Brothers and Mario Kart are the perfect match for online play, but have had limited online fans due to the clunky nature of Nintendo's current connected infrastructure.

"This concept was built into the design of the Nintendo 3DS, and we already have the necessary infrastructure," Iwata added.

Though no precise date has been placed on the release of the Wii U, Nintendo yesterday revealed that they are on track for a Q4 2012 (October-December) release date.

Nintendo have revealed they are still struggling after the rough launch of their Nintendo 3DS console. Posting shoddy financial results for October to December 2011, the veteran gaming company have now admitted to predicting annual losses 3 times higher than they'd initially anticipated.

Nintendo's financial year ends in March, with the losses for the 12 months expected to be around the 65 billion yen mark ($840 million dollars, or around £535 million), more than triple the initial 20 billion yen deficit estimations.

Much of the blame has been centred on the strength of the yen in 2011 and the lacklustre sales of the 3DS, which despite a spike towards the end of 2011, only really began flying off shelves once it had been given a drastic price cut. The company are now aiming for 14 million 3DS units sold by the close of the year, lower than the initial 16 million units mark set at launch.

A saving grace comes from the Wii, which, despite being five years old, still manages to sell well. 8.6 million motion-gaming consoles were sold by Nintendo which, while down 35% year-on-year, is still a great achievement given the console's age.

Nintendo's profit hopes now lie with the Wii U console. Seemingly in an attempt to gloss over the profit losses experienced by the company, they took today to reveal the console was on track for a Q4 (October-December) 2012 release.

Name: Resident Evil: Revelations

Genre: 3rd Person Shooter / Survival Horror

Platform: Nintendo 3DS

Price: £32.70 from Amazon

Capcom have made some missteps of late with their Resident Evil series, focussing too much on action and not enough on scares. Resident Evil: Revelations for the 3DS looks to go back to the series' survival horror roots. Are Capcom back to their shocking best, or have they been smoking a bit too much of the Green herb again?

"Survival Horror", a phrase so familiar to gamers, was pretty much coined to describe the first batch of Resident Evil games. Creeping around secluded, drab settings like the Arklay Mansion or the desolate streets of a Racoon City run rife with zombies, each second in the early Resident Evil games was a terrifying race to survive, hunting down weapon ammunition and supplies whilst hoping that turning the next corner wouldn't present you with a shambling horror eyeing up your guts for lunch.

As the series evolved, that slightly slower-paced, brooding terror was swapped out for faster monster movie action that saw you mowing down a near-endless stream of undead or mutant foes. It worked excellently in Resident Evil 4 (which retained a feeling of foreboding), but lost a significant scare factor with Resident Evil 5 and its sun-drenched streets.

Resident Evil: Revelations then represents the game that long-time series fans have longed for arguably since before Resident Evil 4 was released way back in January 2005. Creepy, dark and oozing dread without scrimping on the action, it's one of the best games the series has seen in a long time.

This is partly achieved by the superb setting for the game. For the most part, you'll be controlling series stalwart Jill Valentine as she explores a bio-terrorist attack on the cruise liner Queen Zenobia. Its flooded, cold corridors prove as claustrophobic as the original game's Arklay Mansion and through some stunning work in the graphics department, about a thousand times more realistic. Revelations looks good enough to rival some console games, with excellently moody lighting, detailed character models and a surprising amount of variation in its scenes considering the predominately ocean-bound setting. 3D visuals add slightly to the tension on the 3DS, but we proffered to play with 3D switched off in this case, as higher levels of anti-aliasing then kick in, making everything look silky-smooth. Sonically it's hellishly spooky too, if putting to one side the series almost-trademark, comedically-hammy voice acting; from enemy moans, the screams of survivors to the haunting soundtrack (which Capcom deftly know exactly when to par down to increase tension), you'll have chills down your spine throughout.

The boat proves a great setting to let loose the games monstrous "ooze" enemies too. Closer to Dead Space's Necromorphs than the zombies of old, their loose, flowing nature makes them the perfect fit for the wet world you explore. Their fluidity also makes them far more vicious than previous Resident Evil foes; a seemingly safe corridor can quickly become a battleground as the amorphous nasties slide up through grates all around you. Boss battles are wondrously gruesome too, each offering just the right amount of challenge, needing unique tactics to fell each varied beast.

Enemies are made even more fearsome by the game's return to a survival focus, with methodical combat and scarce supplies. Though the optional Circle Pad add-on for the 3DS offers dual-stick controls, the game is at its heart-pumping best when in fact played with the limited movement offered by the traditional Resident Evil tank-like controls, turning your character on the spot to pick your shots rather than running and gunning. You can move and shoot now in a slightly clunky way, as well as use a rudimentary dodge move, but those added skills prove only a minor help in facing the horrors surrounding you. For once, "hamstrung" controls are intentional, and to the benefit of the tense nature of the game.

It's also a return to desperate item harvesting. Even when at your most shaken, you'll still need to deeply explore your surroundings for supplies, or a weapon box to swap your load out to suit your next challenge. Revelations introduces the Genesis scanner tool to your arsenal. A bit like the visor from the Metroid Prime series on the Gamecube and Wii, it rewards you for carefully examining your surroundings, throwing up snippets of info on the game's backstory, clues to Revelations well-thought-out puzzles and the odd reward for item conservation.

If there is one place where the game's atmosphere proves a bit of a let down, it's in the story. Sure, we've come to expect completely whacked-out plots from Capcom, but what's on show here veers dangerously from B-Movie territory to nonsensical. If you can get your head around the several-too-many twists across the course of the game, it's unlikely you'll care too much about the tale's outcome.

In contrast, the supporting characters aren't wacky enough. They're a dull bunch, while Jessica Sherawat's impractical, revealing costume undoes much of the good positive gender role work being done by Jill's strong lead role. The cast prove just as useless when in a supporting AI mode, shooting by your side but doing no real damage, and acting only to alleviate the game's bread-and-butter tension.

Gameplay is split into chapters, which proves both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, you've got roughly-hour-long chunks of gameplay to attack in a sitting, which is quite well suited for on-the-go gaming.

On the other hand, however, these chapters introduce Revelations' subplot, centred mostly around Resident Evil's other main hero, Chris Redfield. His action takes you away from the menace of the ship, and often throws you straight back into the kind of mindless shooting galleries that characterised and, to some extent, ruined Resident Evil 5. Chapters will of course naturally break up the flow of gameplay and cut through any tension built, but the transition between Jill and Chris's segments is almost always maddeningly jarring.

The game is fairly lengthy, easily taking the average player well over 10 hours to complete. But it doesn't end with the single-player campaign. Completing the main game opens up the Raid Mode, which supports co-op online play and makes characters such as Jessica and O'Brien playable. Here you and a pal fight through key sections from the main game, with set challenges and differing enemies than you may have experienced in the single player game. Success rewards you with points which can be used to buy upgraded weapons in the Raid store. It's a much better home for the action-orientated gameplay that feels shoehorned in elsewhere in Revelations.

Verdict:

Capcom have done right by the hardcore fanbase with Revelations. While not shying away from the action-orientated gameplay that revived the franchise after Resident Evil 4, they've managed to return that creeping feeling of unease that was missing from Resident Evil 5. The story is even more ludicrous than ever, with the supporting cast never exciting in terms of plot nor allied-AI. However, atmospherically and graphically it's a stunning achievement, which deserves not only to re-iterate Capcom's stellar horror chops, but also to highlight the potential of Nintendo's 3DS console in the right hands when put toe-to-toe with more powerful hardware like the PS Vita.

Gamers of a certain age may remember a console called the Neo Geo from arcade gaming specialists SNK. As uncompromising in its vision as it was expensive, it brought true arcade gaming into the home.

ROM cartridges for the Neo Geo, rather than being ports of the 90's SNK classics that dominated coin-op arcades at the time, were actually exacting, miniaturised versions of the actual arcade machines' boards themselves. Whilst perfection itself for die-hard arcade fans, the games cost around £150 each, which even by today's inflated standards would be massively expensive.

Fast-forward roughly two decades, and this pocketable handheld version has leaked online.

Looking like a cross between the chrome-trimmed iPhone 4S and a PSP, the Neo Geo Keitai (or Neo Geo Portable) comes pre-installed with the following 20 games:

• World Heroes
• Ultimate 11
• Top Player's Golf
• Sengoku
• Nam-1975
• Mutation Nation
• Last Resort
• King of Monsters
• Frenzy
• Cyber Lip
• Fatal Fury Special
• Art of Fighting
• Super Sidekicks
• League Bowling
• Metal Slug
• Magical Lord
• Baseball Stars Professional
• Samurai Shodown
• King of Fighters '94
• Fatal Fury

With a 4.3 inch screen, analogue stick and face buttons, brightness and volume controls as well as a 3.5mm headphone socket, AV out socket, MiniUSB and an SD card slot (presumably to add more games later on), it seems a nice little homage to the console of old.

No word yet on pricing or release date (or even official confirmation of the device's existence at this point) but we'll pass on all these details as we get them.

Via: The Verge

If you like your new games consoles to push graphical boundaries first and foremost, you may want to stop reading this. A new rumour coming out of IGN is suggesting that the next generation Microsoft games console, or the Xbox 720 as fans are calling it, may be built with a graphics chip that is already a year old. Are really these the Xbox 720 specs we were hoping for?

"Sources close to the project" are claiming that Microsoft have opted to use a chip derived from Radeon's HD 6670 graphics card series, rather than one from the company's newer 7000 series.

That's not to say the card won't offer a significant jump from the original Xbox 360. It supports DirectX11, multidisplay output, 3D and 1080p HD output, and is said to boast "six times the processing power" of the Xbox 360 and "20 percent greater performance" than Nintendo's soon-to-be-released Wii U.

However, considering games consoles have a 6-10 year lifespan these days, the Xbox 720 could begin to look quite dated very quickly, particularly given its rumoured release date of Q4 2013.

But, as has been suggested by patent filings, it seems Microsoft's focus has shifted from games anyway. The Xbox 720 is likely to be positioned more as an entertainment hub, with games playing second fiddle to video content and casual Kinect features. Factor in the current economic climate, and no wonder Microsoft may be looking to cut corners on the graphics front.

Still all rumours at this point. Hopefully this summer's E3 conference will shed a little more light on the console.