We've been waiting years for Aliens: Colonial Marines to come out and after suffering so many delays we half expected to see a new slip for the long-awaited return to the sci-fi horror franchise when opening the latest press release from publishers Sega.

But thankfully, it's good news! Well, providing you count an 8 month wait as good news! Gearbox's co-op first person shooter has now been given a firm release date of February 12th 2013 for Xbox 360, PC and PS3 versions. A version planned for Nintendo's next console, the Wii U, will land at a latter date that's yet to be revealed.

Pitched as a true sequel to James Cameron's alien-blasting science fiction classic, up to four players will be able to join forces across familiar locations from the movie series, blasting varying Xenomorph foes in what would certainly be classed by Hudson as "a bug hunt".

President of Gearbox Randy Pitchford said, "I am thrilled to announce the definitive launch date for Aliens: Colonial Marines. Aliens: Colonial Marines is the culmination of a life-time of inspiration from the films and relentless passion and drive from the exceptionally talented development team behind the scenes."

We can't wait!

After a 12 year wait since the last full instalment in the series, PC gamers across the globe are now clicking their mice into submission with Diablo III, the hack-and-slash dungeon crawler for Blizzard. For nearly as long have been rumours of a console version to complement the desktop edition, but now the fate of the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions looks uncertain.

Speaking to Gamasutra, the game's director Jay Wilson said "we're not sure yet whether we think it will work, and whether we think we have the resources to do it."

Right now, it all seems to be hanging on the quality of the staff Blizzard manage to employ for the project. "The better people we hire, the better chance we have to actually make it," explained Wilson.

However, with things still seemingly at the early development stages (as suggested by the need for more staff), it'll be some time until we see Diablo III on consoles, if at all.

The highly anticipated Tomb Raider reboot has been pushed back from a "Fall 2012" release date to a Q1 2013 launch, developers Crystal Dynamics have announced.

The game, first revealed back in the summer of 2011, looks set to be a massive shift in focus for the franchise. Whereas the last run of Tomb Raider games had become stuck in a formulaic trap-jumping, tomb-robbing, chasm-jumping routine, this new adventure (which focusses on the first adventure of a young Lara Croft) would include RPG-like survival elements with the heroine stranded on a remote island.

"Our priority now is to make sure we fully deliver the very highest quality game," said Darrell Gallagher, Head of Studio at the game's developers Crystal Dynamics.

"In order to do this, we have decided to move the game's release date by a few months, from Fall 2012 to the first quarter of 2013.

"We're doing things that are completely new to Tomb Raider in this game and the additional development time will allow us to put the finishing touches into the game and polish it to a level that you deserve. We believe this is the right choice and I guarantee it will be worth the wait. The game is looking amazing and we can't wait to show it to everyone at E3 in a few weeks."

Tomb Raider isn't the only high-profile title being pushed back from a 2012 release date to a 2013 one. Recently Irrational Games announced that their long awaited BioShock sequel, Bioshock Infinite, would be missing its initially October 2012 release date in favour of a 2013 launch. Again, extra time needed to polish the game was the reason cited.

Unless you've had your head wrapped in a cultural blackout blanket, you'll have noticed that the UK is gearing up for perhaps its most sport-filled summer since the 1966 World Cup. As hosts of the 2012 Olympic Games, all eyes will be on London as the capital is flooded with the world's greatest athletes. Letting even the most slovenly couch lover get a glimpse of gold medal glory are SEGA, who have put together this year's official tie-in game, the awkwardly titled London 2012 - The Official Video Game of the Olympic Games. We put our thumbs through their paces at a preview session of the game while 35 storeys up the BT Tower. Read on for our initial thoughts!

Athletics video games have a long and sometimes patchy heritage. For every amazing Konami Track and Field game or Daley Thompson's Decathlon, there's a Nagano Winter Olympics or Mario and Sonic cash-in. With London 2012 - The Official Video Game of the Olympic Games however, SEGA seem to be on track to walking the fine line between depth and playability.

30 events in all are playable (including old favourites like 100m Sprint and Javelin alongside newcomers like Keirin cycling and 10m Synchronised Platform diving events), each supported by a host of online and offline multiplayer modes. While we were unable to test the feature, both the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions will have motion controlled events, chosen for and tailored to the different advantages of the Kinect and Move controllers respectively.

Visually rather impressive as far as these sort of games go, each event saw athletes fully motion captured for spot on animations, while the digital recreations of each event venue are 100% accurate, built from the very same CAD architectural blueprints that the site builders themselves used. In some cases, the in-game venues are ready before their real-world counterparts, with the SEGA team's digital representations now being used as reference points.

Rather than going down the all out button-mashing-at-top-speed route, SEGA have tried to inject a little bit more patience and technique into each event. While many will still see you frantically tapping a dash or speed boost button, you'll also have to make sure your athlete doesn't peak too early in a race by hitting dangerous "red" speed levels, and carefully time finish line lunges, hurdle jumps, throws, dives and all manner of other appropriate actions. As you'd expect, each event has a slightly varying control method, but all are often simple enough to get to grips with after one or two goes thanks to cleverly placed onscreen prompts and pre-event tutorials.

We tried a handful of events at the preview showcase for the game.100m Sprint was the most familiar of all; playing on the Xbox 360, it was simply a matter of tapping the A button at a decent rate (but not so fast as to over exert our athlete), before leaning the left stick forward for a photo-finish lunge. 110M Hurdles worked in much the same way, but required a well timed, held push of the left stick to clear each obstacle. Both worked well, and we were quickly dashing away at respectable speeds.

Swimming events took a slightly different approach. Diving with A and breaking away underwater with rapid A button taps, it was more of a rhythmic event, pulling back and forth sequentially on the left and right analogue sticks. Patience and skill were more important here than RSI-inducing movements.

Javelin was pretty standard fare if you've played track and field games before, building a run up with the A button before pulling back on the left analogue stick to pick a throwing angle and releasing it to hurl the javelin. Our throws were pretty pitiful, suggesting field events may take a little longer to master than track ones.
We then tried two of the more unusual events in the game. Trampolining played out a little like Parappa The Rapper, hitting increasingly more complicated onscreen button prompts in a rhythmic fashion to impress the judges. Beach Volleyball was fairly involved and may be one that casual gamers could struggle with, playing similarly to a stripped-back Virtua Tennis game.

All in, it was very enjoyable, and a gaming experience that we're sure would be exponentially more fun with pals. With the options to create playlists of your favourite events, as well as wacky party spins on the standard event formulas, many an afternoon with family and friends could be lost here.

From what we've seen so far, SEGA have nailed a happy balance between skill-based gameplay and "pick-up-and-playability", a key factor if you're going to get the party crowd on board. We love a good track and field game at Tech Digest, and so far SEGA's efforts here look really promising. We're looking forward to getting our mates around, getting some beers in and racing away for a full review before the game's 29th June release date on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.

It looks like Microsoft will soon be popping another arrow into the Xbox 360's quiver, with reports coming in that a Kinect-powered version of Internet Explorer is to land on the games console.

A custom-built version of the browser that will be navigated through gesture and voice controls is said to be in development, with heavy Bing integration aimed at taking out as much of the fiddly text entry as possible. However, Kinect control will only be optional, and a more familiar controller-based set-up will also be available.

Though Microsoft have yet to confirm the update, it would make perfect sense in the run up to the launch of Windows 8; all the most recent Xbox 360 dashboard updates have been aimed to bring a sense of convergence across Microsoft's products, with the Metro-like tile update on the 360 closely resembling the next Microsoft OS. Having Internet Explorer built into the console could help raise the browser's profile, and that of the OS, ahead of launch, which would be useuful considering the added competition Microsoft now gets from Mozilla's Firefox and Google's Chrome.

If the planned update is true, it'd be the latest in a growing line of apps, such as Netflix and BBC iPlayer, that look to move the Xbox 360 away from being exclusively a games console and into something more closely resembling a media and entertainment hub. An E3 announcement would be the likely time to see Microsoft reveal the app.

PlayStation 3 owners, who have had a built in web browser since launch, are asked to remain silent...

A newly approved Microsoft patent hints at a future Xbox 360 controller that packs in biometric pressure readings.

The controller would be able to measure a player's grip, using that to identify which profile to sign into, selecting settings based on that identification, and could have application in terms of control within games too.

The official abstract for the device is as follows:

"A hand-held device having a body with a pressure-sensitive exterior surface. At least a portion of the pressure-sensitive exterior surface is designed to be grasped by a user's hand. The pressure-sensitive surface contains a plurality of pressure sensors operative to provide an output signal proportional to a pressure applied by the user's hands to the exterior surface of the hand-held device at the area the pressure sensor is located. The device also includes a memory for storing the output signals provided by the plurality of pressure sensors and a processor for comparing the output signals provided by the plurality of pressure sensors against stored pressure profile signatures for positively identifying the user."

Could we perhaps be looking at a description of the Xbox 720's controller? Though the application was filed in 2009, it having recently been approved would line it up well for inclusion with any "Durango" console being teased for release next year.

Having said that, E3 is just around the corner, and with Microsoft stating that there will be no new console on show, perhaps a revised controller for the current generation of the Xbox console will sate the appetite of the collected crowds in the meantime.

Via: Engadget

Bioshock Infinite has had its release date pushed back to February 26th, 2013. The sky-high sci-fi first person shooter was one of the autumn's most eagerly-awaited titles, but is being given a few extra months of spit and polish, with the development team also teasing some potential new features being added too.

"When we announced the release date of BioShock Infinite in March, we felt pretty good about the timing. Since then, we've uncovered opportunities to make Infinite into something even more extraordinary," said the game's creative director Ken Levine in a press release this morning.

"Therefore, to give our talented team the time they need to deliver the best Infinite possible, we ve decided to move the game's release to February."

We hate a much-anticipated game getting delayed as much as the next guy (we've shed many a tear due to Aliens: Colonial Marines over the years), but when it's backed by the promise of an even greater game, we're happy to sit things out a little longer.

In the meantime, 2012 is still going to be a bumper year for gaming on both consoles and PCs. Just next week we'll all be clicking mouses into submission with Diablo III, and later in the year we'll all be enjoying Assassin's Creed III and Call of Duty: Black Ops 2.

Those looking for a moody sci-fi first person shooter would do well to check out the forthcoming Dishonored too. We had the pleasure of a first look at the game recently, and felt it had a taste of Bioshock in it too.

Name: Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition

Genre: Adventure/Strategy/Simulation

Platform: Xbox 360 XBLA

Price: 1600 Microsoft Points (£13.60)

The indie-gaming smash-hit lands on Microsoft's Xbox 360. There's a host of changes that accompany the release, but are they all good? Read on to find out if Minecraft on a console is just as engrossing as it is on a PC.

Many games labelled as "sandbox" titles in the past have claimed to offer a playground in which to let your imagination run wild, but few if any managed to offer a feeling of unlimited possibility as satisfyingly as Minecraft did when it hit first crept onto PCs in the summer of 2009. Setting players loose in an endless, randomly generated world presented in a charmingly retro way, it set no goals other than to encourage players to explore, collect resources, and build blocky structures to their hearts' content. Digging into the ground and collecting building materials, you were only limited by your imagination, an addictive premise that many have likened to a digital Lego box.

As a result, the game grew from humble indie beginnings to something of a phenomenon, with a constantly-growing, loyal fanbase creating ever more adventurous and elaborate structures. With its focus on creation over destruction, Minecraft proved a unique antidote to the repetitive, saturnine shooters that saturate game catalogues. The fact that it was made by a tiny team of (initially, at least) one developer made it all the more loveable.

After a long old wait, Minecraft has now hit the console scene too, landing exclusively as an XBLA downloadable title for Microsoft's Xbox 360. It's much the same as its PC counterpart, but has some excellent new additions, as well as a few sorely missed omissions too.

As with the PC version, you'll initially be thrust into a randomly generated world, with nothing but your hands to work with. Digging into the ground will uncover resources that will let you create tools (some for better digging or wood chopping, for instance, and weaponry too) as well as different materials for building; some weak like sand and dirt, others much more sturdy like metals and rocks. You'll then need to put these together into a protective shelter, as when night falls in the game all manner of beasties appear to try to do you and your creations harm.

Beyond that basic premise however, you're free to travel and build as you please, digging deep underground or building towers towards the sky.

Aside from being controlled with a gamepad, the Xbox 360 edition of Minecraft introduces some welcome additions to the standard Minecraft offering.Firstly, there's a well-crafted tutorial section opening proceedings. Upon your first play of the game you'll be popped into a fixed map which holds your hand as you're walked through the game's basic mechanics. You'll learn how to make a workbench, and of a handful of the different possibilities that the Minecraft world holds for you. Minecraft on the PC can initially be disorientating for first-timers, as there is absolutely no built-in explanation as to how the game works; here, it makes a welcoming first-impression, as you take baby steps into the expansive, deep system that underpins the game.

The same goes for item creation; on the PC it's a trial-and-error system that sees you putting different materials in varying combinations and patterns across a 3x3 grid in order to make new tools, while on the Xbox 360 from the outset you're given a complete list of tools that can potentially be built, with unavailable items greyed out until you gather the appropriate materials.

The changes here are a double-edged sword. On the one hand, they arguably detract from the sense of discovery that makes playing Minecraft so rewarding. On the other, it means playing with a wikipedia entry to hand at the same time is no longer a necessity for baffled newcomers. In our view, it's an appropriate way to introduce console gamers to the vast possibilities that Minecraft offers.

One addition that will certainly be universally welcomed is the robust multiplayer offerings in the Xbox 360 edition. Up to 4 players can enjoy local splitscreen multiplayer fun here, with as many as 8 across Xbox Live. Compare this with the hassle of having to manually set up private servers on the PC version and it's a much more user-friendly way of getting gamers together. It can't be stressed how much more fun Minecraft can be with pals along for the ride too, multiplying the imaginative potential of your creations.That's not to say Minecraft for the Xbox 360 gets everything right though. For starters, unlike the PC version each map is limited to a 1000x1000x1000 blocks. There's an expansive world to explore, but due to the limitations of Xbox 360 hardware it's very much a finite one. Which leads on to perhaps the game's biggest flaw; its lack of the PC version's creative mode. In creative mode, players can fly about the map freely with unlimited resources, meaning that their wildest projects could come together quickly without the hassle of being interrupted by the aggressive nighttime foes. It's arguably the highlight of the original game, and sorely missed here.

Likewise, the newer content that's been introduced over the past few months to the PC version of Minecraft is missing, such as the adventure mode which introduced an "end-game" element that saw you mining deep underground to take on a final boss character. While the quality of this additional content is hotly debated, its absence is still noteworthy.However, what's unusual about Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition when compared to other XBLA games is that it's technically unfinished. And just like its PC counterpart, it may never truly be finished. The development team are forever adding updates to the PC version, and similar support is being promised for the Xbox 360 version, with updates including Kinect voice control and player skins already road-mapped for inclusion. It's totally possible that over the coming months the few problems we have with the 360 version of the game may be ironed out, and the gaps in content filled up, which is a very exciting prospect indeed for Xbox 360 players.

Verdict:

Capturing much of what made the PC original so compelling, Minecraft Xbox 360 version is a must have for those who've yet to have the pleasure of playing the game on a computer. While the PC version remains superior, this latest console version has some clever additions of its own, not least of all the streamlined multiplayer options. PC gamers can give this version a miss, but gamers who play exclusively on consoles should have Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition on the top of their wish-lists.

The Elder Scrolls is to make the transformation into the competitive world of MMORPGs. After years of speculation concerning a potential World of Warcraft rival in the Elder Scrolls universe, publishers Bethesda have revealed its officially happening.

"We have been working hard to create an online world in which players will be able to experience the epic Elder Scrolls universe with their friends, something fans have long said they wanted," said Matt Firor, game director of The Elder Scrolls Online.

"It will be extremely rewarding finally to unveil what we have been developing the last several years. The entire team is committed to creating the best MMO ever made - and one that is worthy of The Elder Scrolls franchise."

But is this a good thing or a bad thing for gamers? The Elder Scrolls series is known for its giant, detailed single player worlds; could that possibly translate well as an MMO? Developed by ZenimMax Online studios, who developed the ground-breaking online title Dark Age of Camelot, they stand as good a chance as any of making it all work.

Set for a 2013 release, we've pooled together all of the little available information there is so far (based on breaking news and series lore) to offer a primer as to what to expect from the next in the series that gave us Morrowind, Oblivion and Skyrim.

THE PLOT

Little has been revealed about The Elder Scrolls Online (TESO) in terms of plot, but it does take place in what's known as the Second Era of Tamriel (the world in which the realms of Morrowind and Skryim among others exists). Apparently fighting for control of the throne of the Emperor of Cyrodiil, this era in Elder Scrolls lore sees many of the series factions battling for supremacy. It's rumoured that as the player, your soul has also been stolen by Molag Bal, the Daedric Prince. The areas of Skyrim and Cyrodiil are expected to feature heavily, with other regions added through expansion packs.

RACES AND FACTIONS

According to Game Informer, there will be three factions vying for control of Tamriel, each with a number of races playable. While these haven't been confirmed yet, the lore of the Elder Scrolls series sees three factions for the Second Era broken down as follows:

The Ebonheart Pact: Nords, Dunmer, and Argonians from the Northern and Eastern regions.

The Daggerfall Covenant: Bretons, Redguards, and Orcs from the North West regions.

There will also be a fourth faction that will act as the game's main antagonists.

CLASSES AND LEVELLING

Again, no confirmed classes yet, but the game will indeed feature them. Expect these to be very different however from the way usual Elder Scrolls games level up and expand. Completing missions and defeating bad guys will likely add to a global experience system, rather than the individual, skill-usage based levelling system that has previously characterised the series.

QUESTS AND PVP

Rather than the endless grind of MMO fetch quests, ZeniMax Online and Bethesda are working together to build a far more dynamic mission system. Rather than having a series of quest givers with missions suitable for characters of a certain level in one fixed area, before moving on to the next, exploration will be more important, with missions making themselves available as you stumble upon wandering quest givers. It should therefore feel a little more like the living world that has characterised Elder Scrolls in the past. Missions may have differing outcomes and rewards based upon the way you approach them too.

Being an online MMO, PVP will certainly be a massive part of the game. Rumour has it that battles may feature many hundreds of players at once, adding to the series' grand, epic feel. Combat however will likely not be of the real-time variety, instead opting for hotbar skill triggering. Expect to see the Elder Scrolls equivalents of Tank/Healer/Damage Dealing build hit the battlefields too.

We'll expand this guide and add more confirmed features once they become available.

Sorry fans of the Freeman; Valve has confirmed that there will be no new product announcements from their team at this summer's E3 gaming conference.

That sadly means that, yep, we're gonna have to wait a little bit longer for Half-Life 3.

It's been quite a wait for a return to the sci-fi first person series (often heralded as one of gaming's best), with the last entry being Half-Life 2: Episode Two that was packaged with The Orange Box.

It's not just a lack of software that will disappoint Valve's loyal fanbase however, but also the lack of any hardware announcement. The rumour mill has been rife with chatter of a Steam Box, what is believed to be Valve's own attempt at making a games console. But it seems that too will have to wait for another event, if such a product even exists.

So what will Valve be showing off at E3? Expect to see more on Dota 2 and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, as well as the possibility of more news on Portal 2 DLC.

Hot on the heels of the Xbox 360 Kinect Voice commands update, Bethesda have gone and revealed the name of the first Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim DLC pack. Dawnguard will be magicking its way to Xbox 360, PS3 and PCs later this year after a big reveal at this year's E3 conference.

Apart from the teaser poster above, there's little to go on so far as to what the content will include.

We've heard word of a big vampire hunting questline, and the inclusion of crossbow-style ranged weapons, but so far it's all just rumour-talk.

One thing is for certain; Bethesda's exclusivity deal for DLC with Microsoft on Skyrim means that Xbox 360 owners will be getting the add-on pack long before any other gamers. Everyone else will either just have to sit tight and wait it out. Or maybe PC gamers can mod more vampires into the game, if they haven't already...

Remember that Union Jack Xbox 360 that we showed you a sneek peek of last week? Well Microsoft have gone all official with it, calling it the "Celebration Pack" and also revealing a UK-themed wireless mouse to go along with it.

Initially, unintentionally revealed by a stray Amazon listing, the Xbox 360 pack includes a patriotic Xbox 360 (4GB Slim Edition), Kinect Sensor and Wireless Controller, available from Friday May 25th for £249.99. It also comes bundled with the Kinect Adventures and Kinect Sports games and a three month subscription to Xbox Live Gold.

"Join in the Great British celebrations this summer with Microsoft!" reads the press statement.

"The great value Celebration Pack not only brings controller-free gaming to your living room, but also allows you, your family and friends to enjoy the expansive catalogue of live and on-demand television, movies, sports and music. And with the power of Kinect, you can control all of your experiences simply by using your voice or gesture."

Launching a later this week is the Wireless Mobile Mouse 3500 with Union Jack theme. An ambidextrous wireless mouse with a tiny Nano Transceiver, it launches on May 3rd for £29.99, and should work smoothly across any surface thanks to Microsoft's BlueTrack technology.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim's highly-anticipated Kinect voice control support hits the Xbox 360 today! FUS RO DAH!

Picking up the player's spoken commands, Kinect support lets you browse menus, control followers and equip items just by speaking one of 200 triggers. And, of course, you can shout Dragon shout powers at your TV; you'll look like a mug, but secretly feel like the world's most powerful armchair monster slayer.

Those looking to try the commands in other languages will have to wait a little longer; the French, Italian, German, and Spanish versions are all in final testing and should be available in the next few weeks, according to Bethesda.

To grab the full list of over 200 voice commands in a handy PDF format, click here.

Already a massive game, Bethesda's on-going support for Skyrim shows there are still a few more days play to be eked out of the giant RPG.

Nvidia have revealed their new flagship graphics card, the GTX 690. Available from May 3rd for $999 (£615), it features a dual-Kepler GPU with cast aluminium casing that should squeeze out performance equal to that of two GTX 680s pulled together in SLI.

"The GTX 690 is truly a work of art--gorgeous on the outside with amazing performance on the inside," said Brian Kelleher, senior vice president of GPU engineering at NVIDIA.

"Gamers will love playing on multiple screens at high resolutions with all the eye candy turned on. And they'll relish showing their friends how beautiful the cards look inside their systems."

Very, very cool. To hammer home the point, here's a breakdown of the key specifications:

CUDA Cores: 3072
Base Clock: 915 MHz
Boost Clock: 1019 MHz
Memory Configuration: 4GB / 512-bit GDDR5
Memory Speed : 6.0 Gbps
Power Connectors: 8-pin + 8-pin
TDP: 300W
Outputs: 3x DL-DVI
Mini-DisplayPort: 1.2
Bus Interface: PCI Express 3.0

Check out the impressive in-game performance chart below:

To celebrate the release of the high seas epic adventure Battleship The Video Game, Activision have given us five copies of the game for the Xbox 360 to give away along with a set of exclusive Battleship merchandise, including an official cap, t-shirt, waterproof case and vest!

Battleship The Video Game follows elite demolitions specialist Cole Mathis as he clashes against an aquatic-based extraterrestrial peril in the sand and sea of the beautiful Hawaiian archipelago. Upon emerging from the idyllic blue waters of the Hawaiian Islands, the invading extra-terrestrial monsters produce a dome around the area, restricting all radar and communications. As the U.S. naval fleet's boots-on-the-ground, you must prove yourself a worthy elite soldier in both a siege on the sea and a war on the shore to defeat the merciless enemy. Find your inner soldier and stop the alien threat before it's too late!

To be in with a chance of winning the game and the goodies, follow these two simple steps:

1) "Like" the Tech Digest Facebook page, which can be found by clicking here.

2) Leave us a message telling us what your favourite boardgame was as a child and why, either via our Facebook page (with the message text starting with "TD BATTLESHIP") or by sending us an email to shinymediacomps@gmail.com, with the subject header "TD BATTLESHIP".

Good Luck!

Terms and Conditions

1. Only one entry per person will be counted. Only entrants who are also Tech Digest Facebook page fans will be eligible to win.
2. The competition closes at 5pm GMT on Friday 11th May 2012. No entries will be considered after then.
3. This competition is open to residents of the UK and Ireland.
4. The decision of the judges is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
5. The winner will be notified within seven days of the closing date.
6. All prizes are non transferable and there are no cash alternatives.
7. Submission of an entry will be taken to mean acceptance of these terms and conditions.

BattleshipTM The Video Game is out now on Xbox 360®, PlayStation® 3, Nintendo Wii™, Nintendo DS™ and Nintendo 3DS™.

For more information, visit - http://battleshipthevideogame.com/

Keep an eye on www.techdigest.tv/promotions and the Tech Digest Facebook page, for chances to win more prizes in the future!

A limited edition Xbox 360 console emblazoned with the Union Jack has been leaked inadvertently by Amazon.

The online retailer had the "Xbox 360 Celebration Pack" listed on the site earlier today for £249.99, with a release date of May 25th, but has since pulled the page, seemingly on the request of Microsoft.

The console pack looked set to include the 4GB version of the Xbox 360, a wireless controller, Kinect sensor, the Kinect Sports and Kinect Adventures games and a three-month Xbox Live Gold subscription, making it identical to February's Kinect Family Bundle, looks notwithstanding.

Nicely timed, what with the London 2012 Olympics and the Queens Jubilee celebrations just around the corner.

We'll have more word on this when Amazon and Microsoft officially lift the covers off it.

Via: Videogamer

Cross Bioshock with Splinter Cell and Half Life 2 and you'd get a fairly good idea of what Dishonored, Bethesda's latest first person adventure, looks and feels like. Developed by Arkane Studios (whose ranks include Harvey Smith of Deus Ex fame) and with art direction provided by the visionary Viktor Antonov (to whom we owe the wonderfully-realised City 17 setting of Half Life 2), it's shaping up to be 2012's must-play sneak-em-up.

Set in the fictional Steampunk setting of Dunwall and heavily influenced by Victorian Britain, you play as Corvo Atano, the former bodyguard of the Empress, Jessamine Caldwin. Accused falsely of her murder, you become a mask-wearing, magic-wielding assassin with the help of a mysterious benefactor, and head out into the fog-covered city to seek revenge from those who've done you wrong.

Much like Deus Ex, Dishonored will offer tightly crafted levels that can be approached in any way you chose. Go all guns blazing with a clockwork pistol and crossbow and you'll alert the many guards of the evil Lord Regent, but ultimately get your job done quickly and messily. Visceral, limb-chopping attacks can be pulled off with swords in combination with a crossbow, with little finesse but maximum collateral damage.
Alternatively, you can slunk through the shadows unnoticed, taking down your targets silently or setting up scenarios that make the evil-doers' deaths look like elaborate accidents. You get all manner of Bioshock-like magical powers to aid you in this approach, from a bullet-dodging ability to slow down time to a powered jump that lets you cross otherwise-impassable routes. You can even "possess" the minds of characters and creatures to make them act out your will. Taking control of a fish may help you find an entry point into a heavily fortified area through waterworks. Don the guise of a rat and you can eavesdrop the location of your targets from guards (and call a plague of ravenous rodents down upon them). You can even take over the targets themselves, bringing them out into the open to more easily fell them, or have them seemingly commit suicide, doing the job for you.

Whichever way you chose to play, the world (and your in-game powers) will begin to adapt around you. You'll be able to tailor and focus on the magical attacks that most appeal to you for instance, while taking part in the many sidequests will alter the way future levels play out, and how characters will interact with you. An aggressive approach to missions will see more guards walking the streets and the downtrodden populace become even more frightened, while a stealthy approach will have your assassinations talked about in hushed reverent tones by the underclass, something like a neo-Victorian Robin Hood.

In many respects, the city of Dunwall itself is treated as a character by the developers. A beautiful fusion of fiction and the most Gothic qualities of Edinburgh and London, it's looking like a menacing take on Dickensian tropes, albeit with overbearing science-fiction machinery and dystopian dread. This exaggerated look carries over onto the non-playable characters too, each with oversized features just shy of being grotesque.

Of the two level play-throughs we were treated to, The Golden Cat Bathhouse proved to illustrate the game's strengths best. Here, the player is tasked with taking out the Pendleton twins, supporters of the Lord Regent and patrons of the titular, shady brothel that makes up the level's setting.

At first, the hands-off demo showed a stealthy approach. Corvo clambered up onto the rooftops, looking for the easiest ways to silently take down targets, slicing throats without a peep from guards and dropping brutally from above with a blade. Hiding bodies and sticking to the shadows, both Pendleton twins eventually were made to have their deaths seem like accidents. The first was boiled alive in his boudoir, achieved by finding a steam valve in a locked adjoining room, accessed through a retaliation shaft. The second was possessed, led onto a high balcony before being hurtled onto the rocks and waves of a dock many feet below by a windy whirlwind magic blast.

Next, the same mission was approached with little care for secrecy. Firing crossbow blasts and dodging bullets with the time-slowing ability, Corvo cleaved in half one guard, clashing swords with another before decapitating him, sending the working girls running away screaming and tossing a grenade at another wave of oncoming attackers. Needless to say, the Pendleton twins met a grisly end.

While there will be no direct reward for playing the game silently or explosively, sticking to one path or the other will clearly provide two very different gameplay experiences, seemingly resulting in practically two completely different games. It's worth also noting that the entire game can be played without killing a single person, with the wrong-doers' actions punished in yet-to-be-revealed ways.

Later, we were showed a flooded district by night, inspired by the dangers of the Thames Barrier failing. Here we got our best sense of the game's sci-fi streak, with mechanical, spider-like "Tallboys" patrolling the streets. Each was manned by a guard, moved incredibly quickly and fired missiles towards Corvo. Though he could have possessed the Tallboys and used their own weaponry against them, the developer playing through the level was killed. Dishonored will offer a stiff challenge it seems, and finding the right balance between balls-out combat and carefully planned stealth attacks will be key to a player's success.

It's early days yet for Dishonored, which so far sports only a "late 2012" tentative release window. But from what we've seen in terms of both design and gameplay, we may have here a game every bit as good as Bioshock and Half Life 2 to add to the elite ranks of sci-fi first person adventures.

Nintendo's financial woes continue today, with the company posting their first annual net loss in the firm's history, to the sum of $530 million.

Hardware sales didn't meet Nintneod's estiamtes posted three months earlier, which had already been made more modest in the wake of poor consumer interest.

Global sales of the Nintendo 3DS hit 13.51 million units, while the Wii sold 9.84 million units and the DS range sold 5.1 million units. Previous estimates were 14 million 3DS handheld sales , 10 million Wiis and 5.5 million DS consoles. Software sales for the year were 36 million, 102.37 million and 60.82 million units respectively across the 3DS, Wii and DS range.

"While [Nintendo] did post a loss for the recently completed fiscal year, the continuing momentum of the Nintendo 3DS and the global introduction of the highly-anticipated Wii U home console will drive the company back into profitability in the current year," said the company in a statement accompanying the results, before forecasting a net profit of $245 million for the upcoming year.

Nintendo also stated that from roughly August 2012, the Nintendo 3Ds will no longer be sold below cost, which should also buoy their coffers somewhat.

Things should start looking up a little after the summer though, with the company pointing beyond the imminent Wii U launch to titles like New Super Mario Bros. 2 and new Brain Age games.

Sony's PlayStation branded 3D TV has finally made its way to UK shops.

Originally meant to land back at the tail end of 2011, the 24-inch TV uses active-shutter 3D "SimulView" technology to allow two gamers to each view a fullscreen when playing what would otherwise be a split-screen experience.

The 1080p, 240Hz display also comes with two pairs of active shutter glasses and two games; Killzone 3 Platinum and Gran Turismo 5 Platinum.

Other specs for the set include a 1 contrast ration, 176-degree viewing angle, two HDMI inputs and a component input, perfect if you want to hook up an old PS2 or rival Wii console.

Available now, the bundle will set you back £449. But hurry - Amazon have already sold-out due to pre-order demand alone.

Kratos is back to kick the derriéres of more classical deities in God of War: Ascension for the PS3. Check out a first look at the game in the teaser trailer above.

Set to be the fourth "true" instalment in the hack-and-slash franchise (not including the PSP spin-off titles), Ascension appears to be a prequel of sorts, with the trailer suggesting it will focus on a time "before Kratos became known as the Ghost of Sparta" at the opening of the first God of War game. With the way God of War 3 ended, it's unsurprising that they're looking to the past for future adventures with Kratos.

Developers at Sony's Santa Monica Studio will be revealing more details about the game on April 30th, so keep your eyes fixed on Tech Digest for more news soon.

Click here to check out our glowing review of God of War 3, and scroll down for a teaser look at the game's artwork, posted on Facebook last week: