The Wii U, Nintendo's forthcoming wacky games console that features a giant tablet-like controller, may come packing an app store similar to those currently found in smartphone and tablet devices.

According to the a "person familiar with the matter" (vague, we know) speaking to The Daily, Nintendo has plans "to implement a full-blown app store for the system."

Both the Wii and 3DS have already got basic app store offerings in the form of the DSi and Wii Shop channels, but (particularly in the case of the Wii Shop portal) have been criticised for only offering expensive, lacklustre content, and not regularly updating the wares on sale.

This new rumour suggests that Nintendo will be going for an approach somewhere between the current Xbox Live and PlayStation Network offerings on the Xbox 360 and PS3 respectively, as well as offering the volume and ease of use of Apple's App Store.

Certainly, the form factor of the new console is well suited to apps. With a 6.2 inch touchscreen on the controller itself, it's easy to imagine web browsing, email checking and social network support among other features being potentially offered.

Wow, it really is not the best time to be launching a new handheld games console. After suffering early sales woes with the 3DS console, Nintendo were forced to rapidly cut the price of the console at an unprecedented rate. Now it seems Sony may have to follow suit with their brand new Vita console, which has failed to match even the paltry early sales of Nintendo's latest machine.

Currently available in Japan only, the Vita managed to sell just 72,479 units in its first full week on the market (December 19th through December 25th) after getting off to a decent start with 325,000 sales in its first 48 hours (December 17th and 18th).

However, the 3DS managed 370,000 units in Japan in its first week, and 210,000 units in its second, beating the PlayStation Vita by 45,000 units in its first seven days, and a massive 137,500 units in its second week.

It puts Sony in a very precarious position, considering the 3DS sales are finally beginning to pick up, meaning they too may have to drastically cut the cost of their console.

"The upcoming US launch could be a true debacle for several reasons," said Forbes' Tero Kuittinen.

"Sony has decided to price Vita at $250, higher than the Amazon Kindle Fire. The hottest games like the latest Uncharted are priced at $50, while many other major titles are $40. The pricing seems delusional in light of the Japanese response to the PS Vita.

"The 3DS should have been a surefire blockbuster in its domestic market -- the summer softness in Japan may have been an early warning sign of the coming global portable market malaise. The disastrous second week of the PS Vita is the second sign."

Kuittinen points the blame towards smartphone and tablet gaming, which are quickly becoming the driving forces in portable gaming:

"The true test of the industry is the United States, where consumers are embracing games designed for smartphones and tablets. The possible shrinking of the portable game consumer base would hit the runner-up Sony before Nintendo really gets mauled. The rot sets in first at the periphery."

Is handheld gaming really starting to rot on dedicated devices? Will you still be picking up a PS Vita? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below, and via our twitter feed @techdigestnews.

While all eyes may currently be on BioWare's Mass Effect 3, the final part of their space-faring role playing game that sits just over the horizon, the RPG stalwarts are preparing to turn their attention to the Dragon Age series once more. And according to studio head Ray Muzkya, Dragon Age III will be taking a fair bit of inspiration from the best-selling The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

"[The next Dragon Age] is going to have the best of features from the prior Dragon Age games, but it's also going to have a lot of things I think players are going to find compelling from some of the games that are out now that are doing really well with more of an open-world feel," Muzyka told Wired.

"We're checking [Skyrim] out aggressively," he continued. "We like it. We're big admirers of [Bethesda] and the product. We think we can do some wonderful things."

Though the first Dragon Age game, Origins, was critically acclaimed, Dragon Age 2 met with a lukewarm reception this year thanks to its more linear structuring and focus on repetitive, action-over-tactics combat. An open world feel may be just what the doctor ordered.

Other recent Dragon Age rumours include potential multiplayer content, both competitive and co-operative as with that which will appear in Mass Effect 3, and the ability to control dragons.

As yet, no official announcement has been made on the development of Dragon Age III, but these comments from Muzkya seem to suggest work is most certainly underway.

UK Xbox 360 owners with LIVE accounts can now access on-demand video content from Channel 4 and Channel 5 through the 4oD and Demand 5 apps, as well as the Daily Motion video-sharing site.

The latest in a string of entertainment portals to be added to Microsoft's console, the pair are part of a drive to make the console a one-stop entertainment device in the living room, having already had LOVEFiLM, Crackle, YouTube and Blinkbox added to the line-up.

Demand 5 brings shows like tech favourite The Gadget Show and soap-opera Neighbours to the console, while 4oD adds the likes of Come Dine With Me, Misfits and This Is England 88.

American Xbox 360 owners also get an update, bringing Vudu and UFC channels to the console.

It's that time of the year again folks; the central heating is on, jackets are tightly buttoned and we're all tentatively trying to hide the fact that we're wearing granddad's long-johns underneath our jeans.

We'll be updating this post pretty much on a daily basis from today right through December, so be sure to bookmark the page and check back every day to see what new goodies we think should be on top of your Christmas list this year. Scroll down to get started!

Best Blu-ray movie boxsets

Take a little bit of cinema magic home with our guide to the best movie boxsets available in the high-definition Blu-ray format. From Star Wars to Toy Story, you'll be gawping at gorgeous movies all winter long with this set.

Best DVD TV boxsets

Settle down this Christmas with a marathon session of your favourite TV shows. We've pulled together ten must see shows in this guide, guaranteed to entertain long after the mince pies have run out.

Best Gaming Chairs

What's Skyrim or Modern Warfare 3 without a comfy chair to play them in? Packed with speakers, rumble packs and butt-caressing cushioning, these gaming chairs will see you sitting merrily right up until the very last boss.

Kitting out the ultimate "Man Cave"

Need to getaway from the festive madness? Kit your spare room out with some of this great geek gear to create the ultimate "Man Cave".

Geek Chic Apparel

Unleash your inner nerd with this collection of nifty t-shirts, bags and accessories in Tech Digest's buying guide to geek chic apparel.

Stupidly Expensive Gifts For The Man That Has It All

What do you buy the man that has everything? His own personal, man-made customised island, a jetpack and Marty McFly's very own motor, that's what! All these gifts and more can be found in this guide, provided you've got a wallet big enough to handle them...

Top Online Digital Services - Spotify, Lovefilm, Dropbox and more!

Who said a Christmas present had to be something you can hold in your hands? Subscriptions to or vouchers for these excellent online digital services are superb, thoughtful gifts too.

Set-top boxes from Sky, Apple, TVonics and more!

Get the most from your new flatscreen TV with these top-notch set-top boxes. From comprehensive televisual nirvana from Sky to Apple's on-take on pay-per-view TV, there's plenty to chose from here.

Top 50 iPad Gaming Apps

You've got Apple's iPad tablet, but what games should you be playing on it? Let Tech Digest guide you through our tips as to the 50 best games on the Cupertino slate.

Best Games Consoles! Xbox 360! PS3! 3DS!

Have yourself a frag-filled Christmas by picking up a top games console. We run down all the usual suspects (PS3, Wii and Xbox 360) and throw some wildcards in for good measure too.

Best Xbox 360 games of 2011

After one of the busiest years in recent gaming history, it can be hard pressed to remember all the great titles that made their way onto the Xbox 360 this year. Tech Digest here guide you through ten of the best to hit Microsoft's console over the past twelve months, each a perfect present for a gaming loved-one.

Best PS3 games of 2011

Despite the PlayStation Network outage hiccup earlier in the year, the PlayStation 3 celebrated one of it's greatest 12 months of pure gaming action, with dozens of great first party titles hitting the console, not to mention stellar multi-platform efforts too. From early winners like LittleBigPlanet 2 through to recent greats like Uncharted 3, it was a great year to be a PS3 owner.

Best Nintendo 3DS games of 2011

Want the very best gaming action in your back pocket? Check out our run down of the best Nintendo 3DS games to hit the console since launch for a slice of Zelda, Mario and Star Fox shaped fun.

Speakers, Docks and Hi-Fi systems

Blast out "A Christmas Gift For You from Phil Spector" in style this holiday season with any one of these ten superb speaker set-ups.

Retro presents

Re-live your childhood with these excellent retro gifts. Our top tips for an old-skool Christmas include everything from Plasma Balls to Space Hoppers.

Stocking fillers for under £10

If you're planning on being a tight-fisted Scrooge this Christmas, check out our guide to cheap-and-cheerful stocking fillers that will give you change back from a tenner.

Best earphones and headphones

"Wow, listen to these crazy new croon-crunk, teen wave sounds! Rad! Dope! Awesome!" That's what your little ones will be saying if they pop a pair of Tech Digest's favourite ear-pieces on this Christmas.

While the gaming community may be waiting with bated breath for any snippets of info on a potential PlayStation 4 games console from Sony, one of the PS3's brightest development teams are starting to sweat at the prospect of new hardware.

Naughty Dog, the team behind the superb Uncharted series on the PS3, are worried that the transitional period will be particularly tough for them, with studio co-president Evan Wells stating that it could be a "double-edged sword."

"The geek inside you is always excited about a shiny new toy, but then the practicality of it starts to set in: this is going to be a lot of hard work," Wells told Eurogamer.

"When you're going to new technology, every day is a slog, progress is slow and it really takes a different kind of attitude and mentality to get through that kind of push and it's not right for everybody."

Wells recalls the transitional period between the PS2 and PS3 console as Naughty Dog's "darkest days".

"We lost people on a weekly basis," Wells remembers. "People just couldn't get through it".

Co-president Christophe Balestra took it a step further, calling the idea of starting work on a new console "terrifying".

"We made some mistakes with our move from PS2 to PS3," he said, "and we won't make those again. I guess we've done it a couple of times!" said Balestra.

Since wrapping up on Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, Naughty Dog have split off in to two teams. One has set to work on the post-apocalyptic action-adventure The Last of Us, while the second team's project has yet to be revealed by Wells.

"Right now they're not working that much. Some of them are working mainly on DLC for multiplayer, and a lot of them are on vacation," he said. "I think the team's going to regroup and we're going to figure out what's going to be the next move for that team. Next-gen, current-gen - that's totally in the air."

Just a quick update on a story we brought you earlier in the week folks. Those with a Nintendo 3DS bought before August 11th 2011 (who also accessed the eShop before that point and opted in to the Ambassador Program) can now grab 10 free, great GBA games for the console.

To get the titles, grab today's console firmware update, then head over to the eShop. Hit the Menu button, then scroll down to the Settings/Other tab. In their you'll find another tab called Titles You've Downloaded, which will then present you with the option of "re-downloading" the ten GBA games, free of charge!

For a full list of the titles available, click here.

For a game as gigantic as Bethesda's role-player The Elder Scolls V: Skyrim, nothing can be more fitting than news of gigantic shipping stats from Bethesda parent company ZeniMax Media.

Today they've announced that Skyrim has shipped a whopping 10 million units across the Xbox 360, PC and PlayStation, amounting to some $650 million in retail sales.

The publisher is now announcing they've been asked for "large retail re-orders". The game initially shipped 7 million units, 3.5 million of which sold in just 48 hours after the game's launch.

In an age where we're continually being reminded of the death of PC gaming, Skyrim has well and truly bucked the trend. Bethesda have revealed that the PC version of Skyrim in North America outsold all other PC games by a magnitude of three to one during November.

It's also now the fastest-selling title in the history of digital-distribution powerhouse Steam. Owners Valve have revealed that the game set a new Steam record with more than 280,000 concurrent players on Skyrim's launch day.

Bethesda will continue to support Skyrim well into 2012 with DLC packs, and a DIY-level editor in the shape of the Creation Kit. Looks like the games popularity is set to extend well into the New Year.

For more on Skyrim, visit our review, and if you're a PC gamer, be sure to check out our guide on how to get the very best graphical experience from the game.

It's all go over at Xbox HQ, with rumours now flying around liberally concerning details of the next-gen Xbox 360.

The latest snippet of info on what's expected to be the Xbox 720 is a change of top-level management on the project. Veteran of the original Xbox, Don Coyner, who is credited with developing the unified design interface design language between the Xbox and Xbox 360, is leaving his role at the helm of Xbox 720 and passing the baton over to Emma Williams.

Emma Williams will now lead the design and experience group for Xbox. Williams was a leading figure in the recent Xbox 360 dashboard update, which was brought in to unify design between Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 OS and forthcoming Windows 8 OS. Williams work will focus on design and brand strategy for the as-yet-unannounced new console.

It doesn't give much away that you couldn't already guess, but William's new position suggests that further synergy between Microsoft's mobile, PC and console offerings will be in the works come the launch of the Xbox 360's successor.

The news also brings with it a pencilled in release window of 2013 for the Xbox 720. Previous reports have suggested both as early as 2012 and as late as 2013 for the console's release.

Via: CNET

It may only be enjoying its first fledgling days as the world's premier space-faring MMORPG, but BioWare and EA already have massive updates planned for Star War: The Old Republic.

Just like every other MMO, designed to consume hundreds of hours of their players' lives, SW:TOR will launch with a few promised features missing, and many new updates and bug fixes lined-up too.

According to the official Old Republic blog, here's a taste of the things the team are preparing to patch into the game:

"New Content - We will be adding new content to the galaxy on an ongoing basis. These worlds will include Operations, Flashpoints and solo content.

And more - We have an entire team of developers working on future content. Right now we are focused on nothing else but Star Wars: The Old Republic, so expect new and cool things."

We've got our hands on The Old Republic ourselves now, so we'll be bringing you tips, hints, reviews and news on the next big MMO as we delve deeper into what this massive game has to offer in the coming weeks.

Nintendo have lifted the lid on the raft of free GBA games coming to the Nintendo 3DS console as part of the Ambassador Program.

The Ambassador Program was introduced following the drastic price cuts Nintendo made to the 3DS following its poor initial sales. Fearing that those who bought the console at full price just a couple of months earlier at launch would feel hard done by, Nintendo promised those who had picked up the console prior to August 11th 2011 (before the price cuts) would get 20 free games before the end of the year.

The first batch saw 10 classic NES games available for free, and this second set, due to launch first in Japan on December 16th, does the same for GBA classics.

The full list of free games will be:

F-Zero: Maximum Velocity
Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
Kirby & The Amazing Mirror
Mario Kart Super Circuit
Mario vs Donkey Kong
Metroid Fusion
Wario Land 4
WarioWare Inc: Mega Microgame$

Now keep in mind that this list is only for Japanese 3DS gamers. But such releases tend to line up similarly for North American users, who will likely get the update shortly afterwards. We'd expect the European update to land shortly after the American release.

No guarantees that the line-up will be identical over here either, but it's a good indication of what to expect, and seems a very generous free offer from Nintendo.

Via: http://andriasang.com/

A second wave of apps for the all-new Xbox 360 dashboard has launched today. Continuing with the entertainment-focus of the first batch, UK users now get access to blinkbox, YouTube, MSN and MUZU.TV, alongside the recently-added likes of iTV Player, LoveFilm and 4oD.

"This is the second wave of Kinect-enabled apps since the all-new Xbox experience launched last week," said Microsoft.

"Xbox 360 is building on its expansive catalogue of movies, sports, television and music and we're happy to offer the following new entertainment experiences starting today in various regions on Xbox Live."

The list of new arrivals (as well as the territories they can be accessed from) is as follows:

blinkbox (blinkbox). United Kingdom
MSN. Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, Mexico, United Kingdom
MUZU.TV. Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom
YouTube. Available in 24 countries globally, including United Kingdom
iHeartRadio (Clear Channel). United States
MSNBC.com. United States
Rogers On Demand Online (Rogers Media). Canada
SBS ON DEMAND. Australia
TMZ (Warner Bros.). Canada, United States
TVE (RTVE.es). Spain
Verizon FiOS TV. United States.

The recent update also added deeper integration with Microsoft's Kinect motion-tracking peripheral, letting users make gestures and speak to the console in order to navigate menus and select items.

It was announced what feels like a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, but Star War: The Old Republic has finally left beta testing and gone live for the masses. The MMORPG set in George Lucas's sci-fi galaxy had originally been tipped for a December 20th launch, but has seen its servers switched on today instead, a full two-days before its eventual December 15th retail release.

That means that those who pre-ordered the game using publisher EA's Origin download platform can now start force pushing and light-sabre swinging.

BioWare co-founder and GM of its MMO business unit Dr. Greg Zeschuk said: "We are extremely humbled by the surge of players who have joined us on this journey and participated in the Beta Weekend. Their participation has given us the opportunity to stress test the game and allowed us to tune the experience, ensuring that we deliver the smoothest possible MMO launch later this month."

The World of Warcraft rival comes with 30 days worth of free access to the game, after which players will have to sign up for a subscription in order to continue playing. The price breakdown starts at £8.99 each month, £25.17 for three months and goes up to £46.14 for six months.

Budding time-lords will get a console-gaming Doctor Who fix next year, as developers SuperMassiveGames have just revealed they're working on a trio of time-travelling games for the PS Vita, PS3 and PC.

SuperMassiveGames, whose previous work includes DLC packs for LittleBigPlanet, will launch Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock as their first title.

Written by the team at BBC Wales and featuring the voice-over talents of Matt Smith and Alex Kingston (AKA the Doctor and River Song), the game bosts 'Photo-real' graphics and 'television quality scenes.'

No word yet on what to expect in terms of gameplay, but we'd expect a light mix of exploration and point-and-click style puzzle solving, with liberal dashings of sonic screwdrivering.

While Sony has initially bagged console exclusivity rights for the early 2012 launch, it's thought that an Xbox 360 port will follow shortly afterwards.

Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of gaming classics like Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda, has announced his intentions to step down as head of game design at Nintendo.

The 59-year-old said in an interview with Wired that: "Inside our office, I've been recently declaring, 'I'm going to retire, I'm going to retire. What I mean by retiring is, retiring from my current position.

"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."

Miyamoto however is keeping the specifics of any such project close to his chest. "I'm interested in doing a variety of many other things."

However, Nintendo have been quick to talk down the significance of Miyamoto's statements.

"There seems to have been a misunderstanding. He has said all along that he wants to train the younger generation. He has no intention of stepping down. Please do not be concerned," said a Nintendo spokesperson to Reuters.

It's been a busy year for Miyamoto, leading the Nintendo charge with AAA titles like Super Mario 3D Land for the 3DS and The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword for the Wii.

Miyamoto was awarded a BAFTA fellowship last year.

Via: Wired

UPDATE: 10:50 am - 08/12/2011

We've just received this statment from Nintendo:

"Video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto's role at Nintendo is not changing. He will continue to be a driving force in Nintendo's development efforts. In discussing his priorities at Nintendo in a media interview, Mr. Miyamoto explained how he is encouraging the younger developers at the company to take more initiative and responsibility for developing software. He attempted to convey his priorities moving forward, inclusive of overseeing all video game development and ensuring the quality of all products. Mr. Miyamoto also discussed his desire to pursue fresh ideas and experiences of the kind that sparked his initial interest in video games."

Tech Digest headed down to London's Trocadero arcade yesterday to test out the world's first eye-controlled coin-op game, the Tobii EyeAsteroids.

No tricks here guys, I'm taking down the killer asteroids with just the movement of my eyes! After a quick calibration test, the game fires up its retro space blasting action, and proves to be on of the most intuitive ways of playing a game I've ever experienced.

EyeAsteroids makes use of an infra-red sensor just below the screen which tracks reflections on the surface of your eye, as well as the minute changes in pupil size, to control the direction of your laser blasts. It almost feels like the game is reading your mind, as the way we chose to focus our gaze on items in the world is so closely linked to the lightning-fast way our brain reacts to make decisions and interact.

Headed to laptops and potentially games consoles in 2012, Tobii's eye-tracking equipment has obvious application for those with disabilities, where the use of limbs to control games or even other computer systems is far less comfortable than merely controlling the movements of eyes.

Tobii EyeAsteroids is available for purchase by companies and individuals, but is limited to a production run of just 50 units, available for $15,000 each.

Tobii's Anders Olsson talks us through the technology, and his hopes for the future of eye-controlled gaming in the video above.

For more info, click here.

We've seen Creeper t-shirts, blocky foam pickaxes, we've even seen Post-it note cubes made to look like 8-bit stone masonry! But when it comes to Minecraft merchandise, the Holy Grail pipe dream has always been a hook-up between Minecraft and Lego.

What better partnership than one between the two building block, imagination fuelling giants of the physical and digital worlds?

That dream may soon become a reality. Minecraft have announced that they are pitching a number of Minecraft themed mini-kits under the Lego Cuusoo label.

Lego's Cuusoo label is a little like Kickstarter for the brick-building world. User's pitch potential Lego kit ideas to the wider Lego community and, if they reach 10,000 votes, Lego then review the idea for a possible production run.

A number of Minecraft kits have already been pitched by fans, but now Mojang (creators of the Minecraft videogame) have officially backed the work by Cuusoo members koalaexpert and suparMacho, who are now collaborating together to come up with the ultimate Minecraft Lego kit for submission.

"Seeing Lego Minecraft sets is also our dream, so we linked to one of the projects," said a Mojang spokesperson.

"It's clear to us that there are many creative people with good ideas for this and we want to throw our own hat into the ring and start this project to bring the best Lego Minecraft builders together. Minecraft is about placing blocks to build anything you can imagine in the virtual world. You can build anything you imagine with Lego bricks in the physical world. Minecraft and Lego were meant to be together."

With the supporter count for the official Minecraft Lego kit already topping 2,000 votes (and growing very quickly) an official Minecraft Lego kit may be with us very quickly indeed.

Experiencing some cognitive deterioration? That's probably because you're not reading enough books. Know why you're not reading enough books? You don't have your library sandwiched between these nifty Portal 2 bookends.

Available now over at Think Geek, they take the blue/orange, in/out puzzling concept of one of this year's best games, and turn them into a mind-bending, space warping accompaniment to your Dickens and Shakespeare.

Grab them here for $29.99.

The bookends come as part of a massive new Portal 2 range from the nerdy retailers, which includes everything from Aperture Laboratories shower curtains to a plush Portal turret. It's a one-stop-shop this Christmas for the die-hard Portal fan.

Click here to take a look at the gear.

When you're done splashing your cash over at Think Geek, check out our top pick for the best Xbox 360 games and the best PS3 games of 2011. Portal fans will be in for a treat.

Xbox 360 fans get a treat this week, as the console's annual UI update gets rolled-out by Microsoft.

Announced back in November, the update is one of the console's most significant overhauls yet. It brings with it improved Kinect motion control and voice control functionality, as well as reams of new video on demand content as Microsoft move to make the Xbox 360 "the biggest interactive TV service in the world".

The new update allows Kinect-owning users to browse content by moving their hands across the new tile-style Xbox 360 interface (not dissimilar to Microsoft's upcoming Windows 8 Metro UI), as well as searching for shows by speaking.

Plenty of new partners for the service have been announced, including LoveFilm, 4OD, BlinkBox, Crackle, ScreenRush, Demand 5, MSN and Vevo.

However, one major play is notable in its abscene; the BBC's iPlayer. Having been available on the PS3 and Wii console's for quite some time, Microsoft have been unable to come to an agreement with the Beeb.

The BBC insist that iPlayer must remain a free service, which works fine on the subscription-free PlayStation Network and Nintendo's free online offering. However, it appears Microsoft wish to put iPlayer behind their Xbox Live Gold members paywall, locking out those who do not cough up for a monthly subscription price.

This year saw Nintendo release their 3DS handheld console, aiming to bring 3D to the masses with it's glasses-free 3D display and a host of recognisable gaming stars leading the charge.

So, without further ado, Tech Digest's top ten best games for the Nintendo 3DS of 2011!

When you're done here, be sure to check out the rest of Tech Digest's 2011 Christmas wishlists too.