Lots of hardware news has been coming through today from CES. NVIDIA have shown off a new Lenovo gaming monitor, while Gameloft and Panasonic have entered into a deal to allow games to be downloaded directly to TV"s in high definition. We also have some news on Yoostar 2, Bionic Commando Rearmed 2, Xbox LIVE deals, new Mac App Store titles, Galaxy on Fire 2 for Android Tegra 2 based units and PES 2011 on Windows Phone 7.
Hardware News
Panasonic and Gameloft enter into TV Game Download Deal
Yesterday both Gameloft and Panasonic announced a new games deal at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Within the next few months video games with 3D graphics including Asphalt 5, N.O.V.A. Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance and UNO, which will be directly accessible on Panasonic’s 2011 line of VIERA Connect-enabled VIERA HDTVs. The games themselves will be downloadable via Panasonic"s VIERA Connect marketplace built into the TV.
New Lenovo 3D Gaming Monitor shown at CES
NVIDIA has been showing off new 3D-Enabled PC"s and monitors from Lenovo at CES. One of the new PC"s contains a GTX 460 while supporting full HD-Monitors and Stereoscopic 3D, not just for gaming - but for video conferencing too. Check out the details from the press release that NVIDIA mailed in below:
The Lenovo IdeaCentre K330 PC, a high-performance 3D gaming PC tower that features the powerful NVIDIA GeForce® GTX460 GPU, now joins the extensive list of 3D Vision technology-supported PCs. In addition, the new Lenovo L2363d 23-inch 3D monitor, one of the first full-HD (1920 x 1080) monitors to feature dual webcam lenses, enables users to take 3D photos or participate in stereoscopic 3D web conferencing using NVIDIA 3D Vision glasses and technology.
NVIDIA 3D Vision technology supports the richest array of 3D content available, including 500 3D games, Blu-ray 3D movies, 3D photos and streaming Web video. It also enables users to upload, share and view full-resolution 3D photos, as well as enjoy 3D movies at NVIDIA’s 3DVisionLive.com, the world’s first 3D Vision online community. In addition, NVIDIA’s new 3DTV Play™ software enables consumers to attach their PC or notebook to 3D HDTVs and HDMI 1.4-capable audio/video receivers and enjoy all the latest 3D content in the comfort of their living rooms in full HD 3D, and with HD surround sound audio. 3DTV Play software is bundled free with 3D Vision notebooks and PCs, and is available now at NVIDIA’s online store, RRP £25.99.
General News
Dragon Age 2 DLC announced even before the game is out
With the release of Dragon Age 2 just over 2 months away, Bioware and Electronic Arts have already announced the first downloadable content pack entitled "The Exiled Prince". Dragon Age II will be available on the PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system and PC in North America on March 8, 2011 and in Europe on March 11, 2011. News is that if you pre-order Dragon Age 2 before January 11 you will get a free upgrade for the Dragon Age 2 BioWare Signature Edition which will include "The Exiled Prince" pack for free, along with the soundtrack and additional armour.
More details on the games story from the press release are below:
“The Exiled Prince” introduces the noble archer Sebastian Vael, with players joining him in the middle of his quest to avenge the brutal murder of his family. Sworn to the priesthood as a boy, Sebastian is forced to re-enter the viper"s nest of princely politics when his family is brutally murdered, leaving him as the sole surviving heir. Banding together with Sebastian and his unshakable loyalty and excellent aim, players will choose to either avenge Sebastian"s murdered family to reclaim his title or direct his holy vengeance on their enemies in Kirkwall. In addition to this action-packed storyline, players will also be able to enlist Sebastian as a follower throughout a majority of Dragon Age II.
Bionic Commando Rearmed 2 - Release Date
Capcom have confirmed that Bionic Commando Rearmed 2 will be released onto PSN and Xbox LIVE on February 2 across Europe! The retro side-scrolling action title will cost 14.99 euro’s on PSN and 1200 MS points.
Yoostar 2 coming soon
Namco have announced an agreement with Yoostar Entertainment to distribute Yoostar 2 for Kinect for Xbox 360 and the PlayStation Move. Yoostar2 is a revolutionary game which uses the advanced camera technology of the Kinect for Xbox 360 sensor and the PlayStation Eye to place players within famous movies and TV scenes. The game is due for release some time this quarter.
PlayStation 3 News
DanceDanceRevolution New Moves coming soon
A new version of DanceDanceRevolution entitled New Moves will be released soon on the PlayStation 3. Not only will the game come with a number of new music tracks, it will also feature PlayStation Move motion controller support. DanceDanceRevolution New Moves also adds a new game mode called "Dance Off", which allows two or four players to take turns in the same dance, the winner is the player who gets the best score. DanceDanceRevolution New Moves will be available in March at retailers, bundled with a dance mat controller. You can check out more about the game via the press release.
Windows Phone 7 News
PES 2011 coming for WP7
Great news for football fans craving some action on their Windows Phone devices, Konami have announced PES 2011 for Windows Phone 7. More good news is that the game will feature improved graphics and a better passing system than seen on other mobile devices. As is the norm for an Xbox LIVE title on Windows Phone 7, the game will also feature Xbox LIVE achievements and online leaderboards. No news yet on whether the game will allow online multiplayer matches, but more news when we get it.
Xbox 360 News
Xbox 360 LIVE Deals
Microsoft have sent over all their upcoming deals for January on Xbox LIVE. They range from some new games of the week deals to additional Games on Demand titles such as Dante"s Inferno. Also of note is that from January 11 to the 17th you can save up to 50 percent on some Activision content like Map packs and Guitar Hero songs. Also from January 18 to 25th you can save on EA content such as arcade games and more.
Microsoft are also having an Xbox LIVE Gold Free weekend from January 28 (5PM) to January 31 (5PM) which will allow gamers to try out the Xbox LIVE Gold service for free. This allows gamers to play multiplayer titles that they are not able to do so on the free silver service. Finally Microsoft are also offering a free game or movie rental for users who sign up to an Xbox LIVE Gold Family Pack in January
You can check out all of their offers and releases on their official press release.
Android News
Galaxy on Fire 2 heading for Tegra 2 on Android systems
The excellent Galaxy on Fire 2 is heading to Android phones and tablets soon according to a press release from creators FishLabs. The game will be taking advantage of the Tegra 2 3D Graphics chip from NVIDIA to produce far improved graphics over the original iPhone and iPad version with better textures and poly counts. Galaxy on Fire 2 will available for download via the Tegra 2 zone on Google Market when first Tegra 2 powered Android devices are released in February 2011. More details and a trailer from the new version are below, we think you"ll agree that it looks stunning:
Galaxy on Fire 2 has been heavily overworked to utilize the double core rendering power of the NVIDIA Tegra 2 3D graphics accelerator. Compared to the iPad version, the game features a four times higher texture size and a six times higher poly count on its spaceships as well as OpenGL ES 2.0 specular and bump shaders on all in-game assets, running fluidly even at up to 1280 x 800 pixels resolution on Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) and 3.0 (Honeycomb) tablets.
Mac News
G5 announce 8 games for new Mac App Store
G5 Entertainment have released 8 new Mac titles on the brand new Mac App Store. The games are Virtual City, Supermarket Mania, Stand O"Food, The Mystery of the Crystal Portal, Mahjong Artifacts, Mahjong Artifacts: Chapter 2 and Paranormal Agency. All of these titles have been released on the iPhone and iPad in the past, but can now be played in full screen or in a Windows on your Mac.
Remember that you can discuss all of these games and more on our Gaming forums here at Neowin.