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E3 2007: Guitar Hero III

The game responsible for getting more non-gamers playing (except perhaps Wii Sports and Madden) is Guitar Hero, an addictive mix of rock-and-roll karaoke and Simon Says. The concept is simple, strap on a vaguely guitar-shaped plastic controller, and press the brightly colored buttons in time to music note that float down the screen. That catch is that you're playing along with B and C-list classic rock tunes, and the better you play, the more songs you unlock.

Already a hit on the PS2 and Xbox 360, publisher Activision has to really come up with some new features to get … Read more

E3 2007--in under 4 minutes

Miss any of this week's big E3 news? CNET TV's got you covered. Veronica Belmont wraps up all the announcements from Santa Monica, including the highlights from Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo.

Earlier CNET TV coverage:

CNET TV: Microsoft E3 press conference highlights: Rock Star, Gears of War on PC, and--of course--Halo 3 CNET TV: Focus on 'Wii Fit'

Zune pay-to-share rumors floated again

ZuneScene, a fan site devoted to Microsoft's portable music player, is reporting on a Microsoft patent filing that describes a system for compensating Zune users for sharing music wirelessly.

The idea: if I send you a song, it expires after 3 days or 3 plays, regardless of where I got it from (my own CD collection, a file-sharing network, a Zune Marketplace download). If you decide you like that song and buy it from the Zune Marketplace, I get a small commission--probably points good for buying other songs from the Marketplace.

This isn't news: Engadget reported on it … Read more

E3 2007: Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles

The Resident Evil series had hit a bit of a stagnant spell before 2005's excellent Resident Evil 4 (really something like the 10th game in the franchise) put the zombie-killing train back on track. RE4's recent port to both the PC and Nintendo Wii point to that game's long-term appeal, and served as a good introduction to the third-person "survival horror" (a badly translated Japanese description that seems to have stuck) genre for new fans.

The first Resident Evil game designed specifically for the Wii, The Umbrella Chronicles, isn't nearly as ground-breaking, and in … Read more

Beetlmania in Europe this weekend

Hundreds of Volkswagen Beetle owners are expected to caravan the Baltic coast this Saturday for a summer event to celebrate all things Beetle.

The Beetle Sunshine Tour is being run by Gabriele Kraft, a New Beetle Cabriolet owner from Lubeck, Germany, who privately started the event in 2004. She now has the support of Volkswagen and the town of Gromitz, which is the tour's final destination and where a celebration will be held along the promenade.

This year, Volkswagen will also celebrate production of its one millionth New Beetle, which will make an appearance, as part of the festivities.… Read more

Olympics laptop goes for a trial heat

Considering how quickly Lenovo's Olympics laptop came out--it was shown just one day after its first public mention--the company has taken a fairly long time to release any details.

But Electronista says the "Xiang" notebook, which bears the distinctive "Cloud of Promise" design created specifically for the 2008 Beijing Games, has made an appearance at a Southeast Asian trade show and sported a 12-inch widescreen, a 1.66 GHz Core Duo processor, a multi-card reader and three USB ports, among other features.

Unfortunately, the most important specs--where and when we can get one, and for … Read more

Enter Gleemax: Wizards of the Coast's new social site for gamers

Not all games need a computer or a video game system. Long ago, before the Internet and broadband and (one assumes) wheels and indoor plumbing, gamers played games on tables. Card games, role-playing games, and strategy games were all played with pens, paper, cards, dice, and figurines. Plenty of gamer geeks still play those games today. I count myself as one of them.

Wizards of the Coast owns Dungeons and Dragons and Magic: The Gathering, respectively the largest tabletop RPG and collectible card game franchises ever. WotC recently announced the strangely named Gleemax, a social site focused specifically on the … Read more

E3: 'Wii Fit' gameplay video

Health-conscious gamers can finally put the Wiimote down and put away Wii Sports. Nintendo's upcoming Wii Fit uses the new Wii Balance Board controller to measure how you move as you stretch, dance, and dodge through 40 different fitness activities. Wii Sports is expected to hit stores early next year.

What could you make from an iPhone?

Since the iPhone's June 29 launch, we've seen several teardown reports--some from professionals, some demonstrating more enthusiasm than skill, and some that are just awful (but funny).

What's inside? Well, you can read the details in reports from various analyst firms, but it breaks down like this:

A microprocessor A 3D graphics controller DRAM Flash memory An LCD A touch sensor A cell phone module Wi-Fi and Bluetooth controllers An audio chip A microphone and a speaker An accelerometer A camera module A SIM card Assorted other interfaces, connectors and buttons A lithium-ion battery Power-supply circuitry

All … Read more

E3: 'Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction' gameplay

While the list of upcoming PlayStation 3-only titles isn't exactly lengthy, it's good to know that Sony's exclusives still contain some excellent franchises. A prime example of one of these is the successful Ratchet & Clank series noted for its addictive action gameplay and excellent production value, thanks to Insomniac Games. The latest adventure, Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction, is the first entry into the HD world of next-gen gaming and is set to release toward the end of this year.