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Spring video game fling

The spring thaw has begun, and with that, video game publishers make their annual pilgrimages out to the East Coast to show off the latest builds of upcoming games. We got a chance to get hands-on with several high-profile titles (and some fairly obscure ones) that are sure to eat up many hours of your leisure time later this year.

John Woo's Stranglehold, from Midway, is a buzz-heavy game, bringing together the talents of not just the famed Hong Kong director, but also his action star muse Chow Yun-Fat. It's full of HK-style slow-motion gunfights and is reminiscent, … Read more

Apple TV: Handicapping the competition

The release of Apple TV is imminent--the first hands-on review has appeared, pre-orders have already begun shipping, and it should be popping up in Apple Stores by the end of the week. It's fair to say that Apple's first living room entertainment device is going to cause some major waves in the industry. At the same time, though, it's neither the first nor only product of its kind. Plenty of others--known as digital media adapters or network media devices--are capable of streaming digital media from networked PCs. And iTunes isn't the only show in town when it comes to digitally delivering premium movies and TV shows. So, as the Apple TV rocket leaves the launchpad, we thought it only fair to present a look at the alternatives.… Read more

Don't buy an Xbox 360...

... at least for the next six weeks. By then, the Xbox 360 "version 2" may finally be available. It seems that Game Informer magazine is reporting in its April issue that an upgraded 360 will soon be hitting store shelves, with at least some of the long-rumored goodies: 120GB hard drive (six times the current model's capacity), HDMI output, and a sweet black paint job. Kotaku (where we snagged the Game Informer page scan shown here) has confirmed with the magazine's editor that the story is legit, not an April Fool's joke. And Engadget followed … Read more

Open up your game systems

Have you ever wanted to see how your game system works? Do you scoff at warranties? Do you not mind risking your $80-to-$600 gadget just so you can screw with it? Then this toolkit is for you.

Modding peripheral companies like Divineo and Mod-chip.com are selling the Zoozen Access Pro Tool Kit v2, a toolkit with virtually everything you need to crack into virtually every game system you have. It includes a socketed handle with standard driver bits for slotted, Phillips, and Torx screws, and specialized driver bits for the "tamperproof" screws many systems use (Ever … Read more

HD DVD fanatics to attempt Amazon store run to boost format

April 15 may be known as Tax Day, but the HD DVD backers over at AVS forum are calling it something else: Buy HD DVDs from Amazon Day!

As one forum member put it: "The idea is to show support for HD DVD by buying movies on a specific day. There is no better way to show support for HD DVD than by backing it financially. That is the language the movie studios understand best. If there is a strong demand for HD DVD software, then hopefully Blu-ray-only studios will at least go neutral."

So far about a … Read more

Sega's spring Crush

We speak not of Sega mascot Sonic the Hedgehog's romantic obsession with gold rings (creepy as that may be), but of Crush, an upcoming platform and puzzle game for the Sony PSP that we saw at Sega's spring press event here in NYC.

This puzzle game caught our eye with its unusual 2D/3D design. Players traverse the find-the-exit levels by temporarily "crushing" the game's geometry down to a 2D view, allowing the main character to get to otherwise impossible-to-reach places. It's similar in some ways to Super Paper Mario for the Wii, and … Read more

Norton 360

Computer security is all the rage, and there's no shortage of products out in the wild to help keep your system safe. If, like me, you're a general sort of user you may want to take a look at Symantec's Norton 360. With its intuitive user interface and light use of system resources this is a great all purpose application for the home user. Don't let your hot new system go to waste for lack of good security!

'Flux' wins place on Xbox 360

Peugeot has announced the winners of its Peugeot Design Contest 2007.

Mihai Paneitescu, a design student from Turin, Italy, has taken first place for his Peugeot Flux.

In addition to being featured as a drivable car on an Xbox 360 video game, Paneitescu's Flux will be built as a full-scale model and a 1:43 model that will be sold by Norev. The full-scale model will be displayed at the Frankfurt Motor Show and the Geneva Motor Show

The Flux, according to Paneitescu's description of his design, references our ever-changing lifestyle. The car would run on a slim … Read more

Most disturbing video game...ever

Last night, we got a sneak peek at one of the most disturbing video games we've ever seen, at a press event hosted in New York by game publisher D3. The company is best known for games based on kid-friendly Japanese licenses (Naruto, Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi), but Earth Defense Force 2017, for the Xbox 360, is decidedly less cheerful.

This shooter's basic concept--a lone hero has to fend off alien invaders amid sprawling urban environments--isn't new, but swarming armies of gigantic bugs that you have to fight took us by surprise. There is nothing more unsettling … Read more