consoles

Ouya preorders start today; retail availability set for June

Ouya, the Android-based Kickstarter phenom that raised over $8.5 million from the community, will be available at a wide range of retailers in June.

Speaking to the Wall Street Journal in an interview published today, Ouya CEO Julie Uhrman said that the console will be made available at retail in June. At that time, a host of retailers, including GameStop, Best Buy, and Target, will be selling the hardware. Amazon will also be carrying the device. Until then, gamers will be able to place preorders starting today.

Ouya took Kickstarter by storm last year when it excited gamers at the prospect of bringing open-source Android gaming to the television. Since then, gamers have been wondering when the console will finally get into their homes.… Read more

Sony teases big NYC event for Feb. 20, PS4 debut?

Time to dust off that hype machine. The next generation of video game consoles may debut as early as February 20. That's the date Sony has set aside for an event in New York City, leading some to believe this could be the first-ever announcement of the PlayStation 4, the inevitable successor to the company's current PlayStation 3 game system.… Read more

Valve's Newell: Apple is the console market's biggest threat

Watch out, Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony: Apple is coming to take you down.

Speaking recently to a class at the University of Texas' LBJ School of Public Affairs, Valve co-founder Gabe Newell said that he believes the console market's greatest "threat right now is that Apple has gained a huge amount of market share, and has a relatively obvious pathway towards entering the living room with their platform."

"I think that there's a scenario where we see sort of a dumbed down living room platform emerging -- I think Apple rolls the console guys really … Read more

Nvidia: Here's how we built our Shield game player

Nvidia's Project Shield was unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) several weeks ago -- and now the chipmaker has offered insight into what it took to make sure the portable gaming device was ready in time.

The chipmaker's gaming device, Nvidia Shield, comes with a quad-core Tegra 4 processor, offers between five and 10 hours of gameplay, and is smaller than a Wii U controller. Able to connect to the cloud in order for a user to access Android and TegraZone games -- as well as PC games with compatible GeForce graphics cards -- once it hits … Read more

Will China end 13-year ban on video game consoles?

Authorities in Beijing are considering allowing the likes of Sony and Nintendo to once again sell video game consoles in China, according to reports.

Video game consoles such as Sony's PlayStation and Microsoft's Xbox were banned more than a decade ago over worries that video game playing could corrupt children and hamper their development. But now the China Daily says at least one governmental official believes that there is a possibility for gaming to once again hit the Chinese market.

An anonymous source from the Chinese Ministry of Culture told the publication:

"We are reviewing the policy … Read more

Wii U getting updates, new games

Wednesday's CNET Update:

Stories mentioned in today's tech news roundup:

- Nintendo announced several updates and new games for the Wii U console.

- GigaOM's report on DIAL, a protocol being worked on by Netflix and YouTube for second-screen apps.

- Google beat analyst expectations by reporting its first-ever $50 billion year.

- Tumblr: Actual Facebook Graph Searches

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Sony exec hints at PlayStation 4 announcement in spring

Sony's vice president of home entertainment, Hiroshi Sakamoto, has hinted that the next-generation PlayStation 4 console may be announced in the coming months.

In an interview with Chilean Web site Emol, Sakamoto implied that the Playstation 4 may be ready for formal introduction by the time 2013's Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) appears on the calendar, or perhaps even sooner.

When asked whether a next-generation playstation console will be seen within the new few months, the VP told the publication:

That's still a big secret, but our friends are preparing Sony PlayStation. I can only say that we … Read more

How to set up Amazon Instant Video on the Nintendo Wii

After expanding their streaming video service to the iPhone and iPod touch devices just a month ago, Amazon announced yesterday that their Instant Video service is now available on the Nintendo Wii. Here's how to set up the new app on your Wii:

Step 1: Go to the Wii Shop Channel on your Internet-connected Wii.

Step 2: Download the Amazon Instant Video app.

Step 3: Launch the Amazon Instant Video app from your Wii.

Step 4: Select "Register Your Device" and make a note of the code that appears.

Step 5: Go to the Amazon Instant Video device registration page … Read more

Nintendo's Wii gets Amazon Instant Video

Those consumers who don't want to upgrade from the Nintendo Wii to Wii U just yet but still want to get video streaming for their console are in luck. Amazon announced today that its Instant Video service is now available on the Wii.

"Amazon Instant Video is now playing on your Nintendo Wii," the video service wrote on its Web page. "Start watching over 140,000 movies and TV episodes today. Prime members can also watch thousands of these videos at no additional cost."

Nintendo recently upped its streaming game with the debut of its … Read more