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If the wild rumours are true Valve will enter the embattled console market with its 'Steam Box' – assumingly a hybrid of raw PC gaming power and console comfort.
According to various news bits and speculations around the web, Valve officials have held meetings at some industry events such as the CES, showing potential partners their new project: the so-called 'Steam Box'. The device is thought to be a powerful small gaming PC which is supposed to mimic a console and designed to fit in each living room.
Back in November 2011, Valve's PC expert Greg Coomer revealed some technical details about the machine via Twitter: According to him, the Steam Box would be powered by a Core i7 CPU, a whopping 8GB of RAM and a powerful NVIDIA GPU. In his tweet, he mentioned this device would be able to “run Portal 2 fast”. Later, some rumours revealed more details: The Steam Box might be compatible with tons of USB peripherals - and the controller might be outright groundbreaking: If the rumours are true it would be delivered with biometric sensors including the opportunity to measure heart beats or detect sweaty hands. Another rumour indicates Valve might be developing a unique controller: gamers could 'build' it their own way by swapping analogue sticks and other components according to their tastes.
According to various sources, Valve is currently researching 'Big Picture Mode'. This new mode will enable the integration of Steam on big home TVs throughout living rooms across the world – surely the biggest sign of a threat to the consoles.
The latest rumour might not concern gamers for now but it clearly shows the dedication Valve has in mind: The company might opt not to build the Steam Box on its own but it will look out for partners to team up with. One potential Steam Box partner could be Alienware – its new Alienware X51 (a gaming PC in console shape and size) shares many similarities with Valve's ideas. While the rumours might lack proof for now, gamers and tech aficionados definitely have a lot to look forward to at 2012's E3!
The upcoming final game of the popular sci-fi trilogy will tell the final outcome of commander Shepard's fate. However, some are worried that Bioware is gambling its glorious RPG legacy with a more commercial approach.
Many things have been said and feared for months when it comes down to Mass Effect 3. The fuss started with Bioware changing its official stance from “no multiplayer” to “some multiplayer”, introducing three different modes (including the infamous “action mode” where choices are regarded obsolete) and emphasising the shooter aspect even more. Fans were worried Mass Effect 3 would be the just another nail in Bioware's coffin.
It is a good thing Bioware and EA released a demo so we could see for ourselves what Mass Effect 3 is all about. When starting the singleplayer demo for Mass Effect 3, it is clear Bioware has definitely not forgotten how to tell an epic and yet tragic story: It starts with the invasion of the Reapers. This time, the heartless machines attack earth itself, mercilessly wiping out humanity – even kids!
The two demo levels reveal a couple of things: First, the shooter mechanics are crisp, tight and more challenging than in Mass Effect 2. Second, the shooter improvements have not been achieved at the expense of the RPG aspects: Players definitely have more choice in developing and customising their very own Commander Shepard now. It seems the fears of many RPG veterans were all in vain. Of course, only the release of Mass Effect 3 on 9 March 2012 will tell if the main story is more than just a rehash of Dragon Age: Origins in space age ...
The multiplayer part of Mass Effect 3 might not have been welcomed by everyone in the past, but it has turned out to be pretty spot-on: Think of Gears of War's Horde Mode plus Mass Effect's biotic and tech abilities plus tons of customisation. And let's be honest, who wouldn't want to play as a Krogan tank or as an Asari biotic goddess? If you manage to find a trusted squad of friends, the multiplayer will keep you busy as well – and it will help you saving the galaxy ant taking back earth, too!
2012 will be the year of Nintendo's first HD console. As usual, the Japanese entertainment giant doesn’t rest on its laurels – and instead of copying the casual success of the Wii or its fellow HD rivals, it aims for innovation and new ideas.
Looking back at last year's E3, the presentation for the Wii U seemed rather awkward; no one was sure what exactly Nintendo was promoting – was it a new controller for the Wii or a new console? But soon enough, Nintendo assured us they would follow Microsoft and Sony into HD country – with a console graphically more powerful than the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360. And the first impressive tech demos of a new Zelda game definitely looked promising.
Of course, the main catch of the Wii U is the innovative tablet controller which comes with two analogue sticks, proper triggers and a cool touch screen. If someone else wants to watch TV, you can even play some Wii U games on the controller itself – sounds great! Furthermore, you can keep your Wii library – the Wii U will be fully backwards compatible; this clever move will include your Wii remotes as well.
Nintendo also promised a big step up in the very department the company has been neglecting for years: Online support. The Wii U and the 3DS will both have access to Nintendo's very own Nintendo Network which is rumored to have all functions the rivals have offered for quite some time: Online gaming, DLC and also patches to follow the release of your favorite games …
While the Wii U sounds like a good deal, it also poses a crucial question: Who should buy it? The tablet might be too weird for casual gamers, but hardcore gamers will wonder if the Wii U can give them more 'real' games.
At least for the core gamers, Nintendo seems to have learned from the awfully slow start of the 3DS: Many 3rd party developers have already announced promising projects for the Wii U: Even 'mature' games such as The Darkness II, Batman: Arkham City or Darksiders 2 have been announced for the Wii U' lineup.
Sony's new handheld PS Vita suffered a heavy launch failure in its home country. However, there is still plenty of hope for Sony's PSP successor left.
The start of the PlayStation Vita in Japan was not really great, to say the least. The Vita lost heavily to its rival 3DS – and Sony's new console has been outsold by Nintendo's handheld week by week afterward, too. But there is some hope left – the PlayStation Vita is surely not doomed before its Western launch on February 22 2012?
One of the reasons there is still plenty of hope is Uncharted: Golden Abyss, a potential blockbuster. The Uncharted games have a reputation of selling extraordinarily well in the US and in Europe while being shelf warmers in Japan. There are many more promising games to be released in 2012: New iterations of prominent Sony franchises like Killzone, Little Big Planet and Resistance will find its way to many PS Vitas for sure. But we can look forward to a solid output from third party developers, too: Call of Duty, Mortal Kombat, Ninja Gaiden, Silent Hill and the prestigious Metal Gear Solid HD Collection are bound to sell well - especially in the West.
Another advantage speaks for Sony: Compared to Nintendo's 3DS, the PlayStation Vita definitely is a supreme powerhouse with many cool and innovative features. Finally, you have a handheld with two analogue sticks - from the get-go! The PS Vita also comes with two touchscreens (the main touchscreen at the front and a touchpad at the back), houses a powerful CPU and is fully backwards-compatible with your old digital PSP games which will be upscaled to look smoother on your PS Vita screen.
Additionally, the PlayStation Vita could be able to play PlayStation 3 games – theoretically at least. Some versed gamers managed to hack the PS Vita firmware and stream PS3 games on the PS Vita within a month of the new handheld's release.While Sony has not said it will endorse PS3 streaming, gamers can always hope for the best.
The PlayStation Vita comes in two different 'editions': Gamers who are willing to pay more will be able to connect to the internet everywhere via 3G everywhere. If your money is tight or you don't need access to the internet all the time, you might prefer the cheaper wifi-only version of the PS Vita.
The PS Vita is available to pre-order from stores such as Argos, Game and online retailer Amazon.
For more information on the PS Vita, launch titles and competition, visit the PS Vita Facebook Page.
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