Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) has made a splash at E3 2008 by announcing a brand new PS3 80GB model that will oust the current 80GB model in the market. Since both have the same storage space, what are the differences between the two? For starters, the new PS3 80GB model will be the mainstay of the company’s gaming hardware line-up, and it will retail for a more affordable $399 that ought to see more sales fly off the shelves in due time. In addition to that, it will also have the entire range of features and functionality found in the 40GB model, albeit with double the storage for you to store a whole lot more movies, graphics, music, photos and other entertainment content without forking out an extra dollar. Other notable features include Blu-ray playback capability, HDMI output, integrated Wi-Fi connectivity, the vaunted Cell Broadband Engine and an integrated 80GB hard drive. In addition to this new 80GB model, Sony also has plans for its PSP handheld platform that is slowly but surely picking up in terms of sales and game quality worldwide. More about that right after the jump.

Read the rest of this entry »

Microsoft will be offering way more value for your dollar with their new Xbox 360 SKU that boasts triple the storage space of the original $349 console. It is not available just yet, but will be hitting retail stores in both the U.S. as well as Canada early next month onwards. Other than the 300% increase in hard drive space, gamers on a tighter budget will be pleased to know that the 20GB Xbox 360 in both mentioned countries will experience a $50 price drop to a mere $299 as long as supplies last. More on the development after the jump.
Read the rest of this entry »

OCZ has introduced yet another keyboard to the already crowded gaming market, this time round it will be the Elixir hoping to make an impact. Hailing from the Alchemy range, the Elixir keyboard toes the line with a mid-range gaming peripheral without having you break the bank for it. For just $29.99, you get a pretty healthy amount of features such as ten tri-way programmable macro keys (effectively providing up to 30 in total), media player controls and a pop-up shortcut menu. The keys are coated with rubber to ensure that they won’t fail even with the most sweaty fingers in the house. Of course, OCZ has not forgotten all about ergonomics either as you will be able to spend long hours with the Elixir without feeling any cramps.

Source: Trusted Reviews

Get your game on with the HORI Real Arcade Pro.EX for the Xbox 360 console. After all, there is nothing quite like a dedicated joystick when it comes to fighting games. Complete with eight oversized buttons to ensure you don’t miss a beat while punching your opponent into a bleeding pulp (on screen anyways), the rounded knob of a joystick works much better than your standard Xbox 360 controller. Hopefully when you are on the ropes, you won’t lose your temper and smash the HORI Real Arcade Pro.EX - after all, you paid good money for it, didn’t you? All the pre-ordered allocation is already out of stock at the moment, so do check back with Play-Asia from time to time if you’re desperately in need of one.

Product Page

I’ve got a funny story to tell about the Wii. Lately, my children, who are ages 4 and 5, have been playing it early in the morning before I wake up. A few days ago, I discovered they created a crowd of diverse Mii characters, all with names like “puppy”, “hug”, and “good”.

I suppose that they named these Mii guys after words they knew how to spell. They must have mastered the keyboard interface that requires Wiimote motion to work. I have found that typing on the Wii this way is slow, and if the Wii is ever going to make full use of its wireless capability, then a keyboard might soon be a requirement.

A company called Logic 3 has recently come out with a mini QWERTY keyboard, which features Symbol shifting and F number keys. It is reminiscent of certain keyboards that I have seen for the Xbox 360 that fit right onto the controller. I don’t think that this Wii Keyboard can fit on the controller as nicely as that keyboard, but it will link up with the Wii’s USB port.

Read the rest of this entry »

Somehow, women in gaming always fascinates me. After all, they’re something of an enigma, and it does turn my legs into mush whenever I see a sexy vixen pick apart her opponents in a virtual sparring match that involves reflexes, wit and skill. Would you rather watch Fatal1ty gun his opponent down in 100% accuracy or would you prefer a hot chick dressed in attire you love, complete a course with 5% less accuracy? I’d settle for the latter, and this is why gaming gear ought to be made available to ladies as well as it has been long established that video gaming is a guy thing. This paradigm shift opens up doors for new possibilities, with SteelSeries releasing the SteelSeries Iron.Lady bundles for female gamers. This bundle will come in either pink or white colors, boasting the SteelSeries Ikari Laser Mouse, SteelSeries QcK mouse pad and a branded wristband.

Read the rest of this entry »

It’s official. The world is gizmo-gadget obsessed. Even in gambling. I reckon it stands to reason that if you grow up in the digital age where everything is virtual and everyone has a password like they have a cellphone, it only stands to reason that, like newspapers before them, poker tables are rapidly going the way of the doo-doo. The Pokermate Table not only gives players touchscreen interfaces to use for game play and betting, it’s also yet another guard against card counters who seek a legal, but wholely frowned upon gaming advantage.

Read the rest of this entry »

If you’re a geek who grew up in the late 80’s, you can’t help but hold a special place in your heart for Nintendo. It’s just how it is. Super Mario, Paperboy, Duck Hunt. These are all games we grew up spending hours doting over. While we might have high-tech alternatives these days, such as the PS3 and Xbox 360, sometimes there’s just no alternative for the classic 8-bit system.

As awesome as PS3 might be, you don’t see anyone walking around with PS3 keychains. And you probably shouldn’t plan on it either. NES was a trend setter. It showed us how gaming could bring us together while entertaining us alone as well. Which is why there are so many people which would be honored to display their love of retro gaming, right from their keychain.

Read the rest of this entry »