However, if you are planning to buy Kinect for Windows, just be prepared to shell out extra $100. Microsoft, on its part, has clarified that Xbox 360 Kinect is largely a subsidized product, which is not the case for Windows Kinect. Microsoft stated, “Kinect for Xbox 360 is in large part subsidized by consumers buying a number of Kinect games, subscribing to Xbox LIVE, and making other transactions associated with the Xbox 360 ecosystem.”

However, Microsoft has tweaked Kinect to justify the higher price tag. Kinect for Windows come with more sensitive camera, which is capable of seeing objects which may be placed as close as 16 inches. Since, the kit has just been launched, the new apps may take a little time to appear for mass consumption. The sensor is available for $249, however, later in the year, the company will be offering promotional academic price point of $149.

Microsoft Launches Kinect for Windows is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com

According to the rumors, Kinect sensor is likely to be placed alongside notebook camera. The notebook is also expected to come with a bit of bling in the form of LED lights right below the screen. Incorporating Kinect technology into laptops would mean that you would be able to operate your computer with gestures like wave of hands or fingers. This development would be essentially very important for letting disabled people use computers.

Microsoft is not expected to produce these laptops under its own marquees, but it is speculated that the technology will be licensed out to manufacturers like Asus. Microsoft is currently busy finalizing Windows 8, which is likely to hit the markets soon.  The company is also looking into the possibilities of incorporating Kinect technology into other devices.

During CES this year, Microsoft announced a desktop variant of Kinect and it is also rumored that the company is working on developing a Kinect enabled TV. Other rumors suggest that it might be working on a set top box equipped with Kinect.

Microsoft to Bring Kinect to Laptops: Collaborates with Asus is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com

Though, at this stage, all the information floating around is nothing more than mere speculation, but it is still the harbinger of the things to come. The new console may completely reject physical media in favor of cloud streaming or downloads. Though popular gaming site Kotaku claims that the change may be a little less drastic, as Microsoft may decide to forego DVDs but opt for Blu Ray instead of making a complete shift to electronic transfer.

Though most of the rumors are like dream come true for gamers, but there is one worrying aspect too. Kotaku has claimed that Microsoft may decide to stop supporting used games. Apparently, the company has set up a non-used game system and thus will tie games to a specific piece of hardware. This will effectively make it impossible for you to buy or sell used games.

Microsoft is also said to be working on the advanced version of Kinect.

Microsoft Working on All New Xbox 720: Rumors Abound is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com

According to the data compiled by NPD, videogame software and hardware market turned over $17.02 billion in 2011. This figure represents 8 percent decline over 2010 figures. However, digital downloads reported 7 percent year over year increase to touch the figure of $7.24 billion in volume.

Apart from top performer Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation also witnessed a good year with 5 percent increase in its sales volume. Nintendo Wii, performed rather poorly with decline in its revenue.

The report also highlighted poor performance of the sector for the month of December, which dragged down the annual figures.  December accounted for only 23 Percent of annual figure, down from last 10 years average of 28 percent share. NDP Group said, “Because of the great slate of content that came to market during the fourth quarter, I had expected December sales to represent a larger portion of total year sales than what occurred.”

Microsoft Xbox 360 Reigns Supreme in Gaming Segment is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com

Overview

We all know that Christmas is just around the corner.  Almost a week away to be more exact!  Apart from partying, eating lots of Turkey and spending time with the family. There will be no doubt that if you’re a gaming fan then Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas if you didn’t have a few rounds on your Xbox 360 or PS3.

Well, if you’re looking to boast about your latest gameplay to all you gaming friends then you might want to invest or get one of your loved ones to buy you Roxio Game Capture to capture all those gaming moments.  Roxio Game Capture includes everything you need to capture your Xbox 360 and PS3 gameplay in realtime while playing in HD. Then easily edit your footage, to keep just the action you want, and share on YouTube and other sharing sites – direct from your PC. Roxio Game Capture is an all-in-one product, including Roxio video-editing software, and a powerful Roxio capture device.

Fortunately for us we managed to get hold of one to review to let all you gaming fans know whether it is one to invest or something which is better left on shop shelves.

Review

Set Up: 3/5

Let’s not beat around the bush, there’s a bit of a split in the gaming community when it comes to this device. Some praise it for its extremely easy set-up whilst others are so frustrated by it that they send it back to the shop. The two main complaints are poor video quality and the PC software making laptops crash. When it comes to video quality it seems that many people struggle to find the correct settings to suit their gaming set-up. This is, for some users, a major flaw in the product. Actually hooking up the wires is very easy, as is installing the software which took a few minutes for and worked first time with no signs of lagging or crashing. The problem is altering the display settings on Xbox/PS3 system and televisions. Ultimately if you have a good quality (preferably HD) TV and you know your composites from your SCARTS and your PALS from your HD then you should be fine. If you’re not so knowledgeable when it comes to picture quality then stay away. This device is designed for serious gamers. The reason it scores low is on set-up is that it is marketed as something gloriously easy to install which is not always the case. The instructions aren’t terrible but neither are they the most illuminating in the  world.

Value for Money: 3/5

The price of the Xbox/PS3 capture device tends to be around the £65-75 region. If you’re serious about capturing your gaming, whether you’re simply a nerd that likes to show off or your headshots or a blogger/reviewer then you’re going to get a lot of use out of the device for under £100 which is quite a reasonable price. Another popular capture device is Dazzle which is slightly more expensive at around £90-£95. So in context £65 is good value for money. If you’re paid for your footage you’ll get the money back in a few reviews time. You can go down the DIY route but this is notoriously difficult and will probably involve ordering a tonne of cables and spending hours digging around forums. One minus for Roxio’s device is that some users may need to buy a composite cable to use the capture function and  this isn’t included.

Features and Design: 5/5

The quality of the box is fantastic. It’s light, strong and actually looks pretty cool. It’s not going to look ugly stacked up next to your game console. The wires on the other hand may, but they are unavoidable and with some careful planning you could set the box up nicely with the wires tucked out of sight. You will of course have to find somewhere for your laptop/computer to sit as you will have the device hooked up to your computer via USB. What’s more, the wires are gold-plated which is a nice touch for a cheap(ish) device. The software ran great for me, even on my bog-standard Windows 7 laptop. There’s enough editing software to suit any capture needs and it is very easy to use. One word of warning though -memory- make sure you have enough to save the files you plan to save.

Gaj-it Verdict: 4/5

A good device but it requires a top-end TV and reasonable knowledge of gaming to truly shine. Some users will find it frustrating and  it may not be quite good enough for professional game reviews/bloggers who need super-high end capture quality.

Roxio Game Capture

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Roxio Game Capture Review is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com

Rayman: Origins is a nostalgic trip down memory to many gamer’s cherished 16-bit youth; a time where Super Mario and Sonic were king. Origins is special, rare and precious – full of vibrant worlds, which looks to recapture the innocence of gaming.  Rayman Origins sits at a polar opposite to the war torn landscapes and dystopian apocalypses that many games companies are trying to force upon an already saturated consumer.

The current generation will of course be remembered for the Call Of Duty’s and Battlefield’s of this generation, but it will also be remembered for the rebirth of long forgotten 2D generation. If you’ve explored Xbox Live or the Playstation Store recently it’s clear that 2D is making a comeback. Well, now it’s time for an old favourite Rayman to return and instead of being a downloadable affair – Ubisoft – have decided to make Rayman: Origins a full physical retail game, a brave move.

The first thing that you will notice is Rayman: Origins is it is bite the back of your hand beautiful, this is thanks to, in part, the current crop of high-def consoles which means Michel Ancel can finally realise his whimsical vision. Origins is easily one the most an eye-catching, visual indulgences of 2011. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that you could pause the game any point take a picture of it and then hang it on your wall – it’s that stunning. Michel Ancel and his team have created something so stunning in both style and vision that Pixar, and the like, would be happy to put their names to it. It’s jam-packed full of exquisite colours, goofy characters and never deviates from Ancel’s original vision.

During your colourful adventure you’ll come across a magnitude of stages to explore, epic bosses to take down, collectable character skins and plently of hidden gems and treasures. Rayman and his sidekicks Globox and Teensies will help you along the way, and as you enter a new world they will be provided with new abilities or attacks to learn – meaning you can even revisit older levels and complete them again in different ways.

One of the best features of Rayman is the multiplayer: you’ll struggle to find a game this year that can compete with Origins when it comes to local multiplayer action. Unfortunatley there isn’t any online multiplayer, but,  replaying all the levels again in Co-Op becomes a completely different experience. The game uses a simple drop in and drop out system, making it easy for others to join or leave the game any time they want. It’s your choice how you want to play the game, alone or with 3 of your friends. The lack of online multiplayer  is at odds with the current broadband multiplayer world we live in now, but we see this more as not compromising on the original concept, than a major downside.

Alongside the visual delights of this remarkable world there is an incredibly accomplished audio score to accompany your adventures. The music manages to capture the varieties of settings from shadowy, dark forests to demonic caves – it’s never too invasive, or overbearing, but adds more magic in a inspired fashion.

Rayman Origins might look like a child games, but in actual fact it’s devilishly difficult with a solid learning curve throughout the game. It won’t take you to the point of controller-throwing, but will require you to concentrate – especially when you’re trying to get final level bonuses. With intelligent checkpoints and no limits on the number times you can repeat a section, Rayman, sails close to alienating players with it’s difficulty curve, but, thankfully, never strays over this ill-fated line.

The strength of Origins is the way Ubisoft, Ancel and his team have brought his whimsical world together with a incredibly strong platforming foundation to make one of the best games of 2011. It’s entertaining and joy to play with plenty of moments of brilliance and ultimately shows that the developers understood the franchise and concept. Ubisoft have made a 2D platformer every bit as good as Sonic or Super Mario and you shouldn’t hesitate to pick up Rayman: Origins. If you are looking for something with bags of wholesome family fun you can’t go wrong with Rayman: it’s fun, entertaining and jam-packed full of the joys of the 16-bit generation with a stunning 21st century lick of colourful paint.

Rayman: Origins Playstation 3 Review is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com

Wedbush Securities reported that the industry is struggling with various problems including dipping retail prices and softer consumer demand. The report stated, “We currently estimate full year software sales will end down 4%, suggesting 2% growth for November and December sales with flat console unit sales and lower console dollar sales due to price cuts.”

Industry giants are likely to take even bigger hits. The report singled out Nintendo for its lack of hit titles in the recent past. Nintendo is also facing heat from its competitors. However, the company sold over 500,000 Wii consoles over the Black Friday weekend. Wedbush Securities expects Nintendo’s 3DS to perform well in e01e.

Among the gaming titles, the report made special mention of Battlefield 3 and Call of Duty for their outstanding sales performance. EA’s Battlefield has reported selling 8 million units since its release in late October. Activision Blizzard’s Call of Duty franchise is also going strong. The report also analyzed game merchants, saying, “We think that GameStop will fare well during the holidays, and we expect the company to generate sales and earnings within its guidance.”

Gaming Software Industry to End 2011 on a Soft Note is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com

Competitor Wii is also doing well as Nintendo reported that it sold 500,000 units during Black Friday sales. The company has sold about 90 million units since its launch some five years back. Reggie Fils-Aime, America President for Nintendo, said, “We know that Black Friday and that entire week is a key selling week and it is important for products like ours to have a jump in momentum and we were fortunate to see that.”

Both Wii and Xbox are gearing for update now. The Japanese company has already released teasers about Wii U, while Microsoft is said to be working on Xbox 730. Nintendo says, “For us, it really was driven by unique and powerful software and what gives us confidence is that we still have more software to launch in the balance of this holiday period.”

Microsoft is also working on a new dashboard for the console which will bring Metro UI to it, with all the square tiles for apps, videos and games ala Windows Phone 7.

Gaming Consoles Thrive: Xbox and Wii Post Impressive Sales Numbers is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com

More rumours are surfacing about the follow-up to Microsoft’s Xbox 360, with industry publication Develop predicting that the new console will be unveiled next year and will gone on sale Christmas 2013, and they’ve even gone as far as suggesting its code name is Xbox Next.

Microsoft Xbox 360 is 5-years-old, and turns 6 in November, and there’s no doubt its an impressive beast, but it’s starting to show its age. Several games being released over the winter, including EA & DICE’s BF3, which requires the game to be installed to be played in full-hd. This throws up the question: Are we now reaching the end of the line for the 360?

Looking back at the 360’s reign, the console has come along way in the 5 years, with numerous additions to the service including Last FM, Sky Player, Kinect, Xbox Live Arcade, Xbox Indie and plently of other tweaks heading for this falls dashboard update. Microsoft has done a commendable job in making it last this long, but can we really be expected to believe the current party line from Microsoft that it will last 10 years?

According to people in the know…..

According to industry publication Develop, who have spoken to numerous industry folk, they reckon that the new Xbox will be unveiled at the Electronic Expo next year, with a Christmas 2013 release date.

Develop also reckons that UK games studio, Lionhead, is already working on a launch title dubbed Fable Next, and that EA has already got its mits on early prototypes of the hardware. Of course both EA and Microsoft have failed to comment. But if we dig a little deeper – a new console could be with us sooner than many think.

If you look at some descriptions for several Microsoft employees, the next-gen Xbox development is well underway at the Xbox skunk-works.

According to Microsoft employee Jeff Faulkner’s profile, he has been tasked to work as ”Xbox Next Gen Creative Director” since January 2011, where he “guides the vision for Xbox’s User Experience Design across Social Media, User Experience, Entertainment, Gesture and Voice Input, Information Design and Brand and Visual design.” While this description isn’t the smoking gun we’ve been looking for it does show that Microsoft are well on the way to developing the follow-up the Xbox 360.

Similarly, Senior Creative Director for Xbox, Jonathan Harris, job description says he’s been “designing the next generation of entertainment” for the past 14 months.

Microsoft even has their interns hard at work on the new console.  Joe Lagevin, the Xbox Hardware Intern at Microsoft, has “designed and simulated high speed data buses to prevent electromagnetic interference in next-gen devices.”

Finally, the icing on the cake goes to Patrick Corrigan, who worked at Microsoft from February 2011 to June 2011 “Providing groundwork and integration for branding elements for next-gen Xbox on all forms of media. Ranging from print to UI across future releases of the Xbox platform.”

What the 3rd party developers reckon…..

There are rumours also coming from a variety of different 3^rd party developers too.  Matthew Karch, CEO of Sabar Interactive, who are currently working on Halo: Combat Evolved anniversary, recently told CVG that he would be shocked if Microsoft didn’t get its console out before Sony.

While remaining tight-lipped about the new hardware, he reckons that the new hardware will be capable of “phenomenal things”. Citing features such as AI, physics, crowd technology, and the way games characters are simulated will be greatly improved.

Xbox 720 outed by Hollywood blockbuster…..

Another interesting rumour, which surfaced last week, was from an unlikely source. A eagled-eyed movie go-er spotted the Xbox 720 logo in Hugh Jackman’s upcoming sc-fi film Real Steel.

Spotted during a futuristic scene set in a sports arena, the Xbox 720 logo appears on digital banner ads alongside popular brands such as Cadillac, Budweiser and Coca Cola.

But what can expect from the new console specs-wise? Well, this actually isn’t that hard to pin down. If you luck at the current crop of top PC games this is what you can expect from the next Xbox console.

What DICE reckons on the specs……

Peter Bach, from DICE has gone on record and said the next-generation is a case of more horsepower – in particular multiple processors and graphics cards in a single unit.

He reckons that the  PC version of first-person shooter Battlefield 3 is what gamers should expect from the next-generation of consoles.

“If anyone would build a new console today, that would be the result,” Battlefield 3 executive producer Patrick Bach told Eurogamer in reference to the PC version of the game.

“At least. Probably more, because it’s classic PC technology. We know everything about multi-threading now. We know everything about multi-graphics card solutions now. If someone built a console where the specs are that or more, we have the technology to do something. We could port the game to that console tomorrow.”

DICE built Battlefield 3 using its new Frostbite 2 engine, designed to future proof the studio and work with the next Xbox and PlayStation.

“There’s nothing we know about now that the new consoles would do differently, rather do more,” Bach explained. “More processors. Bigger memory pools. Everything we have and more.

“The big step is to go from single processor to multi-processor. Single graphics card to multi-graphics card. To multi-memory. Do you do multiple memory pools or one memory pool? Since we can handle both consoles now, we control that as well. We have all the streaming systems. We have whatever we might need for the future.

“I would be surprised if there were something we couldn’t do with the next-generation of consoles.”

The only remaining questions for the next generation of the console remains whether both Microsoft and Sony are willing to ditch physical media for digital downloads.

There’s no doubt that this model could work, the success of Valve’s Steam is evidence enough, but with the games demanding larger and larger file sizes, it’s a tall order to expect a consumer to download a 50gb games over the UK’s creaking broadband networks. We’re getting close to being able to download those sorts of file sizes, but we’d expected digital and physical formats being offered to consumers.

What do you want to see in the next generation? Hit the comments and let us know.

And check footage from the PC version of BF3, which releases this week, to get an idea of what next-gen home consoles should be able to achieve. Impressive?

Xbox 720 Given Code Name Xbox Next? Christmas 2013 Release? is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com

The company’s Japan chief for Xbox admitted that Kinect revenue numbers “haven’t met our initial expectations in Japan.” However, he also expressed hope that the numbers will pick up soon as “We have received good reviews from the people who have used it”. Microsoft recently announced Xbox support on Windows 8. Some reports had suggested that the accessory had problems identifying movements in smaller Japanese homes, as the technology was built keeping in mind relatively bigger US houses.

However, it does not mean that Microsoft is not doing well in gaming segment. In fact, the company has almost surpassed gaming giants like Nintendo and PlayStation. Xbox has been steadily gaining the fan following over the years. Microsoft claims that its console surpassed Wii and PlayStation sales in 14 out of the previous 15 months. Though, Xbox is likely to feel the heat of competition as Sony recently slashed the sticker price of its PlayStation e. So far, Microsoft has bucked the trend followed by other companies. Microsoft has not gone down the handheld route and this shows the conviction Microsoft has about Xbox.

Microsoft Fails to meet Kinect Sales Target in Japan: Still Goes Strong in Gaming Segment is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com