The Steam-exclusive demo contains the first half of the 2011/2012 season, using Quick Start leagues from Australia, Belgium, Denmark, England, France, Italy, Norway, Scotland, Spain, Sweden and the Netherlands. You can continue on from where the demo leaves off when you purchase the full version of the game, so fear not about losing your unbeaten streaks or key transfers.

The game will require Steam to play, as well as internet activation in an attempt to combat internet piracy. The game will still be playable offline, but never the less, the DRM features have not been met with the best of reactions from the games community.

You can view the complete system requirements below – overall, they are generally low spec, allowing for people with sub-gaming standard equipment to experience life from the dugout.

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PC Requirements:
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OS – Windows XP/Vista/W7
Processor – XP : 1.4GHz or Faster; Vista/W7 : 2.0GHz or Faster
Supported Processors: Intel Pentium 4, Intel Core, AMD Athlon
Memory - XP : 512MB RAM; Vista/W7 : 1.0GB RAM
Hard Drive Space - 2GB
DVD-Drive – 4x Speed
Video Card – 128MB.
Supported Chipsets – Nvidia FX 5900 Ultra or greater; ATI Radeon 9800 or greater; Intel 82915G/82910GL or greater.
Earlier cards may only display 2D Match Viewer Mode and are not supported. Laptop versions of these chipsets may work but are not supported.
Sound Card – DirectX 9.0c compatible
DirectX – Version 9.0c (included)
LAN – TCP/IP compliant
Input – Keyboard, Mouse.
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Mac Requirements:
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OS – OS X 10.5.8/10.6.x or higher
Processor – Intel Processor
Video Card - Nvidia Geforce 7300 GT or greater; ATI Radeon X1600 or greater.
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A number of new games and extras are yet to be released for the 3DS in 2011′s calendar year including entries in the Pokémon and Mario series, downloadable offerings from Nintendo eShop, Nintendo Video and Netflix, and eight new games from Ubisoft. Other third-party developers are reportedly lining up to deliver software that makes use of the 3DS’s unique features.

Nintendo is simultaneously preparing for the upcoming releases of two games in the Mario series designed exclusively for the 3DS. In November, Super Mario 3D Land will be released, promising a remarkable new visual perspective on the Mushroom Kingdom. But perhaps most importantly: it will also mark the return of the beloved Tanooki Suit (which is both fun to say and wear).

In December, Mario Kart 7 will be available. Its key feature will be the new ability to sail through the sky on a hang glider and drive underwater in some races.

The Flame Red 3DS will be available at retailers including GameStop and Target.

Weighing in at £229.99 and £279.99, the WiFi and 3G models respectively are considerably more pricey than the rival 3DS, and also cost more than their larger cousin, the Playstation 3. Never the less, you can ensure that availability on day one will be scarce, and that this will almost certainly be the must-have gadget this festive season.

Sony have announced some stellar titles are in development for the Vita, with over 80 games already in the later stages of conception. The blockbusters we already know about include Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Street Fighter x Tekken, Wipeout 2048, LittleBigPlanet, Ruin and ModNation Racers, as well as the sneak previews of Virtua Tennis and Dynasty Warriors that were seen in the video montage at the end of the presentation earlier on today. Bioshock developers have also announced that they are working on a title for the new console.

PlayStation Vita Specification.

- Quad-core ARM Cortex A9 processor
- SGX543MP4+ GPU
- 5-inch OLED touchscreen (960 x 544 resolution, 220ppi)
- Rear touchpad
- Dual analogue control sticks
- Digital directional pad and six control buttons
- SIXAXIS motion sensing technology
- Stereo speakers & built-in microphone
- Front and rear camera
- Wi-Fi, 3G on 3G model

Those of you looking to pre-order can do so at GAME and Gamestation as of now, with more retailers sure to follow suit in the coming weeks. Stay with us for the latest.

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The Playstation NGP has been officially named “Playstation Vita,” dated and priced.

The successor to the PSP, the Playstation Vita, has been announced, with games such as Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Street Fighter vs Tekken and Wipeout 2048 being shown as gameplay demos during the keynote. The first look shows some serious power behind the handheld, with graphics starting to catch up with the current generation on display. The dual touch pad, dual analogue stick, dual camera handheld will be also shipping with the same SIXAXIS motion control system found in the PS3 controllers, and is due to be released worldwide this holiday season. Prices start at $250 for the WiFi only version, and $300 for the 3G enabled models.

PlayStation Vita Specification.

- Quad-core ARM Cortex A9 processor
- SGX543MP4+ GPU
- 5-inch OLED touchscreen (960 x 544 resolution, 220ppi)
- Rear touchpad
- Dual analogue control sticks
- Digital D-pad and six control buttons
- Six-axis motion sensing technology
- Stereo speakers & built-in microphone
- Front and rear camera
- Wi-Fi, 3G on 3G model

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Playstation Move is being implemented across the board.

Much like Microsoft’s rallying behind Kinect technology in all the latest and greatest announcements, Sony are pulling rank around Playstation Move, with motion controls being implemented in various titles, such as NBA 2k12, Bioshock Infinite and Resistance 3. How effective these controls will be is yet to be seen, although the interactive demo of NBA 2k12, as played by Kobe Bryant, showed a good implementation of the motion controller.

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Playstation release branded 3D 24″ HD screens, along with 3D glasses, at a seriously attractive price.

Sony are putting a lot of support behind 3D technology, and as a result are introducing options to offer the advanced tech at a low price point. The Playstation branded 3D screen will come with a 24″ display, as well as the exciting prospect of being able to display different screens to different users. Instead of the traditional split screen, one player will see a completely different, full screen viewpoint to that of the other, thanks to the 3D and other assisted pieces of technology available. Sony are also releasing a budget branded set of 3D glasses to accompany the new hardware. The price of the future? Well, the glasses are set to retail at $70 if bought alone, but the featured bundle – TV, glasses, 6ft HDMI cable and Resistance 3 – will ship for the very attractive price of $499. Now that’s value, folks.

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Large focus on cross-platform gaming, with integration through Cloud, multiplayer and user content.

With the addition of the Vita to Sony’s portfolio of entertainment comes the announcement of true cross platform support, with save files, user content and multiplayer modes being shared between the handheld and the PS3. This content is shared via the Cloud – an online data service exclusive to the Sony Playstation family. Releases are also being tailor made with cross-platform gaming specifically in mind, such as DUST 517, the first person shooter set in the expansive universe of the popular MMORPG, EVE Online. The level of integration this title will have with EVE remains to be seen, but the trailer and first glances suggest very positive things to come.

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More big releases are imminent, with exclusive content to PS3 owners.

To sweeten the deal, Sony have announced the latest entries in many hard-hitting franchises, as well as the promise of exclusive content for those who opt for the Playstation 3 alternative in the cross-platform releases. With InFamous 2 set to launch tomorrow, Resistance 3 and Uncharted 3 aim to stake their claim in the autumn games blitz, with release dates of September 6th and November 1st respectively. Many other big titles are due, but will offer Sony customers some serious benefits – Bioshock Infinite customers will get the original title on the same Blu-Ray, SSX contains an exclusive Mount Fuji track, Need For Speed The Run ships with seven exclusive cars and Battlefield 3 comes with Battlefield 1943 fully loaded on the game disc. ICO and Shadow of the Colossus are also being remade in 3D and are being released in the imminent future.

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And that, in a nutshell, is that. Stay tuned with us for our coverage of Nintendo’s keynote speech tomorrow, and you can view our live blow-by-blow account of the announcements over at our Facebook page.

In an interview with the Associated Press, Ken Toyoda, Nintendo’s spokesperson said that a few weeks ago a U.S. server was “unlawfully accessed.” However, no damage was done.”There were no third-party victims,” said Toyoda, “but it is a fact there was some kind of possible hacking attack.” He did not elaborate on what exactly “no third-party victims” meant.

Hacker group LulzSec posted on its Twitter account that the attack on Nintendo was intended “just for lulz” as opposed to causing some serious damage. “We’re not targeting Nintendo,” said the group. “We like the N64 too much; we sincerely hope Nintendo plugs the gap.”

The one thing LulzSec did filch away was a config file. “Re: Nintendo, we just got a config file and made it clear that we didn’t mean any harm,” said the Twitter feed. “Nintendo had already fixed it anyway. <3 them!"

Let's hope this doesn't end up being another Sony fiasco. That would be a little more company with a lot more misery.

Via GameSpot.

Anticipating a stock shortage, management distributed a last-ditch mission plan to stores, sending staff trundling down to Tesco’s at midnight to take advantage of the supermarket giant’s insane 3DS offer.

That’s £175 for the console, with the purchase of any game at £34.90, a total of £209.90.

Their intentions? To sell these units as “pre-owned” once “mint” stock had run out. However, though GAME staff were told in no uncertain terms not to up-sell their shop-bought stocks of the 3DS, they were also told the units were to be sold at the same price as their new supplies.

Incidentally, on launch day, GAME and Gamestation were level-pegging for lowest value-for-money on the high street – even less impressive in light of this new development.

A member of GAME staff told Eurogamer that their store was reprimanded by management for refusing to take part in the impromptu shopping trip, despite a spokesperson for the retailer maintaining that the scheme was optional.

[Source: Eurogamer]

UPDATE: Following the nationwide furore yesterday, Tesco have put their two cents in, dodgy puns and all! A spokesperson today told Eurogamer, “We always provide Tesco customers with the best value – we think you could say this is GAME, set and match.” Boom boom!

A Nintendo representative this morning assured CVG that the company aren’t concerned about the scandal affecting launch sales figures. “We believe the level of this activity to be very, very minimal and as such believe it will not significantly influence our final GfK Chart Track number.”

And so I welcome a Cosmos Black Nintendo 3DS into my gaming family – and she’s beautiful! Here are my first impressions of Nintendo’s brand new handheld and my first foray into the world of 3D gaming.

The Grand Unboxing

After excitingly unshackling my brand new, sparkly 3DS from its almost equally-lovely packaging, the first thing that hit me square in the eye like a diamond-encrusted fist was just how very pretty this new hardware is. It really is very pretty. In fact I got quite hysterical.

Having seen the Aqua Blue 3DS in all its shimmering splendour I would have to say that the Cosmos Black edition is the nicer looking of the two. The blue one just looks a bit too shiny and metallic – perhaps, dare I say it, slightly tacky – while the black machine rocks a classic granite effect and doesn’t seem to fingerprint anywhere near as readily as I was expecting it to.

The 3DS is noticeably heavier than its predecessors – and understandably so – which I presumed would have a negative impact on playtime, but so far so good! And as soon as I’d located the all-new extendable stylus I was sold – the 3DS is awesome!

The 3D Effect

After a little fiddle with the initial set-up, my 3DS did a 3D calibration test. Having not seen anything in 3D since an enlightening experience at the EPCOT Center when I was 9, I didn’t quite know what to expect. Unfortunately, my first real experience of 3D entertainment made me go cross-eyed.

Nevertheless, I popped in my launch game of choice, Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition, cranked the 3D slider up to the max and slipped into my beret and camisole to lay the smackdown on those Shadaloo meanies. However, my experience of 3D has so far not been all that successful.

Probably due to me not exactly having 20/20 vision and having not had an eye test in about 3 years, viewing SSFIV in 3D created two separate images, making a sort of ghosting effect. I wasn’t sure whether that was symptomatic of bringing a 3D effect into a 2.5D fighting game, until my partner – rather smugly I might add – assured me he was seeing a distinct depth-of-field effect. Sod.

The so-called ‘sweet spot’ really does have a bearing on the visual effect, as does the positioning of the 3D depth slider. Each individual user will have their own comfortable setting and it’s genius design on Nintendo’s part, allowing the player to adjust the level of 3D on-the-fly.

Also, the way 3D is implemented, as widely-reported, does differ between each game – Nintendogs + Cats was a roaring success in comparison, even with the 3D effect set to maximum. Having said all that, personally speaking I’m not so sure 3D was ever really going to add that much to gaming. Luckily, even with 3D switched off, 3DS software looks absolutely incredible.

Backwards Compatibility

I’m not going to lie – the line-up of games I’ll be playing in anticipation of the Zeldas, Dead or Alives and Resident Evils of the 3DS world will be largely made up of original DS software. Let me put your minds at rest – the recent horror stories pertaining to the output quality of original DS games on the 3DS are, as far as I can tell, a steaming pile of bovine excrement. Hurrah!

Some users have reported game-breaking aspect ratio issues, blurring and washed-out colours, but having taken a look at FINAL FANTASY III, Super Mario 64 and Pokémon Black, I had no problems at all. In fact, the slight softening effect of the games being stretched out across the larger screen makes a lot of them a little easier on the eye, particularly text-heavy games like FFIII.

So… is it worth the money?

Yes, yes it is. Agreed, the launch line-up of games hasn’t exactly set me alight, proverbially speaking of course, but when does it ever? Console launch windows are famously crap (does anyone else remember playing nothing but Perfect Dark Zero for 3 months while we waited for something good to come out?) but a good chunk of the games on offer on day one are undeniably impressive.

Being a dog-lover, Nintendogs never fails to transform me into one of those people we hate, the ones that think animals are people. Even worse, virtual pooches have never looked better. The processing power of the 3DS is clearly going to transform the world of handheld gaming and launch games that look as good as these bode very well for the console’s future.

Shop around. The high-street retail giants bandying around insane pre-order and trade-in offers in the run-up to the console’s hotly-anticipated launch are now offering the lowest value-for-money by a surprisingly long way. HMV’s one-game bundle comes in at £239.98, while GAME and Gamestation’s opening offer will cost you £244.98, providing you’ll be wanting one of the four less-appealing launch titles. If not, expect to pay an astronomical £259.98.

I actually found a marvellous deal at an independent retailer in Cheltenham. Deducting the RRP for the game included in the bundle, my 3DS cost me £190 – that’s £7 less than Tesco’s current price – and there are bound to be even better deals out there. So go forth and bargain-hunt, friends!

The Nintendo 3DS is available now.

Me neither, but if you’re a fan of making fantasy wishlists – y’know, just in case you win the lottery – then The Gamerator just might figure high on your list.

The brain-child of a US-based company called Custom Bar Guys, Inc., The Gamerator is essentially an arcade-style games unit with a drinks dispenser built-in.

This might seem a little random – even for a novelty item, but we’re not talking a glorified water-cooler here. Oh no, it’s much better than that: In addition to the joystick-jiggling, button-mashing set-up of our youth, the machine includes a refrigerated compartment purpose built to store beer!

Available to order from their website, for the princely sum of $3,499, the machine even boasts two conveniently-placed cup holders house the player’s chilled bevvy while they play on the 26 inch flat-panel HDTV.

The Gamerator comes complete with over 85 licensed classic arcade titles including: Dragon’s Lair, Space Ace, Castlevania, Street Fighter 2 Champion Edition and Gauntlet. But, that’s not all as owners are free to add a plethora of other gaming options to their new, er, appliance. Special adapters can be used to connect existing popular consoles to The Gamerator and if that wasn’t enough, a Windows-based PC is installed inside each unit, allowing for both program installation and online access.

According to the guys that make it:

“Gamerator is the best of both worlds, bringing two of life’s greatest joys together in an awesome way [...] We strive to create a high-end product that uses top quality materials and equipment. We achieve that by custom building each unit by hand and in doing so, we believe the Gamerator is the greatest fusion of beer and gaming ever!”

A basic unit come in the standard brushed metal and black colourway, but if you feel like having something even more swanky (because hey, boozing while blowing your opponents to bits isn’t classy enough), then how about opting for a Gamerator that’s been customized with any two-colour scheme, for an additional charge?

Check out TheGamerator.com for more details.

According to gaming blog Attack of the Fanboy, players using unauthorised software on their PlayStation 3 consoles have started receiving warning emails after attempting to use a workaround to the DNS hack fix deployed by Sony last week, while others have already had their access to the PlayStation Network irrevocably blocked.

Those locked out of PSN have apparently been presented with the error message, “You cannot use the PlayStation Network with this account (8002a227)”.

Famed hacker George Hotz, affectionately known in certain circles as ‘GeoHot’, is responsible for creating software to hack the PlayStation 3. Sony are currently locked in a legal battle with Hotz and others in connection with the distribution of the software.

[Source: Attack of the Fanboy]

Set up in city centres across the UK, Nintendo will be inviting the public to take launch games including Super Street Fighter IV 3D and Nintendogs + Cats for a spin and see the sans-glasses autostereoscopic 3D effect in action.

According to Eurogamer, the tour will spend four days in each location, hiting Glasgow and Edinburgh on February 24th, working its way down through the UK in the weeks leading up to the 3DS launch.

Here’s the full itinerary for the tour!

February 24th Braehead, Glasgow / St. Andrew’s Square, Edinburgh

March 3rd Metro Centre, Newcastle

March 10th Westfield Shopping Centre, London

March 17th Lakeside, Thurrock

March 24th Westfield, Derby

March 25th CentreMK, Milton Keynes / Covent Garden, London

The Nintendo 3DS launches in Europe on March 25th. It will be making its UK show debut at the Midlands MCM Game Expo in Telford this Saturday, February 19th.

[Source: Eurogamer]