Smartphones and Tablets

Over the past couple of years, smartphones have been seeing explosive progress in everything from performance to functionality. At the start of every year, someone makes the claim that it will be the “Year of the Smartphone.” Well, it looks like we’ll be going on the third “Year of the Smartphone” in a row this year, and I, for one, am not disappointed.

Intel Enters the Race

Intel has been talking about developing smartphone processors for a while, but now it’s official. In the second quarter of this year, Lenovo will be launching the very first Intel powered Android phone, the K800. While not quite as power efficient as the traditional ARM processors, Intel’s Medfield chip, now known as the Atom Z2460, will offer a new level of performance in smartphones, tablets, and ultrabooks. It will definitely be interesting to see how it compares to Nvidia’s ARM-based Tegra 3.

Nvidia and Tegra 3

Tegra 3, the first quad-core processor to be found stuffed inside a tablet (the Transformer Prime) has been on the market since December, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t make an appearance at CES. Not only were there several Tegra 3 tablets from manufacturers like Toshiba, Asus, and Acer, but Fujitsu stole the show by displaying the first Tegra 3 smartphone. And in case you were curious about Tegra 3’s performance, a Tegra 3 tablet was shown playing Skyrim on an HDTV. So yes, current generation console performance has officially been achieved in the mobile sector.

Tons of New Smartphones

Just about everyone had a new smartphone to announce at CES this year. Samsung announced its Galaxy Note (as well as the Galaxy S II HD for T-Mobile); Sony came out with the Xperia S; Motorola had the Droid 4 and new RAZR MAXX (claiming 21 hours of talk time); and Nokia showed us the Lumia 710, as Windows Phone that might actually compete with the iPhone and Android for once. And that’s just to name a few of the big players’ announcements.

HDTVs and Entertainment

Apart from all of the fancy gadgetry, CES has always been a staging ground for home entertainment breakthroughs. HDTVs specifically, as well as other home appliances, have always been popular topics.

HDTVs

For the last year or two, HDTVs at CES were all about 3D. That phase is finally starting to die down (I personally say “Good riddance”), and the TV sector is transitioning onto the next big thing: OLED. LG wowed the audience with a magnificent 55-inch OLED TV that had some of the most vivid colors, deepest blacks, and sharpest image ever. Plus it was only 4mm thick!

There were of course plenty of other products on display, including Dish’s new wireless satellite receiver boxes, some fun remote controlled surveillance equipment, and a ton of talk about a new wave of GoogleTV devices.

Video Games

Even though video game-related stuff is more of an E3 thing, there was plenty to go around at CES. For starters, the Wii U got some demo time, strutting its upgraded graphics and tablet-like controller. The PlayStation Vita also got some valuable face time, with Sony announcing a planned launch date of February 22^nd.

CES 2012 continues through Friday, so stick around and we’ll keep you informed of all the cool gadgets and technology that are headed our way this year.

1: Patapon 3

All of the Patapon games have been surprising hits and a staple of the PSP platform. Patapon 3 is no exception. As a direct sequel, following Patapon 2, the game play is essentially the same, marching your armies to the beat of a drum; however, new elements, such as Hero Patapons and expanded multiplayer modes, breathe extra excitement into the series.

2: Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy

With success of the original Dissidia, it comes as no surprise that there would be a second. It’s your typical fighting game but with all of the most loved characters of the Final Fantasy franchise. Unlike the original, Dissidia 012 also includes a single-player story mode, giving it some much needed depth.

3: Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection

Just as it was done with Final Fantasy: Tactics as well as the previous Final Fantasy installments, Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection is a direct remake of the original, sporting much of the same game play of the 1991 classic but with high-detail CGI cut scenes to emphasize the story.

4: Phantom Brave

Phantom Brave was originally published on the PlayStation 2 game in 2004 and has now been remade for the Wii and PSP. As a tactical RPG with a fun storyline that is still simple enough to put down and pick back up, it lends itself nicely to the portable environment of the PSP.

5: Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together

As a recreation of the Super Nintendo classic, Tactics Ogre, this new version gives you the same great tactics-based game play with a rather detailed game world and storyline. If you’re looking for a bit of nostalgia, this is the game for you.

The PSP really does have loads of great titles, and you can view them all in our PSP Games Section. Tell us some of your favorites in the comments below.

1: Portal 2

You’ve probably already noticed the trend that Portal 2 is among the top games for every platform that it’s available on. It’s really that great of a game. If you don’t already have it, buy it (though the PC version should be your first choice).

2: L.A. Noire

L.A. Noire is one of the most popular games this year, on both PS3 and Xbox 360 (and likely PC when that version is released later this year). As a stylistic third-person shooter with A LOT of cinematic qualities, the PS3’s hardware is better configured to make the most out of the game, making it a slightly better experience over the Xbox 360 version.

3: inFAMOUS 2

As a direct sequel to its 2009 counterpart, the just released inFAMOUS 2 is basically a direct continuation in the storyline. The game play remains much the same as the original, running around, completing missions, and gaining power; however, inFAMOUS 2 includes a new features that allows players to create their own missions and share them with other real players around the globe. Critics give the game relatively high scores, and as more user-generated content is populated, they game will only get better.

4: Killzone 3

Killzone 3 is extremely similar to its predecessor. Its new features are primarily cosmetic but bring a much more encompassing environment to the first-person shooter. Optional use of the Playstation Move controller also contributes greatly to the game play. The multiplayer mode is hailed as rivaling that of Call of Duty: Black Ops, one of the best in the genre. Where Killzone 3 falters in comparison with its predecessor is the storyline, which doesn’t quite deliver as strongly as Killzone 2.

5: Mortal Kombat

Mortal Kombat returns! Keeping true to its roots, this 2011 edition of Mortal Kombat delivers a story driven 2D fighting experience, but with enhanced 3D graphics. Praised for its balanced characters and classic look, Mortal Kombat is sure to take you back to your younger gaming days. Chief complaints revolve around the difficulty of some levels forcing you to take less than honorable approaches to win, though this, too, remains true to the original titles of the series.

Check out more  PS3 gaming reviews in our PS3 Games Category. Remember to sort by alaScore to find the top rated.

Press Conferences

Before E3 even started this year, both Microsoft and Sony held press conferences on June 6^th. Microsoft went first, and unlike Sony and Nintendo, Microsoft didn’t have any new hardware to show off and chose to focus only on games. Starting with one of its most anticipated titles, Microsoft demoed Modern Warfare 3, following it with Gears of War 3, Mass Effect 3, and Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier. Above all else, Microsoft showed how well these titles integrate with Xbox Kinect’s motion and voice based commands.

Sony’s press conference revolved around its NGP (Next Gaming Portable), finally giving it an official name: The PlayStation Vita. With demos showcasing its 5-inch OLED touch screen, rear touchpad, front and rear facing cameras, and Sixaxis motion sensing, the PlayStation Vita gained a lot of attention. It also features an industry first quad-core processor, capable of producing over 133 million Polygons per second, roughly half the performance of the PS3. Sony hopes to release it in time for the 2011 holiday season, and given its exciting start, the PlayStation Vita is expected to be one of the hottest selling devices this year.

Nintendo held its press conference on the first official day of E3 2011. It was all about the new Wii U, which quickly became the star of the entire E3 show this year. The Wii U brings a much needed hardware upgrade to the Wii, allowing it to display 1080p content over HDMI. Its graphics core has also been overhauled, which judging by the tech demo, now outperforms both the Xbox 360 and PS3 by a wide margin. But all of that wasn’t even the interesting bit. What really stirred things up was the new controller, featuring a 6.2-inch full color touch screen, accelerometer/gyro, front facing camera, and of course the traditional buttons. The built in screen allows for additional views when playing certain games, and even the capability to stream gameplay directly from the console itself, negating the need for a TV screen. The only downside to the Wii U is that it won’t be launching until at least April of 2012.

The Games

Games are always a big part of E3, and this year was no exception. Among the most popular titles was Duke Nukem Forever, which was finally released just the other day. Despite demanding the majority of the attention during E3, Duke Nukem Forever is receiving rather poor reviews now that it has launched.

Bioshock Infinite was by far the most loved and best received title at the event. It stays true to the feel of the original Bioshock, while introducing a stunning new environment (a city in the clouds), some slightly refreshed graphics, and optional extras (such as compatibility with PlayStation Move).

Other titles included Uncharted 3, one of the best looking games at the expo; Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, sure to become one of the best selling RPGs of the year; Batman: Arkham City, a potential candidate for Best Action/Adventure Game of the Year; Rayman Origins, a great blast from the past and worthy platformer; and Star Wars: The Old Republic, an up-and-coming MMO RPG.

All of the current generation gaming consoles have been out since about 2005 (or 2006 in the case of the PS3). Both the Xbox 360 and PS3 focused heavily on performance, each outpacing their predecessors (the original Xbox and PS2) significantly, achieving roughly 300 million polygons per second in performance. Nintendo, on the other hand, chose to focus on revolutionizing the console interface, making the Wii only slightly faster than the GameCube, obtaining about 100 million polygons per second. The Wii wasn’t anywhere near the league of performance found in the Xbox 360 and PS3, but Nintendo still had an advantage. Neither Sony nor Microsoft intends to replace their current consoles until well into 2015. Nintendo has something prepared for 2012: “Project Café.”

Performance

Back in 2005, achieving the kind of performance found in the PS3 and Xbox 360 was very expensive, but gaming console hardware isn’t much different from PC hardware; and, as we all know, PC hardware evolves fast.

Rumor has it that Nintendo plans to use a Radeon R700 based core in its upcoming platform. The R700 is something PC gamers are very familiar with as the core used in the ATI HD 4870, the first video card to break the 1 TFLOPs barrier. What does all this mean? It means that Project Café holds the potential to provide well over twice the performance of any current generation console. Odds are that Nintendo will be using a somewhat watered down version of the R700 in order to optimize power consumption, but it should still maintain over 500 million polygons per second in performance.

Features

For starters, Project Café is expected to bring HDMI connectivity (finally) and full HD gaming up to 1080p resolutions, a huge step up from the Wii’s 480p limitation. It is unknown whether or not Project Café will feature 3D video settings for those with some of the new 3D HDTVs. It definitely possible Nintendo may include this functionality (as seen in the Nintendo 3DS), but it’s looking unlikely.

In the usual Nintendo fashion, Project Café should be completely backwards compatible with both Wii and GameCube titles (though it’s unknown if it will feature legacy controller and memory slots). N64 and Super Nintendo cartridges certainly won’t fit anywhere in it, but Project Café will likely have an online store similar to the Wii Shopping Channel where you’ll be able to purchase downloadable games and content.

The Controller

Just like the Wii’s motion based controller, Project Café is expected to bring something new as well. In this case, it’s a controller with an integrated touch screen. Rumor is that it will resemble a modernized SNES or GameCube controller but will also feature a 6-inch touch screen; though fitting a 6-inch screen on a controller seems difficult. Supposedly, the console will be able to stream a game directly to the controller’s screen wirelessly, meaning you can play without even needing a TV.

The controller is also expected to have many motion sensing capabilities, even outperforming those of the acclaimed Six-Axis controller by Sony as well as the PlayStation Move motion controller.

It’s about Time

Our current consoles are all over 5 years old now (that’s like 135 in technology years). All of the stale hardware was starting to make game developers like THQ uneasy, but Project Café will offer a fresh pot of performance for developers to dive into.

The NGP is expected to be ready for release for the 2011 Holiday Season, but its biggest threat, Nintendo’s 3DS, is already available now. Fortunately for Sony, Nintendo seemed to jump the gun with regard to 3D screens (the technology just isn’t ready for mass adoption), resulting in much lower than expected 3DS sales – though they’re still flying off the shelves. Sony also has another card to play; the NGP is crazy powerful.

For those that are interested, let me run through some of the specifications really quickly. The NGP is essentially built on the same platform used in today’s smartphones and tablets. In fact, the NGP’s SGX543MP4+ video processor is a quad-core version of Apple’s latest dual-core iPad 2 (yeah, it’ll be twice as fast as the iPad 2). It will also have what is expected to be a 1GHz quad-core CPU, which again is akin to a quad-core version of Apple’s dual-core A5 processor. All of this results in an approximate Polygon/second count around 133 million, making the NGP about 50-percent as fast as the PlayStation 3. Yeah, it’s fast.

But it’s more than just fast. Take a look as this demo video and see what else it offers:

For starters, that’s the NGP version of Uncharted. You’ve probably already noticed that it looks nearly as good as the PS3 version. Then, at about 25 seconds in, we see that the 5-inch screen really is a touch screen. Continuing on to the 40 second mark is the integrated accelerometer in action (the NGP will have all of the features of the acclaimed Six-axis controller built in). At 1:20, you’ll notice something even more unique. There is an additional touchpad on the back of the device, so you can interact with the screen without obscuring it. From there on, it’s mostly showcasing the game itself, killing some bad guys and all that fun stuff.

With both Wi-Fi and 3G capabilities, it’s likely that the NGP will leverage the PlayStation Network extensively; allowing you to purchase and download games, as well as play online. Traditional game purchases will still be possible too, although the UMD format will be replaced with a Flash Cart format similar to the Nintendo DS games. It will also have an entirely new touch based interface and likely offer App downloads through the PlayStation Store, much like on the iPhone and Android devices. These apps could do anything from turn-by-turn navigation with the integrated GPS, or even video calling with the front facing camera. App development will likely be done strictly by Sony though, rather than independent developers.

The NGP really does seem to have it all; a gorgeous high-res touch screen, super fast hardware, tons of features, a great user interface, and, perhaps most importantly, potentially awesome games.

Nintendo ruled the Nineties, bringing first a more compact device with the Game Boy Pocket, then a color screen with the Game Boy Color, followed by processing enhancements with the Game Boy Advanced, and finally a backlit screen with the Game Boy Advanced SP. No one dared challenge Nintendo’s clear reign over the console market, that is, until Sony came along.

Sony’s PlayStation Portable forced Nintendo to step up its game, creating the Nintendo DS, the now all-time best selling handheld. This year, the two handheld giants are at it again with the Nintendo 3DS against the Sony “NGP” (aka “Next Generation Portable”), and another contender has joined in the mix: Smartphones.

The Nintendo 3DS

Nintendo has never been particularly big on pushing the performance envelope, keeping its focus on originality, and it has worked out so far. Nintendo’s innovative games helped the original Game Boy best Sega’s superior system, and the creative dual-screen design of the Nintendo DS trounced Sony’s far more powerful PSP. The 3DS has seen some improved specs compared to its predecessors, but compared to the NGP and upcoming Smartphones, it’s significantly less powerful. Nintendo is relying on the innovation of a glasses-free stereoscopic 3D display, something the NGP won’t have and certainly could never emulate. The 3DS also has the advantage of Nintendo’s extremely popular DS game titles, like Mario, Zelda and Pokémon. It’s also a huge advantage that the 3DS will be available as early as the 26^th of February (in Japan), versus the 2011 holiday season release expected for the NGP.

The Sony “NGP”

Sony has yet to officially name its Next Generation Portable and is simply referring to it as the NGP, but you’ll find no complaints here; the NGP has next generation written all over it! Sony has taken its usual approach when it comes to gaming systems, stuffing as many features and as much performance into it as possible. The 5-inch touch screen (with another touchpad on the back) and dual joystick controls are just the tip of the iceberg. The interesting tidbits are on the inside, like its Quad-Core processor, supposedly capable of outperforming the Xbox 360 and PS3, though current game play footage suggests somewhere closer to 80% of their performance, still impressive considering a PS3 won’t fit in your pocket. The NGP’s biggest threat will actually be Smartphones, which will be matching the NGP’s performance right about the same time as its launch. Its saving grace will be Sony’s (hopefully) more appealing game titles, and the fact that (most) Smartphones lack dedicated gaming controls.

Smartphones

Believe it or not, Smartphones are already considerably more powerful than any of the current handheld consoles. Their downside is their interface, generally touch screen only, though phones like the Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY alleviate that issue. Smartphones also lack an impressive game library like you’d find with Sony or Nintendo, but with the extreme adoption rate of Smartphones and their quickly improving hardware, those App Stores might be filled with full-fledged games before long.

The biggest threat Smartphones hold against the other handhelds is the absolute raw power they can achieve. By the end of the year, there will likely be Smartphones more powerful than the PS3 and Xbox 360; NVIDIA’s Kal-El (yes, that’s a Superman reference) is proof of that. People might just stop and think, “Why get a gaming handheld if my phone can already do that?”.

The Nintendo Wii

The Wii is significantly less powerful than its two competitors, but it makes up for it by introducing a new aspect of game play: motion based controls. The Wii has a huge library of exciting and enjoyable games for the whole family; however, its pricy peripherals (generally costing between $30 and $50) means playing with the whole family can get expensive, though in the end, the cost won’t be much different from an Xbox 360 or PS3.

You’ll find that the Wii does lack a few features found in its competitors. Most noticeably, the Wii can’t play DVD movies without some sort of software modification, which is against the EULA. It does however offer streaming Netflix capability and is completely compatible with Gamecube games as well as Gamecube controllers.

Ultimately, the Wii is perfect for family activities, capable of revamping family game nights and great for younger children.

The Sony PlayStation 3

The PlayStation 3 is the most powerful of the consoles available right now, but when it comes to graphics performance, there’s really no appreciable difference between it and an Xbox 360. Where the PS3 shines is in its abilities as a multimedia machine. Not only is the PS3 a gaming console, but it’s also a very capable Blu-Ray player, which really makes the PS3 the best value out of the current generation consoles. Sony has also recently tried to take on the Wii, creating a new motion based controller interface, dubbed PlayStation Move. Its library of motion based games is nowhere near the scope of the Wii, and likely never will, but it’s a nice start.

As the do-everything machine that it is, the current version of the PS3 actually isn’t backwards compatible, unlike all of its rivals. Sony makes up for this by offering some PSX and PS2 titles for sale through the PlayStation Network.

The main appeal of a PS3 is its capability as a Blu-Ray player while doubling as a very powerful gaming console. Its game library is best suited for older teens and young adults, much like the Xbox, which is something to keep in mind when purchasing it for your children.

The Microsoft Xbox 360

Despite being a bit less powerful than the PS3, the Xbox 360 has actually sold more units. This is primarily because the Xbox 360 has the most appealing game library amongst the current generation of consoles. On top of that, Microsoft also does a great job managing its online aspect of gaming thanks to the Xbox Live network. Unfortunately, the glory that is Xbox Live doesn’t come cheap, costing about $60 per year. It’s a fairly steep price, considering both Sony and Nintendo provide online connectivity for free. Still, most feel that the additional cost is worth it.

Like the Sony, Microsoft is also trying their hand at a motion based interface with Xbox Kinect. The Xbox 360 is also backward compatible with original Xbox titles and offers various games for purchase online through the Xbox Live Marketplace.

The Xbox 360 is certainly the best choice when it comes to online game play, and with DVD and streaming Netflix support, it makes a decent multimedia system as well.