1) PC manufacturer Alienware have announced a new line of “compact” power PC’s that will sit nicely under your TV for media centre style setups. The new X51 crams in a strong component offering that will enable users to play Battlefield 3 at near full settings. The initial offering can be upgraded and is expected to launch later this year.

2) The Nintendo E-Shop will make history tomorrow as it places its first playable demo on to the store. Resident Evil Revelations will be the flagship title but will have limitations on the number of times you are able to launch the demo. More demos are set to roll out in the near future.

3) Rockstar are making new strides by technical advancements implemented into upcoming third person shooter Max Payne 3. A new developer insight video shows of dynamic animations, free hand gun play and weight physics which all seem to affect the way you play the game.

4) BioWare have also shown of implementation of voice control for Mass Effect 3 via the use of Microsoft Kinect. A demo for the game is set to appear on Valentines Day Feb 14th.

5) Ubisoft’s Vancouver studio has closed down. Recently the studio has been responsible for creating assets for Ubisoft’s major game franchises although have not created any recent titles themselves. Ubisoft have therefore decided to close down the studio due to high overheads.

6) Microsoft have announced a 50% rise in app use since the Dashboard re-design in December. The rise can be attributed to the inclusion of more video services on the console and the prominent positioning of apps from the recent update. The company did not reveal what effect the game section of the store had since the change. Many independent developers vocally expressed their anger at Microsoft for “hiding” their content behind a long visibility process.

7) Konami are closing down the Hudson Soft studio and moving assets over to their other studios. Hudson Soft was best known for the Bomberman franchise although it is now uncertain whether we will see another Bomberman game again.