As the official headset of MLG, Astro gaming headsets have to be of high standard and quality. The A40 audio system comes boxed with the Astro Gaming headset, Mix Amp Pro, and all the cables needed to enjoy the headset. It also has a feature list as long as your arm, some of which being unparalleled quality of sound, noise canceling microphone, mixamp functionality, etc.

Sound is important to any video game, without it people have a less immersive experience. The quality of sound that the Astro headset provides is quite excellent, it works perfectly for almost any game, be it Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Battlefield 3, Final Fantasy XIII-2 or anything to give the player that edge, immersive, and quality experience. On top of that players who love playing multiplayer games like Call of Duty will find that the noise canceling microphone will have crystal clear voice communication and eliminates any background noise. The headset alone does more with the MixAmp pro.

The MixAmp pro has controls for volume and game or voice balancing. You’ll have to find the right sweet spot for each game and so experiment with both the volume and game/voice knob. As it is the controller for all volume levels, this device will have to be daisy-chained from the headset to the MixAmp to your choice hardware. Nicely this headset works on all devices, and so is packaged with every cable you need for the Playstation 3(USB and Optical), Xbox 360(USB, Optical and Xbox Chat Cable), PC (USB and Optical), and more for flexibility.

The construction of this headset also favors flexibility, comfort, and accessibility. It adjusts to any shaped head, along with being designed for long-term gameplay without any ear ache. Most headsets on the market are not even fully configurable, whereas the Astro Gaming Headset lets the user adjust the position of the mic so it can be on either side of the head, or be removed completely. Those who get the Saint’s Row 3 edition can even swap out the speaker tags with Saint’s Row 3 designed speaker tags. The cord of the headset shouldn’t even get in the way at all as it has been designed to be unobtrusive  and provides accessibility to the controls for mute and boom/incline mic volumes.

At the end of the day, the Astro Gaming A40 audio system is perfect in every way. The sound quality is top-notch by giving the players Dolby Digital and surround sound immersive experience. The MixAmp pro gives the user the controls they need to find the balance or sweet spot between game and voice, along with volume. The A40 audio system is even universal. The construction of the headset even tailors to everyone personal style, comfort, and accessibility. Overall, the Astro Gaming A40 audio system will tailor to the needs all. At the market price of $260, the complete universal set is well worth the money.

Final Score: 5/5

The trailer is just under two minutes long and gives us a look at what to expect in the game next week. Check out the trailer below:

The game, which has over 40 characters and over 50 locations, sees you follow the story of the first female pirate captain, Captain Morgane. Captain Morgane is on the hunt for the Golden Turtle and with the game full of mystery and puzzles there will be plenty for you to do along your adventure.

Captain Morgane and the Golden Turtle will release this March 16th on PS3, Nintendo Wii, PC and DS

Today the publisher announced that thanks to the failed expansion of its tablet peripheral to PS3 and Xbox 360, that cost it $80 million in lost revenue, they no longer have any plans for the device.

Speaking at an investor call, they said that the device had shipped a million tablet to retailers, with 1.4 million units of stock left unsold.

“We were confident that uDraw would resonate again this holiday, given last year’s robust sell-through” said THQ’s CEO Brian Farrell. “Our confidence was misplaced.”

Manufacture of the tablet has ceased and they wont be supporting it with software at all. Farrell says that THQ does have a successful plan for selling the remaining stock, it does however have “no other remaining commitments with respect to uDraw”

“We were looking at uDraw as a bridge to this core and digital future, and that bridge turned out to be a plank that we walked off.”

Personally, the only thing I can think of uDraw tablets being used for is expensive bricks in the house of the future.

Source: Edge

• Bollywood’s “Katti Kalandal” 
• Love Letter’s “Why Oh Why”
• Sweat Invaders’ “Skin to
• Skin and Snap’s “The Power”

Finally though February is upon us, and with games launching once again through February and March before the quiet period of the Summer, we turned to our expert staff and asked them what games they were looking forward to most and why.

Tal S: The Last Of Us

The Last of US, this is currently my most anticipated game of 2012. Why? I love the ‘interactive cinematic experience’. Deep characters, heavy story & smooth gameplay, breath-taking cinematics all rolled into one. Plus I’m a sucker for the 3rd person action adventure game, and while there isn’t much more info out on the title yet, the recent trailer gave me a good feel of Uncharted & Enslaved’s similar styles of gameplay, mixing combat and platforming on the fly. Yes, I know it’s Naughty Dog too, but they’re not the only ones who can make a mind-blowing cinematic experience, but I do agree, they are one of the best. I’m gonna be chomping at the bit for every drop of info that comes out between now & possibly Autumn/Fall 2012. Sorry Olympics, but you’re not on top of my ‘best thing this year’ list this time.

Oh yes, sprinkle some zombie type enemies, huge draw distance graphics, solid voice work & a little bit of survival horror-esque restricted ammo & supply levels (this a post-apocalyptic scene after all). In my opinion, this could be this year’s ‘total package’ video game title.

Here’s to hoping.

Josh B: Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City

It may seem strange to choose the this over the bigger releases of the year, but Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City is a big title on my mind right now. I have an odd little history with the Resident Evil franchise and absolutely adored the feeling of pure fear from turning each corner of Raccoon City during the outbreak of the second and third games. The music, shuffles and groans of the zombies and the remains of those who hadn’t yet become one of them. While I think charging through the city guns blazing may destroy any feeling of chlostrophobic horror, the pure fact of running around post apocalyptic Raccoon City before its destruction and refacing the enemies of the past is something that really excites me. Having the chance to see the events through the eyes of another party while anticipating a run in with the series’ main survivors is an experience I just can’t wait for!

Chris C: Silent Hill: Downpour

As a huge fan of both survival and psychological horror games, Silent Hill: Downpour has gotten my attention over the years. Over those years, Silent Hill: Downpour has been somewhat of a mystery to me. The mystery of Silent Hill: Downpour is for the good, because little is known about the story and what the full capabilities the gameplay holds. The developer Vatra Games and publisher Konami have been keeping the mystery of Silent Hill: Downpour, which has sparked my interest due to these reasons. Why is Murphy Pendleton in Silent Hill? What dark secrets will Silent Hill hold this time? Why is it raining in Silent Hill? So many questions that need to be answered from a hardcore Silent Hill fan who has high hopes for this title. In the end, Silent Hill: Downpour might be the savior of the dying horror genre. With the official release finally set on March 13, 2012. I am ready once more to return to Silent Hill.

Vanessa H: Metal Gear Rising: Revengence

I’m definitely looking forward to Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance the most in 2012. I was first introduced to the series with MSG4: Guns of the Patriots, but it was pretty much love at first sight. For me it had everything down to a tee, from the visuals to the concept to the music. The strategy along with the story is what I loved most with MSG4, and even though MGR will be a spin-off of the series I have high expectations. My close second is a tie between SoulCaliber V and (obviously) whatever COD comes out in November.

Rob D: Yakuza: Dead Souls

There are many big games coming out in 2012, and already I feel like I will be broke before we even reach March! Although there are many games coming out, one stands out as my most anticipated and that is Yakuza Dead Souls. If you know me, then you know how much of a fan of the Yakuza series I am. Ever since playing Yakuza 3 back in early 2010 I have loved the series and it has become one of my favourite series on PS3 to date. Dead Souls is a unique take on the franchise as it includes zombies, I for one am getting sick of zombies but since it’s a Yakuza game I am very excited to see what they have done with it.  Despite the game coming out in Japan last year, and the graphics looking dated, I still can’t wait to get my hands on it, as I expect to spend 30+ hours in the game like I’ve done with past Titles in the series.

Anthony D: Hitman: Absolution

It is one of my favorite franchises and it after a long hiatus it is back and continues the unforgettable story of Agent 47, genetically engineered super Hitman. My hype meter cannot go high enough for this game after seeing it demoed. Awesome is pretty much the only word I can use to describe it. Mix awesome with a little bit of legendary and maybe you have about one-quarter of the absolute awesomeness that I am expecting from this title. You think after setting the bar for myself so astronomically high I am set for disappointment though. I however have complete faith in the awesome team over at IO Interactive who have been with the series since its incarnation. If anyone can do 47 justice it is them.

Vaughn H: WipEout 2048

Luckily I don’t have to wait too long for my most anticipated game of 2012. Despite the incredibly strong line up for this year across all formats, the title that steals my heart the most is a launch title for Playstation Vita, WipEout 2048. Having been a WipEout fan from the first title on PSX every instalment fills me with joy. The PS Vita title excites me so much because it’s got all the appeal and spectacle of WipEout HD Fury but in the palm of your hand! I can take it with me and experience the thrills of online play and enjoy the sumptuous visuals and incredible soundtrack on the go. I’m most looking forward to seeing what the new tracks are like and experiencing the origins of the Anti-Gravity racer, as this title goes right back to it’s roots. It’s not everybody’s cup of tea, especially as it takes a high level of skill just to take part in a standard race, but it’s my gaming drug, and personally I can’t wait to feel that high again.

We have to say that it’s one great year for games, and that it could well top last years high grade offerings. We want to know what games you’ve been looking forward to this year. Sound off in the comments below!

He seems to think it’s his “basic job” to find the next “big hit” for nintendo. Makes sense that he would feel such a way after essentially establishing the company in a market of videogames.

“I am spending more time than before on finding new ideas for new developments, rather than focusing my energy on work in my teams in order to solidify the contents of (existing) franchise titles.”

“I am acting with the understanding that one big hit title can change multiple phases of a situation in the entertainment business, and I feel that finding such one big hit is my basic job.”

Satoru Iwata then came in to explain how the company will address the issue of Miyamoto exploring new avenues:

“There have been many people who have observed how Mr. Miyamoto works, or have been left in situations where they have to take on more significant responsibility without being allowed to be dependent upon Mr. Miyamoto.

“I am confident that people are growing. Even for the development fields that required Mr. Miyamoto’s involvement in the past, the situation is changing.”

It seems that Miyamoto wants even more hands off time from his old projects so he can begin a new one. Makes sense, although the last truly original game we saw from the man was Pikmin and that seems to have disappeared off the face of the earth at the moment.

Source: Eurogamer

Speaking at the investors financial briefing, where Iwata revealed some new Wii U controller functionality as well as Nintendo Network, he also spoke about how we can expect a new 2D Mario game in the next fiscal year.

“Although there is no logo here, we are planning to release a totally new side-scrolling action Super Mario in 2D as a key title for the Nintendo 3DS in the next fiscal year,”

Sounds pretty cool, and will no doubt please investors after Super Mario 3D Land‘s roaring success.

Source: CVG

“I think that the market is now waiting for a new proposal for home consoles.

“Along with effects from our trade marketing activities in December which mainly focused on the Nintendo 3DS, we were not able to sell the Wii as well as we usually do.

“However, not just the Wii, but the overall performance of home consoles in December was lower than the previous year.”

“Usually, the Wii enjoys high sales in December, but last year, even though The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword was highly acclaimed, we were not able to expand it sufficiently to our target audience, and although the Wii was the platform which sold the most software in December, we were not able to propose new Nintendo titles to our broad audience.

“In Europe, it resulted that out of the home consoles, the Wii sold the most in December; however, we can see that the beginning of the year-end sales was slower and the peak was lower compared to that of the previous year.”

So it seems that his announcement that the Wii U – that could see a name change – will be launching in 2012 is a well informed one based on their track record of sales this year.

Do you agree with Iwata? Are we ready for a next generation of consoles, or is it just that the Wii has dated faster than it’s competitors.

Source: CVG

The new online system will support DLC, full digital game downloads and personal accounts on the Wii U. Nintendo President Satoru Iwata said:

“Whether it’s our first-party titles or third parties’ titles, for a number of games, we will actively attempt to achieve compatibility so that our consumers can enjoy our online services that we will deploy under the name of the Nintendo Network.

“Unlike Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, which has been focused upon specific functionalities and concepts, we are aiming to establish a platform where various services available through the network for our consumers shall be connected via Nintendo Network service so that the company can make comprehensive proposals to consumers.”

The first title to receive extra content will be Japanese 3DS title Tobidasu Pricla Kiradeco Revolution, and then Theatrhythm Final Fantasy will follow suit the month after. Iwata had this to say on the matter of DLC:

“Please note that Nintendo, as a software maker, does not plan to deploy businesses where our consumers cannot know in advance which item will appear as the result of their payment and they have to repeat the payments and, before they know it, they end up spending a huge amount of money in order to obtain the items they originally wanted to purchase.

“As a software maker, Nintendo believes that its packaged software should be sold to our consumers in a form so that the consumers will know in advance that they can enjoy playing the software they purchased just as it is. We believe that our consumers will be able to feel more secure if we offer our add-on content as an additional structure in which those who love the game will be able to enjoy it in a deeper way for a prolonged play time.”

Nintendo’s introduction of multiple Wii U accounts seems to be due to following the now expected norms of the PS3 and Xbox 360 user accounts that connect to their online services. Iwata said:

“With this, for example, the ease of using a video game system when the hardware is shared by multiple family members, which has been a challenge we needed to tackle, shall be improved, and we will also be able to construct and offer the system by combining a variety of different services and content.”

Certainly sounds like Nintendo’s new online service is a step up from it’s old Wi-Fi one, it also seems that the legendary developer and publisher is now playing catchup with its competition to offer a more diverse online experience. Either way we’re interested in its implementation when it arrives.

Source: CVG