Category
Gaming
More movies head to Sony's PSP
Movies Open Water and Saw are among those to be made available for Sony's PSP games console. Film studio Lions Gate entertainment has announced an ini…
UK broadband gets speed injection
Broadband's rapid rise continues apace as speeds gear up a notch. An eight megabit service has been launched by internet service provider UK Online. I…
Game firm holds 'cast' auditions
Video game firm Bioware is to hold open auditions for people to become cast members for future games. The company, which makes role playing games such…
TV's future down the phone line
Internet TV has been talked about since the start of the web as we know it now. But any early attempts to do it - the UK's Home Choice started in 1992…
Gamers could drive high-definition
TV, films, and games have been gearing up for some time now for the next revolution to transform the quality of what is on our screens. It is called h…
Games firms 'face tough future'
UK video game firms face a testing time as they prepare for the next round of games consoles, the industry warns. Fred Hasson, head of Tiga, which rep…
Argonaut founder rebuilds empire
Jez San, the man behind the Argonaut games group which went into administration a week ago, has bought back most of the company. The veteran games dev…
Games win for Blu-ray DVD format
The next-generation DVD format Blu-ray is winning more supporters than its rival, according to its backers. Blu-ray, backed by 100 firms including Son…
Online games play with politics
After bubbling under for some time, online games broke through onto the political arena in 2004. The US presidential election provided a showcase for …
Gangsters dominate gaming chart
Video games on consoles and computers proved more popular than ever in 2004. Gamers spent more than £1.34bn in 2004, almost 7% more than they did in 2…
PlayStation 3 processor unveiled
The Cell processor, which will drive Sony's PlayStation 3, will run 10-times faster than current PC chips, its designers have said. Sony, IBM and Tosh…
Xbox 2 may be unveiled in summer
Details of the next generation of Microsoft's Xbox games console - codenamed Xenon - will most likely be unveiled in May, according to reports. It was…
Doors open at biggest gadget fair
Thousands of technology lovers and industry experts have gathered in Las Vegas for the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES). The fair showcases the …
Portable PlayStation ready to go
Sony's PlayStation Portable (PSP) will go on sale in Japan on 12 December. The long-awaited handheld game playing gadget will cost about 19,800 yen (1…
Games enter the classroom
Video games could soon be transplanted from their natural habitat to the more academic atmosphere of the classroom. With violent titles continuing to …
Mobiles 'not media players yet'
Mobiles are not yet ready to be all-singing, all-dancing multimedia devices which will replace portable media players, say two reports. Despite moves …
Nintendo DS aims to touch gamers
The mobile gaming industry is set to explode in 2005 with a number of high-profile devices offering a range of gaming and other features such as movie…
Nintendo handheld given Euro date
Nintendo's new handheld console, the DS, will launch in Europe on 11 March, the company has announced. The portable games machine, which features touc…
Games win for Blu-ray DVD format
The next-generation DVD format Blu-ray is winning more supporters than its rival, according to its backers. Blu-ray, backed by 100 firms including Son…
New consoles promise big problems
Making games for future consoles will require more graphic artists and more money, an industry conference has been told. Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo …
Nintendo DS makes its Euro debut
Nintendo's DS handheld game console has officially gone on sale in Europe. Many stores around the UK opened at midnight to let keen gamers get their h…
Bond game fails to shake or stir
For gaming fans, the word GoldenEye evokes excited memories not only of the James Bond revival flick of 1995, but also the classic shoot-em-up that ac…
Gamer buys $26,500 virtual land
A 22-year-old gamer has spent $26,500 (£13,700) on an island that exists only in a computer role-playing game (RPG). The Australian gamer, known only …
Gates opens biggest gadget fair
Bill Gates has opened the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, saying that gadgets are working together more to help people manage multimedia…
Nuclear body seeks new tech
The computer systems used to monitor the world's nuclear power installations are so outdated that they are hampering the work of inspectors. A spokesm…
DS aims to touch gamers
The mobile gaming industry is set to explode in 2005 with a number of high-profile devices offering a range of gaming and other features such as movie…
2D Metal Slug offers retro fun
Like some drill sergeant from the past, Metal Slug 3 is a wake-up call to today's gamers molly-coddled with slick visuals and fancy trimmings. With it…
Halo fans' hope for sequel
Xbox video game Halo 2 has been released in the US on 9 November, with a UK release two days later. Why is the game among the most anticipated of all …
Honour for UK games maker
Leading British computer games maker Peter Molyneux has been made an OBE in the New Year Honours list. The head of Surrey's Lionhead Studios was grant…
Slimmer PlayStation triple sales
Sony PlayStation 2's slimmer shape has proved popular with UK gamers, with 50,000 sold in its first week on sale. Sales have tripled since launch, out…
The Force is strong in Battlefront
The warm reception that has greeted Star Wars: Battlefront is a reflection not of any ingenious innovation in its gameplay, but of its back-to-basics …
'Ultimate game' award for Doom 3
Sci-fi shooter Doom 3 has blasted away the competition at a major games ceremony, the Golden Joystick awards. It was the only title to win twice, winn…
GTA sequel is criminally good
The Grand Theft Auto series of games have set themselves the very highest of standards in recent years, but the newest addition is more than able to l…
Half-Life 2 sweeps Bafta awards
PC first person shooter Half-Life 2 has won six Bafta Awards, including best game and best online game. The title, developed by Valve, was released la…
Loyalty cards idea for TV addicts
Viewers could soon be rewarded for watching TV as loyalty cards come to a screen near you. Any household hooked up to Sky could soon be using smartcar…
Sporting rivals go to extra time
The current slew of sports games offers unparalleled opportunities for fans who like to emulate on-field action without ever moving from the couch. Th…
Cheaper chip for mobiles
A mobile phone chip which combines a modem and a computer processor on one bit of silicon instead of two could make phones cheaper and more powerful. …
Apple laptop is 'greatest gadget'
The Apple Powerbook 100 has been chosen as the greatest gadget of all time, by US magazine Mobile PC. The 1991 laptop was chosen because it was one of…
Casual gaming to 'take off'
Games aimed at "casual players" are set to be even bigger in 2005, according to industry experts. Easy-to-play titles that do not require too much tim…
Xbox power cable 'fire fear'
Microsoft has said it will replace more than 14 million power cables for its Xbox consoles due to safety concerns. The company said the move was a "pr…
World tour for top video gamers
Two UK gamers are about to embark on a world tour as part of the most lucrative-ever global games tournament. Aaron Foster and David Treacy have won t…
Why Cell will get the hard sell
The world is casting its gaze on the Cell processor for the first time, but what is so important about it, and why is it so different? The backers of …
Big war games battle it out
The arrival of new titles in the popular Medal Of Honor and Call of Duty franchises leaves fans of wartime battle titles spoilt for choice. The acclai…
Viewers to be able to shape TV
Imagine editing Titanic down to watch just your favourite bits or cutting out the slushier moments of Star Wars to leave you with a bare bones action-…
Losing yourself in online gaming
Online role playing games are time-consuming, but enthralling flights from reality. But are some people taking their fantasy lives too seriously? When…
Digital UK driven by net and TV
The UK's adoption of digital TV and broadband has helped make it the fourth most digitally-savvy nation in Europe, according a report by Jupiter Resea…
Games help you 'learn and play'
'God games' in which players must control virtual people and societies could be educational, says research. A US researcher has suggested that games s…
Commodore finds new lease of life
The once-famous Commodore computer brand could be resurrected after being bought by a US-based digital music distributor. New owner Yeahronimo Media V…
Gadget show heralds MP3 season
Partners of those who love their hi-tech gear may want to get their presents in early as experts predict a gadget shortage this Christmas. With Apple'…
Gizmondo gadget hits the shelves
The Gizmondo combined media player, phone and gaming gadget goes on sale on Saturday. Priced at £229, the handheld device is debuting in the UK and go…
Games 'deserve a place in class'
Computer games could enhance learning and have a legitimate place in the classroom, say researchers. Academics from the Institute of Education at Lond…
Mobile games come of age
The BBC News website takes a look at how games on mobile phones are maturing. A brief round-up follows but you can skip straight to the reviews by cli…
Poles play with GameBoy 'blip-pop'
A group of artists in Poland has taken the cacophony of blips, boops and beeps created as players bash buttons on Nintendo's handheld GameBoy console …
What's next for next-gen consoles?
The next generation of video games consoles are in development but what will the new machines mean for games firms and consumers? We may not know when…
Slim PlayStation triples sales
Sony PlayStation 2's slimmer shape has proved popular with UK gamers, with 50,000 sold in its first week on sale. Sales have tripled since launch, out…
Pompeii gets digital make-over
The old-fashioned audio tour of historical places could soon be replaced with computer-generated images that bring the site to life. A European Union-…
Technology gets the creative bug
The hi-tech and the arts worlds have for some time danced around each other and offered creative and technical help when required. Often this help has…
Gadget show heralds MP3 Christmas
Partners of those who love their hi-tech gear may want to get their presents in early as experts predict a gadget shortage this Christmas. With Apple'…
The gaming world in 2005
If you have finished Doom 3, Half Life 2 and Halo 2, don't worry. There's a host of gaming gems set for release in 2005. WORLD OF WARCRAFT The US rece…
Gamers snap up new Sony PSP
Gamers have bought almost all of the first batch of Sony's new PlayStation Portable (PSP) games console, which went on sale in Japan on Sunday. Thousa…
Blinx sequel purrs nicely
The original Blinx was intended to convert many platform game lovers to Microsoft's then new Xbox console. Its sharp graphics and novel gameplay, with…
Halo 2 sells five million copies
Microsoft is celebrating bumper sales of its Xbox sci-fi shooter, Halo 2. The game has sold more than five million copies worldwide since it went on s…
Sony PSP handheld console hits US
The latest handheld gaming gadget, Sony's PlayStation Portable, goes on sale in the US on Thursday. The entertainment device, which also stores images…
EA to take on film and TV giants
Video game giant Electronic Arts (EA) says it wants to become the biggest entertainment firm in the world. The US firm says it wants to compete with c…
Players sought for $1m prize
UK gamers are getting a chance to take part in a $1m tournament thanks to one of the country's top teams. The Four-Kings clan is staging a Pop Idol ty…
Halo 2 heralds traffic explosion
The growing popularity of online gaming could spell problems for net service firms, warns network monitoring company Sandvine. It issued the warning f…
Mobile audio enters new dimension
As mobile phones move closer to being a ubiquitous, all-in-one media player, audio is becoming ever more important. But how good can that sound be fro…
Rivals of the £400 Apple...
The Mac mini is the cheapest Apple computer ever. But though it is cheap for a Mac how does it compare to PCs that cost about the same amount? Dot.lif…
First look at PlayStation 3 chip
Some details of the chip inside Sony's PlayStation 3 have been revealed. Sony, IBM and Toshiba have released limited data about the so-called Cell chi…
Internet boom for gift shopping
Cyberspace is becoming a very popular destination for Christmas shoppers. Forecasts predict that British people will spend £4bn buying gifts online du…
Gadgets galore on show at fair
The 2005 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas is a geek's paradise with more than 50,000 new gadgets and technologies launched during the four-day e…
China 'ripe' for media explosion
Asia is set to drive global media growth to 2008 and beyond, with China and India filling the two top spots, analysts have predicted. Japan, South Kor…
Mobile games come of age
The BBC News website takes a look at how games on mobile phones are maturing. A brief round-up follows but you can skip straight to the reviews by cli…
Supercomputer breaks speed record
The US is poised to push Japan off the top of the supercomputing chart with IBM's prototype Blue Gene/L machine. It is being assembled for the Lawrenc…
Moving mobile improves golf swing
A mobile phone that recognises and responds to movements has been launched in Japan. The motion-sensitive phone - officially titled the V603SH - was d…
Sony PSP tipped as a 'must-have'
Sony's Playstation Portable is the top UK gadget for 2005, according to a round-up of ultimate gizmos compiled by Stuff Magazine. It beats the iPod in…
Apple laptop is 'greatest gadget'
The Apple Powerbook 100 has been chosen as the greatest gadget of all time, by US magazine Mobile PC. The 1991 laptop was chosen because it was one of…
Mobile gaming takes off in India
Gaming on the move is one of the fastest-growing activities among the tech-savvy in India, says a report. The Indian mobile gaming market is expected …
Ban hits Half-Life 2 pirates hard
About 20,000 people have been banned from playing the Half-Life 2 game. Game maker Valve shut down the online accounts of the players because it had e…
Game makers get Xbox 2 sneak peek
Microsoft has given game makers a glimpse of the new Xbox 2 console. Some details of the Xbox's performance and what gaming will be like with the devi…
Gadget market 'to grow in 2005'
The explosion in consumer technology is to continue into 2005, delegates at the world's largest gadget show, in Las Vegas, have been told. The number …
Sony PSP console hits US in March
US gamers will be able to buy Sony's PlayStation Portable from 24 March, but there is no news of a Europe debut. The handheld console will go on sale …
PlayStation 3 chip to be unveiled
Details of the chip designed to power Sony's PlayStation 3 console will be released in San Francisco on Monday. Sony, IBM and Toshiba, who have been w…
'Podcasters' look to net money
Nasa is doing it, 14-year-old boys in bedrooms are doing it, couples are doing it, gadget lovers - male and female - are definitely doing it. It is po…
Parents face video game lessons
Ways of ensuring that parents know which video games are suitable for children are to be considered by the games industry. The issue was discussed at …
Sony PSP tipped as a 'must-have'
Sony's Playstation Portable is the top gadget for 2005, according to a round-up of ultimate gizmos compiled by Stuff Magazine. It beats the iPod into …
Nintendo adds media playing to DS
Nintendo is releasing an adapter for its DS handheld console so it can play music and video. The add-on for the DS means people can download TV progra…