Leading video game developer BioWare, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. today officially announced Mass Effect 2, the highly anticipated sequel to the multi award-winning 2007 hit, Mass Effect. The Mass Effect trilogy is a masterful science fiction adventure set in a vast universe filled with dangerous alien life forms and mysterious uncharted planets. In this dark second chapter, Saren's evil army of Geth soldiers has just been defeated, and humans, who are still struggling to make their mark on the galactic stage, are now faced with an even greater peril…

"We're going to surpass the extraordinary gaming experience we brought our fans in Mass Effect by delivering intensified combat and expanded weapon options as well as increased depth of planet exploration, all while delivering a powerful, emotionally engaging story," said Dr. Ray Muzyka, General Manager and CEO, BioWare and General Manager and Vice President, EA. "Mass Effect 2 is shaping up to be an unforgettable RPG-shooter experience, taking players on a non-stop roller-coaster ride filled with stunning plot twists and no-holds-barred action."

Mass Effect 2 is coming to PC and the Xbox 360 video game system in Early 2010. To see the exclusive new Mass Effect 2 teaser trailer check out the website here: masseffect.com

Storage and peripherals specialist Buffalo announced the HD-PEU2-RD external hard drive. It is designed to woo the fairer sex with its glossy coloured shells, available in red, white and black. The 81 (W) x 16 (H) x 130 (D) mm shell houses a 2.5 inch hard drive, which comes in capacities starting from 250 GB to 500 GB. The unit tips scales at 190 g. The drive uses USB 2.0 to connect to any PC or Mac. Depending on the capacity of the hard drive, the HD-PEU2-RD is priced between $95 for the 250 GB model, and $171 for the 500 GB model.

Toldex has unveiled two computer modules with pretty impressive dimensions. The credit card sized Robin Z530 and Z510 are embedded Nano COM Express Type 1 computer modules. They are based on Intel Atom Z530 and Z510 processors and the Intel System Controller Hub US15W, which combines the memory controller, graphic engine and I/O in a single, ultra compact design. The Intel Atom Z530 processor runs at 1.6 GHz and is designed for high performance computing with low power consumption. Robin Z510 features the Intel Atom Z510 processor which runs at 1.1 GHz. Robin Z530 also offers extension for a PCI Express x1 slot, GBit LAN, and up to 7 High Speed USB ports for fast signal connectivity. One USB port can be configured as USB client. The module features in the standard configuration a dual independent graphic output with VGA and LVDS outputs. Robins provide a wide range of interfaces for mass storage devices in Z5xx series. Both micro systems can include up to 2 GB Solid State Flash Disk, a MicroSD slot and a SATA interface on board. For additional information and prices, please click here.

Marvell Semiconductor has come up with a marvel: the SheevaPlug computer software/hardware development kit (SHDK). The initiative puts to use the company's Sheeva ARM processor in a compact unit the size and form of a retro wall-mount AC-DC adapter. Consuming no more than 5 W of power, the unit can function as a full-featured PC, driving Linux. It packs a 1.2 GHz Sheeva ARM processor, 512 MB of RAM, and 512 MB of flash-based fixed storage.

Throwing open the development kit would mean companies wanting to build similar devices based on Marvell hardware. The SheevaPlug is built around the Marvell 88F6000 Kirkwood SoC design that makes use of Feroceon and XScale architectures, both of which are derivatives of ARM. Gigabit Ethernet and USB ports add to the connectivity. With several industry heavyweights such as Microsoft and Google predicting a bright future for cloud-computing, companies such as Marvell can only help but gain interest in developing inexpensive devices that drive the client-side machinery for it. Take a guess on how much SheevaPlug costs: US $100 in single unit retail quantities. What's more, it could be bought in bulk for as low as $50 a piece!

Spire are injecting the retail ATX PC case market with a touch of class with the unveiling of the brand new Emerald Black Silent chassis.

Blessed with great looks and innovative design features, such as the rolling on/off switch that cunningly hides the USB ports too, the new Emerald case is one of the most eagerly anticipated cases we've launched yet. Beneath the sleek attractive exterior you'll find the same ergonomically designed hardwearing components that make all our cases such firm favorites with system integrators and end users alike.

BenQ introduced its newest product: the nScreen i91 All-in-One PC. The PC uses a monolithic design with the head-unit housing the system and a 19 inch 16:9 widescreen HD dislpay. For a change, BenQ opts for the AMD Yukon-based Sempron 210U processor instead of Intel Atom. Other pieces of hardware include 1 GB of DDR2 memory, 160 GB of storage space, a card-reader and built-in 1.3 MP webcam.

The bottom-right of the screen holds a rotary-switch that controls volume and power, TV-style. BenQ rates this PC to consume up to 80% less power in comparison to conventional desktop PCs, with its consumption rated at around 30W. The company is planning to make something similar using Intel's Atom processor. This nScreen i91 will be available at around $512 from the end of this month in Asian markets.

Lian Li Industrial Co. Ltd has launched the PC-V351 desktop HTPC Chassis. The all aluminum design features dual front mounted 120mm@1000RPM fans, with an additional rear mounted 80mm extraction fan@1200RPM. The front fans have special anti-vibration grommets to prevent noise. The sleek brushed aluminum chassis comes in three colors, namely black, silver and red according to your needs. The dimensions stand at 279mm x 262mm x 373mm (W,H,D). The chassis is imbued with all the functional and user friendly design aspects users have come to expect in a Lian Li case.

The recently announced Left 4 Dead Downloadable Content (L4D DLC) will be delivered to Xbox 360 and PC gamers free of charge. Due for release this spring, the DLC for 2008's best-selling new game property on the PC and Xbox 360, is dubbed the L4D Survival Pack and introduces a new multiplayer game mode entitled, Survival, plus two complete campaigns for Versus Mode (Death Toll, Dead Air). A Critic's Choice Edition of the game will be heading to retail stores this spring, and will include access to all the content introduced in the L4D: Survival Pack.

Left 4 Dead is a survival action game from Valve that blends the social entertainment experience of multiplayer games such as Counter-Strike and Team Fortress with the dramatic, narrative experience made popular in single player action game classics such as the Half-Life series of games. Released in November of 2008, L4D has earned over 25 industry awards from outlets around the world.

For more information, please visit www.l4d.com.

Valve, creators of best-selling game franchises (such as Half-Life, Portal, Team Fortress, and Counter-Strike) and leading technologies (such as Steam and Source), today announced a series of content and development releases for its latest title, 2008's best-selling new game property for the PC and Xbox 360, Left 4 Dead (L4D).
The first L4D DLC - dubbed the L4D Survival Pack - is due for release this spring and introduces a new multiplayer game mode entitled, Survival, plus two complete campaigns for Versus Mode . A Critic's Choice Edition of the game is also heading to retail stores this spring, and will include access to all the content introduced in the L4D: Survival Pack.
In addition, for PC gamers and aspiring developers, the first Left 4 Dead release for the Source Software Development Kit (Source SDK) will allow the creation of custom Left 4 Dead campaigns that will be discoverable via L4D's matchmaking system. The SDK update is also due for release this spring, and is free of charge to all owners of L4D on the PC.

Following the initial information and shots which we covered here, PCWorld has got further information on availability and pricing, whilst also discussing the new system with Rahul Sood, Chief Technology Officer for HP's Global Gaming Business. Sood mentioned that, "... the new systems use compact, power-sipping components usually found in notebook PCs, providing a reduced footprint and maximum energy usage -- 350 watts, or one-fifth the energy used by an average high-performance desktop PC... By pulling the power supply out of the case, the Firebird systems can get away with "way quieter" fans than other high-performance PCs... The high-performance PC space seems to have gone out of control when power supplies exceed 1.6 or 2 kilowatts, drawing more than the wall can handle, and people have 3-4 video cards and spend $5,000 to 6,000 on a machine just to play a videogame."
The HP Firebird, is said to start at $1,799 (excluding monitor) and will be available at voodoopc.com from January 9th, and at yet to be announced retail stores sometime in February.

Valve today announced Spore, Spore Creepy & Cute Parts Pack, Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning, Mass Effect, Need for Speed Undercover and EA SPORTS FIFA Manager 2009 are available now to gamers in the United States and Canada via Steam, a leading platform for PC games and digital content with over 15 million accounts around the world.
In the coming weeks, Mirror's Edge, Command & Conquer Red Alert 3, and Dead Space, will be added to the catalog of EA's titles available via Steam.
"EA is one of the industry's largest publishers," said Gabe Newell, co-founder and president of Valve. "The EA titles coming to Steam this holiday include some this year's top PC titles."
"We are pleased to extend our holiday titles to gamers worldwide via Steam -- a revolutionary technology that is one of the game industry's most successful digital distribution services," said John Pleasants, President, Global Publishing & Chief Operating Officer.
For more information, please visit steamgames.com

BFG Tech has told Tweaktown that it will be putting its first complete gaming PC on display at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) early next year. It will feature a touch screen LCD, which judging by the image we have, allows you to control various aspects of your PC which one would imagine includes overclocking and other BIOS related settings. What it most interesting, is that they seem to be using the same LCD to replace the standard power and restart buttons usually found on a chassis. It has also been said that there will be, "maintainance-free liquid cooling and unprecedented in-home setup and maintainance servicing." Details are still vague and as yet there is no information on the configurations, availability or pricing. If you want to see the system for yourself, it will be at the MGM Grand from Thursday 8th to Saturday 10th January.

Despite many sectors of the economy now formally entering a recession after two quarters of economic downturn video games sales have increased by ten percent. Data from NPD Group showed total video games sales in November were US$2.9 billion, taking year-to-date spending on software and hardware to $16 billion, which is up 22 percent on 2007. NPD Group theorizes that Economic factors are at play given that a video game is a relatively inexpensive form of entertainment for the hours of value it provides.

iZ3D LLC, designer, marketer and enabler of advanced 3D visualization systems, has been quietly but actively promoting the adoption of 3D display technology since 2007. Now the company's breakthrough approach, widely hailed by users as delivering a premier 3D experience, is being priced to make it affordable to casual and enthusiast gamers.
Effective December 1st, the manufacturer's suggested resale price for the company's 22-inch widescreen switchable 3D/2D monitor will be $399.00. The new price has already been reflected at various online e-tailers with plans for availability at in-store retailers to be disclosed in the coming weeks.

Shuttle Inc., the market leader in the Mini-PC segment and manufacturer of Multi-Form-Factor solutions, today presents its first product in the "Special Solutions" category. The new Shuttle D 1416S surveillance system offers a unique operating convenience through an easy to understand software interface. Up to 16 separately available CCTV cameras can be connected and video signals can be recorded.

Today, scientific research is carried out on supercomputing clusters, a shared resource that consumes hundreds of kilowatts of power and costs millions of dollars to build and maintain. As a result, researchers must fight for time on these resources, slowing their work and delaying results. NVIDIA and its worldwide partners today announced the availability of the GPU-based Tesla Personal Supercomputer, which delivers the equivalent computing power of a cluster, at 1/100th of the price and in a form factor of a standard desktop workstation.

The PC version of Left 4 Dead, Valve's zombie thriller, has been officially announced. The game is now available via Steam to gamers around the globe, to purchase, download and play. The hard-copy title will be available for the PC and Xbox 360 platforms at retail stores on Tuesday, November 18 in North America and worldwide on Friday, November 21. For more information, please visit Steam Games.

Valve, creator of the best-selling game franchises Half-Life, Portal, Team Fortress, and Counter-Strike, is letting everyone know that its upcoming zombie thriller, Left 4 Dead, has gone gold and is on schedule to become widely available next week. Additionally, the game can now be pre-loaded. Those who pre-order the game via Steam save 10% off the regular price and may now pre-load the game so when it become available at 12:01 am EST on November 18, 2008 they'll only need to download a little piece of the game code and start the game right away. The pre-order discount is also available for both the PC and 360 versions at participating retail outlets.
Left 4 Dead is the new survival action game from Valve for the PC and Xbox 360 that blends the social entertainment experience of multiplayer games such as Counter-Strike and Team Fortress with the dramatic, narrative experience made popular in single player action game classics such as the Half-Life series of games. Playable in single player, co-operative, and multiplayer modes, Left 4 Dead is one of the most anticipated releases of 2008 and winner of numerous pre-launch awards, including Best of E3 from multiple outlets. A demo version of the game was also made available today.

Early access to the Left 4 Dead demo begins Today, November 6 on both the PC and Xbox 360. The early demo access is scheduled to begin around 2 am PST on the Xbox 360 and 7 am PST on the PC. This promotion is being offered in addition to the 10% savings for those who pre-order and applies to all Steam PC pre-orders and all PC and Xbox 360 pre-orders from GameStop and EB Games in North America.

On November 11 the demo will be made available to all PC and Xbox 360 gamers worldwide, with no obligation to purchase. The demo concludes on November 18, when Left 4 Dead will be made available at retail outlets across North America and worldwide via Steam.
For more information, please visit Steam Games.

On the official Saints Row forums, a moderator has confirmed that there will definetly be a PC version of Saints Row 2 and that it will be released on the 6th January next year. They have explained the delay is due to the fact that they wanted to get the quality of the final release right, although it will be a port of the console version they are working on features only available on a PC, such as adjustable quality settings, multiplayer server features, using a keyboard and mouse, as well as being able to map your own keys as you see fit. Volition have admitted that it will be an external company undertaking the port, but they are working closely with the company to ensure "PC users [have] the same quality product and performance level which you've seen on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3". Minimum and recommended system requirements are still yet to be announced but the Volition moderator has said they will be updating the thread as soon as they are allowed.
You can find the Saints Row forum thread here.