Gaming

During both the 8-bit and 16-bit video game console eras, Nintendo was king. The NES was much better than the Sega Master System, while the Super Nintendo Entertainment System was far superior to the Genesis. In both eras, Nintendo had better controllers and a greater game library. Sure, Genesis had some good games too, such as Sonic the Hedgehog and Altered Beast, but SNES had Nintendo's classic mascots that many people desired, such as Mario, Kirby, and Link to name a few.

Now, following in Nintendo's footsteps (see SNES Classic and NES Classic), Sega is releasing a mini version of a classic console -- Genesis. Yes, if you were a Sega fan back in the 16-bit era, you will be able to buy a tiny version of that gaming system and relive those years. Hopefully Genesis Mini will turn out better than the much-maligned Sony PlayStation Classic, which offered terrible emulation.

The 2019 Game Developers Conference (GDC), held last week in San Francisco, welcomed an estimated 20,000-plus developers, gamers, publishers and tech vendors from across the globe.

From the tech driving the future of gaming to the industry’s most prevalent conversations and trends, here are five takeaways and headlines from the 13th annual show.

There are some gaming franchises that have some serious staying power, and Elder Scrolls is one with longevity. The series has been around for an incredible 25 years now, and gaming behemoth Bethesda has a treat for you to help celebrate.

To mark the quarter-century landmark, the company is giving away free copies of The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind to anyone who fancies delving into the world of Tamriel. The special offer was only meant to be available yesterday, 25 March (to coincide with the anniversary of the birth of Elder Scrolls), but now Bethesda has extended the giveaway until the end of the month -- but you still need to act fast!

Apple has done very well financially under Tim Cook, but the company's hardware is starting to lose its luster. iPhone sales are down, and the Mac line continues to be a confused mess -- "Flexgate" and an unreliable keyboard plague the once great MacBook Pro. We still don't have the promised new Mac Pro, and AirPower is missing in action too. While Apple Watch and AirPods are successful, I still hate them both -- the former has a terrible user interface, while the latter can hurt some users' ears (including mine). Quite frankly, I suspect most folks simply use Airpods and Watch as status symbols and for fashion -- their staying power may be limited.

So now, Apple is trying to pivot to services, and that's a very good idea. The problem? Its News+ service is lacking key news sources, such as The New York Times, for instance. Apple TV+ is a Netflix-like video service with exclusive Apple original content, which, let’s be honest, will probably be lame. Ultimately, I don't envision News+ or TV+ being successful. Thankfully, Tim Cook and company seemingly got one thing right today, Apple Arcade -- an upcoming video game subscription service for iOS, macOS, and Apple TV which will offer access to more than 100 premium games.

Does size matter? Well, that depends on what we are talking about. Regarding computers, gaming variants used to be massive towers loaded up with several fans and a full-sized ATX motherboard. Nowadays, small is in fashion -- many system builders opt for Micro ATX or Mini-ITX boards. It can be fun to see how much performance can be crammed into a tiny system.

ZOTAC is a company that likes to focus on the diminutive, and today, it launches an all-new such gaming PC. Called "MEK MINI," it's not as small as some of its other computers, but this one is designed for playing games, so it needs to be larger to accommodate the higher-end components. The beautiful chassis features an easy-open side panel, allowing you to more easily access the internals. Despite the small size, the specs are actually quite impressive -- it has a six-core Intel i7-8700 and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 8GB GDDR6 GPU. Windows 10 Home comes pre-installed -- not Pro, sadly. And yes, since this is a gaming product, it has RGB lighting.

Downloading and installing is just so passé, and Google knows it. It is with this fact in mind -- and an eye firmly on the future -- that the company today announces its new game streaming service, Stadia, at GDC 2019.

The audience at this year's Game Developers Conference were treated to a preview of the cloud-based gaming service that can be accessed from mobiles, desktops, laptops, TVs and more. Google is hoping that the allure of cross-platform, instant-play gaming will attract droves of gamers to the platform.

Google will be holding a keynote at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco shortly, where it is widely expected that the search giant will take the wraps off its new cloud gaming platform.

Google says it will be revealing its "vision for the future of gaming" at the event and you can watch the announcement here, live, as it unfolds.

Plugable is a company that I respect very much. I have been buying its products for many years from Amazon. Historically, its offerings have been reliable, affordable, and extremely useful. Whether it be USB hubs, dongles, adapters, or docking stations, you can typically rely on receiving a quality product. I'm sure many computer nerds like myself have purchased a Plugable product at some point in their lifetime.

Today, Plugable announces a new product that falls outside its usual focus -- a gaming headset. Called "HS53 Performance Onyx Gaming Headset," the over-ear headset has a brushed aluminum frame and features a beautiful textured black design. Despite the use of memory foam for both the headband and sealed earcups, the company claims your ears and head should both remain cool -- not hot and sweaty.

Navigating media and playing PC games from your couch, bed, or reclining chair can be quite tedious. When searching for a movie on Netflix, for example, it is very annoying to enter text with a remote control. Sure, there are voice search options, but it would be much nicer to use a keyboard. If you want to a play a PC game in your living room or bedroom because your computer is hooked up to a TV, using a keyboard and mouse on your lap is damn-near impossible. Instead, you have to pull out a table or something similar. Ugh. What a clunky experience!

Today, CORSAIR launches a new product that should make it much more comfortable to both play PC games and search for media while in front of your TV. Called "K83 Wireless Entertainment Keyboard," it also includes a touchpad, meaning there is no need for a mouse. It even includes an analog joystick! This one device can be used for both gaming and media. Best of all, it is reasonably priced too.

Nostalgia is a tricky thing. Often, it is a means for people to relive their childhood or remember what they think were better days. Our minds have a way of sometimes making us remember something as being better than it actually was. For instance, you may recall a film from your childhood as being hilarious, but when watching it again in the present day, it simply doesn't measure up to your memory.

When it comes to computer hardware, however, sometimes your memory of something being fantastic is quite accurate. Over the years, the keyboards and mice provided by PC manufacturers, for instance, have gotten much worse -- often being trash. Gamers in particular will want to replace these input devices. One such mouse that many gamers were apparently gaga over was the Logitech G MX518. After it was discontinued, Logitech was bombarded with calls to bring it back to market. Well, for those people, their wish is coming true. Not only is the company re-releasing the MX518, but it is making the device's internals better too.

Like PUBG, Fortnite has proved to be a phenomenally successful game, attracting millions of players around the world. With battle royale games faring so well, EA decided to take a slice of the pie, and released Apex Legends, its own free-to-play take on the genre.

In the space of just 72 hours, the game reached a major milestone -- 10 million players. It took Fortnite two weeks to pull in the same number of players.

If you have played Fortnite on different consoles, you've very probably asked how you go about merging accounts so you can access all of your Vbucks and collectibles in one place.

Fortnite's initially messy approach to cross-platform gaming meant that many people ended up creating two (or more) accounts in order to be able to play with their friends. Epic Games dramatically improved cross-platform compatibility, but gamers who created multiple accounts were not able to share all of the weapons, currency and other goods collected between these accounts. Now this has changed.

Special edition video game controllers aren't very special anymore. Look, they are still cool, but there are so many different styles and colors being released, it can be hard to get excited each time one is announced. Microsoft even offers the ability to create a custom controller with its neat Xbox Design Lab.

With all of that said, I find myself smitten with a new Xbox One controller. Called "Sport Red Special Edition," it should not surprise you to know it is red. It isn't merely a red paint job, however -- it has different shades of red for the thumb sticks and buttons. The D-pad is a metallic red, and the face features a beautiful design of black crossing lines that create a series of triangles. It's definitely a stunner.

Microsoft's in-house game development division has undergone a rebranding. Previously known as Microsoft Studios, the division's new moniker is Xbox Game Studios.

Made up of a total of 13 game studios purchased by Microsoft over the years, and the division's corporate vice president, Matt Booty, promises that they are all "working hard to deliver incredible exclusives, original IP and all-new chapters from your favorite franchises".

There are many companies making PC accessories and peripherals these days, and yeah, many of them are quite good. With that said, the market is flooded with low-quality Chinese offerings too -- it is easy to be attracted to the low cost of some no-name company's mouse or keyboard, for instance, but you will likely regret your purchase quickly when buttons malfunction or it stops functioning entirely. This is why I recommend sticking to a reputable and proven brand like Logitech.

Logitech G is that company's gaming brand, and today, it announces four new gaming headsets. Yes, four! Is that mad? No, because there is a very specific reason to have so many new models -- it can meet the needs of all gamers regardless of budget. In other words, they all come in at various price points -- with differing features, of course. The G332 is a basic stereo model, while the other three offer 7.1 surround sound.