As well as refreshing its Fire TV and Fire TV Stick streaming hardware, Amazon has also introduced a new variation of its set top box aimed squarely at gamers.

The new Amazon Fire TV Gaming Edition combines the updated Amazon Fire TV box with a game controller, a 32 GB microSD card, and two free games: Shovel Knight and Disney’s Ducktales.

Classic RTS game Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 is currently available for free via Electronic Arts' "On the house" scheme.

You get the full package, both campaigns -- Red Alert 2 and Yuri’s Revenge -- and it’s yours to keep forever.

30 years ago today, iconic Italian plumber Mario made his first appearance in the legendary Super Mario Bros.

Created by Shigeru Miyamoto, Mario remains Nintendo’s most enduring -- and recognizable -- creation, and while the hardware his games appear on might have changed considerably over the past three decades, Mario himself is still the same lovable character he’s always been.

Many consumers want gaming PCs, but simply don't have the space for a massive tower. For this reason, mini ITX systems have exploded in popularity. But what if you want something smaller? Maybe you are interested in keeping a HTPC in your living room where a small footprint is preferable.

Today, Zotac announces a diminutive gaming PC -- the ZBOX MAGNUS EN970. Not only is the Intel Broadwell-powered PC very small, but it should offer solid gaming performance with a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 3GB DDR5. It even offers a mind-blowing 4 HDMI-out ports!

AMD is on fire lately. The company's latest family of 300 series graphics cards have the gaming community excited. The Fury X is a top-of-the-line card, while the R9 Nano is a diminutive marvel of engineering.

Today, PowerColor announces an AMD-powered card that is so insane the company has given it the 'Devil 13' moniker. This demonic masterpiece is essentially dual R9 390 cards in a 3-PCI case slot configuration. It only utilizes a single pci-e 16x card slot, however. Not only is it a powerhouse, but it looks beautifully evil too.

It's IFA Berlin, and Acer means business about play, unveiling new desktops, laptops, monitors, and tablets in its gaming series. The Predator G3 and G6 PCs get 6th-generation Intel Core processors and new thermal systems. The Predator 15 and 17 notebooks get 6th-gen processors and updated fan designs.

New monitors are available in 27, 28, or 35 inches. The new 8-inch tablet features FHD display and Intel Atom x7 processor.

Unlike on PC, console gamers have far fewer options to gain an advantage by buying hardware. PC gamers, for instance, can buy faster processors, better graphics cards, SSDs and more. Console gamers can pretty much just buy different controllers. Third party console controllers have historically been horrible, typically offering less precision at a lower price. The old joke was that third party controllers were reserved for the console-owner's friends.

Peripheral manufacturer Razer hopes to change this with its new Wildcat controller for Xbox One (it should also work on Windows 10). The company calls it 'tournament-grade'. Featuring advanced ergonomics and additional buttons, can it outdo the stock controller? More importantly, however, can it compete with Microsoft's upcoming Xbox Elite Wireless Controller?

When it comes to building a gaming PC, there are many choices the builder can make. Of course, you want to look at performance and cost, but for many people -- myself included -- there is also appreciation for the design and engineering of the hardware.

Today, AMD officially announces a graphics card that is a feat of both engineering and design prowess -- the amazing R9 Nano. Quite frankly, the card was hardly a secret, as the company previewed it back in June. Now, however, we have official specs, price and a release date for this marvel of engineering!

PC gamers are some of the most passionate computer users. Not only are they very knowledgeable about hardware, but they offer some amazing support in communities too. Total strangers can become true friends by playing games and talking online.

If you want to verbally communicate online, a chintzy microphone and headphone combo will be passable, but you deserve better than cheap hardware, don't you? If you are a gamer that spends a lot of time gaming online, a quality gaming headset is a smart investment. Today, Logitech releases two such headsets -- the G933 Artemis Spectrum Wireless Gaming Headset and G633 Artemis Spectrum Wired Gaming Headset.

Anything computer-related can be made social and shareable, and gaming is no different. Amazon's game live streaming service Twitch has proved immensely popular and now Google is ready to put up some competition with YouTube Gaming.

Starting tomorrow (26 August), head over to YouTube Gaming and you can start a stream of your own or watch other gamers play. Of course there will also be an app, and Google is aiming to create "the biggest community of gamers on the web".

Cries of "FUD!" ring out whenever potential issues and concerns with Windows 10 are pointed out, but there's no denying that the launch of this version of Windows has been more blighted than any other. The latest controversy finds Microsoft updating its EULA so that it is able to block pirated games and unauthorized peripherals.

While on one hand this seems entirely reasonable -- few people would argue too strongly that they should be permitted to play pirated games -- on the other it is confusing and worrisome. It is yet another example of Microsoft causing trouble for itself by failing to properly communicate with its customers, being insufficiently transparent and clear in meaning. Just what is an 'unauthorized peripheral'?

So, you think you are a member of the PC Master Race, eh? You've built your gaming PC, bought a ton of games on Steam, and have a sweet keyboard and mouse. All done, right? Wait. You forgot to buy a mouse pad. No, I'm not kidding -- many gamers still use gaming-grade mouse pads as a way to get an edge.

Today, Logitech announces the G640 Large Cloth Gaming Mouse Pad. The large surface promises better tracking, while reserving a space on your desk to keep clear of Mountain Dew and Bawls empties. Will you upgrade to a mouse pad experience?

Me and my Surface Pro 3 are the best of friends. Not only is Microsoft's computer a great tablet and laptop, but a wonderful desktop too. It can drive a 4K monitor, albeit not at 60hz, making it a solid workstation -- especially when paired with the optional dock.

Where the Surface falls short, sadly, is gaming, so with the release of Windows 10 and DirectX 12, I wanted to build a new gaming PC. My goal was to see if it can be done in a fairly affordable way. The best route for this, is an AMD APU. If you aren't familiar, an APU is essentially a CPU and GPU in one. This means you can forgo buying a dedicated graphics card to save some money.

Google's Chromecast continues to grab new features as well as remaining a popular item on places like Amazon. But customers continue to ask for the ability to do new things, and now Google is responding to customer feedback.

The latest update brings HBO NOW, Food Network, Travel Channel and even Pokemon TV. There's also gaming like FitFlap and CatchPhrase. These require use of a phone or tablet.

Angry Birds 2 has already hit 10 million downloads in three days, but it might not all be fun and games for parents letting their kids use bank accounts on mobile.

"Whilst gamers delight in the arrival of the latest version of our feathered friends in the form of Angry Birds 2, the new format should come with a slight health warning for unsuspecting parents", says Hannah Maundrell, editor in chief of Money.co.uk. "With 8.7 million 5-16 year olds on school summer holidays at the moment, this well-timed launch lands in peak season for children racking up bills on their parent’s online payment accounts".