GameStop's Android gaming tablets hit stores

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
Summary: Will you be gaming on these GameStop-moded slates this holiday: the Viewsonic Vpad 7, Asus Eee Pad Transformer, Acer Iconia Tab A500 and Motorola Xoom?

GameStop's gaming tablets. Image by Gloria Sin

Amazon’s Kindle Fire may corner the market for e-books and movies/television shows on a mobile device, but GameStop sees a future in mobile cloud gaming by rolling out its own “certified gaming tablet” to 200 select stores and on its website this weekend.

As Ricardo reported back in September, Android is the GameStop tablet’s chosen platform and comes preloaded with seven games like Dead Space and Madden NFL, access to GameStop’s own Kongregate Arcade app store, as well as Android Market for your Angry Bird fix. Most importantly, the device should make console quality gaming on a tablet possible, thanks to the retailer’s acquisition of Spawn Labs back in April.

So far, GameStop.com is listing four different Android slates with various price points and configurations: the $300 7-incher Viewsonic VPad 7, $400 10.1-inch Asus Eee Pad Transformer, $400 Acer Iconia Tab A500, and $500 Motorola Xoom. Rather than sell you a watered down slate for a reduced price like the Amazon Kindle Fire (it doesn’t have a camera, microphone, Bluetooth or SD Card slot), GameStop seems more willing to give you a full-powered tablet that serves up a wide variety of gaming content (from casual to AAA titles). With their native Bluetooth connectivity and the Acer A500’s full-sized USB port, you will be able to plug in your USB controller and or pair your Wii-mote or DualShock 3 controller for console titles not geared for tablets. Ultimately, GameStop will be offering its own wireless controller to go with its line tablets like the OnLive system, but that’s for the future as it is focused on building its user base and demand for cloud gaming first, as the retailer’s President Tony Bartel told GameIndustry.biz last month.

Judging from these tablet’s specs alone, they don’t seem very different from their Android cousins save for a few extra games and games. I hope GameStop will offer at least the app store and cloud gaming service to current Android tablet owners to expand its user base, without requiring that they purchase a slate from the retailer. I doubt serious gamers shopping for a tablet this holiday will opt for a GameStop one to replace their console/PC setup, but to enable them to play “real” games anywhere and anytime, though that means they would need to tote along their controller wherever they go. What do you think? Will a GameStop slate be on your wish list this year?

[Source: GameIndustry.biz, Gamasutra via joystiq]

Related:

Gloria Sin is a freelance journalist based in New York City.

View the original article here

HP's Envy laptop lineup hits stores December 7

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
Summary: HP targets gamers with the new Envy 15, Envy 17 and Envy 17 3D this holiday season.

Sick of hearing about thin and light Ultrabooks when you’re looking for power and performance from your laptop for games? Well you may just want to put one of these HP Envy machines under your Christmas tree when it arrives on December 7.

This aptly named laptop series from HP certainly has the potential to make your spec-conscious friends drool, but the base configurations that HP is announcing today for the Envy 15, Envy 17 and Envy 17 3D make these machines seem ho-hum — probably to minimize sticker shock — when they are anything but. The starting price and specs for all three models are below:

HP Envy 15 (pictured right)

Display: 15.6?Processor: Intel Core i5-2430MGPU: AMD RadeonRAM: 6GBStorage: 500GB HDDAudio: Beats Audio with 6.1 channel systemOptical Drive: DVD-RW 9.5mm slotBattery: 8-cell Lithium 76WHrConnectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Wi-DiBacklit keyboard with proximity sensor and HP ImagepadOS: Windows 7 Premium 64-bitStarting price: $1099.99

HP Envy 17 (pictured below, right)

Display: 17.3? Radiance Full HD 1080p LED; 1920 X 1080 resolutionProcessor: Intel Core i5-2430MGPU: AMD RadeonRAM: 6GBStorage: 750GB HDDAudio: Beats Audio with 6.1 channel systemOptical Drive: DVD-RW 12.7mm slotBattery: 6-cell Lithium 91WHrConnectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Wi-DiBacklit keyboard with proximity sensor and HP ImagepadOS: Windows 7 Premium 64-bitStarting price: $1249.99

HP Envy 17 3D (pictured right)

Display: 17.3? Radiance Full HD HP 3D LED; 1920 X 1080 resolution; 120Hz; wide viewing anglesProcessor: Intel Core i5-2430MGPU: AMD RadeonRAM: 8GBStorage: 750GB HDDAudio: Beats Audio with 6.1 channel systemOptical Drive: Blu-ray + DVD-RW 12.7mm slotBattery: 6-cell Lithium 91WHrConnectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Wi-DiBacklit keyboard with proximity sensor and HP ImagepadOS: Windows 7 Premium 64-bitincludes 1 pair of active shutter 3D glassesStarting price: $1599.99

All three can actually be outfitted with the Intel quad-core CPU with discreet AMD Mobility Radeon HD graphics, Radiance Full HD Infinity LED displays at 1920 x 1080 resolution for richer colors and wider viewing angles than conventional displays, as well as a 128 GB SSD plus dual hard drives up to 1TB each for extensive media storage and snappy access to your programs/computer. HP somehow managed to pack six speakers and a sub-woofer into the a relatively compact package, so that you can properly appreciate the Beats Audio by Dr. Dre acoustics whether you’re immersed in a game or a HD movie. To complement the great audio, you’ll also be able to plug in up to three external displays via the built-in HDMI and display ports, whether to maximize your productivity or create your own Imax-like experience.

I’m curious just how much such a spec-out Envy laptop would cost even if I could never afford it, but I suppose HP doesn’t want its price to overshadow the product like with the Sony Vaio Z brouhaha. Price aside, I’m not too keen on the Envy 17 3D’s display requiring Active Shutter 3D glasses because Toshiba’s Qosmio F755 3D can do it glasses-free, which is more user-friendly in the long run. After all, who would travel with a bulky pair of goggles that require charging?

If you’re eager to bring one of these HP powerhouses home this holiday season, you would have to order one direct from HP: these machines are simply too niche and require too much customization for mass retailers. Be sure to let us know if the laptop lives up to its name.

Here is a video that describes some of the design considerations built into the Envy line:

[Source: HP, HP's YouTube Channel, NotebookCheck]

Related:

Gloria Sin is a freelance journalist based in New York City.

View the original article here