Well, blame Dell for fueling the WOW bloodlust of its nine million players by announcing the release of laptop systems that are specifically geared towards World of Warcraft fans.

This genius in merchandising comes in the form of Dell’s very cool XPS M1730 chassis that has a very formidable spec sheet:

* Intel Core 2 Extreme X7900 CPU at 2.8GHz
* 2GB dual channel DDR-667 memory
* 2 x 200GB hard drives, set up as a 400GB RAID 0 array
* 2 x Nvidia 8700M GT GPUs in SLI configuration (each with 512MB of video memory)
* AGEIA PhysX 100M physics processor
* Integrated HD audio with Creative Labs Audigy software stack
* Intel 802.11 a/g/n wireless networking plus integrated gigabit Ethernet for wired connections
* Windows Vista Ultimate Edition preinstalled

But what makes this a truly WOW product is not the specs but the sundry items that Dell has put into the system. First, it will come in customized World of Warcraft box. You can then customize the laptop based on your WOW preference — the Alliance or the Horde. The laptops will ship with customized wallpapers, too. But the merchandising does not end there. the box will also come with the following:

* World of Warcraft & Burning Crusade, in retail boxes
* Strategy guides
* A “making of WoW” DVD
* Fantasy novels set in the World of Warcraft universe
* WoW soundtrack

And not only that you get to receive a beta key card with five keys that can be used for upcoming betas of WOW. Now that is one impressive package. Now, if only I have $4,499 to spare.

D-Link recently released a new gaming router that offers a number of really cool features. The D-Link Xtreme N Gaming Router can operate at the draft 802.11n standard (which makes it somewhat futureproof) and also possesses GameFuel technology as well as a nifty little OLED screen.

The new router boasts of having a quality-of-service technology. This means that the router will automatically give priority to gaming related traffic. It is also optimized for the gaming requirements not only for PC games but also for the Xbox and PlayStation gaming consoles. The OLED screen is quite useful because it gives users a quick view of network statistics, the devices that are connected to the router as well as other important information.

The  D-Link Xtreme N Gaming Router (model number DGL-4500) will sell for a $239.99.

A few days ago, MSI announced the arrival of the GX600 gaming notebook.  This new gizmo offers a very unique feature, the ability to overclock by just a touch. The 6.16 pound notebook will come in two “flavors”. One of them will have a cool flame graphic design while the other will have a more “traditional” look.

The one touch overclocking actually serves like the old “turbo button” of computers years and years ago.  A simple press of the button and the speed of the CPU improves by as much as 20 per cent. Cool isn’t it? Actually this feature can also be done through a mere software tweak but a hardware button makes it look very cool.

Microsoft seems to have built a reputation for always coming out with rushed products. You just need to look at all of their software, which are technically working betas than final releases, the aforementioned Xbox 360, and now Halo 3. I have yet to hear about glitches on the software itself but, predictably, complaints are being posted on the internet about the game case scratching disks.  I’m not wholely blaming Microsoft for this fiasco because they surely have contracted a third party to manufacture the cases but shouldn’t these things also be tested? In fairness to Microsoft, they have acted quickly about this complaint, not like their very slow acknowledgement of the ring of death issue.

I know I’m going to get a lot of hate mail from Xbox fanboys for this one…

But, predictably, Sony announced at the Tokyo Game Show 2007 that it is delaying the release of Home until next year. The company, through Sony Computer Entertainment  (SCE) Chief Executive Kazuo Hirai, said the reason for the delay was to further improve the service’s product quality. Hirai said that since the service will have to offer a number of different functionalities in many regions in the world and they want to launch it at a level where they can meet the high expectations of people.

Another disappointment was the failure of Sony to give price cuts for the PS3. The biggest gripe about the console is its high price and consumers were hoping that a price drop would be inevitable. Instead, Hirai said that they will be strengthening their title lineup to attract more customers.

As an eventual PS3 buyer, I am hoping that Sony will be able to get its act together soon in order to really attract customers. I hope I won’t get disappointed.

According to Bioshock maker Take Two Interactive, the company is already considering “bi-annual” titles that will continue the Bioshock story.

The company is not afraid that they may dilute the market too much with its franchise because of the prolific scheduling. According to Strauss Zelnick, Take Two chairman, the two-year period is just right. He cited Grand Theft Auto, a franchise that has been following roughly the same schedule but has maintained its popularity, as a great example of how it can really work. Zelnick feels that Bioshock is turning out to have what it takes to be another important gaming franchise and they want to maximize its chances of becoming one.

Bioshock is a first person shooter in genre only. Yes, it follows the framework and gameplay style of the FPS. But it is much more than that. This is a game that engages you primarily not with the graphics (although it is pretty) or with the gameplay (which is adequate), it does so by delivering a tight and very interesting story. One that hooks you from the beginning and never lets go. The strange, creepy atmosphere is not just the product of the environment it is also enhanced by the deft storytelling that really pulls you into a world that has gone haywire.

If your laptop or PC has the juice to power up this bad boy then don’t hesitate to get a copy. Console freaks can also try Bioshock if they have an Xbox 360.

It was, therefore, quite understandable for both fanboys and gamers to go crazy over iD Software’s recent unveiling of its newest game, Rage. The game revolves around the premise of fighting a corrupt government in a post apocalyptic setting. Rage is expected to be a multi platform release, with Windows, Mac, Xbox 360 and PS3 versions. The game will be using an all new graphics engine and this alone will set excitement levels to stratospheric levels because iD games are best known for the high quality of its graphics.

There are still no announced release dates for Rage, which also highlighted another of iD’s well established characteristics, the reputation for long development cycles and a penchant to break scheduled release dates. I hope that this would be the one game where they will not announce any delays.

I am quite excited by the Asus C90 because of the company’s claim that it is upgradeable (Asus has even decided to market it as a “tailor made” notebook computer). The machine, which has a 15.4 inch widescreen monitor capable of displaying a resolution of 1680 x 1050 has a Core 2 Extreme X6800 processor. Asus said that this is of the desktop variety.

What is quite interesting about the C90 though is that the processor can actually be overclocked. This is the first time I’ve heard of an overclockable notebook computer. Asus said that the C90 can reach up to 2.93Ghz. What makes this feat even possible is the Turbo Gear technology that does the job of keeping the machine cool. It does this through fan control and thermal module technologies that are in place.

Asus has really made the notebook’s innards easily accessible. It is easy to swap the CPU, the graphics card, RAM, the hard disk and even the optical drive. This feature really drives home the fact that it has also entered the desktop replacement territory.

Other great features of the C90 include a built in 2 megapixel rotating CMOS camera with a face traking capability, a finger print scanner and a tv tuner.

Now who wouldn’t want to get one of these babies?

With Dell acquiring the renowned gaming computer manufacturer Alienware, the competition in the mobile gaming laptops is becoming more frenzied. Manufacturers are constantly figuring out the right mix of performance and price that will appear to a majority of computer users and hardcore gamers.

Even Hewlett Packard is getting in on the game with the announcement in last January’s CES that they will be coming out with a gaming notebook. In fact, the HP HDX was unveiled in that event. Now more than six months later, the company is finally listing the product as ready for shipping.

The initial listing the HDX is at $2,999 but the machine – all 20 inches of it (we’re talking about the monitor) powered by the Intel Santa Rosa platform – will more likely cost $4,500 when you factor in all of the add-ons and extras. The price point means that if you are not a hardcore gamer or if you have a cluttered desk that you cannot hope to reclaim space for this monster then you’ll most likely pass up on it. Actually based on preliminary reviews it looks like you’ll need to have big muscles in order to lug this giant of a “notebook” around.