So far, Nintendo’s trusty DS handheld has changed, changed, changed and changed again, but hasn’t really evolved as a platform since its release in 2004.

Today, Nintendo announced via a press release on its website that the first full platform upgrade, the 3DS, will allegedly feature 3D-native screens (no need for those beautiful red-and-teal glasses), two digital cameras, a motion detector and have backward compatibility for Nintendo DS and DSi games. The full details of the new handheld will be confirmed at E3 this Summer.

Nintendo describes the portable as allowing games to be “enjoyed with 3D effects without the need for any special glasses”. According to Nintendo, the product will go on sale between April 2010 and March 2011 – our guess is that the Japanese release will be way ahead of the international launch, with Japan receiving the handheld late April, followed by US/EU probably by Christmas this year.

Below is the official statement from the Big N:

Nintendo Co., Ltd.(Minami-ward of Kyoto-city, President Satoru Iwata) will launch “Nintendo 3D S”(temp) during the fiscal year ending March 2011, on which games can be enjoyed with 3D effects without the need for any special glasses.

“Nintendo 3DS”(temp) is going to be the new portable game machine to succeed “Nintendo DS series”, whose cumulative consolidated sales from Nintendo amounted to 125million units as of the end of December 2009, and will include backward compatibility so that the software for Nintendo DS series, including the ones for Nintendo DSi, can also be enjoyed.

We are planning to announce additional details at E3 show, which is scheduled to be held from June 15, 2010 at Los Angeles in the U.S.

Stay tuned for updates

After a seemingly endless range of prototype names, Sony has announced PlayStation Move as the official name for its upcoming Wii-esque PS3 motion controller.

The new peripheral was unveiled during GDC in San Francisco, and Sony has now confirmed it will be available in the autumn. It doesn’t look too pricey, setting gamers back $100 (£66) in the US and come in a variety of bundles, including a package deal comprising the PlayStation Eye camera and a game.

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Civilization 2 was probably one of my favourite games of all time, I spent a good few years of my life taking over the world via various means and the experience keep my megalomania at bay. I’ve since lost interest in the franchise, I found 3 a bit blah and 4 a highly specced yet poor man’s cop-out of Total War. After all, grid based warfare is so 1990′s, isn’t it?

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This game has had the most mixed reviews we have seen for a long time (if you exclude Bayonetta’s post-release ethical rinsing). Some are heralding the game’s epic story-driven narrative, where others are slating the game’s linearity and “15-hour tutorial.”

Either way, it looks like Square-Enix has performed a good deal of reinvention to the franchise with Final Fantasy XIII’s new streamlined approach. We have stripped out the scores from the reviews below, as many did not seem to match up to the written review that accompanied them.

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As marketing for the thirteenth instalment in the Final Fantasy series reaches its climax, we’ve been treated to a bucket-load of commercials for the game – most of which feature Leona Lewis (love her or, in our case, loathe her).

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Jetpacks?!

What?!

Just Cause 2?

No! It’s Halo Reach.

According to a Halo Reach beta trailer posted on Taiwanese site GNN, jet packs look like an all-too-real feature of the final instalment in the Xbox franchise. But it’s not just about jet packs, there are also new modes including ASSASSINATIONS.

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MyVoucherCodes caused a stir last week around their claim that the Xbox 360 version of Final Fantasy XIII will outsell the PS3 one by 2:1 – and it now looks like that stat is becoming a reality.

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Log onto Games for Windows Live and you’re sure to be disappointed by its lack of…er…games.

Microsoft’s answer to Steam is certainly the poorer party in the game download neighbourhood, however Rockstar have decided to add GTA IV to the service’s offering, which currently hosts the grand total of Bethesda’s Fallout 3 and 2K’s Bioshock 2 as AAA games. It’s a shame really, especially seeing as though players are able to earn XBL gamer points.

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