Futuremark Corporation has launched YouGamers, the World’s First Intelligent Gamer website. A destination for PC gamers, it offers full reviews/ previews of original games, gaming industry news and exclusive interviews.

What makes it intelligent is its Game-o-meter™ gaming performance analysis, a service that scans your PC, estimates the system’s gaming performance and provides you with an accurate assessment of how well your PC measures up on the game of choice. Results are based on Futuremark’s database of over 13 million benchmarks results. So now, you could do a test on how good or bad the game runs on your computer without relying on the printed game compatibility summary and taking a chance with purchasing the game.

Currently the game database has about 100 or so PC titles with ratings and system requirements. Each game review actually has a convenient comparison service with direct shopping links (with prices) allowing you to purchase it immediately. The shopping links I noticed were from Amazon, Wal-Mart and J&R Music Computer World. I am not sure whether they have more shopping retailers to choose from but will assume that they probably do. Each user can also categorize the site’s information with tagging, a must have feature in Web 2.0 sites nowadays.

Visually, the site has a futuristic look with cool blue shades. The layout of the site is neat and organized. I loved the way the reviews and previews were laid out, (unlike most gaming sites) they managed to fit a lot of features and links within a page and still make it very pleasing to the eyes with no clutter. Each review has a nice end of review summary with scoring ratings broken down into 5 areas: gameplay, graphics, audio, technology and an overall average.

“YouGamers is a complete web resource for gamers that offers a full range of game information and an active community, but with an intelligent twist. Every gamer website up to this point has only provided a piece of the puzzle, largely ignoring the relationship between PC hardware and game-play,” said Tero Sarkkinen, EVP Sales and Marketing of Futuremark Corporation. “We’ll provide the regular news, reviews, links, content and forums, but YouGamers is smarter than that. Aside from serving the enthusiast gamer with detailed gaming performance analysis, we also help all gamers by telling them which games their PC can play well, before they actually buy one. We also give reliable upgrade and new PC purchase advice for an even better enjoyment of gaming. YouGamers is going to change what gamers expect from game websites.”

Together with a full featured forum for game discussions, YouGamer is a great next generation PC gaming site that may soon give some of the current top gaming sites a run for their money.

About Futuremark® Corporation

Futuremark® Corporation is the leading provider of performance analysis software and services for PCs and smartphones. Futuremark® is known around the world for its benchmark products, including the 3DMark® and PCMark® Series, SPMark™ and VGMark ™ (with more than 30 million copies distributed worldwide) and value-added services powered by a database of over 13 million real life benchmarking results. Futuremark® maintains offices in Saratoga, California and Helsinki, Finland.

VTT Technical Research Center of Finland has developed a new way to make old video games come to life, giving them 3D technology and depth. They have developed a stereo picture application called Stereo Games that transforms an old 3D game, giving it a stereoscopic “clear depth effect” view.

Stereoscopic views are unique features normally found within the newer 3D games as it is incorporated during the production phase e.g. like the Shrek3D game. VTT allows the average gamer to incorporate it into a game seamlessly without major installations and further tweaking of the game in hand.

This easily installable plugin is suitable for PC games, mobile phone games, game consoles, digital television applications and online games. Once the plugin is installed, the stereo effect can be viewed with filter glasses or shutter glasses or in certain instances, without any at all.

VTT has also announced that they will be starting a project to develop the StereoGames technology for autostereoscopic displays to completely eliminate the need for glasses.

“An application based on the StereoGames technology would bring the stereo dimension used in 3D games and other 3D applications to autostereoscopic displays – affordable and easily.”

This might help those gamers that simply can’t afford the newer games yet, that can’t bear to part with some of their old games and want a new lease of life for them - 3D stereoscopic style. This game add-on has not been released yet and VTT has not revealed retail pricing information nor any plans on whether it would make it to the USA.

Site [VTT]

The Fanatec Headshot Controller calls itself the ultimate weapon for PC gaming. Integrated with innovative gaming components and the accuracy/ precision of a mouse, this may well be the ultimate mouse on the market too.

The Mercedes of the gaming peripheral world, this mouse runs on high speed USB 2.0, has a hi-grade precision laser sensor, up to 4000 dpi resolution (which can be switched during game play), ergonomic size adjustment (allowing any hand to fit comfortably), 6 buttons with a 5 way scroll wheel, plasmaGylde mouse feet and a non-slip high injection mold rubber grip.

Compatible with all games, it includes universal mouse programming and 8 macros for execution of different actions during a game. It even has the ability to do precise recording of mouse movements.

The mouse comes with its own base, where it plugs into. The base then plugs into your computer. Gamers will love that both the mouse and base illuminates with red, green and blue florescence.

For the average user, this would seem like overkill in an office or non-gaming environment but if you do, you’ll be utilizing a top of the line peripheral. With all the bells and whistles, I am not sure why they didn’t make it a wireless mouse instead. Costing $99, you can trust the Germans to come up with a fine tuned product like that. Germaneering at its best in the gaming world… as if making great cars isn’t enough.

Detailed Specifications:

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Have you yet to get your beta spot for Halo 3? It comes at no surprise, with all of the interest sparked in Halo 3, the Xbox 360 game that is set to be released later this year.

There have been many chances offered to get the beta spots filled up, and many wondered if there would be any more chances. According to Crunchgear , it isn’t that hard to get one.

Simply sign into your Xbox Live account and put three hours into Halo 2 online online during the days of Thursday, February 1, to February 3, 2007. Once you have completed three hours of gameplay, you are within the first 13,333 people to do so and signed up at the Halo 3 site, you will get a beta invite.

This is not the only way to get an invite though, there is still one more chance. There will be Halo 3 beta invites included with some copies of Crackdown, which is being released Feb. 20 - probably your last chance to get one.

Read [Crunchgear]

The Wii controller has been used for a good bit of things lately, from breaking $4,000.00 television setups, to even playing a few games. It is no secret that most people love the Wii, and they find it hard to part with it throughout their day. One person got so attached they decided that their second addiction, RC Cars, could use their Wii also, Or at least the Wii controller.

The creator of this Wii RC remote, got so tired of playing excite truck on the screen, they decided to take it off the screen and into their front yard. How you may ask? Through the use of the Wiimote’s sensory parts.

With the Wii controller you are able to setup a RC Car to read its controls and ultimately steer and navigate through the use of the Wiimote.

How difficult is it? Well, the Wii RC car involves

It seems like the Wiimote relays a bluetooth signal to your laptop, travels through your laptop to the serial port, which then relays instructions to your Wiimote. It has to be harder than it sounds.

So why don’t you dissect your Wiimote, get hacking and take a look at the video below to see what may be install for your if you succeed.

Via [engadget]