More layoffs are happening in the gaming industry, this time from NCsoft. But it's not as drastic as rumors that circulated this week claimed. Details after the jump.

One of the most exciting bits of news that gamers can hear is that of the release date for highly-anticipated games. Fortunately for gamers in the United Kingdom, Play.com has spilled the beans via a booklet. Release dates for various games such as Fable 2 and Protorype have been announced.

Got a particular game in mind? Why not check the full article for the list of games?

Gamers who are looking for a unique perspective into their video gaming habits will definitely get a kick out of Emotiv Systems' Emotiv EPOC neuroheadset. This unique gaming accessory allows you to control in-game characters using the neuron signals transmitted by your brain. Other details about this neat gadget can be found in the full article after the jump.

Silicon Knight, the developers of the Xbox 360 exclusive Too Human, has announced that it is working on a new third person action/psychological thriller for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and the PC. Expected to be released by 2010, this new video game will be funded by a project called the Video Game Prototype Initiative. For more information, head on over to the full article.

After acquiring competitor Maxtor, Seagate promoted a new portable media storage device known as DAVE. Now this nifty device had so much potential for multiple devices capable of WiFi and Bluetooth that Sony's PlayStation 3 and PSP were worthy candidates. But when asked about the possibility of Sony versions of the product, Seagate gave the most peculiar reply. That and more at the full story.

We've seen customized game controllers, heavily modded controllers, and even ones that look like coin-op arcade controllers, but we're pretty sure we've seen nothing like this one here.

Independent game accessory designer Benjamin J. Heckendorn (a.k.a. Benheck in the gamers' circle), designed a controller exclusively for one-handed use. The PlayStation 3 console prototype controller has all the features a standard controller has and is configured for either handiness.

Called the "Access Controller", this is the second prototype designed by Benheck. Its biggest draw is the fact that the five button area placements are interchangeable for either left or right-handed preferences. It's also possible to switch them around to optimize its layout on a game-by-game basis.

Here are some images of the Access Controller in action, as well as views of it from different angles:

    

Innovative design indeed. Just how practical this new controller will be is yet to be seen. The unit is currently in pre-production for manufacturing through eDimensional.com. For the Microsoft fans out there, a Xbox 360 version of the Access Controller is also in the making.

If you're interested in getting one of these units, then you can click the Via link below for the details on how to order them through email.

It's been some time since we last heard about Radical's new game Prototype. It's still a long way off from hitting the market, but it's time we learned more about it so we have something to chew on for the holidays. In a recent Games Radar interview with the game's producer, Max Belanger, we find out more about Alex Mercer, the game's protagonist.

Mercer isn't your typical hero. He is, in fact, described as one of gaming's "darkest anti-heroes." Now, Mercer has a ton of cool powers - super strength, enhanced agility and shape shifting - but what's really interesting is his psychological development in the game. Which Belanger refuses to speak much of. What he does talk about though, is that Mercer is a character who "searches for answers":

Answers about himself, answers about his powers, his abilities. As the story evolves we will learn some of the things that were done to him and some of the things he's done. I think it's self-explanatory when you play through the game - he's going to really feel like an anti-hero.

He sounds a lot like the characters of Logan and Batman. Prototype will be released for the Xbox 360, the PlayStation 3 and the PC in the summer of 2008.

  

We have introduced two modified cars (Peugeot Super 2000 and Citroen C2 Super 1600) from Sega Rally Revo's growing garage in our previous post, now meet the other members in the modified cars list: Grande Punto Rally S2000 and Toyota Celica VVTi.

The Grande Punto Rally is getting good marks on the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, and is quite competent in tackling various kinds of terrain - it's not strange to see a Grande Punto Rally in Sega Rally Revo sporting huge wheels for a road event, the switch to gravel spec wheels for the next safari event. It's that flexible. With its inherent good specs, there's nothing much on the Grande Punto that needs to be improved (it's still a prototype car), since apart from external changes such as roof mounted spoilers and front and rear bumper re-profiling, everything is fairly unchanged.

And then there's the Toyota Celica VVTi, chosen for its excellent tuning and modifications. The coupe features a fast front wheel drive that works well in road settings. As a bonus for this modified car, there is a special unlockable livery that features a certain Sega icon, probably the same as the livery 3 for the Citroen C2 as mentioned in the previous article.

Sega Rally Revo is up for release on PS3, Xbox 360, PC, PSP, and is also slated as a mobile game title. Do check out this space for more updates!

   

Much has been said regarding the return of rumble controllers for the Sony PlayStation 3, but the Japanese firm is still mum on the subject. More sources and analysts point out that a rumble-enable controller is inevitable and it should only be a matter of time for it to be released. Blog Innerbits had something to add to the fuss.

The site speculates that even though Sony is keeping quiet on the PR end, the technical wing is busy testing a prototype of a new rumble-enabled controller. Innerbits also said that it's technologically feasible to have a rumbling SIXAXIS, but at this point, the market viability isn't there yet as the whole thing just takes too much power.

In essence, what you might end up getting if the new controller is released today is a working piece of hardware that has all the good stuff (wireless connectivity, motion-sensing and rumble support), but the battery life wouldn't be at a satisfactory level and there wouldn't be enough games to support it. "The battery life issue is an engineering problem, and we have no doubt Sony will resolve it satisfactorily" says the article.

The bigger problem, Innerbits stresses, is in the realm of customer relations. The first woe would be that Sony will have to live with the fact that it announced early on that rumbling isn't next-gen and second, it has to pull the act off without raising the ire of the users who bought the PS3 early on without the SIXAXIS.

There's no way here and now that we can confirm or debunk the entire rumble rumor, but we must say that the points raised are as valid as any we've heard so far regarding the topic. We'll keep you posted as the events in the rumble saga unfold.

 

James Orry of UK gaming news site PRO-G reports that Ubisoft's Blazing Angels 2: Secret Missions, has unfortunately been set for a delay of sorts. It's supposed spring release is now a more specific August 31.

In this iteration of the franchise, you play the leader of Operation Wildcard, an undercover and elite squad of pilots secretly created by the American government. Your mission is to stop the Nazis from creating a weapon of mass destruction. In the game itself, you get access to spy missions using some extremely hush-hush prototype aircraft, so your life as a spy isn't all that bad.

Blazing Angels 2: Secret Missions is to be released for the Xbox 360, PC, and PS3. The US is set to see the game a few days earlier as the North American release date is August 28.