No date for Valentine’s Day? Well here’s something to do instead: Rovio’s Angry Birds game will be launched on Facebook on February 14th, letting you release some frustration by slamming cartoon birds into cartoony pig heads for free on the social network.

While it’s still basically going to be the same game we all know and love (and for some, obsess over), Rovio also has some updates planned, adding some new pay-to-upgrade power-ups that include new bird types, and an earthquake weapon along with the existing Mighty Eagle feature. The Facebook version will also feature “higher quality animation” to take advantage of the full screen gameplay.

It’s also going to come with some new social features of course, will a leaderboard system for Facebook users that gives the more obsessed players some bragging rights.

[via Joystiq]

If you were already a geek back in the mid-90s, then here’s something for you. Programmer Aditya Ravi Shankar has posted a working, playable version of the original Command & Conquer (or “CnC” to you old-school geeks) that anyone can play online, using only a browser.

The whole thing was built using HTML 5 and Javascript, taking up only three and a half weeks to get the first build up and running. It’s currently in version 0.3b, and as such, it’s still a little clunky to use but it should be good for at least one try if you grew up (or simply spent countless hours) on the game.

Check it out here if you want to try it out (Chrome or Firefox is recommended). The game window loads at the bottom of the page.

[via The Verge]

SteelSeries has just unveiled the Ion Wireless Controller, a wireless gamepad accessory that connects via Bluetooth for mobile gaming. It’s a little bit more unique than what you’d usually pick up from Logitech or Razer though. It won’t just work with PCs and laptops; it’s also designed to work with smartphones and tablets.

The Ion features your usual set of gaming buttons, with a four-way d-pad, four action buttons at the right, two trigger buttons, and two analog sticks – all tied into a compact frame that makes it easy to lug around for mobile gaming. The controller also packs its own rechargeable battery that’s listed to be good for up to 20 hours of gameplay.

Pricing hasn’t been revealed yet, but it’s due for a summer release.

Shortly before shipping their first gaming laptop, Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan has revealed that they plan to extend their line of designed-for-gaming systems to “small form factor systems.”

Tan didn’t give out any details regarding the smaller gaming devices past that revelation, but if you’ve been following Razer’s plans for gaming systems this year, then you probably remember the nifty Switchblade concept that they showed off back in January at CES. If you don’t, then here’s the lowdown: the Switchblade concept is basically a compact Windows-based mini-PC that sports a 7-inch multi-touch screen and a keyboard with dynamic keys that can be set for dedicated gaming.

Razer didn’t really come out with anything that looks like that one, but it was the inspiration for the Razer Blade, a gaming-grade 17-inch notebook that features the “Switchblade UI” – an area to the right of the keyboard that features an LCD touchscreen and customizable dynamic buttons.Tan didn’t mention anything about the Switchblade concept either, but it could serve as the basis for a similar device – or at least something that runs on something more powerful than an Intel Atom processor.

The 17-inch Razer Blade gaming laptop will start shipping next month to North American markets for an expected price of $2,800.

After Nokia unveiled their Windows Phone-based Lumia phones at Nokia World, Microsoft also gave a preview of the things you can do with a Windows Phone 7.5 device and an Xbox console. First off, a rather predictable smartphone remote function that’ll let you control the Xbox console’s video functions using your phone, letting you browse movies and movie info on the phone while something’s playing on the console, or as a plain remote that connects via Wi-fi.

The other function is more gamer-specific. Called Kinectimals, the app will let users create characters on the phone and port them over to the Xbox using Kinect, which detects the pet’s traits and transfers the pet to the big screen.

[via WinRumors]

Console question: would you rather have a PS3 or an Xbox 360? Some gamers prefer one console platform over the other, while other gamers – the more dedicated ones who can afford them at least – just pick up both. Well, dedicated hardcore gamers, here’s something that you can’t really buy at a store, but you’re going to want it nonetheless: a modded PC case that neatly fits both consoles inside.

Probably not that big a deal if you just prefer to have them side-by-side, but hey, we love it because it’s awesome. Built by a reddit user named timofiend, the modded system fits an Xbox 360 Slim and a regular 80GB PS3, and allows for both to be running at the same time. Now, we have no idea why anyone would want (or need) to run both consoles simultaneously, but hey, it just makes the whole rig a little bit more awesome.

The mod also conveniently moves optical drives for both consoles up front, where you’ normally find them on a regular PC. As a downside, the cooling both systems in the tight confines of an ATX PC case proved to be a challenge, but timofiend designed a work-around with extra fans and a custom funnel that redirects air through the PS3’s heatsinks (the Xbox 360 uses its stock cooler). Also, the temperature monitors up front is a nice touch.

Awesome job on this project, although we’re curious about stability during long gaming sessions. It looks like a pretty tight fit, and the temperatures could be a major issue. Of course, a water cooling kit is an option, but budget was a concern for this project.

Check out the project’s full gallery here.

We’re about a year before Nintendo plans to launch the Wii U console, but here’s something that could tide you over if you don’t already own the original Wii: Nintendo has announced that they’ll be releasing a new Wii console called the Wii Family Edition for European and PAL-using countries.

Okay, it’s not exactly a “new” Wii. This is basically a stripped-down Wii that’s packaged into a slimmer “streamlined” new shell. The available photo looks like the same old Wii though, but it’s lying horizontally, so we’re guessing the box won’t come with the stand to shave a little off the price.

The Family Edition will also come without support for GameCube games and controllers, but will still be compatible with existing Wii games. Nintendo didn’t announce pricing or plans for a North American launch, but the Wii Family Edition will be available in different bundles, including one that ships with Wii Party and Wii Sports, as well as a Wii Remote Plus and Nunchuck.

[via Telegraph]

The announced price is for the 160GB version of the console, making it cheaper than an Xbox 360 with a hard drive. Sony didn’t mention the 320GB model’s price, but it’s expected to drop down to $299-ish.

We’re still months away from the PlayStation Vita’s launch date and Sony’s still trying to sell us a PSP. Here’s what they announced during their turn at Gamescom: A “new” handheld called the PSP E-1000. In a nutshell, it’s basically a stripped-down PSP that comes without a Wi-fi connection, but still comes with a UMD drive for loading anything from the existing PSP catalogue. Not a bad deal if you don’t really need the network connectivity and you just want to game-on-the-go: the E-1000 is set to cost 99 euros, or around $140. The dollar price is just there for reference though, Sony said that they’re going to sell the E-1000 in Europe, and won’t be available in the US.

Mad Catz has started shipping the Cyborg RAT 7 Albino, a performance gaming mouse that’s designed to… well, basically do everything you expect from a performance mouse and more. Sure, it comes with a 6400dpi sensor, but that’s not really what makes this mouse special; it’s the unconventional modular design that allows a user to change just about everything to get the perfect grip. And when we say ‘everything,’ we do mean that you can change everything on this kit. The design allows a user to adjust the mouse’s length, weight, and heck, even the height.

The RAT Albino is bundled with three interchangeable palm rests – two for adjusting the grip and feel, with a soft touch and rubber panel, and one that’s 4mm thicker to increase the height – and three pinkie grips, including a ‘wing-shaped’ part for resting a pinkie finger.

The package also comes with five 6-gram weights to suit users who want to go light or heavy. Another unique feature lets you adjust the mouse’s length to suit hand size, and a thumb panel that can be moved forward, back, or pivot around for a perfect fit.

The rest of the RAT Albino’s features includes 4 custom DPI settings (via a rocker switch), five programmable buttons (aside from the usual left and right button) that can be set into profiles, separate vertical and horizontal scroll wheels, and 3 ‘Cyborg Modes’ for flipping through saved sensitivity and button configurations.

The Albino Edition costs $100, and is compatible with Windows and Mac.