Life & style and Play

Sony PS Vita handheld console - playtest

We try out the new hardware with some of the PSV launch titles, including WipeOut and Uncharted

3 Feb 2012

Sony’s new PS Vita is a pretty impressive bit of kit. It’s the most powerful dedicated handheld gaming device on the market. In practical terms it’s pretty much a PS3 in your pocket. The full HD OLED screen really pops and, due to the processing power…

Tekken: Blood Vengeance

Fluid but uneven CGI movie based on the popular games franchise

1 Feb 2012

This is actually the third movie based on the immensely popular fighting games, but Tekken: Blood Vengeance (Manga Entertainment) is the first fully computer animated version and was originally available as part of the Tekken Hybrid package. It looks…

Preview of 2012 - Games

A look at the videogames that'll rule your world this year, including GTA V, Halo 4 and Max Payne 3

9 Jan 2012

First off the biggie: Grand Theft Auto V. We’ve seen the trailer and it looks like we’re back in Los Angeles, sorry Los Santos, for the latest instalment of the world conquering videogame developed by Edinburgh’s own Rockstar North. The shoot outs, car…

Spotlight: Starter for 6 - Salute

Starter for 6 is an enterprise training programme run by Cultural Enterprise Office

4 Jan 2012

What's your name? Danity Blame Name of business? SALUTE Tell us more SALUTE is a unique multi-platform lifestyle brand created by those in the know! Our core focus areas consist of Creative PR, Marketing, Events, our ‘SALUTE’ Digital Magazine…

The best family games this Christmas

Animal Croquet, Pointless, Angry Birds, Rory Story Cubes and Spyro the Dragon featured

13 Dec 2011

Animal Croquet One for the little ones or if you just fancy a very civilised mini game of croquet indoors. £24 (currently on special offer online at £16.50) from poshlittletots.com Pointless The much loved TV quiz show with Alexander Armstrong…

Battlefield 3 vs Modern Warfare 3 - review

The two big first person shooters go head-to-head

13 Dec 2011

First out of the blocks is Battlefield 3 PC/PS3/Xbox 360 (EA) ●●●●, sequel to the 2005 tactical FPS. For the first time in the series’ history we have a single player campaign and it’s a turgid affair, plagued by over-scripting and infuriating enemy AI.

Take a break this winter - without breaking the bank

Winter fun or winter sun?

23 Nov 2011

Whether you’re into winter sports or winter sunshine, look out for special deals and packages. Avoid school half-term and the Christmas holidays if you can, and be flexible about dates and times – flights are often cheaper mid-week or at unsociable…

Rockstar releases the Grand Theft Auto V trailer

Watch the latest release from the Scottish game developer here

2 Nov 2011

Edinburgh-based games developer Rockstar have unveiled the first look at Grand Theft Auto V, the latest instalment in the world-famous series. The trailer, while still occupying the fictional universe that GTA has always been set in (with one small…

NEoN Digital Arts Festival 2011

Highlights include works by artists Tom DeMajo and N55 and an event exploring the sound of stars

17 Oct 2011

Digital arts festival NEoN is once again transforming Dundee into an electronic playground for six days. With its series of film screenings, live music, DJ performances and workshops, NEoN’s main aim is to create works of art that couldn’t have existed…

Student Lock In!

13 Sep 2011

St James Shopping are hosting a Student Lock in on Tuesday 20 September 7 – 9pm and promises music and entertainment throughout the evening and great discounts at many of the stores. The perfect opportunity to stock up on those last minute essentials…

Dead Island

The game behind the stunning trailer is finally ready for release

25 Aug 2011

A young girl’s body lies in the grass, the image intercut with her running down a corridor pursued by undead hordes; time rewinds as she flies up, back through the window her father just threw her through as she grapples him from behind, biting a huge…

Foodies Festival Edinburgh returns in 2011

27 Jul 2011

Celebrating the finest food, drink and culinary talents, Foodies Festival will celebrate its fifth anniversary when the event returns to Holyrood Park on August 12, 13, 14. Having launched in Edinburgh five years ago and enjoyed unprecedented…

The best Scottish websites

The top 30 websites made for and by Scots

21 Jul 2011

When putting together this list, we weren’t necessarily looking for the biggest or the best-known cultural websites in Scotland. We were looking for unique and interesting ideas, cleverly realised and lovingly maintained on the web. This might mean that…

Top ten ways to get in shape – and stay there!

27 Jun 2011

1. Go slow Whatever your goal, whether it’s losing weight, toning up or eating better, start slowly, says diet and fitness expert Laura Williams. “Wearing yourself out by overdoing it is unlikely to get results. You need an exercise routine and diet…

Can Nintendo’s new 3DS handheld live up to the hype?

Playtest reveals augmented reality games as best showcase for 3D

7 Mar 2011

This piece could discuss technical specifications and the history of Nintendo’s innovative design, but instead let’s cut to the chase: does the 3D work? Happily the answer is a resounding ‘yes’. It’s actually pretty amazing. With the 3DS Nintendo have…

Win a Winter White getaway for 4 people to the Isle of Harris!

23 Feb 2011

Escape to a world of scenic Winter White beauty with a luxury break for 4 people at the stylish Hotel Hebrides. This intimate 4-star boutique hotel nestles on the harbour front of Harris’s capital, and offers sparkling white sea views at the front, and…

Gaming centres 1LevelUp and Twitch offer high-spec machines

Glasgow and Edinburgh centres blast loner stereotype

16 Feb 2011

There’s a tired stereotype that gamers are loners, locked in their bedrooms hunched over their consoles or PCs desperately trying to beat their high scores. However, gaming centres, such as the recently opened 1LevelUp in Glasgow and Twitch in…

2011's most anticipated gaming releases

Gears of War 3, Batman: Arkham City, Little Big Planet 2, LA Noire

16 Dec 2010

It’s January so the perfect time to look ahead at the videogames that will be rocking your console in 2011. As per usual sequels are big news. Gears of War 3 (Xbox 360, Microsoft, 8 Apr) will be making a full frontal assault on the first person shooter…

Ski, Snowboard + Xtreme Show 2010 hits SECC

Winter sports special features stalls, shows and Eddie ‘The Eagle’ Edwards

10 Oct 2010

Yes, yes, we know: we’re bad people. Summer was barely there and autumn’s only just arrived, and off we go, blighters that we are, promoting winter, or more specifically all things snow. We would normally (honest) tell the freeze-friendly SECC to keep…

Sky Ride empties streets of Glasgow for cyclists

Six hours of car-free city centre cycling

15 Aug 2010

Fancy taking the kids cycling through Glasgow, without fear of clipping a wing mirror, or being sent flying by some crazy non-indicating driver? Well now’s your chance! For six hours, the city centre is all yours, so pull on the wee ones’ cycling…

Haute Cuisine as Festival in the Sky takes Edinburgh diners to new heights

10 Jun 2010

Edinburgh Festivals endeavour to take their audience to new heights: and this year they look set to take that idea further still, as diners are invited to eat at a table suspended 100ft above the city. The 22-seat dinner table will be suspended over…

Jazz Bar hits a high note

9 Jun 2010

Huge congratulations to Edinburgh Jazz Bar following their award for the UK Jazz Bar of the Year. The award was presented to Jazz Bar creator Bill Kyle last month, and marks the third major award the venue has picked up in under a year, having been…

Edinburgh Festival of Sport

2 Jun 2010

It’s a sad but true fact that the closest many parents come to sporting activity is dropping their kids off at the swimming pool or standing at the touchline on a Saturday morning. Which is why Edinburgh’s Active Schools campaign has just launched its…

5 Things... Glamping

28 May 2010

The best glam camping options for 2010’s Scottish festivals...

Made in the Shade bring Springtime Jamboree craft to Edinburgh

14 May 2010

It’s two years since the ‘neo-craft’ collective, Made in the Shade began. As they celebrate their 2nd birthday with the first craft fair in Edinburgh, Carrie Maclennan looks back...