It's Not About Necromorphs, It's About Planets

Dead Space 2, due out for the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 (the latter two hopefully featuring Playstation Move and Kinect compatibility) around the end of January 2011, definitely looks like it's going to be even more scary than its initial instalment. The setting of the game has been somewhat neglected in recent media; people seem to be more interested in the characters, weapons or plot (and probably for the most part understandably). With that in mind, then, let's take a look at where Dead Space 2 is set: the Sprawl, a highly populated space station on Titan, one of Saturn's many moons.

The gas giant Saturn has more than sixty moons, fifty-three of them named, and nine rings formed of a combination of ice, dust and debris. The Roman god that shares this gas giant's name was associated with a rather odd mixture of things: strength, justice, agriculture and dance. Saturday is also named after him. The most distant of the planets visible to the naked eye (Venus, Jupiter, Mars and Mercury being the others), astrologers have studied Saturn's movements since ancient times and continue to do so today.

Titan, roughly fifty per cent bigger than Earth, is one of Saturn's moons, and was discovered by Dutch astronomer Christiaan Huygens on the 25^th of March 1655 (making it set over 850 before the first game). It will purportedly take around five to six billion years for Titan to become even remotely habitable, although by that point the Earth will be pretty much destroyed by the sun becoming a red giant. It is also the second moon in the solar system to be landed on by a man-made object.

Wii the First, Kinect the Best?

The last decade has seen great advances in video gaming technology. From the hysteria that surrounded the Nintendo Wii's release to the more recent appearance of the likes of the Kinect and Playstation Move, a lot has happened. But how did this all come about? Read on and find out.

Nintendo Wii

The announcement of Nintendo's latest non-portable console was met with much excitement. Utilising the Wiimote in order to create three-dimensional movement on-screen, it was also able to play all GameCube games as well as using its accessories (GameCube controller with your Super Smash Brothers Brawl anyone?). Nintendo's fifth home console, it was the first time the company had led the generation (the seventh in this case) in sales since the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (more commonly known as SNES), originally coming out in November 2006.

Xbox 360 Kinect

First known as the Natal, the Kinect burst onto the scene in November 2010, almost exactly four years after the Wii. With no controller the Kinect relies on the user's body to control the action, also featuring impressive voice recognition technology. Facial recognition and full body 3D motion capture are both features of the system, and there is talk of adapting it for Windows PCs as well (not that this hasn't already been done unofficially).

Sony Playstation Move

Just managing to squeeze out before the Kinect in September 2010, the Playstation Move has some similarities to the Wii. With a distinctive wand-like controller (the end of which changes colour depending on the in-game action) and navigation attachment, addons can be purchased in order to change its appearance (such as gun extensions, for example). Named the most immersive game controller by Popular Science in 2010, the Playstation Move (and, let's be fair, its compatriots) looks set to continue to dazzle the video gaming world for some time.

The Ups and Downs of the Pre Order

Nothing quite compares to the feeling of having just pre ordered a game you're really looking forward to. You may want to pre order Dead Space 2 or something out further into the year, but the sensations are generally the same; it's an awesome feeling when your game finally arrives. Similarly, pre ordering shiny new peripherals like the Kinect or the Playstation Move and finally being able to play with them is fantastic. Here follows some of the best (and worst) aspects of pre ordering games.

The Ordering

The game you've been dying for is finally able to be pre ordered. Amazing! Despite not even having paid for it yet you know that a new game will soon be on its way to you. Time to stock up on any other available merchandise in order to make sure you're both physically and mentally prepared.

The Waiting

The unbearable bit. You occupy yourself during the countdown by dredging up every bit of available information on your pre ordered game. If the release date gets pushed back it's the worst thing in the world. If you were slow pre ordering you might miss out on some of the limited availability bonuses or even be told that you game is out of stock (though you'd have to be very unlucky for that to happen).

The Arrival

What you've been waiting for all along. If you're lucky your game may even arrive early. Prepare to hole yourself up with your latest acquisition, forego sleep and play until you pass out (although remember that you have work and/or school at some point... probably).

Come and Get It

You can always go and get your new game in person. Whether you queue up outside your game store in the middle of the night before your game's release or rush in on the day (and hope it's not sold out), finally getting your game is the best feeling ever.