Nvidia champions Google Chrome

While netbook gaming is currently in its infancy, the announcement of Google's new Chrome operating system has already got games developers and graphics specialists such as Nvidia excited about the future possibilities for faster and smoother high-definition 3D graphics processing in this sector, states TechRadar UK.

Nvidia has been among the first of the leading graphics chip specialists to nail its flag to the Google Chrome OS mast.

"This announcement reinforces our view of GPU-CPU co-processing for balanced platforms. It validates Arm and devices like Tegra which uses the ARM processors as key players in the market," said Derek Perez of Nvidia.

Japan's biggest video game, the Monster Hunter series, has hit the UK with a dedicated communal gaming space, reports Telegraph.co.uk.

The game latest game in the franchise, Monster Hunter: Freedom Unite, was number 25 in the sales charts last week, and the organisers of the event hope it will kick-start the game's popularity in the UK.

Gamers play co-operatively on their PSPs, lending the title a social element, and Japanese fans often play together on their morning commute. The event's organisers are hoping that by opening up a communal gaming space in central London, they'll foster a similar trend.

Games are being played more than ever during the recession, but gamers are spending less money on new titles and more on used and rented ones, according to a new report published by Nielson Games, says GamesIndustry.biz.

Based on research carried out on 2 400 gamers - defined as people playing a home console or PC for at least one hour per week - 42% aged 7 to 54 claim to either be playing, or planning to play, more games this year than last year. Some 41% say they will play the same amount as last year.

Meanwhile, 35% of respondents say they are spending, or planning to spend, more money on games this year, and 39% say they will spend the same.