Hasta La Gadget!

Relationships are about to get exceedingly more complicated–by the introduction of a climatic catastrophe and bionic beings.

Tycoon Games, developer of several award-winning visual novels and dating sims, has announced the release of its newest steam-punk visual novel, “Bionic Heart.” This indie game focuses on building a story around the relationships you cultivate, creating a butterfly effect for the events that unfold before you.

“Bionic Heart features a truly dynamic plot, where each of your decisions affects the story’s outcome. Even seemingly meaningless choices can change your character’s fate in the end. This game has a high replayability factor with 24 unique endings, making it my longest visual novel to date,” said designer Riva Celso of Tycoon Games.

The demo is available for download on the Tycoon Games website for PCs, Macs, and Linux platforms with low hardware requirements.

The portable Xbox is coming: That much, it seems, is no longer up for debate. The question is when such a device will arrive. In an interview posted today by gaming site Kikizo, Shane Kim, a Microsoft corporate VP, confirmed perpetual rumors that the company’s popular console will finally be getting a handheld counterpart.

“For us, it’s a matter of focusing on ‘when’,” Kim told the site, “because if we chased after a mobile or handheld opportunity, we would not have the resources and ability to do things like instant-on 1080p HD, Facebook, Twitter, Project Natal … And so we’ve chosen to focus on the living room experience from a hardware standpoint, if you will, but we’re building a service in Live that will… extend to other platforms. No question about it.”

Kim added that, for a portable system, Xbox Live would be the “connective tissue.” Plenty of questions remain, the VP added, including whether such a device would also function as a phone (via Windows Mobile) a la the iPhone.

TiVo is teaming up with Best Buy to offer TiVo-brand digital video recorders that integrate Best Buy content.

The two companies will develop a TiVo interface for DVRs sold at Best Buy that will integrate the retailer’s digital content services.

“Best Buy and TiVo will investigate development of a series of consumer tips and insights that can be easily accessed for all kinds of digital home experiences, and Best Buy expects to explore opportunities with TiVo to provide unique Best Buy solutions that enable viewers to take greater advantage of transactional opportunities through the television set,” they said.

What that actually entails has yet to be established, but in July 2008, TiVo teamed up with Amazon to let its customers purchase Amazon.com content from their TVs using the remote, so is a Best Buy purchase widget in the works?

Best Buy also sells MP3 downloads via its Rhapsody-powered digital music store, and offers video game downloads, so those offerings could be purchased through TiVos.

The companies also promised “on-demand access to Best Buy’s trusted perspective in consumer electronics” but whether that means TiVo access to Best Buy’s Geek Squad or just ads touting Best Buy products remains to be seen.

Put away that bulky headset, gamers, because Razer has you covered. The company known for making the best gaming mice, keyboards, and surfaces has just announced the Moray+, an updated compact version of its Moray earphone.

With the Moray+, the product gains a lot of new functionality both for gaming and other applications. You’ll get an in-ear noise-isolating earphone with an omnidirectional microphone that’s just right for talking to friends while gaming.

The included case and compact design let you take the Moray+ anywhere. Because the mic offers exceptional voice clarity, it’s perfect for VOIP apps like Skype.

Use the Moray+ with your PC, your iPod, or any other portable. Three included adapters also let you plug in into your Sony PSP 2000/3000, Nintendo DS Lite/DSi, and devices with dual left and right audio ports. You’ll also get three flexible tips so that you can pick the one that fits your ear best.

Get the Moray+ for $59.99 from the Razer Web site.

Forget DVD extras or merchandise – the real way to cash in on movie blockbusters is through video games. Movie-themed games are driving substantial purchase interest among gamers, according to Monday data from Nielsen.

Gamers were polled about games they were definitely or probably interested in buying, and X-Men Origins: Wolverine topped the list, followed by Goldfather II and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, all of which were released in the last few months.

In terms of games that have received the most online buzz for the past 60 days, Ghostbusters: The Video Game easily topped the list. Terminator Salvation and Wolverine rounded out the top three.

“Nearly a quarter of all movie-related video game buzz over the last 60 days is attributed to Ghostbusters, which was released on June 16,” Nielsen wrote in a blog post.

Games geared toward younger games like the Hannah Montana, Night at the Museum, and Ice Age games generated less buzz than their more adult-themed, blockbuster counterparts, Nielsen found.