Not true. As long as you keep them on a breathable surface like a wood table, it'll stay relatively cool.
Laptops aren't too great for gaming, high end ones get very hot from lack of air holes, but the one Nick posted was actually very good. I would get that.
Regarding laptops and heating up during gaming;
Yes, they will heat up during gaming. Why? Because a laptop is literally an entire desktop computer packed into a small plastic/aluminum shell. A stuff ton of copper, thermal paste, and usually at least 1-2 fans depending on the laptop are used to cool it off like hell, but of course your hands will still feel the 60C temperatures.
Only the super serious gaming laptops are designed with jet engine sounding fans that literally exhaust heat like a jet engine. You could keep yourself warm and turn off your heater during the winter, it'd save you some dosh.
Anyways, just do what I do. Buy a cooling pad, and make sure it doesn't suck. At least two fans, sturdy build and strong cable. Unless there is one large fan, in which case I honestly think it would perform less.
Even I have a laptop cooling pad, and my laptop has a Core 2 Duo 1.8 GHz and an Intel 965 GMA. I only use it whenever I'm trying to play Minecraft, though. Whatever.
tl;dr: Buy a cooling pad, don't place it on carpet or soft surfaces like pillows.
