Gaming -- Engadget

Sega-licensed "Retro Gen" might have you hunting for cartridges

by Donald Melanson, posted Jun 26th 2009 at 5:35PM

Sega's already given its seal of approval to a few Genesis / Mega Drive-based handhelds, but never one like this new "Retro Gen" device from Innex, which makes use of actual, dust-collecting cartridges instead of just some mere on-board memory. Of course, not everyone has a stack of Genesis carts at their disposal (a sad state, indeed), so the handheld also apparently comes pre-loaded with 20 unspecified games, and you'll supposedly even be able to eventually load some "licensed ROMs" onto an SD card using a special cart. While it's still not clear exactly how widespread of a release it'll get, at least one retailer does already has it up for pre-order for just $49.99 (discounted from $59.99), and it's promising a ship date of July 25th.

[Via Softpedia]

Nitho releases a plethora of Wii Motion Plus accessories

by Joseph L. Flatley, posted Jun 26th 2009 at 2:13PM

If your gaming experience seems a little underwhelming for want of little plastic Wii Motion Plus-compatible accessories, it looks like the gang over at Nitho has got your back. A quick trip over to the company's website reveals baseball bats, golf clubs, a revolver / nunchuck, charging docks, and more: all suitable for the make-believe Pete Rose, Arnold Palmer, or Chuck Norris in your life, and all in that boring white plastic that's become synonymous with the game system. We haven't seen a street date or price for these bad boys yet, but we're keeping our eyes peeled. PR after the break.

Continue reading Nitho releases a plethora of Wii Motion Plus accessories

Official Star Wars lightsaber and blaster accessories for licensed Wii Jedis

by Thomas Ricker, posted Jun 26th 2009 at 6:15AM

Hey, who doesn't have a desire to get down and nerdy with their Wii on occasion -- we respect that. But if you're going to pretend to hold the Wiimote like a lightsaber, you might as well go for the full-on, officially-licensed accessory. Oh, there are plenty of pretenders but nothing can feed your delusions of grandeur better than George Lucas' blessing. Yes, the lightsaber glows, and the cats at Bensussen Deutsch & Associates have plans for a matching blaster too. Unfortunately, the accessories don't make room for MotionPlus which is fine, we guess, since they'll be shipping with Star Wars - The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes -- a game that doesn't support MotionPlus anyway. How wude.

Sony exec admits "certain premium" associated with PSPgo

by Donald Melanson, posted Jun 25th 2009 at 6:02PM

Alright, so this one isn't exactly a shocker, but it is a little bit of honesty that's not often found when it comes to talking about the prices of new gadgets. Speaking with MCV, SCEE President Andrew House denied that R&D costs and retailer mark-ups were the reason behind the PSPgo's high price tag, saying instead that, "when you introduce a new piece of hardware you have the opportunity to say there is a certain premium that is associated with it, and we took that into account." So, in other words, Sony is charging $249 for the PSPgo because it can. Surprised? Now, about that price cut...

[Via Joystiq]

CinemaNow launches Wii movie streaming service in Japan

by Joseph L. Flatley, posted Jun 25th 2009 at 5:03PM

CinemaNow, the company that's over the years brought streaming content (and often Frisbees) to such varied devices as the Samsung P2, various Dell PCs, and the Xbox 360, has announced that it's partnering with Fujisoft to deliver flicks to the Nintendo Wii. The service will initially launch in Japan, subjecting our friends to the East to such Paramount Pictures fare as Hotel For Dogs and Madagascar 2: Return of the Sassy Cartoon Animals, but we're fairly confident that a Stateside launch is in our future. In related news, cult film director Tommy Wiseau is reportedly negotiating with Chintendo to bring his inadvertent comedies to the Vii game platform.

Continue reading CinemaNow launches Wii movie streaming service in Japan

PSPgo video hands-on quickie

by Paul Miller, posted Jun 25th 2009 at 3:31PM

Yeah, the PSPgo made the rounds at a little show you might've heard of called E3, but we tracked the thing down in the wilds of NY the other day, and thought you might like to see the wild slider action for yourself. We have to admit, the handheld looks better in person than it does in press shots, but only just barely. It's perfectly playable and comfortable to hold, but it almost seems a regression in design sense for Sony. In comparison to the PSP-3000, the PSPgo feels just a teensy bit lighter, but that's to be expected with the UMD drive kicked to the curb. At least it doesn't feel cheap. Because it isn't cheap. Video is after the break.

Continue reading PSPgo video hands-on quickie

Sony hints at "non-game apps" for PSP

by Nilay Patel, posted Jun 25th 2009 at 2:02PM

We've been hearing rumors about a non-game app store for the PSP since the launch of the PSP Go, and it sounds like the wheels are turning -- in an interview with CNET, Sony's Al De Leon said that while PSP content "will mostly be games, there's an opportunity to look at non-gaming applications." Sure, that's not exactly a hard confirmation, but it's certainly suggestive -- maybe we'll see something at Gamescom in August after all. Video after the break.

[Via Joystiq]

Continue reading Sony hints at "non-game apps" for PSP

iPhone 3GS PlayStation, Game Boy Advance emulators demoed on video

by Nilay Patel, posted Jun 25th 2009 at 10:46AM

A final iPhone 3GS jailbreak hasn't been released yet, but that isn't stopping enterprising hackers from trying to get at all that extra horsepower, and some of the first notable hacks we've seen are these updated PlayStation 1 and Game Boy Advance emulator ports, which run way faster than the versions for the original and 3G. The revved up hardware in Apple's latest is apparently capable of running either of these at 150 - 225fps with zero frameskipping, which is pretty impressive. Of course, we'll be way more impressed when the Dev Team releases a 3GS jailbreak and we can hit these up ourselves, but in the meantime there are plenty of videos to with which to while away the time at the read links.

Read - Emulator videos
Read - ZodTTD blog post with more info

Xbox 360 Wireless Microphone ships this fall for $49.99

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 23rd 2009 at 5:05PM

Remember that microphone that we peeked just before Lips hit and (subsequently fell off) the scene? Microsoft has just announced that a standalone version will soon be available sans a tether, giving owners of the aforesaid title, Guitar Hero Metallica, Rock Band 2, Disney Sing It: High School Musical 3: Senior Year and The Beatles: Rock Band the ability to carry a tune in a bucket right in the comfort of their living room. Too bad it'll run you $49.99 when it ships in the fall, but who knows, maybe there's some sweet Sennheiser diaphragm in there that we're not aware of.

[Via Joystiq]

Hori's Tekken 6 Xbox 360 / PS3 joystick ain't a bad way to burn $150

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 23rd 2009 at 8:42AM

Got a knack for fighting titles? Have a particular fondness for Tekken? If so, you definitely shouldn't be playing with a stock controller, and that's exactly why Hori has crafted the beauty you're inevitably peering at above. The stick, which will ship as part of a Tekken 6 Wireless Fight Stick Bundle bundle, will be made available soon for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 (shown after the break), and according to our pals over at Joystiq, it'll be on sale at a variety of respected retailers for $150. Said MSRP also includes a collectible art book and a pinch of pride, which totally justifies the somewhat steep asking price. Right? Right.

Continue reading Hori's Tekken 6 Xbox 360 / PS3 joystick ain't a bad way to burn $150

PS3's motion controller: force feedback, up to four per console

by Ross Miller, posted Jun 22nd 2009 at 10:29PM

Sony has taken a few of its developers aside and doled out a few new morsels of info about its upcoming PlayStation 3 motion controller. Leaving the Sixaxis as the black sheep of the family, the wand supports force feedback from the get-go, and up to four of the devices can be tracked at one time. The technology can work in conjunction with PlayStation Eye's face / head tracking and built-in mic, but naturally that's gonna tax the Cell processor more. The company's reportedly considering some joint use of the motion remote and standard controller, with the example given of holding the wand as sword and DualShock 3 as shield. We're not sure if that'll somehow count additionally toward the max wand limit -- probably not, at the expense of not using the more accurate color-changing ball tracker -- but it's definitely more cost efficient for the consumer than having to pick up another remote. Tentatively launch window is still Spring 2010, which as it turns out is infinitely more than what we know about Natal's release date at this point.

[Via Joystiq]

Black Wii, blue controllers spotted in the wild, behind glass

by Donald Melanson, posted Jun 22nd 2009 at 5:13PM

We've already seen both the black (or kuro) Wii and blue Wii remote and nunchuck in the form of promotional photos, but it looks like both braved the trip to this past weekend's World Hobby Fair, where they were on display for all to see, but not touch. As you might expect, there aren't a ton of surprises but, as Joystiq notes, the contrast between the glossy and matte portions on the Wiimote and nunchuck is much more noticeable on the black version (pictured after the break), and the black Classic Controller Pro also looks like it has an extra coat of gloss compared to the white version. Unfortunately, it looks like Nintendo is still saving word of a release date 'round these parts for another day.

Continue reading Black Wii, blue controllers spotted in the wild, behind glass

Ballmer apologizes for letting slip wrong Natal release date

by Donald Melanson, posted Jun 22nd 2009 at 2:56PM

Microsoft has already come out and clarified Steve Ballmer's recent statement that Project Natal would be rolling out sometime in 2010 (possibly in the form of a new Xbox console), but it looks like the man himself also felt the need to set the record straight. Speaking with IGN, Ballmer said that he "confused the issue with my poorly chosen words," adding that, "there is no news in my comments. Things are as reported after E3. Sorry." Of course, this would be somewhat understandable if it were an isolated incident, but as you no doubt recall, Ballmer also recently dropped word of an earlier than expected Zune HD release date, which prompted yet another quick "clarification" from Microsoft. But hey, he only works there.

[Via Joystiq, image courtesy guardian.co.uk]

SNES USB cartridge adapter should set eBay aflame

by Joshua Topolsky, posted Jun 21st 2009 at 10:02AM

Sick of having to use your inconvenient mouse and keyboard to do "internet searches" for ROMs of your favorite retro games? Well a gentleman named Matthias might just have the answer to your prayers -- a USB SNES cartridge adapter. The enterprising DIY'er has created a combo hardware and software solution that allows you to plug in your dusty carts directly to your rig, and see the ROMs appear as standalone files which you can then load into the emulator of your choice. Apparently there are still some kinks to work out (like getting data rates up for larger games), and Matthias already has plans underway for a multi-system solution. Still, this is impressive stuff, even if it means we'll have to repurchase any titles we're missing from reputable online auction houses. Hey, at least it'll cut down our visits to "Russian porn sites." Check out the video of the whole thing in action after the break.

Continue reading SNES USB cartridge adapter should set eBay aflame

DIY VR Game Gun packs built-in motion tracking, optional mullet

by Donald Melanson, posted Jun 21st 2009 at 2:09AM

Homebuilt motion controllers may be a fairly common occurrence these days -- especially with the Wiimote simplifying things considerably -- but this so-called "PC VR Game Gun" takes a slightly different approach than most, and has the added benefit of a pitchman firmly committed to selling it as the greatest thing since ShamWow. As you can see above, the rig consists of a toy gun with an LCD screen attached to it, but the real secret is a Gyration Air Mouse mounted on top, which allows for some full, seemingly responsive motion-tracking in any PC game. To really finish things off, our fearless modder also ripped apart a gamepad and wired it up to the trigger in the gun, which turns out to be just the thing for playing F.E.A.R.... on the highest difficulty setting. Must-see video after the break.

Update: As helpfully pointed out in comments, there's now a wireless version of the Game Gun and, of course, a new video. Check it out after the break as well.

Continue reading DIY VR Game Gun packs built-in motion tracking, optional mullet