These have been designed by Dave Rollins, are made of acrylic, and are going for the entirely reasonable price of $US20. The only downside? No Wavebird.

Anyone interested, you can get ‘em from Etsy.

video game controller ornaments are very merry indeed [technabob]

Speaking with Develop, Michicich was asked whether Robomodo — the developers behind Tony Hawk: Ride — had any other ideas for games using the board. To which Michicich replied “That’s really difficult to answer because we’re kind of, ah, [pause], we’re kind of, [pause], we’re doing a game with Activision and we’re not allowed to talk about it right now”.

That’s a yes, then.

The obvious answer is “snowboard game”, but we’re hoping for “hoverboard game” instead.

Tony Hawk Ride team hint at boarding other genres [Develop]

Earlier this month, Microsoft released a Wireless-N network adaptor for the Xbox 360, bringing faster speeds to users who’ve up until now been stuck with 802.11g. Now Mad Catz is shipping its own adaptor with a suggested retail price of $US79.99 to Microsoft’s $US99.99. The Wireless-N Gaming adaptor connects directly to your console’s Ethernet port, allowing you to position it for the best possible. And since it uses an Ethernet cable, it can be plugged into the PlayStation 3 as well, giving PS3-owners a bit of a speed boost as well.

Darren Richardson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Mad Catz commented, “With more HD entertainment content and online gaming being delivered via Xbox Live and PSN, we anticipate the need for Wireless-N gaming adapters will increase. Our Wireless-N adaptor allows Xbox 360 users to access the network wirelessly and for PS3 users to upgrade their wireless technology to the faster N standard.”

I actually have my apartment wired, as I cannot stand the slow speed of wireless when compared to a direct connection, but for those of you averse to tripping over cables, this seems a fine way to go. The adaptor should be shipping to retailers in North America and key European territories as we speak.

Is it worth buying a piece of plastic to slap onto your controller? Let’s see.

Loved
Fanboy Look: If you’re a big fan of Modern Warfare 2 and want everyone to know it, this is a great way to do that. The vinyl faceplate snaps tightly onto the controller leaving very little to tell it’s an aftermarket add-on.

Feel: Once locked in place, the faceplate doesn’t really change the feel of the controller at all. And that’s a good thing. The only seam you’ll notice lines up with where the controller halves are screwed together, so it even looks like your controller came splashed with Modern Warfare 2 art.

Hated
Flimsy Alone: If you plan on not leaving this faceplate on all of the time you’d better be careful where you store it. The thin vinyl feels like it could snap if bent, sat or stepped on.

I’m not a big fan of customising my gaming equipment to advertise a particular title, but if I were this $US15 faceplate seems like a pretty good option.

Modern Warfare 2 Combat Controller Camo was developed and produced by Mad Catz for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on November 10. Retails for $US14.99. A camo PlayStation 3 faceplate was given to us by Mad Catz for reviewing purposes. Played several games for several hours with the faceplate snapped onto a controller.

Confused by our reviews? Read our review FAQ.

It includes a range of add-ons to help bring the camera up to speed, like a macro lens, telephoto lens, wide-angle lens and even six colour filters.

It won’t actually wring studio results out of such a tiny camera, obviously, but for only $US20, it won’t hurt, either. Well, except for that bag. That hurts.

thrustmaster studio kit: fun with nintendo dsi photography [technabob]

The new adaptor takes advantage of the 802.11n protocol to deliver, according to Microsoft, up to twice the range and seven times the speed of the older model adaptor. Oh, and as you can see, it’s got two antennas!

It will retail for $149.95 RRP, the same price as the older model. No word on whether both adaptors will be sold side-by-side or if the old one will be phased out.

UPDATE: Microsoft has confirmed the older model adaptor will not be discontinued. They did not comment when asked if the price would stay at $149.95.

While the PSPgo may not need a case, the slip on faux leather Traveler Case could still be worth the small investment.

Loved
Design: Constructed of stiff, faux leather, the Traveler case fits the PSPgo like a glove. A velcro latch hold the case tightly closed when not in use. The small footprint doesn’t get in the way of gameplay or movie watching and the relatively hard exterior certainly provides extra protection from accidental drops.
Look: The smooth, lightly textured case adds a bit of class to the already sexy looking PSPgo. Better still, it does so without adding pocket-bursting bulk to the svelte portable.

Hated
Not Always Convenient: For the most part, the PSPgo Traveler Case is the sort of thing you would never take your PSPgo out of. Unless you happen to pick up Sony’s power-charging, sync-supporting Cradle. Unfortunately, as tightly as the case wraps around the PSPgo, it still adds enough bulk to make it not fit in the cradle. I was also disappointed to find that claims that the case can double as a stand to watch movies were greatly exaggerated. Unless you flip open the case on carpet, the smooth finish can’t get enough grip to hold your PSPgo up at a good viewing angle.

I like my electronic cases to be a form-fitting as possible, which is why I’m so enamored with the Traveler Case. Unfortunately, my other big case pet peeve is that it has to work with whatever system I use to charge the device. I hate having to take an electronic out of its case to charge it. In the case of the PSPgo, it’s going to have to be the Cradle or the Traveler Case, but not both.

The Traveler Case was designed by Sony for the PSPgo. Retails for $US19.99 USD. A Traveler Case was given to us by Sony for reviewing purposes. Tried it out a week.

Confused by our reviews? Read our review FAQ.

A FEATHER STYLUS.

In Japan, those who pre-order the game can get a stylus that Nintendo was giving a few years ago. Progress!

OK, not a real baby. A baby doll, of course. But it takes doll-playing to the next level by incorporating motion control (and balance board support!) into 18 game modes designed to test even the most darling little girl’s resistance to saccharine depictions of parenting.

Not only that, this hellspawn will actually cry through the Wiimote’s speaker. You quiet baby down by rocking, burping and teaching him/her/it to walk. There’s even a feeding exercise. I’m sensing a Wiimote breast pump attachment down the line. And way to make everything creepy, Owen …

This is the special edition, by the way. The regular game comes with a “holster” so you can attach the Wiimote to any other implement or household pet and pretend that is the baby, I guess. Baby and Me releases Nov. 10 in North America. I’m sure Luke will review it when he gets back.

Kotaku AU Note: The original source stated Baby and Me is published by 505 Games. It is in fact published by PubCompany. Also, it’s out in Australia on November 26.

Baby and Me Special Edition Puts Everything Else to Shame [Aussie-Nintendo via Go Nintendo]

The US$25 price isn’t outrageous at all, but surely you can look like a goober for less!

Nyko’s DSi Zoom Case is A Little Bit On The Ridiculous Side (but I still want one) [Albotas]