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I meant to post this interesting little history lesson on controller mapping since the NES a few weeks ago, but an ill-fated department camping trip to the wilds of SoCal got in the way; Matthew Gallant of the aptly named 'Quixotic Engineer' takes us down memory lane and on a flying tour of the evolution of various controllers:
Part game journalist, part werewolf, MTV's Stephen Totilo got a chance to get a grip on the Playstation 3's keypad at a recent event. Totilo claims that the alternating pictures, some showing baby smooth hands and some showing hairy monsters, are actually of his hands and those of Home lead developer Jack Buser. But we know the truth.
The good news is that neither Totilo nor Were-Totilo had trouble typing with the thing snapped onto a PS3 controller.
See How The PS3 Keypad Fits In Real Hands [MTV Multiplayer]
More speculation, this time from Bloomberg, about what will be announced at Nintendo's press conference in Japan tonight.
The business wire believes that Nintendo will be unveiling the apparently rumored new Nintendo DS as well as new accessories to avoid a price drop.
The news comes in a year when Nintendo shared have dropped 39 percent amid fears that credit-related losses in the U.S. will affect demand for consumer electronics. Despite the stock drop, Daiwa Institute of Research believes that Nintendo will sell 26.5 million Wii consoles in the year ending March 31, compared with 7 million Xbox 360s. Sony believes it will sell 10 million PS3. Last year, Nintendo's Wii outsold the PS3 and Xbox 360 by two to one, according to Daiwa.
Peak just sent me one of their solid wood Playstation 3 guitars for Guitar Hero and Rock Band. The Starplex is the same scale as a real guitar and uses the same sorts of parts, when possible. For instance the tuning pegs are real as is the whammy bar.
Of course all of this realism makes for a pretty heavy kit, but I think it's worth it. The controller works with both the PS2 and PS3 and comes with wireless and wired options. I'll make sure to weigh in with my opinion after I've had some time to go a few round with it on the Playstation 3.
Good old Thrustmaster! They made the baddest PC joysticks back in the 90s, and...well, to be honest that's the last experience I had with the company, since my Top Gun joystick from, oh, 1999 is still going strong. Think it's time to get reacquainted with their wares, though, after seeing their entry into the field of tacky Wii Remote clip-on accessories/peripherals. Where other companies would cut corners, release a shark gun, release a plastic tennis racquet, Thrustmaster have released the "Glo Saber Duo Pack", which while lacking an official Star Wars licence does come with two very official-looking sabers, which light up (they're LEDs) for added faux-authenticity. Only thing they don't do is make a wwhhuummm noise, but if that's what kept the costs down to $35, we can do it ourselves.
Anyone who co-habits with a non-gamer - be they partner, parent or pissed off flatmate - will have had the "Why is this shit in front of the TV" conversation.
Rock Band takes this to new levels of lounge clutter - the drum kit in particular is a real carpet-hog, It's even worse if you have to lug it across town to your bandmates' place.
Purveyors of kerwality peripherals Mad Catz have a possible solution - this portable Drum Kit is basically just the 'skins' from the drum pads that you can lay on any surface you like. It's not going to feel as satisfying as thwacking the real thing, but with the included drum pedal and 'noise-reduction' sticks you might avoid another tidying up argument for a mere $59.
Portable Rock Band drum kit rids your living room of clutter [Dvice via ChipChick via SlipperyBrick]
Joystiq takes on the claim with a rather deep scientific analysis of the new game's guitar and drum pads. Using a microphone and a laptop to measure the decibel increase across three different modes of play (light, medium, and hard key presses and drum strikes), they came to the conclusion that yes, in fact, the instruments are quieter.
Reader Wakka sent this one in -- a purported boomerang PS3 controller mod that's getting love on a few boards and hack forums. But ... looking closely, did this guy really find a controller that already approximated the boom's shape and finish the rest of the job with Bondo? Back in January, we told you about a Chinese knockoff of the boomerang that was making the rounds at CES. Both pics are on the jump. You make the call!
Posted by Logan Booker at 1:00 PM on September 11, 2008
Years ago, I was wary of mice priced above $60. I just didn't understand the difference between cheap and expensive models. And then I came into possession of a Logitech MX500, and I was a changed man. It might have been more to do with the fact I upgraded from a Honeywell, but regardless, I had a new regard for quality peripherals.
Microsoft's gone a bit peripheral-mad of late, with the most recent instalment being the Sidewinder X8. Older gamers will remember Sidewinder as MS' joystick brand, but it's been expanded to included gaming-orientated keyboards and mice.
Going by the press release (after the jump) it sounds like your standard "gaming" mouse - wireless, DPI switching, seven buttons and macro recording. There's the mystical "BlueTrack Technology", which has MS all excited, but doesn't mean much to anyone else.
I don't know if the X8 is worth $150, but I quite liked the Habu, so who knows. Hit the you-know-what for more info.
Posted by Logan Booker at 4:40 PM on September 5, 2008
This came through the pipe a few days ago, but managed to miss my inbox and hit the spam filter instead. In case you missed it too, Microsoft has dropped the price on several Xbox 360 peripherals, including its network adaptors, headsets and remotes. The discounts range from $20 to $50.
The 360 racing wheel saw the largest drop, from $199.95 to $149.95, while the 120GB HDD saw a modest reduction of $30, from $229.95 to $199.95. Doesn't stop it from remaining damn shameful, considering your local PC shop could sell you the same sized "non-Xbox 360" HDD for $50.
The rest of the pricing info can be found after the jump.
