Filed under: Peripherals

Nyko: Project Natal not a threat, but a 'challenge'

by Tracey John { 5 months ago }

When Microsoft unveiled its controller-free camera technology dubbed Project Natal during E3 last week, you'd think that gaming peripheral makers might start asking President Obama for a bailout.

But not so. At least not for Nyko. The manufacturer of third-party accessories, whose core business is unlicensed Wii products, doesn't see physical controllers going away anytime soon. In fact, Chris Arbogast, Nyko's director of marketing, has a hard time seeing casual gamers letting go of the Wii remote.

"People in the casual market like feeling something physical to keep your hands aligned," he said. "When you grab the Wiimote and swing it, it feels like you're swinging a baseball bat, versus pantomining swinging a bat. I think that if you take all [the controllers] away and you're just pantomiming everything, there may be some disconnect with realism there."

Obviously, working for Nyko, Arbogast has to stay positive. However, if Project Natal does take off, we wondered if the company has a Plan B. Arbogast said it might force Nyko to "think outside the box." "We'll have to think of other ways we can accessorize and augment the players' experience," he said. "Not with a controller anymore, but with other things to add to that camera functionality. It could be a whole new avenue of business that opens up for us because we'll be forced to challenge ourselves."

Luckily for Nyko, Project Natal is probably a long ways off, with analysts saying it won't trump the Wii just yet. Until then, you can enjoy another innovation in camera technology: the Nyko DSi Zoom Case.

Blazepro PS3 keypad is cheaper, hideous

by Jason Dobson { 9 months ago }

The tech ninjas at Blazepro may know a thing or two about cutting prices. When it comes to corners, though, not so much. The peripheral manufacturer has released its own Wireless Keypad for the PlayStation 3, sacrificing sexy contours for a much lower price -- $11 compared to $50 for Sony's curvier official model.

Still, as the saying goes, you may get what you pay for. The boxy clip-on communicates with the PS3 using a 2.4GHz USB dongle rather than the console's native Bluetooth capability, and doesn't look to come with any sort of rechargeable functionality whatsoever. We can't help but wonder if the savings are worth it, even with the promise of a "leap-frequency communication solution" and "strongly anti-jamming" qualities. If you do decide to take a chance, though, let us know what you think. Just be careful of those edges.

Mad Catz talks supply, demand issues of SFIV FightStick

by Alexander Sliwinski { 9 months ago }

Speaking with Eurogamer earlier today, peripheral manufacturer Mad Catz revealed a struggle to meet UK demand for the Street Fighter IV FightStick: Tournament Edition (pictured). Considering the UK is "over there" and we're, well, over here, we wanted to see the situation report for North America.

We spoke with the company's PR head, Alex Verrey, who was surprisingly candid about the situation. The issue is that the initial production run of the $150 Tournament stick consisted of 3,000 units. The company's pre-order count is now "many, many, times that amount," which Verrey admits caught the manufacturer by surprise. The sticks are currently going back into production, but it will take a little time for turnaround. Naturally, more units were allotted for North America than Europe, but he couldn't get into numbers. Although many who order now may not get the stick day and date with SF IV's release, we were informed the company intends to make sure that pre-order demand is met.

As for the other official Street Fighter IV controllers, Verrey believes that there should be adequate supply. Another topic we discussed at length was the quality of Mad Catz products, and he asked that consumers don't think of this Mad Catz as the same one they remember. He emphasized the new Mad Catz has evolved and is focusing more on quality. He reiterated that its wares come with a two-year warranty and they are committed to better products. We've placed pricing details for the SF IV controllers after the break.

Gallery: Mad Catz Street Fighter IV controllers

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CES 2009: Mattel's MindFlex gives you Jedi mind powers

by Kevin Kelly { 9 months ago }

The author burnt out several synapses levitating the ball for this photo.

Mattel had a booth at CES pimping out things like U.B. Funkeys, a Barbie nail design automatic applicator contraption, and Mindflex, a game that claims to harness the untapped power of your brain's beta waves. These are waves that the brain generates when you're busy solving problems, concentrating, or trying to decipher what the sales chart trends on Joystiq are pointing toward.

Mattel wants to channel said waves into a franchise of games under the Mindflex banner, the first of which offers a "float the ball with your brain" challenge. To play, you slap on a funky headband, attach little butterfly clips to your earlobes and then concentrate really hard. If you do it well enough ... the ball floats. Relax your brain or close your eyes, and it hovers down.

Gallery: CES 2009: Mattel

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CES 2009: Best. Controller. Ever.

by Ross Miller { 9 months ago }

"Before the age of man, there was the dragon,fire breathing, fierce and ruthless. Long since dormant, the dragon arose hungry for modern dap knights to re-establish dragon superiority over all mankind.

"More than a control pad,,,a legend!"

<disclaimer> The previous and following (after the break!) text was copied verbatim -- odd spacing and all -- from the back description and product manual of the Dragon Fire Breather game controller, which we and our friends at Engadget found and bought for $1 at the CES international hall. We are not transcribing this to try to offend anyone and, yeah, we know this is probably not the manufacturers' first language -- probably not its language at all -- but we are in fact very fascinated with how the translation process works.

Every chosen word does make sense, just not in the context we are used to. Plus, "mucilanginous" is a very funny word, and if you look carefully, you'll notice World of Warcraft's title screen art.

The official US name is "USB Dragon Dual Shock Scary Gamepad" (with 12-button and 2 analog sticks) and is available from DealExtreme for $27.37. It also comes in ninja and pirate variants. </end disclaimer>

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CES 2009: Mgestyk hoping you'll chuck your controller

by Justin McElroy { 9 months ago }

We'd like to fault Mgestyk for their painfully edgy misspelling of a well-known actual word, but as a bunch of guys who spell Joystick with a "q", we're cautious about getting into a pot-kettle situation. Instead we'll talk about Mgestyk, a hands-free controller (or, more accurately, a controller-free controller) that we spotted on the CES show floor.

With Mgestyk, a specially-designed camera tracks the player's movements with surprising accuracy, and without the perfect lighting required by an EyeToy or Xbox Vision camera (in fact, we're told the camera can work in complete darkness). Also, unlike the other cam controllers, Mgestyk has the ability to detect depth.

The possibilities are intriguing, but, as you can see in the video above, the technology isn't perfect yet (lag, it would seem, continues to be an issue). We're rooting for our Brothers in Misspelling, but we're not sure we're looking at a Wii-killer just yet.

CES 2009: Feet-on with the X-Rocker Vibe

by Justin McElroy { 9 months ago }

There's a magical subset of products one finds at CES, if one looks close enough. We call it the "We probably won't buy these, and we're not sure who will, but we're really glad they're in the universe" class of products. Yeah, we know, not the punchiest name. We're workshopping it.

A great example is the X-Rocker Vibe, an odd speaker stage that the company (which also makes a line of gaming-centric chairs) plans to launch sometime this year. X-Rocker said the Vibe was supposed to replicate the sensation of taking the stage at a rock show, but all we got was "playing Guitar Hero during an exceedingly mild earthquake." That said, the loud showfloor of CES isn't a great place for testing audio products, so we're going to give it the benefit of the doubt. Honestly, we're just happy it exists.

CES 2009: Novint CEO wants Falcon on consoles by year's end

by Justin McElroy { 10 months ago }

We're big fans of Novint's Falcon controller, which replicates the sense of touch in PC games pretty convincingly. We were even more excited after we wrapped our mitts around the new pistol grip and played a little Left 4 Dead. But we couldn't help ourselves from thinking: "Wouldn't it be great if players on PC and 360 could experience the thrill of having their gun hand pinned by a pouncing Hunter?"

Apparently a dabbler in the telepathic arts, Novint CEO Tom Anderson psychically absorbed our pleas and told us he wants the device to be on consoles by the end of 2009. Apparently, console manufacturers were holding out until they could see some support from game publishers, and now that companies are piling on to the Falcon, a console version of the device is more likely. We'd be crossing our fingers, if we could get this Hunter off of us.

Patent reveals Wii Remote began life as GameCube add-on

by Randy Nelson { 10 months ago }

What's so interesting about the above image? Is it that the man (?) has no eyes? Is it that he's not using the strap on the Wii Remote? No: it's that this isn't a patent drawing for the Wii Remote at all -- it's for a GameCube controller. The original Japanese patent was submitted by Nintendo in 2006, around the time Shigeru Miyamoto admitted, "[Wii] is based on GC."

Now we know its controller was, too, by way of the US Patent and Trademark Office's database, which also contains related drawings. One shows what this line-art person is playing (a tennis game with Mario) and the other is the proverbial smoking gun: a Wii remote and receiver connected to a GameCube, which is, in turn, connected to a TV with sensors attached. Check them out after the break.

[Via Siliconera]

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CES 2009: Hands-on with Nyko's replacement Wiimote, The Wand

by Justin McElroy { 10 months ago }

It's common knowledge that the Wii's third-party games generally pale in comparison to Nintendo's first-party efforts. But it seems as though that same observation will no longer be true about the system's controllers when Nyko rolls out its Wiimote replacement, The Wand, in April or May of this year. We took the controller for a spin (and a twist and a wave) earlier today at the company's CES booth.

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Mad Catz reveals Street Fighter IV controllers, accessories

by Jason Dobson { 10 months ago }

click for high-res product gallery

With a little more than a month left before Street Fighter IV hurricane kicks its way to retail, the peripheral mystics at Mad Catz have announced a bevy of SFIV-themed accessories. Now, even if you don't know your sonic boom from your yoga flame you'll at least look like you do.

Set for release alongside the anticipated fighter's February debut, the lineup includes an official Street Fighter IV controller and arcade stick for the Xbox 360 and PS3, each adorned with the game's unique art style. Additionally, those pining for a more authentic arcade experience can pick up the stick's 'Tournament Edition,' which will feature "arcade quality" components and a design overseen by SFIV producer Yoshinori Ono. Not enough? A wall scroll, console stickies and faceplates are also on the way, though we expect true fans to dye their skin green or comb their blond hair to preposterous heights before they stand a chance to defeat Sheng Long.

Gallery: Mad Catz Street Fighter IV controllers

Logitech's new PC gaming peripherals go over(key)board

by Randy Nelson { 10 months ago }

Is your desk just not looking enough like the dashboard of an Imperial TIE fighter? Logitech is seeking to solve what it evidently sees as a common dilemma with its new G-Series gaming peripherals.

The offerings are headlined by the G19 keyboard ($199), which features an integrated 320x240 color LCD, presumably for targeting Rebel scum. There's also a 5000DPI G9x mouse ($99) for really accurate kills and a G35 voice headset ($129) that simulates 7.1 audio and, taking a cue from the insanely popular Xbox 360 feature, changes the pitch of your voice, should you so desire. Look for the keyboard and headset in March; the mouse is set to follow in April. For more details, contact your designated supply officer or Sienar Fleet Systems directly.

[Via Engadget]

PS3 3-in-1 wireless pad boasts keyboard, remote and controller functionality

by Ross Miller { 10 months ago }

We really don't know much about this third-party Swiss army peripheral other than what we can glean from its name and a fuzzy product picture. It's a PlayStation 3 remote, keyboard and controller, although the latter is still up for debate since it's hard to tell how playable those thumbsticks are -- if that's even what they are. We also can't really tell if there are L and R triggers behind the remote portion or if we'd somehow have to use the keys on the top of the remote. Regardless, at just under $30, consider our curiosity officially piqued.

[Via DCEmu; thanks, craig]

Joyswag Holidaze: Wii Glow Saber Duo & Precision Pack + three games

by Kevin Kelly { 11 months ago }

Update: We've selected a winner! Congratulations to Russ Holland of San Marcos, CA.

We don't want to leave the Wii out of our Holidaze Schwagalong, so Wii-lovers, this is your chance to get in on the action. What says Holidaze and the Wii more than a snap-on plastic lightsaber attachment? Nothing that we can think of. You'll also get to cram your Wiimote into a handgun attachment and use a semi-clone of the Xbox 360 controller to put your games through their paces.

The Glow Saber Duo Pack and T-Wireless Precision Pack not enough for you? Fine. We're tossing in three Wii titles for you to huddle your family around over the next couple of weeks. Included is a copy of Death Jr.: Root of Evil, Wacky Races: Crash and Dash, and Family Party: 30 Great Games. It's more Wii-action that you can shake a saber at, and it could be yours if you enter our Joyswag contest:

Leave a comment telling us how you'd weaponize your Wii
You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec)
Limit 1 entry per person per calendar day
This entry period ends at 12:00pm ET on Thursday, December 18th. We'll randomly select 1 winner at that time to receive one Glow Saber Duo Pack (ARV $34.99), one T-Wireless Precision Pack (ARV: $29.99), one copy of Death Jr.: Root of Evil for Wii (ARV: $39.99), one copy of Wacky Races: Crash and Dash for Wii (ARV: $39.99), and one copy of Family Party: 30 Great Games for Wii (ARV: $19.99)
For a list of complete rules, click here

Is the end of 2008 approaching already? In honor of another year of gaming gone by, Joystiq is hosting five straight days of Joyswag giveaways. Check back every day for new prizes, new chances to win, and the possibility of keeping more money in your own pocket.

Nintendo considering new Wiimote accelerometer tech

by Griffin McElroy { 11 months ago }

Nintendo must be pleased as punch with the McDuck-esque mountains of money that their motion-sensitive system has garnered -- though they seem to be focusing on making sure their well-received one-handed peripheral is at its waggliest. In addition to introducing the Wii MotionPlus at this year's E3 press event, Nintendo is apparently looking into swapping out the accelerometer in the Wii Remote, replacing it with newer, faster motion-sensing technology.

This is not only good news for accelerometer manufacturers (who are already wrestling to get their technology into the best-selling controller), but for Wii enthusiasts as well -- according to a Nikkei Tech-On article, a manufacturer named Kionix could provide an accelerometer that will noticably improve the Wiimote's motion sensitivity. However, we hope it doesn't make it too sensitive -- after all, what good is a controller that sits in its room all day, watching Love Actually and listening to James Taylor?