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N-Control's Avenger goes Elite, keeps classic good looks
Competitive gamers are always looking for a way to sharpen their edge, but few solutions provide leverage like the N-Control Avenger, a controller attachment known for rigging gamepads with actual levers. This quirky clamshell impressed us last year with its customizable trigger pulleys and finger flickable appendages -- allowing us to command the controller's face buttons without taking our thumbs off of its analog sticks. Today the outfit silently unveiled the Avenger Elite, a familiar looking successor that promises to offer more of the same, albeit better. Company founder David Kotkin explained that the new unit features higher quality materials, a more sensitive hair-trigger system and a new "spring against spring" button depression to give its button levers some extra oomph. The new unit's arms are also stronger, says Kotkin, and shouldn't have to be adjusted between sessions. The Elite sells for the same steep $50 as the original unit, although N-Control is offering a discount on Ghost Recon: Future Soldier when bundled with the plastic peripheral, $75 nets you both. Kotkin was kind enough to send us a few shots of the unit ahead of its May 5th Update: May 12th launch date, check them out in the gallery below, or click past the break for the official press release.
N-Control's Avenger for PS3 begins pre-sale, officially debuts November 8th
Been just a teensy bit jealous of your 360-owning, Avenger-toting friends? Well, Playstation owner, that resentment ends now -- sort of. Having promised a DualShock 3 version by the end of 2011, N-Control's gone and soft launched its controller appendage with a limited production run before it officially goes on-sale. Apparently only 5,000 of the $48.99 extras will available early, which means you'll have to act quick to get one. Those of you missing the pre-sale will have to wait until November 8th, when it'll hit retailers alongside the release of Modern Warfare 3. In the interim, hit up our review of its Redmond-friendly relative to see the gaming greatness that awaits you.
Sixaxis Controller Android app makes firing off hadoukens easy as pie (video)
N900 owners have been able to press their Sixaxis controllers into service on their handsets for quite sometime, but Android tablets have been stubbornly stuck to a USB tether. That is, until now. Dancing Pixel Studios' Sixaxis Controller app for Android does exactly what you expect -- allows you wirelessly control games on your Google-powered device with a PS3 gamepad. It's not the simplest setup on Earth. You'll need to be rooted, and before you can pair it with your phone or tablet you'll have to connect to a PC via USB and fire up the SixaxisPairTool. The app also doesn't play nice with most HTC devices or newer Samsung ones. Thankfully, before you drop your hard-earned $1.67 on the app you can download the free Sixaxis Compatibility Checker. Don't miss the video after the break, and hit up the source links to download both now and make pulling off a hadouken that much easier.
Receipt Racer makes printing fun, wastes more paper than you ever thought possible (video)
Sure, you could use your printer to spit out spreadsheets, but how about hooking up a DualShock 3 to play it like a video game? That's exactly what Joshua Noble and the undef duo did during a workshop related to OFFF last week, and the result is stunning (if not hilarious). The trio coded a game in openFrameworks, titled Receipt Racer, which uses a thermal receipt printer modded with a "light beamer" to display game info and represent a car, a DS3 to control it, and a laptop to connect the devices and run the software. A random track with obstacles gets rapidly printed while a player attempts to navigate it without crashing -- sort of like Lane Splitter -- or until the paper roll runs out after 164 feet. There's a tree-loving web browser version and the full details of how it works in the source link below. We scored just over 1,400 1,752 points; let us know how you do in the comments. [Thanks, Jesse]
Visualized: PlayStation controller table, or the things men do when in love
Continuing the fine tradition of combining console peripherals and lounge room aesthetics, this here mod was built by a young chap completing his Year 12 high school qualifications in Australia. Made out of humble MDF and plywood, the PlayStation controller coffee table took 20 weeks of on and off labor to finish and the result pretty much speaks for itself. You'll find a couple more pictures after the break and a fuller gallery at the source.
Sony looking into reported Firmware 3.0 issues
Players frantically mashing buttons on their unresponsive controllers, wondering why all action in Uncharted has come to a bizarre (albeit visually stunning) standstill, may have become victims of the PlayStation 3's "isolated" Firmware 3.0 issues. Writing on the PlayStation Blog, Sony's Patrick Seybold has assured readers that Sony is aware of the complaints."Rest assured that we are looking into the matter and will provide an update here as soon as possible," Seybold wrote. "We apologize for any inconvenience, as it's our mission to deliver the best consumer experience on all PlayStation platforms." Hang in there, Nate, help is on the way!
Modder hacks PSP for DualShock 2 control, proves kids aren't worthless
Okay, so there's at least a sliver of a chance French modder Flasheur got his inspiration from an eerily similar mod last year that involved Sony's PlayStation Portable and an original DualShock controller, but hey, progress is progress. This time around, we're looking at a rather dashing blue PSP and a DualShock 2, and while the actual modding process looks to have taken a different route (three connections on the rear versus one on the side), the end result is the same. Bliss. Pure bliss. Hop on past the break for an entirely-too-lengthy video demonstrating the hack in action, and hang tight for a DualShock 3 iteration to surface in 5, 4, 3... [Via Slashgear]
Sony sued for cheating man out of rumble patents
Two years after we thought it was all over, it sounds like the saga of Sony, Immersion, and the rumblin' DualShock has yet another chapter: a New Jersey electrical engineer named Craig Thorner is now suing Sony and its attorneys, claiming that he was more or less duped out of one of his patents in a shady deal designed to help Sony and PDP/Electrosource beat Immersion's cases against them. Oh yeah, it's a tangled mess -- Thorner first signed over his patent to Immersion, hoping to score a little slice of royalty pie when the lawsuit settled, but then took it back when he decided Immersion wasn't pursuing it hard enough and signed it over to PDP/Electrosource, who promised him $150,000. So where does Sony come in? Thorner says PDP and Sony were teamed up to beat Immersion, and that Sony was secretly the one licensing the patent but trying to remain out of the picture to keep the price down -- and he's got proof, in the form of a $150,000 wire transfer between the two companies. Not only that, but Sony's attorneys apparently promised Thorner that they could "wear two hats" during negotiations and represent both him and Sony, which is ten kinds of shady. You can guess what happened next: Sony lost, PDP settled, and Immersion sued Thorner for breaking his agreement -- and Sony's attorneys didn't help him defend the lawsuit. Did we say ten kinds of shady? Eleven kinds. Of course, it's doubtful that Thorner is totally innocent here, so it'll be interesting to see how Sony responds, but at this point we're treating the DualShock 3 as a miracle of nature and leaving it at that. [Via Joystiq]Read - GamePolitics article (with PDF of the complaint)Read - Law.com article
N.J. inventor says Sony ripped him off, tricked him out of cash
OK, you know we have little tolerance for anything that's more legally demanding than Phoenix Wright, so just try to hang in there with us. Inventor Craig Thorner has filed suit against Sony, saying that the company and a handful of lawyers tricked him out of some money he could have received for patents he owned on rumble technology.To put it as simply as possible: Thorner had some patents that both Sony and Immersion tried to get during their legal squabbling. Thinking it might net him some cash, Thorner licensed his patents to Immersion, which won its case against Sony. Immersion then went after PDP/Electro Source, which also licensed Thorner's patents after he believed his deal with Immersion expired. But (stick with us!) Sony and PDP/Electro Source had teamed up, and Thorner alleges that he wasn't informed of the deal, which made him license his patents to PDP for much less than he could have had he known (that's the "tricked him out of cash" part).God, that was exhausting. If you want even more detail (if not necessarily a better understanding) of the case you can read GamePolitics' full piece here.
GameStop offers up silver DualShock 3 controller for North America
If that all-black DualShock 3 controller has just grown stale, and you're not about to drop any coinage to have Colorware liven things up, GameStop has a fantastic solution -- so long as you're a fan of silver, that is. As of today, the firm's website has a clear listing for a satin silver version of the wireless SIXAXIS, and anyone familiar with the silver PS2 controller will no doubt notice the striking similarities. Just so you know, this one's been available in the Japanese market for eight centuries now, but it looks like the North American crowd can finally yell "me too!" when parting with $54.99 on June 24th.[Via Joystiq]
XCM's $84.99 Cross Fire Adapter for Xbox 360 ships today
We can't say for sure why you'd want to use a PlayStation 3 controller with your Xbox 360, but if you somehow prefer the Batwing over something that's actually comfortable to hold, there's this. XCM -- who just recently debuted its Rumble Joystick and KO Adapter for PlayStation 3 -- is today shipping its Cross Fire Adapter for Xbox 360. As we insinuated earlier, this device enables users to connect a PS3 controller, original Xbox controller (Duke!) or wired Xbox 360 controller to one's Xbox 360 console so you don't have to mod your controller to enjoy the spoils of Turbo Fire. Get your order in right now over at Extreme-Mods for $84.99.
XCM introduces Rumble Joystick and KO Adapter for PlayStation 3
Hot on the heels of XCM's Dominator joystick comes an even more irresistible iteration, making those that took the plunge in January inevitably jealous. The newfangled Rumble Joystick for PlayStation 3 isn't terribly different from the original... save for the fact that this one shakes, rattles and rolls, of course. Described as the world's first PS3 joystick to rumble natively, this bugger also packs four memory buttons for programming all sorts of sick, twisted macros alongside independent Rapid Fire and Turbo buttons. Moving on, we've got the all new XO Adapter for PS3, which adds support for macros, Rapid Fire and Turbo to any vanilla Dual Shock or SIXAXIS controller. There's no mention of pricing for either, but we suspect that'll change in the near future (like, real soon, given that they'll be shipping in under a month).Read - Rumble Joystick for PS3Read - XO Adapter for PS3
PlayStation-induced palm lesions identified by Swiss scientists
It's no Wiiitis, but Swiss scientists have ID'd a new skin disorder they believe came from prolonged gaming sessions. Dubbed "PlayStation palmar hidradentitis," the condition is marked by painful lumps that appear on the palms. This Dr. House diagnosis came from a 12-year old girl who visited Geneva hospital with hand lesions allegedly from hours-long gaming marathon, and that she fully recovered after a ten-day PlayStation hiatus. While being careful not to discredit the findings, Sony spokesman David Wilson chimed in to say they had never heard of a case like this, despite hundreds of millions consoles sold, and as with any leisure activity, "there are possible consequences of not following common sense, health advice and guidelines." Hey, at least she didn't break her arm.
Europe gets DualShock 3 July 2, UK on July 4
Sony Europe announced this morning that the DualShock 3 will release in the land down under over there on July 2 and in the UK on July 4. The rumble-licious controller will cost £40 -- there is currently no price given in Euros.So, happy American Independence Day merry ol' England! Crack open a can of Bud, prep some barbecue and go down to your local games shoppe and pick up a DualShock 3. Yes, it's everything the Sixaxis was supposed to be.%Gallery-16981%
Rumor: Gamestop conference call mentions 120 GB PS3
Adding to earlier claims from an Ars Technica mole, IGN reports various sources have told the website that a recent Gamestop conference call reportedly confirmed the death of the 80 GB PlayStation 3 model. The sources also allege that in its place Sony will release a 120 GB version packaged with ready-to-rumble DualShock 3 controllers.Sony told IGN that any talk about new consoles iterations is rumor and speculation, and therefore no comment. We haven't seen any patents filed for a new PS3 model (each one has a different model number; see our fancy SKU chart), but the circumstantial evidence is starting to add up.[Via PS3 Fanboy]
PS3 firmware 1.94 to bring rumble support
Everyone's favorite last-gen feature is just about ready to make its grand appearance on the PS3: although firmware 1.94 hasn't been officially released yet, ShackNews is reporting that copies of Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction contain an updater to Sony's latest code, and it provides support for the rumblin' DualShock3 controller due out in Japan in November and in the US sometime this spring. No word on what other updates 1.94 provides, but it's not like anything else is even close to as important.[Via Joystiq and Tech.co.uk, thanks sk]
Sony ups PlayStation 3 firmware to v1.7, PSOne titles not faring so well
Another PlayStation 3 firmware update, another list of issues. Unfortunately, this seems to be somewhat of a recurring theme, and while users may not have found issues with last month's refresh, the v1.7 isn't as kind. Reportedly, the latest update enables the PS3 "to play PSOne titles that are already saved on your PSP," but numerous sources are suggesting that the feature, um, doesn't work. On a lighter note, PSOne and PS2 dual shock controllers will now shake, rattle, 'n rumble when connected to your PS3, and those with PSPs sitting around can also hit up v3.4 (required for the PSP-to-PS3 playback) on their handheld machine. So, dearest readers, we'll point the question at you: is your recently update PS3 playing nice with those PSOne selections?[Via Joystiq, thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Controlling a PSP using a DualShock controller
Want to see this modded PSP come to life? Well, now you can (after the break). F00 f00 from AcidMods has crafted a PSP that has all the comfort of a full PS2 DualShock controller. How, you ask? By letting you actually attach a PS2 controller to it. Do these system transformations ever cease to amaze?I wonder what's next? LocoRoco controlled via the SIXAXIS?!See also:Watch! A PSP modded, in front of your very eyes!
Sony and Immersion reach settlement, feel good vibrations
The patent litigation saga between Sony and Immersion Corporation has at last come to a close. After being sued for $91 million dollars following the DualShock's alleged incorporation of Immersion rumble technology, Sony has paid up and entered into a new business arrangement with its former courtroom nemesis. The GameDaily BIZ report notes that both parties are currently evaluating the possibilities such an agreement would entail for the PlayStation line of products.As Sony's director of corporate communications puts it, "We are very pleased to have reached a cooperative agreement with Immersion regarding the use of its advanced vibration technology (haptics technology). We look forward to working closely with them as we explore new and innovative ways to utilize this technology in PlayStation products." A future, rumbling version of the Sixaxis remains a distinct possibility and certainly one that could easily be supported by developers in upcoming games -- even if it is a bit last-gen.
Sony's not to blame for SIXAXIS/DualShock Emmy nonsense, okay?
While it's so easy to hop on the "hate Sony" train, there's a bit of news about the whole SIXAXIS Emmy mishap you should probably take into account. Namely, Sony is just as confused as its fanbase. If only someone had a recording of the actual award being announced, this could be put to rest. Here's how it went down, hopefully convincing you Sony did not lie. This time, they were misled just as the public was.When Sony was given the Emmy for "technological innovation for device controller", they were slightly befuddled since the SIXAXIS had yet to really show off its mad skills, but accepted the honor anyway. Turns out the award was for the Dual Shock, the previous incarnation of the Sony controller. Keep in mind that, either way, they got an Emmy. Nintendo also won the same award for its D-Pad, which is more than understandable.SCEA public relations head David Karraker, upon being asked about the mishap, recounted the award that he personally accepted: "I accepted the award myself and all they said was that the award was for 'technological innovation for device controller' ... but looking back, they never really did say for which one." Heck, the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences even approved of Sony's initial public statement which mentioned the SIXAXIS five times, including this title: "Sony Computer Entertainment America Wins Emmy Award for PLAYSTATION 3 SIXAXIS Wireless Controller." So, who's at fault? Quite clearly, it's NATAS. Not Sony -- they were confused too. Let's give them some ice cream and put this behind us.
