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Engadget Giveaway: win one of two PlayStation Vitas, courtesy of Tanga!
This week's contest is all about the hotness, and if a brand new PlayStation Vita doesn't do the trick, we don't know what will. We have two WiFi / 3G units to hand out to our awesome readers, and it's all made possible by Tanga. The e-tailer is known for offering tech magazine subscriptions on the cheap as well as plenty of other daily deals. So take a peek, browse through the rules and fire off a quick comment to enter the giveaway!
Nintendo sold four million 3DS consoles, 4.5 million Wiis in US last year
We've been (somewhat) taken with Nintendo's dual-screen handheld's 3D screen, AR features and overall unique experience, but it appears that the 3DS has been a real boon to gamers, with more than four million U.S. consumers picking up the console since it hit stores in March of last year. 3DS games like Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7, which sold more than one million units each in the US alone, were also incredibly popular, along with the aging Wii, which made its way to 4.5 million additional U.S. households in 2011. All told, Nintendo sold more than 12 million consoles stateside last year, and has solid hopes for an equally successful 2012. As always, you can get your fill of warm and fuzzy PR magic just past the break.
Portable Jaguar modder gives Ben Heck a run for his compact gaming money (video)
We bet you thought Ben Heck's Atari Jaguar mod would be the first and only portable hack of the ill-fated "64-bit" game system you'd ever see. Well, you were wrong. User Evil Nod, over at the Made by Bacteria forums, has whipped up a rather impressive compact console using the seemingly ubiquitous PS1 screen as a display. At about 1.75-inches thick, it's a bit bulkier than Heck's build, but it also doesn't have a giant battery or cartridge slot hanging off the back -- everything is tucked neatly away inside the textured black shell. Check out the source links for a build log and a few more photos of the finished product. You'll also find a bonus video of the prototype after the break.
Love Hulten shows off R-Kaid-6 game console, resurrects Octorok from 'Zelda'
In a perfect world, you could have a cool, original retro gaming peripheral and impress the sort-of-snooty steampunk nerds at the same time. That day has arrived to do just that, as Love Hultén has created a new wooden video game console called the R-Kaid-6. Inspired by various retro game consoles, the R-Kaid-6 features a custom version of the Maximus Arcade front-end for emulators and runs on PC innards from 2001. The unit also sports customized cables and two arcade joysticks that can be stored in the top of the base unit when not in use. So far, there's no set price for the R-Kaid-6, though the website states that the creator can be contacted if you're interested in purchasing the works displayed. Take a look, and remember that even the most annoying Modern Warfare 3 opponent screaming epithets at you over Xbox Live has to respect retro gaming goodness in its purest form.
Walmart selling Limited Edition Blue Wii for $99.96 on Black Friday
No, you aren't "losing" that thing up top -- Walmart will indeed be bringing those limited edition blue Wiis to the US of A starting this Thursday, and better still, it'll be hawking 'em for just $99.96 apiece. If you'll recall, the powder blue variants of Nintendo's newest home console were previously reserved for other sections of the globe, but a new spot that just aired on CBS' broadcast of the Titans vs. Falcons has confirmed that it'll be on sale within a matter of days for those lucky enough to snag one. They'll be offered up starting at 10:00PM on November 24th (that's Thanksgiving day, you know) and should be completely sold out by 10:00:01PM on the same day. That tally will net you a console, a matching Wii Remote Plus and a Nunchuk. Good luck -- pack a helmet. P.S. - Black Thursday is the new Black Friday.
Microsoft Xbox 360 successor rumored to arrive in 2012, make an appearance at CES?
Go get the salt... it's Xbox rumor time! Today, we're hearing that Microsoft's Xbox 360 successor may be hitting stores in late 2012, according to Edge, with an initial announcement possibly to come at CES. Next December would be a couple years shy of the 10-year time frame Microsoft reps have quoted for the 360's life cycle in the past, and we haven't heard much about this rumored CES announcement until now, so we're not inclined to take either of these reports too seriously. Ubisoft may have Microsoft-supplied dev kits, according to Edge, so perhaps there is some truth to the rumors. We don't have long to wait until that massive consumer electronics gathering in Vegas at this point, though, so it's only a matter of time before the rumor mills begin shifting their launch expectations to 2013.
Microsoft Xbox turns X years old today, celebrates decade of console prowess
One decade ago today, on November 15, 2001, the Xbox gaming console was born, hitting stores across North America on the same day. That Pentium III-based black box found its way into tens of millions of living rooms around the world, and wasn't discontinued until after its successor was announced in 2005. Now, halfway through its lifecycle, the Xbox 360 is still selling strong -- perhaps spurred by the company's release of Kinect in 2010 -- with about four years left to go before Microsoft is expected to unleash its nex-gen console. An updated system may be inevitable, but regardless of what's inside, we wouldn't be surprised to see Microsoft's blockbuster game machine don its familiar Xbox handle for decennia to come.%Gallery-139419%
Ice Cream Sandwich supports USB game controllers and HDMI, turns your phone into full game console
Take that, Xperia Play. USB gamepads are already supported in Honeycomb, so we had plenty of hope that Android 4.0 -- also lovingly referred to as Ice Cream Sandwich -- would offer the same functionality. We finally have the answer, and it's a resounding yes, courtesy of Google framework engineer Romain Guy's Twitter account. The cool part, though, is that HDMI's playing nice as well. In short, you could hook up an external gamepad to a USB-to-microUSB adapter on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, connect it to your TV and transform your handset into a fancy portable gaming console. It's definitely something we can see developers flock towards, and we'll expect some cool stuff to come out of it. Just in case you thought the Nexus wouldn't let you get anything else done around the house already, this pretty much seals the deal. Move below the break to see a screenshot from the SDK.
Wii U landing after April 1st 2012, may stream video to controllers
Try as you might to maintain your nonchalant demeanor, we know you're fired up about the potential of the Wii U. Well, we won't spill your secrets, but we thought you might like to know that Reggie Fils-Aime, the president of Nintendo of America, recently sat down with David M. Ewalt at Forbes to talk about the company's upcoming console. You'll find the full interview at the source but here are a few of the more interesting tidbits. As you may have guessed, the original Wii won't be disappearing immediately. The two will be sold side by side in stores for at least a little while. Interestingly, while we already knew that games will be playable entirely on the controller, turns out there is nothing technically stopping the console from streaming other media to the portable screen -- including content from your Netflix account. Sadly, you'll be waiting till at least Q2 of 2012 to pick one up -- as Fils-Aime revealed, the next-gen gaming device won't launch until "after April 1st."
Nintendo Wii U console shown off in its bright, minimalistic entirety
Nintendo hasn't been too keen on letting us mere mortals stroke the Wii U, as no amount of coins could unlock the console's cabinet at E3. Surprisingly though, Inside Games managed to get up close and personal to this white box outside its little cave, and then came home alive with a few clear shots. Mind you, there's hardly anything exciting here: we're just gazing at some air vents on the side and back, plus a few ports -- including HDMI -- on the latter. As pointed out by our brethren over at Joystiq, only time will tell whether this curvy Wii U will come with an attachment to imitate its predecessor's vertical standing. Check out the backside after the break.
Nintendo Wii U console eyes-on
Sadly we weren't able to get our hands-on the new console that's going to come along with the Wii U controller. Every operational unit is clad in shimmering Lucite and locked away. But, from what we can see peering through the glass it's more or less a curvaceous Wii. It's a little bit chubbier, maybe a hint taller, but the design is much the same: glossy white and a big disc slot. Nintendo definitely isn't giving up on physical distribution for this round. All that we can see beyond that is a power button, a reset button, a red sync button, and a little flip-down door much like on the Wii. What's behind the door? Memory cards? More buttons? Magic? Feel free to speculate wildly in comments. %Gallery-125657% Zach Honig contributed to this report.
EVO 2 console promises to bring Android gaming to your TV this fall
Remember the Linux-based EVO game console? We can certainly forgive you if you don't, but it did actually end up shipping, and "sold out" according to the company the behind it. Now that company, Envizions, is back for a second try with another big promise: an Android-based game console dubbed, naturally enough, the EVO 2. First announced earlier this year, the console is now supposedly set to hit the US sometime this fall and, to prove that it's not completely vaporware, Envizions is making EVO 2 developer units available today -- the unit is "free," although developers will have to pay an annual $149 software support fee. As for the console itself, it will apparently pack an unspecified 1.2GHz Samsung processor, a "modified" Android 2.2 OS, and both a TV remote and game controller. Leaving no stone unturned, Envisions says it's also planning to add a motion sensor by the end of the year, and it even has its own points system in mind that will let you buy Android games with "EVO tokens." As for a price, you can expect to pay $249 when/if the console actually ships, and those willing to take a chance can reserve one right now for $15 at the link below.
How would you change OnLive's MicroConsole game system?
The concept of a streaming console has been around for ages, and while Phantom Entertainment never could quite pull it off, the folks at OnLive seem to be onto something. 'Course, only time will tell if that "something" is a legitimate enough business to make sustainable, but at least it has moved well beyond the point of vaporware. Now that the MicroConsole has been raiding living rooms for a few months, we're curious to know your thoughts on things. Have you been able to try one out? Are you still reverting back to your conventional consoles? Are you pleased with OnLive's performance given your ho hum cable connection? Would you have inked deals with a few more game publishers before pushing it out? Go on and get really real down in comments below -- given the small size of the company, there's a better-than-average chance it'll be listening to what you have to say.
N64Boy Advance is one fine lookin' Nintendo 64 handheld
If you head on over to the Modded By Bacteria message boards you'll find that forum member Hailrazer has put together a little somethin' that he likes to call the N64Boy Advance. And like all successful mods, not only does the thing look good, it also boasts tweaks suited to the builder's tastes: he uses a Gamecube joystick instead of one from a Nintendo 64 controller, he's decreased the smaller trigger buttons (which our man hardly ever uses), and done away with the d-pad altogether (ditto). The case itself is an old Game Boy Advance carrying case (with the N64 board cut down to fit) and speakers, a 4.3-inch display, and a couple camcorder batteries thrown in for good measure. Of all the modes we've seen from Hailrazer, this might be out favorite yet! See for yourself after the break. [Thanks, Jonathan]
Arcade Table's Stealth brings high design, crazy price tag to tabletop arcade
The tabletop arcade market isn't exactly a crowded one these days, and for the most part we'd say that's for good reason -- remember those Pac-Man-induced neck spasms? Then again, most arcade tables don't look like this. The Stealth console system from the aptly-named Arcade Tables offers 60 classic games, including Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, and Galaga, in a high gloss cocktail table, sporting an HD LCD screen with an 89-degree viewing angle, built-in speaker system, and two-player controls. Okay, so the thing costs $3,300, which is more than a touch too rich for our blood, but wouldn't it be nice if more throwback consoles looked a little more, well, Stealth-y.
Lenovo's Chinese eBox console suffers delay, here's how its camera-based games might play (video)
We had nearly forgotten Lenovo's Eedoo spinoff and its China-bound video game console, seeing as how it failed to meet a planned November 2010 unveiling, but IDG News reports that the motion-sensing eBox hasn't slipped Lenovo's mind -- it's just been pushed further into 2011. How far? If we were to guess, we'd say Q2 2011, and the video above spells out why. Seemingly by coincidence, we were just sent this footage of a game called Flyimal, built on the Unity Engine as a collaboration between 3D asset company Mixamo and 3D gesture recognition company Omek Interactive, and -- get this -- running on "the first [console] to be made by the Chinese for the Chinese market and due for launch by Q2 of this year." We can't think of many game systems that fit that description, to be honest. There's not a lot to look at here, but we imagine PrimeSense and competitors will be perusing the video soon, noting that the machine captures precisely 15 points on a user's body for its gesture recognition algorithms... and wondering if there's a third dimension to any of that movement. Read Unity, Mixamo and Omek's statement after the break.
Gaming's first-person history lesson: 1958 to 2008 edition (video)
There's just so much to love about this video, described by co-creator Florian Smolka as a university video-project from Munich. In a little over four minutes, we're given a first-person tour of console gaming from 1958's Tennis for Two (played on an oscilloscope) through late 2008's Rock Band for Xbox 360 (using a Guitar Hero drum set, but hey, nobody's perfect). Not every console gets a mention -- apologies to Atari Jaguar and 3DO apologists -- and it unfortunately stops before new hotness Move and Kinect get a nod, but that should in no way deter you from setting aside a handful of minutes to watch. Be sure to note the passage of TVs, too, and remember fondly the CRTs of your youth. Unless you grew up with LCD flatscreens, you lawn-lounging whippersnapper, you. Video after the break.
Computer World: Apple is "taking over the game market"
Will Apple one day soon supplant Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony as the king of the gaming market? ComputerWorld's Jonny Evans makes a good argument for that outcome in his latest column. As portable devices like the iPhone and iPad get increasingly powerful, the games that can be played directly on them are looking better all the time. Just in terms of portable game sales, iOS devices easily beat the Sony PSP in volume and are competitive with, if not beating, long time champion Nintendo. Looking forward, the horsepower of console systems will likely increase but it may not be enough to help stay afloat. Apple will shortly be rolling out AirPlay which allows media to be sent from the portable device to an Apple TV. There is no reason that AirPlay can't be expanded to include sending games from the iPad screen to the big screen. It's also probable that Apple will add app downloads to the Apple TV itself which could potentially allow the handheld device to simply be the controller. Services like OnLive are already demonstrating that a fast internet pipe and a server farm can take the place of the local console. Apple still hasn't revealed what it plans to do with its North Carolina data center, but there is no reason why it couldn't support high-end gaming in addition to streaming music and video. It's looking like the Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii may well be the last generation of the traditional gaming console.
How would you change Microsoft's new Xbox 360?
So, you didn't wait for those forthcoming Kinect bundles to ship before picking up a new Xbox 360, huh? Good on you. Now that you've had all summer to break 'er in, we're keenly interested in knowing how exactly you -- the dear consumer -- would change Microsoft's slimmer, edgier Xbox 360. Would you have crafted a more stackable case? Thrown in a Blu-ray drive for obvious reasons? Included four controllers and a game for a nominal fee? Packed more than 250GB of hard drive space? Retooled the controller at the time of launch, rather than... say, last week? Go ahead and get real in comments below. Just keep it halfway sane down there.
Origin PC's Big O desktop: half gaming PC, half Xbox 360, all muscle
Oh, sure -- we've seen an Xbox 360 enclosure stuffed with x86 innards, but we can't say we've ever seen anything quite like this. Gaming upstart Origin PC has just shattered every preconceived notion about its potential with the Big O, an appropriately titled luxury machine that combines a liquid-cooled gaming PC with a liquid-cooled Xbox 360 Slim. In one box. A pair of base configurations are available (though customizations are limitless), with both of 'em rigged up to run the PC and Xbox concurrently. In other words, these bad boys can actually crunch SETI@home data while you explore the vastness of Halo: Reach. The $7,669 build includes an overclocked 4.0GHz Core i7-930 CPU, Rampage III Extreme mobo, twin NVIDIA GTX480 graphics cards, 6GB of Corsair memory, a 1,500 watt power support, 12x Pioneer Blu-ray burner, two 50GB OCZ SSDs wired up as a boot drive, Windows 7 Home Premium, a liquid-cooled Xbox 360 and bragging rights the size of Texas Alaska. For those still unsatisfied, there's a $16,999 version that's frankly too lust-worthy to spell out here (but is in the gallery below). Hit the source link if you're feeling ambitious, but don't blame us for blowing your kid's college fund in one fell swoop. %Gallery-101543%
