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Avenger Reflex aims to improve Xbox One and PS4 input times, looks bananas
Those Xbox One and PlayStation 4 gamepads you've got look a little underdressed, and not nearly enough like Batman. Thankfully, the Avenger Reflex is here to fix both issues in one fell swoop, appending a shell to either the XB1 or PS4 gamepad that promises "faster response time" and levers to hit the four main face buttons without having to lift your thumbs from either thumbstick. As you might've already guessed, the Reflex is simply the latest iteration in the Avenger series. It adds one new trick: dubbed the "bionic edge," a lever below your left thumb "removes all need to move your thumb from your analog stick." We'll have to give it a shot before trusting that claim; we've got until "late March," when the Avenger Reflex goes on sale for $70 (pre-orders are available now for 20 percent off if you use discount code "REFLEX"). The company started back in 2011 with an Xbox 360 gamepad shell, eventually evolving several successful iterations. Beyond the Avenger controller series, the company also makes the occasionally controversial, always bizarre Delta Six gaming peripheral.
CIG releases Star Citizen livestream vids, tops $33 million
If you missed yesterday's four-hour Star Citizen livestream, you missed several new behind-the-scenes videos that are definitely worth a look. We got to see footage of the Avenger with its new texturing and PBR effects, a peek inside SC's orchestral recording sessions with composer Pedro Camacho and audio director Martin Galway, and a look at the game's HUD and UI development hosted by all of the principle developers, including Iron Man 3 design veteran John Likens. Finally, we got a quick look at the new hangar-based weapons test rig that will be playable by the end of the year as well as a second look at the Foundry 42 video released last week. Oh yeah, and the game topped $33 million in crowdfunding, too, prompting yet another letter from the chairman. We've embedded all the videos for you after the cut.
Avenger Advantage launches lever-laden Def-Con 4 controller on Kickstarter (video)
Avenger Advantage has been bringing tricked out game controllers to Xbox and PS3 for a while now, and it's just upped the hardcore quotient with a new Kickstarter model: the Def-Con 4. On top of the array of levers from the last Avenger that keep hand movement to a minimum, the new model will bring an extra palm lever, chrome-plated aesthetics and increased ruggedness, according to its creator. The company also promised extra goodies to early adopters like triggers and gel caps, though it should be noted that its last funding project, the Delta Six gun, was cancelled. If you're still willing to pony up for what looks like the T-800's personal controller, a $50 minimum chip-in will get you one -- hit the source or PR after the break to see how.
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 makes good after PR meltdown, donates to Child's Play [update]
Something good has come out of the PR nightmare faced by N-Control (when its PR turned out to be a nightmare). In a successful effort to buy good press, the company announced today that it's donated $10,000 to Child's Play, along with a pledge of $50,000 worth of Avenger products, which currently includes the "Avenger" controller attachment (a device designed both for "hardcore" gamers and those with disabilities). Now that's classy PR. There is some bad news, which shouldn't come as too much of a surprise, given the issue that touched off the drama in the first place: late shipping. N-Control has decided to suspend new orders of the freaky-looking Avenger contraption, in the interest of filling backorders. Update: N-Control let us know that, while it's not taking orders on its own site right now, Buy.com has plenty of Xbox 360 Avengers for sale.
N-Control dismisses marketing consultant, discounts PS3 Avenger pre-orders
Keeping up with your gamer gossip? Then you're probably up to snuff on the recent Ocean Marketing / Penny-Arcade spat. We held our tongues as the drama unfolded -- no easy task, considering Engadget's name was dragged into the affair -- but now it seems like the internet soap-opera is reaching its conclusion. Not the gossiping type? Here's a quick recap: When N-Control's latest Avenger add-on missed its November 8th street date, customers with pre-orders were left wanting. Some reached out for answers, hoping they could still get their PS3 Avenger before Christmas. All they got in reply, though, were some *ahem* choice words from N-Control's third party marketing contractor, Paul Christoforo -- a man who gained instant notoriety when his emails caught the attention of Penny-Arcade's Mike Krahulik. Krahulik took exception to Christoforo's insults, threatening tone and name-drop posturing (that's where we came in) and responded by publishing the marketing mishap on his comic's website. Suffice to say, it hasn't ended well for Paul Christoforo -- N-Control has released a statement saying that he and his marketing operation have been "categorically dismissed," stressing that Christoforo owns no stake whatsoever in N-Control. After ejecting the elephant from the room, N-Control went on to announce that all PS3 Avenger pre-orders would be given a $10 discount, and penned in a new ship date for January 15th. "I created the Avenger to make people happy," said inventor and company founder Dave Kotkin, who originally designed the controller for a student who had a physical disability, "I deeply regret that so many people have any negative feelings toward it as a result of what has happened." N-Control seems bent on moving on -- which is fine by us, so long as they keep their customers better informed. After all, it's not every day that such an awkward-looking gadget blows us out of the water. Read on for N-Control's full and apologetic press release. Update: To clarify, Engadget's relationship with Mr. Christoforo was limited to a few emails and PR requests regarding his clients.
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.
N-Control Avenger Xbox 360 attachment makes it look complicated, we go hands-on (video)
At first glance, the N-Control Avenger looks like the fevered dream of a quirky lunatic, destined for fame and failure as a legendary crapgadget. When one showed up on our doorstep, we were admittedly skeptical. Could a lever- and pulley-laden Xbox 360 controller clamshell really give us a competitive edge? Wouldn't all the extra bits and pieces only result in a cumbersome mess? Is this doodad really worth the $50 asking price? We went hands-on to find out, and boy howdy, were we surprised. %Gallery-126392%
N-Control Avenger Xbox 360 controller attachment now shipping
Admit it, you know you want one of those wild N-Control Avenger controller attachments: there's no shame in that, we want one too! The so-called "Exo-Suit" -- which we checked out at CES -- gives your Xbox controller an overhaul, and it is now officially shipping. The little unit will run you $39.99, so you can hit up the source link if that's what you're into.
N-Control Avenger Xbox 360 attachment gets a CES overview (video)
The scariest looking peripheral at CES 2011? Possibly. But for those looking to gain a split-second edge on the competition, the N-Control Avenger just may be the solution Xbox 360 gamers have been looking for. Announced just a couple of months ago, the company was here in Las Vegas to actually demonstrate a fully functional model. But simply, it straps onto your first-party 360 controller, adding triggers, straps, cables and all sorts of other contraptions that aim to give you improved alternatives to pressing buttons (while freeing your thumbs up to more accurately operate the analog joysticks). Enough talk -- hop on past the break to see how exactly this $60 shell gets down to business. %Gallery-113452%
The N-Control Avenger turns your controller into the robot spider from Wild Wild West
We know it's our job to find and disseminate information for you, our beloved readers, but -- we're sorry, there's just no way of knowing what's going on in the image above. We know that it's called the "Avenger," and that it's from peripheral maker N-Control, and that it snaps onto your Xbox 360 controller and supposedly "allows for rapid, fluid movements between individual buttons and analogue sticks, allowing gamers to access nine functions simultaneously." Still, even after watching these testimonials -- no idea. Are those mandibles? And where'd all the buttons go? Did the Avenger eat them? With its mandibles? The attachment will run you $59.99. It will also cost you the chance of us ever looking you in the eye like a normal human being ever, ever again.
N-Control Avenger gives your Xbox 360 controller hair triggers (video)
We happen to like our existing Xbox 360 controller, squeaky triggers and all, and though we're eagerly awaiting an improved D-pad it hadn't really occurred to us that some might prefer an overhaul. N-Control, however, has done just that with this insane lever-filled shell, which wraps around the gamepad to provide simultaneous control over a host of inputs at once. The idea is that you'll never need to take your thumbs off the analog sticks to swap weapons or reload, because you'll just flick one of those weighted levers instead. You'll also apparently gain a split-second advantage over opponents on the draw since the contraption constantly applies tension to each of the controller's triggers, making them easier to press. For $60, the Avenger even comes with a tripod, which could be a good move on the company's part -- it looks like you might need one to hold the beast up. Video after the break.
Builds, powerhouses and tiny pets in Champions Online's new State of the Game
The big focus for this week's State of the Game for Champions Online is builds, which act as a way to switch your group role on the fly. The four flavors are: balanced, offense, defense and support -- or Guardian, Avenger, Sentinel and Protector, as they're known respectively in-game. Builds are part of a system that's designed to allow for more flexibility, and thus create characters who may be focused on defense for one mission and protection on another.Another point of interest are the addition of Powerhouses, which are the in-game training rooms where players can test out potential new powers before committing to them. They're also where retraining occurs as well, so consider them your one-stop shop for all power selection possibilities.As for the image you're seeing on our post, well, that's an action figure! Everyone loves chibi versions of characters and you can't have an MMO without tiny little personal pets following you around. So, who wants a mini-Foxbat? We know we do, because nothing's cuter than tiny super villains.
WoW Moviewatch:The Avenger trailer
Selserene tipped me off to this really cool little video. This is the Avenger trailer by Dtbn. The full movie is probably going to be released sometime in late summer, and is described by the author as being "action packed."I love to see action-oriented machinima, and if this trailer is any kind of indication, I think Dtbn will be able to deliver. I think it does a great job of setting up quick pathos for the main character, and then conveys stylized, interesting conflict. The use of bullet-time slow-motion and dynamic framing makes the action compelling and interesting, even if we know most of the character movements are based on in-game emotes. While it is a trailer, and not all trailers turn into full movies, I hope Dtbn follows through. It looks promising, and I'm excited for it.If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.Previously on Moviewatch
GDC09: Massively previews Huxley, a hybrid sci-fi MMO and FPS
Huxley: The Dystopia is a massively multiplayer online first-person shooter (MMOFPS) in development at NHN USA. We haven't heard much about the title since mid-2008, so we were happy that NHN USA was willing to sit down with us at GDC 2009. We spoke with Andy Hong, Huxley's Project Manager, who showed us some of the basic concepts behind the game. Huxley is a persistent world built upon Unreal Engine 3 foundations and is a game that differs from many of the MMOs we cover at Massively. Like other titles entering the market such as Global Agenda, Huxley is a marriage of the twitch combat of a first person shooter with classes, skills, trading, banking, and player housing we associate with MMOs. "At the core of the gameplay in Huxley, at its heart, it's an FPS," says Hong. But the depth of the rest of Huxley's gameplay, not limited to its quest and crafting systems, makes it a title quite unlike any pure FPS. %Gallery-48874%
Boeing demonstrates a Hummer-mounted laser weapon
We first heard of Boeing's plan to mount a laser on a Humvee in July, but we weren't expecting results so soon -- yet here we are just a few months later and the company is already blowing stuff up with a truck-based "directed energy weapon." The one-kilowatt laser is retrofitted on Boeing's existing Humvee-mounted Avenger missile system, and tests have already demonstrated its effectiveness at taking out IEDs from a safe distance. More excitingly for the boom-boom crowd, the Laser Avenger has also managed to eliminate grounded UAVs, and Boeing says it's working on being able to target low-flying drones as well. That's all well and good, but we just want to know: how is it at making popcorn?
First Disaster: Day of Crisis screenshot
Nintendo released a single screenshot of Monolith Soft's Disaster: Day of Crisis, the natural-disaster survival game announced at E3 2006. We now have our first indication of how the game will play-- that arrow suggests a Quick Timer Event. Whether that means an action/adventure game with occasional quick-button-press segments, or a Dragon's Lair-style game, we don't know. What is surprising even to us is that we're kind of hoping for the latter. We miss those laserdisc games! Are we the only ones?
HDTV Listings for April 9, 2006
What we're watching: No Desperate Housewives, no new Grey's no problem? Seems that way today . We'll be checking to see who puts on the green jacket at Augusta today, the broadcast is absolutely beautiful. There's also NASCAR action, NBA and MLB on deck for tonight. A couple of TV movies should spice things up, with Covert One:The Hades Factor on CBS and Avenger on TNT.Our traditional high-def listings continue below.
