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HOWTO: make your own Duke/360 hybrid controller
Intrigued by our post on the Xbox 360 gamepad with the original (aka The Duke) parts sewn into it? Thinking you'd like to duplicate it yourself? Unafraid of the moral and ethical implications of such an act? Alright, don't say we didn't warn you ...... but here it is: a HOW-TO guide on how to build your own Frankenstein's monster, putting the analog sticks from one into the other and then (gasp!) sewing it back up and making it work again! Really, it's too horrible for us to continue. Do it if you must, but leave us out of it. It's unnatural.[Thanks, Stewart]
Quick Charge Kit powers up
If you consider "play and charge" to be a ball and chain, Microsoft's Quick Charge Kit for your wireless Xbox 360 controller is the solution you've been waiting for. It plugs into an outlet and charges a controller battery pack in less than two hours or two batteries at the same time in less than four. The kit costs $29.99 (including one spare battery pack) and should be available at EB Games on April 18. As you may know, regular battery chargers cost half as much and have been availabe for decades, but they don't come in color coordinated Xbox 360 packaging. Check back Sunday for JoyStiq's early review. [Thanks Tomcats]
Sony confirms plans to chuck boomerang controller (and it won't come back)
Sony today confirmed they plan to toss the much-reviled boomerangamajig PS3 controller thingy, according to CNNMoney.com reporter Chris Morris. A redesigned controller is expected to be unveiled at E3, in May. What's funny about this is that the decision was most likely fueled by gamer reaction to the controller's mere looks. The controller might have turned out to be the most comfortable ever released, but the world will never know because gamer reaction to the design of the thing was nearly unanimously negative after its unveiling at E3 in May 2005. Was Sony unfairly slapped down by gamers and the video games press for being too forward-thinking? We all sure talk a big game about wanting change, but we've shown (over and over again) very little acceptance of schemes that represent a true visual or mechanical departure from the norm. The Nintendo DS touch-screen interface, for instance, also faced quite a bit of negative reaction prior to its release. [Image comes from Joystiq PS3 controller redesign contest. This particular concept was designed by Joystiq reader Adam Portilla of Chicago.] [Via Engadget]
Long live the Duke! 360 controller gets transplant
The "Duke" is the name the comically monstrous Xbox controller has been mockingly lovingly come to be known by. After being replaced by its smaller, sexier cousin, Type S, the Duke has assumed its rightful throne on lists of terrible controller design everywhere. Apparently, some gamers would rather die than see this happen! One gamer, for example, replaced the analog thumbsticks on his 360 controller with the counterparts from the Duke. He didn't go so far as to use the horrible D-pad, so he used the Type-S' for that. The end result is what you see above: a Frankenstein's monster of a controller, animated by more sheer madness than any science we know of. [Via del.icio.us]
Shocking DualShock case still not going Sony's way
Sony's attempt to overturn the 2004 ruling on Immersion's haptic technology patents and receive a new trial was denied in court recently.The Wall Street Journal tells quite a tale concerning another force-feedback inventor, originally a paid consultant of Immersion, who allegedly received advance royalties from Sony in exchange for testimony against his former client. There's enough drama in this case to fill a television soap opera--or, better yet, a police or crime-scene procedural.For the full contents of the article, you'll need to log in as a subscriber to the Journal through the picture above or the Read link below. We don't know to what extent this courtroom drama will affect the "boomerang" PS3 prototype controller design, future DualShock 2 availability and compatibility, or any possible delays to the new system itself, but Sony's separate appeal in federal court has yet to be ruled on, leaving the company one more crucial legal avenue to pursue in this matter.[Via Joystiq]
360 controller parts: $11, or 22% of retail
EETimes has published a very thorough, 3-page, 800-word teardown of Microsoft's wireless Xbox 360 controller. By examining the specific components, the assembly techniques, and extrapolating cost-cutting decisions, the author is able to determine the cost of the hardware. He writes, "Bill-of-material estimates for the wireless controller come in at around $11, or 22 percent of the retail price for the product--a far cry from the negative margin of the console itself."Assembly, packaging, marketing, and shipping are all other factors not considered here, though it's clear Microsoft intends to use peripheral sales--in addition to software licensing fees--to recoup the massive loss they face with every console sale. A small consolation to anyone who's felt that $50 sting at the cash register. They're lucky the controller is as close to perfect as we've experienced. They say something about the good things in life not being something or another...
Mini folding USB gamepad
Wow, we're really on a mini kick lately. The USB Pocket GamePad features 8-buttons, measures 3.93x1.81x0.47 inches, and weighs only 0.07 pounds! That's seriously small! At 3.34 cubic inches, it's almost a quarter of the size of the new DS lite. Looks like the USB cable is detachable too, but it doesn't appear to be a mini-USB end. And at $28.81, the Pocket GamePad is a little steep.[Thanks, Hector][UPDATE: Apologies, it was 0.07 pounds, not grams. 0.07 grams would have been a seriously lightweight controller!]
PeriBorg finger-vibrator and fork/spoon combo
File this one under, "WTF?" The latest issue of Wired has a bit on the Periborg line of gaming peripherals (part peripheral, part cyborg). Pictured above is the "Ore Commander," a finger mounted vibrator attached to a battery pack designed to help gamers press buttons faster ("20 times a second"). Even stranger is the "Shock-C," a finger mounted spoon and fork, designed to help gamers keep their thumbs from getting greasy.Eiji Morikawa, the 28-year-old electrical engineer and designer of the Periborg devices, explained the creations saying, "Our definition of 'controller' is too rigid." While there is some truth to this contention, we imagine you'd be hard pressed to find anyone who thought this was a good idea. Check out Engadget on the Periborg peripherals: 1, 2, or watch video footage, if you dare![Via pasta and vinegar]
Using your 360 controller with Windows
Making the Xbox 360 controller work flawlessly with Windows seems to be no mean feat, but this guide covers the tricky process of getting two Microsoft products to co-operate. Using a third-party shareware program called Pinnacle Game Profiler, it seems you can configure your controller to do just about anything, assigning keyboard and mouse commands to the controller's buttons and axes. If you're looking for a little cross-platform unification, maybe this will do the trick until Microsoft release some sort of official support for the controller.
How-To Control Csound with a Custom Midi Controller: Introduction (1 of 2)
Csound is a free language for sound synthesis and processing. It has a rich history and is still used today by musicians, composers and sound designers including Brian Eno, Richard James (aka Aphex Twin), NIN, DJ Spooky, and many more. Why is Csound still in existence today? It is a simple language which veers quickly to complex auditory experiences. This coupled with a quick learning curve has kept Csound a popular audio synthesis language since its creation in 1985 by Barry Vercoe. This How-To is one of a two part installment. Part One is an introductory leap into Csound. Part Two next week will have you building a physical interface to control a Csound environment via Midi. Please note that this intro is a small daub of paint in the universe that is Csound creation. Many books, entire webpages, and courses have been taught on Csound. This introduction is meant to offer a glimpse into the rich world of audio creation and to hopefully inspire the reader to invest more time in Csound.
