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  • Hi-res images: Microsoft Wireless Racing Wheel

    Microsoft announced their new wireless racing wheel today due out this Fall. Though details were sparse, the company also unveiled several high resolution images of the accessory that were initially difficult to download (80 mb zip file). So without further ado follow the break for the images in all their glory.

    Blake Snow
    05.10.2006
  • Dell's design concepts for XPS M1710

    Adams already mentioned Dell's gaming desktop that is part of their efforts to re-invigorate PC gaming for them. Dell is hoping to "up the cool factor over the next couple of years," particularly with several design concepts for their mobile gaming system, XPS M1710. Dell execs presented four designs, one of which is based on the fiery Renegade System that was unveiled at CES earlier this year; "True Fire" laptop is done by the same artist.  Dell asked us for feedback on the four concepts, which also included "Acid Green," "Alien Invasion," (alien invasion, huh?)and "Blue Skullz." Everyone sounded positive for the most part, though I did overhear something about Trapper Keepers. They are looking for general feedback from the public on their website.  I also inquired about designs that would be geared toward girls. "You mean like pink? Floral?" Uh, oooookay.

    Sarah J. Gim
    05.10.2006
  • Portable Ops: MGS on PSP sans card battles

    Since we didn't get into Konami's keynote this afternoon (they had a little tantrum when we didn't remove a post at their request) we're linking to Gamespot's coverage of the latest installment in the seminal Metal Gear Solid series: Portable Ops for the PSP. What makes Portable Ops special? No card battles, that's what!According to Gamespot, Ops is "even more intriguing than [they] would have expected." Errr, okay. Whatever that means. We will say that it features that same MGS action that console gamers have come to love, packaged in a convenient portable factor. Taking place in 1970, six years after the events of Snake Eater, Ops will detail Naked Snake's fall from grace ... we're talking Big Boss people. Plan on getting some portable sneaking on winter '06. Awesome.

  • Xbox 360 camera plus poker equals immersion

    After the Microsoft keynote we managed to spend some time with one of the games supporting the 360's camera peripheral, World Series of Poker: Tournament of Champions. In this game, the camera is used to take a frontal and sideways shot of the player's head, which is then turned into a 3D representation of the player.The process takes about three minutes, and is a little rough around the edges, but the immersiveness from seeing your opponents' faces both in 3D and in a superimposed webcam display is undeniable. The PMS Clan ladies demonstrating the game were impressed, describing it as a way to increase the addictiveness and realism of online poker, and wondering when they'd see their own faces in their favourite FPS. However, we find the concept of seeing our own dead bodies disturbing enough without adding our faces to it.

    Jennie Lees
    05.10.2006
  • Business card holder: retro edition

    During the Nintendo Press conference yesterday, I was seated next to the lovely Andrea Campton of Nintendo Gal. She quickly dazzled me with her retro and decidedly awesome business card holders, wielding one in each hand for spectacular and often deadly results. I've blurred out the details in the picture to save her from untold harassment and to discourage her from hunting me down and breaking my legs, but you should still be able to appreciate how these Famicom holders put a fun spin on business.I'm stealing one next time I see her.

  • Joystiq / Engadget Podcast 079 - 05.10.06

    Sony may have had their fun on Monday, but Tuesday turned out to be one of the craziest days of the gaming year. Nintendo decided to one-up Sony by adding additional speaker support for the Wii-mote, reveal some sort of launch strategy (albeit with no specific launch date or price) and demo actual Wii gameplay. Shortly afterward, Microsoft set us off with some footage of up and coming games, as well as some new periphs (that's what the kids call peripherals now-a-days, right?) Our very own Vlad Cole steps to the mic and joins Engadget's Ryan for today's podcast. Get the podcast [iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (MP3). [RSS] Add the Engadget Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically (MP3). [MP3] Download the show (MP3).[OGG] Download the show (OGG). [Vote] Vote for us on Podcast Alley! Host Engadget's Ryan Block Featuring Joystiq's Vlad Cole Producer Randall Bennett Music J J J - 'Suits' in Japan Format 1:04:58, 29.4 MB, MP3 Program 00:00 - Nintendo's keynote32:30 - Microsoft's keynote LISTEN (MP3) LISTEN (OGG) Contact the podcast: 1-888-ENGADGET, Engadget (Gizmo Project) or podcast at engadget dawt com

    Randall Bennett
    05.10.2006
  • Kojima's DS game touts vampirism and meteorology

    If you spend a good deal of your time watching classic Dracula movies or, uh, the Weather Channel, you would no doubt be interested in Hideo Kojima's new DS game, Lunar Knights. Featuring loads of snarling vampires and weather effects, Gamespot notes that the game follows the adventures of two warriors looking to spill the blood of some blood-suckers. The stylus is used for plenty of actions in the game, just as you'd expect, but the interesting part comes in with the use of the DS' top screen. As your characters traverse the bottom screen, the weather above them (so to speak) will change and affect their abilities to successfully fend off the vampires plaguing the planet. If the thought of umbrella-wielding heroes slaying in the rain doesn't appeal to you, you are most likely dead inside.

  • Wii Twilight Princess in widescreen, GameCube in 4:3

    According to a Nintendo press release titled, "Nintendo Introduces the Next Leap in Video Games," the Wii version of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess will feature a widescreen mode, but the GameCube version will not. This can be inferred from the following statement:"[Twilight Princess] will also be playable on Nintendo GameCube, but without the widescreen format or special controller functions."Is this Nintendo's subtle way of urging us into its next generation? Why does a stripped-down GameCube version of Twilight Princess even exist? Is Nintendo simply satisfying fans that are hesitant to upgrade to Wii? Wouldn't a Wii-exclusive Twilight Princess drive more sales of the next-gen console? What's Nintendo's strategy here? Questions ... questions ... questions ...[Via Nintendo press release; thanks, Oro]

  • Grand Theft: MS robs Sony of GTA exclusivity

    Console war vets nearly spilled their hot coffee Tuesday morning when Peter Moore's GTA tattoo-baring stunt at Microsoft's E3 keynote was over-zealously interpreted to imply exclusive rights to Grand Theft Auto IV. It quickly became clear that Sony didn't get jacked quite that badly. The first next-gen installment in Rockstar's amazingly popular yet politically touchy series will be released on both consoles simultaneously in October 2007. It's still great news for 360 owners, who won't have to wait an extra 12 months to run over high-polygon hookers. Conversely, it's a potentially signifcant blow to the golden kneecaps of the pricey PS3. Loyal Sony fanboys who go into usurious debt in order to purchase that caviar console would presumably prefer a little alone time with those dead prostitutes, at least until they get their credit card paid off. So much for what was once a major selling point. Sony may not have an edge when it comes to grand thievery, but they still have a license to steal -- from their customers.

    Ken Weeks
    05.10.2006
  • DS mega list shows Phoenix Wright 2, more

    If you thought Reggie was skilled at assaulting posteriors and acquiring names, you'd best beware of the author of one highly comprehensive fact sheet that was pulled from Nintendo's press website. A tipster sent us the document in question and, upon reading the list of currently planned titles and their projected release dates, we experienced something that could best be described as a seizure of delight. If the epic list is to be believed, zany courtroom adventure (and DS Fanboy favorite) Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney is receiving a sequel in October. The rest of the document also contains a bunch of unannounced titles (none of them from Konami) and some specific release dates, including one for Star Fox DS. Another click will take you to the complete list. Trust us, it's a good read. [Thanks, Ryan F!]

  • E3: Star Fox DS revealed

    Yesterday at their press conference, Nintendo officially announced that, among many others, Star Fox is coming to the DS. Already rumored earlier this week, the now-confirmed Star Fox DS will utilize the touch screen to "draw the routes they and their teammates will take, then battle the enemies they encounter as they take over bases and strategically advance across the map." We are hoping it features the title's rich history for colorful quotations, including: "Fox! Get this guy off me!" "Thanks, Fox. I thought they had me." "Gee, I've been saved by Fox. How swell." "Slippy's not such a screw-up after all." "You're not getting away that easy!" "Do a Barrel Roll!" Star Fox DS will take off in late September.

    Ross Miller
    05.10.2006
  • Where's the love for console MMOs?

    One genre was conspicuously absent from Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft's E3 press conferences -- the humble massively multiplayer game. We at Joystiq are on the lookout for innovation in MMOs, and what better platform to push the genre to its limits than next-gen consoles? Yet few developers seem to be taking the bait.While some console MMOs are under development, the PC is definitely the platform of choice, and nothing we saw at the keynotes has changed that. With the investment in connected online services for the next generation of consoles, it's a surprise that the MMO isn't getting any attention. Perhaps translating gameplay to console platforms is holding developers back, or perhaps it's just too early for the genre to come into its own. Either way, it will be interesting to watch the few console MMOs that are launching soon, as well as Final Fantasy XI, to get some hints of what the future holds.

    Jennie Lees
    05.10.2006
  • Live Anywhere bad news for gaming IM

    Being able to seamlessly connect with your friends while playing games is becoming increasingly important, both to gamers and to games companies. Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony all emphasised the importance of online as well as offline play, but Microsoft's announcement of Live Anywhere must surely have struck a nerve with a few niche companies.Niche up till now, that is. Companies like Viacom and Verizon who are heavily investing in the gaming IM space -- bringing social networking and gaming closer together -- are now in direct competition with a company that can reach multiple platforms easily. By connecting Xbox Live, Windows Vista, MSN Messenger and mobile phones together, Microsoft will make it hard for others to encroach on their territory.

    Jennie Lees
    05.10.2006
  • Wii first-party titles: new franchises

    Here's a brief synopsis of new first-party franchises hitting Wii: Disaster: Day of Crisis (Monolith); survival-action - Natural disasters have devastated the US. A rogue Special Forces unit has taken advantage and stolen a nuclear weapon. As Ray, a former rescue task force badass, you must save the world, or at least, what's left of your country. Disaster will feature scenarios like lava avalanches, earthquakes, and floods. Excite Truck (Monster Games); racing - It's descended from Excitebike, at least conceptually. The game features off-road racing (with trucks). Players hold the Wiimote like an NES controller and steer by titling it from side to side. Once airborne, tilt the controller in the right directions to stick the landing. Power-ups are used to deform the tracks in real time. Project H.A.M.M.E.R. - Killer robots are attacking the US. In order to defeat your heartless foes, you must assume the role of one of Project H.A.M.M.E.R.'s cyborg prototypes and wield the awesome powers of ... a hammer? Swing away! Wii Sports (Nintendo); sports - Includes tennis (1-4 players), baseball (1-2 players), and golf (1 player) -- Nintendo may add additional games. Tennis features power-sensitive forehands, backhands, volleys, lobs, slices, spins and serves (note: players are automatically moved into position to hit the ball). Baseball is simply a home run derby game. In 2-player mode, one player pitches, while the other bats. Golf features both driving and putting. [Via Nintendo fact sheets] See also: Wii first-party titles: old faces

  • Wii first-party titles: old faces

    Nintendo featured 8 first-party Wii titles during today's media briefing. Here's a brief synopsis of the games that featured old faces: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Nintendo); action-adventure - Link travels to the Twilight Realm where he transforms into a wolf and joins up with a mysterious girl named Midna. The Wii version (there's also a GameCube version) will feature a variety of motion-controlled actions. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (Retro); FPS - Samus must defend the Galatic Federation's Base Sector Zero, which is under attack by Space Pirates led by Dark Samus. The Grapple Beam and Morph Ball make their returns, along with a slew of new weapons and power-ups. Super Mario Galaxy (working title) (Nintendo); action platformer - A villainous creature has kidnapped Princess Peach and escaped into space. Mario ain't far behind. Control the intergalactic plumber with new motion-based gameplay as you search the galaxy, defying gravity every step of the way. WarioWare: Smooth Moves (Nintendo); mini-games - When Wario and company stumble upon the mysterious Form Baton it could only lead to one thing ... hundreds of frantic microgames. [Via Nintendo fact sheets] See also: Nintendo briefing: featured first-party Wii games

  • Microsoft blends platform lines with Live Anywhere

    The latest ambitious endeavor by Microsoft might have "monopoly" written all over it, but we have a feeling they wouldn't want it any other way. Microsoft's new Live Anywhere that they announced at today's E3 keynote takes their Xbox Live concept and extends it to the PC, Windows Mobile and even Java-enabled phones. Whether you're at your PC or rocking a mobile, you'll be able to track your gamer tag, message friends, purchase content for that device or set it to download to another device, and of course compare rankings with your buddies on various gaming titles. Halo isn't going to run so well on your RAZR, so for actual cross platform titles, Microsoft is sticking with XBLA-esque games that can translate easily to different platform, such as Bejeweled. There will, however, be major games that can be played on your Vista PC and Xbox 360. Microsoft is banking heavily on third party support for Live Anywhere, in the form of mobile friendly value-adds for 360 games, and just straight up phone-friendly casual titles. In order to get more support, they're claiming to approach this from a "platform agnostic" (hah!) angle, and after supporting the 360, Windows Vista and Windows Mobile, will move on to Java, S60 and possibly even Palm if they deem it worth their while. Microsoft obviously has the muscle to launch a service like this, and the features they demoed look quite entertaining and welcome, but we'll still be (pleasantly) surprised if they actually manage to pull it off. Keep on reading for screenshots and impressions.

    Paul Miller
    05.10.2006
  • Joystiq @ E3: May 9, 2006

    The Nintendo and Microsoft press conferences seized our attention this morning -- we even got to check out some pretty sweet Xbox 360 action afterwards. The Gears of War mural is shaping up nicely, Takahashi stops for a pose, and we coin the term "Dual Shake" -- really rolls off the tongue. Here are the E3 highlights for the day:ConferencesNintendo's Wii event pre-game coverage!Engadget & Joystiq's live coverage of Nintendo's Wii E3 eventMicrosoft Xbox 360 event pre-game coverage!Engadget & Joystiq's live coverage of Microsoft's Xbox 360 E3 eventImpressions Joystiq hands-on: new PS3 controller Microsoft's Wireless Racing Wheel, a Q&A with Marc Whitten Nintendo Briefing: Featured Wii games First looks at Viva PinataFirst impression: Too Human for Xbox 360Dell gaming preview: The XPS desktopDell gaming preview: X3 special edition XPSNewsPS3: A tale of 2 SKUs PS3 investing in tangible user interfaces New glance at upcoming titles for PSP, DS New PS3 controller loses DualShock vibration Sonic Wildfire for Wii announcedNintendo confirms Wii price: $unannouncedZelda: Twlight Princess Wii features revealedLumines Live to hit Xbox Live ArcadeNintendo Briefing: announced, featured DS gamesHalo 3 trailer: See it again for the first time18 Xbox Live Arcade titles revealedNintendo Wiimote design changesOther Joystiquery PS3 boomerang controller tossed, doesn't come backPre-E3 focus group: Sex, violence, doody still sellPoll: Who was the key(note)master? Joystiq / Engadget podcast - 05.09.06Dean Takahashi at Not an E3 PartyTop Five Signs You're at an E3 PartyE3: The Gears of War mural, day 3 Konami to blogs: How does that work again?E3 showdown: Sony vs. Microsoft vs. NintendoE3 parking significantly cheaper than the PS3E3 gamer fashion: Nintendo keynote[Thanks again to Scott Johnson of Extra Life for the super-cool E3 banners]

    Ross Miller
    05.09.2006
  • Nintendo Wiimote design changes

    Nintendo unveiled a lot of goodness today during their E3 media briefing. Not only did we see Wii in action, we saw a "new and improved" (we think) version of the Wiimote. Gamespot got their grubby hands on the thing citing the following: "[D]uring our play session Nintendo reps noted that the controller we were playing was still considered a prototype, as the possibility for some fine-tuning still existed. That said, the controller we got our hands on wasn't too radically different from what we tried last year at the Tokyo Game Show, though there have been some noticeable tweaks to the design."Here are the most notable changes from the article: A speaker is now built-in to the controller to use in tandem with the rumble feature during gameplay Button change: "select" now has the image of an arrow on it that's curved counterclockwise, similar to those seen in the refresh icon on a web browser. Button change: "home" now has the image of a house on it, similar to one you'd see in a Web browser. Button change: "start" now has two horizontal bars on it that look like the "pause" icon on a music or movie player. Button change: "a" and "b" are now "1" and "2." The "nunchaku" has a more streamlined shape and features a tweaked button design. The controller now has some added weight. [Thanks, Matt]

    Blake Snow
    05.09.2006
  • Wii hardware specs: what we know

    In case you haven't already exhausted the Wii homepage today, here is what's under the hood of the console as revealed by Nintendo:

    Blake Snow
    05.09.2006
  • Dell gaming preview: X3 special edition XPS

    What's shiny, expensive and way too geeky for the masses? A special edition gaming desktop from Dell which is boasting a fancy facade that X3 enthusiasts will appreciate, that's what. Only one of these exists in the whole world (the thing pictured is just prototype, surprise!) and they want to give it away to one lucky gamer.Starting tomorrow, you can enter in the sweepstakes for their XPS X-Men: The Last Stand Collector's Edition rig. You'll need to check out their E3 site, but it won't be live until tomorrow. Good luck to anyone desperate interested enough to enter!

    Adams Briscoe
    05.09.2006