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PSA: Damage Inc. Pacific Squadron WWII demo out now on Xbox Live
Just in case you've been waiting to see what Mad Catz's grab-bag titled Damage Inc. Pacific Squadron WWII (which used to be the much more feasible War Wings) is like, you're in luck. The game now has a playable demo, available on Xbox Live. The demo is exclusive to Gold members, rings in at just about 770 mb, and can be grabbed for free.Unfortunately, the demo doesn't come with a free Pacific AV8R flightstick, which Mad Catz will be including with the Collector's Edition of the game, and presumably will be the best way to experience flying around in the Pacific Theater. As Mad Catz says in the press release, this game is part of its goal of "pursuing targeted software opportunities that pose manageable downside risk by complementing our hardware initiatives." Which is corporate talk for: They're making the game to sell the stick.But if you have another Mad Catz flight stick, it should work, or just a standard controller will probably do what you need as well. If the demo spins your propeller, the game will be out on August 28.
Mad Catz courts Xbox 360 dogfighters with pricy F.L.Y. 9 flightstick
Yo, Mad Catz. We both know there aren't a lot of good flight sims on the Xbox 360, but that's no excuse for releasing a bargain-budget stick like the Aviator as your first foray into the console space. It doesn't do Saitek's reputation justice, and fliers like us won't stand for it. We want something a little more substantial. Something like your fancy Cyborg X flight stick for PC... What's that, you say? You've done it? Fan-tastic. With nearly all the bells and whistles of the original stick but added buttons, a removable lap rest and completely wireless functionality, the Cyborg F.L.Y. 9 looks like just the stick to strafe our Xbox 360 budget this spring for $100. But hey, that's not cool -- what's with doubling the original Cyborg X's $50 price? Press release after the break.
Logitech's high-end Flight System G940 hands-on
Lots of people have Chuck Yeager aspirations but Joe Schmoe opportunities for flight time. For them there's the flight sim. Titles like Microsoft Flight Sim and Falcon are some of the earliest to popularize PC gaming, and since the beginning they've been accompanied by high-price controllers that replicate the experience of flying. Logitech's Flight System G940 is the latest. We spent a little bit of time with it in the company's cramped meeting room on the show floor to see if it's worth adding to your virtual hangar.
Mad Catz rolls out new Saitek Aviator flight sticks for Xbox 360, PS3
Flight sticks may not be quite as common as they were during the heyday of PC flight sims, but there's still quite a few would-be Chuck Yeagers out there, and Mad Catz is doing its best to cater to them with its new pair of Saitek Aviator sticks for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. From the looks of it, these are mostly identical to the existing Aviator PC flight stick, with the notable exception of the requisite console-specific buttons, and a slightly spiffed-up appearance. As a bonus, each of these will also double as a PC joystick although, naturally, you won't be able to swap 'em between a 360 and a PS3. Look for both to hit all the usual shops later this month for $50 apiece.
Diagrams for wacky Wii remote peripherals
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/nintendo/Diagrams_for_Wacky_Wii_remote_Peripherals'; Third-party accessory manufacturers aren't the only ones coming up with ridiculous things to attach your Wii remote onto! A recent patent application posted at the European Patent Office's site reveals some of the crazy peripherals Nintendo dreamed up to explain the controller's potential, like the goggles shown above. ThinkGeek's Wii Helm seems like a respectable, thought-out product, compared to this silly idea. Wouldn't that unbalanced weight give you a sore neck after a minute of wearing this headpiece?And there are much zanier diagrams in the application document -- Wii remotes in racing helmets, bike pedals, skateboard wheels, and teddy bears! How would this stuff even work? There are also drafts for a docking station and the old shotgun-design Zapper (the GameCube and wireless receiver demonstrating the Zapper shows the artwork's age). You can check them all out in our gallery below!%Gallery-14911%[Via 22Hundred]
The ultimate sim controller dog fight
As any hardcore gamer will tell you, simulation games aren't really simulations unless you've got the appropriate hardware to back up all that finely-tuned software. Taking that into consideration, the folks at Extreme Tech decided to round up no less than ten controllers of various sorts to see how well they replicated the real thing, including flight sticks, throttles, steering wheels, and pedals. While any of the tested controllers will get the basic job done, they did find a few standouts in bunch. Getting top marks among the flight sticks was Saitek's X52 Pro, with CH 's Fighterstick Pro only slightly behind. CH came out ahead with its other flight-related peripherals, however, with its Pro Throttle and Pro Pedals USB getting marks of 8 out of 10 and 9 out of 10, respectively. For those who prefer to keep things on the ground, Extreme Tech found Logitech's G25 racing wheel (complete with pedals and console) to be the best bet for driving sims, although at $250, authenticity certainly doesn't come cheap. Those not willing to go that far may want to take a look at Microsoft's PC-compatible Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel, which comes in at half the price Logitech's rig but, according to Extreme Tech, still provides a decent racing experience for less-demanding gamers.
