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Buffalo's USB Micro-Pads for gaming on-the-go
It's not like your average SNES of PSX-inspired PC gamepad is really too much of a chore to lug around, but if you've really got to get your game on with minimal addition to your gear bag, Buffalo's new USB Micro-Pads seem to be the way to go. The folding controller comes in both an analog stick version (pictured) and a traditional direction pad edition, and both Micro-Pads feature dual shoulder buttons, a couple of extra face buttons, and a mini-USB to USB adaptor. Along with being a good match for most PC emulators and other relevant titles, we're thinking this could do good things for a Pocket PC-based emulation fan if Buffalo brings the necessary drivers to the table, but we'll have to wait and see. No word on price or availability yet.
360 D-pad sucking? Use a Saturn gamepad
The honeymoon's over. We were in love. Our shotgun wedding with the Xbox 360 gamepad and subsequent months of marital bliss have come crashing down. We've had our first fight ... err, 2D fighting game that is.Anyone who's been playing the recently released Street Fighter II on XBLA has undoubtedly noticed the Xbox 360's D-pad seriously cramps your combos. Fear not DIY-friendly gamers, there is a solution: Don't use the Xbox 360 gamepad. Remember the Sega Saturn, geared for 2D in a world of 3D consoles? The good news is the Saturn's gamepad has a well respected D-pad and, with some soldering skills, you can start rocking it on Xbox Live. Here's how it works: Saturn controller gets plugged into a breadboard connected to a gutted Xbox 360 controller, so the whole thing is wireless (sort of). Fine, so this isn't the most attractive hack, but it illustrates a demand for an alternative gamepad. How long before some enterprising peripheral company makes a wireless Xbox Live Arcade pad?[Via b&b&p&s]
Microsoft to pull a PS3, place motion sensors in Xbox 360 pad?
In a recent episode of Gamertag radio, Peter Moore speaks out about the increasing complexity of video game controllers, comparing today's gamepads to the simplicity of the Atari 2600's button-and-stick joystick. He didn't exclude the Xbox 360 controller's design from criticism, mentioning that his 14-year old daughter found the controller somewhat confusing. Naturally, there was a point to his self-criticism; later on in the podcast he says that Microsoft is "doing a lot of stuff there. Nothing that we're ready to talk about, and we're not going to force anything that is not going to be intuitive and innovative."The most obvious conclusion to make from this statement would be that Microsoft is working on a new, simplified controller, which may or may not "borrow" the Wiimote's defining feature, although the part where Moore says that "[Microsoft is] not going to force anything that is not going to be... innovative" could suggest that simply slapping a motion sensor inside an Xbox 360 pad isn't on the cards.British tech magazine T3 points out that the company could possibly be working on a simplified controller--to be sold in parallel with the main Xbox 360 pad--designed specifically for Xbox Live Arcade games. The magazine reasons that the company won't want to make the Xbox 360 pad's ergonomic design obsolete any time soon, which lends credence to the possibility of a simplified controller designed to play simple games to compliment the "hardcore" 360 gamepad.[Via Engadget]
Microsoft planning simpler controller?
Like many baby boomers, even Xbox chief Peter Moore is getting a little confused by all the buttons and joysticks being crammed onto modern gamepads, and some recent comments he made may indicate that Microsoft is actually working on ways to dumb-down the increasingly complex controller. In an interview with Gamertag radio, Moore seemingly put the "shoulder buttons, triggers, analog sticks, and d-pads" on today's controllers in a negative light compared to the "old Atari 2600 button-and-stick, which everybody could pick up and have some fun with." Even Moore's 14-year-old daughter reportedly finds the 360 controller somewhat confusing, with the man himself mentioning that Microsoft is "doing a lot of stuff there," but that they won't release a product that's not "intuitive and innovative." We're all for input devices being as intuitive as possible, but instead of wasting time trying to innovative, maybe Microsoft should just cave in and adopt a certain technology that's already proving to be pretty popular.
Weird slots on Wii gamepad
A video posted over at You Tube shows the Virtual Console gamepad being flipped around and the back showing several odd slots. The top of the controller also shows a kind of release button, clearly showing that something is destined to plug into the back. Many are speculating that it could be some sort of SD card slot. I'd comment myself, but I honestly didn't get to play any Virtual Console titles at E3.What do you guys think?[Via Infendo]
Gamer product marketing gone bad
Look very, very carefully at this marketing shot of AK Designs' AK Rocker 100 gamer chair. See anything that tickles your gaming funny bone?
Rumor: Nintendo holding back more controllers
According to Dagbladet, Nintendo was hiding controllers from us all along! In addition to the zapper, Virtual Console gamepad, and different colored Wiimotes, Nintendo was showing replica Genesis, N64, SNES, TG16, and NES controllers that were compatible with the Wii behind closed doors during E3. This is a rumor at the moment, but honestly sounds like a good idea, that is if they have some sort of adapter available for the original controllers for these systems and don't make it mandatory for the consumer to purchase a new retro controller to be used for each system.What say you fine readers?[Via Gamers Reports]
E3 Vox Populi: Will lack of rumble hurt the PS3? [update 1]
Yesterday, we asked a few people on the show to give their reaction to the following question: "Will the lack of rumble in the Dual Shake hurt the PlayStation 3?" Here are some reactions we got:David Edery: Game TycoonIt's certainly a shame to lose something where rumble matters in the design context. Rumble has always felt like icing to me; it's not crucial. Not having the motion sensing at all, that's a huge problem. I'd be much more worried about Microsoft, frankly. Rumble has never mattered to me that much. I think it'll hurt them, but I don't know how much. I don't think it's a huge deal. People want to move, though. Not having [motion sensing] when others do have it, will be a huge disadvantage.Jessie: GamerSurvival"It'll hurt; I've heard a lot of people upset [over the decision]."David Reid: VP Marketing for GameTapI've never thought of it as a big deal. That's me personally. There was a time when i was deep in the weeds at Xbox when we were like, "do we pay for one motor or two motors?" I think the bigger story is a $499 box that doesn't have HDMI, doesn't have Wi-Fi, doesn't have a memory unit. I think lack of rumble is the least of their problems. Those are really smart guys, they've got a really great business, I'm sure they know what they're doing but it really struck me as odd.Delila: OnTheXbox.com"[The rumble] adds to the experience, feeling the explosions for example. It's gonna hurt them."Roman: Industry Analyst [Lack of rumble] is not the main thing that's going to hurt them. To me they're the loser of the show. I'm very concerned actually. Rumble is marginal compared to other issues.Cesar: Gamerscore"Not as much as the price."See also:E3 Vox Populi: What are your thoughts on the PS3 prices?E3 Vox Populi: Who had the best press conference?[Update 1: fixed horrible, horrible typos. Please forgive us!]
Use 360 wireless peripherals with a PC
Elsewhere in that Word doc hosted on Xbox.com that listed all the upcoming accessories, was the (as yet still unannounced) Xbox 360 Wireless Gaming Receiver for Windows. What is the Xbox 360 Wireless Gaming Receiver for Windows? From the doc:"Gamers can get the most out of current and future Xbox 360 wireless accessories with the new Wireless Gaming Receiver for Windows. By plugging the compact receiver into a USB 2.0 port on the PC, the Xbox 360 Wireless Controller, Xbox 360 Wireless Headset and Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel can be used on a second platform (ERP TBA)."That means you won't need to get the (now increasingly marginalized) wired 360 controller if you want to use it with your PC. Question is, how long before the Xbox 360 Wireless Gaming Receiver for Windows gets support for other operating systems? See also:360's Mem Unit getting a bump to 256MB?Read - Xbox.com's Xbox 360 Accessories (.doc)
WoW Insider QuickTake: Nostromo n52
The Nostromo n52 Speedpad was listed by several readers as an essential WoW tool, so we're putting it to the test. I'll be using the n52 for the next week's play, and will return with an updated take on the peripheral; here's a quick first look at it. For some reason the n52 Speedpad seems popular with rogues; to get a feel for its functionality, in the first day of play I've tested it with a druid performing every role from tanking to group healer as well as soloing.Setting up the n52 was easy, although substantial changes were made to its default WASD-style setup. With fifteen buttons as well as a directional pad, scroll wheel and orange thumb button, the most obvious mapping seemed to be to assign the numbers 0-9 to buttons 1-10, with the other keys reserved for shift, information panes such as map and bags, and jump.By spending some time tinkering with both the n52 Profile Editor and WoW's keybindings, the pad was ready to prove its worth in real combat.
Professional LEGO artist's 360 controller
"Nathan Sawaya is a professional LEGO artist and former LEGO Master Model Builder with a gifted skill set that he’s been honing since the age of five."The dude builds stuff out of LEGOs; apparently, for a living. While we're trying to wrap our heads around how it's possible to make a living off of LEGOs, and cursing our college educations, check out his next-gen game controllers. The Xbox 360 controller is 15"x10"x5" and the PS3 controller is ... well, it's a boomerang. Where's the Revolution love? I guess there's not enough challenge in building a rectangular wand to interest a LEGO Master.[Via Joystiq]
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]
No WoW for 360, But 360 for WoW...
Sort of, anyway. In a case of putting the cart before the horse, a modder has recently developed a UI mod & router application that allows users to play WoW using their XBox 360 game controller....just in case your keyboard wasn't difficult enough to use.Ok, it's a neat little trick, but how in god's name can you possibly play WoW with a gamepad? You still have to use the keyboard to type, right? Won't it be a lot more unwieldy having a gamepad in your other hand than a mouse? Then again, I don't really see how people play games with those things anyway...give me that old Nintendo joypad any day.
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]
Horipad EX Turbo controller EXists
We can't tell much from the Japanese product page, but we can EXtract the basics. The Horipad EX Turbo (built by Hori, natch) features three different turbo settings for the four face buttons, it's "officially lisensed [sic] for Xbox 360" and it will EXcel the EXcellent EXperience with EXcitement. Oh, and it's going for about $30 US.The inclusion of features like turbo switches always makes me roll my eyes. They seem anachronistic, a holdover from third-party controllers in the NES days. What is turbo going to do for a player in Halo? It doesn't have rubber grips though, so that's a gold star for Mad Catz. I'll stick with the $11 $50 wireless version.See also:Insert DoA4 big stick joke here; arcade stick reviewed3rd party controllers struggle to distinguish themselves[Via del.icio.us]
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]
