microphone
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Rumor: Xbox 360's 'Lips' microphone, box art leaked
No sooner does Variety all-but-confirm that Microsoft's somewhat mysterious Lips karaoke project will be shown at E3 then Gamekyo gets their hands on some apparent promotional shots of the game's wireless microphones (above) and box art. No screenshots of the gameplay yet, but the photo dump does include two pictures of people standing around with microphones near their mouths (you know, in case you were wondering what karaoke looked like).Actually, these singing shots do show one interesting feature: the "lights on the shaft of the microphone that pulse to the rhythm of your voice," that were hinted at in last month's leaked Intellivoice Intellisponse survey. According to the pictures, this feature takes the form of two rings of light near the base and tip of the microphone, bathing the singers' hands in an ethereal blue or red glow. We'll let you know if the feature comes off as trippy or tacky when we inevitably get some hands-on time with the game next week.[Update: Corrected the name of the Intellisponse survey. Not to be confused with Intellivoice. Whoops!]
Otokinoko Binaural Mic creeps us out in stereo
Look, we get what they're trying to do here. The two "ears" are meant to capture sound in stereo in the same way a human does, therefore producing a better sound picture in playback. The only problem is that your subject, be they human, inanimate or a strange hybrid, is going to be so busy being freaked out by this set of blue ears that they'll forget to make any sort of "natural sounding" noise. Oh, and there's the little problem of the price: the Binaural Recording Mic from Otokinoko retails for $3,900 -- quite a bit to spend on a blue gimmick. We want.
Retrospective: Nintendo's past peripherals
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/nintendo/Peripherals_that_paved_the_way_for_the_Wii_Fit_Balance_Board'; With Wii Fit (and, thus, the Balance Board) hitting stores recently, we figured a nostalgic stroll down memory lane would be nice. So, what we've done is compiled a list of all the peripherals that helped pave the way for the Balance Board, Nintendo's latest peripheral. So, let's not waste any time and get down to business. To start your journey, just click on the red text in the bottom right-hand corner there.
DS Daily: Too much mic
During last week's DS Daily, which asked about games with bad stylus controls, one of our readers gave us an idea: what about games with unnecessary or gratuitous microphone usage? We're all tired of blowing into the mic (or worse -- shouting into it) for no good reason, but which DS titles are the worst offenders?On the other side of the spectrum, and there any games that you think incorporate the mic well?
Microsoft: Online behavior reducing sales
So dear reader, when was the last time you were on Live? Now, when was the last time you were on Live and did not encounter some form of asshat? However long ago it was, it was definitely too recent, and word is starting to really get around. In an article at Gamasutra, Fulton, a Microsoft employee who worked on Shadowrun, writes that: "the online behavior of our customers is dramatically reducing our sales." And that's just the beginning of an excellent four page article on social design and the future of online gaming with regard to social interaction. The assertion that Live is generally filled with annoying idiots has been widely held among the more hardcore gaming community since the inception of the service, but this is the first that we've ever heard anything out of Microsoft about it affecting them in any manner. In the article Fulton posits that we know and love games so we're willing to work around it or put up with it, but for newcomers to the medium, the fun/annoyance ratio could just be too high. Readers, what do you think?
DS headset comfortably priced at Amazon
We always liked the headset Nintendo manufactured for the DS. In fact, if we weren't obligated to give the thing away, we would've been content on lying about its existence forever and holding on to the darn thing. But, then again, we'd probably lose this sweet gig we've got going now.Anyhow, you all should know the peripheral has dropped in price on Amazon, only requiring the small sum of $7.34 of your Earth monies. That's pretty low, if you ask us, and a must-buy for anyone who enjoys playing Metroid Prime Hunters or Pokemon Diamond & Pearl on the regular. And, in checking out the price at other outlets like Buy.com and Wal-Mart, we found the headset was priced much higher (around $15 and $20, respectively).[Via Go Nintendo]
DS Daily: Franchise reboot
We were looking over the reviews that have come in so far for Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword and we were thinking about how that franchise rebooted itself on the DS. Now, it didn't really need a reboot, nor is it 100% a reboot in the normal way we think of reboots, but it did take an established franchise and retool it for another platform. Now, whether it was a good retooling or a bad retooling remains to be seen.But, we were wondering what other established franchises could use a reboot in this manner? What about a Crazy Taxi game on the DS that has you controlling an interactive steering wheel on the touch-screen or only turning with the shoulder buttons? What about a Sims game that allows you to control them only by barking commands through the microphone? How about a Space Channel 5 game redone with Ouendan controls? What can you come up with?
DS Daily: Our good pal, the mic
One of the features the DS has that we feel gets underused most is the microphone. It's always getting left behind by the school bus, receiving countless wedgies in the hall from more popular features of the hardware and also getting its milk money took. It's a hard-knock life for the DS's microphone, if you ask us.Do you feel the same as we do? Could you care less about the microphone on the DS? Do you think it should only be utilized in Ace Attorney games?
Guitar Hero: Aerosmith may include drumming and 'singing' [update]
What's this? A possible redeeming factor for Guitar Hero: Aerosmith? No, not the Run DMC version of "Walk This Way," but even better almost as good. According to Best Buy's product description, the game allows you to "drum like Joey Kramer, wield an axe like Joe Perry and Brad Whitford, bring up the bottom like bassman Tom Hamilton and belt out vocals like the legendary Steven Tyler." And how does Steven Tyler sing? In shrill nonsense syllables! But also into a microphone! If this listing is accurate, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith will support drum and microphone peripherals. Given that Activision and Harmonix are fighting about interoperability between their instruments, this points to new peripherals. That means that pretty soon the Wii, too, will be flooded with competing drum controllers![Update: the RedOctane press release for the game says that you'll play "alongside frontman Tyler and drummer Kramer." So maybe not ...][Via Joystiq]
Rumor: Guitar Hero: Aerosmith to use drum and mic peripherals
While you might think a game titled Guitar Hero: Aerosmith would have you playing, you know, guitars, a Best Buy advertisement for the latest mistake chapter in the rhythm game franchise claims you'll be able to play as all of the "famous rock legends" in "America's greatest rock and roll band" -- including the drummer, Joey Kramer, and band's own lady-lookin'-dude, Steven Tyler, using a drum peripheral and microphone peripheral (complete with flamboyantly colored scarf, we assume).If true, we wonder if Activision would release their own controllers for the game, or count on backwards compatibility with the Rock Band peripherals (fat chance, considering the near feud between Harmonix and Activision over Rock Band's guitar compatibility issues). Not that it matters to us -- the only devices we'd use to interact with a rhythm game featuring songs by Aerosmith are a clay pigeon launcher and our trusty pump-action shotgun.[Thanks, Waffle Slayer.]
Retail Rock Band mic not actually Wii-compatible
Wii Rock Band continues to surround itself and everything around it with an air of irresistible mystery, even after confirmation of its release. Last week, we received an early clue to the game's existence from the packaging for a cross-platform Rock Band microphone-- or so we thought. Turns out, the microphone isn't actually Wii-compatible, and the mention of Wii on the case was an error. In other words, it was just a coincidence that a Rock Band microphone was marked as working with the Wii a week before we officially heard about the game. Now, on to the next mystery: why the hell do only certain USB microphones work with the Wii? They're USB microphones.
Wii coming to Rock Band, Rock Band Premium Microphone not coming to Wii
We're chalking this up to mixed PR signals, but a spokesperson for PDP -- makers of that Rock Band Premium Microphone we caught the other day sporting a Wii logo -- just let us know it was an accident, and that the mic isn't compatible with the Wii after all. Of course, the only reason we cared is that the logo signaled the arrival of Rock Band on the Wii -- which we now know is happening anyway -- so the only people disappointed here should be those of you who wanted to experience Wii Rock Band with "premium" third-party accessories. So... too bad for three of you. We regret your loss. Now if you'll excuse us, we have to get back to mastering the drums on "Tom Sawyer."
Standalone Rock Band mic not compatible with Wii; company regrets error
We've been informed that the mention of Wii compatibility on the packaging for the standalone Rock Band microphone was an error. A spokesperson from manufacturer PDP contacted Joystiq to say, "Our packaging mistakenly states that the microphone is compatible with the Wii. Unfortunately, this is not the case and will be corrected in future versions of the packaging. We apologize for the confusion."The statement's timing seems odd following yesterday's confirmation that Rock Band is coming to the Wii. It seems there's some issue with this specific microphone, meaning it should not be compatible with Boogie or High School Musical either, both of which use microphones plugged into the Wii's USB ports.
Does the new Rock Band mic hint at a Wii game?
It could, if you're optimistic enough! This "premium" (read: $50) Rock Band microphone peripheral's packaging says that it works on the Xbox 360, the Wii, and the PlayStation 3. Of course, there is currently no version of Rock Band for the Wii, nor has there been an announcement. Score Hero forum member Rocker74 picked up one of the mics and took the picture seen above. You can just see the word "Wii" if you kinda squint.Did the packaging design for an accessory leak an unannounced game? Probably not. Our guess is that this USB microphone is compatible with the existing Wii singing games, which means High School Musical, American Idol, and EA's own Boogie. We would, of course, love to be wrong. We'd rather have the full Rock Band experience instead of just the expensive peripherals.[Via Engadget]
Rock Band microphone in the wild for $50, Wii [update]
This bit of info is flying pretty close under the radar, but apparently the Rock Band standalone microphones are sporadically out in the wild. The picture above comes from a tipster at a Best Buy in Cuyahoga Falls, OH, who tells us the microphone is being sold for $50. We knew the standalone guitar is coming in April and the drum kit gets a beat on retail next month, but the microphone was conspicuously missing from that announcement.If $50 for the "official" mic seems a bit much, just remember that a standard USB mic should be compatible. Still no "official" announcement on this microphone that has apparently gone ninja into retail.Update: The packaging claims the mic is compatible with PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and ... Wii! Rock Band for Wii?! Not so fast, this could just be a standard USB microphone for use with games like – *shudder* – Boogie.[Via Engadget, Thanks Arcaynn]
Official Rock Band premium microphone turns up, still can't save embarrassment
This one sure hasn't generated much, if any, fanfare, but it looks like those that take their Rock Band wailing (a little too) seriously can now get their hands on a new and improved (and official) microphone. According to the appropriately-named Rocker74 of the ScoreHero forums, you'll have to drop a hefty $50 to your hands on it, but for that you'll apparently get a microphone that is heavier and "definitely" higher quality than the standard issue mic. There still doesn't seem to be any official word on the microphone, however, so availability might be hit and miss for a while yet.[Thanks, John P]Update: As some of you have pointed out, it appears that the microphone's packaging says its for PlayStation 3, Wii, and Xbox 360, which would certainly be an interesting development, given that we still haven't heard anything official about Rock Band for the Wii. More on that as we get it. [Thanks, garfep]
Minae Matsukawa: Ace Producer blogs
Minae Matsukawa, Ace Attorney series producer, has started a developer blog on the official Ace Attorney website. In the first entry, she discusses the early planning of the U.S. version (and therefore the DS port in general) of the first game, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. According to Matsukawa, the idea to yell into the microphone came from American Capcom staffers who thought it was an obvious must-have. "'So, do we get to do some yelling?' an American staff member asked me. 'E-excuse me?'"The Japanese staff weren't keen on the idea of adding a bunch of unnecessary features, but creator/writer Shu Takumi recognized the importance of making the American audience happy. The rest, as they say, is an optional feature in a video game.Speaking of American Ace Attorney staff, the post mentions an interesting bit of trivia that we've been looking for an excuse to share. Ben Judd, who was part of the localization team, provided the American voice of Phoenix Wright. He's now the producer on the new Bionic Commando games.
Is this the PSP Skype microphone / interface?
Given that we just learned that Skype for PSP would actually be coming to fruition, it follows logic that a dedicated microphone would surface. This one, however, is quite curious -- we're seeing a device that appears to be the microphone created for the PSP's use with Skype on a respectable Japanese website, but weirdly enough, there's a "Copyright 2005" splash in the bottom left corner. Additionally, Famitsu has a couple of shots of the purported interface, and while all of this is perfectly murky right now, head on over to the read link and see what you can make of it.[Via JGadgets, thanks J]
Mad Catz to make Rock Band instruments
With the absolute flood of third-party guitars for the Guitar Hero series, it's not that surprising that accessory-makers are jumping on the Rock Band-wagon, too. Well, at least one is. Mad Catz today announced a "multi-year licensing agreement" with MTV Games to produce "both wired and wireless bass guitars, a drum percussion set bundled with professional quality wooden drum sticks, and a wired microphone."While having extra options for drum kits and microphones is nice, the addition of officially licensed, wireless, third-party guitars will be welcome news to PS3 owners tired of not being able to use their Guitar Hero III guitars with Rock Band and Xbox 360 owners tired of tripping over wires -- not to mention general Rock Band owners tired of replacing their broken bundled guitars. The instruments will be available in the "first half of 2008," according to the release.While the release specifically addresses Rock Band instruments, it also leaves the door open for other applicable "game accessories." We personally can't wait for the inevitable pyrotechnics launcher that goes off every time you nail a tough solo. Just, er, be careful with it, OK?
iPod touch gets microphone for VoIP via modded dongle
Now that the startling mystery of VoIP has been cracked wide open on the iPod touch, it was only a matter of time before other, related mysteries were broken apart and inspected. One such case involves the process of getting the sound of your voice into the formerly-audio-out-only device, which must be accomplished via the use of some type of audio-in microphone dongle, which now -- thanks to one clever man -- has been hacked for VoIP-on-touch purposes. Using the hideous, yet cheap, Macally iVoiceIII audio recorder add-on for 5G iPods, and the simple soldering of a jumper to the board, you can be chatting away like a madman (provided you've got some WiFi) on your touch. Check the read link for the simple steps, and get ready to stick it to the man (his name is Mr. Steve Jobs, by the way) once again.
