VisualBoyAdvance turns your Palm Pre into a Game Boy emulator

A certain UK bank operates a delightfully dorky advertising campaign whose slogan is “we give you extra.” Well, in the case of mobile software communities, that’s exactly the case. From jailbroken iPhones to PS One-emulating HD2s to multitouch-enabled browsing on the Nexus One, the one group of people we know we can truly rely on are other geeks. So let’s salute those heroes once more, in recognition of the VisualBoyAdvance — a webOS-based emulator for Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance games. The former two categories are said to play smooth as you like, whereas the Advance stuff suffers from slight slowdown at present. We’ve only seen it playing on a Pre, but there should be no reason why your Pixi wouldn’t be allowed in on this party. A quick video demo awaits after the break, and the source link has all the installation details you’ll need.

Continue reading VisualBoyAdvance turns your Palm Pre into a Game Boy emulator

VisualBoyAdvance turns your Palm Pre into a Game Boy emulator originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 30 Jan 2010 16:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nintendo said Ninten-no to Project Natal in 2007?

Great balls of console wars fire! A top-level Nintendo insider has revealed that the motion-controlled gaming setup we now know as Project Natal was offered to the Japanese company way back in 2007 and promptly turned down because it was considered too expensive. We’re told this decision came from supremo Satoru Iwata himself, who was worried about latency and the purported inability to sell it at “mass-market prices.” This implies, of course, that 3DV Systems was fully responsible for Natal — which Microsoft staunchly denies — but CVG seems to consider its informant’s words to be beyond suspicion. All we know for sure is that the stuff’s coming, and awkwardness at house parties is about to reach a whole new level.

Nintendo said Ninten-no to Project Natal in 2007? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 Jan 2010 07:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hexagonal interactive OLED gaming tiles likely to cost a bundle, would sure spice up our Wednesday nights

We’ve seen plenty of ways for board games to be revitalized with large touchscreens, but a new concept from the Human Media Lab at Queen’s University in Ontario puts the screens and interactivity onto the gaming pieces themselves. The idea would be to use slim, networked touchscreen hexagonal tiles with edge-to-edge OLED displays. The proximity of the tiles to one another, along with gestures performed with the tiles, provides the interactivity, and the occasional branching touchscreen menu selection keeps play humming. Unfortunately, that enabling tech isn’t all there yet (at least in university-affordable forms), but the video demo after the break is pretty convincing in its presentation of these ideas in a top-down-projection simulation. Certainly promising, but we’re sure not expecting to see this sort of gaming priced within reach of your average Sorry! board anytime soon.

Continue reading Hexagonal interactive OLED gaming tiles likely to cost a bundle, would sure spice up our Wednesday nights

Hexagonal interactive OLED gaming tiles likely to cost a bundle, would sure spice up our Wednesday nights originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Jan 2010 21:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Study shows that better gamers have bigger brains, are better learners too

While we can’t say for sure that videogames, as your grandmother insists, do indeed rot your brain, thanks to research conducted at a variety of Universities around the States we know that better gamers tend to have more gray matter than others — at least in certain areas. Kirk Erickson, Ann Graybiel, Arthur Kramer, and Walter Boot worked together to form a study in which 39 participants’ brains were scanned before those subjects were asked to play a game called Space Fortress (which looks a little like an Atari-era Geometry Wars). Players with larger nucleus accumbens did better learning the game early on, while those with larger caudate nucleus and putamen did better at playing with distractions. There was no sign that playing games actually increased the size of those areas of the brains, meaning some people are just born with a Power Glove on — and that it’s only a matter of time before MRIs replace aptitude tests.

Study shows that better gamers have bigger brains, are better learners too originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 Jan 2010 07:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wii Balance Board: decent for measuring equilibrium, medical study says

This one’s pretty cute (or evidence of a completely uncreative healthcare industry). Researchers at the University of Melbourne and Singapore General Hospital’s Department of Physiotherapy have run a battery of tests on the Wii’s Balance Board, and found it to be somewhat useful in testing patient’s balance and equilibrium, medically speaking. Current medical equipment used to test these skills is very expensive, heavy, and in short supply. The Balance Board, on the other hand, runs about $99. The Wii accessory was tested on 30 patients, and found to be about as good as the expensive force platforms usually used by doctors… which is great news for Nintendo — this product has seemingly endless real-life applications — but rather embarrassing for the makers of medical equipment, no? Hit the source link for a fuller look at the story.

Wii Balance Board: decent for measuring equilibrium, medical study says originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 19 Jan 2010 19:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rock Band Network beta opening to Xbox 360 users, garage bands see ‘their chance’

Ever had the urge to crank out some nasty riffs in the kitchen, record them, and then watch as millions of Xbox 360 owners rush to download your jam(s)? Don’t lie. In a move that marks the next logical step of the Rock Band journey, Harmonix has confirmed that an open beta registration of the Rock Band Network will open up later today for Xbox 360 users, enabling amateur (or professional… or novice!) musicians to record, convert and upload tracks to a network where gamers can judge how awesome / not awesome any given song is. Reportedly, those seen as “good enough” will be made available for sale (you can price each tune from $1 to $3), though we’re hearing that the actual conversion process isn’t a lesson in simplicity. In fact, some outfits are offering their services to take recordings from .wav files to ones that the game can understand, but with rates of $500 per minute (of music), we’re guessing that only serious artists will apply. And if you’ve ever heard “that local band” willing to play shows for free, you’ll agree with us when we say that this barrier to entry is probably a good thing.

Rock Band Network beta opening to Xbox 360 users, garage bands see ‘their chance’ originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 19 Jan 2010 13:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Project Natal to focus on custom-made ‘experiences,’ will tolerate conventional games too

Microsoft’s Aaron Greenberg has opened up to our buddies over at Joystiq about the future direction of Projection Natal, and the big takeaway from their chat is that Redmond intends to use the new hardware primarily for “brand new experiences” designed specifically for it. Essentially, this means the majority of Natal-enabled games will be Wii-like in their focus and promotion of motion as the control scheme, but before you dive into a vortex of panic, there were also reassurances that “developers will have that out there at their fingertips if they want to enable those features.” We now know that 10 to 15 percent of the Xbox 360’s processing power will be sucked down by Natal, which may or may not be a reason for this shift away from what was expected — layering Natal on top of games as an alternative control scheme — to this shpiel about “unique” experiences. Either way, so long as we get to play Burnout on this thing, we could care less what others do with it.

Project Natal to focus on custom-made ‘experiences,’ will tolerate conventional games too originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 10 Jan 2010 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You Rock Guitar spotted at CES, we shred on video

Surely you remember the You Rock Guitar from earlier this week. How could you forget, right? Well here on the CES show floor, we had the opportunity to rock out (gently, of course) with the lightweight, multitouch Guitar Hero / Rock Band controller — which just so happens to be platform agnostic. It’s got a plethora of settings and buttons, but it can actually double as a semi-legitimate guitar when plugged into an amp. For a music game peripheral, it’s about as real as it gets, though it’s hard to say if you’re better off dropping 180 bones on this instead of a standard controller and a swanky new Squier. Don’t take our word for it, though — jump on past the break and mash play.

Continue reading You Rock Guitar spotted at CES, we shred on video

You Rock Guitar spotted at CES, we shred on video originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Jan 2010 19:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Engine Software develops DSi motion control technique, demos it on video

Continue reading Engine Software develops DSi motion control technique, demos it on video

Engine Software develops DSi motion control technique, demos it on video originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Jan 2010 03:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mad Catz Cyborg Rat hands-on: true customizable mouse madness

We’ve seen plenty of gaming mice with adjustable DPI and swappable weights, but the new Cyborg Rat lineup from Mad Catz is truly stunning. The mouse is adjustable in almost every dimension and angle, thanks to certain sliding aspects, some hex key-adjustable mechanisms and buttons galore (including a very useful aiming button for slowing down the cursor in those heated sniper moments). The real winner is the Rat 9, which is wireless and has a nifty little “home base” that continuously charges a hot-swappable replacement AA battery and keeps some extra weights warm as well, though with a $130 pricetag it’s not for the faint of heart.

Mad Catz Cyborg Rat hands-on: true customizable mouse madness originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 07 Jan 2010 22:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Immerz KOR-fx ‘acousto-haptic’ gaming tech gets a ship date

Continue reading Immerz KOR-fx ‘acousto-haptic’ gaming tech gets a ship date

Immerz KOR-fx ‘acousto-haptic’ gaming tech gets a ship date originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 Jan 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Windows Mobile and Xbox Live coming together, according to Microsoft job ad

The hints were already pretty strong on this one, but now Microsoft has come right out and said it, albeit in a job posting — the Xbox Live gaming platform is extending beyond the console and specifically onto WinMo phones. Seeking a Principal Program Manager who would be responsible for bringing “Xbox Live enabled games to Windows Mobile,” Redmond is particularly interested in “avatar integration, social interaction, and multi-screen experiences.” That leaves an awful lot of room for imagination as to how the two modes of gaming will complement each other, but at least we now (sort of) know that it’s going to happen.

[Thanks, Jessy]

Windows Mobile and Xbox Live coming together, according to Microsoft job ad originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Dec 2009 04:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Console scuttlebutt: multi-core CPU for next-gen PlayStation, Intel inside future Wii

We’re but three years removed from the US introduction of both Nintendo’s Wii and Sony’s PlayStation 3, and already the rumors are running rampant about the future iterations of both consoles. Two separate reports from Japan’s Impress touch on both units, with speculation and insider information on the former suggesting that Intel could be in talks with the Big N about powering the second Wii. Hard details are obviously tough to come by, but word has it that the two are mulling a GPU / CPU combo similar to the Larrabee; granted, we’d prefer something a touch more potent in the Wii 2, but we wouldn’t be shocked if Nintendo chooses the less powerful path yet again. In related news, it seems as if Sony could be looking for an alternative to its Cell CPU in the PlayStation 4, an alternative that involves some sort of “multi-core CPU.” Potentially more interesting is the notion that Sony’s next-gen handheld could be out before said console, which is loosely pegged for a 2013 release. We wouldn’t take any of this to heart just yet, but we’re pretty certain we can’t stop the dreamers from going too far.

Console scuttlebutt: multi-core CPU for next-gen PlayStation, Intel inside future Wii originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Dec 2009 07:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PSP-4000 accidentally leaked in print ad over the weekend?

Continue reading PSP-4000 accidentally leaked in print ad over the weekend?

PSP-4000 accidentally leaked in print ad over the weekend? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 Dec 2009 12:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starlight 64 stakes its claim for ‘world’s smallest’ N64 mod

Continue reading Starlight 64 stakes its claim for ‘world’s smallest’ N64 mod

Starlight 64 stakes its claim for ‘world’s smallest’ N64 mod originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Dec 2009 11:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nintendo trademarks ‘Zii’ over in Japan, Creative is like ‘zaywha?’

Here’s an interesting one. Siliconera has dug up what it claims to be a Japanese trademark for the term “Zii,” and contrary to what you may expect, the application wasn’t filed by Creative. We double checked the database, and sure enough, the paperwork went through on October 30th — which almost certainly means that this was more than just some day-late attempt to fend off the next-generation of KIRF Wii consoles. There’s obviously no way to tell what the Big N has in mind here, nor if this will cause any kind of friction between it and Creative, but we’ll certainly be keeping an ear to the ground for more. Who knows — maybe the Zii is that HD Wii we’ve all been clamoring for since November of 2006. Or maybe it’s nothing at all.

Update: We’ve done a bit more digging, and it looks as if this here filing may simply be a renewal of a 2006 trademark request. Moreover, we’ve found Nintendo trademarks in Japan for Cii, Bii, Oii and Yii, so it seems the company may just be on some sort of rampage in order to cover its tracks in one form or another.

Nintendo trademarks ‘Zii’ over in Japan, Creative is like ‘zaywha?’ originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Dec 2009 08:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iHandstick snap-on dresses your iPhone / iPod Touch up as a Playstation controller

The iPod touch (and technically the iPhone as well) may well be “the funnest iPod ever,” but it can also be the most awkward device to hold for prolonged gaming sessions, nor have previous attempts made things any better. The iHandstick might just do the job — while we can’t credit them for originality, this hollow cousin of the Playstation controller may satisfy owners of iPod touch 2G / 3G and iPhone 3G / 3GS. Remember, it should give a similar grip enjoyed by millions of Playstation gamers over the last 15 years. The only doubt left is whether our thumbs can easily reach the virtual buttons on the screen. Wanna give this a shot? $16.99 plus shipping and it’s all yours.

iHandstick snap-on dresses your iPhone / iPod Touch up as a Playstation controller originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 Dec 2009 01:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iBuyPower nabs exclusive rights to sell Thermaltake Level 10 pre-built systems

So, there are two nagging issues surrounding Thermaltake’s awe-inspiring Level 10 enclosure. First, it’s $850 and nearly impossible to find in stock; second, you best know how to piece together a full-blown rig yourself, ’cause you won’t find this beast hanging around at infrequently visited corners of Dell or HP. Somehow or another, however, iBuyPower has managed to swoop in and remedy quandary number two. As of today, it’s the exclusive provider of pre-built systems using this case, with base configurations boasting Intel’s Core i7-920, a 2GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 285, 6GB of DDR3 RAM, a 128GB SSD boot drive, 1TB of storage space and a Blu-ray drive. Feel free to spec this one out ’til your heart’s content, but be mindful of that already-lofty $2,499 starting tag.

iBuyPower nabs exclusive rights to sell Thermaltake Level 10 pre-built systems originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 Dec 2009 20:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony’s PlayStation motion controller patents venture into abstract realms

We’ve seen plenty of PlayStation motion control patents from Sony, some of them surprisingly similar to what we’ve actually observed of the as-yet-unnamed controller. This new one, however, gets a little odd. The basic structure seems familiar, but Sony’s recently-filed patent application deals with add-ons in wild ways that not even the peripheral-happy folks at Nintendo have envisioned. Our favorite is probably the double-ender (Fig. 6B for those of you following along at home), which is probably the most assured recipe for a little brother’s bloody nose to be run by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office since the longstaff was invented. So, does this mean more cash to shell out for a “full” PS3 motion control experience? We can’t imagine Sony being gung-ho about that strategy in the face of the (as yet) add-on free Project Natal, but we suppose we’ll just have to wait and find out.

Sony’s PlayStation motion controller patents venture into abstract realms originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 Dec 2009 18:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HexoLight brings light shows to your videogame concerts

If there’s one thing we’re missing when we’re jamming “Cool for Cats” on Rock Band, it’s a Squeeze-worthy display of lights. That’s all about to change, with the introduction of Rock Gear’s HexoLight LED-lighting system, a flashing display of lights to the beat of your tunes. If transforming your living room (or bedroom, or dorm room) into a place that even Jools Holland would be proud to step into is high on your list of priorities, the HexoLight — which boasts an audio sensor to sync up to the beat and is compatible with nearly any stereo source — is probably something you’re going to want to check out. HexoLight is available today for prices starting at $30. Full press release is after the break.

Continue reading HexoLight brings light shows to your videogame concerts

Filed under: Gaming

HexoLight brings light shows to your videogame concerts originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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