MARSHAL is set to launch their latest USB 3.0 portable SSD enclosure, the MAL-4625SBKU3. This aluminum enclosure has a USB 3.0 connection interface, an LED indicator and can house a single 2.5-inch SATA3.0 (6Gbps) HDD/SSD. The MAL-4625SBKU3 will become available from late September for 2,780 Yen (about $36). [Product Page]
Today, as many of you already know, the Wii U finally received pricing information and a release date. Along with those rather important details, we were also treated to a list of specs for the console. Everything seems to be solid, but there’s one thing leaving consumers scratching their heads: storage, or lack thereof.
The Wii U comes in two different packages. The Basic package offers 8GB of internal storage, while the Deluxe Set comes packing 32GB under the hood. Both of those numbers seem a little on the small side given the gaming industry’s current shift toward digital content. In an investor call today after the big event, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime said that the Wii U will actually feature expandable storage through USB, saying that should the need arise, you’ll be able to increase your Wii U’s storage to your heart’s content.
“You can plug in a full-on three terabyte hard drive if you want. I’ll love you as a digital consumer,” Fils-Aime said. “The reason we did it that way is that the cost of that type of storage memory is plummeting. What we didn’t want to do is tie a profit model to something that’s gonna rapidly decline over time. We’ll let the consumer buy as much as they want, as cheaply as they want.” This isn’t the first time we’ve seen a console that lets users expand memory on their own – the PS3, for instance, is compatible with any 2.5-inch SATA 5400rpm hard drive, and the Wii came with support for SD cards.
Fils-Aime also revealed that the Wii U doesn’t come with any TiVo or DVR hardware installed, meaning that if you want to take advantage of those features, you’ll need to have existing hardware on hand. That’s a bummer, but not entirely unexpected, given the price of the Wii U. That price will likely attract quite a bit of attention this holiday season, so maybe Nintendo is well on the way to repeating the success of the original Wii. We shall see soon enough.
[via Engadget]
Nintendo Wii U will feature expandable memory is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
If you’re a gaming fan, you had quite a nostalgic moment on Monday: it was the 20th anniversary of what might just be the greatest racing game ever made: Super Mario Kart.
For those in the dark (or too young to remember the game), Super Mario Kart launched in 1992 on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and is the first in the go-kart racing series. It featured all of today’s Nintendo favorites, including Mario and Donkey Kong, and kept gamers engaged for hours at a time.
I can still remember breaking Super Mario Kart out of the box and playing the game for the first time. At the time, it was state of the art. And after playing it for minutes, I knew that it was special. I was rounding corners with ease, picking up items, and enjoying it with friends. It was the very best option out there for what I needed at that time.
Super Mario Kart became the inspiration for many games over the years. In just a few short months, other developers were lining up titles that would, in one way or another, try to compete with Nintendo’s.
But as we all know, none of those games, including Sega’s Sonic Drift or later titles, like South Park Rally, could match up. Super Mario Kart delivered the right mix of fun and excitement, and its graphics and control for the time were unmatched.
As time went on, the Mario Kart series became a huge revenue-getter for Nintendo. The franchise made its way to the Nintendo 64 and GameCube, and had a strong showing on the Nintendo Wii. Simply put, the franchise is an icon in the gaming industry. And most gamers will readily acknowledge the indelible mark it has left on the gaming business.
“It takes a special game to elicit strong emotions 20 years after its launch”
It takes a special video game to elicit strong emotions 20 years after its launch. And I can honestly say that out of the thousands of video games I’ve played over the years, few have been able to leave such a mark on my life the way Super Mario Kart did.
You see, the game wasn’t the best looking I’ve every played nor did it come with the best story. What Super Mario Kart did was help friends bond. Everyone I knew wanted to come over the house and play Super Mario Kart. And when I headed over to a friend’s house, it was the first game we popped in for years.
How many games can you find in your history that did the same? Surely the first time you played a Mario game, you were entranced, and chances are, the original Halo impressed you to no end. But how many more games have delivered such an impact? Moreover, how many more games have delivered that impact for 20 years?
Call me crazy, but Super Mario Kart is one of those games that, when pressed for something to play, I’d still consider booting up.
So, happy birthday, Super Mario Kart. You’ve officially entered the pantheon of old-time gaming greats. And in my book, you’re still in the top ten.
Remembering the Late, Great Super Mario Kart is written by Don Reisinger & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Buffalo hits back with their new 3-port USB 2.0 hub + card reader, the BSCRH02U2. Coming in black and white color options, this plug and play device is equipped with 3 USB 2.0 ports (can be connected in either direction up or down) and provides three card slots corresponding to microSD, miniSD, SD, Memory Stick Micro and Memory Stick Duo. The BSCRH02U2 will start shipping from late September for 1,690 Yen (about $22). [Buffalo]
If you’ve never seen Caine’s Arcade yet, go watch it right now. It’s about an awesome little boy named Caine who made a cardboard arcade himself. The video went viral and his arcade bursted with lines. If you were wondering what Caine’s been up to since then, check out the video above. The sequel. Caine’s Arcade 2. [Caine’s Arcade] More »
The Storm Graphica-A is Storm System Technology’s latest desktop PC for the mass market that sports a 2.40GHz AMD Opteron 3280 (8-core) processor, an AMD 970 + SB950 chipset, an AMD FirePro V4900 1GB graphics card, an 8GB DDR3 RAM, a 1TB hard drive, a DVD Super Multi Drive, a 500W 80PLUS BRONZE power supply and runs on Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit OS. The Storm Graphica-A is priced at 84,840 Yen (about $1,090). [Product Page]
Nintendo’s Wii U gamepad may be the star of the Wii U show, but it won’t be available as a standalone at launch. It will, however, be available when games that function with more than one WiiPad become available, according to Nintendo America CEO and prez Reggie Fils-Aime. “Through the launch window, there are no games that leverage a second controller. And so, during the launch window here in NOA [Nintendo of America] territories, we will not be selling at retail a second gamepad,” he told investors during a Q&A this afternoon. “But certainly, when the games come out, we’ll be making that accessory available,” he added. As for when games will take advantage of a second WiiPad is another question altogether, and one that Nintendo isn’t willing to answer just yet.
Initially, the Wii U only supported one WiiPad per game, with additional control handled via the Pro controller or Wii remotes. Nintendo changed its tune, though, following public outcry for multiple WiiPad support.
Filed under: Gaming
Nintendo Wii U gamepad not for sale separately in US until games support multiple controllers originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Sep 2012 21:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Sony will release the HMZ-T2 personal 3D viewer in the Japanese market on October 13th, 2012. Weighing at just 330 grams, the HMZ-T2 provides a stereoscopic 3D effect from dual OLED displays, a 24p True Cinema mode, and automatic color temperature adjustment to minimize eye fatigue. The Sony HMZ-T2 personal 3D viewer is priced at 70,000 Yen ($900). [Sony Japan]
Sometimes you find yourself in an awful relationship with no way out. Your friends tell you need to quit the situation, but you just can’t. Something about it still feels good. In those times, Bill Withers’ words just sound so right. I wanna spread the news/if it feels this good getting used/just keep on using me until you use me up. Wrong in so many ways, yet somehow so very right. More »
Welcome to Thursday evening folks – just one day left to go before the weekend is here once again. Today we were finally given some actual details about the Wii U, and it’s safe to say that anticipation is quite a bit higher now that we know it’s release date and pricing. Nintendo started off early with pricing and release information for Japan, and later on in the day, gave us pricing and release date details for the US and European releases. We were also given a list of “launch window” titles for the Wii U, and we have to say – it looks pretty impressive.
We also found out that Bayonetta 2 will be a Wii U exclusive, as strange as that may seem, and Activision gave us some in-depth details about Black Ops II on Wii U. Nintendo gave us a glimpse at its own take on smart TV with Wii TVii, and this new feature has us intrigued, to say the least. We got word today that Apple’s new Lightning adapters aren’t going to work with some accessories, and the iPhone 5 event video was released as well, meaning you can watch the reveal of the new iPhone, along with the various iPod refreshes that were announced yesterday.
Apple has won a pretty big patent battle against Motorola in Germany, and today eBay revealed that it will soon have a new logo, ditching the old one after 17 years. Microsoft told us what it’s doing to fight the spread of the Nitol Botnet earlier today, and we’re hearing that Google threatened to cut Acer out of the Android party at one point in time. Samsung revealed its new Galaxy Victory 4G LTE earlier today, and we were treated to a list of availability by region for the iPhone 5 and iOS 6. Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak shared his hopes for the iPhone 5 and told us what he thinks of the Apple-Samsung verdict, and that is definitely something you don’t want to miss.
Google showed off the first demo that was shot entirely shot with Glass today, and it seems that the trial run of Isis has been delayed to later date and won’t be happening later this month. NVIDIA has introduced two new Kepler GPUs, and Shuttle Computer Handels has introduced its brand new OMNINAS KD20 2-bay NAS. Finally tonight, NASA has talked about plans to have a manned colony on the surface of the moon, which we have to admit has us pretty excited.
That’s all for tonight’s Evening Wrap-Up! Enjoy the rest of your Thursday night everyone!
SlashGear Evening Wrap-Up: September 13, 2012 is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
