Sony’s 2012 PlayStation torn down, shows its evolved roots (update: another teardown)

Sony 2012 PlayStation torn down to its tiny essentials, shows evolved roots video

We’ve looked intensely at the outside of the redesigned PlayStation 3 ever since it was unveiled in Tokyo last month. Getting a look inside has proven unusually tougher, but French YouTube member K0st3yr has volunteered to do what few gamers dare and tear down Sony’s updated console. As we’ve quickly learned, Sony hasn’t chosen to radically rework the insides like Microsoft did with the slim Xbox 360. The Cell processor and its RSX graphics companion are still separate parts, and a similar power supply capacity suggests that neither of the main chips has been built on a more efficient manufacturing process. Instead, it’s everything else that has been given the shuffle: a smaller Blu-ray drive and more clever overall construction appear to be the tickets to the 20 percent volume reduction compared to the last model. While the revealed internals might be disappointments to those who were hoping the PS3’s possible sendoff would involve more of a bang than a whimper, they do hint that Sony might have breathing room if it wants to advance the design any further. Just have some popcorn and a grasp of French on hand if you’d like to have a peek at the three-part video dissection found after the break.

Update: Not to be outdone, iFixit has conducted its own teardown. There aren’t any shockers in the mix beyond improved repairability, but you’ll find many of the components given their exact names as well as more explanations of what’s been changed to shrink the PS3 a second time.

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Sony’s 2012 PlayStation torn down, shows its evolved roots (update: another teardown) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Oct 2012 18:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Shocker: Nintendo Wii U said to be region-locked

Shocker Nintendo Wii U will be regionlocked

The forthcoming Wii U console from Nintendo will be region-locked, just like the original Wii and the 3DS, Nintendo UK told Eurogamer. That means you won’t be able to play obscure (or early) Japanese imports on it, and customs officials won’t get anything to break up the monotony of seized cigars and bushmeat.

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Shocker: Nintendo Wii U said to be region-locked originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 24 Sep 2012 06:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nintendo Wii U now available to pre-order in the UK from Amazon

Nintendo Wii U now available to preorder in the UK from Amazon

People here in the US of A have been able to pre-order Nintendo’s latest gaming console since shortly after the Japanese company wrapped up its NYC event yesterday, and now it’s time for UK folks to do the same — at least through Amazon. The online retail giant’s now offering both the Basic and Premium units on its site for £249 and £299, respectively, or there is also a top-of-the-line bundle which includes ZombieU that’s priced at £329. Regardless of the Wii U route you choose to take, be sure to mark November 30th on your calendar as the date to expect that trademark brown box to show up at your doorstep.

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Nintendo Wii U now available to pre-order in the UK from Amazon originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Sep 2012 10:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wii U launch titles revealed with Capcom, Donky Kong, and LEGO in tow

It’s time for the first big official list of Wii U games to be brought to light, and with the pricing for the USA, Europe, and Japan already set alongside a November store date, the fun can begin! Starting with such giant titles as The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, LEGO and Donky Kong, it’s looking like Nintendo may still have some magic under their belt. Nintendo of America President and COO Reggie Fils-Aime seems to think so too, noting that “the new system also creates extraordinary new possibilities for game developers, bound only by the limits of their imaginations.”

This system has been detailed several times in the past half year with our own hands-on experiences spanning the distance. You’ve got a Wii console and several different ways to control the system including the classic stick and nunchuck, a Pro controller that’s closer to a traditional console controller than any other, and the next-generation GamePad with integrated second screen. This system will be working with two set releases, each of them with different amounts of excellence inside – and different hardware, too.

As for the games, you’ll be working with the following relatively massive list – and note, some of these titles had already been announced before now, but most have just popped up this week:

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NBA 2K13
007 Legends
Call of Duty: Black Ops II
TRANSFORMERS PRIME
Wipeout 3
Skylanders Giants
Cabela’s Dangerous Hunts 2013
Rapala Pro Bass Fishing
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate
Rise of the Guardians: The Video Game
Ben 10: Omniverse
Family Party: 30 Great Games Obstacle Arcade
Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two
Mass Effect 3
Madden NFL 13
EA SPORTS FIFA Soccer 13
Trine 2: Director’s Cut
Runner2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien
Majesco Entertainment
Zumba Fitness Core
Jett Tailfin
TEKKEN TAG TOURNAMENT 2 Wii U Edition
TANK! TANK! TANK!
Nintendo Land
New Super Mario Bros. U
NINJA GAIDEN 3: Razor’s Edge
SiNG PARTY
LEGO City: Undercover
Wii Fit U
Game & Wario
Pikmin 3 
The Wonderful 101
Aliens: Colonial Marines
Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed
Nano Assault Neo
WARRIORS OROCHI 3 Hyper
Darksiders II
Wheel of Fortune
JEOPARDY!
Toki Tori 2
Assassin’s Creed III
Just Dance 4
Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth
Rabbids Land
Sports Connection
Your Shape: Fitness Evolved 2013
ZombiU
Rayman Legends
Scribblenauts Unlimited
Game Party Champions
Batman: Arkham City Armored Edition

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Each of these games has been confirmed by Nintendo – and/or their publishers – as being ready for in-store action either at launch day or inside the launch window for the console. The Launch Window in this case is sitting in-between November 18th 2012 and March 31st 2013. Have a peek at our timeline of Wii U news bits below to see the other items revealed this week – and stay tuned for the big launch later this year!


Wii U launch titles revealed with Capcom, Donky Kong, and LEGO in tow is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.


Nintendo’s Wii U up close and personal: a photo tour

Nintendo

We’re here at Nintendo’s Wii U event in New York City where the gaming outfit’s prexy Reggie Fils-Aime just announced US pricing and release details for the console, as well as it’s own unique TVii service. And now that those important tidbits have been squared away, it’s time to focus on the hardware. Yes, you may have seen the Wii U console many times before, but the House that Mario built‘s been notoriously stingy about giving media access to a non-tethered unit. Well, the time has come to see nearly every facet of this next-gen contender. As you’ll note in the gallery below, the only area the Big N wouldn’t let us photograph is this Premium version’s backside. For whatever reason, the company doesn’t want those ports shown, but we can tell you what they consist of: AC adapter, AV multiout, sensor bar, HDMI out and what looks like two ports for USB. Undecided on whether you should be placing that pre-order right about now? Then take a tour of this onyx pair and see if it changes things any.

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Nintendo’s Wii U up close and personal: a photo tour originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Sep 2012 11:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wii U pricing in Japan set at around $300

This week Nintendo’s Satoru Iwata spoke via live streaming video to the whole world straight from Japan on what the Wii U would be bringing the world – in pricing and release information form. There are two sets that have been revealed thus far, one of them being a basic set, the other bring a Premium Set, each hitting Japan on December 8. The Premium Set has been set for 31,500 yen while the Basic Set will cost you 26,250 – roughly converted, that’s right around $350 and $300, but the final prices for the USA will likely be closer to $300 and $250 when all is said and done – and what’s inside each package, you may ask?

The Wii U Premium Set has been revealed in Japan as containing a Wii U console, AC adapter, Wii U GamePad (one unit), GamePad AC adapter, and HDMI cable – with the console having 32GB onboard storage right out of the box. The Basic Set, on the other hand, has that same set of gear but with 8GB of onboard storage instead – and there’s more!

The Premium Set also includes a membership to the Nintendo Premium Network. This membership gives you 10% off of digital software purchases and will have additional benefits listed soon! The Premium Set also includes bonus bits such as stands for both the GamePad and the console itself. Of course each of these accessories are able to be purchased on their own.

NOTE: have a peek at our 2012 hands-on with Wii U as well as our 2011 E3 Wii U hands-on for sweet Nintendo action!

The stands as well as new iterations – new colors, that is, of the Wii Remote and Nunchuk will be available too. There’s also a new Sensor Bar set for a new price coming up too, each of these shown in the gallery below complete with Japan-based cost for now. There’s also a Wii U Pro Controller launching in black and white for 5,040 yen – that being right around $50 USD, and the whole lot will be available at essentially the same time – soon!

In addition to pricing and release information, this short press conference also showed off a couple elements we’d seen a bit of in the past like HUD data and map information on your controller instead of up on the big screen. Also revealed were a couple new games – New Super Mario Bros. U and NintendoLand. The Mario title, said Iwata, will be the first Mario title to launch with a Nintendo home console since Super Mario 64 all the way back in 1996.

Stay tuned to our Wii U tag portal for more information as it’s released throughout the day – there’s still a USA-based press conference on the way!

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Wii U pricing in Japan set at around $300 is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.


Sainsbury’s pairs up with Rovi for video service, stays ahead of the techie curve

SSB

Beloved UK supermarket Sainsbury’s is making a big push into digital media, after snapping up e-book retailer Anobii and music company Global Media Vault, it’s now partnering with Rovi for a digital video service. Launching later in the year, it’ll offer video-on-demand and downloadable copies of “major” film and TV titles, available the same time the discs are available in store. It’ll initially be limited to computers, before rolling out to Smart TVs, connected Blu-Ray players, smartphones and consoles. The only question we have is if we’ll be able to collect Nectar Points on our purchases — if so, we’re sold.

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Sainsbury’s pairs up with Rovi for video service, stays ahead of the techie curve originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Aug 2012 19:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Xbox 360 Essentials Pack sets gamers up for cheap

Microsoft has introduced a package for gamers that will be rocking a fully-supplied Xbox 360 this October for an inexpensive sum – this package containing everything a user would need to make total use of their gaming and multimedia-playing system. This pack will be popping up for $79.99 and will be containing no less than a basic wireless controller, an HDMI cable, a remote control, and 3 months of Xbox Live Gold. This package will be priced at $55 lower than you’d normally pay for each of these items on their own.

This package will be set up for the gift-giver who knows their friend or associate well enough to see that they don’t have any of the accessories beforehand. If you’re a keen-eyed gamer, you’ll likely have several or all of these bits before you see the package in the first place – and you likely got them cheaper as well. The HDMI cable alone should cost you no more than a few bucks if you know where to shop, for example.

For a family member though, or a youngster with no cash of their own, this package will be fabulous for a holiday gift. Releasing this package in October give you plenty of time to pick it up for the late-year gift giving of your choice, and the price should put it right up there in the top-tier Santa collection, too. Don’t forget to grab the actual Xbox 360, too.

Note that you’ll be working with Xbox Live for 3 months with this amount of gold, and after that you’ll need to pay your way forward. The remote control will help you play media of all kinds and work with your web-connected system with television software galore. The controller is, of course, a wireless controller, and needs batteries one way or another. Check the whole pack out soon!


Xbox 360 Essentials Pack sets gamers up for cheap is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.


Wii U hitting NYC in press event on September 13th

Next month Nintendo will be bringing on their newest vision for the Wii U, the next-generation console made by the company to compete against the Microsoft and Sony tide. With the Xbox 720 and PlayStation 4 being continuously rumored for release inside the next few years, Nintendo appears to be preparing the Wii U for another preview and perhaps a release date for the press to report. This event comes soon after a UK-based hands-on experience we had earlier this year.

This event has been set for 10AM EST on the 13th of September, just one day after the rumored date for the next Apple press event. Nintendo COO Reggie Fils-Aime will be at the event to present the console once again and hands-on game play and demos will be there as well. The launch line-up for games is a likely candidate for announcement on the event’s schedule, as are the launch date and price of the console. Nothing is assured, however, and a simple presentation may be the best thing available.

The event coming here next month also comes right after the Nintendo E3 presentation which was rather devoid of Wii U news. It would seem that Nintendo is hoping that a separate event will take the place of what may have been quickly-lost bits of news during the convention. Here in the summer of 2012, we’ll be hoping to see what the Wii U will be in its final release form once and for all.

Have a peek at the timeline below to see our hands-on time with the Wii U thus far, and stick around as the next event approaches. Also feel free to hit up our Wii U tag for more Wii U information than you can handle!


Wii U hitting NYC in press event on September 13th is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.


Neogeo X Gold Coming for $199.99 – Is it a Console or Handheld? It’s Both!

I can remember years ago standing in the game store in the mall playing the demo NeoGeo machine and wanting one so bad I could hardly stand it. I remember that original NeoGeo arcade system console being insanely expensive for the time. If you always wanted your own NeoGeo, you’ll be able to get one in early December for a much more reasonable price than the original’s $650 price.

neo geo x

The Neogeo X Gold will launch worldwide on December 6 of this year at an MSRP of $199.99(USD). The X Gold bundle will include the Neogeo X Station, the X Joystick and the NeoGeo X Handheld. The portable device has a 4.3-inch LCD display, expandable game card slot, internal stereo speakers, and a 3.5 mm headphone jack. The portable device also has 20 preloaded classic Neogeo video games.

The X Handheld is a portable gaming system that you can carry with you wherever you want to go for mobile gaming. When docked with the X Console, you can play video games on your big-screen TV via HDMI or AV outputs, while charging the handheld. The X Joystick let you play those classic games with the big and beefy classic arcade stick. If you’d like more details on the NeoGeo X Gold system, you can register your interest now over on their website.