Jan 31

Splashtop’s Configurable Shortcuts & Gamepad feature lets tablet users create virtual controls and more

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Configurable Shortcuts and Gamepad app lets Splashtop 2 users create virtual controls, more

Whether it be its iOS, Android or Windows 8 users, Splashtop does a pretty good job at keeping them happy by introducing new things here and there, and the very latest may be no exception to that — well, at least to some. Dubbed Configurable Shortcuts & Gamepad, the feature will allow Splashtop 2 subscribers — that are using an iPad or Android slate — to easily create anything from a virtual gamepad, mouse controls and even keyboard shortcuts on a tablet’s screen, which, according to the company, should make for a “faster and more seamless remote access with their Macs and PCs” while gaming or, you know, actually being productive. What’s more, similar to what it did when other new services were brought to the mix, Splashtop’s set to charge current subs a little extra in order to use the Configurable Shortcuts & Gamepad, with the add-on being priced at about $1 per month (on top of the Splashtop 2 monthly fee, of course). The feature’s available now for anyone looking to try it out — and if you’d like to see it in action before you make that in-app purchase, a video demo can be found just past the break.

Gallery: Splashtop’s Configurable Shortcuts & Gamepad

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Source: App Store, Google Play

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Jan 21

Awesome 5-foot Lego Nintendo Gamepad Works Just Like the Real One

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Check out this amazing Lego construction by Baron von Brunk: a 5-foot model of a Nintendo Entertainment System controller made with Lego bricks. One that actually works just like the real thing. More »

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Jan 17

Nintendo introduces a fountain pen for your Wii U GamePad, as well as a screen jacket

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Nintendo made a fountain pen for your Wii U GamePad, as well as a screen jacket

Nintendo’s worried about your Wii U GamePad. So much so, in fact, that the company’s releasing a full on “Accessory Set” aimed specifically at bolstering your screen’s HP (sorry, we couldn’t help it) — not only do you get a screen protector, but also a cleaning cloth for keeping it in tip top shape. And you’ll need all that protection with the increased scribbling the GamePad will assuredly see when employing your new fountain pen-esque stylus, also included in the set. The whole thing runs $12.99 when it arrives at retailers on February 4th (at least in the US and Canada).

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Wii U and Nintendo 3DS Kick off 2013 with New One-of-a-Kind Experiences

From an Exclusive LEGO(R) Mission for Wii U to a Luigi’s Mansion Sequel on Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo has Something for Everyone

NOTE: Multimedia available here

REDMOND, Wash.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Every video game offers a different experience. But only on Nintendo systems do these experiences transform into moments of shared joy and fun. It’s the parent who pulls a game off the TV to play on the Wii U[TM] GamePad controller so the kids can watch cartoons. It’s the group of friends passing the GamePad around the room and then sharing their experiences on Miiverse. It’s the “you gotta see this” moment when people first experience glasses-free 3D and augmented reality on a Nintendo 3DS[TM] system.

The holiday season added many new Wii U and Nintendo 3DS owners who have already begun to discover these joyful moments together. Nintendo now builds on their enthusiasm with a fun lineup of games for early 2013.

“During the holidays we saw new players respond positively to new game-play experiences using the Wii U GamePad controller and the true 3D of Nintendo 3DS,” said Scott Moffitt, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “With such a diverse lineup of games on the horizon, people will experience a variety of ways to play, whether they’re using the GamePad to scan for criminals or seeing ghosts in 3D on the Nintendo 3DS screen.”

New on Wii U

The Wii U home console launched to great acclaim on Nov. 18 with the largest lineup of games in Nintendo history. The fun continues into 2013 with the upcoming release of LEGO City: Undercover on March 18. In this original LEGO game, exclusive to Wii U, players assume the role of Chase McCain, a tough-as-nails police officer who is a master of disguise. The massive, open world of LEGO City lets players explore the city using numerous vehicles from the real-life play sets to pursue criminal mastermind Rex Fury. On March 19, the fan-favorite Monster Hunter series descends on Wii U and Nintendo 3DS with Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate. The action RPG’s expansive, gorgeous world features more to do than ever before. Players can hunt monsters, upgrade equipment and improve skills while they take part in more than 200 challenging quests.

Game & Wario[TM], The Wonderful 101[TM], Pikmin[TM] 3 and Wii Fit[TM] U will arrive in the first half of the year. Additional information about launch timing for these games will be announced at a later date.

To ensure that Wii U users get the most out of their GamePad controller, Nintendo will be offering a Wii U GamePad Accessory Set to help owners protect their screens. The set will be available at stores on Feb. 4 for a suggested retail price of $12.99 and includes a Wii U GamePad screen protector that fits over the screen to protect it from scratches and dirt, an extra-large stylus for comfortable touch-screen game play and a cleaning cloth.

New on Nintendo 3DS

The Nintendo 3DS hand-held system continues its momentum going into 2013. Launching on Feb. 4 is Fire Emblem Awakening, a fantasy turn-based strategy game for Nintendo 3DS. On the same day, Nintendo will release a special bundle of the Nintendo 3DS system that has Fire Emblem Awakening pre-installed on the hardware. The blue hardware features Fire Emblem artwork and a 4GB SD memory card, and will be available at a suggested retail price of $199.99. A demo of Fire Emblem Awakening will be available today in the Nintendo eShop.

Brain Age: Concentration Training for Nintendo 3DS arrives on Feb. 10 to build on the mainstream appeal of the celebrated Brain Age series with new challenges to help players concentrate as they block out distractions. A demo will also be available in the Nintendo eShop on Jan. 24. On March 24, fans of the original Luigi’s Mansion have reason to celebrate with the release of Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon. In this game, a timid Luigi travels through more mansions and captures more ghosts using his upgraded Poltergust 5000. Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity also hits the Nintendo 3DS system on March 24. In addition to playing as a Pokémon, players explore ever-changing Mystery Dungeons as they build Pokémon Paradise and recruit more Pokémon to their team. There is also a deep and compelling story full of unexpected twists. Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity makes the most of the features of the Nintendo 3DS system, such as the ability to use the system’s camera to open Magnagates – portals to new Mystery Dungeons in the real world. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Mirror of Fate comes to Nintendo 3DS on March 5. This sequel takes place 25 years after Castlevania: Lords of Shadow and follows the famous Belmont clan as they set out to find and destroy the ruthless Dracula. The action-filled game features multiple playable characters and combines both 2D classic side-scrolling game play with full 3D areas. On April 21, another entry in the LEGO City: Undercover series arrives on Nintendo 3DS. LEGO City Undercover: The Chase Begins is a prequel to the Wii U game, and follows the exploits of Chase McCain as a rookie cop.

Below is a partial list of upcoming launch dates in the United States and Canada. Note that game titles and launch dates are subject to change.

Wii U
Publisher Title Available
Activision The Amazing Spider-Man[TM] Ultimate Edition March
The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct March 26
Capcom Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate March 19
D3Publisher The Croods: Prehistoric Party! March 19
Electronic Arts Need For Speed Most Wanted March 19
Nintendo LEGO(R) City: Undercover March 18
SEGA Aliens[TM]: Colonial Marines Q1
Ubisoft Rayman(R) Legends Feb. 26
Nintendo eShop for Wii U
Gaijin Games BIT.TRIP Presents… Runner2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien Q1
Neko Puddle Q1
SEGA The Cave[TM] Jan. 22
TECMO KOEI AMERICA Corp. Fist of the North Star(R): Ken’s Rage 2 Feb. 7
Two Tribes Toki Tori 2 Q1
Zen Studios Zen Pinball 2 Q1
Wii
D3Publisher The Croods: Prehistoric Party! March 19
Talking Stick Games Kids Learn Pets and Vets Bundle March 12
XSEED Games Pandora’s Tower[TM] Spring
Nintendo 3DS
ATLUS (Index Digital Media, Inc.) Etrian Odyssey[TM]IV: Legends of the Titan Feb. 26
Shin Megami Tensei(R): Devil Summoner(R): Soul Hackers April 16
Capcom Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate March 19
D3Publisher The Croods: Prehistoric Party! March 19
Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Mirror of Fate March 5
Pro Evolution Soccer 2013 3D Feb. 12
Little Orbit Monster High[TM] Skultimate Roller Maze[TM] March 13
NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. NARUTO(R) Powerful Shippuden March 5
Nintendo Brain Age[TM]: Concentration Training Feb. 10
Fire Emblem Awakening Feb. 4
LEGO(R) City Undercover: The Chase Begins April 21
Luigi’s Mansion[TM]: Dark Moon March 24
Pokémon[TM] Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity March 24
SEGA Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed[TM] Feb. 12
Nintendo eShop for Nintendo 3DS
Agetec, Inc. Bloody Vampire Jan. 31
Witch’s Cat Jan. 31
Big John Games Coaster Creator 3D Q1
Capcom Resident Evil(R): The Mercenaries 3D Q1
Disney Interactive Disney/Pixar Finding Nemo: Escape to the Big Blue Jan. 17
Maximum Games Deer Drive Legends Jan. 17
Nicalis Ikachan Q1
Guxt Q1
Nintendo Tokyo Crash Mobs[TM] Jan. 17
Fire Emblem Awakening DEMO Jan. 17
Brain Age[TM]: Concentration Training DEMO Jan. 24
Renegade Kid ATV Wild Ride 3D Q1
Rising Star Games Jewel Master: Cradle of Egypt 2 March 19
Shin’en Nano Assault EX Q1
Ubisoft Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon(R) Shadow Wars Jan. 24
Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell(R) 3D Q1
Nintendo DS
D3Publisher The Croods: Prehistoric Party! March 19
Talking Stick Games Kids Learn Animals Bundle Feb. 26
Kids Learn Math and Spelling Bundle Feb. 26
Kids Learn Pets and Horse Bundle March 26

Remember that Wii, Wii U and Nintendo 3DS feature parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit http://www.nintendo.com/wii, http://www.nintendo.com/wiiu and http://www.nintendo.com/3ds.

About Nintendo: The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii U[TM] and Wii[TM] home consoles, and Nintendo 3DS[TM] and Nintendo DS[TM] families of portable systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System[TM], Nintendo has sold more than 4 billion video games and more than 637 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii U, Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo 3DS XL, as well as the Game Boy[TM], Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi[TM] and Nintendo DSi XL[TM], Super NES[TM], Nintendo 64[TM], Nintendo GameCube[TM] and Wii systems. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names such as Mario[TM], Donkey Kong[TM], Metroid[TM], Zelda[TM] and Pokémon[TM]. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, please visit the company’s website at http://www.nintendo.com.

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Jan 16

Nikkei: Nintendo to launch unified console and handheld division by February 16th (update: confirmed)

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Nikkei Nintendo to roll handheld and console development into one division

Nintendo plans to merge its handheld and console gaming units into one division to create next generation hardware “that will turn heads,” according to Nikkei. It’s reporting that the gaming outfit is feeling the heat from tablet and smartphone gaming (and likely upstart outfits like Ouya, too) so is looking to speed up the development cycle and increase product interoperability. That’s why it’s allegedly bringing the brain power from all its divisions together to inaugurate the unified division by February 16th of this year — transferring in 130 console and 150 handheld engineers, to start. Nikkei said it’ll house the new team in a $340 million facility next to its Kyoto HQ that’ll be completed by the end of the year, seeing it as “a hotbed of new ideas.” All this comes on the heels of tepid launches of the Wii U console and Nintendo 3DS gamepad — making a shakeup none too shocking, if true.

Update: We contacted Nintendo, who confirmed by email that the report is, indeed, accurate.

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Via: IGN

Source: Nikkei (subscription)

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Jan 14

Archos GamePad Bound For US This February For $169

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archos gamepad release Archos GamePad Bound For US This February For $169The Archos GamePad which was made available in Europe at the beginning of last month, remains an elusive device for the US market as the French company has not mentioned a wee bit about it. Until now, that is, where a rough time frame for the US release of the Archos GamePad has been set at sometime in February 2013, and you will need to pony up $169 if you want to bring one of these puppies home. At $169 a pop, it would make it a rather affordable piece of hardware, but some folks might be tempted to go the way of the Amazon Kindle or even Asus’ most recent MeMO Pad announcement.

Basically, the Archos GamePad is a 7” Android 4.1 Jelly Bean-powered tablet that comes with a built-in gamepad wrapped all around, sporting a 1,024 x 600 resolution display, running on a dual-core 1.6GHz Cortex A9 processor with 8GB of internal memory, 1GB RAM, a front-facing camera, Wi-Fi connectivity and a G sensor. Just how well do you think the Archos GamePad will perform in the market?

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Dueling Coming To Diablo 3 In Patch 1.0.7, Possible Final Fantasy V And VI Announcements Teased For 17th January,

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Jan 10

Magnetic iPhone 5 Keyboard & Gamepad: Stick & Switch

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I’m hoping future iPhones will be equipped with Tactus’ tactile touchscreen, but until then those of us who need physical keys will have to settle for iPhone keyboards. The EX Hybrid Controller seems like a good option for iPhone 5 owners.

iphone 5 magnetic keyboard gamepad ex hybrid controller

Despite sounding like an arcade stick for consoles, the EX Hybrid Controller is actually made of three pieces. There’s a keyboard, a gamepad and a back cover. Both the keyboard and gamepad attach to the back cover via magnets. They also both use Bluetooth 3.0 and are a mere 2mm thick. Supposedly they can last for up to 40 hours (160 hours on standby) and can be recharged in just one hour. According to the seller iPhone5mod, the gamepad module works with all games that are compatible with the iCade. That’s a little disappointing, but in its defense we know that no controller on the market works with all iOS games, and the iCade is the closest to a controller standard we have for now.

This definitely has some neat features, though it’s hard to tell if such a flat keyboard and gamepad will really help, since there’s really no tactile feedback. If you’re already sold on the idea, you can order the EX Hybrid Controller from iPhone5mod for $60 (USD).

[via Fancy]

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Jan 04

Razer releases $130 Orbweaver for single-pawed, mechanical PC gaming (video)

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Razer

Belkin made gamer’s hearts flutter with the original N52te speedpad, which Razer took over a couple of years ago and developed into the Nostromo. Now, that peripheral-maker has taken the concept to a new level (and price) with the $130 gadget-tastic Orbweaver gaming keypad. Each of the 20 mechanical keys is programmable with unlimited-length macros, and produces a tactile click when actuated with 2mm travel / 50g of force — all in the service of max speed to give gamers the drop on foes, according to Razer. Also provided is an eight-way directional thumbpad along with adjustable hand, thumb and palm-rest modules, plus Razer Synapse 2.0 software for re-binding buttons and assigning macros. It’s available now for Windows or OS X, so if you’re looking for a way to get that tricky drop, roll and fire combo into a single, satisfying click, check the source.

[Thanks, Arjun]

Continue reading Razer releases $130 Orbweaver for single-pawed, mechanical PC gaming (video)

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Source: Razer

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Dec 22

FlipSide case for iPhone packs stealthy game controls, plays on solar power (video)

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FlipSide case for iPhone packs stealthy game controls, plays on solar power video

The perpetual challenge of developing an iPhone-friendly gamepad (or any phone-oriented gamepad) is the bulk, either for a gargantuan case or else a separate controller. If Justice Frangipane’s team and iDevices have their way, that clunkiness will be a distant memory. Their proposed FlipSide case for iPhones (we see a prototype here) centers on Bluetooth 4.0 gamepad controls that stay clipped to the back when just checking email, but attach to the front for playtime. They’ll save us from hunting down a wall outlet, too; the combination of a sensitive solar cell and a thin film battery from Infinite Power Solutions should keep the case powered up through even indoor lighting. The only real challenge is getting the case produced, as Frangipane is looking for crowdfunding to make the FlipSide a reality. Provided his group makes its donation target, though, there’s the prospect of an Android version — so those who don’t play the iOS way could still reap the rewards if they chip in at the source link.

Continue reading FlipSide case for iPhone packs stealthy game controls, plays on solar power (video)

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Source: Flipside (Kickstarter)

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Dec 07

Nintendo Wii U GamePad Prototype Once An LCD With Wii Remotes Attached

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The core experience of the Wii U has got to be in its GamePad which essentially serves as an additional screen that can be used a multitude of ways when playing games or using certain applications like its upcoming TVii application. But as with most products, the Wii U’s GamePad had very humble beginnings which was highlighted in a recent “Iwata Asks” interview whose topic of discussion was the creation of Nintendo Land.

In the video, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata speaks with members of the EAD development team about how the GamePad came to be. At first, the GamePad prototype was a Wii Zapper with a small LCD screen attached to the front. From there, it progressed to a large LCD screen with two Wii remotes attached to the sides, which was used for approximately 30 Wii U game concepts.

The second prototype turned out to be the controller that most resembles what the GamePad is today, and in our opinion, the better of the two prototypes as a Wii Zapper with an LCD screen would have been seen as a not-so-kid-friendly controller option.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Full SNES Game Collection On Sale For $20,000, GameStop begins selling Kindle Fire at retail stores,

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Dec 07

Archos GamePad announced

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Archos has jumped aboard the mobile gaming bandwagon with their latest release, calling it the Archos GamePad. Well, this is the first dedicated mobile gaming device from Archos which runs on the Android operating system, but as to whether it is capable of challenging the Nintendo 3DS, let alone the Sony PS Vita or aged Sony PSP remains to be seen. After all, having fantastic hardware is nothing if you do not have the kind of software to go along with it, and let’s face it – the Android operating system is not exactly a hotbed for game developers to hang around and play in. Perhaps the GamePad could be a catalyst of something bigger down the road, who knows? Still, the Archos GamePad is a beauty to look at.

Just what kind of features does the Archos GamePad bring to the table? Well, it is a new kind of revolutionary tablet (or at least, it hopes to be) that will merge physical gaming button controls alongside an Archos patented mapping tool, not to mention a full Android-powered tablet experience to boot. You get physical buttons and analog thumb-sticks, as well as the unique mapping software thrown into the mix which enables you to link the virtual controls of any game to physical controls.

It will run off Android 4.1 Jelly Bean as the operating system of choice, but this does not mean it will not be on the receiving end of an operating system update sometime down the road. Not only that, you will be able to gain full access to Google Play and Google Mobile Services, and if you are interested, you can pick up the Archos GamePad for €149.99 in Europe at the moment (hello, Christmas!), while folks living in the US and Canada will have to play the patience card, missing out on a Christmas release as the Archos GamePad is tipped for a rollout in that region sometime in the first quarter of next year.

Press Release
[ Archos GamePad announced copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

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