Aug 19

PS Vita to pack 512MB of RAM, support cross-game voice chat

Posted in: console, game, handheld, playstation, playstation 3, Playstation3, ps3, sony, Today's Chili
What’s the difference between Sony’s PlayStation Vita and the PS3? About 256MB of RAM, apparently. In a recent interview with Eurogamer, Sony Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida confirmed that the forthcoming handheld will boast a full 512MB of RAM (compared to the PS3’s 256MB), allowing the Vita to support cross-game voice chat via its Party feature. Yoshida’s confirmation effectively debunks earlier rumors that Sony would be halving the Vita’s RAM, in order to compete with the 3DS’ lower price, though the console does feature comparatively less V-RAM (just 128MB, versus the PS3’s 256MB). According to the executive, however, that disparity won’t make too much of a difference on the gaming experience, due to changes in the Vita’s display resolution. “The resolution on the PS Vita screen is much lower,” Yoshida said. “Even though it’s four times the resolution of PSP, compared to the console, the amount of data you have to push is much smaller.” The proof, of course, is in the pudding, but unfortunately, we probably won’t be tasting it for a while.

PS Vita to pack 512MB of RAM, support cross-game voice chat originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Aug 2011 09:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 17

Nintendo to release streamlined Wii in the UK, at reduced, holiday season price

Posted in: console, game, nintendo, price, release, Today's Chili, uk, update, wii
It may be a while before we see the Wii U hit the market, but it looks like a refreshed version of its predecessor will be hitting the UK market just in time for the holiday shopping rush. According to the UK’s Official Nintendo Magazine, the refreshed controller will sport a streamlined look and adjusted configuration, designed for horizontal orientation, rather than vertical. It will also be included in a “Family Edition” bundle scheduled for a holiday release, alongside a Wii Remote Plus, Nunchuk console, and editions of Wii Party and Wii Sports. The downside, however, is that the slimmed-down Wii won’t be compatible with GameCube games or controllers, though it will reportedly be sold at a reduced, unspecified price. No word yet on whether Nintendo has a similar update in store for markets outside of the UK, but we’ll let you know as soon as we find out.

Nintendo to release streamlined Wii in the UK, at reduced, holiday season price originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Aug 2011 08:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink SlashGear  |  sourceThe Official Nintendo Magazine (UK)  | Email this | Comments

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Aug 11

Walmart, Target jump the gun on Nintendo 3DS price drops

Posted in: 3ds, console, nintendo, nintendo 3ds, Nintendo3ds, Today's Chili, walmart

Can’t wait for August 12th for Nintendo’s 3DS price drop to take effect? Good news, neither could two giant retailers, apparently. Walmart reportedly got the ball rolling yesterday, cutting the asking price down from $250 to $170 in-store, and Target quickly followed suit — the price is still listed as $250 on both sites for the moment. Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata acknowledged late last month that the drops, officially scheduled for August 12th, were due to concerns from retailers and game designers. As Joystiq points out, those who buy the console before the switchover is official will likely be able to take advantage of the price drop and Nintendo’s offer of free games for early adopters. Score.

Walmart, Target jump the gun on Nintendo 3DS price drops originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Aug 2011 09:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceJoystiq (1), (2)  | Email this | Comments

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Aug 10

Nintendo to release Flame Red 3DS console next month, sunglasses not included

Posted in: 3ds, console, game, launch, nintendo, nintendo 3ds, Nintendo3ds, price, Today's Chili
Better dust off your finest pair of shades, because this Flame Red Nintendo 3DS is on its way to the States. The console, which launched earlier this summer in Japan as the Red Flare, will hit stores next month (alongside the new Star Fox 64 3D game), joining a 3DS lineup that already features Cosmo Black and Aqua Blue. The company will also be releasing two new games this winter — Super Mario 3D Land in November and Mario Kart 7 in December — in the hopes of rectifying its disappointing Q2 earnings report with a strong holiday campaign. Only time will tell whether or not it has any effect on Nintendo’s bottom line, but if you’re interested in adding a touch of Santa-like cheer to your yuletide gaming season, you can grab a Flame Red console on September 9th, for $170. Find more information in the full PR, after the break.

Continue reading Nintendo to release Flame Red 3DS console next month, sunglasses not included

Nintendo to release Flame Red 3DS console next month, sunglasses not included originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Aug 2011 09:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 06

Sony’s PlayStation Vita goes up for pre-order at Best Buy Canada

Posted in: console, Games, gaming, playstation, psp, Today's Chili

It’s been a long time coming, but it’s finally here — or at least its pre-order page is. Sony’s hotly anticipated PlayStation Vita has been on our minds since January, and now it’s making its Canadian North American pre-order debut via Best Buy Canada. The product pages for both the WiFi-only and 3G editions list a release date of March 30th — which lines up with previous reports that the console won’t be gracing your stocking this Christmas — but we’d take that estimate with a heaping fistful of salt. If you’re itching to throw down some Canadian dollars, however, feel free to hop on over to the source to secure yours now.

[Thanks, Silverfox]

Sony’s PlayStation Vita goes up for pre-order at Best Buy Canada originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 06 Aug 2011 15:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceBest Buy Canada (1), (2)  | Email this | Comments

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Aug 04

Nintendo CEO responds to 3DS price drop backlash

Posted in: 3ds, console, nintendo, nintendo 3ds, Nintendo3ds, price, Today's Chili

Post-purchase price drops are one of a number of curses that plague early adopters. Generally, however, such shifts take time, so Nintendo caught us all a bit by surprised when it announced that it will be cutting the cost of the 3DS from $249 to $169 in mid-August. The gaming giant was quick to mend fences, offering 20 free virtual console games to those who got burned by the discount. Nintendo’s CEO Satoru Iwata followed up the announcement with a more formal apology to consumers, noting that they may well feel “betrayed” and “punished” for their early adoption. Iwata added that early buyers are still “important” to the company, and that the decision to drop the price was due to concerns on the part of retailers and designers that Nintendo hasn’t released a worthy followup to the ultra-popular DS.

Nintendo CEO responds to 3DS price drop backlash originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Aug 2011 19:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink CNET  |  sourceNintendo (Translation)  | Email this | Comments

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Aug 04

Nintendo 3DS Panda dev model hits Canadian eBay, reminds US how little the dollar is worth

Posted in: 3ds, canada, console, developer, game, handheld, nintendo, nintendo 3ds, Nintendo3ds, Today's Chili

Have $1,929 Canadian dollars to spare? You can swap those loonies for 2,000 all-American greenbacks, or the current bid on a Nintendo 3DS Panda development model, rounding out its final 24 hours on eBay’s Canadian auction site. This “like new” device won’t be playing retail 3DS or DS cartridges, but it will grant you access to a variety of development functions. The $2,000 current bid is more than a hair higher than the dev hardware’s unconfirmed original price of $324, but if you’re desperate to rank among the few gamers that rock 3DS dev hardware, logic probably won’t reign supreme when it comes time to hit that bid now button.

[Thanks, Julien]

Nintendo 3DS Panda dev model hits Canadian eBay, reminds US how little the dollar is worth originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Aug 2011 16:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 04

Sony PlayStation Vita handheld will miss Christmas in US and Europe

Posted in: console, gaming, playstation, psp, sony, Today's Chili

How can this be? Sony’s new handheld console already passed through the FCC and was even leaked on a UK Blockbuster flyer that stated an October release date. Yet apparently these clues count for nothing, because Bloomberg reports Kazuo Hirai as saying that the Vita won’t launch in the US and Europe until early next year — with only Japan getting the device before Christmas. Why would Sony be content to miss out on all that festive trade? We have absolutely no idea, but it looks like we’ll have to email Santa a revised wish list.

[Thanks, Jerry]

Sony PlayStation Vita handheld will miss Christmas in US and Europe originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Aug 2011 05:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceBloomberg  | Email this | Comments

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Aug 03

OutRun AR project lets you game and drive at the same time, makes us drool

Posted in: augmented reality, AugmentedReality, camera, concept, console, electric vehicle, ElectricVehicle, ev, game, research, Software, Today's Chili, video
Cool game, or coolest game ever? That’s the question we were asking ourselves when we first came across Garnet Hertz’s augmented reality-based OutRun project — a concept car that weds Sega’s classic driving game with an electric golf cart, allowing players to navigate their way around real-life courses using only arcade consoles. Hertz, an informatics researcher at the University of California Irvine, has since brought his idea to fruition, after outfitting the system with cameras and customized software that can “look” in front of the car to automatically reproduce the route on the game cabin’s screen. The map is displayed in the same 8-bit rendering you’d see on the original OutRun, with perspectives changing proportionally to shifts in steering. The cart maxes out at only 13 mph, though speed isn’t really the idea; Hertz and his colleagues hope their technology can be used to develop game-based therapies for disabled users, or to create similarly AR-based wheelchairs. Scoot past the break to see a video of the car in action, and let your dreams converge.

[Thanks, Stagueve]

Continue reading OutRun AR project lets you game and drive at the same time, makes us drool

OutRun AR project lets you game and drive at the same time, makes us drool originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Aug 2011 09:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Nowhere Else (Translated)  |  sourceOutRun  | Email this | Comments

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Jul 13

Microsoft’s Andy Lees on Windows’ future: one ecosystem to rule them all

Posted in: console, mango, Microsoft, operating system, OperatingSystem, os, slate, smartphone, Smartphones, tablet, tablets, Today's Chili, Windows, windows 8, windows phone 7, Windows8, WindowsPhone7, Wp7, xbox, xbox 360, Xbox360

Microsoft has seen the future of personal computing, and it’s a world with a single Windows ecosystem. Windows Phone head honcho Andy Lees — who said that we won’t be seeing WP7 on tablets during Microsoft’s Worldwide Partner Conference yesterday — still sees slates, phones, consoles, and PCs playing together in perfect harmony. His plan is to provide users with a consistent experience across all Microsoft-powered devices, though he didn’t flesh out exactly how this singular ecosystem will work. Given recent evidence indicating Xbox integration in Windows 8 and the UI similarities between the forthcoming desktop OS and WP7, it seems that Microsoft is well on its way to a consolidated future. But, only time will tell if Mr. Lees’ can deliver us from fragmentation with a unified Windows.

Microsoft’s Andy Lees on Windows’ future: one ecosystem to rule them all originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Jul 2011 21:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceWinrumors  | Email this | Comments

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