Hasta La Gadget!

What you see above is not a Tibetan sky burial for a dearly departed console, nor an attempt at extremely modern art. It’s a Wii that has been… augmented with a Linux-running module called the Wii Optical Disc Emulator, or WODE. It clips onto the system board where the machine’s optical drive should go and allows it to read Wii and GameCube ISOs directly from USB storage devices. It sports a small LCD and four-way joystick for setting options and scrolling through your assuredly legally acquired game images, while a future iteration is said to allow for direct-to-device torrent downloads — a feature that we won’t even bother to say could be used for anything other than piracy. There’s no mention of availability or price for the thing, but we’re guessing it won’t be showing up in retail storefronts. Oh, and while the Sisters of Mercy track accompanying the video after the break is totally awesome, it is rather unsafe for work. So, put on those headphones before clicking through.

Continue reading Video: WODE module allows disc-free, wide-open, heavy metal Wii gaming

Filed under: Gaming

Video: WODE module allows disc-free, wide-open, heavy metal Wii gaming originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 08:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hey Europe, Nintendo has stopped neglecting you! After Japan had color options before anyone else even had the DSi, the USA got in on the fun with extra pink and white, and Europe was left wearing the black and white dunce cap. That monochromatic dystopia is about to be vanquished on October 23, however, when Nintendo is set to offer the handsome red, blue and turquoise options you see above all over the good lands of the Old World. Facebook photo uploading will come preloaded, as well as the Flipnote Studio app for creating multimedia missives. You can see a couple more shots after the break.

Continue reading Nintendo introduces some color to European DSi options

Filed under: Gaming, Handhelds

Nintendo introduces some color to European DSi options originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 Sep 2009 10:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Leave it to Yoichi Wada—president of final fantasizer Square Enix, the biggest Japanese game house—to break the news about the next generation Nintendo Wii. All while predicting that Microsoft and Sony motion efforts won’t be “truly successful.”

Wada says that the next-generation, high definition Wii will offer the same capabilities as the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, while adding a brand new motion controller. We will have to wait till 2011 to see it, like previous rumors pointed out. [Joystiq]

Of all the fakeables in consumer electronics, the weekly newspaper ad has to be one of the easiest marks. Still, this one looks pretty legit, and if it’s real it means either we’re getting a much overdue Wii price cut on September 27th, or someone on the Toys R Us ad team has been severely misinformed. If it’s not true and we have to wait another holiday season for the Wii to break the $200 mark, we’re not getting Nintendo that Snuggie we promised it for Christmas — everybody knows only good little boys, girls and multinational game companies get presents.

[Via Joystiq]

Filed under: Gaming

Wii getting $50 price drop this month? One Toys R Us ad seems to think so originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Sep 2009 16:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You’d never know that we’re still pulling out of a recession if you took one glance at the music peripheral market. The Beatles: Rock Band bundle costs more than some game consoles, and Mad Catz is charging $300 for a genuine Fender Stratocaster that controls Rock Band on the Xbox 360. Now, Logitech is joining the whole “rob gamers blind” movement with the introduction of the Wireless Guitar Controller and Wireless Drum Controller for Nintendo’s Wii. Both products are licensed for use with Guitar Hero, with the axe boasting a maple neck, rosewood fingerboard and metal frets. Heck, there’s even a “noise dampening strum bar and fret buttons,” not to mention a touch-sensitive slider on the fretboard. The skins look all too familiar, with a trio of drum pads and a pair of cymbals to go along with the stainless steel kick pedal and its fancy adjustable spring. Naturally, you’ll need to snap a Wiimote into each before mashing play, and more importantly, you’ll need to empty $199.99 and / or $299.99 (respectively) from your bank account before snagging ’em this October.

[Via Joystiq]

Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals

Logitech tests the boundaries with overpriced wireless guitar and drums for Wii originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 17:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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