Hasta La Gadget!

Well, here’s a curious one. Those eagle-eyed folks at Joystiq caught sight of a pair of Classic Controller Pros for the Wii at Nintendo’s E3 booth, which wouldn’t be so unusual if not for the fact that it still hasn’t been announced for release outside of Japan. Adding to the intrigue, the Nintendo reps at the booth apparently know nothing (or weren’t talking) about a planned release, and there’s no official word to speak of on the E3 press site either. Yet the controllers were there for all too see, which leads Joystiq to rightly speculate that a release ’round here is now decidedly more likely than not.

Filed under: Gaming

Classic Controller Pro appears at E3, unbeknownst to Nintendo originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Jun 2009 14:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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While we hear Punch Out!! is quite good, it’s safe to say the Wii hasn’t exactly been flooded with great titles lately. The most enjoyable part of the system still comes from the Virtual Console and all the classic titles that populate it, and soon you’ll be able to pair those games with the classic controllers they were written for thanks to Komodo’s Retro Adapter. Sure, we’ve seen some rather… unsophisticated ways of making N64 controllers work in the past, and Nintendo itself hopped on the retro bandwagon with a first-party Wii SNES gamepad, but Komodo’s adapter has no exposed solders, looks like a wee N64, and even lets you use your creaky old NES pad. No official word on availability, but expect a $20 price sometime in June. We’ll be bringing you more from E3.

Filed under: Gaming

Komodo’s Retro Adapter brings your dusty old gamepads to your dusty new Wii originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 May 2009 09:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We haven’t been hearing a whole lot about the planned video distribution service for the Wii as of late, but looks like folks in Japan will soon be able to try it out first hand, as the service is set to launch in the country on May 1st. Dubbed the “Wii no Ma Channel,” the service is rolling out with a little help from advertising firm Denstu, and includes both free and paid content, as well as some other various services and special offers from sponsors. Even more interesting, however, is word that a free DSi app will launch alongside the service, which will let you download video from the Wii to the DS, and even download coupons from advertisers, which can then be scanned directly from the screen. Head on past the break for a quick video overview — which, of course, doesn’t include any word of a launch ’round here.

Continue reading Japan getting Wii video service May 1st, complete with DSi connectivity

Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment

Japan getting Wii video service May 1st, complete with DSi connectivity originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Apr 2009 15:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve heard whispers of Netflix heading to other, non-Xbox 360 game consoles before, and now adding to the susurrus is a job listing from the company for Engineering Lead – Gaming Platforms. The description calls for someone familiar with the technical hurdles of current-gen consoles for building a small team to “rapidly prototype and iterate on a variety of platforms.” Whether or not this means we’ll be seeing PlayStation 3 or Wii services in the near (or even distant) future is anyone’s guess, but with Microsoft’s version so far a streaming success, we wouldn’t be surprised if the company took a few steps to increase the probability that 3 billionth delivered flick is digital.

[Via Joystiq]

Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment

Netflix on the lookout for gaming platforms engineering guru originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Apr 2009 16:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Most of the time we see a Wii mote controlling something tangible, it’s more for entertainment value like an airsoft gun or Rovio. The Casmobot lawnmower, developed by scientists from the University of Southern Denmark, is actually quite useful if you loathe outdoor chores. It can be steered into grass-cutting action via the tilt of the controller synced with Bluetooth. Alternatively, you can drive it for a lap around the border of the yard and then put it on autopilot to mow inside the designated zone. We wouldn’t run in front of it while its in motion, though, it’s probably not as forgiving of interruption as a roomba. Researcher Kjeld Jensen also suggested applying the same technology to your grandmother’s wheelchair, but we really don’t think she’d appreciate that. See it for yourself in the video after the break.

[Via Switched]

Continue reading Casmobot lawnmower is a slave to the flick of a Wiimote

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Gaming

Casmobot lawnmower is a slave to the flick of a Wiimote originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Apr 2009 06:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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