Nov 01

Updated Xbox and WinPhone7 Get Updated Netflix, ESPN, and More

Posted in: Microsoft, netflix, Today's Chili, Toys and Games, TV, windows phone 7, Wp7, xbox, xbox live

Xbox 360’s long-awaited dashboard update is here, bringing a slew of new features, including a nice bonus from Netflix: a genuine UI for search on the Xbox and support for streaming on Windows Phone 7.

Let’s take the Xbox first. Xbox Live’s Major Nelson writes that the 360 dashboard update is available today and rolling out to everyone (regardless of your geography!) over Xbox Live.

That was penned this morning; if you’re reading this now, you’ve probably gotten the update. If not, signing in again might work, but bear in mind this warning: “If you keep signing out and then back in again, this will NOT force the update…it will only anger people on your friends list who will keep getting a notification. every. time. you sign. in…Be patient, everyone will eventually receive the update.” Well said.

The headlining features of the Xbox update are the new ESPN hub and Zune music. You’ve got to be an Xbox Gold subscriber to take advantage of most of them. Zune Music or ZunePass is exactly what it sounds like: subscription-based streaming music, with baked-in search.

The ESPN hub promises 3,500 live, on-demand and DVRed global sporting events from ESPN3.com annually. The selection is arguably stronger than any other digital set-top box: college basketball and football to US pro baseball and basketball and international soccer, golf and tennis, whether they’re in or out of your local market. No NFL or NHL, but sports junkies are one step closer cutting the cable cord. If only it could have rolled out in the summertime: we’d all be watching baseball, tennis and soccer and it would have taken everyone three months to notice.

ESPN also gets to leverage some of the Xbox Live social networking features, including group chat while you’re watching a game. (The chat software itself is also reportedly improved.) English Premier League fans won’t even have to leave home to heckle their friends. That is, assuming you’ve all got Xboxes.

And then there’s Netflix. Xbox Live Gold users have had discless Netflix streaming for a long time now, and it’s only been in the last few months that other consoles have caught up. Now the original Xbox gets an update too, with an improved search UI.

Plus, Netflix put a cherry on top: just like the iPhone, Windows Phone 7 is getting Netflix Watch Instantly too via a free application, which will be available at the phone’s launch.

One last Xbox 360 detail that I think is important: the new dashboard overhauls the parental controls and family programming settings. Netflix, Sports, Chat, Kinect, the casual Xbox games on WP7: all of these together suggest that Microsoft is strongly re-positioning the Xbox as a living room hub for the entire family, not just where college kids and devoted gamers blast away on Halo while their friends and families leave to do something else.

Some of those gamers are already reacting, saying that the new games for WP7 and Kinect are too watered-down, don’t offer enough of what they’re used to. I think it’s a really good thing, based on the premise that the value of any box attached to your television set increases proportionally with the number of valuable things you can do with it.

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Nov 01

Sony May Be Developing Phones and Tablets For Casual Gaming

Posted in: Apple, gaming, playstation, sony, Tablets and E-Readers, Today's Chili, Toys and Games, xbox live

It’s nearly impossible for Sony to create a Playstation or PSP phone offering the same controls and same games as either device. Instead, Sony seems to be pushing for a different kind of mobile gaming altogether, using tablets and phones as the hardware for a new casual gaming platform.

“Mobile gaming is a very important business area for us,” said Sony’s chief financial officer Masaru Kato, according to a transcription of an earnings call provided by Seeking Alpha. “We started out with the PSP that was our first mobile gaming console, but since then the market as you know has expanded into bigger arenas; gaming on mobile phones, gaming on tablets and on certain mobile devices.

“The PSP being a proprietary platform was more concentrated I’d say on the core gaming segment than the light game, but now we are addressing that market as well,” Kato added. “I can not be specific as to how we will introduce new product to address these markets, but one thing I can say is that we have those markets addressed and we will come out with products and services to capture the broader gaming market.”

A transcription by Engadget adds the following: “As for the tablet … obviously as a mobile strategy, this occupies a very important position. On one hand there is PC, and on the other hand there is joint venture with Ericsson on smartphone and for the games devices. And tablets fall somewhere in between.

“It is true Apple has led the market, but when we are to enter the market we would like to put a Sony character onto a new product – and that is the effort we are making right now. Therefore I think you can hope for a very good product to come out.”

Engadget read this mostly as a quasi-confirmation of the purported Playstation Phone photos they leaked last week — which was then denied, then not quite denied, then ignored — but I come away from the call with something quite different.

The PSP is, as Kato says, a dedicated mobile device for core gamers. It’s not a phone replacement. The PSP/Playstation’s analog sticks will never slide underneath a mobile phone’s screen without making the device incredibly thick; Sony can replace them with a touchpad, but then it’s really a derivative experience.

On the other hand, smartphones and tablets open devices up to all sorts of hardware possibilities that the current PSP doesn’t have: accelerometers and gyroscopes, 3G networking, etc.

This is the market Apple’s dominating in mobile, that Nintendo opened up on the console, and that Microsoft is trying to enter by bringing Xbox Live games to Windows Phone 7.

It’s a natural move for Sony: why make an Ericsson Android gaming smartphone that wedges the six-year-old PSP platform inside it when you can make Android gaming smartphones, feature phones and tablets that bring something new (for Sony) and competitive (with Apple and Microsoft) to the market?

If we’re getting wild with it, as long as we’re talking Android, why not bring a similar game platform as applications for Sony’s products on Google TV? Sony games without having to buy a Sony box — which might explain that giant controller.

There will always be a market for dedicated mobile gaming, which is why the PSP will continue to develop and add features and compete with Nintendo. But in mobile, the market for casual gaming is larger by orders of magnitude. Sony has all of the tools to reach that space and offer something both competitive and compelling.

PS Phone: Sony admits “new product” [Eurogamer]

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Oct 28

Visualize the Game Console Generation Shift

Posted in: Microsoft, nintendo, ps3, sony, Today's Chili, Toys and Games, wii, xbox

“There is nothing more sad or glorious than generations changing hands,” John Cougar Mellencamp wrote in the liner notes to his classic album, Scarecrow.

And so it goes with the handover from the Gamecube and PS2 to the Wii, PS3 and Xbox 360: Gaming systems that we once loved are thrown into the dustbin of history, while strange new devices take center stage.

Here’s one way to look at those market shifts: With an interactive infographic from Tableau Software.

In addition to the console trends, you can watch Nintendo gain market share at Sony’s expense (while Microsoft hangs in there at a steady level).

The data, from NPD Group, is not particularly new, but the visualization is. If you ever wondered what a generational shift in technologies looks like, here you go.

What other tech data would you like to see visualized? Let us know in the comments!

Thanks, Ellie!

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Oct 28

New PS3 Model Has Bigger Hard Drive, Still Awfully Expensive

Posted in: playstation, playstation 3, ps3, sony, Today's Chili, Toys and Games

For the holidays, Sony is releasing a standalone Playstation 3 with a 320 GB hard drive, retailing $350. The same PS3 with a Playstation Move controller, Eye camera and Sports Champions game will cost $400; a standalone unit with a 160 GB hard drive costs $300.

The extra hard drive space is purportedly for games, video and other content distributed over the Playstation Network, but I’ve got to say that I agree with this Playstation Blog commenter:

You know I understand that with DLC content increasing at an alarming rate, we do need the extra space. What I don’t understand is why you don’t just keep all systems across the board with the same amount of memory and have consistent price drops (as technology gets cheaper) instead? 160GB would be ample space for most owners and for those who do a lot more downloading, I’m sure those are the people fully capable and comfortable swapping out hard drives. Honestly if I were a basic user, I’d prefer to spend $300 for a 160GB PS3 than spend $350 for a 320GB. It also causes more confusion for many “non gamer” types. What is the difference? Hard drive size. Really? That’s it?

Many other commenters point out that it’s easy to upgrade the internal hard drive of the PS3, making the savings relative to the 160 GB model nominal. On its own, the Move Starter Pack (controller, camera, game) costs $100.

Meanwhile, Nintendo’s offering bundled units at steep discounts and Microsoft Xbox is selling Kinects and new Xboxes like crazy. Either Sony’s margins don’t permit a price drop or they think they’re fine with the price points they have.

Offering a new package with a bigger hard drive makes sense if you’re cutting prices across the board. All this does is make the high-end bundle with the Move controller look like a marginally better deal.

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Oct 22

Lego Chess-Set Costs More Than a MacBook Air

Posted in: lego, Today's Chili, Toys and Games

How great would it be to make Lego models for a living? Ask Derek Seiple: At least part of his income comes from building and selling these Lego chess-sets on nerdcraft store Etsy.

The sets are made to order: you pay, then Derek orders the Lego bricks and plates and gets to work building. The process could take up to three weeks, which sounds like a long time until you see the numbers involved. The board is 22.75-inches on each side and one inch thick, with squares of 2.25-inches. The king is 4.5-inches tall, and you can choose custom colors other than black and white.

The astonishing part of this set is the price: $1,295, plus $50 shipping. Even considering the 4,000 pieces that go into making it, and Derek’s valuable time, that seems like a lot of cash to us. Cash that could be spend on an even nerdier chess-set.

Lego Chess Set [Etsy via Bits & Pieces. Thanks, Derek]

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Oct 21

Mario’s Anniversary Brings Remote Plus, Red Wii and DSi Bundles

Posted in: nintendo, Today's Chili, Toys and Games, wii

Nintendo will be releasing its Wii Remote Plus controller stateside on November 7, either on its own for $39, or as part of a Red Super Mario Bros-themed console bundle for $199.

Nintendo’s once-red-hot Wii has had trouble keeping up its sales performance. While new controllers including Playstation’s Move and Xbox Kinect are matching much of its motion-capture novelty using different technologies, Remote Plus, price-cutting and Mario nostalgia are Nintendo’s best offers to gamers old and new this holiday season.

Wii Remote Plus combines the original Wii remote and the add-on MotionPlus accessory into a single unit. The MotionPlus gyroscope was released last year with Wii Sports Resort; it adds ability to capture more complex movements and has quickly become necessary for full functionality on most new games. Unfortunately, the extra piece is a touch awkward and managing it can be a pain — especially if, like me, you bought a rechargeable battery accessory that can’t be used with it attached.

The Remote Plus is packed with the Red Wii Bundle, celebrating the 25th anniversary of Nintendo classic Super Mario Bros. It also includes a red Wii Console and Nunchuck controller, Sports Resort and the multiplayer 2-D platformer New Super Mario Brothers Wii, not to be confused with the 3-D Super Mario Galaxy series. It’s a price match with current Wii bundles that don’t include the Mario game and offer the WiiMote and MotionPlus control as separate pieces.

Nintendo’s also offering a red anniversary bundle of its DSi XL handheld with the Mario Kart DS racing game for $179.99.

Nintendo Announces Red-Hot Bundles, New Wii Remote Plus Controller [Nintendo Press Release]

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Oct 20

2001: A Space Odyssey Monolith Action Figure

Posted in: Today's Chili, Toys and Games

Here’s a paradox for you. The best action figure the world has ever known has no moving parts. Zero. It is not pose-able, it comes with no accessories and it has “zero points of articulation.” It is the Monolith from 2001: A Space Odyssey, and it comes from – where else – ThinkGeek.

The block is 0.75 x 3 x 6.75-inches in size, which gives a ratio of 1:4:9, the same as the monolith in the movie and also the squares of the first three integers. It is also fashioned from “semisynthetic, organic, amorphous, solid materials (AKA plastic),” and “May cause strange magnetic fields, action figure evolution, seeing things filled with stars, and/or more (or it might just sit on your desk doing nothing).”

For me, though, the best thing is the packaging, which is pitch-perfect with the Star Wars action figures I had as a kid. The “Kubrick” logo down at the bottom looks like the “Kenner” that branded imports to the UK (the official brand there was Palitoy), and the absolute kicker is the flash, top left on the box: “It’s Full of Stars!”

You can have this plastic galactic enigma now, for just $13, or less than trip to the moon.

Monolith Action Figure [ThinkGeek via ★]

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Oct 18

Pleo Robotic Dinosaur Set for Rebirth

Posted in: robot, Today's Chili, Toys and Games

Pleo, the lovable, green robotic dinosaur, is getting a second lease on life. After going through a bankruptcy that nearly killed it, the dinosaur is set to be reborn with a new skin and upgraded features.

The revamped Pleo will be called Pleo RB and will come in new colors such as purple and blue with slight variations across all models.

“We’re going to change color on the production line and eye color, so two Pleos coming off the line at the same time will look different,” Derek Dotson, CEO of Innvo Labs told the BobThePleo forum.

Each Pleo will now be seeded with a “personality” on the assembly line so off the shelf some Pleos will learn faster, while others get happier faster, says Dotson.

“It will be not only how you treat it that will affect it’s personality, but it is actually born with certain characteristics,” he says.

The new Pleos will have a battery life of up to two hours and an RFID-based “sense of smell.”

Pleo’s comeback will be mark a new chapter in the robotic dinosaur’s rocky history. Pleo launched in January 2007 for about $350. It’s range of motion and ability to respond to human interaction made it a favorite among robot and toy enthusiasts. In two years, Pleo maker Ugobe sold about 100,000 Pleos.

But in April last year, Ugobe filed for liquidation. While that signaled the end for the road for Pleo, a Hong Kong-based company Jetta stepped in to buy the intellectual property rights and other assets for the Pleo. Jetta spun out a company called Innvo Labs, which is now in charge of the Pleo.

The new Pleos are expected to be available later this month but there’s still no word on how much they will cost. It is also not clear if Pleo RB will be sold in the U.S. as Dotson says so far they have tied up distribution for the Asia market only.

Check out the video to see what the reborn Pleo looks like:

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Photo: Pleo (Steve Rhodes/Flickr)


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Oct 18

Jai Alai Snow-Scoop Fling Balls 150-Feet

Posted in: Today's Chili, Toys and Games

If you thought Jai Alai was a fictional sport invented solely for Mad Men and the opening credits of Miami Vice, you’d be wrong. It is in fact a dangerous ball game where a wad of wire and goatskin is hurled at up to 150mph with a Xistera, a shallow basket shaped like a pelican’s beak. The game is based on the Basque Pelota, and this explains its unique weirdness. Everything in the Basque Country, including the language – Euskara – seems to have evolved in isolation from the rest of the world.

Right now you’re thinking “Hmm, 150mph, huh? That would be real useful for slinging snowballs.” Well, I have good news. The 150 Foot Slinging Snowball Xistera is a plastic arm-extension which will fling a snowball 150-feet, if not at 150mph. The ABS arc also comes with a built-in snow-scoop to get a ball of compacted snow that is perfect to throw straight at your sibling’s head and face.

This seasonal “leisure-weapon” should be in stock in a week or so, and comes in a set of two for $25.

The 150 Foot Slinging Snowball Xistera [Hammacher Schlemmer via Oh Gizmo!]

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Oct 15

Virtual Pen and Ink Lets Kids Scrawl on Walls

Posted in: Today's Chili, Toys and Games

The KLEXL is a concept Interactive Painting machine from designer Dario Jandrijic. It tricks your kids into thinking that they are scrawling their childish rubbish onto your pristine walls, and cleanup is as easy as flicking an off-switch.

I was never allowed to draw on the walls as a kid, which was never a problem as my dad always seemed to liberate enough office stationery to keep me occupied. A friend of mine had more liberal parents, though, and his bedroom ended up painted black and with the legend “Alien Sex Fiend” on one wall. Try covering that up when you move out.

The KLEXL is a smart projector. It has an auto-focus lens which shows the actual images, and these are painted onto the wallpaper with LED-tipped pens which are detected by an infra-red tracking camera back on the base unit. To change colors, the kids just tap the pen onto a color wheel on top of the projector.

It seems perfect, letting the kids be as messy as they like without actually causing any real mess. I can see only two downsides: you’ll be training your children to write on walls, and this could go very wrong when you visit a friend who has real pens lying around. Second, you can’t put any of your offspring’s awful, lame attempts at art on the front of the refrigerator. Actually, maybe that’s a feature…

KLEXL_Interactive Painting [Coroflot via Core77]


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