Hasta La Gadget!

3DS owners outside of Japan can look forward to missing out on yet another Nintendo sponsored video service — at least for now. With the help of Fuji TV, Nintendo’s Itsu no Ma ni Terebi (or “SpotPass TV”) will bring a number of short format 3D TV programs to the fledgling handheld, including shows featuring cute animals, sumo wrestling idol girls, and daily tips on performing magic tricks. Like its Wii predecessor, this video service is currently a Japan-only affair, but there’s still plenty of summer left for the big-N to make good on its GDC Netflix promise.

Japanese 3DS to get 3D TV service, North America waits with bated breath originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Jun 2011 04:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nintendo’s tablet-esque Wii U controller raised a few questions when it was announced at E3. Questions like, “What kind of crazy games are going to use that thing,” and “How much will a second controller cost me?” The latter, at least, has been answered. Nothing. You don’t need one. Nintendo’s Satoru Iwata recently said in an interview that games enlisting more than one Wii U controller aren’t being considered just yet — although they are possible. Our very own Ittousai tells us that Iwata told Diamond Online that the Wii U can technically support multiple screen-controllers, but that additional slabs would be too expensive to sell on their own. Iwata went on to say that the console would ship with only one, and that game developers should design titles under the assumption that each console will use a single Wii U controller. Player two will have to settle for a good ‘ol Wiimote, and even Satoru himself admits that there are plenty of those around.

Nintendo says one Wii U controller per console, robs player two of extra screen originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Jun 2011 15:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Exactly as promised, Redbox is today inaugurating a new branch to its media-renting venture with the introduction of video game rentals at $2 a day. There’s a pretty rich and fresh selection on offer, including the likes of Duke Nukem Forever, Dirt 3, and Brink, and you can reserve your copy online before moseying down to your nearest Redbox kiosk to execute the transaction. About 5,000 of those crimson encasements have already been partaking in the testing of this service, but now Redbox is flipping the switch on the other 21,000 across the US and making things officially official.

Redbox starts renting out video games nationwide, charges $2 for your Xbox 360, PS3 or Wii pleasure originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Jun 2011 05:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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While the world breathlessly awaits the Pac-Man reality TV show, the University of Essex held a programming competition starring that other yellow chomper. The Ms. Pac-Man vs. Ghost Team contest pitted 13 competitors from nine different countries against one another, to see who could create the most elusive Ms. Pac-Man or the wiliest ghost gang. The participants coded routines for the titular hero or Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Sue, with organizers then running the programs against one another on the Java-based playing field. The highest single-game score went to Atif, who racked up 69240 points versus DarkRodry’s ghosts, while ghost team Legacy2TheReckoning held RandomMsPacMan to a mere 410 points. Another competition will take place in August, so limber up your coding fingers, Pac-Maniacs. In the meantime, strap on your headgear and cheer on your round yellow hero in the video below.

Continue reading AI competition pits Ms. Pac-Man against ghosts in the Manichean struggle of our time (video)

AI competition pits Ms. Pac-Man against ghosts in the Manichean struggle of our time (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Jun 2011 19:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft’s E3 keynote may have exploded with deeper Kinect support, but nothing caught our eyes quite as sharply as Ghost Recon: Future Soldier’s rifle-exploding Gunsmith demo. A Ubisoft representative showed us how it’s done: separating your arms separates your deadly firearm into a gorgeous display of floating screws, components, and accessories, which can be effortlessly modified, swapped, and replaced with gesture and voice commands. Too picky to decide for yourself? Then don’t: just tell Gunsmith what you’re looking for. For instance, saying “Optimize for range” produces a weapon any sniper should be proud of — even better, we found that commanding Gunsmith to “optimize for awesome” birthed a rifle (pictured above) sporting an underbarrel shotgun attachment. A gun attached to a gun? Yeah, that works. Weapons can be tested in Gunsmith’s gesture-controlled firing range, an engaging shooting mode exclusive to the Gunsmith weapon editor and not usable in regular gameplay. Head past the break for a hands-on (figuratively speaking) video.

Continue reading Kinect integration in Ghost Recon: Future Soldier, hands-off (video)

Kinect integration in Ghost Recon: Future Soldier, hands-off (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Jun 2011 07:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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