Project Natal recognizing retail shelves in 2010, says Ballmer (update: maybe not)

Despite our incessant pleading, not a soul at Microsoft — including newly-minted media darling Kudo Tsunoda — would give up a release window for Project Natal, except to say “not in 2009.” Well, at least we know we won’t be waiting too far into the future. Company CEO and cheerleader Steve Ballmer told attendees to his speech at The Executives Club of Chicago today that the Xbox 360 motion control interface is coming in 2010. That’s still a large timeframe, but hey, at least you can go ahead and start planning your block-breaking 2011 New Year’s Eve party now.

Update: Looks like Steve might’ve spoken out of turn. Microsoft just us over an official statement reiterating that they “have not confirmed a launch date at this time.” Full reading after the break.

Continue reading Project Natal recognizing retail shelves in 2010, says Ballmer (update: maybe not)

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Project Natal recognizing retail shelves in 2010, says Ballmer (update: maybe not) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Jun 2009 17:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nintendo unveils light blue Wii remote with MotionPlus, for select Japanese Wii Sports Resort owners only

Just great, more hue-enhanced Wii hardware that we in North America will very likely never get. After teasing us with that kuro (i.e. jet black) Wii and matching classic controller, Nintendo’s announced a light blue sleeved Wii remote, nunchuk, and motion plus set that’ll be given out to five thousand members of its Japanese Club Nintendo program who have registered Wii Sports Resort. Historically, Club Nintendo gifts have only made their way stateside via unofficial channels, so if you’re desperate for a non-white peripheral and using paint is absolutely out of the question, we suggest you keep a close eye on eBay and hope the House that Mario Built takes a cue from its portable line sooner rather than later.

[Via Joystiq]

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Nintendo unveils light blue Wii remote with MotionPlus, for select Japanese Wii Sports Resort owners only originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Jun 2009 18:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Beatles Rock Band books surprise gig at Xbox 360 meetup

Last night Microsoft held an E3 2009 post-press conference event, and while Natal wasn’t anywhere within our reach, we did happen upon Harmonix’s Beatles Rock Band stage, an appropriately cliché setup on the rooftop of The Standard Hotel. We’ll be getting more thorough hands-on time with the instruments later in the week, but for now, enjoy a glimpse at the concert ensemble, blasting forth with (confirmed!) three-part harmony.

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Video: Beatles Rock Band books surprise gig at Xbox 360 meetup originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Jun 2009 07:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Engadget arrives at E3 2009!

We’ve landed in somewhat sunny Los Angeles, just in time to watch the (de)construction of a mountain of miscellany in front of the LA Convention Center’s South Hall. It’s gonna be a long week for us covering all the hottest hardware and gaming peripherals, including DJ Hero, Beatles Rock Band, and we’re thinking a few non-surprises from the likes of Microsoft and Sony. We’ve joined forces with our cohorts at Joystiq in creating a dedicated E3 2009 hub to satiate all your game news needs, as well as keep track of when all the keynotes are going down — but of course if you’re just interested in the Engadget side of things, you know where to look.

Things kick off tomorrow — June 1st — with Microsoft’s press conference, and we’ll be there blowing it out live. Here’s when all the fun begins:

07:25AM
– Hawaii
10:25AM – Pacific
11:25AM – Mountain
12:25PM – Central
01:25PM – Eastern
05:25PM – GMT
06:25PM – London
07:25PM – Paris
02:25AM – Tokyo (June 2nd)

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Engadget arrives at E3 2009! originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Jun 2009 00:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Guitar Hero 5 hits the streets September 1st, one week before the Fab Four

Yeah, you heard it right: another volume of Guitar Hero — the game you either love to hate or love to love — is making its debut on September 1st. This one, Guitar Hero 5, promises a bunch of features that are party friendly, such as the ability to play through sets with no players actively playing, allowing anyone to join in at any time — because we all know how many ragers are built around GH, right? It’s probably no coincidence that the release date comes exactly one week before that other music game, The Beatles: Rock Band. So, which one are you buying?

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Guitar Hero 5 hits the streets September 1st, one week before the Fab Four originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 May 2009 16:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Scratch: The Ultimate DJ controller spins into life

We’ve already gotten a couple of glimpses of DJ Hero’s turntable / mixer controller, and now it’s time for Scratch: The Ultimate DJ and its Numark-designed deck to steal the spotlight for a song or two. The setup pretty much mirrors the on-screen interface we saw in the initial screenshot, with the free-spinning, touch-sensitive turntable on your left and five Akai Pro MPC-style drum pad triggers next to the cross-fader to the right. According to the press release, you’ll actually be able to upload your own samples using a compatible USB mic if none of the pre-loaded jams get you going — and not to worry southpaw scratchers, you can rotate the mixer to the left if that’s more comfortable. We’ll have more of Scratch at next week’s E3, but in the meantime, hit up the press release after the break for more deets.

Continue reading Scratch: The Ultimate DJ controller spins into life

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Scratch: The Ultimate DJ controller spins into life originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 May 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DJ Hero’s turntable, crossfader peripheral spotted in E3 preview

Admit it, you weren’t satisfied by those initial concept images of DJ Hero’s button-laden turntable. Yeah, us neither, but thanks to a screengrab reportedly from a television promo for Spike / GameTrailer’s E3 2009 coverage, we’ve now got a brief glimpse of what Activision’s peripheral looks like in physical form. In addition to getting somewhat of an idea of its size, we’ve also got the first peak at the crossfader attachment. No clue on if that means we’ll be needing a second turntable, but with any luck we’ll get to find out for ourselves early next month.

[Via Joystiq]

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DJ Hero’s turntable, crossfader peripheral spotted in E3 preview originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 24 May 2009 20:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony Ericsson president: PlayStation phone “could happen”

Well, this is certainly one rumor that just won’t die — nor is it likely to, not as long as the company has its hands in both manufacturing handsets and game consoles. According to an article in the Financial Times, Sony Ericsson president Hideki “Handsome Dick” Komiyama discusses his struggle to reposition the company as one the world’s top three phone makers. Among bright ideas and desperate measures mulled over, the man in charge lets slip that no plan is too crazy or far-fetched to consider. Even a PlayStation-branded phone? “Could happen,” he is quoted as saying. And there you have it! Begin warrantless speculation: now.

[Via Unwired View]

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Sony Ericsson president: PlayStation phone “could happen” originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 May 2009 16:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Survey finds Nintendo to be the most reputable game company

It’s fresh from celebrating the Game Boy’s twentieth birthday and solid sales of the DSi, but it looks like Nintendo already has some more good news to boast about, with the Reputation Institutes’s annual survey finding that it is by far the most reputable game company around, and the sixth most reputable company overall. That ranking is made all the more impressive by the fact that Nintendo apparently wasn’t even in the top 200 in last year’s list, and by the fact that it’s the only strictly gaming company on the list at all, although Microsoft and Sony come in at 30 and 126, respectively. Hit up the read link below to check out the complete rankings.

[Via Joystiq]

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Survey finds Nintendo to be the most reputable game company originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 May 2009 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Students create CRT emulator, hope to recapture that analog gaming vibe of yesteryear

The retro gaming insurgence seems as strong as vinyl these days, but you don’t see as many people looking for a CRT monitor to complete the set. More likely, they’re playing a HD remake or the original title on a digital screen in more detail than the developers ever anticipated or intended. A group of Georgia Tech students are looking to change all that by modifying open-source Atari 2600 VCS emulator Stella to give players that good ole fashion analog vibe. As highlighted by associate professor Ian Bogost, key attributes such as color bleed, “burned” afterimage, RF-engendered signal noise, and texture created by the phosphor glow have been imitated here in recreating the effect. Hit up the gallery below for pictorial examples while we wait anxiously for video and / or the mod itself to rear its blurry head.

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Students create CRT emulator, hope to recapture that analog gaming vibe of yesteryear originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 May 2009 06:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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