Sep 15

DJ Hero controller hands-on faceoff with an SL-1200MK2

Posted in: controller, Features, hands-on, HandsOn, Today's Chili, xbox, xbox 360, Xbox360

Activision was kind enough to send over an early evaluation copy of DJ Hero, and while we haven’t had a chance to dive deeply into the game yet, we thought you might want to see how the controller itself stacks up against one of our Technics SL-1200MK2s. As you might expect, compared to the legendarily tank-like construction of the MK2, the DJ Hero controller looks and feels exactly like the plastic game controller it is, although the wheel itself is nice and weighty and the buttons are pleasantly clicky. We definitely have some doubts about how this is all going to work when actually trying to mix tunes together, but we’re eager to try it out — in the meantime, hit the gallery for the full set of pics.

Gallery: DJ Hero hands-on faceoff with Technics SL-1200

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DJ Hero controller hands-on faceoff with an SL-1200MK2 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Sep 2009 13:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 15

Zune HD gaming and app downloads confirmed: Twitter, Facebook, and 3D games on the way (updated)

Posted in: apps, breaking news, BreakingNews, gaming, Microsoft, Today's Chili, twitter, xbox, xbox 360, Xbox360, zune, zune hd, ZuneHd

The promotional video and leaked shots already made it clear but now it’s official: the Zune HD will be a gaming and application platform. In addition to a few casual games, calculator and MSN Weather apps pre-loaded onto the Zune HD, the official Microsoft press release touting the launch contains this little nugget of gaming gold:

“Later this year, Zune plans to release free applications such as Twitter for Zune and Facebook for Zune, in addition to fun 3-D games such as “Project Gotham Racing: Ferrari Edition,” “Vans Sk8: Pool Service” and “Audiosurf(TM) Tilt.” Games can be added to Zune HD via Zune Marketplace over the Wi-Fi connection or when connected to the Zune PC software.”

Hear that Nintendo, Sony, and Apple? There’s a new handheld gaming platform in town. All that remains to be seen is how it will integrate with the Xbox 360.

Update: A bit more is revealed in a Seattle Times Q&A with Brian Seitz, Microsoft’s Zune marketing manager. At the moment, the strategy is to keep all the apps and games free and developed in-house or in close collaboration with third parties — no third-party SDK for devs to freely crank out apps just yet. Seitz is clear that games will be the primary focus of the “sometimes-connected” Zune HD and the Windows Marketplace is Microsoft’s priority for handheld app development:

“So what we didn’t want to do was build two parallel app store experiences that didn’t work together. Right now our product roadmaps didn’t line up perfectly for us to snap to what they’re doing or vice versa… Down the road if there’s a way we can work with Windows Mobile or another group inside the company that’s building an app store and take advantage of that, that’s something we’ll look into.”

Man, Windows Mobile 7 and the rumored OneApp app store can’t get here soon enough.

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Zune HD gaming and app downloads confirmed: Twitter, Facebook, and 3D games on the way (updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Sep 2009 03:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 15

Xbox 360 802.11n WiFi adapter floats through the FCC

Posted in: adapter, Microsoft, Today's Chili, wifi, Wireless, xbox, xbox 360, Xbox360

See those two antennas? They can only mean one thing: lickity-quick 802.11n WiFi on Microsoft’s unannounced Xbox 360 adapter. Of course, the FCC label reads, “Xbox 360 wireless N networking adapter,” leaving little doubt as to its purpose. A spec bump that should push the raw data rate to at least twice what you’ve seen on 802.11b/g networks while offering more options for placement thanks to improved range. What, you do have an 802.11n network at home, right? It’s IEEE official now, you know?

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Xbox 360 802.11n WiFi adapter floats through the FCC originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Sep 2009 01:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 13

Harmonix auctions off custom Beatles Xbox for charity, free publicity

Posted in: awesome, Today's Chili, xbox, xbox 360, Xbox360
We’re sure you’ve already heard about the kerfuffle surrounding the use of Kurt Cobain’s likeness in a Guitar Hero avatar. Maybe it’s a generational thing (or maybe it speaks to the difference between the temperaments of Ms. Ono and Ms. Love) but while the former members of Nirvana are not amused by their treatment at the hands of videogame consoles ’round the world, it’s nearly unanimous in the Beatles camp: Beatles Rock Band is awesome. If you’re looking to indulge your Fab Four fixation — and if money’s no object — you might want to head on over to eBay and peep the first of fifty Xbox 360s being auctioned off for by Harmonix. Bidding started off at $780, but as of Sunday afternoon it’s over $17,000 — with over four days left to go! Designed by Passion Pictures (the kids responsible for animating Gorillaz), proceeds go to Doctors without Borders. Please insert your own Courtney Love joke here.

Gallery: Harmonix auctions off custom Beatles Xbox for charity, free publicity

[Via T3]

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Harmonix auctions off custom Beatles Xbox for charity, free publicity originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 Sep 2009 21:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 11

Mad Catz Modern Warfare 2 peripherals break cover, reveal pricing

Posted in: controller, keyboard, mouse, PC, peripheral, Peripherals, playstation 3, Playstation3, Today's Chili, xbox 360, Xbox360

You should already have a pretty good idea of what extra sauce Mad Catz will be bringing to Modern Warfare 2’s November 10 release, but here are some up close and personal snaps of the hardware anyway. Monochromatic camo patterns — all the rage in that war-torn near-future world — are evident throughout and will cost you a cent under $50 for either of the Xbox 360 or PS3 Combat Controllers, the Combat Keyboard or Sniper Mouse, or a cool hundred for the Elite Keyboard with a blood-red backlight. And if you want to spruce up your current hardware, gamepad faceplates and Xbox 360 Skinz will be available for $15 and $30, respectively. Feeling like a badass comes as a free extra.

Gallery: Mad Catz Modern Warfare 2 peripherals

[Via Joystiq]

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Mad Catz Modern Warfare 2 peripherals break cover, reveal pricing originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 Sep 2009 04:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 08

PS3 Slim sales up nearly 1000% in the UK, Noel quits Oasis (again)

Posted in: Microsoft, nintendo, nintendo wii, NintendoWii, playstation 3, Playstation3, ps3, sales, sony, Today's Chili, wii, xbox, xbox 360, Xbox360

It looks like Engadget editors aren’t the only folk who prefer technology that’s slimmer, cheaper, and better. According to an article at GamesIndustry.biz, a group that charts retail sales in the UK is saying that sales of the PS3 increased over 999 percent in the week since its British debut of the newer, slimmer form factor. And if that wasn’t good news enough for Sony, the console has also outsold the DS, Wii and Xbox 360 by approximately 3:1. Although the last time it was the lead hardware format in the UK was the first week of 2008, the PS3 has never lagged as far behind the others as it has Stateside. But still — a near 1000 percent increase? If true, that makes the States’ 104 percent increase seem lackluster in comparison. Then again, maybe the Brits never realized that Disney Sing It! High School Musical 3 is available on platforms other than the PlayStation. That could explain a lot of things, actually…

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PS3 Slim sales up nearly 1000% in the UK, Noel quits Oasis (again) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 Sep 2009 10:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 04

New study finds close to one quarter of Xbox 360s fail within two years

Posted in: console, nintendo, nintendo wii, NintendoWii, ps3, sony, study, Today's Chili, wii, xbox, xbox 360, Xbox360

Sure, it’s not exactly news to hear that the Xbox 360 is the most unreliable console of the big three, but just how unreliable is it? Now there’s a point of contention. The good news for Microsoft, of sorts, is that a new study from SquareTrade found that just 23.7% of Xbox 360 consoles failed within the first two years of ownership, which is actually a fair bit better than some of the previous numbers that topped 50%. The study also found that 10% of PlayStation 3 users reported a system failure, compared to a mere 2.7% of Wii owners. The Wii actually fared the worst when it came to power and remote control issues, however, while the most common problems with the Xbox 360 and PS3 were disc read errors and output issues. For its part, while Microsoft hasn’t responded to this particular study, it has previously pointed to its “best warranty in the industry” to reassure its users and, of course, to its more recently-produced consoles, which are less likely to buckle under the pressure of a marathon Call of Duty session.

[Via InformationWeek]

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New study finds close to one quarter of Xbox 360s fail within two years originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Sep 2009 14:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 04

PS3 and Xbox 360 hardware sales jump last week amid price cuts, both beat Wii for once

Posted in: Microsoft, nintendo, nintendo wii, NintendoWii, playstation 3, Playstation3, ps3, sales, sony, Today's Chili, wii, xbox, xbox 360, Xbox360
PS3 and Xbox 360 hardware sales jump last week amid price cuts, both beat Wii for once

If you’re sick of hearing your grandmother brag about how popular her chosen console is while she rocks your world in Wii Sports Bowling yet again, maybe this news will finally shut her up. Last week, thanks to a flurry of price cuts and slimming waistlines, the other two players in the console war saw significant sales boosts. Xbox 360 numbers jumped 32 percent over the week before and the PS3 was up an impressive 104 percent. That puts all three consoles neck-and-neck for the American weekly sales lead, each one close enough to 75,000 units that the margin of error more than covers the lot. But, since both price cuts officially went into effect part-way through that week, we’re expecting even bigger surges ahead — and even bigger drops from the Nintendo’s offering as we get further and further away from the release of Wii Sports Resort, seemingly the last game worth playing on the thing.

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PS3 and Xbox 360 hardware sales jump last week amid price cuts, both beat Wii for once originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Sep 2009 09:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 04

Mad Catz ships $300 Fender Stratocaster Rock Band guitar, disgraces real musicians everywhere

Posted in: controller, expensive, guitar, luxury, Microsoft, Music, Today's Chili, Wireless, xbox 360, Xbox360

We always knew something like this was a realistic possibility, but we had high hopes that it’d never really come to fruition. Today, what little hope we had left in humanity has been thoroughly crushed, as the introduction of a guitar controller that costs far more than many actual guitars has occurred. In an effort to truly milk the sector for all it’s worth, Mad Catz has begun to ship the sunburst-colored Rock Band Wireless Wooden Fender Stratocaster, which is a 1:1 replica of the iconic axe that is constructed from genuine Stratocaster wooden blanks. Heck, even the tuning keys and bridge are built from genuine Fender metal parts and fittings. There’s also a wireless module designed to function with Microsoft’s Xbox 360, and just so you know you’re getting your money’s worth, the $299.99 asking price also includes a Fender guitar strap and a headset socket for online play. So, who out there is brazen enough to admit that they’re buying one (or two)?

[Via OhGizmo]

Gallery: Mad Catz Fender Stratocaster Rock Band guitar

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Mad Catz ships $300 Fender Stratocaster Rock Band guitar, disgraces real musicians everywhere originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Sep 2009 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sep 02

Ben Heck realigns Xbox 360 pad for improved awesomeness

Posted in: controller, hack, mod, modding, Today's Chili, xbox 360, Xbox360

If you’ve spent any time on Engadget before, you’ll be aware that we’re big fans of Ben Heck and his tireless modding, tweaking and hacking (or is it Hecking?) of console hardware. The latest feather to his cap comes in the form of a customized Xbox 360 controller, which sees its D-pad and action buttons swapping places in an effort to help a handicapped gamer get his proverbial groove on. The trigger buttons are also flipped, but the pièce de résistance is the inclusion of four extra action buttons along the bottom of the controller that make one-handed gaming totally feasible. Check ’em out after the break.

Continue reading Ben Heck realigns Xbox 360 pad for improved awesomeness

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Ben Heck realigns Xbox 360 pad for improved awesomeness originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Sep 2009 10:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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