With the Playstation 3 lacking force feedback (aka rumble), PS3 gamers are going to have to look, or hear, elsewhere. eDimensonal's AudioFX Force Feedback Gaming Headset adds the rumble experience to the PS3, through rumble sensations from the headset's ear padding. Developed as a PC gaming headset for FPS gamers, the AudioFX Headset uses audio and environmental cues to provide the rumbling sensation around your ear. Hums of machinery, explosions and gun blasts can be felt.
The headset is powered via a USB port, which is available on Playstation 3 consoles. Vibration intensity and sound levels can be adjusted via a controller on the headset's cable. When we attempted to hookup the AudioFX to a Xbox 360 USB port, the vibration and sound levels could not be adjusted so it seems like the PS3 has better compatibility with the headset. A microphone is attached to the headset as well, but was not detected by the PS3's audio input settings.
Resistance: Fall of Man and the Motorstorm demo worked great with it, as well as Blast Factor. Give it a try if you are missing the rumble!
Games from the 90's luxury (or pricey) gaming machine, Neo-Geo, will be coming to the Playstation 3. In a report on QJ.net, SNK Game Titles Director Soichiro Hosoya reveals that Sony has approved SNK's propostion to deliver its games through the PS3's online Playstation Store. SNK has also approached Microsoft on releasing its games on Xbox Live Arcade, but is still awaiting a response.
From Hosoya: "Of course, we wish to launch our NeoGeo titles through Xbox Live Arcade but we cannot tell whether they'll accept our offer or not at present. We've been sending our propositions to Microsoft for a while, but it will depend on their policy."
At least gamers will be getting the chance to try games released for the 1990's Neo-Geo, at under the $200 price the game cartridges initially ran for!
Xbox Live's new Video Marketplace sounded like a promising, convenient alternative to video rentals a couple of days ago at its debut. However, two days later and still waiting for a download to complete makes an online rental from blockbuster.com sound much more reasonable.
We've been attempting to download Poseidon in High Definition (720p) since the Video Marketplace debuted on Wednesday morning, about 9:30 am (EST). The download for the 98 minute film is 4.5 gigs and is coming through a wired DSL line into the Xbox 360. In comparison to game demos that have been downloaded from the Xbox Marketplace, the downloads from the Video Marketplace are much, much slower. As of Friday morning the download is at 65% complete after leaving the Xbox 360 running nearly twenty hours, uninterrupted by gameplay.
From Major Nelson's blog:"We strongly encourage all folks who have experienced an error message or did not receive a download they purchased to call customer support at 1-800-4MYXBOX. I also want to mention that if you see the ‘Points have been deducted from your account…’ message when you are trying to download free content, we are NOT deducting points. Thanks for your patience, and please know that the team is prepared to make things right for those affected, including refunding Microsoft Points where appropriate and as quickly as possible."
Hopefully Microsoft can resolve the Video Marketplace downloading speeds, but at this time, I'll be sticking to my Xbox 360 HD DVD drive and blockbuster.com HD DVD rentals rather than keep checking on my sinking Poseidon HD movie download.
PSone games will be coming soon to your PSP, via downloads on the new Playstation 3 console. Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) has announced the pricing for the retro PSone titles on the PSP.
The initial release of games will run from $5.99 to $10.99. Games may be downloaded via the PS3 through the Playstation Store and then transferred through a Memory Stick Duo Card to the PSP.
Specific games have not been confirmed yet, but expect a steady release of PSone games in the coming weeks. Sony Japan has 10 PSone games currently available online. The PSone titles in Japan include: Arc the Lad, Biohazard (Resident Evil) Director's Cut, Bishi Bashi Special, Jumping Flash, Konami Antiques MSX Collection Vol. 1, Konami Antiques MSX Collection Vol. 2, Minna no Golf 2, Silent Bomber, Tekken 2.
Amazon.com will be selling 1,000 Xbox 360 Core consoles tomorrow for $100. If you manage to be among the 1000 to sign into amazon.com (no doubt, they will get massive traffic), you will score a $299 Xbox 360 Core Unit for $199 less than the retail price. The Xbox 360 Core console includes:
- Xbox 360 console
- One wired controller
- Detachable faceplate
- Xbox Live Silver membership
- Standard Composite AV cables
Microsoft has just opened the door to its "Video Marketplace." TV shows and movies (in both standard and high definition) are directly delivered to your Xbox 360's Harddrive. What's the price (or points) per download? Here's a breakdown of how much each format will cost you:
High-definition TV shows: 240 Microsoft Points per episode ($3)
Standard-definition TV shows: 160 Microsoft Points per episode ($2)
New release movies in high definition: 480 Microsoft Points ($6)
Standard-definition new release movies: 320 Microsoft Points ($4)
Classic feature films in high definition: 360 Microsoft Points ($4.50)
Standard definition films: 240 Microsoft Points ($3)
After purchasing a high-definition TV show or movie, you can download the standard-definition version at no additional charge.
The first batch of flicks and shows currently available on the Xbox Live Video Marketplace include:
CSI, CSI: Miami, CSI: New York, NCIS, and Star Trek from CBS.
Chappelle’s Show, Drawn Together, and Emmy and Peabody award-winning South Park from COMEDY CENTRAL.
Pimp My Ride and Punk’d from MTV.
Avatar: The Last Airbender and SpongeBob SquarePants from Nickelodeon.
Skyland and Invader Zim from Nicktoons Network.
Chinatown, Star Trek VII: Generations, Patriot Games, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, The Sum of All Fears, The Untouchables, and We Were Soldiers from Paramount Pictures.
Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Frisky Dingo, Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law, Sealab 2021, and The Venture Bros. from Turner Broadcasting.
Some of the most intense fights from Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Breaking Bonaduce and Hogan Knows Best from VH1.
Perfect Storm, Poseidon, The Shining, Three Kings, and V for Vendetta, as well as The Nine and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip along with the CW show Veronica Mars from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.
A high-definition movie is about 4.5 gigs in file size (easily eating up a considerable chunk of your 14 gig Xbox harddrive). Although Microsoft has denied rumors of a larger harddrive, if they want its gamers to keep purchasing films and shows, surely they will offer a larger capacity drive in the near future.
UPDATE: Since its debut yesterday morning, we've been trying to download one high definition movie. It's still downloading today and as of this afternoon, it is about 63% complete. We'll see if it arrives by day three, but if this is any indication of the kind of download time it will take to get an HD movie, you are better off with the HD DVD drive and Netflix/Blockbuster.com.
Looks like retailers will be releasing a second shipment of Playstation 3 and Wii consoles during Black Friday. A report on wired.com (here) says PS3s will be available at retail stores this Friday.
From an official statement from Sony: "Sony Computer Entertainment America couldn’t be more pleased with the response we have seen from consumers since the launch of PLAYSTATION 3 on Friday. This truly demonstrates the power of the PlayStation brand and further validates our belief that consumers see real value in an entertainment system that will define the next decade of digital entertainment. At this point, we are focused on getting as many new PS3s to the North American market as possible for the holidays, including airlifting systems to the territory on a constant basis. With PS3 manufacturing now running smoothly and product being aired in weekly, we're focused on our goal of shipping a million units to retail by the end of the calendar year. Due to the immediate nature of these shipments, we will not be providing weekly updates on North American supplies."
On the Nintendo front, the Wii will be available at retailers as well, according to reports on sites such as Codenamerevolution.com and Qj.net. Best Buy is said to have units in the stockroom, ready to go this Friday.
Make sure you eat a good Thanksgiving meal before heading out to the lines and shopping crowds on Friday! And don't forget to check out our latest podcast and first impressions report on the PS3 and Wii!
Gather your Xbox Live gaming friends for a Thanksgiving Day frag feast. Capcom's eagerly anticipated "Lost Planet: Extreme Condition" Multiplayer Demo for the Xbox 360 will be available for download from the Xbox Live Marketplace tomorrow, November 23rd. The demo will take place in the "Pirate Fortress" stage with support for up to 16 players.
In contrast to the traditional "Black Friday" shopping madness after Thanksgiving, a "White Friday" preorder offer has been declared by Capcom, in which retailers will reward "advanced purchasers with access to a special version of the demo that will contain an additional multiplayer map."
Capcom will also be releasing a cinematic trailer of Lost Planet: Extreme Condition in theatres soon (mid-November). Watch a video of a multiplayer clip below! Visit the official Lost Planet: Extreme Condition web site here. Looks like Capcom has another killer Xbox 360 title in its hands!
OneOrbit and Rivithed share their PS3 and Wii launch experiences and impressions with the new next-gen gaming consoles in this 16 minute podcast.
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