Nintendo recently announced its upcoming titles for the Virtual Console in Japan, and amidst a number of boring games, one Nintendo 64 classic made the list: Super Smash Bros.
The original party-friendly fighter will make its way to the Japanese Virtual Console in January, carrying the slightly premium price of 1400 Wii Points ($14), according to Wiifanboy.
Though its Japanese release doesn’t guarantee a US release for Smash Bros. anytime soon, it certainly increases the odds that we’ll have it within a few months.
Sony’s PlayStation 3 hardware costs $391.62 less to manufacture now than when it launched in November 2006, according to estimates from research firm iSuppli.
iSuppli believes that a PlayStation 3 currently costs Sony $448.73 to produce. In mid-2007, it was at $690.23. At launch, it was $840.35 for the $599 60GB unit. It was not specified which PS3 model–the $399 80GB or the $499 160GB unit–was used in its most recent cost analysis, though the firm referenced the $399 price point.
Rumors have circulated that Sony may drop the PlayStation 3’s price at the start of its next fiscal year in April 2009, with at least one analyst putting stock in those beliefs.
The 47% reduction in per-unit costs comes from lower component prices, as well as revisions that have reduced the amount of components by an estimated 30%. The firm claims that the first…
We’ve seen some goofy looking PS3 accessories — including Sony’s recent
Wireless Keypad for the PS3 — but this one looks like a little bit of crazy mixed with a dab of mediocrity. A product of unknown make, the creatively dubbed “PS3 3-in-1 Wireless keyboard controller remote” certainly
looks like it could function in a mind-blowingly awesome fashion — though we haven’t yet gotten our hands on an actual unit yet, so we can’t say for sure. It’s available now for an inviting
$28.52.
[Thanks, Craig]
Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals
Wireless keyboard / controller / remote control for PS3 could make your day / week / month originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Dec 2008 12:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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The PlayStation 3’s free “3D social gaming community” service PlayStation Home will retain its “open beta” label for quite a while, according to Home director Jack Buser.
“We quite like the name ‘open beta,’ so you can expect us to stay in open beta for some time,” the Sony employee said in a Kotaku video podcast. “Whether we ever exit out of that into some other phase of our existence, that’s [to be determined].”
Buser explained that “open beta” is “sort of synonymous with our idea of launch, in that we really want to emphasize that what you see in Home on any particular day i…
The PlayStation 3’s free “3D social gaming community” service PlayStation Home will retain its “open beta” label for quite a while, according to Home director Jack Buser.
“We quite like the name ‘open beta,’ so you can expect us to stay in open beta for some time,” the Sony employee said in a Kotaku video podcast. “Whether we ever exit out of that into some other phase of our existence, that’s [to be determined].”
Buser explained that “open beta” is “sort of synonymous with our idea of launch, in that we really want to emphasize that what you see in Home on any particular day i…
Xbox 360 owners can today march play along to a different tune, as new Rock Band 2 and Guitar Hero World Tour tracks are now available through the Xbox Live Maretplace.
As is normal, each downloadable song sells individually for 160 Microsoft Points ($2). The European Track Pack 2 for Guitar Hero is also available in a 440 MS Point bundle, which translates to $5.50–a savings of $0.50 over bu…
Looking to mix in some illegal ROM downloading action with your standard PMP activities? Oppo’s got your number with the Muse G11, confirmed back in September and just now getting a few more details. The swiveling 3.2-inch, 432 x 240 touchscreen device offers a scant 4GB of storage, low for its $161 asking price, but support for extensive audio and video formats, text to speech capabilities, and integrated FM tuning make it a bit more functional than your average media player. Of course its biggest draw will be among the gaming community thanks to its d-pad and dedicated buttons, but we still don’t have any confirmation of what sort of games it’ll support out of the box — nor any idea of when we might be able to get our hands on one.
[Via PMP Today]
Filed under: Gaming, Handhelds, Portable Audio, Portable Video
Oppo’s Muse G11 is more portable than an SNES, cheaper than an iPod Touch originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Dec 2008 10:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Apparently impressed by the stunning success (and $157 winning bid) of his earlier Wii64, the modder who goes by the name n8bog is back with another brute-force console hybrid, this time shoving an entire Xbox 360 into a disused PS3 case. We wouldn’t say it’s a perfect fit, as there’s been a rather large hole cut into the front to allow access to the tray, and that HDD just laying on top of the DVD-ROM looks a bit precarious, but if you have a hankerin’ for something Microsoft but prefer the look of something Sony (or just really like gratuitous neon) all this can be yours at a starting bid of just $100. Any takers?
Filed under: Gaming
Xbox 360 + PS3 case + many Dremel bits = PS360 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Dec 2008 10:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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After my immune system successfully survived the numerous holiday-related social activities, I’ve been defeated by the crazy weather. I thought I safe at 60 degrees F, but that torrential downpour was too much, and after getting drenched Saturday, I’m sick.
On the plus side, being sick gave me the chance to start and subsequently beat the new Prince of Persia this weekend. That whole not being able to die thing didn’t bother me much, as it basically amounted to a checkpoint system, and the platforming was pretty good, if a bit simple. There were even some tricky spots that had me swearing!
I’m also glad that the game reduced focus on combat, because I didn’t care much for the new dial-a-combo combat system. It seemed less about skill or reflex, and more about discovering and memorizing these long combos to do the most damage.
And if you want a pat on the back, Mr. Ben Mattes, let’s talk about the …
Zonk pointed out an interesting video presentation by Shamus Young on the importance of the new Prince of Persia, calling it the most innovative game of 2008. Young brings up the fact that many of today’s games punish failure by wasting the player’s time; being sent back to a check point, the beginning of a level, or sometimes even further. This cuts into the amount of time players have to enjoy the meat of the game — the current challenge they have to overcome. Unfortunately, as Young notes, modern controllers are designed for players who have been gaming since they were kids, and have evolved to be more complicated to operate than an automobile. The combination of these factors therefore limits or prevents the interest of new players; a problem Prince of Persia has addressed well through intuitive controls and the lack of punitive time sinks.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
