Blogcritics Category: Gaming: Gear

Gear Review: Xbox 360 Messenger Kit

Ryan Thompson — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 13:29:43 EDT

Microsoft's solution for text messaging over Xbox Live - and it works surprisingly well.
When Xbox Live came out with the feature of being integrated with MSN Messenger users had a need for a keyboard to communicate with their contacts. This involved needing a USB keyboard, possibly an extension cable and lap space for the said keyboard. Well, Microsoft has answered the call of something smaller that integrates with the controller...

Gear Impressions: Novint Falcon 3-D Force-Feedback Controller, Part 1

Brian Szabelski — Wed, 5 Sep 2007 00:24:15 EDT

Seriously, this is the best thing since the Wii remote. Easily.
For so long, the control of choice on the PC has been the old keyboard and mouse. Few other controllers have successfully appeared, especially those that have been experimental like gyro mice. That was, until now. Debuting on September 18th for $240, and already available on the company Web site for only $199, the Novint Falcon Force-Feedback...

Gear Impressions: Novint Falcon 3-D Force-Feedback Controller, Part 2

Brian Szabelski — Tue, 4 Sep 2007 23:39:07 EDT

So you know how it works... but how does it play?
The GamesTexture Tech Demo - Absolutely mind-blowing. It's the first part of the Novint Falcon tutorial, and if you aren't sold on the power of force-feedback yet, then this will single-handedly change your mind. Each of the many textures felt how they appeared: you could feel the grooves on the bumpy texture, the tension of the ball as you...

Announcement: Short-content feeds

Phillip Winn — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT

Sunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. Two other factors are involved: full-content feeds have resulted in an unprecedented level of content theft, with BC content appearing on many websites, usually spam sites, without attribution or permission. This duplicate content causes a cascading set of problems, not the least of which is that search engines generally aren't favorable to duplicate content, and don't always guess correctly. Finally, our RSS advertising partner is strongly in favor of short-content feeds. We hope that you'll continue to subscribe to BC via RSS, and when an article grabs your eye, it's only a click away, still free on the BC website. Thank you for your understanding.

Console Review: Mattel's HyperScan

Matt Paprocki — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 00:35:06 EDT

If the HyperScan is anything, it’s one of the largest mass market rip-offs the video game industry has ever seen. This is a piece of hardware that should have been recalled based on the quality of the product alone, not due to any manufacturing issues. The HyperScan now sits in rare company with Game.com and the obscure Channel F as one of the most miserable game consoles ever released to the market. Surely this was a concept created by a marketing team and not one the section of the company with the logic portion of their brain firing neurons. The idea, at best, is a solid one. With hot properties such as Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh making millions off their card games and the 5- to 12-year-old crowd, the HyperScan would surely work on the same principle, only the cards could be used in conjunction with a video game console. Kids would land the system with a free X-Men game (on CD-ROM) and six cards. The basics of the game are on the disc. To gain access to the complete game (including a full roster of characters, stages, powers, etc.), they need to buy packs of cards. The rest of the game’s items are held on a small chip cramped inside each individual card. The cards are scanned over a portion of the system, grabbing the data out of thin air via RFID technology. At least, that’s how it’s supposed to work. The games retail for about $30, which is fair based on what you’re getting, not on the quality of the games. The extra cards come in packs of six, and retail for around $15. If there were 20 cards for each game, this might be acceptable. When you need up to 170 to complete the set for each individual game and unlock everything there is to see, Mattel priced themselves right out of the kids market (or the “anyone with common sense” market too). Beyond the need to have cards for each character, they do have a secondary purpose. As you play the games, you’ll save your progress to the actual card, allowing you take to it to someone else who was suckered into buying this thing and fight them using your leveled up character. Again, this is purely a marketing gimmick, as the kid who played the most has an obvious advantage that can hardly be considered fair or fun.The console itself features a bizarre, clunky flip open design. The top loading CD tray is on one end, the overly large red and brightly lit “scan” area sits on the other. Due to the off set weight and uneven outer shell, it doesn’t even sit flat. That can’t be good for the disc drive. There’s no purpose in keeping it closed other than taking it somewhere to protect it, yet this isn’t meant for portability. Without specs listed anywhere either on the web or the manual, the best guess is that the CD drive is a dual speed drive, something PC users will remember being a huge deal about 17 years ago. To load and enter the first fight in the included X-Men game, total wait time is around seven minutes on a good day. No kid is going to wait that long, especially after they learn how atrocious the game is. The hardwired video cable is composite only, and it’s a strange choice given the chance of ripping it out and not being able to replace it. A USB port sits on the back unused, and the shoddy, cheap plastic controllers are beyond clunky. They resemble a PlayStation controller design (even copying the four shoulder buttons) gone horribly wrong. The d-pad is more like an analog stick, even though it’s purely digital input. Only one is included in the box, and there are two ports total. Power wise, the hardware sits somewhere between the Super Nintendo and PlayStation era. It can cleanly handle 2-D sprites with significant depth of color. Backgrounds are almost universally static, and animation barely noticeable on the characters. If the console has 3-D capabilities (and it’s doubtful) none of the four available games have used it. Audio runs off the CD, so music is cheap but clean. Other strange effects with this hardware continue to reduce the redeeming value a consumer would be desperately searching for after dropping $70 for this junk. When the scanning process begins and the system waits for a card, this actually interferes horribly with the TV. It causes wavy lines and distortion, something the FCC apparently missed during the approval process. A secondary issue is scanning the cards themselves. It’s entirely random if the system notices the card being swiped over the target area. While a few swipes are a mild annoyance when trying to continue a game or load a new character, in the midst of a game when you need a special power, it’s a disaster. Also, who had the brilliant idea to include a T-rated game inside a game console that is clearly marked for kids under 12?If there was any success for the HyperScan, it’s not hard to see powered-up cards being sold on eBay for ridiculous amounts of money (assuming anyone cared enough to play the thing). That collector’s mentality was the basis for the product, yet corporate greed squashed this hardware’s chance to survive. If you’re tired of micro transactions on places like Xbox Live, imagine paying $15 for an expansion, with no guarantee that you’ll be getting new content (doubles are indeed possible inside the packs), or even what you’re interested in. That’s the most absurd concept in history of the industry.

Matt Paprocki is the reviews editor for Digital Press, a video game website with an appreciation for the retro side of the industry. The deep game collection which spans nearly 30 systems and 2,000 games line his walls for research purposes. Matt strives to bring credibility to video game journalism, and take it in a new direction to aid the industry in becoming respected with all forms entertainment media.

Gear Review: X-Arcade's Tankstick

Matt Paprocki — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 17:14:35 EDT

Setting what has to be a record for the world's heaviest arcade stick, X-Arcade has released the Tankstick, which more than lives up to its name. Durable, loaded with features, and possibly able to withstand a direct nuclear attack, the Tank is a fantastic piece of hardware for those looking for an arcade experience at home. Taking their two-player dual joystick and adding a trackball in the middle, this latest controller is easily their best. The extra space side to side is more comfortable to use with another player. Buttons are laid out as they are on X-Arcade's other sticks, and remain well placed to go along with enough of them to handle any game you're throwing at it. The trackball is the obvious draw here. Heavy, thick, and set on top of smooth rollers, this piece can handle everything from retro titles such as Centipede to recent titles like the popular Golden Tee series. There are no complaints as to its performance or accuracy, and with a sharp matte black finish, there are likewise no issues with its appearance. Hooking the stick to a PC (with adapters available for other home consoles as well) is a simple USB connection. For this specific model, you'll need two open USB ports to connect, which could be a problem for some. Windows XP and Vista both recognized the piece immediately.The trackball doubles as a mouse, so navigation is easy and accurate. The joystick is recognized as a keyboard, so with some practice, navigating menus in arcade emulator MAME will become second nature without any additional hardware hooked up to your PC. A button on the back of the stick removes the ability to move left or right with the trackball, a easy way to ensure straight shots in golf or bowling games that use a back/forward motion. It's cheap, but it works. Included in the box are two free retro compilations, so if getting MAME up and running seems daunting, you can still play with a Midway or Atari classics disc. These are mostly games that take advantage of the stick's best features such as Smash TV, which utilizes the dual joysticks. The price can be brought into question, as the standalone trackball offered has a usual price of $70 (on sale as this is being written for $50), and the dual stick is $130. For the same price, you can have these pieces separate and lose some of the bulk. The Tank seems geared more towards users looking to slap this into a cabinet set up, not those looking for some quick games of Golden Tee when the need arises. With its sharp look, wonderful functionality, and ease of use, the Tankstick is the way to experience arcade games outside of their original cabinets. With other attachments for the Dreamcast, Xbox, PS2, PS3, and GameCube, it opens up even a larger realm of games to choose from.

Gear Review: Turtle Beach Nintendo Wii W3 Wireless Headphones

Matt Paprocki — Thu, 31 May 2007 11:37:58 EDT

Marketing teams are funny sometimes. Take for instance Turtle Beach's wireless W3 Wii headphones. The box pushes the fact that these can be used for Nintendo's newest gaming console, yet drops the fact that they can be used for anything using a composite audio output to a small portion on the back of the box. Regardless of why you're interested in them, this is a high priced wireless set up, that yes, works with the Wii. Set up is simple and fast, and once into the impenetrable plastic packaging, you'll find everything you need. The headphones, a loose AAA battery, the receiver, and an AC adapter for the latter are tossed in.The receiver is small and easy to fit anywhere you need it to go. However, it brings up a number of technical issues. Using infrared, the range it outputs is extremely short. You'll also need to be in a decent line of sight to pick up the signal. Continuing with the baffling marketing, it can even interfere with the Wii's controller if placed too close to the console's sensor bar. Nicely colored, the headset is non-adjustable and goes around the back of the neck, settling nicely on the ears. The two necessary functions, power and volume, are on the right ear. Both sides are equal weight with the battery inside the left speaker. Audio reproduction is decent, though unspectacular. These are standard stereo, and the bass is flat, certainly not up to par with other headphones in the same $60 price range. To get the signal, the included AV pass through cable is easily connected. It's nice to have the option to have audio coming from the TV and the headphones depending on the situation. During the review process, we tested the set up on a number of devices from DVD players, different audio adapters, gaming systems, laserdiscs, and a PC. It handled everything on an equal level, as it should. While nicely designed, the price is the sticking point. While online outlets carry them cheaper, there's simply not $60 worth of convenience here. If you're buying these specifically for the Wii, then you're money is best spent on a new game and a remote to turn the volume down on your TV when it's an issue.

Gear Review: Turtle Beach Ear Force D2 Stereo DS Lite Headphones

Ken Edwards — Sun, 1 Apr 2007 17:20:07 EDT

Turtle Beach offers a number of headphones for different consoles and PC, so it comes as no surprise that the DS gets one too. It actually gets three, coming in black, white, and pink - just so you are color coordinated with your DS Lite.It is worth noting that these headphones work for the less fortunate "fat" DS owners out there.Nintendo may be offering a mic when it releases Pokémon Diamond/Pearl, but the Ear Force D2 gives you both a mic and a headset in one, and is available now.The DS has a couple games that make use of the mic for Voice over IP (VOIP). Metroid Prime Hunters and the recently released Custom Robo Arena, plus the above mentioned Pokémon games.The Ear Force D2 is a comfortable set of headphones with adjustments for the mic and head strap. When not using the mic, you simply swivel it upwards. The cord also has a volume adjustment dial.Many people don't use headphones when playing the DS, and that is a crying shame, considering the wonderful sound design in this generations of games. The Ear Force D2 allows you to enjoy the game music the way it was meant to be enjoyed, and use the mic functionality in DS games, all in one package - for under $20. This is a pretty good deal.And while it won't help you say "blue" any in Brain Age, it will help with the stares you get when talking to your DS.

Ken Edwards is the Gaming Editor at Blogcritics, and calls Breaking Windows home. Ken works part time for Student Publications at BGSU as the Webmaster and System Administrator. He is also a freelance web developer.

Gear Review: Nyko Dual Charger AC

Ken Edwards — Sun, 1 Apr 2007 15:08:47 EDT

Third parties are always filling in gaps. It is what they do best. Nyko is no exception to this, and the Dual Charger AC does one thing, and does it well.Unlike the Xbox 360, when you turn the power of the PS3 of (or put it into standby), your controllers will not charge over USB. It is a really nice feature of the 360 - the power brick will stay on until the controller is fully charged, and shut off automatically. As much as I like helping the Folding@Home project, I am not going to leave my console on over night to charge my SIXAXIS controllers. The Nyko Dual Charger AC is the perfect solution for this.Inside the wrist-slicing bubble wrap you will find a wall plug (with handy folding prong) that accepts two USB cords, plus two USB cords. The obvious use for this is to charge the PS3 controllers, but it is compatible with other USB devices that use a mini-USB interface - all but one device, however. You cannot charge the PSP with the Dual Charger AC. The USB cord to charge the PSP is different, however, and this product is marketed for the PS3 audience.Simple to use, just plug the Dual Charger AC into a standard wall outlet, plug in one or both included USB cords, and charge your SIXAXIS controllers. The indicator lights on the controllers will tell you once you have a full charge.This is a smart purchase if you have two or more SIXAXIS controllers and only the one USB to mini-USB cord that came with the PS3.

Gear Review: Pacific Design Nintendo DS Lite Street Case

Blake Matthews — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 01:56:02 EDT

If you’re like me, you’ve got 1,001 things to do on the weekends; free time just isn’t free. You’ve got to go out and shop for groceries, take kids places and wait for them to be done, go visit friends or relatives, etc.Now, I'm one of those men who likes my wife to do most of the driving, which gives me a lot of passenger seat downtime in between weekend engagements, and I don’t always want to read while traveling. But I like to do something while in the car, which is why I keep my svelte ebony Nintendo DS Lite handy. Slim and packing pretty good graphic resolution, it’s a great little device. But I needed something to put it and my games into for easy access and equal protection. That’s why I was happy to find the Nintendo DS Lite Street Case from Pacific Design. The Street Case comes in several designs; girl gamers have their choice of a floral pink or pink camouflage and can transport their Street Case with matching nylon canvas wrist straps. For the guys, a carabiner clip easily attaches the green camouflage or grayish/black skull-and-crossbones case to a backpack or belt-loop. My pick was the green cammy case and have been very pleased with its functionality. In addition to the convenience of the clip, its offers a protective velvet lining with easy-open/quick-close Velcro tab, and a rear drop-pocket for game storage. I like this case; it’s small, sleek and not too bulky (much like the DS itself); the green camouflage looks good (even though I'm not a cammy fan); the carabiner clip is a useful accessory; and the Velcro flap is a smart choice. Most of the DS users I’ve seen are either children or young adults and Velcro is easier to deal with on-the-fly than, say, a zipper, which can rip at the seams. I also like that the inside padding is soft and easy on the outside of the DS, but tough enough to protect my investment. I’ve dropped the case on a couple of occasions and the contents were fine.That being said, there are a few areas that could use some improvement. For one, I'd like to see more color options; straight-up solids, like black, would be nice. Some unisex colors would also be a nice addition, as the pink-for-girls, green-camouflage-for-boys can appear to be a bit too gender specific. Also, the drop pocket is designed to only hold two Nintendo DS games. However, the DS is also GameBoy Advance-compatible (in fact most of my games currently are GBA). The pocket as-is leaves you with little room to transport the much larger GBA cartridges and DS games together. A little bigger would be a useful addition. I do like what Pacific Design has done and would recommend their Street Case to anyone who wants a strong, sturdy case for their DS.

Phillips and WCG Announce WCG Phillips amBX Challenge

Josh Hathaway — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 18:55:44 EDT

Phillips Electronics and World Cyber Games announced a three-year partnership and the creation of the WCG Philips amBX Cup Challenge. The World Cyber Games is one of the top international gaming competitions on the planet. The amBX hardware will now be integrated into select gaming stations at the many WCG sites worldwide and gamers will now have a chance to put their skills to the test in this new Challenge.Unfamiliar with the amBX hardware? Designed by Phillips, the hardware is a collection of peripherals designed to add to the sensory overload of today's increasingly intricate games. The amBX PC gaming peripherals enhance light effects, sound effects, as well as vibration and air effects. If the experience of virtually beating the hell out of your opponents was not enough, now it is going to look, feel, and sound even more amazing. I am sure critics of the gaming industry are thrilled that games with violent content are now going to feel even more real, and feel more real in head-to-head competitions. However, responsible gamers with double-digit IQs capable of distinguishing between reality and make-believe have got to be excited. Not only will this hardware make playing the game more intense, it will up the intensity of the competitive aspect of the WCG.The Challenge will be held at WCG sites all over the world and players will compete on systems armed with the amBX hardware. The winner takes home the Phillips amBX Cup.More than one million players from more than 70 countries participated in last year's WCG and more than 24 million people watched the WCG finals, the first-ever live satellite broadcast of such an event. I'm not surprised that one million people around the world competed against one another. I have been known, on occasion, to boost the self-esteem of strangers by allowing them to destroy me at Madden. What I can't imagine is watching people play video games on TV. Think about it. My XBox 360 is connected to my TV. I could just play instead. Granted, the amBX Challenge is about PC gaming, but I think you can follow my logic. Then again, were I a network executive, I would have laughed at and fired anyone suggesting I televise poker tournaments. I guess it shows it what I know when it comes to the entertainment tastes of the world.

Josh Hathaway is Assistant Music Editor for BC Magazine. He is formerly an award-winning journalist and broadcaster and publishes the BC Network site Confessions of a Fanboy .