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Silver DualShock 3 controllers now available at GameStop


If you've been looking to color up your PS3 controller collection, you'll be glad to know that silver DualShock 3 controllers are now available nationwide at GameStop. This new color will set you back $54.99, which is the same MSRP as the standard black controller.

[Via Twitter]

Mad Catz SFIV FightSticks in stock at Capcom Store


Heads up! The Capcom Store received a long-awaited shipment of Mad Catz's official Street Fighter IV FightSticks today. Both the standard ($69.95/$79.95) and rarer Tournament Edition ($149.95) models are on sale for PS3 and Xbox 360. (Note: The FightPads are still out of stock.)

Still reading? You must not be interested. These bad boys go fast ... but are they built to last?

[Via Capcom Unity]

This iPhone controller is giving us a bone


Do you ... do you get it? Because it's a bone. Yeah, we were pretty proud of that gag, too. Now, we'd like to take you, the reader, inside the joke, to show you how it was created. Think of it like that Sesame Street short about making crayons, only with lulz. In fact, if you could play that music in another tab, it would be ideal. Go ahead, we'll wait.

1. We looked at this bone-shaped controller for the now accessory-compatible iPhone, and then we died inside.
2. We decided we probably shouldn't suggest that the people who made the phone, 22moo, should themselves die, as they may be completely nice, albeit awful, people.
3. We tried, in vain, to pick up our spirits.
4. Our spirits irrevocably broken, we decided to make the most obnoxious, insipid gag we could think of about the controller and leave it at that.
4a. We also decided against including additional details about the controller, because if you're interested in it, you can go right to hell.

Tretton says PS3 motion controller can work with existing games


It's unsurprising Sony would devise a motion controller, after the gazillions of dollars Nintendo made with its Wii platform. However, as impressive as Sony's E3 demonstration was, many fear the motion controller may signal a paradigm shift for the company. Will hardcore gamers lose out in Sony's (and Microsoft's) newfound reach at the motion-craving casual audience? Tretton doesn't think so. Speaking to CNBC, the president of SCEA promised that the PS3 motion controller (and its games library) will be far more flexible and diverse than what one would find on Nintendo's machine. "Personally, it's very difficult for me to perceive God of War 3 being played with the Wii controller," he said. "It's a different experience that doesn't lend itself to certain types of games. [But] I think our [motion] controller can be used with every game that's on the system now - and every game we're working on."

In fact, Tretton goes so far as to say compatibility with current PS3 games is "absolutely conceivable." Without being able to go hands-on with the device, it's hard to judge. Are there sufficient buttons and sticks to make a 1:1 translation between DualShock and the motion controllers? While it's certainly possible, we can't see many gamers throwing out their DualShock controllers any time soon.

A 'real' Katamari controller


In the photo above you'll see Kelly Farrell -- and she's a hell of a lot smarter than us. The twentysomething created, with the help of hacking collective NYC Resistor, a Katamari Damacy controller that uses a real ball. The big silver metal ball uses an optical mouse along with [technical jargon goes here] to make a very cool controller.

Originally, Kelly wanted to use a full-sized yoga ball, but the rubber was too resistant and didn't play well with the other components. Check out her video after the break to get a more detailed explanation of how it all works.

Continued →

GameTrailers TV promo gives a look at DJ Hero peripheral


We got our first look at the vinyl-spinning peripheral for Activision's mixmastering sim DJ Hero earlier this month but -- well, they weren't very good pictures, were they? Just look at that framing. Terrible. Obviously, someone's never heard of the rule of thirds. Man, we learned about that photographic law during our extensive Pokémon Snap sessions. It's not that hard, people.

Fortunately, a sneak peek for GameTrailers TV's E3 coverage gave us a much clearer shot of the turntable periph, seen in the image above. We get a pretty good look at the crossfader attachment, as well as a sense of the controller's size in comparison to a human lap. Hopefully, we'll get an even better (and more photographically sound) look at the peripheral when we check DJ Hero out at E3 next week.

[Via NeoGAF, thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

Gallery: DJ Hero

Retro Adapter outclasses the Classic Controller

Next month, developer Komodo and distributor Innex will one-up (or two-up, we guess) RetroZone's RetroPort Wii controller adapters with their Retro Adapter. Instead of merely allowing you to use a NES or SNES controller with Virtual Console games, the Retro Adapter features ports for NES, SNES, and Nintendo 64 pads in one $20 device. The adapter, being released almost just in time for the release of Majora's Mask on the Virtual Console, purportedly supports true analog control for the N64 controller.

Innex will be demonstrating the product at E3, and we're going to do our best to get all those new games or whatever out of the way so we can spend some time with it.

White DualShock 3 already in the US: Photo says yes, Sony says no


click to enlarge
We first saw evidence that Sony might be planning to expand the selection of DualShock 3 colors in the US last month, when retailer GameStop listed a silver version of the controller for release on June 24. Now we have a photo, via a tipster, of what's purportedly a US model of the white DualShock 3 already available in Japan -- purchased at a Wal-Mart in Florida. Henry, who sent in the photo, says it was the only one left at the store where he bought it. He also included additional pics showing the rest of the seemingly North American packaging, complete with bilingual English / French adorning the front and back.

Naturally, we got in touch with Sony to ask about this find ... and were told it doesn't exist. Specifically, when we inquired whether this was some sort of "stealth" release, an SCEA hardware PR rep told us, "We have no plans to release a white Dualshock 3." No plans? Did someone not get the memo, or, as our tipster suggests, accidentally ship out something that's not due to be announced until E3?

This is where you come in. If you spot a white, official first-party DualShock 3 in US packaging, send us a photo along with info on when and where you saw it. Better yet, if you find and buy one, send us a photo of the receipt, too. You know how to reach us.

[Thanks, Henry!]

Silver DualShock 3 controller spotted at GameStop


Tired of your black DualShock 3 controller? Well, it looks like SCEA may finally start introducing new colors of the rumble-ready PS3 controller. Games retailer GameStop now features a listing for a silver DualShock 3 controller, with a MSRP of $54.99 and a June 24th release.

A retail listing is far from official confirmation, but GameStop has been a rather reliable source of early product listings. We're all for controller color diversity, so we're hoping this one is real.

[Via NeoGAF]

Author claims video games lead to finger deformities in children


We've received a number of unsightly wounds upon our mitts from certain games -- "Mario Party Stigmata" comes to mind -- but according to author Mike Tomlich, a different kind of "silent epidemic" is sweeping through the adolescent gaming populous: Crooked fingers. He claims the repeated actions associated with controller manipulation can lead to "accumulative damage" on the soft hand bones of gamers under the age of eight.

It's a theory sensational enough to have merited coverage from Tomlich's local TV news station a few years ago, which we've posted after the break. Tomlich apparently has a plethora of research and the endorsement of a rheumatologist to back up his claims, though we still find them a tad suspect. Sure, our hands are gnarled stubs with digits irrevocably curled in unnatural directions, but that's probably from our tireless journalizing, and not our lifelong penchant for button-mashing.

[Via GamePolitics]

Continued →

Mad Catz reports third quarter losses


Following a purr-fect second quarter, sales for Mad Catz's third quarter haven't been so good, as the peripheral manufacturer reported losses of $26.9 million for the period ending December 31. To help you wrap your mind around how big a loss this is, during the same period in 2008, Mad Catz reported net income of only $3.3 million. The company was pretty much down all across the board, with gross profit for the quarter down 16.7% to $10.5 million. Net sales were up, however, to $40.8 million, a 19% increase compared to the same period in 2008. Darren Richardson, president and CEO, places the blame on "provisions for increased inventory reserves, higher royalty expenses, increased costs due to added product development staff and higher shipment costs." In other words: business is tough.

Richardson says the inventory reserves were necessary due to the "uncertain state of the economy and the retail industry." Yet, from here on out, he remains optimistic, placing profit margins "no lower than the range of those experienced in our latest three and nine month periods." With hot items on the horizon like those RE5 accessories, how can the company not expect to do well?

Look out Japan! Red Xbox 360 controllers coming soon


Japanese gamers can finally stop holding their collective breath, as Microsoft has finally announced a release date for the limited edition wireless red controller in the Land of the Rising Sun. More specifically, the company has announced that the red controller will only be sold as part of a bundle with the Play & Charge kit. How is this different from the same bundle that has been available in North America since last year? We suppose the biggest difference is that you can only buy one with yen, ¥6,279, specifically. The bundle will be available in Japan beginning on March 5.

Mod turns GameCube controller into a Classic Controller


This may not be the most groundbreaking mod around, but it's one that would allow you to play things like Mega Man 9 with your GameCube controller. Created by Marcan42, the above mod uses a special adapter which plugs into the Wiimote just like a Classic Controller, allowing him to trick the system into thinking the GameCube controller is a Classic Controller. Check out the video above to watch the mod being used with Mario Kart Wii.


[Via Go Nintendo]

Deals: Guitar Hero III Bundle $40, DualShock 3 $41


Red Octane is having a sale on the Guitar Hero III Wireless Les Paul Bundle for only $39.99. Shipping will vary but it shouldn't be more than $10. The sale is today only and will end at 6PM PT / 9 PM ET. As Gamestooge noted, even if you just want an extra guitar, you can always just sell the game. You can find this limited-time offer here.

In other bargain hunting related news, Amazon has put up their stock of official DualShock 3 controllers on sale. Originally retailing for $54.99, these are now on sale for $40.96 with free shipping. Take advantage of the deal here.

Source -- Red Octane via Gamestooge
Source -- Amazon

[Thanks, Jonah F. and burandon!]

Handicapped gamer can game again thanks to controller mod

What happens if you're a gamer and you're struck with a medical condition which could take away that very activity you so dearly love? We know, it's a tough thought to think of it ever happening to you. But it has happened to someone -- it's happened to PSN and PS Forums user KitsuneNoYume. What's a gamer to do when he can barely move an inch, let alone walk over to the couch and fire up the latest title?

Not deterred by his ailment, the intelligent young lad found a way to overcome his situation. He modified his controller and assigned multiple switches to his fingers, his toes and even his tongue. "Each and every jack has a predetermined function and whichever one I plug into is what's [sic] the switch becomes," said KNY (his real name is not given). "So depending on the game I generally use the left analog joystick directions and the right analog joystick using my tongue."

"The main reason I put this on the PlayStation website was to show people that even the most limited person can still enjoy console gaming just as much [as] anyone else. The controller was pretty easy to make, except for converting the analog signals into digital signals for when I use the various switches. This took about two months to build and get working effectively." KNY wants to know if there are any others out there like him, so he could give them back the ability to game, too. We wish him the best and hope he's enjoying his games. See more pics of KNY's design here.

[Thanks Marcoco11!]

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