I round up the standout games at this year’s E3 2013. Jump on in to find out which future titles …E3 2013: The Games to Watch Going Forward
I round up the standout games at this year’s E3 2013. Jump on in to find out which future titles …Tag Archives: e3 2013
I round up the standout games at this year’s E3 2013. Jump on in to find out which future titles …Nintendo Direct @E3 2013: Super Mario 3D World, Mario Kart 8, and Super Smash Bros.
Take your time, this E3 2013 edition of Nintendo Direct comes with big names and big games. If Nintendo didn’t …Unu Android tablet / console hands-on (video)
Another Android gaming console at this year's E3? Kind of, sort of, yeah. But Unu's (née Snakebyte) looking to set itself apart from the OUYAs, Gamesticks and M.O.J.O.s of the world (to name but a few) by becoming the "Swiss Army knife" of the space. The device isn't so much a console as tablet that plugs into your TV, meaning that you can do pretty much whatever you can do on a standard Android slate (which, arguably, you can also do with Mad Catz's device, but we digress).
The tablet itself runs Android 4.2, display through a seven-inch, 1280 x 800 IPS screen. The rear sports a brushed aluminum surface and a 5-megapixel camera (with a 2.0 module on the front). Inside, you've got 8GB of storage and a 1.6GHz quad-core chip. Unu does Bluetooth 4.0 and has two micro-USB ports, a microSD slot and, most importantly, a mini-HDMI port, which lets you turn the thing into a living room console of sorts, by connecting it to your HDTV. If you're feeling fancy, you can go in for the docking station, which does video out and charging -- and also props the tablet up nicely, so you can watch the same thing on two displays at the same time.
Polk Audio Xbox N1 sound bar and 133t gaming headphones eyes-on
Polk's at E3 showing off two new devices it's showing off at E3 this week that aren't half bad looking. Granted, they're not as slick as some of the higher end products the audio company has shown off in the past, but as far as gaming-centric devices go, they're not too shabby. According to the company, Microsoft approached it specifically to create peripherals for the Xbox, leading Polk to give the world the 133t Gaming Headphones and N1 sound bar.
The 133ts eschew the standard external gaming mic for a little nub that juts out from one ear. To mute it, you just click it back up inside the cup. The headphones also feature a mixer that plugs directly into the controller to help eliminate cords and lets you adjust sound settings on the fly. The Surroundbar, meanwhile, was designed specifically with the Xbox in mind, featuring four modes: Racer, FPS, Music and Cinema, so you can switch between gaming and standard media consumption. The N1 is set for a fall release, with the 133t coming some time in Q4. More info in a press release after the break.
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment
Visualized: SpaceX Dragon capsule at E3
There's plenty to look at around the E3 show floor this year, but few if any of the shiny new products have actually been to space. Pretty sad, if you ask us. Thankfully, SpaceX was on hand, showing off one of its Dragon capsules in the parking lot of the Los Angeles Convention Center. The unit that was on display was the first to reach the ISS, bringing along some sundries for the crew, but nothing particularly vital -- after all, it was a sort of test run.
All went well, and the unit landed in the Pacific Ocean, within five kilometers of the company's calculations. Not too shabby. Of course, the thing burnt to a crisp in the process, with a marshmallow-like blackening of its edges (which is pretty evident in the gallery below). We couldn't get too close, sadly, due to the protective ropes bearing a "Don't Pet the Dragon" sign. After all, we don't want any showgoers turning into the Fantastic Four.
Nintendo Announces 3DS and Wii U Games at E3 2013
Nintendo has announced exclusive list of its Wii U and 3DS games to come this year and next year. Microsoft’s Xbox One and Sony’s Playstation 4 may have some competition on their hands. And this...
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Mad Catz F.R.E.Q. 4D headphones ears-on
In keeping with its propensity toward acronymed products, Mad Catz today showed off its F.R.E.Q. 4D headphones. The peripherals are notable for a couple of reasons: first is that the company dumped the line's mic arm for an internal version -- without, the company promises, sacrificing sound quality. Even more notable are the included ViviTouch actuators, which bring rumbling feedback directly to your ears, so you can feel those explosions where it really counts.
We tried the headphones on, and while they were pretty comfortable, we can't say that we were particularly impressed with the promised rumbling delivered via a bass test. Perhaps it was the sound being used -- or that the headphones are still in beta -- but ultimately we didn't feel all that much. We're sure Mad Catz will have that figured out for the final version -- if not, however, they may just serve as cool-looking head massagers.
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment
Nyko’s Smart Clip brings the second screen to your controller (hands-on)
With Microsoft and Sony making big pushes toward a second screen experience via smartphones and tablets, yet another space is opening up amongst third-party peripheral manufacturers. After all, supplemental information is great and all, but how to access it while gaming? Nyko thinks it's got a solution in the form of the Smart Clip. At first glance, the device looks a fair bit like those bluetooth gaming controls we've already seen en masse. Instead, the add-on clips your phone to your controller so you can, say, check out a map via Smart Glass or the PlayStation App without fumbling for your phone.
We played around with the clip a bit, and while if folds in quite nicely, the prototype still has a ways to go, a gentle jostling knocked the Nyko rep's phone right out. Sorry about that. The rear of the arm has an adjustable device, so you can attach all manner of handsets to your controller. There are also two knobs on the bottom to tighten the arm in place -- nice, as it was a little bit wobbly when we first picked it up. Naturally, Nyko plans to have all the kinks worked out when it launches the Xbox 360, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions later this year for $14.99.
Virtuix Omni VR treadmill shows up at E3, we go feet-on (video)
I'm a little nauseous and a bit sweaty. This was my first time using the Oculus Rift. It's the sort of thing you've got to ease into, really -- sitting stationary, letting your brain adjust to the whole experience. Or you could just pop the thing on and run in place on a treadmill in a downtown Los Angeles hotel suite. Your call, really. Just don't come crying to me when you're having a bit of trouble standing up straight, as you attempt to step down from the slippery surface at the end of your session. Have I seen the future? Hard to say, of course, but whatever it was that just happened was neat -- and if you were one of the 2,000 or so folks who got in on Virtuix's Kickstarter, it'll be heading your way in January.
The company's CEO, Jan Goetgeluk took me through the paces of the system, a stationary design he settled on after toying around with a more traditional treadmill model. The Omni is really quite a simple thing at its heart, a concave, slick surface attached to two bars that converge in a circle. The company's designed special soles, as well -- plastic pieces raised at the heel and ball of the foot, with a fabric friction surface on the toe. Walk around and your feet slip. That's about it, really. Of course, it takes some getting used to, and Goetgeluk stood aside as I learned to walk again: lean forward, step down on the heel and let the rest of your foot slide with it. It took a few minutes, and I'm still not exactly an expert
Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals
Mad Catz Arcade Fightstick for Xbox One eyes-on (video)
The M.O.J.O. may be Mad Catz's star of this year's E3, but the peripheral-maker's pretty darn excited to show of its latest massive gamepad, if for no other reason than the fact that the controller made a rare appearance at Microsoft's press conference, the other day -- in fact, during our time in the company's booth, a Redmond rep popped by and gave it a thumbs up (and casually mentioned that Mad Catz happens to be the only company other than his own that happens to have the Xbox One it its booth).
The controller, as you can no doubt tell in the above image, is a bit of a beast -- you may well need both hands to onto it. Along the top, you find six buttons in two rows and a joystick, as well a mystery panel on the top -- something Mad Catz apparently isn't ready to talk about. The controller has a detachable cord on the back and will open up use a button on the front, making it easier to change artwork on the thing. Between the buttons and the sides, there's a lot glowing space on the FightStick. Check out a video of that and more, after the break.
Filed under: Peripherals, Microsoft