Sunday, January 14, 2007

GameStop pulls out creative stops to move PS3s

You've heard the consumer reports: PS3s are in stock (despite short supply)! Tipster Tejan sent in the above camera phone image allegedly taken at a Long Island GameStop on January 5. Notice the retailer spares no expense in promoting the available supply. "Get 'em while they're hot, expensive, and short on games!!!"

Xbox 360 controller on PS3? Blasphematical!

We love all our sibling sites, including the shiny and new PS3 Fanboy which has really been through the wringer during the launch period. They've got a post up detailing how you can ditch your SIXAXIS and use the tried and true Xbox 360 controller instead. It's already able to use the Wiimote, now this -- so what's next? Atari 2600 controllers and laser pointers?

Anyhow, nice hack. If they can just make the rumble work on the PS3, that would be slammin'.

Nyko's PS3 and Wii charging stations

Until such time when mini fusion reactors are built into our wireless controllers, we will sadly be forced to buy batteries and recharge. As we reported yesterday, Nyko has developed a much needed Wii-mote dock with rechargeable NiMH batteries. A nice place to stick our Wii-motes and charge them at the same time. Suggested cost for the Wii recharge station is $29.99 USD.

Nyko's PS3 charge base is designed to hold four Emmy-winning Sixaxis wireless controllers. The PS3 base comes with a six foot standard wall plug, to not take up any USB ports or force you to leave your system on. The charge base for the PS3 is suggested to cost $39.99 USD. We can't help but wonder what cost there was in manufacturing -- or hidden cost in licensing -- that made this glorified wall outlet $10 more than the Wii station, which does the same thing but gives you two rechargeable NiMH "rubberized" battery packs. If you want to just full-on skip the docking station, Nyko also has a 10 foot long charge link for $14.99 that allows gamers to keep playing while they recharge their Sixaxis controller.

The second Xbox 360 (with HDMI): introducing "Zephyr"

Wow. This really takes us back to when we thought the Xbox 360's AV port was capable of digital out and it was only a matter of time before Microsoft released a proper HDMI adapter. Then came rumblings of a revised motherboard with an HDMI port located underneath the AV port (hmm ... curiously like the image above). Then back came the rumors about that HDMI cable.

Now, thanks to the above image nabbed by our buddies at Engadget, what's purported to be the second Xbox 360 (codenamed "Zephyr") can be seen rocking a dedicated HDMI port, for pain free 1080p. Also rumored to be included in the Xbox 360 v2 is a 120GB HDD, making those high-def downloads a little more palatable. No word on whether they're going to drop the comically priced $100 WiFi adapter and build that in as well, but the WiFi mounting brackets on the back aren't very reassuring. Although Engadget's insider says we can expect it "soon" we're left wondering about those smaller 65nm processors that were recently delayed. Are we gonna have to wait for Xbox 360 v3 for a cooler, quieter 360?