Gaming Hardware

The rumor mill has started spinning again, and this time it involves new Xbox 360 bundles that will be released in time for the upcoming, frenzied holiday season. The first of the two would be the Xbox 360 Pro package (which leads me to wonder - whatever happened to the Casual package? Oh yeah, they picked up the Nintendo Wii instead) that will come with both Forza 2 as well as Marvel Ultimate Alliance titles, bringing back memories of the old Sega GT/Jet Set Radio bundle which were attached to original Xbox. This rumor started circulating last month, so a resurface could possibly indicate some truth in it.

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The label that you see above, when read together with a Radio Test Report carried out by EMC Labs on a PlayStation 3 with a new model number, will reveal something interesting - in fact, it could be the long overdue PS3 Lite that everyone has been talking about. Should this piece of news be true, I’m not too sure as to why Sony would want to come up with yet another SKU - as if having two SKUs in the market currently are not enough to confuse customers. Regardless, both documents and a letter from Sony requesting for photographs of the test machine to remain a closely guarded secret can be found at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the United States.

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Looks like the rumor is now confirmed - Sony has finally put its spat with Immersion behind, and after a (presumably) hefty payout, they are ready to…rumble! The Sixaxis controller for Sony’s latest console did come under fire when it was first released since the rumble property was taken out. Back then, Sony mentioned that rumble as a last generation feature, and it is strange to see the company fail to back up its words once again with the revelation of a rumble-capable PS3 controller that has been dubbed (drumroll, please) the Dual Shock 3.

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Word on the street has it that Sony will be bringing rumble for its Sixaxis controller sometime this week, according to information revealed in the latest System Development Kit (SDK) that were sent to developers on Thursday. To elaborate further,SDKs are basically packages of tools that were given to programmers, allowing them to work on applications that target a specific platforms (Sony’s very own PS3 in this case). I guess the tiff between Sony and Immersion being over, it is now time to make sure that Sony takes full advantage of the situation by going back on its words that “rumble feature is not important” and incorporate it into their current console.

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While the Nintendo Wii meant to bring a revolution to the home console scene (and it certainly did that), certain quarters are not too happy about having Wii’s controller arrangement, especially the idea of plugging the Classic Controller into the Wiimote for it to work. While that design flaw (if you can classify it as one - I don’t see any problems with it) certainly doesn’t signal the beginning of the end, it could interfere with your gaming pleasure especially when you have something heavy like the Wiimote hanging off the Classic Controller, supported by your lap. Thrustmaster is currently offering a solution to this dilemma with the T-Wireless NW gamepad for Wii.

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In more ways than one, I might add, where console wars are concerned. With Nintendo’s Wii already doing gangbusters sales across the globe, could the Wii Fit prove to be the killer application? Some people think so, whereas others think that hardcore gamers on the other two platforms (Xbox 360 and PS3) will still be a formidable force when it comes to influencing publishers’ decisions where the types of gaming titles are concerned. The Wii Fit involves a balance mat of sorts, where virtual yoga could take the world by storm.

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Looks like at long last, Nintendo’s Wii Zapper peripheral will finally be released when November 19 rolls around. This long talked about peripheral has been speculated upon by many people to day, and it is nice to see Nintendo release some sort of official statement concerning it. Each purchase will come with Link’s Crossbow Training (yes, it does look as though Nintendo is really big on any sort of Training game these days) and it is animal friendly since you won’t be skewering any rabbits or wild game with Link’s Crossbow. Instead, you will use your imagination to manipulate both the Wii Remote and Nunchuck that are working in harmony thanks to the Wii Zapper.

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Nintendo certainly did move the hearts of even the most neutral of observers when it released the (then controversial) DS and Wii consoles, and this time the Japanese company is set to bring about yet another revolutionary change if their newly registered trademarks are anything to go by. For starters, these trademarks are registered in Japan only at the moment, and will feature the Wii Body Controller at the top of the list. This is nothing but a glorified hula hoop attachment to many, although I wonder how exactly will games implement such a mechanism without resulting in sore hips after 10 minutes.

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Europeans often get the short end of the stick when it comes to new gaming releases, and such is the case the new IM chatpad for the Xbox 360 that will see action only when September 7 rolls around. Unfortunately, the rest of the new Xbox 360 accessory range will be made available only after Halo 3 is released, including the Halo 3 wireless headset and themed controllers. This is purely a marketing move, trying to milk every single penny from your near empty pockets by riding on the hype known as Halo 3. I don’t suppose that’s entirely a bad thing - after all there are certain quarters (namely hardcore Halo fans) who would not mind waiting just a little longer in order to get a matching rig.

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While the Wiimote isn’t exactly the most sensitive of peripherals ever to be released in the world of video gaming, it performs its casual job just fine in order to enthrall gamers from all walks of life. Word on the street has it that Logitech will soon announce a brand new peripheral for the Nintendo Wii which could eventually usurp the Wiimote’s position in the console itself. In a recent exclusive interview, UK and Ireland country manager Chris Spearing let the cat out of the bag concerning this new peripheral which we will elaborate further after the jump.

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