Filed under: Gaming

Microsoft’s 20GB Xbox 360 Pro already stooped to $299, but one particular mole — the same one who correctly called the 60GB edition of the console — is suggesting that further slashing is in store. To be specific, we’re talking about a $199 Arcade (no HDD), $299 Pro (60GB HDD) and a $399 Elite (120GB HDD), all of which should be available at those prices sometime next month. Furthermore, it’s likely that Microsoft will toss out a few bundles in order to reel in the holiday shoppers, though details are sparse about which ones we’ll be seeing. Our take? Hold off just a bit — we get the feeling this here is more than hot air.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Gaming

It’s unofficially official: humans will never, ever stop figuring out new ways to play Pong. Further proof of said statement comes in the form of Cyclepong 2.0, an update to a marvelous project that combines the art of biking with the joy of playing Pong. Put simply, the inventor created an arcade-like installation with a pair of exercise bikes, an LCD screen and customized software that enables a pair of individuals to pedal forward and back in order to move their pixels. For those in England (Suffolk, to be precise), you can actually get in a game for yourself at Southwold Pier, but everyone else will have to be satisfied with the demonstrative video posted after the jump.

Continue reading Cyclepong 2.0 beautifully weds exercise with Pong

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Gaming

While most of the cool kids are off whizzing around courses in Mario Kart Wii, the gurus at Force Dynamics are reminiscing about the one that started it all. Apparently the firm has tweaked its 301 motion platform to actually control the kart in the SNES hit, and the rider’s chair even leaps up along with Mario, Peach or any other jumping character you choose. Sure, it’s missing those absolutely brain-melting Wii graphics (but not by much, if you catch our drift), but we’d probably take a ride in this over an hour with the Wii Wheel any day. Check out the full video waiting after the break.

Continue reading Force Dynamics 301 driving simulator takes on Super Mario Kart

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Gaming

Aside from planning to axe 400 jobs as part of Sega Sammy’s most recent “turnaround efforts,” the outfit will also be closing the doors to its Korean subsidiary. Currently, Sega Korea is “handling the domestic distribution and sales of video game software, as well as the operation / sales of amusement facilities and machines,” and reportedly, the closure will be executed in the name of “global business optimization.” As it stands, there’s no set date for the branch’s dissolution, but just in case your smile wasn’t turned upside-down already, the company also stated that it would discontinue the development of a ginormous $330m arcade complex slated for construction in Yokohama, Japan — if you couldn’t guess, that one’s being shuttered so the firm can “focus its efforts on its core business to improve its performance” in short order. Seriously though, what the hell kind of company would spend $330m on arcade, anyway?

[Via Joystiq, image courtesy of USMC]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Gaming

Aside from planning to axe 400 jobs as part of Sega Sammy’s most recent “turnaround efforts,” the outfit will also be closing the doors to its Korean subsidiary. Currently, Sega Korea is “handling the domestic distribution and sales of video game software, as well as the operation / sales of amusement facilities and machines,” and reportedly, the closure will be executed in the name of “global business optimization.” As it stands, there’s no set date for the branch’s dissolution, but just in case your smile wasn’t turned upside-down already, the company also stated that it would discontinue the development of a ginormous $330m arcade complex slated for construction in Yokohama, Japan — if you couldn’t guess, that one’s being shuttered so the firm can “focus its efforts on its core business to improve its performance” in short order. Seriously though, what the hell kind of company would spend $330m on arcade, anyway?

[Via Joystiq, image courtesy of USMC]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Gaming

Remember that Xbox 360 price cut we mentioned a few days ago? Well it appears that the Financial Times Germany is reporting that this Monday, Microsoft will trim the fat from the Arcade and Pro consoles, shaving €80 and €50 off the price tag, respectively. Of course, right now this is still unconfirmed by the boys in Redmond (or in any other official location), though the buzz in the community does seem to suggest that these cuts are coming. Hopefully if these become a reality, the company will break something off for folks on these shores as well — we need all the help we can get right now.

[Via I4U News]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Gaming

Remember that Xbox 360 price cut we mentioned a few days ago? Well it appears that the Financial Times Germany is reporting that this Monday, Microsoft will trim the fat from the Arcade and Pro consoles, shaving €80 and €50 off the price tag, respectively. Of course, right now this is still unconfirmed by the boys in Redmond (or in any other official location), though the buzz in the community does seem to suggest that these cuts are coming. Hopefully if these become a reality, the company will break something off for folks on these shores as well — we need all the help we can get right now.

Update: See that photo above? it looks like that price cut really is happening. Good news for you, Europe.

[Via I4U News]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Gaming

Sometimes, there’s no way to appreciate something someone else has without thoughts of pure envy. Such is the case when viewing Peter Hirschberg’s elborate, sprawling recreation of the greatest arcade that never was, dubbed Luna City. Imagine 2400 square-feet filled with nearly every classic coin-op game you can imagine — including stunners like Star Wars, Tempest, Tron, Zaxxon, Missile Command, and Galaga — available for your use, free of charge, 24 hours a day. The massive collection also holds gems like the original Pong arcade machine and the Space Wars copycat Space War (based on one of the earliest known computer games), making the assemblage of coin-ops not just incredibly fun, but also a substantial act of historic preservation. Check out a walkthough video after the break, and hit the read link for tons of photos and info. Needless to say: want.

[Via Retro Thing]

Continue reading The 2400 square-foot private arcade

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Gaming

We’re not exactly sure what’s with the sudden resurrection in arcade obsession, but hey, we’re not complaining. On the radar today is a showy Metroid arcade console that was apparently created from the ground up by one astoundingly diligent fanboy. The exterior primarily consists of plywood, lights and paint, while a home-built PC resides within to handle the emulation duties. There’s also a built-in sound system with subwoofer, a 17-inch Samsung LCD and a clay-based Mother Brain to keep things genuine. Click on through to check out an (admittedly lengthy and unnecessarily dramatic) video after the break, and don’t even pretend that you don’t long for one just like it in your abode.

[Via Joystiq]

Continue reading DIY’er constructs elaborate Metroid arcade console

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Gaming

Dream Arcades has been on a rampage of late, and just over a month after we caught wind of its Dreamcade 2.0 arcade cabinet, the outfit is looking to take over our basement with the Dreamcade Vision 120. This multigame unit packs over 145 classic titles such as Centipede, Dig Dug and Ms. Pacman, and comes with a built-in DLP projector that features 2,000 lumens, a 2,000:1 contrast ratio and a 1,024 x 768 native resolution. Additionally, you’ll get a 120-inch portable projection screen, programmable Ultimarc interface card, an authentic arcade control system and HDMI / component inputs that enable users to hook up their console of choice to play on the big screen. Sure, this masterpiece may set you back four grand, but just think how many quarters you’ll save in the long run.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Gaming, Household

Hot on the heels of Gamerator’s stupendous MAME cabinet and AOTS “world’s largest arcade machine” comes a DIY project that gives both of the aforementioned products a run for their money. The aptly-titled IKEA MAME Dinner Table cleverly crams a MAME machine into a standard dinner table, which we’re absolutely sure any warm-blooded mother (and / or gamer) could appreciate. The table can slide open to reveal a 15-inch LCD, Happ Controls and an Ultimarc I-PAC, and while a myriad games can be played, the creator’s personal favorite is the famed Ms. Pacman. Click on for a couple more looks, and then head on to the read link for a slew of pics from the underside.

[Via MAKE]

Continue reading DIY’er stuffs MAME machine into dinner table

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Gaming

We’ve never really watched much of Attack of the Show, but we hear it’s hosted by some nerdy types that are somehow better looking than us — which simply can’t be correct. All that aside, those (debatably) sexy nerds have taken it upon themselves to build the world’s largest arcade machine, and even invited over the Guinness Book of World Records folks to check it out on tonight’s show. The arcade machine stands more than 13-feet tall, sports a 70-inch or so screen, and probably runs Doom. The show airs tonight at 7PM on G4, where hopefully they’ll unveil the specs behind this bad boy.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Gaming

187 MAME-emulated games, a 24-inch LCD, cupholders and a built-in kegerator? If it was up to us, the Gamerator would be the only piece of furniture in our living room. Yours now for $2K on eBay.

[Via TechDigest]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Gaming

Well, it looks like Microsoft has acknowledged what we’ve known for almost a week — the Xbox 360 Arcade is real and shipping. When asked by the Financial Times, Microsoft’s Robbie Bach said the $279 console was designed to draw in gamers who are “more casually focused, they’re looking for a new family experience or they’re more price focused.” Robbie might want to tell the rest of Microsoft that the cat’s out of the bag though — their PR reps are still telling our buds at Joystiq that they don’t have anything to announce.

[Via Joystiq]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment

Those wild ‘n crazy kids over at Dream Arcades are at it again, and just when you thought you had your holiday budget ironed out, along comes the four-player cocktail Dreamcade 2.0 to put you back in the red. This arcade cabinet features an “integrated trackball, lighted buttons, a Windows-based DreamPC and a collection of more than 145 licensed games including classic titles from Midway, Digital Leisure, Atari, Namco and Capcom.” The 2.0 version of the Dreamcade boasts a 21-inch “real arcade monitor,” tinted safety glass and the ability to connect your own console. Sure, it’ll cost you $1,899, but that’s a small price to pay for all this retro.

[Via I4U News]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Filed under: Gaming

C’mon, surely you’ve coped with the fact that Microsoft’s Xbox 360 Core system will likely be replaced with the impending Arcade console, right? If not, now would be a great time for some serious soul-searching, because both Amazon and Toys ‘R’ Us are listing the system on their respective websites as having an October 23rd ship date. Of course, we’re still not sure exactly what ports / extras the Arcade flavor will arrive with, but it’s safe to say it’ll run you $279.99 when it (probably) ships in three weeks.

Read - Amazon’s listing
Read - Toys ‘R’ Us’ listing

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!