Tag Archives: GameConsole

Gabe Newell hints at possible ‘turnkey’ Valve living room system, sees others following suit

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Steam Big Picture TV

Valve has been making a visibly deep push into the living room, but in bits and pieces -- controllers here, Big Picture interfaces there. Company chief Gabe Newell may have just hinted at a more holistic, though non-exclusive, approach in the works. Chatting on the sidelines of the Video Game Awards, he tells Kotaku that any Valve hardware would involve a "turnkey solution" with a "very controlled" environment, not unlike a console. While that's not necessarily the confirmation of the rumored Steam Box, Newell only stokes the speculation further through his eagerness to put Big Picture on Steam for Linux and get that much more control when building hardware. The game developer doesn't see his company monopolizing couch-based devices should it get involved, however -- he predicts more companies will be selling PCs in 2013 tailored for the TV in a way that would favor Steam. We won't consider either a Valve-made gaming box or its third-party equivalents to be imminent based solely on award show banter, but the remarks suggest that at least one of the PCs is more than just a dream.

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Source: Kotaku

Nintendo Wii Mini hands-on

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Nintendo Wii Mini handson

Nintendo's Wii Mini has been a bit more elusive than we thought, but we've at last snagged the entry-level console ahead of its official release and given it a quick shakedown. While it does what it says on the tin -- welcome newcomers and second-system shoppers to the Wii universe -- we've found that there's a few important details to consider beyond just the absences of internet access and GameCube support. Read on past the break for our quick look.

Gallery: Nintendo Wii Mini

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Nintendo Wii Mini expected to go on sale as soon as today at Walmart Canada

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Nintendo Wii Mini

While we can't say that extra-dedicated gamers are tripping over themselves to buy the offline-only Wii Mini, we've got good news for those who weren't looking forward to waiting until December 7th to buy a second system for the kids or parties. Walmart Canada tells us Nintendo's $100 console is cleared to go on sale as of Friday, a week ahead of schedule; our local stores haven't yet received stock, but it's early enough that we're not raising alarm bells. We've asked Nintendo about other retailers and will let you know if additional retail chains get the green (or rather, black and red) light.

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Nintendo makes Wii Mini official: currently exclusive to Canada, launches December 7th for $100

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Nintendo makes Wii Mini official exclusive to Canada, launches December 7th for $100

That was quick. Scarcely two hours after Best Buy spoiled the party, Nintendo is launching the Wii Mini. The crimson console is billed as a Canada-exclusive for now -- we're reaching out to confirm if and when it might go elsewhere -- and is clearly meant to catch those families that find the Wii U (or even a regular Wii) too pricey. To get there, though, they'll have to make some big sacrifices. The Wii Mini cuts out both GameCube compatibility (seen in some regular Wii variants) and, more importantly, internet access; unfortunately, this won't be your budget Netflix box. Still, when gamers in the Great White North can pick one up on December 7th for $100, it might be the ideal fit for that TV in the basement or the occasional party.

Continue reading Nintendo makes Wii Mini official: currently exclusive to Canada, launches December 7th for $100

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Source: Nintendo

Sony quietly gets PlayStation 3 certification in China, we hope for a few more Dynasty Warriors players

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PS3 leads the Chinese workers, comrade

Ever since 2000, game consoles have effectively (if not very assertively) been banned in China. There's already been signs of a warming attitude with official plans for the Nintendo 3DS XL coming this December, but Sony may have slipped out hints of a fuller thaw without anyone noticing until now. A Sina Weibo user just discovered that the 160GB and 320GB versions of the previous-generation PlayStation 3, the CECH-3012, passed through China Compulsory Certificate approval in July -- an odd move when the console couldn't actually go on sale in an official capacity in current conditions. Certification is still far from a guarantee that Sony will actually sell the PS3 in the country, most of all when it's a slightly outdated model of a console line that's edging ever nearer to a replacement. The government certainly hasn't commented on what the regulatory clearance means. If it ultimately leads to more gamers in Chengdu or Shanghai, however, we're all for it.

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Sony quietly gets PlayStation 3 certification in China, we hope for a few more Dynasty Warriors players originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 04 Nov 2012 10:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Engadget Spanish (translated), Eurogamer  |  sourceTech in Asia  | Email this | Comments

OUYA upgrades to Jelly Bean, gives early hardware details to game developers

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OUYA upgrades to Jelly Bean, gives out early hardware details for developers

If you were one of the many who funded OUYA and have been sitting on pins and needles waiting for tangible progress updates, you just received them in spades. The fledgling console builder is on track with its Engineering Verification Test phase (you're looking at a board sample here) and should not only deliver the initial developer kits in December, but include a pleasant surprise in the process -- the Android-based platform will be built around Jelly Bean rather than the originally promised Ice Cream Sandwich. Programmers who just have to start right away have likewise been given a head start on hardware expectations. They'll have free rein over as much as a 1080p screen for their free-to-play games, although they'll have to toss aside familiar Android tropes like back and menu keys, notifications and fallbacks for hardware keyboards. The distinctive trackpad is likewise just a single-touch affair. To us, though, knowing that the console is finally taking shape just might be enough to tide us over until the March launch.

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OUYA upgrades to Jelly Bean, gives early hardware details to game developers originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 31 Oct 2012 16:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Satoru Iwata talks Wii U design, guts a console for context

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Satoru Iwata talks Wii U design, guts a console for context

Nintendo's top dog Satoru Iwata recently sat down with some of his R&D crew to talk about designing the Wii U, and unfortunately, a console was sacrificed in the process. The discussion focuses on what changes they've made this time 'round, including the new multi-core CPU and GPU module, and how they fitted more cooling gear in a body smaller than the Wii as a result. In addition to some nice teardown pics for illustrative purposes, they muse on moving to HD, part testing, case design and how the GamePad is more of a companion than a controller. We don't want to spoil the whole bit, so head to the source link for the full transcript, or check out the gallery below if you just want the visuals.

Gallery: Wii U teardown and design comparisons

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Satoru Iwata talks Wii U design, guts a console for context originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Oct 2012 12:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nielsen says game consoles get men to use TV more: hurray, we think

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Nielsen says game console use gets men to use TV more hurray, we think

We're not sure if we should always cheer figures that reflect sedentary behavior. Still, chalk one up for greater (if superficial) gender equality. Nielsen finds that, as of this past March, men who owned a modern game console like the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 or Wii were using their TVs almost as much as women: while males in the broader population typically spend 37 fewer minutes in front of the big screen every day than females, that gap shrank to a negligible 11 minutes when console use came into play. Unfortunately, the agency doesn't say just what's getting men to tune in for that much longer. Gaming is the most likely culprit, but a raft of streaming video options could have some of those refined couch potatoes watching Hulu or Netflix instead of playing one more round of Gears of War. If consoles have people of all genders spending more time together, we're in favor of it; given that men still spend over twice as much time on consoles as women, though, it's clear there's still a bridge to cross if we want more of a balance in the kinds of TV activity we enjoy.

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Nielsen says game consoles get men to use TV more: hurray, we think originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Oct 2012 13:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sainsbury’s pairs up with Rovi for video service, stays ahead of the techie curve

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SSB

Beloved UK supermarket Sainsbury's is making a big push into digital media, after snapping up e-book retailer Anobii and music company Global Media Vault, it's now partnering with Rovi for a digital video service. Launching later in the year, it'll offer video-on-demand and downloadable copies of "major" film and TV titles, available the same time the discs are available in store. It'll initially be limited to computers, before rolling out to Smart TVs, connected Blu-Ray players, smartphones and consoles. The only question we have is if we'll be able to collect Nectar Points on our purchases -- if so, we're sold.

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Sainsbury's pairs up with Rovi for video service, stays ahead of the techie curve originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Aug 2012 19:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SlingPlayer survey hints at possible expansion to game consoles

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We haven't exactly been lacking in SlingPlayer-supporting devices as of late, but it looks like the placeshifting service could possibly be set to expand to an entirely new area: game consoles. That word comes from a new Sling survey obtained by Zatz Not Funny, which attempts to gauge customers' interest in a SlingPlayer app for game consoles (it specifically asks if they own an Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 or Wii). As you might expect, however, details are light beyond that, with the survey only mentioning that such an app would let you watch video from your SlingBox in full HD, and that you'd naturally be able to control it with your console's controller. Of course, while it does come directly from Sling itself, it is also still just a survey, so we wouldn't recommend getting your hopes up too much for the time being.

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SlingPlayer survey hints at possible expansion to game consoles originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Aug 2012 21:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceZatz Not Funny  | Email this | Comments