Gizmodo: Ps2

PS2 Gets 1:1 Swordfighting Game Using EyeToy

Jason Chen — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 15:20:00 EDT

It looks like the PS2 is going to beat the Wii MotionPlus to market in delivering one-to-one swordfighting. It's using the EyeToy—the camera peripheral released in 2003—to map your motions with a toy sword onto actions taking place on the screen. You'll get "first person gameplay" where "you are the hero of the game," and from the cartoony screenshots, it doesn't seem too bad. Hmmmm. One-to-one swordfighting might be used pretty well in another industry, if you know what I mean. [Dark Zero via Kotaku]

Guitar Hero and Rock Band Controller Mod For Finicky Fingers

Matt Hickey — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 21:30:00 EDT

Guitar Hero fans usually hate the Rock Band guitar controller and vice versa. Instructables has a pretty good how-to that can solve the problem for Guitar Hero fans at the cost of a Rock Band controller. It's a way to mash up an old PS2 Guitar Hero controller with the Rock Band Fender guitar and make a perfect hybrid with raised keys a clicky strum. You could just use an Xbox 360 Guitar Hero controller for Rock Band if you're on an Xbox 360, but where's the fun in that? [Instructables]

StarPex Full-Size Wooden Guitar For the PS2 and PS3

Sean Fallon — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 14:32:00 EDT

Playing Guitar Hero or Rock Band might make the average Joe feel more like a rock star—but the fact that you are playing on a tiny plastic guitar kind of ruins the fantasy. That's where the StarPex comes in. It is the first full-sized wooden guitar for the PS2/PS3 and it features a 10-button design with solo-buttons and an Overdrive/Star Power button, chrome plated tuning pegs, a wired/wireless connectivity option and a modular design that will allow users to trick out their guitar. The StarPex will be available in late August for $179.95.

Peak Products Unleashes Starpex™, the First-Ever Full-Size, Wood, Playstation®2 and Playstation 3 Guitar Controller with the Authentic Look and Feel of a Real Guitar

For those about to rock…Peak salutes you!

Boston, MA– July 16th, 2008 - Peak Products, a gaming peripheral company dedicated to providing the best in instrument quality gaming controllers, announces Starpex, the first-ever full-size, wood, PS2™ / PS3™ Guitar controller with the look and feel of an actual guitar. Starpex boasts an instrument-quality, high-gloss lacquered finish with a hardwood body, neck, and headstock handcrafted by a leading guitar manufacturer giving the authentic guitar experience that Guitar Hero™ and Rock Band™ enthusiasts crave. Other unique features include…

* Full Guitar Hero and Rockband Functionality for PS2 and PS3 – Starpex is compatible with both PS2 and PS3, and allows users to experience the full list of game play features in both Guitar Hero and Rockband, including toggle effects switch and solo button functionality.

* Unique Speed Star Power / Overdrive Button provides the fastest and most accurate access to Star Power and Overdrive. Additionally, built in tilt sensor technology allows users to access Star Power and Overdrive in a more traditional way.

* Optimized Whammy Bar maximizes comfort, provides better feel, reduces fatigue and provides a higher level of durability.

* High Quality Ten Fret Button Design features optimal button travel for enhanced feel, reduced fatigue, and higher score potential. Ten fret buttons means that players have the option of using traditionally positioned fret buttons, or rock out with solo buttons high up on the neck which also provide critical soloing capabilities in Rockband.

* Enhanced Strum Bar gives the perfect balance of tactile and audible feedback to maximize enjoyment and scoring.

* Connectivity Options – Dual wired / wireless capabilities allow players to use a 15’ wired cable or a 2.4 Ghz wireless connection (both included).

* Forward - Thinking Compatibility – Starpex’s modular design allows users to easily separate the electronic components from the body of the guitar which will allow for further customization including new guitar bodies, pick guards, and more.

“With well over 11 million copies of Guitar Hero/Rock Band sold on the PlayStation consoles, we see a tremendous opportunity in bringing Starpex to market” says Jamie Leece, Vice President for Peak Products. “Never before have Guitar Hero/Rock Band enthusiasts been able to shred with a hardwood, handcrafted authentic guitar controller that’s built with the look and feel of a real guitar. This will change the way the games are played.”

The Starpex will be available in Circuit City and various retailers with an MSRP of $179.95 in late August. For more information on Peak Products, please visit www.Go-Peak.com coming on line in August

About Peak Products
Peak Products is a gaming peripheral company dedicated to providing gamers of the music genre with the very best in instrument quality gaming controllers. Evolving out of a passion for both music and gaming, Peak Products understands the level of precision and quality that both musicians and gamers demand from their equipment. By fusing together the style and craftsmanship of professional grade musical instruments with the comfort and performance of gaming controllers, Peak Products is able to provide the user with an enhanced musical gaming experience. Designed by leading engineers and tested by gamers, Peak Products delivers the look of authentic musical equipment, the feel expected out of any precision instrument, and the score demanded by any serious gamer. Peak Products: Look. Feel. Score.™

LEGO Batman PS2 Bundle Comes With Game and Justice League: New Frontiers for $149 (But No Bat Logo)

matt buchanan — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 15:12:30 EDT

Coming this Fall to North America is the LEGO Batman PS2 bundle, which includes the LEGO Batman game and the Justice League: New Frontiers flick for $149. I would buy this machine if it had a Batman logo on it, especially if it was released in the next two days as my Batman slobbering becomes fully torrential leading up to Thursday night. Still, not too bad.

Logitech Rolls Out Driving Force Wireless Gaming Wheel for Playstation

John Mahoney — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 09:24:29 EDT

It's missing the built-in shifter and faux-carbon of the Driving Force GT, but it does offer force feedback and, of course, the ability to play Gran Turismo unencumbered by realism-killing wires—a first for Logitech. It'll work with both PS2 and PS3 for $100. [Product Page]

Dealzmodo: Rock Band PS2 Reduced to $100

Mark Wilson — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 11:00:00 EDT

Without Rock Band's robust download store, it's impossible to think of the PS2 version as a fully-functional rock simulator, but we're more forgiving with its new price. Rock Band PS2 is now $100 (down from $150) at Amazon and a few other retailers. Considering the price includes a USB hub, mic, drums and guitar, that's a pretty solid deal. [Amazon via CrunchGear]

eDimensional's Ben Heck 1-Hand New Access Controller Now Available

Jason Chen — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 13:50:00 EDT

Ben Heck of modding fame follows up his 5.1 headset for eDimensional with a one-handed PS3/PS2/PC controller. Although it's made for disabled gamers to play games they otherwise couldn't on a standard DualShock gamepad because of the swappable control modules, it's also very useful for regular gamers who need something they can handle with one hand while eating.

I remember an old SNES controller that was one-handed that was perfect for playing RPGs with if your other hand was busy with a burger. This would be just as good when Final Fantasy 13 is finally released in 2012. $129 gets you one, with a portion of the profits going towards children's hospitals and veteran's affairs medical centers. [eDimensional via Kotaku]

Midiator Kit Converts a PS2 Controller Into a MIDI Controller

Sean Fallon — Tue, 20 May 2008 19:40:00 EDT

Yesterday we came across a DIY hack that helps you turn your Guitar Hero instrument into a MIDI controller and today we have a kit that will help you covert your old PS2 controllers (standard, knockoff, or wireless) for a similar purpose. When hooked up, it will allow you to do things like control pitch bend with the analog joysticks or trigger notes / toggle controller signals with the buttons. It can even work with Guitar Hero, albeit only partially at this point (improvements are on the way).You can pick up the entire kit for $79.99 assembled or $59.99 stock. A demo is available after the break.

[Curious Inventor via MAKE]

Lynxmotion R/C Spider Uses PS2 Controller

Mark Wilson — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 09:46:47 EST

For those who love everything R/C, this Lynxmotion hexapod kit is pretty dorktastically awesome. While technically 2 legs short of spider status, this hexapod has excellent mobility, as 18 servos drive the legs (featuring 3 degrees of freedom) a foot per second and over obstacles up to 4" high. Oh, and it's preprogrammed to work with a 2.4Ghz wireless PlayStation 2 compatible controller.

The thing to remember here is that, as a kit, the $750 Lynxmotion BH3-R doesn't have all the polish of a retail product, but it leaves the platform open to robot enthusiasts.

Windows software allows you to customize movement over its basic programming that only supports multi-directional, multi-speed movement and 360-degree spins. Maybe you'd like your robot to do the robot, accomplishing feats of engineering that even Bender cannot fathom.

And after that, you can train it to hexa-fist beer and really subvert mankind's progress. [product via botjunkie]

PS2 Guitar Pedal Lets You Star Power, Whammy With Your Feet

Jason Chen — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 15:45:53 EST

Making your fake guitar automatically whammy may be a step too far, but if you want to make Guitar Hero slightly easier for yourself, check out these guitar pedals. They allow you to either activate star power or hit the whammy bar with your feet instead of your hands, making sure your hands stay exactly where they're supposed to be to not miss a note.

They're wireless, which is nice, but PS2 only, which isn't nice, and run off 4 AA batteries, which really isn't nice. The price of kinda-sorta cheating? $25. [Best Buy via Joystiq]

The Console Wars: 2007 Update

Mark Wilson — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 15:00:12 EST

We don't keep you updated with every Wii sold like our friends at Kotaku, but the NPD's 2007 sales numbers have been released, so we thought that the occasion merited a rundown to fuel your fanboy flame wars. Here are the total consoles sold in the United States during 2007:

Nintendo DS - 8,500,000
Wii - 6,290,000
Xbox 360 - 4,620,000
PlayStation 2 - 3,970,000
PSP - 3,820,000
PlayStation 3 - 2,560,000

So what about the total cumulative US sales numbers to date? Those numbers paint a slightly different picture:

PlayStation 2 - 41,120,000 Nintendo DS - 17,650,000 PSP - 10,470,000 Xbox 360 - 9,150,000 Wii - 7,380,000 PlayStation 3 - 3,250,000

Our reaction: it's so easy to underestimate the success of the PSP hardware (and it's currently selling like hotcakes in Japan). [kotaku]

Real Peavey Riffmaster Guitar Takes Guitar Hero Rocking to the Extreme

Benny Goldman — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 16:44:28 EST

We just got a look at Peavy's new Riffmaster Pro System, a $2000 add-on for Guitar Hero that takes playing fake guitar very seriously. For that money you get two controllers, which are authentic Peavey guitars gutted out and rewired for game-mode, a full P.A. system that houses a PS2, an amp head to control the unit, and a monitor so you can see the buttons you are pressing, just like the pros. But wait, there's more (cheesiness!):

The guitar body is fully customizable, so if that Pantera logo doesn't do it for you, just send them a JPEG of Milli Vanilli and be the envy of all your friends. This unit is designed for bars, and will make you wish you never said anything bad about karaoke when it's replaced by "Guitar Hero Night."

But seriously folks, it's nice to hold something heavier and more authentic in your hand than the standard controllers, and in a big group setting this could be a hit. For those about to rock on 360 or Wii, you'll have to wait. Sadly, it's only available for the Guitar Hero series on PS2 right now. There are plans to bring it to other games and systems soon, but no firm date yet. [Peavey Custom Shop]

Fully-Functional LEGO Guitar Hero Controller: Part 3

Jason Chen — Tue, 25 Dec 2007 09:00:35 EST

David, the man who created a fully-functional LEGO Gibson Explorer controller is back with an even better, even cooler Fender Geddy bass. It's not only full size, it still actually works (albeit with the PS2 version of the game). See it in use after the jump. [Technabob via ]

New PS2 Is Official, Power-Brickless, But Not Cheaper

Matt Buchanan — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 03:40:30 EST

Despite rumors the new, internally powered PS2 would run just $99, in Japan it's selling for the same price as the old model: ¥16,000 (US $140). Even though it's no lighter on your wallet and isn't any more svelte than the current model, it does in fact weigh less, and comes in black, white and silver. For now it debuts Nov. 22 in Japan only, but a Stateside launch is most definitely in the cards, hopefully along with that price cut. [Machine-Translated Press Release via Kotaku via Saving Progress]

Sony's Rumored $99 PS2 Makes Up for No PS3 Backwards Compatibility, Right? Right?!

Adam Frucci — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 09:55:19 EDT

Despite the PS3 being the greatest home entertainment/gaming machine in history, people are reluctant to move on from their trusty, much-loved PS2s. You can't blame 'em, as good games are still coming out for it and it has perhaps the best back catalogue of any console ever. That's why it kind of makes sense that Sony may be planning to drop a new, power-brickless $99 PS2 model on us next year. This could, of course, be related to Sony's boneheaded decision to drop all backwards compatibility from the new 40GB PS3 model. You wouldn't do that just to try to move some cheap PS2s, would you Sony? I'd like to think that a move that low is below even you, but I wouldn't put it past you. [MCV via Kotaku]

Guitar Hero "Arcade Syle" Cabinet: Rock Out in Style

Sean Fallon — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 19:50:27 EDT

A simple but brilliant design—build an arcade style cabinet for Guitar Hero with a real Marshall cab acting as the base, a marquee and speakers on the top, and connect it to a hacked PS2 with every Guitar Hero game loaded on the hard drive. Then go ahead and deck out a couple of guitar controllers to top it all off. Needless to say, I wouldn't mind sucking so much ass at Guitar Hero if I was playing it on this thing. [Arcadecontrols via Arcadeheroes via Gearfuse]

Rock Band Pricing and Shipping Details Announced

Haroon Malik — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 11:50:00 EDT

Rest your beating hearts and collect your pennies, the official pricing and dates for the Rock Band game have been announced. Both the PS3 and the Xbox 360 versions will be priced at $169.99 and will ship on November 23rd 2007. The price shall net you a guitar, a microphone and a drum kit, which Mark got his grubby hands on earlier this year.

The PS2 shall get Rock Band love on December 10th 2007 and will be priced $10 lower at $159.99, for the same package. Both Playstations will be free of wired guitar rocking restrictions, not so for the Xbox 360, which shall have a wireless guitar made available in the new year at an undisclosed cost. Nimble up your super star selves, it's about to get rockalicious! [MTV Multiplayer]

White PS2 Coming Bundled With SingStar

Jason Chen — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 19:30:59 EDT

Those of you who really want to give Sony your money but don't think the PS3 has enough games to play should really take another look at the PlayStation 2. And what better way to do so than the white Singstar PS2 bundle that comes with a white PSTwo Slim, two mics, and a copy of Singstar Pop. Although Pop probably has horrible, horrible songs that don't nearly match up to the good ones in Singstar Rock (UK, not US), a white PS2 is nothing to scoff at. After all, the top two Next-Gen consoles are both white. [PRnewsWire via Joystiq]

PS2 Memory Card Modchip Gets Competitor

Jason Chen — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 14:00:58 EDT

It's only been two days since the first PlayStation 2 Memory Card slot modchip was announced, but a separate group has popped up and and claimed that they've been working on a similar product for two years. The new chip, as of yet unnamed, works as a 32MB memory card and has a USB port so you can upload and download files. Full specs to come soon. Seeing as the PS3 has all of three playable games on it, this still could have quite a big audience. [MaxConsole]

Xbox 360 Input Machine Has Gamer Playing Halo 2 With Wiimote

kthompson — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 18:49:58 EDT

It's impossible to ignore the unique brand of fun the Wii brings to the table with its motion-sensitive controller, but if you aren't into minigame fests, you don't have a lot of options for taking advantage of it. That's why one dedicated gamer decided to meld the power of the Wiimote with the game library of the Xbox 360, producing what he calls the Xbox 360 Input Machine (XIM). As you can see in the video above, Master Chief is running around the Halo 2 world, jumping and firing via instructions from the Wiimote (including motion-sensing swings). But can you realistically expect to be plugging your Wii into your 360 any time soon?

Probably not. The system is actually rather complicated, consisting of a PS2 to Xbox 360 adapter along with a custom microcontroller with hand coded firmware that emulates a PS2 controller in addition to a connected PC running a customized Wiimote driver. Each game also requires a specially-designed "profile" that tells the system how to use the new control method given native 360 bindings and features like aim assistance. What that all means is that unless you're a pretty serious gearhead, you'll have to wait for the entire rig to be simplified and released on the market before you'll have Master Chief jumping with nunchuk thrusts. If I were you, I wouldn't get my hopes up just yet. [Xbox 360 Gaming With A Wiimote]

Transformers PlayStation Controller

Jason Chen — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 13:00:05 EDT

Still no relief to your Transformers fever? Then how about this Transformers PlayStation controller, part of the "real gear" line of T-former toys that are set to come out next month. We showed you a couple of these before, but other entries in the line are watches, digital cameras, and Bluetooth headsets. We just hope all of them have their Transformers affiliation symbols in their crotch, because that's totally the first place we look when we check out robots. [Kotaku]

Sony PS2/PSP Patent, Portable Gaming Less on Portable, More on Gaming

Mark Wilson — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 11:00:45 EDT

A Sony patent has just been unearthed for a device that combines the PSP with a Dual Shock PS2 controller, allowing for better, more comfortable control when playing the PSP. The connection could be wired or wireless, the PSP could be tilted for viewing angle and an external processing unit could even add additional functionality. Obviously the idea is no longer coming to fruition since Sony has moved on in the product line, but the same thing could be done with a PSP Slim and SIXAXIS. Hit the jump for the abstract.

A control docking unit configured to accept a portable processing unit and provide alternate control operation of the portable processing unit. The control docking unit can be configured to position a display on the portable processing unit to facilitate use of one or more controls provided on the control docking unit. The control docking unit can position the display of the portable processing unit in a fixed or variable position. The controls from the docking unit can be coupled to the portable processing unit using an electrical, mechanical, or electromechanical interface. The electrical interface can be a wired or wireless communication link. The controls on the control docking unit can be configured to be substantially in the same configuration as a control unit for a similar fixed device. The portable processing unit can be configured to provide additional functions, features, or enhanced operation when coupled to the control docking unit.

If they released such an add-on, Sony could have a separate PSP SKU with a screen that fills the entire face, removing all controls. And that, my friends, would be wicked. [patent via kotaku]

Teen Buys PS2 on eBay, Receives Whole Heap of Cash Instead

AddyDugdale — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 09:25:20 EDT

A British teenager who bought a Sony PlayStation 2 on eBay for 95 ($194) got more than he bargained for when he opened the package. Instead of a shiny, happy gaming console, there was a whole heap of euros - 65,400 ($90,000) to be precise—stacked neatly inside. A spokesman for eBay said that the parcel's contents were "somewhat unusual," but that they would help the police in any way they could.

When the parcel arrived, on March 20, the boy's parents contacted the Norfolk Constabulary, who are now holding the money under the Proceeds of Crime Act. If the owner does not come forward by September 22, then the family can apply to have the cash returned to them—unless the police apply to hold onto the money for a longer period. [BBC]

80GB PlayStation 3 To Get Icky Software Emulation for PS2 Games

Jason Chen — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 14:45:47 EDT

We all knew the European PS3s use software emulation to play PlayStation 1 and PlayStation 2 games, but all our US PS3s were doing much better hardware "emotion engine" emulation. But if you want one of the fancy new 80GB PS3s, featuring twenty—count'em, twenty—more jiggabytes than the 60GB model, you'll have to deal with software emulation for your old titles. We recommend you get the 60GB now, and make do with a little less space for better compatibility.

New 80GB PS3 eliminates "emotion engine" chip [Gamesindustry]

PS2 Sheds 1/3 of its Weight

Mark Wilson — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 09:10:40 EDT

While the slimline PSTwo is already tiny, Sony has reduced internal components even further. Shipping now, this updated hardware drops from 900 to 600 grams, while the AC adapter drops from 350 to 250 grams. But despite a massive weight reduction, the PSTwo's footprint has remained the same. So will this update mean anything to the public?

Sony will be making more money per console, the industry expects, as components are simplified in newer systems. But it also opens the door for a price reduction. So hopefully we'll see a drop from the $129.99 price in the not-so-distant future. Or not. We need something to do with our PS3 anyway, and playing PS2 titles is half its job already.

[IGN via kotaku]

PS3 Firmware 1.82 Available

Jason Chen — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 15:30:55 EDT

Along with support for AVC High Profile (H.264/MPEG-4) video support (which most people don't care about), update 1.82 has improved backward compatibility with PS2 and PS1 games (for the software BC consoles, most likely). No big list for which titles have been changed, but head over to the Status Site to be sure.

PS3 Update [PlayStation]

Pelican's PS2 to PS3 Controller Adapter Hands-On

Jason Chen — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 14:06:18 EDT

One of the main complaints about PS3's backward compatibility for PS2 games is the inability to use custom PS2 controllers like the DDR dance pads and the Guitar Hero guitars. For $14.99, Pelican gives you a cheap way to get your old controllers to work with your old games on your new system.

On the whole, standard PS2 controllers worked fine for us in games like Final Fantasy and Shadow of the Colossus, but for some reason one of our really old Dualshock controllers was super-sensitive when in the adapter. Using a new controller fixed the problems. The big "but" in this setup? No rumble.

Even with rumble-enabled games and a rumble-enabled controller, there's no rumble to be found. Darn.

Pelican also claims that this works with both Guitar Hero 1 and Guitar Hero 2, but we only own Guitar Hero 1 (the second we have for Xbox 360), so we could only test there. The result? Fantastic. It was just like on the PS2. Hammer-ons and pull-offs worked (yeah, we can actually do these—hold your applause) and so did the whammy. When playing Guitar Hero 2, you have to use convoluted strumming and button presses in order to advance in the menus, plus, hammer-ons and pulloffs don't work. Whammy does work, however.

The adapter itself has two modes, a regular mode for standard controllers and the Guitar Hero 1 guitar, and a Guitar Hero 2 mode for Guitar Hero 2. When playing GH1 on GH2 mode, everything went to hell, but fixed itself when we set it on the correct "normal" mode.

There's even a "PS Home" button on the adapter that you need to press whenever you load up a PS2 game in order to sync the controller. It's already a pain in the ass when you have to do this with the SIXAXIS, but having to walk up to the console and press the button every time you go in and out of a PS2 game is horrible. We blame Sony for this one, since Pelican did the best they could. Luckily, hitting the analog button will bring you the PS Home menu when you're inside a game.

All in all, $14 is a cheap price to pay to get GH1 and Dance Dance Revolution to play on your PS2. But if you're looking for better Guitar Hero 2 support ~~or rumble support~~, you probably want to wait for the next revision. – Jason Chen

Update: Turns out it's actually Sony's restrictions that doesn't allow this to use rumble. Ouch, Sony. Ouch. As for Guitar Hero 2, the adapter does work for the game, but you have to go through a small setup process. We'll try and get a copy to test for ourselves.

Update 2: Hammerons and pulloffs don't work with Guitar Hero 2, but whammy does.

Product Page [Gamestop]

Sony PS3 Firmware 1.8 Announced: 1080p Upscaling, Network Streaming

Jason Chen — Wed, 23 May 2007 14:32:03 EDT

It's not quite the 2.0 firmware rumored to be coming out soon, but this 1.8 firmware for the PlayStation 3 seems to have some nice features of its own too.

Among the sparklers are upscaling PS1, PS2 and DVD movies to 1080p, remote play on PSPs over the internet, and streaming of pictures, music, and video over the network from DLNA3 enabled devices. We haven't heard much about Digital Living Network Alliance before, but it's a bunch of companies that collaborated into making interoperability easier. We're not sure which products support this though. If Sony keeps up this line of fantastic firmware updates, the PS3 may actually be something worth buying by the middle of 2008! – Jason Chen

Press Release [Sony]

Activision Confirms Wireless Guitars for Guitar Hero III

Matt Buchanan — Wed, 23 May 2007 11:24:06 EDT

Guitar Hero fans, rejoice! It looks like with Guitar Hero III, you won't have to worry anymore about rocking out so hard that you yank the controller out of your system. Activision has announced that Guitar Hero III will finally (thankfully) feature wireless guitars for all systems.

The Wii, Xbox 360 and PS3 versions will pack Gibson Les Pauls, while the PS2 version will come with a Gibson Kramer. On top of that, they'll have removable faceplates for greater customization (i.e., Activision can make money selling "custom" faceplates).

IGN also mentions a mysterious "new button colour [sic] design," which Activision claims will make for "an even greater authentic feel and rock experience." Yeah, the rainbow of buttons was never exactly metal. Matt Buchanan

Wireless Axes Confirmed for Guitar Hero III [IGN]

How Not to Destroy An Old PS2

Charlie White — Wed, 16 May 2007 09:56:32 EDT

Here's a cautionary tale featuring an about-to-be destroyed Sony PlayStation 2. A proud owner of a new PS3 decided to allow partygoers to destroy his outgoing PS2, and the guy who won the honors in a drawing decided to pee all over the obsolete gaming console.

Bad idea. The PS2 was still plugged in, and because urine is an excellent conductor of electricity, the guy was instantly knocked unconscious and nearly electrocuted. He was lucky enough to be treated and released at a local hospital. That's got to hurt. Okay, so now we have this straight: It's not a PEE S2. – Charlie White

PRO TIP: Don't Pee On Playstation 2 [Arrogantics]

Hillary, Caught in a Grimace, Might Not Approve of Video Games

Charlie White — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 12:45:00 EDT

Apparently Hillary Clinton doesn't approve of Grand Theft Auto. Or maybe it's that PS2 she's getting sick of playing, longing for a PS3, Wii or maybe even an Xbox 360 Elite.

Check out the Photoshopping hilarity in the gallery, taking poor Hillary to places she's definitely never been. WTF was she saying, or looking at? One stolen instant, and now this. The horror! – Charlie White

What the Hell is Hillary Looking At? [Something Awful Forums, via boing boing]

Paradox Trackball PS2 Controller Now Available for Pre-order

Jason Chen — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 16:00:52 EDT

Remember that trackball PS2 controller that looked like it had an exploding testicle? It's available for pre-order at a reduced price. For only $26.99 you'll be able to have trackball-like aim on your PS2, letting you play the hundreds of FPS and action games that the rest of the world already tried years ago.

Here's hoping they make one for the PS3 or the Xbox 360. Kotaku's getting complacent about our upcoming Gears match. It's their funeral. – Jason Chen

Product Page [Buy Reflex via Uncrate]

Basically Fact Rumor: Best Buy Ditching 20GB PS3

Mark Wilson — Sat, 17 Mar 2007 18:00:21 EDT

According to printouts from three separate Best Buys, the $499 20GB PS3 has been discontinued from store inventory. Sony itself admitted last week that retailers prefer the 60GB version at a 4:1 ratio over the 20GB edition, so Best Buy's unconfirmed choice to ditch the console would not be all that surprising.

Is this a major blow to Sony? That's a tough call. On one hand their console just jumped $100 in price. On the other, a lack of options may actually up-sell fence customers who might buy the console either way. (Because let's face it, neither $500 nor $600 are anywhere near the $299 pricepoint.) – Mark Wilson

Best Buy Done With PS3 20GB Model [joystiq]

PS2-less PS3's Coming to the US and Japan?

Adam Frucci — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 11:55:01 EST

Europe already got the shaft from Sony when it came to backwards compatibility and their PS3s. Could the US be next? Rumor has it that Sony is removing the PS2 emotion engine from future PS3 models that are being shipped to the US and Japan to cut costs. That means that, like the Xbox 360, the PS3 will need to use software to render old PS2 games, making many of them unplayable on the new system.

Yeah, removing features, that'll increase your sales. If Sony doesn't pass the manufacturing savings that this gives them onto the customers then I will officially lose the last shred of faith I have for their business acumen. Don't let me down, Sony. –Adam Frucci

Sony to bring 'PS2-less' PS3 to US, Japan? [Reg Hardware]

PS3 Update Fixes PS1 and PS2 Compatibility Issues

Louis Ramirez — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 10:05:31 EST

Sony greeted its PS3 fans with a shiny new update this morning. Version 1.50 fixes backward compatibility issues with PS1 and PS2 games. Specifically, it'll allow them to run in progressive scan mode. Other than that, it's hard to tell what else has been fixed since there's no update log. Anyone notice any changes after installing the new update? – Louis Ramirez

Latest PS3 Firmware Hits, Fixes BC Graphical Issues [Kotaku]

Dream Machine: Full Body Gaming

Mark Wilson — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 22:49:45 EST

The Dream Machine is a not just another gaming chair that has speakers in the headrest, and it isn't one of those zero g sex hammocks either: it's the "world's first multi-modal-physio-interactive game controller". Yeah, that's right. Bet you didn't see that one coming.

In other words, the Dream Machine is a giant PS2/PS3/XBOX360/PC joystick with a chair hanging on for dear life. Vibrating handles hold at least 10 buttons, and you can steer by twisting your hips. I got some ~~hands-on~~ butt-on time with the machine playing an ATV title, and I really enjoyed leaning to control the bike and pressing the peddles for extra control, but was a little taken back that you never actually move the handles.

Look for it late 2007 if Australian Simulation Control Systems gets their act together, at about $1500. – Mark Wilson

PSToast, a PS2 Toaster Mod

Travis Hudson — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 12:35:24 EST

We have quite the infatuation with toasters of all shapes and sizes around these parts. So it makes me super giddy in the pantalones that someone has gutted a toaster and put a PS2 inside. It looks good, it works, but unfortunately it no longer makes toast, even though there are two available slots. – Travis Hudson

The PlayStation Toaster [Destructoid]

Thheeeeeee Wiiiiibrrrraaatoooorrrr

Jason Chen — Thu, 28 Dec 2006 17:50:47 EST

Thhheee Wiiiibraaaatoorrrrr...*click* Sorry, the Wiibrator is a python app/script that interfaces the Wiimote and PS2's Tracevibrator. You'll remember the Rez vibrator from Game Girl Advance (NSFW) fame.

By interfacing the two together, you can essentially map the actions of your hand to the vibrator in your crotch. Why you wouldn't just take out the middlemen and go at it manually is a mystery to us, but there you have it. – Jason Chen

Wiibrator: Wiimote / Trancevibrator interface [Sam.Zoy via Slashdong via Fleshbot]

Initial List of Downloadable PS1 Games For the PS3 Released: Kinda Lame

Gizloco — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 08:25:55 EST

The Nintendo Wii isn't the only next gen system that lets you download old video games. After copying the Wiimote, Sony then decided to copy the Wii's Virtual Console, which lets users download old video games onto a memory unit. What games can you grab right now from the Sony service? The big ones include Tekken 2 and Biohazard: Director's Cut Edition (known as Resident Evil here in the U. S. and A.). The rest of the list can be found after the jump.

Ok, so right now the list of downloadable games is fairly weak, but we expect the magicians over at Sony to start making the quality titles available quick-like.

Arc the Lad Biohazard: Director's Cut Edition Bishi Bashi Special Jumping Flash! Konami Antiques MSX Collection Vol. 1 Konami Antiques MSX Collection Vol. 2 Hot Shots Golf 2 Mr. Driller Silent Bomber Tekken 2

Dammit, where are the games that made gaming on the PS1 so special, like Judge Dredd? – Nicholas Deleon

Playstation One Games Now Available For Download On Playstation 3 Network [GameBrink.com]

My PS3 Scratched In 10 Seconds

Brian Lam — Sun, 12 Nov 2006 14:17:24 EST

I'd forgotten to mention this interesting fact. Friday, when Jason and I took the retail PS3 out of its box and within a few seconds it was covered in dust.

I wiped some off with my hand, and lo and behold, it was scratched up to hell.

You'll want to keep yours in an oxygen bubble for maximum shinatude. –Brian Lam
Wii and PS3: Complete and Synchronized Unboxing [Gizmodo]