Video games

When Video Games Become Abstract Modernist Art

At some point, it was bound to happen: yesterday’s cutting-edge video games like Space Invaders and Donkey Kong have become abstract still-life paintings, thanks in part to software that quickly converts pixels into lines, turning rough edges into smooth vectors. Philipp Lenssen used a vectorizing app to turn screen shots of pixelly Space Invaders into…

Xbox 360 PC Case Mod Puts Your RRoD’d Console to Good Use

Why ship your RRoD Xbox to Microsoft for free repair, when you can sink more money into it and use it as PC case? But all joking aside, Tech E Blog has a nice feature on this casemod, which features a 3.0 GHz intel processor, 60 GB HDD, 8 USB ports and a red fan…

Sony to Sell 11 Million PS3s By Fiscal Year End

It looks like all that was wrong with the PS3 was the price, because despite a very slow start, Sony has announced that their console will reach worldwide sales numbers of 11 million units by the end of this fiscal year (March 31st, 2008). That’s big news for Sony and the gaming industry, as developers…

Darth Vader Wii, Please Don’t Buy it Now for $15,000

The Star Wars Vader Edition Wii is pretty hot. While we could honestly do without the Star Wars theme in our living rooms (at least while company visits), the black finish and corresponding red LED gives us visions of just how good a touch of the dark side could be for the Nintendo Wii. Screw…

Pac-Man Xmas Tree Offers 8-bit Holiday Cheer

This electronic Christmas tree fashioned in the likeness of a Pac-Man map, complete with Pac Man, power pellets and ghosts, shows the Spanish know what they’re doing when it comes to the holidays. Currently in downtown Madrid, the tree not only features all the elements of the game, but Pac-Man and his nemeses are partially…

Futuristic Wii Mod Is Worthy of ‘Best…Mod…Evar’ Title

It’s easy enough to throw a few lights and a clear door on your PC or console and declare it a mod. But to make it look like this modded Wii takes an aesthetic eye. Put together by a modder who calls himself Kypes, the Wii features a black face and stand, clear sides, painted…

Video Games That Plunge You Into Existential Dispair

The arrival of dystopian scifi video game Mass Effect has us reaching for our Prozac . . . and our controllers. The darker and weirder the world a video game gives us, the better. Whether it involves an alien invasion, or a maniacal artificial intelligence, we love games that crush our dreams in an orgy…

Nintendo DS Sets New Record, Wins All of World’s Gold

This just in: Nintendo is making boatloads of cash. Despite pumping out 1.8 million Wiis a month, they can’t keep the unit on shelves—and this is one year since the system’s launch. But the story this week is about their portable system, the Nintendo DS. It’s just set a game console sales record for Thanksgiving…

Play Famicom Cartridges on Your DS With CYBER Familator Lite

The CYBER Familator Lite is an Akihabara-esque gizmo that snaps onto your DS Lite and lets you play old Famicom cartridges on your DS screen (If you can hunt down an adapter, you can play NES games as well). I think we should forget the Familator Lite is bigger than the DS, and that an…

Knockoff Console Promises 999,999,999 Games-In-One

Who needs a Wii or Xbox 360 when you can have the “999,999,999 in 1 Super Game?” Just like today’s crop of consoles, you get two controllers packed in. Unlike today’s crop of consoles, you also get a light gun…and if the name is indicative, almost a billion games. I think this thing could really…

$10 Off $30+ Video Games at Best Buy

Here’s a quick reminder for those who may have overlooked this deal. Best Buy has a printable online coupon that offers you $10 off games that are $30 and up until Nov 28th. There are no other restrictions to the offer, so whatever system you have, this coupon will play nice with it. [coupon via…

Future Toronto Is a Half Life Mod

You can get a mod for Half Life called Toronto Conflict, for all those people who think the future of mass-mediated violence clearly lies north of the US border. [Boing Boing]

Halo Theme Song Coming to Guitar Hero III

As a Thanksgiving surprise, the theme to Halo will be available as free, downloadable content for Guitar Hero III. Can Master Chief shred with all that gear on? [Joystiq via Crave]

Sony halved the price of their PS3 development kits in hopes of attracting more game makers. [GamesIndustry]

They Still Ain’t Afraid Of No Ghosts

With it being possibly the most eagerly awaited, yet arguably unexpected, sequel since the upcoming fourth Indiana Jones movie, news has leaked that work has started on Ghostbusters 3. But there’s a catch: It’s not actually going to be a movie. The latest issue of Game Informer has the scoop: Harold Ramis, Bill Murray and…

Another Nintendo DS Redesign on the Way?

Gamespot is reporting that a redesign to the mega-popular Nintendo DS is complete and will hit the market when DS Lite sales taper off. Gamespot’s source, financial analyst Evan Wilson, claims the revamped DS will be slimmer, lose the GBA port, add on-board memory and have larger screens. While Nintendo has yet to comment on…

Power Pellet Popping Steampunk Contrapulation

If you’re driving past the Santa Cruz area anytime soon in an effort relive the glory days that The Lost Boys brought to that town, you could do no better than to stop by Cardboard Spaceship and check out the steampunk-themed Spit & Polish show. What will you see if you do? The topper has…

Renegade Gaming Chair Massages and Reclines

We’ve been eying up gaming chairs for some time, but crescent-shaped ground rockers feel a bit too 13-year-old’s room for us. But the Renegade Gaming Chair may just be the obnoxious gaming chair that we can finally justify, as it also combines the obnoxiousness of a massage/recliner—all into one, efficiently glorious, ubergeek seat. USB compatible…

Shredmaster JR Turns your Kids into Little Shredders, Spandex Not Included

If you are tired of fighting your kid for play time on Guitar Hero, get them a Shredmaster JR Micro Plug N Play Guitar. This suitably Guitar Hero looking plug n play guitar connects to any TV with AV inputs and has a list of actual music that you have heard of that is fully…

Liquid-Cooled PS3 For Running Silent But Deadly

If wielding your Heavenly Sword means cranking up the AC and opening all the windows, you might want to take a page from this dude’s book: he is building a liquid cooling system for his PS3 that currently brings the system temperature down to about 90 degrees Fahrenheit at full power, and runs “almost dead…