Nyko is showing off gadgets and gizmos aplenty at E3 this year - sadly, the Wii Party Station won't be one of them (and still isn't slated for production). The company's E3 2011 lineup does include accessories like the "Zoom for Kinect," a clip-on lens which supposedly allows those with smaller living spaces to use the Kinect, reducing the distance required by "up to 40%."

For 3DS owners, Nyko has the Shock n' Rock cradle, which offers two times the battery life and four powered speakers, along with vibration feedback. The company is also showing off the Game Boost, an accessory that adds an extra hour or two of battery life. There's also the Power Grip, which supposedly adds three times the battery without removing the device's power.

Most extravagantly, there's the Play Clock for 3DS. A combination: charging dock, alarm clock and powered speaker system. There's also a line-in port for connecting your MP3 player of choice. It's actually pretty nifty, depending on what the final price ends up being.

Pricing and release dates are still unconfirmed for all the products, but all of the items should be available in time for the holidays.

http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/07/ny...for-3ds-at-e3/ ...

Turtle Beach's PS3-oriented PX5 performed great in our recent review, and just after we've arrived at E3 the company has announced another new release for the show: the XP500 for the Xbox 360. It's essentially a PX5, featuring the same design and programmable Dolby virtual 7.1 goodness, but with a Microsoft loving green trim and a rechargeable Xbox 360 Bluetooth Chat Adapter -- the latter plugs into your controller for some wireless chatting action. This makes it the only other completely wireless Xbox headset besides the Tritton / Microsoft cans we got a glimpse of last week. The XP500 will cost $260 -- $10 more than the PX5 -- when Turtle Beach releases it this fall, but current PX5 owners can just purchase the $30 Chat Adapter to join the fun.

In addition, TB is also announcing the $30 XL1 as a replacement for your Xbox's standard headset -- you can view its full-on stereo glory alongside the XP500 in our gallery below. We'll hopefully grab some ears-on time with all of the new gear while we're here at E3.

http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/07/t...ss-7-1-to-the/ ...

Microsoft's European team is confident the publisher will soon see Kinect titles hitting 10 million units sold.

Speaking at E3 this week in LA, Chris Lewis, VP for Interactive Entertainment in Europe, said that with an installed base of 10 million Kinect units in homes it's only a matter of time before motion-controlled games follow the high sales figures achieved by hit hardcore video games.

"I have to say yes, because I think with 55 million Xboxes and counting, you're quite quickly going to get to an install base where that kind of attach possibility is very real," Lewis told GamesIndustry.biz in an interview published today.

"So I think yes, certainly that's true on the core platform now but it will also be true for a Kinect game."

In a wide-reaching interview, Lewis also suggested that it's not too late to introduce successful new IP to the current generation of home consoles, so long as hardware and services continue to innovate.

"I think Kinect for us opens up a whole new realm of experiences that weren't available for us in the past – whether it's video, whether it's Facebook integration, whether it's Twitter, all of the things that I think make broader digital home-based experiences more meaningful is great, and there's a ton of those coming," he said.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...sell-10m-units ...

Microsoft's Kinect motion controls may be infiltrating all sorts of games at this year's E3, but the Xbox maker isn't neglecting those in need of a more tangible control scheme. A new Wireless Speed Wheel has just been revealed, with a reasonable $60 price tag and an early October launch date. As you see above, it's technically three-fourths of a wheel, but that does allow for extra green bands of lights to be applied and, slightly more importantly, a set of directional and action buttons to be added to the handles of this steering implement. There's a rumble pack inside for force feedback and a pair of trigger buttons on the underside for smashing the gas or dabbing the brakes.

http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/07/x...y-october-for/ ...

The E3 2011 announcements from Microsoft just keep on coming, though this one's a little more superficial than the rest. An Xbox 360 console, specially refashioned with a set of blood-red Gears of War 3 visuals, is set to launch on September 20th, equipped with a 320GB hard drive, two matching wireless controllers, and the obligatory copy of its headline game (plus some DLC goodies). The whole bundle will set buyers back $400, but if you already have a 360 of your own and just want one of those snazzy-looking crimson controllers, your wait and expense will be significantly reduced -- you'll be able to buy the GOW3 control pads for $60 on August 11th.

http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/07/g...own-crimson-c/ ...

XCM Multi-Charger Plus
Manufacturer: XCM
Site: Buy from Play-Asia / Buy from Amazon
Price: $64.95

Overview : Unlike another brand of multi-charger, XCM Multi-Charger Plus is compatible with PS3™ controllers, PlayStation Move controllers, Sony PSP™ Slim & Lite, PSP™, PSP™ Go, Xbox 360™ controllers, NDS™, NDS™ Lite, NDSi™, Nintendo 3DS™, iPad™, iPad 2™, iPhone™ 3G, iPhone™ 3GS, iPhone™ 4 and many other USB devices.

Features :

• PlayStation Move and Navigation controller charging ports
• 4 USB ports
• Supports any USB 5v input

XCM Multi-Charger Plus can be used on the following :

• PS3™ Move and Navigation controllers (2 sets)
• PS3™ DualShock and Sixaxis controllers
• PSP™ series (1000-3000 series and PSP™ Go)
• iPhone™ series (iPhone 2G, 3G, 3GS and 4)
• iPad™ series (iPad™ and iPad 2™)
• NDS™ series (DS, DS Lite, DSi and 3DS)
• Xbox 360™ controllers
• and all devices that supports a 5v USB input such as Android devices (phones/tablets), Blackberry™, iPod™, mobile devices, MP3 players and many more!

Includes :

• PSP Slim/Go USB cable
• DS Lite/DSi USB cable
• 3DS USB Cable
• iPod/iPad/iPhone USB Cable
• US/Mexico/Canada AC plug
• UK AC Plug
• Australia/New Zealand AC Plug
• Asia/Europe AC Plug

Quality/Usability : XCM Multi-Charger Plus is an update to XCM's popular Multi-Charger. I was a huge fan of the original multi-charger and used it everyday. Finding an available USB plug or without having to turn on a computer can be hard and cumbersome. Especially when you have other electronic devices that uses USB ports to charge.

The back has a port to plug in the AC 100-240v cable. The front contains four USB ports...the same amount found on its predecessor. But what makes this different from the original is that on the top of the charger, there are four round ports. These four ports allows you to insert two PlayStation Move controllers and two PlayStation Move Navigation controllers. Each port has its own LED. LED turns red when its charging and green when its completely charged. The base also lights up with a blue LED accent. What's also cool is that the rim around the PlayStation Move ports also light up blue.

Charging USB devices takes about the same if you were to charge them through the wall with a normal USB cable or its original AC adapter.

The Multi-Charger Plus measures 7.5" inches (L) x 1.75" inches (H) and about 4.5" inches (D). Just like the Multi-Charger, included are four AC plugs (Europe/Asia, USA/Mexico/Canda, Australia/New Zealand, UK). The plugs are short in length so you will not be able to place it on a table or next to your computer. Wires measure about 16 inches long from tip of plug that inserts into XCM Multi-Charger Plus to the base of AC plug (not the prongs). Also included are four USB charging cables (iPod/iPad/iPhone, PSP, NDS, 3DS). You do not have to use the included cables if you already have USB cables that came with the devices. I highly suggest using what you already have.

Conclusion : Overall, the XCM Multi-Charger Plus worked great! I was glad that XCM still included the four USB ports with the ability to charge PlayStation Move controllers. However, the length of the AC power cable is still short. If you want to use the XCM Multi-Charger Plus, you'll have to keep it on the ground and very very close to the wall outlet unless you have it connected to an extension cord. This was one of my pet-peeves and XCM has disappointed me. The price point is also about the same as the original and is a bit high. Two of the highly used USB ports, micro and mini USB is not included. It would of been nice if they included these since its used on cellphones and PS3/Xbox 360 controllers.

Images via comments ...

t's over. It's done. The green bulbs have been taken out of the light sockets, and replaced with the usual yellow. What follows are a collection of thoughts, some angry and some elated, on the relative successes and failures of the Microsoft 2011 E3 press conference.

For the full run-down on the announcements click right through on this here link, otherwise... read on.


Hated!

So much... Kinect...


It cannot be denied that by the end of the MS conference we were flinching at each and every mention of Kinect. Yes, some hardcore games look to be using the technology well and kids will enjoy much of it. As the green lights went up at the end of the show, however, the CVG office had already built gruesome effigies of the clean-cut actors hired to wave their hands around, and look like tools, on-stage. Someone had already set the one of the kids playing the Disneyland game ("We'll get those other coins next time!") on fire.

Loved!

Tomb Raider


For a start it's great to giggle at the phrase 'Our new game - Tomb Raider', but beyond that the game looks bold, striking and darkly beautiful. We're not usually the types who like to see women knocked around, obviously, but the brutal bone-crunching treatment given to Lara is a stark departure for the series.

What's more the dynamics of spreading fire to solve puzzles, and the flame effects as her torch flickers against low ceilings, is utterly fantastic. There was a real feeling of the film The Descent throughout the game's showing, especially in the final ascent to the surface and, despite this section's linearity, it left us gasping for more. And Lara? Well she gasped, shrieked, moaned, groaned and made all manner of unladylike noises. We'd pay good money to attend one of her recording sessions.

Hated!

No alarms and no surprises


Much as it's wonderful to have a sly giggle at Microsoft accidentally pressing the big red button that released news of Halo 4 et al. to the world several hours early, it sure as hell siphoned the adrenalin from our happy-glands. The Halo 4 reveal itself should have been epic - instead it showed that Master Chief is still alive, that Cortana needed help and... well... here we go again...

Loved!

Ghost Recon: Future Soldier


How could we resist that trailer when placed alongside the brilliant, brilliant accent of Ubisoft head honcho Yves Guillemot? That man's so French he probably has the word 'Bof' tattooed on his thigh. The paused-battle fly-by camera movie was epic, while the Kinect integration in the gun creation suite (while simple) was stark, bold and beautiful. It had a real 'Guns. Lots of guns.' Matrix feel - and the weapons themselves looked stunningly realised.

Hated!

Needless Kinect integration


Sure, it's a clever feature - but do you think, in a million years, that you'd ever read Shepherd's response options out loud while playing Mass Effect 3? A button tap is not only quicker and easier, but it won't make your cat and/or real-life love interest stare at you as if you're mental either.

Likewise, the vocal orientation around the new TV options is a great trick (and presumably fantastic for disabled 360 owners) but just because it's another step closer to Back to the Future Part Two doesn't mean the majority of gamers will use it. At the same time, though, it'll be a laugh to shout "Xbox! Bing! Goatse!" when you're visiting friends and then run out of the room.

Loved!

Minecraft on 360 with Kinect integration


Easily the biggest surprise of the Conference. The little indie game that could, and then did, is headed to the living room. It's a game that could work really well with Kinect and means that creator Notch is about to get even more stupidly rich. The big hat-wearing genius that he is.

Hated!

On-rails hand-waving frivolity


Yes, the young (and perhaps the weak of mind) will enjoy them - but from a hardcore perspective it was hard to imagine us stomping around our living rooms playing either Fable Journey or Kinect Star Wars. It's like the FMV on-rails PC games of the late nineties have come back with a vengeance.

All this said, we will be big enough to admit that it's nice to see Molyneux return to the physical spell-casting concept he first explored with mouse-waving in Black & White. We'd also be awful fibbers if we said that Ryse, formerly Codename: Kingdoms, didn't make us want to throw knives in Roman faces.

Loved!

Aquatic derring-do with Gears 3 and Modern Warfare 3


Neither stole the show, but together the gigantic yellow mouth of the infected sea beast biting chunks out of Marcus Fenix's boat and the Frost/Sandman boat chase while a nuclear stockpile fired off from a submarine floating next to Manhattan island were suitably epic. It can't go unmentioned, either, that the moment Creative Strategist Robert Bowling's 360 pad ran out of batteries was priceless...

Hated!

American Child Actors


Children are the future, of course, and they can have their own games. That's fine. The Disneyland game probably doesn't ...

EA has continued its FPS battle with rival publisher Activision, by unveiling a suite of online stat trackers called EA Battlelog, which is very similar to Activision's recently announced Call of Duty: Elite.

The main advantage to EA's service? It's completely free.

That point was emphasised repeatedly by EA's John Riccitello, driving home the comparisons to Activision's paid for service.

"Battlelog also lets you manage your friends lists, squad up, create platoons, use voice chat and follow your friends' progress in real-time, and more," reads a 3 June post by DICE general manager Karl Magnus Troedsson.

"Battlelog will be available for the monthly fee of (drum roll)... zero dollars. We look forward to providing more information on these features in the near future!"

Battlelog will be available from EA's new Origin.com, which is shaping up to become a single web destination for EA's titles by merging EA Store and EA Account IDs.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...tlelog-service ...

Microsoft has unveiled plans to introduce cloud storage for Xbox Live profiles and game saves.

The news was not announced at the platform holder's conference, but tucked away in an open letter from Live exec Marc Whitten.

"We are making it easier for you to sign into your Xbox Live account from any console at any time to access your game saves and full profile," the letter reads.

"Cloud storage will allow you to enjoy the same great Xbox Live gaming experience even when you're not in your own living room by giving you the option to store your "game saves" securely in the Xbox Live cloud, instead of on a portable memory unit or your console's hard drive.

"Gone are the days of "gamertag recovery". Now all you need to do is sign in, no matter where you are!"

Also promised are a new dashboard ("Simpler. Cleaner. Easier to navigate"), expanded voice support and something called "Beacons" - "a way to tell your Xbox Live and Facebook friends that you want to play a game on Xbox Live".

So, for example: "Imagine sending out a Beacon to let your friends know you're interested in playing Halo, while watching a movie on Netflix." Of course you have to imagine having Netflix unless you're American but never mind.

"I can't wait to open the doors to your new home for entertainment this holiday," Whitten's letter ends. Shiver. "Rest assured, there is more to come."

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...plans-revealed ...