Joystiq

Engadget evaluates Razer Blade performance

Mike Schramm — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 22:45:00 EST

Our fellow bloggers at Engadget have gotten their hands on the Blade laptop from Razer (the very first commercial fruits of that "Switchblade" concept seeded so long ago), and the unit gets some high marks, despite some significant flaws. The worst issue with the laptop seems to be the audio (the built-in speakers are so bad that Engadget suspected their unit was broken somehow), but in general the problem with the Blade seems that it's tuned for a mix of portability and performance, which means neither gets to be perfect.

Yes, the Blade is sleek and super thin for a PC laptop, but it trades on that build ~~by being a "gaming" unit that doesn't play StarCraft 2 on its highest settings perfectly~~. (see update) For the sticker price of $2,799, Razer traded a little too much performance for the admittedly impressive form factor.

But while Engadget doesn't recommend the laptop wholeheartedly, the site does praise the Blade's "bright and delectably tactile" LED buttons. The article surmises we'll see those types of controls again soon, either in Razer hardware, or units from other device manufacturers.

Update: Engadget has discovered that they didn't have the latest drivers for the graphics card, and with those, apparently Skyrim runs much better. Engadget is working on updated benchmarks for all of the Blade's performance aspects.

Engadget evaluates Razer Blade performance originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 22:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mad Catz shows off MLG Pro controller at CES, for the discerning button pusher

Mike Schramm — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 13:00:00 EST

A controller is a controller is a controller. The most innovative additions to console controllers these days usually involve an extra turbo switch, or maybe a fan in the handles.

Mad Catz' new MLG Pro Circuit Controller stands out, and was first shown off at CES 2012 last week. Mad Catz worked with Major League Gaming players and other gamers to figure out just what it is they wanted a controller to do, and rather than just add some new lights (or those fans), they took a few good steps forward.

The analogue sticks and D-pads are fully removable and customizable, and the controller comes with all sorts of possibilities. With this controller, you can implement the layout you want.

Continue reading Mad Catz shows off MLG Pro controller at CES, for the discerning button pusher

Mad Catz shows off MLG Pro controller at CES, for the discerning button pusher originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 17 Jan 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SteelSeries' Simraceway SRW-S1 racing wheel trades pedals for paddles

Jordan Mallory — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 18:30:00 EST

As serious racing-simulator enthusiasts out there know, the allure of the racing wheel is almost inescapable. When your fancy is tickled by buttons, levers and switches, the only thing better than a full racing setup is the original Steel Battalion controller which, sadly, cannot be used for racing games of any kind.

Ignoring the generous amounts of space and money required to utilize a racing setup, most racing wheels are also fairly unportable, which can make showing off your new toy rather difficult when invited round to a friend's place. Enter the $120 SteelSeries Simraceway SRW-S1, a motion-based simulation-centric peripheral which abandons foot pedals in favor of gear-shift-style flappy-paddles mounted to the backside of device.

Motion controls seem like an odd choice for a peripheral aimed at accuracy obsessed simulator aficionados, but maybe 19 buttons and 3 dials affixed to the face of the wheel will be tempting enough to risk the cost of entry.

SteelSeries' Simraceway SRW-S1 racing wheel trades pedals for paddles originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 19 Nov 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Show and Tell: And buttons for all

Alisha Karabinus — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Show and Tell

Buttons are important to gamers. Usually, they're our primary method of input, and while some systems (why hello, Nintendo) may be moving us away from that tradition, we'll always have a soft spot for those little buttons.

But we're not talking about those sorts of buttons today. We just like 'em. No, we're taking a look at the other sort today, the kind you wear. Badges. Pins. Sometimes, they can be just as important as the buttons on our handhelds and controllers -- if you want to display your likes and dislikes, anyway. And badge-making has long been quite the thing among the crafty gaming contingent. Take the guided tour of our selection of game-related buttons here, or dip into the gallery below wherever you'd like. You might be surprised at what you find.

Gallery: Show and Tell: Buttons!

Show and Tell is all about fan stuff, so long as it's Nintendo-related. We love to see your collections, your crafts, your frosted creations, your t-shirts and swag of all sorts.Just snap a few pictures, tell us what's up, and send it all to showmeit [at] dsfanboy [dot] com. We'll take care of the rest. Not a handy type, but found something neat? Send us a link instead.

Show and Tell: And buttons for all originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 02 Dec 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wii Warm Up: About a button

Alisha Karabinus — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Controller, Wii Warm Up

We've talked a little before about the placement of buttons on the Wii Remote, but what about the number of buttons? Do you think there should be a few more? What about fewer? That would probably mean more actions performed with gestures. Does it seem like buttons are still essential for most games? Waggling through menus doesn't really seem too appealing, after all.

Wii Warm Up: About a button originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 10 Aug 2008 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Remember Mario? He's back -- in button form!

Phil Larsen — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 22:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fan stuff

What are these perfect for? Making a fabric-based stop-motion Mario animation, that's what. This latest batch of buttons from Etsy craftsman Spooon features easily movable characters and items, each faithfully recreated from original NES sprites. Why, nab a set of these handy control buttons, and you'll have hours of fun manually moving our plucky hero through all kinds of pinning adventures.

Better yet, Spooon also whipped up a bunch of magnets featuring Space Invaders and Pac-man characters, so there's no real need to ever leave your kitchen. Sit by the fridge and enjoy! The sets are available in button ($8) or magnet ($10) form, so the choice of creating a retro fridge or bag is entirely up to you. The store is open for business, so take a crafty trip down nostalgia street.

[Via technabob]

Remember Mario? He's back -- in button form! originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 10 Jun 2008 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wii Warm Up: Button placement

Alisha Karabinus — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Controller, Wii Warm Up

Confession: I have small hands. This means that, over the years, a lot of controllers are just difficult to use. The Dreamcast controller, the first monstrous Xbox controller ... and sometimes, the Wii remote. Yes, the controller that is supposed to be the most user-friendly thing ever is, at times, a little unwieldy. And forget waggle; it's got nothing to do with motion controls. No, it's those pesky little 1 and 2 buttons.

Anyone else have trouble getting to them sometimes? Do you groan whenever you notice a game using them? They just seem hard to reach when you're in the thick of things, unless the controller is turned sideways. Of course, those of you with gigantic man-hands probably don't have any issues at all.

Freaks.

Wii Warm Up: Button placement originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 24 Apr 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GDC08: Touring the GDC Store

Ross Miller — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 22:15:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, GDC, Galleries

Although the show floors haven't opened yet, the GDC Store was packed with potential consumers. Highlights include: a teddy bear ($10) slouched over and surrounded by empty shot glasses ($5) and flasks ($10), a line of clothing for toddlers ($16 to $25) and the Outlaw Volleyball soundtrack. Check out the gallery below.

Gallery: GDC08 Store

GDC08: Touring the GDC Store originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 18 Feb 2008 22:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Controllers modded specifically for Gears, Halo, etc [Update]

Terrence Stasse — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 12:45:00 EST

Filed under: News, Hacks / mods

Update 1: It seems that HGcontrollers is not the only company around modding controllers for online shooters. Their products are different from each other, so check 'em both out.

Controllers with turbo buttons have existed for many years, going all the way back to the NES, and controller mods for the 360 are nothing new. But having a turbo button (among many other things) modded into what looks like a standard controller is news to us. The guys over at HGcontrollers seem to have started up a fine little business doing just that. The above graphic is really from their site (can you spot which are the real and fake buttons) and details some of the special enhancements made to the controller for the express purpose of playing shooters.

The goal of these mods is to create a controller configuration that can be played through the entire game experience without having to remove one's thumbs from the sticks. Theoretically, this means that your aim with said sticks will improve, as you no longer have to take your thumb off it to hit the essential buttons. However HGcontrollers does more modding of controllers than simply moving buttons. The staff there will actually create a controller with a custom button layout, toggle switches, microprocessors (turbo) for rapid fire, and more if you've got the cash for it. In fact, their website seems to be a bit behind the times forgetting to tell its readers that there are even controllers specially built for Gears that do your Active-Reloading for you. These controllers look great and all, but specifically modding (or buying) your controller to get better at a game sort of defeats the purpose (FUN!) for us here.

[Thanks, chaostheory0982]

Controllers modded specifically for Gears, Halo, etc [Update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 10 Feb 2008 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A bevy of buttons

Alisha Karabinus — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 22:43:00 EST

Filed under: Fan stuff

The very moment we saw these buttons, we had an irresistible urge to not only buy them, but arrange them on some sort of button-friendly surface or fabric in a way that recreates their positions on the NES controller. Of course, then we'd be forced to recreate NES game music using nothing but our mouths (along with rhythmic head-bobbing, of course). Frankly, we shouldn't be allowed out in public. Lucky for us, these adorable buttons sold out almost immediately (we're saved from embarrassment), but the seller indicates that s/he can "remake most of what I list."

Etsy craftster Slevin11 has a variety of other shiny Nintendo buttons that are not sold out as well. You can check out a huge array of Pokéballs just waiting to be snapped onto a bag, or a variety of sprites. There's some, y'know, other stuff also, but we're a little single-minded about these things.

A bevy of buttons originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 14 Nov 2007 22:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First glimpse at ten-button Rock Band guitar controller

Peter Vrabel — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 12:15:00 EST

Filed under: Peripherals

Harmonix was just getting us warmed up, it seems. Instead of the five fret buttons we've grown accustomed to on the past Guitar Hero series, the Rock Band official Stratocaster-based guitar controller displays ten fret buttons. On the second pic embedded below, you'll notice the five new buttons down at the base of the neck. We can only imagine what kind of sick guitar solo action Harmonix has in store for us with these.

The pics arrive courtesy of a Gamestop newsletter, which also details the new features embedded into the guitar controller. As we reported earlier, guitar effects will play a large role, allowing the player to flange, wah, reverb and delay their way into guitar gaming bliss. No official pricing was included at this time, though we wouldn't be surprised to see something closer to $79.99 or thereabouts for the controller alone. Price be damned, we're still going to have to give this bad boy a spin. Anyone else?

Continue reading First glimpse at ten-button Rock Band guitar controller

First glimpse at ten-button Rock Band guitar controller originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 19 Jun 2007 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Brightening up your buttons

Eric Caoili — Sun, 03 Jun 2007 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fan stuff, Hacks

Rocky's ultra-modded DS Lite has gotten to the point where you can literally station it on the coastline, its LED beacons guiding ships to safe harbor. His latest hack installs LEDs under the ABXY buttons, sticking them in place with hot glue. We're not sure if the mod has any functional purpose -- save serving as a navigational aid to sailors at sea -- but it's certainly something we haven't seen done before with the handheld. Float your boat past the post break for larger photos of the DS lighthouse.

Continue reading Brightening up your buttons

Brightening up your buttons originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 03 Jun 2007 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Trigger happy LED mod

Eric Caoili — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: How-tos, Controller, Video, Homebrew

Wii remote modders won't rest until they've installed fluorescent lighting on every button and pad, decorating the controller like some kind of rectangular christmas tree. Today's DIY project adds an LED to the usually unseen B button behind the remote.

WiiCade forumer Loki has instructions and a photo tutorial on how to plant an LED under your own Wiimote's trigger. You can set the button to light up all the time or when the controller rumbles, whichever your fancy. Check past the post break for video of the glowing mod.

[Via Digg]

Continue reading Trigger happy LED mod

Trigger happy LED mod originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 29 Apr 2007 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DS Daily: Arcade on the go

JC Fletcher — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Features, DS Daily

We've talked a bit about classic remakes before, but today we want to focus the discussion on ports. Specifically, arcade games. Arcade fans demand faithful translations of their games, which is why we applaud Konami's effort to preserve the original aspect ratio of the arcade Contra even as we wonder how to play it. But the display is only part of the arcade experience.

Crazy arcade types tend to build custom joysticks to play their fighting games. Obviously we aren't going to do that with the DS (but if you have, let us know!), and the controls on the DS are not exactly identical to those found on your average arcade cabinet. But do they get the job done for most arcade games? The touch screen can simulate dial and trackball controllers okay, but what about a joystick?

We want to hear your two tokens. Are there any classic arcade games that you'd like to see on the DS, other than the obvious Punch-Out!!? And would a D-pad and four face buttons compromise the experience?

DS Daily: Arcade on the go originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 29 Mar 2007 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DS Daily: Buttons

Jason Wishnov — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Features

One hears so much hubbub regarding the various input capturing systems of the DS (touch-screen, microphone) that one forgets the damn thing has buttons. Eight plus a D-pad, to be precise. The DS is, in fact, Nintendo's first handheld to feature more than two standard face buttons at all, a la the SNES.

Are you happy with the buttons? Are there too many, too few? Are they hard to reach, and are they too clicky? We like the clicks. (Our parents communicated to us exclusively in Morse Code.) Expound upon thy ministrations!

DS Daily: Buttons originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 20 Mar 2007 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DS Daily: Technical difficulties

Alisha Karabinus — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Features

Reader Katotetu wrote in about his shoulder button woes -- repeated use seems to have killed them on his Phat -- and we thought that might be an excellent topic to bring to the table. Have you have any problems with your DS? Have your shoulder buttons suffered like Katotetu's? Were you a victim of a hinge crack? Or has it been all clear waters and smoothing sailing on the SV DS?

DS Daily: Technical difficulties originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 12 Feb 2007 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DS Fanboy contest: Sumo Omni

Alisha Karabinus — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fan stuff

Interested in enjoying the comforts of your very own Sumo Omni beanbag chair? Now you can, and without footing the hefty price tag -- if you've got the skills, that is. Here's the challenge: what could a Sumo Omni be in bizarro world? Design a completely different product with the same name and find a creative way to present it (bonus points if it's related to the DS). Make a poster or write a jingle. Create a flyer. It's all in your hands, and for once, you don't have to be a video wiz or a 'chopping expert to win. Humor is your weapon in this war. Make us laugh, make us wish for your imagined product, and we'll ship a charcoal Sumo Omni to your door. Second prize will walk away with a handful of shiny new DS buttons and the affirmation that they were almost good enough.

Due to the holidays, and the wide-open nature of the competition, we're giving you two weeks to work on this one. The winner will be announced Wednesday, December 27, so entries received after midnight, Eastern time, December 27, will not be considered. Submissions should be sent to dsfanboy [dot] contests [at] gmail [dot] com with the subject Sumo Omni Contest. One entry per person only. Failing to follow the rules, or submitting something pornographic, is an automatic disqualification. Keep it clean, make it funny, and win that chair. If you have questions, they'll be addressed in the comments. Now get to work!

DS Fanboy contest: Sumo Omni originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 13 Dec 2006 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Show the world you love the DS!

Alisha Karabinus — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 14:16:00 EST

Filed under: Fan stuff, Nintendo Wi-Fi

Sure, if you want a solid group of individuals with whom to play on Tuesdays, our Game Night has you covered. But what about the rest of the week? What to do when the Kefkas and Metal_Links aren't available? Have you ever found yourself standing around on campus or at the subway, studying bags for the telltale outline of a DS case? Well, the helpful folks at Left Bracket have come up with a clever solution -- DS buttons! Select buttons for the games you want to play online, apply to jacket, backpack, etc., and let the WiFi hookups roll in.

Sets of five buttons are available for $12, and you can create a custom set that coincides with games you own.

Show the world you love the DS! originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 12 Dec 2006 14:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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