We’ve just got word from Microsoft that Guitar Hero: Metallica will be the first game (that isn’t Lips) to support Lips wireless microphones. Additionally, we’ve tested the Guitar Hero World Tour and Rock Band USB microphones with SingStar on the PS3, and found that they don’t work.
Do the Guitar Hero World Tour instruments work with Rock Band 2, and vice versa? [Gizmag]
Here’s the re-designed Rock Band 2 guitar controller. Apart from the new faux-wood-finish, I’d expect something that feels identical to the axe you’re familiar with - perhaps with a strum bar less likely to crap out.
Amazon is currently selling Rock Band drum sets for the Xbox 360
I was well and truly stuck about a third of the way through the A Class races in Gran Turismo 5 Prologue. When you’re starting in last place and playing catch up with an equally powerful car, making just one mistake means you’re toast - especially on a speedway-style circuit. I’d all but given up on the thought of beating the game until Logitech told me they were sending over a Driving Force GT.
It probably won’t come as a shock when I tell you that Gran Turismo 5 Prologue comes alive when it’s played with a force-feedback wheel. The jump between a Sixaxis and the Driving Force GT is of a similar magnitude to the jump between the 8-way digital joysticks of the 16-bit era and the dual-analogs of recent years. You can feel the car lose traction, and intuitively wrestle the back end into submission.
GelaSkin, famous for making protector cases for iPods, phones and laptops featuring unique artwork from a wide range of artists, are now making cases for the DS and PSP. PSP GelaSkins include matching wallpaper for a seamless look. More designs after the jump.
Nintendo is set to reissue the GameCube controller in Japan this month. This time around, it features a 3-meter cord, will only be available in Wii-style white, and will cost 2,000 yen (approximately US$20).
If only Sony treated PlayStation owners so nicely with the DualShock 3.
via Engadget
Harmonix has announced the long-awaited individual Rock Band peripherals will start shipping in February, starting with the release of the US$80 drum controller on February 12. The wireless guitar will cost US$60 and will be released later on April 1.
It has me stumped why Harmonix didn’t prioritize the release of the PlayStation 3 wireless guitar above all else - four months is a long time to wait for a bass player.
via Game | Life
…and you thought the Super Scope was obscure? Meet the MACS Multipurpose Arcade Combat Simulator for the Super Nintendo - perhaps the rarest video game and accessory in existence. Developed for the U.S. Army to increase the firing accuracy of recruits, the game uses an M16 replica of authentic size and weight for an input device, rather than a plastic approximation.
The cartridge label reads “MACS Moving Target Simulator (C) 1993 Sculptured Software, Inc” - presumably the same Sculptured Software that was responsible for the SNES ports of the Mortal Kombat series - however information is scarce.
Gaming hardware company Tomarni have developed what promises to be the ultimate gaming peripheral - a performance pill targeted at FPS gamers. According to its product website, the pill “accelerates neural processes and heightens perception and capacity of reaction and concentration”.
Being a German invention I was prepared for some crazy feat of pharmaceutical engineering, but alas, all that was listed on the ingredients page were a bunch of amino acids and vitamins, most of which are available in a healthy diet or in a sports supplement shop.
It would be a welcome addition to your existing high-performance FPS diet of caffeinated beverages and more caffeinated beverages, but at EUR 19.90, (approximately US$30) most people may consider alternative options. However this isn’t going to stop me from pestering my editor in obtaining a small quantity for a hands-on review.
via ShackNews
If Guitar Hero fuels the fantasy of being a guitar god, then Guitar Wizard will provide the tools to actually make that happen, on a real guitar. It’s the next logical step for novices who have never picked up a six-string before Guitar Hero, or those who have found traditional teaching methods unengaging and inefficient.
Guitar Wizard teaches you through method alone, making no reference to music theory - with each string designated a shape and each fret color coded. As songs play, the shapes and colors move across the screen in a manner akin to Guitar Hero. The resulting drawback is that instead of referring to E, B and G strings, you’ll forever know them as diamond, heart and square strings.
The set up isn’t too badly priced either. During a hands on interview at CES, Guitar Wizard’s makers have quoted a full package cost of US$300, and that includes a Washburn guitar, MIDI pickup and software. If you’ve got your own guitar, you’ll only need to purchase a MIDI pickup and software for US$150.
Hit the jump for a hands on demo and interview at CES
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