|
|
|
The Joypad is a place to find all the latest Joypad and Controller News. Part of the
DCEmu Homebrew & Gaming Network.
THE LATEST NEWS BELOW
23:50
October 29th, 2008
Posted By: LyonHrt
The classic is back, fully USB equipped and ready for an emulator near you...
With 10 additional contact points inside of the controller on the PCB, you can either add some additional micro buttons to the plastic housing for extra coin, start and fire buttons, or use the board itself in your own arcade desktop control panel or in an arcade cabinet, pricing is very reasonable and this looks like a great low cost gift just in time for the holidays!
Source Arcade Controls.
23:46
October 29th, 2008
Posted By: LyonHrt
14:53
October 29th, 2008
Posted By: LyonHrt
I know there are people out there that are into bugs...Jame Gumb (aka Buffalo Bill) and Gil Grissom for example—but this crap is just gross. Nonetheless, if you are a budding entomologist you will probably get a kick out of this USB mouse with a giant green beetle forever preserved in a plastic tomb. Also available in spider and starfish versions.
Source Gizmodo.
14:48
October 29th, 2008
Posted By: LyonHrt
Sure, that Thanko cooling fan keyboard was a great addition to your desktop for the summer, but temperatures have gotten chillier now and we're all wondering how to keep our wrists warm. Why, with Thanko's upgraded heating AND cooling keyboard, of course! The wintertime edition has three different warming spots that'll make your hands all toasty. And if things get too hot, switch it back to fan mode to cool your fingers off. This miraculous weather-weathering peripheral is available on the Thanko website for roughly $50.
Source Gizmodo.
13:51
October 29th, 2008
Posted By: LyonHrt
DOES SOMEONE YOU KNOW HAVE A SHOUTING PROBLEM? IF SO THEN THIS HANDY TRAINER KEY MAKES THE PERFECT GIFT. A standard 101-pattern caps lock key has had its lettering removed by wiping with a paper towel soaked in acetone, and has been augmented with two fourteen-gauge 10mm lebret spikes from the body jeweler's, which are threaded into appropriately sized holes drilled in the key with a pin vise, and then secured with epoxy. You only have to hit it once to be cured of using the caps lock key forever.
Source Make:blog.
13:48
October 29th, 2008
Posted By: LyonHrt
Red and green Xbox 360 controllers may be appropriate for the Christmas season, but once the Chinese New Year rolls around, you're going to look pretty clueless struggling with the D-pad on that red jobbie. Thanks to Walmart (and Sam's Clubs!) exclusive "dragon" controller, you can stay fashionably in control.
The controller bundle, which is packed with a wired headset fancier than the one we have at Kotaku Towers West, is available now for just shy of fifty bucks. Jump, if you're feeling froggy, just don't ask us to explain why it has an antique candlestick-style telephone screened on there.
Source Kotaku.
13:35
October 29th, 2008
Posted By: LyonHrt
If, for some reason, you suddenly find yourself both in need of an extra Wii Guitar Hero controller and a little light on cash -- no idea what could put so many people in such a state at this particular time -- you may be interested in today's Amazon Deal of the Day.
For $25.98 (just enough to qualify for free shipping!), the retailer is offering the Nyko Frontman guitar controller in either white or yellow. Both include interchangeable pickguards for a bit of customization. Of course, this guitar was originally designed for Guitar Hero III, and consequently does not feature the freaky touch pad business that the newer World Tour guitars do. But as a second guitar (or a bass) it should be fine.
Source Nintendo Wii fanboy.
13:54
October 28th, 2008
Posted By: LyonHrt
This project uses a PIC microcontroller with an RS232 interface on one end and the PS/2 keyboard or mouse hookup on the other side. Interesting way to easily get your keyboard or mouse talking serial in order to integrate it into a project and communicate with software.
via Electronics Lab
Source make:blog.
02:37
October 28th, 2008
Posted By: LyonHrt
Zany frontman Wayne Coyne of commercial alt-rock outfit The Flaming Lips has constructed what may be the world first double-neck, double-function Guitar Hero guitar. It's one half genuine guitar, one quarter Guitar Hero guitar controller and one quarter Korg Kaoscillator, making for a cute little noisemaker that you might just see at an upcoming show.
While filming jingle promos for NBC, Coyne told Entertainment Weekly what it is and why he made it.
Source Kotaku.
22:54
October 27th, 2008
Posted By: LyonHrt
While Nintendo hasn't even announced the next Wii, a DigiTimes source claims that a company named Pixart Imaging is already set to provide Nintendo with the infrared chips for their next generation Wii device. (Pixart already supports the current Wiimote and products from Intel and Logitech.) While not necessarily the worst news, I'm sure at least a few of us were hoping for a solution to avoid those constant "point your Wiimote at the screen" error messages. Oh well, Nintendo could release the Wii2 with non-interactive, rotting banana controller and it would still sell a bajillion units.
Source Gizmodo.
22:16
October 27th, 2008
Posted By: LyonHrt
22:07
October 27th, 2008
Posted By: LyonHrt
Just.. wow. Yes. Approved. Ok, technically Simmons is a bass player - but who in the hell cares when you can own this?
The Gene Simmons Axe Guitar features 'ultra-responsive frets' and an 'analog whammy bar' but **** all that - this is a guitar shaped like a battleaxe as used by the guy from Kiss with the tongue and the big face who was in that film with Magnum and the killer robots. You know the one.
This beauty is compatible with Rock Band and Guitar Hero and seems to feature Simmons' signature as well as a representation of his greasepainted mug, so one would assume it is an official Simmons Product. Santa, I hope you are reading this and can take a hint.
Gene Simmons Axe Guitar [Amazon - thanks to Nick LeBlanc for the tip]
Source Kotaku.
21:45
October 27th, 2008
Posted By: LyonHrt
Reggie recently sat down with the LA Times to discuss the Wii and the upcoming holiday shopping season. He says that about 3 in 10 stores will be carrying the Wii Fit bundle. For those of you still trying to track down the fitness package, those aren't the best odds.
As for production of Wii consoles, Reggie says that Nintendo is churning out 2.4 million units a month. Compared to 1.6 million last year, Nintendo is really trying their best to satisfy the demand consumers have for the console. Whether they actually will or not, we'll just have to wait and see.
Source Nintendo wii fanboy.
21:43
October 27th, 2008
Posted By: LyonHrt
Have a look at these two arcade sticks by Exar. As far as anyone knows, they are completely identical except for color scheme and artwork. Ignoring external factors like price, which one is the stick for you? The one with monochrome buttons and artwork that ties it in with Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom, or the plain stick with Super Famicom-colored buttons that identifies it as a Virtual Console controller? Consider it a personality test, except that what it reveals about your personality is limited mostly to arcade stick color scheme preference.
Source Nintendo Wii Fanboy.
22:45
October 26th, 2008
Posted By: LyonHrt
19:01
October 26th, 2008
Posted By: LyonHrt
Reader DarthMetalHope was scanning boards in advance of picking up Guitar Hero: World Tour today, and notices that for those who already have it, some are seeing sensitivity/operability problems with the drum kit. Enough that it's raising a big stink, and Activision has noticed.
One PS3 gamer on IGN's boards says:
I went and started the drum trainer just to get a feel for the drums. I noticed right off the bat that the red pad only registered that I was hitting it softly even when I hit it hard. So when I got to the trainer about hitting certain accent notes harder I failed out every time, even if I hit the pad with all my might.
And a 360 player:
"Just picked up the full band version for 360, at first there was a problem with the pads registering, and the red pad just completely died a minute ago... Out of the box less than 3 hours..."
Activision has noticed the chatter and put up a sticky on its Guitar Hero boards directing perturbed gamers to customer support, and step-by-step advises them to make sure the instruments have batteries, are powered on and bound, that cables are completely attached and that the drum pedal is on a flat surface. It also suggests swapping your cymbals, if one doesn't register, to see if it's the cymbal pad or the kit overall. It ends with information on how to get a warranty replacement from Red Octane, and that's not a good sign.
Read more on Kotaku.
23:02
October 25th, 2008
Posted By: LyonHrt
Slowly, games are starting to trickle out that allow the use of the Balance Board, for activities like skiing, tilting a maze (and infuriating yourself), controlling a robot, playing the drums, and even moving puzzle pieces. Oh, and riding a moose down a mountain. The potential for non-fitness-related fun is increasing.
Have you taken part in any non-Wii Fit-related Wii wobbling? What did you think of the experience? Do you look forward to any future Board-compatible games?
Asks Nintendo Wii fanboy.
02:55
October 25th, 2008
Posted By: LyonHrt
Yesterday, we brought word about Logitech's fancy new $250 Guitar Hero World Tour wireless guitar controller for the PlayStations 2 and 3, but were left with some questions remaining. And thanks to Mr. Tate Tran of Logitech, today we have answers:
Are there any plans to make this guitar available for the Xbox 360 and/or Wii?
We recognized both as popular platforms for Guitar Hero. Please stay tuned for future announcements.
Will it be compatible with MTV's Rock Band and Konami's Rock Revolution?
At a basic level, yes. While this guitar was designed for use specifically with Guitar Hero on PlayStation, the Sony has announced that guitars and drum sets designed for use with top titles (Guitar Hero, Rock Band and Rock Revolution) will all feature a basic level of gameplay compatibility no matter which title you prefer.
So there you have it; worries of shelling out serious cash for a guitar that would only work with one brand are no more, though with the tweaks that Activision is making for World Tour, I imagine some functions of the guitar may not have a similar function in other titles.
And with any luck, hardcore Wii and Xbox 360 owners will get to rock out in style before their PlayStation-owning friends have too much time to gloat.
Source Kombo.
00:32
October 25th, 2008
Posted By: LyonHrt
21:20
October 24th, 2008
Posted By: LyonHrt
The cover story of the latest issue of popular do-it-yourself magazine Make features the Guitar Zeros, a California-based band the bassist and lead guitarist of which use hacked Guitar Hero axes rather than traditional guitars to make music.
Owen Grace, who plays “lead controller,” was so obsessed with Activision's music game that he decided to plug his plastic instrument into his laptop and start writing software that would allow him to use the controller's five fret buttons, strummer, whammy bar, and motion sensitivity to play and dynamically modify the sound of 32 distinct notes.
He set his friend up with a hacked bass controller, recruited a drummer and a vocalist, and suddenly the Guitar Zeros had been formed. They've played dozens of gigs across the U.S., as well as a few in Canada, the U.K., and Australia.
The video below, produced by online magazine Current, includes interviews with several band members and shows a few snippets of a Guitar Zeros performance. (The atonal melodies and abrasive vocals aren't really my bag, but different strokes...)
These guys have been doing this for a couple of years now, so they've got the toy-to-instrument transformation process down to an art. The Make magazine article provides detailed information on just how they do it.
But it's not the only way to learn the band's secrets.
Source The globe and mail.
21:00
October 24th, 2008
Posted By: LyonHrt
We fully expected Japanese accessory company Hori to release a version of their Fighting Stick Wii with Tatsunoko vs. Capcom art. They frequently release branded versions of their less expensive (as in, not Real Arcade Pro) sticks to coincide with new fighting games. But another company somehow got the deal with Capcom, and plans to release Classic Controller-compatible sticks both with and without Tatsunoko artwork this year.
Exar, the company responsible for the Wii Neo Geo Stick 2, will release the EXARSTICK on November 27 for 5229 yen ($54) and the TATSUNOKO VS. CAPCOM STICK on December 11 for 6279 yen ($65). The only differences between the two seem to be cosmetic: in addition to the obvious artwork differences, the buttons and outer casing on the Tatsunoko stick are different colors than those in the plain stick, which is Wii white and blue with Super Famicom-color buttons.
We don't know how this compares to the Fighting Stick in terms of quality -- at these prices, we don't expect either to use genuine arcade parts -- but at least it looks like something that needs to be sitting on our coffee table right now.
Source Nintendo wii fanboy.
00:08
October 24th, 2008
Posted By: LyonHrt
The key to every video game console is how the player is able to interact with it. This makes the controller design a crucial factor in a console’s hardware development. Brilliant designs such as Sony’s DualShock have proven that they can carry themselves across generations of platforms. However, most other companies have not been so lucky. Here are the five biggest design failures…
To see the list go here.
23:56
October 23rd, 2008
Posted By: LyonHrt
If you’re an up-and-coming Slash or Dave Murray, practising your riffs on the Wii with a Rage Wireless Guitar may not longer be the best option, because it could leave you with a nasty burn.
Source The register.
23:18
October 23rd, 2008
Posted By: LyonHrt
How much do you love your Guitar Hero? Are you a committed Fret Freak? If so, you may be able to suck up the £135 asking price for Logitech's Wireless Guitar Controller Premier Edition for Guitar Hero and the forthcoming Guitar Hero: World Tour.
Forget those other plasticky toys, this baby comes complete with a wood neck, a rosewood fingerboard, metal tuning peg handles and metal frets, dude. It's compatible with the PS3 and PS2 game versions.
Fore more go to Gizmodo.
00:21
October 23rd, 2008
Posted By: LyonHrt
I've been pretty excited about the Mad Catz Fender Rock Band Bass since it was first announced, though my cultivated distrust of the quality of Mad Catz products made me bit wary of the product. It took a heartfelt assurance of the guitar's quality from Mad Catz's Global PR & Comms Manager Alex Verrey to convince me to give it a go, and I have to say I'm pretty glad I did. I can honestly say that this is the best damn replica bass guitar for Rock Band, and only part of me is poking fun at it being one of the only ones available.
Source Kotaku.
23:46
October 22nd, 2008
Posted By: LyonHrt
Nintendo wii fanboy has a look of their top 5 diy zappers for the nintendo wii:
We're here with another stroll down memory lane, checking out some of the great mods the Wii community has come up with. This time, we focus on the Wii Zapper. Hit the button below and check out 5 of our favorite DIY Zappers.
Source Nintendo wii fanboy
23:40
October 22nd, 2008
Posted By: LyonHrt
Thanks to a Siliconera writeup of the TGS demo of Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Cross Generation of Heroes, we have a better idea what to expect from the fighter's controls, both with the Classic Controller and the Wiimote.
The Wiimote was designed as sort of an all-purpose controller, but fighting games are not something it can handle without modifications. According to Spencer, one button is mapped to combos, and the other to special moves. Holding the D-pad in any direction will change the command mapped to the button. For example, Ryu's special attack button throws a fireball, but up+ special or down+ special will release other moves like the Dragon Punch and Hurricane Kick. It's a pretty admirable attempt at making a fighter playable with the Wiimote.
The "real" control scheme on the Classic Controller is simplified, as well, compared to other Capcom fighters. Attacks are mapped to three buttons, weak, medium, and strong, with no distinction between punches and kicks. In both control schemes, the B button calls the assist character.
Source Nintendo wii fanboy.
21:33
October 22nd, 2008
Posted By: LyonHrt
With the release of Rock Band 2 for the Wii approaching, a flood of information about the game is finally making its way to the eyes and ears of would-be rockers. Yesterday, we heard about all of the awesome DLC we'll have access to and now we've got something for those of you who picked up Guitar Hero III for the Wii.
Posting on the Harmonix boards, one of the developers confirmed that the guitar used in Guitar Hero III for the Wii will be fully compatible with Rock Band 2. So, for those of you who prefer rocking out with a wireless plastic axe, as opposed to the one that comes with the full Rock Band bundle, you're in luck.
No word has been said about Guitar Hero World Tour's guitar and Rock Band 2, but seeing as how Harmonix wants to "encourage the interoperability of instruments between platforms," we're thinking it just might be.
Source Nintendo wii fanboy.
21:31
October 22nd, 2008
Posted By: LyonHrt
21:24
October 22nd, 2008
Posted By: LyonHrt
21:18
October 22nd, 2008
Posted By: LyonHrt
[stuart] wanted a more intuitive way to control his rover platform than the software solution he had been using. He settled on using a Playstation controller with an AVR to operate the rover wirelessly. He found a couple references for talking to the controller using SPI on a PIC and adapted that for his ATMega88. The code is available on his site. He removed the rumble motors from the controller and stuffed the chip plus the transmitter package inside. The Linx TX/RX pair are mounted to pluggable boards so he can use them on other projects. A video of the tank in motion is after the jump.
Source hackaday.
21:17
October 22nd, 2008
Posted By: LyonHrt
Heres the latest sticks on the joystick vault.
Firstly a Mass Effect custom joystick, and secondly a silent hill custom joystick built using Happ competition buttons & joystick. MDF Board for the construction.
Both by GatsuGodhand.
Source Joystick vault.
21:15
October 22nd, 2008
Posted By: LyonHrt
This isn't a product, but rather a concept product. Spotted a mini-motorcycle that had been modded with an embedded PS3 SIXAXIS controller. The guy on the motorbike said the original plan was to have the game projected lower so players weren't looking up at the wall, but it wasn't possible to work that out logistically, apparently. Fittingly, the PS3 was running MotorStorm, and playing it on a mini-bike did give the title an nostalgically arcadey feel. The only downside was that the handle was a tad too low so twisting the throttle wasn't so easy on the wrist.
Source Kotaku.
21:13
October 22nd, 2008
Posted By: LyonHrt
A new USB encoder is now available from B-Spec Labs. The AKI 3.0 USB Interface, successor to the AKI and SJC interfaces, is a user-configurable encoder which currently supports analog, digital, and 49-way joysticks, as well as joystick to keyboard, and joystick to mouse conversion. For more details, read the product description Here.
Source Arcade controlls.
|
|
|
