Gaming

Rumors of $400 PS3/'Spider-Man 3' Blu-ray bundle rev up

Our friends over at Gamespot posted a blog yesterday discussing the likelihood of a rumored $400 PS3 that would arrive in time for the holidays. The entry links to a story on Ars Technica about how the PlayStation 3's sales are slowing again after a brief burst of momentum following the price drop to $500 on the 60GB version of the console. Analysts are already predicting that Sony will soon drop the price of the 80GB PS3 to $500 and one of Ars Technica's "reliable" moles is saying that Sony will also bring out a $400 … Read more

Wii Zapper to include Zelda-themed crossbow game when it ships in November

When Nintendo announced the Wii Zapper back at July's E3 show, the company promised the $20 add-on would be bundled with a game (a "pack-in," in gamer parlance). And today the company made good on the pledge: The Zapper will include Link's Crossbow Training, a Zelda-themed target shooter. The game will progress from simple bull's-eyes to moving targets (including enemies from the Zelda series), and--while I wouldn't expect much more than a glorified "how to use the Zapper" tutorial--something tells me Crossbow Training could be as infectious as Wii Sports. Either way, … Read more

New HP desktops shine

HP announced the first product of its joint design efforts with Voodoo PC this evening. Our review of the HP Blackbird 002 is up, and it achieved the highest rating we've ever awarded a desktop. We'll let the review speak for itself, but we'll only add here that while we wrote about a custom configuration that won't be available until Oct. 1, you can buy a similar, fixed-configuration system today for $5,500 that looks like this:

Overclocked Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6850 (2) Nvidia GeForce 8800 Ultra graphics cards Windows Vista Ultimate 2GB, 800MHz DDR2 … Read more

Could Microsoft really be this childish?

Microsoft is apparently banning dirty words like "Linux" on its XBox Live site. Really.

Okay, what happens when you like Linux, and decide to change your Xbox Live gamertag motto to "Linux rules"? Well, Microsoft black flags you, that's what. According to xbox-scene.com, Linux and Unix prompt the following response:

Your motto contains inappropriate language. Please try again.

I can confirm this as I just tried it myself. Also, according to some xbox-scene.com forum-goers, variations on Linux such as "L I N U X" or "L inux" also are … Read more

Play a 'Secret Burning Man Game'

Jane McGonigal is a Burning Man widow.

That is, her husband has just left for the annual countercultural arts festival for 10 days, leaving her alone at home in the Bay Area.

But McGonigal, one of the most innovative designers of alternate-reality games, is hoping that even though she won't be in the desert herself, her influence might be felt at the 45,000-person bacchanalia.

To wit, she is hoping that she can seed the idea that if anyone sees her husband, Kiyosh, wandering around Burning Man, "usually wearing an orange jumpsuit, sometimes wearing goggles and/or a … Read more

SLCC '07: Chicago is the metaverse's metropolis

CHICAGO, Ill.--This might just be the perfect city for a Second Life convention. At least this out-of-towner thinks so.

When you think about it, a good number of Chicago's urban planning quirks have quite a bit in common with the aesthetics of some of Second Life's more popular "sims." It's because parts of the city are so planned--as though they were created with a few well-thought-out mouse clicks that could easily be tweaked and improved. The business and shopping districts are peppered with bright displays of greenery and flowers, the streets and gardens in … Read more

Hot deal: Xbox 360 HD-DVD, plus six HD-DVD movies, for $170

Update at 2:09 pm, August 24, 2007--Sorry, folks, but almost as soon as we posted this Deal, the seller ran out of stock. If you still have a hankering, try CNET Reviews' price comparison feature here.

We've seen the Xbox 360 HD-DVD player listed at close to $200, so we're happy to find it offered for quite a bit less.

The Xbox 360 HD-DVD player is an inexpensive way for 360 owners to get high-def movies. For you gamers who already love your Xbox, just plug in the HD-DVD player and boost your at-home viewing with ultra-sharp … Read more

'Second Life' radio station emerges

CHICAGO--One of the predictions in the lead-up to this weekend's Second Life Community Convention here has focused on the potential for lots of talk about organization.

There are plenty of critics who claim, however erroneously, that Second Life is a mess both structurally and technologically. And Linden Lab's decentralized and laissez-faire approach to the largely user-created virtual world, it could be argued, has allowed its identity to be shaped by its most prominent and press-worthy residents--who are, on occasion, blowing up buildings, stealing identities, and barraging lectures with oversized flying man-parts.

We won't really know until tonight … Read more

Razer Lachesis gaming mouse brings 4000 dpi laser, new buttons

Razer's forthcoming Lachesis gaming mouse finally addresses our chief complaint with its DeathAdder and other gaming mice: no easy-access buttons for switching dpi settings on the fly. Logitech's G5 Laser mouse has them, Microsoft's new SideWinder will have them, and now the Lachesis gets them when it hits in October for the seemingly standard price of $80 (and you can pre-order now).

Otherwise, the Lachesis seems to be simply a revamped DeathAdder. The only other major change is its higher-end laser sensor, which gives you a 4000 dpi ceiling, and thus a greater range of sensitivity settings. … Read more