console

How to make a video game console patch bay

Over the years you may have accumulated a lot of old video game consoles and, naturally, getting rid of them is not an option. After all, you've spent so much time with your beloved console. Like an old friend, full of memories and adventures, it's hard to let go.

Or maybe you're a collector who likes to play older games every now and then for the nostalgia. I'm in both camps. And unfortunately my television is not equipped with enough inputs to have all my game systems connected at once and ready to play at a moment's notice.

There is a solution to this problem! … Read more

Xbox 720 could have 'Siri-like' voice control

Finally, we'll soon be able to yell at our television screens and have them respond... if the rumors about the Xbox 720 including a voice control feature similar to Apple's Siri are true.

Yesterday came word that the next-generation Xbox from Microsoft would update Kinect and require a constant Internet connection to function. Such integrated broadband dependence could have something to do with a report from the Verge today that Microsoft's next game console could feature Siri-esque voice control. Popular voice activated personal assistants like Siri and Google Now require a connection to the cloud, where the voice recognition and processing is actually performed. … Read more

Ouya chief: We'll launch a new console every year

Ouya's console will be updated each year with new and better components, the company's founder and CEO said earlier today on the sidelines of the DICE Summit.

Speaking to The Verge in an interview published today, Ouya chief Julie Uhrman said that starting next year and every year thereafter, the company will bundle the most powerful mobile processors available in its console.

"Our plan is to have a yearly refresh of Ouya where we leverage the best-performing chips and take advantage of falling component prices to create the best experience we can at the $99 price point,&… Read more

Ouya preorders start today; retail availability set for June

Ouya, the Android-based Kickstarter phenom that raised over $8.5 million from the community, will be available at a wide range of retailers in June.

Speaking to the Wall Street Journal in an interview published today, Ouya CEO Julie Uhrman said that the console will be made available at retail in June. At that time, a host of retailers, including GameStop, Best Buy, and Target, will be selling the hardware. Amazon will also be carrying the device. Until then, gamers will be able to place preorders starting today.

Ouya took Kickstarter by storm last year when it excited gamers at the prospect of bringing open-source Android gaming to the television. Since then, gamers have been wondering when the console will finally get into their homes.… Read more

Sony teases big NYC event for Feb. 20, PS4 debut?

Time to dust off that hype machine. The next generation of video game consoles may debut as early as February 20. That's the date Sony has set aside for an event in New York City, leading some to believe this could be the first-ever announcement of the PlayStation 4, the inevitable successor to the company's current PlayStation 3 game system.… Read more

Valve's Newell: Apple is the console market's biggest threat

Watch out, Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony: Apple is coming to take you down.

Speaking recently to a class at the University of Texas' LBJ School of Public Affairs, Valve co-founder Gabe Newell said that he believes the console market's greatest "threat right now is that Apple has gained a huge amount of market share, and has a relatively obvious pathway towards entering the living room with their platform."

"I think that there's a scenario where we see sort of a dumbed down living room platform emerging -- I think Apple rolls the console guys really … Read more

Nvidia: Here's how we built our Shield game player

Nvidia's Project Shield was unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) several weeks ago -- and now the chipmaker has offered insight into what it took to make sure the portable gaming device was ready in time.

The chipmaker's gaming device, Nvidia Shield, comes with a quad-core Tegra 4 processor, offers between five and 10 hours of gameplay, and is smaller than a Wii U controller. Able to connect to the cloud in order for a user to access Android and TegraZone games -- as well as PC games with compatible GeForce graphics cards -- once it hits … Read more

Will China end 13-year ban on video game consoles?

Authorities in Beijing are considering allowing the likes of Sony and Nintendo to once again sell video game consoles in China, according to reports.

Video game consoles such as Sony's PlayStation and Microsoft's Xbox were banned more than a decade ago over worries that video game playing could corrupt children and hamper their development. But now the China Daily says at least one governmental official believes that there is a possibility for gaming to once again hit the Chinese market.

An anonymous source from the Chinese Ministry of Culture told the publication:

"We are reviewing the policy … Read more

Wii U getting updates, new games

Wednesday's CNET Update:

Stories mentioned in today's tech news roundup:

- Nintendo announced several updates and new games for the Wii U console.

- GigaOM's report on DIAL, a protocol being worked on by Netflix and YouTube for second-screen apps.

- Google beat analyst expectations by reporting its first-ever $50 billion year.

- Tumblr: Actual Facebook Graph Searches

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Sony exec hints at PlayStation 4 announcement in spring

Sony's vice president of home entertainment, Hiroshi Sakamoto, has hinted that the next-generation PlayStation 4 console may be announced in the coming months.

In an interview with Chilean Web site Emol, Sakamoto implied that the Playstation 4 may be ready for formal introduction by the time 2013's Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) appears on the calendar, or perhaps even sooner.

When asked whether a next-generation playstation console will be seen within the new few months, the VP told the publication:

That's still a big secret, but our friends are preparing Sony PlayStation. I can only say that we … Read more