Games and gear

Over the weekend, GameSpot reported that a couple of important new updates were on their way for the Xbox 360. First, Microsoft announced that a system update would be available starting the week of May 7; the spring update includes revisions to the Xbox 360 Dashboard and Xbox Live Marketplace.

"The biggest change in the cards. . .is the addition of Windows Live Messenger functionality," the GameSpot story says. "In addition to letting Messenger users on the PC chat with their 360-having friends, the update will also let Xbox 360 owners see if any of their Messenger contacts … Read more

So, that Grindhouse flick has made the phenomenon of the 'double feature' totally cool again, and lucky for me, I was able to hit up a double feature of casual gaming competitions last weekend. In this edition of the Craving NYC video blog is a look at a Cooking Mama: Cook Off tournament at the Nintendo World store, to commemorate its launch for the Wii; and a Guitar Hero II showdown at NYCLAN, a video gaming center in Manhattan's West Village neighborhood. (I wrote about their Halo players a few months ago.) It was really cool to see the … Read more

It was President Herbert Hoover who campaigned on the promise of prosperity under his administration when he vowed "a chicken in every pot, a car in every garage."

Michigan state Democrats want to do him one better: an iPod for every child. An unsigned editorial in The Detroit News is, to put it mildly, not a fan. "An iPod for every kid? Are they !#$!ing idiots?" the headline screams.

The state is apparently facing a budget crisis--to the tune of $1 billion. On Thursday, House Democrats delivered a spending bill that includes the idea of putting $… Read more

Star Wars merchandising has always been hot, of course, and everyone's favorite--the "Lightsaber"--is always at the top of the list. Witness the Lightsaber remote, phone and MP3 player, just to name a few. But we had no idea that there would be competition in a subcategory like Lightsaber umbrellas.

Uber-Review notes that the latest entry to this coveted market is no ordinary bumbershoot, belonging to none other than Lord Vader himself, in all his dark glory. Amazon describes it as "an incredibly limited edition item" from Japan that's "40 inches across and … Read more

As the Wii travels the world and gets increasingly challenging, we cringe at the thought of how the next fool will inflict injury (on self or others). Some accessory makers are coming out with safe-gaming products that take the form of pint-sized sports equipment such as tennis rackets, golf clubs and baseball bats, but a simpler solution is now available.

The "Retractable Wii Sports Cuff" is a plain old adjustable band that attaches to the Wiimote and wraps around your wrist to keep the controller from flying off the handle, so to speak, for just $6. Kotaku says … Read more

We don't consider ourselves squeamish at Crave, and we're open-minded about all lifestyles--even those of the sadomasochistic variety. But we can't help but feel a bit uneasy about what seems to be something of a trend we've noticed lately: games that punish losers with electronic shocks. It's one thing to buzz your opponent in battle-oriented play such as laser-tag tanks, but we're somewhat disturbed by this "feature" popping up increasingly in otherwise tame games.

Take the "Shocking Quiz," for example, a simple game of 600 general-knowledge questions. Since when is … Read more

If you were to combine a dentist chair and a workstation, while throwing in a crane perched precariously above one's head for good measure, you'd probably have something that looked pretty close to the "Personal Computing Environment Station" from PCE. As GeekSugar says, the manufacturer claims that it is designed to "enhance your gaming experience and improve your productivity." (Aren't those mutually exclusive goals?)

Regardless of its intended purpose, this Rube Goldberg-looking setup seems more like an updated version of a medieval torture device than a workstation. For one thing, how do … Read more

Hewlett-Packard is working on a gaming handheld that could let players use their surroundings as a backdrop for an immersive game.

The company unveiled a commercial for "Mscape," its gaming prototype, that featured a number of young hipster gamers roaming San Francisco while playing a game on Mscape that used cues from their environment as triggers to unlock new levels or bonuses. "We want to get kids off the couch," Rahul Sood, chief technology officer of HP's gaming division, said during a presentation in San Francisco.

Details were sketchy, but HP appears to be taking … Read more

If you're into sado-masochistic gaming (that's enough information, thank you), you might be interested in this next item. Picking up where the "Shocking Duel" leaves off, the "R/C Laser Tag Shocking Tanks" uses the general concept--giving the enemy a physical shock with each "hit"--but without having to encounter your opponent face to face.

By remote control, the tanks shoot at each other with lasers shot from built-in infra-red cannons. If one of your beams strikes the opposing tank, its controller will receive an electric shock pass along to its human … Read more