3DS

LOS ANGELES--E3 might have left out new hardware this year, but third-party accessory manufacturer Nyko was busy putting together a few items that have a lot of potential.

But perhaps the most promising item is the PlayPad and PlayPad Pro, a result of Nyko's partnership with Nvidia and working with Google that aims to standardize controller inputs on Android's Ice Cream Sandwich tablet platform and beyond.

It's a smart initiative because it not only gives developers the comfort of knowing their Android tablet games will have a proper amount of control, but it also gives players the … Read more

It's trendy at this year's E3 to trash the Wii U. Nintendo's next-gen console has its work cut out for it: strange tablet-like GamePad controller, the challenge of making games for its dual-screen potential, the unknown price, and the looming question of whether Nintendo's core casual-gaming crowd has moved on to Apple's iPastures.

What if the Wii U were to succeed?

Nintendo has had a way of pulling rabbits out hats with strange hardware. I remember hating the Nintendo DS when it first was released; it became my favorite handheld. The original Wii was mocked for its name, its lack of HD, and its games-for-everyone mantra. It only became a household name.

If these things come to pass, I think the Wii U could succeed, too. … Read more

E3 shows tend to fall into two categories. Those that are about hardware, and those that are about software.

Last year, at E3 2011, hardware was king, with the first look at the new Wii U console, as well as Sony's PlayStation Vita. Along for the ride was Microsoft's Kinect camera and the Nintendo 3DS, which, while not brand-new last year, were both finally coming into their own as commercially viable products.

Other than that, it's been a while since hardware was king at E3 (and we're not counting the missing in action Wii Vitality Sensor). … Read more

LOS ANGELES--Nintendo had already unveiled the Wii U well before E3 started, but there were a lot of things going into this show that we didn't know. Nintendo's keynote spent a great deal of time detailing what the Wii U can do, what its online and app services are, and what games we can expect to see. A small amount of time was also spent on the Nintendo 3DS, but today's event was clearly dedicated to the Wii U.

What we didn't get, however, was a date and price. Not surprising, but anticlimactic all the same.… Read more

We expect Nintendo to put its new Wii U console/handheld hybrid device front and center at E3 this year. Super Mario Brothers, Pikmin, and other games are sure to come along. Will Nintendo expand the library of third-party games it showcased last year? What about a 3DS Slim?

For those answers and more, check in with our live blog coverage here, beginning at 8:45 a.m. PT/11:45 a.m. ET today.

Between now and then, our ongoing E3 coverage will keep you up to date on the latest from the show. Check it out here.

Editors' … Read more

The days before E3 are always filled with endless pontificating and predictions. The lesson? Throw enough predictions up against the wall and something is bound to stick. Of all the ideas we've heard, you'll probably agree that these are the least likely to happen, although each one still seems like a potential blockbuster to us.

Nintendo SmellDS Nintendo finally explores the next dimension in handheld gaming: olfactory. (Nintendo promises: sense of smell not necessary to enjoy SmellDS; scent slider included.) Reggie Fils-Aime promises, "You've never smelled Super Mario...like this."

Double-glasses 3D We tried regular stereoscopic 3D, didn't catch on. We tried no-glasses 3D, not much better. The answer is finally here: combining two sets of active-shutter lenses for extreme depth, with only a slightly increased chance of migraines.… Read more

Heading into E3 2012, Nintendo is either the easiest of the Big Three gaming companies to handicap, or the hardest, depending on your perspective.

We know, absolutely, that Nintendo's next-gen Wii U gaming console will reappear at this year's show. We know that games will finally be unveiled for this system. Yet, we largely have no idea what those games are. Nintendo's veil of secrecy on its software lineup is a little more opaque than it is for Sony and Microsoft...or so it seems. Here's what we think will happen.… Read more

The collection of games and gear on display at E3 2011 was among the best we'd ever seen. The Nintendo Wii U and PlayStation Vita offered hot new hardware, while games such as Skyrim and BioShock Infinite made for an especially strong software lineup.

One year later, the things we called out as the best of E3 2011 fall into a couple of categories.

Some made their expected release dates (and several were huge hits); some are making yet another appearance this year, either as originally planned or because of delays; and some have seemingly vanished from the radar, and it may be some time before we see them again.

We've taken our top 20 favorites from last year and given each a succinct report card or update, and we'll be taking bets on which ones will slip further and show up at E3 2013 as well. … Read more

As we head toward E3 2012 in Los Angeles, I've noticed something curious in the air:

No one really cares.

By "no one" I mean no one who's not a gamer, of course. The general public, even the casual technology fan. Compared with years past when friends would try to pump me for information on when the next PlayStation would come out, whether there would be anything new for the Wii...well, this year, it feels like radio silence. The video game fan at my local Starbucks who kept asking me about the Nintendo 3DS a year ago barely has any questions to ask. My friend who bought a Wii two years ago doesn't seem interested. I couldn't use E3 to start a conversation if I tried.

It's seemed that way on the appointment-making end of things, too: other than Nintendo's inevitable reveal of more details on the Wii U, we're entering this year's E3 with a stunning lack of new hardware...or even of new hardware rumors. The oft-wondered-about "When will we get a new Xbox or PlayStation?" chatter has already been shot down by Sony and Microsoft, which claim there won't be a PlayStation 4 or Xbox 720 at this year's E3.

I do know one thing, though: E3 needs a new product.… Read more