Games and gear

Giant NES controller table gets the steampunk treatment

There's something about the NES controller that lends itself to supersizing in coffee table form. We've seen more than a few -- the original (as far as we can tell); Baron von Brunk's working Lego version; and a working wooden version for a touch of class.

It's that last one that concerns us today, since its creator -- Charles Lushear, aka Bohemian Workbench -- has just come out with a brand new "steampunk" version, made from salvaged antique parts and wood. … Read more

GamePop looks to play in Ouya's sandbox

If you're BlueStacks, the startup that figured out how to bring Android apps to Windows and Macs with its eponymous app player, the next logical step is to upend the mobile gaming market with a console and subscription service called GamePop, the company announced Thursday.

As CNET reported at CES 2013, GamePop is BlueStacks' Android-powered console that lets you not only play Android games on your TV, but also lets you use your phone or tablet as the controller.

GamePop preorders are available immediately at GamePop.tv, with consoles shipping this winter. As of today, the console ships with … Read more

Ouya game console launch delayed until June 25

People eyeing the Ouya game console will have to wait a bit longer to get their hands on one.

The maker of the small Android-based console said Thursday that the product won't reach the consumer market until June 25, three weeks after the initial launch date of June 4. The decision to delay the launch was based on high demand at the retail level, Ouya CEO Julie Uhrman revealed in the following statement sent to CNET:

We've had incredibly positive reactions from our retailer partners. So, in order to meet greater-than-expected demand, we decided to shift our launch … Read more

The 404 1,266: Where our boss fights are anticlimactic (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Wolfenstein: The New Order set for current, next-gen consoles.

- How a 17-year-old girl hacked her way to a spoiler-free "Game of Thrones."

- Downloadify lets Chrome users copy MP3s of Spotify songs for 24 hours.

- Nintendo's big problem, according to CNN.… Read more

Ouya game device gets the teardown treatment

Ouya, the open-source game console that took the Kickstarter world by storm, has been ripped apart by the folks over at iFixit.

The Ouya device earned a score of 9 out of 10 from iFixit for its high repairability. The iFixit team was able to tear apart the gadget with ease, and found that it was packed with several important components, including two Samsung 4-gigabit SDRAM modules (for a total of 1 gigabyte), a Texas Instruments power management tool, and Nvidia's Tegra 3 multicore CPU.… Read more

Pixel Press app: Draw, create, play your own video game

Mario's multilevel gaming style has endured for good reasons. It's simple, it's fun, and it's addictive. Once you've conquered the realms of Mario and other similar retro games, where do you go next? How about creating your own custom video game? That sounds great, but you'll need to brush up on your programming skills first. Unless, that is, Kickstarter project Pixel Press gets off the ground.

With Pixel Press, you just need the app, a piece of paper, a pencil, and your imagination to create your own game. No coding required.

Here's how it works. You start by printing out the gridded Pixel Press sketch sheet, along with the instructions. You can design five layers on the sketch sheet using certain elements like terrain, hazards, monkey bars, moving platforms, barriers, spikes, portals, and power-ups. You draw all these out onto the grid, with the aim of designing five progressively more challenging levels for your hero to conquer.… Read more

Oculus Rift app gives you a full beheading experience

Check out the newest killer app for the Oculus Rift head-mounted display: a guillotine simulator.

Created over the course of two days at Denmark's Exile Game Jam, the Disunion app takes an Oculus Rift wearer to the setting of an 18th century execution, complete with masked executioner and curious crowd. While the player awaits his beheading, he can look around at the stage and blade above him.… Read more

The 404 1,265: Where we build weapons of mass distraction (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Today I learned Dave Chappelle was in a "Home Improvement" spinoff that was actually made.

- Twelve things that will get you banned on Xbox.

- You won't remember anything, including this article, unless you print it out.

- Senate passes Internet sales tax bill by 2-to-1 margin.… Read more

The 404 1264: Where we try and stay Glassy (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Public's first reaction to Google Glass summed up by SNL.

- Can you really make money online by playing competitive games?

- Busting online piracy group has led to increase -- in piracy.… Read more