Backstage Crew: Day two: Doug

Sections of Microsoft's gaming area in the Las Vegas Convention Center looked more like a LAN party than a professional conference. Microsoft featured table after table of PC and Xbox 360 games to show the versatility of its platforms. Games on display included Halo 2, Guitar Hero II, and Microsoft Flight Simulator.

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In Microsoft's gaming area, the newly released Guitar Hero II for Xbox 360 was a hit all day long. Fans of the axe-wielding game will recognize the gameplay and unique controller but will find the graphics souped up to really perform on HDTVs in full 720p or 1080i, depending on your TV.

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HP's newest acquisition, Voodoo, unveiled its vision for how high-performance gaming will develop in the future. While not quite ready for prime time, or commercial sale for that matter, the system includes a gaming chair with speakers over your shoulder, behind the seat, pistons that lift and shake the chair in response to in-game action, and a front console that can be switched out for different types of games. The system's designers imagine the set being used to play a wide variety of games, including racers, flight simulators, and first-person shooters, just to start. The screen in front is currently set up with regular consumer projectors, but the company's idea is to create a system capable of displaying three 1080p projectors linked to form one large screen. The goal for the system is simple: total immersion into the game.

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The Logitech G5 gaming mouse has two dedicated buttons for raising or lowering mouse sensitivity so that you'll never have to use your in-game options screen...or at least you'll use it less. It also offers an adjustable weight cartridge to perfect the feel for every gamer. The G5 uses an ultra-high-resolution, 2000 dpi laser and a USB 2.0 cable to connect with the computer. There is a slightly different model available with 2.4GHz wireless.

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Philips's Ambient light technology has made the jump from home video to your computer. Its new Ambient speaker system, with a loud and clear sound package to start, features two lights that cast color behind your computer to match the images on the screen. The speakers or light pieces can be bought separately or as one package, as we have shown here.

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It's as comfortable as it looks, but it's not really a chair at all; it's a gadget. The PM440w is Pyramat's top-of-the-line wireless gaming chair. The chair has built-in speakers just over the shoulder, as well as a subwoofer built directly into the back of the seat. If you prefer your own soundtrack during your gaming, there is a pocket and headphone in-jack on the chair's left side. If you find you just can't game without it, don't worry.

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Observing the growing rats' nest of cables gathering around newly purchased HDTVs, Philips has built the first wireless HDMI cable. The unit is meant as an in-room solution to broadcast 1080p HD signals short distances without any signal loss. Although it won't be available until the fall, it's an exciting answer to the growing question, Which of my next-gen consoles gets the TV's HDMI connection? All of them!

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Although the game industry giants weren't making any big announcements or product introductions (maybe waiting for this year's E3?), there was no shortage of cases and accessories on display for each platform. In keeping with the Wii's footprint, the Wii cases were often the smallest and easiest to transport.

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Apparently no one need worry about the slow death of Voodoo's standalone PCs. The hopped-up gaming PCs were proudly on display at this year's CES in Las Vegas. The company's newest line of high-performance PCs includes Intel, AMD, Nvidia, and Radeon chips--crossing competitors in the marketplace is no obstacle to a fast PC. The Voodoo brand will join Compaq, becoming HP's only other independently managed "master brand."

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