Listen up, those of you with PlayStation Network IDs. Sony Computer Entertainment International has announced that, as of February 7th, the PSN will fold into its existing Sony Entertainment Network. The company has aimed the move at clearly unifying the services of PSN and SEN, such as Music Unlimited. Fret not, however, as Joystiq notes that the change is basically a looks-only affair, meaning your current account information and related services will remain the same. Notably, the moniker refresh won’t apply to the PSP, which will curiously remain under the PSN moniker for network services. The news comes as a part of SCEI’s updated Terms of Service and privacy policy, both of which take effect on the same day. Those changes, by the way, appear to mainly be regarding location-based services for PS Vita, and parental controls for sub-master accounts. After all of the bad times PSN has been through, its upcoming SEN identity might just be the new outlook on (online) life it needed all along — and hopefully with less downtime. Hit up the source link below for the full details.

PlayStation Network moniker sacked, falls under Sony Entertainment Network umbrella on Feb. 7 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 05 Feb 2012 07:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you were dismayed to find yourself waiting in the queue for a beta invite after downloading the mobile Steam client the other day, fret no more — the trial is now open to all who desire entry. Of course, it’s still really just a companion to the desktop shop and not a must-have mobile gaming market. We’re sure some of you have more friends on Steam than you do in meatspace, though, so being able to chat with fellow gaming addicts or purchase the latest DLC pack for Arkham City while on the go might be the greatest thing to ever happen to you.

Steam mobile beta now open to all, still of questionable utility originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Is your NES controller in another castle? Maybe you’re just pining for your smartphone’s capacitive game controls for some reason. Regardless, here’s a little piece of tech that just might put the fire in your flower: the capacitive touch NES controller. This sucker is milled from a copper board using a device called the MezzoMill, which — besides making turtle-stomping peripherals — also can be used to produce guitar effect pads, virtual keyboards, bicycle rim lights and all sorts of circuits that might tickle your fancy. Unfortunately, the creator isn’t as well-funded as this inkjet-based control circuit project so he’s trying to raise money through Kickstarter to make the mill in a large enough run to lower costs. Given how Kickstarter generated nearly $100 million in funding last year, maybe he’s got a fighting chance. See the buttonless controller work its capacitive magic after the break.

Continue reading NES controller lets you stomp Koopas, save Princess Peach in capacitive fashion (video)

NES controller lets you stomp Koopas, save Princess Peach in capacitive fashion (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 21 Jan 2012 18:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The latest gaming mouse from Shogun Bros. doesn’t double as a gamepad, but it does carry a heady list of extra features for sharpshooting gamers. These include independent X and Y DPi settings to stabilize targeting, thumb selector for speed shooting, 5,700 DPI accuracy and 11,570 frames per second movement tracking — sidestepping those pesky jumps and stutters when moving that cursor in the midst of a melee. Indicators include X, Y and refresh rate, while you’ll find 11 extra macro keys across the rubberized surface. There are 20 customized DPI settings for any game genre you’d care to mention — oh and a desktop setting, yawn. Expect to shoot the wings off a CGI fly some time in Q2 2012.

Continue reading Shogun Bros. Ballista MK-1 Gaming Mouse totes new sniping system, looks like it’ll hit the spot

Shogun Bros. Ballista MK-1 Gaming Mouse totes new sniping system, looks like it’ll hit the spot originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 Jan 2012 09:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Turtle Beach XP400 wireless gaming headset hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 15 Jan 2012 23:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sure, European gamers have been able to get their hands on ROCCAT’s flavor or gaming tools for awhile now, but CES 2012 is finally delivering some of the outfit’s German engineered love to the US. Just last week, the firm announced it would be bringing its 6000 DPI Kone gaming rodent and Isku illuminated keyboard the states later this year — we found the deadly Deutch duo tucked away in a corner of the show’s gaming nook.

Continue reading ROCCAT Isku keyboard and Kone mouse hands-on (video)

ROCCAT Isku keyboard and Kone mouse hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 15 Jan 2012 00:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Origin PC has been spitting out 5.2GHz Genesis desktops for a few months already, but apparently some people wanted more. Thanks to a new ‘Phase Change’ cooling system that’ll be available from late Q1, they’re about it get it: a Core i7 2700K system factory clocked to 5.7GHz. Cooling controls and temperature displays will help you to establish the proper balance of power and pollution, while lifetime technical support (which now applies to all Origin PCs in the US) is just a phone call away in case you need to share the rush. There’s even an X79 mobo inside, offering scope for a Sandy Bridge E upgrade, plus NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX 580 in four-way SLI. Origin has a little something for portable gamers too: a refreshed A-panel on the EON17-S and EON15-S laptops to help you strike the right note of grinning malice in front of your LAN victims. It’s not yet clear how these updates will affect pricing, but there are plenty of clips on YouTube that’ll show you how to smear thermal paste on your credit cards. Full PR after the break.

Continue reading Origin PC boosts Genesis factory clock to 5.7GHz, reveals new EON gaming laptop design

Origin PC boosts Genesis factory clock to 5.7GHz, reveals new EON gaming laptop design originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In barely enough time to get out of the app store and into the hearts of retro gamers everywhere, the iMAME emulator on iOS has already been erased from iTunes — just days since its release. Alas, that lack of any official endorsement may have reared its ugly head. Well, it was good while it lasted. Guess we’ll carry on saving up for that Vita purchase…

[Thanks Zac]

iMAME app gets pulled from iTunes app store originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 24 Dec 2011 08:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Continue reading ROCCAT Studios unveils first US peripherals ahead of CES

ROCCAT Studios unveils first US peripherals ahead of CES originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Dec 2011 07:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Continue reading ROCCAT Studios unveils first US peripherals ahead of CES

ROCCAT Studios unveils first US peripherals ahead of CES originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Dec 2011 07:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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