TripTronicTech

With the launch of PlayStation Vita a month away, Sony took the opportunity at CES to show a majority of its PlayStation Vita launch titles as well as the system itself. During my time at the Sony booth, I tried out plenty of PlayStation Vita games and played around with its home screen. I won’t say many facts about PlayStation Vita, simply because you can check out our in depth launch guide here which gives you all the information on PlayStation Vita you need. Here are my thoughts below.

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Generic cialis without prescription width=”603″ height=”402″ />Christmas time is here and many gamers are probably saving up their Christmas money for the next big thing in gaming, the PlayStation Vita. Sony recently unveiled everything one would need to know before buying the system when it releases in February. I have taken all of that information and put it in one place. Whether you are unfamiliar with the PlayStation Vita or know all about it and want to plan out what games and accessories to buy, we at TripTronicTech are here to help you out.

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Sennheiser USA today announced two new high end gaming headsets for use with the Xbox 360.

The x 2, a $39.95 high-end, single ear mic will prove to be cost effective while still allowing gamers to trash talk and take names over Xbox Live.

For those of use who’d rather spend a bit more on our headsets, Sennheiser offers there X 320, a $149.95 rivaling the audio quality of gaming giants like Astro and Turtle Beach. With the proven acoustical prowess of Sennheiser’s Open-Aire speaker system. This advanced system provides the best possible imaging, detail and response throughout the entire frequency range (15-23,000 Hz)…which even goes beyond what the human ear can hear. The open design reduces standing waves within the ear capsule, thereby reducing artifacts that could mask critical in-game audio (footsteps, engine noise, gunfire). Even better, it keeps your ears cool during long gaming sessions.

The around-the-ear cups have plush padding to match the headband, giving you no reason to stop playing late into the night. The noise canceling mic is capable of clean, clear voice signals while reducing distracting ambient chatter. The flip-to-mute microphone makes it easy to take a conversation offline.

Press Release:

Announcing Two New Sound Experiences for Xbox 360® Old Lyme, Conn. – November 28, 2011: Xbox gamers no longer need to turn around or look over their shoulder to know what’s going on in the game. Sound engineers from world-leading audio specialist Sennheiser have developed the perfect headsets to assist gamers in hearing what’s happening around them even before they can see it.

The top-of-the-line X 320 features Sennheiser amplified stereo sound (click on image for hi-res). The two models, the X 320 and X 2, are Sennheiser’s first ever Xbox headsets and have been developed for use with Xbox LIVE®. In this online community, more than 35 million players from around the world come together to compete in games, while being able to talk and interact with each other. The headsets’ technology is based on expertise gained from Sennheiser’s PC gaming series—one of the best selling gaming headset series in the world—and includes new features specifically developed for Xbox gaming. The top-of-the-line X 320 features Sennheiser amplified stereo sound, which boosts the Xbox 360’s audio experience. A professional-grade, noise-canceling microphone ensures that only the gamer’s voice is heard. Dual volume control lets gamers independently adjust the game’s audio and fellow players’ voices. The automatic microphone mute feature allows gamers to mute the microphone simply by raising the boom, thus eliminating the need for buttons. The single-sided X 2 headset is designed as a durable and robust alternative for cost-conscious gamers who do not want to compromise on quality. As with the X 320, it also features a noise-canceling microphone.

The single-sided X 2 headset is designed as a durable and robust alternative for cost-conscious gamers who do not want to compromise on quality (click on image for hi-res). Xbox LIVE is one of the fastest growing gaming communications platforms worldwide. That, coupled with the need for gamers to be able to communicate with teammates in the game while being able to hear top quality sound, led Sennheiser to create ideal headsets specifically for the Xbox system,” said Christian Ern of Sennheiser Communications. The two headsets are designed to be worn for hours of continuous play, without sacrificing comfort and quality. Each includes a two-year warranty. The X 320 (street price: $149.95) and X 2 (street price: $29.95) are available now from select retailers. About Sennheiser Communications Sennheiser Communications A/S is a joint venture between the electro acoustics specialist Sennheiser electronic GmbH & Co. KG and the hearing healthcare specialist William Demant Holding Group. The company manufactures wireless and wired headsets for mobile phones, call centers, offices and unified communications, as well as PC and Mac computer headsets for VoIP, entertainment and gaming. Sennheiser Communications offers both single- and double-sided headsets to suit individual needs and has a wide range of solutions. For more information, please visit www.senncom.com About Sennheiser Sennheiser is a world-leading manufacturer of microphones, headphones and wireless transmission systems. Established in 1945 in Wedemark, Germany, Sennheiser is now a global brand represented in 60 countries around the world with U.S. headquarters in Old Lyme, Conn. Sennheiser’s pioneering excellence in technology has rewarded the company with numerous awards and accolades including an Emmy, a Grammy, and the Scientific and Engineering Award of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. For more information, please visit www.sennheiserusa.com.

One of the newest technologies out there is digital 3D.  You see it everywhere from 3D movies, 3D televisions, and now devices like the Nintendo 3DS and HTC Evo 3D which can display 3D without the need for special glasses.  This change of dimensions is too rapid for most people according to what I have been hearing from everyone around me.  While there are many people like myself who understand this new format and have embraced it, there are still more people than not in my life who believe that 3D is awful or has “jumped the shark”.  This piece is probably inspired by overhearing a conversation some of my co-workers had about 3D several months ago.  For everyone, it is always the same problems and thoughts when it comes to hating on 3D.  In this editorial, I will list what I believe the general public does not understand or needs to understand about 3D, address these problems head on, and convince you why 3D is here to stay and will become the norm in the next decade or so.

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Another year, another iPhone.  There’s no doubt that the iPhone 4S was the most anticipated iPhone ever, leading up to its reveal in early October.  While most people were left disappointed when expecting a completely redesigned iPhone, the iPhone 4S still left people very happy.  While it looks exactly like an iPhone 4 on the outside, the iPhone 4S is a completely different beast on the inside.  It’s faster, has a better camera, and includes Siri, the only exclusive feature the iPhone 4S has to offer, in terms of software.  Does the iPhone 4S make for a good buy for current iPhone users and newcomers to the platform?  Be prepared to find out in my review.

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The next installment to the “Call of Duty” saga is almost here! With the release date set to November 8th, 2011, on Xbox, PS3, and PCs, I can almost smell the excitement of the gamers in the air like the smell of freshly sprouted flowers in May! Okay maybe not… But! If you weren’t excited about “Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3” before, hopefully you will be jumping up and down with excitement after reading this post! So let’s get down to business.

 WARNING: THIS SECTION CONTAINS HUGE SPOILERS THAT MAY RUIN YOUR CAMPAGIN EXPERIENCE.  Continue reading

Nintendo today held their annual E3 press conference and shocked everyone with the expected announcement of their next home console.  Nintendo’s approach is an interesting one, and they made it clear that their next system, known as Wii U, will deliver deeper gameplay experiences than anyone has ever experienced before; it will also have a much wider appeal towards all gamers.  So what makes Wii U so special?  What makes it different is the controller, which you probably know all about if you have been keeping up with the recent rumors and leaks behind Wii U, which was known by us as Project Cafe.  The controller has a gyroscope, accelerometer, speaker, microphone, front facing camera for video calling, and, oh yeah, it also has a giant 6.2 inch touch screen in the middle of it.  This touch screen has a 16:9 aspect ratio and Wii U will be capable of displaying games in glorious 1080p HD. The Wii U is also compatible with all existing Wii Remotes and Wii accessories.

So what can this controller do?  When you can’t play your favorite Wii U games on your nice HDTV, you can always just play them on the controller.  The Wii U was not designed to be a portable system so you can only play while around your house or from a short distance.  This can totally take the TV out of the equation entirely.  Another way to use it, is to use it with a game on the screen.  One demo showing The Legend of Zelda gameplay in HD, which looks spectacular, will allow you to access your items directly on the touch screen, if you want, or you can easily take the image on screen, and within a couple seconds view the whole game on the controller instead.  Another tech demo is like the Nintendo GameCube game, Pac-Man Vs., except with Mario characters.  Four people use Wii Remotes play as Toads to run around a map trying to chase Mario and catch him, while another person playing as Mario, with the Wii U controller, has a map on their own independent game screen to see where the other players are and keep away from them.  These are just some of the innovative things that Wii U is capable of.  I never thought I’d hear of the day where a TV is not necessarily required to use a console.  Another interesting thing is that no tech demo ever requires more than one Wii U controller.  These controllers are probably very expensive and I’m sure Nintendo is only planning on most people having only one controller per household, which is definitely a good thing.

Not too many first party games were announced, with a new Super Smash Bros. being the only one confirmed.  Third parties are definitely on board and excited to work on games for Wii U.  Some of the third party games coming include: Batman: Arkham City, Dirt, Assassin’s Creed, Metro: Last Light, Tekken, and two Ninja Gaiden titles, one being Ninja Gaiden 3, and the other being an original Ninja Gaiden title for Wii U.  Additionally the CEO of EA spoke out at the press conference and announced that EA is definitely supporting Wii U.  It’s only the beginning, and already, Wii U has an exciting lineup of third party software.  We will hear more about Wii U in the months to come as we look forward to its 2012 release.

One thing that Sony is is pushing more than any other game company is 3D and playing 3D games on 3D televisions.  The biggest problem is that most people cannot afford 3D TVs but Sony announced at its E3 press conference that it thinks it has the solution.  That solution is a PlayStation branded 3D display.  This 24″ 3D display will show off full HD 3D using shutter glasses.  New technology in the TV makes sure players never have to split screens again.  In local multiplayer when putting on 3D glasses, you will only see your own personal screen while the person next to you sees their own independent gameplay screen.  With this TV, there’s no more screen looking or sharing.  Aside from one pair of shutter glasses, you will also receive in the box an HDMI cable and a copy of one of the biggest 3D games this Fall, Resistance 3, all at the fairly low price of $499.  Extra glasses which will be Sony’s new lightweight shutter glasses will be available for $69.99 each.  This is a good price for the bonuses but 24″ is fairly small.  You can easily get a 32″ Vizio theater 3D TV for the same price although I am very skeptical of this new theater 3D or cinema 3D technology.  I recently got to check out an LG Cinema 3D television and while the 3D visuals were very impressive, the resolution of the images I was seeing was just awful.  It could have been just the demo reel I was seeing but I would love a second chance at seeing it again for further inspection.  Unlike the new theater 3D technology, the shutter technology the Sony displays use do not impact resolution in any way but might lead to more headaches and flickering images.  You be the judge on whether you want to enter the realm of 3D console gaming with this TV or another.  The PlayStation branded 3D TV will release this Fall.

At Sony’s E3 press Conference, Sony blew the lid on new details of their Next Generation Portable which is now officially named PlayStation Vita.  PSVita did not change in terms of features since we saw it last.  It still has a five inch OLED multitouch display, a rear touch panel, front and rear cameras, Sixaxis motion controls, and of course the dual analog sticks.  Vita’s powerful quad core processor has games running fairly close to the power of PlayStation 3.  PS Vita can do many interesting things revealed for the first time tonight like cloud saving and being able to pick up a saved game on a PS3 as well as competitive multiplayer between PS3 and PS Vita users.

So what games are coming to Vita?  Sony showed off Uncharted: Golden Abyss which looks spectacular, a new action RPG called Ruin which allows players to save game data in the cloud and pick up where they left off on a PS3, and an all new ModNation Racers game that allows you to draw new tracks with your fingertips as well as import all of the over two million ModNation Racers tracks from the PS3 version to the PS Vita version on day one.  LittleBigPlanet was also announced for PS Vita and will utilize all of the new capabilities of the new portable system including the touch screen, rear touch panel, and motion controls to help players create incredible levels. In terms of third parties, Ken Levine from Irrational Games, the creators of Bioshock and the upcoming Bioshock Infinite teased on the Sony stage that an original Bioshock title is in development for PlayStation Vita.  Additionally, Street Fighter producer Yoshinori Ono was on stage to show off the first gameplay of Street Fighter X Tekken on PlayStation Vita and it will even include Cole from inFamous as a playable character.

Now for the details we all want most, when and how much.  PlayStation Vita will be out worldwide by the end of 2011.  The Wi-Fi only version of PlayStation Vita will cost only $249 while the Wi-Fi + 3G version which will use AT&T’s 3G network will cost $299.  This is a much lower price than expected.  PlayStation Vita looks amazing and it clearly has a software lineup to prove it.

Well it comes to the final part of my E3 predictions, Nintendo. In my opinion, Nintendo’s story for this year is definitely the most interesting with the recent launch of Nintendo 3DS and a drought of first party software on all of its systems. Not only that but Nintendo will be unveiling their next home console at their E3 press conference. It looks to be exciting and all of the current information out there makes it easy to predict what will happen. Nintendo has been more open this year than in the past but they still somehow have so much to still unveil. Remember, what you are about to read are my predictions and opinions so take it all in with a grain of salt.
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