Available to the highest bidder on eBay right now is a modded 60GB PlayStation 3 system that has been completely reworked to the beauty you see above which, in addition to the lovely paint job, sports 15 white LEDs to light up the artwork, a modded Nyko PS3 controller with red backlit buttons, and the signatures of both series mastermind Hideo Kojima and Metal Gear Solid 4 voice actor Yumi Kikuchi.

In addition to the system itself, you’ll be getting a handful of other Metal Gear goodies, including launch day dog tags, a GA-KO alarm clock, custom embroidered Otacon patches, and other rare items.

15% of the final price will be going to Penny Arcade’s Child’s Play charity, so you won’t have to feel too terribly guilty about bidding. Of course, you will need to have a fair amount of cash handy to bid — with just under seven hours to go, the highest bid is currently $17,200. That’s a pretty penny (1,720,000 pretty pennies, to be exact), but hey — at least shipping is free.

NYKO revealed today details for its upcoming Media Hub for the PS3. The Media Hub attaches to the console, adding three additional USB ports and a media card reader slot that supports SD cards and Memory Sticks. Compatible with all PS3 models, the Media Hub matches the color and contour of the system to expand its media capabilities while maintaining a clean form factor.

The all-new Media Hub from NYKO attaches to any available USB port and enables the connection of three additional USB devices including flash drives, PSP, MP3 players and additional controllers. Its design requires no tools or internal modifications, draws its power directly from the PS3, and installs in just seconds.

NYKO’s Media Hub for the PS3 is expected to hit store shelves by August for the suggested retail price of $19.99. Please visit www.nyko.com for more information.

Via: Press Release

Frankly, the only thing I felt Nyko ever did wrong with their wireless nunchuk was make something that was almost completely unnecessary.

Nintendo disagrees.

Bloomberg reports that Nintendo has sued Nyko for copying its patented designs and infringing on trademarks on the name “Nunchuk” and packaging. Nintendo alleges in its complaint that Nyko’s wireless nunchuk “wholly appropriates the novel shape, design, overall appearance and even the color and materials used in the Nintendo Nunchuk controller.”

Nyko spokesman C.C. Swiney said in an interview, “We have not knowingly violated anyone’s intellectual property and we’re still examining this.” Ohhh. Well it all must be a misunderstanding, then.

Nintendo, which filed the suit on June 10, is asking that Nyko stop selling the nunchuk and that it receive cash compensation.

Word to the wise: If you want a wireless nunchuk, run out and buy one now, before Nyko is forced to yank them from store shelves.

via Game|Life

First off, via a press release this morning, the list of exhibitors for E3 2008 has surfaced and while Activision and Vivendi may not be present, many other big names are:

• A - M: 1UP Network; Akella; Atari Inc.; Bethesda Softworks; Capcom USA Inc.; Crave Entertainment; Codemasters; D3Publisher of America; Deep Silver; Disney Interactive Studios, Inc.; Electronic Arts; Eidos Interactive; Fox Interactive Media; Indie Games; Jagex, Ltd.; Konami Digital Entertainment America; LucasArts; Majesco Entertainment Company; Microsoft Corporation; Midway Games, Inc.; MTV Games

• N - Z: Namco Bandai Games America, Inc.; Natsume, Inc.; Nintendo of America Inc.; Novint Technologies, Inc.; Nyko Technologies; Rebellion; SEGA of America, Inc.; Serious Games Initiative; Sony Computer Entertainment America, Inc.; Sony Online Entertainment Inc.; Southpeak Interactive; Square Enix USA; Take-Two Interactive; Tecmo; THQ Inc.; Toshiba America Information Systems; Ubisoft Entertainment Inc.; Valve Software; and, Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment Inc.

The list is still not final and organizers expect more to be added soon.

Secondly, thanks to some IRS sleuthing by Kotaku, documents show that the ESA had to pay to over $5 million last year to move the expo from Los Angeles to Santa Monica – only to come back to LA this year. According to Kotaku, the EA paid $5, 377, 808 in cancellation fees in order to break the contract that kept E3 at the LA Convention Center until 2012.

These forms also divulged the information that association’s membership dues quadrupled in its 2006 fiscal year, increasing from over $1 million in 2005 to more than $4.5 million in 2006. Rich Taylor, Entertainment Software Association senior vice president of communications and research told Kotaku that ESA Board members knew the move would cost them dearly but that it would shift E3 from a “profit generating E3 to a revenue neutral summit.”

Via: Kotaku

The track record of useful accessories to come out of Nyko is all over the place. The Nyko Intercooler has often been blamed for causing overheating problems with the Xbox 360; the Wiimote Charge Station has been absolutely wonderful for me; and the Nunchuk Wireless Adapter is just downright silly, if you ask me.

But their newest accessory for Wii looks to be quite useful for anyone planning on picking up Wii Fit or the Wii Balance Board — the Nyko Energy Pak will fit right into the Balance Board’s battery compartment and provide you with up to 30 hours of balance acts, and will also allow you to charge and play at the same time.

For $20, it sounds like this is a pretty good bet for anyone that wants to save themselves from the woes of batteries. The Energy Pak (why does it have to be called “Pak”?) releases on May 19.

via Wii Fanboy

Nyko has shipped its Front Man Wireless Guitar for the PS3 to retailers nationwide. The new Front Man Guitar promises to provide gamers with a high quality, real guitar feel and is fully compatible with both Guitar Hero III and Rock Band.

The Front Man Guitar for PS3 features wireless technology up to 25 feet and up to 80 hours of continuous game play. Other Front Man features include:

• Effects pedal to wirelessly switch between Rock Band and Guitar Hero III
• Unique directional pad design simplifies menu navigation
• Built-in tilt sensor and responsive whammy bar
• Bi-directional strum bar
• Durable and responsive fret buttons
• Interchangeable pick guards for a customized look

“The tremendous popularity of these two games that have become a pop culture phenomenon presented us with the opportunity to enhance the quality of the playing experience while eliminating the need for multiple guitars,” said Chris Arbogast, Marketing Director at Nyko Technologies. “We addressed the needs of the fanbase with the Front Man Guitar for the PS3 without losing sight of delivering quality products for the ultimate rock out session.”

Nyko’s Front Man Guitar for the PS3 is now available at retailers nationwide for a suggested retail price of $59.99. Please visit the official website for more information.

Via: Press Release 

Nyko, the third-party makers of many a gaming gadget, now has a new wireless guitar peripheral for the Wii on the market. The Front Man Wireless Guitar is fully compatible with Guitar Hero III and uses the Wii Remote for wireless power and connectivity.

Yes, thats right, you have to attach the remote, and as always you can thank Nintendo for that - thank goodness that is not the case with the PS3 or 360 - imagine how heavy or awkward that would be?

Front Man Wireless Guitar features include:

• Whammy bar
• Bi-directional strum bar
• Fret buttons
• Two interchangeable pick guards in designer colors

Nyko’s ‘Front Man Guitar’ for the Wii is now available at retailers nationwide for a suggested retail price of $49.99. It comes in the colors you see in the picture above, and if you noticed, it is shaped like a Fender Telecaster.

Via: Press Release

Some people have complained that the PS3 wireless controllers did not have rumble, others could care less about holding a vibrating controller in their hands. While to some this may sound appealing in many different contexts, others just don’t want to drop the extra cash on an extra controller just because you can “feel” your gaming character bump into a wall or take a shot to the face. Regardless, it is always nice to have options and if you want rumble, by God you should be able to have it if you want it.

Thanks to Nyko, the new Zero Wireless Controller for the PS3 has now hit stores a month before the official PS3 Dual Shock controller does. If you must have a rumble controller right this minute, you can get it in Black, Silver or White for $59.99 and when fully charged you will be able to play for 25 hours, revel in the LED-backlit buttons, and feel secure by having heat-dissipating aluminum panels on your controller. If you would rather save $5 and have a controller that matches your system, wait until April when Sony’s version comes out - but if you are the impatient sort, knock yourself out. Just be sure and let us know if you get one, and what you think of it.

Thanks: Engadget

This past week or so has been pretty crazy regarding Rock Band gear, both custom and official. Rounding the New Year we saw an official announcement regarding Mad Catz development of 3rd party Rock Band peripherals. At CES we saw SoundTech’s Ediface gadget that allows real guitars to be used in Rock Band. Also at CES, we saw Nyoko showing off a guitar controller that is both compatible with Guitar Hero III and Rock Band. And just today, I noticed EB Games listing an item in their electronic store that instantly had me shaking my head in disbelief: The Rock Band Stage Kit (sorry, no photos).

When does all this Rock Band madness end?

Probably the slickest news coming out of all of this Rock Band insanity is the CES showcasing of a new Rock Band drum kit designed by the professionals over at ION Audio. ION Audio, of course, is famous for its line of professional electronic music equipment (turntables, mixing boards, electronic drums, etc.). The prototype drum kit (shown above) was presented at CES 2008 this past week and is, no doubt, targeting the more extreme Rock Band audience. Right off, one can observe the quality make of the pseudo-instrument. ION’s drum kit authentically appears as if it could absorb even the most extreme poundings from would-be drummers. Considering the seemingly fragile reputation of Harmonix’s stock Rock Band drum kit, ION’s kit could provide a nice, if expensive, alternative for Rock Band owners and fans.

Of course, if the ION drum kit isn’t “real” enough for you, you can always mod a real drum kit into the Ultimate Rock Band Drum Kit. Real? Fake? Seriously, when does the madness stop?

Via Engadget

The issues between Harmonix and Activision over compatibility between the guitars that ship with Rock Band and Guitar Hero III have been well documented here at Gaming Today. And while it makes for something to do for either company’s lawyers, it’s the gamers that suffer. One way or another, there will be some form of solution for PlayStation 3 owners by March, when Nyko releases the Front Man guitar controller.

The controller will function with both Rock Band and Guitar Hero III by flipping a switch to alternate compatibility between the two games. It’s not the best solution and does require you to buy new hardware, but at least you’ll be able to properly finally rock out in Rock Band on PS3.

The features list:

• Compatible with Guitar Hero III and Rock Band
• Up to 80 hours of continuous play time from three AA batteries
• Wireless technology for cordless gaming up to 25 ft. away
• Built-in tilt sensor & responsive whammy bar
• Bi-directional strum bar
• Responsive and durable fret buttons
• Interchangeable pick guard for custom look
• Unique directional pad design for convenient menu navigation
• Effects switch for Rock Band play

via 1UP