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Did we say Sega Saturn? Oh yes and we’re not kidding. The latest Wii rumors are that we can expect to see the lost Sega system popping up on Wii Virtual Console. The rumor started back at DigiPen, who shares an office building with Nintendo America.

Now when I think retro SS hardly ever pops into my mind but why not bring Sega’s 32-bit, CD based gaming system to a whole new generation. If you remember the Saturn to rendered First-person shooter games better than other consoles at the time, games like Quake, Powerslave, Duke Nukem 3D, HeXen.

And now a history lesson from our friends at Wikipedia:

In early 1995 Sega president Tom Kalinske announced that the Saturn would launch in the U.S. on “Saturnday”, (Saturday) September 2, 1995. This date was greatly anticipated by gamers and the media. It also allowed Sony to announce that the Playstation release date would be one week later on September 9, 1995. However, at the first Electronic Entertainment Expo E3 in May 1995, Kalinske announced that the “Saturnday” date was a ruse and that the system was being released nationwide by a few select retailers immediately.

This surprise move shocked everyone in attendance (Sony most of all) and it appeared that Sega had a real opportunity to take a commanding lead in the 32-bit race by beating the Playstation to the market. In reality the “surprise attack” launch backfired for Sega. The Saturn was released at a high price point of [USD]$400 (Sony announced a $300 price for the Playstation at E3).

By the time of the Playstation’s release on September 9, 1995, the Saturn had sold approximately 80,000 systems. The Playstation sold over 100,000 units upon release in the U.S., a record at the time for a new system.

Read [T3]

After the big announcement a few days ago that the year’s hottest gaming event - E3 - was folding, the CEA (organization behind CES) jumped at the opportunity.  They spoke with industry insiders and other VIPs, getting ready to take on yet another huge conference.  When E3 announced just a few days ago plans to re-invent themselves as a smaller event, the CEA backed off by issuing the following statement.

“At the request of our board, CEA spent the past few months soliciting industry feedback, via advisory committee meetings and a research survey, to determine the need for a new gaming event. During this process, we found a strong desire for a gaming event that included a broad array of the gaming industry, including PC and wireless gaming companies.”

“Although CEA was prepared to launch a new event, the recent announcement by ESA that it would open its event to both ESA and non-ESA members and would include PC and wireless gaming, led us to conclude that a new spring West Coast event would likely not serve the best needs of the industry. At this point, we will continue dialog with the industry to determine if the need for a broader gaming event exists for 2008.”

As you can see, they haven’t completely backed off of the opportunity yet.  I’m going to go ahead and say that within a year or 2, the CEA will host a new series of gaming shows called the Consumer Gaming Show.

Read [Press Release]

The Entertainment Software Association (ESA), a.k.a. the folks in charge of E3, announced today that the Electronic Entertainment Expo will be held. After the huge expo this past year with the announcements of the Nintendo Wii, finalization of Sony PlayStation3, and Microsoft’s continuing success of the Xbox 360 and Xbox live platform the expo almost closed it’s doors. I guess the planners seemed to think that the press, retailers, and members in the video game industry, and fanboys had enough announcements. Well fret no more, the show will go on...July 11-13, 2007 in Santa Monica, California will be your next chance to see crazed out gamers roaming the streets, but on a much smaller level—better eat those mushrooms.

Read [PS3Portal]

Though analysts are still predicting the Sony PlayStation3 to perform very well again the next-generation incumbent, Microsoft’s Xbox 360, and the alternative gaming style and much cheaper Nintendo Wii, the web seems to keep buzzing about Sony’s PlayStation woes. Sony is attempting to squash these naysayers by guaranteeing that they will offer 27 playable games for the PlayStation 3 at the Tokyo Game Show next month. That is a larger number to already have as almost final versions two months before launch. Typically what kills a late entry into the market is the lack of game titles, 27 two months prior plus a few more may not be so bad for the November launch.

Sony offered 13 playable PS3 software titles at E3 in Los Angeles in May. Playable games at the Tokyo Game Show, which will run from Sept. 22 to Sept. 24, will include such titles as “Ridge Racer 7” from Namco Bandai Holdings and Capcom’s “Devil May Cry 4.”

Read [News.com]

Just before last weekend Sony finally got their PSP Wi-Fi, mesh-like network, rolling across PAL territories including Europe and their down-under friends in Australia. PlayStation Spot, like at E3, will allows PSP users to download demos, songs, new games, PSone games, videos and pictures to their Memory Stick Duo and also play games against other PSP users. Access to the network will be free, but content can be pricey.

The PlayStation Spots will be placed around game stores in London, Milton Keynes, Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Anyone that has used this thus far please drop us a note or post a comment to let us know the full 411. Thanks!

Read [Gizmodo]

Everyone’s favorite plumber is back at it again. As announced, Nintendo has released Super Mario Bros. for the DS handheld gaming system. You know you having a winning franchise when it can stand the test of over 20 years, multiple gaming systems, and receive loud cheers (as we heard at E3) when a promo is shown. This new version has whole new worlds, new moves, new power ups, and even badder bosses. Let us not forget that the second screen of the dual screen DS is also utilized to get you through the game as well as the wireless mode to participate in multiplayer games.

We’ll see in a few days when we beat the game, I mean, umm, its a me Mario.

[Nintendo Press Release]

Sony has cleared the smoke and silenced the press, a bit, regarding the already overly expensive PS3 core-system. The $499 system, if you forgot, will ship with a 20 GB internal hard drive (the $599 system has a 60 GB drive), and will be lacking Memory Stick, SD, and MMC card slots (but an adaptor will be sold) as well as an HDMI output. It was rumored to not have Bluetooth controllers, but thankfully a Sony representative said that was untrue. Additionally, the hard drive for both models will be upgradable...so if you can forgo the HDMI (I’m not sure I can) then you might as well go for the cheaper option, but again once you add the accessories the price may be a wash.

Additionally, many people have asked where the second HDMI port (shown at last year’s E3) disappeared to. In an E3 interview, Izumi Kawanishi, head of Sony Computer Entertainment’s Software Platform Development division, admitted that the port count has dropped down to one, but added that Sony is looking into the possibility of including two in the future. Back at last year’s E3, Sony hinted that games might use the two outputs for dual screened play options. With the port count down to one, IT Media asked if it would be possible to have the HDMI port and the D4/D5 ports used to mimic dual screened functionality. You can have video coming out of both ports simultaneously, Kawanishi revealed, but the signals are the same, meaning this is something that couldn’t be used for gaming. He also reinstated that the hard drives are upgradeable and Sony is considering selling even more PS3 SKU’s in the future (just like PC variations).

Continue reading about the new controller and the strategic power brick decision.

According to Kawanishi, the new controller button will connect the controller to the system, allowing you to call on system functions (turn the system’s power on and off and make the PS3 recognize the controller). The controller is wireless, but can also be played connected to the PS3 via USB and for charging. Battery life isn’t finalized at this point, according to Kawanishi.

Kawanishi also gave a few details on the PS3’s built in interface. The system will include as standard web browser functionality as well as the ability to play back music and audio files. Sony is making use of its Cross Media Bar (XMB) interface, the same one that’s featured in the PSP and the Japan-only PSX platforms. The bar will give full access to playback of downloaded contents and let you exchange data with the PSP.

Finally, the power brick, like the PS2, will be built into the system so you don’t have to start digging a hole to fit it into your room, like the 360.

Read [PlayStation]

A quick shot of the PS3 user interface was snapped by a few bloggers out in LA, at E3 last week. The image shows the same cross-tab browser we have grown accustomed to on the PSP. The graphics seems to be much better (as expected from Cell), and there are some more menu options such as friends and users. We like the interface on the PSP so we expect this to only be an improvement of an already good (easy to use) feature. Sony is not saying anything yet about the menu or what it does.

Read [Reg Hardware]

This past week started out with a bang, we heard press speeches from the big three gaming companies at E3 out in LA. Sony was up first with their pricey PS3, X-Y-Z, pitch, roll, yaw and lateral motion detecting controller, Nintendo showed us all of the fun games and ways to play with the Wiimote and Nunchuck, and finally Microsoft introduced some hot Xbox 360 accessories as well as online features and new games including a promo for Halo 3. We reviewed the Logitech MX610 mouse for lefties, are still running the “iZ a day contest,” podcast 8, and a whole lot more. Here’s the list of everything we covered this past week. Enjoy and have a great week.

E3 Round-up

• E3 2006: Nintendo gets ready for a revolution
• E3 2006: Xbox 360 HD-DVD accessory
• E3 2006: Sonic for PS3 and 360
• E3 2006: Rumor: Nintendo Wii $249
• E3 2006: Sony’s E3 Press Event
• E3 2006: Sony PlayStation roundup
• E3 2006: Live Coverage of Nintendo’s Press Event
• E3 2006: Live Coverage of Microsoft’s Press Event
• E3 2006: PlayStation images and system comparison
• E3 2006: Microsoft is left with the only static controller
• E3 2006: Nintendo Press Conference Round-up
• E3 2006: Logitech drives you home…
• E3 2006: Wii classic controller
• E3 2006: Halo 3 Trailer
• E3 2006: Xbox 360 Accessories, more ways to play
• E3 2006: Logitech entry level gaming mouse
• E3 2006: Nintendo Wii to run Opera Browser
• E3 2006: Windows Vista’s games get a makeover
• E3 2006: GP2X Linux gaming machine
• E3 2006: Two killer Alienware gaming laptops

• How To Tuesday: Add AIM contacts to Google Talk
• Gadgetell Review: Logitech MX610 Left-Hand Laser Cordless Mouse

• Gadgetell Podcast 8: The big three from E3 5/9/2006

• Intel to adopt Pentium-like naming for the Duo
• Fleck auctions off four Web 2.0 domains
• NBA Playoffs on iTunes
• SoonR allows Skype calls from any cellphone
• Vonage changes their logo
• World’s new thinnest…cellphone
• 26 best products of Q1 2006
• Toshiba’s HD-DVD laptop is available May 15
• iTunes signs on Fox
• Waterproof headphones
• Vonage waives international calling rates to France, Ireland, Italy, Spain, and the U.K.
• Warner Brothers signs with BitTorrent for P2P content distribution
• JBL gets its game on
• Neuros incompatiable with PSP firmware v.2.7
• Sony photo printer
• Sony SZ Core Solo
• Sirius Sportster4
• Microsoft shares vision of Live Anywhere
• Nokia 5500 Sport: Smartphone with a snorkel
• The L7 becomes a lady
• AOL’s network expands with AIM Pages & Phoneline
• Sony did the unthinkable - supports AAC files
• Sony is just to slow for SanDisk
• Zensonic HD network DVD player
• SanDisk 4 GB Memmory Stick Pro Duo
• Treo trade-in program
• Skype for Mac is Universal
• NAVIsis wants you to draw on your screen
• HDMI for your PC
• AIM Triton hits the gym
• Yahoo’s Semel shows no interest in producing TV shows
• Sony unveils Alpha information
• 8GB Sony Walkman
• Motorola E680g

• Apple’s MacBook announcement will go head-to-head with E3 tomorrow
• Radio Shack prices the 700p
• 5/28/2006 - Sprint Treo 700p launch date

The Alienware Aurora m9700 is the industry’s first and only 17” mobile system to offer the powerful dual-graphics capabilities of NVIDIA SLI technology. The cutting-edge mobile desktop also provides up to 240GB, AMD Turion 64 processors, two 256MB 7900 GS GPUs, either a 1,920 x 1,200 or a 1,440 x 900 display resolution, 5,400rpm or 7,200rpm SATA hard drive in capacities of 100GB or 200GB, either a CD-RW/DVD-ROM driver or a multi-format DVD writer, at least 512MB of dual-channel 400MHz DDR memory, Gigabit Ethernet and Bluetooth.  Wi-Fi is optional. The notebook has one Firewire and four USB ports, an ExpressCard 34 slot and a four-in-one memory card reader.

With blazing dual GeForce Go 7900 GTX GPUs, the Alienware Aurora mALX delivers the ultimate mobile solution for playing games in immersive, cinematic detail on an expansive 19” 1,680 x 1,050 wide-screen LCD. Owners of the Aurora mALX are treated to a truly first-class experience that includes receiving ALX extras such as an Alienware backpack, Alienware Ozma 7 headphones, a personalized nameplate and more. Adding a product touch that will undoubtedly make it stand out in a crowd, the Aurora mALX also features exotically stylish, airbrushed custom paint artwork that boldly implies power and strength.

The mALX’s price is even more hard core starting at $4,449. I was able to built it to $5,764. Alienware expects the machine to ship on 24 June. The m9700 is cheaper at $1,999, and is set to ship on 19 June. The manufacturer has started taking orders for both products.

Read [Reg Hardware]