gaming

Finally, a legitimate reason to use coasters in a bachelor pad.

The Offside Football Coffee Table is the ultimate beverage-resting solution for foosball aficionados.

The tables, designed and handmade by English designer Howard Bushell, are a scaled-down version of the popular pub game. Covered in glass, the solid oak tables feature a mirrored playing surface, magnetic scoring pegs, and stainless steel "players."

These look like beautiful pieces of work. Alas, at $7,600 for the table, hardcore foosball addicts may want to invest in a full-on foosball table for a fraction of the asking price.

[Via Uncrate.]

Poll … Read more

Editors' note: This blog initially misstated Bing Gordon's title. He is chief creative officer of Electronic Arts.

A new football season is around the corner, and gamers have a new version of Electronic Arts' running hit Madden NFL 08 to prepare for their fantasy drafts. That is, PC and console gamers.

EA Chief Creative Officer Bing Gordon said at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference in June that the company would simultaneously release Madden NFL 08 for both Windows PCs and Macs when the title went on sale last night. However, as noted by VNUnet, the Mac version is nowhere … Read more

Fans of the PlayStation Portable (PSP) media device must continue to wait for a download store, a feature that experts have said is a must if the player is ever to launch a significant challenge to the iPod.

Sony representatives, which have been holding press gatherings in major cities in preparation for the September launch of the upgraded PSP, refused on Tuesday to set a launch date for the download store.

They did reveal that the store will launch with "short-form" games. Whether music and movies will be available at rollout is "still unclear," said John … Read more

This one we're not so sure about. Granted, some of the more elaborate game chairs and simulators featured in this space aren't for everyone, but we have a hard time justifying nearly $500 for what appears to be just a seat.

Tech Digest says the "Playseat Evolution" is a sponsor of the Dutch A1 racing team, made of steel oval-pipe framing and compatible with all the major game consoles and accessories. It's been released on the U.K. market and can reportedly withstand "even the most vigorous of gamers."

All that may be … Read more

Although I prefer my shiny credit card to virtual money, my shopping bill at the end of the month always reminds that I should find a new hobby.

Shop.com's game Cart Me Away is nodding its head furiously in agreement. The theory behind the online game--which originally launched in May, but because of its popularity, Shop.com says, will soon add a few new twists--is that people can have fun shopping online without spending any money.

A total gimmick to get people to spend more time on Shop.com and thus lay down real bucks? Yes. But is … Read more

Our faith in human nature has been restored (for now). Every time we get depressed thinking about technology gone bad, along comes an item that actually does some good.

The "Jet Ski Video Game" is a classic example of a good idea made better. It takes the same general approach as the "Smart Cycle" bike simulator--encouraging kids to get some exercise while playing games--but does it one better, at least where the fun factor is concerned, by creating a virtual water sport.

We're not sure how the aerobic activity compares (bouncing through simulated waves), but … Read more

The Xbox 360 is getting to be a better deal all the time. Hot off the news of a price drop, Microsoft has confirmed that the Xbox 360 Premium--which now retails for $350--now includes an HDMI output. The confirmation comes after Shacknews posted photos of a newly purchased Xbox 360 with the telltale port, essentially proving that the rumored upgrade was already available in stores.

So what's the big deal? HDMI provides a single-cable, all-digital connection to compatible HDTVs and AV receivers, delivering far fewer wires, higher quality, and better 1080p compatibility than the combination of component video and … Read more

Yesterday was a big day for Capcom and Mega Man fans, as it saw the launch of Mega Man Star Force, the seventh series in the Mega Man franchise. This was particularly big for over a hundred fans in New York, who gathered at the 33rd Street GameStop to see Mega Man's father. Keiji Inafune, Mega Man's creator and all-around Capcom superstar, came to the GameStop to hand out Mega Man 20th Anniversary T-shirts and sign games.

Inafune wasn't alone, though; an actor in a full Mega Man costume also appeared at GameStop, posing for photos with … Read more

I guess it's physically impossible for you to get Dance Dance Revolution for your iPod, but this might be as close as you can get. It's Musika, a pseudo-psychedelic new game from PaRappa the Rapper creator Masaya Matsuura of the Japanese gaming company NanaOn-Sha, and it's just been released for 5th-generation iPods in conjunction with Sony BMG Music Entertainment. You can buy it in the iTunes Store's game section.

It's a "visualization game," so you can either watch the pretty patterns that synchronize with your iPod's current tunes, or you can use … Read more