We've mentioned it before, but now it's finally hitting store shelves, and we've got packaging images. While we still haven't received the definitive Jedi lightsaber battling game for the Nintendo Wii, Power A brings us what could be the next best thing. The original dark lord of the Sith extends his weapon in a challenge to all that would have their motion tracked. The fully-licensed Vader bust has a slot that fits your standard, first-party Wii sensor bar, filling a hole in your entertainment center that you never knew existed.

The Darth Vader Wii Sensor Bar holder should be available at Amazon.com and Toys R Us locations across the country. There is, unfortunately, much fear in the price. $39.99 is a bit steep for a thing that holds another, more important thing, even if it does look rather cool.

More than just an extremely pretty face, the Fender Telecaster 'Player's Edition' comes complete with fast-action ‘Shredderz' fret buttons, an exclusive addition to the model with a rapid action that the company says is perfect for difficult solos. The Telecaster also has four different methods for kicking Rock Band into overdrive - the optional Electro-Harmonix Overdrive Pedal, the back tuning button, the old-fashioned tilt mechanism, and a new touch sensitive pickup, conveniently located above the strum bar.

The Telecaster retails for $109.99 and is now shipping to stores across North America. It's a little on the pricey side, but it sure has a hell of a lot of character.

Round 2 of Mad Catz officially licensed Street Fighter IV controllers features the same Tournament Edition FightSticks and FightPads as the first batch, only this time around they look different! The FightStick has had a nice makeover and the pads now features designs based on your favorite fighters, including Bison, Cammy, Guile, Crimson Viper, Sagat, and Zangief.

"Capcom is pleased to continue working alongside Mad Catz to deliver a second wave of high quality FightSticks and FightPads to the Street Fighter community," said Christian Svensson, vice president business development & strategic planning at Capcom Entertainment, Inc. "Our fan base has responded enthusiastically to the first range of Street Fighter IV controllers and we are dedicated to continue surprising our loyal audience with products which do justice to this highly acclaimed title."

With all the redesigns and limited editions they released so far of the FightSticks, I'd say Mad Catz is starting to overdo it a bit, but hey - if they sell, sell em!

Could a plastic football accessory make Madden sell better on the Wii? CTA Digital, the company behind the Wii bowling ball and iPhone steering wheel accessories would like to think so. The Football for Wii opens up to accept your Wii remote, mirroring the face buttons of your controller on top of the football for a semi-authentic sort of look and feel. The controller is compatible with Madden 10, Madden 09 All-Play, NCAA Football 09 All-Play, and several other football games that you can just read off the sales brochure below.

The point here is that when Crecente and Totilo imagine something, it happens. We might want to stay on their good sides.

Mad Catz loves branding accessories, especially when it comes to big titles, and there most likely won't be a title bigger than Modern Warfare 2 this year, so they've got a full range of accessories being prepared across all major platforms. No specifics were given regarding what was coming when, but it's easy enough to imagine the sorts of things the company will come up with.

"We are excited to partner with Activision and Infinity Ward to create branded controllers and accessories based on what is one of the videogame industry's preeminent franchises," said Darren Richardson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Mad Catz. "We look forward to offering unique and exciting accessories to fans of the newest release in the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare series, as we continue to grow and diversify what we believe to be the industry's leading portfolio of branded videogame accessories."

I've got my fingers crossed for night vision goggle skins. Look for more info on the new Mad Catz line as we get closer to the game's November release.

The news comes from an article in the LA Business Journal on the success that companies such as Activision have had with controller based games like Guitar Hero. Nestled away in said article is THQ's Chief Executive Brian Farrell spilling the beans on an upcoming controller-based title that he believes will give the company a "competitive edge".

"We have something that we think is different from anything else out there and will give us a competitive advantage," Farrell said. "Beyond that, we can't say much."

We've been scratching our heads over this one all morning, and the best we can come up with is either some sort of video gaming sponge, or as Totilo suggested, "a folding-chair controller to be used as a foreign object in future WWE games."

Of course, any new piece of video game plastic begs the question, is it really necessary? My own sentiments on the matter are echoed as the article continues, oddly enough, by Activision's Bobby Kotick.

But as more game companies toy with making their own controllers, it increases the danger of consumer overload."Obviously there's only so much room in the living room for these kinds of things," Kotick said. "We don't want to clutter things up."

Yes. The last thing we need is a game that encourages players to buy four drum kits.

Control Issues [Los Angeles Business Journal - they make you pay to read]

This little gadget plugs snugly into one of your PS3's USB ports, looking for all the world like it was meant to be there. The hub not only adds three more USB ports, bringing the total to either 4 or 6 depending on which system you own, but it also adds a card reader slot that handles both SD cards and Sony's own memory sticks.

Very nicely done, Nyko. A peripheral that people actually need that doesn't screw with the form factor of the system. The Nyko Media Hub should be in stores next month with an MSRP of $19.95.

NYKO Media Hub Announced for the PlayStation 3™
Details Surface on Upcoming Three Port USB Hub with Multi-Card Reader

LOS ANGELES - July 2, 2008

Nyko Technologies®, the premier gaming peripherals manufacturer, today revealed details for its upcoming Media Hub for the PlayStation 3™. The Media Hub easily 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 unique design requires no tools or internal modifications, draws its power directly from the PS3, and easily installs in just seconds.

“We found that many of our customers who had purchased the popular 40 GB version of the PS3, which has less USB ports and no media card reader, were looking for an affordable solution to expand with these features,” said Chris Arbogast, Director of Marketing at Nyko Technologies. “With the Media Hub, an additional three USB ports and a media card reader are now possible for all PS3 models, allowing consumers to enjoy the full capabilities of their multimedia system no matter which model they choose.”

Nyko’s Media Hub for PS3 is expected to hit store shelves by August 2008 for the suggested retail price of $19.99. Please visit www.nyko.com for more information.