Space Invader Headphones Set to Invade my Head

Yes! More Space Invaders!!

To celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the famous shump precursor, Taito has been going hog wild with bizarre Space Invaders products, which is pretty awesome. The latest in the slew of bad merchandising that I still plan on buying are these headphones featuring the bitty bad guys. No details on who actually made the guts of these $20 cans so I'm thinking they're absolute crap... and yet I still want them when they hit in October.

Space Invader Headphones [ShopNCSX, thanks NCS]

I am a creature of basic interests. I love Space Invaders. I love Pong. In fact I own the first pair of Invader shoes and one of those limited edition Pong clocks, so when I saw this table I got way too excited... judging by the absolute silence that greeted my enthusiasm when I shared this with the others in Kotaku Tower.

Created by German designer Moritz Waldemeyer, Pong Effect uses 2400 LEDs and two track pads to essentially recreate a game of air hockey. The best part, it looks like it was created for 4-year-olds. Oh, I know how absurd that is, but does it sound like I care? It doesn't.... for those of you who can't detect the waves of enthusiasm rippling off my keyboard right now.

Pong Updated for the 21st Century [The BBPS]

Invader Takes on Brooklyn

Anyone who reads this site regularly probably knows I have a weakness for Space Invaders. There's just something very iconic, for me, about the blocky bad guys. I've been following the Invader movement for almost a decade now (heck, I even had the first pair of shoes Invader made) , and while we don't post ever single pic of a tile Invader that people send to us, I thought this one, located on North 11th and Wythe in Brooklyn, looked pretty cool. I particularly like how it stands out so vibrantly against the dull and dirty reality that surrounds it.

[Thanks James]

Space Invaders Tumbler Can Be Your Cup

You sit in His cubicle every day. You do His work. On His computer. While drinking His coffee. We'd say that your life sucks, but your life isn't even your life. It's His life. The Man's life. And yeah, it sucks.

So keep one thing for yourself. Drink His coffee out of your own damn cup. Available in 3 different colors, the Space Invaders Tumbler will cost you $10.90 of His money. Enjoy.

Space Invaders Tumbler [NCSX via Play Gadgets]

Following in the footsteps of the 30th Anniversary Space Invaders bath towels, Taito is now offering up Space Invaders pillows. They're actually kind of cute and certainly nowhere near as hideous as they could have been. Shipping in July, you can get them for $29.90 each.

Space Invaders Pillow [NCSX via ALBOTAS]

Extreme Invaders And Touchy Arkanoid

"Both SPACE INVADERS and ARKANOID are milestones in computer game history," said Akira Ohtsuki, TAITO's General Manager of CS R&B Development, AM Business Division. "We are thrilled to introduce these legendary games to a new generation of players and reignite the excitement for fans of the original titles."

Japanese publisher Taito is going all out for the Space Invaders thirtieth anniversary. In addition to the rock solid Space Invaders Extreme for Nintendo DS and PSP (which I quite liked) and a suit of new Invader-branded products, Taito has announced it's dragging out the property for another go on the Wii. In Space Invaders Get Even, you're in control of up to 300 of the pixelated aliens, raining death and destruction upon the humans. Take that humans!

It's sounding like a fun Space Invader-y mash up of Pikmin and Rampage, something we could definitely get behind. No word yet on whether Space Invaders Get Even is a full-fledged disc release or a WiiWare title, but we hope they clear it up soon.

Taito Announces Space Invaders Get Even [Game Watch]

NCSX is now taking pre-orders for these lovely Space Invaders 30th anniversary bath towels; if you've been waiting to complete that retro game-themed bathroom, here's your chance. Orders will be shipping in mid-to-late June, and are retailing at $19.90 a pop.

Space Invaders 30th Anniversary Bath Towel [NCSX via Bits Bytes Pixels Sprites]

I think that the Space Invaders icons have to be the most used video game symbols in clothing and accessories. We've seen hats, pants, shoes, shirts, man purses, jewelery and all other manner of accoutrement featuring the little pixelated aliens. And now, to complete the entire ensemble we have Space Invaders boxer briefs. These were snapped at Ted Baker in London as evidenced by the label in the box. Someone please make a note to get these for Crecente so he'll finally have that last piece to his museum collection of decorative video game related underpants.

[via Wonderland]

It was dwarfed by some of the larger creations there but was still very cool to see. A lot more cool than the Al Gore snow sculpture that looked like Kim Jong-il.

Asteroids Coffee Table, Helloooo Compromise

All those gaming figurines are neat and everything, but the last thing I want to be doing is explaining who Cloud is and how he carries such a large sword without his arm falling off during a dinner party. And multiply that statement times a thousand for my wife.

Items like this Asteroids coffee table balance that gaming yin with having a house that doesn't look straight out of a Pokemon episode yang. It's subtle, classy and will match just about any couch you can throw at it. But only 50 will be produced in a limited run this year, proving once again that anyone who says happiness comes free is a fucking delusional bastard. Check out the "Invasion" version after the jump.

Steampunk Space Invaders Tee Ready To Invade Your Closet

The Space Invaders inspired design that we posted about late last year has become an official Threadless item, ready to be snapped up by t-shirt fans with an extra $15 (or $17, for the ladies) in their pockets. Putting me in poppy orange is like putting me in madras, so I'll be passing, but retro fans with an eye for steampunk may find it suitable enough. Everyone else seemed to like it at the time, so a link to the online haberdasher is provided below.

Interloper From Beyond The Heavens [Threadless]

Premiere cap manufacturer New Era is getting into the video game thing in a major way it would seem, as the follow up line to their Pac-Man series of fitted hats is an even wider Space Invaders collection. Seven caps, each with embroidered classic Space Invaders graphics, make up the line and each run about 6000 yen (somewhere near $55 US). They're currently available at Japanese retailer Cap Collector and will match well with your expensive Space Invaders Porter luggage in the same vein. Somehow I don't think Taito is done commercially exploiting the game's thirtieth anniversary quite yet.

Space Invader X New Era [Cap Collector via Strictly Fitteds]

Cooking Mama Huge Success For Taito

Just how important is the quirky little DS and Wii game Cooking Mama to Japanese developer Taito? Speaking to Gamasutra, Taito's U.S. representative Keiji Fujita revealed that only one game in the company's stable has managed to surpass the success of the little cooking sim that could, that game being the Japanese-only title Densha De Go (Let's Go By Train). In an interview posted on the website today, Fujita discusses the wild success of the franchise, which has now sold over 2 million copies around the world, as well as the future of Mama and her friends - including the possibility of an arcade version of the game somewhere down the line.

"Taito has the skill and the quality of arcade machines, so they could develop an arcade version of Cooking Mama. A virtual knife and cooking board or something..."

Revitalizing The Legacy: An Interview With Taito's Keiji Fujita [Gamasutra]

Made to Order Pixel Art Beanies

Reader Lukas writes to point out that a friend of sorts has started a small label for headwear that now takes orders for custom-designed hats. The site uses a pixel-like pattern for creating the custom hats which are, Lukas says, very suitable for making retro-gaming themed hats. He had them make himself a custom Space Invaders cap which set him back $70.

It might be a bit too late to buy these as presents, but that doesn't stop you from just picking one up for yourself. If you're interested hit up the site below, but make sure to contact them directly at info [ at [ idolwear.ch if you want a custom pattern.

Idol Wear

OK, we totally lied. This "space invader" is not destroying that lowly cubicle (yet). It's the product of a bored office employee/writer of Geekadelphia and some well-arranged post-it notes. And needless to say, it's trouble waiting to happen.

Don't get us wrong. We're not asking nor begging for a confrontation—we're just saying that if that little alien decides to animate, go rabid and go on an office-destroying rampage across the US, who are we to use our mad Space Invaders skills to stop him?

CUBESDAY: Win a USB Missile Launcher! [via hawtymcbloggy]

Tokyo based Yoshida & Co. are no stranger to collaborations with video game properties. Yoshida's Porter line has had a long standing relationship with Sony, resulting in a long line of PS Pictogram cases in which PlayStation Portables can be crammed. The pricey Porter line is going to be further extended in 2008 to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the release of Taito's Space Invaders.

The three-way collaboration will give Space Invaders fans a chance to bedeck themselves with bitmapped aliens on backpacks, wallets, messenger bags, totes and more. How much? Don't concern yourself with that. You either can't afford it or simply don't care.

Gallery1950 × Space Invader × PORTER [Conope via Hypebeast]

The Steampunk Space Invaders Tee