Stupid video game accessories.

[c-no]

I have no idea how you would hold this. What idiot thought a rectangular controller would be a great idea?

Someone who thought gamers can become ambidextrous? Speaking of useless vidya accessories:

According to Cracked, it's some keyboard mouse controller thing. I looks rather bulky, the button placement looks bad, and just plain ugly.

 

[exball]

I think video will do the explaining to you: [youtube]H7A5OgfP4NA[/youtube]

That's the whiniest video I've ever seen.

 

[Anchuent Christory]

^ I think it's the Sega Activator.

It was kind of a strange precursor to the Kinect. On paper, you could punch or kick and your character would do the same on the screen. In reality, each sector of the Activator corresponded to a direction on a controller . . . so you would have to twist and turn all over the place to play games. And you had to calibrate it every time. And you couldn't use it in a room with high ceilings or with ceiling fans.

Or how about R.O.B.?

He was supposed to help you play games and keep score by moving little red and blue discs. In reality, it just slowed you down.

Or how about . . . gaming chairs? For when a Lay-Z Boy just won't cut it.

My brother got one of the POS's for Christmas when he was 10. It broke within 30 minutes. He was heartbroken.

If I remember correctly, wasn't R.O.B packaged with the NES originally in a bid to convince parents in the US that they were buying some sort of educational, interactive toy and not a games console because of the stigma attached to consoles after the video games crash in the early 80's?

And don't remind me of those bloody gaming chairs, I scoffed at them we started stocking them about seven years ago, but the fucking things sold like anything around Christmas time.... the only time they were used I'll bet.

 

[Da Pickle Monsta]

If I remember correctly, wasn't R.O.B packaged with the NES originally in a bid to convince parents in the US that they were buying some sort of educational, interactive toy and not a games console because of the stigma attached to consoles after the video games crash in the early 80's?

And don't remind me of those bloody gaming chairs, I scoffed at them we started stocking them about seven years ago, but the fucking things sold like anything around Christmas time.... the only time they were used I'll bet.

I seem to recall that ROB was there for something along those reasons--a way to sweeten the idea of a console to a public still burnt out from the video game crash of '83. You not only got a video game system, but you got a robot buddy.

As far as those chairs--yeah, I've heard many a story of Christmas dreams dashed.

 

[Francis E. Dec Esc.]

These hand exercisors I found on Thinkgeek and other places marketed towards gamers and improving their performance. Now, these themselves are not bad and can be useful for say, physical therapy and whatnot depending on their quality, but I guess the whole commercializing gamer culture thing companies are doing has gotten out of hand and its getting a bit annoying because it's all like "buy these games/accessories/etc. or else you're not hardcore!" yeah...

I had to use a couple of devices like that a few years ago after I cut some tendons in my hand. Somehow it failed to improve my gaming skills.

To keep things on track, how about an Atari 2600 joystick that looks like a grenade:

 

[JeffMangum]

The Rift and Morpheus have some great support already, the only question is will people buy them. I'm more optimistic than I was when I first heard of them after seeing a game being played on them.

 

[MysticMisty]

If I remember correctly, wasn't R.O.B packaged with the NES originally in a bid to convince parents in the US that they were buying some sort of educational, interactive toy and not a games console because of the stigma attached to consoles after the video games crash in the early 80's?

I thought it was more to convince stores, which had lost money due to unsold product after the crash, that they were stocking a robot toy that also happened to come with a game console. Or something. ROB got the NES on the shelves and Super Mario Bros. truly got the product moving.

 

[sm0t]

Or how about . . . gaming chairs? For when a Lay-Z Boy just won't cut it.

My brother got one of the POS's for Christmas when he was 10. It broke within 30 minutes. He was heartbroken.

I got one of those for one of my birthdays, too. It has managed to stay intact for the most part, aside from one of the speaker covers on mine popping out within a month of using it. The speakers kinda sucked too, now that I think of it.

ETA: Oh also IIRC I think to even use the speakers you needed a special extension cord for the A/V cable (that comes with the chair) so that the audio cable can reach the socket on the chair. Because no gaming accessory is complete without making yourself a tripping hazard.

 

[pickleniggo]

Speaking of old, unwieldy Game Boy accessories.

Spoiler

God, I'm pretty sure my boyfriend has one of these still hanging out in his room somewhere.

 

[Descent]

Speaking of old, unwieldy Game Boy accessories.

Spoiler

I ust noticed in the photo where everything's in the case, to the left of the gameboy they have the rechargeable battery pack (which had a belt clip, so I don't know why that kid is holding it) right beside some batteries.

 

[exball]

I ust noticed in the photo where everything's in the case, to the left of the gameboy they have the rechargeable battery pack (which had a belt clip, so I don't know why that kid is holding it) right beside some batteries.

Also, he has pockets on his shirt. Just saying.

 

[OR 345]

You guys keep pointing out different little details and I can only focus on those horrible jeans.

 

[Caddchef]

It's an inflatable boat. An inflatable boat that you plunk down in front of your Kinect and jump on.

I'm surprised the kinect itself hasn't been mentioned yet.

 

[champthom]

I thought it was more to convince stores, which had lost money due to unsold product after the crash, that they were stocking a robot toy that also happened to come with a game console. Or something. ROB got the NES on the shelves and Super Mario Bros. truly got the product moving.

That's also way it was the "Nintendo Entertainment System" as opposed to say, the "Nintendo Game Console" or something like that. It was supposed to make people think that it wasn't really a game console, or at least initially.

 

[Andrew Noel Schaefer]

What, YOU dont have a game boat in your living room?

 

[hellbound]

Speaking of old, unwieldy Game Boy accessories.

Spoiler

I want to say my brother and I had one of those. I want to say it was hard to open? I could be wrong but I kind of remember my five-year-old fingers having trouble getting to the games. Maybe it was a knockoff or something.

So was in my local Game today, and I spotted these.
Call of Duty: Ghosts, gamer glasses!

Key Features

• High contrast lens increases subtle game details and improves shooting accuracy.
• Optical quality lens with +.20 diopter enhances game graphics and increases visual clarity.
• Engineered frame design provides extended comfort and improves product durability.
• Curved lens cuts down distracting peripheral light improving focus and attention to game detail.
• Anti-glare coating reduces reflections and improves screen view.
• Hard coating reduces scratches and extends the life of the lens.

After reading the blurb on the back of the box, I nearly burst out laughing in the middle of the store, "improves shooting accuracy" are people really that gullible?

So here's what we have.
1. Faint yellow tint presumably to reduce transmission of blue light. Often said to reduce eye strain, research is inconclusive.
b. Extremely small magnification, like reading glasses except way, way, way less. Not going to be helpful if you aren't old enough for presbyopia anyway.
iii. Standard scratch-resistant and glare-reducing coatings.
-Oh, it has frames too.

$40 yellow bullshit.

 

[hellbound]

I'll watch it in a bit. but for now we'll can the talk since we are off topic.

Made a spin-off thread in deep thoughts for discussion, if anybody wants

 

[MerriedxReldnahc]

Stupid, yet functional.

Having one of these let you play your games past your bedtime when your parents thought you were asleep. It did however drain the (disposable) batteries faster.

That's actually kind of cool, in a terribly cheesy sort of way. I had something like that for my GBA since those screens were so terrible. (mine was anyway!)

 

[MysticMisty]

I too had lights for my Gameboy Color and GBA, though mine were just standard in appearance. In all honesty I usually had a hard time seeing the screen without a light (mind you I do have poor eyesight). I'm happy that the DS has the built-in backlight.

There's a stupid inflatable chair to sit in for Mario Kart Wii that I wanted to post on here, but the pictures I found were on a site that's host to malware (thank you antivirus software) so you'll have to use your imagination. It's really fucking stupid and I'm glad it's not an official Nintendo product (as far as I know).

 

[sparklemilhouse]

To keep things on track, how about an Atari 2600 joystick that looks like a grenade:

Oh my god could you imagine if someone was unloading some stuff off the thrift store truck to put in the store and saw this unpackaged? Someone call the bomb squad.

*yeah I know there's a cord attached, but come on.