Technabob » thrustmaster

Thrustmaster Hotas Warthog Controller is Straight From the a-10c

Shane McGlaun — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 17:34:46 +0000

I have long thought that one of the coolest aircraft flying to day in the military world is the A-10C Warthog. The thing may be a bit ugly, but anytime a designer builds the gun as the main component of an aircraft and then straps the pilot around that gun, I am interested.

Thrustmaster has unveiled the new HOTAS WARTHOG joystick and throttle set that is just like the one from the A-10C combat jet. This controller is aimed at the flight simulation and flight gamer that wants the most realism possible anywhere. The throttle, panel joystick, and bases for the gear are mostly metal and weigh in at 14 pounds total.

There are 15 programmable buttons, dual 4-way hat switches, and a push button on each of the hat switches as well.

The controller is set to launch at the end of October and serious fans will need to save up though, as it will sell for a pricey $499.99(USD). Still, that’s way cheaper than an actual A-10C.

Ferrari Themed Racing Cockpit: Good Idea, but Not Perfect

Shane McGlaun — Thu, 27 May 2010 17:52:25 +0000

I have been playing racing games on my various game consoles since there were racing games to play. I remember my first racing game, Pole Position on the Atari 2600. I even had one of those pads like you used for Pong as the steering wheel.

As I got older, and racing games got better I started to use racing wheels for my driving game fetish. I typically play with a crazy expensive Logitech racing wheel with its own shifter, clutch, and force feedback and it’s fantastic. The problem is finding a place to attach the thing since the coffee table is too low and using the wheel in my lap is not good.

Thrustmaster has unveiled a new wireless racing rig called the Ferrari Wireless GT cockpit 430 Scuderia Edition. Basically, it’s a racing wheel on an articulating, weighted frame – with pedals in the base. You can adjust the fame for kids and adults to enjoy. The thing uses wireless connectivity for the PC and the PS3, which makes it extra handy. The wheel is modeled after the real wheel from the 430 Scuderia car.

The downside here are the lack of a gated shifter, clutch pedal, and force feedback. Man, if it had all those things it would be perfect. The cockpit will sell for about $270 (USD).

Thrustmaster Studio Kit: Fun With Nintendo Dsi Photography

Technabob — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 03:09:57 +0000

One of the main reasons to buy a Nintendo DSi instead of a DS Lite is the built-in digital camera. Now you can add to your creative photography options thanks to this new kit from Thrustmaster.

The DSi Studio Kit provides you with a variety of shooting options including a removable flash, and wide angle, macro/close-up and telephoto lens attachments. There’s also a set of 6 color filters you can use to create visual effects. Thrustmaster also includes a (shiny metallic) protective cover that holds the lenses and filter attachments in place.

While the packaging and styling appear to be targeted towards the Barbie and American Girl Place set, there’s no reason that we can’t all enjoy it. Although I might have to replace the shiny metallic carrying bag with something a bit more macho.

The DSi Studio Kit should be available any day now, and retails for $19.99 (USD).

Ladies: Disguise Your Gaming Gear as Makeup

Alisha K. — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 12:48:46 +0000

In a perfect world, there wouldn’t be any female gamers, but instead, just gamers. Instead, sadly, we live in this world, and someone thinks girl gamers feel the need to disguise their gear as clutch bags and makeup. That’s the knee-jerk reaction for most geek chicks, anyway.

But manufacturer Thrustmaster just may know what they’re doing after all: the product page indicates the DS Silver Pack is targeted at younger gamers. And while we could argue about whether or not young girls should feel like they have to hide their gaming, the point is that some girls just might want to store their DS cartridges in a case that looks like it should hold eyeshadow instead.

For those who like things a little less shiny, Thrustmaster has other goodies, like their urban bag, complete with a few space invaders.

See? And you thought this was going to be all high-handed. Anything that gets most of your gaming gear in one place gets my vote, even if it pink. The full Silver Pack set, with all the makeup-style cases, runs $35, but if you’re only in the market for a shiny bag with the DS logo, that can be had for $16. The brown bag runs about $14 at various online retailers.

[Thrustmaster via Yahoo Tech! via Gamer Grrlz]