In the olden days of pinball, there wasn’t much to adjust. Free game scores were hard wired into the machine and couldn’t be changed. But with the introduction of Williams High Speed in 1986, things got more complicated.

The new machines would dynamically adjust the free play score based on an algorithm. It also introduced a method where if you had already scored a free game, it was impossible to win a random free game.

The post goes into much more detail over at Cheap Talk, but ultimately, these algorithms exploits, and the layouts of the tables themselves got so complicated that new players couldn’t figure out how to master them. And, as we all know, pinball faded into the night. If you’re at all a fan of pinball, it’s an interesting read. Head on over to check it out. [Cheap Talk via Retro Thing]

Image via ktpupp

Here’s what Texas-based law firm AbingtonIP says to justify their new suit:

Although modification of Xbox consoles is arguably against the terms of use for Xbox/Xbox Live, Microsoft ‘conveniently’ timed the Xbox console ban to coincide with the release of the new Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 game and less than two months after the release of the very popular Halo 3: ODST game.

I’m not sure that modding consoles is “arguably” against the terms of use; it is against the terms of use. And why wouldn’t they want to keep people from pirating their biggest game of the year?

Certainly, anyone who is banned who hasn’t modded their console has a legitimate bone to pick with Microsoft, and there’s no defending their heavy-handed banning tactics and their collateral damage. But to suggest they’re intentionally banning legit accounts in order to get people to sign up again, well, that’s pretty stupid. [TG Daily via Engadget]

The two were married when a man brought his DS along with a copy of Love Plus to a church in Guam. There’s no word on honeymoon plans, but the two will be holding a small reception for family, close friends and the internet on November 22. (Seriously, there will be a webcam and stuff.)

It just goes to show, the power of Woman has no bounds. Stick her in a digital fortress, simplify her beauty to Nintendo DS rendering limits and give her a shrill, anime voice. Woman will triumph all the same. [Tiny Cartridge via technabob]

According to officials, the idea is to “reach younger residents who spend more time on the Xbox, PlayStation or Wii than with television or radio” and it’s actually part of a bigger program called Empire 2.0. Other things happening under the Empire 2.0 project include:

[T]he Department of Mental Health is monitoring some Facebook posts in an effort to spot suicidal behaviour, the Office of Homeland Security is using Second Life to train 700,000 first responders, and senior members of the state CIO’s office are using Twitter to disseminate information about technology initiatives to the public.

Basically, it feels like a good blend between the services and technology we use every day and important government programs. Now we just need a way to get emergency alerts to those of us who no longer watch live TV, listen to regular radio or play video games much. Or am I the only one? [Information Week via Slashdot]

Tony Hawk Ride comes with a skateboard controller. You know what that means: dogs playing video games. What’s amazing about this video is just how good this dog is. Impressive!

[YouTube]

Modern Warfare 2 Controllers: These controllers add mappable buttons on its back, allowing you to do things like jump and reload without taking your thumb off a stick. And as anyone who’s been thoroughly humiliated by 13-year-olds online knows, every little advantage helps. $US50 [Gizmodo; Amazon (PS3), Amazon (Xbox 360)]

Nyko Charge Base IC: This thing make charging up your Wiimotes as painless as humanly possible. Just place them on the tray, that’s it. No plugging in, no swapping batteries, no nothing. Now you’ll never sit down to play and find a dead controller again. $US35 [Gizmodo]

Ear Force X41 Headset: It’s pretty amazing how much of an advantage spatial audio can give you. These awesome headphones will let you hear people sneaking up on you from all sides with excellent audio quality. They’re also wireless, which ditches the annoying cable between the headset and your controller. $US180 [Gizmodo]

Xbox Live Points/Wii Points/PlayStation Network Cards: All three current-gen consoles have virtual stores that let you buy games, game add-ons, movies, shows and all sorts of other stuff. The Wii and Xbox 360 use a proprietary points system, while the PS3 lets you pay in dollars. All three will let you buy gift cards that will work specifically on their systems, however, and no gamer will be upset to get those in their stocking. Price Varies [Amazon: Xbox 360, PS3, Wii]

Mad Catz Street Fighter IV FightSticks: Any fighting game aficionado will tell you that playing with a normal controller is for suckers. An arcade stick gives you much more control over your moves and combos, allowing you to thoroughly destroy the competition. And while this particular stick is branded with Street Fighter IV graphics, it’ll work with any game. $US70 [Gizmodo]

Microsoft Sidewinder X8: For PC gamers, the mouse is an important accessory. For years, wireless mice have been ignored thanks to lag, but the current crop of mice finally has the goods to hang with their wired cousins. The Sidewinder X8 is one of the best, offering up speedy response time, long battery life and comfy ergonomics. $US75 [Gizmodo]

Arkeg: The Arkeg is an arcade cabinet with a kegorator inside. Yes, arcade games and beers. If you can swing the price tag on this bad boy, I’m pretty sure you’ll make anybody with a pulse really happy. $US4000 [Arkeg; Gizmodo]

DON’T BUY Ultimate Game Chair: A chair with speakers is a stupid idea. No self-respecting adult would have this in their home, and kids would get bored with the gimmick quickly. If you’re going to clutter up your living room with video game related crap, it might as well be plastic instruments and skateboards. $US570 [Target]

All Giz Wants is our annual round-up of favourite gift ideas, including amazing attainable objects and a few far-out fantasies. We’ll be popping guides catered to different interests several times per day for the next week, so keep checking back.

I mean, it’s not the kind of game that should be played at a distance, and this custom-built board doesn’t even have holes along the track. Although, I have to give the designer credit for the gumball prize — that was a nice touch. Check out the project page for full details on the build. [Marble Maze via Trossen Robotics via Hacked Gadgets]

The Price

$US180 (technically $US200, but Amazon sells ‘em cheaper)

The History

Read our X4 review if you’ve never heard of these products before. This article will make a lot more sense once you’ve read that.

The Improvements

• 2.4GHz RF instead of IR audio transmission
• USB powered instead of wall jack
• Dolby 7.1 Surround Sound instead of Dolby 5.1

I was sceptical that the Ear Force X41 would be any better than the Ear Force X4. But after using the headset for a week, I’m remiss to return to the X4s I bought last year.

Quite simply, the audio is more consistently clear with the new RF transmission, now that line-of-site and ambient light has become a non-factor. And I think that overall audio quality, while the speaker components themselves remain unchanged, has seen a bump because of this cleaner signal. (For those concerned, I was able to use the headset without interfering with my Xbox’s Wi-Fi adaptor or my home network — the primary potential hiccup with using RF instead of IR. Results may vary, I’m sure.)

As for the jump from Dolby 5.1 to 7.1 support, you probably won’t ever notice. Playing Modern Warfare 2, missiles fly by your head with impressive panning, but the sound localisation is no better than it was in the X4s…though to be fair, that’s not necessarily a knock, even if the audio lacks the shining moments you’ll enjoy in the best surround sound headphones offered by companies like Sony.

Oh, and the headset still requires AAAs as opposed to bundling a rechargeable lithium ion. I will say, however, that the batteries I tested with have broken the 10-hour barrier by a decent margin, and they’re still operational.

As a wireless, surround sound headset for the Xbox 360, the X41 is at the top of its class (at least partially because it’s still the only product in its class). If you’re willing to go wired, you can save about $US100+ on a cheaper version of the Ear Force, or you can take a look at the even more expensive but lauded Astro A40s.

In fact, if you guys are interested, let me know in the comments. I may try to call in a pair of those Astros in to hear for myself.

Comfortable

Superb chat quality

RF offers smooth audio transmission

Highly specialised but useful product

Overall audio quality is OK, not stellar

AAA batteries? C’mon!