E3: Nyko’s third-party accessories for Wii, Xbox 360, PS3

Third-party peripheral developer Nyko displayed some fun in the E3 event, offering an accessory for each of the current next gen consoles the Wii, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3.

The most notable among their wares is Nyko’s Party Station for the Wii, which brings a whole new meaning of “party” to Wii being the “party console”. This table top Wii accessory includes four detachable freezer cooled drink holders, as well as a small tray for chips and dip – fit for partying indeed. The actual gaming function of the Party Station is to store four Wii controllers as well as a handy drawer to stow the Nunchuks in. The best – and quirkiest – part of the the Party Station, though, is the electronic score keeper and a small fan to cool overworked, sweaty palms.

For the PS3. Nyko presented the Zero Wireless PS3 controller, a good alternative for the classic-styled SIXAXIS controller. The Zero Wireless sports a cool aluminum finish with black accents that go well with the PS3’s design. Unlike most other third-party controllers, the Zero Wireless comes with a six-axis motion sensing chip, which warrants a hefty US$ 60 price tag for this third-party controller.

The last item on Nyko’s list is the Front Man 360, which is essentially a wireless guitar for the 360. However, there’s a catch: You will need a wired Xbox 360 controller for the Front Man 360 to work.

Since Microsoft is a bit touchy with letting third parties manufacture wireless peripherals, Nyko had to find a workaround to address the connectivity issue. The only way to connect the Front Man 360’s wireless device was by connecting a little adapter to the wired controller. We know that it kind of defeats the purpose of being wireless, but its good to know that Nyko is still working the technical kinks out of this useful device.

It’s too bad that with E3 2007 being invitation-only, most of the gamers weren’t able to witness the unfolding of this nifty devices first-hand. But hey, at least we know that we have these things coming our way soon.

Third-party peripheral developer Nyko displayed some fun in the E3 event, offering an accessory for each of the current next gen consoles the Wii, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3.

The most notable among their wares is Nyko’s Party Station for the Wii, which brings a whole new meaning of “party” to Wii being the “party console”. This table top Wii accessory includes four detachable freezer cooled drink holders, as well as a small tray for chips and dip – fit for partying indeed. The actual gaming function of the Party Station is to store four Wii controllers as well as a handy drawer to stow the Nunchuks in. The best – and quirkiest – part of the the Party Station, though, is the electronic score keeper and a small fan to cool overworked, sweaty palms.

For the PS3. Nyko presented the Zero Wireless PS3 controller, a good alternative for the classic-styled SIXAXIS controller. The Zero Wireless sports a cool aluminum finish with black accents that go well with the PS3’s design. Unlike most other third-party controllers, the Zero Wireless comes with a six-axis motion sensing chip, which warrants a hefty US$ 60 price tag for this third-party controller.

The last item on Nyko’s list is the Front Man 360, which is essentially a wireless guitar for the 360. However, there’s a catch: You will need a wired Xbox 360 controller for the Front Man 360 to work.

Since Microsoft is a bit touchy with letting third parties manufacture wireless peripherals, Nyko had to find a workaround to address the connectivity issue. The only way to connect the Front Man 360’s wireless device was by connecting a little adapter to the wired controller. We know that it kind of defeats the purpose of being wireless, but its good to know that Nyko is still working the technical kinks out of this useful device.

It’s too bad that with E3 2007 being invitation-only, most of the gamers weren’t able to witness the unfolding of this nifty devices first-hand. But hey, at least we know that we have these things coming our way soon.