New gadgets vie for attention at E3

By Matt Slagle

updated 7:45 p.m. ET May 20, 2005

LOS ANGELES - Plenty of gadgets shown at this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo had absolutely nothing to do with the next generation of video game consoles from Microsoft Corp., Nintendo Co. and Sony Corp. We'll get our hands on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Revolution eventually. But until that distant day, we happily made do with a treasure trove of nifty video game gear.

A brief look at some of the more eye-catching stuff:

Gizmondo
The handheld wars of late have focused on Sony's sleek PlayStation Portable and the interactive Nintendo DS. The Gizmondo from Tiger Telematics, Inc., however, intends to be a serious third contender if its able to deliver on its innovative promise. The Gizmondo looks to be the Swiss-Army knife of handhelds with its unique blend of technology that includes GPS satellite tracking, a digital camera and a gyroscope. Oh, and it plays digital music, movies and video games on a 2.8-inch color screen, too. It's already available in Europe and should appear stateside in August. Prices will start at $230.

Karaoke Revolution Party
I know I'm cheating a bit here, but Karaoke Revolution Party won't be much of a video game without some cool accessories. (Namely, a Dance Dance Revolution dance mat and a microphone.) For the first time, Konami Digital Entertainment-America is combining two franchises in Karaoke Revolution and Dance Dance Revolution into one game for the GameCube, PlayStation 2 and Xbox. The result looks primed for parties as you sing and dance (try to, anyway) against as many as seven others. PS2 owners with an EyeToy USB camera peripheral will be able to put their skills on the TV screen, while subscribers of Microsoft's Xbox Live multiplayer gaming service can download new songs. It's set for a fall release; no price has been announced.

QMotions-Baseball
Clicking your computer mouse is hardly the most authentic way to play a few innings of a baseball video game. Why not swing a real bat? For $80, the QMotions-Baseball system replaces the game pad, letting you use a bat of your choosing. The setup includes a special bat collar that wirelessly sends swing movement to a home plate receiver you plug into an Xbox or PC. The device, available this month, works with big league baseball games including "EA Sports MVP Baseball" and "ESPN Baseball."

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