Answering critics who said that the old Rock Band kit was too stiff, loud, and simplistic, Harmonix has come out with this beast of a drumset called the ION Drum Rocker, which looks a lot like a professional electronic drumkit, and at least to some degree, can be used as such (so far we know there is a “free drumming mode” in addition to the drum trainer from the first game). You can also adjust the placement of the pads.

In the description of the drums there’s also the claim that you can “swap the game controller module with one of the professional drum brains made by Alesis, and you’re ready to the road for real!” But I wonder, how much does this brain cost? The kit already goes for $299.99, which would be a steal for a real electronic drumkit, but is insane for a peripheral price. If you really do want to “hit the road for real,” why not get a decent kit instead of one that will be barely passable in a real band?

[bemanistyle.com]

Get to the nuclear shelters, the world is gonna end! Phantom Entertainment, previously known as Infinium Labs, have finally released their first product: The Phantom Lapboard. You might remember Infinium Labs as the company behind the Phantom Console, a device so revolutionary that it was supposed to change the face of gaming forever.

It did in fact change the face of gaming, putting a big freaking smirk on gaming’s face as the device became the very definition of vaporware. After giving up on their pipe dreams the company reformed as Phantom Entertainment and prepared to launch this, the Phantom Lapboard, as its flagship product. How the mighty have fallen, from a revolutionary game console to a keyboard and laptop combo. It must be said though that Phantom Entertainment has held true to its name as all it has really provided during its 6 year history is precisely that, entertainment.

[Phantom Entertainment]

One of the very few third-party items to custom your consoles or your portables without giving it that “…ugh.” look has arrived. . . and it’s made of Nerf foam. No, really.

PDP is the name of the producer of this nice DS case which is surrounded by official Nerf foam to absorb the shock from impact on any hard surface, most of the time by accidental fall; needless to say, there’s always that over-angered gamer that throws the DS through the window, so this is a great item for you, angry boy!

Even if I’m not one of those gamers I am willing to buy one to increase the size of the DS, therefore reducing my hand-cramps after hours of pressing L, R and the D-Pad at the same time (not just for fun, but because that’s the way to do Snaking in Mario Kart.). It’s priced at $12.99 and it’s sold on any big store like Wal-Mart, Best Buy and even gamestop, so if I were you I’d be getting one ASAP.

[Joystiq] [Fixed now, sorry for the trauma the last hyperlink may have caused ; p]