Sifteo Cubes Coming September, $49 Each

Sifteo, the studio behind the upcoming Sifteo Cubes, has announced that the hardware will be available to purchase starting this September. The product is a new gaming system that plays a variety of games via small electronic blocks that communicate wirelessly with a PC, and is equipped with LCD screens and 3D motion sensors. The Sifteo Cubes will come in a special starter kit called the Sifteo Pack for $149, including three cubes, a charging dock and a USB radio link for wirelessly connecting the cubes to a Windows or Mac computer. Additional cubes will cost $45 each. The cubes are currently available to pre-order from the Sifteo site, and are available in the U.S. and Canada only. A desktop application called Siftrunner is also required to connect the cubes to a computer and download games for the device. Sifteo co-founder Jeevan Kalanithi explained, "Sifteo cubes are the first platform to deliver truly hands-on play, combining the latest in embedded computing and sensing technology with a timeless play style." "We were inspired by great classic games such as Sudoku, Tetris and dominoes when we set out to create the next generation of enriching, innovative and fun games for everyone." Gamasutra's editor-at-large Chris Morris talked to Kalanithi and his business partner David Merrill about the devices earlier this year, during which the duo noted, "None of the current modern video game [systems] recreate the around-the-table classic game feel. Sifteo brings together these two great traditions."