Round Up: Shreddin', Sixaxis, PhysX

Today's round-up includes the formal announcement of the PlayStation 3's nom de controller, a third-party solution for younger would-be guitar heroes, and the latest hardware-accelerated physics solution from AGEIA, as well as the latest Game Career Guide updates, Serious Games Source posts, GameSetWatch posts and Gamasutra job postings. - Long rumored as the formal name of the forthcoming tilt-enabled DualShock replacement for the PlayStation 3, Sony Japan announced today via their website that the new controller would be named the SIXAXIS, so called not only for its palindromic qualities, but for the six degrees of tilt control it will offer the player. According to the site, the SIXAXIS will retail separately for 5,000 yen (US $43). Also announced alongside the SIXAXIS was a special BD Remote Control for Blu-Ray movies, priced at 3,600 yen (US $31), and a USB attachment for the PlayStation 3 that will allow access to PS2 and original PlayStation memory cards, with functionality to copy saves to the PS3 hard drive for backward compatibility purposes. - Though currently in the midst both of a trademark and copyright infringement suit with Guitar Hero publisher and manufacturer Red Octane and an antitrust counter-suit against the same, third-party accessory manufacturer The Ant Commandos have announced the latest in their line of Guitar Hero peripherals with the Shredder Guitar Controller. The Shredder was made with younger players in mind with a smaller frame, easier to use buttons and whammy bar, and a simplified Star Power function that activates with a shake versus a full tilt. No further details have thus far been announced regarding either of the companies respective lawsuits. - Hardware-accelerated physics specialists AGEIA Technologies, Inc. have announced the availability of its latest AGEIA PhysX SDK v2.6. According to the company, the latest version "dramatically enhances and accelerates the development of cutting edge games with complex physics-based environments that feature real-time dynamic motion and interaction on a massive, persistent scale," and includes new Deformable Objects features and Self-Collision Prevention capabilities to developers of games for Windows, and leading next generation video game platforms, as well as new added support for Microsoft Windows Vista 64-bit & Linux environments. - The latest updates on Gamasutra sister alt.gaming weblog GameSetWatch include a report on Virtua Fighter 5's new VF.tv service, the Shifted Librarian wondering what's holding libraries back from allowing more games, and the Hollywood Reporter investigating why everything old is old again regarding gaming's recent retro revival. - Also updated today: the latest Gamasutra job postings, including openings from Blizzard, Blue Fang, Datascope Recruitment, Edge of Reality, Ltd., Red Storm Entertainment, and TimeGate Studios.