If you've been playing around with JoyToKey for your secret "controller fix" on PC games that otherwise didn't have such support, you might want to try Blue Orb's Switchblade. The free software is loads heavier than the little joystick to keyboard utility but is more inclined for use with the Xbox 360 controller. Plus, it just got more download mirrors.

If you've stuck through our previous coverage on how you can play Blizzard's World of Warcraft on the Xbox 360 console, then we've got more insider information on how the SwitchBlade software package works. In an interview with the VP of Business Development for Blue Orb, Inc., the company behind SwitchBlade, Aaron Levin talks about how the software works and the company's plans for the future.

Check out more details of the SwitchBlade software after the jump!

From Blue Orb, Inc. comes Switchblade, a software package that brings a fully-configured Xbox 360 controller interface to any PC game. The first game supported by Switchblade is Blizzard's World of Warcraft.

The application comes with preconfigured key bindings that map the Xbox 360 controller's buttons to the most commonly used controls in World of Warcraft. Users can also reconfigure the button mappings to cater to their own personal playing styles. Switchblade works with both wired and wireless Xbox 360 controllers.

The best thing about Blue Orb's Switchblade is that it's downloadable for free at Xfire.com. Support for Blizzard's insanely popular MMORPG is also just the tip of the iceberg. Future versions of the application will include support for a wide range of PC games as well as support for additional controller types.

Watch the video below for a look at installing and configuring Switchblade for use in World of Warcraft.

 

One of the biggest drawbacks in playing online games from a console is the time it takes to type a message to another player. It's the problem that almost every online console gamer can empathize with. How many times was it that you tried to call out for help while you helplessly watch your character get chopped into mincemeat? About a hundred? There you go.

Blue Orb is trying to curb this problem by introducing the Texter (quite an original name, really), an innovative device that lets people type messages using the Xbox 360 or PS2 controllers, using the analog joysticks. Basically, letters are spelled out according to the direction you tilt the analog joysticks to. It seems quite hard to get used to at first glance, but it looks like it's something that can be mastered over time, like the key tapping system on a mobile phone keypad.

For now, the Texter is targeted at Phantasy Star Universe players. "We've worked with SEGA to make this Special Edition Texter the next great tool for the Phantasy Star Universe gamer. Every aspect of the design and packaging was driven by people who love the game-and it shows," says Walt Wilson, Chief Operating Officer, Blue Orb, Inc. Wilson is referring to the Phantasy Star Universe Special Edition Texter, which comes bundled with extra stuff such as posters, stickers, and gives the purchaser a chance to get a free Phantasy Star Universe t-shirt. Sounds like quite a juicy offer.

Phantasy Star Universe Special Edition for the Xbox 360 is priced at US$ 39.95, and will be available June this year.

One time or the other, some of you might have wished that a full QWERTY keyboard is attached to your consoles for purposes of in-game messaging. While the Xbox 360 dashboard provides something like that already, albeit on-screen, a good number of gamers are still clamoring for an alternative.

In case you're one of those wanting a new way to do in-game messaging, you're in luck, or then again, maybe not. It actually depends on your outlook or how easy you can grasp complex ideas. At any rate, be informed that company Blue Orb just made a public announcement involving its advanced input system Texter. As the name implies, it can be likened to a USB keyboard that when attached to the console and game, allows players to text messages.

Included in its package are two rings that need to be attached first to both thumbsticks. One has eight colored zones and the other has eight zones with each one holding four letters of the alphabet. The left thumbstick activates Texter and is connected to the colored zones. The other one is used for selecting the letters needed to be typed. Clicking the left thumbstick once more will bring you back in the game.

Confused? Pardon, as we ourselves didn't quite get that as well. Blue Orb, on the other hand, has claimed that the players can actually type 25 words per minute using their system. Hmm, what we can say is that it's a good thing Texter will start shipping by early December. That means we still have a lot of time to practice just to reach that 25wpm mark set by Blue Orb. Oh well, what do you think, guys?