New Colors for Nintendo DS; Accessories for XBox Rock Band

While those of us in the States were stocking up on chips, charcoal and frozen meat last week, Nintendo (TYO: 7974) quietly confirmed that it will begin shipping its Nintendo DS handhelds in three colors in its European market: red, turquoise and green. According to Nintendo's German-language site, the colored DS units will begin shipping on June 13th. The site makes no mention of when the updated styles will hit US shores.

Another video game rumor was confirmed this week -- this one for the Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) Xbox. Whispers of two new additions to the line of Rock Band devices (which already includes a drumset, microphone and guitar) have been bolstered by retailer GameStop on their online store. The two devices, a smoke machine and a strobe light, make up what GameStop has listed as a “Stage Kit,” and their site includes a stock image of both. The site has the kit listed at an MSRP of $100, and its supposed ship date is August 15th; the game's maker, PDP, hasn't officially released either.

While Rock Band enthusiasts online were encouraged by the release of two more toys for the game, numerous message boards wisely note that a traditional fog machine and strobe light can be had for much less than $100, perhaps making the Stage Kit less likely to succeed than PDP might hope.