E3 Update: "Natal" becomes Kinect--and a new Xbox model
E3 Update: "Natal" becomes Kinect--and a new Xbox model
Posted 06/14/2010 at 3:38pm
| by George Jones
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Los Angeles
The day before the official start of the Electronic Entertainment Expo, Microsoft, Electronic Arts, and Ubisoft all staged elaborate press conferences to introduce new titles, new franchises, and new hardware.
Microsoft kicked off the set of press conferences with a live 90-minute event in downtown Los Angeles that officially pulled the veil off of its highly anticipated controller-free user interface. Formerly known under the code name Natal, the control scheme is now known as Kinect.
As anticipated, Kinect is fully integrated into the Xbox 360 experience. In Microsoft’s demonstration of the interface, attendees saw voice control of a video library (“Xbox: Pause”) as well as gameplay controls for casual, fitness-oriented, and family games. The AV controls were the most impressive, if only because they will eliminate the scramble for a remote control.
Initially planned solely for the Xbox 360, Microsoft has admitted to contemplating future versions of Kinect for the PC platform. Maximum PC is on the scene at E3 in Los Angeles, and we’ll be investigating this possibility further once the show floor opens on Tuesday morning. We do know that the Kinect device will require its own custom port—it does not use a USB port.
At the end of Microsoft’s press conference, the company surprised the crowd with the announcement of a new Xbox 360 model. This new version will ship with the custom Kinect port mentioned above. It will also feature a 250GB drive, a built-in 802.11n wireless adapter, five USB ports, and according to Microsoft, much more efficient cooling, a lighter power brick, and quieter system noise.
More details to come as we uncover them here in Los Angeles. If you have any special request for games or game-related hardware, post it in the comments and we’ll try to accommodate you.
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Xaero429
June 15, 2010 at 6:02am
Call me old fashioned, or call me crazy, but i enjoy sitting on my fat ass, and playing a video the way they were meant to be played. . . . . with a goddamn controller. If i want to go do karate, i will go to a gym, or a karate instructor. If i want to play baseball, i will go OUTSIDE and play baseball, with other REAL people. All this controller-less bullshit is just another sad attempt to make money. If you want to workout, go ride a bike, or swim, or go to the gym. Shit for the same price of an xbox 360 elite, you can buy a year gym membership, and that gym membership comes with free interaction with real people, no head-set required.
dracx619
June 15, 2010 at 6:41am
i guess i will call you old fashioned :D while i do agree with you that doin all those activites the traditional way is the best option, there can be many great uses for kinect. like boxing...punching a motionless bag? boring...hate contact and pain brought by sparring? feel like really kicking your friend's ass wihtout physically hurting him/her? kinect boxing (and how bout maybe a future streetfighter or mortal kombat game?) can really bring fighting games to a whole new level...im gitty with excitement.
then theres working out, again, of course the real thing is best but lets say its raining or on certain days the gym is stupid packed (on tuesdays, for wahtever reason the gyms here are stupid packed) you can use some kinect fitness games to at least get some cardio done in a fun effective way and then finishing off with some home weights.
so these are two examples. for many hardcore gamers, it is pretty useless and gimmicky but many forget, this isn't for the hardcore gamers (yet at least) its for the general masses to enjoy. if you missed the keynote, they talked about makin xbox the center of your living room entertainment center or something like that (the voice and hand demos of zune and basic operation were pretty interesting). of course its anattempt to make money and hopefully it does. this tech looks very promising and hopefully it gets better from here and most importantly i hope devs dont churn out crap like the wii
Keith E. Whisman
June 14, 2010 at 9:41pm
I really like the idea of the kinetic. I want one and will probably purchase an Xbox and a Kinetic because I like the idea of exercising with my family and getting my kids into martial arts. It has everything to successfully train you in kung fu.
That said I believe that it wont be long before we see usb adapters become available for this device and MS actually changing it to a USB connector. I honestly though MS was done with the whole proprietary connector thing but it appears they aren't. Sad. They just want to sell more Xbox's but that isn't going to be fair to existing xbox owners so as I said it will come or there will be class action law suits and that's a fact. If MS sneezes wrong they get sued and lose.
dracx619
June 15, 2010 at 6:30am
from my understanding (and i could be wrong) on the original systems, you plug it into the usb port and then plug in power. on the slim its just the one port
Julyjules
June 14, 2010 at 6:26pm
MPC team, if you have a second please try to sneak a peek about the upcoming Star Wars title. It will most definitely be one of the best games of 2011. Thanks!
MdX MaxX
June 14, 2010 at 5:37pm
It may be just me, but I think the new 360 is absolutely hideous. I'll stick with the hourglass shape, even if I need a special dongle to use Kinect.
I am excited for Kinect though. I like the controller-less approach as opposed to the Wii Remote or PlayStation Move.
bingojubes
June 14, 2010 at 5:28pm
I wonder if Japan will start promoting+creating a line of those japanese ERO-games, just for the Kinect unit. since motion capture systems are in the works, will pc gaming be fully interactive now?
i enjoy siting on the couch or in a chair to play my games. if they bring back something like Kung-Fu Chaos, it could probably spark more interest.
CTskifreak
June 14, 2010 at 5:20pm
Nope - I read that the older ones can still use it, but it will have to use it's separate power adapter, and it connects via some dongle thing.
reutnes
June 14, 2010 at 3:56pm
I was watching the E3 conference and now I don't think I'll be buying one of these. I think this product is not here to benefit most existing gamers but to try to make the 360 more appealing to casual gamers thinking about buying a Wii.
But a quieter XBOX would be nice though. If license transfers become less painful, I might try and buy one.
Or just mod mine with a heat pipe or something.
WardTheSteak
June 14, 2010 at 9:14pm
I'm thinking since its new to the scene the newest games being released right now weren't made for it being that they need to make it more efficient and such for more complex games. But, hopefully down the rode they will actually release some "real" games for it that we would all love to play in a more realistic fashion.
jaygregz
June 14, 2010 at 8:45pm
So your telling me that it took all this time for them to release a technology that was possible 20 years ago? This isn't exactly a gaming breakthrough. Plus This whole thing is marketed towards the kiddies. Who really cares about playing an overated motion controlled driving game with childish graphics or playing with some make believe tiger pet? So its a wii without a remote..oh hell oh well. Also, the new machine looks pretty good but its just another ploy to get more money out of the consumers. They finally released a console that should have been released at the launch of the 360. Chalk me up for someone who won't be buying it. I've actually got use to my xbox 360 sounding like a v8 engine. I bet all those people who rushed out to buy the overly priced xbox elite are pissed.
On a second note I just thought of an awesome idea for Kinect. They should make a POV porn where you can actually be the star of your own fantasy. Think about it. Pelvic thrusts and all you'd be the man.
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