Tag Archives: Xbox 360

Kinect for Xbox 360 priced at $149.99, bundles plus new Xbox model announced

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We finally have a release date and price to marry.  Kinect for Xbox 360, the advanced motion-tracking camera that aims to get games off the couch and into the game (so to speak), will release on November 4 for $149.99.  That’s a bit steeper than most had anticipated, but watchagonnado?  Now let’s talk bundles.  When you buy Kinect standalone for $149.99, the action/adventure game Kinect Adventures! comes packaged inside.  Speaking of Kinect titles, Microsoft says that all first-party Kinect-supported games will run $49.99 a pop (that’s ten bucks less than “standard” retail games).  In doing this Microsoft hopes to make this pricing standard for Kinect games, but they will leave third-party Kinect games up to the discretion of the developers.  Only Dance Central, the exercise disguised as a dancing game from MTV Games and Harmonix, has followed suit with a $49.99 price tag so far.  Kinect will also be bundled with a brand new Xbox 360 console.  This new SKU is similar to the new 250GB Xbox 360 announced at E3; it’s still “whisper quiet” and comes packed with a WiFi N-adapter.  What it lacks is the large HDD and shiny aesthetics.  The cheaper SKU will feature 4GB of internal flash memory and a black matte finish (as opposed to the 250GB Xbox’s glossy finish).  The new console will come with an empty HDD bay, leaving the option open for Microsoft to ship to market a HDD for expandable storage.  The new 4GB Xbox 360 will cost $199.99 and release on August 3.  The Kinect + Kinect Adventures! w/ 4GB Xbox 360 bundle will go for $299 and release alongside the Kinect standalone sensor on November 4.

Microsoft’s Aaron Greenberg shared the reasoning behind the bundle pricing scheme: “We’re currently a full $100 less than the PS Move bundle which is $400, which is a single player experience. Obviously if you add a second player to that they get well over $500 pretty quickly.”  He also says that by setting the Kinect w/ console bundle price at $299 (fifty bucks cheaper than buying everything separately), this will help draw in new potential gamers and expand the market.  Look after the break for the full PR.

[Via IGN; Engadget]

Continue reading Kinect for Xbox 360 priced at $149.99, bundles plus new Xbox model announced →

Xbox LIVE Gold Family Pack is four Gold memberships for the price of two

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In November, Microsoft will offer a new Xbox LIVE Gold Family Pack.  It’ll be priced at $99 and offer up to four individual Xbox LIVE Gold memberships.  That’s four memberships for the price of two!  What a steal!  In addition, the Xbox dashboard will feature a new menu called Family Center; it’s being described as “a single, easy to use, destination for Family Settings and account management, accessible on the Xbox dashboard and on Xbox.com.”  In addition to the primary account member having the ability to purchase and dispense Microsoft Points to other Xbox LIVE Gold Family Pack members, the new subscription pack brings “activity monitoring reports” to encourage balanced gaming habits, simplified billing, and “exclusive family content and discounts.”  Read all about it in the official PR that’s waiting right after the break.

[Via Engadget] Continue reading Xbox LIVE Gold Family Pack is four Gold memberships for the price of two →

Hands-on: Kinect Adventures! & Kinect Sports

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Games: Kinect Adventures! & Kinect Sports

Developers: Microsoft & Rare

Release date: Fall 2010

Let’s start with Kinect Adventures!, shall we?  This Kinect game includes a bunch of mini-games, and I got to step into two of them.  “River Rush” puts you and a second player inside a raft that you must navigate through heavy rapids.  Controls are simple: lean left and right to guide the raft and watch out for obstacles like big rocks; lean forward to make the raft go faster; leap into the air with your partner to make the raft jump off ramps to collect tokens for extra points.  During the demonstration, the Microsoft rep instructed us to side-step left and right to steer the raft; I’m told it can be navigated either way.  The second “adventure” I played was a mine cart obstacle course.  While you’re traveling at a steady speed atop a mine cart you must jump (for speed), duck, and side-step to watch out for obstacles like metal padded bars.  Collect tokens along the way by configuring your body into various positions.

Kinect Adventures! also includes a “camera moments” that pop up a number of times during the mini-games.  A small camera icon alerts you when the game is ready to snap a photo of you in action.  At the end of each game you are shown a quick montage of your jumping and spinning motions during peak moments of gameplay.  They come complete with captions that relate to the action; if it catches a big jump it might say “impressive air”.  Think of it like the pictures that are taken at theme parks during big drops on a coaster.  Once the photos are saved, you have the option to share them with friends via email or Facebook.  That’s right–now you can embarrass yourself in new ways!

Next up is Kinect Sports.  This game is a Wii Sports knockoff for sure, but is it a worthy contender?  It packs six sports in total–bowling, ping pong, volleyball, boxing, soccer, and track & field.  Within the track & field section I did some running-and-hurdling.  Ready for the controls?  Run in place to make your avatar go and jump to avoid the obstacle beams.  The fast your run in place, the faster your avatar will run on-screen.  It’s like using the NES Power Pad but without the pad!  This mini-game was a lot of fun, though it was frustrating at times.  I had some trouble leaping over the obstacles; it’s all about the timing and I just didn’t catch on.  My partner, on the other hand, managed to make almost every jump.  Guess I need some practice.  Besides that minor issue, I was whole-heartedly satisfied with my experience because it resulted in a great workout!  By the end of the race my partner and I were almost out of breath and on the verge of sweating (it was hot in the Microsoft cube!).  The results screen shows you a sped up video replay of your running and jumping action and then shows your avatars too with some Chariots of Fire playing in the background.  Since I only got to the play a track-and-field game it would not be appropriate to say Kinect Sports is better or worse than Wii Sports.  The verdict will have to wait until we all get our hands on the game this fall.

Hands-on: Joy Ride

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Game: Joy Ride

Developer: BigPark

Release date: Fall 2010

Joy Ride is a simplistic racing game made specifically for Kinect.  Setup is easy: Stand up and hold your arms out like your holding a steering wheel.  That’s it.  You don’t ever have to worry about gas and breaking, the game controls that for you.  To steer your car left and right, simply use your hands to steer an invisible wheel in front of you.  This might sound kinda lame to you Gran Turismo and Need for Speed hardcore games, but it’s actually a decent amount of fun.  Obviously Microsoft is going after the casual set of gamers and late adopters to the modern video game craze with Joy Ride, but with motion maneuvering via Kinect this game will likely get all types of gamers off the couch at least a couple times.  Virtual steering works surprisingly well.  Beyond just steering around a racetrack, Joy Ride comes complete with speed boosts and in-air tricks.  For an extra boost, bring your arms to your chest (still in steering wheel configuration) and quickly thrust them back out to standard position.  To perform a stunt, move and turn your body in different ways after you fly your car into the air off a ramp.  The car will mimic your body movements; for example, if you lean forward the car will do a front flip and if you spin around the car will spin.  You can combine all these different moves to gain bonus points.  The game has two modes that both support up to two players: racing and Stunt Mode.  In the latter mode, you and another player steer your cars on a half-pipe to pull off as many tricks as possible to collect points.  Again, this game is tailor-made for people who rarely play traditional video games, but casual and even hardcore gamers will want to get in on the fun at some point, trust me.

Hands-on: Kinectimals

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Game: Kinectimals

Developer: Frontier Developments

Release date: Fall 2010

Oh this might just the cutest game I have ever put my hands on.  And thanks to the Kinect for Xbox 360 requirement, you can take that statement quite literally.  Once the game boots up you are prompted to select from over 40 different virtual animals to interact with.  I selected a cheetah pre-named Skittles.  I’m told that players will have the option to personalize their pets with a name by speaking into Kinect’s built-in mic.  After selecting the cheetah I called out “Skittles!” to bring it on-screen.  By tapping my knees and calling out its name, Skittles recognized my presence, ran up to me, and left breath marks on the screen.  I was able to use simple hand motions to wipe the foggy spots off the screen.  If you hold your hands out towards the screen your pet comes closer to you for a scratching session.  This part was particularly stimulating; it actually feels like you’re reaching out and petting an animal.  Virtual hands appear on-screen to show the motions in real-time.

By holding your hand out for a prolonged period of time in the bottom right-hand side of the screen you can call up a menu.  Scroll through the menu Minority Report-style with swipe gestures.  Select an activity by holding your hand on an icon for about three seconds.  Next up I entered tricks mode where you can make your pet mimic your every move and perform dozens of tricks.  When I jumped three times in a row, Skittles jumped higher and higher; the third jump resulted in a Matrix slo-mo perspective sequence.  When I held my arms up and stood on one leg, Skittles copied my exact positioning.  Then when I fell to the ground Skittles played dead.  Very neat!

The last activity in the demo was an obstacle course that involved jumping, running, ducking, and balancing movements to get Skittles from one end to the other.  This section of the game plays out more like a workout if you ask me.  And of course, to get Skittles to run the course faster continually scream his name.

All in all, Kinectimals is the perfect game for little girls who always wanted a pet but could never have one for some reason or another.  With Kinect support, players will have a blast raising their own virtual pet by speaking its name and interacting with it by means of simplistic hand and body gestures.  Oh, and there’s this: At the Project Natal Experience, Microsoft reps gave out tiny stuffed animals with scannable codes attached.  Instructions reveal that players will be able to hold up their stuffed animals to the Kinect camera and transfer their tangible pet inside the game to play with it.  Again, little girls will go crazy over this game.  Look for Kinectimals to release alongside the Kinect this fall.

Interview + hands-on: Fable III

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Game: Fable III

Developer: Lionhead Studios

Release date: October 26, 2010

Familiar, yet different.  That’s the best way to describe the next game in the Fable series.  Fable III take place 50 years after the events in the previous game.  In the single player campaign you play as either the son or daughter of the Fable II hero.  Your brother is the King of Albion and he is an evil tyrant who supports slave labor and as a result the people of the land are oppressed.  As the game starts you are finally at the ripe age to do something about this; the throne must be reclaimed.  In order to do this you must become a rebel and gain followers to your cause to take down your evil brother.  Eventually at some point you will defeat your brother and become the next king (or queen) of Albion.  And in Fable RPG style, it is up to you to decide (by your actions) if you want to rule the land as a terrible dictator like your brother or change things for the better by acting benevolent and kind.

The demo I played had two parts.  In the first, I was plopped into a foreign land called Aurora where I was teamed with my mentor Walter Beck.  Your mission is to gain followers to the cause.  This demonstration showed off some combat moves; you can wield a sword, gun, or use some magic spells to fend off enemies.  Discovering and controlling spells is a lot easier this time around thanks to a “spell gauntlet” that gives magic a physical representation.  Other new features: your sword can be customized based on your decisions in the game and you can complete finishing moves to defeat enemies.

In the second part of the demo I was introduced to the new villager interaction experience.  Now you can walk up to villagers and interact with them by shaking their hand, grabbing their hand and take them for a run, and even farting in their faces!  Yeah, that’s a bit much but it’s quite humorous.

So, although the game looks and feels very much like the past Fable games, this one is definitely enhanced and differentiates itself thanks to a tighter story and refined gameplay.  For the first time in a Fable game, characters are now more emotionally connected to the player thanks to voice acting.  Also, the main menu has done away with the mess of the past and gives players a 3D portal to access various game options.  There to greet you is a butler named Jasper voiced by none-other-than John Cleese.  Co-op play is coming, too; the second player can also play as a hero and you have the option to marry each other, have children, share funds, and complete the game together.  Have you been yearning for a more robust version of Fable?  Well your wish will certainly be granted come October the 26th.

Live demo: Halo: Reach (Parts 1, 2 & 3)

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Game: Halo: Reach

Developer: Bungie

Release date: September 22, 2010

OK, so if you’re reading this I’m sure you know all about the next game in the coveted Halo franchise.  Halo: Reach is a prequel that tells the story of the fall of planet Reach and it takes place before Halo: Combat Evolved and before the life and times of Master Chief.  You play as Noble Team and your enemy, as usual, is the devout alien tribe known as The Covenant.  Reach was not available to play at the Microsoft booth, however there were private screenings of live demonstrations of the single and multiplayer gameplay.  Not only did I attend one of these live demonstrations, I managed to record the entire live demo!

In Part 1 (see above), a Reach producer plays through a mission called “The Long Night of Solace” and it takes place about half-way through the game.  Watch as Noble Team kicks some Covenant ass.  Part 2 (look after the break) takes you deep into space for some combat in the sky, spaceship-style.  Part 3 (also after the break) features Firefight mode gameplay.  Three people in the crowd were asked to join the Bungie reps to help show how this multiplayer mode works in Reach.  Firefight mode is simple co-op fun; it’s just you and up to three other players joining forces to fight off Covenant attack.  And now this mode supports match-making; so if your friends are not available to play with you the game will find others with similar skill level to help you beat up some Covenant, no problem.  You will also be able to highly customize the gameplay in this mode.  For example, you can control the number of rounds, where enemies show up, how they are killed (head-shots only, for example), and what happens when they killed (they can explode into confetti!).  You can even save and upload your customized game rules to the Bungie servers so other Reach players can jump into your creation.  Lastly, another addition to Reach multiplayer is the ability to rack up credits and use them to purchase upgrades in the armory; these are used to customize your own Spartan avatar.

So what are you waiting for?  Watch the splitscreen mayhem unfold in the video embedded after the break!

Continue reading Live demo: Halo: Reach (Parts 1, 2 & 3) →

Microsoft press conference highlights: Kinect, ESPN, Xbox slim

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Microsoft kicked off E3 2010 in unique fashion with their Project Natal for Xbox 360 Experience featuring a Cirque du Soleil crew.  Next they kicked things into high gear with their media briefing at the Wiltern Theatre.  Ready, set…

The press conference began with a number of game trailers and real-time demos.  First up was Treyarch with Call of Duty: Black Ops.  It releases November 9.  It was announced that Microsoft & Activision signed a multi-year agreement pertaining to Call of Duty downloadable content.  Starting with Black Ops in 2010, all Call of Duty add-ons and map packs will launch first on Xbox 360 through 2012.

Next was Kojima Productions with Metal Gear Solid: Rising.  It’s being described as a “sword action game” that’s based on the Japanese terms “zan-datzu” which means “to cut” and “to take.”  A brief trailer revealed that the game will feature protagonist Raiden slicing and dicing his way past enemies (and watermelon).

Then Xbox’s major blockbusters hit the stage.  Epic’s Cliffy B. demonstrated Gears of War 3 which is due out April 5.  A new mode called “Beast” will be detailed soon.  Then Lionhead Studios’ Peter Molyneux showed off a trailer for Fable III; it releases October the 26th.  And things rounded out with a new trailer for Halo: Reach, “the most ambitious game Bungie has ever created.”  The trailer was a mix of gameplay footage and cinematic cut scenes.  Reach drops September 14.  Also thrown into the mix was a new game from Crytek codenamed Kingdoms; it looks like a game based on the move 300.  (*Each game title is linked to their respective E3 trailers/gameplay footage.)

Kinect for Xbox 360, formally known as Project Natal, was detailed.  “Kinect detects both movement and sound in very sophisticated ways.”  An image revealed the guts of the motion-sensing device; it contains two 3D depth sensors, an RGB camera, multi-array mic, and a motorized tilt.  “When you combine the power of Xbox 360, the services of Xbox Live, and the magic of Kinect, the result is not just a revolution for your games, but for all of your entertainment.”  Enter the Kinect Hub.

To get your Xbox 360 to recognize you, simply stand in front of Kinect, wave your hand, and the software will sign you into Xbox Live and bring up your custom avatar.  Wave your hand a second time and you’re brought to a “controller-free menu” designed for Kinect gestures.  The Kinect Hub allows you to interact with your games, friends, Netflix, Zune, Facebook, last.fm, and also customize your avatar.  Thanks to the built-in mic, voice control is also accessible.  Their motto is “if you see it, just say it.”  You must precede all commands with “Xbox.”  So for example, if you say “Xbox, Zune” the Zune hub loads up and now you have access to Zune Video, and now, Zune Music.  Over seven million songs are now available over Xbox Live with Zune Music integration.  With controller-free entertainment that’s “natural and effortless” you can also play/pause movies with your voice and rewind/fast-forward them with your hands.  To select a piece of content simply hover your hand over it for a couple seconds.

Continue reading Microsoft press conference highlights: Kinect, ESPN, Xbox slim →

Day Zero: Project Natal for Xbox 360 Experience

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On Monday June 14 Microsoft hosted a pre-E3 event called World Premiere Project Natal for Xbox 360 Experience.  It was described as “a spectacular live performance imagined by Cirque du Soleil” and that’s exactly what it was.  Sort of.  Here’s what went down.

So we get there and wait in an enormously long line.  But that didn’t matter much since our tickets guaranteed entrance into the event.  While waiting outside we could hear the faint sound of heavy drums, and as we neared the front doors “Cirque” people were there to greet us with exotic dancing.  People in line received green and purple Xbox-branded wrist bands and we were eventually split up into two lines according to wrist band color.

As we start heading inside the jungle-themed Galen Center at USC we are handed yet another wristband; this time it’s an Xbox 360 USB band.  Inside it’s rather dim when we’re welcomed by Xbox reps who are handing out white ponchos with over-sized shoulder pads (I felt like Lady Gaga).  After bringing fitted with the ponchos, we are instructed to walk towards to large auditorium.  On our way into the auditorium we are startled by an Indian “family” who is sitting in a couch inside a mock living room.  There is a large square cut out in the wall and the family invites us to walk through the wall opening (which symbolized walking out of a TV and into reality).  The two parents and their children said hello to us in some Indian dialect and then directed us into the main auditorium.  You can say we were dazed and confused at this point.

The large auditorium housed all the white poncho-dressed guests; it looked like we were all part of some nerd cult.  Before the main event, we all just stood around and watched a bunch of Cirque people bizarrely dance around us and interact with others.  People with purple bands sat in the seats, those with green bands stood on the center floor.  Around us were large screens populated with Xbox avatars walking around a virtual jungle.

After a bit of a wait the lights went down and the main event began.  Three screens fell from the ceiling and a Cirque man introduced a “Prologue”.  The first part of the show featured a child riding in on Cirque elephant, climbing up on prop rocks, and using an Xbox 360 controller to play through three undisclosed games.  When he reached the top of the rocky structure a curtain was removed from the top rock and a bright green Xbox logo was revealed.  Then our shoulder pads lit up bright green.  Big applause.  When the child turned his back to us the screen projected his avatar that copied his every move.  When an arm was raised, the avatar lifted his arm in the same fashion.  Since there was some lag, you could tell this was all pre-recorded, but the effect was still impressive.  Then the big reveal: Project Natal is now Kinect.

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Continue reading Day Zero: Project Natal for Xbox 360 Experience →

Project Natal is ‘Kinect’, 5 casual games leak too (Update: Xbox 360 Slim TBA?)

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With only a few hours left until Microsoft’s press conference at E3, USA Today managed to get a hold of (and leak) the final name for Project Natal.  It’s called (drum roll please…) Kinect.  Microsoft’s Major Nelson confirms it via Twitter.  A number of casual games have been outed, too.  Kinectimals lets you play with over 20 different virtual animals; Joyride lets you race with your avatars, controller-free of course; Kinect Sports features boxing, bowling, beach volleyball, track and field, soccer and table tennis; Kinect Adventures is a river rafting game with various obstacle courses to flail your arms and legs through; and MTV Games will make Dance Central.  Disney and LucasArts are planned to unveil games featuring characters from their arsenal.  In addition, the LA Times outed four games this morning (including Richochet, River Rush, Obstacle Course, and Living Statue) and spilled that “about a dozen more” Kinect-supported games will be unveiled by other developers during E3.  It look like release date and pricing details will have to wait until tomorrow’s press conference.

Update: What appears to be a legit Italian Microsoft ad is boasting a new slimmer Xbox 360 console.  It was originally spotted at Console-Tribe.  The thirteen second spot lists features like a 250GB HDD, built-in WiFi (woot!), and compatibility with Kinect.  That last sliver of info makes this ad feel all the more authentic.  How could an imposter know about the Natal-to-Kinect transition when news of it just leaked out from USA Today?  Interesting, I know.  Well good news is that we won’t have to wait too long to see if this manifests itself into something tangible.  Look after the break for the commercial.

Update #2: Official press shots of Kinect are out!  So sleek and black and shiny.  Go ahead, take a closer look in the gallery below.

[Via Joystiq, here, here, here & here; LA Times] Continue reading Project Natal is ‘Kinect’, 5 casual games leak too (Update: Xbox 360 Slim TBA?) →

Preview: Project Natal for Xbox 360 Experience

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On Monday June 14 I will be attending the Microsoft pre-E3 event titled World Premiere Project Natal for Xbox 360 Experience.  It’s described as “a spectacular live performance imagined by Cirque du Soleil.”  The LA Times has the scoopt on what to expect at the Natal-themed event.  Microsoft rented out USC’s Galen Center for three weeks so a  cast including 80 performers “supported by a crew of more than 100 designers, set builders, engineers and seamstresses” could properly prepare for what hopes to be a fantastical and visually stunning performance.

But what does Cirque du Soleil have to do with motion-sensing hardware for a video games console?  Though the 45-minute long event is being kept under wraps, show director Michel Laprise had this to say about the theme: “It’s a story about humanity, about a quest and about overcoming obstacles.  In history, there have been discoveries that have made us leap forward as a civilization. But those technologies demanded that we master their language, the language of machines.  This time, it’s the machine that’s adapting.  The human is at the center, doing what comes naturally.  Moving, jumping, talking.  And it’s up to the machine to interpret what that means.”

Microsoft would not disclose how much this secretive spectacular cost them.  Microsoft’s Aaron Greenberg said, “This is a massive investment for Microsoft.  For us, it wasn’t about the money.  It was about creating an experience that would be remembered forever.”

In an FAQ, Microsoft states that “some seating areas of the event are a standing experience” and they “recommend comfortable shoes.”  Whether that means the event is part show/part hands-on Natal, I’m not so sure.  For those of you not attending the event and want to see how it all unfolds, don’t fret!  Check back this space tomorrow evening to read all about what happened at the event.  And if that’s not enough for you, MTV will air a commercial-free condensed program covering the event on Tuesday June 15 at 3:30PM (ET).  It will re-air on Nick at Nite, mtvU, MTV Hits, and Logo Tuesday, June 15 at 9:00PM (ET).  (In related news, SPIKE TV will air an exclusive televised stream of the Microsoft press conference (called “Xbox 360: The Future Revealed”) tomorrow June 14 at 1:30-3:00PM (ET).)

E3 2010: What to expect

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In just two days the Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo press conferences will be over and “the big three” will be showing off their latest innovations in hardware and games on the show floor at their respective booths at E3.  Let’s dive into each company’s plans and dissect what they have in store for us.

Xbox 360: You can expect massive titles like Halo: Reach, Gears of War 3, and Fable III to be demoed in real-time and hyped up during the Microsoft press conference.  But the buzz around Microsoft this year surrounds their gaming without controllers initiative codenamed Project Natal.  With a pre-E3 event called “Project Natal for Xbox 360 Experience imagined by Cirque du Soleil” you can expect the motion-capture accessory to dominate Microsoft’s offerings throughout the week.  With Natal Microsoft is first and foremost targeting the casual gamer, looking to expand to the same market Nintendo captured with the Wii.  Natal’s initial launch lineup will be announced and this first batch of games will likely take advantage of Natal in simplistic ways.  I wouldn’t be surprised if the Richochet and Paint Party games that were previewed last year end up shipping with it.  And there’s always little Milo who may certainly star in his own game.  If you’re the hardcore type, it would be remiss for Microsoft to ignore you after all these years of support.  I’ve seen video of Burnout Paradise being used with Natal and Fable III lead designer Peter Molyneux stated in an interview that the next Fable will incorporate Natal functionality.  Whatever the launch lineup may be, I would hope Microsoft has at least a dozen casual games to entice new gamers to their console and a sprinkle of hardcore experiences to satisfy their longtime users.  Also, I wouldn’t be surprised if a new version of the Xbox 360 dashboard took advantage of Natal with a gesture-based UI.  As of now we know Natal is expected to launch this holiday season; the press conference should make things more clear with not only a definitive release date and a price (fingers-crossed under $100), but also a final name for the hardware (although “Natal” has grown on me over the months).

Enough Natal.  Let’s talk games.  I’ve already hit on the big sequel exclusives like Bungie’s Halo: Reach, Epic’s Gears of War 3, and Microsoft Game Studios’ Fable III.  First person shoot XCOM from 2K Games looks fantastic (also available on PC), Capcom’s Dead Rising: Case Zero brings another compelling zombie shooter, and Microsoft Game Studios’ Avatar-based racing game Joy Ride will likely use Natal in more ways than one.  And you can’t forget about the next Assassin’s Creed game from Ubisoft subtitled Brotherhood.

Read on for PS3 and Wii/DS discussion, plus more about third-party games and some “bizarre predictions”! Continue reading E3 2010: What to expect →