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Live At Microsoft’s CES 2011 Keynote
What has Microsoft brought to Las Vegas for the Xbox 360? What else will they show besides video games? The answers await inside Microsoft’s CES 2011 keynote. Read on for Kotaku’s live blog of this year’s Microsoft news conference, headlined by CEO Steve Ballmer presenting what’s in store for 360 fans in the coming year.…
By Owen Good Published January 5, 2011 -
Your First, Secret Look at 2011’s CES
The Consumer Electronics Show floor doesn’t open officially until Thursday morning, but we got an early look at the show in progress. What did we see? Green Hornet, Smurfs, and lots of 3D. Here’s a quick look at some of the biggest company’s rush to deliver the pinnacle experience at this year’s show. While an…
By Brian Crecente Published January 5, 2011 -
Kinect Can’t Just Read Your Motions, It Can Capture Them Too
We’ve already seen one way Microsoft’s Kinect can be used to help bedroom game developers, but here’s another, just as practical way: it can allow for home-grown motion capture. For professionals, motion-capture work is time-consuming, highly specialised and expensive. Indeed, it’s one of the big reasons Rockstar’s LA Noire has been so long in development…
By Luke Plunkett Published January 5, 2011 -
What Is “Avatar Kinect”?
Some photos snapped from behind the scenes at the setup for this week’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas hint Microsoft will be showing something called “Avatar Kinect”. What is it? Provided, that is, these shots show anything other than a new marketing slogan? Your guess is as good as ours, since it won’t be…
By Luke Plunkett Published January 4, 2011 -
There’s A Trick To Playing R.U.S.E. With Kinect
You won’t be able to play Ubisoft’s strategy game R.U.S.E. using Microsoft’s Xbox 360 Kinect anytime soon, but the PC version is another matter entirely. Here we see multitouch and gesture computing company Evoluce boss Wolfgang Herfurtner navigating the opening battle from Eugen System’s R.U.S.E. using a combination of his company’s software and Microsoft’s motion-sensing…
By Mike Fahey Published January 3, 2011 -
Microsoft Researchers Made An Xbox Game
For years, getting a computer to play chess has been a badge of honour for AI programmers. Getting an Xbox Live game to play something 10x more complex, then, seems like something to be proud of. Microsoft has quietly released a first-party game on Xbox Live Arcade called “Path of Go”, a computerised version of…
By Luke Plunkett Published January 3, 2011 -
Red-Ringed Xbox 360 Faces Celebratory Firing Squad
You just wrapped up another semester of college. What are you going to do to celebrate? Shoot up a dead Xbox 360 with semi-automatic rifles of course! Ben Strauss sends in these pics of the celebratory firing squad that both wrapped up another year at a local college near Kansas City and bid adieu to…
By Brian Crecente Published January 1, 2011 -
Possibly Illegal Lengths To Get Xbox 360s In Japanese Homes
In Japan, generally speaking, you cannot rent video games, nor can you rent consoles. It’s just not done. Software and hardware companies successfully pushed for a ban on rentals, which is why used games in Japan are in such good shape. Players buy new games, complete them very quickly and then sell them second hand.…
By Brian Ashcraft Published December 31, 2010 -
Kinect Gives Life To This Humanoid Robot
Using Microsoft’s Kinect to control a modified Roomba is impressive. Using it to get a kit-built humanoid robot to mimic your actions is pretty damn amazing. Once again hobbyists beat Microsoft at their own gaming peripheral, utilizing Kinect’s impressive technology in ways that go so far beyond gaming. Here we see software engineer Taylor Veltrop…
By Mike Fahey Published December 29, 2010 -
Forbes Predicts the Rise of Apple and Google Gaming and Decline of Sony and Microsoft
In light of Forbes amazingly perceptive 2000 piece about the computers of 2010, Forbes’ Paul Tassi decided to take a stab at predicting what gaming will be like in a decade. Some of his ideas seem spot on, others a bit dated, but it’s still an interesting read. The most likely prediction Tassi makes is…
By Brian Crecente Published December 28, 2010 -
New Owner of an Xbox Phone? Play These Games
If you’re the owner of a brand-spankin’-new Windows Phone 7 device, then “Ilomilo” is a game you should play. But there’s a catch. The new operating system just launched in November and hasn’t exactly been doing gangbusters in terms of sales. Still, the phones have much to offer gamers. After all, Windows Phone 7 devices…
Winda Benedetti Published December 28, 2010 -
The Consumer Electronics Show Cometh
One week from today team Kotaku descends on Vegas to prepare for the 2011 International Consumer Electronics Show. While there are no expectations of huge news shaking loose from the annual gadget and gear show, that doesn’t mean it’s going to be a boring week. Sony often drops interesting nuggets about their gaming division during…
By Brian Crecente Published December 28, 2010 -
Local News Scares Parents With Kinect Sex Game
Microsoft has already taken action to block developer ThriXXX’s adults-only girl-groping Kinect game from PC release, but that hasn’t stopped the El Paso, Texas Fox affiliate from terrifying parents with the thought of their young children touching virtual breasts. ThriXXX began showing off technical demos for a Kinect-enabled girl fondling simulator earlier this month, with…
By Mike Fahey Published December 27, 2010 -
It’s Like Gamer Achievements For Your Car
To motivate gamers, Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network give players achievement points and trophies. How does one motivate drivers? With achievement points and trophies, of course! Upcoming electric car the Nissan Leaf is outfitted with “Regional Ranking” software that ranks drivers’ driving efficiency and ranks it against other drivers. Rankings include Bronze, Silver, Gold…
By Brian Ashcraft Published December 27, 2010 -
Motorola Wants Ban On Xbox 360 Sales
The US International Trade Commission currently has Microsoft under investigation, following a complaint from Motorola that the Xbox 360 violates a number of patents held by the telco. It’s seemingly a response to a lawsuit filed by Microsoft earlier in the year, alleging Motorola was ripping the Xbox 360 manufacturer off with “royalties that are…
By Luke Plunkett Published December 24, 2010 -
Nothing Says Christmas Like Controller Cookies
Dig in! Spotted on Not So Humble Pie via geeksugar via Technabob]
By Brian Ashcraft Published December 23, 2010 -
Was All That Final Fantasy XIII Fuss Worth It?
In one word, “no”. When Final Fantasy XIII was originally revealed, it was slated as a PS3 exclusive. Square Enix was adamant about it. Incredibly adamant. Then, at the E3 gaming expo in July 2008, the inevitable happened: Final Fantasy XIII was coming to the Xbox 360, but only in Western markets. The game was…
By Brian Ashcraft Published December 23, 2010 -
First Kinect Game For PC Coming From Korea?
While Kinect will inevitably come to PC gaming one day in an official capacity (it’s of course already being used by hackers), there have been no games actually revealed making use of the peripheral. Until now! Korean developer GamePrix reckons its upcoming massively-multiplayer online game Divine Soul “is scheduled to support Kinect, a new control…
By Luke Plunkett Published December 22, 2010 -
Black Ops’ First Downloadable Content Is Oscar Mike
The first downloadable content for Call of Duty: Black Ops has been revealed. It’ll go on sale on the Xbox 360 on February 1, and cost $15. The DLC comes in the form of a multiplayer map pack, containing four “regular” levels and one for the game’s zombie mode. Two of the regular maps are…
By Luke Plunkett Published December 20, 2010