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Xbox 360 May Get Cable-Like Online Subscription Service
Microsoft’s no stranger to working with TV networks, but according to Reuters they’re working on a cable-like online subscription service for the Xbox 360. It’s likely to have come about because of the Google TV threat—however much of a threat it may or may not be, it’s likely worried Microsoft. Nonetheless, it’s all good news…
By Kat Hannaford Published November 29, 2010 -
Kinect Hacked To Play Super Mario Bros.
This unholy marriage of Microsoft technology and Nintendo software comes from Yankeyan, who probably just gave Shigeru Miyamoto an inspiration for the Wii’s next exergaming title. Yankeyan programmed this with OpenKinect drivers and Nintendo emulation, so that Kinect recognized his motions and virtual button presses onto the emulator. “I could have placed a simulated keypad…
By Owen Good Published November 27, 2010 -
There Are 26,000 Kinects In Japanese Homes
Not just, one Japanese home per se, but oodles more. Defying the odds, Xbox Japan turned out impressive Kinect sales figures…impressive for Xbox Japan. While the peripheral sold over a million in its first ten days in the U.S., the motion sensor sold 26,000 in Japan during its first two days. Pretty good! The Xbox…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 26, 2010 -
Sony Dev Rips Kinect Star Wars — And Outs Move Lightsaber Game?
A top engineer for the PlayStation Move backhanded Kinect’s upcoming Star Wars game as “scripted,” called its notorious E3 demo “faked,” and said a Star Wars Move game will “be damn better than Kinect’s.” Such a game hasn’t been announced. “I’m usually not very aggressive,” said Anton Mikhailov to Eurogamer. He then proceeded to be…
By Owen Good Published November 25, 2010 -
Pop Stars Move Kinect In Japan
Microsoft doesn’t view Kinect simply as just some peripheral. It’s as important as a console. That’s why the company poured millions into launching Kinect. And as expected, Xbox 360 sales saw a spike in Japan. Xbox 360 sales actually tripled. But that wasn’t big enough for the console to overtake the DSi. Or the DSi…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 25, 2010 -
Kinect Is Wasted On Video Games
We’ve seen some truly astounding things being done with Microsoft’s Kinect motion-control camera in the month since its release. It’s a shame, then, that none of them have had anything to do with video games. From 3D-mapping to robot programming to manboobs to advanced user interfaces, Kinect has shown it has the potential to revolutionise…
By Luke Plunkett Published November 24, 2010 -
Should You Buy An Xbox 360?
The Xbox 360 was the first of the current generation of home consoles to launch, all the way back in 2005. If you haven’t decided to buy one by now, is there any reason to buy one, well, now? [UPDATED for the holiday season of video games.] Consider this guide our formal advice on whether…
Team Kotaku Published November 23, 2010 -
PopSci Honors Playstation Move, Insults Wii, Xbox 360 Kinect
Popular Science (that’s PopSci to you cool kids) just released their 23rd annual Best of What’s New awards. Inside are just two video game gadgets and a bit of a backhand for the Wii and Xbox 360. The magazine’s awards go to 100 innovations that, according to PopSci, “indicate where technology is headed in the…
By Brian Crecente Published November 23, 2010 -
Nintendo Returns to CES After 16 Year Absence
The Consumer Electronics Show kicks off in the second week of 2011, and for the first time in 16 years Nintendo will be there to show off some new goodies. What’s on their list to show off? We don’t know yet, but I suspect their big push will be for the Nintendo 3DS and it’s…
By Brian Crecente Published November 23, 2010 -
He Waited Two Days For This? Poor Bastard
A dude named “Butch” waited two days to be first in line for Kinect’s Tokyo launch. He camped out on the street in a cardboard box painted “Xbox 360”. Too bad his room isn’t much bigger. Butch posted a photo of his Kinect set-up, and it doesn’t look like he has the necessary 8 feet…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 23, 2010 -
GT5 And Forza 3 Race For The Checkered Flag
Forza 3 is a pretty game. Gran Turismo 5 is a pretty game, too. But in the world of virtual car pornography, which is prettier? Here are two comparisons between Gran Turismo 5 and Forza 3. They take into account car modelling as well as light reflections. These aren’t the first GT5 vs Forza 3…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 23, 2010 -
Microsoft Bringing Cross-Platform Apps To The 360?
It’s since been edited to remove all mention of Microsoft’s home console, but earlier today, the Redmond software giant was advertising for people to come help work on Silverlight stuff for the Xbox 360. What does that mean? Silverlight – Microsoft’s in-house rival to Adobe’s Flash – is of course already used on the Xbox,…
By Luke Plunkett Published November 23, 2010 -
Kinect Can Also Turn You Into A Bloated Mutant
We’ve seen some fun and sometimes funky homebrewed uses of Kinect for the Xbox 360, thanks to the release of open source drivers for Microsoft’s camera sensor, but how many of those apps support house cats? This one does. Robert “Flight404” Hodgin has whipped up a Kinect demo that can bloat or emaciate the body…
By Michael McWhertor Published November 22, 2010 -
Microsoft Will Not Be Taking Kinect “Hackers” To Court
When people first started talking about messing around with the insides of the Kinect, Microsoft played bad cop, making legal threats. Thankfully, things have calmed down since then. A few weeks back, Microsoft said – in response to a “bounty” being offered to the first person to “hack” Kinect – that it would “work closely…
By Luke Plunkett Published November 22, 2010 -
Kinect Can Turn You Into Star Wars Kid
Star Wars Kid, one of the internet’s earliest celebrities, had to do his lightsaber combat the hard way. Now, with Kinect and a computer, anyone can look like the world’s biggest Star Wars nerd. Using a hacked Kinect, Yankeyan has rigged up this basic tool that can track a user wielding a wooden stick and,…
By Luke Plunkett Published November 22, 2010 -
Halo Wars Goes Dark On Dec. 15
Barely two years after its release, Microsoft is pulling the plug on Halo Wars on Dec. 15, axing leaderboards and stat-tracking as well as the forums. Fans of the real-time strategy game are not pleased. The community was informed of this on Tuesday. They were told they’d be “transitioning … to Halo Waypoint’s forums,” which…
By Owen Good Published November 21, 2010 -
Kinect Launches In Japan But Does It Connect With Players?
After going on sale earlier this month in North America, Kinect finally launched in Japan. How’d it go? There was at least one long line for Kinect, which is good news. Why is it good news? Because if Kinect is successful in Japan, hopefully that means more Japanese developers will make software for it. If…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 20, 2010 -
How A Game Controller Can Change The Way You Work
We’ve seen Kinect do some pretty interesting things these past few weeks, but ironically, the most exciting thing we’ve seen so far is simply using the camera to control Microsoft’s Windows 7. Here you can see Wolfgang Herfurtner, boss of “multitouch and gesture computing” company Evoluce, use several Windows 7 programs using nothing but his…
By Luke Plunkett Published November 20, 2010 -
This Won’t Help Kinect Work In Tiny Apartments
American homes can be huge castles, but Japanese homes are, and I quote, rabbit hutches. How are Japanese gamers to know if their matchbox-sized apartment can handle Kinect? This is how. Maybe Xbox Japan’s Kinect displays have 0.9 meter (2.9 feet) paper measure for gamers to take home and suss out their gaming quarters. 2.9…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 19, 2010