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Don’t Think Of Kinect As ‘Casual,’ Think Of It As Super Mario Bros.
Worried that Microsoft’s E3 showcase of its Kinect controller for the Xbox 360 was a little too “casual,” a little too Wii Sports rewarmed? Kinect’s creative director sees it otherwise, that Microsoft’s taking a Super Mario Bros. approach instead. So says Kudo Tsunoda, the oft-sunglassed man behind games like Kinect Adventures, the river rafting and…
By Michael McWhertor Published June 28, 2010 -
Kinect Marketer: We Don’t Want Shovelware — Nor Even Call of Duty
Microsoft’s director of platform marketing says he knows Kinect “will have fewer games than our competitors,” but that’s fine. “We don’t want shovelware, we don’t want ports, we don’t want stuff with motion controls tacked onto it.” “That’s not a slam to our competitors,” Chris Penello told Gamasutra in an interview Friday. “We wanted original…
By Owen Good Published June 27, 2010 -
Here’s Where You Can Play Kinect Right Now
Can’t wait until November to play with Skittles the tiger or flail wildly until slightly moist with some Kinect Sports? Good news! Microsoft will be demoing its new motion controller “nationwide” for the public at retail this weekend. If you live near one of the four Microsoft Stores—located in Scottsdale, AZ, Lone Tree, CO, Mission…
By Michael McWhertor Published June 25, 2010 -
The New Xbox 360 Torn Apart
For your viewing pleasure! Or displeasure? Website PC Watch has dissected the new, smaller 250GB Xbox 360. Have a look at the console’s innards. Think of this as a service. They take apart the console so you don’t have too! That’s so nice. 新型Xbox 360米国版ハードウェアレポート 〜小型で省電力、シンプルな基板 [PC Watch]
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 25, 2010 -
Will Fable III Have Fable II’s Money Exploit?
In Fable II, lazy players like me (hello!) could use a loophole in the game to do something very important: Earn lots of in-game cash quick By setting the Xbox 360’s clock forward and then starting the game, Fable II would be fooled into giving players all the money have were supposed to have earned…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 25, 2010 -
Kinect’s Magic Powers Aren’t Exclusive To Microsoft: TVs, Computers Coming Soon
The technology behind much of Microsoft’s Kinect – PrimeSense – isn’t exclusive to the Xbox 360. It’ll soon be appearing in other gadgets, from TV sets to computers. PrimeSense is the tech that lets cameras track and interpret human movements in a three-dimensional space, by bathing the area in infared light then turning what it…
By Luke Plunkett Published June 24, 2010 -
Get Ready For Kinectisements (Kinectomercials?)
You didn’t think Microsoft’s Kinect would be used just for games, did you? Silly. It’s going to be used for interactive advertisements as well, beginning with a Chevy commercial later this year. As part of the campaign surrounding the launch of the Chevrolet Volt electric car at the end of the year, the car manufacturer…
By Luke Plunkett Published June 24, 2010 -
How To Play The Crackdown 2 Demo FOREVER
Microsoft may have slapped a time limit on the new Crackdown 2 demo, but that won’t stop the internet, with users seemingly finding a way to play it for as long as they want. It involves a little juggling, as you need to manually disconnect your console from Xbox Live then reconnect it at a…
By Luke Plunkett Published June 23, 2010 -
Four Play For The Price Of Two With The Xbox Live Gold Family Plan
Microsoft gears up for the launch of family-friendly Kinect this fall with the Xbox Live Gold Family subscription plan, delivering four Xbox Live Gold memberships for the price of two, plus a host of new features and family-exclusive content. This is why I need kids. Starting in November, Microsoft’s new Xbox Live Gold Family Pack…
By Mike Fahey Published June 22, 2010 -
Microsoft Explains Why Kinect Doesn’t Do Gears of War 3, Halo: Reach
When Kinect was unveiled as Project Natal during last year’s E3 and Tokyo Game Show it looked like the sort of controller that would be used for a wider variety of games. Up on stage, Microsoft showed off not only a bunch of casual games for the motion-controller, but also innovative titles like Milo, which…
By Brian Crecente Published June 22, 2010 -
Steampunk Halo
Master Chief…all Victorian like. Over the course of two months, artist Christophe worked on this steampunk version of the helmet worn by the Halo Spartan. After a series of misses, Christophe was able to use four layers of acrylic paint and PCV pipe to create the effect. Oh, forgot one last material used — the…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 22, 2010 -
Kinect Unfairly Compared To…A Sofa
This is Kinect. It is Microsoft’s new motion controller system. You cannot sit on top of it. Well, you can, but you’ll break it. You can sit on a sofa. Right now, I am sitting on a sofa! Amazing. For snots and giggles, this comparison between a sofa and Microsoft’s Kinect has appeared on the…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 22, 2010 -
Watch Kinect Lag It Up On Jimmy Fallon
As expected, Microsoft’s Kinect made its second appearance on Jimmy Fallon’s show earlier this evening. The first show, last year, went OK! This one, less so. First, Kudo Tsunoda may be the brains behind Kinect, but he’s also a giant dork. He probably shouldn’t be the public “face” of the thing (sorry!). Second, those on-cue…
By Luke Plunkett Published June 22, 2010 -
Even Microsoft Says Kinect Costs $150
While Microsoft HQ has yet to confirm an official recommended retail price for Kinect, the company’s own online store has no problems tagging the device at, yes, $150. What you’re seeing here is Kinect’s listing on the Microsoft Store, the company’s very own internet shopfront. Now, when retailers like Walmart and Best Buy say Kinect…
By Luke Plunkett Published June 22, 2010 -
Report: Kinect Costs Microsoft $150 To Make
There may be a simple reason Amazon, GameStop, Best Buy, Walmart and others are pricing Kinect for Xbox 360 at $149 USD. That’s how much it costs Microsoft to make the thing, according to a new report. Develop cites a “highly-positioned, trusted source” who considers the price of Kinect for the Xbox 360 “a topic…
By Michael McWhertor Published June 21, 2010 -
Fable III Really Signals A Larger Microsoft Push For PC Gaming This Time
Microsoft asks itself hard questions in an internal Q&A document obtained by Kotaku, including whether the larger investment in PC gaming brought on by Fable III is different than the other times it promised the same and didn’t deliver. We didn’t ask the question. We didn’t have to. In an internal Q&A document prepared for…
By Mike Fahey Published June 21, 2010 -
Microsoft Gets A Bit Too Personal
As seen on reader Lockhart’s mirror, but not mine, nor on Ash’s
By Brian Crecente Published June 21, 2010 -
The Crackdown 2 Demo Has A Facebook Twist
The Crackdown 2 demo goes live today, giving players a jump on their retail version achievements and extra goodies for those who play the tie-in Facebook game. The 1GB Crackdown 2 demo has dropped for Xbox Live Gold subscribers, giving players an early taste of four-player co-op sandbox action game. As a special bonus to…
By Mike Fahey Published June 21, 2010
