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Checking Out The Xbox 360’s Take on Wii Bowling
Kinect Sports comes packed with more than half-a-dozen ways to play, but my limited time with the game only gave me a chance to check out one of them: Bowling. Nintendo’s Wii Sports proved just how popular bowling can be on a video game console. It may not be the sexiest game, but it was…
By Brian Crecente Published June 21, 2010 -
No Controller? No Glasses? No Problem
The big news popping out of this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo was more about what was missing than what was there. Microsoft’s motion-controlling Kinect add-on for the Xbox 360 turns your body into the controller for video games, making you the puppet master of your own virtual avatar in a slew of video game experiences.…
By Brian Crecente Published June 21, 2010 -
New Xbox 360 Warns You Of Possible Doom
The new smaller Xbox 360 will not flash the “Red Ring of Death” — the iconic symbol of catastrophic system failure. It’s new warning mark is the “red eye”. Sounds…ominous It’s not necessarily the red eye of death, though. This new 250GB unit is clearly displaying the red dot. That’s only half the story. Apparently,…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 21, 2010 -
Microsoft Confirms Kinect Bundles, New $199 Xbox 360
Ask the right questions, get the right answers. An internal marketing Q&A for Microsoft about confirm that Kinect will be bundled with consoles, and a $199 configuration of its new Xbox 360 will be available this fall. In its document, Microsoft said Kinect would be available as a standalone device and as “part of a…
By Owen Good Published June 19, 2010 -
Halo: Reach Campaign Eyes-On: Skyrockets in Flight
One of the more intriguing reveals of Microsoft’s E3 press conference was a brief glimpse of a spacefighter combat level in the upcoming Halo: Reach. The Bungie team gave a longer look at it during a closed-doors demonstration later. There will be only one spaceflight mission in the game, said Bungie’s Eric Osborne. What we…
By Owen Good Published June 19, 2010 -
Wait, There’s A 120GB Xbox 360 Slim? [Update]
At E3 earlier this week, Microsoft unveiled a new 250GB Xbox 360. According to a report on Giant Bomb, there’s also a secret 120GB version available. Popping down to a local Best Buy to pick up one of the new consoles, Tested.com’s Will Smith was charged $279 for his 360, not the $299 it should…
By Luke Plunkett Published June 19, 2010 -
How Does The New Xbox 360 Perform Compared To The Old One?
In broad terms, the new Xbox 360 “S” model is the same as the previous console; it plays the same games, does the same stuff. But under the hood, there have been changes, and mostly for the better. AnandTech have put the new Xbox to the test, comparing it to three previous iterations of the…
By Luke Plunkett Published June 18, 2010 -
Joy Ride May Highlight a Major Kinect Problem
The last time I saw Joy Ride was at last year’s E3 showing when the Xbox 360 title was a fun little free game due out for Xbox Live to help usher in the online service’s avatars. The mysteriously-absent game suddenly reappeared at this year’s E3, now designed to help usher in the Xbox 360’s…
By Brian Crecente Published June 18, 2010 -
The New Xbox 360 Won’t “Red Ring” [Update]
The “Red Ring Of Death”, the symbol of a catastrophic system failure that has become an icon of the 360’s lifetime, will soon be no more, as the new model of the console won’t display a ring of red lights. Deciding to take the opportunity for a clean break, Microsoft has not included any red…
By Luke Plunkett Published June 17, 2010 -
Kinect’s Best Game Could be The Most Important Game of E3
Playing around with some of the games designed for the Xbox 360’s controller-free Kinect earlier this week I discovered the game of the show that I think could have the biggest impact on gaming. It shouldn’t be a surprise that the game is the product of developers Harmonix, the folks who created Guitar Hero, Rock…
By Brian Crecente Published June 17, 2010 -
Kinect Can Sense Children, Adjust Difficulty on the Fly
Microsoft’s Kinect may not be able to detect seated gamers, but it can make some educated about the age of gamers who are standing and put that information to good use. Playing around with upcoming Xbox 360 Kinect game Joy Ride I asked the developers about playing the game with friends and children. They told…
By Brian Crecente Published June 17, 2010 -
Amazon Prices Kinect At $149
While Microsoft has yet to release pricing details for the Kinect motion control camera, retailers are having no such hesitation, Amazon now joining GameStop in charging $149 for the device. This is still not official confirmation, of course, as it’s only a pre-order and pre-order prices can change, but when two of the biggest gaming…
By Luke Plunkett Published June 17, 2010 -
It’s Ladies Night In These Fable III Screenshots
Swords and castles have been done to death in RPGs. So have spaceships. But tights, wigs, tricorn hats and muskets? That’s a bit fresher, especially given the slight whiff of Dickens emanating from those dim, cobblestone streets.
By Luke Plunkett Published June 17, 2010 -
Gears Of War 3 Screens Give Marcus Time To Check Out The Ladies
Just because Marcus Fenix has a neck of steel doesn’t mean he has a heart of steel. He is a man, and men have feelings. Which he may indulge from time to time, when he’s not busy chainsawing things.
By Luke Plunkett Published June 17, 2010 -
Yeah, Ice-T Is In Gears Of War 3
Don’t call Ice-T a liar, because tonight it’s been confirmed that the rapper and TV cop will be playing the role of Griffin in Epic’s 2011 shooter. And it doesn’t get much more confirmed than that picture right there (and this Tweet right here), Ice-T and his lovely wife Coco snuggling up to the Gears…
By Luke Plunkett Published June 17, 2010 -
Xbox Live Vs. PlayStation Plus!
There isn’t just one paid online console gaming service, anymore. There are two. Xbox Live and the newly revealed PlayStation Plus are going head-to-head. But, how are the two services different? This is what we know so far: Price An annual “Gold” membership for Xbox Live is $49.99. The “Silver” membership is totally free, however.…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 16, 2010 -
Kinect’s First Titles, In Gallery Form
There were a number of titles shown off by Microsoft yesterday that are specifically designed to work with Kinect, the Xbox 360’s motion-controlled camera. This is what those games look like! Those Kinectimals sure are…creepy.
By Luke Plunkett Published June 15, 2010 -
OK, I Take It Back About Kinect’s Star Wars Game
Yesterday, I thought Kinect’s Star Wars game looked pretty interesting! Oh, what a difference a day and some extra footage makes. An extended version of yesterday’s clip turned up today, and showed actual gameplay footage. This isn’t a revolution in motion-control gaming. It’s a 21st-century Rebel Assault. Nothankyou.jpg.
By Luke Plunkett Published June 15, 2010