Natal = Kinect? XBOX = slimmer?

[Barry the Nomad]

We'll find out for certain Monday, but it looks like Microsoft's will reveal a slim Xbox 360 and will call its "Project Natal" motion-capture system "Kinect."

USA Today and Kotaku reported the new name Sunday after an online advertisement was posted early on an Italian gaming website (video below via Kotaku). The ad showed a new Xbox model and touted its compatibility with something called Kinect.

And, as we all know, Microsoft is poised to announce the official name, price and launch date of what has heretofore been known as Project Natal during its keynote Monday before the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles. Sunday evening, the company is hosting a Kinect launch party featuring a performance by Cirque du Soliel.

On May 4, I reported that Microsoft had filed a trademark application for "Kinect," though I wondered back then whether it was connected to its new Kin phones. But Kinect makes sense for the Project Natal peripheral, since gamers can use their whole bodies as controllers. You know, like kinetics.

USA Today also reported that Microsoft will announce perhaps seven games in development for Kinect:

    * "Kinectimals," which let's the gamer train and play with 20 different virtual animals.
    * "Joyride" – a racing game, perhaps like the one seen in Natal demos.
    * "Kinect Sports," which includes boxing, bowling, beach volleyball, track and field, soccer and table tennis.
    * "Kinect Adventures," in which players ride a raft down an obstacle-course river.
    * "Dance Central" – think "Dance Dance Revolution" without the mat.
    * and games developed by Disney and LucasArts, featuring Disney and "Star Wars" characters.

The slim Xbox 360 reportedly will have built-in Wi-Fi and 250 GB of hard drive storage.

Seattlepi.com will have plenty more information Monday during and after Microsoft's keynote at E3. It is scheduled to start at 10:30 a.m. PDT and will be broadcast live on Spike TV and GameTrailers.com. There should also be news on upcoming games "Halo: Reach," "Gears of War 3" and "Fable III."

http://blog.seattlepi.com/microsoft/arc ... blog_last3

http://kotaku.com/5562387/new-xbox-360- ... e=true&s=i

[George]

I already said it in other forums. Both horrible. Also:

Nice name.

The games announced for it all seem like Eyetoy/Wii rip offs. What happen about being original? Also; making Joyride Kinect only is a low fucking blow.

[Barry the Nomad]

Kinect I can live with. Cross between kinetic and connect, works for me. I'm reminded of the episode of Futurama in which there are only two words in the universe that are not yet copyrighted: "Popplers" and "Zittzers". In this day and age there really isn't much else to call it.

The "slim", however, I'm very "meh" for me. I like the original 360. That "slim" model looks like a modded PC. Wi-fi and 250 gigs is awesome, however.

I'll restrain from accepting either as true until tomorrow's big show.

[crackdude]

What an ugly console! And what the fuck are these games??

I'm calling this bullshit until I actually see the MS conference..

[Barry the Nomad]

I'm guessing the games, if real, will all be on a compilation list or download via XBLA. I could see all of those fitting on one 360 disc packed in with the natal/kinect device.

I'm really excited to see what Lucasarts has planned.

[Sega Uranus]

I like how George is freaking out.

First thing I thought of when I saw the name was Kinetica for the PlayStation 2. What an awesome game, but how could a game with cyborgs in thongs be bad? SEQUEL NOW, SONY!

Also, even though I am not crazy about the new console, I think Microsoft needs a new one more than ever, and I am certain it will help them more than the smaller model helped Sony.

I'm guessing the games, if real, will all be on a compilation list or download via XBLA. I could see all of those fitting on one 360 disc packed in with the natal/kinect device.

I'm really excited to see what Lucasarts has planned.

Yeah, I think these will all be download only or sold separate for much smaller prices.

As for the Star Wars and Disney character mixup... Uhh... I will wait to see what it is first.

[George]

Not liking something =/= freaking out.

Joyride best be non Kentic support. I do not want this piece of shit add-on.

[Sega Uranus]

Calling something 'horrible', 'rip-offs' and 'shit' for things we have not seen at all is indeed freaking out.

[crackdude]

I just noticed, Disney and Star Wars? What the fuck!

And I can't say Kinect! I'm struggling here!

[George]

Calling something 'horrible', 'rip-offs' and 'shit' for things we have not seen at all is indeed freaking out.

But the games are not original, they are rip offs. Stating facts = freaking out. Stop being so defensive. Microsoft is making this a 'unique experience' but have showed nothing but horrible games that are nothing new.

I said the same thing about Move Party from Sony.

Nintendogs/Eyepet = Kinectimals (.... seriously amazing name)
Wiisports = Kinect Sports
Wiiplay = Kinect Adventures
We Dance = Dance Central

I mean, really? How can I not call them a rip off. They are even doing the 'use the name of the console/addon in the title' like wii. This thread is about the two announcements at question, don't be angry cuz I have my opinion on the situation.

This is not about their E3 stuff, this is about the two announcements posted by Barry.

Just saying, its hard to give two shits when Wii did this 4 years ago and some titles where done by Sony last generation.

[Sega Uranus]

But the games are not original, they are rip offs. Stating facts = freaking out. Stop being so defensive. Microsoft is making this a 'unique experience' but have showed nothing but horrible games that are nothing new.

Then say they are not original? Lots of games take ideas from other games... Oh wait, pretty much every game ever made since we were alive have done this. Uncharted took gameplay concepts from Gears of War, so I guess Uncharted is completely not worth playing at all?

I am not really being defensive about this, just pointing out you are unfairly judging it. I do not like Kinect from how it is turning out, either.

Nintendogs/Eyepet = Kinectimals (.... seriously amazing name)
Wiisports = Kinect Sports
Wiiplay = Kinect Adventures
We Dance = Dance Central

I mean, really? How can I not call them a rip off. They are even doing the 'use the name of the console/addon in the title' like wii. This thread is about the two announcements at question, don't be angry cuz I have my opinion on the situation.

We know absolutely nothing about those games outside of very basic descriptions. It is completely unfair to instantly call them rip-offs. I can call Sonic the Hedgehog a ripoff of Bonk's Adventure because it is a cartoony game with jumping and spinning, but it does not mean that is an actual fact, come on now!

And games adding the name of their platform is something that has been done since before we are born. Are you seriously going to add that to an argument or did you forget about the boom of it with the Nintendo 64?

Also, not sure how you can compare a rafting game to Wii Play...

[fluffymoochicken]

I'm staying out of that argument.

Didn't Microsoft say before that they would allow cameras to capture their Natal/Kinect demo? What the heck happened to that?

[Team Andromeda]

Kinect is a complete joke that's almost doomed to fail . I'm sorry MS the real barrier to gaming is not the controls , but the price of the games them self's . And while if True is nice to be getting a 360 slim with Wi-Fi Built in , if that's the final design it looks hideous, and the HD really should have been 500 Gig.

Its makes me quite sick to see the amount of money SONY and MS have pored into their rubbish motion controllers. Its not fun to use your body to play games for long periods of time, if you can't handle a pad, then gaming really isn't for you  

[George]

Jesus, Sanus is so defensive about people having an opinion about news.

Seems like Kotaku agrees with me  

Kinect Sports, the most obvious clone of a Wii title, includes beach volleyball (which has Xbox Live multiplayer), bowling, hurdles, javelin and soccer.

Kinectamals, meanwhile, is looking a lot like the cross between EyePet and Nintendogs you already think it is, as we were shown a girl training her pet tiger, as well as directly interacting with it through things like being able to pet the kitty

Also shown off was a video chat service, called...Video Chat, which uses the Natal camera to let you chat with other Xbox 360 users.

PS3 has had this since PS Eye came out. Is this really new?
http://kotaku.com/5562532/our-first-loo ... s-software

[Team Andromeda]

Also shown off was a video chat service, called...Video Chat, which uses the Natal camera to let you chat with other Xbox 360 users.

PS3 has had this since PS Eye came out. Is this really new?
http://kotaku.com/5562532/our-first-loo ... s-software

No because the DC had it , the original  X-Box in Japan had it, and well the 360 already has the feature with LIVE Vision, I sure you remember LIVE Vision that Eye Toy Killer lol