Microsoft Unveils Smaller Xbox 360 Model, Kinect Details 277
E3 kicked off today, and Microsoft took advantage of its early keynote presentation to show off a ton of new games and features for the Xbox 360. The biggest news for the very near future is that they're releasing a smaller, revamped version of the console, with immediate availability. It's black, it comes with a 250GB HDD and built-in 802.11n Wi-Fi support, and it's priced at $299. Microsoft also put a release date on Kinect, the motion control scheme formerly known as Project Natal: November 4 in the US. It will launch with 15 games, mostly casual-oriented, several of which were demonstrated on-stage. Many new Kinect features were shown as well, such as the dashboard interface, video chat (with support for playing movies both parties can watch), and a partnership with ESPN to provide live and on-demand sports, all controllable with hand gestures and voice commands. (It presently includes college football and basketball, soccer, the NBA, and MLB.) Also notable is a partnership with LucasArts for a Kinect Star Wars game, a fitness game from Ubisoft, and a Forza racing game that uses Kinect and allows players to inspect the cars with an impressive level of detail. Engadget's liveblog of the event has a bunch of pictures from the demonstrations, or you can read a more detailed play-by-play at Ars.
ESPN (Score:5, Insightful)
Kinect is exciting and I'll get it but the biggest announcement had to be the ESPN agreement. That's a cable killer right there depending on how blackout/regional rules apply.
Re:"Custom kinect port" (Score:3, Insightful)
The game trailer post show had that grey shirt guy on and stated the extra port is just for power, you can use it with an old xbox but you will need to plug it in to the wall separately.
Re:"Custom kinect port" (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Reliable? (Score:4, Insightful)
Do you consider sounding like a small jet turbine to be a problem?
I do.
I'm wondering if that problem has gone away yet.
Re:No blu-ray (Score:3, Insightful)
Does Blu-Ray matter at this point?
I don't like using my consoles for other things. I used my PS2 as a DVD player for years, but it wasn't as nice as a real DVD player, interface wise. I've used my PS3 once or twice as a Blu-Ray player, but the interface isn't as nice as a stand alone device.
The big reason the PS3 having Blu-Ray was so great was because the console cost $500 or $600, and a Blu-Ray player cost $400 to $700. It was like buying the Blu-Ray player and getting a console for free. The PS3 also supposed updated profiles that older hardware wouldn't.
But at this point, there will be $100 players this Thanksgiving. It's not a bad feature, but I'm not sure it would really move any additional XBox 360s.
It would increases the fees to make the thing thanks to licensing though. And like additional RAM, games couldn't take advantage of it without writing off all of the millions of units already sold, so the storage wouldn't be useful for games.
A separate little box (like they did with the HD-DVD player) would work much better, in my opinion.
Re:No blu-ray (Score:3, Insightful)
Do you really want a blu-ray player, AND an HTPC, AND an Xbox 360, etc. cluttering up your living room (or in the case of some slashdotters, mom's basement ;))? I for one, do not. I do like components for my stereo system, but when it comes to blu-ray, HTPC, and gaming consoles - those are all tasks well suited for a single device.
So yes, Blu-ray would be a valuable feature at this juncture.
I'm sorry, I can't picture current Xbox 360 owners lining up to buy new consoles for this incremental upgrade. The few people left who are into gaming but don't yet own an Xbox are the only real market for it, and personally I've been holding out hoping that they (Microsoft) will finally concede that HD-DVD was a huge mistake and release an Xbox 360 with blu-ray. NIH (not invented here) has never been a problem for Microsoft (since they usually copy everyone else - poorly), so why is it a problem when it comes to Blu-ray?
I might buy this Xbox - but then again, I might wait a bit longer. I already have a rack full of AV components so do I really need another box to further increase clutter?
Re:"Custom kinect port" (Score:3, Insightful)
So plug them into anything else that does USB host?
Mine plug into the HTPC to charge.
Re:ESPN (Score:2, Insightful)
Kinect is exciting ...
Kinect is exciting ? Speak for yourself. The novelty of motion control quickly wore off for me after a couple of days of Wii bowling. When I get a chance to play video games, I usually want to relax and I can't do that when I am forced to constantly contort my arms and fling a controller all over the place. I don't think I am alone in this. It's especially tedious when the desired action could more easily be accommodated through existing controls or when it's totally superfluous to the story. I couldn't get through more than an hour of Heavy Rain because of it, despite the game's great reviews.
The fact that we are now getting Kinect, Playstation Move and WiiMotionPlus means that pretty soon, you won't be able to find new titles that don't include some component of motion control. It would be okay if you could turn it off and still play the game but I've yet to see a motion control title where you could.
Re:No blu-ray (Score:5, Insightful)
Does Blu-Ray matter at this point?
Actually, yes, it does. Two of my (non-geek) friends are looking at buying PS3 specifically because of BluRay support - and said that otherwise they would have probably taken Xbox.
Re:"Custom kinect port" (Score:2, Insightful)
Yes, but due to a touch of brilliance, the controllers won't charge if the console isn't on.
Neither does apple charge ipod when their computers are off. Hmm, there's that word: off, wonder what that means... But at least with the PS3's controllers, you can plug them into any USB socket to charge them. Computer, wall-wart or my favorite, the DVR.
Re:No Wonder The Top Xbox Guys Just Got Fired (Score:2, Insightful)
At no point did I think that you were a shill, paid or otherwise, but I also did not think those you accused of being shills neither. There was equal possibility of any of you being shills, pretty much none.
I just thought it was pretty much like calling someone an asshole, it hurts your arguments.
Re:Kinect Is Exciting? LOL, You Have To Be Joking. (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:ESPN (Score:4, Insightful)
Yes, you are right. It is not for everybody. Congratulations on joining the camp that if it is not for me, then it is shit. Seems to be a very popular group here on slashdot.
Of course, some people don't spend all their time playing video games.