natalnow.com

Microsoft has come out with a new controller free gaming device call Kinect for Xbox. The new device will work as a bolt on to your existing Xbox 360 console system. There are already a few Kinect Games available for pre order that will work with this device. Some Kinect games were showcased at the years E3 show by Microsoft and this new Kinect motion camera is basically going to change the gaming industry and how we interact with the games themselves.

The Kinect device plays similar to the Wii system but has no controller and takes the gaming experience to a new level. Kinect is actually a motion monitoring camera that will be placed above the monitor or T.V. It reads your body movements and even facial expressions. The Xbox kinect device will then take that information and give you a real time ability to interact with the video game without a controller and just by moving your arms, legs head or even hips. It basically makes your body the controller or turns you into the interface with the gaming console.

Coming out at the end of summer or more specific in the month of November the Kinect will give you the controller free video gaming experience that we have all been waiting for.

One of the most exciting games is titled Kinect Sports. This game will offer players different sports to play like turning your living room into a world class stadium, bowling alley, soccer, track and field, beach volleyball, bowling table tennis or even boxing.

Another game launching this November, is titled Kinect Adventures! It is a video game that will only work with the Kinect motion camera device and the Xbox 360 console. With this game you will be able to float in outer space, experience the thrill of roaring rapids, tackle mountain tops and even dive into the deep to explore an underwater observatory all from your living room.

One more of the Kinect Games is the Kinect Joy Ride. This is a racing type video game which will bring a lot fun in a new way. You can steer the car just by moving your hands around while holding a pretend steering wheel or even better than that you can bend, twist and move your body to hug the curves, jump through obstacles and show off your acrobatic skills when you get your whole body into it, you are the car!

Another and maybe the coolest Kinect Game is Dance Central exclusively for the Xbox 360 console, is the first immersive dance video game that features and tracks full body dance moves. Completely free from and controller, every routine has authentic choreograph for beginners and experts alike to master.

One for the kids Kinectimals invites children, their parents and animal lovers of all ages to build lasting friendships with some of the world’s most exotic creatures. Just like real pets, your Kinectimals will come running when they hear your voice, respond to commands such as jump, roll over, play dead and even purr with joy when you scratch them behind their ears.

You can find out more about the new Xbox Kinect Games here.

        

Xbox Wave is that the new name forthe project natal motion sensor device that will compliment the Xbox 360? Theare many blogs out on the web right now that are spreading the rumor that thenew natal Xbox device is indeed going to be call theXbox Wave Xbox Wave. The rumorstarted with one of the gamer sites. This site basically says that they had aninside source at Microsoft Corp. and that a person has told them that theProject Natal device will be named the Xbox Wave the day before the E3 showthis year. 

If Microsoft does indeed change thename to Xbox Wave I think that they will loose a little in branding tractionthat has been build up for about a year or so now with the old Natal Xbox name.To me starting from a fresh seems to be taking a step or two backwards. I knowthat ultimately in the long run the new Xbox Wave name will be fine and thrivebut just seems kind of going backwards when you already have a good start withthe Xbox Natal name.

As far as price is concerned it looks like the Xbox Wave or Xbox Natal is going to come in well above $80bucks. Originally it was suggested that the device would be priced around $80bucks so that everyone can afford to buy one as a bolt on to their Xbox 360systems. If indeed it does come in well above $80 say around $160 then onewould think that adoption rate is going to be a lot lower due to the higherprice point. I know personally that I will still buy the new Xbox Wave devicebut there are people and kids that just can’t afford the extra $80 bucks or so.

 All in all I still am lookingforward to using this magnificent device that Microsoft has developed and Ireally don’t care if the motion sensing device is call the Xbox Natal or the XboxWave. It will have a place next to my Xbox 360 system no matter what it is called and I look foward to some great  Xbox Wave Games !

Xbox Kinect Games

        

On Sunday June 13th, Microsoft is going to unveil its new Natal Xbox Motion Sensor Device at the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2010 in Los Angeles. They plan on presenting the Natal Xbox Sensor a day before the actual Expo begins. Some of the biggest names in the gaming industry that include Activision, Bethesda, Capcom, Disney, EA, Konami, MTV, Namco Bandai, Sega, Square Enix, THQ and Ubisoft have committed to developing games for the Natal Xbox 360.

Epic Games said it will offer Natal Xbox support for all future Xbox Kinect Games . Microsoft says that the Natal Xbox Sensor will have plenty of games available for this holiday season. Microsoft has not officially put a price out but I am sure that it will come in June at the Expo. Rumor has it priced at around $80 bucks. They want everyone to have this hooked to their current Xbox system which gives it a longer live cycle. In Microsoft's eyes this device will greatly extend the life of the Xbox 360.

Officials from Microsoft have consistently said that the Xbox 360 is only half way thought its product life cycle. This make one assume that the Natal Xbox Sensor Device is going too used to extend the normal life cycle of the Xbox 360. On Monday June 14th at the Expo, Microsoft will dedicate this day to the Xbox 360 system. They will announced that the new Xbox 360's will be receiving a 250GB Hard Drive in the Americas along with a software update each which will give every new Xbox 360 the ability of having USB storage drives, being able to have up to 32GB on USB Drives (either one 32GB drive, or 2 16Gb drives at Max.).

It looks like Microsoft is going to bundle the new Natal Xbox 360 Device with this new version of the Xbox 360. Rumor has it that the new Xbox 360 will be thinner. Maybe they are going to use the new thinner designed box as the core machine and use the USB ports to add on all the peripherals such as the hard drives and Natal Sensor Device. Don't know for sure what they are thinking but I do know that I can't wait until June comes. If you are an Xbox lover as I am you are going to love this year. It should be great for us and who ever else would like to join the party with those cool Natal Xbox Games that should blow us away.

        

Natal Xbox Games, it looks like Microsoft is shooting for around 14 Xbox Kinect Games to be played on the Xbox 360 console at launch time. It has been rumored that Microsoft wants to make sure that there are a lot of good games to be played with the new Natal Xbox Sensor Bar technology. Microsoft has presented around six demos with this new technology.

The Natal Ricochet game demo is similar to the break out type games we have all played in the past. Basically a ball comes toward the player and they can use their arms, legs, feet and even their head like a soccer player to try and knock the balls back into the blocks on the monitor. The object of the game is to knock down all the blocks to win. It’s pretty neat watching people stretch, shuffle, kick and swinging their arms in the air trying to whack the ball back to the blocks. You definitely will get your heart rate up for this one. Another of the demo games is Burnout paradise.

If you like racing games then burnout paradise is the Natal Xbox game for you. The demo Natal game burnout paradise is really neat. The thing that is so unique about this game as with all natal games is that you don’t use a controller or in this case a steering wheel to drive the car. One simply puts his or her hands up like they are holding a real steering wheel and the natal sensor bar will detect your hands and their movement. So if you are turning right the sensor bar senses that you are moving your hands in that direction and if you turn left it then detects that. One thing that is unique about this game is that you can play with other people. Ones the drive pulls the car into the pit stop another player can jump up and start changing the tires. He or she simply gets up from the chair or coach and acts like they are using the power tools to change the tires. One game in full development for future release is Milo and Kate by Lionhead Studios.

Milo and Kate really looks like it is going to change the way we interact with our games again all the natal games are probably going to do that but this one takes it I think to even another level. From what has been published as a preview of this natal game the gamer simply walks in front of the natal Xbox sensor bar and it recognized the user by basically scanning the body and recognizing the voice. In this game session a girl is interacting with a character on the screen. The special thing about this game is that it is the beginning of emotional artificial intelligence. The character will interact with the player and sense the emotions of that player. Say if you log on and you are sad Milo might ask you if you are ok and maybe even if you want to talk about it. Maybe he will even crack a joke working on bringing up your spirits. Check out this Natal Xbox 360 video demonstration.

        

It seems that the Xbox Kinect Games are going to be a lot better than the Wii weeble type games that our currently out there in the marketplace. I know that I have lost interest in the Wii system due to the lack of good graphical games. Just by looking at the demo Natal Xbox 360 Games it looks like they are going to be way ahead of the Wii games as far as graphics are concerned.

        

It looks like the new Natal Xbox 360 Camera will be available around Nov 2010. It seems that Microsoft is delaying the launch so that the game developers can create some xbox kinect games. The rumor is that there will be around 14 games for the new Natal sensor device.  One site has Microsoft having 5 million of the Natal sensors ready for shipping on day one of launch. If that is the case then they better keep it around $80 bucks. I don't see them selling that many if it is going to cost $150 or more.

        

Trying to one-up Nintendo at the E3 game conference in Los Angeles, Microsoft showed off the Xbox 360 Natal sensor or game-control scheme where you use your body to control what happens in a game.

Dubbed Project Natal Xbox 360, the new game control system uses a 3-D depth camera to capture your movements in front of the TV and translate them into control actions for a game.

Don Mattrick, head of Microsoft’s game business, took the stage at the Microsoft press conference to show off the system. Director Steven Spielberg came out on stage to praise Microsoft for showing off something he said he’s been dreaming about for many years.

Microsoft showed a video demonstrating how the game system could be used to control games such as fighting or skateboarding games. You can scan your own skateboard into a game and then use it to ride on in a skateboarding game. The idea is to make people feel more connected to a game, said Peter Molyneux, head of Microsoft’s Lionhead game division. Molyneux showed a game dubbed Milo, where you can interact with a little boy, a virtual character, and explore a world with your own body movements.

You can use the system to control your Xbox Live .avatar, or virtual character, on the TV screen. You can navigate through the Xbox 360’s dashboard using gestures captured by the camera. Microsoft showed off a demo game that let you paint pictures on the TV using swipes of your hands. Another Xbox Kinect Game Xbox Kinect Game showed how you can kick a ball back and forth in a soccer-like simulation. You can also swoosh your hand through water and make it splash. Microsoft pointed out that you can’t do these things with similar accuracy with the Nintendo Wii.