In case you were waiting for Microsoft to come out with something more unique than the slim new Xbox 360, it looks like you won’t have to wait that long. They’re coming out with a new Halo: Reach-themed limited edition kit that comes with enough bells and whistles to make it stand out from the crowd of regular Xboxes. Not that we’d really take a gaming console to a place where we can lose it in a crowd of consoles, but we’re pretty sure some of you look—and pay a little bit more—for this kind of uniqueness. To the tune of $400, or $100 more over the vanilla Xbox 360 S.
If you thought batting around the Wii was fun, then you’re probably pretty hyped up about Microsoft’s Kinect that’ll let you use more than your arm to move around a game world. So here’s the important part (in case you missed the title up there): The Kinect will officially start shipping on November 4th in North America. For everyone else on the fence, you might want to catch the Kinect Experience mobile demo tour they’re going to be holding this summer, where they’ll let you fool around with “Kinect Sports,” “Kinectimals,” “Kinect Joy Ride,” “Kinect Adventures” and MTV Games’ and Harmonix’s “Dance Central” in case you want to try it out first.
Check the demo tour schedule, along with a couple of old videos of a Wii-playing dog after the break, just so we can all remember how far we’ve gone.
No one knows why this guy chose to lug around his small CRT TV and Xbox to this Starbucks branch in Anchorage, Alaska—in a shopping cart, no less—because, well, no one really wanted to bother him. Evidently, the branch wasn’t full at the time (or maybe Alaskan Starbucks joints are simply more peaceful), and since he really isn’t bothering anyone, it shouldn’t be a big deal. It’s just nice to know that someone’s getting his money back using the free Wi-fi. “You’re asking me to pay what for a huge half-skinny half-1 percent extra hot split quad shot (two shots decaf, two shots regular) latte with whip? Ok, but if you don’t mind, I’ll be using your free internet connection. Now, kind sir, if you can be so kind as to point me to a quiet spot where I can plug this in?”
Microsoft didn’t announce the official pricing when they showed off the motion-sensing Kinect accessory during E3, but it’s been rumored to cost around $150 during the time. An online listing on Microsoft’s online store almost confirms the price ($149.99) when it ships on November 4th. We have to say “almost” because apparently, they’re not so sure about the price either. According to a note on the page, it’s only an estimate, so prices could still change between now and the launch date. So yeah, we’re almost sure that the rumors are true.
Microsoft officially unveiled their Kinect motion-sensing controller during the E3 conference. Previously known as ‘Project Natal’, the new controller pretty much lets you rest your thumbs but will give your whole body a workout—basically, instead of using your thumbs to move a Jedi warrior around a 3D game world, you’d be controlling the Jedi on the screen with your own body movements in the comfort of your own living room. Sort of like a Wii game that you can’t cheat through with cheesy minimal hand movements. Also, yes, they’re actually coming out with a Star Wars game where you play a Jedi, complete with light saber dueling action. It may or may not be as easy as it looks though. For all we know, it’ll probably depend on how much training you have with a light saber.
