Get the full article at GameSpot
Get the full article at GameSpot
Get the full article at GameSpot
E3 2010: Nintendo president suggests company would consider new tech for next console when 3DTV adoption rate eclipses 30 percent.
LOS ANGELES--At Nintendo's press briefing, company president Satoru Iwata officially unveiled the company's glasses-free 3D portable gaming device, the 3DS. Today, Iwata hinted at 3D technology being incorporated into the next home console the company releases.
As reported by Andriasang, the Nintendo executive expressed concern to the Japanese newspaper Nihon Keizai Shimbun regarding displaying 3D images on standard televisions. He said if the company is to release a 3D-enabled console, it won't be until 3D-ready televisions exceed a 30 percent adoption rate.
"We're thinking that the timing should be once the 3D television adoption rates crosses the 30 percent mark," the executive said. "We're looking at the adoption trends."
Nintendo tried its hand at 3D gaming 15 years ago with the Virtual Boy, a system that soundly flopped. Speaking of the Virtual Boy, Iwata said that it released the game machine when the technology "was not ready."
E3 2010: GameStop, Amazon, Best Buy, Wal-Mart, Target all list common price point for Microsoft's camera-based motion-sensing add-on.
LOS ANGELES--With this year's E3, Microsoft has begun to fill in the white spaces surrounding its camera-based motion-sensing add-on to the Xbox 360. Formalizing the device's name as Kinect, the publisher has nailed down a firm November 4 launch date and offered a look at its 15-title launch lineup. Still, Microsoft has thus far withheld one of the most important pieces of information: the price.
With E3 winding down today, the answer to Kinect's price question isn't likely to come anytime soon...from Microsoft, at least. A range of retailers have now updated their online databases to reflect a $149.99 price point for the Xbox 360 add-on, bolstering rumors that emerged last month. GameStop, Amazon, Best Buy, Wal-Mart, and Target are all under the impression that the device will check in at $150 when it arrives this November.
Microsoft had not responded to requests for comment on the listed price point as of press time.
Formerly known as Project Natal, Kinect adds camera-based motion control to the Xbox 360's input options. As detailed during Microsoft's press conference on Monday, the device also features voice recognition, letting gamers navigate menus by simply voicing commands.
Thus far, 15 games have been announced as launching alongside the device. First-party offerings include Kinect Adventures, Kinectimals, Kinect Joy Ride, and Kinect Sports. A number of third parties are also on board, developing such titles as EA Sports' Active 2, Konami's DanceMasters, and Sega's Sonic Free Riders. Publishers have also promised postlaunch support, such as a Star Wars game from LucasArts, Q?'s Child of Eden, and THQ's UFC Trainer.
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E3 2010: Latest iteration of Microsoft's console is bereft of the now-iconic crimson lights that signaled hardware failure; Microsoft confirms "redesigned" ring.
LOS ANGELES--When Microsoft unveiled the new slimline Xbox 360 at its press conference on Monday, it neglected to mention one small detail. The new model of the console is incapable of getting the "red ring of death," the 3-red bar indicator on the front of the console that signaled a variety of hardware failures.
The absolute impossibility of the red ring isn't by virtue of the console being failure-proof--that has yet to be determined. It's because the new console has no red LEDs at all. According to a spec sheet obtained by gaming blog Joystiq, the new console has only green LEDs in the ring on its front.
How the new console will indicate failure is unclear. When contacted by GameSpot, Microsoft representatives tacitly confirmed the change with the following official statement: "The new console’s ring of light has been redesigned with the rest of the console and uses a different illustration that our customer service team will be able to troubleshoot for you. If customers experience any issues with Xbox 360 250GB they should contact customer service at www.xbox.com/support or 1-800-4MY-Xbox."
The new Xbox 360 is already shipping to stores, and will bear the same retail price as the Xbox 360 Elite, which has been discontinued and discounted $50. It will have a 250GB hard drive and comes with built-in Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n wi-fi connectivity. Its chassis has ample venting to cool its CPU and GPU, which are both made with a 45nm production process--meaning they will run cooler to begin with. As a result, the console requires a smaller fan for its cooling system, which Microsoft promises will be "whisper quiet."
For more on the new Xbox 360, check out GameSpot's hands-on preview, or the video unboxing below.
