Microsoft ended its E3 press conference today with a bombshell: A new Xbox, with a slimmer profile and built in wi-fi will be on store shelves later this week.

The new Xbox has a 250 GB hard-drive, and was called “whisper quiet.” It will sell for $299.

Channeling Oprah a bit, Microsoft also announced that the entire audience at their E3 press event would be sent one of the new 360s. Amazing, right? Thanks for the generosity, Microsoft!

Interestingly, Microsoft did not mention a price for the Kinect device at the conference

We’re just a day away from Sony’s official press conference at this year’s E3, and CVG has heard rumors from a supposedly reliable source that some refreshed PS3 bundles are on the docket for officialdom. Word is that the new PS3s will pack 802.11n WiFi (up from 802.11b/g currently) and will come in 250 and 500GB flavors. Both bundles are said to be coming with at least one Move controller included, a move (zing!) that Sony had already said it would make, but the word of faster WiFi flies in the face of last week’s FCC filing for new bundles still offering only 802.11b/g. So, will a new 802.11n-equipped model become the standard edition, or does this “industry source” not have a clue? We’ll find out tomorrow.

Update: Looks as if Sony has updated Move’s official online portal with a slew of working titles. Have a peek while we get ready for the full reveal at E3, won’t you?

Microsoft just announced the name of their motion control technology last night, and already the comparisons with PlayStation’s Move are coming in. According to the BBC, the Move is more precise than Microsoft’s Kinect. According to the BBC, hardcore gamers will want Sony’s tech.

From Rory Cellan-Jones’ article:

I was not quite convinced that Microsoft’s technology would deliver for hard-core gamers. It seemed to work well on fun Wii-like games where you didn’t need too much precision – I’m not so sure how whether it would deliver on a first-person shooter.

I’ve also had a go on Sony’s Move motion control system, which is unveiled on Tuesday. Sony’s solution is much less radical. It has retained the controller, now adorned with glowing spheres which interact with a sensor unit on the television.

This makes the whole experience less physical than with Kinect, but it also delivers a lot more precision. Sony showed us a table tennis game which seemed to mimic the real thing much more closely than I have seen elsewhere.

I have a feeling these kinds of comparison stories and opinions are going to be coming at us fast and furiously during E3, as more people get to try out each technology, so keep your browser pointed here!

Source: BBC

You knew it was coming, right? Hot on the heels of getting leaked a wee bit early Microsoft has made official the rebadging of a device desperately seeking a new name: “Project Natal” is no more, replaced by Microsoft Kinect. At a circus- and celebrity-filled affair, MS wrapped everyone in high-tech panchos (pictured after the break courtesy of Joystiq) and then took the wraps off of the new title. Quite a few game demos were shown, ranging from Star Wars to tiger petting, the Kinect interface to the Dashboard was shown (said by some to be Minority Report-like), and a video chat app called, wait for it, Video Chat. Through here you can naturally talk to friends (up to four total people at once was “shown”), and also share photos. Continue Reading »

The next iteration of the venerable Mortal Kombat series was announced by Warner Brothers this morning and promises a return to brutal form for the game series. To be released on the PlayStation 3 and 360 in 2011, Mortal Kombat is being developed by the newly re-named NetherRealm Studios, led by Mortal Kombat creator and creative director Ed Boon.

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