On Playfeed: Next Xbox: November launch, $499, $299 with subscription, Blu-ray

Gears of War on Kinect?

gears of war Kinect

A pretty decent sized portion (read "all") of the hardcore market has been hesitant to pick up a Kinect for their Xbox 360, worried that Kinect's main use is solely geared to the casual crowd. Y'know - workout games, shallow kiddie games, and, wait, the entire Kinect line-up is comprised of these types of games? Well, maybe they do have a point there, but perhaps not for long. Many Xbox gamers (yours truly included) have been searching for a real reason to purchase a Kinect aside from the voice recognition  and hand gesturing menu fun. Well, Microsoft is apparently going to be using Spike TV's Video Game Awards to intro some big action games for Kinect, with Gears of War rumored to be headlining the bunch. 

Now, mind you this is just a rumor, so don't go breaking your piggy banks just yet. Also, it is not clear whether or not (if there is even a GoW game) this Gears of War title will be the third in the series, a current GoW reworked with Kinect controls, or a special Kinect GoW version. 

Still, it's hard not to get excited over the possibilities of a Kinect GoW, and speculate on just how it would work. Would you be willing to play GoW on Kinect? Do you even think it's possible to pull off well? Let us know!

Read More | IGN

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Developer claims to have PSP2 in-house

Posted by John Kilhefner Categories: Portable/Mobile, PSP, Rumors, Sony

Sony PSP2

While has made sure to carefully tip toe around any questioning concerning a possible PlayStation Portable successor, Netherrealm Studios Executive Producer Shaun Himmerick revealed to Industry Gamers that they “have a PSP2 in the house and we’re looking at the engine, like what can it support.”

Himmerick went on to describe a few key details about the PSP2’s power. “Always a big thing for us is the performance,” he added. “We’re running at 60 fps, what can we do and do we have to build all the art assets over. We’re definitely looking at them. PSP2 looks like it’s a pretty powerful machine.”

While Sony is mum on the subject, it seems that the PSP2 is a reality. However, since no official specs have been released, the power and functionality of the machine is pure speculation at this point.

Read More | IGN via Industry Gamers


PS4 won’t be download only; digital future still a decade away

Posted by John Kilhefner Categories: Culture, PlayStation 3, Sony

PS4Usually around this time in a console’s lifespan we would already be knee deep in talks about the succeeding console, if not already playing it in our homes. However, with the constant updates and improved network capabilities the need for a new console every five years is no longer necessary. Though, Sony’s Kaz Hirai did mutter some words about the eventual Playstation 4 system, stating that a “digital future is over ten years away”, and the PS4 will definitely not be a download only console à la PSP Go. Hirai noted that this is because “we do business in parts of the world where network infrastructure isn’t as robust as one would hope, [and] there’s always going to be a requirement for a business of our size and scope to have a physical medium.”

Read More | Eurogamer

Amazon, Best Buy, Wal-Mart price Kinect at $149

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, Rumors, Xbox 360

Kinect price

Looks like anyone who was hoping that would sell for a somewhat reasonable price may be a bit disappointed. After Gamestop priced Kinect at $149, and then took it down, we figured it may have been just a placeholder error. However, today, we also have evidence of Amazon, Wal-Mart, and Best Buy all pricing the upcoming wireless gaming peripheral for the at the same $149 price point. Seriously, you can buy a brand new Xbox 360 Arcade console for that price today, so that is one expensive add-on. See for yourself:

Now we just play the waiting game for official word from Microsoft.


Kinect to launch at $149? Gamestop thinks so

Kinect $149

Looks like Gamestop wasn’t shy about putting up a price for , the Xbox 360 wireless control system (formerly known as Project Natal) that Microsoft failed to price at their Media Briefing. Shortly after the briefing ended, Kinect made an appearance on Gamestop with a pre-order price of $149.99. The page has since been taken down, but we’re thinking that Gamestop wouldn’t haphazardly choose that price at random. When Kinect launches on November 4, we are guessing that you’ll need to be prepared to drop $150 and some change.

Read More | Engadget

Project Natal launching October 26 at $149?

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, E3, Microsoft, Xbox 360

Project Natal $149 launch

It looks like is set to launch just five months from today, if a trusted Edge Online source is to be believed. That would put Natal launching on October 26th, and they’ve even got it priced at $149. Even more interesting, although not surprising, is that the motion sensing Natal camera will also be sold in a bundle with the Xbox 360 Arcade console for $299. Obviously, Microsoft is looking to reach a new market with Natal, so bundling it with the entry-level Xbox 360 console will only make sense as they aim to intrigue casual users and families. Now the launch date could change, and we won’t get it confirmed until E3. That said, one other sure-thing is that Project Natal will be officially named at E3 as well—seriously, you didn’t think they’d ship with a name like that, did you?

Read More | Edge Online

Final Project Natal hardware to be white

Project Natal White

In the grand scheme of things, this is just a minor detail, but it is still worth noting that it appears that the final look of the Natal camera motion sensor accessory will be white. In all the teasers for the product, it’s been black, and in live demos, Microsoft has always gone out of their way to cover up the camera so that no one would get a peek at what it looked like until they were ready. That said, German site RTL did a video feature on Project Natal, and in that video you are able to get a look at the camera.

Read More | Gamertag Radio

Project Natal launching this October

Project Natal Xbox 360

Okay, so it’s not like the whole launch window has been kept that silent. At , Microsoft let us know that it would launch this holiday season. A while later, UK television personality Jonathan Ross tweeted that Natal would be launching in October. Well, we can add more fuel to that October launch rumor, as Microsoft Saudi Marketing Manager Syed Milal Tariq said yesterday in an interview that Natal will launch globally “somewhere in October.” He went on to say that the day would be firmed up in time for in June, but that we will definitely see it in October 2010.

Now, that isn’t official (read: PR) or anything, but at this point, we believe that you’ll be flailing wildly across your living room before Halloween.

Read More | Gamertag Radio

Xbox 360 with 250GB hard drive and Forza 3 spied on Amazon

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Hardware, Microsoft, Rumors, Xbox 360

250GB Xbox 360

Okay, hang on, we just posted about the Xbox 360 Elite price cut news, and now we are getting word that there may be a 250GB version of the Xbox 360 that will be dropping soon? According to Amazon Germany, there will soon be an Xbox 360 bundle that includes a 250GB head drive (over twice the size of the currently available 120GB drive,) 2 controllers, and Forza Motorsport 3. It’s priced at about $397, and we want it to be really. Very, very much.

[Thanks, Jason!]

Read More | Amazon Germany via Engadget


Nintendo Possibly Readying New DS This Year, with New Features [UPDATED]

New DSAccording to Japanese business site Nikkei Net, Nintendo may be prepping to release a brand new (not pictured) by the end of this year. Supposedly, the new and improved DS will feature build-in music playback, better wireless performance, and, most interestingly, and onboard camera, all for less that 20,000 yen. There has not been an official press release by Nintendo, so you’ll want to wait and see how this develops, but it means that the new DS may integrate some of these features into new games, a la Final Fantasy: Before Crisis (which had you use your cell phone camera to craft materia). If past indicators hold true, it should arrive just in time for your Christmas shopping blitz, which would be fortunate, since the Wii has been perpetually sold out each holiday season - and I think that we’re all contractually obligated at this point to throw our money at Nintendo with every re-launch of a system.

UPDATE: Looks like we were right on this one, as Nintendo just announced the new Nintendo DSi!

Read More | CNet

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