Pre-E3: Microsoft’s new XBOX, Natal now the Kinect

As seen on a facebook advertisement, MS will be releasing a new 360 and it will come with a 250 GB hard drive. Which is kind of useless since there is USB storage device support now. There was also a leak of the hardware inside the 360, which looks like it will now have a much bigger fan, a welcome feature for those of us who have suffered a RROD due to cracked solder. It also seems to be toting a built in wifi adapter which is something the 360 has desperately needed as the current usb ones can run you $50. What we can expect is that this new console will not be cheaper than what is out now, hopefully we see a considerable price drop on arcades and elites.

Microsoft has also re-named Natal to Kinect, making a pun on Kinetics. This new device is a series of motion sensing cameras that will let you play a video game with your whole body, which is a 1up on the Wii mote and the Move because they only let you use your hands. I am waiting for a game that combines all the famous Japanese youtube dances, so now everyone can learn! There you go developers, that’s friggin’ gold right there. One of the new release games is called Kinectimals which will let you train and raise your own virtual pet, with up to 40 different kinds. It will also have an obligatory sports game, like the wii, and some other uninteresting stuff. That doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement though, it will be interesting to see if people take this new technology in the right direction.