A new start for 360?!
Ooh, shiny!
What's this? It's an Xbox 360, of course. Haven't you seen one before? Well, OK, you won't have seen one like this before, because this is the all-new Xbox 360, which will start replacing the old models in shops this year. It was revealed by Microsoft at E3, the big games biz shindig that took place in glamorous LA in June. So what's changed? Well, it's smaller and a lot quieter than the old 360, and it also comes with a 250Gb hard drive tucked away inside as standard. It's got built in WiFi, so no annoying wires or expensive adapters, and - best of all - it costs exactly the same as the current Xbox 360 Elite. Just £199! We know what we want for Christmas!Dance Central
Dance Central is a new Kinect music game from the creators of Rock Band. By tracking your entire body, the game promises to be more precise and more fun than Wii games like Just Dance, where the game only works out where your hands are from the controllers. In other words, no more sitting down and waving your arms around, Dad! You've got to get up and boogie like you mean it! Dance Central won't just judge your dance moves though - it'll teach and train you to be a better dancer as well! Budge over, we need to shake our booty!Ready to dance?
Forza
Yep, Microsoft's killer racing series is getting a Kinect makeover, and it looks absolutely awesome. Those pics, up there? Those are screenshots from the game, not photographs. With such cool cars, it's pretty great that Kinect will let you walk "around" them, bending down to look closer at the bodywork, and reaching out to access more info. Inside the car, you'll be able to turn your head in real life to look around in the game, and you'll even be able to lean to one side to peep around tricky bends! If dancing isn't your thing, we bet this'll get you on your feet!
As well as the games listed here, you can expect loads more Kinect exclusive games, including Sonic Free Riders, a Star Wars action game with real Force movements, the official Michael Jackson dancing game, EA Sports Active 2 and weird hippy shooting game Child of Eden. Some normal games will also include Kinect stuff, like the upcoming Fable III.
Hit the tabs above to see more amazing Kinect games!
Smile! You're on camera!
And, hey, what's this crazy contraption? That would be Kinect, the hands-free controller that Microsoft hopes will change the way you play games forever. Or at least stop you playing on the Wii quite so much. It's a combination of sensors, cameras and sophisticated software that tells the Xbox not only where you're standing, but exactly how your entire body is moving. It can tell what colour clothes you're wearing, read and scan any words or pictures you hold up, and even listen to the tone of your voice to work out how you're feeling.Introducing Kinect...
Kinect won't just be for games either. You'll be able to use the camera to make video calls to friends on Xbox Live, absolutely free! The built-in microphone means that you won't even need to use a controller when you watch a video, or stream some cool telly through your console. Just say "Xbox pause!" and it'll stop. You can flip back and forward through video with your hands, and even join in with voting and trivia quizzes during live sports matches. Be careful when showing Kinect to elderly grandparents - they might think they've been beamed into the future!
