[E3 2010] All About Microsoft's Press Conference

The first keynote in this year’s E3 is over! Microsoft held it and they ended up revealing quite a bit of new information. There was the new Xbox 360 as well as information on both the Kinect and a line-up of games for it. The company also shared new features for Xbox Live, an exclusive deal with ESPN, and details on games that are coming up – including a previously unannounced exclusive from the company Crytek. If you missed the keynote, here is everything you need to know:

Microsoft Kinect

The biggest news released during the keynote was additional details on Kinect formerly known as Project Natal. The company demoed quite a bit of games, most of which were leaked yesterday. During the Kinectanimals demo, a girl was able to call over, pet, and play with a tiger cub and Microsoft mentioned that there will be over 40 animals available in the full game. Kinect Sports was shown off with two players racing in a hurdles event, controlling the action by running on the spot and jumping over hurdles. The game is said to offer sports like soccer, javelin, ping-pong, and boxing. Kinect Joy Ride was a cart racer, which you control by holding your hands in front of you as if you are holding a steering wheel. Kinect Adventures is an action game that features 20 different adventures including rafting and a platform game where you jump to avoid obstacles and collect powerups. Some third party games will also be supported, companies such as Ubisoft will be released a game called Yourshape: Fitness Evolved, which tracks the movement of your body to ensure you are doing the exercises properly and features activities like combat training and yoga.

Dance Central from Harmonix, will be a dance simulator in which players mimic the movies of on-screen characters. It features a mode that slows down the pace in order to help teach you the routine and will let players download additional songs after the release of the game. Turn 10 also informed the public that Forza 3 will be getting Kinect support next year and will allow you to control the game without a controller and explore your vehicles in greater detail. You can walk around the car and touch parts of it to learn additional information, on top of being able to get into the cockpit and look around. Information on how the update will be released has yet to be revealed.

The Kinect will be launching in the United States on November 4 with more than 15 games including a Sonic title. The Lucasarts’ light saber game will be launching sometime in 2011. The price wasn’t announced at the keynote but Gamestop has it listed for preorder at $149.99

Blockbuster Titles

As for the non-Kinect blockbuster titles, there were several titles on the show, including some of which we didn’t already know about. Call of Duty: Black Ops will be launching on November 9 and all of the map packs and add-ons that come after the game’s release will launch first on the 360. Hideo Kojima revealed Metal Gear Solid Rising, which features a “Cut at will” gameplay, where players can slice foes into pieces in action scenes that look reminiscent of Ninja Gaiden. A four-player co-op demo of Gears of War 3 was displayed to show off some of the new enemies found in the third iteration of the game. A new mode called “Beast” was also mentioned with more details expected in the near future. Bungie revealed that the upcoming Halo: Reach will feature space battles, letting you control spaceships for the first time in the series. A new partnership was announced with Crytek, the developers behind Crysis, and a 360-exclusive title was announced named Codename: Kingdom.

New Xbox Live Features

Microsoft plans to expand the Xbox Live service, making it available in every country where 360s are currently sold. XBL will also be coming to Windows Phone 7, letting you take your friends, avatars, and achievements wherever you go. The service will soon support Kinect, letting users video chat with their Microsoft Live Messenger friends. The Kinect will also track your movement an allow you to do things like watch film trailers with whoever you are chatting with. Microsoft also announced an exclusive partnership with ESPN, which will give Gold subscribers access to over 3,500 sporting events both live and on demand, most in HD, at no additional cost. This will include NBA, MLB, and soccer. Users will also have real-time access to polls and trivia while they are watching.

Conclusion

Microsoft has revealed both of the things expected, Kinect and the new version of Xbox 360 (the slimmer version) as well as new titles that are to come. We learned more about Kinect and the games that will come with it as well as how Microsoft plans to implement the features of their new device to make the 360 experience more enjoyable.

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