[How To] Install and Play SNES Games On Your iPad

Although Nintendo isn't likely to actually officially allow any Nintendo games on your iPad anytime soon that doesn't technically mean you can't do it. If you are willing to jailbreak your iPad and install snes4iPhone, you too can experience all the magically and revolutionary retro console gaming that you want.

How To Install SNES ROM's On iPad:

Follow the step-by-step guide below OR you can check out the video guide at the bottom!

What you'll need:

• iPad (obviously)
• Wiimote or iPhone / iPod Touch (as a controller)
• iPad/iPhone/iPod Sync Cable
• A Mac, Windows, or Linux Computer

Step 1: Jailbreak

The first thing you need to do is to make sure you have a jailbroken iPad. To do that, download and use a copy of the Spirit Jailbreak. It works for iPads running iOS 3.2 and rus on Mac, Windows, and Linux - requiring just a single click. Before you jailbreak though, you should take note of two things: one, it could potentially screw up your iPad irreparably (although this is pretty rare) and second, you should sync and back up everything first in case you have issues.

Once you are done doing all of that, quit iTunes and open Spirit Jailbreak. It'll let you know in the window if the iPad is connected. If it is and Spirit is ready, just click the Jailbreak button. When it's finished it just quit the application at this point.

If everything went well, you should now have a jailbroken iPad with Cydia installed (it should show up somewhere on your home screen after you jailbreak). Pretty simple, you are ready for the next step!

Step 2: Download snes4iPhone

Once you find Cydia somewhere on your homescreen, Launch it and click "Cydia Store: Products" once everything has loaded. This will give you a screen filled with popular for-pay apps. Luckily, snes4iPhone is one of them and you can get it for $6. Click on snes4iPhone and then click "Purchase" in the upper right-hand corner. once you do that you'll be prompted to authenticate using your Google or Facebook account and then pay using your Amazon or PayPal account. Doesn't matter how you get the app, some of you may download a cracked version of the app, however you do it is entirely up to you. Once you've paid, snes4iPhone will download and you will be ready to load up some games.

Step 3: Installing the ROMs

There are a few ways to load games onto your iPad for use with the emulators. For those of you know know how to SSH into your iPad, do that and copy the ROMs over. Your ROMs are stored here: /var/mobile/media/ROMs/

For the SNES there will be another directory inside of ROMs called SNES (assuming that you have already launched snes4iPhone). If you have other emulators, it is pretty likely that their ROM directories will be here as well. Alternatively, you can browse for ROMs online (or upload yours and put the link into snes4iPhone) and download them directly onto your iPad by going to the Browse section of snes4iPhone and clicking Search in the upper righthand corner of the screen.

Step 4: Syncing your Wiimote

The last step is around the corner for you to enjoy! Syncing the Wiimote is actually pretty easy, all you have to do is open up snes4iPhonego into the options panel and turn on Wiimote Support (it's the last option). Once you do that, relaunch snes4iPhone and you'll see it searching for a Wiimote. When it does this, grab your Wiimote and hold down both the 1 and 2 buttons. Fairly quickly snes4iPhone should find the Wiimote and you'll be all set to go.

If you are having any issues or problems arise, you should turn off your iPad's Bluetooth in your iPad's settings. This may seem counterintuitive at first but because snes4iPhone uses another method to connect to Bluetooth devices (bstack) your iPad's Bluetooth software may interfere.

How To Install SNES ROM's On iPad - Video Guide:

Alternative: SNES HD

This isn't the only method for playing SNES games on your iPad and you aren't limited to just one console. Cydia has other emulators (NES, N64, etc.), many of which also contain Wiimote support, that you can download. If you have an iPhone or iPod Touch and would prefer to use that as a controller instead of a Wiimote, you can do that with SNES HD (follow the instructions on THIS page for adding the ncessary source to Cydia to download it). Be aware that you'll need to jailbreak your iPhone or iPod Touch in order to use it as a controller. If your iPhone and/or iPod Touch isn't

his isn't the only method for playing SNES games on your iPad, and you also aren't limited to just one console. Cydia has other emulators (NES, N64, etc.), many of which contain Wiimote support, that you can download. If you have an iPhone or iPod touch and would prefer to use that as a controller instead of a Wiimote, you can do that with SNES HD (follow the instructions on that page for adding the necessary source to Cydia to download it). Be aware that you'll need a to jailbreak your iPhone or iPod touch in order to use it as a controller. Spirit may be able to take care of that for you as well, but it doesn't support every iPhone and iPod touch so be sure to check before you dive in.

DeadSpace Prequel “Ignition” Coming This Fall

The popular video game Dead Space 2 isn't due to hit store shelves until early next year but EA has announced that a downloadable prequel will be launching before the end of the year on both Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network. The prequel, dubbed Dead Space Ignition, will over up a very different experience compared to its retail counterpart. EA describes the game as a "comic adventure" that lets players experience the events leading up to Dead Space 2. The game is said to feature a "choose your own adventure" style narrative with multiple endings and three different arcade-style minigames. Additional content can also be unlocked such as new suits and furthermore players will have the ability to use these items in the sequel. Antony Johnston is the story writer (he previously wrote the comic book adaptations of the first game in the series).

Ignition also won't be the last Dead Space spin-off that will be seen either, as EA mentioned having other game extensions in the works in addition to Ignition as well, including a previously announced PSN version of Dead Space Extraction. "Dead Space Ignition is the first of many exciting game extensions we have planned for the launch of Dead Space 2," executive producer Steve Papoutsis said. "The interactive comic-style game will give Dead Space fans a unique perspective on the events leading up to Dead Space 2, but will also introduce the storyline to a brand-new audience of gamers." The prequel is set to hit both XBox Live and PSN this fall so keep an eye out.

Microsoft Predicted To Break $1B+ With Xbox Live Revenue

According to estimates made by analysts, Microsoft's Xbox Live premium gaming service is on the road to generate over $1 billion in revenue for the fiscal year that ended on June 30th. A lot of this revenue is coming from Xbox Live Gold members who offer up cash for additional content such as game add-ons, avatars, and movies. Microsoft was uncharacteristically forthcoming about its Xbox Live memberships and confirmed that over half of its Xbox Live members pay for the premium Gold service at an average price tag of $50 per year. Although it still holds the number two spot underneath Nintendo Wii in total console sales, this is all some pretty good news for Microsoft's gaming division. It bodes well for the upcoming launch of the Kinect motion controller which will hopefully attract a new crowd as well as entertain the old crowd of Xbox Live users.

Nintendo's 3DS Possibly Getting Mii - Digital Avatars

Nintendo previously dropped the hint that the popular Miis (the profile characters from Nintendo Wii) could be heading to the Nintendo 3DS by including some Mii=like characters in the Pilotwings demo at E3 last month. Shigeru Miyamoto, the head of Nintendo himself has offered more info regarding the topic that Nintendo is at least looking at the possibility. In an interview with IGN earlier this week, he says that it is "something that we are definitely giving consideration to," and that Nintendo wants to "continue to try to allow people to use their Miis on different Nintendo systems going forward." Although it isn't complete confirmation that it is something definite and bound to happen, it does sound very positive and it sounds like Miis will soon come to handheld systems. It would be a wise move on Nintendo's behalf to do this anyway as Microsoft has been working hard at integrating XBL profiles into Windows Phone 7 as well.

Will Microsoft Kinect Let You Play Sitting Down?

Despite whether u have your a Nintendo Wii of your own, you have probably seen the commercials or know someone who has one and/or have experienced the gameplay yourself one way or another. With that in mind, we all know that Nintendo intended people to get off the couch and be more interactive with their games. With accessories such as Wii Fit and the games currently out, we all know where Nintendo and even Sony (with its Move) intend for their consumers. But what about Microsoft Kinect?

From what everyone has seen, Kinect, Microsoft's upcoming motion-based gaming peripheral, there are a lot of things going on. Many body movements such as kicking, leaning, slapping, and whatever other innovative ideas game developers think of including in their titles. But what about just sitting on the couch? We know it isn't Microsoft's main goal but obviously standing and moving around so frantically isn't something people would want to do for a long time. We'd expect to use the Kinect while we are still resting as well and Microsoft has even confirmed that the Kinect software fully allows people to sit on their favorite chair, couch, or whatever else they might be sitting on.

There is a catch though, basically it is upto the developers whether or not you'll get to play sitting down or not. The experience basically needs to be developed by those creating the game and it's design. Doesn't sound like people will be able to get away with something like Kinect Adventures while sitting down whereas people "cheat" while using Wii Fit and complain about it. As of right now, there are a few experiences that are designed with sitting in mind. These include navigating through the Xbox 360's Dashboard, or making your way through ESPN, Zune, and Video apps is also plenty capable of having you sit through the experience. The idea thus far is pretty great if you think about it. It has a little something for everyone basically which is exactly how it should be. What do you think of the whole ordeal? Would you rather play while sitting down or are you disappointed you can't play all games while doing that? Share your thoughts and comments below.

Source Code For Hulu Site Reveals Hulu Plus For PlayStation 3

Recently, Technologizer discovered a line in the source code for the Hulu website which indicates that the company is planning on releasing Hulu Plus for the Playstation 3 console and that you will need PlayStation Plus on top of your Hulu Plus subscription to enjoy the features it has to offer. It does add up to an extra bit of money if you add up the $18 for three months or $50 annually on top of the $10 monthly Hulu Plus fee, but still is cheaper than or equivalent to any other game console thus far. It is an all streaming app as well, unlike Netflix which for the most part still relies on those discs. Further down in the source code, there is another hint of Hulu developing an app for the PlayStation 3. Check out the code below:

PlayStation 3 Firmware 3.40 Around The Corner - PlayStation Plus Incoming

News on a firmware update for the PlayStation 3 is in the air (firmware 3.40). This firmware update has the PlayStation Plus, premium service which Sony announced at E3 2010. To give a quick recap, $50 annual fee nets you a 50 percent discount on PSN titles, early access to betas, and one hour of demo time on select full titles (among other benefits). If you aren't willing to shell out the money though however for the Plus service, there are a few other worthy tidbits in the software patch including five-star ratings for content purchased on the Store, a video editor and uploader for Facebook and YouTube (not a video capture service), and further integration into Picasa and Facebook photo galleries. While we are on the topic of Facebook, a new app will be appearing on the social site showing off your PSN profile and friending others. Although a list of some of the firmware updates was released, no exact release date was given, but if the past is any indication of when this firmware is to be released, then it won't be too long until everyone will see the update message upon logging onto PSN. You can check out some pictures of firmware 3.40 below:

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New Xbox 360 Features Red Dot of Death

Microsoft claimed that this past week the new Xbox 360 shipping to stores no longer featured the dreaded three flashing lights also known as "red ring of death" (RROD), to alert owners that component failures required servicing. What they failed to mention was that the new $299 Xbox 360 "Slim" model, instead automatically shuts down and warns the user that the system needs to shut down to prevent damage from "insufficient ventilation." Instead of a flashing ring of red light, the new system just flashes a red dot at the center of the power button and informs the user that once the dot disappears, the system will be able to successfully turn on. The flashing red dot is now being referred to as the "red dot of death" (RDOD). An obvious way for the system to communicate with the user but what do you guys think? We wouldn't imagine too many people enjoying their game turning off randomly in the middle of their play but then again, not having to send your system in to Microsoft for several weeks is also a plus.

Share your thoughts and comments below And, stay tuned for more info by following us on Twitter and/or subscribing to our RSS feeds.

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New Xbox 360 Torn and Modded

Last Sunday (the day before E3 2010's keynote) a leaked italian commercial gave us a first peak of what was supposed to be the new Xbox 360. Then on Monday, Microsoft announced that there was a new Xbox 360 and in fact it was supposed to be released the very same day, giving the members at the conference a new 360 of their own. Solomods didn't hesitate at all and quickly did a tear down of the parts, the pros and the cons, and even modded their very own 360. Check out a video demonstration of their modded xbox below:

[E3 2010] All About Nintendo’s Press Conference

Nintendo’s E3 2010 press conference came out this year with a bang, with the debut of the new 3DS hardware and even several game announcement surprises. The 3DS is the official name and was the main focus of the show, including information of new first-party and third-party titles planned for the new handheld device. Keep reading to find out everything that came out at the conference!

Nintendo 3DS Officially Announced

Although everyone had a hunch that Nintendo planned to unveil the 3DS, the actual device was still largely a mystery until now. The device itself looks almost identical to the current model, but it does have a 3.5inch top screen and a “slide pad” for analog control. It comes packaged with a motion sensor and accelerometer, but as not to interfere with the 3D effect. Only the bottom screen is touch sensitive. The device also comes equipped with two cameras on the outside, which will allow users to take 3D pictures. Nintendo didn’t reveal too many details just yet, but they did claim it can also display 3D movies and that the company has already partnered with Disney, Warner Bros., and Dreamworks. The big selling point of the whole system is that all of these movies and games can be seen in 3D without the use of 3D glasses.

Iwata did mention the new device is equipped with a form of “always on” functionality and that it’s a lot like what we’ve seen on the Wii and the former DS, but it’s more automatic meaning that it can download new data like ghost race from other 3DS systems without the player ever realizing it.

3DS Game Announcements

Nintendo recognized that while hardware is all good, gamers care about the games they play as well. The 3DS has a huge list of games announced for it including games such as Kid Icarus Uprising and Nintendogs + cats. Third-party support seemed strong as wel with number of companies showing off their titles such as Square Enix with Kingdom Hearts, Capcom with Resident Evil, and Konami with Metal Gear Solid. A full list of announced games can be found at the bottom of the post!

Link Returns For A New Adventure! (Coming 2011)

The company started the whole announcement today with an announcement and a live stage demonstration of Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. A new game in the Zelda series planned to release in 2011. The look borrows the more realistic character art from Twilight princess and a mixes it with the cel-shading from Wind Waker.

The players use a MotionPlus-equipped Wii remote to control Link’s sword, and the nunchuck to control his shield. The game emphasizes on angle of attack where the sword can be charged for beams of energy and carefully swung at enemies, and once out of combat, Link can run and climb over small obstacles. The demo showed had several technical problems due to wireless interference as Nintendo claimed but it seemed to work well when the general public had a chance to test it after the conference in the demo booths.

More Popular Nintendo Faces Return to the Wii

Many of the popular old faces of the Nintendo brand are making a return to the Wii such as Donkey Kong in Donkey Kong Country Returns, and Kirby in Kirby’s Epic Yarn. Mario also makes another appearance in Mario Sports Mix, featuring the Mario cast playing volleyball, hockey, dodgeball, and basketball.

Other Popular Games Announced

Not everything was a surprise as Nintendo also provided game play demonstrations of Epic Mickey, the new Golden Sun, Metroid: Other M (coming August 31), and the new Goldeneye. We were a bit surprised no news of the Vitality Sensor was mentioned as we expected Nintendo to show off their plans for the device but we were left wondering. While the 3DS announcement and the list of heavy games (which again can be found below) were nice, no price or release date was mentioned, so we are still left in the dark about some of it.

The List of 3DS Games can be found below, courtesy of 1up

Nintendo

• Animal Crossing
• Kid Icarus: Uprising
• Mario Kart
• nintendogs + cats
• Paper Mario
• PilotWings Resort
• Star Fox 64 3D
• Steel Diver

Activision Publishing

• DJ Hero 3D

AQ INTERACTIVE

• cubic ninja

ATLUS

• Etrian Odyssey
• Shin Megami Tensei
• Shin Megami Tensei: Persona
• Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor

Capcom

• Resident Evil Revelations
• Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition (name not final)

Electronic Arts

• FIFA Soccer
• Madden NFL
• The Sims 3

Gameloft

• Asphalt GT

Harmonix

• Music Game

HUDSON SOFT

• Bomberman franchise
• DECA SPORTS franchise
• KORORINPA franchise

KONAMI

• Baseball franchise
• Contra franchise
• Frogger franchise
• HIDEO KOJIMA'S METAL GEAR SOLID SNAKE EATER 3D "The Naked Sample"
• PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER franchise / WINNING ELEVEN franchise

LEVEL-5

• Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracle (name not final)

Majesco Entertainment

• BloodRayne: The Shroud
• A Boy and His Blob
• Face Racers: Photo Finish
• Lion's Pride: Adventures on the Serengeti
• Martha Stewart
• WonderWorld Amusement Park

Marvelous Entertainment

• BOKUJYOUMONOGATARI 3D (name not final)

NAMCO BANDAI Games

• Dragon Ball franchise (name not final)
• Gundam franchise (name not final)
• PAC-MAN & GALAGA (name not final)
• RIDGE RACER (name not final)
• Super Robot franchise (name not final)

ROCKET

• Crash-City GP
• VS-robo

SEGA

• Sonic (name not final)
• Super Monkey Ball (name not final)

SQUARE ENIX

• CODENAME: Chocobo Racing 3D
• DRAGON QUEST franchise
• FINAL FANTASY franchise
• KINGDOM HEARTS franchise

Take-Two Interactive

• Carnival Games franchise

TECMO KOEI GAMES

• DEAD OR ALIVE 3D (name not final)
• DYNASTY WARRIORS (name not final)
• NINJA GAIDEN (name not final)
• SAMURAI WARRIORS 3D (name not final)

TOMY

• LOVELY LISA 3D
• NARUTO SHIPPUDEN ACTION

THQ

• de Blog 2
• Kung Fu Panda Kaboom of Doom
• Marvel Super Hero Squad Infinity Gauntlet
• The Penguins of Madagascar
• Puss N Boots
• Saints Row: Drive-By

Ubisoft

• Assassin's Creed: Lost Legacy
• Battle of Giants: Dinosaur Strike
• Driver Renegade
• Hollywood 61 (name not final)
• Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon
• Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Chaos Theory

Warner Bros

• Batman franchise
• LEGO franchise

[E3 2010] All About Sony’s Press Conference

3D Gaming Coming Right Away

Sony had their press conference today at E3 2010 and revealed their plans to enable 3D gaming right away. The president of Sony’s Networked Products and Services group, Kaz Hirai, touted the company’s “end-to-end” 3D offerings, from the Bravia 3D TVs Sony released previously to the new roster of 3D enabled games for the Playstation 3. Hirai said games like Super Stardust, pain, and Wipeout, as well as more than 20 additional titles will all on the roster of 3D games released by the end of 2010. He mentions even more 3D titles will be coming next year, including blockbuster titles such as Killzone 3, Mortal Kombat, NBA 2K11, and Gran Turismo 5.

After 3D gaming, the second major part of Sony’s announcements was about the new motion-controller system, the PlayStation Move, which it first unveiled at E3 a year ago and talked more aobut in detail in March at the Game Developers Conference. Senior Vice President of marketing and the PlayStation Network, Peter Dille, boasted how the Move benefits from having three sensors that provide its pointing and motion capabilities, which allowed Sony’s publisher partners to focus on development and not worry about the device’s technology. He also mentioned how the PlayStation Move will be available in Europe on September 15, in North America on September 19, and in Japan on October 21. The price was said to be $50, while an accessory, the Navigation Controller, will run $30. Sony will be offering a number of bundles, including a $100 sports package featuring a Move controller, a PlayStation Eye camera, a Sports Champions Blu-ray game, and a PlayStation Move demo disc. For $400, Sony is offering another bundle that has everything in the package mentioned before plus a PlayStation 3. Sony then proceeded to uncover some of the games that will be coming out that will be enabled for Move. The titles included Sorcery, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11, and a brand-new game that included many of the previous PlayStation games called Heroes on the Move (Sony’s answer to Super Mario All Stars.)

PSP - Still Alive and Kicking

The next big announcement that Sony made was about the PlayStation Portable (PSP), rumors of a new PSP coming were shot down. Sony Computer Entertainment of America president and CEO Jack Tretton talked about the handheld and boasted about titles such as the Metal Gear Solid package which recently hit shelves for the PSP and further discussed new exclusives that are soon to come such as God of War: Ghost of Sparta and Invizimals. Game such as Tron: Evolution, Toy Story 3, Madden NFL 11, EyePet, and many others were coming to the previously rumored “dying” handheld system.  All in all, 70 new PSP titles were mentioned to be released by December.

Little Big Planet 2

Next up, Media Molecule’s Alex Evans came up to the stage to announce Little Big Planet 2, the follow-up to the very popular Little Big Planet. The sequel to the popular game is said to be released later in 2010 and will allow players not just to make all-new levels as they could in the original, but to make entirely new games including racers, RTS games, side-scrollers, RPGs, and more.

PlayStation Plus - Premium PSN Service

The last thing that Sony discussed which has been rumored for a long time now, was the PlayStation Plus, a new service that for $50 a year or $18 for three months, will give subscribers a wide selection of new downloadable titles, new content for existing games, discounts on things in the PlayStation Store, and more.

Sony then had a wide variety of developers come up to the stage to announce some titles that will be introduced to the PS3 in the upcoming year. These included Medal of Honor, Valve’s Portal 2, SOCOM 4, Killzone 3, Dead Space 2, Mafia II, Madden NFL 11, NBA 211, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11, Sports Champions, Te Fight: Lights Out, NCAA Football 11, EyePet, gran Turismo 5, ModNation Racers, Motor Storm Apocalypse, True Crime, Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds, Mortal Kombat, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, Dead Nation, Sorcery, DC Universe Online, The Sly Collection, Tron: Evolution, Final Fantasy XIV, and Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood.

[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.

Stay tuned for more E3 2010 coverage by following us on Twitter and/or subscribing to our RSS feeds.

Italian Ad Leaks Possible Xbox 360 Slim

Two of the many rumored devices we have been looking forward to that were planned to be announced at E3 2010 this year were from Microsoft. Both of which have unfortunately been leaked early. First was the re-naming of Microsoft's ongoing Project Natal to Kinect. It seems that now the Xbox 360 Slim which was rumored to release earlier this year was leaked as well. An Italian site named Console Tribe ran an ad that released images of a differently designed and never seen before console that was definitely an Xbox 360. The ad also mentions how the model is compatible with "Kinect" and also invites the viewers to "live today." This seems like an ad that was supposed to go live tomorrow after Microsoft's official announcement of the device but seems like Apple wasn't the only major company having issues with leaks this year. The actual ad can be found below courtesy of Joystiq:

Microsoft’s Project Natal Official Name Leaked: “Microsoft Kinect”

Earlier today, USA Today leaked the name of Microsoft's controller-free motion control set up. Prevously known as Project Natal, the official name will be Kinect. Microsoft was apparently planning on revealing the details tonight at a pre-E3 event, but the leak was released before they had the chance to announce it themselves. There still isn't any word on pricing or a release date, but it is expected to be announced at the E3 2010 event this upcoming week. The writeup seems to have been taken down from USA Today so we hope they didn't get in any trouble, but their writeup previously mentioned a few titles include: Dance Central, Joyride, Kinectimals, Kinect Adventures, Kinect Sports, and titles based on Disney and Star Wars characters. As usual, stay tuned for this news as well as E3 2010 coverage by following us on Twitter and/or subscribing to our RSS feeds.

Microsoft Preview For Project Natal – Controller-Free Xbox 360 Gaming

Microsoft plans to reveal a new type of videogames this week, games that don’t require people to understand and utilize a complex controller with several buttons. Following the massive success of Nintendo’s Wii, Microsoft is introducing a technology, code-named Project Natal, that ditches the use of a controller altogether. The games will rely on a device the size of a stapler threat perches on top of a living room TV to recognize faces, obey voice commands, and track body movements. It won’t be necessary to mash buttons in different sequences to experience success in the game, no more buttons at all!

Although Microsoft doesn’t plan to reveal which games will launch with the device until Monday, last month it did show off four “tech demos” to a handful of testers. One can only assume that those games will come as part of the package. The lineup is expected to include: Living Statue, Obstacle Course, Ricochet, and River Rush.

Living Statue

This is Microsoft's social media strategy which lets players record their avatars singing, dancing, and singing karaoke-style, then allows them to email the video masterpiece to their friends. The company has had several ambitions for it's Xbox Live online game service, which has 23 million active users, and is hoping this attempt wil l encourage users to check into Xbox Live and make friends.

Obstacle Course

This game is exactly as the name suggests. Players dodge, jump, and pull their way through a series of levels much like those found in a typical summer camp.

Ricochet

Ricochet is a game where players use their arms, legs, feet, and head to block a barrage of balls. Microsoft also demoed an earlier version of this game during last year's E3 expo. The newest version of this game allows two people to play simultaneously. It uses facial recognition software to recognize the people playing and pulls up their avatars on the screen. This feature also allows parents to control which games their children can play. If the console see's that the persona playing is associated with a profile with parent controls, it will restrict the types of games that can be played.

River Rush

This game allows players to indulge in the thrill of real-life rive rafting in their living room rug. Steering a virtual raft past waterfalls, rocks, and other obstacles. The graphics are similar to that found in snowboarding games with large visual cues that guide players to assure no one gets lost. The game is designed to allow anyone to jump in without having to read any manuals.

In addition to these four games, another dozen more Natal-licensed titles from game developers are expected to be unveiled Monday and Tuesday but Microsoft has forbidden publishers from saying anything about them until its own news conference Monday morning. As usual, stay tuned for this news as well as E3 2010 coverage by following us on Twitter and/or subscribing to our RSS feeds. In the mean time, check out a video from the All Things Digital conference which shows off some of Project Natal's features, which you can find below: