Released on 10/11/2010.

• Tomorrow's World: What's Next for Gaming?

  

  By this time next year, there will be no more twiddling your thumbs while sitting on the sofa - at least that's what Sony and Microsoft reckon. They've got different offerings on the table - PlayStation Move, a controller you wave around, and Xbox 360 Kinect, a camera which tracks your movements, responds to your voice commands and can even recognise your face.

  Both platform holders are convinced motion control is the future of gaming. The question is, can they convince us? Well, they're going to need some pretty great games if they're going to shift all those new controllers and cameras. To help them out, we've come up with a few ideas.

  Here's a list of games we'd love to see coming for Kinect and Move. They only exist in our imaginations for now, but who knows? Let's hope Sony and Microsoft are reading this...

  Three PlayStation Move Games We'd Like to See

  

  Super Air Traffic Controller

  Grab two Move controllers, stick on a pair of headphones and get out on the runway! In Super Air Traffic Controller it's your job to make sure planes land and take-off safely. But can you handle the pressure when rush hour kicks in?

  Similar Move Launch Game: Sports Champions. Bit of a stretch, but air traffic controller paddles look just like table tennis bats...

  Anything like it available currently? Air Traffic Chaos, a surprisingly absorbing DS game that's perfect for wiling away long plane journeys.

  Saturday Night Fever

  A dancing game for Move, based on the classic John Travolta movie. Start your own disco inferno, pulling off cool moves to the best floor-fillers of the seventies. White suit and medallion peripheral available separately.

  Similar Move Launch Game: SingStar Dance lets you groove as well as sing along to a huge selection of chart-toppers.

  Anything like it available currently? Dance Dance Revolution. But who needs a dance mat when you've got Move?

  

  Racing Rolf

  Using your Move controller like a paintbrush, you must race world-reknowned cartoonist Rolf Harris to see who can paint the best picture in the shortest time. Do well and Rolf will try to put you off your stroke by singing. Look out for the bonus mini-game, where you play your Move controller like a didgeridoo.

  Similar Move Launch Game: Start the Party! includes a painting mini-game which really shows off just how precise the Move controller is.

  Anything like it available currently? Remember classic SNES title Mario Paint? Or how about Atari's Paint by DS?

  Three Xbox 360 Games We'd Like to See

  Scuba Adventure

  An action-adventure game - set entirely underwater! Collect pearls, befriend dolphins and watch out for sharks as you dive through the depths. Can you uncover the secrets of Atlantis before you run out of air?

  Similar Kinect Launch Game: Kinectimals lets you interact with wildlife on dry land.

  

  Anything like it available currently? Endless Ocean on Wii. And then there was Ecco the Dolphin on Dreamcast...

  Big Top

  This is an RPG with a twist: run away with the circus and work your way up through the ranks, learning different skills as you go. Try a bit of juggling, learn to balance on the tightrope, tame some lions and clown around... Have you got what it takes to make it all the way to ringmaster?

  Similar Kinect Launch Game: Kinect Sports. The theme may be different, but once again you're showing off your skills in front of a huge crowd.

  Anything like it available currently? 2K's It's My Circus, released for Wii earlier this year.

  Final Frontier

  

  It should have been a routine asteroid mining exercise, but then something went wrong - and now you're all alone, floating through space, trying to find your way back to your ship. Along the way you'll have to dodge debris and deal with a few new friends of the extra-terrestrial variety.

  Similar Kinect Launch Game: Kinect Adventures will let you visit a variety of exciting locations, including outer space.

  Anything like it available currently? Dead Space is a great sci-fi game with a horror twist.

  Published: 21/07/2010

• E3 2010 Kinect Features

  

  Kinect

  With the hardcore gamer duly appeased, Microsoft moved on to Kinect, formerly Project Natal, and the motion sensing weapon they hope will win them the console wars of 2010 and beyond. To begin with, it was all about the lifestyle applications of the technology, which maps your position, movements and voice to offer controller-free interaction.
  Video is played and paused with a verbal command. The man on stage says "Xbox, play music" and it does just that, letting him flip through his albums with a wave of the hand, like he's using a giant invisible iPod. It's impressive, but then it's on to video chat and the news that you can walk around while you talk to friends and Kinect will adjust the camera to follow you as you roam. Cool? Or creepy? Sports fans were also catered for, with Americans whooping like swans at the news that 3500 live sports events will be available to Xbox Live Gold subscribers. Kinect lets you pause and run your own action replays, and you can also associate yourself with either team, with Xbox Live tracking how many fans are tuning in. There are even trivia questions popping up. It's easy to be flippant about the application, but the technology is remarkable. If this catches on, the PR talk about an entertainment revolution may not be far wrong.

  On to the Kinect games, however, and there's a lot that was already shown at yesterday's pre-E3 event. A little girl plays with a virtual tiger called Skittles, and when she hides from him, he uses the Kinect camera to try and find her. Britsoft legends Rare take the stage to show off the sports games, and while they're obviously indebted to Wii Sports, there's little doubt that Kinect's one-to-one body mapping results in a more reactive experience. You can even whoop the crowd of Avatars up and get them doing Mexican waves.
  Ubisoft's YOURSHAPE: Fitness Evolved takes aim at Wii Fit, as a Hollywood trainer shows off how the body tracking lets the Xbox tutor you in everything from low impact cardio workouts to kickboxing to zen meditation. The software seems to be working out exactly what all of the player's bones and muscles are doing, as well as displaying vital calorie-burning info. Dance Central, from Rock Band developer Harmonix, is also surprisingly impressive. Featuring music from Lady Gaga, Beastie Boys and others, the combative message is clear - waggling a remote isn't really dancing.

  After that double whammy of - yuck - girl stuff, there's just time for a couple of familiar boy things to reassure the gaming faithful that Kinect won't all be minigames and aerobics. The Star Wars game looks a lot like The Force Unleashed on rails, and has you not only battling stormtroopers with your lightsaber but swishing things around with a gesture, just like a real Jedi. Then the Forza team arrive on stage to reveal their take on motion-based racing: a slick sports car racer where you can look around the interior of the car with your head, as well as lean and look around corners as you approach. You can even walk around the car exterior and fondle the shiny curves. Blatant car porn, then, but pretty cool all the same.

  Kinect ships to US shops on November 4th. No official UK date yet, though hopefully it won't be too long in coming. Still no word on the price either, strangely, but with that Microsoft wrapped things up by parading their redesigned 360, generously giving a free new model console to all US journos in attendance. Jammy gits!
  So that's Xbox 360 in 2010. Big names, cutting edge tech and a sexy new image. As the new Xbox slogan says : "here today, ready for tomorrow". We can't wait to see what Sony and Nintendo can do to top it.

• Gamescom 2010: Kinect launches November 10!

  Kinect launches November 10!

  We suspected it might be coming at GamesCom, and Microsoft kindly decided to put us out of our misery early by announcing the release date for Kinect on GamesCom's pre-show journo-only day.

  November 10 is the day you'll be able to take home their brand-spankin' new hands-free motion controller and plug it straight into your Xbox for a whole new dimension of Xbox gaming.

  "With Kinect launching on November 10, it's set to not only transform our business but also change how we use entertainment. With Kinect, YOU become the controller, giving you the choice in how you and your friends navigate entertainment and gaming experiences", said Chris Lewis, the Vice President of Microsoft Europe's Interactive Entertainment Business.

  Not content with trying to change the way we play Xbox games, Microsoft also announced games, achievements and friend integration on the new range of Windows Phones - and, as if just to confuse us, confirmed that the more conventional must-plays Halo Reach and Fable III will be repping it up at the show for joypad jockeys, too.

  So, Xbox 360 Kinect launches November 10. It'll play on any Xbox 360, but if you've got a Kinect-ready New Xbox console, you'll only need the one wire to power it.
  

• Beginner's Guide: What is Kinect?

  Kinect is the brand new motion controller for the Xbox 360 console and the first in the entire history of home gaming to let you play without holding a single thing in your hands!

  Sounds like that Project Natal thingy...
  Yup! Kinect is the new name for Natal.

  So it's a controller... that's not a controller?
  Actually, it's a camera but not just any camera.

  Kinect accurately tracks the movement of every key point of your body and recreates that movement exactly on the screen letting you control games by simply moving your body, browse the dashboard by swiping your hand (think minority report), and make menu selections without needing to press a single real-life button.

  Sounds like Star Trek...
  You think that's cool? Wait il you hear this... Kinect also has voice and facial recognition!

  The possibilities are huge. Imagine using Kinect to make video calls to other Kinected Xbox owners over Xbox Live; or talking to characters in-game using your actual voice; or speaking your movie selections; telling your console to switch on and off; and even being able to walk in front of the Kinect camera to have your profile automatically signed in!

  Woah, cool. But won't I need a new Xbox console for all this?
  Nope Kinect works with every Xbox 360 by plugging directly into one of the USB ports. If you've got an old-style larger 360 console, you'll need an AC plug socket for the power supply, while the New Xbox 360 250GB and 4GB will power the Kinect camera all from one specially-designed Kinect port.

  See all Kinect Compatible Games

• 2010: A Look Back - November

  November

  The battle for the Christmas number one spot began in earnest this month. In the green corner was Microsoft with new motion-sensing camera Kinect and blockbuster launch titles like Dance Central, Kinect Sportsand Kinect Adventures.

  In the blue corner was Sony, hoping to zoom into pole position with the long-anticipated Gran Turismo 5. Meanwhile Nintendo looked to appeal to its hardcore fanbase with Donkey Kong Country Returns, a welcome comeback for the much-loved platforming series.

  The third-party publishers didn't hold back. Call of Duty: Black Opsbroke all manner of records with its release. The Sims 3was a massive hit too, as was the astonishing Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood.

  And that's not to mention all the other great titles released this month, like Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, Shaun White Skateboarding, GoldenEye 007, Football Manager 2011, Def Jam Rapstar, Disney Epic Mickey... The list goes on!

• Assassin's Creed Brotherhood heads BAFTA list

  It's more good news for Assassin's Creed fans after yesterday's revelation of a May announcement of the next game in the popular franchise. BAFTA has released its list of nominations for this year's videogame awards, and Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood has received the most nods of any game, featuring in a total of seven categories.

  
  It seems the members of the BAFTA panel were big fans of Ezio's latest adventure, as it scooped nominations for Action, Artistic Achievement, Gameplay, Multiplayer, Technical Innovation, Use of Audio, and the biggie: Best Game.

  
  In the latter category, Ubisoft's game faces some stiff competition from FIFA 11, Heavy Rain, LIMBO, Mass Effect 2 and Super Mario Galaxy 2. Call of Duty: Black Ops missed out in that category, but was nominated in six others. Mass Effect 2 also had six nods in total, with Sony's gritty thriller Heavy Rain picking up five, while Super Mario Galaxy 2 and indie darling LIMBO both got four. Surprisingly, Halo: Reach only featured in two categories: Multiplayer and Technical Innovation.

  
  Meanwhile, the mass-market success of Microsoft's Kinect ensured a strong showing in the the Family category, with nods for Dance Central, Kinect Adventures, Kinect Sports and Kinectimals. Flying the flag for more traditional control are LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 and the terrific Toy Story 3.

  
  The winners will be announced at a ceremony on March 16, which will be streamed live on the BAFTA website.

  Published: 16/02/2011

• Kinect storms past the 10 million mark

  Wow. Everybody suspected that Microsoft's Kinect add-on, a camera peripheral that allows players to interact with their Xbox 360 without a controller, was going to be big, but who knew how big? The platform holder's just announced that 10 million Kinects have been sold around the world.

  That's not bad going at all, and according to Eurogamer, it gets better, as Guinness has just awarded Microsoft the title of astest selling consumer electronics device ever

  Apparently, Kinect sold an average of 133,333 units each day for the first 60 days it was available. "The sales figures here speak for themselves," said Gaz Deaves, who is the gaming editor for Guinness World Records. "According to independent research, no other consumer electronics device sold faster within a 60-day time span, which is an incredible achievement considering the strength of the sector."

  What about the games? With Kinect Adventures as a pack-in, and the likes of Kinect Sports and Dance Central providing all your goal-scoring and dancing needs, you're pretty well catered for. Things get really exciting later this year, though, when the beautiful Kinect shooter Child of Eden arrives.

  Published: 10/03/2011

• Kinect hack helps the blind

  You're probably aware that Microsoft's Kinect motion-sensing peripheral is a record-breaking triumph - according to Guinness, it's the fastest-selling peripheral ever - but did you know it might be able to help the blind?

  That's according to a Eurogamer report that suggests smart coders have created a software mod for the camera which helps partially-sighted and blind people navigate better.

  Originally uncovered by SlashGear, the mod's called NAVI (Navigational Aids for the Visually Impaired), and it was created by two university grad students named Michael Zollner and Stephan Huber. The gadget works by connecting a Kinect to a helmet, and plugging in into a laptop. The laptop in turn is connected to a Bluetooth headset and a ibratactilebelt.

  This means that the Kinect camera will be able to offer verbal and tactile warnings when the user comes up against an obstacle. A bit more clever coding sees the unit reading signs and offering directions. Not bad.

  It's a project in a university lab at the moment, but it's still nice to know that videogame technology can be useful as well as brilliant fun. Nice job!

  Published: 18/03/2011

• The Beautiful Game

  

  The Beautiful Game: 2012 Football Games Dissected

  As soon as the first Premier League match gets under way, gamers know it's only a matter of weeks before they can start playing along at home. The virtual football season follows its real life counterpart so closely that excitement for them both overlaps into a frenzy of footy fanaticism. And things finally kick off this week, with a derby match that is now as familiar as anything involving teams with City and United in their name: FIFA vs Pro Evolution Soccer.

  

  FIFA, the Man Utd of football gaming, dominates the conversation, of course. EA Sports has poured extra gallons of slick TV style presentation into the 2012 edition, and gone the extra mile in improving gameplay both on and off the pitch.

  Three big changes have been made to the match gameplay, of which the Impact Engine is the most obvious. This is a physics model that governs every challenge, tackle and foul, making players move and interact far more realistically. Tactical Defending deepens this system, with the emphasis now on positioning your defensive line and pressuring the opposing team, boxing them in manually rather than sending the AI to get the job done. And Precision Dribbling offers benefits on the other side of the equation, allowing attackers to maintain close control while jogging, fending off tackles on the move.

  Throw in a much richer Career Mode, with media and management issues as important as tactical decisions, and the new EA Sports Football Club, which links your account and progress across all FIFA branded games, and you've got a seriously impressive distillation of the sport.

  

  What has Pro Evo brought to the pitch to combat this ruthlessly driven assault? Refinements and tweaks, mostly, although there's certainly something to be said for concentrating on getting the details right, rather than coming up with new features for the sake of it.

  Key for Pro Evo fans will be Teammate Control, which allows you to control a second player with the right stick, moving them into position for the perfect pass or interception. It sounds confusing, and it is tricky to master, but the benefits are enormous and there are varying levels of manual control available to ease you in. Goalkeepers and referees have been tickled with the AI feather, making them more reliable and realistic in their responses.

  Is that enough to topple FIFA from its throne? Probably not, but it definitely makes Pro Evo a much stronger game and should encourage a few die hard fans to try both of them.

  And what of the more cerebral player? The sort of player who knows what 'cerebral' means. For them, the long dark nights ahead are simply an invitation to lose themselves in the warm, comfortable bosom of Football Manager 2012.

  

  SEGA's award-winning, best-selling management sim somehow gets better every year, and this year is no exception. It's more flexible than ever this season, with off-pitch decisions getting some extremely interesting adjustments. Transfers and youth contracts are more detailed than ever before, and you can use loyalty bonuses to keep your best players happy. Equally, when negotiating that new contract, you'll have more control over where you compromise or when to stand firm. Team talks now offer five different tones, ranging from cool and level-headed, to raging tantrum.

  It all comes together to create an experience where you really feel like a football manager. Not just someone clicking on a game, but a personality within the game, making decisions based on live data. It is, in many ways, the most realistic footy game around.

  And if all that joypad and keyboard action has left you feeling a bit flabby and lethargic, why not just fire up Kinect Sports and boot a few penalties of your own? Football's coming home, and we couldn't be happier!

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