Jun 15
New Xbox 360 Slim Revealed
Yesterday at their E3 presentation, Microsoft announced their newest revision to the Xbox 360. The new console is redesigned to be sleeker and slimmer than the previous models, and has a large number of new features.
Almost as surprising as the new console is the announcement that these have already started shipping to retailers, and will be priced at $299. The new Xbox is being referred to as the Xbox 360 ‘Slim’, but the actual name on the boxes being shipped out is the ‘Xbox 360 S’. It’s also of note that all older models of the Xbox 360 are being discontinued.
The redesigned console features a 250 GB hard drive, integrated b/g/n Wi-Fi, and 5 USB ports (compared to 3 from older versions). The new design is very eye-pleasing in glossy black with touch-sensitive buttons. Microsoft is claiming that it is “whisper quiet,” with one large fan instead of two. There is a new 45nm chipset which will undoubtedly generate less heat to begin with. One downside of the new hard drive is that it won’t be compatible with older models, so upgraders will have to use a USB-to-Xbox hard drive connector cable to migrate over. It also appears that the power supply has moved inside the case, which is a very nice addition to save some space.
The second big announcement of the day was Microsoft Kinect, which is the official name for “Project Natal”. The new Xbox 360 S is “Kinect-Ready”, meaning there is a port on the back of the console that directly hooks up to the Kinect sensor for controller-free entertainment. Supposedly Kinect works with every Xbox 360, according to Microsoft. Kinect is a motion detection system that detects motion from your entire body, along with voice recognition, that entirely changes the way the Xbox can be used.
As of now the uses of Kinect and games to accompany it are limited, but its easy to imagine what is launching with it. There is a Kinect Sports game that looks very much like Wii Sports, but with a few added games and interaction. A few dancing based games already exist, with the group being led by a game called Dance Central. After seeing the trailer for it, it looks like a Rock Band style dancing game. This will probably cause the Dance Dance Revolution games to be quickly phased out of the market. There’s also a fitness “game” (moreover fitness software) that looks appealing. Its trailer showed various exercise activities, a personal trainer system, and abilities to detect your height, waist size, and other attributes about yourself. Lastly, which may be one of the most interesting Kinect features, is “Video Kinect”. You can now make video calls on your TV using voice and gesture commands for control.
