Upgraded Remote Gives Wii New Spark

Motion control system debuts at E3

(NEWSER) - Microsoft unveiled its much-hyped Project Natal motion control system—now renamed “Kinect”—at E3 last night, in a performance long on grandiosity and short on actual revelations. After walking through a set of fake living rooms, the white-poncho-wearing audience was treated to a performance by Cirque du Soleil acrobats dressed as cavemen, as a narrator declared that “history is about to rewritten” and a boy, raising his arms, used his movements usher in the new motion-based way to play games, according to the Wall Street Journal . More»

Consumer Electronics Show previews Project Natal, Hitachi TVs

(NEWSER) - Losing your remote control will soon be a thing of the past, thanks to new technology that embraces motion control, making it possible to channel surf with your hands. Hitachi televisions, for example, will allow you to change the channel by twisting your wrist, the New York Times reports. Microsoft’s Project Natal, to be released later this year, will compete with the Nintendo Wii—but without controllers, allowing you to use just your body to dodge balls and do skateboard tricks. More»

'We Dare' implies orgies will ensue, but it won't be released in America

(NEWSER) - Picture this: You're at a nice dinner party with friends, someone busts out the Wii, and before you know it, you're ... bent over a random guy's knee while he smacks your butt? That's the general idea of a UK video game called We Dare, in which a variety of innocent-looking games (the spanking one involves the video game characters flying around) require you to make out, spank each other, and apparently strip down. See the highly disturbing trailer to get the idea. More»

Console maker slashes price at opening of Tokyo Game Show

(NEWSER) - Nintendo is slashing the price of its Wii console by 20% worldwide, bringing the US price to $200—a cut announced just as Sony was beginning its presentation at the annual Tokyo Game Show. The prices of Sony's Playstation and Microsoft's Xbox were both dropped to $300 lately as the video game market endures its worst period in years. Nintendo's new price goes into effect on Sunday. More»

(NEWSER) - Just-released patent applications suggest Microsoft has indeed created a so-called “Magic Wand” to rival the Wii remote, the BBC reports. It could come out at next month's industry expo in Los Angeles. The applications say the wand has "biometric sensors" that would detect "fingerprint, hand geometry, hand vein pattern, palm pattern, and grip configuration," and would have a "facial thermogram, a facial feature, a retinal feature, or an iris feature.” More»