The first big game that we have for this month is Rocksmith. It was released on October 18th for PS3, Xbox 360, and PC.

This game looks like it’s going to be one to buy for anyone who just wants some fun, or even for those of you who want to learn, or are learning how to play guitar. The easiest way to learn something is to have fun while doing it and this is the way to go.

I’m probably not going to be picking this one up anytime soon, I’ll probably put it on my Christmas list this year and give it a shot around the Holidays!

Next up, we have a game that is being released cross-platform again, so for anyone on the PS3, Xbox 360, or PC, you’re going to want to check out Kingdoms of Alamar, Reckoning.

The projected release date for this one is on February 7th, 2012, so we have a little time between now and then, but this game looks like another well done RPG that I will put on my maybe list for if I have extra time.

The way this game has been put together, it has been created and aimed at those of us who are avid RPG players and it’s made to skip the things that we already know and allow us to get right into the meat of the game, which is what we all want anyway!

Everybody loves a good classic game that’s been around for ages, so get excited because Soul Calibur V is due to be released on January 31st, 2012.

Graphicwise, the Soul Calibur series has always been on the front lines leading the the gaming industry in graphic amazingness and I don’t think that Soul Calibur 5 might disappoint in that area!

The overall customization in this game is extremely impressive and it’s always more fun when you can create a player that looks exactly like you, facial shape and all, so this is going to be a good one for those of you who need another fighter to fill some space on your shelf.

For anyone who owns a Playstation 3, February 12th, 2012 is a sacred day that must be marked on your calendar immediately, because this is the day that Twisted Metal returns to the Sony platform and you are not going to want to miss this game!

I will put this on my to get list and it might even make it to my launch day purchase list depending on how many other games are being released during that time frame in February.

I really don’t think that I need to say a whole lot about Twisted Metal, as it’s been around since the Playstation 1 days and if you seriously don’t know what it’s all about, you need to wake up and open your eyes!

As for all of you Xbox 360 owners out there, don’t worry, I didn’t leave you out on this one, because you have The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings to look forward to sometime in Quarter 1 of 2012.

This is another RPG to add to the already overflowing ocean of RPG games that are being released so often these days, but as far as I can tell, this is being ported from the PC and already has a thriving fan base that is looking to be expanded to the console platform.

There is already some news of DLC that will be released for The Witcher 2, so there’s no way that this game is going to get old too fast, unless the game itself is just a failure.

Personally, I won’t be purchasing this game as it’s for the Xbox 360 and also because there are so many RPG games being released now-a-days that my plate is already full, so I would suggest that this might be one to skip for you.

This wraps up this overview of the November Update 2011, so be sure to enjoy the Holidays with family and friends and you will hear from me next month!

The best way that I can describe Beat Hazard Ultra is to take Super Stardust HD, put all your favorite dance/electro/dubstep music behind it and put thousands of music strobing lights on the screen at the same time.

When I first looked at a gameplay video of this game I couldn’t even keep track of what was going on, but soon after I downloaded it, I was already playing on Suicidal and it was pure fun!

Overall, graphics-wise I would say that it was pretty well done. I would have liked to see a little more detail on the various ships and bosses, but by no means does this deter me from playing Beat Hazard Ultra.

One thing that did draw me into this game was the fact that you could import your own music and Beat Hazard Ultra would create a level based off of your songs. As far as I could tell, it seemed to be unique for every song that I imported, so it didn’t get repetitive.

Also, as most of you know, I’m a huge multiplayer fan and I was extremely pleased to know that Beat Hazard Ultra supported multiplayer and not only on the same console, but it also has online multiplayer capabilities!

Overall, if I could improve one thing on this game, I would probably put a higher difficulty mode on it. I found that even though Suicidal Game Mode was by no means easy, I was able to jump right into it after just a few play-throughs on some of the lower difficulty settings.

One other thing that could possibly improve or destroy this game, would be to add the 3-D world around it, such as in Super Stardust HD. I think this would allow for a lot more difficulty and also an even more insane user experience regarding all the things that could be done with the strobing effects.

After all this being taken into consideration, I believe that if you love music and you’re a gamer, Beat Hazard Ultra is worth looking into. Not only do you have the option of playing through to beat your high scores, but there is an infinite mode, where you can just relax and listen to your music and destroy thousands and thousands of spaceships and asteroids coming from every direction without the pressure of trying not to die.

The first game that we have up this month is Elder scrolls V Skyrim. This game is for all three platforms and is due to be released on October 11th. As most of you know, I’m not a big story-based game player, so this game doesn’t have huge appeal to me, but what I can say, is that the graphics just might be something to rant and rave about. From what I’ve heard, the story is extremely well done and the graphics aren’t far behind. I know a lot of people are excited about Skyrim being released, so I would say that if this game looks to be of any interest to you at all, it’s fair to say you probably won’t be let down!

Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but I think it’s fair to say that everyone enjoys a good robot shooter every once in a while, so that’s why I wanted to touch on Syndicate, which is due to be released on February 21st, 2012. From the little bit of research that I’ve done, apparently this game is based off of a sci-fi series from back in the day. So I’m sure there are still some fans lingering around that are eager and ready to give Syndicate a shot. For everyone else, we have a few months until crunch time if you want a launch day purchase, so keep researching this one to see if it seems like it’s something that might interest you!

As we continue, a lot of times PC gamers get thrown to the wayside as far as exclusives, so today we have one that really brings back some memories for me. Stronghold 3 is due to be released on October 4th and if I do say so myself, the graphics in this game look impressive! I used to play Age of Empires II constantly when I was younger, so Stronghold 3 just looks like a redone version of Age of Empires, with a lot of added features and of course, an amazing graphic presentation to boot! If you’re at all a fan of Age of Empires, or any game where you create your empire and take over the world, Stronghold 3 is going to me a must buy for you! Trust me, if my computer could handle it, I would have already purchased Stronghold 3!

Ratchet & Clank All 4 One is our PS3 exclusive this month and is due for release on October 18th, 2011. If you’ve owned a Sony console before, chances are, that you’ve played one of the previous Ratchet and Clank games. As All 4 One is due to be released, you can expect many of the same things that have been included in the past editions. While some people would take this as a bad thing, I personally take it as a very good thing. Why change anything if it’s worked so many years as it is? A few little touch ups here and there, some new environments, updated graphics, and a continuation of the storyline is basically what can be expected for this release.

Our last exclusive here this month is a big one and if you haven’t heard of it before, you just might live on an island with nothing but sand around you, because Forza Motorsport 4 is due for release on October 11th, 2011 and is an Xbox 360 exclusive. I know that in the past, I’ve said that the Gears of War series makes me sometimes wish I had an Xbox and Forza Motorsport just adds some more confirmation to that wish, because this series is well done. I’ve put some hours into Forza Motorsport 3 and from everything I played and got out of it from a casual gamers perspective, there is only one complaint that could be mentioned. That complaint is that some of the races have an absurd amount of laps compared to other racing games on the market, but on the flipside, this could be taken as a plus for many gamers as well. Everything else in this game, as far as I could tell, made it worth purchasing in my opinion, so I would add this one to your list.

Last, but not least, we have Saints Row The Third, which has a set release date of November 15th, 2011. From what I can see, this is another game that deserves a deeper look before writing this one off as a no go. It seems like a spinoff of the GTA series, which, while sometimes can be a bad thing, in this case, it seems like they might have done it right and actually managed to pull this one off. There seems to be a little bit of a push towards vehicles and vehicle combat in this rendition, so anybody who liked the concept of using vehicles in the GTA series, or just in general, Saints Row the Third is probably one that you’re going to want to pick up, or at the very least add to your Christmas wish list this year!

This just about wraps it up for this month, so check into those games that caught your eye and give them a closer look!

Can you believe it’s September? School has started and I hope you’re having fun in college, because I know I’m having fun while not in college! Either way, we have quite a few games to pick from today, so lets not waste anymore time and lets just jump in right away!

One of the first games listed in this months gameinformer issue is called tropico 4. Now, to be honest, this is the first time hearing of this game for me, but obviously this is the fourth installment in this series, so I suppose that would mean there are fans out there somewhere. From the looks of this game, it seems like it’s a replica of the sims games, except you’re on an island with a volcano on it. To me, this doesn’t seem interesting, but for those of you who are into this kind of thing, September 16th is the day to look forward to!

One thing that did come about early this September is Call of Duty XP! Unfortunately, I missed it this year, but rumor has it, that there will be another next year, so make sure you get signed up for this one, because I know I sure will be!

Next up on our list today is Borderlands 2! Unfortunately I never picked up Borderlands, the first one, but whenever Borderlands 2 is set to release in 2012, you can count me in, because I will not miss this opportunity this time! Graphically, it looks like the last one did, it has a very artsy and creative feel to it, so for everyone who fell in love with that look in the first edition, you should prepare yourself for some more, because Borderlands 2 is right around the corner!

One more upcoming title that has touched the hearts of all Playstation 3 owners is Resistance 3! When the PS3 system originally launched, this was one of the only games out for it at the time, so everyone who jumped on the Sony train early on, have had their fair share of gameplay in the Resistance franchise. So for everyone who liked the previous installments, get out your pens and mark September 6th on your calendars!

As always, there are a couple sports titles being released in the near future. Now, I used to be a huge fan of the NHL games back in the day, but as time progressed, I have evolved into a first person shooter beast, so I don’t play as many sports titles anymore, but I do like to keep a couple on the shelf just encase I need to break out a party game once in a while. Other than that though, I really have no use for any sports titles, for the simple fact that I’m not really a hardcore sports fan. I don’t play fantasy football and I don’t watch any sports games religiously, so as far as sports games go, they just don’t tickle my fancy.

Last, but not least, we have Guild Wars 2. Now, if you’ve been gaming for any period of time, I’m sure that you have got your hands on some MMORPG game and if you’re anything like the rest of us, you couldn’t put it down for years. This being said, when I hear about a new MMORPG being released to the public, I get a little tingly feeling inside and just as the ring called to Froto in the Lord of the Rings, every new MMORPG game calls to me and it’s not easy to resist!

Apparently, Guild Wars 2 is focusing very heavily on their storyline, which should be super interesting to see, because I think it would be fairly difficult to fluidly work in a strong storyline into any MMORPG game, but let’s hope that Guild Wars 2 doesn’t let us down and maybe GW2 will take off and we can all play it together and live happily ever after.

This just about wraps up this fairy tale, so bring up a browser and start researching some of these games a little deeper while you wait for Octobers issue of Gameinformer to be released!

After the Modern Warfare 3 showing, we got to see the new Tomb Raider title that’s coming out in 2012.  I have to say It looked very interesting.  I was never a huge Tomb Raider fan, but it seems like this game is going in the right direction.  It definitely gave me an Uncharted kind of feel, although the QTE’s could kill it for some people if there is a lot of them.  Only time will tell, but so far the game looks promising.

Following the showing of those two titles, it quickly turned into a Kinect press event!  I have to admit, I’ am not a fan of motion gaming.  Playstation Move, Kinect, Wii, never has done it for me.  I would rather play my games and not talk to them.  Besides, what If I have guests over at the house and I’m downstairs and they hear me talking to my T.V.? it would be pretty uncomfortable.  Anyway, while the Kinect may not be for me, I see why so many people enjoy it.  The technology behind it is really quite impressive, and we haven’t really seen anything yet.  It is nice to see some of the “core” titles like Ghost Recon: Future Soldier, Mass Effect 3 and Ryse offering Kinect support.  Even if players don’t want to play that way, they can always pick up a controller.

Another game that we all know would make a big splash was Gears of War 3.  I mean, lets face it, this is Microsoft’s bread and butter for 2011.  It looked like Gears of War. nothing too fancy, just Epic playing things safe and giving fans what they want.  Let’s hope they have that Multiplayer down to a science this time around.  I have faith that  the game will most definitely deliver come this September.

We also got to see what new touches they are adding to the dashboard.  The Kinect capabilities were very sweet.  Sadly, telling my 360 too put a movie on for me doesn’t justify the $200 price tag.  I could really take it or leave it when it comes to adding YouTube and Bing, but the Live TV has me pretty interested.  Being able to watch live television on my 360 is something I’ve wanted and hoped it would happen sooner rather than later.  Grant it, it’s not going to force me to cancel my cable just yet, but it’s definitely heading towards that direction.

One of the last big surprises we got to see was the announcement of Halo 4, coming Holiday 2012.  I can’t say I was totally shocked, but at the same time I didn’t see it coming until all the news before the presser started breaking out with “rumors” of a Halo 4 announcement.  Is it really a rumor at that point? Anyway, I’m sure just like the rest of Halo franchise, they will sell ridiculous amount of copies and it will be the game that everyone wants that Holiday.

Overall, because Kinect doesn’t really do it for me, I came away unimpressed with the Microsoft Press Conference.  If you are a fan of the Kinect, then you probably enjoyed it more than I did.  Besides, Microsoft is doing a great job at trying to accommodate to every kind of gamer, and why wouldn’t they? that’s where the real money lies.

Check back tomorrow when I give my thoughts on the Sony Press Conference.

Story

You really don't want that spotting you.

The story in Homefront poses the question as to what if Korea took over most of the United States.  You play as former Marine helicopter pilot, Robert Jacobs, and in the beginning of the game you are sent off to a reeducation camp because you refuse to cooperate with the occupation forces.  However, things go sideways on your trip and you become rescued from a group known as The Resistance.  They believe you can be a great help to them acquiring fuel in San Francisco for the U.S. Military, given your background as a pilot.  I thought the opening sequence of you being transported on the bus was very well done.  Without giving anything away, some of the things being seen were pretty shocking compared to some of the other shooters out these days, and gave it quite the wow factor.  Sadly enough, the game doesn’t continue to wow you with great cut-scenes but the Homefront story is something the game does nicely, considering most of the other shooters in comparison put a well told story at the bottom of the list.  I’ve always loved it when games can emerge me into a really good atmosphere and Homefront has a couple of nice set piece moments and even gives you that feeling of fighting a warzone in your own “backyard”, which I believe was Kaos Studios exact intentions.  Some of my favorites were battling it out on a baseball field, that looked like something  you would have played on as a kid.  Also the mission at the Golden Gate Bridge I thought was done well.  Personal places like these is something that was quite different than some of the other shooters, but unfortunately were shot down way too fast.  The Homefront campaign is a very short one.  I finished the game in about 4 hours on the normal difficulty and was shocked that some of the best missions were 15-20 minutes long.  It seemed at times I was playing a demo to get a taste of whats to come, but that isn’t the case at all.  While I did enjoy the story and atmospheric locations of Homefront, it came to an abrupt end way too early.

Gameplay

You will see a lot of this.

No matter how well a story is told in a game, the controls and actual gameplay is obviously the most important part.  This is where Homefront separates it self from the big boys, and not in a good way.  First thing you will notice is how the game looks, at times the environments and the character models look flat out awful and outdated.  In my opinion the other most important part when developing a shooter is making sure the guns sound like they should.  Other games like Medal of Honor and Call of Duty did an amazing job making the guns sound real.  This is something I usually pay very much attention too because I really am picky when it comes to audio in video games.  The weapons in Homefront sound very depressing, and at times made me feel like I was the kid from A Christmas Story firing a BB rifle.  Even the knife and reload animations were laughable.  Framerate issues at times also hindered my experience with the game.  It wasn’t a continuing problem but an annoying one at that.  Especially nowadays, its inexcusable.

I don’t want it to sound like I’m totally hating on the game, because it’s not the worst I’ve played.  The game’s A.I. felt right,  even on the normal difficulty I found it being quite a challenge.  Even if some of the deaths were cheap ones.  It’s not a surprise, nor do I blame developers trying to copy other games that have been a huge success.  But Homefront just falls flat in comparison, and with the amount of competition, you have to beat the best, to be the best.  Homefront is the perfect example of a game that needed more development time.

Closing

After reading everything I’ve said, you may be wondering why you should even play this game.  I still believe it’s a game you should experience so you can see how the story unfolds.  I’ve also been told the game’s Multiplayer is enjoyable, when you can actually connect and get into a game.  But as the campaign clocks in around the 4 hour mark, I really cannot recommend it as a purchase.  It is perfect if your looking for something to play on a rainy afternoon, but above that I say wait for the bargain bin.   I really think Homefront could of been an amazing game if just given a little extra time.  Kaos Studios will no doubt have their work cut out for them next time around.

This review was based on the Xbox 360 version of Homefront.

You play as space pirate Grayson Hunt who is followed by his best bud Ishi Sato.  After finding out they were tricked into killing innocent civilians by their commanding officer General Sarrano, in which Hunt and his crew believed they were killing murderers and other scum of the world.  So it is no surprise that Hunt and Sato want their commanding officer dead.  Years later Hunt and Sato’s plane crashes on a planet called Stygia. Which is run by ruthless disgusting mutants that look like something out of the Hills Have Eyes movies.  After the crash, Sato is injured pretty bad and Hunt must track down a energy cell from an escape pod to put into Sato’s brain to save his life.  I’ll let you experience the rest to find out what happens, but the story is not whats going to make you keep coming back to Bulletstorm.  It’s the ridiculous extreme gameplay that awaits you after you arrive on Stygia.

Size does matter

One of the first things you’ll notice right away is how beautiful the game looks.  The environments and lighting truly looks stunning, and I was quite surprised.  Bulletstorm also does a good job of changing up each section of the game, so that you never get tired of seeing the same scenery over and over.  Aside from the eye candy, Bulletstorm is a very fast paced game.  You will constantly be blowing stuff up and kicking your way to the next area of mutants.  The variety of blood thirsty enemies you face will also change up quite a bit as you make your way through Stygia.  Some guys you can take down with a couple blows, while others will make you think in more creative ways to take down.  But the combat in Bulletstorm is the games bread and butter.  The game feeds on collecting Skillshots.  Skillshots are points that you collect by killing enemies in gruesome and unthinkable ways.  For example using your surrounding environments is a good way to collect points.  Some areas of the game will have things like cactus’s or flesh eating plants that you can kick those ugly buzzards into to gain some serious skillshot points, and not too mention saving some ammo.  Fairly early on in the game you come across a device that slips on your hand called a Leash.   Its basically just like it sounds, if you point that at a enemy it will shoot them towards you in slow motion and will allow you to do whatever you want with them.  You can simply shoot them and move on, but it is much more fun and recommended to think of creative ways to take them out.  This is some of the most fun the game has to offer.

In a game where brutal gun firing combat is what you’ll be spending much of your time on, the weapons would be a pretty important part in a game like Bulletstorm. You will be allowed to carry up to 3 weapons at a time.  Your always equipped with your basic assault rifle that really resembles a Lancer from Gears of War minus the chainsaw. One of my favorite weapons in the game was the Flail gun.  It’s a chain that shoots out thats equipped with two bombs at each end that wraps around your enemy then with a single press of the RT, it rips most bodies in half.  I found this to be extremely useful during some of the tougher enemies in the game like some of the bigger bosses.  The drill bit weapon was also a blast to use, that will instantly implode your enemy into the nearest wall, killing them with one hit.  But the shotgun is the weapon I had in my arsenal throughout the entire game.  It was great for close quarter shootouts and it was equipped with 4 barrels instead of 2 and as you would imagine it literally tore people in half and made for a nice rack up in Skillshot points.  There are a total of around 8 different weapons you can use in the game, and you upgrade each weapon with the points you collect with Skillshots.  Each time you come up on Dropkits, you can buy ammo for your guns, add a secondary fire onto them or swap out one of your guns for something new.  But whatever your weapon of choice may be, Bulletstorm is sure to have everything your sick little mind desires.

Let the plant do all the work

But Bulletstorm has more than just a campaign mode.  If you played the demo, then you got a little taste of the Echoes mode.  These are levels pulled from the single player that last anywhere from 4-6 minutes, and basically all your trying to do is get through each section not so much quickly, but how many Skillpoints you can accumulate.  At the end of each level you are graded on how well you performed.  It also has a leaderboard attached so you can see how well your friends did during their run.  Echoes mode isn’t the highlight to Bulletstorm, but it does make for some fun if you just want to hop on for 20 minutes or so, and anytime you can compete against your friends, it always adds for some replayability.  Anarchy is the cooperative multiplayer mode in Bulletstorm.  It pits you and three of your buddies against 20 waves of enemies, and as you would guess each wave increases in difficulty.  To complete each wave you have to rack up enough skillpoints to advance.  Anarchy will have the most lasting appeal because it’s the mode that you can play with your friends.  If you can get 3 of your buddies together, you will no doubt have an absolute blast.

By no means is Bulletstorm a “perfect” game.  One example is the games controls.  I am not saying they are bad, in fact after a little while you will pick up on them fairly quickly because of how much they resemble Gears of War.  But if your like me who’s brain is wired to the Call of Duty controls, it will take some time before you are running, sliding, and pulverizing your enemies in a smooth manner.  I also had instances of getting stuck onto objects which is very annoying when your under heavy gunfire.  At one point it happened during a pretty intense boss battle and I nearly almost died because of this.  I would say it only happened maybe two or three times but it always seemed like it came at the worst of times.  The game’s story and characters is also not much to write home about.  You will really care less about both as you make your way through the 6-8 hour campaign, depending on what difficulty you play on and how many times you die.

At the end of the campaign I was satisfied with my time with Bulletstorm.  The single player is a decent length and with the Echoes and Anarchy mode on top of that I would justify this game being a 60$ purchase, not too mention having a chance to jump in the Gears of War 3 Beta early.  But if the single player is the only thing that interests you, I would say give it a weekend rental.  But definitely give it the time of day, Bulletstorm puts some of the fun back into the FPS genre.

This review was based on the Xbox 360 version.

Friday, 7/30 – Commander:Conquest of the Americas, Strategy/RTS by Paradox $39.95

Tuesday, 8/3 – Metro 2033 Ranger Pack DLC, $3 on XBL, free for Steam users :O)

News Bytes

Reason to traverse radiated tubes, once more! Yes, as you’ve read above, there will be new DLC for this year’s sleeper hit, Metro 2033.  Sadly, I have not had a chance to play it, myself, but I am salivating for a price drop.  The new DLC allows players to take advantage of a Ranger Mode setting, which makes ammo scarce and increases the damage dealt by both sides.  Ummm, am I the only one who doesn’t see the fun in this?  Also, there will be some new items, weapons and achievements, so look for the DLC to pull into your station this week!

Seems like Fable on the PC will be a bedtime story at dusk. Originally planned to launch side-by-side with console versions, Fable II has now been pushed back to an unannounced date.  Microsoft reassures that this is not a cancellation, but an opportunity to optimize the game for the PC platform.  I would not have made Fable III a day one purchase, and I can certainly stand behind a developer taking extra time to customize a PC version of the game, so the news is not as upsetting to me as it may be to some.  I’m still glad to see Microsoft gaming make a return to PC, and I can only hope this Fable will herald more Microsoft gaming tales to be told on the PC.

Have you lost that lovin’ feeling? The void that has been left, since HAWX came out, so long ago?  Well, get to pre-flight, Mav, HAWX 2 is touching down this fall, on September 7th.  Among scarce details in the skies, the multiplayer aspect of the game seems to have undergone a complete overhaul.  There will now be co-op, arcade and survival modes for up to 8 pilots at a time.  You can be my wingman anytime!  Well, that is, if Ubisoft doesn’t eject us from the cockpit with it’s crippling DRM…….

Geared Up

It’s seeming like I should change the title from ‘Geared Up’ to ‘Overpriced Nerd Gear’!  Sadly, I have two entries this week, that seem to be, only for gamers with the deepest of pockets.  A while back, I detailed a statue of Valve Team Fortress 2 character, The Heavy.  Also planned, were Left 4 Dead and Half-Life entries, well, wait no more zombie maniacs, the first Left 4 Dead statue is here!  The Tank, measuring an intimidating 15 inches tall, is now available for pre-order.  Another Gaming Heads creation, the statue looks fantastically detailed, and an exclusive edition includes a pump shotgun(what no molly?).  He comes in two flavors, vanilla, for a whopping $300, or a more limited flavor for $325.  Am I the only one who thinks this is crazy?  Oh, and you won’t even receive the goods until early next year.  For the cheaper Valve fan, Aperture Labs is moving in on the Beanie Baby market, with it’s plush GlaDOS Curiosity Spheres, far a slightly more palatable $45.  The full set is available, at a discounted $120, and they are only available via Etsy here.  You can purchase one of four colors, each one features different sayings from Portal by pressing the eye (ouch!?).  Believe you, me, if I had that kind of cheddar laying around, I’d be spending it on games and not dust collectors and chew toys, but who am I right?

E3 2010 Nightly Roundup Ep. #2

Sounds like Microsoft is trying to use this game to reassure core gamers that Kinect will be used for more than casual experiences. Expect to see more reveals like this tomorrow, but I can guarantee you this reveal is creating some buzz on the web.

Thanks to Joystiq for the info.

Source

First comes an add form an add house used by Microsoft that seemingly detailed a new 360. The new rig is supposed to contain a 250 Gig HD and a built in Wi-Fi addapter, but the design does not exactly fit the concept of the “360 Slim” that has been rumored. The add has been pulled, but Joystiq has a video of it here.

Then comes an article from USA Today detailing the name change of Project Natal: Kinect. The article also detailed some of the games that will be a part of the Kinect lineup:

Kinectimals features over 20 different virtual pets, including lions, tigers, and cheetahs, to play with or raise.

Joyride has returned to life as a controller-free racing game, apparently.

Kinect Sports will offer sport games to play: “boxing, bowling, beach volleyball, track and field, soccer and table tennis.” For each one, you will make motions to play the games.

Kinect Adventures has a river raft and obstacle course to navigate — this is likely the demo we saw last week.

MTV Games will release Dance Central, where you can cut a virtual rug.

And there will be more games announced later featuring both Disney characters and Star Wars characters, in conjunction with Disney and LucasArts, respectively.

That article has been pulled from USA Today’s site, but you can image it will not be gone for long with the Natal Showcase from Microsoft scheduled for tonight.

So what does all of this mean? Not sure, but I can say one thing: I cannot wait for Micrsoft’s Press Conference tomorrow.

Kinetic story on Joystiq