First off, the games that are coming up: Halo 3 ODST, Left 4 Dead, and Forza 3 come to mind. However, there’s a lot more to look forward to with the Xbox 360 that was introduced at E3 2009. I’m talking about Project Natal.

photo credit: juanma.cabello

REVOLUTION.

Project Natal works with a camera — it captures full-body motion, scans pictures, and integrates a new touch-based navigation system into the Xbox 360. That’s a lot of stuff. The official Project Natal page can be found here (http://www.xbox.com/en-US/live/projectnatal/), and there is no shortage of videos. And I must admit, I’m very impressed — think Wii, without the controller. If Microsoft really focused on making dedicated games towards Project Natal, I’m sure that the tides will turn and the Xbox 360 will surpass the Wii inevitably.

photo credit: modenadude

Secondly, Project Natal already has a program coming up — a friend of mine (thanks Nick!) told me about this about a month ago, but I never got around to seeing it until now — called Milo. Milo, developed by Lionhead, is basically a program where a boy (named Milo?) interacts with the player. One can hold a conversation with this boy, play interactive minigames, but — can also input data virtually into this game. Meaning that Milo scans a piece of paper through Natal, and will have it appear on screen. The transition is seemingly seamless, which is very impressive and speaks a lot for the processing power of the 360 and the speed of Natal.

Again, truthfully, I believe that the Xbox 360 is gearing up for the future, and the other consoles will no doubt be decimated unless they plan something fast. With games coming left and right, and Project Natal around the bend, the Microsoft Xbox 360 would be my recommended system to purchase today.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPIbGnBQcJY&feature=fvst

photo credit: hirotomo

Surprisingly, nothing drastic — after all, the Wii already had the advantage to begin with. Instead, the Wii is upping its arsenal of games — with new Zelda, Metroid, and Mario games on their way to bolster the current line-up. Interestingly enough, Nintendo is also starting to experiment more with MotionPlus sensitivity on the WiiMote, starting with Red Steel 2 (another game to keep an eye on).

photo credit: yoppy

But to be truthful, although the Wii has maintained a good lead in the console wars, I can foresee it losing its current advantage very quickly — the PS3’s wand will incorporate motion control, levelling the playing field in that aspect, and the Xbox 360 is taking it a step further with full-body motion sensing. With both competitors possessing far superior hardware and catching up to the Wii’s only advantage, what will Nintendo do? I once doubted Nintendo and scoffed at its lack of power — but the people have proved me wrong. For Nintendo’s sakes, let’s hope that they come up with something interesting — and that the people love it.

photo credit: tsmall

The killer feature about the iPhone/iPod Touch is the combination of functions, and the convenience that this combination packs into one small device. The new iPhone 3GS features a more powerful graphics card, more RAM, and a faster CPU — all working together to create a deeper gaming experience.

photo credit: CarbonNYC

Not to mention the iPhone/iPod Touch already incorporates an important dimension into many of its games — touch. The iPhone/iPod Touch, although not for hardcore gamers, is more than suitable for casual gamers that just want something to do on the bus ride home. More importantly, the iPhone/iPod Touch can do more than just game — again, for the casual gamers that don’t plan on gaming more than surfing the web or listening to music, perhaps the iPhone/iPod Touch is the right gadget.

Further Reading: http://gizmodo.com/5286263/will-future-iphone-games-run-on-your-iphone-3g

Sony's new PS3 Wand in action.

Firstly, the PS3 Wand really popped out. Initially, I was torn — sure, Sony took a huge page from Nintendo’s playbook, but at the same time, when paired with the PS3’s graphics, this could be an interesting combination. The unofficially named PS3 Wand has millimetre-precision, enabling just as much control over motion as the Wii. Also, upon seeing some pictures, I couldn’t help but note that this PS3 Wand looked much more advanced than the Nintendo Wiimote (I mean, look at the design of that thing — it looks like it came off an Alienware truck or something!).

A great slew of games await the PS3, including the ever-so-popular Uncharted 2.

Not to mention those titles that are still PS3-exclusive — Uncharted 2, ModNation Racers, MAG, Gran Turismo 5, and God of War 3 come to mind — are still coming right around the bend. The PS3 surely is still in the game, but will the PS3 Wand be able to turn the tables? I’m also thinking that the PS3 price will drop soon due to pressure from both the lack of sales and Activisions influence. The next six months should be interesting for the PS3, and if you’re looking for a device to combine both the Internet and media experience and blend it into your living room, the PS3 is not a bad investment (not to mention it still plays Blu-Ray — another capability that sealed the deal for me).

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/sony-ps3-wand-is-best-of-both-worlds
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10254966-1.html

The PSP Go

Digital gaming is nothing new — Steam’s been at it with the PC for at least a good five years (I say “at least” because I remember getting Counterstrike: Source around five years ago). The idea of downloading games to a personal account isn’t a bad one — firstly, the games are more flexible because they can be downloaded anywhere. Secondly, a copy of the game will always exist — no need to worry about the condition of the physical disc. Thirdly, a minor convenience — but we don’t have to step outside to pick up a game anymore (the implications might be a bit depressing — after all, what happens when people don’t need to leave their houses for anything anymore? Alas, that’s a whole other can of worms).

Sony's new PSP Go can slide!

The PSP Go’s physical appearance is the most noticeable change — it is made more portable by sizing down the screen and the removal of the D-pad, analog stick, and the respective PSP buttons. Instead, Sony decided to split the physical form of the PSP Go into two differing platforms — the screen at the top, and the various methods of navigation on the sliding bottom platform.

With the PSP Go, Sony enters the digital gaming market — a good time to be entering the booming industry (could’ve been earlier, but it’s still not too late to make an impact). The PSP Go will not have a UMD slot for traditional PSP games — but it will have 16GB of flash storage as well as an extra memory slot for games, music, and videos (an acceptable 3.8-inch screen). According to Cinema Blend, Sony will allow for old games to be downloaded in the PSP Go format (http://www.cinemablend.com/games/Sony-Offers-Solution-For-UMD-To-Digital-PSP-Go-Game-Conversion-17993.html). Not a bad idea, considering the possibility of a huge conversion from the PSP 1000 crowd.

A look at the PSP Store concept on the PSP Go.

If you’re hoping to keep the Internet in your pocket, the PSP Go offers wi-fi connectivity (note: no 3g though). I suppose it’s alright — after all, it saves on the complicated bit on finding a supporter for the 3g and whatnot. The PSP can also connect to devices via Bluetooth, so connecting to the Internet via cell phone (sounds awfully redundant though) is a possibility.

Is the PSP Go something to wow over? It depends — what will you be needing it for? If you are wanting the portable gaming experience, then by all means consider the PSP Go. However, if Internet or multimedia playback is more important than gaming, the iPhone or iPod Touch si always an alternative.

Sources:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10254798-1.html
http://www.us.playstation.com/psp/systems/pspgo.html
http://gizmodo.com/5273203/psp-go-leaked-slider-with-16gb-of-flash-storage-and-bluetooth
http://www.developmag.com/news/32092/UMD-PSP-games-going-digital-to-support-Go-launch