Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony - What to expect

Microsoft:

The motion sensor, currently code-named "Project Natal," will have its debut three days before E3's official kickoff, with an opulent coming-out party that will feature a performance by Cirque du Soleil. The retail name of the system, its full functionality (both gaming- and non-gaming) and several titles that will utilize it will be unveiled. The retail price might remain under wraps a bit longer, though, as 'Natal' isn't expected to go on sale until late this year.

Xbox 360:

Microsoft will also likely further broaden the Xbox 360's non-gaming functionality, introducing a new general entertainment partner as it has the past two years (when Netflix and Last.fm were integrated into the system). Hulu.com has been rumored as a contender, but there are several hurdles that would need to be cleared (though this would be a good opportunity for the television- and film-streaming service to introduce a pay model for).

Gamewise, "Halo: Reach" will be in the spotlight – as it's expected to be Microsoft's biggest title this holiday season. And "Gears of War III" – next year's tentpole – will have plenty of exposure as well.

Sony:

Beyond the Move controller, Sony may finally follow through on plans to introduce a paid premium service for its PlayStation Network online portal. This would be on top of the existing free service, with added benefits, though exactly what those will be is still unclear.

Wall Street is also watching to see if rumors of a new portable gaming device prove to be true. Whispers indicate Sony will unveil the PSP 2 at the show – a true sequel to their handheld system, as opposed to last year's PSP Go, which offered changes to the existing hardware and was generally considered a sales disappointment. With the growing strength of Apple in the handheld gaming space, Sony will need to radically shake up its PSP product line if it hopes to remain competitive.

Finally, expect Sony to give 3D a little lip service, announcing a U.S. launch date for a system update that will let the PS3 play games in stereoscopic 3D, along with backward compatibility for several existing titles and some downloadable new ones specifically designed for 3D. It will turn heads, but without a 3D-capable television, which have only gone on sale in the last few months, it won't impact many players.

Nintendo:

Nintendo typically has the biggest surprises of the show, but many of those have already leaked out. The biggest is the forthcoming release of the 3DS, a handheld gaming system that shows games in stereoscopic 3D without the need for special glasses. It's a virtual certainty the company will have the system playable at the show – and many expect Nintendo to announce a launch date of this holiday.

The company will also give more details on the Vitality Sensor it briefly announced last year. Like "Wii Fit," this peripheral seems an odd fit for a gaming machine at first glance, given its purpose is to relax players, rather than excite and engage them. But Nintendo has proven itself quite adept at making seemingly incompatible peripherals big sellers.

Another "Zelda" title will be unveiled at the show as well – and fans might hear a bit more about the next installment in the “Pikmin” franchise as well.

http://videogames.yahoo.com/events/plugged-in/this-year-s-video-game-summit-what-to-expect/1401197

 

inb4nerd

 

My youngest son really wants the Nintendo DSi XL. Looks like I'll be telling him to wait for xmas and get the 3DS.

 

My kids....and me.....are really excited about Microsoft's project Natal. That thing looks awesome. Hopefully it comes off as good as they expect it to. I can't wait to see the new games demoed on it at e3

 

Imagine how hard sports games would be!

 

My kids, who are very good at Krav maga, are excited about the fighting games.

 

I never got around to buying a psp, hopefully the second one will be backwards compatible with psp 1 games.

 

I'd love to try those out too.

 

Will the Microsoft Natal be a different system than the 360?

found this:
http://www.xbox.com/en-US/live/projectnatal/?WT.srch=1

 

I can't wait for the Nintendo 3D!

 

From everything I have seen, it's a 3d motion sensor camera thingy that hooks up to the 360

 

Interested it that, too.

 

http://www.katu.com/news/tech/96316874.html

 

The Natal, now called Kinect, looks pretty sick.

I'm selling my PS3 and getting one of the updated 360s.

 

Why? You are already a pro at acting like an idiot. Sounds like the Kinect will be perfect for ya!

 

More info on the new Xbox 360 Slim:
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-21539_7-20007644-10391702.html?tag=smallCarouselArea.0
http://kotaku.com/5563225/new-xbox-360-specs

Kinect:
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-21539_7-20007707-10391702.html?tag=TOCmoreStories.0