Daily Loaf

Monday may mark the beginning of the end for pushing buttons or even holding something in your hands to play a video game. At their annual Xbox 360 E3 (or, the Electronic Entertainment Expo, an annual trade show for the computer and video games industry) Media Briefing in Los Angeles, Microsoft announced Project Natal, a seemingly highly-accurate motion-sensing camera that makes players the controller.

“It’s not about reinventing the wheel, it’s about no wheel at all,” - Stephen Spielberg

Using camera technology presumably from 3DV, a company Microsoft was reportedly in talks with to purchase after the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show, has positioned Microsoft as the one video game console maker to be out-done at this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). While Nintendo and Sony have yet to reveal their announcements, Microsoft looks like it has the hit of the show on its hands as its made games even more simple and accessible than Nintendo has done with the Wii.

“It’s not about reinventing the wheel, it’s about no wheel at all,” filmmaker Stephen Spielberg told the audience of the Xbox E3 09 Media Briefing about Project Natal. The video game industry has seen many innovations in the controller department over the past few years with such new modes of control such as guitar and drum controllers and most notably the Wii remote. Project Natal doesn’t reinvent controllers, it makes them obsolete. Well, there are some games that are best played with a physical controller, but what project Natal promises is quite amazing.

Have a bone to pick with the name Natal? As it’s only a project name for Microsoft’s new camera technology, it’s highly likely that it’s name will change radically. Still hung up on the name? Let’s move on to what really matters, the features:

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There were several enormous bombshells dropped today at Microsoft’s E3 press conference. Among the various expected and unexpected game titles was the news that Microsoft will be integrating Twitter, Facebook, and Last.fm into their LIVE services, as well as looking to improve their current Netflix and streaming video offerings. When you consider that Microsoft is attempting to pull in the entire family to using their consoles – as well as attracting non-gaming families – this is a move that makes a great deal of sense.

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Wanna be called a “fag” over and over again by 12 year old boys from around the world? Well, that’s what X-Box live was designed to deliver – the young male gamer in all his puerility. I mean sure, there’s a kick-ass shooter or three in there too, but the name-calling can be hard to ignore. Unless you just turn off the voice chat like me, then you can revel in pure blasty goodness without the middle-school machismo. There’s no doubting it though – X-Box Live has a civility problem.

Microsoft has decided on a zero-tolerance policy as their last, best hope, and like all zero tolerance policies, it sucks and is offensive and makes stupid mistakes. In this instance, a woman who identified herself as a lesbian (presumably because she’s, you know, gay), was first hounded by Live idiots who harassed her because sex is scary when you’ve never had it. How did Microsoft respond to her plight? The booted her off X-Box Live because she’s identified herself as a lesbian, and in the wonderful world of Live, sex is verboten. Even having the letters “g-a-y” in your name is against the rules, sorry Mr. Gaywood. Read the rest of this entry »

I can’t believe Obama appointed Judge Dredd to his cabinet in the first place. Have a good weekend everyone.

• Gov. Crist’s bipartisanship leads to a Republican backlash.
• Court rules Autism not caused by vaccines. Don’t we have doctors for this?

Chris Brown and Rihnna after the jump.

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You know how I know the next four years are going to be fun? Two words: Joe Biden. Here, Biden knocks John Roberts for flubbing the oath on inauguration day. Obama looks none-too-pleased, by the way. I love it!

• And the new Senator from New York is … not named Kennedy or Cuomo.
• The inauguration quartet featuring Itzhak Perlman and Yo-Yo Ma faked it live … sort of.

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Happy new year one day late. To celebrate the ‘09, here’s a little clip from CNN’s NYE coverage featuring Kathy Griffin, an open mike and off-color hilarity.

Links after the jump …

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Ah, the holidays: A time to reflect. A time to show one’s love and affection for your fellow humans. A time to — Whoa! Are those discounted X-box 360s? Unhand that box or I will kill you!!!!

• India is getting more tense by the second.
• Is Microsoft finally buying Yahoo?
• Welcome home, Endeavour.
• Come on, come on, now touch me baby.
• The hurricane season is over!
• The Bucs are 9-3. Let that sink in for a second.
• Four Christmases is #1 at the box office.
• Keeping up with quick-draw Plaxico Burress.