Kevin Butler Brings Down The House And Sony’s Presser

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Rumored for the longest time, Sony Computer Entertainment America VP of Everything Kevin Butler did indeed make an appearance at Sony’s E3 press conference. It marks a truly crossover moment between entertainment and marketing, but don’t take our word for it: watch his performance yourself.

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PlayStation Move Coming In September

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Sony today confirmed several details about the PlayStation Move. Firstly, the motion controller will launch on September 19 in North America, September 15 in Europe, and on October 21 in Japan

The Move Controller will cost $49.99 solo, and the Navigation Controller will cost $29.99. A PlayStation Move Sports Champions Bundle with a Move controller, PlayStation Eye, and Sport Champions will retail for $99.99, while a PlayStation 3 & Move bundle will have a PS3 console, Move, and a PlayStation Eye for $399.99.

iPhone 4 Pre-Order Hiccups

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Apple started to take pre-orders for the iPhone 4 on Tuesday for both the 8GB handset and the 32GB handset, which will retail for $199 and $299 respectively. Apple said pre-ordered iPhones should ship by June 24. The first orders, however, had a few errors.

“The iPhone 4 pre-order launch did not go off without a few snags. At 6 a.m., Computerworld bloggers reported that the the U.S. Apple Store was flashing error messages,” writes Mathew Shaer. The site apparently went down for at least an hour, and was back up at 8 a.m., at which point Computerworld staff successfully pre-ordered an iPhone 4. Meanwhile, the Register reported that the U.K. Apple Store had apparently crumpled under heavy traffic.

Source: Christian Science Monitor

3DS Detailed

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Nintendo today officially showed off the 3DS to the world and also confirmed the handheld’s name. It retains the same basic form function as the previous versions, but the larger top screen now has 3D capability without glasses. There’s a slider to adjust the 3D nature of the screen, while the bottom screen is not 3D but does have a touch pannel.

Also an analog controller called a Slide Pad has been put in above the D-pad. Accelerometer and gyro sensors have also been added so the system can detect movement.

The 3DS has three cameras, with one front facing and two outside. The external cameras allow users to take 3D digital pictures. The graphical capabilities have also been improved over the regular DS, though to what degree was not explained.

Nintendo also confirmed that the 3DS would have expanded online connectivity. The portable will seek out Wi-fi slots and communicate with them automatically and regardless of what game is played, giving access to automatic updates, new content, rankings and more for free.

Legend Of Zelda Points Sword Skyward

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Opening up Nintendo’s E3 press conference was Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. Shigeru Miyamoto himself was there on hand to show off the latest game in the long running series.

The game will make use of the Wii MotionPlus for not only sword combat, but also other functions like rolling a bomb, controlling a flying creature and cracking a whip. Many of Miyamoto’s demonstrations either didn’t go as planned or failed, due to what he said was wireless interference.

Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, which uses a styled art style noticeably different from Twilight Princess, will release sometime in 2011.

 

3D Gaming Interest High, Says Study

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The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) today released a study about 3D gaming. The study called 3D Gaming: Entertainment’s Next Dimension says that while early adopters and hardcore gamers have a strong interest in 3D video games, casual gamers are also interested.  Seeing the technology in action and education on its workings was found to be key to adoption.

While 64 percent of respondents who said they were interested in 3D gaming were core gamers, another 35 percent are casual players. All consumers interested in 3D technology expect new 3D equipment to be multimedia devices and they all wanted their 3D gaming device to have backward-compatibility with existing 2D content. Most expect to use their 3D gaming system to watch 3D video content (58 percent) or connect to the Internet (51 percent). Almost half of the respondents (45 percent) want to be able to download games and other content directly to their system.

“The introduction of 3D into the gaming arena has the potential to reinvigorate the gaming market by adding greater realism and fostering a more social gaming experience,” said CEA Senior Research Analyst Ben Arnold. “As interest grows and consumers become more comfortable with the technology, 3D is poised to become the preferred format for many gamers.”

Hands-on experience was found to be key, with 32 percent of consumers interested in 3D gaming have seen an in-store 3D PC display and a quarter of them have watched a gaming demo. Interestingly, 21 percent of interested respondents said they had played a 3D video game in the past year.

“Like with 3DTV, HDTV and other innovative technologies, consumers will need to experience a 3D video game to truly appreciate the experience,” said Arnold. “Manufacturers, retailers and game publishers will have to partner to offer more demonstrations and consumer education so prospective buyers can experience gameplay and other features of a 3D gaming device.”

Mac Mini Gets Thinner, More Powerful

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Apple has unveiled the newest version of their Mac Mini. The design will have an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 320GB hard, a 2GB of RAM, a slimmer 1.4-inch thick body and will integrate the power supply and eliminate any need for a power adaptor.

“The sleek, aluminum Mac mini packs great features, versatility and value into an elegant, amazingly compact design,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “With twice the graphics performance, HDMI support and industry-leading energy efficiency, customers are going to love the new Mac mini.”

Prices for the new Mac Mini start at $699.

Source: PC World

Microsoft Phasing Out Old Xbox 360 Models

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On top of the new Xbox 360 redesign, Microsoft revealed that they will be cutting the price of their existing models. The Arcade and Pro will be sold for $149 and $249 respectively.

These older models of the Xbox 360 are being completely phased out and will not be restocked after they are gone. Additionally, the new model Xbox 360 will eventually release with a $199 price tag, with some features likely cut out.