Author: Raja Rajan

Microsoft including some new features for Xbox 360 lice Voice search and new look for service. The Kinect add-on, looks like the system is being refashioned with the support to build in form the ground up as opposed to the current menu system thats more of afterthought. The page are Dance Central 2, Kinect Sports Season 2, and two new Halo games. One is Combat Evolved Anniversary in HD, other one is Halo 4. YouTube has been announced as Xbox Live Partner and Bing is to be used as a search engine for Netflix, Xbox Live Marketplace, and Hulu all at once. It also extends to Live TV partnerships with Sky, Canal+, and Foxtel. The UI got into metro look with the old Kinect UI elements.

Sony is actively working on the developing the next generation gaming console successor to the PS3. R&D budgets have already been allocated for the new gaming console. Masaru Kato, Sonys Chief Financial Officer says that We have a portable, NGP, to be launched later this year, so we have development expenses to be incurred for this product. And for home equipment, the PS3, this still has a product life, but this is a platform business. So for the future platform, when we will be introducing what product I cannot discuss that, but our development work is already underway and the costs are incurred there, he added.

The new report from games pundit says that the Sonys new NGP device is to be named as PlayStation Vita or PS Vita. From the image you are seeing above was posted by a blogger, Google cached version of this post are not available now. This snap was of a graphic prepared for the official announcement of the PS Vita at E3. The main clue for the rumor is Sony Computer Entertainment developer network website has added the word Vita to its list of sub-domains. These are previously included the words PS3, PSP, and NGP. Click on the source link to check it out.

In traditional bad-gadget fashion, these Xbox 360 and PS3 controllers boost a cheesy, dual rumble motors, comfort soft-grips, and seven switchable splashes of LED color. The two controllers are similar; Ol Bats seems to favour PS3, giving it controller not only the popular Xbox 360 button / analog layout, also an internal battery, detachable charging cable, and batman themed USB RF receiver, to boot. The controllers will be on display by E3 next week. The controller seems to be ship in October. For more details read the press release.

PSN and Qriocity service has been restored in the Americas, Europe, and Asia and to celebrate Sony has launched its Welcome Back program. To eligible for this you had to be a member before April 20th but otherwise it is qualifier free. The PlayStation Store and head to the Welcome Back tab to claim your pair of free games. Everyone also gets a month of PlayStation Plus gratis and there is a selection of On Us movie rentals available over the weekend. There are lot of other more free stuffs available, like 100 free items in PlayStation Home, while Current Plus and Music Unlimited Premium Subscribers get a 60 and 30 day hand-out. Hit on the source link to know more

Eurogamer reports that the NGP is backward compatible with existing PSP games of downloadable variety only. The site says that it has seen Resistance: Retribution demonstrated on the device, and that all PSP games run through a software emulator that will let you turn up-scaling on or off ratio to suit your preference games also capable of NGPs dual analog sticks. It also promises the cross-device playability.

This week the Inside Xbox episode shows us how it will work with Forza 4, and the Kinect enabled head-tracking appears to run fairly smoothly compared to others we have seen. There is now word on the other titles planning to use of this new features, but will find out more while on the E3 next week. Dont forget to look at the video

Sonys Chief Financial Officer stated recently that the upcoming NGP device wont be as investment heavy as previous platforms. Sony wont pour cash onto developing new semiconductors just for its new device, and will opt to build NGP hardware with available components. This can be good competent with the Nintendo 3DS, but it is all quiet on the pricing front at a Sony HQ.