Posts tagged xbox 360 console

The Xbox Next and the PlayStation 4 may not come (not yet, at least), and Nintendo has promised not to reveal anything new about its next-generation console, the Wii U. But that doesn't mean that the gaming community won't find plenty to love about this year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

CES 2012 may not (or it may; you just never know in the cloak-and-dagger world of electronics) bring announcements of next-gen consoles, but it will do plenty to alter the gaming landscape.

ULTRABOOKS

Start with the evolution of the PC as a gaming platform. With all the buzz around consoles these days, it's become easy to dismiss the PC, even if it does make games such as Crysis 2 look that much more impressive.

But that could change in 2012. In an attempt to go head to head with the Apple's MacBook Air, Microsoft will push the Ultrabook. These magazine-thin machines aren't meant for gaming, but the race against Apple will push laptop-makers to generate more power. Look no further than Lenovo's ThinkPad T430U, an understated ultrabook that will reportedly have optional Nvidia graphics capabilities. Count on it being able to run Diablo III.

GAMING ALL OVER

Expect Sony to make a big push into mobile gaming. The company just announced its AT&T data pricing plans for next month's PS Vita ($15 for 250MB, $25 for 2GB), and Sony reps confirmed for us that the Vita is "PlayStation's primary focus" at CES. The company has two key Vita titles, Resistance: Burning Skies and Unit 13, ready to show off.

Meanwhile, Sony also showed off the Sony Tablet P, a foldup tablet that will pick up where last year's Tablet S left off and link to the PS Store for Android. The Tablet P and Vita will both have access to the PlayStation Network. And Microsoft's new line of Windows 8 phones will all have Xbox Live functionality. Companies are going to do their best to get gamers gaming everywhere, which should make for plenty of fun.

MORE WAYS TO KINECT

Microsoft's Xbox 360 Kinect changed the legacy of motion-controlled games in 2011, allowing us to game and navigate menus with simple gestures. But plenty of tech dorks found other uses for the Kinect, hooking it up to computers and experimenting.

Now, Microsoft is following suit. On Monday, the company announced that it will release Kinect for Windows on Feb. 1, and it's billing the gadget as something that can be used for everything from gaming to teaching.