{"id":15019,"date":"2011-08-18T18:32:11","date_gmt":"2011-08-18T08:32:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/power-up.space\/?p=15019"},"modified":"2011-08-18T18:32:11","modified_gmt":"2011-08-18T08:32:11","slug":"microsoft-ignites-blockbuster-games-excitement-and-unveils-more-magic-for-kinect-at-gamescom-2011","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.impulsegamer.com\/wordpress\/?p=15019","title":{"rendered":"MICROSOFT IGNITES BLOCKBUSTER GAMES EXCITEMENT AND UNVEILS MORE MAGIC FOR KINECT AT GAMESCOM 2011"},"content":{"rendered":"

European momentum grows as Xbox 360 continues to transform entertainment for everyone<\/em>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

COLOGNE, Germany \u2013 August 18, 2011 \u2013<\/strong> Today, Microsoft raised the curtain on gamescom 2011, unveiling a stellar line up of compelling new content for Xbox 360 across the biggest blockbuster games and Kinect titles launching in the next 12 months, marking the biggest year in Xbox 360\u2019s history while pushing to become the best-selling game console worldwide.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Chris Lewis, vice president Interactive Entertainment Business for Microsoft Europe, said, \u201cWe\u2019ve been very clear that our ambition is to be the number one console not only in Europe but worldwide, and looking at our lineup at gamescom while knowing what\u2019s still in the pipeline, I\u2019m confident we have the games and experiences to drive us toward that goal. Consumers of all ages continue to be captivated and entertained by everything Xbox 360 and Kinect have to offer and our commitment to the core remains undeniable.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Xbox 360 is the home for blockbuster games<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Opening Wednesday, August 17, 2011, Microsoft\u2019s presence on the gamescom show floor will reaffirm Xbox 360 as the platform to play this holiday\u2019s top games and promises to thrill core gamers with blockbuster titles and content available exclusively on Xbox 360, including the multi-million selling \u201cGears of War\u201d franchise playable in Germany for the very first time. With a MA15+ approved rating, \u201cGears of War 3\u201d will hit shelves beginning September 20, allowing fans in Australia and around the world to load up their Lancers and join Marcus Fenix and his fellow COG soldiers as they race to rescue the human race from the jaws of extinction. Setting the standard for the racing genre this holiday on the Xbox 360 platform and Kinect, car lovers will be blown away as \u201cForza Motorsport 4\u201d1<\/sup> takes centre stage exclusively at the Xbox 360 booth with the worldwide debut of the 2012 BMW M5. The team at Turn 10 Studios will also reveal F1 track favourite, the Hockenheim Ring, joining the host of circuits available when \u201cForza Motorsport 4\u201d speeds to store shelves across Australia on October 13, <\/strong>2011. Fans of the popular Xbox exclusive and first-person shooter franchise, \u201cHalo,\u201d will be the first in the world to compete on classic multiplayer maps Beaver Creek and Damnation in the iconic, remastered \u201cHalo: Combat Evolved Anniversary,\u201d 1<\/sup> launching on the franchise\u2019s 10th<\/sup> anniversary, November 15, 2011.<\/p>\n

Building on the strength of Microsoft\u2019s portfolio, the industry\u2019s best developers and publishers will showcase some of the best game experiences found on Xbox 360 with their latest blockbuster titles including <\/em><\/strong>\u201cCall of Duty\u00ae: Modern Warfare\u00ae 3,\u201d 1<\/sup> \u201cAssassins Creed Revelations\u00ae,\u201d 2<\/sup> \u201cEA SPORTS\u2122 FIFA 12,\u201d 1<\/sup> and \u201cThe Elder Scrolls\u00ae V: Skyrim\u2122.\u201d 1<\/sup> \u00a0\u00a0Set to release exclusively for Xbox 360 and Kinect, Capcom will continue to demonstrate its commitment to pushing the boundaries of game development and showcasing new Kinect features for \u201cSteel Battalion Heavy Armor\u201d 1<\/sup> exclusively to media ahead of its release in 2012.<\/p>\n

Controller-free magic continues with Kinect <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

gamescom will also provide an opportunity for Microsoft to highlight the breadth and depth of its game and entertainment portfolio, reaching core and family consumers alike. Kinect for Xbox 360, in conjunction with popular entertainment brands, will breathe life into the characters that touched our hearts, the worlds that captivated our imaginations, and the stories that defined generations for the whole family. For the first time anywhere in the world, attendees will be able to wreak havoc as the fearsome Rancor monster in \u201cKinect Star Wars\u201d 1<\/sup> destroying Mos Eisley, crushing Stormtroopers, and swatting X-Wing fighters out of mid-air.\u00a0 Together with \u201cKinect: Disneyland Adventures\u201d 1<\/sup> and \u201cSesame Street: Once upon a Monster,\u201d 1<\/sup> which is playable at the show and allows families to interact with beloved characters, Xbox 360 is bringing iconic scenes and characters to life like never before through the power of Kinect.<\/p>\n

Continuing to highlight the breadth of Kinect gaming experiences, Microsoft will also showcase \u201cThe Gunstringer,\u201d 2<\/sup> an artistic character-based shooter for core gamers which utilizes Kinect in a fresh new way. \u201cThe Gunstringer\u201d will arrive in stores worldwide on September 13, 2011, bundled with a download token3<\/sup> for Xbox LIVE Arcade and \u201cSummer of Arcade\u201d title \u201cFruit Ninja Kinect.\u201d 4<\/sup><\/p>\n

This year also sees the launch of the successors to three of Kinect for Xbox 360\u2019s best-selling titles, \u201cDance Central 2,\u201d 1<\/sup> \u201cKinect Sports: Season Two,\u201d 1<\/sup> and \u201cKinectimals Now with Bears!\u201d 1<\/sup> The launch of “Dance Central 2” on October 21, 2011, will give movers and shakers the chance to strut their stuff with the introduction of full body two-player simultaneous dance tracking, a deeper one- or two-player campaign experience, and an improved fitness mode. \u201cDance Central 2’s\u201d fresh, must-have soundtrack will feature more than 40 songs on disc, with support for more than 100 tracks. If that isn\u2019t enough, music fans will also be thrilled to hear international superstars like Lady Gaga and popular European artists such as Lena, Enrique Iglesias and Daft Punk will join the tracklist with hit songs \u201cBorn This Way\u201d, \u201cSatellite\u201d, \u201cI Like It\u201d and \u201cTechnologic\u201d. During the show, sports fans will also be the first to experience two all-new sports, Tennis and Darts, celebrated by a controller-free set by five-time Grand Slam tennis star Martina Hingis. \u201cKinect Sports: Season Two\u201d releases to the cheers of the crowd beginning October 27, 2011. Animal lovers across the globe will be able to bring home new furry friends in \u201cKinectimals Now with Bears!\u201d 1<\/sup> on October 11, 2011, but the fun doesn\u2019t end there. Coming this spring, \u201cKinectimals\u201d fans can take their favorite cubs beyond the living room to care for and train while on-the-go. \u201cKinectimals\u201d for mobile7<\/sup> will deliver all of the fun of the original \u201cKinectimals,\u201d using touch screen controls to feed, pet, play, train and nurture on-the-go from their Windows Phone while also enjoying Xbox LIVE integration of Achievements and Leaderboards.<\/p>\n

The Xbox 360 booth will also play host to a range of new titles from leading games publisher Ubisoft which continues to harness the power of Kinect in ever more exciting ways.\u00a0 gamescom guests can immerse themselves in the forthcoming \u2018Your Shape\u00ae Fitness Evolved 2012\u20191<\/sup>, which hits shelves on November 10, 2011 and uses precise, real-time and full-body tracking to put your body in the game for the ultimate \u2018at home\u2019 work out.\u00a0 If they conserve enough energy, visitors to the booth can annihilate the forces of evil in \u2018PowerUP Heroes\u2019 1<\/sup>, a full-body fighting game which turns your Xbox 360 avatar into a powerful superhero ready for a cosmic combative showdown and launches on October 6, 2011.\u00a0 The booth will also feature a demo for the upcoming \u2018Rabbids\u00ae Alive & Kicking,\u2019 1<\/sup> a Kinect-exclusive mini game collection which sees players halting Rabbids from invading the living room using an Augmented Reality feature with Kinect’s camera, when it launches on November 3, 2011.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Microsoft will also debut a host of new content from across the portfolio as Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and Games for Windows continue to bring the best in interactive entertainment to living rooms around the world with:<\/p>\n