Please support Game Informer. Print magazine subscriptions are less than $2 per issue
UPDATE: Xbox 360 Slim Confirmed And Releasing This Week
UPDATE TWO: Microsoft's press conference just confirmed the worst kept secret in the industry: the Xbox 360 Slim. What you didn't know, however, is that it is shipping today. Yeah...in a matter of days, you'll be playing a smaller, sleeker, and "whisper quiet" (Microsoft's words) version of the console, all for the same price as the regular 360.
UPDATE ONE: Kinect has been confirmed as the new name for Natal and a list of some of the early games in development for it has been released. Check out the full story.
ORIGINAL STORY: We're mere hours away from Microsoft kicking off E3 with a Natal event tonight and less than 24 hours from their big press conference tomorrow, but two of their biggest surprises may have been leaked today.
A super-sleuth over at the NeoGAF forums stumbled onto the ad banner (above) on an Italian game site. According to a forum member, the ad's animation advertises that it includes a 250GB hard drive, built-in wi-fi, and compatibility with "Kinect."
So what's Kinect? We've heard rumors that Natal isn't the final name for Microsoft's upcoming motion control device and that we'd probably find that out either at the Natal event tonight or during the press conference tomorrow. If this ad somehow got accidentally posted early, could the new name for Natal have been leaked in advance with it? And is Kinect the actual name we'll get in North America or a regional variation on whatever will be announced tomorrow?
Keep in mind that for the next few hours, at least, this is all completely rumor. There have already been several big E3 leaks faked, and it's possible that some devious forum-dweller wanted to wait until just before the show kicked off to fool the gaming world with their masterpiece. We'll know the truth one way or another very soon.
[Thanks to Ben Jones and workinonit24 for the tips]
I’d like to ask you to support Game Informer’s continued coverage of games with a subscription. For less than two dollars per issue, we mail you a full year of 10 print magazines, each with cover stories and preview features filled with exclusive details about the most exciting upcoming games. We profile and interview game creators. We look back on the rich history of gaming, and we celebrate what’s next.
Here on the website, we offer much of our content for free, including game reviews, daily news, videos, event coverage, and more – all with minimal ads.
We do so with a small editorial team, alongside contributing paid writers from around the world – over 65 individuals from 9 countries around the world, just in the last couple of years.
It’s not possible without support.
In a time when game makers and games coverage have faced hard struggles and layoffs, the future of this 30+ year magazine and community is at risk. Our new standalone magazine subscription is the number one way you can keep us alive – and we believe you’ll get a pretty fantastic gaming magazine in your mailbox every few weeks for your trouble.
Thank you.
