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Crush the human stronghold this week with Gears of War 3 - RAAM's Shadow campaign...

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With Fez wrapped up and heading to Xbox Live Arcade, Polytron Corporation head Phil Fish is already discussing the studio's next project. Speaking to Gamasutra, Fish revealed that its collaboration with Kokoromi, Super Hypercube is now in development for Kinect. Super Hypercube is a puzzle game which tasks players with manipulating 3D objects and slotting them into differently shaped holes. Originally created to utilize head tracking with a Wii Remote, the game has since transitioned to Kinect. The game was a finalist at IndieCade earlier this year, with Fish noting that Microsoft "seemed interested" in the title.

To learn a little more about the project, we spoke with Fish, who tells us that Polytron and Kokoromi "went back to the drawing board" with the Super Hypercube, essentially rebooting development. "It has slightly different gameplay and art style, but basically it works the same way," says Fish, "You move your head, it moves the camera." Beyond that, Fish stresses that the project is "a bit early," so it may be some time before we hear much more.

You can learn more about the original Super Hypercube design (and even download the game) from the Polytron website.

With Microsoft's Kinect-friendly Xbox dashboard update now available to the masses, it looks like users can expect a lot more Kinect functionality built-in going forward. That is to say that every future dashboard app will be required to have Kinect functionality, according to Kotaku.

We got the word directly from Microsoft. From now on, all apps must offer Kinect support in some form (and it may be optional for users). We were told by a representative, "With the new dashboard our objective is to bring the power of Kinect functionality to every experience where voice and gestures make sense." Controller support, obviously, won't be abandoned, but Microsoft wants to insure that "consumers can simply use gestures, voice and their controllers in a seamless way."

[Update: Adjusted the post to make it clear that support is required from developers, not users.]

With Microsoft's Kinect-friendly Xbox dashboard update now available to the masses, it looks like users can expect a lot more Kinect functionality going forward. That is to say that every future dashboard app will require Kinect functionality, according to Kotaku.

We got the word directly from Microsoft and it turns out that, from now on, all apps will indeed require Kinect support in some form. We were told by a representative, "With the new dashboard our objective is to bring the power of Kinect functionality to every experience where voice and gestures make sense." Controller support, obviously, won't be abandoned, but Microsoft wants to insure that "consumers can simply use gestures, voice and their controllers in a seamless way."

What's better than a Kinect game styled after a Disney Pixar movie? Try a Kinect game styled after five Disney Pixar movies! The overly-branded title Kinect Rush: A Disney Pixar Adventure is exactly that, offering up a series of Kinect-enabled minigames all centered around five Disney Pixar movies: Toy Story, The Incredibles, Up, Ratatouille, and ... Cars. Well, four out of five ain't too bad.

As you can see in the trailer above, it actually looks pretty fun, if you happen to be a little kid who really likes waving your arms around. You can see another shot of Woody and Buzz waving said arms around in the gallery below. Kinect Rush will be available on March 12, 2012 (for $49.99), and just a few weeks later, your kids will probably have some killer triceps.
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#pixar The Xbox 360's already seen the Mickey Mouse side of the Disney/Pixar character catalog in the recently released Kinect Disneyland Adventures. Now, their corporate cousins from Pixar's movies will be getting their own shot at motion-sensing hijinx. Microsoft's just divulged the existence of Kinect Rush: A Disney Pixar Adventure, an all-ages game that'll feature personas from The Incredibles, Cars, Ratatouille, Up and Toy Story. Look for it to hit on March 20, 2012. More »

#xbox360 So, the future of the Xbox 360 is upon us. It'll have lots of TV and video content. It'll have UFC on-demand and FiOS set-top box functionality. (It won't have Party Mode for video viewing, though.) In short, Microsoft's looking to turn their dedicated game machine into yet another app repository. With a worldwide install base of 57 million consoles worldwide, lots of partners want their stuff on the 360. And, as would follow, Microsoft's setting up some requirements as to what needs to be built into software hoping to show up in the second Xbox. More »

With the holiday season fast approaching, you may soon find yourself in possession of hoards of Microsoft Points, or you may be planning to drop some in a few unsuspecting stockings. While you can't really gift Xbox Live games, there's nothing to stop you from making some suggestions, right?

Whether you are giving or receiving, this guide is for you, highlighting some of the best downloadable releases Xbox Live had to offer this year. Just remember, friends don't let friends blow all their MS Points on Avatar outfits. Oh, and also remember to look for our Xbox buyer's guide in the coming days.

(Update: According to Major Nelson's Twitter feed, the dashboard update is being pushed to accounts in batches, and should be widely available over the next few hours.)

After Microsoft announced several new services would miss the December 6 launch of the Xbox dashboard update, it has revealed that another major component will also miss the planned launch, namely the dashboard update itself. Major Nelson tweeted the news, noting, "the timing for the Xbox 360 dashboard update has been slightly delayed." Concerned citizens will receive a status update "later today."

Given the last minute nature of the delay -- so last minute that it didn't halt this morning's press release announcing the rollout -- we can't yet say for sure whether it's a matter of hours or days.

Gore Verbinski has more going on than films about pirates and talking lizards that were also pirates. His transmedia company, Blind Wink Productions, just inked a deal with Microsoft to produce content for all of Microsoft's platforms. The Hollywood Reporter says the first collaboration will be a Xbox Live Arcade game that uses Kinect, slated for late 2012.

"Xbox 360 gamers can look forward to innovative and creative games from the mind of Gore Verbinski that explore new and exciting gaming territory and take full advantage of our platforms," said Microsoft's Matt Booty. Last, he was president of Midway, but following the collapse moved over to Microsoft and is currently general manager of mobile, digital and casual games.

We've contacted Microsoft for comment and will update accordingly. In the meanwhile, you can check out the press release past the jump.

After Microsoft announced several new services would miss the December 6 launch of the Xbox dashboard update, it has revealed that another major component will also miss the planned launch, namely the dashboard update itself. Major Nelson tweeted the news, noting, "the timing for the Xbox 360 dashboard update has been slightly delayed." Concerned citizens will receive a status update "later today."

Given the last minute nature of the delay -- so last minute that it didn't halt this morning's press release announcing the rollout -- we can't yet say for sure whether it's a matter of hours or days.

The corporate brain trust at Toys R Us has discovered the ancient retail secret of Yuletide deals and rival Amazon is looking to match. Through December 10 (and until supplies last at Amazon), both retailers' entire stock of video games and video game accessories will be buy one, get one half-off. But if you're more for the bending parts and kung-fu grip, you'll have to stick with Toys R Us -- there are deals on Nerf guns, action figures and Lego stuff to consider.

Something called Zhu Zhu Pets is also on sale at Goeffrey Giraffe's, though we're not really sure what that thing is. We'd Google it but, to be honest, the last time we did that, it didn't end so well. We never really figured out how to turn the safe search on and let's just say our eyeballs will be forever unclean.

#kinect Who says gaming can't lead to a higher education? Ziyuan Liu and Cassee Cain of Oak Ridge High School in Oak Ridge are splitting a $100,000 college scholarship awarded in the Siemens Foundation's annual high school science competition after creating a Kinect-powered application that uses Microsoft's magical camera to analyze the way a person walks. More »

Magic and online multiplayer come together at least this week with Trine 2...

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#yoostar It's not everyday that three men dressed like Zach Ryder walk into your apartment at two in the morning. Drunk and looking to play some Xbox, I turned them to my awesome new copy of Yoostar in MTV. This is what came out of that night. More »

#yoostar It's not everyday that three men dressed like Zach Ryder walk into your apartment at two in the morning. Drunk and looking to play some Xbox, I turned them to my awesome new copy of Yoostar in MTV. This is what came out of that night. More »

#dancecentral The Los Angeles Times has taken a look at the October NPD numbers, which show that dancing games like Just Dance 3 and Dance Central 2 have grown in sales 326% over last year. That far outpaces the next nearest fastest-growing genre, fighting games, which grew just 33% over the same period of time. More »

After clocking ten months as the top console on the NPD sales charts, Microsoft had little incentive to lower the price of the Xbox 360 this holiday. Instead, Redmond's strategy has been to partner with retailers to push sale prices, so frugal shoppers have no problem getting a deal while post-holiday pricing remains high so long as strong numbers continue.

To that end, Microsoft just announced that it moved 960,000 consoles in the US "during the week of Black Friday." When asked if that included Cyber Monday, which had some notable Xbox sales of its own, we were told, "These numbers are from Saturday, Nov. 19 through Friday, Nov. 25 and do not include Cyber Monday." Still, without the unfortunately named Cyber Monday, this represents the "biggest week of sales in Xbox history," according to internal Microsoft numbers.

Big whoop, right? What we're really curious about is Kinect. Will it manage to be one of this holiday's "must-have" gifts for a second year in a row? Considering Kinect moved an equally impressive 750,000 units in the US across standalone and bundled offerings, we're inclined to say it's getting there.

In the US, dancing game sales are up 326% percent year over year, the NPD told the LA Times. That's for the 12-month period ending October 31. Compare that with overall game sales, which rose 3%.

Of course, at the end of October last year, Just Dance 2 had only started selling. Since then, it's been doing very well for itself, and has been followed by several spinoffs, including Just Dance Kids (and its sequel!), Michael Jackson: The Experience, The Black Eyed Peas Experience, Just Dance 2 Summer Party, and, of course, Just Dance 3.

Too damn many Just Dance games can't claim all the credit for the growth in dancing-machine sales. Dance Central is at somewhere over a million units, and it's been followed by a sequel; Zumba Fitness has been a phenomenon, and Sony's Everybody Dance is also available.

Get into the race this week with Mario Kart 7...

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Bodoink, a family-friendly XBLA Kinect title, which places player's Avatars inside a giant pinball machine, is currently seeking funding on Kickstarter. The money raised will be put towards the game's polish and "the final push for big fun."

Developer Robomodo has a goal of $35,000, offering up spots in the credits of the game, along with posters and t-shirts for donations. Those who put up $5,000 or more receive an executive producer credit, likeness in the game and a studio tour -- but they'll have to pay their own way and hotel while visiting the Chicago studio.

Robomodo's previous efforts were the shelf-filling Tony Hawk: Ride and Tony Hawk: Shred. Holding up the skateboard peripheral to your Kinect in Bodoink will instantly generate an on-screen apology.*

*Not true, but that's something we'd pay for in a Kickstarter.

If sources close to Eurogamer are to be believed, Microsoft has some pretty lofty plans for the next iteration of Kinect. According to said sources, the "Kinect 2" will not only offer improved motion tracking and voice recognition, but will also be capable of all kinds of technical wizardry. Apparently, the as yet unannounced device will be able to read lips, detect the direction a player is facing and recognize his or her emotional state. If your current emotional state is "a little freaked out," we're right there with you.

According to the source, the new device will not utilize USB and thus won't be hampered by its relatively antiquated data speeds - a limitation of the current Kinect model. This will allow for the "phenomenally high res data" needed for the previously mentioned features (and perhaps others, presumably). In other words, Dance Central 3 may be able to objectively determine whether players are, in fact, too legit to quit.

#kinect If you look at the fancy Kinect Effect commercial (seen above) Microsoft's been airing for the one-year anniversary of its best-selling motion-sensing camera, then you're led to believe that all sorts of innovations might be made manifest via the device's current iteration. More »

Microsoft has embraced hacker culture for Kinect, and it now sees the vast possibilities offered by a machine that requires people to just twitch or shout for it to function. Microsoft is now planning to integrate Kinect into next-generation televisions, The Daily reports (citing anonymous "sources familiar with the subject") completely destroying the all-American pastime of searching for the remote. But that's not the most shocking part -- The Daily also says Microsoft may be in "early stages of licensing" its Kinect tech to Vizio and Sony, whose Electronics branch produces high-def hardware.

Sony Electronics, in charge of Sony TVs, is a separate entity from Sony Computer Entertainment, which handles its video-game business, but this potential partnership seems awkward at best, and ludicrous at best-er. We won't believe it until a tangible product materializes, but until then, we're going to imagine the ridiculous company parties that could result from this rumored venture.

If you're planning your Black Friday around time-sensitive deals popping up at Amazon today, you can find the full schedule over at Thrifty Nerd. Some of the list is guesswork, but all the deals look pretty reasonable to us ... that is, except for for Rayman Origins which you should feel guilty about buying that cheaply.

Any in particular you're looking to grab?

Cheap Ass Gamer got the early scoop on Amazon's Black Friday deals, so you won't have to stand outside of Amazon all night without knowing what you're in line for. (We might not have the best understanding of how Amazon works).

Some of the limited-time Lightning Deals available this Friday will include Assassin's Creed Revelations for $35, and Batman: Arkham City, Battlefield 3, Gears of War 3, Killzone 3, and Madden NFL 12, for $28. So, basically, the same games other retailers will have for $28. That's vaguely suspicious.

Other Lightning Deals include Rayman Origins for $40 on PS3 and Xbox and $30 on Wii, an Xbox 360 with Kinect (plus $50 credit) for $199.99, and an unadorned 4GB Xbox for $139.99.

There are a lot more deals to be found on the list -- you're just going to have to search it yourself for what you're looking for.

Microsoft's Kinect for Windows program doesn't just involve new firmware for PCs. There will be a new version of the Kinect hardware designed for Windows, with "improvements" like a shorter USB cable ("to ensure reliability across a broad range of computers") and a smaller USB dongle to better share space.

The firmware includes support for a new "Near Mode," designed to see objects as close as 50 centimeters away from the camera ("with graceful degradation down to 40 centimeters," Windows Kinect GM Craig Eisler notes). It makes sense for a device you would use while sitting at the computer.

In advance of the Kinect for Windows launch (early 2012), Microsoft has launched the "Kinect Accelerator" program, which will give $20,000 each to ten startups using Kinect, along with Microsoft development tools, "marketing visibility" and mentoring.

#kinect Making Kinect Windows-friendly is more than just a fancy new SDK and some marketing materials. Developers are going to need some tweaked hardware as well, and Microsoft is prepared to deliver with a Windows version of Kinect capable of accurate sensing as close as 50 centimeters from the sensor. More »

Amazon's got a set of game-themed Lightning Deals starting at 11am PST (2PM EST). Since all we have are clues, we can't tell you what the prices will be -- with the exception of the Xbox 360 Kinect 4GB bundle with $100 Credit. That'll be the regular price of $300 (offset by that credit). Other clues suggest we'll see deals on The ICO and Shadow of the Colossus Collection, Bleach: Soul Resurreccion, SOCOM 4, and more.

The retailer also has a Black Friday sale up, offering discounts on a selection of "action games and accessories." Those offers include No More Heroes: Heroes' Paradise for $20, Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition for $18, and Bulletstorm for $18.

Dance Central 2 will add two new DLC tracks tomorrow, November 22, from pop phenomenon Lady Gaga. The new routines are attached to "Marry the Night" and "The Edge of Glory," off of Gaga's Born This Way album. The tracks will be 240 MSP ($3) apiece.

Publisher Microsoft also teased that DLC from Rihanna will be added in December.

Dance Central has been no stranger to Gaga, with "Just Dance" and "Poker Face" available on the original game, along with "Bad Romance" and "Born This Way" on the Dance Central 2 disc.