News: New Xbox Revealed - Xbox One

Today, Microsoft revealed their new console, officially called Xbox One, at a press event.  The information presented is by turns illuminating and frustrating.  Some basic system information has been released about the console itself: an eight-core processor with 8GB RAM, built-in Wi-Fi, a 500GB hard drive, and an integrated Kinect with a 1080p camera.  The actual release date has not been announced, however, with Microsoft promising the console "later this year."  More information will be revealed at E3 in a few weeks.

Correction: The Kinect is a separate unit, but the intimation is that each Xbox One will be paired with a Kinect.  Further clarification on this will likely be forthcoming.

Feature: This Generation - Part II

 For the purposes of these features, "This Generation" refers to software found on the following hardware: Wii, DS/3DS, PSP, Playstation 3, and Xbox 360. Trends found on the PC platform will be addressed but because the demarcations between PC hardware iterations can be foggy, establishing what is of this generation is much more difficult to finalize. 

"This Generation" includes major trends or evolutionary notes that will, in this writer's opinion, be identified strongly with this generation of games and hardware for years to come. 

Second item to hallmark this period of gaming: Motion Controls.

Preview: Marvel Avengers: The Battle for Earth (360, Wii U)

The Marvel Universe and video games go hand-in-glove. Besides the usual iterations of Marvel vs. Capcom games, there's been plenty of other properties that have had digital iterations like The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction, Captain America: The First Avenger, the Marvel Ultimate Alliance games, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Iron Man, and, of course, Spider-Man.

E3 2012: NBA Ballers Beats Xbox 360 Kinect Hands-On

NBA Ballers Beats is the first basketball game for the Kinect. Using your body and a real basketball, the game requires players to dribble and do different moves to the beat of music. The game will ship with an official NBA basketball (no price point was mentioned at E3). There are more than 30 licensed tracks in the game spanning genres from hip hop to classic rock. Each of the games songs can be played on multiple difficulties.