Microsoft’s E3 Press Conference Brings New Games, Services to the Console

Microsoft Keynote

The line for the Microsoft E3 2012 keynote presentation.

Microsoft kicked off E3 2012 with a bang on Monday, highlighting its biggest upcoming games, as well as its future plans for making the Xbox 360 the ultimate home entertainment device. This year Xbox went from being the number one selling console in North America to the hottest console worldwide.

So, what does the father of Xbox have planned for the year? Set to be “the biggest year for games in Xbox history,” most of the presentation was centered around the new games headed to the console.

Starting things off with a look at Halo 4 , immediately followed by a look a Splinter Cell: Blacklist, Microsoft’s press conference this year was all about the Xbox 360 and the games and new functionality Microsoft plans to add for the console over the coming year.

In sports games, Microsoft announced Madden NFL ’13 and FIFA ’13 are becoming more powerful with Kinect. During a demo of both games the formations of players were changed by voice command using the Kinect.

Joe Montana also took the stage to demo Madden NFL 13, which Microsoft says marks its biggest investment in franchise history. “This is actually pretty sweet,” Montana said after giving the game a test drive on the stage.

Other games shown off at the event include Gears of War Judgement, Forza Horizon, and sequels to popular franchises such as Dance Central and Call of Duty.

Beyond Games

More than just games, Microsoft announced a number of enhancements and new services that will be coming to the Xbox 360.

First up was its new music service, Xbox Music. With a library of over 30 million tracks, the service will be available not only the Xbox, but also Windows 8 PCs, tablets and phones presumably killing off Microsoft’s Zune service on those devices.

Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures, Univision and Machinima will add additional entertainment content to the Xbox lineup of apps.

Starting in the fall you’ll be able to search for videos on your Xbox by genre by simple asking your Xbox to find what you’re looking for. Asking your Xbox to show you comedies for instance, will load up

The NBA is coming to Xbox, with 2400 live games and highlights from your favorite teams., and the NHL will also be making an appearance on the console next season.

Nike has partnered with Microsoft to bring its Nike+ service to the Kinect. A personal trainer in your TV the service will not only let your know how you do during a workout, it will remind you when you’ve been slaking off.

Coming this Fall, Xbox SmartGlass allows you to send movies from your tablet to your television and pick up right where you left off watching. More than just for watching media, the functionality can also be used along with games to add a new level to gameplay. For instance, you could use your tablet to load up maps for a battle game you’re playing, or to load up new lineups for your football team.

What do you think of Microsoft’s E3 announcements? Were you hoping for something that didn’t get announced, or surprised by something that did? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

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