Inbox appears every Friday on OXMonline.com.
GOING For Nintendo’s jugular vein is Microsoft, who is clearly not targeting the hardcore gamer demographic with their latest family-friendly Kinect project, titled Kinect Rush: A Disney-Pixar Adventure. The mini-game collection (we know, you’re shocked that it’s a mini-game collection, right?) features motion-controlled activities in five Pixar-film-themed areas: Up, Ratatouille, Cars, Toy Story, and The Incredibles. It seems like a no-brainer, but we’re only just realizing that Nintendo never tried to do anything like this with the Wii. Looks like Kinect is going to be a hot toy again this holiday! (Cue a million Xbox fanboys crying out in pain.)
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LAUNCHED The new Xbox 360 Dashboard, did Microsoft, which means the New Xbox Experience we’ve been running for the last three years suddenly becomes the Old Xbox Experience (and the original “Blades” becomes, what, the “Dull Blades” maybe?). The ad-heavy interface replicates the company’s Windows Phone and Windows 8 look and feel…which means it’s meant to be touched (eww) or, in the Xbox 360’s case, talked to via Kinect. The codename for the new operating system is “Metro,” which means the Xbox can now “manscape” and head to the salon for mani-pedis.
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RELEASED By Microsoft was the free “My Xbox Live” app for iPhone and other iOS devices. Yes, you read that right: the former blood-sworn rivals are sleeping in the same bed together…in your pocket. The companion app lets you admire your animated Avatar, send and receive Xbox Live messages, and spy on your friends to see if they’re online playing Skyrim instead of working. Best of all? The release of this app means you have one less reason to own a Windows Phone…as if you needed another one.
