Microsoft Unveils New Gaming System

Four years ago, Nintendo's Wii made slim, motion-controlled controllers the forefront of video-game technology. Now, Microsoft is betting that the next wave of gaming will be even more intuitive: The company unveiled Kinect on Sunday, its new system for the Xbox 360 that requires no controller at all. Instead, a built-in camera and microphone use facial and voice recognition to track movements, allowing the user to play games or surf the Web by simply reaching out and pointing. "We set out to make a new control paradigm where anyone can get in and play, without having to read the instructions or learn a complicated set of controls." The system was unveiled during a Cirque du Soleil performance in the University of Southern California, in which the performance group integrated footage from the platform's upcoming games. Kinect is due out in November; no price has been set.