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Microsoft unveils Slimmer, Sexier Xbox 360

New Xbox 360

Microsoft will release a smaller, redesigned Xbox 360 console in Australia on July 1 featuring built-in wireless networking support and an internal, removable 250GB hard drive.

Don Mattrick, Xbox Senior Vice President, says the new console is "sleeker, smaller and whisper-quiet". It will cost $449 in Australia.

Microsoft's unveiled the redesigned machine at its press conference today at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles, the first official event of this week's Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). E3 is the biggest annual event on the world's gaming calendar.

The 90-minute presentation was evenly split between hardcore games designed to keep existing Xbox 360 fans glued to their consoles, and new motion-sensing games for the Kinect add-on, which Microsoft hopes can attract a wider audience to their system.

Kinect, which was previously known by the code-name Project Natal, will launch on November 4 in the US and before Christmas in Australia. Around 15 titles will be available at launch.

“For lots of people, that controller is a barrier,” says Microsoft creative director Kudo Tsunoda. “We set out to make a new control paradigm where anybody can get in and play, without having to read the instructions or learn a complicated set of controls.”

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In my opinion, the Kinect seems like a way to cash in on Nintendo's success with the Wii. The Wii is extremely popular with whole families and younger kids and this is different target is what i think led to its success. For this reason both microsoft and Sony are trying to copycat Ninendo's moves to stay in the competition. But, Microsoft's new console looks absolutely awesome.