Microsoft at E3: Kinect Unveiled

(Story on Microsoft's presentation at the E3 video-game conference updated with more details on Kinect). NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- The annual Electronic Entertainment Expo video-game trade show, or E3, kicked off in Los Angeles Monday with Microsoft(MSFT) first in line to give a keynote speech.

Microsoft introduced a slew of new offerings, including "Call of Duty," a game based on the Cold War, "Metal Gear," and "Gears of War 3, " an Xbox 360 exclusive.

TheStreet staff reporters Rob Holmes and Jason Notte, live-blogging the event, say a demo of "Gears of War 3" induced a "huge ovation" from the audience.

The reporters also noted that Microsoft's so-called "Project Natal" motion control device has been renamed Kinect.

Footage of another Xbox 360 exclusive, "Fable 3," was also being shown, as was "Halo: Reach," the latest game in that lucrative franchise.

"'Halo 3' was one of the biggest launches ever," Holmes noted on the live blog. The "Reach" version "may not have that type of hysteria, but it'll do well. Already looks as pretty or prettier than Halo 3."

"You're going to love Reach. It looks like the real deal," Notte wrote.

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Notte noticed that, with the device, gamers can evidently sign in by waving their hands. Kinect will support a host of applications, including Zune, Netflix, Facebook and LastFM; it also has voice activation.

"Movie without remote, game without controller, smarter living room... ambitious plans for a controller," Notte mused.

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