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USA TODAY has made the big announcement, that Microsoft is dropping the codename Natal in order to reveal the official name. The Kinect is still well on its way to its release later this year, and it will be bringing some friends with it.

The Kinect counts amongst its early titles a few new games, and one that might ring a bell. MTV Games will get players moving with Dance Central. Don’t feel like shaking a leg? Kinectimals will introduce players to a number of different feline types in a new animal training sim.

For the sportier folks, Kinect Adventures will take players on a watery raft ride, while Kinect Sports introduces boxing, bowling, volleyball, track and field, soccer, and table tennis. Finally, Joyride resurfaces after being introduced at last year’s E3. This time around, players will drive their Avatars’ cars by manipulating imaginary steering wheels. Jumps and various tricks will obviously be executed with body movement.

Console Tribe spotted an Italian Microsoft ad that detailed the new console. If the ad is to be believed, the new, more svelte system comes with a 250GB HDD, on-board WiFi, and Kinect compatibility. Not too shabby.

Note: Both the USA TODAY ad and the original Italian Xbox 360 Slim ad have gone as of this posting, but the internwebs captured the details before it was too late.

As recently posted at joystiq, GamerTagRadio raised some ears with a video of Syed Bilal Tariq, then thought to be a Microsoft employee, announcing on Saudi television a Natal release date of October 2010. Since then, Microsoft has declared that Syed is actually a vendor for a third-party company, not a direct Microsoft employee. While the company has not officially commented on the exact launch date, talks with a Microsoft rep (who chooses to remain anonymous) lend support to the leaked October window. The Microsoft rep has also indicated that Natal might launch with a price tag of less than $100, “probably closer to $75”, perhaps to keep it as a reasonable competitor for the relatively affordable Nintendo Wii.

If you’re not one to quickly dismiss rumors (or if you put more stock in the fact that even Engadget is citing this one), you might want to take a peek at the Surfer Girl blog that hinted just yesterday that the new face for the console will be “pretty neat”.  Bearing a new logo and a black color that supposedly is a better complement to the general consumer’s television, the why-yes-I-HAVE-been-working-out version of the Xbox 360 has seen plenty of time in the rumor mill.  It’s a safe bet that a confirmation will come at E3.

What’s peculiar, however, is the subtle (or not-so-subtle) mentioning of a Natal title that will leave you “very surprised and very pleased”.  As far as the identity of this mystery game goes, Surfer Girl hints that she Might Get Shot if she spills the beans.  Sure, the Wii might have toyed with the idea of a shooting game or two, but exactly how does one pull of a Metal Gear title without any controllers whatsoever?

It’s a new year in gaming, and there’s plenty to look forward to in this fresh set of months.  Bayonetta is set to ship on the first week of January, starting the New Year with a bang that will usher in the ringing that just left your ears.  For those who wish a bit more flexibility in their gaming, Fable II’s Platinum Hits version (complete with DLC) is due to ship at the same time.  Army of Two: The 40th Day is an early lure for FPS fans; the co-op shooter sequel will ring in the second week of January.  More of a sports fan?  No worries there.  SouthPeak games has a quirky title lined up for you in its unorthodox Blood Bowl, aimed for a spring release.

Controversial Dante’s Inferno looks to be a big title when it ships on February 9th, though it has to compete with the return to Rapture in Bioshock 2, a long-awaited title that shares the same ship date.  The tactical genre has an early showing in the year with Splinter Cell: Conviction popping into stores in the last week of February.  If you want more pewpew and less skulking, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 ships on March 2nd.

Roleplaying games will have a big showing in March, as the month sees the release of both Final Fantasy XIII and Resonance of Fate.  Expect to see lots of gamers hibernating during this month.  Speaking of FFXIII, have you who participated in the event picked up yourfree chocobo yet? 

While that’s just a brief look at the first three months of 2010, there’s so much more out there.  Super Street Fighter IV is set for an April release, Left 4 Dead 2 will receive its first DLC entitled “The Passing”, a setting that amongst other feats unites the Survivors from both titles in the series.  Xbox LIVE might add comics to its growing repertoire of multimedia facets.  And what of Natal?  What indeed.

Rest assured there will be plenty to look forward to in this year, many shiny new toys that will vie for your attention and your wallet.  May your Achievements be many, may your ring stay green, and may your Gamerscore be copious.

Per UK site MCV, new Project Natal details have found their way to the internet. Thanks to a secret Microsoft tour of publishers and studios, knowledge regarding intended release schedule, packaging and pricing has been posted around the web.

Microsoft has plans to send out 5 million units in the first worldwide batch at the end of next year, manifesting as both solo and console/Natal packages. The UK site reported that its sources are suggesting a solo retail price of up to 50 pounds, or approximately $80. With the Tokyo Game Show announcements of heavy hitters the likes of Bethesda, Capcom, and Square Enix on board, it’s no wonder that Microsoft aims to release the Natal with 14 compatible titles at launch.

How will this fare against Sony’s PS3 wand peripheral, a device to be used in conjunction with the PlayStation Eye camera? Though the Eye is already available, the PS3 kit is scheduled for a spring 2010 release, giving it plenty of time to either impress or upset. And what of the Wii, the console that has already had a healthy and uncontested reign in the “motion-sensitive wand” category? Some believe that Nintendo has already worn out the novelty of this field. It seems that Sony’s wand/camera hybrid borrows too much from the Wii and Natal, respectively, and may simply come off as too clunky at best or too late (remember the Dreamcast?) at worst.

Natal is set for a release date of November 2010, right in the thick of next year’s holiday season. While new titles such as Borderlands, Dragon Age, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 are pushing units worldwide, it will be interesting to see how the controller-free camera will make waves next year.

In an interview that appeared in yesterday’s Seattle Times newspaper (yes, a few newspapers still exist!), Bungie revealed that their upcoming title Halo: Reach might use the Natal interface first introduced at this year’s E3 convention.

From the article: 
“Bungie also received an early look at the “Project Natal” motion-sensing controller Microsoft is developing for the Xbox. Studio President Harold Ryan said he’s enthusiastic about the device and it could be used in “Reach,” another version of “Halo” expected in the fall of 2010. “I absolutely think ‘Reach’ could be enabled with it,” he said.”

You can read the full interview, which also discusses Halo 3: ODST and Bungie’s new studios HERE.

Game on!