Kinect, XBox & Launch Parties - Oh My!

Today is the day. November 4, 2010. 

XBox 360 launched controller-free gaming, and the name is KINECT.

This is the gadget that you've been hearing all the buzz about lately. 

(For those who don't know: It's an add-on for the Xbox 360 video game console.)

This is the HOT toy for the holiday season. It's the one that your kids will ask you for. 

The one that will be sold out in stores all across the country. Trust me.
If you are thinking about buying it as a gift, you should do it now. Just Sayin'.

 

Lucky me, I've had a chance to attend a few launch parties - Super Cool.

And I've also had a chance to play KINECT - Even Cooler. 

               

Check out the hotties in the KINECT Photo Booth. 

Making Faces with @SoUThinkUCanMOM * @ShelleysGrand *@ThaHappyHourMom * Adam

Rocking the Green Carpet at a Beverly Hills Mansion, with the FAB @ChrystinaElaine

Some of the games that myself or my family have personally played, and recommend are:

Kinectimals, Kinect Adventures, Kinect Joy Ride, & Kinect Sports

Kinectimals

Check out this cutie playing KINECTIMALS. This game is awesome for the younger crowds too!

Kinect Dance Central

Here's my friend Bernadette, shaking her "Groove Thang" playing DANCE CENTRAL for Kinect!

Here's my nephew getting his Lady Gaga about to play DANCE CENTRAL. Poker Face Baby!

Kinect Joy Ride

Here's my son & my nephew playing JOY RIDE... No License required!

This is how my mom & I KINECT. Oh Yeah!

These people love Xbox so much they got matching tats!

More fun photos from the 90210 Party! Loves It!

For more photos from the events that I took go to my FLICKR account.

For your viewing pleasure, here's a video I shot at GLAMORAMA in Los Angeles, featuring DANCE CENTRAL by KINECT with some really sweet dancers. I'm pretty sure they come with the game.

A very special thank you to the Xbox PR people who invited me to the totally radical events. Jessica Lange & Chrystina Woody. They have upped my cool factor by mucho points. Plus I just love them.

(Disclosure: I was not paid for this post. The views stated are from my own little Kinect lovin' mind.)

Disney Pixar Cars Online Event

LADIES AND GENTLE CARS,

Last week we actually got to Meet Lightning McQueen in person.

(I know, I know, I was freaking out too!)

Hang with Cheech Marin (voice of RAMONE) & Jennifer Lewis (voice of FLO)

All while eating Bob's Big Boy Burgers! And their World Famous Fudge Cakes!

Check Out the 50s Diner that they set up outside, in the Car hop area.

We walked down the Red CARpet with a bunch of celebrities including Joey Lawrence. (my childhood crush)

Tori Spelling was there too. Her family is very cute!

Bob's Big Boy in Burbank had a make-over! Check out what they did to the place!

We were greeted by Lightning McQueen himself - KA-CHOW!

Along with his friends Mater & Sally.

There were stations for the kids to play with all things CARS. Which was a real treat. My daughter is obsessed with all pixar movies. I mean a FANATIC. Like she knows all of the lines from these movies, so coming to an event like this was beyond a dream come true for her.

And anything Disney does, they do it better than anyone can.

For more on the Event from some other Disney-Obsessed Mom Bloggers:

So You Think You Can Mom?

Babes In Disneyland

This Special Event was to officially launch the new game by Disney/Pixar.

THE WORLD OF CARS Online is a virtual world based on the hit Disney/Pixar animated feature CARS. Where children can Play as the CAR with all of their other favorite CARS characters all online in a safe environment that parents can trust.

*Create Your Own Car

*Explore the Open Road

*Race & Play Games

*Meet Other Cars

*You can play for free or upgrade to a "sponsored race car" which gives you the opportunity to do even more things, including a Pro Racing Career and a chance to win the Piston Cup

Get started and go sign up, then create a CAR of your very own.

My daughter and I did... Look what we came up with!

Say Hello to

Monroe BrightPedal

*World of Cars is designed especially for 6-12 year old kids, but is open to all ages. My daughter is 3 and she enjoyed playing it!

See ya in Radiator Springs Y'all!

Disclosure: I was not compensated for writing this post,

but I was invited to the Fabulous Event & given a swag bag.

I Played PROJECT NATAL... And LOVED it!!!

(Check out me & my new BFF Jessica Lange on the 1s & 2s.
We are Rockin' it... No?)

I went to a Special Event at an Art Gallery this week.
But it wasn't to look at art.



It was to get a sneak peak at PROJECT NATAL the newest, hottest thing in gaming coming out this Holiday Season.
Now normally, I bring my kids to these types of events, but every now & then parents need to step out alone to P-A-R-T-Y!!!

So there we were, my husband & I. Hanging out, eating appetizers, sippin' on some drinks, playin' the Project Natal. There was a DJ & it was held at a really rad spot.
We felt like we did when we were just dating again. Young & carefree!
OK, I really need to get out more...



Let me just say that this game is SO SWEET. I actually BECAME the controller. Me, Myself & I. My whole body was read by the system & I became the person inside of the game. It actually followed every move I made! Even when I did the robot, guess what it did???? THE ROBOT!!! Cool, Right?

Their mission is to "Change Living Rooms Forever". Well, I say Mission Accomplished! It gives you a real workout too. I was sweating just by playing a game or 2. So my next task is to get an XBOX 360 for the family. Can't believe we don't have one yet! (Embarrassing) And you should too, becuz this Amazing thing is coming out just in time for the holiday season. Woot! And I know my kids are gonna ask for it. Shoot, I know my husband is gonna ask for it.



* Thank You to my XBox Peeps. Thanks for inviting us to your SUPER-FUN PARTY! Also Thank you for giving us a Flip Camera of our very own, so that we could share all of our Cool Project Natal Videos with our Readers.* We hope to get invited back for many more Good Times.* THANK YOU JESSICA! THANK YOU CHRYSTINA! It was an honor to make your acquaintance!



PROJECT NATAL Social Network Details:
FACEBOOK
TWITTER
FLICKR
YOUTUBE
TUMBLR

EA Summer Block Party

Every now and then I get invited to special events. And sometimes I get to bring my whole family along with me! This makes for some very cool memories & quality time that will be remembered forever! Just last week was one of those exceptional times.

If you are a Gamer Family, like my family, than you know all about these 2 little letters EA. They are the ultimate makers of the ultimate games!
So when we got invited to join them at the EA Summer Block Party, you bet your game playing patoot that we were super excited!!
To be honest, I wasn't even 100% sure what their Block Party entailed... I just know I wanted in!!

When we opened up the doors & walked through the EA Lobby to get to the party, the first thing out of my two tween childrens mouth's were "Dad why don't you work at a place like this?" Then after my husband answered them with something that started out like, "it's really hard to get a job here"... the next thing out of their mouth's was "I want to work here when I grow up." The reason, it was no ordinary office space. They had video games set-up in every direction you could look. They had basketball courts, they had a boxing area, they had their own huge cafeteria, they had a mini beach set-up right in the middle of the buildings complete with reclining lounge chairs & everything!

Then we got to the shin-dig to be met by multiple living room type set-ups including couches, Flat-Screen TVs & Gaming systems for the kids & adults to try out the up & coming games of the summer! How AWESOME is that?
And I'm not even gonna go into the Ice Cream Sundae Bar, Cotton Candy, Popcorn, Pizza, Cookies, Hot Dogs & all the Summer lovin' snacks a gamer could ask for!



So the games that my family always seems to gravitate towards are the Sports Games. That day was no different. They spent most of the day playing Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 Wii. Which will be released on June 8, 2009 for Wii, Xbox 360, PS3, PS2 & PSP systems. There are many cool new things to look forward to with this new version. And it provided my family hours of fun as you can see below. They are all getting their "Tiger" on! Special Thanks to Katherine over at EA Sports for being very helpful & full of good gaming advice! Also shot out to her baby Kaiya, who has the same name as my baby girl Kaia & is almost the same age! Yes, we bonded & are now new BFFs! Too bad they live in Florida or we would so be having playdates!!



The second game that they were enjoying was Madden NFL 10 Wii. We have every other Madden ever made (Football Family) and we will definitely be getting this one as well when it comes out on August 14, 2009. For Wii, Xbox 360, PS3, PS2 & PSP systems. My husband & his friends always have Madden tournaments, so I know they are looking forward to Madden 10's arrival! Special Thanks to Julie at the EA Sports Label for hooking us up with all the football facts & tips on the new game. Also we talked music & jobs & LA & stuff... so that was just COOL!



Lastly my kids & husband played a game called MySims Racing. Because in my family we have a need... the need for speed! LOL! You know that my grandfather is the famous race car driver, Alex Xydias. So the racing is in my blood!! You can pick your own character & build your own racing car! How cool is that? Special thank you to Troy over at The Sims Label, we liked your tats & your knowledge about the game! Plus we are very impressed by the fact that you actually create the games... truthfully we are kind of jealous of you!



Some games that I didn't get a chance to play but wanted to badly were Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Scrabble, Trivial Pursuit, & Hasbro Family Game Night on Xbox Live Arcade. I Love anything Harry Potter & I know just by watching other people play that it is awesome! And I LOVE board games, so Scrabble, Trivial Pursuit, Boggle, Sorry, Battleship, etc. will be super fun new ways to play together on Family Game Night!! (I also hear there is a Family Game Night 2 coming out in the fall.)



Make sure to look out for all of these SWEET games in the stores, they will make great gifts for summer birthdays & graduations! Ugh is it really summer vacation already???