E3 wrap: motion control and programming distribution deals

If you’re still not sold on 3D, Nintendo has another option for you: glasses-free 3D.

It was one of the many big entertainment tech announcements at this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), which just wrapped this week. And Nintendo certainly had the show floor buzzing with the introduction of the latest iteration of its popular handheld gaming system, the 3DS.

With its dual screens, the 3DS now has three built-in cameras – one inner and two outer – which delivers the 3D effect and also snaps 3D pictures. And while Nintendo announced a slew of titles that will be available at launch, the company was quick to point out that it’s not just about gaming; it’s also teamed up with Disney, Warner Bros. and DreamWorks for making 3D Hollywood films available for viewing on the device.

No price was available at press time, although the Nintendo 3DS is slated to hit mass market in March 2011.

And while it was all about 3D for Nintendo on the tech side, motion control was top-of-mind for Microsoft and Sony.

For its Xbox 360 console, Microsoft unveiled Kinect. Formerly named Project Natal, Kinect lets users consume their entertainment controller-free. Along with a line-up of compatible games, Kinect’s features also allow users to watch movies and TV using the motion control and voice control features (‘Xbox, play’).

Also no word on price, Kinect will roll out in North America on November 4. Interestingly, it also inked a content deal with ESPN in the U.S., in which all Gold subscribers (i.e. paid) to Xbox Live will have free access to more than 3,500 live global sporting events in HD and on-demand, although there’s no word on whether distribution will make its way north of the border.

However, Sony Computer Entertainment of America topper Jack Tretton announced that the console’s video delivery service will at last be available in Canada. ‘PlayStation Network has content from every major movie and TV studio, from Showtime and HBO to Nickelodeon and NBC,’ said the president and CEO at the Sony press conference earlier this week.

Prior to E3, Sony had recently announced that it’s made programming from HBO available on though its network service (PSN), as well as the ability to stream live baseball games in HD through the MLB.TV subscription service. It currently boasts more than 23,000 movies and TV eps through its video delivery service, including HD movies from all the majors like 20th Century Fox, Walt Disney Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Universal Pictures, and Warner Bros.

Sony also revealed more in-depth information about its motion-controller dubbed PlayStation Move, with precise 1:1 tracking, along with unveiling a list of games getting the stereoscopic 3D treatment. Additionally, all PS3 units around the globe have S3D capability, thanks to a firmware update this past April.