Xbox 360 avatars, new Guitar Hero 4 gear, and more game rumors abound

A ton of supposedly-leaked pre-E3 game info apparently hit the net today; we'll be directing you to Joystiq for the full skinny, but of particular interest to Engadget readers:

• It looks like Microsoft might be finding some middleground between Nintendo's Miis and PlayStation 3's Home personages. Dubbed Avatars (above), they appear to literally look like the result of a tawdry tryst between your Home character and your Mii. For shame!
  
• That "Lips" project you may have heard about from Microsoft is starting to resemble a Singstar-like "music and singing game," with two wireless, motion-sensitive mics, an online store, and the added ability to sing to music from CDs or MP3s.
  
• The Guitar Hero World Tour instrument bundle could go for $180, and might include a "touch-sensitive neck slide" (rockin'). It's going to take more than that to top Rock Band (and Rock Band 2), though.
  
• A new Tony Hawk title might just land on Xbox 360 and PS3 with a board-like peripheral (perhaps akin to the Balance Board). We're hoping you'll be able to do more with it than faux-skate.
  

Of course, all of this is still strictly in the rumor pile, so keep your pants on until we hit up E3 and have a chance to sort the fact from fiction.

Read - Xbox 360 Avatars
Read - "Lips" project to take on Singstar
Read - Guitar Hero World Tour gets touch-sensitive guitar
Read - Tony Hawk board incoming?

[Mushrooshi Posted Jun 16th 2008 2:54AM]

Well, first off, they need to get rid of the pollution that is the fact Hannah Montana sells more than Ratchet and Clank. Its sickening.

[MastrCake Posted Jun 16th 2008 2:59AM]

Avatars... what's the matter, Microsoft? Need a little inspiration?

How about X-Heads?

Nah... I've heard that before too. But it sound less mainstream than "avatars". And I hate mainstream.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 16th 2008 3:14AM]

You, a product of capitalism, hates mainstream? I love it how capitalism has you believing you're an individual.

[Evangelion Posted Jun 16th 2008 6:45PM]

Interesting...

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 16th 2008 3:08AM]

I guess... I dont really see the point in avatars unless it's in a Home-esque application...

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2008 3:57PM]

I don't need little people running around my screen.

I just want a usable interface. The blades have worked well. Don't make it difficult to access media and games on my machine. Hopefully there's a way to disable "features" of this new UI.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 16th 2008 3:09AM]

Is there anyone who really wishes they'd just keep the gamer picture? I hope its an option.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 16th 2008 6:51AM]

Surely they must, so many people have spent MS points getting a custom picture. Unless they refunded your points, I'd be pretty darn pissed.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 16th 2008 8:09AM]

Refunding points... BWAHH-HAA-HA-HAHAAHAHHAHAHAAHA!!!

[Evangelion Posted Jun 16th 2008 3:10AM]

Interesting...

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 16th 2008 3:15AM]

Cute picture. :)

[victorstuber Posted Jun 16th 2008 4:13PM]

avatars are flaming gay.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 16th 2008 7:09AM]

Avatars how origanal .

Guitar Hero 4 will top of Rockband due to better quility instraments as rockbands controllers breakdown so easily as compared to my Wiis guitar controller which works fine every time .

so Guitar Hero 4 i Will be getting for certaing as the quility & priced are justfied as compared to rockbands rubish which must be made by slave chicken labor .

[Mr Blue Posted Jun 16th 2008 7:45AM]

Keep in mind, there are already a lot of people with money invested in Rock Band. Not to mention tracks they may have purchased and downloaded. You can also pick up the drums and guitars separately. So people might be more inclined to wait for the next Rock Band to use with existing hardware.

Part of me just thinks that those looking for the 'band in a box' experience, have already done so by picking up Rock Band. I gotta tell ya, creating your own music is cool though. I've always wanted to get a 900 note streak on Joyride by Roxette.. lol..

[Sponge Posted Jun 16th 2008 9:53AM]

Of course, if you are a Wii only gamer, the only option you really have is wait for GH4.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 17th 2008 12:27AM]

@SKI:

Or, you could buy Rock Band for the Wii when it comes out this month.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 16th 2008 7:13AM]

The new Tony Hawk game is coming with a board peripheral!?

SWEET!!

Now I have the same opportunity to fall and break my wrist at home as I do if I went outside and did the real thing!!!

[VLangs Posted Jun 16th 2008 7:50AM]

i dunno, avatars sound stupid...it's nthing really "new" or "innovative"
guitar hero 4 will really need something stellar, like dollar tracks or like 3 packs for 2 bucks. my friends have thrown between 50-100 dollars just downloading songs.
i lost all my respect for tony hawk...they dropped the pro skater title and it just got crappy. bring me back the original for the playstation/n64/dreamcast!
motion sensored mics? anyone else think that's a gimmick?

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 16th 2008 9:35AM]

why are all these comments from like 3 in the morning?

[TheNightPhoenix Posted Jun 16th 2008 9:57AM]

Cause some people live in places where 3am is actually 2 pm.

[Deed Posted Jun 16th 2008 11:01AM]

Touch-sensitive neckslide for a guitar controller is so what I wanted.

GH4 probably won't be very good anyway.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 16th 2008 11:51AM]

one of the mii's looks like the mac guy. ...did I say mii's? I meant "avatars"

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 17th 2008 12:29AM]

I like these better than the Home avatars, but nothing is likely to replace Miis in my book. It's the limited palette of features that makes it fun to produce something cool with them.