Xbox

Microsoft is revealing the next generation of Xbox gaming consoles today at its headquarters in Redmond, WA. Tune into a live stream of the event at 10 a.m. PDT/1 p.m. EDT through the Xbox website, Xbox Live, or Spike TV. You can also follow the news via Twitter using the hashtag #XboxReveal or #Xbox.

Will it be an Xbox 720? Kinect 2.0? A new platform for social gaming? We'll keep you updated with all the news from the Microsoft event, so check back later in the day for more info!

Gamers in need of a new toy, start the countdown clocks, as Microsoft announced a May 21 event to reveal the next generation Xbox from the company's headquarters in Redmond, WA.

The event will be live streamed around the world on Xbox Live and xbox.com at 10 a.m. PT. People in the US and Canada can watch live on Spike TV. Look for the first gaming titles to be introduced at E3 in June.

With Xbox's push in the last year to be your living room's entertainment hub, don't be surprised to see an emphasis on Xbox as a media control center. What features do you hope to see in the latest Xbox system?

Wish you could use your iPad to control the Xbox media center? Well, now you can. The free My Xbox LIVE app now has iPad compatibility. You can't use your tablet to play games, but whenever you're watching Netflix, playing music, or browsing through the entertainment options, you can put the Xbox controller down and connect with your iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch.

With the My Xbox LIVE app, not only does your smartphone turn into a remote, but also, you can track your performance, connect with your friends, and receive breaking news from Xbox LIVE. Plus, the new Discover section helps you explore new entertainment options that might become your latest media addiction.

There's a book series, a film series, a Florida amusement park, a London studio tour, and, coming this Fall, there will also be the Harry Potter For Kinect video game! Based on the eight films, the game gives diehard fans a chance to experience the movies' most memorable moments for themselves, whether as a character or as their own avatar. Check out the top four reasons we're excited to play:

• Pretending we're wizards: Thanks to hands-free and voice-recognition technology, users can cast spells using physical maneuvers or by calling out spell names. We're already practicing our "Expelliarmus!" technique.
• Flying (sort of): It's a dream come (virtually) true. Gamers will have the opportunity to fly on a broomstick for their very own Quidditch match.
• Walking in Harry's shoes: With the game, users can experience some of Harry's classic moments, like choosing a house at Hogwarts, visiting Ollivanders, and confronting He Who Shall Not Be Named in a final, dramatic battle.
• Some friendly competition: Select co-op gameplay to connect with wizardly friends, and master lessons so you can challenge other opponents in competitive minigames.

Do you plan to buy Harry Potter For Kinect?

Photos courtesy of Warner Bros.

Our long wait for the Kinect Star Wars game is finally over! Landing on store shelves today, non-Jedis can now use the Force to battle Darth Vader himself, fly through pod races, and dance the Clone War battles away in groovin' competitions.

After months of waiting, we're excited for the motion-based Star Wars game, but it has us wondering what other movies would make thrilling Kinect games. We're adding these movies to our Kinect dream list; what movie would you like to play a part of in Kinect?

• Harry Potter — There's an amusement park in Florida and a studio tour in London, but for fans that can't travel to these destinations, casting spells and vanquishing Dementors the Kinect way would be just as wizardly.
• The Hunger Games — A story with the premise of adolescents killing other adolescents as part of a nationwide reality TV show is disturbing, and any video game would be just as gruesome to imagine. However, just the talents exhibited by Katniss, like archery and hunting, could make for interesting interactive role-play.
• Lord of the Rings — Enter Mordor? No problem in Kinect form! If you've read all the books and obsessively watched all the movies, a Kinect game of the hobbits' journey is the last step in a complete Middle Earth adventure.

See two more movies we'd like to play on Kinect after the break.

We first learned of Kinect Star Wars with a teaser trailer at E3 2011 and have been waiting eagerly since for the game to finally debut. April 3 marks the day we can begin to harness the interactive Jedi Force at home.

This new behind-the-scenes video from Xbox gives us a closer look at what we can expect in becoming part of the virtual Star Wars universe. Begin the game as a Padawan with Yoda serving as your Jedi Master. Move through the game by duking it out in podraces, as the pilot of a starfighter, intimidating enemies such as a Rancor monster, and partaking in the very essential Star Wars character dance-offs.

You can preorder Kinect Star Wars now for $50. In the meantime, make like those Stormtroopers and practice your best high-snap dance moves.

It's the holiday season, and we're getting in the spirit with our third annual 15 Days of Holiday Giveaways! Every day for the first 15 days of December, one of the PopSugar Network sites — plus our sister sites PopSugar Shop, Fashionologie, and ShopStyle — will feature a new fabulous giveaway.

For our 12th day of holiday giveaways, we are giving away two Xbox 360 prize packages filled with an Xbox 360 4GB Kinect Holiday Bundle, an Xbox LIVE 12-month Gold Membership, and four games: Dance Central 2, Kinect Sports: Season Two, Forza Motorsport 4, and Kinect: Disneyland Adventures. There are two chances to win this ultimate Xbox 360 prize package, enter now!

This giveaway has ended.

After you enter our giveaway above, don't forget to enter BuzzSugar's giveaway of a year of movie tickets for you and a friend from MovieTickets.com, BellaSugar's giveaway of $2,000 to Saks Fifth Avenue, and Fashionologie's giveaway of a $1,000 shopping spree to Theory. Good luck and happy holidays!

Good news gaming fans: major tech players Sony and Microsoft are tempting you to buy their products this Fall by throwing gaming units in with the purchase of qualifying computers.

Students who are also Xbox 360 fans can select from a nicely priced ($700 or more) Windows 7 Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, or Toshiba laptop or desktop to qualify for a free Xbox 360 console. Better yet, you don't even have to leave the dorm as you can buy online with a valid .edu email address or buy at a Microsoft store with a student ID.

Gamers not currently in school also benefit from Sony's current deal; purchase a Sony VAIO F Series notebook with a Sony Playstation 3 console for a total of $950. Just remember to leave time for studying between games.