Change is in the air here at The Cut Scene. In fact, we’re moving!

This blog is merging with Variety’s Technotainment blog, to allow us to consolidate our focus on the video game industry with our regular look at entertainment-focused consumer electronics. You’ll find all new posts moving forward at http://weblogs.variety.com/technotainment/.

Rest assured, though, that this is very much a merger of equals. Variety has increased its coverage of the video game industry substantially in the past year – both in print and online – and isn’t planning on backing away from that. Technotainment will still provide trends and breaking news from the gaming world – as well as the gadget world. (Let’s face it, the two fields run hand in hand anyway.)

We invite you to bookmark Technotainment and check it regularly. I’ll be posting regularly there – and there’s lots of news remaining from E3 (and moving forward) that you won’t want to miss.

Up first… the story of how Michael Jackson and Ubisoft arranged to make a game, directly from the company’s CEO.

See you at Technotainment

Warren Spector has lots of reasons to be happy. He was a featured presented at this year’s Nintendo press conference and his latest title “Epic Mickey” was one of the standout games of the just completed E3.  

And, for the most part, Spector is a pretty happy guy – but he has a bone to pick with the rumor mill.

When “Epic Mickey” was first introduced last year, the art style of the game was a bit different. Mickey looked darker – angry even – when the player chose to play Mickey as a scrapper/fighter, rather than a helper. When new art from the game emerged as E3 drew near, the angry Mickey was gone. It wasn’t long before word began to circulate that Disney executives forced the change due to fan outrage.

Spector says that couldn’t be further from the truth.

“I’m genuinely mad about that rumor,” he says. “It was a design change I did because I wanted to. … I wasn’t happy with the graphics. I did not like what we were doing to Mickey Mouse. I didn’t want Mickey in purple pants and green shoes.

“We reached the point in game making where we could begin putting a polish on the graphics – period.”

In the revised game, your playstyle doesn’t affect Mickey, but rather the guardians you attract. Mickey’s look will stay the same.

Let the new debates begin.

Nintendo may have a huge hit on its hands.  

The Nintendo 3DS – the company’s Hail Mary pass to turn heads away from the Apple juggernaut is a rare thing that seems able to live up to the hype – coming through on its promise to provide stereoscopic 3D without glasses and producing images that pop as much as they do on the majority of 3D TVs on the market.

It’s something that has the potential to shake up the gaming industry (and I say this as a doubted of the gaming/3D movement). Just as importantly, though, it could also mark an expansion of Nintendo’s interests into the non-gaming world. The company, at its E3 press conference Tuesday, hinted the 3DS may also become a portable 3D movie device. Though it announced no specific plans, Nintendo is showing trailers from films from Warner, Disney and Dreamworks.

“In case of the Nintendo 3DS, we are hopeful and anticipate it to have a large installed base as soon as we launch the system,” said Iwata in a post-presentation interview. “Nintendo is going to be in an important position to provide a device that may be able to show 3D movies with such a large installed base. … For the movie studios, we thought this could become a good business opportunity.”

There are still a ton of unanswered questions about the device. Price and street date were not announced – and will not be made public at E3. And the company is not discussing any of its tech partners – including who is making the 3DS screen.

The system will have heavy support from third-party publishers in its early days. Over 20 companies have vowed to create games for the 3DS, bringing several of their biggest franchises, including “DJ Hero” from Activision, Konami’s “Metal Gear Solid” and Capcom’s “Resident Evil” games.

But many of those third-party games aren’t being shown – and most of the ones that are here are not playable.

The 3DS itself is the same size as a Nintendo DSi. It will be equipped with a 3D camera built in, will be backwards compatible with all titles from the current Nintendo DSi handheld system and will have a gyroscope built into the system, giving it the same ‘tilt’ functionality as an Apple iPhone.

A slider along the right hand side of the system allows users to turn the 3D effects off if they chose – or lower the intensity. A second screen will be touch sensitive, offering some consistency from the existing DS system – which has become the best selling hardware in the video game industry’s history.

To get the most from the effects, you need to look directly at the screen. Viewing it from a slight angle tends to skew the 3D effects. It’s an annoyance, but not a big enough one in a short time with the 3DS to distract from its positives. Whether that would become more frustrating over long use is hard to say.

The system is due no later than the end of March 2011 – but many show goers are still holding out hope that we’ll see it on shelves before the holiday season.

Asked if this was possible, Iwata just smiled and said he wasn’t going to answer that.

The rumor mill might have ruined Microsoft’s announcement of a slim Xbox 360– but the company still had a surprise up its sleeve.  

The revamped console, which comes equipped with a 250 GB hard drive and built-in 802.11n wireless connectivity, will begin shipping to retail this week – much sooner than anyone was expecting. That will put the system on retail shelves by early next week at latest. It will cost $299 – the same price as the current top end Xbox 360.

As for Kinetic, the gesture-recognition controller that was called “Project Natal” until Sunday evening, will launch in North America on November 4. The company plans a worldwide launch for the system soon after. As expected, Microsoft did not announce a retail price for the system. That will come later this summer or in early fall. (Analysts and industry insiders all believe it will run for roughly $150.)

“With technology like this, there are no barriers and no learning curves,” said Marc Whitten, corporate vice president for Xbox Live.

There's going to be a flood of news this week in the video game world. We'll be doing regular write ups here on The Cut Scene, of course, but if you'd like to know it when it happens, I'll be Tweeting news and thoughts throughout the show. I welcome you to follow me on Twitter at @morrisatlarge. 
 

Meanwhile, don't forget to check out Variety.com's home page, as several stories about events and the industry will be running there as well, such as our  look at the latest gamer demographic figures, which you won't find anywhere else. 

And just like that, Microsoft’s Project Natal has a new name: Kinect

The company unveiled the retail name of its gesture-recognition controller Sunday at an over-the-top event that featured everything from a performance by Cirque du Soliel to an audience full of people wearing choir robes with lit up LED shoulderpads.

The event, which at its heart was a marketing film of what the system can do with Cirque’s unique flair, did not give any other real details about the device, such as release date, price or game titles that will release alongside it. (Some of those are expected later todat at Microsoft’s press conference.)  

While games were not formally named, there were several shown, though, including a sports title that seems very similar to Nintendo’s “Wii Sports,” a Star Wars game letting you wield an imaginary light saber and a dance title that judges your performance.

While all looked enjoyable, the event certainly made it clear that Kinect is geared towards families. The collection of Cirque performers featured throughout the show were the model of a nuclear family. Children played as many of the games as adults.

Curious about how Cirque interpreted the device? S recording of Sunday’s performance, entitled "The World Premiere Project Natal for Xbox 360 experience, as imagined by Cirque du Soleil," will be broadcast on MTV without commercials Tuesday at 3:30 P.M. ET. It will be rebroadcast later that day on Nick at Nite, mtvU, MTV Hits, and Logo at 9 P.M. ET.

We knew it was coming – and today Sony has made it official. The PlayStation 3 now supports stereoscopic 3D games.  

PS3 owners who happen to have a 3D set can download a total of four games and demos that showcase what the system can do. (A firmware update making the console 3D ready was quietly pushed to owners two months ago.) The downloads will be free for people who buy one of Sony’s Bravia 3D sets, which go on sale later this month.

Here’s what players will be able to experience:

·                     WipEout HD (full game): A classic racing that’s a good candidate for 3D

·                     Super Stardust HD (full game): Another gimme. Asteroids fly past you as you navigate the deadly battleground.

·                     PAIN (demo): The stereoscopic 3D content will include the Downtown area and tutorial along with three modes, including two new modes created specifically with stereoscopic 3D in mind, Alien Toss and Ice Breaker.

·                     MotorStorm Pacific Rift (demo): MotorStorm Pacific Rift in stereoscopic 3D puts you in the driver’s seat of a buggy for a one track, single player race around the deadly Kanaloa Bay for a dangerously real battle against ruthless opponents.

The company also announced “The Fight: Lights Out,” an upcoming game for its PlayStation Move motion controller will also be available in 3D when it releases later this year. Look for more 3D announcements at E3.

Meanwhile, the rumor mill is heating up with talk that Microsoft could be making a 3D announcement as well for the Xbox 360 – perhaps at E3 next week. The company has previously said the system is capable of stereoscopic 3D effects, but was planning to wait until there was publisher demand for it before making that update available. 

The jokes were pretty easy when “Red Dead Redemption” was announced… “Grand Theft Horse” cynics called it. “Yet Another Doomed Western” was another popular phrase.  

Today, we can wipe those snarky asides away and call it something else: A bonafied hit. Take Two Interactive Software reports that it has shipped 5 million copies of the game so far – and it’s so bullish on the title that it’s raising its fiscal forecast for the year.

It’s worth noting that’s copies shipped, not sold. Publishers often send substantial quantities of games to retail in order to make them appear to be hits, then are less boisterous when those are returned. That doesn’t seem likely with “Red Dead Redemption,” though. Interest in the game remains high – and analysts say their spot checks with retailers around the country show there’s still a big audience buying the game.

“Red Dead Redemption” probably won’t end up being nearly as big as a “Grand Theft Auto” release, but given the interest and sales of the title, it’s a safe bet that planning is already underway for the sequel.

Let’s just hope it doesn’t take five years for the next version to make it to retail shelves, as it did with this one.

Not familiar with the game? Embedded after the break is the 30-minute film that aired on Fox on May 29, made entirely from in-game cut scenes and assets.

Jason West and Vince Zampella, whose abrupt dismissal from Activision earlier this year shocked the gaming world, are teasing an announcement next week – in the heart of E3 – that has both insiders and gamers buzzing.  

“Big time announcement at E3 next week. stay tuned, kiddies!” the pair said in a Facebook posting.

After their acrimonious split with Activision, West and Zampella founded Respawn Entertainment – and struck a publishing deal with Activision’s arch-rival Electronic Arts. Several members of the team at Infinity Ward (who worked with them on “Modern Warfare 2,” last year’s top selling game) have subsequently joined Respawn.

The announcement is about all there is to chew on at this point. It’s possible the two could give a broad outline of what they plan to do during EA’s press conference – or could have jointly agreed to (with EA) an exclusivity agreement with one of the console manufacturers for whenever their game does ship. Or, heck, given how ugly the pair’s legal fight with Activision has become, it could be yet another countersuit.

Either way, we’ll know next week. 

Microsoft and Remedy will unveil more details about the next chapter in "Alan Wake" Wednesday, but they're already dropping a few hints.

A teaser for a live-action … something made its way onto YouTube a short while ago. And while it doesn’t answer any questions, it’s likely to get your blood pumping if you were a fan of the game.

Microsoft has already announced plans for three content packs this year. The first – entitled ‘The Signal’ - takes place after the events of the game, focusing on the dark world that imprisons Alan in the closing moments. It will be free to people who bought the game new (and 800 MS points for those who bought a used copy).

With this teaser, it appears 'The Signal' is about to shine.