Pixar getting a Kinect game

Microsoft's push to reach a wider swath of gamers with Kinect was reaffirmed today with the announcement of several new kid-oriented projects.

Looking to broaden its family portfolio, Microsoft today announced a Pixar game being developed under the codename "Rush." This collaboration with Disney will let players scan themselves into the settings of popular Pixar films, including The Incredibles, Ratatouille, Up, Toy Story 3, and Cars 2. Gameplay will center around completing time-based challenges, with a release set for spring 2012.

Once Upon a Monster developer Double Fine Productions is taking a second shot at working with the motion-sensing camera, as Microsoft announced today that Tim Schafer and company are at work on another kid-friendly release called Double Fine Happy Action Theater. Characterized as a series of toys, the Xbox Live holiday release will feature 18 different experiences with which to interact, with no rules or specific goals.

The Xbox 360 maker also revealed a set of new collaborations with Sesame Workshop and National Geographic. The first project, Kinect Sesame Street TV, will deliver a whole season of the popular kids program constructed specifically for interactivity through the Kinect. Portions of the current Sesame Street season and archive will also be accessible.

A second Sesame Workshop collaboration codenamed "Project Columbia" will let kids interact with and immerse themselves in stories with the goal of promoting comprehension. Finally, the National Geographic alliance will see Kinect Nat Geo TV offered on the console.