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Report: Next Xbox requires always-on Kinect
by Andrew Yoon, Feb 11, 2013 12:15pm PSTThe next Xbox, codenamed Durango, will not only include an updated version of Kinect--it will require it. "It must be plugged in and calibrated for the console to even function," a new report on Kotaku reveals.
According to the site, Microsoft will include both Kinect and a hard drive in their next-gen console (both were optional accessories on Xbox 360). By making their use mandatory, developers will be able to make games with both peripherals in mind.
The camera has been greatly improved, being able to track up to six skeletons at once, versus two in the current-gen model. In addition, the new Kinect can keep track of five additional joints per person. According to Kotaku, the improved resolution of the camera will allow it to "instantly identify a person," making "automatic player identification" a part of the Xbox experience. While the convenience of not having to log-in will be nice, it could also lead to restricting content based on who Kinect identifies--something Redmond had patented many months ago. Using this tech could restrict the "number of user views, a number of user views over time, a number of simultaneous user views, views tied to user identities, views limited to user age or any variation or combination thereof."
In terms of hardware spec, Durango has been rumored to be largely identical with Orbis, the next PlayStation. Digital Foundry offers a comparison, detailing the slight differences in approach the two companies are taking with their next consoles.
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The next Xbox, codenamed Durango, will not only include an updated version of Kinect--it will require it. "It must be plugged in and calibrated for the console to even function."
The next Xbox, codenamed Durango, will not only include an updated version of Kinect--it will require it. "It must be plugged in and calibrated for the console to even function." : Shacknews
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I think that X-Box Gold has always been worth the money if you have any interest in playing multiplayer games. But even without it, you still get a better experience than on any other platform, barring Steam. If Steam didn't exist and GFWL provided as good of an experience on the PC as it does on the X-Box, I'd probably happily pay for it there, too. The way the X-Box handles game downloads and updates is usually top-notch, whereas I'm frequently waiting longer to update a game on the PS3 than I actually end up playing it. And while I'm not fond of the abundance of ads in each new iteration of the X-Box Dashboard, I still end up finding what I want faster on it than I do with either version of the Playstation store. In so many areas, it still feels like Sony is trying to catch up.
And the one thing I have to give to Microsoft over Sony above anything else is that they don't give up on an idea right out of the gate. The Kinect wouldn't have been included in the next console if it weren't successful, and it wouldn't have been successful if Microsoft had treated it the way Sony treated their after-market accessories, like the Move. What a waste of money and effort that was. And that fighting game that they brought the designer from Capcom over to make, then shut down when the interest wasn't there after a few weeks? Playstation Home? The weak Vita sales? It's one thing to axe something that clearly isn't desired or functional, but Sony is a collection of things that could have had momentum if the company got behind them in the way Microsoft has done with their efforts.
Which is why, like it or not, the next X-Box will have applications that make it appealing to users over current generation consoles, particularly in the use of the Kinect. If you like Sony because it has more interesting exclusives, those will be there in their console, because that's their model. And the PC will continue to be a more-or-less open platform where stuff like Steam can thrive. The point is, each platform does provide something for people with various interests, and each platform does have weaknesses, as well. Trying to tell people what they should be interested in is just being a console warrior and it makes gaming as a hobby less interesting.
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