Console gamers will be able to wave their hands in front of the next-generation Kinect when Xbox One launches later this year. However, PC users will have to wait a bit longer to play around with Microsoft's newly updated 3D camera tech. The next-gen Kinect for Windows will be available in 2014, Microsoft has confirmed.
The original Kinect always felt like a beta. It was the first implementation of something we collectively imagined should be much better. Our vision of Kinect had it be more precise, less laggy, and more natural to use. And that's precisely what Kinect for Xbox One is.
Following its Xbox One reveal event, Microsoft invited us to get "hands on" time with a few tech demos--the ones that you can see here. Because none of these demos represent actual gameplay, it's difficult to gauge how well this tech can be implemented. However, the potential is very real--and our excitement for Kinect has been rekindled.
The new Kinect bundled with Xbox One won't be exclusive to that platform, Shacknews has learned. According to Kinect program manager Scott Evans, Microsoft plans on bringing the new Kinect to PC. "We will bring this to PC," he told us. "We will have more information soon."
Ooh, what a fancy new sensor the Xbox One's Kinect has. With a 1080p camera and some nonsense about photons, it's more accurate and more reliable. And it knows when you're afraid. With the big reveal today, Microsoft has demonstrated using Kinect on Xbox One to detect users' heart rate and facial expressions.
Remember Milo & Kate, Peter Molyneux's Kinect-powered boy-simulator? The game that we simply weren't "ready" for according to Molyneux, who quit Lionhead after the game's cancellation? Ever since its curious (and suspicious) E3 debut, many had wondered: was it ever a real game?
"I don't think we knew, to be honest," creative director Gary Carr said. "I'd describe Milo & Kate as a development experiment that somehow found itself in full production," another team member added.
Harmonix is the master of DLC releases. The studio has supported Rock Band for years, and has given Dance Central an equally impressive amount of support. The Dance Central 3 library includes over 200 tracks, but the developer has announced plans to stop working on any additional add-on content.
"As Harmonix moves forward with several new titles currently in development, the talented developers who make this content are needed on other projects," Harmonix explained. "With the Dance Central DLC team moving around, this month will be the last DLC for Dance Central 3 for the near future."
Matter, Gore Verbinski's planned Kinect game, has been canceled by Microsoft. The game was first showcased during the publisher's E3 keynote last year, and it was quite puzzling. "I feel like Tron and Portal had a baby or something," Insomnaic's James Stevenson said at the unveiling.
"Microsoft Studios is no longer pursuing this title," a company representative told Joystiq. "We have no further details to share at this time." Internet sleuth superannuation discovered that developer Blind Wink laid off staff in August, suggesting that's when the project may have been genuinely canned.
Microsoft's Kinect was born on the Xbox 360, but the company has ambitious plans for the future.
Senior adviser to the CEO Craig Mundie spoke at Microsoft's TechForum in Seattle this week, and said that eventually he'd like to put smaller versions of the Kinect in TVs and laptops.
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," 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.
Read more: 'Automatic player identification' to be standard »
Sure, you could press A to revive your pal in Dead Space 3's co-op mode, but wouldn't it be quicker and easier to say "Revive partner!" to your Kinect? No, of course not. Still, Visceral's scary shooter supports that Kinect jiggery-pokery, as a new video shows off. Gasp, as the possibility of forgetting which command's button is replaced with the slower nuisance of forgetting its wording.
Crimson Dragon, the Kinect shooter inspired by Panzer Dragoon, is still without an official release date. But it appears developer Grounding Inc is almost ready to show it off. A demo recently went up on Xbox Live in Japan, but has since been removed. Thankfully, one ardent fan was able to capture footage from the trial, giving us all a look at what to expect.
Visceral Games is taking advantage of Kinect in Dead Space 3 in a rather predictable fashion: you can call out to your AI or human-controlled companion to share health packs, revive each other, and various other voice-controlled commands. It's pretty standard, but Visceral was originally considering some more unique ideas.
What's the next game to be made "better with Kinect"? Why, it's Dead Space 3. But don't expect to use it as you would in Rise of Nightmares. Instead, Visceral Games is using Microsoft's camera to implement voice commands in co-op.
Kinect Party, the sequel to Double Fine's Kinect toy Happy Action Theater, is coming next week. Best of all, the game will cost you zero dollars and zero cents, so long as you download it before the end of the year. Call it a not-too-subtle sign that Microsoft wants you to play Kinect with the family over the holidays.
Source Engine-powered Garry's Mod is a robust physics sandbox, commonly used for putting silly faces on familiar Half-Life characters. And on Thursday, there will be a new way of interacting with it: Kinect.
"Achievement Unlocked: "We are the 1%" Finish off in 1 stroke"
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