Kinect Topic

Yeah, I'm looking to hear and see more about this. I like the episodic format, especially if it means that episodes will be priced favorably. I gotta say, Microsoft may get a lot of flack for their all-in-one focus at times, but they are quietly putting together a solid, and diverse lineup of games for the console.
 
I can imagine some Jackie Chan action in this game. Swiping your arms up and about and all.
 
I am a little bit worried about Kinect.

I’ve just spent 10 minutes being scanned into Kinect Sports Rivals. I’m not sure if it’s working correctly. The only feedback I am being given is from a Microsoft rep to my right. He’s politely giving me instructions when the Kinect (for some reason) stops the scan.

“Take a step forward.”

“Take a step back.”

“Maybe just tilt your head a little bit left.”

After this laborious effort (which I’m assured will be streamlined before launch) Kinect Sports Rivals goes through the process of translating the information into a virtual representation of me. As it does its calculations I ask myself, ‘if this is difficult with a Microsoft representative guiding me step by step, how difficult will it be for a ten year old in the comfort of his or her own home, or parents who’ve never used a console before?’

Then my avatar pops up. It looks vaguely like me. Vaguely. That’s being generous. The 3DS did a similar job of creating my Mii with a single low-resolution photograph. Was it really worth all that effort?

Now to play Kinect Sports Rivals itself. The rep sets up a two player game. Rock climbing. As someone obsessed with rock climbing (I climb three times a week) I’m super excited. I stand side by side with the Microsoft rep. Immediately I notice there is something wrong. My avatar’s limbs are contorted like some screwed up Lovecraftian marionette, my arms twitch incessantly, clearly not responding to any of my movements.

I think we have a problem here.

Yesterday I spent a fair amount of time with the Xbox One’s new Kinect, and it seemed like a significant chunk of that time was spent trying to get things to work when (two months from the launch of Xbox One) they should simply work.

We were supposed to be forgiving, and we were. After two player Rock Climbing on Kinect Sports Rivals clearly wasn’t working, I was happy to simply try out the single player, despite Microsoft making a big fuss of the fact Kinect allows multiple players on-screen simultaneously. Single player climbing worked more fluidly but, regardless, I never really felt like I was in control of my actions. My movements weren’t being replicated accurately. I felt as though I was fumbling my way to the top with no real in-game feedback; no real sense that Kinect was working as advertised.

‘The lag has been reduced massively’: that’s what we’re constantly being told in conferences, in communications with Microsoft, in interviews, in previews. I have no doubt there are figures to back those statements up, but the disconnect between my movements in real life as replicated on screen is obvious. I feel it, instantly, and it makes playing any game with Kinect a frustrating experience. The next game I play is Wakeboarding, it feels a little better than climbing, but it’s nowhere near responsive enough. The delay is obvious to anyone who plays it, to the point where I can’t imagine anyone investing in it to any great extent.

I find myself asking another question: three years after the release of Kinect, how many video games have really worked well with Kinect? I come up with two names. Two. Dance Central and Child of Eden. In three years. Is it possible that Kinect just isn’t suited for video games?

I am a little bit worried about Kinect.

I’ve just spent 10 minutes being scanned into Kinect Sports Rivals. I’m not sure if it’s working correctly. The only feedback I am being given is from a Microsoft rep to my right. He’s politely giving me instructions when the Kinect (for some reason) stops the scan.

“Take a step forward.”

“Take a step back.”

“Maybe just tilt your head a little bit left.”

After this laborious effort (which I’m assured will be streamlined before launch) Kinect Sports Rivals goes through the process of translating the information into a virtual representation of me. As it does its calculations I ask myself, ‘if this is difficult with a Microsoft representative guiding me step by step, how difficult will it be for a ten year old in the comfort of his or her own home, or parents who’ve never used a console before?’

Then my avatar pops up. It looks vaguely like me. Vaguely. That’s being generous. The 3DS did a similar job of creating my Mii with a single low-resolution photograph. Was it really worth all that effort?

Now to play Kinect Sports Rivals itself. The rep sets up a two player game. Rock climbing. As someone obsessed with rock climbing (I climb three times a week) I’m super excited. I stand side by side with the Microsoft rep. Immediately I notice there is something wrong. My avatar’s limbs are contorted like some screwed up Lovecraftian marionette, my arms twitch incessantly, clearly not responding to any of my movements.

I think we have a problem here.


Yesterday I spent a fair amount of time with the Xbox One’s new Kinect, and it seemed like a significant chunk of that time was spent trying to get things to work when (two months from the launch of Xbox One) they should simply work.

We were supposed to be forgiving, and we were. After two player Rock Climbing on Kinect Sports Rivals clearly wasn’t working, I was happy to simply try out the single player, despite Microsoft making a big fuss of the fact Kinect allows multiple players on-screen simultaneously. Single player climbing worked more fluidly but, regardless, I never really felt like I was in control of my actions. My movements weren’t being replicated accurately. I felt as though I was fumbling my way to the top with no real in-game feedback; no real sense that Kinect was working as advertised.

‘The lag has been reduced massively’: that’s what we’re constantly being told in conferences, in communications with Microsoft, in interviews, in previews. I have no doubt there are figures to back those statements up, but the disconnect between my movements in real life as replicated on screen is obvious. I feel it, instantly, and it makes playing any game with Kinect a frustrating experience. The next game I play is Wakeboarding, it feels a little better than climbing, but it’s nowhere near responsive enough. The delay is obvious to anyone who plays it, to the point where I can’t imagine anyone investing in it to any great extent.

I find myself asking another question: three years after the release of Kinect, how many video games have really worked well with Kinect? I come up with two names. Two. Dance Central and Child of Eden. In three years. Is it possible that Kinect just isn’t suited for video games?


I’m worried about Kinect. Mere months from launch it feels imprecise, temperamental and clumsy. On more than one occasion its voice recognition, being demonstrated by a Microsoft rep from the US with an American accent, needed three or four repeats of ‘Xbox Home’ to do what a single button press could have done in half a second. If Microsoft reps who have been briefed and have lived with the Xbox One for months are struggling to make everything work seamlessly, what chance does the average punter have?

And make no mistake, a device like Kinect — the device Microsoft is hellbent on shoehorning into our living space — must be seamless if the Xbox One is to capture the mainstream audience Microsoft is lusting after. In short: I have very little confidence in Kinect’s ability to respond quickly, efficiently or consistently and that’s an issue.

But the major issue is this: if you want to purchase an Xbox One, Kinect is being forced upon you. You are paying extra for a device that, two months from launch, feels like a rough, unfinished product. You don’t have a choice and that’s problematic.

When Kinect was first announced — as Project Natal — it felt monumental, as if Microsoft had captured some sort of rare lightning. Don Mattrick looked and talked like a strange time traveller, with a device he had somehow stolen from a distant, brilliant future. Our minds were alive with possibility. Since that day those possibilities have faded and declined, yet Microsoft still seems driven by that squandered potential — by the future that Project Natal promised but couldn’t deliver upon. Stop trying to make fetch happen, it isn’t going to happen.

I want to be positive about Kinect, but it’s difficult. Some aspects work well: facial recognition, although slow, is a great idea. I love that it recognises who is holding which controller and responds accordingly. This is a useful, future facing feature and it’s the result of great innovative thinking. Easier than passing switch controllers? Maybe not, but it has benefits, particularly in tandem with Xbox One’s customisable homepage. Watching the console adjust preferences on the fly based on who was holding which controller was quite breathtaking. ‘This is what Kinect should be used for,’ I thought.

But that was the 10%. During the remaining 90%, Kinect felt like it was a hindrance, forcing users to swim against the giant leaps Microsoft made with Xbox One’s user friendly UI, which looks fantastic. Sure, I can turn Kinect off — that’s my choice. But I still have to pay for it. I don’t have a choice there.

So, yes. I think there are issues there — not with the Xbox One, with Kinect specifically. Forza Motorsport looks incredible, Ryse seems to have made strides in the combat department and I walked away genuinely blown away by the scale and ambition of Dead Rising 3.

But Kinect? I’m a little bit worried about Kinect.

http://kotaku.com/why-im-a-little-bit-worried-about-kinect-1381738496
 
For me it's a non-issue. I'm not looking at it for anything other than a system addition that will help me with the OS and it's functions and features. I would never buy a Kinect only game unless I knew I was going to have a party and people would enjoy it. Scratch that, I would buy a game for my little cousins and nieces. But Kinect's almost sole function for me is OS integration. Now, if there are games that use it to augment the experience, I'll definitely be interested.
 
For me it's a non-issue. I'm not looking at it for anything other than a system addition that will help me with the OS and it's functions and features. I would never buy a Kinect only game unless I knew I was going to have a party and people would enjoy it. Scratch that, I would buy a game for my little cousins and nieces. But Kinect's almost sole function for me is OS integration. Now, if there are games that use it to augment the experience, I'll definitely be interested.
I'm in the same boat as you. If I ever buy a Kinect only game it'd be to play when my girlfriend is around or something.
 
Current Kinect barely recognizes my gf's 4 year old son. So any improvement to that will be nice. I use kinect basically for navigation, and thats basically what ill be using it for on the X1.
 
For me it's a non-issue. I'm not looking at it for anything other than a system addition that will help me with the OS and it's functions and features. I would never buy a Kinect only game unless I knew I was going to have a party and people would enjoy it. Scratch that, I would buy a game for my little cousins and nieces. But Kinect's almost sole function for me is OS integration. Now, if there are games that use it to augment the experience, I'll definitely be interested.

Sorry plain, to me waving my hand to navigate one screen over on the UI isn't nearly as fast or efficient as simply using the d pad or bumper.
 
Sorry plain, to me waving my hand to navigate one screen over on the UI isn't nearly as fast or efficient as simply using the d pad or bumper.
Exactly. Voice recognition is really the only feature I'll use 95% of the time.
 
Sorry plain, to me waving my hand to navigate one screen over on the UI isn't nearly as fast or efficient as simply using the d pad or bumper.
I'm talking about voice navigation which I see myself using a LOT and the RF shotgun, as well as the logging in based on face so I can have other user accounts on there. It will be very beneficial with regards to controller layouts, etc.
 
Current Kinect barely recognizes my gf's 4 year old son. So any improvement to that will be nice. I use kinect basically for navigation, and thats basically what ill be using it for on the X1.
The new Kinect has a wider field of vision in all directions and it's supposed to pick up smaller people easier because of it.
 
The new Kinect has a wider field of vision in all directions and it's supposed to pick up smaller people easier because of it.
yeah. Im just hoping the voice controls are more "natural". Kinect v1 does a good job already, but I still find myself using semi-robotic tone with noticeable vocal pauses to make sure it works.
 
Sorry plain, to me waving my hand to navigate one screen over on the UI isn't nearly as fast or efficient as simply using the d pad or bumper.
Certain situation, certain control scheme is better.
If its one click away from what I wanted to navigate, then of course I will click the button. but If i am on youtubem & wanted to access facebook (just as an example), voice may be fastest. If I wanted to zoom in a picture, a hand motion to enlarge, or smartglass pinch maybe best option.

Imagine you are going through some photos. Your partner that sit beside you do not have to grab your controller, when she wanted to zoom up, or go to next picture, or ahve to instruct you . She can just do a sweep or zoom hand motion.

Its about vasetility in my view.
 
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And that's the first negative (out of many very positive) impression I've read.
I've seen an actual video of the Kinect Sports Rival scanning and it worked just fine and the result was good taking into consideration that the game has yet a long way to go...
 
The new Kinect has a wider field of vision in all directions and it's supposed to pick up smaller people easier because of it.

Yet the author of the article states it took 10 minutes to scan him WITH the help of a MS rep.
 
Yet the author of the article states it took 10 minutes to scan him WITH the help of a MS rep.

What he's talking about is the full body scanning procedure of Kinect Sports Rivals that creates an ingame character with the same facial/body features... don't even not what wider field of vision does have to do with that!
 
Seemed more technical issue than anything...haven't heard that to many negative things about the actual kinect...its more what games are there to show off the new tech.
 
Let's make sure this one instance defines it all. Remember, X1 gets no "it happens" moments.
 
I guess we know now why this game was delayed or at least isn't a launch game.
 
There have been a bunch of positive previews of the game...irks me this will get the most headlines most likely.
 
kotaku has been pretty negative from day one towards the Xbox one. They failed to mention in the article that this isn't even a launch game. Having said that for me the Kinect is more for what I have been using it for this generation, navigating menus and pausing movies with my voice which is handy when multi tasking. Skype, profile switching, and yes games, is all gravy!