320°

Xbox One can treat a spine as a third thumbstick, says Microsoft

Xbox One can treat a player's spine as a third thumbstick, it has been revealed.

A behind-closed-doors presentation at E3 2013 revealed a tech demo where players leaning while using a controller can be incorporated into a game.

Inspired by how people naturally lean into turning corners when playing racing games, the tech demo had the player shift their torso to the sides while holding an analogue stick in order to avoid advancing enemies.

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digitalspy.co.uk
Neoninja4001d ago

If true then that is impressive. I said in another comment that I'm still skeptical of the new kinect, but man the things they're claiming it can do.
I hope to see demos kinects functionality before launch.

MariaHelFutura4001d ago

That real question is....Who even want to use their spine as a 3rd thumbstick? It sounds uncomfortable and painful TBH.

Shadonic4001d ago

Only thing your spine or back should be used for with kinect is for moving backwards or turning from left to right if you dont want to use your hands for that.

Dee_914001d ago

lol.. I tend to try to keep my back straight when playing games, because I dont want a bad back when I get older.But this could be incredible with forza, moving around cockpit and stuff

Elit3Nick4001d ago

You're probably overthinking how this will be used, buta really good use for this feature could be peaking around corners in BF4 or COD: Ghosts

Shadow Flare4001d ago

"Xbox One can treat a spine as a third thumbstick, says Microsoft"

Unfortunately this can't be used with Don Mattrick as he is spineless

PtRoLLFacE4001d ago

that's another way of saying you can use your body, i get how they talk about racing i my self lean when cornering, obviously is unconscious natural body movement if they can incorporate that in a game i ll look forward to it

Heartnet4001d ago

Yeh if its done as a main controller but if a game is immersive you will/might move without you knowing and if kinect can pick up on that... crazy

CrossingEden4001d ago

so now leaning forward is uncomfortable -__-

MurDocINC4000d ago

Better thing would be kick up your feet and use them as joysticks or car pedals.

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pompombrum4001d ago ShowReplies(4)
Serg4001d ago

They didn't deliver on half the promises of what the first Kinect should've been able to do.

Elit3Nick4001d ago

Ya the first kinect was a shadow of what they originally envisioned. At least this time they have videos showing how it actually works. http://www.youtube.com/watc...

malokevi4001d ago

YEA!!!

This is the news I've been waiting for. Proof-of-concept that MS can incorperate the Kinect into AAA hardcore titles such as shooters.

Ideally, when I round a corner and come face-to-face with a tank, I should be able to lurch/scramble backwards/sideways by using my body. That's basically been my dream for the Kinect... and apparently it can deliver.

Great news! I wish they had demoed this stuff on the show floor/publicly.

rainslacker4000d ago (Edited 4000d ago )

I tend to lay down on the couch or in bed when I play games. But yeah, the idea behind it is sound.

jmc88884001d ago

All the better to spy and exploit you with my deary.

SilentNegotiator4001d ago (Edited 4001d ago )

Woah, wait a minute....so not only does Microsoft cooperate EXTENSIVELY with the US government to spy on us and has a requirement for Kinect to always be connected when playing games that tracks faces and must also be connected to the internet every day....

But they're ALSO tracking my spine?!?!
*jumps out a window*

/s

3-4-54001d ago

Let's see that idea, not on paper, but in practice.

It could be useful for FPS games so you could lean around the corner.

But I honestly don't want to have to be doing side bends and crunches while I'm playing games.

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WeaseL4001d ago

Sounds good but I like to sit back and relax when I play.

EasilyTheBest4001d ago

Things like this make it good that Kinect is standard with the X1. There is a lot of good new stuff to look forward too.

PSN-JeRzYzFyNeSt4001d ago

its like the wii... it was cool, innovative, and new at first then it gets boring and annoying after a while

mcstorm4001d ago

@EasilyTheBest I agree one of the biggest issues with Kinect, Eye toy/move and Wii Motion + is they were not standard with the console so developers overlooked them where just like the WiiU is bundled with the Wiiu controller and Kinect 2 is with the one more and more developers will look to use the technology where the PS Eye and Move will not get as much attestation as it is an add-on.

I know a few people don't want the PSEye, Kinect or WiiU controller but they cerate new ways to play games. Yes most games will use a controller but having the other devices in the industry adds to how we can play games and to new types of games and imputs. Project sparks showed this in impressive ways using Kinect and smart glass and for me its Kinect, WiiU controller and PSeye/Move that gives a lot of people a reason to own more than one console as they all offer something different.

WeAreLegion4001d ago

I enjoy more immersion in games. I like the racing game example. They used head tracking in Gran Turismo 5 via the PS Eye to look around. It was nice. :)

4001d ago Replies(1)
OSIRUSSS4001d ago Show
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150°

10 Biggest Xbox Mistakes of All Time (So Far)

The Xbox brand has done a lot of good over the years, but their various blunders are pretty wild to look back on in their magnitude.

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culturedvultures.com
piroh7d ago (Edited 7d ago )

Ironically number 9 can save them at this point (releasing games on multiple platforms)

ChasterMies5d ago

By “save them” you mean make more profit for Microsoft. Xbox will still be a dying hardware platform.

OtterX6d ago

You could add the naming scheme for the consoles, it just confuses customers. I know they wanted to avoid traditional numbering bc it would always be lower than their competitor, but this whole 360 then One then Series thing is confusing af. Imagine a Soccer Mom trying to figure this stuff out. I still mistakenly call the Series X the One from time to time on accident.

RNTody6d ago

Don't forget about the Xbox One, Xbox One X and Xbox Series X! Good luck to Soccer moms around the world.

S2Killinit5d ago (Edited 5d ago )

They did that on purpose to confuse and direct attention away from the generational numbering.

MS doesn’t like reminding people that they joined the industry after others had already been involved in gaming.

For instance, they called the xbox “360” to combat PlayStation “3” because they wanted to seem like “more” than “3”, so instead of xbox 2, they opted for xbox 360. Also this had the additional benefit of selling consoles to uninformed parents who might purchase a “360” instead of a “3” by mistake, or because they thought 360 was more than 3. Kind of a disingenuous move.

They have been continuing with their confusing naming patterns for pretty much the same reasons. Frankly, it fits with who and what they are as a brand.

FinalFantasyFanatic5d ago

I can understand their reasoning, but whoever came up with that naming scheme should be fired, bad naming schemes have killed consoles (I'm pretty sure it was the major reason for the downfall of the WiiU). They should have had unqiue names like Nintendo and Sega have had for their consoles, far less confusing for the consumer.

rob-GP2d ago

@FinalFantasyFanatic "They should have had unqiue names like Nintendo..."

lol, you mean:

NES, SNES
GameBoy, GameBoy Advanced, GameBoy Colour, GameBoy SP
DS, DSi, DSXL
3DS, 3DS XL, New 3DS, New 3DS XL
Wii, Wii U
Switch, Switch OLED

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Cacabunga6d ago (Edited 6d ago )

Phil Spencer is the worst that has happened to Xbox.
They built a respectable brand up to Xbox one. Then this guy took over and things became a joke

Reaper22_6d ago

He still has his job. Something you can't say about Jim Ryan.

Cacabunga6d ago

Both bad execs. One is on job and one thankfully retired.

FinalFantasyFanatic5d ago (Edited 5d ago )

I didn't like either person, both people damaged their respective brands and produced worse outcomes, but Phil did save the Xbox brand from being retired by Microsoft. Although in hindsight, he should have just let it die, rather than languish in limbo like it is now.

Rainbowcookie4d ago

Yeah but the one that was "bad" didn't even affect sales.

bunt-custardly5d ago

Phil Spencer was also on the team back when 360 was around, alongside Shane Kim, Peter Moore etc. I think the damage that did the most harm was the Don Mattrick "Always Online" console (ahead of its time basically). They handed Sony and Nintendo a free-pass when that was revealed. It went downhill from there. Then the corporate machine went into full swing to try and recover. They have to a degree as a games company for the masses, and less so for the core gamer. Outside USA, the Xbox brand does not sell as well as Japanese based consoles (citation needed).

Cacabunga5d ago

Want a decision maker. The always online and TV plans was a disaster yes, but they caught up by announcing 1st party games that gamers actually kept the hype going.. until this moron took over and introduced the PC day one release.. e all know where that ended..

S2Killinit5d ago

I dont think they were ever a respectable brand, not since the beginning, when their goal was never to be involved and share in the gaming space. I think the OG xbox was an exception because MS as a brand was still getting its foot in and so the people behind that were people of the gaming industry.

FinalFantasyFanatic5d ago

The 360 was the brand in its prime though, everything went downhill towards the end of that generation. Its staple games like Halo, Forza and Gears are what kept the console relevant and afloat for so long.

MaximusPrime_6d ago

Really good video.

I remember the days with RRoD was big news on here, N4G.

Microsoft had it turbulence number of years.

Looking at the success of Sea of Thieves despite being 6 years old, time to release Halo, Forza horizon 4 & 5 on PS5. It'll help their revenue

shinoff21836d ago (Edited 6d ago )

2 of the 4 games they did already sold really well. So it's definitely going down. Idk about halo or forza but I feel those studios they've bought in the last 5 years, their coming

ChasterMies6d ago

I found this video painful to watch. Can someone list them out?

Top 10 for me from are:
1. 2013 reveal presentation
2. Bundling Kinect 2 with Xbox One
3. RRoD or why rushing to market with hardware is always a bad idea.
4. Buying studios only to close them.
5. Ads on the Home Screen
6. Letting Halo die.
7. Letting Geard of War die.
8. Every console name
9. Charging for Xbox Live on Xbox 360 when Sony let PS3 players play online for free.
10. Cancelling release of OG Xbox games after the Xbox 360 launched.

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150°

Microsoft to Add Copilot AI to Video Games

Microsoft recently revealed its plans to incorporate Copilot directly into video games, with Minecraft being the first showcased example.

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xpgained.co.uk
Fishy Fingers10d ago (Edited 10d ago )

F*** AI

"Hey Copilot, what's a good meme to prove I dislike AI".... https://giphy.com/clips/sou...

Einhander197210d ago

Two trillion dollar company that just can't wait to put as many people possible out of work as fast as possible.

It feels like every single thing they do is making gaming worse and destroying the industry.

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darthv729d ago

....you know it takes people to program the AI.... right? It isnt like it is sentient. We haven't reach skynet level of situation or anywhere close to the matrix just yet.

That's next Thursday.

Einhander19729d ago (Edited 9d ago )

It takes a people to program the AI then that AI is used for who knows how many games eliminating countless jobs which only grows as AI is used for more and more game creation functions.

What you're saying is so ridiculously short sighted and truly larking any kind of understanding and foresight.

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CaptainFaisal10d ago

Why all the hate? Im actually excited about this! Always wanted this kind of immersion, and an AI companion with me all the time helping me out knowing the status of my skills/inventory/progress and giving me tips on the best approach or how to craft something specific is game changing for the industry.

Hate all you want about AI, but this is just the start and I can see the potential already. You wont be complaining in the next 5-10 years about this, but rather complain if a game hasn’t implemented it.

MrDead10d ago

Yes we can't wait for the work of others to be used without the need to pay them so that MS can profit even more from the people they fire.

I_am_Batman10d ago (Edited 10d ago )

There is no chance I'd ever use something like this, especially if it's not part of the core game design, but a layer on top of it. It's way too much handholding. Many games already feel like busy work, because they don't let the player figure things out on their own. Having a real-time interactive guide defeats the purpose of playing the game in the first place in my opinion.

If this were to become the standard like you predict, we'll see more and more video games get away with bad design, because people will just be used to ask for help from the AI companion anyway.

Number1TailzFan10d ago

Well Nintendo don't need this with some of their games these days, with invincible characters, items, easy bosses etc.. they do the hand holding built in

helicoptergirl10d ago

Takes "hand holding" in games to a whole new level.

BlackDoomAx9d ago

Because human nature xD Almost every new technology had these kind of comments.

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70°

Activision team is opening a new game studio in Poland 'Elsewhere Entertainment' to build new AAA IP

Microsoft's Activision subsidiary announced today that it is opening a new game development studio to take advantage of the huge talent pool growing in Poland. It'll be the second Activision studio based in the region, joining Infinity Ward Krakow, although this studio is, in fact, not working on Call of Duty.

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windowscentral.com
Psychonaut8514d ago

They’re not working on Call of Duty? Give it time.