The untapped uses for Kinect on Xbox One

It can already detect body movement so you can play games without a controller. It can even let you order pizza without having to push a single button. Yep, Microsoft’s Kinect motion and voice sensing add-on for the Xbox 360 is already a powerful bit of kit, but the new version just around the corner can do even more.

[MrCastle]

Whole lotta potential. I would be lying if I said I was getting Xbox for anything other than Kinect support.

[lets_go_gunners]

Have you seen project spark. You can literally use the kinect to make animations for monsters you create. By waving your arms and being psychotic.

[fenome]

@lets_go_gunners

Didn't know about that, that's actually pretty cool

[Dragonborn312]

I saw that. It is so awesome!

[Dragonborn312]

Yeah I saw that! It is so awesome! You can basically motion-capture your entire body.

Oops double comment sorry!

[fenome]

Yeah, but when are they actually going to start showing something other than tech demos and what-not. You'd think they'd have something special that takes full advantage of it outta the gate. Especially since it's included in the box, you'd think they'd have at least one solid launch title for everybody getting it.

[mhunterjr]

There are plenty of launch titles that use it. Forza, BF4, Need for Speed, Madden, FIFA, Zumba Fitness, Zoo Tycoon, NBA Live, NBA 2k14, AC4, crimson dragon, dead rising 3, fantasia, fighter within...

This many developers fooling with it already likely means that there's more and better implementations on the way.

[jackanderson1985]

at their little gamescom thing when they followed Larry Hyrb, Graeme Boyd and some chick who's name i've forgotten, they had the girl do the actions for a character they were making in the project spark game... seemed pretty good if you were into that sorta thing

[fenome]

@mhunterjr

Okay, so there are plenty of launch titles that utilize little aspects of it. Where are the titles built for it? With how hard they're pushing it I just figured they would've had something built fully around it for launch. You'd think they'd really be trying to push it considered you are buying it.

I'm not saying they're forcing it or whatever, not trying to jump in the flamewars, but you'd think they'd really be showing it off. It's the main thing that separates it from everything else. It's the identity they chose for the Xbox, you'd think they'd really have some crazy stuff coming out on launch to push it.

[Hufandpuf]

The only game on the top of my head that is built for Kinect is Kinect Sports Rivals.

[Dragonborn312]

I am really excited to see what people can do with it in a few years. So much potential.

[gusgusjr]

love how they will implement it in dead rising 3, hoping for my ideas like that, not so much with extreme motions and odd gyrations.

[OC_MurphysLaw]

Kinect 1.0 all got us thinking of the potential but it clearly never delivered like many hoped it would. It was clear from the start that what came out as Kinect wasn't powerful enough to do what many dreamed it could.

With Kinect 2.0 I do see a device that really could deliver something special, something uique into gaming. Looking back at a game like LA Noire where the player not only questioned an NPC but also had to read their expressions could have been so much more with something like Kinect 2.0. Imagine engaging in an interogation of a suspect where not only do you verbally ask questions and read their facial expressions but one where the NPC could be reading your facial expressions too. No more dialogue trees but just allow players to speak to the NPC. Its the promise of Milo but now with a device that actually can deliver.

[Deividas]

MS, nobody cares about the Kinect, no one is buying an Xbox One for the kinect. Get it together. If they stopped focusing so much on this and more on the actually product that people are interested in, you wouldnt be in this boat.

Me personally, after a long day of work, I want to come home, lay on the couch, turn on my console and enjoy my game in peace with a controller. I dont feel like flailing my arms around and yelling at my tv.

[Sitdown]

Really? I thought we had long moved beyond the weak argument about flailing your arms and yelling at your TV. Accept reality, maybe this console is just not for you.

[mcstorm]

Lol did you think before you typed that in? Just look at the 360 for Kinect used core games to see you don't need to wave your arms about Forza 4, forza horizon, halo cea, FIFA 13 are just a few I can think of off the top of my head that used the controller and Kinect together. Also saying commands at your TV is quicker than sitting up to grab your TV control to switch to the TV or channel .

Microsoft have not forced Kinect to anyone its just been integrated into the console to give you a different experience than the pa4 and wiiu are offering. If you don't like it get a wiiu or ps4 really is that simple but to not want any of the big 3 o try new ways of adding and playing games is really not the way to think being a gamer because it it was we would still be using a joystick with 1 button and very simple square graphics.

[mhunterjr]

Of course it won't be long before this thread is filled with KINECT is useless, but I've got high hopes for it.

There will be plenty of casual applications (kinect sports, Xbox fitness, fantasia, etc), and multimedia applications (UI navigation, IR blaster/universal remote). But I'm more interested in the subtle implementation into hardcore games.

Head tracking and lean in BF4 and Forza is a good start. And the voice commands in BF4 will be very useful in place of the command wheel. The way kinect breaks the 4th wall in DR3 is novel, and hopefully more devs expand on the 4th wall idea. Using kinect to import custom character animations into project spark games is brilliant.

I'm hoping 343 leverages the advanced voice recognition and the cloud to allow us to interact with our AI companion in halo5 ala the Milo demo.

I'm sure there are devs far more creative than me that will find cool uses for the device.

[christocolus]

cant wait to see how black tusk uses it...heard they are working closely with ms research on its implementation.

[XboxFun]

Yea, and the implementations they have for Project Spark alone makes it worth it.

[Thisisjuju]

"It can even let you order pizza without having to push a single button".

This is the single most lazy piece of functionality I have ever heard...

and I would totally use it :P

[jackanderson1985]

wonder if i could do it with a snap function... but then again i'd have to get up to answer the door... wonder if i can tie it into my door to open when the pizza arrives

[skoorydook]

Kinnect is far from useless in fact its most likely bloody excellent at what it does it just isn't for everybody

[Juangie3]

sticks arm outside imaginary forza vehicle to wave a speeding motorist on giving him the go ahead to pass lol

[TheGreenMan]

Honestly, I think MS should license the tech for non-gaming use. I think Kinect could work well as part of "smart house" technology or as part of an advanced home security system. While I'm not a huge fan of it for gaming, I definitely think there is an ancillary market that MS could tap into.