With Kinect, Skyrim’s Dragon Shouts are easier to bellow (hands-on)

Microsoft’s Kinect motion-sensing system is making its way into hardcore games, but not in the way everyone thought. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, one of the hottest-selling games from the fall, will exploit the voice-recognition feature in Kinect so that you can more easily navigate through the game’s complex interface. And you can cast spells more easily by shouting them.

The Kinect retrofit is an interesting way to keep fans occupied with the game, and it is an interesting experiment with how games could be built in the future, with voice recognition designed into them from the very start. Pete Hines, vice president of marketing and communications at game publisher Bethesda Softworks, showed off the interface in an interview with GamesBeat last week.

[acronkyoung]

Anyone who lives next to a gamer is going to think they're going insane.

[metsgaming]

Microsoft should demonstrate this at E3 it will be so funny. Im looking forward to their conference, not for anticipation of games but for the laughs.

[cyclindk]

Get James Earl Jones to do it... then we'll see who's laughing, or rather, who's turned into a pile of ashes from the power of his trachea.

[DaCajun]

So how is using Kinect this way innovative? Couldn't this be done with any old microphone, even the one that comes with the Xbox 360 headset? Sounds cool to use but not worth buying Kinect for it, just make it work with any microphone and get Microsofts nuts of your chin Bethesda.

[dcbronco]

Cajun, it would also require Bethesda to make or license voice recognition tech. MS probably did all of the work since VR is a part of Kinect. No nuts needed.

[Sadie2100]

If that shout stuff won't work consistently, it'll be awfully frustrating.

[Chaostar]

I don't agree that shouting at the TV is easier than holding a trigger button. More fun maybe, at least the first few times you do it anyway.

[-Alpha]

I agree, I'm more interested in the other voice applications, if they work the way they should then it'd make Skyrim a lot less tedious.

[Noticeably_FAT]

You don't think speaking something is easier and more convenient then scrolling through a list of shouts, equipping one and then using it?

Also you can use Kinect with quick save, fast travel, weapon switching, item sorting and you can even tell your companion to wait or follow or to attack.

That is convenience not seen since hotkeys on a keyboard.

[DaCajun]

So why should we have to buy Kinect just to do this? Why can't it be made to work with any microphone like the one we have on our headset that came with the Xbox 360? It's a BS gimmick to make people buy more Kinects. BS

[360GamerFG]

There is much anger in this one ^ made that his wand of choice isn't supported.

[Crap_Turtle]

"It doesn’t always work. Hines had to repeat himself a number of times during the demo. If you position high-end speakers near the Kinect module, your voice may be drowned out by the sound of the game. For instance, if it is raining in the game, it’s pretty hard for Kinect to filter out the noise and recognize your commands."

thats all that matters

[Megaton]

Yes, I'd much rather shout at my TV than press a button. The inconvenience I've been longing for, finally delivered. Thank you Bethesda and Microsoft.

[mr_badhand]

Pretty funny.

If I had a kinect I wouldn't mind trying this.

And that's a big "IF".

[Tai_Kaliso]

Sounds good! I cant wait to try this out, I'm looking forward to the convenience of this over scrolling through different shouts and then equipping them.
Quick saves,quick travel, weapon changing and item sorting are also supported through Kinect, which will make all of those things much easier, faster and...better.

I'm excited for this and hopefully some new DLC.

[Series_IIa]

Not sure which is more embarrassing, talking to your TV or waving a dildo with a glowing ball at your TV...

[360GamerFG]

We've been screaming at our TV's for generations, now with Kinect, they listen. The other thing. . .I suppose if you've always been into that sort of thing. . .