110°

Kinect Is Not Dead, Microsoft Says

Microsoft did not talk about its motion-sensing Xbox peripheral Kinect during the company's E3 briefing this week or at all during the show itself. Some fans might be wondering how committed Microsoft is to the technology considering it didn't take any time to talk about it at the year's biggest gaming show.

But now, Xbox executive Aaron Greenberg has spoken out to assure fans that Kinect is here to stay.

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gamespot.com
Bigpappy3259d ago (Edited 3259d ago )

There was actually a new Kinect games announced this week. So there's that. Boom ball I believe

Nirvana315913258d ago

It was dead on arrival. I sold mine for $20

Monster_Tard3258d ago

You got ripped, I sold mine on Ebay for 90.

SonofGod3258d ago

You're probably the biggest PS fanboy here on N4G. You don't even have an XO LOL.

ATi_Elite3258d ago

Microsoft "Kinect isn't dead and we are strong supporters of the pc platform"

Translation - you can buy a Kinect and you can buy our OS but don't expect any killer games. Actually don't expect any games because Kinect was just a money grab and a new OS highlighting gaming but no games from us is well just a money grab also.

lemoncake3258d ago

With the introduction of cortana which requires a kinect it's safe to say it's not completly dead.

bubblepopper3258d ago (Edited 3258d ago )

Yay. A feature that could have just as easily been implemented with a simple microphone.

dcbronco3258d ago

Not really. Doesn't Kinect itself contain the actual recognition ability. I remember when Mass Effect added voice they said it was easy on Xbox because Kinect did all of the voice recognition. You remove it and you have to program for every interaction with every program. Plus I'm sure Kinect would work better for Cortana just like Mantle works well with amd cards and worse with NVIDIA cards. Companies gear things toward their equipment m

bubblepopper3258d ago

@dcbronco I stated this before in a comment below... Tomb Raider Definitive Edition on PS4 implemented speech recognition into the game through use of just a microphone. No additional hardware needed.

dcbronco3258d ago

The problem is microphones don't do voice recognition on their own. Someone has to code the game to recognize the signals from the mic. Kinect doesn't require much additional programming as it does the heavy lifting part of the act.

A mic is like having GPS in a normal car. Tell it you want to go home and it marks the way. Kinect is like having GPS in a automated car. Tell it you want to go home and it marks the route and then drives you there. It a huge difference.

bubblepopper3258d ago

@dcbronco But the processing power of the PS4 was enough to do it alongside normal gameplay AND have 60fps, whereas the XB1 version of Tomb Raider Definitive ran at 30fps. That was back when The XB1 was still holding back 10% of it's power for the Kinect's usage. What was the point then?

MasterCornholio3258d ago

@dc

Your talking about cortana right?

Well on any windows 10 PC you don't need Kinect to use it. Which proves you don't need Kinect on an X1 to use cortana. Just a microphone which is what the majority of Windows 10 PCs will use.

dcbronco3257d ago Show
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rainslacker3257d ago (Edited 3257d ago )

DC may be right on this point. I know a lot of people consider Kinect just a camera and mic, but it's a pretty sophisticated setup of camera's and a mic array with it's own sound processors to filter sound and process the relevant information for the computer itself. It also handles the actual motion capture processing and just sends the skeleton coordinates to the application.

On a PC, there is pretty much unlimited resources available for such things, but on a console, the amount of resources that can be dedicated to that is nowhere near as much, nor would you really want it to be given for sound processing anyways.

If MS didn't include it built into the X1 through sound co-processors, which is likely if it's built into the Kinect, then it makes the most sense.

Not saying Cortana on Xbox One won't work with a mic, but it may be laggy and not be ideal while also playing a game.

+ Show (5) more repliesLast reply 3257d ago
fermcr3258d ago

"Kinect Is Not Dead"

It's not dead... it's almost dead.

kneon3258d ago

No it's not, it's just pining for the Fjords :)

OUROSMAG3258d ago

Of course they are saying that, you need it for Cortana which will be a big push for them here soon.

Show all comments (52)
320°

Xbox Game Studios Publishing Team Visits Kojima Productions to 'Kick-Off an Exciting Journey'

Kojima Productions' Hideo Kojima and Microsoft's GM of Xbox games marketing Aaron Greenberg via Twitter revealed the Xbox Game Studios Publishing teams have visited Kojima Productions.

"Our first visit to Kojima Productions with our Xbox Game Studios Publishing teams," said Greenberg. "Bringing engineering, cloud, marketing & production teams together to kick-off an exciting journey ahead."

Read Full Story >>
vgchartz.com
Obscure_Observer446d ago

Definitely curious to know more about this game.

Probably a survivor horror game powered by Azure just like Flight Simulator.

porkChop446d ago

He had a cloud-based horror title in development at Stadia but Google cancelled the project. Idk. He could bring that to Xbox but he also might be making something else. I just don't know what cloud would bring to a horror game.

Obscure_Observer446d ago

"I just don't know what cloud would bring to a horror game."

It´s Kojima. He can create a cloud-based Pac Man. Lol.

Tbh, If you tell me MS were planning to release a cloud-based Flight Simulator a few years back, I wouldn´t know what to expect either.

He´ll be working with Kim Swift (Portal creator) so I´m expecting something big!

EvertonFC446d ago

Can you offload things like lighting or RT etc to cloud?

fr0sty446d ago

RT, not really, as we expect 60fps,and low input lag, and good luck getting pings good enough to refresh that.

cthulhucultist446d ago

I can think 3 possible uses, although I could be wrong:

1. Dynamic weather and time of day depending on your region. For instance real-time weather and time-of-day information, which can be used to create dynamic environments that change depending on the weather and time of day. In addition various festivities (such as halloweed) can be tracked to add additional background features such as new times, layout and decorations.

2.Cloud-based servers can facilitate shared experiences in horror games so that players can share real tine journals around the world for other players to find (similar to demon souls messaging system)

3. Crowd-sourced decision making when it comes to important world altering decisions. In that way players can decide using polls, on the direction of certain events.

All the above apply to multiplayer horror game scenarios

porkChop446d ago

@cthulhu

I see where you're going but those 3 scenarios don't actually need cloud technology. We could already do those things with an online connection. For Kojima to say it's a game he's always wanted to make but that it isn't possible without cloud... Idk man it sounds like he's talking about some wild shit lmao. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Obscure_Observer446d ago

@EvertonFC

"Can you offload things like lighting or RT etc to cloud?"

Yes, you can offload anything CPU-intensive to the cloud. Xbox Game Studios already confirmed that Ray Tracing is coming to Flight Simulator at some point with the DirectX 12 Ultimate update.

I_am_Batman446d ago (Edited 446d ago )

@Everton: Offloading part of the rendering pipeline to a remote server isn't a viable solution for latency sensitive real time applications like games. Bandwidth isn't high enough and latency is way too high. There is a reason why GPUs have multi-level cache hierarchies. Local cache/memory latency is measured in nano seconds, a server ping in miliseconds. You're talking orders of magnitude difference in both latency and bandwidth. At that point you'd be better off letting the server do all the computation and streaming the finished frame which would just be plain old game streaming.

fr0sty445d ago (Edited 445d ago )

It's SO obvious which people in this conversation have any idea how game development works... lol.

No, you cannot do cloud assisted ray tracing. 60fps updates every 16ms. So, within 16 ms, your must tell the server you need a frame, and what that frame needs to be, Then the important part... the server has to have the time needed to render that frame, and then it has to be able to send that frame back to you. A perfectly average ping in the year 2023 is 20-50ms... and even if you get lower than that sometimes, you won't stay that low all the time... especially when connecting to servers over large distances. see the problem there?

+ Show (5) more repliesLast reply 445d ago
blackblades446d ago

Bad quality photo, like show some respect to the guy. Can report for bad quality picture.

Stanjara446d ago

Photo probably taken with Kinect.

onisama446d ago

the original on twitter kojima with the team xbox, this photo is zoomed

YourMommySpoils446d ago

Phil is going to start slapping and spanking Kojima, when he finds out the developers have been working on a Sony game this whole time, instead.

Aloymetal446d ago (Edited 446d ago )

Lol, well you're kinda right since he's been working on DS2 aka his baby and I say his baby because it is his main priority plus when I saw the tour he made of his studio in Japan, everything inside is decorated with Death Stranding and all that stuff. Amazing studio by the way.
https://www.youtube.com/wat...

Obscure_Observer446d ago

"Lol, well you're kinda right since he's been working on DS2 aka his baby and I say his baby because it is his main priority"

Lmao! Sure... whatever helps you sleep at night, dude. XD

Kojima wants his new game on Xbox to bring a revolution! From the man himself:

“It’s almost like a new medium. If this succeeds, it will turn things around – not just in the game industry, but in the movie industry as well,”

"Kojima: I tend to get easily bored. Part of why I've been able to make games for 30 years is because new technology replaces the old so quickly. The tech you use today may not be applicable tomorrow, and I'm interested in figuring out ways to incorporate the new. Making the wrong choice can result in failure, of course. It's a bit like a space program in that way. The project we're working on with Microsoft is one I have been thinking about for five or six years already. The project required infrastructure that was never needed before, so I discussed it with lots of different big companies and gave presentations, but they really seemed to think that I was mad. It was ultimately Microsoft who showed that they understood, and now we're working together on the project, including the technology front."

“It’s a completely new game, one that no one has ever experienced or seen before. I’ve waited very long for the day when I could finally start to create it.”

https://www.ign.com/article...

mkis007446d ago

Sony would normally accept anything kojima would put out if they were even one of his potentials. Leaves me with 2 options: Sony literally couldn't say yes to it or 2 it is more unusually than death stranding.

Obscure_Observer446d ago

@mkis007

"2 it is more unusually than death stranding."

He said that every publisher which he proposed his new game (Sony included), says he gone mad except Xbox Game Studios.

If this game is not been in development for the PS5, Sony is the one to blame.

sadraiden446d ago

@obscure_observer

always take Kojima's hyperbole with several thousand grains of salt. He famously said DS was a new game genre. Turns out it was a 3rd person action game with asynchronous multiplayer. Still fun and engaging, but not really as innovative as he was pitching it.

DOMination-446d ago

DS is the only game they’ve released isn’t it? I have a feeling that’s the most logical reason why tue studio is filled with stuff from that game

YourMommySpoils445d ago (Edited 445d ago )

In other words, there is no Xbox game. "!" over the head.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 445d ago
sadraiden446d ago

Phil never put a ring on it. Kojima is his own publisher. I think he holds most of the leverage, and in this case Xbox wanting their own Kojima exclusive is exactly the reason why he won't spank him.

Traecy446d ago

They want to follow in Sony PS footsteps...lol. Smh.

Show all comments (53)
370°

Aaron Greenberg Promoted To Xbox's VP Of Games Marketing

If you're a close follower of the Xbox team, you'll be well aware of Aaron Greenberg. He's a really nice guy who is always busy promoting the latest game and hardware.

It seems he's recently been promoted - with his LinkedIn profile revealing how he's gone from Xbox Games Marketing General Manager to Xbox Games Marketing Vice President.

Read Full Story >>
purexbox.com
Knushwood Butt618d ago

'He's a really nice guy who is always busy promoting the latest game.'.

He's had a quiet year then.

-Foxtrot618d ago

Just spinning on his chair randomly thinking "I wonder who can swim faster, a horse or a dog"

617d ago
NotoriousWhiz617d ago

^ While that's a funny thought. The facts are that the more people that like your favorite plastic box, the more people that will spend money on the plastic box, and the more money spent on that plastic box, results in more support going to that plastic box, which ultimately results in more games for you to play on your plastic box.

So that bit of marketing does help you in the end. But don't let those facts get in the way of a good funny.

*takes off nerd glasses*

MoonConquistador617d ago

Lol.

I like many people, probably overuse lol's in my online messaging, but I genuinely laughed aloud with that comment.

MadLad618d ago

2023 is coming.
The tone of this place will go from "Xbox has no games" to trying to explain why everything they release is terrible. No matter the reviews or sales. Or trying to convince everyone how Gamepass is killing the industry.

Aloymetal618d ago

''2023 is coming''
I know right, I've been seeing the same slogan since 2014.

618d ago
neutralgamer1992618d ago

Lad

Man stop it as a Xbox fan I am tired of waiting till next year. It's time to have some amazing games that are high in quality

CrimsonWing69618d ago

I feel like they said that back in 2021, then 2022, and… well you get the picture.

617d ago
STARS617d ago

@MadLad

2023 is coming, in three and a half months. What about in the entirety of 2022, or in the last 10+ months? How have those award winning, MS studios been looking in that time frame? 🤔 Yeah, no matter the reviews or sales, sounds a lot like TLoU Part 2 from you for 2 years running. 🤡

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godofboobees617d ago

So it's no longer "wait till e3" but so and so date is coming? Gotcha

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Hofstaderman617d ago

E3 is also coming. What a joke.

+ Show (18) more repliesLast reply 617d ago
Automatic79618d ago (Edited 618d ago )

@knushwood

Depends what quiet year means to you.

Didn't he just finish promoting this summer E3, High on Life, Naraka Blade Point, As Dusk Falls, Forza Horizon 5 HotWheels, Redfall, Starfield, Pentiment and Grounded. Plus he was Gamescom with games like Lies of P, The Case of Benedict Fox and more. I don't consider that a quiet year.

Congratulations Aaron.

Elda617d ago (Edited 617d ago )

Lies of P is a multi-plat game with no release date. The other games you've mentioned are mostly low-budget/AA lackluster looking games with the exception of Forza. Redfall & Starfield have no release date. As an XBSX owner that's nothing to be excited about.

darthv72617d ago (Edited 617d ago )

@elda... so you upgraded your free xmas party series s to a series x now? Gamepass has a way of doing that. And lies of P is a nice get for the service. Of course Greenburg will promote games and the service.its his job.

Lightning77617d ago

I'm not a Greenburge fan myself but whenever someone lists the games. It's always "AA low budget lack luster games" but yet go crazy over a Cat game that nobody's talking about anymore. AA is only OK if it's only exclusive to their platform, anywhere else it's lackluster.

#Hypocrites

617d ago
XiNatsuDragnel617d ago

@lighting
The problem most of these are timed exclusives or multiplats. Not AAA or AA, I care about exclusives which the competitors have.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 617d ago
deadfrag618d ago ShowReplies(2)
XiNatsuDragnel618d ago

Oh congrats Aaron but imo I want a new team rather than the same people start fresh.

Si-Fly617d ago

Yeah why aren’t they promoting an intern to VP?

XiNatsuDragnel617d ago (Edited 617d ago )

Or fresh blood

ED-E618d ago

Can't really tell how Greenberg is today, but back in my Xbox360 days (oof, we're talking 10+ years ago), he had such a pervy douchey vibe, I couldn't stand him. So I might have been wrong all along.

God, I miss my Xbox360 days, but I hated the Metro-UI change in 2012(?) so much. It was one of the reasons I switched to Playstation with the next generation.

MadLad618d ago

It might be time to switch back, honestly.
I'm mainly a PC gamer, but I've owned every Playstation console since the PS2.
I was one of the few that managed getting a PS5 day one.

They've been anti-consumer idiots this generation. I don't want to support them as a company at this point. I've been buying used anything that I want to play.

I'm watching Microsoft improve their games division in many ways, while watching Sony test how much they can fleece their dedicated fanbase.

Aloymetal618d ago

''I don't want to support them as a company at this point. I've been buying used anything that I want to play.''
Don't do that, PS needs you, they'll be doomed if you don't support them...

Elda618d ago

At least Sony continues to release AAA exclusives,they've released AAA exclusives throughout this year whereas XB has not...not one.

MadLad618d ago

@aloy

Whatever you insist, guy. I know the drill. Everything Microsoft does with their games division is trash.
Everything Sony does with their games division is totally amazing. It's actually kind of creepy.

Doesn't matter what Sony does, and it doesn't matter the improvements Microsoft is making.

The PS6 could announce at $1000, the games could now be $80, they could double the base price of PS Plus, and you would be doing your best to celebrate and defend it.

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Crows90618d ago

Name me one game this supposed games division improvement has created.

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Gamingsince1981617d ago

MS haven't improved their games division at all, they have spent more money than anyone else on buying up studios and still have nothing to show years on. Gamepass is rubbish and that's all they have.

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gold_drake617d ago (Edited 617d ago )

"been watching them improve their games division in many ways"

really? might be time for some glasses then ha.

AmUnRa617d ago (Edited 617d ago )

Here whe go again....but but but i have always own a PS, but Sony are anti consumer idiots. Dude give it a rest whe dont believe your drivel time for the mods to do theyr job.

+ Show (21) more repliesLast reply 617d ago
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20°

Joy Ride Turbo - The Beginning of the End for Xbox Kinect

Joy Ride Turbo launched 10 years ago today. The first title was Xbox Kinect exclusive, yet this sequel failed to support the device at all.