I Like The Kinect Because It Enables Me To Be Lazy

GI

It’s a controversial opinion to share, but it's one I can’t pretend about anymore – I like Kinect.

I live in a house of interruptions thanks to my miniature human roommate, and as a result, the Kinect has become invaluable. It’s not its many advertised exercise functions and games that make me appreciate it so much. I couldn’t find the option to turn off gesture controls fast enough when I first hooked everything up. Rather, it’s a handful of limited voice commands I use constantly.

[KiwiViper85]

Exactly the same in my house.

It sometimes takes me days to find what obscure part of the house the remote has been relocated to.

Volume up/down, go to tv/netflix, xbox pause(until you sit at the table and eat your dinner / go brush your teeth)

I went to pick her up from Daycare last week, they had a wiggles dvd playing, and the kids were all dancing around. The dvd ended and returned to the main menu, when my daughter shouted "Xbox tv"... I was so proud.

[Foehammer]

I turn on my:

TV
AMP
Cable Box
Xbox One

with 2 words before I've taken my shoes off.

I do use the gesture to slide over to my pins or back.

I answer Skype with 2 words

I go to home and select a game to play before I even turn on my Controller.

It's actually kind of funny to use media in another location that doesn't have these options.

It's become very intuitive and I think that is what MS planned all along.

Well executed

[ImAPotato]

Xbox On makes me feel like a god :D

[Gazondaily]

The thing is, its actually practical.

Imagine pulling off something mad in multiplayer. You simply cannot afford to be taken out of the action by going to another menu or pausing the game.

MANY a time, saying Xbox Record is the best and quickest way to record stuff.

Just walking into a room and saying Xbox turn on or Xbox go to (insert game) is something magical....as people can see on my snapchats as I pull the retarded David Blaine face after the trick.

[Mikefizzled]

I can see this idea being used in part of an energetic comedian like Jack Whitehall's stand up routine.

"I, master of the machines, have returned from my day of hardship. Bow beneath me for I am your lord; You're ruler, as for I have the power of my voice."

[ImAPotato]

Exactly what I do. Kinect just makes everything easier and 100% faster in every way, and do it from the comfort of my bed or couch.

[crazychris4124]

Just wait until the new UI drops and how much faster it will all be. Im counting the days because I cant stand the current one.

[Kingdomcome247]

I'm unreasonably pumped for the new contextual, far less rigid voice commands that Cortana's functionality will allow for.

[Irishguy95]

I worked with xbox for a while, I agree completely, the only real reason I liked it. If for some reason I was too lazy to do it myself, speak a few words/repeat if necessary. And its done. At the moment I watch things on my PC and the mouse is just out of reach from my bed. You know how annoying it is to click the next ep each time a 20 min ep ends?

Just sayin'

[Gozer]

Absolutely, same situation here. I use voice commands every day on my Xbox. Im even starting to remember commands for my favorite tv channels lol. I don't need a remote at all at this point. I would be lost if I had to go back to searching for and managing two remotes(tv and cable)again.

[3-4-5]

I "get" the connect, but I don't find a need for one, so I purchased a bunduru without it.

[KiwiViper85]

Ye I "get" why people don't want it, but its just one of those things that you don't know you want it, until you have it...

[3-4-5]

True, like if I had it, I'd probably use it, but it's more of a want than a need.

[Eonjay]

But that seems so counterproductive to what Microsoft imagined for the Kinect 2.0 Sensor.

[Bigpappy]

I don't think it is counterproductive. They should be developing the games along with these interactive non-gaming features.

Bing searches are much faster and things like record that and snapping are a snap.

[Legion21]

I see what you did there

[Godmars290]

So rather its stagnated with MS unable to develop anything past remote control functions.

[Kingdomcome247]

@Mars- It's without question true that the Kinect isn't being utilized to the extent that it was billed to be used at the console's inaugural unveiling, but for my personal tastes I'm just fine with its current applications. I'm not big on gimmicky features being shoehorned into games. So until someone decides to utilize it's functionality in an innovative immersive way in game, I'm just fine with where it stands at the moment. Was that all that you had to contribute to this conversation? Just popping in here for a snide remark, regarding a peripheral that's associated with a console that you've continuously made extremely apparent that you have nothing but disdain for? Why man? They bungled the launch by forcing it's inclusion, and technically lied about it's need for the console to function, but that's been dealt with. Coming from a pure Sony fan such as yourself, I'd think that you'd be a bit more understanding taking into consideration Sony's less than stellar support of their own past peripherals.

[FlexLuger]

@Godmars290

"So rather its stagnated with MS unable to develop anything past remote control functions."

You say that, like its a bad thing. Most xbox owners dont want to see MS money wasted on kinect shovel wear. its pretty obvious its best suited as a companion device to the consoles features as opposed to gaming. Maybe voice control. Maybe head tracking. Maybe the odd gesture based action. But I think its fair to say most xbox owners dont want kinect games. The device has found its place as a companion and as a tool on PC. Nothing more needs to be said on the matter.

[muzikjunkie80]

So rather its stagnated with MS unable to develop anything past remote control functions.

isnt that exactly what the ps4 camera does, what thngs apart from game room and being able to track the controller voice commands etc is it really used for?

[freshslicepizza]

@Godmars290
"So rather its stagnated with MS unable to develop anything past remote control functions."

it must be hard being an arm-chair critic who can sit back and criticize microsoft for pushing kinect and how gamers don't really want it. then when they don't force it you can then say microsoft is incompetent in figuring out a way to make it more viable in games. now that's what i call constructive criticism.

[Godmars290]

@Kingdomcome247:
What is this need to project fanaticism onto others? I don't think Sony is perfect, they certainly have attention deficit disorder in regards to add-ons and their handhelds, but aside for their handhelds which aren't getting much in the way of 1st party support, I don't defend their actual mistakes. Especially when they've grossly misrepresented them.

I didn't come here to make a snide remark about MS, I came to make it about their fans who have repeatedly tried to urge others to drink the coolaide. Be it XBL Gold, the HD-DVD add on Kinect or RROD, the Xbox fan camp goes out of its way to dismiss things which have negative impacts on consumers in general.

[Kingdomcome247]

@Mars- My comment was in no way meant to project fanaticism upon anyone. I'm as far from the proverbial fanatical end of the spectrum as possible, and I never once even went so far as to imply that you yourself reside amongst that fanatical group either. You readily admitted Sony's shortcomings in regards to many of their past peripherals just now, showing a genuine ability to objectively view things that pertain to your platform of choice. I take no credit for your admission as I feel it was genuine, and eliciting that response from you was by no means my intent. I don't mince words in passive-aggresive fashion. My comment's sole purpose was to seek the answer for the only question that I posed to you. Was your underhanded remark in regards to the Kinect, a peripheral linked to a system that you've time and time again shown that you dislike, your lone reason for commenting here? If so, why? There was no need. You dislike the console along with everything that's associated with it, so in an attempt to state this in as civil a manner as possible, your presence within this thread strikes me as being completely unwarranted.

[Godmars290]

"My comment was in no way meant to project fanaticism upon anyone."

"Coming from a pure Sony fan such as yourself"

Yeah...

Look, my issues are with modern gaming in general, namely the advent of social gaming. MS lead that charge, gets credit for it because of XBL, so of course they're going to catch the most flack. Not that Sony isn't as or even more guilty in ways.

Still blame online, and them, for how White Knight Chronicle's turned out.

[Kingdomcome247]

@Mars- Note that I refrained from using the term fanboy. I don't stealthily mince words. That was only meant to convey that you are strictly a Sony fan having never shown positive interest in the Xbox platform. I truly didn't mean to call you a fanatic, or a fanboy. Apologies if it was misconstrued. My comment/question still stands, though without any hint of underlying ulterior meaning/motive.

[rainslacker]

I recently got a new windows phone, and was impressed with the voice recognition in Cortana. Wasn't quite as impressed with the results it returned though. Hard to gauge the speed on a phone though IMO.

[freshslicepizza]

@Godmars290
"I didn't come here to make a snide remark about MS, I came to make it about their fans who have repeatedly tried to urge others to drink the coolaide."

oh, so you admit to not coming here to make snide remarks towards microsoft but have no qualms when it's towards the xbox fans.

"Be it XBL Gold, the HD-DVD add on Kinect or RROD, the Xbox fan camp goes out of its way to dismiss things which have negative impacts on consumers in general."

wow, you sure carry a lot of baggage around from topic to topic. why don't you give us your input instead of worrying about everyone else? tell us all what microsoft should do while we sit anxiously as you show us why you should be making so much money as an adviser.

"Look, my issues are with modern gaming in general, namely the advent of social gaming. MS lead that charge, gets credit for it because of XBL, so of course they're going to catch the most flack. Not that Sony isn't as or even more guilty in ways.

Still blame online, and them, for how White Knight Chronicle's turned out."

do you have a point or did this topic all of the sudden become your personal blog where you can unload all of that baggage?

damned if they do damned if they don't. there is a new guy in charge of xbox, there is a new ceo at microsoft, the direction has changed and most people are pleased with the new direction yet you want to sit here and add your commentary to whatever topic you please and talk about how microsoft can do no right.

[muzikjunkie80]

thing is people complained about the xbox 360 kinect was optional and saying it will never be used for proper games due to only select people having it, then microsoft bundle the new kinect with every xbox one and straight off everyone complains the console is more expensive than ps4 but forgetting that the kinect sensor wasn't cheap to produce and everyone having one would mean developers would have utilized the tech from day one. so because enough people complained they removed it and now people complain that microsoft or devs no longer fully supports it?

people need to make up their mind what the hell they want.

[DragonDDark]

That's what wrong with us. We love being lazy -_-

[ScorpiusX]

Not so much lazy but the fact we love the convinces of doing things much quicker & without wasting time.

[DragonDDark]

But there is lazy going on there... xD

[ASSASSYN]

Walk into the house, walk to the computer room, say Xbox on, and then walk to the kitchen for gaming snacks. System, and TV are on and ready. I love my Kinect.

[Gazondaily]

Haha same here! Thats exactly what I do. Sometimes I even tell it to go to a certain game by shouting across the kitchen to save some more time

[ASSASSYN]

Exactly.

[ScorpiusX]

Kinect is the universal entertainment butler I always wanted and never need to worry about misplacing him. lol

[fulnattybrah]

xbox on / xbox go to sleeping dogs (what i'm playing atm and surprisingly good) kinect gets alot of hate, but its very useful in day to day life.

[urwifeminder]

Shame you cant brush flies away in a fps game or else you get the dreaded maggot infested eye hard to use the scope lol.

[pandehz]

Love the use of it

[JohnRambo392]

Playing video games period is considered being lazy.

[RosweeSon]

Lazy games for lazy gamers that why I left Microsoft and went elsewhere, everywhere but basically.

[gamer7804]

kinect is amazing, it helps me multitask. If you don't have one you won't realize what you are missing which is understandable, whenever i do things like watch a show or startup a program on a console that doesn't have it, both my wife and i realize how less convenient it is.

While i don't use it mainly for games, we do have a few that are really fun for the whole family to play.

[JonnyBigBoss]

I really enjoy it as well. The voice commands are neat.

[sullynathan]

I've used the 360 Kinect,I wasn't impressed. I liked the idea though.