Xbox 360 Kinect’s Space Demands Have Been Over-Exaggerated

Throughout the months since this year’s big reveal of Microsoft’s full-body motion-control device for the Xbox 360, Kinect, at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) back in June, much has been made of the space requirements demanded for use. After an extensive period of testing on every launch title, in multiple locations, Electronic Theatre can officially state that the issue has been severely over exaggerated.

[niceguywii60]

No kidding.

[MrMccormo]

"Exaggerated" an Kinect go hand-in-hand.

In some cases, the fanboy hate against it is exaggerated.

In most cases, Kinect's capabilities and lineup of core games has also been exaggerated.

[ProjectVulcan]

I question the journalistic credentials of this site.

Over-Exaggerated isnt even a word. Exaggerated already means to overstate, no need to say something is over-overstated

[longcat]

^^^^
Over-hyped camera is over-hyped

[ProjectVulcan]

Meh.

[ryuzu]

Good news! You only need a barn instead of Hangar to play it in. Yay!

Bad news - the games are still lame....

r.

[kneon]

The article is still a bit misleading. Fine you can play game X at 8 feet. But unless the game allows you to just stand in one spot you still need more room. You would still want at least 2 or 3 feet behind you for many of these games. You can't really play a dancing game with the back of your legs pressed up against the sofa.

And then there are some games that are not full body and don't require you to move around, so those you can play much closer than 6 feet. I've played MAG sitting less than 4 feet from the camera. I expect there are, or will be Kinect games that also only need to view your upper body so those should work close up to the camera as well.

[vhero]

Erm who to believe? MS and a couple of sites?? Or the majority of reviewers??? Swing and a miss boys... Swing and a miss..

[EVILDEAD360]

Been saying this all along.

The system asks you in advance what distance you want to play at and then it adjusts the games from that point.

They keep pretending that Kinect has some ridiculous requirement, but Sports champion asks you to play at 8 feet and NOBODY mentions it.

Even GamePro exaggerated what was needed to play Kinect.

It doesn't matter at this point because the system launched and people can see for themselves that the reports were innacurate at best.

Now it perfectly clear why Microsdft had the embargo.to preclude false information from ruining the launch

Evil

[Gue1]

You spin me right round, baby
right round like a record, baby
Right round round round

[mantisimo]

.....the videos of people smacking stuff and falling over it would seem that the space has not been overexaggerated one bit!

[gravemaker]

lol, it require 2 meters at least, i know - i have it

[dktxx2]

That's funny. Some would say Kinect itself has been over-exaggerated.

[gigaware]

Sure troll if you say so.

[dktxx2]

go take a look at MS's e3 conference the year they announced kinect, and tell me that MS delivered all they said kinect ( or natal as they called it back then) would be capable of. the answer to anyone with an intelligent and non-biased brain is no, they didnt. not even close actually. its nothin more than a well advertised eyetoy right now.

[Belasco]

Over-exaggerated is a redundant statement. Just saying.

[mrv321]

Something you don't seem to factor in

Move uses a controller mostly, if it can see the move controller then you canplay so no need to move the table out of the way... Kinect needs to see ALL of you to work for most games, meaning a empty-ish living room.

Move is also more widely working on the sofa, with Kinect you have to STAND UP.

While numerically both seem similar in ACTUAL real life the truth is Kinect will require more space

[rdgneoz3]

Hell, with Move I can lay on my comfy bed and use it for Most games.

[butterfinger]

you must not be playing any Move-specific games or you are flat-out lying.

[himdeel]

...because I was playing RE5 last night while I laid on my couch. Besides those times where the enemies grab you, it doesn't take much for some Move-specific games and you can play comfortably on a couch laying down.

[FunAndGun]

@ butter

You can play The Shoot or Time Crisis laying down, or in any position really.

[butterfinger]

Resident Evil 5 is not a Move-specific title. A Move-specific title would be something like Sports Champions or The Fight: Lights Out.

@FunAndGun - So what you are telling me is that you can play crappy games that you simply have to point at the screen from laying down on your bed? What a shocker! Maybe I was wrong. Maybe most Move games are just so simplistic in terms of gameplay that you can just play them exactly like on the Wii. Enjoy the waggle, I guess.

[mrv321]

Can I ask WHY does it have to me Move only for it to be a good move games?

All I hear is 'well it isn't move only so Move sucks'

For me a controller is a damn good control medium and if a device can be close enough to it that they both work then it's great.

[FunAndGun]

@butterhead

"you must not be playing any Move-specific games or you are flat-out lying."

The Shoot and Time Crisis can only be played on the Move, and are indeed "Move-specific".

"It gets so tiring reading all of the ignorant people on this site."

Please take your own advice because you make yourself sound like one of those ignorant people. You said he wasn't playing any Move games or was lying. Well I just gave you 2 examples of games that can be played laying down.

[butterfinger]

I'm sure any game that requires you to simply point at the screen wouldn't require much space at all. Guess what? Kinect doesnt require hardly any space when navigating menus in which is performing basically the same thing you are talking about with games like Time Crysis, The Shoot, RE5, etc. By the way, I never said "Move sucks". The fact that that is all you heard just shows how sensitive of a fanboy you really are. I wouldn't have bought the Move if I really thought it sucked, but I will defend the Kinect's space requirements when compared to that of the Move. Playing the gladiator game on Sports Champions with 2 people takes more space than any of the Kinect games I've played requires thus far. Maybe you should try things before you bash them based on others' opinions.

@FunAndGun - Hey moron, please point to where I said Time Crisis and The Shoot aren't Move-specific. I said that RE5 isn't, because it's not. All you did was point out 2 games that only require you to point at the screen and barely "move" at all. Of course games like that don't require a lot of space. Apparently you have piss-poor reading comprehension skills. Also, I'd like to ask; what advice was I giving when I said "I get tired of reading allot the ignorant people on this site...?" I was making an observation, not a suggestion, but it's clear you are definitely one of the ignorant masses.

[rdgneoz3]

"What is the point if we aren't discussing games that are made to maximize the experience?"

The fact that Move can be used any number of ways helps maximize the experience. If you're tired after a long day at work or have been outdoors for the past several hours, you can still use Move and play a ton of games.
Also, as others have said, The Shoot and Time Crisis are Move specific games. Tumble, echochrome ii (the demo for now) are Move specific as well and you don't need to be standing up the whole time. Move also can be used in RE5, Heavy Rain, MAG, R.U.S.E which add to the experience. Next year you have KZ3, Socom 4, Sorcery, Under Siege where you can use Move and don't have to be standing the whole time. Move helps add to the experience. Sure there will be games that you have to be standing up with room to play, but unlike Kinect its not gonna be every single game.

p.s. Instead of saying "Move-specific games", say games where you have to be standing up the whole time.

[JokesOnYou]

with kinect theres a maximum of 8ft for 2 players needed, the space is dependent on the type of gameplay. I've played kinect adventures and kinect sports for myself and really the space requirements only make sense, I mean would you really want to be pretending to throw a javeline with less than 6ft from your TV?, kick, block a soccer ball with 2 players in less than 8ft? If your apartment, basement, or flat is too small for that then kinect is not for you. Again it just makes sense, given that kinect allows very active full body games.

[mac_sparrow]

From the article: "it would appear at this point that neither the PlayStation Move nor Kinect can perform at all with a distance lower than 6’ (approx. 1.82 metres)"

Just measured from the base of the camera to my playing space, 5.8 feet. No problems here with move, can't comment on Kinect's space requirements as I have no desire to have it, had an eyetoy and loved it but times have changed and so have I.

[Wh15ky]

When calibrating the Move for MAG it tells you to sit comfortably at least THREE feet from the screen/ camera.

[vhero]

I only have 3 feet from my TV to my cam.. And play move games no prob. Tried all the demos and I the wife plays Singstar Dance all the time so it proves the article writer is biased by lying about MOVE he has proved himself so.. Nobody ever said Move needed 6 feet.

[jneul]

i have been closer lol, it is very game dependant, and you can go close right up to your screen at which point the eye cannot see your move, but it still tracks thanks to the other sensors on move, sports champions is the only game which requires so much space but that is because it needs it due to being a very precise game and it fully needs to track all your movements

[DanSolo]

I have not tried Kinect as I don't have a 360, only a PS3 so I cannot give an opinion on the device itself.

But I will say I don't get all the fanboy hate from the PS3 brigade for kinect, and from the 360 brigade for the Move....
I hope both do well as that will encourage continued innovation from all sides which is just good news for all of us.

Maybe all the fanboys of both consoles could get together so we can sterilise them all at the same time to ensure they do not breed and continue to drag the human race down into idiocy!

....just an idea!

[strickers]

Move does not require 6 ft.My 6 yr old has won at Table Tennis against his cousin much closer than that and far to the right.
The PSEye in wide has a good spread and the vertical angle is also more generous(check the tech specs on both).The Move also does not require your whole body in view so what they are saying makes no sense.
I read on Metro(360 fans tradtionally)that 6 ft minimum for single player and 8ft minimum for 2 player on Kinect.

[butterfinger]

and his cousin are a lot shorter than average adult height. Of course the Move needs less space if you are a smaller person, and the same goes for Kinect. Seriously, does anyone on this site have common sense anymore?

[rdgneoz3]

Heh, I'm way over 6 years old and I only need like around 5 feet (sometimes less since I move forward to kill the computer as I play) room with Sports Champions. The camera only needs to track the controller basically for the games to function properly, so you can get a lot closer than the 8 feet the article mentions as long as you calibrate it properly. And for other games, unlike Kinect, you can actually play from the couch with a table in front of you or even from your bed.

[rdgneoz3]

Yep, I tend to play Sports champions a bit closer to the TV than the 6 feet it says (Edit: the article says 8 feet for sports champios? wtf?). I tend to play Sports Champions like 4 feet from the camera half the time since I tend to move forward a bit as I play to kill the computer in Table Tennis or the gladiator event, and the other somewhat full body games work fine for me at around 5 feet. The rest of the games that I don't have to stand up for I play pretty much play laying down in my bed or relaxing on the sofa, something you can't do with Kinect.

[strickers]

DanSolo
I agree.All consoles/games and devices selling in large numbers benefits us all.As long as the casual stuff does not do so well it pushes out the traditional gamer.
I do still feel that Kinect is limited for games more than controller based motion though.Responsiveness and lack of connection(holding tools) are always an issue for humans(once the novelty wears off).

[StarScream4Ever]

It still won't work in my friend's small dorm room. -_-

[gdguide]

So one device needs to track arm movement, and the other needs to track from your head to your toes. I think it's pretty obvious which one needs more space more often. Also I find it funny that they don't mention the obvious issue of player height. Obviously a 5'7 person will need less space than a guy like me who is 6'3.

Let's face it. There are a lot more variables that can throw Kinect off than Move.

[BrianC6234]

How can someone be so dumb as this dweeb? The Kinect needs a huge amount of space. It's been proven in videos. Those videos aren't lying. If you get too close Kinect tells you to back up. It needs you to be at least six feet from your TV and maybe even ten feet.

[thrust]

I have it only needs 6feet fact!!!!!!!!!!

[Wh15ky]

I tried Kinect in a Game store last weekend, played it for about 30 minutes with a couple of members of staff. We played the river rafting game and the one where you are moving along on rails whilst ducking, jumping and leaning etc.
The problem I found was with two of us playing it felt a bit cramped, not because of the size of the store as there was plenty of space, it was because we had to stand to close together for the camera to see both of us and if I tried to move to the side a little to give each of us more space I found myself out of the cameras view.

@thrust
We were about 6-8 feet away from the camera but we also needed about 3 feet to each side of us and about an additional 2 feet behind us.

[Jeremy Gerard]

the self loathing American media being artificially harsh on the American product in an effort to make themselves feel more progressive and evolved LOL!

No surprise Move needs the same space and it is a UK media outlet that has the nuts to points this out.

[rdgneoz3]

Move can be played from sitting down, laying down, or with objects in front of you / between you and the TV, or with someone sitting shoulder to shoulder with you or on top of you. And seeing as it tracks the glowing ball, you can play a lot closer than the listed distances in the article (tell me how you need to be 8 feet from the camera to play Sports Champions?).

[baodeus]

Exactly, with move, you don't have to stand to play game like ping pong and volleyball. Heck, you can even sit down while playing golf too. So awsome.

[gdguide]

One tracks from your head to your toes and the other needs to track your arms. Isn't it obvious that Kinect needs more space on average? Do something very simple for me. Take a camera and have it zoomed out enough to have someone's arms extended out in the picture. Now have that same person back up until their body is completely in the frame. It's just not the same guys. Not by a long shot.

[jneul]

that is the recommended space is is not the must have space, you can be closer or further away, the notification on SC is just to say it works best at that distance, i have played closer at 6ft on table tennis, and sitting down doing disc golf so move is far more flexible, not to mention SC is the only game that actually has a space recommendation, so far, all the other games, you are ok to play where you want to like on resident evil 5 gold edition

[blackburn5]

Yes just look at the accident videos. Any amount of space is okay as long as you don't mind kicking you family and friends' teeth out. Amazing how anyone will say anything to defend Kinect even if it doesn't make sense

[butterfinger]

is almost every single person refers to another article they've read or a video they've seen to prove why Kinect needs so much space. Almost no one in here seems to have any real, firsthand knowledge of the device and half of them haven't even played Move before. As someone who owns two Move controllers with Sports Champions (check my trophies: Filthyvillain), I can say that Move definitely requires a decent amount of space to play actual Move games. Standing 6 feet away from the camera, playing bocce ball, the Move controller STILL went out of the cameras sight when I was doing a normal throw half the time. On the other hand, I also own a Kinect, and have had no problem with camera from 6 feet away and I'm 6'1 for reference. It gets so tiring reading all of the ignorant people on this site bashing something that they have no real experience with over and over. All you have to do is ride out to a local Best Buy to try it for yourself. It works fine in a busy Best Buy with less than optimal space and people constantly walking around you. If you're going to hate on the Kinect at all, hate on the lack of intriguing software, but the device itself is solid as is the tech behind it. It is exactly what the EyeToy wished it could have been when it first came out. Microsoft will definitely make enough money off of this bad boy to reinvest in some core titles down the road, and I don't see why they wouldn't. I couldn't even recommend getting a Move bundle right now since it is still very similar to the Wii (I know it is slightly better, making you have to do full motions), and all of the compelling titles for it can also use a dualshock 3 instead. Kinect is worth is for Sports and Dance Central alone, IMHO. Now flame me all you want. Lol.

[Cevapi88]

as someone who owns move, im within 5 feet of my ps eye and all the games in sports champions work great...i have a table between me and my tv...dont call people ignorant if you have had some problems with your move set up...not everyone is going to experience the same thing...i tried Kinect at my local best buy, worked well due to all the open space...as for in a living room, i wouldnt know

[Zeevious]

Stand both people side by side, and stretch your arms out leaving 6 inches in between your fingertips. Move back till the camera see's you both.

That's pretty much it. If you are any closer someone's going to get their hands, arms -- or too close -- your head whacked while playing.

For some games this works the same for Move plus a little EXTRA for the controller's spheres -- For others Move is more forgiving...You can sit side-by-side on a couch and play...so it does vary between the two systems.

Kinect does require more space...and I know because I'm the one that had to make the space to try it out.

To be honest...I had already 'Moved' (hahhaha) the coffee table out of the way for Move to try demo's of Eyepet and other games like Sports Champions.

Kinect did require a bit more room, but I have a pretty large place so that wasn't a problem for me...but Kinect and to a lesser extent Move will NOT work well in a smaller place.

I know because we tried this out at a couple friends places now...where even in what I would call a cramped apartment Move was at least mostly playable. Kinect did not work at all in the smallest apartment. (before I hear it...yeah it 'worked' but you couldn't really play or use it actively)

More space for either is ideal.
Less space isn't and that's from my own experience...not the Golden Roses or HateHateHate junk that passes for a review these days.

[jackfack66]

It is also a realllly big ripoff.

It costs Microsoft $56 to make one. Then they charge $150. Either this is a set-up because they know they can hype it enough to get something out of the beginning, then drop the price when everyone stops caring and get the "Oh its cheap now, wasn't that supposed to be fun?!" reaction. Also, the PS Eye has better tech for the most part. Seriously look into it, the PS Eye is awesome, just forsaken.

[YOUR-MUM]

Have to agree with this article u can defo play it with 5 feet of space, single player anyway.

[maxcer]

is nobody actually using this in their living rooms? why does it seem like everybody is trying to use kinect in their 12'x12' bedrooms?

[ceedubya9]

Everyone's room sizes and setups vary. Some people may not even have tv's in their living rooms or largest rooms in the house. Most of the people here probably play games in their own personal spaces, which probably doesn't leave a lot of room for full body gaming.

[gdguide]

Because a lot of people like you use their main TV to watch tv and movies. Not have kids prancing around when the parents are trying to relax. ;) Kinect is mostly for kids.

[baodeus]

no really, this gen is about all about exaggeration.

[Abu]

I've had no problems playing in less than 6 feet of space. A truely amazing device and more fun than most games I've played recently. Halo Reach and Uncharted have both been on-hold for the past week!

[strickers]

I threw up a little in my mouth when you wrote that.
Maybe you should stick to Barbie Horse adventures and leave the proper games to the big boys.