Home Gaming E3 2013: The Xbox One is going to be subtle with Kinect

E3 2013: The Xbox One is going to be subtle with Kinect

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Enough negative Xbox One news, at least for a few hours. I’ll admit that Microsoft isn’t doing a great job communicating their new console, but there’s still a lot of grunt under that hood. And believe it or not, the most surprising feature of the console may come from the hardware side that most gamers don’t want: The Kinect.

In a demo session with Microsoft’s Jeff Henshaw that I attended, the more subtle uses of the Kinect were shown off. Henshaw started playing a standard FPS demo, and spoke about how the game being used, had standard controls for combat.

But using the Kinect, Henshaw added more moves to his repertoire. An idea Henshaw says, that came about from a desire to provide more for gamers, without having them raise their hands from the controller.

"When I play a traditional first-person shooter most of the time my hands stay on the controller," Henshaw said.

Games in the past generation can’t always rely on A: A sensor always being there, and B: The sensor isn’t subtle enough to detect something like a lean while you’re playing.

By leveraging subtle gestures and combining them with hardcore controls the Kinect becomes meaningful even for hardcore gamers.

To demonstrate this, Henshaw showed us how raising the controller to his chest brought up a shield, or how tapping his head quickly switched the view from normal to X-Ray. Adding to that, Henshaw also used voice commands and a quick solo hand gesture to paint targets and call down missile attacks.

Personally, I like the idea behind the Kinect and games with a more hardcore lean. I like that it’s subtle, and not necessary to the gameplay. I recognise the fact that I move around when I play games. I lean when I steer a car, I get agitated when I get blasted.

Of course, the biggest hurdle here is getting developers to use this technology accurately. As I said, I like subtle. I don’t like forced gimmicks. Here’s hoping that we don’t see these advancements coming, because that’s how you do next-gen.

Last Updated: June 14, 2013

22 Comments

  1. But Kinect was so great for the xbox 360. All those quality no button games… 😛 /trolling

    Reply

    • Gustav Minnie

      June 14, 2013 at 13:39

      Still way better than that wannabe vibrator from Sony…. 😉

      Reply

  2. Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew

    June 14, 2013 at 12:11

    Would I be banned from online play if I flipped the thing the bird?

    Reply

    • Scruff304

      June 14, 2013 at 12:18

      Banned? No…. Flip you off back and go all red ring of death on your ass? Possible…

      Reply

      • Edwin le Roux

        June 14, 2013 at 12:26

        I think if this thing goes red ring. It will be allot worse.

        “You can’t do that Dave. I can’t allow you to leave Dave”

        Reply

  3. Ultimo_Cleric N7

    June 14, 2013 at 12:13

    Not a fan of what has been said so far. The fact that you NEED it and that the camera is always on when the console is freaks me out. its not like a PC where we can set different settings. It just the way it is and we must just deal with it…

    Reply

  4. Jakster

    June 14, 2013 at 12:24

    So just how much of booty can the new Kinect pick up? Does a bigger booty get me a bigger shield?

    Reply

    • Sageville

      June 14, 2013 at 12:39

      If thats so I’d be designated shield for a few squadrons of players.

      Reply

  5. Umar Kiiroi Senk?

    June 14, 2013 at 12:25

    How does this work if there is more than one person sitting next to you when you play. How does this affect the detection of the models

    Reply

    • Argentil

      June 14, 2013 at 12:41

      I think it should be fine as long as the spectator doesn’t move around too much. The detection is pretty accurate.

      Reply

      • Umar Kiiroi Senk?

        June 14, 2013 at 14:25

        Lol can just imagine you hitting your mate because hes moving too much next to you. better hope your bud ain’t a troll

        Reply

  6. Argentil

    June 14, 2013 at 12:40

    This reminds me, PS4 Camera recognises gestures now.

    Reply

  7. Sageville

    June 14, 2013 at 12:42

    I see great possibilities, interactive porn!

    The kinetic wil monitor my excitement levels and porn intensity will be adjusted likewise.

    I think we have a winner!

    Reply

    • Jakster

      June 14, 2013 at 12:47

      That’s a revolutionary idea!

      Reply

  8. Goth_Nerd

    June 14, 2013 at 12:46

    I think this says it all

    Reply

    • Argentil

      June 14, 2013 at 14:29

      Lol, that’s brutal.

      Reply

      • Goth_Nerd

        June 14, 2013 at 14:50

        brutal is my middle name that nobody knows lol

        Reply

  9. Jakster

    June 14, 2013 at 12:47

    Kinect 2.0 is coming to PC. Another reason to not get the Xbone.

    Reply

    • Argentil

      June 14, 2013 at 14:30

      I don’t see anyone adopting it, to be fair. Maybe a niche crew. Unless they make it compulsory. That would suck. I would live on Windows 7 for as long as possible, and maybe move over to Linux if I really had to.

      Reply

  10. OVG

    June 14, 2013 at 13:52

    It will be very subtle in my living room… non existent actually.

    Reply

  11. saneman

    June 14, 2013 at 15:02

    OK seriously except for the fatties who need to lose weight and kids who have waaay to much energy who even wants a kinetic? The reason we have keyboards and mice and controllers is because they reduce the physical amount of effort required to do the same task, so you can enjoy/continue that activity without tiring physically.
    And on the back of the NSA spying, who really microsoft(already in trouble with skype) to put an ALWAYS ON HD CAMERA AND MIC in your living room which is never offline for more than 24 hours?

    Reply

  12. Marc O Polo

    June 17, 2013 at 17:03

    the problem comes with non exclusive titles, will the developers bother to use it if its only being used on 1 platform!

    Reply

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