Home Gaming Microsoft wants HAL, I mean Siri

Microsoft wants HAL, I mean Siri

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 Microsoft’s Xbox reveal wasn’t complete – there is more planned for E3 and there won’t just be games.  Using the Kinect for voice commands will go so far as having two-way conversations, as well as letting a friend remotely play your game for you.

Sources told Polygon that while the feature may not be available at launch, the Siri-type abilities will be added in a patch within the first few months.

 You know I find all this stuff creepy, but here is a new TERRIFYING ‘feature’.

In one possible scenario, Kinect used its facial recognition to scan a room full of people and note if there was someone in the room it didn’t recognize. It then told the console owner that there is someone in the room it didn’t recognize and asked the new person to identify themselves. Once the person said their name, Kinect welcomed them and saved their information to the console.

Really?!  So I’m not safe from the Xbox even if I’m just watching someone else play?  Also, that will make things REALLY interesting at competitions, conferences, and other group environments.  Will this aspect mean that gameplay is stopped if someone new comes into the room?  I really don’t want to be scanned and saved on someone’s console.  Microsoft gonna check if I’m at home or with a friend?  Stalkers!

 

A second feature is far less sinister – a friend can help you through a section of your game when you’re stuck.

In a demonstration of the feature, a source told us that a message popped up on their screen asking if it was OK if the player they were Skyping with could take over the game. Once the friend took over, the first player was able to watch them play the game. Either player could end the remote play with a button push.

There are still some aspects to be ironed out on this one.  It’s not clear how long a person can remote play, if they also need to own the game, or who would get any possible achievements gained during game play.  Microsoft says they aren’t worried about latency issues with remote play – either they will use some new technology to power this, or they’ve never actually used Skype themselves.

 This feature isn’t exactly original – the PS4 will also have a shared gaming experience called Gaikai that will allow players to ask a friend over the internet to take over their game.  I’m looking forward to see how feasible this actually is, and how this will impact achievements/trophies.

 Still, it looks like I’m going to have to ask anyone I know with than Xbox One to put a warning sign up when that thing is on – I don’t want to walk in and be scanned!  

Last Updated: May 29, 2013

28 Comments

  1. Martin du preez

    May 29, 2013 at 09:06

    What if this thing detects a ghost in the room??

    Reply

    • FoxOneZA - X-Therminator

      May 29, 2013 at 09:12

      LOL! It will tell Siri to call the Ghostbusters via telepathy.

      Reply

    • Ultimo_Cleric_N7

      May 29, 2013 at 09:42

      Oh geez -_-

      Reply

    • Heads or Tails?

      May 29, 2013 at 09:46

      You will have to pay for your dead granny who is standing over you behind the sofa in order for NETFLIX to continue the film.

      Reply

      • Martin du preez

        May 29, 2013 at 09:48

        Haha! Quality time with nan!

        Reply

        • HvR

          May 29, 2013 at 09:49

          “Xbox on”
          MS Siri: I see dead people.

          Reply

  2. Umar Kiiroi Senk?

    May 29, 2013 at 09:18

    I find it hard to believe all this will really happen …….. maybe I’m just naive. But hey, I said the same thing about MS blocking used games and look at the egg on my face now

    Reply

  3. Lord Chaos

    May 29, 2013 at 09:20

    Hmmm… I wonder if they will allow customization. Set a time and if someone’s walking around your place whilst you are at work it’ll scare the crap out of them.

    The possibilities are endless. Log into my home server from work which will connect via wifi to the kinect and then I can see what’s going on.

    Reply

    • Jonah Cash

      May 29, 2013 at 12:45

      I can already see the show “Cheaters” using this to spy on people!!! No more PI work in America, cause XBONE has arrived…. You are now a redundant PI person….

      Reply

  4. Rinceandspit...

    May 29, 2013 at 09:26

    I don’t see the first point as being real. MS can’t F up THAT much can they? The second is quite nice, depending on how it is implemented.

    Reply

  5. Lardus

    May 29, 2013 at 09:43

    XBone: Lardus, there is a new person in the room that I do not recognise. Who is it?
    Lardus: Wait, everyone else went camping – I am home alone…this is how I die!

    Reply

  6. Ultimo_Cleric_N7

    May 29, 2013 at 09:44

    Now all we need is for Microsoft to rename themselves Cyberdyne, and rename the XboxOne the ‘Skynet’……..

    Reply

    • HvR

      May 29, 2013 at 09:50

      Your “new friend” is probably an AI on the MS Skynet servers.

      Reply

      • Kromas

        May 29, 2013 at 10:11

        Good thing im building an HK 47 out of xbox 360s.

        Reply

      • Heads or Tails?

        May 29, 2013 at 10:41

        SkypeNet with the head AI Milo the kid playing BINGo instead of his homework.

        Reply

  7. Heads or Tails?

    May 29, 2013 at 09:45

    “A second feature is far less sinister – a friend can help you through a section of your game when you’re stuck”

    NOOOOOOOOOOOBY BIEBER GENERATION.

    Reply

  8. mancera

    May 29, 2013 at 10:06

    what if you’re having a masquerade xbone party?

    Reply

    • silverscorpio

      May 29, 2013 at 10:54

      The xbox will switch itself off and complain to Bill Gates that you are not playing fair. Expect a strongly worded email from Microsoft.

      Reply

  9. Trevor Davies

    May 29, 2013 at 10:45

    Can someone just fire the entire MS PR department. It’s not funny any more.

    Reply

    • mancera

      May 29, 2013 at 10:54

      m$iri: i’m sorry trevor, i find no reference to “pr department” under m$, did you mean “m$ dumbass department”?

      Reply

  10. silverscorpio

    May 29, 2013 at 10:46

    How hacker proof is this thing going to be? That sort of information can be very interesting for a crime syndicate. It is very creepy if your console starts asking questions and what if it is really curious and start asking why you are gaming with another girl and not your girlfriend. CREEPY!

    Reply

    • Jonah Cash

      May 29, 2013 at 12:47

      Or it greats your wife by saying your girlfriends name!!! What a super bust would that be?!?!?!

      Reply

  11. Zubayr Bhyat

    May 29, 2013 at 11:06

    That’s like something out of 1984. George Orwell would’ve been telling us he told us so 🙁

    Reply

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