Thu, Nov 04, 2010 | 17:02 GMT
Microsoft promises Kinect “hybrid” experience with future titles
Microsoft has confirmed games are in the works for Kinect which will include both motion control and traditional controllers.
Speaking with GI.biz, Kinect developer Alex Kipman said these “hybrid games” will allow all forms of gaming “to exist” together.
“We’ll continue to have controller-only games,” said Kipman. “We love controller-free games, we love Kinect experiences and we’ll continue to grow our set of those as well. What we haven’t really talked about, but exist, are hybrid games. Games that are using the controller, which we know and love, and pieces, if not all, of the Kinect experiences to again make those experiences more immersive, more fun and more emotionally connected.
“This is where I look at the world, and I know it’s easier to look at the world and talk about ‘or’, but I look at the world and I talk about ‘and’. It’s about how we take all of these things and fuse all of them together to create unique experiences. This is when I go speak and spend time with creative folk around the industry. I go back and I talk about palette. It doesn’t always mean using the same colours, the same paintbrushes – the stories you tell are about using the appropriate combinations of all of the colours and brushes to create something meaningful.”
Today is D-Day for Kinect in the US. Find out how the camera and the games released for it stack up in our reviews round-up.
Kinect is out in Europe on November 10.
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Posted in: Development, Kinect, Microsoft, Xbox 360, Xbox Live
Tags: Alex Kipman
11 comments
#1
Blerk
04/11/10, 5:07 pm
I’d love to know why they haven’t talked about this until now. You sort of get the feeling they didn’t want to ‘soil’ the Kinect launch by having it connected with traditional 360 games. i.e. “the launch wasn’t for you, now that it’s out we’ll start talking to you as well”.
#2
Jan
04/11/10, 5:11 pm
#Blerk Well to be fair they talked about Fable 3 to be a hybrid, so I don’t see any surprise in this?
#3
JonFE
04/11/10, 5:14 pm
Blerk, I think it would kind of ruin MS’s marketing line “You are the controller”.
#4
cookiejar
04/11/10, 5:17 pm
I bet they’ll end up chucking out games that you can use both inputs with, but like 250 of the game’s gamerscore is unlocked only by Kinect
#5
DrDamn
04/11/10, 5:23 pm
This is what I’d find more interesting to be honest. The reasons for not mentioning it are likely those covered already. Though it’s got a reasonable impact to implement so including it in a regular game can be costly in terms of CPU. It was quoted as 10-15% and is now “single digit” percentage. It would also come down assuming the use is going to be more limited than full body tracking.
#6
Erthazus
04/11/10, 5:26 pm
Thats the only thing i see with kinect. But not now because of the 360 specs. It’s old to do something spectacular.
Maybe next generation, because things like in Fable won’t do much in the future.
#7
Michael O’Connor
04/11/10, 5:52 pm
They have talked about this before now, actually. Just not in huge detail. I have a friend who is a total carphile, and he’s going nuts over the Kinect experience they’re adding to Forza.
There’s a few Kinect only game I’m looking forward to, but I’m interested to see what some of these hybrid titles do as well.
#8
NiceFellow
04/11/10, 5:54 pm
@3 spot on. You don’t spend $500 million to promote “you are the controller” and “no controller needed” to confuse things with “except in some cases”.
Besides, it was known – and commented on – they’d take this route. They just wanted to market purely to the “you are the controller” message at first whereas Sony just released Move with some titles of each type and less of a direct, single message push.
#9
lexph3re
04/11/10, 6:32 pm
Omg! People are idiots. Microsfot minus well of said “sony you know what? Your right, a controller is important.” This is the crap I’m talking about with marketing and sucking in retards who act like this is innovation. Sony had the same promises ms did back. In e3 2005 with tech like eyedentify.
I’m sold its either kinect or move because they’re both working the same tech. Just at different marketing and time points
#10
lexph3re
04/11/10, 6:48 pm
I should edit the above but I’m just going to. Look at my own mistakes and smack myself in the face.
#11
Dragon27
05/11/10, 3:39 am
So, they stole the ps3 idea and made it worse?!