Inside Kinect

25 Minutes of 'Dead Rising 3' plus Kinect Details

2013-06-17T16:25:00.002-07:00

If you're an old school Xbox fan you most likely remember the incredible break-out success of the original Dead Rising for the Xbox 360. The franchise has went on to sell millions of copies and even spawned several sequels on the Wii and PS3. With Dead Rising 3 Capcom is returning to their roots and making it Xbox One exclusive. Everything you know and love has been brought over with the addition of some next-gen enabled graphics and features.

For those who care about the story Dead Rising 3 is roughly 10 years after Dead Rising 2 in a city called Los Perdidos, a fictional city based in California that consists of four districts. Los Perdidos is in a state of ruin and under martial law following a zombie outbreak. With no way to leave, the new protagonist Rick, sets out to fix a plane so that he and other survivors can escape before a bomb takes out the city.

The scale of Dead Rising 3 has been significantly upgraded over previous entries in the series. Every store and building is explorable. With the city itself being larger than all the previous games combined. The scale is even more impressive when you take in to account the game has zero load times and 3x times the zombies as the original with much more variety to boot. You can also expect over 100 weapon combinations and over 50 outfits.

Dead Rising 3 also makes substantial use of Smart Glass. Using your tablet or smartphone you'll be able to call air strikes, check your mission list and look up locations such as gun stores or safe points and even add in-game waypoints to help you if you get lost.

Kinect Integration

The Kinect features are unobtrusive and seem to add an extra layer of immersion to the experience. If you want to throw a zombie off just flick your controller and watch him go sailing. There will also be voice related features where you can taunt zombies to follow you by using your voice. You'll also be able to direct survivors to safety. The voice recognition is a double edged sword however. The game listens for any noise in your environment so if you're trying to sneak past a horde of zombies and your phone rings? You're toast.

Check out this exclusive 25 minute gameplay footage of Dead Rising 3 running on an Xbox One:

The game looks incredible despite some screen-tearing and framerate issues which we've been assured will be ironed out before release.

Xbox One and Kinect at E3 2013

2013-06-10T14:42:00.002-07:00

Microsoft kicked off E3 2013 earlier today with a press conference heavily emphasizing games for the Xbox One. While Kinect itself took a backseat to more traditional gameplay, it's expected that it will play some part in most, if not all, first party titles.

Prior to the conference itself Rare unveiled Kinect Sports Rivals, an Xbox One launch title that sees the popular franchise brought to next gen with 6 sports, including some favourites from the first two games. Climbing, Soccer, Wake Racing, Bowling, Target Shooting and Tennis will utilize the new Kinect for advanced motion gameplay, including the ability to scan yourself into the game to play alongside friends via the cloud. Check out the trailer below.

There were also glimpses of Kinect in new titles including Project Spark, which allows players to create and design their own game using a combination of Kinect voice control, Smartglass and a controller. The latest game in the open world zombie killing franchise, Dead Rising 3, will have zombies reacting to sounds in your environment as well as allowing the player to control their posse or taunt the enemy using voice. The Witcher 3 is also confirmed to use Kinect voice recognition for spell casting and management.
Two Kinect games previously announced for the Xbox 360 also made an appearance having moved to the Xbox One. The infamous Ryse from Crytek was finally shown and will use Kinect in combination with a controller, and Crimson Dragon from the creator of Panzer Dragoon makes a reappearance, retaining its Kinect controls.

Of course Kinect dashboard integration is ever present, with a new demonstration showing Twitch support allowing gamers to instantly stream their gameplay live across the internet, as well as share their favourite moments using voice control and Xbox One's new Upload Studio.

Other exclusives announced for the Xbox One include Respawn Entertainment's TitanFall, a first person shooter from the creators of Call of Duty featuring mech robots, a new edition of Minecraft featuring bigger worlds and expanded multiplayer support, Rare's re-imagined classic fighter Killer Instinct and Sunset Overdrive, a comical and bright shooter from Insomniac.

Finally Microsoft announced launch pricing for the Xbox One which will be hitting stores this November for $499 in the US and €499/£429 in Europe.

Expect more Kinect and Xbox One news as E3 continues throughout the week, including a look at new third party titles like Harmonix's new Disney-licensed Kinect rhythm game Fantasia: Music Evolved and more.

Kinect 2.0 Detailed

2013-06-03T14:02:00.001-07:00

Much of the excitement surrounding the new Xbox can be directly attributed to the next-gen Kinect sensor. Building off what the original Kinect started this takes NUI (natural user interaction) to the next level. From natural speech recognition to more accurate facial recognition and more detailed body motion capture. Kinect has been improved so much it's almost unfair to compare with the original incarnation. In this article let's go over what we know.

All new Camera Tech

The new Kinect has a 1080p video sensor compared to the VGA sensor from before. A huge improvement which allows for more accurate facial recognition with much clearer photos and video! Such clear video will surely come in handy for the all new Skype integration. They've also upped the resolution on the depth sensor allowing for more detail to be discerned such as fingers and the orientation of your limbs. All-in-all the new Xbox is processing over 2Gbs of Kinect data per second! Microsoft has also replaced the existing "structured light" method used to read depth on the original Kinect for a "Time of Flight" method that is both faster and more accurate. This method measures the time it takes individual photons to rebound off an object or person for the utmost accuracy.

Complaints Addressed

The original Kinect while a revolutionary product wasn't without it's faults which aliennated some hardcore gamers. Microsoft has taken these concerns to heart and significantly improved the new Kinect to address them.

One such complaint was lag. The time between doing an action and actually seeing it on screen. The new Kinect with dedicated processing and USB 3.0 has latency of only 2 frames per second! That's and imperceptible 66 milliseconds! Most games with a controller have an average lag of 133ms with more sensitive games (first person shooters) having a response time of 67ms! That's a huge improvement! Also your actions will be updated in real-time at 30 frames per second! The same framerate as most games!

The other major complaint for Kinect was space requirements. The field of view for the new Kinect has been improved by 60%! Meaning the new sensor can see closer, wider and deeper than it ever could before. No longer should you have to rearrange the living room to play!

Improvements

Microsoft didn't stop by just addressing the complaints. They also wanted to take the experience to the next level. The new Kinect can now track up to 6 people at once! It can also track each Xbox One controller due to the built-in infrared led. For example lift your controller and your character might raise his shield in-game. It will also switch the orientation of split screen games automatically according to player location.

Skeletal tracking has been much improved. Not only can it read more joints and the orientation of your limbs but also the force of your moves. Dashboard navigation will be significantly improved because now it can detect an open or closed hand. No longer will you have to 'hover' over an object to select it. A 'night mode' is built-in that can see players regardless of lighting conditions. And the new Kinect can tell your emotions (happy, sad, etc..) and even read your pulse!

Some other notable improvements are the microphone array. It can now more reliably cancel out background noise and players can use more natural speech to control it. No more guessing what commands the Xbox can understand. Just say what you want and the Xbox should do it!

Wrap Up

All of these improvements are nothing if Microsoft can't get the device into the hands of consumers but don't worry! The new Kinect will be bundled with every Xbox One this holiday. So we should expect ample 3rd Party support! With exclusive games already announced like Ryse from Crytek and more to come in the coming soon. Stay tuned for more Kinect announcements come E3 next week!

The New Xbox Revealed

2013-05-31T14:55:00.000-07:00

It’s been an exciting couple weeks for Xbox fans. The new console was announced dubbed the “Xbox One” and the next-generation Kinect was debuted and detailed. We’ll give a brief synopsis of the new system as well as more in depth analysis of the new Kinect sensor in a later piece.

The new console itself is comprised of an:

· 8 core AMD Jaguar CPU

· 8 GBs of RAM

· 12 CU AMD GPU (with Data Move engines)

· 500 GB HDD

· Blu-ray Drive (finally!)

· 802.11n Wireless with Wi-Fi Direct (this will come in handy for SmartGlass)

· HDMI In/Out

· USB 3.0

Graphics are definitely a focus for the new Xbox with the One offering up to 8x the power of an Xbox 360! Not too shabby! The new Xbox is being position as an All-in-One entertainment box (hence the new name). Games, TV, Internet and Kinect will all be a major part of the system. Some the One’s key features are:

· Instant Switch Multi-tasking

· Snap Mode (2 apps at once)

· Skype Voice/Video calls

· Live TV

· TV Guide

· Virtually silent

· Slot loading drive

· Same size as current console

· No external power brick

· 3 OSs including a Windows variant

· Gaming DVR with editing tools

Xbox Live enhancements

Just like Microsoft paved the way with broadband on the original Xbox they are paving the way again with always online on the One. The new xbox will require you to sign on at least once every 24hours. This gives players the benefits of Harddrive based game installs due to online authentication. No longer will you have to get up and change discs to change a game! You’ll be able to hot-swap between games and apps at will!

Microsoft is also deploying 300,000 servers, with more power than every computer combined in 1999, to assist with cloud based computing. This is said to increase the graphics and Artificial Intelligence of games on the new system.

You can look forward to your GamerTag and achievements all transitioning over but keep in mind the system does not support backwards compatibility of your existing Xbox 360 games.

Microsoft’s commitment to games, games, games!

Microsoft is committing $1 Billion dollars to the development of exclusive titles on the One. This includes 15 titles to be released in its first year on the market. 8 of them being wholly original properties! Forza 5 which is one of these games will be available at launch as well as Quantum Break from the creators of Alan Wake and Max Payne!

The exclusive content doesn't stop there! Microsoft is partnering with EA for exclusive content in their next generation sports games. Fifa, Live, Madden and UFC will all see release on the new console. EA plans to debut their new next gen game engine “Ignite” on the One which allows for 10 times the animation detail. You can check the engine in action below:

Activision has also pledged their support by offering the next-gen version of Call of Duty: Ghosts to the platform with time-exclusive DLC content.

There was also a Game specific DVR mentioned that allows game clip sharing and editing but not many details are available at this time.

Microsoft wants to eliminate as many barriers as possible between you and the entertainment you love. The HDMI pass-through will allow you to connect your cable/satellite box and watch live TV through the One. No longer will you have to change inputs and with Kinect integration no longer will you have to search for a remote! Just use your voice to change the channel. How cool is that?

Microsoft plans to augment your TV watching experience with the OneGuide which, with the help of the cloud, pick out shows and movies that might interest you. Making your TV experience more personal. The OneGuide will only be available in the U.S. at launch but will expand to other countries shortly.

Wrap Up

It’s clear Microsoft’s aiming for the widest spectrum possible with this new console. Taking on Google and Apple in the process. Not only will the One be the best Games machine with the most exclusive games and content. Microsoft is positioning it to be the one stop shop for all your entertainment needs.

Kinect Getting the Harry Potter Game it Deserves

2012-05-29T14:11:00.002-07:00

Having released with bitterly disappointing Kinect support in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 at launch, Kinect is finally getting full attention in a Kinect-exclusive Harry Potter game that will hopefully utilize the device to its obvious spell-casting potential.

Harry Potter for Kinect is being developed by Eurocom, the developers behind the well-received Wii titles Dead Space Extraction and Goldeneye 007. The debut trailer depicts a variety of gameplay features including the ability to cast magic and play quidditch. It also allows the player to scan in their own face to create a personalized wizard character.

We'll likely have a lot more to say about the game next week after E3. In the meantime, check out the debut trailer below!

Microsoft Announcing Internet Browsing and Cross Game Fitness Tracking at E3?

2012-05-10T13:11:00.001-07:00

Tech site The Verge seems to have a pretty strong source at Microsoft. Having recently leaked the announcement that Microsoft are selling the Xbox 360 at $99 with a mobile-like 2 year contract (Xbox Live included), they have since turned to what are potentially two big announcements at Microsoft's E3 conference next month.

First is something called Kinect Play Fit. Microsoft are allegedly working on a heart monitor, codenamed Joust, that will track your fitness not just in one game but across all Kinect experiences. Fitness and tracking information will be sent to the cloud wirelessly, with the 360 keeping track of your fitness in most Kinect games so you can accurately strive to meet your weight loss and strength goals, whether you're doing push-ups in Your Shape or bowling a ball in Kinect Sports (Hey, we all have lazy days).

Perhaps the bigger of the two leaks is the announcement that Xbox will finally being getting full internet browsing with the release of Internet Explorer for the Xbox 360. The source claims that Xbox users will be able to surf the entire web and that Kinect voice and gesture integration will be a big feature. With IE10 Metro available for Windows 8, it's likely a 360 browser would look and perform similarly, and the advantage of voice-enabled browsing is pretty clear.

It's almost certain that if these two announcements are true that they'll be unveiled early next month at E3. Analyst Michael Pachter recently stated on The Bonus Round that we shouldn't expect many game announcements at E3 from Microsoft, but to expect lots of dashboard, multimedia and service announcements. With a new console almost guaranteed from Microsoft next year, first party studios will be busy creating next generation software so it makes sense that Microsoft will be tightening their Xbox Live service, which will carry over to a new console and integrates with Windows Phone and the upcoming Windows 8 OS.

James Bond 007 Legends Kinect Hitting Stores This October

2012-04-19T05:15:00.000-07:00

Activision appear to be bringing the James Bond franchise to Kinect this October. 007 Legends will be available for the Xbox 360 and PS3, tying together stories from 6 Bond movies including the new Bond movie, Skyfall, also releasing this Autumn.

An Amazon listing appears to confirm Kinect support for the 360 title so that gamers can "become James Bond, reliving the world-famous spy's most iconic and intense undercover missions in the most diverse bond gaming experience ever created".

It's unclear if the game is Kinect exclusive or not. Given that the game is also to be released for the PlayStation 3, it could simply be an optional feature. We'll likely know more soon.

Source: Eurogamer

Dragon Ball Z for Kinect Details and Trailer!

2012-04-17T09:41:00.002-07:00

The first video footage of Namco Bandai's Dragon Ball Z for Kinect has been revealed, as well as new details about the game itself.

Featuring over 50 characters and 100 moves, the game looks to play a lot like Ubisoft's PowerUp Heroes with players matching gestures depicted on screen, not entirely unlike Dance Central, in order to defeat enemies in a first person fight through the Dragon Ball Z saga.

The game will also feature QR code scanning to unlock 20+ new characters and power ups and will be available this October. Check out the two debut gameplay trailers below!

Source: Siliconera

Skyrim Officially Getting Kinect Support

2012-04-12T07:17:00.000-07:00

Remember that video of someone playing Skyrim with voice contros? Well it clearly inspired the people over at Bethesda as the game is to be patched to support Kinect with over 200 voice controls added allowing players to equip magic and weapons, give commands and, of course, do dragon shouts.

The update will be free and available later this month. Bethesda also announced that the first set of additional content including new quests and locations will unveiled soon, exclusively for the Xbox 360. Check out the Skyrim Kinect trailer below!

Release Dates Announced for Fable: The Journey, Diabolical Pitch and Steel Battalion: Heavy Armor

2012-03-05T06:51:00.000-08:00

Want to know when you can dive in to some of this years most anticipated Kinect titles? Well now we have solid dates for 3 of them. Lionhead's latest Fable game designed exclusively for Kinect will hit stores September 4th.

Steel Battalion will be available June 22nd. With limited footage release so far, the game must be surprisingly far in development. Hopefully we'll get some more details soon from last weeks Xbox event.

And finally Suda 51's Diabolical Pitch will hit Xbox Live Arcade April 4th. It's good to see Kinect getting strong support earlier in the year.

Wreckateer Announced for Xbox Live Arcade

2012-03-05T06:36:00.002-08:00

Major Nelson has unveiled on his blog an all new Kinect title for Xbox Live Arcade. Coming later this year Wreckateer, from developer Iron Galaxy, is a physics based game that challenges players to knock over 60 castles infested with goblins using various projectiles. The game sounds like it could be Kinect's answer to Angry Birds.

Check out the trailer below!

No Kinect Support At Minecraft Launch

2012-03-05T06:26:00.001-08:00

Minecraft will launch later this Spring on Xbox Live Arcade without Kinect support. Revealed at last weeks Xbox Spring Showcase, Eurogamer has confirmed that the game will launch at version 1.6.6 of the game, and it will gradually be updated via patches to match its PC counterpart. One of these patches will provide Kinect support for the game.

IGN have also confirmed that the game will feature 4 player local co-op and 8 player co-op via Xbox Live.

It's still unclear how exactly Kinect will be utilized, with the developers only saying that they had to make sure that they do not mess it up.

"Minecraft's so dear to so many people that we had to nail it on a controller, and on Xbox."

Disappointing news for Kinect fans, but a developer willing to spend more time making sure they get it right is never a bad thing. Check back later for more news from last weeks Xbox event.

New and Upcoming Kinect Games Shown at Xbox Spring Showcase, 2012 Xbox's "Biggest Year Yet"

2012-03-03T07:17:00.001-08:00

Over a 48 hour period earlier this week Microsoft held a private event to show off some of their 2012 lineup of games for Xbox 360 and Kinect. Unfortunately the event is under embargo until this Monday when details will flood the internet, but what we do know is that several upcoming Kinect games were on display, as well as some new titles that may or may not feature the peripheral.

Vox Games have confirmed that Steel Battalion: Heavy Armor, Fable: The Journey, Kіnect Rush: A Disney·Pixar Adventure, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 13, Kinect Star Wars, Diabolical Pitch and Minecraft were present at the event. A leaked trailer unveiled a new Forza title for 2012 from new developer Playground Games, Forza Horizon, which may carry some of Forza 4's Kinect functionality too or use it in new ways. And Halo 4 is being shown off for the first time. Likely with a controller, but there's no doubt Microsoft will make sure its biggest game of the year will feature Kinect in some way.

Speaking to Gamasutra Steve Beinner, Microsoft's director of global marketing first party games, says that "Without a doubt 2012 will be a bigger year than 2011".

"It's early in 2012 and we're just peeling the curtain back, but stay tuned," he says. Kinect is something that Microsoft is "committed to and very proud of," and that when it comes to traditional controller and Kinect hybrid titles "the opportunities for us are big in 2012."

Blog TechTalk has teased the event, stating that what they saw "gave us goosebumps"

"It is the development of Kinect that has impressed us on how immersive game play will be going forward"

Kinect Sports Season 2 Gets New Free Challenge Pack

2012-02-15T09:02:00.001-08:00

Rare have announced the release of a second challenge pack for Kinect Sports Season 2, featuring 6 new mini-games for each sport in the game.

Receiver Fever (Football)

Dodge tackles and pass to pop-up receivers, not cheerleaders!

Pitcher Perfect (Baseball)

Flex your throwing arm and start shattering the targets!

Top Jumps (Skiing)

Thunder off the end of the ramp and see how far you can fly!

Prize Driver (Golf)

Swing at prizes on the conveyor belt to boost your winnings!

Red Rally, Yellow Rally (Tennis)

Pack two racquets to keep both coloured balls in play!

Darts Vs Zombies (Darts)

Throw fast to protect your pizza from the living dead!

There is no confirmed release date, but it will launch for free very soon. Check out the trailer below!

Project Draco Titled Crimson Dragon, Playable In Japan This Month!

2012-02-13T14:15:00.000-08:00

The Australian classification website has once again gave away an unannounced Kinect title. Only this time it's only the name that is new. Crimson Dragon, developed by Grounding Inc and published by Microsoft, has been listed this month, and unless the two companies are working on another soon to be released game involving dragons, it's almost certainly the official title for Project Draco, the upcoming Kinect dragon combat game.

Although there aren't any new details about the game, we can expect some gameplay footage later this month when the game is demonstrated at a Microsoft event in Japan on February 26th alongside Kinect titles such as Diabolical Pitch, Kinect Star Wars and Kinect Rush: A Disney Pixar Adventure.

Kinect Star Wars Hits Stores April 3rd

2012-02-07T08:49:00.000-08:00

Finally Microsoft have announced when we can get our hands on Kinect Star Wars. The retail game will be launching April 3rd alongside the limited edition Star Wars Xbox 360 console bundle bring 5 different modes including the newly revealed Galactic Dance Off.

Check out all the details below.

Today, Xbox 360 and LucasArts are excited to announce “Kinect Star Wars” and the Xbox 360 Limited Edition “Kinect Star Wars” console bundle will both be available on 3rd April, 2012 in the UK for £39.99 and £349.99 respectively. Star Wars fans of all ages will soon be able to bring the Star Wars universe home and become part of the films like never before with the power of Kinect for Xbox 360.

With five dynamic modes – Jedi Destiny: Dark Side Rising, Podracing, Rancor Rampage, Galactic Dance Off and Duels of Fate – “Kinect Star Wars” makes it possible for Star Wars fans of all ages to delve into immersive Star Wars experiences. In addition to the previously announced Jedi, Podracing and Rancor modes, Xbox 360 and LucasArts have today unveiled new additions to the game, including:

New experiences within Jedi Destiny Mode, including:

·   Space battles: As you travel the Galaxy to face an evil that threatens to undermine the fabric of the Republic, you’ll engage with forces of the Empire in intense space battles
·   Speeder Bikes and Landspeeders: Pilot iconic Speeder Bikes and Landspeeders on your epic journey
·   New duels: Battle opponents like Count Dooku and Darth Vader on your journey to become a Jedi

New Duels of Fate mode, a battle-by-battle experience to sharpen your Jedi skills against the Dark Side.

New Galactic Dance Off mode loaded with Star Wars-themed pop tunes where those still honing their Jedi skills can take a break to battle Darth Vader on the dance floor or bust a move “Solo style.”

Additionally, the Xbox 360 Limited Edition “Kinect Star Wars” console bundle will feature an exclusive C-3PO unlockable for Dance Mode. With these new reveals and the ability to play in 3D, “Kinect Star Wars” adds to the growing popularity of the family-friendly gaming portfolio for Kinect for Xbox 360.

Kinect-Enabled Laptops In The Works

2012-01-27T14:25:00.000-08:00

Kinect has received arguably more attention online from some of the clever "hacks" PC developers have made, and Microsoft were quick to offer an official SDK for development of PC Kinect software. But not everyone has the room to put a big Kinect sensor next to their monitor, and it makes even less sense for portable computers, a huge market for their upcoming Windows 8 OS.

A source at Microsoft has confirmed to The Daily that Microsoft are going to allow Kinect hardware to be built directly into devices, with two Asus netbook prototypes spotted featuring an array of sensors above the screen where a webcam would typically sit, as well as LED's below the display. The Daily also notes that Microsoft will likely licence the Kinect technology to hardware manufactures, as it does with Windows software currently, rather than make them in-house.

As the Kinect hacks show, there is clearly a lot to be done with Kinect in this space, and it is far from restricted to gaming. With the Windows 8 beta launching next month, as well as the Windows Store, could we see our first officially released Kinect for PC software? It's clearly heading that way, and with rumors of Kinect enabled TV's and set-top boxes coming in the near future, Microsoft is betting big on the technology.

EA Show off Kinect Integration in Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13

2012-01-26T08:29:00.000-08:00

EA are introducing Kinect to their 3 major sport franchises this year - FIFA, Madden and Tiger Woods. This week they're showing off how you can swing like Tiger using Kinect in what looks to be a deeper implementation than one might expect from motion control in an otherwise controller focused game.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13 allows Kinect players to fully experience the game of golf with no half hearted mini-games in sight. Unlike Kinect Sports Season 2 players stand facing the TV so that Kinect can track your swing more accurately, looking at the whole body's stance, as well as the speed and power of the swing. You can also take a closer look at the hole using a similar hand-above-the-eyes gesture as the one found in Kinect Sports Season 2. From here the player can put a hand out and control the aim of the shot with much finer detail by dragging an aimer in any direction.

Players can also use voice to select any option on screen using EA's "see it, say it" feature. Change shot, select a club and ask the caddie by simply speaking.

EA have previously stated that last years sports titles lacked Kinect integration as they didn't want to do it until they felt they had it right. Thankfully that dedication and patience looks like it's paying off! Check out the footage below.

The First Mass Effect 3 Kinect Footage

2012-01-17T18:02:00.000-08:00

Our friends at GameInformer have just released a snippet of 'explosive' Kinect footage. This quick snippet shows off combat and environmental voice commands. Kinect is used to make interacting with the game world more seamless.

The video highlights selecting weapons, controlling squad mates and using biotics all with just your voice. Kinect will also be used for conversations with NPCs in the full game. Stay tuned for more Mass Effect 3 coverage from us in the future and be sure to check the teaser below.

Haunt, Happy Action Theater and Rhythm Party Get Release Dates

2012-01-16T15:30:00.000-08:00

Kinect is well suited to Live Arcade, where ambitious projects can thrive at an affordable price. The next few weeks will see three solid looking releases, starting with NanaOn-Sha's Haunt which will be available to download January 18th for 800 Microsoft Points. From the creators of Parappa The Rapper, players are made to freely explore a haunted mansion, outsmarting ghosts and working their way past a variety of puzzles and traps. Check out the trailer here.

Next up is Double Fine's Happy Action Theater, a collection of looping mini-games with a strong focus on augmented reality and fun rather than competitiveness. Legendary game designer Tim Schafer announced on Twitter that the game will be available to download February 1st. Check out the trailer here.

Finally February will also see the release of Konami's dancing game Rhythm Party, previously titled Boom Boom Dance. Rather than follow specific choreography as found in the likes of Dance Central and Just Dance, Rhythm Party lets you dance in any way you want as long as you hit the circles in time with the beat. With more in common with titles like Elite Beat Agents and Konami's Bemani games, and a crazy and varying art style, it's sure to offer a unique Kinect dance experience when it launches February 8th. Check out the trailer here.

Kinect Sells 18 Million, Heading To Windows In February

2012-01-10T08:56:00.000-08:00

In their final keynote speech at CES this year Microsoft announced that Kinect has sold an impressive 18 million units since it launched back in November 2011. Amazing numbers for any device, let alone a peripheral launched this late into the console generation. Microsoft were also pleased to announce strong Kinect sales on the back of the Xbox 360's strongest year, having sold 66 million units worldwide in total, trumping the Wii to become the best selling console in North America.

They also announced at the event that Kinect For Windows, unveiled late last year, will be available in limited quantities from February 1st in 12 countries (United States, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Spain, United Kingdom) for a suggested retail price of $249.99.

Included in the price is the slightly updated Kinect for Windows sensor, which includes a shortened USB cable to ensure reliability across a broad range of computers and the inclusion of a small dongle to improve coexistence with other USB peripherals. Of particular interest to developers will be the new firmware which enables the depth camera to see objects as close as 50 centimeters in front of the device without losing accuracy or precision, with graceful degradation down to 40 centimeters. The price also includes a one-year warranty, access to ongoing software updates for both speech and human tracking, and continued investment in Kinect for Windows-based software advancements.

Check out the full Microsoft blog post on the Kinect For Windows announcement. We can't wait to see how smaller developers make use of Kinect in innovative and unique ways, and hopefully we'll all have a chance to check out some Kinect For Windows applications once the Windows Store launches with Windows 8 this year.

Merry Christmas From Inside Kinect

2011-12-25T04:17:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to all of our readers new and old. The holidays are the perfect time to have some family fun, so whether you're using your Kinect for the first time or trying to beat Granddad's Table Tennis record from last year, have a wonderful Christmas.

If you've just unwrapped your new Kinect under the Christmas tree, don't forget to check back for all the latest news and get looking forward to the exciting year ahead!

Fez Creator Working on Super Hypercube for Kinect

2011-12-13T05:41:00.000-08:00

Speaking to Gamasutra Phil Fish, the visionary behind long-awaited Xbox Live Arcade title Fez, has already unveiled the game his team are working on now that Fez is nearing release.

Super Hypercube was a pre-Fez puzzle game made using the Wii for head tracking in a similar way to the now infamous Johnny Lee video. Players rotate blocks of various shape using a controller in an attempt to align the correct face with the hole in the wall, not too dissimilar to the array of Hole In The Wall-inspired titles already found on Kinect, only using traditional Tetris-like blocks rather than your actual body.

As a concept the game worked, but the messy implementation made it impossible for many people to make use of the key head tracking feature. Now Kinect offers the perfect solution, and not only do they have the game working, it was a finalist at IndieCade two weeks ago and Microsoft are showing interest.

Hopefully the game will finally see release for Kinect! Check out some old footage below of how the game looked in its concept stage 3 years ago.

Ryse Now a Next-Gen Title?

2011-12-09T08:46:00.000-08:00

The LinkedIn profile of an ex-Crytek level designer indicates that the Kinect first person melee game, Ryse, is now a next-gen title. The resume reads,

"RYSE (X-Box Next Gen) Pushing boundaries of next generation gaming, RYSE is an original AAA IP from Crytek slated to deliver an Epic first-person melee experience in the Roman Empire."

This is interesting for a number of reasons. If correct, it's unfortunate that Kinect will be losing one of its most anticipated titles next year. But is this an indication that the peripheral will be supported at the launch of the next Xbox console? The worst case scenario is that Kinect support has been dropped altogether. Microsoft may be prioritising the line-up of their next-gen console over Kinect, which already has strong support with other developers.

"Xbox Next Gen" could of course simply refer to the Xbox 360. The designer left Crytek in July, one month after the games reveal as a Kinect title at E3. The game has suffered from a difficult production, with the project moved to Crytek's main Frankfurt studio from the now tablet focused Crytek Budapest. It's possible that the game became a next-gen project after the subsequent delay.

Hopefully we'll have more clear news on the games status soon.

Kinect Rush: A Disney Pixar Adventure Revealed

2011-12-08T12:32:00.000-08:00

Back in October Microsoft held a press conference in New York City unveiling Double Fine's Happy Action Theater as well as new interactive TV experiences from National Geographic and Sesame Street. A Pixar game codenamed Rush was also mentioned, but no real details or footage sprung up. Until now!

In Kinect Rush: A Disney Pixar Adventure, players play their way through some of the most memorable moments from 5 of Pixar's biggest franchises. Race against time as characters from The Incredibles, Ratatouille, Up!, Cars, and Toy Story to solve challenges by becoming a superhero, driving cars, flying and much more.

The game is set to launch March 20 2012. Check out the debut trailer below!