(Credit: James Martin/CBS Interactive)
LOS ANGELES–If you thought Microsoft’s motion sensing controller-less technology, Kinect, was going to take a backseat this year, you were wrong. In the minutes leading up to the press conference’s start, I first noticed a trio of Kinect sensors slyly facing the stage. It would be a telling premonition of what was in store for world’s fastest-selling electronic gadget.
But while Kinect has garnered more groans than praise in recent months, Microsoft’s press conference demonstrated somewhat of a maturation for the motion-control initiative. Whereas Kinect functionality initially seemed forced upon software that didn’t necessarily need it, a few interesting implementations may have skeptics turn into believers.
On the gaming side of things, the packed house at the Galen Center witnessed the creative application of Kinect in the debut of Splinter Cell: Blacklist, where players can use their voice to draw an enemy’s attention. (Credit: James Martin/CBS Interactive)
It may have taken a year for developers to realize, but the natural application of Kinect functionality is where it’s most effective.
But perhaps the most convincing use of Kinect was during a brief Madden 13 demo, where NFL great Joe Montana was on hand to show how Kinect will expand a player’s range of control at the line of scrimmage. Where once a series of complex button inputs was required for a quarterback to call audibles and quick-routes, a Kinect-equipped gamer can now shout them out. (Credit: James Martin/CBS Interactive)
In FIFA 13 certain plays can now be voiced with ease, like calling for a pass. Player substitutions will also get the voice treatment as well — something that’s been notoriously tedious in past versions.
I’d imagine Xbox exclusives like Halo 4 and Gears of War Judgement will enjoy the beneficiaries of Kinect’s maturation as well, though the details of their specific integration remain unknown.
Of course Microsoft wasn’t about to give up on Kinect-only games altogether, as newcomer Wreckateer looks like Kinect’s 3D version of Angry Birds. Save for Wreckateer, Dance Central 3, and an ambiguous teaser for a game called Matter, Kinect-only games didn’t monopolize press conference time the way they did last year. (Credit: James Martin/CBS Interactive)
A few ghosts of the motion-control workout craze did remain, though. The company also announced a new fitness partnership with Nike+, a system that monitors progress and promises a more complete workout system.
Arguably the biggest announcement of the Microsoft presser was SmartGlass, a way for mobile devices to provide companion features to Xbox games and content. Kinect’s role in SmartGlass will help users navigate with web with Internet Explorer on Xbox, among other features. (Credit: James Martin/CBS Interactive)
I was expecting more of the same from Kinect, but Microsoft has cleverly shifted its focus to a more natural implementation. Kinect succeeds when players don’t realize they’re using it, and it looks like its use in core games is evolving into just that.
Related Links:
Microsoft readies NUads: They watch you watching them
What to expect from Microsoft at E3 2012
Leap Motion: 3D hands-free motion control, unbound
Xbox 360 Kinect said to add Internet Explorer browsing
E3 2012: Don’t forget PC gaming
via CNET Latest News http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-21539_7-57446893-10391702/witness-the-maturation-of-xbox-kinect/?part=rss&subj=latest-news2&tag=title
