This thread can be entertaining.

Uhhhh I dunno what to think of this...

looks like a defensive patent.

They have one similar that uses sonar. Which from that sounds of it both would be superior to Kinect.

i have the feeling next gen will bring us a patent war like apple vs. samsung "hey you have finger tracking for both next gen consoles but only on ps4 you can use your fingers to shoot and only on nextbox you can expect games using your fist to punsh someone because microsoft has the fist patented"

As I've said many times, large companies are patenting anything they can think of in case they ever decide to use it; and it is not necessarily a sign that they will ever actually implement what is in the patent.

With that said, between the rumours of Kinect 2 and this I wonder how central these devices will be to Sony and Microsoft's strategy in the upcoming generation. Will they bundle these systems or leave them as add-ons? If they bundle them will their systems be more expensive or less powerful? If they don't bundle them how will they encourage third party support for these devices?

Beyond that, part of the reason for Nintendo's success was that there was an asymmetry in the market where Nintendo used one strategy while their two competitors used another. If Sony and Microsoft are following such a similar strategy, won't that preserve the asymmetry (potentially) to Nintendo's benefit.

Sony needs to really do things which neither Microsoft nor Nintendo are doing. Nintendo did Wiimote so they did Move, Nintendo does SSBB so they did PSAS, Nintendo does Mario Kart so they did LBK and Nintendo has Mario so they tried to make Sack-boy a mascot.

@ Happy Squirrel I would say Microsoft will push Kinect 2.0 as a point of uniqueness and leverage their networks and software/OS talents to make the Nextbox stand out whilst using things like Smartglass to ape Nintendo's Wuu Pad.

don't come to a consolewar with a fist patented, when your enemy has a gun patented. i also don't understand why i have to trigger my thumb. first, this is kind of unrealistic and second... ever done that for longer than a minute? i did, but it was no fun. and even if i am sony fan, i won't pay for pain in my thumb.

well i don't want to shot myself in the foot (see wht i did there) by saying i could imagine using my hand as a gun, and wouldn't mind doing, so if i hadn't bashed kinect for wht it does.

i'll say it to Sony and MS. core gamers don't want dis shit,but make your money on casual gamers.