FPS and Kinect. How it is possible.

[Euphoria14]

It seems a lot of hardcore gamers are worried at the lack of games aimed at them using Microsoft's Kinect. While it's clear Microsoft are aiming to appeal to casual gamers with the device initially, for the more hardcore gamer, perhaps playing the waiting game is going to prove to be most fruitful.

 

If you look at it from Microsoft's perspective is they already have your business; you've got the Xbox 360 or Slim version, you buy games and extras from the Live Marketplace, and most likely have a Gold Live subscription. However, casual consumers most likely have a Wii, hand-held device or are considering what to buy. The recently announced pricing also suggests that the company is gunning for new adopters of its products as opposed to those already on board. It makes sense for Microsoft to shift its focus to capture the casual market, but many are looking at Kinect and its launch with blinkered vision. Kinect's appeal to casual audiences is all about controller free gaming simply because that's the barrier preventing them from jumping in. However, hardcore gamers have no such issues, so rather than have Kinect as a useless bit of kit that never gets played, if developers can utilise the device in more traditional ways then this is a more positive outlook for hardcore gamers.

It has been stated that some years from now we'll probably see an influx of Kinect enabled games aimed at the hardcore gamer, and with plenty of regular games to keep you entertained between now and then the wait will be over before you know it. However, one argument that seems to have cropped up time and time again, is how Kinect will work with traditional shooters. At present, Kinect can be seen as a casual only interface, where hardcore gamers are less likely to want to flail their arms in front of the device for long periods, or even short ones. We've talked about on numerous occasions that Kinect is more than just body tracking, and it's really down to the software to make use of all its features. Developers will be (as we speak) looking into concepts and ideas of how Kinect can be used in hardcore games, and in case you've given up hope, or simply can't see how it could work in practice, then take a look at the video below which shows how Kinect can be used in first person shooters. The idea to remember is that Kinect for hardcore gamers doesn't have to mean losing the controller, and more working in tandem with it for best results that suit the target audience.

The following video showcases how tracking technology can be used in more traditional games and whilst the demonstration doesn't actually use Kinect, or is produced by Microsoft, you can clearly see that the basics are there, and that with some investment and testing, the principle can work.

Half Life 2 Kinect Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=as4SlcAExwc&feature=player_embedded

 

Article and video here.

http://www.msxbox-world.com/xbox360/news/article/12930/First-person-Shooters-+-Kinect-=-Win-(video).html