OXMUK

Developers would be able to craft better Kinect games if the functionality were built right into Microsoft's next Xbox console, reckons Epic Games senior technical artist and designer Alan Willard.

It's hard to justify investing in hardware the consumer doesn't necessarily own, Willard explained. "With first party games where you can't rely on the hardware being there, there's a problem because you end up doing things that don't actually contribute to the game," he said. "Essentially just window dressing. Once we know that we can rely on it, we can integrate it into the game at a much deeper level."

With over 10 million Kinect units now sitting under TVs worldwide, Willard believes the next wave of motion-sensitive titles will make better use of the peripheral. "I think you'll see more sensible integration between the Kinect interface and the design in Kinect games that began development after Kinect came out."

Ultimately, though, the Epic man thinks the only real solution is to ship the functionality with the console itself. "Right now Kinect is a peripheral, but if next generation it's integrated, I think you'll get a lot more games that make intelligent use of it because they can rely on it being there."

Epic's vice-president Mark Rein has said the company is "dying to be a part" of the next wave of Kinect development, touting its Unreal Engine technology as the motion-sensing middleware of choice. Microsoft's Chris Lewis feels the device is"intrinsic" to the Xbox 360 business.

http://www.oxm.co.uk/33065/news/built-in-kinect-for-new-xbox-would-lead-to-more-intelligent-games-epic/

That is a pretty fair assumption.

I 100% agree and I hope they do.

i think he's right to a point.

If a built in Kinect would mean every gamer needs to have their Xbox directly in the center and in front of their TV then I dont think thats such a good idea.

By "built in" I'm sure he means "included with every console", that's all.

Oh ok just got a little confused when it said "..if the functionality were built right into Microsoft's next Xbox console".

But i still dont think its such a good idea "IF" it'll increase the cost of the console by alot.  I like how the 360 and PS3 has their motion device separate because if you're not a motion gamer then why would you want to pay more for a feature that's not manditory.    

while having these peripherals seperate on the ps3 and 360 could save some gamers money, it makes it hard for third party developers to justify making motion sensing games. Games flop on consoles with 100million owners. These games are being marketed to devices that have 5-10million owners. If a kinect like device came with all next gen xboxes, it would be very easy to justify making games for the device that aren't just mostly small budget sports and dancing games, because right now when someone makes a kinect game they basically need to make it appeal to kinect's main demographic, casual players, or make a game so good that people could justify buying the game and a 150$ device just to play it, and good luck with that.

I don't really see how that would make a different in the actual games.But I do think if MS wants more success, they'd be better off integrating the Kinect hardware with the next hardware. If they are gonna make this obscure new hardware like Kinect, might as well follow through with it completely and show consumers that you are serious about it.

It might mean having a lot of the tech in the 360, and the camera being just a camera, thus much smaller and easier to place.