the tech is cool and definitely much improved...its still not something that I really want to use though

So MS managed to fool a couple of gamers again that the hardcore dream can live on trough Kinect? My god how fast people forget

I know! right!? ;)

It works the opposite of what you are thinking. When you switch off the lights, it gets a lot EASIER for the depth camera (this is just an intrinsic feature of tof cameras, they work the better the less light there is).

So when the demonstrator switched off the lights (particularly with all the six people), it was not for making it look "cool that it still works", it was actually insuring that it works (I'm not suggesting that the demonstrator purposedly switched off the lights. But for the demo it was, from a logical standpoint,  unnecessary).

Yea, this is the most spectacular part in the reveal in my opinion. The improvement with Kinect 2.0 are actually better than I expected. The ability to see force, weight, orientation and even heart rate are quite impressive. It could really open up a whole bunch of new movement games. (If you don't like movement games, probably move to the next thread or open your mind to some new experiences.)

Also, Kinect on Windows is used to scan caves, ice formations, and all sorts of things that have nothing to do with gaming.

I think Microsoft really did an impressive improvement, refinement and expansion of the ol’ Project Natal.

PS Ops, sorry made my own post, didn't realize yours.

That's the kind of thing you fix with a good smoothing algorithm, just as most Wii games wid with the pointer.

I've said it elsewhere, so I might as well say it here, I like everything about the Kinect now, except the lack of a wand-style controller that can be used in conjunction with it. IMO, that's the reason MS is treating this thing as a glorified remote control instead of a core gaming interface.

Thanks for the link. I can now tease badgenome for beliving that Rise of Nightmares was going to be good.

Ars Technica

With that in mind, here's a quick five-minute video that outlines how all of the new Kinect's major features work in the real world. Things to look out for:

Revolutionary shirt-button-detection technology
Revolutionary awful-lamp-accommodation technology
Revolutionary ignore-the-game-sound technology
Revolutionary head-tilting technology
Revolutionary shoulder-shrugging technology
Revolutionary punch-force technology

http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2013/05/video-watch-us-flail-in-front-of-the-xbox-ones-new-kinect/

Kinect one might suck for games yet I use it every day for navigation when I'm not gaming.... and beside pausing during a high intensity scene in an action movie I have close to no issue with it.... the lag is there but at least I don't have to stop eating or do what I'm doing on my phone or tablet to pick up the pad wait for it to switch on and do what I have to do.... like someone said it's a glorified remote control.... and I wish I could use it on all my device because bottom line it ain't more expensive than my harmony universal remote....

I can see so many application in hardcore gaming with the new one..... people are so focused on the tracking part.... why not use the heart rate to do great things in survival horror games to spike stress.... or the facial tracking for moods in RPG or MMO... voice control in squad games, or for commands that actually use a button that could be used for something else.... like reloading or switching weapons.... heck imagine in COD Ghosts giving out orders to the dog etc....

or even use the tracking for counter or defensive stance in lots of games (put your hands in guard position during a major explosion in a game or else, counter a kameamea in DBZ anyone :P )


yes the full body motion is going to be still more than likely be used only by dance games, mini games etc.... but this is a logical thing since hardcore gaming is becoming a niche market of the entertainment industry.... once again MS has never targeted a crowd younger than 18 yo and is focused on the 25-35 young active with kids which is a way bigger market than the 15-25 hardcore gaming that Sony is targeting.... and never pretended to aim at anybody else..... and that's a good thing for the VG industry cause it ain't Sony or Ninty model so far that is going to save it.... and PC gaming is doomed since piracy is a rampant redundant issue on that platform with some title reaching the 80+% crack rate....