Kinect Message Board older than one year ago

Microsoft has clarified that Kinect is very capable of recognizing a user that's sitting, an aspect of the new tech that continues to be a point of confusion. "Kinect can be used while sitting when an experience is developed with sitting in mind," a representative for the company confirmed to Joystiq today.

As for previously revealed Kinect applications that are being developed with a seated user in mind, Microsoft pointed to navigating the Dashboard, along with using the ESPN, Zune and Video Kinect apps as "experiences where we expect people to be sitting."

Microsoft concluded that what it showed at E3 was "only the tip of the iceberg" and that it's going to be "natural for Kinect games to be designed to get you off the couch: dancing, running, dodging, bending and kicking." It's just good to know that we'll also have opportunities to stay seated and move as little as possible to connect to this motion-based gameplay technology.

#lifestyle There's nothing in the world quite like lifestyle photography, the practice of making models look like they're having fun with a product when they are in fact not having fun. More »

#onlyinjapan There has been concern that the Microsoft's motion controller Kinect could require a significant amount of space — more space than the average Japanese living room has. Microsoft, however, has refuted these claims. More »

#rumor Some Xbox marketing material we got hold of over the weekend shows what looks like the box art for the Xbox 360's upcoming motion-sensing camera, Kinect. More »

Hardware specs hint at two-player limit.

During E3, PrimeSense, the company behind the Kinect hardware, told Joystiq that the system it had licensed to Microsoft could only handle a maximum of two active players at a time. PrimeSense couldn't confirm at the time that Kinect could only calculate two players, and Microsoft didn't comment further when we asked, but leaked Kinect technical specifications from a few UK retailers seem to match up with the two "active" player limit. The leaked technical specifications claim that the Kinect camera can recognize any number of human bodies, but can only calculate the movement and actions of two people at a time.

Other interesting specs have the camera pulling in a video view with a 640x480 resolution at 30fps, and an echo cancellation system in the mic that will make voice chat possible directly through Kinect. The information also explains what the original Xbox 360 will need for the device: 175 MB of memory for system drivers and an open USB port (to connect Kinect).

Of course, these specifications aren't yet official, and they're strictly for the hardware -- not every game will support camera output or voice chat.

ShopTo first out of the stables – and it's not pretty.

A British retailer has posted a set of technical specifications for Microsoft's upcoming motion-control peripheral, Kinect. Interestingly, it says only two players can be tracked at any one time. More »

#screengrab Scott Johnson chronicles the long strange trip from Pong paddle to motion-sensed human, leaving the commentary up to you. As seen on ExtraLife. Thanks, Jon! More »

#earlyadopters Microsoft's Kinect messaging is definitely core-obsessed. First they said they didn't want core shooters like Halo on it. Then they said it's got casual approachability, but core depth. Now, they're saying hardcore gamers will be first in line for it. More »

During our extended preview of Dance Central at Harmonix's studio (post-E3), we talked with project lead Kasson Crooker and lead producer Naoko Takamoto about the challenges of making a new dance "franchise" (a term Crooker doesn't like) and finding gender balance in a game that's all about shaking what your momma gave you. Our full interview follows.

Joystiq: Is Dance Central considered "a platform" in the same way that Rock Band is?

Kasson Crooker: Yeah, it is a platform. We're at the beginning and DLC will be the extension. And I hope that if people take to it -- the non-dancers take to it, the dancers take to it, people take to it from a fitness workout physical experience -- that this is the beginning of a huge world of dance for Harmonix. The same way Rock Band has been.

After our first body-on experience with Dance Central at E3, we wanted a more accurate feeling of what the game would be like away from the bright lights and cacophony of the annual mega show. Developed by Harmonix, best known for creating Rock Band and the original Guitar Hero (along with cult favorites Frequency and Amplitude, Dance Central) is a seemingly innocent mainstream dance title which maintains the street cred and serious gaming elements we've come to expect from the Boston-based developer.

I spent a couple hours at Harmonix's studio last week getting a better idea of what the game will be like in our homes this holiday. Now, granted, none of us will likely have two of the games' producers and a publicist on hand when we're playing with our families, but it's as close as I could get to an intimate test.

#kinect We'd always thought Project Milo, Lionhead's Kinect tech demo from E3 2009, was an actual game. Or at least an actual something. Turns out it's not, and will probably never be released to market. More »

Dance Central Project Lead Kasson Crooker tells Joystiq that the game's downloadable content will cost more than the $2 Rock Band standard. The Harmonix developer explained that the "complexity" involved makes DLC for Dance Central "significantly different" from that offered in Rock Band, and noted that we can expect to hear more on pricing closer to the game's ship date later this year.

Harmonix's approach to Rock Band pricing has always seemed fair, but we wanted to know the specific differences in creating DLC for DC. Crooker elaborated, "Because [Dance Central DLC] comes with a brand new unique routine with the three difficulties, we have to: engage the choreographer, find the song, license the song, come up with a routine, get them into a [motion capture] suit, shoot all the choreography, integrate the animation, build the filter system, the flash cards, the [voiceover] for "Break it Down" -- it's a pretty elaborate process that is not only a lot more expensive, but a lot more time consuming."

Standardized weekly DLC a la Rock Band is unlikely at the game's launch. Each DLC routine is designed for use in "Break it Down" and "Perform It!" modes, as well as the the multiplayer "Dance Battle" mode.

Microsoft's director of platform marketing says he knows Kinect "will have fewer games than our competitors," but that's fine. "We don't want shovelware, we don't want ports, we don't want stuff with motion controls tacked onto it." More »

The war for dominance over the motion-controlled gaming market escalated significantly earlier this week, when Microsoft's Kinect gained an endorsement from one of the world's foremost cultural leaders: Teen sensation Justin Bieber. Click past the jump to see the intro video to one of Bieber's recent performances: A clip which shows Bieber and company trying out Dance Central and Kinect Adventures, unlocking a few lucrative (albeit fake) Achivements along the way.

Of course, that's just the first half of the video posted after the break. We won't judge you for watching the second half of said video, which features Bieber's opening number. We're not too proud to admit that we viewed the entire thing -- but only because we're fascinated by the technology which must have gone into creating this bionic boy.

#xbox360 Can't wait until November to play with Skittles the tiger or flail wildly until slightly moist with some Kinect Sports? Good news! Microsoft will be demoing its new motion controller "nationwide" for the public at retail this weekend. More »

The Microsoft Store's official Twitter account is inviting folks to try Kinect at its stores "nationwide," which sounds a lot more impressive before the realization hits that there are only four locations in the entire country. The MS Twitter account also notes that Kinectimals will be shown off this weekend.

Anyway, if you live near one of the four stores found in the western part of the continent, go check out the new tech that'll be available this November. If you don't live close to a store, save that gas money until we get an idea of how much Kinect will actually cost.

#hudson Almost two years after Wii Sports launched, Japanese game company Hudson released Deca Sports in 2008. The game was a collection of ten motion-controlled sports games. Now, it's 2010 and is launching Microsoft its own motion control system, Kinect. More »

Activision being selective with motion control game development.

Microsoft's new controller is playable at their retail stores.

#microsoft The technology behind much of Microsoft's Kinect - PrimeSense - isn't exclusive to Microsoft. It'll soon be appearing in other gadgets, from TV sets to computers. More »

#microsoft You didn't think Microsoft's Kinect would be used just for games, did you? Silly. It's going to be used for interactive advertisements as well, beginning with a Chevy commercial later this year. More »

At 8:00 PM EDT tonight, our friends at The Engadget Show will broadcast a live episode featuring Jimmy Fallon and special guest, Microsoft's Kudo Tsunoda. The subject? Microsoft Kinect, of course! (In addition to iPhone 4.) Check out the live stream after the break!

How high is too high?

#e3 One of the of the most important games of E3, Dance Central, may not be an Xbox 360 exclusive. More »

#e3 Fable III is more than just bigger swords, bigger farts and more blood, says Lionhead Studios lead Peter Molyneux. It's about touching people, kingly responsibility and... OK, it also has bigger weapons and more vicious wind-breaking action. More »

Microsoft won't confirm retail estimates.

#e3 When Kinect was unveiled as Project Natal during last year's E3 and Tokyo Game Show it looked like the sort of controller that would be used for a wider variety of games. More »

#humor This is Kinect. It is Microsoft's new motion controller system. You cannot sit on top of it. Well, you can, but you'll break it. More »