Kinect Message Board older than one year ago

#microsoft Microsoft's Kinect slogan is "You are the controller". One day, that could change to, "You'll need the controller, too." Besides game-pad-free gaming, Microsoft is also working on ways to combine the controller with Kinect. More »

#clips Setting up your Kinect array of cameras and microphones doesn't take too long, but it's much more involved than setting up the Wii or Playstation move. More »

#clips One man lives with a Kinect for nine days. What happens? How does his mind change? What are the surprises? And where in the world does the guy go on Day 7? This is my Kinect Diary, in video. More »

#xbox360 While Kinect launches all across the US tonight, the peripheral's official bash was in New York City, where Marky Mark, Microsoft and an enormous army of purple-shirted dancers overran Times Square. More »

#space Kinect needs a lot of room, more room than any video game control device before it. But where there's a will to move furniture or rotate TVs, there is a way. This is how we made room in two homes. More »

#clips Kinect may be touted as the Xbox 360's answer to motion gaming, but it's not just technology meant to make you the controller. It can also let you interact with television, movies, music and the Xbox 360 like Tom Cruise in Minority Report, just without the fancy gloves. More »

#gallery Kinect, like you've never seen it before, on one of our roofs, compared in size to everything from a Wii sensor bar to a can of beans. Plus! Cord length! More »

#handson Microsoft calls it a new console, but the Kinect is really a fresh coat of paint for the Xbox 360, promising to deliver not just motion gaming, but controller-free gaming to the masses. More »

#review Microsoft says that Kinect is the next big thing for video games, a way to control both games and TV without touching a thing. This expensive future is now. It's amazing, but you can wait for it. More »

First presented to the world as Project Natal at E3 2009, Microsoft's Kinect sensor peripheral has since been positioned by the software (and hardware) giant as the next phase of Xbox 360's evolution as a platform. A combination of hardware and software, it's been billed as a means for users to interact with their consoles and play games without using a physical controller, using natural gestures, voice commands and face recognition.

I've had a final retail Kinect unit at home for a little over a week now, and have had ample time to put the shiny new gadget through its paces. Is it as magical as expected? Will it transform gaming? Or, more importantly, does it even work? Read on past the break for my in-depth review of this ambitious apparatus.

Your one stop hub for all the Kinect reviews and info you need.

Bloomberg News reporter Dina Bass took to Twitter to deliver a confidant recalculation from Xbox's top dude, Don Mattrick. Microsoft revised its Christmas season Kinect sales forecast from 3 million to 5 million which, according to Bass, Mattrick says "would make Kinect the biggest Xbox product launch ever in terms of sales."

It would also dwarf the Xbox 360's 2005 holiday launch in which it sold 1.5 million units worldwide from November 22nd through December 31. Not impressed? It's also considerably more than the PlayStation 3's worldwide sales figures of 1.7 million units just one year later. Last, and perhaps more telling, is that the newly revised estimate also trumps the Wii's relatively impressive 3.19 million units sold worldwide during its first holiday season.

For an accessory, 5 million is a pretty staggering number for just a few short months on shelves. That is, if Microsoft can keep it on shelves and meet demand. Each one of the aforementioned consoles was met with severe holiday season shortages; to come out on top of this numbers game, it would seem that all Kinect has to do is be available.

Did you want to be the first person to buy Kinect? You were well beaten. The first person -- in a warm purple hoodie -- arrived on Monday, more than two days ago. Thankfully, he had some friends to keep him company. We chatted with the collective group, and asked about what compelled them to wait in the New York City cold. "The deal! It's just so good," one person shouted. "The deal is just -- that's what attracted me. You're getting $160 free and you're buying a $150 system." Certainly, being the first person on line is one way of guaranteeing access to the deal.

Unfortunately, there is a downside to waiting on line for the Kinect, other than the cold, the hunger and inconvenient bathroom breaks. Whilst standing at the entrance of the Times Square Toys R Us, you could faintly see Microsoft's extravagant dance performance (of 600 people!), a block away. "You can be first on line, but you miss everything else," one person lamented. "It's a tease."

But what about the games? "Dance Central looks good. I actually like Kinect Adventures -- that free one that they're giving? That rafting one?"

Company raises forecast from 3 million to 5 million this quarter.

#charity Actor Mark Wahlberg teams up with Microsoft today to help deliver a funky bunch of Xbox 360 and Kinect gaming hardware to thousands of Boys & girls Clubs across the nation. More »

If you can't make it to the Times Square launch of the Microsoft Kinect this Wednesday evening, perhaps your local GameStop will be offering a similarly scintillating launch experience? This morning, the nation's largest game retailer announced plans for "more than 2,000" GameStops to re-open at 10PM (local time) on November 3 for "launch-night activities," as well as sale of the device at the strike of midnight. A list of participating locations can be found here.

Furthermore, GameStop plans on hosting a "Kinect demo day" this coming Saturday (Nov. 6) at 330 outlets, in case you're still not convinced (participating locations found here). Nothing quite says "sold!" like demoing touchy motion technology in a crowded retail store!

#xbox360 Microsoft's controller-free add-on for the Xbox 360 officially launches on November 4, but some clearly passionate Kinect fans are already lining up in New York City for the device's midnight launch. Crazy? Not really and here's why. More »

Choice is a good thing, unless you're selling to the casual crowd.

With everyone focused on Microsoft's gamble on Kinect, it can be easy to forget that there are other companies with a lot on the line as well. Harmonix is one such company, one arguably producing one of the most buzzworthy Kinect titles, Dance Central. Assuming Dance Central maintains said buzz and generates significant sales after launch, it shouldn't be surprising to know that Harmonix has big plans for the series.

CEO Alex Rigopulos recently told MCV that Dance Central could "spark a phenomenon, much like the original Guitar Hero did," adding that he "sure as hell" hopes Harmonix can produce a sequel. It certainly seems like the company has faith in the game, with Rigopulos admitting that "basic pre-production" for a sequel is already underway, though Harmonix is currently putting most of its focus on DLC.

You're going to see a lot of know-it-alls like us weighing in on the new Xbox 360 Dashboard over the next few days, with all our big highfalutin words and our fancy silk cravats. But honestly, who cares what us eggheads think? Isn't the important question: what do you think?

In that spirit, we wanted to give you a forum to share your feelings on the just-released, overhauled Xbox 360 Dashboard. What do you hate? What do you love? What do you miss? What does it still need? ... Here -- you know what? Wear our cravats. But just this once.

#wellplayed When Xbox 360's controller-free Kinect add-on hits stores later this week it has the potential to redefine gaming in ways even the Nintendo Wii hasn't yet done. It could just as easily fall flat on its face. More »

Looks like the handful of folks with early Kinect games who're locked out of Xbox Live won't have too much longer to wait -- Microsoft emailed fall Dashboard preview users last night with the announcement that the forthcoming Xbox Live update will go public on November 1. "On November 1, 2010, there will be a mandatory service update to Xbox Live. This update will both add new features to your service and also enhance the interface, navigation, and responsiveness of Xbox Live," the email reads.

Beyond Kinect functionality, the fall Dashboard update will add ESPN3, refreshed Avatars, and a new voice codec for chat (among other things). This means, besides all that stuff, you'll finally be able to chat with your friends in the Dashboard preview once more. It's been so long, friends!

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

#xbox360 The Xbox 360's dashboard will get an overhaul for the third time on Monday, November 1. That's when the big Xbox Live fall 2010 update, complete with Kinect support, will come to Microsoft's console. More »

Get off your couch and embrace controller-free gaming.

Retailer error leaves one fan out to dry.

We can't be certain how many more Kinect purchases Microsoft will score by targeting Ellen's demographic. What is certain is that Ellen has scored major props for putting down some "flawless" Dance Central moves. Step your game up, Kietzmann.

While not exactly an Oprah-caliber performance, with the help of Microsoft, Ellen is getting DeGenerous in her own right by offering up a chance to win one of ten Kinect units (personal information required to enter the giveaway) on her site -- where you can also check out her full dance clip (completely anonymously).

Following this week's announcement that Xbox manager Scott Henson is taking over as the head of Rare, the newly appointed exec is defending his studio's mission to the media. Speaking with Eurogamer, Henson re-established Kinect as "a key part of the studio's future," adding that it won't exclusively be working on 360 motion games, "but it will be the centerpiece of our strategy for sure."

He also teased further support for Rare's back catalog. When asked about revisiting the titles -- and even the possibility of adding Kinect functionality -- Henson explains, "You can look at what we're doing with Xbox Live Arcade and you can see how we've taken those classics and refreshed them and brought them to the service. We'll continue to look at those kinds of opportunities. Don't just think about packaged goods in terms of opportunities and Rare and how we bring those things to life." Unfortunately, Henson was less talkative on the subject of Killer Instinct, only offering "I know Killer Instinct is very high in the fan list and one we need to continue to keep our eye on."

#xbox360 Remember when Oprah handed out free Kinects to her audience, causing her audience to completely lose its collective shit? Well, Ellen DeGeneres can whip the ladies into a lather too, courtesy of Harmonix's Dance Central. More »

#china While Leveno moves forward with its version of Kinect, China Telecom showed its version of the Nintendo Wii. And did it with Xbox 360-esque green and white. More »

Microsoft has announced the immediate appointment of a new studio manager for its wholly owned, UK-based developer, Rare. Scott Henson, who has been involved with the Xbox brand since before the original black behemoth launched in 2002, will relocate from the US to Birmingham within the coming weeks.

Henson has been part of Microsoft's Xbox endeavor in numerous roles, including product unit manager for the game technology group (where he contributed to the XNA development initiative), director of platform strategy for the Xbox 360 (back when the Xbox dashboard looked like this) and Xbox group manager. "The timing is actually perfect," Henson told MCV. "I've worked on Xbox since before the original Xbox. I helped bring Xbox Live to life, which has reached millions of people. Rare over the last 25 years is the same story."

Rare's reach will become a major talking point on November 4, when Microsoft's Kinect launches in North America (Nov. 10 in Europe) and the company's casual-oriented games hope to find a new audience.