Deep Dive into the Technical Side of Microsoft's Xbox Kinect

Xbox 360 kinect disected

[rroded]

A lot has changed since those early designs, including some reductions in sensor size, and the complete removal of an on-board processing unit to reduce cost. However, the basic design behind the system remains the same.

woulda made hardcore hd games at least a possibility...

all for what 3 4 bucks worth of silicone...

[Godmars290]

Either MS is going to get away with selling a limited motion controller basted mainly on hype to the general consumer market, who wont give a damn about a limited motion controller, or they're going to fall flat on their face.

The tech only works to a certain extent, they've removed hardware, so why should anyone actually into gaming care about an in-depth examination?

[mrv321]

You know what? Microsoft are pretty good at this whole advertising, the people outside the know will just see the games and go... waw that's cool. What Microsoft should do is put one in the entrance to a store as people walk by it says

'You are in the game' they then play dance central for a minute and are sold on the concept.

Honestly, Natal is just a delay tactic, Microsoft needs DD to further catch on so they don't have to use blu-ray, they also have time Sony aren't planning a PS4 any time soon. But with the 3DS and Wii how much more room is there for a casual motion controller?

EDIT: I assume this is the final product right? Will this mean people will stop saying 'Microsoft will fix it by the time it's launched' despite having 2 years to fix it and leaving it until the last month.

[Godmars290]

thought I was saying SM was good at advertising, exactly how they're not good with hardware much less hardware forecasting. That's how they messed up with HD-DVD, and how they're likely screwing up with Natal. If they do plan on fixing it they'll try doing it through software updates like, as a software company, they've mainly done.

And DD wont work because 1) the physical infrastructure just isn't here (not in the US anyway) and 2) Sony has a foot in the Cloud distribution pond too. The PS3 has shown several times its a more adaptive and open machine than the 360, so its hard to imagine that the PS4 will be more of the same. Meanwhile MS's centralist mentality will likely hinder the next Xbox.

[The Lazy One]

DD is already a reality. Many people download their all their music using DD. Many people now download all their books. A lot of people download games via steam. Many people also download games through XBLA and PSN. Torrenting is more popular than ever. Netflix instant streaming and hulu are both DD. The PSP Go is designed completely around DD.

And M$ is fine with hardware forecasting. Blu-ray didn't win because of the hardware value of it. It won because Sony made a lot of deals to lock up all the major movie studios.

[Godmars290]

You got that reversed: MS's the one who dumped a mountain of cash in HD-DVD's camp to keep that format alive against BR. The reason for which they didn't support was because Sony didn't want to use the menu and security codecs MS were pushing.

Honestly BR has more storage, every time the ex-HD-DVD camp mention it being beaten they talk about newer formats with more storage, and yet HD-DVD was somehow better with less? How is that anything close to logic?!

And yes, while DD is happening, MS is tying their own hands by connecting XBL to it. Got Netflix to keep it off the PS3, yet are going to be months behind offering Hulu to deny it to Silver accounts. The same reason a number of UK channels are getting PS3 and not 360 apps: because MS wants to charge for them. Make them apart of XBL when they're free just as Youtube is on the PS3's browser.

Let's also ignore that where MS is offering full older 360 titles via DL, Sony was did it day-one of Warhawk's launch. Were selling consoles with the necessary HDD, not hawking ones w/o one.

[AAACE5]

I see the campaign to kill Kinect before it releases is still alive!

Is it really that important? I think most people have moved on past this.

[asyouburn]

DD works for music and handhelds atm because files are small. to use god of war for example, the game was 38 gigs. all of that might not have been game, some of it extras and whatnot, but if the DD didnt come with all that, i would still buy the disc. you might have time to DL 38 gigs just to play a rather short (but great) experience, but i dont

[The Lazy One]

@"You got that reversed: MS's the one who dumped a mountain of cash in HD-DVD's camp to keep that format alive against BR. The reason for which they didn't support was because Sony didn't want to use the menu and security codecs MS were pushing. "

no they didn't. M$ wasn't even part of the DVD forum. Sony was however.

@ asyouburn

If you download a losslessly compressed file, you'd only download a 3-6gb file that would decompress to the size of a blu-ray or more on your hard-drive. It would download probably just as fast as you could drive to the store and buy a game.

[outrageous]

M$ will sell as many Kinects as they can get out in the market place...everybody knows that. What I don't understand is people like Godmars crying about it. You don't like it, don't buy it. You wasted 3 bubbles crying like a baby about M$ and Kinect. Why so scared???

Kinect does what M$ said it would do...3D mapping. It will be up to M$, developers and once M$ allows it ( they said they will ) the gaming community at large, to come up with interesting ideas on how to implement Kinects features in games. Developers have just started to scratch the surface of what Kinect can do.

Here's an interesting look at Kinects tech. Watch for the 3D mapping of not only a person but the entire room.

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

The Kinect tech is REAL...lol. How, when and where it will be used is the question which is now being answered with games like Your shape from Ubisoft, Kinectanimals, and MTV's Dance Central.

As for the DD Vs physical media...that has already been decided. DD is the future...case closed. Outfits like Blockbuster are closing store's everywhere because people download there movies from there cable or satellite providers INSTANTLY...a word you will here more and more. Cell Phones are driving that market, as is handhelds, lap tops, tablets and notebooks. Everywhere you look people are connecting on the go. The tech has been around forever and now it's becoming cost effective. Will it happen tomorrow...no, but it's staring you in the face if you want to open your eyes and see it.

[Pandemic]

Duplicate,
http://n4g.com/news/577892/...

.....

[DelbertGrady]

But one isn't enough for the amounts of trolling needed in these Kinect articles.

[D4RkNIKON]

@ Soda, and here you are.. contributing nothing to the topic of conversation, just here to mention the word troll and that is all..

Kinect still has to show gamers what it is good for, till then no one cares

[Lord_Doggington]

soda, right on my man.

dark nikon, as always...just get out already.

[Kakkoii]

@D4RkNIKON:

It's already shown gamers what it can be good for, you've just chosen to ignore it and continue hating on it. If fun controller free type games aren't your thing, then fine, but that's your preference.

[Bigpappy]

@ D4RkNIKON. You and you N4g PS3 fans, sure seem to care plenty. It is like you reason for existing is to make sure that a kinect article does not get by unless it is certified by PS3 trolls saying how bad it is and why Move is better. Soda has reason to be annoyed his bubbles get taken away for trolling and people like you still have 2.

[a08andan]

The cutbacks that MS has made on the Kinect is not so awesome :(. Now it feels like I'm gonna waste my money if i buy Kinect at launch cause they will most likely release and upgraded version of Kinect later. It is still tempting to buy one though, but doing all these cutbacks isn't a good way to keep me interested.

[Irishboy 1210]

I think Kinect is going to be a massive sucess. What people fail to recognise (ps3 fanboys) is that kinect is not for anyone who reads N4G. Its for your casual audience and considering how big the wii was this is going to be huge..

The Wii sales are starting to fade and I can see all that casual audeince really buying into this. The minute the advertising campaign starts it will give all those wii owners a new incentive to make an impulse buy...Saying that I can see the same thing that happened with the wii happen to kinect in that there wont be a high attach rate games wise..Who cares though as long as microsoft make a bundle from it which hopefully means more and more core games for us.

[mrv321]

It's for casual audience who are going to buy the 3DS over Natal...

3DS is supposed to be selling before April 2011, that leaves a small gap for Natal to sell and even then the Wii is cheaper and a brand name for motion control.

Wii sales are fading? Really... Microsoft would give Linux the ability to use .exe without wine to have Wii like sales. How about this, you see which sells more WORLD WIDE this Christmas... Wii or Natal... my money is on Wii.

ALSO at the end of the day Natal is an add-on designed to prolong the 360's life because Microsoft needs broadband to catch on before they push DD. Microsoft if it released a console this year would has to go for blu-ray, DVD simply won't last a new generation how ever two years is a long time and if Microsoft can hold on two year then they are not quite being forced into Blu-ray, let's face it 2012 is the best date to release the next xbox, you will have a NEW Halo for launch, EXCLUSIVE COD content and more wide spread broadband.

[HeroXIV]

Nintendo gets the 3DS out before Christmas and it's game over for everyone. Just need the good old Nintendo advertising, some demonstrations in-store and a moderate price. It'll steal some Kinect sales and it'll steal some Move sales too. It's a different device but then again there are few people who'd buy all three for christmas.

[btk]

The reason why many don't think it will be a success is simply because it is a lot of cool tech that barely does more than the PS Eye. $30 vs $150 is a bit steep.

Obviously the one big reason is that no matter how cool the camera tech is - motion controls for games is not camera games - it is motion controllers - as the Wii has proven. MS took the wrong direction with although cool tech is not going to enable more for the gamer. And that is why we think it will fail. You buy something you want some mileage out of it. Shelling out $150 for a kooky race game, a dancing game - well - that is not going to go down well.

[Karum]

Interesting read that was. Although never going to be sold on Kinect until there's some good core games for it. However I fear, as Irishboy 1210 says, Kinect isn't for the average N4G reader.

[Irishboy 1210]

mrv fair point but i think there is room for both 3ds and kinect. just like the wii and the current ds.

I just feel that why would anyone buy a wii when they can get the wii2 (in the casual audience eyes) for the same price. Got HD and voice commands..People will go potty about that. Fact you can pause your tv by just asking it to.

Its part true its an addon to prolong the lifespan of the 360 but microsoft are'nt no fools. They hav'nt said its going to be like relaunching there console for no reason..They want a piece of that wii audience just like sony...

I reckon next 360 will be out in 2013 . My take is simple on that. they have signed a contract with activision for the exclusve map packs up until 2012 (i think) . Why would'nt they sign the exclusive deal for longer if they did'nt have somthing planned. All speculaton though

[Neko_Mega]

Why get a Wii when you can get a Wii 2 (PS3), sorry but I trust a company that has been working on the idea longer over a company rush it out and later add Wii Plus (Which not to many games use it).

An a cam that I could get for my PC and have it do the samethings that Kinect does.

[Neko_Mega]

Only two disagree? wow, anyways it is the truth.

[Microsoft Xbox 360]

All this technical mumbo jumbo is useless. Seriously, who wants to know the tech behind casual shovelware?

[Irishboy 1210]

Someone who has never purchased a 360 would'nt be aware of the hardware failures (@ neko)

[Neko_Mega]

Six 360's, now try saying something smart now.

[kevin360uk]

Kinect is rather expensive add-on to wave your limbs about over simplistic casual games, most of which lack the quality of Wii games

[jay2]

Haha, great voice recognision there, American English support only from launch, So how are French, German, Jap people etc going to cope with Dis-Kinects voice system... Oh wait, it doesn't even work as usual with Dis-kinect's features.

According to this article.

' In theory, that is. The demo we saw seemed unwilling to respond successfully to a user's constant pleas to "pause", choosing to continue playback instead. For all the complicated hardware involved, we'd hope this functionality — or lack thereof — is ironed out by the final build.'

[DJMarty]

It's gonna fail. $150 for a wanabee EyeToy. Kinect is so limited for games, it's gonna gather dust or be used to controll dashboard. It's just another piece of overpriced tech junk by Microsoft.