Microsoft E3 Coverage: More Kinect integration, Xbox TV, Halo 4

Microsoft's E3 keynote went off today with none too many surprises, but the company did show off some very interesting new uses for the Kinect motion control system, among other new launches.

Modern Warfare 3

First off, the company showed the much-hyped Modern Warfare 3, using some Kinect controls:

Kinect Fun Labs

The company introduced Kinect Fun Labs, which allows gamers to put together a 3D avatar of themselves. Fun Labs will use Kinect and recognize your facial features, like hair/nose/mouth, as well the clothing you are wearing and create an avatar from what it sees. (Pic via BI):

Voice Control

Voice recognition will be HUGE with Kinect, allows gamers to search Bing using voice control, as well as find movies and games on Xbox Live without needing to hit a button.

The same voice control works in-game for some Kinect games, like Star Wars.

Swing a lightsaber

With the brand new Star Wars Kinect game:

Xbox Live TV

Xbox Live TV integrates TV into the Dahboard. You can search Netflix, Hulu and now YouTube as well as other TV programs. Each can use voice control.

More details coming in future, including price.

Cloud storage for game saves

Login and have all your achievements, profiles, game saves and more available in the cloud with no more need for memory card.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 6 Jun 2011 12:42

brockie

hate this no controller gaming MS are going for there show was not that good imo.

6.6.2011 17:15 #1

g_slide

Originally posted by brockie: hate this no controller gaming MS are going for there show was not that good imo. I agree, I have the Kinect because I sold my Wii and I rarely use it. I hate the idea of these games going to no controller (i.e. Virtua Tennis) and they don't even offer a controller version of the game.

Some games are good with the Kinect (i.e. Dance Central), but others should stick to a controller. Sometimes I just don't feel like getting up and moving around to play a game and just want to relax and play a quick shooter game.

6.6.2011 18:22 #2

mike.m

343 Industries better not ****-up Halo 4. I still wish Bungie was still doing it because Reach was awesome, but the trailer didn't look that bad though, but it wasn't as exciting as the trailer was for Halo 3. They even changed the look and voice of Cortana, plus I've seen better renderings. They also changed the look of Master Chief, which honestly I'm not too crazy about this new look especially that front chest and shoulders. Not a good sign so far, but I'll hold my judgement till I see some gameplay footage. But as a huge Halo fan, I can't help but feel anxiety, knowing a company that has NEVER made a game before is making a sequel to one of the biggest game franchises. Makes you wonder what the hell was Microsoft thinking. They don't even have a website for **** sakes.

6.6.2011 20:33 #3

Mysttic

Kinect is going to be one of those hit and miss for developers. It's like Irrational Games said; it wants to please the core audience so it will stick with using a controller scheme; while at the same time implementing for sure PS Move *No word on if the 360 version will have Kinect controls* but you can have both. It doesn't take up that much room to program another input device to act as your controller, which is how Sony convinced IG to implement move, and if done right could actually enhance a game.

The trick developers have is doing it right; let's take Mass Effect 3. It claims to use Kinect but all it really uses is voice commands, something the 360 headset could have done with the right programming. It will still enhance the game sure, but that could have existed without the need to slap it as a Kinect title; to me it's not. At the very least you can still use your controller.

Now let's look at Ghost Recon Future Soldier. As far as I am aware you have the option of using the controller AND using Kinect. One or the other or both; which is nice. Anyone who hasn't seen the way you customize your guns with kinect should go hunt the video down cause its exactly the way every FPS should do it. That doesn't take away from the game that adds to it, and I bet it sells more copy than the PS3 and maybe PC versions.

Sadly what I was hoping would be announced was not, I was really looking forward to more word of Kinect to PC compatibility and how that could affect gaming titles on PC. Guess MS wants to wait it out more on 360 to make sure there is a market for this sort of thing, which makes sense to do. But again, that onus falls on the developers to getting it right.

7.6.2011 09:19 #4

Azuran

Originally posted by Mysttic: Guess MS wants to wait it out more on 360 to make sure there is a market for this sort of thing, which makes sense to do. But again, that onus falls on the developers to getting it right. No MS wants you to buy an Xbox 360.

8.6.2011 13:04 #5

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