Your Shape for Kinect preview: the path to enlightenment, one virtual step at a time (video)

Even as the Kinect-exclusive Dance Central got certain Engadget editors into the groove, it didn't resonate with all of us, so we headed downstairs for a peek at Your Shape, to get in touch with our inner Zen -- and beat things up, of course. We had a blast punching blocks, though the system only recognized strikes that crossed our own body, and some editors were tripped up by the mirrored virtual doubles the game generates. Actual yoga poses were far better done, with Kinect accurately tracking our moves with little perceptible delay. Unlike in Wii Fit, which merely measures center of balance, a joint gauge of sorts (you can see the angle of your bones) let us readily tell when we were slouching or off-kilter, and adjust our posture respectively. We broke a sweat, looked like doofuses and had fun doing it -- what more could you want? Video after the break.

E3 2010 - Your Shape for Kinect preview

[Tes Posted Jun 15th 2010 6:28AM]

How long have third party companies had these in hand. Surely the "proof of concept" stage was over when Natal was revealed months ago. Now it's been officially named, there's a price and a release date I want to see what compelling games there are. So far it's been ...toys.

[Dking7 Posted Jun 15th 2010 6:29AM]

@Tes Star Wars game for the next year...

[n1hmrd Posted Jun 15th 2010 6:31AM]

@Dking7 there also forza,there also that rumour fps game they are working on

[Lord Vader Posted Jun 15th 2010 6:34AM]

@Dking7 That will be the deciding factor if Microsoft have failed me for the last time. Surely you humans noticed that the Star Wars game was staged too, the on screen Jedi Scum moved before the human controlling him, which tells us either it was acted out or the game is mind reading the player. I was most disappointed, as this means Star Wars Kinect isn't even playable yet

[ZuurKen Posted Jun 15th 2010 6:35AM]

@Tes compelling games??? give an example. All you ur gonna see are games like these. If you thinkin' Gamer (The Movie) type stuff then you should wait till 2020.

[Lord Vader Posted Jun 15th 2010 6:38AM]

Is it staged? http://www.joystiq.com/2010/06/14/is-kinect-star-wars-too-accurate-for-sand-people/

[Tes Posted Jun 15th 2010 6:39AM]

@Dking7

Has anyone got a link to this playing demo of the Star Wars game? I can only find the trailer which shows all kinds of acrobatics I'm confused as to how I will pull off using Kinetic. How would a backflip translate to me in my living room? Do I have to become a Jedi to play this game?

[nabberuk Posted Jun 15th 2010 6:39AM]

@Lord Vader

it's not even out till next year!!

[Tes Posted Jun 15th 2010 6:42AM]

@Lord Vader

Yes that was certainly staged. What I want to know is this...how would that scene even work?! I mean, you're holding your imaginary sabre. The Sith lord is trying to strike you down but you're blocking his sabre with yours and you're both struggling. In the real world I'm getting no feedback. I can move my arms wherever I want. The force the enemy is exerting to hold me down is not there so I don't get how you know you're winning/losing the grapple.

[MrT Posted Jun 15th 2010 6:43AM]

@Lord Vader Yes, I sensed it too. Definitely staged, it's just like it's a cgi video playing and the man is acting along to it

[tecgoblin Posted Jun 15th 2010 6:47AM]

@Tes This product is just not for you. You can keep the rest of the XBox and its good games, the rest of the family can play with Kinect. Microsoft is expanding where wii was, and they do it well. How many real games (not toys) Wii had at launch?

[MrT Posted Jun 15th 2010 6:52AM]

@tecgoblin True, but you have to admit there was massive potential for hard core gamers as well. The only dissapointing part of Kinect is that it is all casual gaming so far. Hardcore gamers may have been looking for some action

[Tes Posted Jun 15th 2010 6:55AM]

@tecgoblin

But that's my point. Everyone has been raving about how the PS3 offering was inferior to this...and just a Wii knockoff. As an Xbox owner this gave me heart that I was bout to get something good. Now it turns out not only is that a false premiss, but the PS3 version, despite looking odd, can be used for the sort of casual games we see here as well as FPS's and adventure games. It offers more accurate mouse like controls to overhead strategy games also. The demos of that have been more suited to my gaming as well as having the casual family games this is aiming at.

Basically, what happened to this being better than what Sony is showing?

[McDuckScrooged Posted Jun 15th 2010 7:18AM]

@Tes take a look at this video,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Au4d5anfjnA -- Thats Kinetic on the eyetoy.. Look remarkably similar ? I even think Kinetic looks better than this...

Watch episode 7 of the engadget show and you will notice Dr Richard Marks from Sony, who actually likes the 3d cam tech say this is the exact problem with going down this route.. Microsoft have just proven Dr Marks points in that interview, its all pretty much more accurate eye toy games..

This tech was already trialled by Both Sony and Nintendo and both of them passed on it and went the way of the controller, take a guess why..

[cdf74dc9 Posted Jun 15th 2010 7:46AM]

@tecgoblin "How many real games (not toys) Wii had at launch?"

Neither is waving arms around on-screen.

Joe: what are you doing? Your house sure has lots of flies around.
Brian: I'm waving to play next song on my Xbox but it haven't register yet so I have to do it multiple times.
[starting waving from left to right in slow motion]
Joe: Have you heard of a remote control?
Brian: What? Xbox has a wireless remote?
[to be continue]

[cdf74dc9 Posted Jun 15th 2010 8:06AM]

GL Lord Vader because I don't see a light saber anywhere here... Or somehow you can just imagine one and start swinging fist.

[mussab Posted Jun 15th 2010 9:02AM]

@Lord Vader

Of course it was staged, it's not like they tried to hide it. It was a part of the opening show to show people the nature and potential of Kinect.

Actually, that day, you can see that other games (like the dance central) were accompanied by one or a group of performers. It was an introduction in a party atmosphere.

[mussab Posted Jun 15th 2010 9:38AM]

@Tes

Is kinect Good or Bad?, well that depends on what is it good or bad for.

I think Microsoft did a great job in seducing family and Wii gamers, and we know that these are huge numbers, maybe more than any other group.

And if we added the other values of an Xbox, like the "hardcore" exclusive games and the live services, the Xbox will be an intriguing
choice.

So i have no doubt that Kinect will be a hit, and it'll sale like hot cakes for these gamers.

Now, what about "hardcore" gamers?

For now i don't think they will say anything interesting, except maybe the new interface and the video chat and the voice and gesture controls, which could sell some Kinect to these guys, but not much, unless they have kids.

But i see more potential in this than Sony's Move. A stick isn't the best controller for hardcore games, whatever you do with it, it'll always be a stick, and we saw it's potential with the Wii, nothing for hard gaming.

Kinect in the other hand, has potential, not only for it's mere capabilities, but also because your hand will be free, it can be used "with" the regular controller, that will add an extra layer of controls which will definitely give more choices and will allow for a new experience with no compromise to the previous.

Regarding the price, i don't think it's much at all. It's not a "one" controller, it's several, and it can do more than control (e.g. taking pictures, videos, chat). I think the price is totally justified.

[adctd2boost Posted Jun 17th 2010 2:38PM]

@Tes you have to realize this isnt just a new controller. its a completely new concept. there isnt a sensor that u hold like the wii and ps3. you are the sensor, per say. so its not just gonna take months for the technology to be perfected. microsoft has to get the tracking down perfect and game developers has to figure out the best use of body tracking and voice recognition etc. with a fps do u have to actually fake walk for ur character to walk. or do u just show some kind of gesture. same with every action required. with ps3 and wii u use the joystick for walking turning around etc. i think a good example of this is with the demo they showed of forza 3. were u can walk around the car and look at the brakes and lights etc. i think it should be more hand gestures and not physically walking around. when u see in the demo him looking down at what should be the brakes, that means he has to look away from the tv. which doesnt make sense. you dont know what ur looking at, cuz the car isnt actually in front of u. hahahah u have to always look at the tv.

[Daanmannetje Posted Jun 15th 2010 6:32AM]

I thought: too bad the image on the screen looks like a blob.
But when I saw the guy I noticed he kinda does look like a blob...

[Gad Get Posted Jun 15th 2010 5:46PM]

lol!

You jerk!

[oringal Posted Jun 15th 2010 6:39AM]

well... at least it looks like you can loose some fat from it :P

[Protato Posted Jun 15th 2010 7:32AM]

@oringal
Ioose some fat eh?? I guess you don't use firefox...

[cdf74dc9 Posted Jun 15th 2010 6:56AM]

What are we third grade? Waving our arms like that :)

[Information Central Posted Jun 15th 2010 7:08AM]

Can someone explain where the phones come into this? Why is it named after the Kin?

[Nael M Posted Jun 15th 2010 12:21PM]

@Information Central It doesn't come in and I don't think it is named after the phone. It's supposed to be a combination of "kinetic" (as in kinetic energy, the energy from being in motion) and "connect".