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Don't bank on Kinect games in 2017
"The problem is not that nobody has Kinect, but it's that nobody is talking about it anymore." That's Mattia Traverso, the creator of Kinect-exclusive game Fru. Traverso has a unique perspective on the Kinect marketplace because he's one of the last video-game developers to build an experience specifically for Microsoft's motion-sensing peripheral. Not that the Kinect is officially dead. However, Kinect is clearly not a priority for Microsoft. In 2016, the Xbox One's Kinect 2 received just two notable games from third-party studios, Fru and Just Dance 2017. Microsoft hasn't released a motion-sensing game itself since 2014, the same year the company announced it would start selling the Xbox One without the Kinect bundled in the box. Support for the peripheral has disappeared over the past three years, and with it, so has public attention.
Engadget's annual CES dance break is a 'Frozen' duet
Sometimes, the madness of CES builds to a fever pitch and only one thing can save Engadget editors from a complete mental breakdown: Just Dance 2017. Specifically, dancing a duet to the most popular song from Frozen, "Let it Go." This year's Video Game Challenge kicked off with a bang, featuring Engadget Senior Editor Mat Smith as host, and Senior Editor Andrew Tarantola and Senior Reporter Jessica Conditt (that's me!) as the performers. Note that none of those titles include the word "dancer" -- and don't judge. We could all use a little fun in our lives every now and then, and doubly so at CES.
The game that makes Kinect worthwhile: 'Fru'
When Microsoft announced it would start selling the Xbox One without the motion-sensing Kinect peripheral in June 2014, Mattia Traverso and his team at Through Games were shocked. They were in the middle of developing a Kinect-exclusive title, Fru, a platformer that used players' silhouettes to uncover hidden ledges and outlets in a Mario-inspired world. The Kinect wasn't off to a roaring start to begin with, but Through Games was down to take a gamble on an innovative idea. Besides, during the first few months of Fru's development, the Kinect was guaranteed to be sold with every new Xbox One. And then, suddenly, that potential was slashed. "I'd be lying if I said the status of Kinect didn't affect us," Traverso tells me. "The surprise of the unbundling did hit our morale during production, and we had some doubts and worries about whether we would be financially viable at the end."
Microsoft's hand-tracking magic may lead to gamepad-free VR
The next Xbox One S console doesn't even have a Kinect port, showing that even Microsoft doesn't care about the depth sensor for gaming. However, it may yet make a comeback in VR. Microsoft researchers have made hand- and finger-tracking much more accurate using the Kinect, which may eventually make it a more attractive option than a controller for VR games. "We're getting to the point that the accuracy is such that the user can start to feel like the avatar hand is their real hand," says Microsoft UK researcher Jamie Shotton.
Microsoft Studios shutters Xbox Fitness at-home workouts
Xbox Fitness has provided an at-home workout with the help of the trusty game console and Microsoft's Kinect since 2013. However, the exercise option won't be around much longer. Microsoft Studios announced that the console-driven workouts would be shuttered July 1, 2017, citing the effort required to ship regular updates to keep the gym routines fresh. The company says it has "given much consideration to the reality updating the service regularly in order to sustain it."
With Kinect, I made a Grimes remix just by moving my hands
When it comes to electronic music, it's easy to see the ties between art and technology. In fact, that's pretty much the entire goal of Moogfest, a music festival that celebrates more than just its synthesizer roots. At this year's event, Microsoft teamed up with Moogfest to create an interactive installation that allows attendees to remix Grimes' "Realiti" by pushing on a mesh panel. Kinect cameras track a person's hand gestures to control different parts of the song.
The Xbox One revisited: Microsoft's console has gotten better with age
Engadget is re-reviewing the current generation of game consoles, starting with the Xbox One.
Google's Chrome experiment shows artists painting with light
Google has commissioned six artists to paint and sculpt with light using the company's virtual painting app Tilt Brush. And yes, the big G has captured the whole process, so you can watch the artists work on their masterpieces. The team used Kinect to film the artists at work and tweaked Tilt Brush to be able to show each brush stroke on a browser.
'Xbox Fitness' no longer requires the Kinect
The Kinect, once such an integral part of Microsoft's Xbox One story, just lost a big toehold. You no longer need the depth sensor for Xbox Fitness, a key non-gaming app. The device brings gamification to workouts and forces you to think about form, so the app is more like a streaming service without it. However, dropping the requirement certainly opens it up to more users. Folks who compete with friends might also be disappointed to know that non-Kinect rivals still get a score just for watching the videos. Kinect users can score higher, though, and new workout titles will continue to support the camera. There's no word on whether Microsoft might offer smartphone body tracking like it does with Just Dance Now.
Use your Xbox One to try on clothes at home
High-tech fitting rooms have been around for quite some time, but most of the gear stays inside a retail location. However, Xbox One owners can now have a personal setup in the comforts of their living room. Thanks to a new shopping app called The Mall, the console's Kinect motion-tracking camera and the software's virtual wardrobe tech drives the in-home fittings. Launching with the help of Von Bismark, a Dublin-based television e-commerce company and veteran of Microsoft Ventures, the shopping platform allows Xbox users to browse for new clothes before standing in front of their TV to try them on in real time.
Super-sharp 3D cameras may come to your smartphone
Many 3D cameras and scanners produce rough images, especially as they get smaller and cheaper. You often need a big laser scanner just to get reasonably accurate results. If MIT researchers have their way, though, even your smartphone could capture 3D images you'd be proud of. They've developed a technique that uses polarized light (like what you see in sunglasses) to increase the resolution of 3D imaging by up to 1,000 times. Their approach combines Microsoft's Kinect (or a similar depth camera), a polarized camera lens and algorithms to create images based on the light intensity from multiple shots. The result is an imager that spots details just hundreds of micrometers across -- you'd be hard-pressed to notice any imperfections.
Kinect sensors could lead to safer X-rays
You don't want to stand in front of an X-ray machine for any longer than necessary, and scientists have found a clever way to make that happen: the Kinect sensor you might have picked up with your Xbox. Their technique has the depth-sensing camera measuring both motion and the thickness of your body to make sure that doctors get a high-quality shot using as little radiation as possible. That's particularly important for kids, who can be sensitive to strong X-ray blasts.
Xbox One Windows 10 update begins rolling out
After months of teasing, beta testing and announcements, the Xbox One's big update for Windows 10, an all-new UI and backwards compatibility with some Xbox 360 games will arrive tomorrow. According to Major Nelson, the new software will start rolling out at 3AM ET, although we wouldn't advise waiting up for it for a couple of reasons. First, it's a staged rollout, so you may not get it right away. Second, the ability to play Xbox 360 games (here's the list) won't switch on until 3PM ET, so you've got some time to get ready. Finally, assuming your Xbox is setup for "Instant-on" it should automatically grab the update and install it without you needing to do anything at all. The new Xbox One dashboard has a completely refreshed layout, but there's a lot of info available to help you get used to it.
This week's Xbox One update deletes dashboard Kinect gestures
When the New Xbox One Experience hits consoles on November 12th, it will remove Kinect gestures from the dashboard entirely, platform head Mike Ybarra confirmed to Windows Central. The update is poised to be massive, overhauling most of the Xbox One interface in part to work better with Windows 10. Kinect isn't mentioned at all on the Xbox One update page, though voice controls get one shoutout. "With gestures, the reality was the usage was very, very low," Ybarra told the site. "So for now, we've cut that from the New Xbox One Experience."
Xbox One Kinect bundle drops to $399 for a limited time
With the holiday season just around the corner, Microsoft is looking to capitalize on Xbox One sales over the next couple of months. As such, the company has announced a limited-time deal for the kit that includes its latest console and companion motion sensor, plus Dance Central Spotlight, Kinect Sports Rivals and Zoo Tycoon. If you're in the US, Mexico or Canada, starting today you can buy the Xbox One Kinect bundle for $399, $7,999 MXN and $449 CAD, respectively. What's more, for people who only want the Kinect, Microsoft's also offering it for $99 right now. Microsoft didn't say how long this promotion will last, so those of you who are interested should probably act on it as soon as possible.
Sony buys a company that makes Kinect-like depth sensors
Sony has purchased SoftKinetic, a Belgian startup that's most famous for creating image sensors that can digitally capture objects in 3D. The firm specializes in time of flight, a camera technology that you'll be familiar with if you've ever used the Xbox's Kinect camera. If you've got long memory, you'll recall that SoftKinetic provided the necessary technology to make Just Dance work on the PlayStation, as well as 3D scanners for MakerBot. Now, it's going to become a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate, giving the firm a useful knowledge boost in an area that's growing increasingly important. After all, since Sony is developing PlayStation VR, smart glasses and produces the camera sensors for much of the mobile industry, that know-how is likely to be in plenty of products in the not-too-distant future.
Microsoft Studios lead talks Kinect and the future of Xbox
You might not know who Microsoft's Kudo Tsunoda is, but you know his work. He was the driving force behind Kinect and HoloLens. And more recently, he's taken control of a large part of Microsoft Studios, the company's in-house video game publishing and development arm. As part of his position, Tsunoda leads Rare, Lionhead and other first-party studios, and also oversees the development of key Xbox exclusives published by Microsoft, such as Scalebound, Quantum Break and the new Crackdown. I sat down with Tsunoda for a chat at Gamescom, and quizzed him on the future of Xbox, HoloLens and gaming at Microsoft.
ICYMI: Hitchhiking robot, 'Doom' within 'Doom' and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-245360{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-245360, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-245360{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-245360").style.display="none";}catch(e){} Today on In Case You Missed It: A kid exhibit in New York uses Kinects for an immersive environment experience. A robot is hitchhiking across the U.S. and wants strangers to take it to places like the Grand Canyon for the photo-ops. And game coders hacked up Doom to play another version of Doom inside it.
Trippy exhibit uses Kinect to send kids to the wilderness
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-351325{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-351325, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-351325{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-351325").style.display="none";}catch(e){}"Whoaaa," said a child as he walked through the doors around noon. His eyes widened and he picked up his pace at the sight of Connected Worlds, a series of stunning landscapes projected on giant walls at the New York Hall of Science in Queens. The light from the 3,000-square-foot installation illuminated his face in hues of green and blue. At the center of the room, surrounded by screens, a couple dozen kids ran from one magical habitat to another, chasing fantastical creatures and digital streams in the interactive space.
#ICYMI: Freezing lasers, tweeting video games and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-912973{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-912973, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-912973{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-912973").style.display="none";}catch(e){} Today on In Case You Missed It: Microsoft debuts a Kinect-based room mapping system that understands furniture; we watch LEDs change color as they're frozen in liquid nitrogen (because science!) and a programmer creates a game whose code fits into a single Tweet. From the cutting room floor: Google rolls out 60 FPS video playback for its mobile app so now the walkthrough on your phone matches the gameplay on your console. Let the team at Engadget know about any interesting stories or videos you stumble across by using the #ICYMI hashtag @engadget or @mskerryd.