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Microsoft's next big Windows Phone may use Kinect-like motion gestures
Yes, the Lumia 930 and 1520 are fine Windows Phones, but where's the sequel to the fan favorite, the 1020? Apparently, it's coming -- and it's bringing a clever control scheme along for the ride. Sources for both WPCentral and The Verge claim that Microsoft's future Lumia hardware, nicknamed McLaren, will incorporate both a giant camera and "3D Touch" that uses motion gestures (some of them Kinect-like) to control the phone without poking at the screen. We've seen some of the rumored concepts elsewhere; you can cover the phone to mute it, or bring it to your ear to answer. Others, however, are unique. McLaren will reportedly react to your grip, and will let you see features 'hidden' inside a Live Tile (such as messaging in the Facebook app) by making a tapping motion that doesn't touch the glass.
Get fit this November in Ubisoft's Shape Up
Though Ubisoft creative director Charles Huteau admits that "fitness is boring," Ubisoft has announced Shape Up, an exercise game that promises to "finally" turn your workout into an epic game. During Ubisoft's E3 conference, Huteau demonstrated a cardio workout that took the form of a mano a mano piano shuffle battle. While rapidly stomping virtual keys alongside a Kinect-spawned doppelganger of himself, Huteau seemingly worked up a minor sweat - crucially, without holding an extra peripheral (as in Ubisoft's Just Dance Now). Ubisoft offered no specific release date for Shape Up, but the game is slated to appear on the Xbox One during this November.
Xbox E3 2014 Liveblog on Joystiq
Following an awkward introduction over the past year, this is the Xbox One's E3 to shine and find its voice. Microsoft's console will likely focus on "games, games, games" during the E3 press conference, which is scheduled to start at 9:30AM PST. Kinect to our liveblog right here. Check back at 9:30AM PST to see Microsoft's metamorphosis on display, as we wait to see how much the company has shifted from its sports, TV, sports, TV focus. There's sure to be some Halo in there too.
Microsoft now selling Kinectless Xbox One for $400
One way Microsoft can stimulate Xbox One sales is to drop the price to match its better-selling rival, the PlayStation 4. After it confirmed exactly that by announcing a Kinectless Xbox One last month, the company has now opened sales -- hours before E3 2014 kicks off. You can pick one up for $399.99/£349.99 via Microsoft's online store, which lets you concentrate on gaming instead of repeating that frustrating "Xbox on" command. If you decide later that you do want the sensor-packed accessory, a standalone version will be available this fall. Microsoft will also continue to sell the "premium" bundle with Kinect. Today's launch is meant to be about gamers that "just like to play games with a controller in their hand," because, you know, everyone else totally wanted a Kinect to begin with.
PSA: Netflix, Hulu among apps now free to use on Xbox Live
Last month, Microsoft announced it will no longer keep entertainment apps like Netflix, Hulu Plus and HBO Go behind its Xbox Live premium paywall. The change to its Xbox Live service structure is now in effect, allowing non-paying users to use the aforementioned apps in addition to ones like Twitch, MLB.TV, NBA Game Time, YouTube and more. Microsoft's decision to modify its free and paid Xbox Live service offerings was announced the same day as the $399 Kinect-less Xbox One console, which will be available starting Monday, June 9. Free-to-play and subscription-based games like The Elder Scrolls Online will still require a paid Xbox Live Gold subscription to play online, however. [Image: Microsoft]
New Kinect for Windows is now available for pre-order, costs $199
If you've been jonesing to snag the new Kinect sensor for Windows, you can now get one -- well, almost. Microsoft has just made its latest Kinect for Windows available for pre-order for only $199 with the promise of shipment by July 2014 if you do so while supplies last. The idea behind the early release is to give developers a head start on building applications for the latest v2 technology, though there's nothing stopping regular consumers from getting in on the action as well. As a reminder, the new Kinect for Windows promises improved depth sensing, a wider field of view, 1080p resolution and more. So if you're tired of the Xbox One getting all the Kinect love, feel free to see what the Windows version has to offer at the source link below.
Microsoft lets Xbox One devs turn off Kinect for a power boost
Prepare to be confused: Despite everything we've heard about the Xbox One's Kinect sensor containing its own onboard processor, so that it doesn't weigh down the main console with voice- and image-recognition tasks, it's clear that the add-on does add to the burden. Microsoft has confirmed to Eurogamer that after this month's update (timed ahead of the new Kinect-less Xbox One), developers can access "up to 10 percent additional GPU performance," simply by virtue of system resources that no longer have to be reserved for the motion-sensing peripheral's features. In a tweet, new Xbox boss Phil Spencer said there is "More performance, new tools and flexibility to make games better." Does this mean that owners of the original Xbox One can get less screen-tearing or higher resolution in Titanfall simply by unplugging Kinect? No, but a new SDK enables a boost for game developers who are happy to sacrifice access to the "natural interface" in favor of better performance. In any case, Microsoft's initial justification for regarding Kinect as an "essential and integrated" part of Xbox One is starting to wear pretty thin.
HBO Go, Twitter among 35 apps coming to Xbox One by year's end [Update]
Xbox One and Xbox 360 will receive 45 apps by the end of the holiday season, Microsoft announced today. Among the apps are Twitter, Facebook, Vine, HBO Go, ShowTime Anytime, Comedy Central and Major League Gaming, some of which already have a presence on Xbox 360. Xbox One's Twitter app will integrate directly with its live TV offerings, as viewers will be able to view a stream of tweets for shows they're watching at the moment, as well as a "trending" section of the console's OneGuide that ties to popular programming going on at the time. Head past the break for a full list of the incoming apps and the regions they will launch in, courtesy of Xbox Wire. Update: To clarify, 35 of the apps will arrive on Xbox One as opposed to the 45 combined for Xbox One and Xbox 360. We've updated our headline accordingly.
Save $120 on an Xbox One, Kinect, Forza 5, a game you pick
Wal Mart is offering $119 of savings on an Xbox One bundle: You can grab the console (with Kinect), a digital copy of Forza 5, and a choice of whatever game you want for $500. There are 18 Xbox One games to choose from for the free option, including Titanfall, Call of Duty: Ghosts, Battlefield 4, Assassin's Creed: Black Flag, NBA 2K14, Thief and Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes. The Xbox One console with Kinect sells for $500 normally, or for the same price in a bundle with Titanfall. Wal Mart also has an "Ultimate 3 Game Value Bundle" for $550, and that includes the console, Kinect, Forza 5, NBA Live 14 and Fighter Within. That one advertises savings of $160. Microsoft plans to sell Xbox One consoles without Kinect for $400 starting on June 9. [Image: Wal Mart]
Joystiq Weekly: Xbox One's Kinect, Mario Kart 8 review, Godzilla's past and more
Welcome to Joystiq Weekly, a "too long; didn't read" of each week's biggest stories, reviews and original content. Each category's top story is introduced with a reactionary gif, because moving pictures aren't just for The Daily Prophet. If machinery works the way The Brave Little Toaster suggests, you gotta feel for the Kinect - the solid experiences it supplements are often drowned in complaints about its underwhelming games, as well as its general inaccuracies as a listening, motion-tracking controller. We imagine Microsoft reassured the device about its playground reputation by including it with every Xbox One out there, but then ... well, this week happened. Kinect might be destined to just stay at home now, waiting for a band of appliance-shaped adventures to accept his flaws so it can tag along with for their straight-to-Blu Ray sequel. Hey, on the upside, at least that terrifying air conditioner died off before Kinect was ever able to meet him. Can you imagine being left alone in a house with that thing as a kid? Talk about new legitimate fears. Anyway, now that we're done painting a bleak picture of Kinect's secret social life, there's a lot more to this week than technological popularity contests. It's financial season, with Ubisoft, Take-Two and the NPD Group throwing numbers everywhere, we've got reviews for Mario Kart 8 and Super Time Force, and there's also a dip into Godzilla's past of ruining virtual metropolises. It's all stacked neat and orderly for you after the break!
Microsoft working with Rare to determine what's next
Touring Rare's history is pretty great, considering the company's standouts include Perfect Dark, Conker's Bad Fur Day and Banjo-Kazooie. After Microsoft purchased Rare, the studio still had a traditionally-controlled highlight in the Viva Piñata series, but Rare's more recent focus has been on supporting the Kinect with the Kinect Sports games. Now that Microsoft has conceded their Xbox One pack-in strategy for the peripheral, questions have arisen concerning Rare's next step as a studio, some of which were addressed in a Total Xbox interview with Phil Spencer, head of Xbox. "They're in the process of evaluating what they want to do next, and we're working closely with them to see what their new project will be," Spencer said. "And I've also laughed when people have tried to use the word, what I 'force' them to do," he added, explaining that trying to force "independent-minded" studios like Rare to do something is "never a successful equation." We're well aware that games need to be profitable and that a studio's team changes with time. However, if Rare isn't being forced to support the Kinect and we get another rough Kinect Sports game instead of a new Viva Piñata, we'll join the ranks of the Sour troublemakers and start wrecking havoc in the nearest garden. [Image: Rare]
Microsoft kicks off gradual release of Xbox One May update
Those patiently waiting for the next software update for the Xbox One won't have to wait much longer. "The latest Xbox One system update has started to roll out," tweeted Xbox figurehead Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb. The highlight of this update is new, more granular audio controls, which allow users to determine individual volume levels for apps they've snapped onto the Xbox One's main display. To put it more simply, if you're playing a game while also chatting with people on Skype, you can turn the game down, and turn the chat up, preventing your crucial conversation from being drowned out by explosions. Additionally, the update adds a new feedback tool designed to send information directly to Microsoft from the Xbox One automatically. This program is entirely voluntary, but according to Microsoft the goal is not to snoop on players, but instead to collect audio samples which may be used to improve the console's voice recognition capabilities. Like all Xbox One updates, Microsoft plans to gradually issue this new software version to users. While some will find the update available at this very moment, others may have to wait a few hours or even a day. According to Hryb, the update should be available to everyone by early next week. Full details on the update can be found on Hryb's official blog. [Image: Microsoft]
GameStop offers trade-in specials for pre-orders of $400, Kinect-less Xbox One
Did the news of an Xbox One sans Kinect convince you that now is the time to jump on Microsoft's wagon? If so, GameStop is ready to accept you with open arms - arms that are attached to hands, which in turn will offer you a pre-order of a Kinect-free Xbox One in exchange for your money and games. Online, you can reserve your copy of an Xbox One without Kinect for $399.99. If you need a little extra helping hand financially, you can trade in an original or 4GB Xbox 360 or 12GB PS3 and receive $75 in store credit. Trade in a 360 with 250GB or more of storage or a PS3 with 20GB or larger hard drive and you'll receive $125. PowerUp Pro members receive an additional $10. Those so inclined to travel outside (though why would you do that - the sun is out there) can also head to their local store to pre-order. We called several GameStops across the country and were told the minimum deposit for the console-only Xbox One package is $100. [Image: Microsoft]
Xbox One without Kinect is great for consumers, terrible for Kinect game developers
Sure, a $100 price drop on the Xbox One is great for us. First things first, it's less money to fork over for a new game console. Second, no Kinect, which means no all-seeing eye judging our tawdry lifestyle. But what if you're a Kinect game developer? What if you're, say, a member of the studio with the most successful third-party game franchise for Kinect, and you're in the middle of making an exclusive Disney game for it? Oh, great. Super great. - johntdrake (@johntdrake) May 13, 2014
Elder Scrolls Online, free-to-play games still require Xbox Live Gold
One of Microsoft's big announcements today was the restructuring of Xbox Live Gold; the company will now allow Xbox 360 and Xbox One owners to use entertainment apps like Netflix and HBO Go without requiring a paid Xbox Live subscription. As Microsoft's Phil Spencer clarified to Joystiq today, the latest in a series of "Xbox One-80s" doesn't apply to free-to-play and subscription-based online games. "Right now we haven't changed the policy on MMOs and free-to-play games," Spencer said. While not getting into specifics, he noted that with some games there are "engineering constraints, policy constraints and partner constraints in each one of these scenarios," so the decision to keep games behind the Xbox Live paywall reportedly doesn't rest solely in Microsoft's hands. Bethesda's latest MMORPG, The Elder Scrolls Online, will still require a Gold subscription on top of the developer's own monthly fees. For the time being, at least; Microsoft has "about six months" to consider changing its policies, as the game was recently delayed for consoles. The developer was in talks with Microsoft back in August to cut the extra fees for The Elder Scrolls Online, which won't be enforced by Sony via PlayStation Plus for PS4.
Harmonix reacts to Kinect-less Xbox One in tweets, statement
Harmonix is the studio behind Xbox One Kinect game Disney Fantasia: Music Evolved, plus Xbox 360's Dance Central franchise, which also relies on Kinect – so Microsoft's announcement of a Kinect-less Xbox One hitting the market for $100 cheaper in June could have a direct impact on how Harmonix does business. Today, we see two reactions from Harmonix: gut and official.
Dis-Kinected Xbox One coming June 9
Microsoft has announced that it will release a new lineup of Xbox One consoles that do not include the Kinect motion-sensing peripheral. Starting June 9, Microsoft will offer Kinect-less Xbox One hardware bundles at $399 in North America and £349 in the UK. Microsoft cites customer feedback as the driving force behind the Xbox One's new hardware options. The Kinect was bundled with every Xbox One sold since the console's launch last year. A standalone Xbox One Kinect sensor will be released at retail this fall.
Xbox One's May update to add audio options for apps, chat
Participants in the Xbox One's early access program can expect a new update to arrive sometime this week, while general users will see it sometime in May. Larry "Major Nelson" Hyrb's post explains that with the update, snapped apps will soon be manageable with a sound mixer found in the Settings menu, which will allow users to adjust volume levels for apps independently. The same functionality will allow users to tweak volume levels while using the Kinect for chatting. The update will also allow users to opt into allowing their speech data to be collected, which Major Nelson states will "be used for product improvement only." Users will be able to toggle their related permission by visiting the Settings menu, selecting Privacy & Online Safety, heading into Customizing Privacy and Online Safety, and setting Share Voice Data to "Allow." The post explains that having additional voice samples for the software's algorithms would help improve the Kinect's responsiveness, but if you'd rather let Microsoft smooth the kinks out on their own, that's definitely an option as well. [Image: Microsoft]
Microsoft wants you to help improve Kinect 2.0's voice recognition
Using the Xbox One's Kinect for voice commands is still pretty hit-or-miss for many, and Microsoft knows it. With the console's next update, Redmond is adding an option for speech data collection as a way to crowdsource the sensor's improvement. Writing on his blog, Xbox's Major Nelson says that the more voice samples the company has to add to its algorithms, the more accurate the console can be. If you aren't keen on the company collecting samples of your voice (which is entirely understandable!), it's an entirely opt-in process. Should you want to help out, however, all you need to do is dip into the console's privacy settings and enable it. This isn't the first time that Microsoft has done such, though -- a similar function was in place on the Xbox 360 as well. Update: The 312MB update is rolling out to those in the preview program now, check the new update button under System in the Settings menu to download it.
Japan's not getting the Xbox One until this September
If we're being civil, Japan's relationship with the Xbox could be described as "tenuous" at best, and the release date for Microsoft's latest game console probably won't do much to change that. Come this September 4th, gamers in the country will finally be able to claim an Xbox One for themselves. Yes, that's around 10 months after it launched in the US and other "first tier" countries, and seven months after the PlayStation 4's Japanese debut. Redmond's Eastern wing hasn't mentioned pricing just yet (what, one announcement isn't enough?), but with E3 on the horizon it likely won't remain unknown for too much longer.