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Dragon Age: Inquisition has Kinect voice commands a la Mass Effect 3
BioWare is building Dragon Age: Inquisition with voice controls via Kinect on Xbox 360 and Xbox One, similar to the voice commands in Mass Effect 3, Creative Director Mike Laidlaw told Xbox The Official Magazine. "We're expecting that Xbox 360 and Xbox One editions will ship with a Kinect-enabled voice command feature, just like Mass Effect 3 did," Laidlaw said. BioWare is also planning to use SmartGlass in some way, Producer Cameron Lee said: "It needs to make sense, of course. But we want Inquisition to be an experience you can take with you everywhere - to work, the commute home, the living room, bed." Laidlaw also revealed that Dragon Age: Inquisition won't feature any character DLC because it would have to be partly on-disc, and BioWare doesn't want to inspire criticism from fans. "Because of how deeply enmeshed in the system companion characters are, we can't just add them on the fly – part of them has to be shipped on the disc," Laidlaw said. "Which has led to criticism that we're forcing people to pay for content they already own. It's not the case, but we've decided this time to not go that route. There will be no DLC party members."
Joystiq Streams: Picking a fight with Kinect Sports Rivals [Update: Never mind!]
Joystiq's Jess Conditt did not much care for Kinect Sports Rivals. "The biggest challenge in gameplay is often hassling with the Kinect," chided Jess in her two-star review, "Overall, the games themselves are insultingly simple." Everything's worth a second look, though! In the interests of due diligence, entertainment, and a desire to do something with that fancy Xbox One Kinect, Jess will return the Kinect Sports Rivals on Joystiq Streams at 4PM EST today on the Joystiq Twitch channel. Marvel as she tries to see if there's a way to actually get a gutter ball in bowling! Be confused as we all try to figure out why David Tennant is narrating the action. Mike Suszek will be hanging out in the chat, feeding your questions to Jess as she plays. Joystiq Streams broadcasts every Tuesday and Thursday at 4PM EST. Update: It looks like our efforts to stream Kinect Sports Rivals were fruitless. We'll be back next week with a new, functional stream after we take it in to the shop for a tune-up! [Images: Microsoft]
New Kinect for Windows nixes Xbox logo, adds power supply
The second iteration of Kinect for Windows revealed by Microsoft this week features a few changes. While it looks nearly identical to the motion-sensitive camera for Xbox One, its glowing Xbox logo power indicator has been replaced by a simple dot, plus the word "Kinect" is now on the hardware's top panel. Additionally, the second version of Kinect for Windows requires both a hub and separate power supply to operate. The hub includes ports to connect to the sensor, power supply unit and USB 3.0 output to the user's PC. While the power supply will vary by region, it supports voltages that range in 100–240 volts. Microsoft didn't offer a release date for the new version of the PC Kinect hardware. [Image: Microsoft]
New Kinect for Windows drops the Xbox One logo, adds a power cable
Last year, Microsoft said that the next-gen version of Kinect was coming to Windows, but has been relatively quiet since. That changes now, as Redmond has lifted the curtain on the new sensor and it looks... a lot like the Xbox One version. The unit is missing the Xbox logo power-indicator of its console-tethered counterpart, but as the Kinect for Windows Blog points out, that's about all that's different between the two. The software giant also says this reveal is a sign that we're getting "closer and closer" to launch, but didn't give any other release details. For the nitty gritty specs about power supplies and voltage ratings, check the source.
Latest Xbox One update preview revives friend log-in notifications
The Xbox One's March update is so last month, those enrolled in the update preview program are already being invited to test the latest batch of upcoming tweaks. Version 1404, the April update, or whatever else you'd like to call it, will be rolling out over the next couple of days, with features and fixes being implemented piecemeal. Nevertheless, we know the full intentions of the next update, which will bring back friend sign-in notifications, make it clear who on your buddy list is engaged in multiplayer action, and allow you to check their favorite apps. A 'saving game' progress bar will be added, as well as flags that show what games/apps are being updated or have been recently. Beyond that, there's another fix for the European 50Hz media playback problem, this time for Blu-rays, and improvements to voice and motion controls, game recording quality and compatibility with A/V gear under the One's control, like TVs and set-top boxes. Most of us will have to wait until the update is properly tested, remember, but take comfort in the knowledge it's on the way. Update: Major Nelson has also posted the list of changes to expect, check them out after the break.
Microsoft quietly drops subsidized $99 Xbox 360
Microsoft discontinued its subsidized $99 Xbox 360 with Kinect bundle in July 2013, the console manufacturer confirmed with the Wall Street Journal. The low-cost console was introduced in May 2012 and required a two-year Xbox Live commitment of buyers at a rate of $14.99 per month. The bundle worked out to be roughly $60 more than the closest option, a $299 4GB Xbox 360 console paired with two years of Xbox Live Gold as separate purchases. "This program was intended to be a pilot experiment from the start, and Microsoft routinely adjusts the mix of offers available to its customers and this change was simply standard business practice," Microsoft spokesman David Dennis said. He added that the subsidized Xbox 360 option was for "squeezing the last 10 to 15 percent out of the potential market." [Image: Microsoft]
Xbox One's Project Spark available to everyone starting today in beta mode
Project Spark is pretty, encourages creativity and incorporates Kinect directly. The sandbox/game-creation tool became available for Windows 8.1 users back in December, and today it's entering beta on the Xbox One as well. "Does that mean there's a new, free thing on my Xbox One?" you might be asking. Yes, yes it does. Hot dog! Project Spark isn't in the XB1 store, so how do you get it? The announcement points to a still-active beta sign-up page, so it seems that interested parties still have a few hoops to jump through before getting in. (If you're already in the Windows 8.1 beta, you're in the XB1 version.) Interestingly, there are already several entries on the store for "Spark Tokens" in 500 token increments ($4.99 equals 500); beta or not, it looks like Microsoft's interested in monetizing Spark from the jump. For the full FAQ on the beta, head right here.
UK agency violated privacy of webcams, explored Kinect surveillance
Classified documents published by The Guardian reveal that British surveillance agency GCHQ surreptitiously gathered webcam images from more than a million Yahoo user accounts, while also evaluating the surveillance potential of the Xbox 360's Kinect peripheral. "In one six-month period in 2008 alone, the agency collected webcam imagery – including substantial quantities of sexually explicit communications – from more than 1.8 million Yahoo user accounts globally," the Guardian reports, before noting that this operation (codenamed "Optic Nerve") was only one of the agency's attempts at biometric recognition via consumer camera technology. A separate GCHQ project explored the possibility of gathering images from the Kinect peripheral. "[O]ne presentation discusses with interest the potential and capabilities of the Xbox 360's Kinect camera, saying it generated 'fairly normal webcam traffic' and was being evaluated as part of a wider program." It's unclear if GCHQ ever attempted to intercept Kinect data on a large scale, but as The Guardian points out, the idea isn't entirely novel. Earlier documents published by the paper detail similar exploratory efforts by the American NSA. [Image: Wikimedia Commons]
Xbox One update preview adds new audio, Kinect options and a fix for UK TV
Xbox One owners who received a special ticket in their inbox are already testing out next month's update, and they've already uncovered a slew of tweaks. Beyond the multiplayer / party system changes and Twitch streaming we'd heard about, fans with surround sound headphones have been pleasantly surprised by the arrival of Dolby Digital Audio. Another new audio choice is bitstream output, and our friends at The Digital Media Zone have already checked it out to confirm the expected lights are popping up on their surround sound receivers. Forum posters on NeoGAF has put together a list of changes they've as well, and several media related ones stick out. First, the 50Hz compatibility problem that plagued some European TV viewers using the HDMI passthrough has been fixed. Other tweaks include a check box to disable Kinect hand gestures while watching a video (which would often accidentally recognize casual movements and put an icon on the screen), and the ability to change how much the volume changes when commanded by Kinect. Hit the thread for the full list, while everyone else waits until March 11th for the update to arrive.
Now Playing: February 24 - March 2, 2014
Hide your valuables, Thief is on the loose this week ... Choose your platform to jump to a specific release list: [Image: Square Enix]
Now Playing: February 17-23, 2014
Use lightning-fast moves to mow down enemies this week with Strider... Choose your platform to jump to a specific release list: [Image: Capcom]
Now Playing: February 10-16, 2014
Find out the beginning of Ellie's story this week with The Last of Us - Left Behind... Choose your platform to jump to a specific release list:
Xbox One update: Battery life and storage space are mysteries no more
Microsoft has scheduled an Xbox One system update for February 11, harnessing the computational power of its next-generation system to display real-time data on electrochemical energy expenditure within tethered input devices. So, yes, the controller battery life indicator is coming back, as seen above. Though the controller's electrical endurance is one of the Xbox One's more successful features, it's also one of two oddly obfuscated bits of information. The other is also being addressed in the Xbox One's space-age update, which allows you to see how much room your games and apps are taking up on the 500GB hard drive. The lack of direct management options was one of the criticisms in our review of the Xbox One. Microsoft says apps (like Netflix) and games (like Tomb Raider) will now be split into separate lists, queues, and restrooms. You'll also be able to better manage download and installation queues, and use a USB keyboard if you want a mechanical sound to go with the beeps and boops of text entry. Xbox's Chief Product Officer Marc Whitten says the update has "lots of behind-the-scenes updates for developers," along with improvements to stability and Kinect voice command recognition. Whitten teases more information to come on "several new features we believe Xbox fans will love," including a hypnotic suggestion module. The February 11 update will be followed by another on March 4, meant to prepare the system for Titanfall. [Image: Microsoft]
Microsoft's Kinect guards South Korea's borders against trespassers
Surgeons, mad scientists and sentries guarding the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) now have one thing in common: Microsoft's Kinect. According to Hankooki, the Korean military is currently using Kinect sensors to monitor movements at the border between North and South Korea. Thanks to software developed by Jae Kwon Ko, the sensors can make out the difference between animals or humans, allowing it to notify a nearby outpost if a person is attempting to cross the border illegally. As you'd expect, the South Korean military's keeping most details under wraps, but Ko shared that they're looking to upgrade the system with heart rate and heat detection. [Image credit: Edward N. Johnson/Wikipedia]
Now Playing: February 3-9, 2014
Get in touch with your inner wolf this week with The Wolf Among Us - Episode 2: Smoke and Mirrors... Choose your platform to jump to a specific release list:
Now Playing: January 27 - February 2, 2014
Let the kill streaks pile up this week in Call of Duty: Ghosts - Onslaught... Choose your platform to jump to a specific release list:
Now Playing: January 20-26, 2014
Join the Special Ops against the undead this week in Dead Rising 3 - Operation Broken Eagle... Choose your platform to jump to a specific release list:
Microsoft built 75 Xbox One prototypes before settling on its finished design
Gadget design is rarely a simple process, and we now know that the Xbox One is no exception to the rule. Microsoft designer Carl Ledbetter has revealed that the game console went through many 3D-printed incarnations before the company settled on a final product; there were 75 system prototypes, 100 for the Kinect and 200 for the gamepad. The development team spent a long time finding a balance between familiar Xbox design cues and the desire for an always-on media hub, Ledbetter says. Whether or not you think Microsoft achieved its goal, it's clear that the Xbox One's current look was never guaranteed.
Rumor: Harmonix cancels unannounced Xbox One Kinect game [Update: Harmonix responds]
Harmonix has allegedly canceled development on an unannounced Kinect game for Xbox One. So says the LinkedIn profile of Rob Stokes, senior level designer at Harmonix, as spotted by internet sleuth Superannuation (via Kotaku). Harmonix announced in mid-2012 it had several projects in the works that weren't related to Rock Band or Dance Central. Fantasia: Music Evolved, a motion-based Kinect rhythm game for Xbox One and Xbox 360 that is a successor to Disney's original Fantasia film and its sequel Fantasia 2000, was announced last year. The other projects are unknown, though it's important to note that Harmonix posted a job listing for a "combat designer" in 2012 for an unannounced game on "next-generation hardware." Last year, Harmonix ceased its weekly DLC drop for Rock Band and suffered two waves of layoffs. We've reached out to Harmonix for comment on the matter. We'll update this post accordingly. Update: We've received word from a Harmonix representative, who said the company has "nothing else to confirm today other than a heads up that we've got a lot of stuff happening that you'll hear about soon." Head past the break for the full statement.
Now Playing: January 13-19, 2013
Cut your way through the Louisiana bayou this week with the fully remastered Assassin's Creed: Liberation HD... Choose your platform to jump to a specific release list: