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Kinect

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Kinect for Xbox 360
Kinect for Xbox 360 logo
Kinect sensor
Product familyXbox
GenerationSeventh generation era
PlatformXbox 360
ConnectivityUSB 2.0 (type-A)

Kinect for Xbox 360[2] (formerly known by the code name Project Natal[2] (Template:Pron-en nə-TAHL)), or simply, Kinect, is a "controller-free gaming and entertainment experience" by Microsoft for the Xbox 360 video game platform. Based around an add-on peripheral for the Xbox 360 console, it enables users to control and interact with the Xbox 360 without the need to touch a game controller through a natural user interface using gestures, spoken commands,[3] or presented objects and images. The project is aimed at broadening the Xbox 360's audience beyond its typical gamer base.[4]

History

Kinect was first announced on June 1, 2009 at E3 2009 as "Project Natal". Microsoft said that over one thousand software development kits began shipping to game developers that same day.[4] It is scheduled to be released in time for Christmas 2010[5]. It will be released 4 November 2010.[1] Although official pricing has not yet been announced, one source has claimed the price will be US$149 when purchased as a standalone accessory or US$100 when purchased as part of an Xbox 360 Arcade bundle (bundle price US$299)[6]. Various other sources have placed it at anywhere between GB£30 (~US$50)[7] and 1,499 SEK (~US$200)[8] for the stand-alone accessory.

It is rumored that the launch of Kinect will be accompanied with the release of a new Xbox 360 console (as either a new retail configuration[9][10] or a significant design revision[11]). Microsoft has dismissed the reports in public, and has repeatedly emphasized that it will be fully compatible with all Xbox 360 consoles. Microsoft indicates that it considers it to be a significant initiative, as fundamental to the Xbox brand as Xbox Live,[12] and with a launch akin to that of a new Xbox console platform.[13] Kinect has even been referred to as a "new Xbox" by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer at a speech for the Executives' Club of Chicago.[14][15] When asked if the introduction will extend the time before the next-generation console platform is launched (historically about 5 years between platforms),[16] Microsoft corporate vice president Shane Kim reaffirmed that the company believes that the life cycle of the Xbox 360 will last through 2020 (15 years).[12]

The skeletal mapping technology shown at E3 2009 was capable of simultaneously tracking up to four users for motion analysis,[12][17][18][19] with a feature extraction of 48 skeletal points on a human body at a frame rate of 30 hertz.[20][19] Depending on the person's distance from the sensor, Kinect is capable of tracking models that can identify individual fingers.[17][18]

According to a supposed instruction manual, the sensor contains a 'motorized tilt mechanism' and has to be plugged into a power socket.[21]

Kinect hardware is confirmed to be based on a reference design and 3D-sensing technology made by Israeli developer PrimeSense Ltd.[22]

On June 13, 2010, Microsoft revealed prior to its showing at E3 2010 that the device would be officially named Kinect. It will officially go on sale November 4, 2010.[23]

Code name

The code name Project Natal followed in Microsoft's tradition of using cities as code names.[3] Microsoft director Alex Kipman, who incubated the project,[19] chose to name it after the Brazilian city of Natal, as a tribute to his country of origin[3] and because the word natal means "of or relating to birth", reflecting Microsoft's view of the project as "the birth of the next generation of home entertainment".[12] Shortly before the Microsoft E3 2010 "Natal" press event, several weblogs stumbled across a purported leaked advert from Microsoft's Italian site that suggested the later confirmed title "Kinect" along with details about a new, slimmer, Xbox 360 [24].

Pre-E3 2010 Event

On March 25, Microsoft sent out a save the date flier out for an event called the "World Premiere 'Project Natal' for the Xbox 360 Experience". At E3 2010. The event took place on the evening of Sunday, June 13, 2010 at the Galen Center.[25] The event featured a performance by Cirque du Soleil. It was announced there that the product would officially be called Kinect.

Software

Three demos were shown to showcase Kinect when it was revealed at Microsoft's E3 2009 Media Briefing:[26]

  • Ricochet – a Breakout-like game in which the entire body is used to bounce balls at blocks. This can be a one or two player game experience and is currently only a 'beta-test' game.[27]
  • Paint Party – where the player can make throwing motions to splash or draw with paint onto a wall. He/she can choose colors using speech recognition, and can pose to make stencils.
  • Milo and Kate – a full game in development by Lionhead Studios[28] in which the player interacts with a young child (Milo or Milly, selected by the user at the start) and his/her dog Kate by performing real-life actions. Interaction was demonstrated only with Milo at this event.[29]

A demo based on Burnout Paradise has also been shown outside of Microsoft's media briefing, which allows the player to use an invisible steering wheel to control the vehicle. At the Tokyo Game Show 2009, further demos involving adaptations of Beautiful Katamari and Space Invaders Extreme have also been shown. Project team members have been experimentally adapting numerous games to Kinect-based control schemes to help evaluate usability.[30] According to creative director Kudo Tsunoda, the addition of Kinect-based control to games through software updates is not likely, given the significant code alterations involved.[31]

As of September 2009, publishers collectively totaling over 70 percent of current generation third-party software sales, are working on games for Kinect.[32] Games indicated to include Kinect functionality include EA Sports Grand Slam Tennis[33] and Fable III.[34]

Although the sensor bar was originally planned to contain hardware that would process such elements as the bone system used to map player actions, this idea was later dropped in favour of a software solution owing to a desire to reduce Kinect's price.[35] Subsequently, processing that was originally intended to be done on this hardware will now be handled by the Xbox 360 console, resulting in an estimated usage of 10 to 15% of the Xbox 360's computing resources for Kinect-related processing.[36] Several commentators believe this will mean patching older games to use Kinect will be unlikely, with Kinect-specific concepts instead likely to be the focus for developers using the platform.[35]

Kinect compatible games

15 launch titles for Kinect have been announced[37]

  • Adrenalin Misfits
  • Dance Central
  • Dance Masters
  • Deca Sports Freedom
  • EA Sports Active 2
  • Game Party In Motion
  • Kinect Adventures
  • Kinect Joy Ride
  • Kinect Sports
  • Kinect Star Wars
  • Kinectimals
  • Motion Sports
  • Sonic Free Riders
  • The Biggest Loser: Ultimate Workout
  • Your Shape: Fitness Evolved
  • Zumba Party

In addition, an untitled Star Wars game has been announced for release in 2011. Forza Motorsport will also support Kinect in the form of a brand new game currently going by "Forza with Kinect". Fable III has also been confirmed to support the motion camera.

In other media

Kinect was featured in the Smallville episode "Warrior".[38]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Microsoft Xbox 360 Kinect Launches November 4". Gizmodo.
  2. ^ a b "Cirque du Soleil Experience Unveils Kinect for Xbox 360". Microsoft. 13 June 2010. Retrieved 2010-06-14. On the eve of the annual Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles, Xbox made entertainment history through a stunning Cirque du Soleil production that brought controller-free gaming and entertainment to life and gave "Project Natal" its real name: Kinect for Xbox 360.
  3. ^ a b c ""Project Natal" 101". Microsoft. 2009-06-01. Archived from the original on 2009-06-01. Retrieved 2009-06-02.
  4. ^ a b Pham, Alex (2009-06-01). "E3: Microsoft shows off gesture control technology for Xbox 360". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2009-06-01. The effort aims to attract a broader audience to Microsoft's console. Most of the 30 million Xbox 360s sold since November 2005 have been snapped up by avid young males drawn to complex shooter or adventure games such as Halo and Gears of War or R.P.Gs
  5. ^ Project Natal Coming Holiday 2010
  6. ^ "Natal To Cost $149 – Sources". Edge. 2010-05-26. Retrieved 2010-05-27.
  7. ^ "Natal launch details leak from secret Microsoft tour". MCV. 2009-11-11. Retrieved 2010-05-27.
  8. ^ "Swedish Retailers Spill Project Natal Price, And It's Expensive?". Kotaku. 2010-05-16. Retrieved 2010-05-27.
  9. ^ French, Michael (11 November 2009). "Natal launch details leak from secret Microsoft tour". MCV. Intent Media. Retrieved 11 November 2009. November 2010 release, 5m units global ship, 14 games, and super-low sub-£50 price [...] Microsoft is planning to manufacture 5m units for day one release, with a mix of console and camera plus solus SKUs expected. [...] The device should cost under £100,00 when sold solo. The somewhat confirmed price is stated to be at 150$ (USD)when sold alone this is 50$ higher than the original 99$ projected price. [...] Another even says the camera could even retail for just £30.
  10. ^ Channell, Mike (2009-10-03). "Mark Rein Interview". Xbox 360: The Official Xbox Magazine. Future Publishing. Retrieved 2009-10-11. And you know, I think they said they were going to ship Natal with every Xbox when they actually launch the thing, so everybody will have one. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |separator= (help)
  11. ^ Brightman, James (21 August 2009). "Xbox 360 Slim? Analysts Weigh In". IndustryGamers. pp. 1–2. Retrieved 2 September 2009.
  12. ^ a b c d Takahashi, Dean (2009-06-02). "Microsoft games exec details how Kinect was born". VentureBeat. Retrieved 2009-06-06. The companies are doing a lot of great work with the cameras. But the magic is in the software. It's a combination of partners and our own software.
  13. ^ Graft, Kris; Sheffield, Brandon (2009-06-16). "Microsoft's Future Begins Now: Shane Kim Speaks". Gamasutra. Think Services. p. 3. Retrieved 2009-06-20. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  14. ^ Gruener, Wolfgang (2009). "Ballmer announces 2010 Xbox 360 at The Executive Club Chicago". TG Daily. Chicago: Tigervision Media (published 2009-06-19). Retrieved 2009-06-19. I am talking about the Global Leaders luncheon with Steve Ballmer yesterday in Chicago, during which the executive announced 'a new Xbox for 2010.' [...] I triple-checked with a few friends who were sitting in the audience as well and it seemed pretty clear to them that a new Xbox is coming in 2010, after what Ballmer had said.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  15. ^ Reilly, Jim (2009-06-19). "Ballmer Clarifies His 'New' Xbox 360 Comment". IGN. IGN Entertainment. Retrieved 2009-06-21. I confused the issue with my poorly chosen words. There is no news in my comments. Things are as reported after E3. Sorry.
  16. ^ "Generation When?". Edge Online. Future plc. 2009-06-18. p. 2. Retrieved 2009-06-22. Since the NES, every five years or so a distinct new wave of technology has washed across the industry, bringing with it new power and functions to a market galvanised by the promise of faster, better, more.
  17. ^ a b Totilo, Stephen (2009-06-05). "Microsoft: Project Natal Can Support Multiple Players, See Fingers". Kotaku. Gawker Media. Retrieved 2009-06-06.
  18. ^ a b Dudley, Brier (2009-06-03). "E3: New info on Microsoft's Natal -- how it works, multiplayer and PC versions". Brier Dudley's Blog. The Seattle Times. Retrieved 2009-06-03. We actually built a software platform that was what we wanted to have as content creators. And then [asked], 'OK, are there hardware solutions out there that plug in?' But the amount of software and the quality of software are really the innovation in Natal.
  19. ^ a b c Gibson, Ellie (2009-06-05). "E3: Post-Natal Discussion". Eurogamer. Eurogamer Network. pp. 1–2. Retrieved 2009-06-09. Essentially we do a 3D body scan of you. We graph 48 joints in your body and then those 48 joints are tracked in real-time, at 30 frames per second. So several for your head, shoulders, elbows, hands, feet...
  20. ^ Wilson, Mark; Buchanan, Matt (2009-06-03). "Testing Project Natal: We Touched the Intangible". Gizmodo. Gawker Media. Retrieved 2009-06-06.
  21. ^ "Project Natal & Its Instruction Manual(!) In The Wild". Kotaku. 2010-04-20. {{cite web}}: Text "accessdate-2010-05-27" ignored (help)
  22. ^ Press, MS (2010-03-31). "PrimeSense Supplies 3-D-Sensing Technology to Project Natal for Xbox 360". MsPress. p. MsPress. Retrieved 2010-03-31.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  23. ^ http://www.usatoday.com/tech/gaming/2010-06-14-vidgame14_ST_N.htm
  24. ^ http://www.joystiq.com/2010/06/13/rumor-xbox-360-slim-and-kinect-outed-by-microsoft-ad/#continued
  25. ^ "Microsoft Planning Special Event for Project Natal on June 13th". 2010-03-25. Retrieved 2010-03-25.
  26. ^ "E3 2009: Microsoft Press Conference Live Blog". IGN. 2009-06-01. Retrieved 2009-06-01.
  27. ^ "Hands On: Microsoft Xbox 360 Project Natal, our first play". beehivecity.com. 2010-05-19. Retrieved 2010-05-27.
  28. ^ Wiltshire, Alex (2009-06-03). "Interview: Peter Molyneux on Milo And Kate". Edge Online. Future Publishing. Retrieved 2009-06-05.
  29. ^ Gibson, Ellie (2009-06-02). "E3: Molyneux and Milo". Eurogamer. Eurogamer Network. pp. 1–2. Retrieved 2009-06-02.
  30. ^ Crecente, Brian (25 September 2009). "Playing Space Invaders, Katamari Damacy on Natal". Kotaku. Gawker Media. Retrieved 26 September 2009.
  31. ^ Chester, Nick (25 September 2009). "TGS 09: Patching older 360 games to work with natal not possible". Destructoid. Retrieved 26 September 2009.
  32. ^ "Xbox 360's "Project Natal" Awakens Imagination of Global Video-Game Industry". Microsoft. 24 September 2009. Retrieved 4 November 2009.
  33. ^ Garratt, Patrick (15 September 2009). "Moore – 360 and PS3 Grand Slam Tennis will be released, will use motion tech". VG247.
  34. ^ McWhertor, Michael (21 October 2009). "Molyneux: Fable III Will Use Project Natal". Kotaku.
  35. ^ a b "Microsoft drops internal Natal chip".
  36. ^ "Natal to use 10-15 percent of Xbox 360 CPU power".
  37. ^ "Microsoft Xbox 360 Kinect Launches November 4". 2010-05-14. Retrieved 2010-05-14. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |published= ignored (help)
  38. ^ "Project Natal makes a Smallville cameo, does not guarantee ability to fly*". Engadget. 2010-02-12. Retrieved 2010-06-14.
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