kinect Archive

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Kinect price drop

A Kinect price drop has been announced today via Major Nelson. The price is now $109.99 in the United States and a permanently reduced price will become available in the rest of North America, Latin America, and Asia Pacific regions where Kinect is sold. On October 4th, Kinect’s price will also be permanently reduced in Australia and New Zealand. Amazon has already updated their price and if you are interested in picking one up you should click here. Hopefully this price drop convinces more people to pick one up and start enjoying all the benefits Kinect offers.

Source: Major Nelson

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Xbox Kinect Fans Most Wanted: Pictionary

Since the dawn of online gaming, millions of gamers have found new ways to connect with their friends. Online gaming has made it possible to “hang out” with your friends, without being in the same room, building, or even country. On top of this advancement, a new wave of casual games have attracted new and different audiences to videogames. To continue building the user base of Kinect, Microsoft can and should take advantage of these trends by seeing that classic and instantly recognizable experiences make their way to the Xbox platform, with Kinect functionality. Many modern families enjoy playing videogames together, but there are those that have long time traditions of playing other things, like board games – one such classic board game is Pictionary.

No matter how fun Pictionary is, not all families can stay at home all the time to enjoy each others company to play it. Be it college, vacation, or a job away from home, the fact is, the modern family probably isn’t able to be “together” all the time. That means they can’t enjoy classic boardgames like Monopoly, Scrabble and of course, Pictionary. The solution is simple: play it on the Kinect! Not only can it simply be played on the Xbox 360, but also over Xbox Live where we can use beacons to set up play dates that work for everyone and help bring families “together”.

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First wave of NUads coming this fall

Have you ever seen an ad and thought to yourself, “That is such a terrible way to get me to buy something” or “Whoa, now I’m interested”. Something we don’t think about every day is that all these advertisements require research in order to evoke certain feelings from viewers. And what better way to gather research than through the millions of Xbox 360 owners. Starting this fall, Xbox LIVE will be host to NUads – a wave of adverts that receives real-time feedback. This gives brands a way to gauge how consumers react to their advertising strategies and products.

“NUads and the gesture – and voice based Kinect technology have a great potential for creativity”, said Babs Rangaiah, vice president of Global Media Innovation at Unilever. Viewers will be able to say “Yes, of course” or “No way” to ads or just use hand gestures. This relationship goes two ways – it also helps companies understand their customers and see what features about a product matters to them.

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Source: Microsoft News

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19 million Kinect units sold worldwide

Earlier this month, Microsoft revealed that the Kinect device has sold over 19 million units worldwide. Considering this device was released in 2010, this number makes up roughly 28% of the 67 million Xbox 360 consoles sold since 2005. For a tool with less shelf time than its predecessor, these numbers appear to be an enticing prospect with a definitive future, and that thought is exactly along the lines of Microsoft’s plans.

As reported months ago, Xbox 360′s outreach has become more grounded in a wide range of entertainment. Videos, music, movies and gaming are all vying together in one bundled package under Microsoft’s banner. No longer solely a gaming console, Xbox has become a massive hub and one-stop shop for all one’s visual/audio needs.

With that stated, it makes sense that the evolving future of the Kinect is to not only provide gaming but hands-free access to these newly conquered frontiers and more. What’s next as Kinect marches forward with its sales? Internet Explorer is arriving later this year, as well as increased fitness focus with a recently announced Nike partnership. All these frontiers are culminating around this device as Microsoft continues to churn out full-motion games and “Better With Kinect” titles. The entertainment giant is just getting started, and we’re just strapping in for the ride.

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Kinect voice search support for Australia and New Zealand

Today’s mandatory Xbox Live update adds support specifically tailored for Kinect users with Australian and New Zealand accents. The streamlining and improved access to voice search features will no doubt be a welcome enhancement for our Aussie and Kiwi XBL friends. The support upgrade falls in line with new Kinect augmentation plans revealed at E3.

As announced at E3, Microsoft already plans to broaden voice recognition access; newly incorporating 12 countries (including Australia and New Zealand) and 6 languages that will all soon gain support and access to voice search, powered by Bing, heretofore only designed to service English speakers in select countries. The latest expansion demonstrates a Microsoft initiative to make signature services specifically related to Kinect more universal and user-friendly across the many countries serviced by Xbox Live.

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Fable: The Journey will release holiday 2012

Microsoft’s E3 conference revealed new footage of the long awaited Fable: The Journey from Lionhead. The game is really shaping up to be something special and will likely be one of Kinect’s marquee titles. Make sure you check out the official E3 trailer for the game above. The final moments of the video reveals that Fable: The Journey will be releasing this holiday season.

Check out the Xbox Kinect Fans E3 hub for all of our coverage!

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Dance Central 3 releasing this fall

Microsoft has revealed during their E3 press conference that the best selling dance series, Dance Central, will be releasing a third entry this fall. Dance Central 3 will introduce a new mode with support for up to eight players. The music featured during the demonstration covered a wide range from the 1970s to present.

One artist primarily featured during the conference was Usher, who will be providing his music to the sequel. While the Usher performance during the presentation may not have been for everyone, there is no denying that Dance Central 3 looks to continue to improve the series.

We will keep you posted as more track list information is provided.

Check out the Xbox Kinect Fans E3 hub for all of our coverage!

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Wreckateer smashing into Summer of Arcade lineup!

The Microsoft E3 conference has not even started yet more big news continues to leak!  According to a Eurogamer source, Wreckateer will be joining Tony Hawk Pro Skater HD in the Summer of Arcade lineup. This would appear to be consistent with last year’s lineup which featured a single Kinect game, Fruit Ninja Kinect.

Many of us at Xbox Kinect Fans have been projecting this game in the Summer of Arcade lineup since its reveal earlier this year. Preliminary responses (including our PAX East preview) seem to display the game in a very favorable light due to its exceptional Kinect controls. Players assume the role of their avatar as they attempt to destroy castles using large rocks. It seems to draw inspiration on the Wii’s criminally underrated Boom Blox series and that Angry Birds game some of you may have played.

Stay tuned as we hopefully get more information relating to Wreckateer throughout E3!

Source: Eurogamer via XBLA Fans

Check out the Xbox Kinect Fans E3 hub for all of our coverage!

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Hack of the Week: Kinect used to help diagnose autism

“Early diagnosis is critical in helping people with autism get the support they need,” says Caroline Hattersley of The National Autistic Society in London. Thanks to Kinect, early diagnosis of autism will hopefully soon be easier than ever. According to New Scientist, classrooms like those at the University of Minnesota’s Institute of Child Development are implementing a system utilizing Microsoft’s motion sensors to track children for signs of behavioral disorders.

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Skyrim’s Kinect support is live

Skyrim fiends and Kinect enthusiasts rejoice! Kinect support for the beloved Bethesda game is now live, and it should toggle to the screen upon starting up the game. As written on Major Nelson’s blog:

Adding a new dimension to Skyrim’s gameplay, the Kinect for Xbox 360 integration offers Voice Commands throughout the game including Dragon Shouts, Hotkey Equipping, Follower Commands, and all Menus (Items, Magic, Map, Barter, Container, Favorites, and Skills). With Voice Commands, quickly create and load saves during gameplay and access menus and inventories. Skyrim’s Kinect for Xbox 360 Support also adds new functionality including special map functions, additional hotkey options, and the ability to sort inventory items by name, weight, and value.

A PDF list of all the commands (in English) can be found by clicking HERE to go through to bethsoft.com.

Source: Major Nelson

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