Motion Control Wars

[crackdude]

;3

[Sega Uranus]

On the other hand, if success means "making a profit", then I have my doubts as to whether that will ever happen.

You have to remember that every major videogame innovation has lost money to eventually become successful. The Xbox brand has lost Microsoft like 7 billion or more dollars, with it only recently finally making money. The PlayStation brand went from basically being known as another word for "videogame" to "That game company in last place" in around a year.

Basically it is impossible to keep a brand going without innovation and attempts at a bigger overall picture. SEGA CD, as you mentioned is now seen as a failure, but it helped the industry in a lot of ways. Having games that have just a second of delay is not a big deal when I know whole legions of people who used to play hundreds of thousands of hours of videogames with others on just a shitty dial-up connection.

As for the "Hardcore" and "Casual" posts I keep seeing around these forums... Complete nonsense. Every time something new in the industry comes around, people bitch saying the medium is dead. Well if 3D graphics, sequels, digital pads, analog sticks, more than one button, online access, the need for multiple controllers, saving content, unlocking content, scores sometimes being unnecessary, more focus on stories, voice acting, less focus on conflicts and putting your face in games has not killed the industry yet, then I highly doubt motion controls (Something that has been tested on for decades) are going to effect the state of games at all.

[Barry the Nomad]

Having games that have just a second of delay is not a big deal when I know whole legions of people who used to play hundreds of thousands of hours of videogames with others on just a shitty dial-up connection.

Regarding the "1 second delay", I finally received my Kinect yesterday and despite being busy, I got in an hour to play around with the dashboard. No gameplay yet, but hopefully I'll get to that tonight.

Really impressive tech! After the calibration processes, things ran very smoothly. Voice recognition was effective, and motion controls were responsive. While it's not 1:1 on the dashboard, it really is so damn close that I see little to no problem. Considering I'm just using my hand, no controller, to navigate a menu and am having less than half a second of lag is impressive. Some are saying the tech is "not quite there", however I have to say that it is "there" enough to be completely usable and worthy of being sold in retail. SEGA Activator was "not there at all", EyeToy was "not quite there", Kinect is "there with room for improvement".

Thankfully, the "room for improvement" falls on the quality of the software rather than the quality of the tech. I could see next years Kinect games to offer some very cool stuff, and software updates will only improve voice recognition and controls. I'm not too sure how Kinect "learns" to improve itself, but from comments of a poster over at TSS, they've noticed marked improvements in controls after half a week of using the device.

As seen in online previews, lag differs from game to game. It really all comes down to how games are being programmed for the device. Some devs are doing a great job with getting close to 1:1, while others seem to still be working out how to get there. Devs are even saying that they could get it to being 2 frames behind in future games: http://www.1up.com/news/kinect-lag-eliminated-developer

[Aki-at]

Pre-sales of Kinect in Australia have been doing very nicely, it looks like Microsoft may have a success on their hands.

After saying they would splash at least $500 million in marketing, it not being anything other than a success would be very worrying. What would be more interesting to found it is if it will meet Microsoft's targets, not just the 3 million, but the following years after that.

Simply making it to the 3 million target would only cover the marketing they've assigned to the project. And they are probably going to have to pour in a lot more money into the division, considering the Playstation 3 has just overtaken the Xbox360 as the second best selling console this generation even with Halo Reach's launch.

[Barry the Nomad]

Impressions time!

"Show me the money!"

Oh wait, not those kinds of impressions. Kinect game impressions!

Kinect Adventures
A fitting pack-in title, as if it were sold alone I don't think it has enough to warrant a full priced title. I'd set it's retail price at $39.99. Anyway, as for the gameplay and controls: it's a lot of fun! Adventures really shows off the tech well. Certain mini-games give a great idea of how the tech could be used for future titles. After playing the zero gravity floating/flying mini-game, I'm convinced that Project Draco could be really really cool. Best mini-games are: rally ball, river rush and space pop. Also, the living statues are pretty hilarious. If I had to choose from "bad", "so-so", "good" and "great", I'd give it a "good".

Kinect Sports
A good companion to Kinect Adventures. Every sport functioned well and nearly all of them were worth playing many times in the future. I had the most fun with table tennis, bowling, volleyball and track and field. Boxing and soccer were too simplistic for my tastes. They were fun, no doubt, but didn't offer up enough for me to want to play them alone. They were better suited for Live play or local 2 player. Overall, I'd give it a "good" with touches of "great".

Kinect Joy Ride (demo)
From what I played, I totally get what people are saying about their arms being sore. Unlike Sports and Adventures, which rely on a variety of movements, Joy Ride is simply arms out in front about 90% of time time. If you've ever worked out and done the arms outstretched windmills exercise, Joy Ride is like that. Gameplay is fun in short bursts, graphics are good, and the custom paint job option is cool. Still, I can't help but think the game would be way better with deeper customization (think Lego or B-K Nuts & Bolts). Shame Rare wasn't behind this one. I'd give it a "so-so" for the full game and "good" for short bursts of play. Best to skip this one.

Dance Central (demo)
The reviewers were right. This game is really good. Menus have a better UI than any other Kinect title and the motion tracking for dance moves is surprisingly accurate. I never felt cheated. The track list is small compared to Rock Band, but DLC can easily fix that. Gonna give this one a "great". Here's hoping the Michael Jackson one is as good.

Your Shape Fitness Evolved
The demo was really short on options, only block punching was available, but it was a very crippy (trippy+creepy) interface. Rather than a cartoonish avatar, I saw my body in the game, complete with a mapped live video skin of me. I played around a lot with this, and it read everything from spinning to lying down. I even grabbed a magazine and the game read it as an inanimate object rather than a part of my body. Crazy stuff. Block punching was fun, though I can't comment on the rest of the game. But I was impressed. Oh yeah, and the movement ratio was very close to 1:1.

Sonic Free Riders
I won't say too much as I have a review to write, but it's a fun game. Not "omfg amazing", but it's as fun as playing a game of Ollie King at the arcade. Motion controls were accurate. The key is to be far back enough so that the game can see your feet (most Kinect titles track your legs, but I feel that Free Riders relies on legs AND feet). Also, to effectively turn you have to turn with your waist AND arms. The difference is almost night and day. my first race I placed 2nd, my second race I placed 1st. My first online race I placed 2nd. I will say that it is the best Riders game I've played and unlike the first game, I actually feel the need to complete it.

Overall: Hardware is there, it's the software that needs improving. Even so, if one is willing to get in on Kinect early, there are enough titles to hold one over until the more "hardcore" ones arrive. Best bets are Kinect Sports and Dance Central. SEGA and Sonic fans should try out Free Riders before buying. Kinectimals also looks to be a good title. I may just pick it up due to my love for bizarre games and the Dreamcast's Seaman (not semen, though if the Dreamcast had semen it would be pretty awesome as it could make baby Dreamcasts).

[fluffymoochicken]

http://gizmodo.com/5695639/kinect-doesnt-need-you

[crackdude]

I don't care much about Kinect. But today I saw the most beautiful girl showing Kinect demos at a store (Worten Forum Almada seus rebarbados :D). I was looking for some sleeves for my notebook and she helped me out. She was amazing.

Microsoft +1 in my book.

[fluffymoochicken]

Found this funny article over at SEGA. :lol:

Kinect So Good Microsoft Has To Pay People To Buy It

    Microsoft’s Japanese launch of Kinect has predictably turned into a marketing farce of epic proportions.




    One eager gamer, Microsoft would have people believe, queued for hours to be the first in line for the device as “I wanted to be the first in Japan to get one!”
    Here he is receiving the first Kinect to be sold in Japan from a Microsoft honcho – what an honour!

    Unfortunately, 2ch recognised the man from a previous “this product is so amazing people are queuing all night for it” shill piece – that time the same man was interviewed for the Japanese release of the iPhone, obligingly saying “Well, it’s a worldwide thing isn’t it? You just have to ride the big wave!”

    He also helped with manufacturing a sense of popularity on the launch of the iPad.

    For this he became known as “Big Wave.” In fact, on his homepage he identifies himself as “Butch,” and helpfully lists his occupation as “sakura” – i.e. rent-a-crowd or shill.



    Just how much of the queue outside Yodobashi Camera was hired for the benefit of cameras is not clear, though the PR stunt soon backfired as 2ch and non-corporate gaming sites began to ridicule Microsoft for having to go to such lengths – although TV and gaming rags obediently reported a packed launch event in central Akihabara.

    The supposed scene from actual Akiba shops, as photographed by 2ch and not the mass media:



    Microsoft’s launch campaign has actually had to try to convince Japanese that a standard “6 tatami mat” sized room (about 10m2) is large enough to play in, with mixed results – some reviewers note that whilst just possible, it is an extreme hassle. The bouncing around is certainly unlikely to endear Kinect playing residents to those in neighbouring apartments.

    Given all this, whatever the merits of Kinect itself it can probably be written off as “unsuitable for Japanese homes,” so Microsoft perhaps deserves respect for trying despite the obvious futility of trying to persuade a sceptical public of Xbox non-owning casuals to buy both controller and console and then rearrange their tiny rooms around them – not that this will be much comfort to shareholders left footing the bill for the exercise.

[George]

IGN has been very 'negative' toward Move. This article, not really. Review scores are just opinions, but it seems in stunning turn of events that 'Kinect' has better software. Again, they didn't even bother counting RE5 or Sly collection. But whateve
http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/113/1135744p1.html

[MadeManG74]

IGN has been very 'negative' toward Move. This article, not really. Review scores are just opinions, but it seems in stunning turn of events that 'Kinect' has better software. Again, they didn't even bother counting RE5 or Sly collection. But whateve
http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/113/1135744p1.html

They didn't count Harry Potter on Xbox either. I'm guessing they are looking at Motion Control only games rather than compatible ones.

[fluffymoochicken]

IGN has been very 'negative' toward Move.

You'd never guess which company set aside half a billion dollars for advertising and bribing game journalists with. xD

[Sega Uranus]

You'd never guess which company set aside half a billion dollars for advertising and bribing game journalists with.

All three?

[George]

IGN probably did get money to say nice things and that is fine I guess. There criticism for Move is correct though, so I don't mind too much, but I just hate how they say Kinect is 'better' cuz its innovative and Move is the 'NEXT STEP' to Wii.

Kinect to me is the next step to Eyetoy. They even have titles that focus on the same demographic. Kinect is full body motion, while Eyetoy was waist up (face tracking, hands tracking).

[fluffymoochicken]

Not to mention that the Move is accurate and functional, while the Kinect is horribly glitchy, laggy, and unresponsive. How does that make it the better piece of tech?

To tell the truth, there is no winner between the two because they're both a waste of money.

[Aki-at]

You'd never guess which company set aside half a billion dollars for advertising and bribing game journalists with.

All three?

Sony only spent around £700,000 on marketing in the UK. Considering that's between the second to fourth biggest market for video games, I doubt they spent a tenth of what Microsoft is putting into this product.