Kinect software will work with seated players when 'developed with sitting in mind'

@Hoxnr
I love sitting, too!

@Hoxnr
Sitting is the best

@Hoxnr

Sitting killed my mother!

@(Unverified)

bed sores are deadly . . .

@Hoxnr Does this mean that Kinect games will have to have a picture of a couch on back to show if it's sitting compatible?

@Hoxnr Oh, yes, sitting. The great leveler. From the mightiest Pharaoh to the lowliest peasant, who doesn't enjoy a good sit?

@Hoxnr

dang it i forgot how to sit down

@Hoxnr :: Lard lad looks pleased.

Dude, come on - the article clearly states "sitting"...

Aaah, damn. I too misread it as shitting.

You don't sit to shit?

@Cryo
Thats called "multitasking"

@The Joy of Painting w Bob Ross

/me takes off hat and bows before the masters , this whole thread had me bursting out laughing nice 1.

@(Unverified) maybe you're right, or maybe when they mentioned "couch to couch" webcam with Kinect they were talking about sitting on couches.

How many finished apps or games are there for Kinect?
Why do you guys have to be so negative...

@(Unverified)

im sure racing games will be the first to work sitting down . . .


Gamers think we are so smart and know exactly whats going to happen . . . but once again MS know what they are doing . . .

@donalbane I would have up-rated if you'd said

> it's going to be "natural for Kinect games to be designed to get you off the couch: dancing, running, dodging, bending and kicking."

... and driving.

@donalbane
Who would want to play a racing game with Kinect? I mean seriously. People didn't like the Wii wheel and even if it controlled better it'd still be stupid. There's absolutely no feedback.

I guess, though, that there will be a lot of racecar bed racers for Kinect. As that's the only way it'd make a damn bit of sense.

@Mmmmz

People LOVE the wii wheel.

It's awesome and fun.

You don't get any feedback from a normal controller, either. Both vibrate.

I suppose the kinetch won't even have that feedback, or buttons.

Can it track fingers? We'll see, but I suspect it doesn't get any games of low motion (Socom 4 style games) that are playable.

@(Unverified)
Not backwards compatible, since the cameras don't have their own processor and reuiire 15% of the 360's cpu to function. Too bad... could have been neat.

@(Unverified)
Yes, the games and apps they mentioned were all demonstrated standing up.

And no. Just no.

@(Unverified)

I was joking on both counts.

Maybe I should have said "facing backwards compatible."

@guttertalk
No handstand recognition = Deal breaker.

@donalbane

I have to call BS on you, I've never read anything anywhere that said that Kinect would use "15% of the 360's cpu to function". You completely made that up. If I'm wrong please point me to your source because I would love to read it. Anyone else read this tidbit of info somewhere?

@Foolkiller

yeah its true, they took out the on board processor or something (dont care to look it up) but basically all it means is that current games that max the xbox 360 processor wont work in conjunction with Kinect.

All new experiences baby!

@BigFat IsBack

Until I see it in print from a credible source I'm going to dismiss it. I'm not saying it's impossible or anything, on the contrary it does make sense that the 360 would have to crunch all the data that Kinect is sending it. However I would think that the Joystiq crowd would be going crazy over that piece of info. Especially the haters.

@Foolkiller

go to the kinect Wikipedia page, it states it and has the link to back up the claim . . .

it its 10 to 15 percent, 15% is just the upper limit.

@Foolkiller

http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/07/natal-to-use-10-15-percent-of-xbox-360-cpu-power/

A few details about Project Natal's technical capabilities slipped out alongside the holiday 2010 release window at Microsoft's CES press conference. The most revealing of these specifics is that the hardware will only siphon 10 to 15 percent of the 360's computing resources, according to a statement from Natal lead developer Alex Kipman. "Natal has to work on the existing hardware without taking too much hardware processing away from the games developers," Kipman added.

However, according to a report obtained by GamesIndustry, the processing power could have been further reduced. The original build for Natal included a chip that processed the "bone system," assumed responsible for creating a skeleton of the player in front of the device's glossy eye. However, in an attempt to lower costs, the chip was removed from the device's final build, putting that processing onus on the software that will utilize Natal.

In other words, it's extremely unlikely that any software will be able to have Natal support patched into it -- a fact that Digital Foundry's Richard Leadbetter says could help "serve to focus developers on Natal-specific concepts as opposed to revisiting old classics."

Update: Updated language to reflect that of the original source -- Natal will use 10 - 15 percent of the 360's overall computing power, not just its CPU.

@Johnnynumber5 is powered by cell

and Sony mii 2 is any better?

please! at least MS is doing something new . . .

@Bigfat

I think you meant Wii 2. The concept behind Kinect has been in use since webcams were invented, this is just taking it to another level. Both Move and Kinect are not new at all. Both are going to do good. Both of you are trolls, go away.

@BigFat IsBack

A failure at something "new" is still a failure.

@BigFat IsBack MS aren't actually trying anything new, all the games for Kinect shown off so far have basically been PS2 EyeToy games with prettier graphics

@TraceurRyuk Prepping for LBP2

no i meant mii 2 as in the playstation move being an rip off of the wii.


And whats not new about taking something to the next level? isnt the current Xbox live, just the Xbox live that was on the original xbox, just taken to another level? isnt the Xbox 360 just an original xbox taken to tthe next level?

That web cam excuse holds no ground, simply because all new technology is just old tech taken to the next level.

@Johnnynumber5 is powered by cell
You're right. Them clearing up a misconception with the software, that people were touting as deal breaking & terrible, has definitely made the Kinect look "worse"....

@BigFat IsBack

I really can't downvote you enough. The same logic you use to excoriate Sony, you use to bolster MS. Really, you are a fanboy moron of the highest order.

@BigFat IsBack

I don't get it. How can you deride the Move for being similar to the Wii and then say that Kinect is good because new in the same breath? I totally agree with the idea that there's nothing wrong with upgrading existing tech. Kinect is an upgrade on the Eyetoy and the Move is an upgrade on the Wiimote. Whether you want to call them new or not (I wouldn't) is up to you, but at least have consistent definitions...

@Bigfat

With that logic you could say Move is "new" too... Nearly everything you say is contradictory. And I still don't get Mii 2, is that like a combination of Move and Wii... I don't get it. Miis are the little avatar dudes on the Wii.

come on its not that hard . . .

mii 2 as in the "me too" approach Sony has taken with the move,

and is Move really an upgrade on a wiiMote with motion plus?

i mean come on . . . lets be real here . . .

@Bigfat

Oh, I get it now... That's kind of stupid... Anyways, well, it is in HD and has more potential because of the higher processing power.

@swooded

When you have to come out and say that Kinect can only be used while seated if the game is specifically programmed with that functionality you have a problem. It's really been one thing after another now hasn't it? It was first billed as this fantastic technology for the whole family that had it's own dedicated processor and now we know it syphons it's calculations from the cpu, only actively supports two people at a time and you can't even sit down while using it unless it's a "seated experience." Not to mention the games that have been shown are all half baked casual mini games without any depth or complexity. The only games that had any semblance of quality were the dancing game and the exercise game ... w00t. The more things that MS has to come out and clarify in regards to kinect the less attractive its become. It just looks like a concept and a product thats not ready for primetime.

@Johnnynumber5 is powered by cell , I dont understand why Johnny is marked down he is right..

Listen to the wording of the press conference:

"Kinect can be used while sitting when an experience is developed with sitting in mind,"

-- That just sounds like such a load of bullshit, its unreal.. The system shouldn't give a whether I am sitting down or standing up..

They have 4 example applications in mind:

navigating the Dashboard, along with using the ESPN, Zune and Video Kinect apps

Video Kinect --> Thats the same thing as webcam chatting, seriously that would be one of the biggest face palm moments of all time if you had to stand up to video chat.. Something you could do on the xbox and ps3 and practically any pc with a web cam -- This is a no brainer, this doesnt mean anything, its just video chat big deal..

Then we come to espn,zune and dashboard.. All of the demos so far have had the presenter standing, but I know that this can be made to work PrimeSense is 1 of the core companies behind the tech in natal/kinect, they demoed the tech for engadget a while back check here:

http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/11/primesense-talks-full-body-motion-control-at-gdc-the-possibilit/

Look at the second video guy sitting in his couch comfortably using it.. The crazy thing is so far Microsoft hasnt shown their version doing this properly...

Makes you wonder, I bet the skeletal modelling just wont work while your sitting thats the 3DV tech, but the PrimeSense imaging stuff obviously does..

This brings in the next and most important point about Kinect.. Microsoft doesnt actually own the tech for the only feature that makes Natal worth while and thats the hand gesture / minority report style controls.. Prime Sense owns the tech and its actively trying to sell it to tv manufacturers.. In probably 2 - 3 years time the whole control with your hands will probably be integrated into all major tvs, which will make natal even more worthless

http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/23/kinect-tech-destined-for-tv-embedded-greatness-in-2011-htpc-int/

Kinect tech destined for TV-embedded greatness in 2011, HTPC integration later this year -- >

"VP Adi Berenson tells us the company's already signed deals to put PrimeSense inside HTPCs by the end of the year, and has at least one cable company ready to launch a gesture-controlled set top box by summer 2011"


So again what possible value does Kinect bring ? Its just looking like such an epic flail-ure, much like the KIN mobile phones which just got cancelled by them ....

They managed to buy out 3DV which did all of the skeletal modelling, but they removed the processing chip, which basically makes the kit a 360 resource hog.. They didnt manage to buy primesense and the most impressive bit of the tech from kinect will probably be in ever tv and set top box and people will be bored of it this time next year..