Rumor: Mass Effect 3 getting 'Better with Kinect'

@joer22784 I didnt mind when they announced the release delay for ME3, but if it was to add Kinect...that truly blows.

@Obienator

Don't be a drama queen. They announced the delay, because it normally takes two years to make a Mass Effect game. Holiday 2011 was always a farce of a release date, and I have been saying that ever since they made that announcement.

@joer22784 My problem is that this implementation will take you out of the flow of the game. On the Wii its not a problem because motion is there from the beginning, this on the other hand is tacked on. I can't imagine playing ANY rpg with a controller to have that involvement broken up by something trivial that requires me to leave that world and do a stupid movement.

@joer22784

Since when is an added function that is OPTIONAL a bad thing?

If you don't like what they do with it, then don't use it.

It's not like it's going to take away from the game, PS3 won't have the Kinect feature, nor will PC.

Oh yeah, this is the internet, let's freak out and cry about nothing all the time.

@The angry pro consumer gaming ga Don't worry! The Kinect is only used for the romance scene!

@The angry pro consumer gaming ga

you know this???

No, you don't know. You're just a clown blabbering about something they don't know. Sometimes, when you don't know something, it's best to just say nothing at all...

@Tachyonic Cargo

You know there seems to be this misconception that, "better with Kinect," equals flailing around like a monkey in heat. When in all likelihood, "better with Kinect," means actually just that.

This is not Wii-mote. This is not Playstation Move. This is Kinect. And one of the HUGE advantages Kinect has over both Wii-mote and Move, is that you can use Kinect AT THE SAME TIME as using a regular controller.

For traditional core games, this is perfect, as Kinect features can be added that make the game better and more immsersive, without having to put down your controller to get those features. Take Forza Motorsport 4 for example. Recently Major Nelson uploaded some video footage of himself playing Forza 4 made "better with Kinect" in the latest episode of Major's Minute. In the video, Larry played Forza like usual (with a driving wheel), and the Kinect was used for head tracking - making the game from the perspective of the player, that much more immersive - ie. better.

Off the top of my head, there are probably a dozen things developers can do from head tracking, to voice commands, to facial recognition, to enhance already existing core game franchises with Kinect features. The biggest oft these enhancements is 3D gaming . . . without the need of stupid 3D goggles, or the need to buy a $1,500 3D television set.

So "better with Kinect" most likely means just that - you still play the game with your regular Xbox 360 controller, but if you happen to have a Kinect, the game will be enhanced in some way to make the game play experience better.

Duh.

@Tachyonic Cargo

exactly what i was thinking, hopefully some voice commands for your partners or to switch guns, that would be awesome

or hold up your hand to stop everyone from moving, and then pointing at the screen to continue with the objective

all things that buttons can do but kinect gives you new options that actually might make it go faster

@DericLee

It's a reality that developers have limited time and resources to produce a game. Adding Kinect features are probably costing Bioware both time and resources that could be spent elsewhere (DA2?). The point is not the optional feature itself, but how the addition of Kinect affects ME3's overall development.

@DericLee I have to agree with what you said about added functions being optional. Some people love playing CoD or Mass Effect on the PC using a controller and when it is spoken of if the game has optional gamepad support, the community of k/m elitists bashes one for asking. Every PC game should have that option for gamepad support. I hope Mass 3 have it.

@superfrick

"Don't worry! The Kinect is only used for the romance scene!"

Alright! Bed humping is FINALLY going mainstream!

@Tachyonic Cargo...I know this will come across all wierd/stalkerish but I've noticed you consistently post some of the best, well-written comments in these sections. I hope you submitted something for the Joystiq writer search.

@Lucky48

It confuses you? You are either obtuse or slow then.

@Heston
They use the time and resources to add in everything, so if there is a level you don't like, or a character, they still took time and resources to 'add' that in.
But that is just it, they would be levels and characters that YOU don't like, others might enjoy them, and others might find that that level or character added something more to the game.
So will you bitch if they said they are adding another level or character? Even though you have no idea if those additions will be great or bad?

@DericLee

Seeing resources allocated in something you don't care for is not a good thing either though. I'm truthfully indifferent about this.

@Obienator
This video conveys my feeling perfectly
*WARNING!!!! LOUD SOUND WARNING!!!!!*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-FjEF1p_G4&feature=related

@oolzie
Wow. Talk about not being able to take a joke.

@Lucky48 I DARE you to get the full use out of a Playstation controller AND the Move controller at the same time.

@Lucky48

The main *marketing* point to Kinect was that 'you are the controller'. I've never had interest in that, or at least interest in what has been released so far.

However, I've always been interested in using Kinect to augment a traditional game experience and thought of ME often as a great vehicle for it. I personally would love to use my hand to throw biotic powers, for example. A SW Force Unleashed game would seem good for that too.

As long as it's done well, and as long as it's optional, I'm excited for it.

@Tachyonic Cargo

What i don't get is that .. if the player is the controller .. why should one have to use a controller using Connect ? to me that takes the purpose out of what Kinect is.

@trinica If you haven't played Kinect then don't talk about it. I have a 360 and Kinect and if they implement this right i may finally have my Minority Report dream come true. all jokes aside if they do it right it could be good. I love how people get all up in arms as soon as they see kinect and their favorite game or any motion game how do you know if its going to be fully implemented in the game when no details have even popped up yet. Also this looks fake the cover art looks terrible and doesn't fit.

@GTThaAceman
I like controllers. I don't like flailing my arms about like a complete moron. Yes, I have played Kinect....Which only deepened my hatred for it.

@GTThaAceman It is a weird reaction. They seem to assume that Bioware is coming to take their controllers away, rather than (if the rumour is correct) offering an ADDITIONAL and OPTIONAL input method in conjunction with the controller.

@trinica
Why do people jump to the "flailing arms thing"?
This could be facial recognition, or Kinect enabled Space Navigation or pretty much anything OTHER than flailing arms. If you actually did play Kinect you know there is pretty much no flailing of arms.. if you are flailing your arms you are most definitely playing it wrong. Other than Kinect Adventures (where you have to reach for the emblem things) you should not be flailing.
Saying that is as ignorant as saying "Soccer is just flailing your arms" or "Hockey is just flailing your arms"

/say flailing over and over and it totally doesn't sound like a word anymore.

@trinica Kinect isn't a bad idea from a developer's standpoint: it tries to cash-in on a very profitable trend and it does so even if it isn't very accurate with its actual motion tracking, and even if it doesn't have any games with novel gameplay mechanics (yet?).

Similarly, as much as I personally don't like the idea of Kinect, or multiplayer for that matter, in my Mass Effect, it makes business sense that BioWare will include them. It makes me sad, but not nearly as sad as "day one DLC".

@trinica

I'll just leave this here

http://www.i-mockery.com/chojin/xbros.png

@trinica

It's called BETTER WITH KINECT, not USE KINECT OR YOU WILL DIE.

@xreadmore
I thought that the flailing your arms bit had become a sort of expression....Apparently not. I didn't mean it 100% literally, my purpose was to convey the fact that I despise motion gaming.
=/
I know you don't HAVE to use it, but unfortunately technology/gaming is moving in the direction that will end up phasing out controllers almost entirely. First it's an option, then it becomes a requirement because that's the only thing that game developers develop for.
Personally I'm completely against that, so when big budget titles like this add Kinect I get a little depressed. It just pushes forward a new age where you are the controller....But not in the infinitely cool virtual reality way that we all dreamed of as kids.

@trinica
Ah so you're angry at a hypothetical future you've constructed entirely in your mind based off of the "Better with Kinect" addition to Mass Effect 3?

That's kind of delusional. Someone has to say it...
**To all those people angry at something you don't even know about: You are all delusional!**

Now don't get me wrong.. I'm a little delusional too, but in other ways, so don't take it too hard.

@Magrippinho haha i love how you got downvoted because you stated a fact that motion gaming is smart for making money and that kinect isnt that accurate and that you personally dont like it haha i guess having an opinion is BAD

@aussieCanuck

having a stupid and baseless opinion is bad.

@FakeJamaican

Age of Empires Kinect anyone?

@FakeJamaican

If only. If only.

@FakeJamaican You would think that with so much "potential" something worthwhile would have come out by now. This is why I passed on Kinect, and unless something HUGE comes out at E3 Kinect is done for and will be buried with the 32x's, Virtual Boy's, ET's in a dump.

@FakeJamaican

Think carefully though... how hard is it going to be to place units... to point at things on the screen from so far back and it recognise what u pointed at. Not even you will be able to tell what ur pointing at lol

It's like trying to replace something as accurate as a mouse with a generalized motion... Don't see it working sorry.

@The angry pro consumer gaming ga

Yeah, The PS2 had a shitty first year so obviously it had no potential.

@The angry pro consumer gaming ga

How many of those things sold over 8 million units in its first few months of avaliablity?

@R Planteer True, but there are differences in the demographics.

1. There was no casual gamer back then.

2. Casual gamer's seem to buy whatever is marketed to them and then really purchase very little else. (Which is why I think unless there is something impressive Kinect will follow the others path).

3. There are a lot LESS shouts of potential and more of the realization of what Kinect is actually used for( again could be turned around at E3, but the rumors have said anything impressive yet).

@The angry pro consumer gaming ga

1. The marketing buzz phrase casusal gaming didn't exist back then. Casual gamers existed but what did they have to play console wise that was accessible?

2. Actually most of the non-first party Wii titles sell like ass so no, they don't buy whatever is marketed to them.

3. Potential can be found by doing a search for "kinect hacks". Also how many good, AAA quality games take less than a year to make and release? Now that Kinect has a proven user base companies studios can put decent budgets behind their projects.

@Odog4ever I grew up durning the 80's-90's and no one bought a game system unless they meant to play games cause that's all they did. The PS2 changed that with its built in dvd, but that doesn't change the fact the consoles were toys for children, so your first rebuttal is wrong.

Secondly you proved my second point without realizing it. The casual knows Donkey Kong and Mario hence they sell, everything else gets looked over.

Finally those Kinect hacks that are actually any good are on the PC, the Xbox has contraints that PC's don't.

Developers have seen whats profitable when it comes to casual's, and those are $.99 games that are quickly forgotten.

@den69 ps move does that though...

@The angry pro consumer gaming ga

First of all, there's no way in Heck that the sales came entirely from the casual crowd. Watching the mod community explode like it did when this was released is enough to show that alone; all of those modders did have to buy the system.

Second, do you honestly think that they exist in a vacuum? That all of those mods that everyone here on Joystiq and elsewhere say "Holy crap look at that, that makes me want a Kinect!" are somehow completely ignored by developers? I can almost guarantee two things from that reaction:

(1) Developers see more potential for it than they previously did, and (2) they see the generally positive reaction to a lot of these things, from the hardcore crowd specifically. Count me among the thousands (millions?) of people who are buying/have bought a Kinect specifically to experiment with this sort of thing.

If they confirm Kinect support in XNA (the one thing I'm really hoping for from MS this year at E3), we'll see all of this sort of stuff (and more) going into games. The reason most of this has been on PC is that there's no free SDK for Kinect on 360. Yet.

@Mustang Fanboy
Also how would you shoot? Its hard to do it with move. I can only imagine the nightmare of shooting with kinect.

@Mustang Fanboy

Its not hard to do with move. Shooters are easy to use with move.

@LEONLEONLEON

Shooting is easy Move, just not shooting accurately.