Joystiq

Kinect Star Wars not due until holiday 2011

Ben Gilbert — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 14:30:00 EST

No matter how many times you call up LucasArts and suggest in your best Jedi voice, "You will release Kinect Star Wars soon," the game apparently won't be out until holiday 2011. Kinect evangelist and creative lead Kudo Tsunoda told the BBC as much in a recent interview, calling it and an upcoming Forza project the two Kinect-enabled games he's most excited for next year.

"We have a Kinect Star Wars game coming out for next holiday," Tsunoda said. "I've seen a bunch of the game and it's super compelling." Presumably he's seen more than what we saw at E3 this year, clumsily demonstrated in this video. "Another one next year is Forza," he added, alluding to vague plans to integrate Kinect into the racing franchise, before boasting that it was "the best racing game of this generation of consoles."

"Those are the two games I'm most excited about," Tsunoda concluded. As far as 2011's current Kinect prospects go, those would seem like safe picks, but we're wondering if developers aren't thinking outside the box enough -- just imagine if you were to somehow combine the two concepts ... perhaps mounting light sabers on high-end race cars? Now that would be something exciting enough to get us off the couch.

Kinect Star Wars not due until holiday 2011 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 10 Nov 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jimmy Fallon gives everyone in his audience a Kinect

Richard Mitchell — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 16:40:00 EST

Giving out Kinect to a studio audience just seems like the classy thing to do these days. Oprah did it, and now Jimmy Fallon is doing it too. Last night on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, after demoing Kinect Sports and Dance Central with Microsoft's Kudo Tsunoda and Harmonix's Naoko Takamoto, the affable host announced that everyone in the audience would be leaving with an Xbox 360 Kinect bundle.

We're happy for the audience, but the event was overshadowed by another occurrence. It was something rarely seen on the mortal plane, something more precious than a unicorn: Kudo wasn't wearing sunglasses. Jimmy and Kudo actually discussed the missing eyewear before staring their play session, and it turns out he took off the shades for his mother. Say it with us: Awwwwwww.

Continue reading Jimmy Fallon gives everyone in his audience a Kinect

Jimmy Fallon gives everyone in his audience a Kinect originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 05 Nov 2010 16:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kinect object scanning adds some color to Joy Ride

Ludwig Kietzmann — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 09:33:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

As you would expect, Microsoft's Kudo Tsunoda has expressed an optimistic viewpoint on Kinect's rarely utilized ability to scan real-world objects and incorporate them into games. At a recent Tokyo Game Show demonstration of Kinect Joy Ride, he revealed a small example of how Microsoft-owned developer BigPark utilizes the motion-sensing camera's capture capabilities. It's not quite a scanned skateboard, but it's enough to spur some color commentary.

Kinect Joy Ride features some minor pre-race vehicle customization options, starting with your car's color. If you're dissatisfied with the selection of bold colors in the game, Kinect can take a peek at any item positioned in front of the camera (within a small, on-screen reticle) and transfer its color onto your car. You could apply a dark shade of red (apple), an uplifting purple (GameCube) or a disgusting, sickly white (game journalist arm).

It's worth noting that this technology is hardly new -- you might have used it to capture textures in LittleBigPlanet with a PlayStation Eye -- and the implementation is far removed from Kinect's promotional promises. It's not even a particularly interesting addition in the case of Joy Ride, but right now it's in Microsoft's best interests to shift its conversation with consumers, away from, "What can't it do?" and onto "What can it do?"

Kinect object scanning adds some color to Joy Ride originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 18 Sep 2010 09:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tsunoda describes Kinect's object-scanning, controller-wielding future

Andrew Yoon — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 14:55:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

One of the cooler features Microsoft touted in its first Project Natal (now Kinect) video was the ability to scan objects and use them in your games. Unfortunately, that feature is nowhere to be found in any Kinect game announced so far, and Microsoft has been mum on the subject ... until now. Kinect mastermind Kudo Tsunoda told Eurogamer that although current games may not utilize it now, it's something we can expect in future titles. "Being able to digitise real-world objects and take them into the virtual world ... I think we're going to see a lot more games start using that as well as we go forward."

The future of Kinect won't be entirely controller-free, either. While Sony has taken shots at the Kinect's lack of button input, Tsunoda says that "it's not like we're trying to take controllers out of the equation." While the current library is focused on an entirely controller-free experience, Tsunoda says that "games that involve both controllers and Kinect as well are totally possible."

"That's one of the unique things about the Xbox platform: we can do controllers; we can do controllers with Kinect, which is more than just motion control, it has voice and human recognition as well." So Kudo, when are you going to reveal the head-tracking enabled, voice-command Halo tactical FPS we just imagined?

Tsunoda describes Kinect's object-scanning, controller-wielding future originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 14:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tsunoda, Harmonix address Kinect player limit, but questions remain

Richard Mitchell — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 10:32:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

It seems like Microsoft's Kinect has been dogged by rumors of its limitations since day one. Some rumors have been busted -- you can play Kinect while seated, for instance -- but others are still nebulous just two months out from launch. Speaking to Kinect boss Kudo Tsunoda, VideoGamer attempted to clarify whether or not Kinect is limited to two "active" players, as was reported earlier this year.

Tsunoda's answer: Look at Dance Central. Said Tsunoda, "Dance Central is already incorporating a lot more than two players," adding that "it's not necessarily any kind of limitation as much as it is developers just trying to customize the experiences around what they think is the best way to play." Furthermore, Tsunoda noted that it can be difficult to work loads of players into a game's design, but reiterated that Dance Central is "already incorporating more than two."

Not satisfied, we contacted Harmonix for further clarification on this issue. Read the response after the break.

Continue reading Tsunoda, Harmonix address Kinect player limit, but questions remain

Tsunoda, Harmonix address Kinect player limit, but questions remain originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 27 Aug 2010 10:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tsunoda downplays lack of rumble in Kinect

JC Fletcher — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Echoing statements made by Sony's Phil Harrison a few months before the introduction of the Dual Shock 3 (specifically, that rumble was a "last-generation feature"), Microsoft's Kudo Tsunoda suggested that the lack of rumble from the Kinect camera wasn't a big deal, by suggesting that rumble isn't a big deal, in an interview with Edge.

"The overwhelming thing we've discovered is that rumble is such a rudimentary form of haptic feedback," he said. "It's not like a little rumble in your palm is your whole way of interacting with the world - it's not like, oh, I stubbed my toe and I get a little rumble in my palm." The audiovisual presentation of Kinect games, he said, does more to immerse people than rumble, as evidenced by the instinctive reactions he observed from players. "In many of the games we have, people will crash a vehicle and they'll go totally like this [mimes dodging out of the way]! And even people playing games with a controller, there's always people doing this [mimes driving motion]."

Tsunoda went on to sort of address the nagging question of lag. "The way we measure 'lag' is by putting people in front of the experience and measuring their thoughts. Either it feels good or it feels sloppy. It's not how many milliseconds, it's: 'Does it feel good? Does it react fast? Does it feel as if you're in control?'" So what is important isn't the amount of lag, but the perception of lag.

Tsunoda downplays lack of rumble in Kinect originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 08 Jul 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Watch the Engadget Show Live! with Microsoft Kinect and Kudo Tsunoda

Andrew Yoon — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 19:40:00 EST

At 8:00 PM EDT tonight, our friends at The Engadget Show will broadcast a live episode featuring Jimmy Fallon and special guest, Microsoft's Kudo Tsunoda. The subject? Microsoft Kinect, of course! (In addition to iPhone 4.) Check out the live stream after the break!

Continue reading Watch the Engadget Show Live! with Microsoft Kinect and Kudo Tsunoda

Watch the Engadget Show Live! with Microsoft Kinect and Kudo Tsunoda originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 23 Jun 2010 19:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TGS 2009: Kudo demoes Natal, invents dance craze

Griffin McElroy — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:00:00 EST

As you've probably guessed, the dearth of footage of actual Project Natal gameplay can be attributed to Microsoft's ban on filming the screen during demos of the technology. Hence, the gameplay-less video above, captured by Engadget during a Natal preview of Beautiful Katamari and Space Invaders Extreme.

Watch as Project Natal creative director Kudo Tsunoda shows how one rolls giant sticky balls or pushes back extraterrestrial attackers using only one's limbs. Without seeing the screen, we can't be certain how well he's performing these activities, but we can certainly attest to his remarkable dancing prowess.

TGS 2009: Kudo demoes Natal, invents dance craze originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Don't expect old 360 games to add Natal support

Richard Mitchell — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:30:00 EST

Speaking to Destructoid, Microsoft's Kudo Tsunoda had some bad news for gamers hoping to see old Xbox 360 game updated with Natal controls. The Natal team has been able to effectively implement motion controls in older titles -- like Beautiful Katamari and Space Invaders Extreme -- but Tsunoda intimated that it required large portions of code to be changed. According to Tsunoda, it's not something that developers could easily patch into older titles. In other words, if you want your favorite pre-Natal title to support motion control, you'll have to hope for a full-fledged re-release from the publisher.

That's definitely a blow for those hoping to enjoy some of their favorite games with motion control, especially considering Sony can patch motion control into older PS3 titles. Here's hoping Namco sees the light and releases Beautiful Natal-amari once Project Natal hits retail shelves.

Don't expect old 360 games to add Natal support originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TGS 2009: Body-on: Project Natal (with Space Invaders Extreme!)

Ludwig Kietzmann — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 10:01:00 EST

Explaining Project Natal's mantra of fun and accessibility can't be the easiest task in the world, especially since it has to be done while ricocheting about in front of a motion-detecting camera. And despite that, creative director Kudo Tsunoda makes it look easy, calmly elaborating on Natal's goals and features while he dances about in a room full of journalists.

We've heard it before: Natal is Microsoft's sledgehammer, swung straight into the walls that years of button pressing and circle strafing have slowly erected around traditional gaming. We've seen similar attacks from Nintendo's Wii, as well as from the massive genre of the Instrument Protagonist, but Microsoft is hoping for much more than a dent. In the wall. Do you get it? It's like a metaphor and stuff.

The bizarre problem with Natal in its early state is that it, um, works. The technology is clearly functional -- heck, it's vaguely magical -- which makes the absence of truly compelling software almost immediately disappointing. Anyone can simply hop in front of the camera, which never seems to stop and ask, "Who are you and where did you come from -- and why are you so fat compared to the last person?" You're recognized within seconds and can start playing a moment later. And then you slap flying balls.

It's a bit of an unfair demand considering the product's not due until 2010, but the impatience is testament to the convincing nature of the technology itself. In the meantime, Microsoft is exploring Natal's tricks in two existing games: Beautiful Katamari and Space Invaders Extreme.

Gallery: Space Invaders Extreme (XBLA)

Continue reading TGS 2009: Body-on: Project Natal (with Space Invaders Extreme!)

TGS 2009: Body-on: Project Natal (with Space Invaders Extreme!) originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Project Natal invades Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

David Hinkle — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 11:45:00 EST

Last night on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Microsoft's Kudo Tsunoda brought along his baby, Project Natal, and let Jimmy Fallon, John Krasinski, and Stephen Moyer go to town. The footage has made its way onto Hulu and while these are pretty much the same demos for Ricochet and Burnout Paradise that we saw at E3 last week, they're still impressive. If you're wondering about the Harrison Ford garb, apparently it was mentioned that the group didn't wear them for the game's benefit (we couldn't find the clip online explaining it). Is Jimmy trying to start a new fashion trend?

You can check out the footage from last night's episode past the break.

Continue reading Video: Project Natal invades Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

Video: Project Natal invades Late Night with Jimmy Fallon originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 11 Jun 2009 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Project Natal making a guest appearance on Jimmy Fallon tonight

Christopher Grant — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 22:35:00 EST

Remember when Jimmy Fallon said he was "going to treat a video game premiere as if it was a movie premiere"? Yeah, we do too. While Punch-Out!! was cute, it didn't quite cut the mustard around here. How about Microsoft's controller-less wunderkind Project Natal? It's such a hot premiere, it's a year early! Eighteen months early? Two years? Who knows, it's early!

Regardless, Fallon's invited Microsoft's own Kudo Tsunoda to show off his sunglasses indoors again (mark our words). But that's not all - he's bringing along a prototype Project Natal camera (see the decidedly unattractive box above) and a demo of Ricochet, the ball-slapping simulator (ahem) they showed off during the E3 keynote. Unfortunately, it's not the best-looking demo we can imagine showing on a 108" display (it's bested by Punch-Out!!) but the tech is what's on display here. Tune in at 12:35pm ET (or thereabouts) to watch for yourself.

Gallery: Project Natal

[Via Engadget]

Project Natal making a guest appearance on Jimmy Fallon tonight originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 10 Jun 2009 22:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Overheard@E3: Kudos to Kudo's Wii burn

Ludwig Kietzmann — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 15:19:00 EST

No doubt a little flustered by the woman wildly flailing about at the other end of the stage, Kudo Tsunoda slipped in a comment that, according to wicked modern parlance, could easily be classified as a "sick burn." The recipient? The Nintendo Wii, which will soon find itself competing against Microsoft's just-announced motion control system, "Project Natal."

Said Kudo: "This isn't the kind of game where you just end up on the sofa using some kind of preset waggle commands." Pheeeeeew.

Overheard@E3: Kudos to Kudo's Wii burn originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 01 Jun 2009 15:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Former EA Chicago studio head heads to Xbox division

Ross Miller — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 16:35:00 EST

Filed under: Microsoft Xbox, Microsoft Xbox 360, Business

The Electronic Arts and Microsoft executive shuffle isn't over. Former EA Chicago studio head Kudo Tsunoda is the latest to move from the venerable game maker to Microsoft's Xbox division, according to GameTap. Tsunoda joins Xbox division head Don Mattrick and VP of Live John Schappert as recent EA expatriates. In July 2007, Mattrick swapped companies with Peter Moore, taking his job when Moore became head of EA Sports.

EA shut down the Chicago studio in November last year. Tsunoda's position will be General Manager and will report to Mattrick. Sources tell GameTap that his first task will be project lead for "an upcoming Gears of War title." There's another Gears of War game? We're shocked. Shocked!

Former EA Chicago studio head heads to Xbox division originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 25 Jan 2008 16:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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