Like the rumors claimed, what was once known as Project Natal is now Kinect. It’s now confirmed, details past the break.
According to several rumors around the internet, including MCV, Kinect will see a November launch,although no solid date was given.
Epic Games developer Cliff Bleszinski said Kinect is a “nice step forward” from software to entertainment.”
USA Today was the site that broke the new first, some new games were mentioned in the post, they are:
•Kinectimals lets you train and play with 20 different virtual cats, including a lion, cheetah and tiger.
•Joyride, a racing game, lets players use their hands to hold an imaginary steering wheel — pull your hands toward you and push back out for an acceleration boost — and their bodies to execute jumps and tricks.
•Kinect Sports has six activities including boxing, bowling, beach volleyball, track and field, soccer and table tennis. To serve a volleyball, you mimic the real motion; in soccer, you can kick the ball or do a header.
•Kinect Adventures includes a river-raft time trial and obstacle course, playable by up to four players. On the raft, playing as a duo, you and a partner must lean one way or another to steer. Jumping helps the raft reach special areas for extra points.
•Dance Central, in development by MTV Games, brings a So You Think You Can Dance experience home.
•Star Wars characters and iconic Disney favorites will be featured in separate new games being developed at Microsoft in conjunction with LucasArts and Disney.
Some in the media as well as gamers find Microsoft’s hands less device name not attractive, but according to the company’s execs, including Director of Product Management for Xbox Aaron Greenberg, and Microsoft’s director of policy and enforcement for Xbox Live Stephen Toulouse, they’re not worried, adding Kinect is the perfect name.
“People will either like it or dislike it, proclaim it to be an inspired choice or a mistake that will doom the product to failure,†Toulouse wrote on his blog after the announcement of the name.
“I, like many others, decried Nintendo naming their new console the Wii. And yet look at how many units it’s sold. The trick is in the magic of the experience.
Evoking both ‘Kinetic’ and ‘Connection’, it embodies so much of what the technology achieves when you actually use it…”
As for Greenberg, MS is not worried at all:
“What’s interesting is that despite everything we’ve done for Natal — and people are very excited about it — the actual awareness around the name is not as high as you would think,” Greenberg told IGN.
“I think the right time is now. One, we love the name, so that helps. Two, people will realize it makes sense…It fits. Then three, a lot of people that are going to be watching and learning about this for the first time ever, they’re going to learn about the new name.
Greenberg also had high hopes that Microsoft’s antics, which involved Cirque-du-Soleil launching Kinect, will help the device appeal to a wider audience.
“That’s our belief, that [Kinect] has this universal appeal and it’s not just this thing for current owners. It delivers all new experiences for us, but it also enables non-gamers, it enables people that never thought of gaming as a way to interest them.”
Now for the vids:
The first is from USA Today which basically talks about some of the games mentioned in this quencher:
The second shows a father driving his wife, while daughter looks on:
In the third, there’s a family going through some Kinect games, some of which were showed off in the Project Natal Experience this morning:
Enjoy. It’s real folks, what are you feelings on Kinect?
have to admit some of the games they showed off are really cool!
BUT! without hardcore games M$ can kiss this goodbye.
if they try to sell this as a casual peripheral than there in for a long few years because its not going to catch on.
for this to be a success M$ needs 2 things.
1 it to be dirt cheap.
2 lots and lots of supported games, both casual and hardcore.
I agree, but by the look of things, they’re pushing on the casual market.
there trying to capture wiis audience but dont realize they cant.
the only reason the wii sells so well is because of the family friendly image it has going for it, the soccer moms.
you look at nintendo and you see mario, zelda mostly kid friendly and family friendly games.
you look at M$ or sony you see gears, god of war the complete opposite of family friendly.
what M$ are trying to do is trying to get adults to play these types of games with their kids, but i just cant see that happening.
what would you rather?
play that water rapids game, tickle that tiger, or go blow some locusts heads off?
i sure know which one id choose!
I think you’re right on spot with your observation bro. Right on spot. It’s a craze now, but I”m almost sure these motions controls will fade to black.