Kinect Visionary Wants It On PCs, Phones

Tom Goldman

Crying on the inside.
Aug 17, 2009
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Kinect Visionary Wants It On PCs, Phones



Microsoft's Kudo Tsunoda has grand designs for Kinect beyond its current uses on the Xbox 360.

The Xbox 360's raise wild felines [http://www.amazon.com/Kinect-Sensor-Adventures-Xbox-360/dp/B002BSA298/ref=sr_tr_2?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1282489045&sr=8-2] without even having a controller in the room. Kinect's creative director Kudo Tsunoda has been guiding the device along its current path, but wouldn't mind if the technology were brought outside of the videogame industry too.

Tsunoda told CVG: "Kinect really is the first time that the video game industry is pioneering something that I really think has widespread application outside of just videogames." He says this is in contrast to the norm, with technologies usually coming from other industries into the videogame world.

"Hypothetically," he continues, "if I worked at a company that didn't only make games, but also did things with PCs and phones, I think there could probably be some possibility that the tech might get used in other places. But, at least for now, [Microsoft is] focused on Kinect for Xbox."

Tsunoda is either unaware that Microsoft does plenty of work with PCs and phones, or he's trying to be cute. Microsoft has already announced the release of its own cellphone products called the Kin One and Kin Two (though they've ended production on them) that focus on social networking, and Windows Phone 7 is its latest smartphone operating system said to be able to run software as powerful as the original Xbox's. As for PCs, well, Microsoft has some involvement with those as well too.

Technology similar to Kinect's [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/101592-Kinect-Technology-Coming-to-PC-and-TV] may be installed in televisions by next year, but Kinect is more capable with added features such as voice recognition. Microsoft also has the ideal amount of power to promote the transfer of Kinect to new devices, i.e. lots of money. If Tsunoda's comments turn out to be hints, the way we control common devices could be changing in the near future, and that actually has me more excited than using Kinect to feed cats.

Source: CVG [http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=261195]


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May 25, 2010
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Not gonna happen. Microsoft wants it to sell the Xbox360. And considering how much they care about PC's and Phones (that is to say, not at all) this is never going to happen.

At least not anytime soon. I give MS 3 years to start considering bringing it to Windows.
 

Woodsey

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Aug 9, 2009
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The guys who developed the bulk of Kinect's tech are already working on a PC version, are they not?

I'd use it to navigate menus and stuff (i.e. the only practical/interesting application of Kinect) but if MS try and get devs to shove it in my PC games, they can shove it up their arse in turn. Funnily enough, he doesn't seem to acknowledge that you can play games on a PC too.
 

unacomn

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Mar 3, 2008
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I hope Microsoft keeps Kinect away from the PC until it works properly.
Meanwhile, has anyone heard any news about Mgestyk? I've been seeing tech demos for it for two years. It looks magnificently adapted for use in front of a PC, with gesture control based on finger recognition.
 

Delusibeta

Reachin' out...
Mar 7, 2010
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The great thing about PC games in relation to controllers is that they are entirely optional. For example, there's already a motion controller with force feedback [http://home.novint.com/] for the PC. It would be brilliant if the bloody thing didn't cost $250.
 

Kialee

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Aug 1, 2010
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"Left, down...skip...backflip...for-...GOD DAMMIT I JUST WANT TO CALL MY MUM."

OT: Can we get over gimmicky motion controls and move on to direct-to-brain controllers, please?
 

Jumplion

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Mar 10, 2008
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Kinect definitely has a huge amount of possibilities, but I don't think the technology is quite there yet. We haven't even perfected motion controls with controllers, and I can't help but feel extremely skeptical for Kinect.

I really want it to succeed, I do, but couple with the fact that Microsoft's Marketing/PR department(s) have no idea what they're doing with it, I just smell disaster for it.

If there's anything I can be hopeful of, it'll be that at first Kinect will be slow but steadily gain steam like the PS3, but there are obvious differences between the two.
 

V8 Ninja

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May 15, 2010
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While I'm not entirely up for this, I'd love to see what the hacking/modding community can do with it if it were ported to the PC.
 

Treblaine

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Jul 25, 2008
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I'd say this has more uses OUTSIDE of video gaming than the gaming most of us are used to (small high fidelity controls).

I'm thinking an automated security or check in service. Imagine CCTV where you don't need an actual human being to tell what they are actually doing, it could tell if someone is trying to bypass some security feature by trying to lift weight up or something.
 

Woodsey

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Aug 9, 2009
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Furburt said:
Woodsey said:
The guys who developed the bulk of Kinect's tech are already working on a PC version, are they not?

I'd use it to navigate menus and stuff (i.e. the only practical/interesting application of Kinect) but if MS try and get devs to shove it in my PC games, they can shove it up their arse in turn. Funnily enough, he doesn't seem to acknowledge that you can play games on a PC too.
I seriously hope it never becomes standard on the PC, or anything close to it. I can't be drawn in with systems like that, I just can't, and if Microsoft starts making it mandatory (As they did with Vista for many games), that's the day I just buy a SNES, take out my N64, or boot up Elite and return to the past.
Well, the Vista thing was hardly abnormal. It was a little odd considering we're still having to use bloody DX9 (I hope you feel good about yourselves, consoles) though.

Honestly though, Microsoft really doesn't have that much control over the platform. The only reason they can dictate when people stop using a certain iteration of Windows is because they got their foot in so early.

I also doubt how sincere they're being about this. Let's face it, in their last "save PC gaming" fit they brought out GfWL, forgot all about it (literally for most of the company it seems) then pissed off again. They don't have an interest in us.

Oh, and speaking of DirectX: since DX10 can basically be achieved by modding DX9 config files, how about MS ACTUALLY help PC gaming and update the whole thing properly.
 

Jared

The British Paladin
Jul 14, 2009
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Just leave it alone...just, dont do it. We alreadty will have to suffer with it on 360, but also on my phone >< No!
 

Mcupobob

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Jun 29, 2009
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I fear the day when everything is motion controlled. Like bathrooms were you have to stand in front of the toliet waving you arms around to flush the waste and then to wash and dry you hands you have to wave your arms around.... OH GOD. Can we get past montion control its not like it make anything easier, its a stupid step backwards. I have to do more work flairing my arms around then pushing a fucking button.