Kinect's Voice Recognition Limited at Launch

[Tom Goldman]

Kinect's Voice Recognition Limited at Launch

Kinect's voice recognition technology will be limited to five regions until next year.

For those of you in areas other than the UK, Mexico, Canada, Japan, and the U.S. planning on purchasing Kinect [http://www.amazon.com/Kinect-Sensor-Adventures-Xbox-360/dp/B002BSA298] when it comes out later this year (there are people planning on getting that thing right?), don't expect to use its voice recognition abilities right away. An interview conducted by Eurogamer Spain with Microsoft PR & Event Manager Lidia Pitzalis had revealed that only the five previously mentioned regions will receive support for the aspect of the device when it launches in early November 2010.

And if you're thinking: "Hey, that's okay, I speak English/Japanese/Spanish," you're still out of luck. Pitzalis revealed that the voice recognition feature won't be enabled in regions where it isn't supported. Sorry Spain, Mexican-Spanish is the only dialect of Spanish accepted right now, and English-speaking Canadians alone will be able to talk to Kinect in Canada.

It's not all bad news. An update to be provided in Spring 2011 will expand Kinect's voice recognition ability to more regions, either through the internet or through inclusion with future games. Microsoft seems to mostly be promoting Kinect's motion sensing capabilities for now anyway, so this may not be a huge deal right away. But if Microsoft is going to release a product like this, and wants the whole world to get Kinect fever, it'd should probably make sure that all of its features are supported in every area it's put on the shelves.

Source: Joystiq [http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/01/kinect-voice-control-not-available-in-some-countries-until-sprin/]


Permalink

 

[thethingthatlurks]

Wow, Kinect is looking more and more pathetic with every newsreport, which is an accomplishment all by itself. Let me help you guys out with the inevitable review: *point at Kinetct* laugh for about 3 minutes.

 

[JaymesFogarty]

Why don't we ditch the whole motion control fad, eh guys? If people really wanted to exercise while playing a game, they'd get off their arses and play tennis. Can't we just focus on the games?!

 

[DanDeFool]

This thing is going to bomb harder than the Virtual Boy.

I'm sorry. Gimmicky game systems and peripherals like this are doomed to fail without software support, and for all the talk of Kinect's FEATURES I've heard next to nothing about its GAMES.

EDIT: Wait a second! I'm not sorry! I hate this nonsense! Fuck Kinect, and everything it stands for!

At least until they get some good games out for it. Then maybe we'll talk, Microsoft.

 

[Worgen]

why the hell would they disable it? are they gonna suddenly make gamers in other regions pay extra to use it when its ready? hmmm well that does kinda sounds like ms

 

[Dioxide20]

Why don't we ditch the whole motion control fad, eh guys? If people really wanted to exercise while playing a game, they'd get off their arses and play tennis. Can't we just focus on the games?!

We can't just ditch it, as long as it makes the companies money, it will continue to be used.

 

[Sougo]

Its like Microsoft is experimenting with how much shit they need to throw up at the fan before it starts raining down heavily enough to force the Microsoft fanboys into forming a lynch mob and burning down a few Microsoft offices.

 

[enzilewulf]

Figures..... O well I can care less, I won't be using it.

 

[cabalistics]

This is looking more and more like the the wii and the wii is by far my dustiest console

 

[snow]

I wonder how successful microsoft is going to be with this once they try the "Force this technology onto a game that we know everyone loves in attempt to boost sales" strategy.

I also wonder if they are going to wait till people forget about that in those regions then make them pay for it. Very unlikely though, but you just never know anymore.

 

[MaVeN1337]

Way to ruin gaming as we know it...

Not that consoles are any good anyways.

I don't have to worry about RROD on my PC

 

[GodKlown]

Does strike me as odd that they would just shut off the capability on the device in non-supported regions, but still sell the device. Why not just wait and release it once those regions are supported? Oh... that's right, they need to make their money back on this idea as quickly as possible before the initial thrill of the idea wears off to those who are interested.
Still, I wouldn't be surprised if they did end up charging those launch-time unsupported regions down the line for voice recognition once it was ready to go. So crap this thing out in time for the holidays, then not worry until spring to make sure everyone is satisfied with it. Either that or they want to sit back and watch the numbers to see if it is even worth bothering to fix if not a lot of people in those regions buy the thing. It's more of a catch-22 situation. If no one buys it, they won't fix it. If they don't really intend to fix it, no one will buy it in those areas. Why do they need voice recognition anyway? I'll bet you still need the controller to turn on the console, so why not just use a headset? Let me guess... they want you to yell at the thing to turn it on. Fantastic.

 

[HentMas]

well, to be fair there are A LOT of differences between México and all the other spanish speaking coutries... i even cant understand halve of the things the guys on "argentina" say and we are both in America.

 

[Glamorgan]

For those of you in areas other than the UK, Mexico, Canada, Japan, and the U.S. planning on purchasing Kinect when it comes out later this year (there are people planning on getting that thing right?)
Well, I'm yet to see one.
Honestly, I think this will bomb as hard as the powerglove, minus the cult following. Can we please just focus on the games, and not the gimmicks?

I love the Powerglove. It's so bad

 

[StriderShinryu]

Wow... it seems like every single week we're getting a new story about some sort of "new" limitation or removed feature for Kinect. At this point it's looking like the lucky* few who buy it will just get a piece of paper saying "sorry" in an otherwise empty box.

* "lucky" when used in reference to Kinect really means "stupid"

 

[SelectivelyEvil13]

And to think, having voice recognition could have made the Kinect's control almost perfect. If Kinect doesn't pick up your arm flail for the sixteenth time the voice recognition could hear your screaming "NO, LEFT ,YOU MORON!!!"

This thing is going to bomb harder than the Virtual Boy.

I'm sorry. Gimmicky game systems and peripherals like this are doomed to fail without software support, and for all the talk of Kinect's FEATURES I've heard next to nothing about its GAMES.

EDIT: Wait a second! I'm not sorry! I hate this nonsense! Fuck Kinect, and everything it stands for!

At least until they get some good games out for it. Then maybe we'll talk, Microsoft.

This is a huge falling point in my opinion because I see no cause to support new, potentially flawed technology without even getting to use it for something unique and fun (and not copied from the Wii). I wonder if Kinect is in a race to make the HD-DVD drive look like a better add-on by comparison.

 

[Kelethor]

Meh, Iv already got a Wii.

But in all seriousness, Kinect's a flash in the pan.

 

[Godhead]

I love the Powerglove. It's so bad

The controller or the band?