DICE "Looking Into" Kinect Head-Tracking for Battlefield 4

[Michael Epstein]

DICE "Looking Into" Kinect Head-Tracking for Battlefield 4

Battlefield 4 may become a full-body experience with Kinect "peek and lean" motions.

Battlefield 4 may be getting second-screen and Kinect support, according to DICE executive producer Patrick Bach. Speaking with Xbox Wire [http://news.xbox.com/2013/09/games-battlefield-4-qa], Bach revealed that DICE is experimenting with expanded the Xbox toolset, namely Xbox Smartglass and Kinect.

With Smartglass, players may be able to check their overhead map during combat using a smartphone or tablet, while Kinect would allow a player to look around corners using their body:

"Through SmartGlass, Xbox players will be able to view the overhead map during multiplayer matches and take advantage of the second screen," says Bach. "Also, with Kinect, we're looking into features that enhance the controls including peeking and leaning and tracking head movement as well as incorporating voice commands."

At the moment, DICE isn't willing to confirm that either feature will be definitely be included in either the Xbox 360 or Xbox One versions of BF4. Given the specific applications described, however, both modes seem like very possibilities.

Battlefield 4 comes to Xbox 360, PS3 and PC October 29, and will be available at launch for both PS4 and Xbox One.

Source: Xbox Wire [http://news.xbox.com/2013/09/games-battlefield-4-qa]

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[Rad Party God]

... That actually seems like an interesting mechanic, considering that the Battlefield series hasn't done the "leaning" mechanic yet. I just hope this thing is optional, because I guess that people tend to sit on their couches on wierd positions that looks mighty uncomfortable, but it's very comfortable for them. I know I do it sometimes... >.>'

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

Just what I always wanted. Now you can come home from college/work/whatever and relax by using your entire body to play a video game and using a second device to see the map, for which you need at least one additional hand. Brilliant.
This is not innovation. This is pointless complication and a waste of money.

 

[rasputin0009]

Just what I always wanted. Now you can come home from college/work/whatever and relax by using your entire body to play a video game and using a second device to see the map, for which I need at least one additional hand. Brilliant.
This is not innovation. This is pointless complication and a waste of money.

You know you can prop up a tablet on a stand, right? Like, right in front of you. More screen for game, less for map. Definitely gonna do that with my PC anyways. The motion control crap, on the other hand, can go away.

 

[Hero in a half shell]

Just as Douglas Adams predicted:

Radio had advanced beyond touchscreen and into motion detection.
It meant you could control the radio with minimal effort
but had to sit annoyingly still if you wanted to keep
listening to the same channel.

Now you'll have to play Battlefield 4 keeping your head perfectly straight or else your character will start leaning about the place sending your crosshair haywire, either that or the motion to activate the lean will be so comically exaggerated you'll be swerving your torso around like it's some sort of couch salsa dancing simulator just to use a simple mechanic that could have been much easier implemented through the use of a button on the controller.

 

[NEDM]

What I took from this is, EA really wants to go down with the titanic called the Xbone. I keep seeing all these articles all over about how in love with Microsoft EA is right now (which easily stinks of Peter Moore)

What about support for PC? Sony Consoles? Nope, waste more resources making the kinect continue to suck.

 

[kailus13]

I can see this causing whiplash. People stretching their necks then snapping their attention back to the screen too quickly 'cause they thought the movement meant enemies.

Wouldn't the Smartglass map thing break immersion when you're forced to look away from the screen?

 

[Vetta E-dom]

Wonderful, now the people who were pissed that you couldn't look around while in jets, tanks, or what have you, can now complain about how they were force feed kinect.