Microsoft Denies It is Working on Improving Kinect Accuracy

Logan Westbrook

Transform, Roll Out, Etc
Feb 21, 2008
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Microsoft Denies It is Working on Improving Kinect Accuracy

Kinect is accurate enough just the way it is, says Microsoft.

Microsoft has denied rumors [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/106236-Microsoft-Toiling-to-Drastically-Improve-Kinect-Accuracy] that it is planning to increase the resolution of Kinect's cameras from 320 x 240 pixels to 640 x 480 pixels, quadrupling its accuracy in the process.

The rumor suggested that Kinect's current resolution wasn't a limitation of the hardware, but rather a software limitation imposed by Microsoft, and that by increasing the rate of data transfer, it could give Kinect the ability to track fingers and hand rotations.

In a statement to CVG [http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=281365?cid=OTC-RSS&attr=CVG-News-RSS], Microsoft said that the rumor was "completely unsubstantiated," and that while it was always working to improve its products and services, it was satisfied with the current level of fidelity on Kinect. The spokesperson added that consumers clearly had no problems with it either, as they'd bought millions of units in just a few short weeks.



Despite its denials, it's not hard to imagine that Microsoft has built a way of changing Kinect's accuracy into the device so that it can respond to developer and consumer feedback, much like Sony has with the PlayStation Move [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/105667-Sony-Could-Tweak-Move-Accuracy-But-Wont]. If anything, it's even more important for Microsoft that Kinect be adjustable, because it can't really add anything to it, like the Nintendo did with the MotionPlus add-on for the Wii Remote. Of course, if this is the case, Microsoft isn't going to start tinkering with things until it has to, which isn't a month and a half after release.




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Onyx Oblivion

Borderlands Addict. Again.
Sep 9, 2008
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It already seems pretty accurate to me, at least in the non-shovelware games department. I finally got a chance to use Kinect at a set-up in my local Best Buy this week. But I'd love to see the patch that doesn't exist...I'd could play some kind of magician game which relies on subtle flicks of the wrist and finger movements. Alas, I don't have the space needed for Kinect. I can barely get my Wii working in my room.

For the record, casual games =/= shovelware.
 

The Cheezy One

Christian. Take that from me.
Dec 13, 2008
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So they've admitted that they aren't currently working on improving Kinect? Bad decision, mates...
 

Jack and Calumon

Digimon are cool.
Dec 29, 2008
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To that Microsoft, I fold my arms.

Points to whoever gets what I mean.

Calumon: Jack took me round to his friends and let me have a go. It wouldn't recognise me. : (
 

Legion

Were it so easy
Oct 2, 2008
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So basically they have limited it so they can re-sell it in a years time with "improved accuracy and abilities" (Like the Wii-Motion Plus), someone has leaked this via the rumours and they are denying it to keep people buying them rather than waiting.
 

The Ambrosian

Paperboy
May 9, 2009
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First thought when I saw this was "What a weird thing to admit" because isn't it better to say nothing than being like: "No we will not make our console better! Don't be so silly! D:<"
 

BabyRaptor

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Dec 17, 2010
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Jack and Calumon said:
Calumon: Jack took me round to his friends and let me have a go. It wouldn't recognise me. : (
Poor Calumon.../hug

Edit: Was it really a good idea to basically brag that they can't be assed to improve their product? Way to instill confidence...
 

Piflik

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Feb 25, 2010
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The Cheezy One said:
So they've admitted that they aren't currently working on improving Kinect? Bad decision, mates...
Actually it is the only good decision. If they admitted they are going to improve accuracy in the future, sales would drop immediately, since people will wait with a purchase until the better device is available. They had to deny it to ensure sales.
 

The Cheezy One

Christian. Take that from me.
Dec 13, 2008
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Piflik said:
The Cheezy One said:
So they've admitted that they aren't currently working on improving Kinect? Bad decision, mates...
Actually it is the only good decision. If they admitted they are going to improve accuracy in the future, sales would drop immediately, since people will wait with a purchase until the better device is available. They had to deny it to ensure sales.
I suppose, it depends how deeply you read it. I think you're right, but there are very cynical people around you know :)
 

Piflik

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Feb 25, 2010
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The Cheezy One said:
Piflik said:
The Cheezy One said:
So they've admitted that they aren't currently working on improving Kinect? Bad decision, mates...
Actually it is the only good decision. If they admitted they are going to improve accuracy in the future, sales would drop immediately, since people will wait with a purchase until the better device is available. They had to deny it to ensure sales.
I suppose, it depends how deeply you read it. I think you're right, but there are very cynical people around you know :)
Would you buy something, if you knew that in six months time there will be th same device for the same price available, just with four times the accuracy? I would not.
 

The Cheezy One

Christian. Take that from me.
Dec 13, 2008
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Piflik said:
The Cheezy One said:
Piflik said:
The Cheezy One said:
So they've admitted that they aren't currently working on improving Kinect? Bad decision, mates...
Actually it is the only good decision. If they admitted they are going to improve accuracy in the future, sales would drop immediately, since people will wait with a purchase until the better device is available. They had to deny it to ensure sales.
I suppose, it depends how deeply you read it. I think you're right, but there are very cynical people around you know :)
Would you buy something, if you knew that in six months time there will be th same device for the same price available, just with four times the accuracy? I would not.
I would actually, but that's only because I am an impatient prat
 

Dastardly

Imaginary Friend
Apr 19, 2010
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Logan Westbrook said:
I love business politicking... "You have our every assurance that we do not plan to improve our product. We're not saying it couldn't be better, we're just saying we think it's fine, and we're not making it better. So, if you would, please continue buying the first--I, I mean only--version."
 

mjc0961

YOU'RE a pie chart.
Nov 30, 2009
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Good, they should be working on better games right now anyway. Right now it has shovelware, shovelware, and more shovelware.
 

DTWolfwood

Better than Vash!
Oct 20, 2009
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They seem pretty adamant about not making it more accurate. Curious to know y they think that is a bad thing o_O
 

Lucifer dern

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Jun 11, 2010
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Please correct me if any thing here I state as fact is infact opinion or bollocks,
but I belive Kinect is never going to get good games
why?
well a good game for kinect would have to be designed specificly for kinnect
so it wouldnt work with a controler, and probiably not even playstation move
so a good kinect game would have to be an exclusive within an exclusive
exclusive to x-box 360, only with kinect.
so any game that isn't basicly shovel ware, as in costs money to make, will ever not be all that inovative and simply use kinnect to forfil functions a controller could feel just as easily fill, or not sit well with publishers...

so with this as well, in my mind thats 2 reasons not to buy kinect atleast for 6 months.
 

KEM10

New member
Oct 22, 2008
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Lucifer dern said:
Please correct me if any thing here I state as fact is infact opinion or bollocks,
but I belive Kinect is never going to get good games
why?
well a good game for kinect would have to be designed specificly for kinnect
so it wouldnt work with a controler, and probiably not even playstation move
so a good kinect game would have to be an exclusive within an exclusive
exclusive to x-box 360, only with kinect.
so any game that isn't basicly shovel ware, as in costs money to make, will ever not be all that inovative and simply use kinnect to forfil functions a controller could feel just as easily fill, or not sit well with publishers...

so with this as well, in my mind thats 2 reasons not to buy kinect atleast for 6 months.
Suda 51 is making a game exclusively for the Kinect.

The problem with your idea is that these games take time and developers don't want to rush in and make a game for a peripheral while it is still in early development. That is why Play Station took Heavy Rain and made it Move compatible as well as some other games, they were trying to make that first year of crap seem not as bad with a new way to play older games. Just wait a year and then try that statement.
 

Jamboxdotcom

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Nov 3, 2010
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Piflik said:
The Cheezy One said:
Piflik said:
The Cheezy One said:
So they've admitted that they aren't currently working on improving Kinect? Bad decision, mates...
Actually it is the only good decision. If they admitted they are going to improve accuracy in the future, sales would drop immediately, since people will wait with a purchase until the better device is available. They had to deny it to ensure sales.
I suppose, it depends how deeply you read it. I think you're right, but there are very cynical people around you know :)
Would you buy something, if you knew that in six months time there will be th same device for the same price available, just with four times the accuracy? I would not.
except that it was implied that it was a software issue, not a hardware issue...?

Logan Westbrook said:
The rumor suggested that Kinect's current resolution wasn't a limitation of the hardware, but rather a software limitation imposed by Microsoft, and that by increasing the rate of data transfer, it could give Kinect the ability to track fingers and hand rotations.
that being the case, it shouldn't be a matter of buying a new version, but rather of Microsoft releasing a patch or something.
 

LeonardoDaFinchy

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Mar 3, 2010
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except that it was implied that it was a software issue, not a hardware issue...?

Logan Westbrook said:
The rumor suggested that Kinect's current resolution wasn't a limitation of the hardware, but rather a software limitation imposed by Microsoft, and that by increasing the rate of data transfer, it could give Kinect the ability to track fingers and hand rotations.
that being the case, it shouldn't be a matter of buying a new version, but rather of Microsoft releasing a patch or something.
This. The article title is a little misleading, I think. They've denied they're going to improve the Kinect's resolution, but nothing quoted in the article said they'd do nothing about it's accuracy. Like the iPhone doing HDR photography with a normal camera, or the Wii remote allowing head-tracking, software could unlock better capabilities.
 

Callate

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Dec 5, 2008
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The spokesperson added that consumers clearly had no problems with it either, as they'd bought millions of units in just a few short weeks.
...Um, don't you have to buy the product before you start seeing problems with it to complain about...? Doesn't "a few short weeks" imply that the consumers who have bought it probably haven't had enough time trying to use the device to discover any shortfalls in its capabilities, especially if they bought it for someone for Christmas?

So, in short, Mr. or Ms. Spokesperson, are you engaging in Microsoft Doublespeak, or are your words completely disengaged from cogent thought processes?