Reasearch teams at Microsoft are in the research and development stages of finding out whether or not the Kinect will be able to use a players posture and speach patterns to detect their mood. The player’s state of mind will then be integrated into the game narrative, Google+Reader”>develop is reporting.
In an interview with MCV, Kinect executive Kudo Tsunoda talks about making people more “like actors within the game’s narrative.” If the Kinect can hone in on the players mood, they can use that to change how characters within the game react to them.
“We want to get to the stage where not only can Kinect detect what you’re saying but also tone of voice and body stance, and work that into the narrative,” Tsunoda said. “There are some really compelling experiences to be gained from that”
Since release a couple years ago, Kinect researchers and game developers have been expanding the uses for the device, making it more sensitive to players movements, and allowing them to scan objects into the game. “We’ve done so much work just with software to enhance Kinect’s abilities over time. Since it came out, we’ve been able to do a lot more seated play, let people scan in objects and have the game recreate them. Even Kinect Rush scans in players and turns them into Pixar characters, which is awesome.”
Tsunoda talks about how Mass Effect 3 is the beginning stage of this process, integrating the Kinect into the roleplaying aspect of the game. “Mass Effect 3 does a great job of integrating Kinect in a unique way that’s different from other titles and in a way that really pays off for its fans.”
“It’s been great to see how people are using Kinect in ways that we would never have thought of. I’m continually surprised by the stuff we see from Kinect’s development community on a daily basis. That’s what I’m most excited about: how much room there is to invent new things with Kinect.”