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Tag: Kinect

  • Aaron Paul’s Xbox One Ad Is Inadvertently Turning on People’s Consoles

    The thing about have voice control systems that are always on is, well, they’re always on. If they weren’t, then saying something like “Xbox on!” wouldn’t really do anything.

    Apparently, this handy feature is causing some issues for some Xbox One owners. According to multiple reports and a boatload of Twitter confirmations, Aaron Paul of Breaking Bad fame is inadvertently powering up people’s consoles with his new ad. You know the one, right? Where he begins the ad by demonstrating the Kinect-powered voice controls?

    I guess the Xbox One is really always listening, and it’s picking up on that “Xbox on!” command. Take a look:

    As many Twitter users have pointed out, this is quite the first world problem. If the worst thing that happens to you today is your Xbox accidentally turns on, you’ve got it pretty good.

    I mean, you could be a meth addict that found himself in a situation her could no longer control, being manipulated at every turn by a man who’s basically getting more evil by the second. That would be a rough predicament.

    Image via YouTube

  • ‘Fantasia: Music Evolved’ Gameplay Previewed in New Trailer

    Despite the inclusion of the new Kinect with the sale of every Xbox One console, the necessity of the device is still heavily questioned among game fans. Voice commands and hand gestures can be used to navigate the console, but gamers are split on whether these features justify the peripheral’s inclusion with the new console.

    The value of the device certainly hasn’t been demonstrated for video games. Other than Ubisoft’s newest Just Dance and the poorly-reviewed Fighter Within, Microsoft’s Zoo Tycoon was the only launch game available for the Xbox One that made extensive use of the Kinect. Even the upcoming Kinect Sports Rivals appears to be little more than a collection of minigames released months too late to show off the Kinect’s capabilities for the Xbox One launch.

    It is into this environment that Disney will be releasing Disney Fantasia: Music Evolved. Developed by Harmonix, the game puts players into the world of Disney’s Fantasia movies, allowing them to direct the action and music in tandem.

    Disney today released a new preview for Music Evolved (presumably named to indicate that it is the Halo of Kinect-base music games). The preview shows off what is to be expected out of any gameplay trailer for a Kinect-centered game: a lot of arm flailing.

    The game world previewed in the video is called “The Hollow.” As shown in the video, players will be able to interact with the level using gestures to change lighting and interact with characters or the environment. This is followed by a conducting music game featuring the classical music the Fantasia movie are known for.

    Worries about the Kinect aside, it does appear that the imaginative art and animation Disney is known for has made it into Music Evolved. Since the game is not an Xbox One exclusive, the title could even find a large audience among Kinect adopters for the Xbox 360.

  • ‘Kinect Sports Rivals’ Tournament Payouts Revealed

    Microsoft’s Kinect Sports Rivals is finally on the way and with it will come plenty of speculation and argument about just how useful the Kinect is to the Xbox One platform.

    Regardless of the general apathy consumers have had toward the new Kinect, Microsoft is still pushing Kinect Sports Rivals as the next big release for its new console. The game is set for release on April 8 and Microsoft’s advertising has shown that people still look incredibly silly while playing Kinect games.

    To help market the game to the Xbox One’s install base, largely populated by more dedicated than casual gamers, Microsoft today announced a Kinect Sports Rivals tournament that will pay cash and prizes to the the winners.

    The tournament, called the “Kinect Sports Rivals World Championship” will begin on the day of the game’s launch. Players can pre-register for the tournement starting today through a special website set up for the tournament.

    Once signed-up, players will have to compete in the championship modes for wake racing, climbing, and bowling. Though this does mean buying the game, and taking time to unlock the events and championship courses, afterwords players will be able to climb the leaderboard in their region for a chance at several prizes.

    Total leaderboard rank will be determined by combining scores in the three different events. A live final match-up will take place at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con in July where finalists in each country (those in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Australia, UK, France, Germany, and Brazil are eligible.) will play against each other.

    Prizes will be awarded for those who place 11th and better. Most of the prizes consist of cash payouts, with fifth through eleventh place receiving $500, fourth place receiving $1,000, third place receiving $2,500, and second place receiving $5,000. The first place grand prize winner will receive $10,000 and a choice of one of four different vacations to either Bora Bora, China, Peru, or Switzerland.

  • New Kinect Touted in ‘Kinect Sports Rivals’ Preview

    It is now clear that Xbox One console sales are quickly falling behind the PlayStation 4. The largest factor in this is almost certainly the fact that the Xbox One offers less computing power at the higher price point of $500 (versus Sony’s $400 PS4). Though Microsoft has consistently insisted that the Xbox One offers a superior value proposition, it appears that consumers do not agree.

    This situation has led to a growing call from some gamers for Microsoft to drop the Kinect peripheral from its mandatory placement alongside every Xbox One console sold. The logic goes that if Microsoft would give up on the Kinect it could better compete with Sony on price.

    Whether or not this is actually the case, it seems that Microsoft will no be abandoning the Kinect anytime soon. Since before the launch of the Xbox One Microsoft has been touting the features of the new Kinect.

    The only problem is that gamers have not seen many of these features used outside of the polarizing voice commands. Kinect Sports Rivals, which Microsoft picked to help sell the Xbox One to mainstream consumers through an appearance on Jimmy Fallon last year, was delayed past the console’s launch window. This left the Xbox One with only a dance and Ubisoft’s poorly-received Fighter Within to show off the new Kinect.

    Now April is approaching and Kinect Sports Rivals is finally nearing release. With the Titanfall launch out of the way, Microsoft is now once again marketing the Kinect as a feature. The first of these efforts is, of course, a new Kinect Sports Rivals preview featuring dubstep and good-looking people flailing their limbs about:

  • ‘Kinect Sports Rivals’ Finally Coming in April

    Kinect Sports Rivals was supposed to be the Wii Sports of the Xbox One. The launch title that could somewhat justify the mandatory use of the Kinect peripheral and bring something less bloody to the Xbox One’s launch lineup.

    Like many of the Xbox One’s multiplayer features, however, Kinect Sports Rivals was delayed past launch. Though Microsoft provided Xbox One owners with an extended “Preseason” free trial of the game’s modes, it’s clear that the delay was a disappointment for the publisher.

    Today Microsoft announced that Kinect Sports Rivals will finally be launching in full on April 8. The company also made a point to state the game will be rendered in 1080p, though the game’s frame rate wasn’t mentioned.

    In addition to the release date, Microsoft today previewed the three teams players will be able to choose from in the game. Each team sports a different look, attitude, and equipment loadout.

    The Wolf Clan wears a lot of red and are styled as low-tech island natives. The glowy-purple Viper Network is heavy on technology. The Eagle Legion are the white and white-wearing preppy people. All of these teams and their over-the-top personalities are previewed in a new Kinect Sports Rivals trailer:

  • Take A Look At The World Of Kinect Sports Rivals

    Today marks the beginning of the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, but most of us are probably already tired of snow. To take your mind off of all things winter and snowy, Microsoft has just the thing – a new trailer for Kinect Sports Rivals

    In a new video released today, Rare shows us the new environments they have built for the latest entry in the Kinect Sports franchise. Not content to stick with the same old environments people have come to expect from sports game, Rare instead transports players to an island full of fantastical terrain ripped straight out of locations like China’s Zhangjiajie National Forest Park.

    As for the gameplay, it’s your typical Kinect Sports title. Players will have to move their whole bodies to control their on-screen avatars in various events, like tennis, bowling, jet ski racing and mountain climbing.

    Kinect Sports Rivals will be released in Q2 2014 exclusively for the Xbox One.

    Image via xbox/YouTube

  • Here’s How To Get The Most Out Of Your New Xbox One

    On November 22, you braved the cold to get your hands on a new Xbox One. You brought it home and played a few games. You maybe even checked out some of the multimedia features, like running your TV connection through it. During that time, however, you felt that everything wasn’t as easy as it could be.

    In a new video released today by Xbox’ Major Nelson, he shares some helpful tips on how to make your Xbox One experience even easier. First up is the new menu button that will open a menu of options for the currently highlighted tile. From here, you can pin games to the homescreen, see the game’s page on the Xbox store, view all currently available add-ons or uninstall it.

    Moving onto Kinect, Major Nelson reminds gamers that they can launch any app by simply saying “Xbox, Go To” and then say the name of the game or app they want to launch. This works at any time so you can say, “Xbox go to Forza Motorsport 5” and then immediately say “Xbox go to Killer Instinct.” The first game will be put on hold and the second will be launched. If you change your mind, you can say “Xbox go back” and it will immediately go back to Forza Motorsport 5.

    To see more, check out Major Nelson’s video below:

    [Image: xbox/YouTube]

  • Apple Acquires Kinect Developer PrimeSense

    Back in July, it was rumored that Apple was purchasing PrimeSense – the company behind the original Kinect for Xbox 360. Those rumors went unconfirmed for almost six months, but both companies have finally come clean regarding their relationship.

    Reuters reports that Apple has officially acquired PrimeSense. While there’s no official press release about the acquisition, an Apple spokesman told the publication that Apple “buys smaller technology companies from time to time.” He further added that Apple doesn’t “generally discuss [their] purpose or plans” when it comes to these acquisitions.

    So, what is PrimeSense? The company may be most well known for helping Microsoft develop the original Kinect for the Xbox 360, but the Israeli company has been incredibly busy over the past few years developing gesture-based technologies for various fields, from entertainment and robotics to medicine and industry.

    While it’s not known what exactly Apple will have PrimeSense do, the company’s latest product may give us a clue as to what we can expect. Back in January, the company unveiled a new chip that would allow smartphones to be controlled via gestures. This kind of technology could very well show up in the next iPhone.

    Another interesting application relates to Apple’s long-rumored television. PrimeSense has already developed gesture-based control software for televisions, and it could be what Apple has been looking for in its quest to bring a television to market.

    Beyond those two applications, it’s unknown if Apple will use PrimeSense’s technology for anything else. The company has made Kinect-like sensors for PCs, and Apple might offer its own “Kinect” for Macs to compete with the amazing work Microsoft has been doing with Kinect for Windows. Beyond that, we’ll just have to wait and see what Apple and PrimeSense have in store for the world of gesture-based control.

    [Image: BotJunkie/YouTube]

  • Watch Jimmy Fallon Play Some Xbox One Games

    Last week, Jimmy Fallon checked out the PS4 right before its launch on November 15. What ensued was a humorous look at Sony’s new Playroom software using the PlayStation camera. Now it’s the Xbox One’s turn on late night television, and Microsoft fired back with its own camera-based games.

    Last night, Fallon and Will Forte checked out the Xbox One one last time before its launch tomorrow. Instead of playing one of the more hardcore launch titles, however, Fallon instead checked out Kinect Sports Rivals for the new console. It’s not exactly the most thrilling thing, but it’s at least fun to watch.

    With both consoles now having a major presence on late night television, they now have to battle it out at retail. The PlayStation 4 shattered launch records last Friday with over one million consoles sold in North America alone on day one. The Xbox One will be launching in far more territories on day one so it has a better chance of selling even more units tomorrow.

    If the above video has sold you on the Xbox One, the new console will become available starting tomorrow. If you don’t have it preordered, however, you probably won’t be able to get one in stores. There’s always eBay, but the scalpers will be out in droves tomorrow to make a tidy profit on the new console. You’re probably better off hitting up every major department store looking for any unsold units.

    [Image: Late Night with Jimmy Fallon/YouTube]

  • Battlefield 4 To Use Lean, Voice Commands On Xbox One Kinect

    If you’re one of those game players who likes to gesticulate during gameplay–you know who you are–then maybe you’re one of the ones the developers were thinking of when they were porting Battlefield 4 over to the Xbox One/Kinect environment. According to a couple of video game blogs, folks who choose to do so will be able to lean around cover, walls, and other obstacles using Xbox One’s interactive camera to facilitate the action. The lean function is a small, but effective addition in BF4 and it can often make the difference between a positive and negative Kill/Death ratio.

    As you might expect, the Kinect will acknowledge when seated players lean at the appropriate moment, and translate that into the game. Again, this is a crucial tactic because it creates a harder target for the enemy to hit; and if you aren’t familiar with Battlefield’s gameplay, believe me, you want to be as hard to hit as possible. I’m not sure if the latency delay that’s inherent in such technology makes using the Kinect in Battlefield 4 is particularly feasible, at least regarding player movement.

    The Kinect’s voice recognition will also be put to use by allowing players to call for medics, ammo, and vehicular assistance. Basically, you’ll be saying this a lot:


    Which could be fun, at least for a few minutes. However, as VG247.com points out, if you’re going to use voice commands, why not just BF4’s in-game chat function to relay these messages? You’d probably have better success. Dice/EA’s impressive shooter will be available on the Xbox One on November 19.

    [Lead image via EA]

  • Did the Kinect Just Un-Jump The Shark?

    Did the Kinect Just Un-Jump The Shark?

    When people bring up Kinect it’s generally met with semi-disgust as it was just a gimmicky thing to try and compete with the Nintendo Wii, right? Well now it seems that Microsoft is taking cool factor of the Kinect up quite a few notches with the upcoming release of the Xbox One.

    Microsoft’s Major Nelson shows us what is to come with the Xbox One version of Kinect. Check out the Vine below:

    You have to admit, that was pretty freaking cool. What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comment area below.

    Below you can see a video from when the Xbox One was first announced, if you need a refresh course on what is to come:

    Image: (Xbox.com)

  • Kinect May Have Just Proven Its Worth Today

    Every Xbox One will ship with a Kinect. It’s a fact that can’t be avoided and has made some people angry. Some are angry over the increased price tag of $500 while others are angry about potential privacy violations. Both of those people can now shut up though as the Kinect has just earned its rightful place in your entertainment center.

    A few months ago, Microsoft said that the Kinect could recognize the code on the back of an Xbox Live pre-paid card and immediately redeem it for you. It seemed kind of silly at the time, but wait until you see it in action. It actually has me excited:

    As the Vine indicates, the entire process takes less than six seconds. No more will you have to put in a string of silly numbers that takes minutes. Now you just simply hold up a card in front of you and Kinect takes care of all the rest.

    This is next generation stuff, folks. All those fancy graphics and cloud servers are old hat. Kinect reading QR codes for pre-paid Xbox Live cards is the future, and I want it now. In fact, Sony must be scared witless and are working on their own pre-paid PSN cards that can be read by the optional PS camera.

    [Image: Larry Hryb/Vine]

  • ‘Kinect Sports Rivals’ Trial to Launch With Xbox One

    Despite a new Kinect being packed-in with every launch Xbox One, there will be no Kinect launch title from Microsoft itself. The device can, of course, be used to navigate the console with voice commands, but that won’t exactly justify its inclusion in launch boxes to many gamers. And, sure, Ubisoft will be there to pick up the slack with Fighter Within and Just Dance, but it does seem odd that Microsoft is so bent on making Kinect a mandatory part of its next-generation plan without a launch title for the peripheral.

    Today Microsoft announced a stop-game measure for this oversight, revealing that a preview of what’s to come with Kinect will be available on launch day. A special free trial of Kinect Sports Rivals will be available for download on November 22. The “Preseason” download features the wake racing mode from the full game.

    Xbox One owners will be able to enjoy the Kinect Sports Rivals Preseason from launch day until sometime in March 2014 – presumably around the time the full game will be released. The free trial will have monthly challenges and opportunities to earn and unlock in-game items such as jerseys or wake racers. The in-game items will carry over to the full game, and Xbox One owners who download the trial sometime between launch day and November 30 will receive a “Founder” title and exclusive in-game items.

  • Here’s How Voice Commands Work On The Xbox One

    When the Kinect was first revealed, Microsoft made it a point to emphasize that almost every function of the console could be controlled by either motion or voice. That concept is being expanded with the Xbox One, and now Microsoft has decided to show us how voice will play a prominent role with its latest console.

    In its latest promotional video, Microsoft shows how one might operate an Xbox One using only their voice. Besides the voice controls. the video also shows how app switching will work on the console. The promotional video shows no lag in between switching from a movie to a game, but we actually don’t know how well it will work in practice. It would be swell if it did though.

    As the Xbox One matures, you can expect Microsoft to add more voice commands to take advantage of new features and technologies. Future software updates will undoubtedly make app switching and snap view more seamless as well.

    With these features, the Xbox One sets itself apart from the PS4 in some of the best ways possible. It shows the console as a multimedia device worth owning not just for the games, but for its TV and film capabilities as well. Whether or not that multimedia angle resonates with consumers remains to be seen, but a recent survey indicates that it’s not working all that well just yet.

    But hey, at least analysts think it’s going to help the Xbox One beat the PS4.

    [Image: Polygon/YouTube]

  • New Kinect Features Previewed in New Video

    Microsoft is betting big on its next-generation version of its Kinect motion sensor. The device has been packed in with every one of its upcoming Xbox One consoles, ensuring that all Xbox gamers will have a Kinect.

    This has caused more than a grumble in some segments of the gaming community. Kinect games of the current generation were, in general, embarrassingly bad. In addition, the new Kinect has obviously contributed highly to the Xbox One’s $100 price premium over Sony’s PlayStation 4.

    Regardless of whether gamers will want to use the Kinect to play games or watch TV, the tech displayed in the device itself is impressive.

    Microsoft Research today put out two videos demonstrating the capabilities of the new Kinect sensor. The first demonstrates the higher fidelity 3D vision, larger field of view, and new “active IR” mode that come with the device.

    The second shows the new wireframe skeleton the Kinect can create to sense motion, which now has two hand point to detect claw-like motions. In addition to movement, the device can use a blocky shape to detect the orientation of different body parts or a blobby shape that depicts how much force is being applied to various muscle groups in the body. The much-touted heart rate monitoring capability of the new Kinect is also demonstrated. It uses color video and IR sensing together to detect a pulse rate through subtle color change in faces:

    Though the tech might not be right for gaming or replacing a TV remote, creative PC developers will undoubtedly find some futuristic uses for the new Kinect.

  • Battlefield 4 Might Support Kinect on Xbox One

    On the Xbox 360, Microsoft encouraged developers to integrate Kinect into traditional games where it made little sense. Sure, the voice commands in Mass Effect 3 might have seemed cool, but the motion controls in Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter were just unnecessary. Now it appears that unnecessary Kinect support may be popping up on the Xbox One as well.

    In a recent interview with Patrick Bach, Executive Producer on Battlefield 4, Microsoft asked him if the hardware included in the Xbox One will “impact/change/revolutionize the future of [his] title.” In response, he said that Xbox One features like SmartGlass will be integrated into the Battlefield 4 experience while Kinect support is being investigated:

    In “Battlefield 4,” we’re pushing in every way that we can. Through SmartGlass, Xbox players will be able to view the overhead map during multiplayer matches and take advantage of the second screen. 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.

    The SmartGlass support makes sense considering the return of Commander mode from Battlefield 2. What about Kinect though? What benefit could head tracking bring to the table? Unfortunately, Bach didn’t go into details, but it sounds like it’s merely experimental at this stage. It’s not like it would be required either as the Kinect doesn’t have to be connected for games not built around the peripheral.

    Still, the fact that DICE is investigating Kinect support makes it appear that Microsoft is continuing to encourage developers to integrate Kinect wherever they can. That could be a good or bad thing depending on how it’s used, but many core gamers will agree that it’s use in core games on the Xbox 360 was unnecessary, even if it let you control dragon shouts with your voice.

    Battlefield 4 will be a launch title for Xbox One on November 22.

    [Image: Xbox Wire]

  • Disney Fantasia: Music Evolved Gets A New Trailer

    Disney Fantasia: Music Evolved Gets A New Trailer

    Harmonix proved to be one of the best Kinect developers around with its excellent Dance Central series. It’s unknown at this point if the series will continue on the Xbox One, but the team is hard at work crafting its next Kinect experience for both Xbox One and Xbox 360.

    Harmonix and Disney announced at E3 that they were collaborating on a new Kinect title called Disney Fantasia: Music Evolved. In a new trailer released today, the developers show off some live gameplay. In it, you’ll see the player interacting with the environment and creating music. After that, they conduct an orchestra with various arm gestures to complete the stage.

    Fantasia remains one of Disney’s best works of animation, and Harmonix’ new game is pretty exciting. If it can capture even a slice of what Fantasia so great to begin with, we could have a new reason to buy into the Kinect hype. Much like the Wii before it, it’s these kind of new experiences that sell the peripheral instead of developers trying to co-opt traditional gameplay into untraditional control schemes.

    Disney Fantasia: Music Evolved is slated for release in 2014 for both the Xbox 360 and the Xbox One.

    [Image: FantasiaGame/YouTube]

  • ‘Fighter Within’ Kinect Game Revealed at Gamescom

    In the midst of all the FIFA-related news at Microsoft’s Gamescom, Ubisoft slipped in the announcement of a new Kinect game for the Xbox One. A game that isn’t a Just Dance title.

    Titled Fighter Within, the game will use the new Kinect to pit players against each other in virtual fights. Players can use punches and kicks against opponents, using the real motions in front of their TV. Counters and combos are also included in the combat system. The game’s visuals, previewed in the teaser trailer seen below, will include brutal facial impacts, blood, and sweat, making Fighter Within a bit more mature than Wii Boxing.

    Despite the Kinect currently being viewed as a casual gameplay device, Ubisoft and Microsoft seem convinced that the new version of the Kinect in included with the Xbox One will actually deliver on the promise of interactive gaming. The new Kinect is reported to read player movements with lower latency, making the prospect of online boxing matches between players a possibility.

    “With more precise and responsive voice, vision and motion technology, the new Kinect for Xbox One will immerse players into games and entertainment like never before,” said George Peckham, GM of the Global Publishing Group at Microsoft. “Ubisoft has delivered a wide variety of innovative, exclusive titles for Kinect for Xbox 360 and will no doubt give gamers another one-of-a-kind experience with Fighter Within on Xbox One.”

  • Kinect Sports Rivals Might Just Sell You On Kinect

    The original Kinect Sports titles were some of the best selling Kinect games on the Xbox 360. Now Microsoft and Rare are bringing it back on the Xbox One with a ton of new features enabled by the newly improved Kinect.

    In a new video from Microsoft, the folks at Rare talk about their work on the new Kinect in Kinect Sports Rivals. The legendary studio reveals that they can use the high definition camera in the new Kinect to create an almost picture perfect stylized recreation of a player’s face in the title. That version of you is then uploaded to the cloud and added into other player’s games.

    The developers also reveal that they can now accurately track subtle movements so it’s possible to play more realistic versions of games like tennis and bowling. One example is that the camera can detect slight variations in the wrist so players will be able to put just the right amount of spin on a bowling ball.

    So, how is this supposed to sell the core on Kinect? After all, Kinect Sports Rivals just looks like an upgraded version of the original Kinect Sports. That may be true, but the new facial scanning features should have everybody excited. For the first time, players may finally be able to actually play as a character that actually looks like them instead of the crude recreations we get in Miis and Xbox Live avatars.

    Kinect Sports Rivals will be released exclusively on the Xbox One in 2014.

  • Minority Report-Style Touch Display App Goes On Sale For $150

    Minority Report had a lot of cool ideas, but one of the most intriguing was a holographic touch panel. Researchers are slowly working on getting holograms right, but we can now interact with floating touch panels using only a Kinect, a projector and an $150 app.

    Ubi Interactive announced the launch of its new app that turns any surface into a touch display. Of course, it’s not like the wall magically becomes a touch sensitive panel. Instead, a projector works in tandem with a Kinect sensor to give the illusion that you’re interacting with the display.

    Does Ubi sound like something you could use? Well, you should know that the base $150 app only includes support for a single touch point and display sizes up to 45 inches. If you want something bigger, you’ll have to fork over $379 for 100 inch display support, but it still only supports one touch point. You can upgrade to two touch points for $799, and 20 touch points will cost you $1,499.

    The prices are obviously indicative of an app that’s intended primarily for enterprise use. Sure, you could use Ubi to play a game of Angry Birds on your wall, but that seems almost like a waste. I’d be more inclined to see developers buy the software and see what kind of new technologies they can think up with it. It might even encourage researchers to start putting more work into holograms that we can physically interact with.

    [h/t: Gizmodo]

  • The Xbox One Will Not Require Kinect

    The Xbox One Will Not Require Kinect

    One of the more controversial decisions Microsoft made with the Xbox One is that every console will ship with the Kinect camera and require it to be plugged in at all times. The very notion of a camera always watching you had players, and even some countries, up in arms. All that concern has turned out to be for naught.

    Marc Whitten, Chief Xbox One Platform Architect, took to IGN for an “AMA” on Monday where he was asked what happens to your console when the Kinect breaks. The question was framed around the assumption that Microsoft was still requiring the Kinect to be plugged in for the console to even turn on. He said that’s not the case anymore:

    Games use Kinect in a variety of amazing ways from adding voice to control your squad mates to adding lean and other simple controls beyond the controller to full immersive gameplay. That said, like online, the console will still function if Kinect isn’t plugged in, although you won’t be able to use any feature or experience that explicitly uses the sensor.

    In other words, the Kinect is no longer required for the Xbox One to function. That means that you’ll be able to play games without having the Kinect plugged in as long as the game itself doesn’t require the peripheral in some meaningful way.

    Whitten also confirmed that players will be able to completely turn off the Kinect in the system settings:

    You have the ability to completely turn the sensor off in your settings. When in this mode, the sensor is not collecting any information. Any functionality that relies on voice, video, gesture or more won’t work. We still support using it for IR blasting in this mode. You can turn the sensor back on at any time through settings, and if you enter into a required Kinect experience (like Kinect Sports Rivals for instance), you’ll get a message asking if you want to turn the sensor back on in order to continue.

    This latest reversal continues Microsoft’s fine tradition of backtracking on the various policies it announced when the Xbox One was revealed in May. Since the reveal, the company has ditched the console’s always-online DRM and its indie publisher restrictions. This latest reversal shows that Microsoft is actively listening to the concerns of its core consumers and is reacting accordingly.

    Oh, and before you ask – Microsoft isn’t going to offer an Xbox without Kinect anytime soon. The company told Kotaku that it’s still going to bundle the Kinect with every Xbox One to avoid a scenario that plagued the Xbox 360 – not every console having a hard drive. In this case, having the Kinect bundled with every console will allow developers to build games with the assumption that every Xbox One has a Kinect.