Kinect 2.0 issues - Kotaku Impressions

[Segatarious1]

Well, MS has their 'next gen' Kinect coming, and up till now its been mostly 'spy camera' talk, but here are some game play impressions, and they are not so good....

http://kotaku.com/why-im-a-little-bit-worried-about-kinect-1381738496

I’ve just spent 10 minutes being scanned into Kinect Sports Rivals. I’m not sure if it’s working correctly. The only feedback I am being given is from a Microsoft rep to my right. He’s politely giving me instructions when the Kinect (for some reason) stops the scan.

“Take a step forward.”

“Take a step back.”

“Maybe just tilt your head a little bit left.”

After this laborious effort (which I’m assured will be streamlined before launch) Kinect Sports Rivals goes through the process of translating the information into a virtual representation of me. As it does its calculations I ask myself, ‘if this is difficult with a Microsoft representative guiding me step by step, how difficult will it be for a ten year old in the comfort of his or her own home, or parents who’ve never used a console before?’


Immediately I notice there is something wrong. My avatar’s limbs are contorted like some screwed up Lovecraftian marionette, my arms twitch incessantly, clearly not responding to any of my movements.2


I never really felt like I was in control of my actions. My movements weren’t being replicated accurately. I felt as though I was fumbling my way to the top with no real in-game feedback; no real sense that Kinect was working as advertised.4


I’m worried about Kinect. Mere months from launch it feels imprecise, temperamental and clumsy.


I have to admit I am not surprised. It's just been one disater after another with MS on XBOX ONE - is it so much to ask for them to get some tech proving game play for this thing? Instead you get full body waggle Wii Sports knock offs...that's embarrassing. Back to square one.

[VideoGameCritic]

This was an interesting read.  I think there will be a serious lack of enthusiasm for the Kinect 2.0.  

I love the line which I’m assured will be streamlined before launch".

When a marketing person says this, you can bet that it will be exactly the same for the launch.

It reminds me of reviewers that preview games and mention that the camera is awkward (or some other issue) but assure us it will be fixed by launch.  It never is.

[Gentlegamer1]

Kinect 2.0 probably doesn't have enough power for both gameplay and NSA spying at the same time.

[Greisha1]

It also took the MS rep four times to get the Xbox to recognize "Xbox Home."

I'd have better luck yelling at my wife to turn on the NES.

[Irenicus1]

I was disappointed with the 1st Kinect.

Innovative = Yes! Good/fun product = no, not really.

I'm still surprised Microsoft is forcing the Kinect on Xbox fans. They failed to prove to me that the Kinect was worth purchasing so I'm skeptical that the "new" Kinect will be much better.

[nesfan1]

I’ve just spent 10 minutes being scanned into Kinect Sports Rivals. I’m not sure if it’s working correctly. The only feedback I am being given is from a Microsoft rep to my right. He’s politely giving me instructions when the Kinect (for some reason) stops the scan.

“Take a step forward.”

“Take a step back.”

“Maybe just tilt your head a little bit left.”


I'm not too surprised by this considering the part I copied above is my pretty much my experience with the first Kinect. Only instead of a Microsoft rep telling me what to do, it was a few of my friends. Someone brought a Kinect and one of the dance games over to my friend's house one day and we all took turns playing it. I didn't notice anything was wrong by looking at the screen but I was playing, everyone was telling me that I was moving too far back or too far forward, or something else was wrong. It didn't feel like I was moving out of range. I was just doing what the game was telling me to do. You'd think a dance game would actually give you some room to move.

[darkrage61]

 I for one think the bugs will be mostly ironed out, I definitely do not think it will be the same at launch, I am actually quite enthusiastic for the new Kinnect, it has a lot of potential.  I never had too many problems with Kinnect personally, it generally worked pretty well for me so long as I wasn't too close or too far from the sensor.

[Oltobaz1]

[QUOTE=darkrage6] I for one think the bugs will be mostly ironed out, I definitely do not think it will be the same at launch, I am actually quite enthusiastic for the new Kinnect, it has a lot of potential.  I never had too many problems with Kinnect personally, it generally worked pretty well for me so long as I wasn't too close or too far from the sensor.[/QUOTE]

What makes you think these bugs are gonna be ironed out? You know something we don't?

[darkrage61]

David-Did I say any of that? No.  So I don't see why you're bringing up something that has absolutely to do with my post.