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Sydle · Jan 5, 2015

New job posting: https://careers.microsoft.com/jobdetails.aspx?ss=&pg=0&so=&rw=1&jid=166642&jlang=en&pp=ss

A couple of excerpts:

A new team has formed in Microsofts Xbox division with a specific purpose: to push the envelope of todays and tomorrows technology as we explore new ideas from the ground floor. It begins with veterans from Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and Kinect. But were growing as quickly as our imaginations can be translated into code.

If you want a comfortable, standard-role job at Microsoft with no ambiguity or risk, please dont apply. But if youre passionate about the potential for Kinect to continue to revolutionize entertainment and are a seasoned software engineer with the skills to prototype and build the future of premium Kinect-powered experiences, we have a growing team of talented people who want to take entertainment into the future.

Much more in the job posting.

So Kinect gets a new team and Avatars get more dev resources. I wonder how much this has to do with AR and/or VR, as well as all those teams formed last year like LXP.

The Jackdog · Jan 5, 2015

Im not completely unsatisfied with kinect but its def not something that feels like a great addition to the console thats a MUST HAVE, so.....this is i guess good news for me

Baron_Calamity · Jan 5, 2015

They just won't let that bad idea go. *sigh*

BobbyColtrane · Jan 5, 2015

lol they just won't quit with this thing.

Zombie James · Jan 5, 2015

Just stop.

Boke1879 · Jan 5, 2015

With Kinect not being mandatory. I think this is a futile venture. I understand Kinect needs to have compelling software in order for people to go out and get it, but I don't see this having an impact.

Suikoguy · Jan 5, 2015

I thought it was basically confirmed they gave up on it?

I wonder how large this "team" is...

Jito · Jan 5, 2015

This is really the last thing that MS needs to be doing, focus resources into more exclusives that aren't just shit kinect games.

Krakn3Dfx · Jan 5, 2015

Avatar enhancement, Kinect development, is Mattrick coming back next?

mdubs · Jan 5, 2015

Cool, I'm happy if they are forming a separate team to work on this stuff. Doesn't detract from their other development resources and has the potential to get some new Kinect stuff.

SEGAvangelist · Jan 5, 2015

Why wouldn't MS support something they are selling? Sure Kinect went into the background (rightfully so), but a lot of people own the hardware and I assume they would still like to use it.

Sydle · Jan 5, 2015

I believe that one day the Xbox will be a Kinect device on top of your TV, with games streamed from the cloud. Probably pretty far off, but I won't be surprised if we ever learn they're tinkering with that idea.

nbnt · Jan 5, 2015

Hopefully off the roof.

cakely · Jan 5, 2015

Hopefully, that team was formed to push Kinect completely away from the Xbox One.

flkraven · Jan 5, 2015

If this team is developing games, I hope we see many more unique, bit-sized, indie-style kinect games vs the big budget ones they were pushing before. This is the right way to make Kinect games.

Courage · Jan 5, 2015

Yeah, this is a pointless venture. I guess they have to do something because of all the R&D and how much they banked on it initially, but this isn't gonna go anywhere.

twobear · Jan 5, 2015

On the one hand, if there is something amazing to be done with Kinect that hasn't been done yet, then I'm all for MS trying to find it.

On the other hand, it's been 4 years and nobody has found it yet. I'm not sure there is something amazing (and game related) to do with Kinect.

ozz ex machina · Jan 5, 2015

People are forgetting how they may integrate Kinect for their own VR tech they are cooking up. Could be interesting.

Queen of Hunting · Jan 5, 2015

whelp here comes that new game from Rare

Amir0x · Jan 5, 2015

maybe it'll be in ways to interact with Fortaleza cause no one cares (read: not literally zero people, folks. Just the vast majority) about Kinect by itself anymore

The Grumpy Old Gamer · Jan 5, 2015

Before I sold My Xbox One I quite liked the way Kinect worked as part of the OS. Xbox on etc ..... Ive never really used it on a game with current gen or last gen because for me, gaming is meant to be sat on my arse with a beer not jumping around like a loon.

The tech is good but it seems devs cant be arsed with it or M$ gives too many hoops to jump through before allowing devs to use it.

Spyder_Monkey · Jan 5, 2015

So here's another thing to file under "bad ideas Microsoft has" right next to the original Surface and Windows Vista.

brandonh83 · Jan 5, 2015

Fans: Let it go, let it go...
Microsoft: I don't care what they're going to say, let the storm rage on.

RiccochetJ · Jan 5, 2015

Cool.

I love the voice commands, but the motion stuff is still pretty much useless.

Footos22 · Jan 5, 2015

They probably spent so much on R and D that it really isn't worth just giving up on it and writing it off. All they need to do is make 1 or 2 compelling game concepts that actually work properly and they'll be away again. But that's a big ask at the moment. They've had 4 years and haven't succeeded yet apart from dance central. D4 was much better with it in the action sections.

It ll probably be integral to their VR offerings.

Concept17 · Jan 5, 2015

ozz ex machina said:
People are forgetting how they may integrate Kinect for their own VR tech they are cooking up. Could be interesting.

Possibly, but I don't see how bundling Kinect + headset + console would be a probable approach.

OldRoutes · Jan 5, 2015

Queen of Hunting said:
whelp here comes that new game from Rare

It's a new team.

Cybit · Jan 5, 2015

Biggest current area for the Kinect; Medical technology. There are a lot of medical companies and medical schools attempting to adapt the Kinect for practice with surgery as well as other uses. Pretty sure this team is being built for "we have this amazing piece of tech; let's see what uses we can get out of it".

Queen of Hunting · Jan 5, 2015

OldRoutes said:
It's a new team.

doesnt mean rare arent working on a new kinect game is my point. they are still investing in kinect

twobear · Jan 5, 2015

Although it's now just occurred to me that this is probably AR/VR-related.

MilkyJoe · Jan 5, 2015

cyberheater · Jan 5, 2015

Someone very high up in MS is heavily invested in Kinect. It's the only thing that makes sense.

Alx · Jan 5, 2015

Suikoguy said:
I thought it was basically confirmed they gave up on it?

I don't think there is any confirmation of that... that's mostly wishful thinking from people here who hate it, but factually all we know is that they removed it from the default SKU, probably to be more competitive on price.

Darklord · Jan 5, 2015

Push it into the trash.

thewhitehawk · Jan 5, 2015

And so another cycle of Microsoft burning money on things no one wants begins once again.

In a few months it should Windows Mobile's turn.

Shin-Ra · Jan 5, 2015

But were growing as quickly as our imaginations can be translated into code.

Groan.

But if youre passionate about the potential for Kinect to continue to revolutionize entertainment

Double groan.

E92 M3 · Jan 5, 2015

As long as they don't waste money on games for Kinect, then I am okay with this.

BibiMaghoo · Jan 5, 2015

Many people own one, and while I'm not one myself, I'd imagine they would like to use them at some point this generation. They did pay for them after all. Having stuff made for it doesn't need to mean they focus Xbox on it, just that the device actually has something to be used with.

thelatestmodel · Jan 5, 2015

Makes no sense. Total waste of money.

Let. It. Die.

JP · Jan 5, 2015

First shots of the new team.

badcrumble · Jan 5, 2015

New horse team forms to push horse-drawn carriage.

Just sell Kinect to Apple or someone interested in pure set top boxes/smart TVs, please. It's got vanishingly little functional overlap with gaming.

SerTapTap · Jan 5, 2015

Awful idea but hey maybe it means Rare's carcass won't be used to prop up Kinect anymore

Occam · Jan 5, 2015

Right after this? http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=963697

Sol_Goodguy · Jan 5, 2015

Their work is definitely cut out for them.

Z3M0G · Jan 5, 2015

Its applications to VR will be undeniable.

EBE · Jan 5, 2015

i hope its games. still no kinect rail shooter on the xbox one yet. like how does that happen. and the following 360 games all had really cool ideas that might see improvement:

rise of nightmares
kinectimals
kinect joy ride
the gunstringer
fable the journey

at least fruit ninja 2 is coming out.

EmptySpace · Jan 5, 2015

to push kinect...out of the way.

onQ123 · Jan 5, 2015

Baron_Calamity said:
They just won't let that bad idea go. *sigh*

BobbyColtrane said:
lol they just won't quit with this thing.

Zombie James said:
Just stop.

You all have to realize that the generation growing up right now is the touch generation & at some point consoles are going to have to cater to them. Kinect / cameras & sensors will enable touch like interface on consoles MS would be fools to just stop working on Kinect right now.

Also VR & MR is going to be big in the next few years you're going to need a natural way to interact with it.

OldRoutes · Jan 5, 2015

People in this thread are wrong to assume 2 things :

Xbox One is the target system for this.
Those projects are going to be released.

-MD- · Jan 5, 2015

Honestly I don't give a fuck as long as it's not Rare anymore. Their stable of IP is the only thing Microsoft has left that interests me.

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