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[Polk]

Gears of War Fitness: Be buffed like Marcus.
Believe.

 

[BrokenEchelon]

While I can imagine fun mini-games stemming from this...a fully playable game with just Kinect controls seems a bit out of re--REAVEEEERRSSSSS!!!

 

[Busty]

I can see the tagline now.

"Horse meet Rider.......meet chainsaw."

 

[vodka-bull]

Why am I reminded of this?

 

[Maxrunner]

But i thought motion controllers were a fad Rein???what gives?

 

[StealthGoblin]

But i thought motion controllers were a fad Rein???what gives?

Microsoft. They always give.

 

[luffeN]

when are the VGAs?

according to wiki: The 2010 Awards will be held Saturday, December 11th in Los Angeles, CA at the L.A. Convention Center.

 

[RockmanWhore]

I could see some head tracking, and some voice command for the squad team-mate (could work with a simple headset though). I can't think of anything else.

 

[Diablohead]

http://twitter.com/#!/therealcliffyb/status/4387793136525312

BurnsExcellent.jpg

Personally I would like to see gears 1 played with kinect movements, no idea how it would be done well or how ugly it might turn out but I want to see it tried :lol

 

[TheOddOne]

BurnsExcellent.jpg

Personally I would like to see gears 1 played with kinect movements, no idea how it would be done well or how ugly it might turn out but I want to see it tried :lol

darthvadernooooo.jpeg

 

[Chinner]

i heard one of the accessories is going to be a wall.

 

[plagiarize]

But i thought motion controllers were a fad Rein???what gives?

kinect isn't a controller.

that'll be his out. he'll just tow the company line, sort of like the '3d with glasses is a fad, but without glasses it's the future' line we hear from some people.

 

[Binabik15]

Shit, all jokes taken already?

Kinect of Wars: YOU are dat juice

 

[Mafro]

But i thought motion controllers were a fad Rein???what gives?

HD consoles have them now, devs like motion controls again.

Shit, all jokes taken already?

Kinect of Wars: YOU are dat juice

:lol :lol

 

[brain_stew]

Panic over.

Microsoft haven't completely lost their minds...........yet.

 

[dark10x]

So that rumor was bullshit? I certainly hope so. Kinect has no business in a game like Gears.

 

[Vinterbird]

So that rumor was bullshit? I certainly hope so. Kinect has no business in a game like Gears.

Why not?

 

[LCfiner]

So that rumor was bullshit? I certainly hope so. Kinect has no business in a game like Gears.

not necessarily. it could, in theory, be a spinoff game if it's not in Gears 3.

 

[Dabanton]

not necessarily. it could, in theory, be a spinoff game if it's not in Gears 3.

Exactly. All Cliffy said that it's not in Gears 3. I think we'll see something Gears related.

 

[FrankT]

Exactly. All Cliffy said that it's not in Gears 3. I think we'll see something Gears related.

Bingo. I mean he could of just flat said it ain't happening for any Gears IP. Though who really knows.

 

[REMEMBER CITADEL]

Why not?

It's a bit funny, isn't it?

- Kinect is worthless, there are no core games.
*signs of Kinect support from Remedy and Epic appear*
- WTF, why!??? NOOOOOOOO

Optional Kinect support in certain traditional games would be more then welcome. I repeat, optional.

 

[derder]

idk i saw cliffyb at the bars last friday and he was drinking pretty heavily

 

[plagiarize]

It's a bit funny, isn't it?

- Kinect is worthless, there are no core games.
*signs of Kinect support from Remedy and Epic appear*
- WTF, why!??? NOOOOOOOO

Optional Kinect support in certain traditional games would be more then welcome. I repeat, optional.

indeed. i don't see people bemoaning Move support in Killzone 3 (nor should anyone do that).

i think we can rule out retrofit ports though. cause if that was the case, no reason it wouldn't also be in Gears 3.

i'm interested to see if anything comes of this rumor, and what kind of game we'll be looking at (hybrid or not etc).

 

[Shurs]

Optional Kinect support in certain traditional games would be more then welcome. I repeat, optional.

Totally. I think Child of Eden is the perfect template. Offer controller and Kinect support. This is why I appreciate Playstation Move. It's an optional control scheme for certain core games.You never have to use it if you don't want to, but it's there if you do.

 

[atomico]

not necessarily. it could, in theory, be a spinoff game if it's not in Gears 3.

GOW: Xtreme Beach Thrashball

 

[dark10x]

Why not?

The Kinect is inaccurate, slow, and unreliable. It's much worse than I had expected even given my reduced expectations.

I don't think it could add anything to the experience. If it were a hybrid game, it could work, but even then I don't think it would add much. You sure as shit couldn't play a proper Gears game with just Kinect.

If they farmed it out to another developer, that's fine, but I don't want Epic to waste any time working on a Kinect game.

indeed. i don't see people bemoaning Move support in Killzone 3 (nor should anyone do that).

Move actually works well. It does what it set out to do with reliability and accuracy. You need not completely redesign a game to fit Move, rather, it can accommodate alternate playing styles. It's similar to a PC game supporting both a gamepad and the mouse and keyboard. Same game, two different ways of playing.

If the game were designed specifically for Kinect, it would fundamentally change the way the game works. This could have been acceptable if the Kinect hardware had actually matched lofty expectations, but it just doesn't work all that well in the end. Kinect is at odds with this type of game.

If it were simply a part of a game otherwise played with a controller, it could work better, but I don't think it would add much.

After finally testing Kinect myself, I want no part of it. Even if it had impressed, it won't even work in my gaming area so I couldn't get into it if I wanted to.

 

[Dabanton]

When would favoured studios like Epic have begun to receive development kits for Kinect?

 

[bumpkin]

If Gears of War 3 was delayed for this reason, then Fuck You MS!

This.

Spoiler

But I'm still getting Gears 3... I'm so weak.

 

[FrankT]

It's a bit funny, isn't it?

- Kinect is worthless, there are no core games.
*signs of Kinect support from Remedy and Epic appear*
- WTF, why!??? NOOOOOOOO

Optional Kinect support in certain traditional games would be more then welcome. I repeat, optional.

Pretty much, give me the core experience, but if you want to add in some Kinect optional of course sure, why not. I'll be the judge in the end. Though a full on Gears games for Kinect I don't know. Wait and see I guess.

When would favoured studios like Epic have begun to receive development kits for Kinect?

Likely a good while ago, but not so sure if this has been in the works that long. I know Peter Molyneux spent a few days at Epic demoing Milo not maybe a month ago. Not sure if this is related in some way.

 

[LCfiner]

When would favoured studios like Epic have begun to receive development kits for Kinect?

I'm gonna guess that they could get one the very instant they asked for one.

 

[Karma]

The Kinect is inaccurate, slow, and unreliable. It's much worse than I had expected even given my reduced expectations.

I don't think it could add anything to the experience. If it were a hybrid game, it could work, but even then I don't think it would add much. You sure as shit couldn't play a proper Gears game with just Kinect.

If they farmed it out to another developer, that's fine, but I don't want Epic to waste any time working on a Kinect game.

Mine works great. Did you do the calibration using the card?

 

[dark10x]

Mine works great. Did you do the calibration using the card?

We did. It does work, but it always feels laggy and slow to me.

How exactly do you propose we play a game like Gears with Kinect? Do you really think Kinect is fast enough to proper control a 3D viewpoint? It can barely handle pointer operations in a menu (it works, but it's much much slower than Move and the Wii-mote).

What makes you think it would work?

As I said, if it compliments the normal controls, I'd have no problems with it. I simply do not wish to see them develop a game controlled entirely by Kinect. I do not think it would work well. We've yet to see a demonstration proving that it is capable of fast, accurate motion.

 

[FoneBone]

So that rumor was bullshit? I certainly hope so. Kinect has no business in a game like Gears.

You're not a junior, you've been around for years, you should know better than this. :lol :lol

 

[plagiarize]

Move actually works well. It does what it set out to do with reliability and accuracy. You need not completely redesign a game to fit Move, rather, it can accommodate alternate playing styles. It's similar to a PC game supporting both a gamepad and the mouse and keyboard. Same game, two different ways of playing.

If the game were designed specifically for Kinect, it would fundamentally change the way the game works. This could have been acceptable if the Kinect hardware had actually matched lofty expectations, but it just doesn't work all that well in the end. Kinect is at odds with this type of game.

you are making a lot of presumptions there. you're ignoring hybrid options. where motions or voice commands could simplify the controls.

you're also presuming that this gears game is going to have you doing the same things you do in regular gears titles. presuming this even exists we have no idea what the genre/setup would be.

even so, gears is not a fast paced shooter, it's a very slow and purposeful one. i don't see people pulling off quick head shots or anything, but i think kinect's accuracy is being underestimated.

kinect works. is it suitable for everything? obviously not. but it does work.

 

[dark10x]

You're not a junior, you've been around for years, you should know better than this. :lol :lol

I was simply hoping.

Chances are, there will be a Gears related Kinect game announced. I realize that...

kinect works. is it suitable for everything? obviously not. but it does work.

Is there anything in particular that you've tried that has lead you to feel that way? I only got to spent a good 30 minutes with it, but everything I tried felt pretty terrible. The cursor movement in the dashboard was awful, Kinect Adventures felt slow and inaccurate, and Joyride was an abomination (that probably left the worst impression). I did not try Dance Central, but that doesn't even show you're 1:1 motion on screen.

They could definitely do something cool with a hybrid game, however.

It's just a shame that I will not be able to join in regardless. Kinect will not work in my setup. I designed the room myself for very specific purposes taking into account things such as THX recommended seating distances, proper audio placement, and running all wires through the walls. I put a lot of time into designing my theater, and Kinect basically wants me to change everything to support it. I don't have the room for it and I'd have to run the cable across the floor to the opposite wall to even plug it in.

So, I suppose, that has me very much disliking it. Bad experience trying it combined with a room that won't support it means no Kinect for me.

 

[Otacon]

in the light of the recent Remedy and Gears rumors I have a general question regarding Kinect
is it technically possible to play with both controller and Kinect at the same time?
meaning, you still play a game with a controller but Kinect just gives you additional moves for example by rasing your hand, moving your head or something similar...
like someone jokingly mentioned using Kinect in Gears for headbutting enemies:lol
or will only one device (controller OR Kinect) be recognized at a time?

 

[expy]

in the light of the recent Remedy and Gears rumors I have a general question regarding Kinect
is it technically possible to play with both controller and Kinect at the same time?
meaning, you still play a game with a controller but Kinect just gives you additional moves for example by rasing your hand, moving your head or something similar...
like someone jokingly mentioned using Kinect in Gears for headbutting enemies:lol
or will only one device (controller OR Kinect) be recognized at a time?

You could potentially have a game that supports both control schemes at the same time, but then the developer needs to reserve the cpu/ram for Kinect integration which takes away from the game itself. Microsoft has come out and stated that Kinect CPU usage is down to "single-digit" percentage, but haven't specified exactly how much, so I'm just going to say 9% due to their inability or unwillingness to specify an exact number. So developers have to take that into account if they want to support both control schemes at once.

 

[TheOddOne]

in the light of the recent Remedy and Gears rumors I have a general question regarding Kinect
is it technically possible to play with both controller and Kinect at the same time?
meaning, you still play a game with a controller but Kinect just gives you additional moves for example by rasing your hand, moving your head or something similar...
like someone jokingly mentioned using Kinect in Gears for headbutting enemies:lol
or will only one device (controller OR Kinect) be recognized at a time?

"Hybrid" Kinect/Controller Games in Development

The Xbox 360's Kinect motion control system is often discussed in zero-sum terms: there will either now be fully motion-controlled Kinect games on the 360, or "traditional" games that continue using the controller. But why can't some games use both? According to Kinect developer Alex Kipman, not only will there be such titles, but Microsoft already has some in development.

"We love controller-free games, we love Kinect experiences and we'll continue to grow our set of those as well. What we haven't really talked about, but exist, are hybrid games," Kipmen explained to GamesIndustry.biz. "Games that are using the controller, which we know and love, and pieces, if not all, of the Kinect experiences to again make those experiences more immersive, more fun and more emotionally connected."

Conceptually, it really doesn't sound very different from the tons of Wii games that use the Nunchuck for traditional controls and the Wiimote for added motion controls. "This is where I look at the world, and I know it's easier to look at the world and talk about 'or,' but I look at the world and I talk about 'and,'" Kipmen continued. "It's about how we take all of these things and fuse all of them together to create unique experiences...It doesn't always mean using the same colors, the same paintbrushes -- the stories you tell are about using the appropriate combinations of all of the colors and brushes to create something meaningful."

 

[Majine]

 

[Karma]

We did. It does work, but it always feels laggy and slow to me.

I was actually amazed at how accurate it was. I have had no problems with it being slow at all.

How exactly do you propose we play a game like Gears with Kinect?

No idea but I trust they have people working on it far smarter and imaginative than I am.

Do you really think Kinect is fast enough to proper control a 3D viewpoint? It can barely handle pointer operations in a menu (it works, but it's much much slower than Move and the Wii-mote).

It has been plenty fast for me. Not seeing all this lag you are talking about.

So, I suppose, that has me very much disliking it. Bad experience trying it combined with a room that won't support it means no Kinect for me.

I thought you said you already had Kinect and had calibrated using the card?

 

[plagiarize]

Is there anything in particular that you've tried that has lead you to feel that way? I only got to spent a good 30 minutes with it, but everything I tried felt pretty terrible. The cursor movement in the dashboard was awful, Kinect Adventures felt slow and inaccurate, and Joyride was an abomination (that probably left the worst impression). I did not try Dance Central, but that doesn't even show you're 1:1 motion on screen.

the lag between you and the game is obviously tangible and real, there's no debating that, but for many games and gamers it won't be an issue (look at how few complained about input lag in KZ2 and GTA4, though obviously MANY did complain).

when i play Kinect Sports or RallyBall it tracks what i do very accurately. again, you can't deny the lag, but a game designed around that can ensure that the player never needs to react to something in less than 200 ms. even then you can compensate for the lag a bit where there is an expected reaction (but only really in that circumstance).

 

[dark10x]

It has been plenty fast for me. Not seeing all this lag you are talking about.

Really? When I move my hand, the cursor on screen does not immediately respond. There is a delay. It feels as if the pointer is tied to my arm with a rubber band or something and I'm pulling it rather than directly manipulating it.

I was in a well lit, rather clean room so I don't think it had any issues reading my input. It was usable, but did not feel optimal.

I thought you said you already had Kinect and had calibrated using the card?

No, I don't own Kinect. I tried it out at a friends place this past weekend.

 

[REMEMBER CITADEL]

I thought you said you already had Kinect and had calibrated using the card?

Going by all the impressions from many different people, lag and similar issues are very dependent on the way Kinect is set up and each person's subjective perception. That's why optional Kinect support would be great - if you feel like it's too laggy, don't use it.

 

[Ushojax]

I was in a well lit, rather clean room so I don't think it had any issues reading my input. It was usable, but did not feel optimal.

That kind of lag is just a fact of life when it comes to technology like this, there has to be some processing of your movements and when you factor in the lag on your TV display (which can be humongous if you have a motion interpolation features and other post-processing) it can get pretty ugly. I found Kinect to be pretty smooth and responsive on my TV, but then I have a modest Panasonic LCD which I went for specifically due to it's low input lag and toggle-able picture processing features. Stuff like Wii and PSMove feels instantly responsive, Kinect feels slower to respond but is still comfortable to use. The sluggishness will definitely be a problem with older LCDs and their awful input lag.

 

[JaggedSac]

When would favoured studios like Epic have begun to receive development kits for Kinect?

Epic got units pretty early. The E3 demos were done using UE, so at the very least, a couple months before E3 2009. Kinect Adventures uses UE. Mark Rein made some sort of statement about them having the first Kinect capable engine. Not surprising given MS's close ties to Epic.

 

[TheOddOne]

You could potentially have a game that supports both control schemes at the same time, but then the developer needs to reserve the cpu/ram for Kinect integration which takes away from the game itself. Microsoft has come out and stated that Kinect CPU usage is down to "single-digit" percentage, but haven't specified exactly how much, so I'm just going to say 9% due to their inability or unwillingness to specify an exact number. So developers have to take that into account if they want to support both control schemes at once.

You should really read that article!

Kinect CPU Usage Down To Single-Digits Percentage

Way back in January of this year, Microsoft was quoted as saying that Kinect used 10 to 15 percent of the Xbox 360’s processing power to do its magic. The originator of that figure, Microsoft’s Director of Incubation Alex Kipman, recently told GI.biz that the number has dropped down into the single digits.

"That figure of 10 or 15 per cent, we're actually in single digits, but the philosophy is correct," said Kipman. "It's a trade-off... That trade off is easy, it's about the affordability of the device. From the perspective of bringing to market this amazing deal, £129.99 with Kinect Adventures, it's a very interesting customer value proposition.”

Another father of Kinect, Kudo Tsunoda, confirmed last month that not only did Kinect have a lower resolution camera than previously stated, but the internal processor of the original prototype was stripped out, leaving the peripheral to use the system's processing power. Tsunoda previously said that even the most graphically intensive 360 titles were leaving enough CPU cycles for Kinect use.

"The answer is, as much as we like to talk about bits and percentages, you take a game like, I don't know, Call of Duty: Black Ops - there's a significant amount of processing, be it CPU or GPU, that still remains on the table," Kipman concurred. "So after that, when we came to this revelation about games, and future games that would be coming to Xbox, we looked at it and we said - 'is it worth the trade-off to put on-board processing on the device when we think we can create magical, unique, deep, thorough experiences without it?'"

"We can create games which are as rich and thorough and as deep as the games which we have on our platform today and which we will have tomorrow. Then the conversation becomes simple: you start moving into a world which says, why keep something complicated when you can make it simple? We decided to have our cake and eat it too."

Kipman also explaind that Kinect functions are modular and not all functions need be used by developers in every title.

"Not all features are created equal, you can totally imagine a game that's using practically the entire of the Xbox 360 and still uses identity recognition. You can have a game that uses a small vocabulary of voice recognition that will still have pretty much 100 per cent of the processing,” he said. "You can shop, in a way, in the platform by menu, and you can choose the paint colours and paintbrushes you have. This is no different than saying, 'what physics engine, what AI engine, what graphics engine' you're going to be using.”

 

[infinityBCRT]

This will obviously be optional hybrid controls. No reason to hate, hybrid controls for core games is exactly what GAF was asking for. Obviously the launch message was casual oriented but Microsoft knows it needs hybrid core games to maximize Kinect sales. Epic also clearly wants Unreal Engine to be the engine of choice for Kinect developers so it makes sense for them to put it in Gears which is the game they use to showcase UE3 upgrades.

If they somehow do this right it could be huge.

Yeah. And I wouldn't be surprised if Steel Battalion and the next Forza also opt for this hybrid controls approach.

I also wouldn't rule out a new motion controller for release either. We all know Rare was working on something codenamed Darwin.

 

[TheOddOne]

Yeah. And I wouldn't be surprised if Steel Battalion and the next Forza also opt for this hybrid controls approach.

I also wouldn't rule out a new motion controller for release either. We all know Rare was working on something codenamed Darwin.

That was the rumoured motion controller or is this something else?

 

[RedStep]

idk i saw cliffyb at the bars last friday and he was drinking pretty heavily

Take a look around your house and make sure your girl made it back with you.

 

[Prine]

The Kinect is inaccurate, slow, and unreliable. It's much worse than I had expected even given my reduced expectations.

I don't think it could add anything to the experience. If it were a hybrid game, it could work, but even then I don't think it would add much. You sure as shit couldn't play a proper Gears game with just Kinect.

If they farmed it out to another developer, that's fine, but I don't want Epic to waste any time working on a Kinect game.

Not at all, if that were true it would be rejected by everyone here.