Microsoft’s 2011 CES Conference wasn’t exactly jam-packed with new stuff we hadn’t seen or heard about before, but there were a few good announcements – such as this one. Microsoft will be bringing a Kinect interface to both Netflix and Hulu Plus in the US sometime later this Spring.
This doesn’t really come as a surprise, as Microsoft has vowed in the past to continue expanding Kinect’s reach on the console, but it is nice to see them following through with their promise.
Source: Kotaku
Foxhound_Solid
Kinect is shaping up to become intergral to the 360. This will make or break it in the long run. Wonder how the hardcore gamers on 360 that dont really like motion games/add ons feel about the focus being on Kinect?
Dan Lee
Not sure to be honest. On one hand I love the device, but then looking forward into 2011 I can’t see much on the 360 that has me interested.
Echo
Ditto.
hazelam
from what i’ve seen using kinect for video services like this make it take longer to do anything than it would just pressing a button.
i just don’t see the point using it for something like this when it’s easier, quicker and more intuitive to just press a button that does what you want.
ok maybe the voice control would be more intuitive, but i doubt if it’s as responsive, but you hardly need kinect for that, you should be able to use any mike, except they’ll limit it to those who buy kinect no doubt.
motion control for games is one thing, if they can get you to simulate the actions the game would require if it were real then that can add to the immersion factor, but what are they simulating here? this just seems pointless to me, they seem to be doing it just so they can say they did it.
i can’t see people using kinect to control the video player in the long term.
Dan Lee
What frustrates me is the Dance Central UI is amazing. Maybe not as fast as a button press but not a million miles off; yet MS insist on going with the plodding, slow ‘hover your hand over an icon’ method for the Xbox dashboard. NO!
hazelam
if it was like that minority report style interface that everybody’s looking for in how responsive it is then it could work, or if kinect could read your fingers and you could grab and drag, but right now holding your hand up over an icon for a couple of seconds, it just seems like a backwards step to me.
like the interface on eyetoy games on the ps2.
cc_star
The videos I’ve seen of Kinect hacks are astonishing, implementing that research into useful applications will happen, stuff like this is the first steps along the road to minority report interfaces being all around us
Sure a button may be quicker, but the Boxee hack is awesome & impossible cool http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xi0XuS3ZADY
bunimomike
The hacks are great fun but real world application still seems flawed by lack of response and lack of accuracy.
Other than the age-old “where the hell is the controller?” situation on the sofa, I’d still grab controllers and flip through menus uber-quickly compared. I know I’m not everyone but tactile response and slick controls trump this every time (for me).
l C0D3 M0NK3Y l
“Everyone is a gamer… some people just haven’t found their game yet.” I love that statement. I have, in recent years, explored that statement in great detail. I am a old time gamer, that has only recently re-discovered the joys of gaming. Like many gamers, it has been difficult to explain the strong appeal of gaming to friends and loved ones who have historically held very anti-video gaming opinions. Until just a few years ago, I never imagined myself becoming a “gamer” again… thinking that it was merely a part of my childhood and a hobby for the younger generations. Many people have a very negative view of video games, and especially “gamers”, as you are all well aware. Kinect is helping change those views, and I think that is awesome. Over the holidays, we of course had family over to the house to celebrate, and I witnessed something spectacular. I saw young and old playing video games together, with little to no explanation of how to play. They watched, then stood up, and joined in. It was fantastic! Parents, kids, in-laws, all playing video games together, and having a fantastic time doing so. I strongly believe Kinect certainly has its rightful place in the gaming world, and I am excited to see ANYTHING being developed or announced that makes it even more appealing for the common “non-gamer”. Only good things can come from getting more people involved with the world of gaming… and Kinect is an awesome catalyst for doing so. It allows people to see that not all video games are filled with blood, guts, and gore… and that there truly is a video game for everyone out there. I believe Kinect has a bright future, and I am thoroughly excited to see what is yet to come. Hardcore gamers will continue to hate it, I’m sure… and changing that opinion is probably next to impossible. But for those people out there that never dreamed they would actually enjoy playing a video game, Kinect has really opened their eyes to a whole new world… I believe that to be a very good thing!