Microsoft forming 'top-secret' Kinect team
By
Eddie Makuch, News Editor
Xbox maker establishing new unit to "tell the story of what the future of entertainment will look like"; candidates should be ready to fail in high-risk environment.
Microsoft is aiming to take its motion-control Kinect technology to the next level, and is forming an entire new team to "tell the story of what the future of entertainment will look like." A job listing (via OXM) at the Redmond technology giant for a software development engineer reveals a successful candidate should be ready to fail in a new high-risk environment.
"Joining this team comes with risks," the job ad reads. "Most of what we work on is top-secret; you may not know what your new project is until you’ve accepted an offer. Not all of our ideas will fly. We will fail, and fail fast, on some projects. We will celebrate those failures because they are vital to making sure the right ideas take off in a big way."
The job description makes clear that those seeking a "comfortable" or "standard" role at Microsoft should not apply. To be considered for the position, a candidate must have shipped at least one consumer-focused product and worked on side projects like Kinect hacks or websites.
Additionally, candidates must have experience with contemporary game engines like Unreal, CryEngine, or Unity, as well as knowledge of Kinect for Windows SDK or similar technologies.
A second iteration of Kinect--rumored to be called Kinect V2--is reportedly planned to be included with Microsoft's next-generation Xbox. According to a 56-page document supposedly stemming from Microsoft, Kinect V2 will support four-player full-body tracking and allow gamers to sit down while playing. On top of this, Kinect V2 will be able to adapt to players' living rooms, meaning they will not need to move furniture for an optimal experience.
By
Eddie Makuch, News Editor
Eddie Makuch (Mack-ooh) is a News Editor at GameSpot. He works out of the company's Boston office in Somerville, Mass., and loves extra chunky peanut butter.
156 comments
I like that Microsoft still wants to push the Kinect forward and devote and entire team towards it. There's a lot of things they can do with the tech besides motion detection, but as long as the next version is able to mirror 1:1 motion we will be able to see games with the kind of speed and precision that will prove motion controls to be more than just a gimmick and in some cases an absolute must. I'm still dreaming of a 1:1 boxing sim.
The Kinect technology isn't bad, but honestly, if you can't make your game exciting without motion control, making you jump around like a hysteric rabbit is not going to make it appealing. And that's pretty much game designers' fault.
1 Like I'm a bit surprised at all the hatred for Kinect. It is undoubtedly one of the most amazing game-related technologies I've ever seen, and I'm quite sure that it's not going anywhere.
Microsoft not only made a useful "version one" product with Kinect, they managed to make it commercially viable. Based on the demos I've seen of more recent motion-tracking systems like Leap Motion, I have every reason to suspect that version two of the Kinect will be far more sensitive, able to track motions down to the fingertip level. That may mean that it ends up being an even more precise input system than the controller is now.
This isn't to say that I think the controller is dead or anything like that, but I can see lots of scenarios in which the Kinect will thrive, and they're not all just about casual gaming.
1 Like I wish they'd just give up on the Kinect. It could track every part of my body perfectly and it would still be just as useless as the one gathering dust on my shelf now.
They need to make a portable with true next xbox / portable crossover so you can truly take your games with you.......
The kinect should be tossed into a land fill and never mentioned again..I mean,all that it's ''good'' for is dancing games! Don't tell me that'll be their focas title type? The kinects tech can't handle certain movements,so the fact that they want to continue with it is one of the biggest jokes this year(with in the game industry),if it's built into the XBOX720 then their sales on units sold will plummet! The future of gaming is bleak indeed...
@BloodyAura Kinect2 is difference and has been improved greatly. You sound mad. Don't like it? Don't buy it.
Don't hate, appreciate.
3 Like My first day on the project: Drop Kinect v2 in garbage can, place official Xbox Mouse/Keyboard on table.
XBox 360 doesn't even support a mouse or keyboard. lol!! It was never intended to be a PC. I doubt we'll see a MOVE 2, that's for sure. The MOVE is a joke. Sony knows it, which is why they are barely supporting it.
Old technology new skin = more money . no matter what they release xbox 720 or xbox 1440 games will remain the same . concentrate on games . this hardware is enough for coming 5 years . Blu-ray but games take same DVD space .
@sgt_F79 @itchyflop Have you never heard of the disaster known as Red Ring of Death? You must be a young kid who just got an Xbox 360 S.
@sgt_F79 @Vickman178 yet !!
if you don't, great enjoy it bro, i did until they all went bang, in fact i adored gears of war.
@babuchas666 @sgt_F79 @Vickman178 i agree some are and some have a little more about them. You seem like an intelligent person, comments like that don't do yourself any justice. Stand up for what you believe and keep gaming :)
@sgt_F79 @Vickman178 @itchyflop
Some ppl are just pricks, pay no attention to them sgt... My 360 works just fine too, the last thuing we need is another knect.
@Vickman178 @itchyflop I've heared of it and i owned an xbox since it came out and i admit i had the prob with my first xbox but the one i had before i owned a slim one had no probs what so ever
@sgt_F79 you ve either only just joined the gaming community and don't know the ins and outs of it, which i doubt cos your on here commenting,
you've been hibernating in a cave for the last 10 years,
your actually from 1950 and have been thrusted forward and are asking "what are these computers you talk about" ,
you've been abducted by grey aliens and have been having an ANAL PROBING for the last 10 years,
or your being flippant.
Please advise me to your current status before i reply !! thanks :)
@blackace @sgt_F79 no disrespect to any of the Microsoft team or fans, yours is a new machine, they may have rectified the issue. I payed a substantial amount to get mine on release day (500 quid) it failed very early on, i ended up buying 4 more and all failed. Unfortunately i lost trust in Microsoft after that, even though they were trying their damnedest to fix them for free, it was still a ball ache and i have to comment with titles back then like gears of war and halo, like most players i couldn't wait 2 weeks for the repair so went and bought a core model. Though i must admit iv seen some great deals, its very tempting, and iv missed soooo much in the years iv been Microsoft free !!! merry Christmas dude (if you celebrate it). :)
1 Like @sgt_F79 @itchyflop Mine is working fine as well. Haven't had a single problem with my XBox 360 Slim. It purrs like a kitten.
@sgt_F79 dude take no offense i meant non and no you haven't i was merely stating a fact of red ringing with the Xbox's, they may have fixed the issue now (or not) but that doesn't stop the fact millions of people rushed out to buy 500 quids worth of kit with a rushed operation in getting it to the market before Sony ps3 and hence the hardware in my opinion wasn't tested or maybe Microsoft didn't give a shit and just took loyal gamers money. Once again no offense intended its my quirky sense of humor !!!
@itchyflop @sgt_F79 So rather than open yourself up to criticism on specific details to back your allegation, you go straight to ad hominem. Brilliant.
You do need to explain yourself.
@sgt_F79 @itchyflop I think he's upset because mummy decided to express her milk instead of straight from the boob. Don't worry cup cake.
2 Like @itchyflop ??? wow....did i ever insult you??....and idk about you my Xbox works just fine, so yeah whatever you say you have an opinion and i have another different one....o.o
There wouldn't be an article or any sort of info about a top secret team if they were truly top secret. I understand they don't want to totally scrap the Kinect, but if this is a complete failure you may want to think about it. I just hope they don't lose a shitload of $. Then again they are M$.
"Not all of our ideas will fly. We will fail, and fail fast, on some projects." followed by "The job description makes clear that those seeking a "comfortable" or "standard" role at Microsoft should not apply."
All of that means to me that "all failures will be put on you, not the company". Not a good way to promote, if you ask me.
So how is this project supposed to be finished in time for the (assumed) holiday 2013 release of the next XBox? Probably won't, andso the NextBox 720 or whatever it will be called will ship with a stripped-down Kinect 1.5
So you just want the same old experiences over and over again? Granted there are some really creative things that can still be done with the traditional set of controls, but expanding on that can easily open up new possibilities and make for some truly amazing and immersive experiences, and all great ideas have to start somewhere, whether good or bad.
1 Like @abHS4L88 @xcollector Yes, it's not broken? so why fix it. I'd rather sit on my ass then jump around like a child on crack
Who says you have to? Just because you're a lazy ass doesn't mean everyone else is. There's a reason why arcades in many countries are still very popular, because they offer a gaming experience that you cannot get at home, home consoles are getting closer and closer to that.
if only MS had the same love for AAA games and just gave developers the freedom and finance to experiment and tell them you will fail and fail fast to create the next halo or gears but keep at it and celebrate those failures
"you may not know what your new project is until you?ve accepted" -- LAWL. Mission Impossible much. At least with IMF, you get to know what your mission is BEFORE you choose to accept it or not.
This comment has been deleted
I imagine that level of interaction won't be available for at least a couple more generations.
If the rumors of the next XBox not being that powerful are true, then the price of the system might be reasonable, plus I'm assuming that if it is indeed very powerful, it'll probably be more towards the multimedia features and the Kinect, not only for the system itself, like how part of the Wii U's power is meant for the GamePad.
the idea of kinect was cool. it was fun but bad control and my dam dog trying to bite my leg off everytime i tried to play was too much for me
lmao!! My Daughter gets in my way. I can only play when she's asleep or at Daycare. I still have fun playing Kinect. I need to play it more cause I'm getting out of shape.
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