XBOX 360 Discussion

[JBHuskers]

I don't think we have a thread for this....I'll start it off by saying surprise surprise, the Kinect is overpriced:

http://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/13/ki...g-to-teardown/

Based on a recent teardown conducted by UBM TechInsights, it looks like the most expensive part of Microsoft's Kinect is the box it comes in. According to UBM TechInsights, the Kinect contains about $56 worth of hardware. Around $17 of that cost is attributed to the PrimeSense motion detection system, including the microphones, cameras and processor.

Of course, the $56 figure doesn't include manufacturing costs (not to mention some undoubtedly massive marketing costs). It's also worth noting that UBM's assessment is just an estimate and only Microsoft knows the real cost. Still, assuming the figure is even close to accurate, it would seem Microsoft makes an impressive chunk of change from the $150 price.

[morsdraconis]

It's no different than Nintendo and the fuckin' Wii Balance Board. That thing is a piece of shit yet they were making a freakin' killing off of it (and still are). I mean, Wii Fit sold like 27 million copies or some shit at $100 a pop. Even charging $60 for the game, that's still $40 for a peripheral that probably cost a fraction of that to make (not to mention how overpriced $60 is for Wii Fit).

[AustinWolv]

Not amazed at all. Think of kids' toys.....they are literally pennies or quarters to make, but cost $10+ for a simple plastic toy.

[NatureBoy]

I want to get Kinect but i'm not paying 150 bucks for it. I can wait for the price to drop before I buy it.

[I OU a Beatn]

I didn't even consider it. I don't have 15 feet of clear space(exaggeration, but still), nor do any of the launch titles even remotely interest me. Lower the price, improve the technology, and make games that I actually want to play and then I'll buy it.

[JBHuskers]

I just got a Wii and am getting the Move for Christmas, that's enough motion gaming for me.

[JeffHCross]

I didn't even consider it. I don't have 15 feet of clear space(exaggeration, but still)

This x a million. I have no space for Kinect or Move.

[I OU a Beatn]

Well, LOL at me. I walked into KMart today and ended up getting Kinect for $99 plus tax. Considering it's this close to the holidays and at that price, I couldn't say no. So I got it and hooked it up fairly painlessly. There's only about 3 feet of space in front of my TV, so before I play games, I'm going to have to move some stuff around, so even though it'll be a pain, I shouldn't have a problem doing it. Anyway, didn't play any games so I can't judge my experience on that, but just messing around the menus and trying out the voice command, Kinect is uber fucking awesome. The voice command is really simple to setup and is really accurate at picking up what you're saying. The motion when navigating the menus is fluid and feels natural. So based purely on the Minority Report part of it, I'm completely and utterly satisfied with my purchase. If I had known how good it was at voice command and the motion tracking, I would've picked it up on launch day.

Once they come out with hardcore style games for Kinect, it will be the complete package and I can't wait to give it a try. Unfortunately, there's no games out right now that really interest me, nor are there any really slated to come out soon, so it may be awhile before I can really gauge just how valuable it will be as a motion gaming system.

[cdj]

I haven't followed it closely, but are there any 'hardcore style' games coming out for it? The games I've seen look pretty kiddie and/or simple. Simple games are fine too (if fun) but not for the price of the game + Kinect, for me at least.

[I OU a Beatn]

Not that I'm aware of. There's a Star Wars Kinect game slated for launch sometime in 2011, which will be interesting if it's developed correctly. Geoff Knightly has been teasing something for the upcoming G4 special on December 11th, saying that it's going to be something concerning Gears of War and Kinect. If done correctly, that will be awesome. Besides, if there's one thing Microsoft is not going to ignore, Kinect has already sold a million pieces of hardware. There's no way they're going to let that market slide with games they don't want. They want the hardcore gamers to buy them as well, which means it's only a matter of time before we see Halo, Gears of War, and anything else they can think of incorporating Kinect.

I doubt I'll see it under $100 again anytime soon, so I think it was a great choice to go ahead and buy it. Now whenever they do announce something I'm interested in, I'll be all set and ready to go.

By the way, you definitely need bare minimum 6 feet between you and the sensor. I'm pretty sure I can get just enough that room, if not a little more, so it's definitely not for rooms that are small and/or crowded with furniture. The camera itself sets up easier than the Eye for PS Move. I have the Eye basically hanging off the edge of the top of my TV, while Kinect actually has a stand that sits nicely directly in front of the TV. It scared the hell out of me when the camera physically moved. Kind of freaky the kind of technology they can come up with nowadays, and that's just for a gaming system.

Also, it's not QUITE as accurate as PS Move. Don't get me wrong, it's still pretty damn accurate and I didn't notice any lag(it'll be even better once I give it the full 6-8 feet), but PS Move is a little bit smoother. Once again, that may prove to be untrue once I move my stuff around, but if it's as smooth as Move with no controller, I'll be super impressed.

[JeffHCross]

I haven't followed it closely, but are there any 'hardcore style' games coming out for it?

No ... 'hardcore style' games would need things like buttons (start at 0:49) ...

[morsdraconis]

Kevin Butler is one funny motherfucker...

[JBHuskers]

Will your next cable box be an XBOX?

[psuexv]

Kinect sex – what's the holdup?

http://technolog.msnbc.msn.com/_news...ats-the-holdup

Go on. Admit it. If you own a Kinect, you've been wondering this very thing: How long until someone makes a Kinect sex game?

Microsoft's new body-tracking sensor for the Xbox 360 is one of those things that just begs for such adult speculation — especially when you see how it tracks and displays the movements of your full body in games like "Dance Central" and "Your Shape: Fitness Evolved."

The folks over at joke site MotionSwinger have already imagined the possibilities. "Get naked and jump into the world of love with your Xbox 360 and Kinect! Preorder MotionSwinger now...only $49.99!" (In case you couldn't guess, this site is totally NSFW)

Meanwhile, some wily folks have been hacking the device and getting it to do some pretty nifty stuff. So one can only imagine that somewhere...out there...someone is working on a homebrew game of virtual boom-boom.

In fact, industrious tinkerer Dan Wilcox has already hacked the Kinect to track breasts — man breasts that is.

But a real, honest-to-goodness Kinect sex game? While it's possible, it may not happen in any sort of, er, appealing way any time soon.

Kyle Machulis, a robotics engineer, sex-tech expert and the blogger behind Slashdong (NSFW! Duh!), has been giving Microsoft's device a good groping and has come to the conclusion that while Kinect sex and the use of the device in the making of and watching of pornography may be possible right now, it probably won't be particularly enjoyable to behold.

Here's a bit of what he had to say (with some mild editing):

So what can the Kinect bring to sex? Well, probably not a good real time rendering of your (male genitals), or strap-on, or really any genitalia in a usable way for pornography. Why? Because that’s not really what it was made for.

Microsoft put a ton of work into making the Kinect track the human body as a whole, so you can play games by jumping and running and generally acting the fool and feel like you’re in the game instead of just sad. Genitalia, for the most part, are not a major geometric feature of the human body when taken in perspective of physical size...Neither are they normally used in the control of video games, be they rated (for all) or (for adults only).

In his blog post, Machulis takes an in-depth look at how Kinect detects and translates movements of the human body and the short comings involved when X-Rated imagery is the goal. He summarizes:

In short, porn is about sex, but for many customers it’s also about being able to see the sex in a way that doesn’t make you think 'Wait, why does her arm detach completely when her boob is in front of it' or 'why does he have a penis shaped hole in his stomach.' The pattern the Kinect uses to get depth data is made for picking up full bodies to control video games, and therefore isn’t quite so good at picking up minutiae about those bodies.

Ultimately, however, Machulis knows what we all know: None of this will stop people from trying.

"I bet we’ll see Kinect porn and possibly Kinect Skype services within the month," he writes.

Thank goodness we have something to look forward to.

[cdj]

From Joystiq:

The "Xbox Live Rewards" program tested over a year ago is now a real thing. The website for the US/UK-only loyalty program is now live, and you can sign up and check out the rewards.

It's kind of like Club Nintendo, except instead of fans and tote bags, you get Microsoft Points and Microsoft Points. The bonuses range from 10 MSP for renewing a one-month membership, all the way to 400 for buying or renewing a family plan. You can also get 100 points for activating Netflix, unspecified bonuses for buying certain things on Marketplace, and an occasional 20 points for taking surveys. Microsoft also promises "cool prizes" in promotions.

As Club Nintendo users know, there is basically no downside to a loyalty program like this. You do the stuff you were going to do anyway, and then someone gives you free stuff periodically.

[JBHuskers]

Yeah the stuff Nintendo gives away is kinda lame....but I'll take points!

[psuexv]

So this is pretty cool - http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2...oms-to-360.ars

[JBHuskers]

Microsoft has kept the Xbox 360 wireless technology locked up tighter than Justin Bieber's personal cellphone number, which means that third-party companies have had to use Microsoft's proprietary 2.4 GHz wireless technology rather than Bluetooth when making peripherals. For controllers and things like guitars, that's fine and dandy, but when it comes to headphones, companies like Tritton, Turtle Beach, Astro, and others have had to create base stations that broadcast a wireless signal from the Xbox 360 to your headphones.

Finally, that clutter looks like it may be a thing of the past. Mad Catz announced today that they will be creating a line of both wired and wireless Xbox 360 licensed and branded headphones under their Tritton label, which marks the first time a company outside of Microsoft will release branded, wireless headphones.

If that means less wires and wall-warts plugged in behind my 360, I'm all for it. PlayStation 3 owners have had the luxury of using Bluetooth headsets for their gaming, but Microsoft has kept the wireless audio locked up until now. Let's hope that this trend continues, and that the world can finally heed my call: No More Wires.



Read more: http://www.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/pos...#ixzz1Cp3tDBkv

[morsdraconis]

Wish it wasn't Madcats though... Their controllers are a piece of shit...

[JBHuskers]

Wish it wasn't Madcats though... Their controllers are a piece of shit...

Most are but not their fight sticks.