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News: Xbox Live Gold Free For Everyone This Weekend
Get gaming
To celebrate the release of the Xbox Dashboard update, Microsoft has thrown open Xbox Live Gold to everyone this weekend. You'll be able to access Video Kinect, play games over Xbox Live and generally get the Gold experience for nothing. Enjoy your weekend! We’re happy to announce that this weekend we’re unlocking some of our amazing Xbox LIVE Gold member features including LOVEFiLM.. Continue Reading »
News: Kinect Rush: A Disney Pixar Adventure Out in March
Get animated
Kinect Rush: A Disney Pixar Adventure is to be released in North America on 20th March 2012, Microsoft has announced. Update: The European release is confirmed as 23rd March 2012. The game features characters from Ratatouille, The Incredibles, Toy Story and more in a series of "time-based challenges", otherwise known as minigames. Here's the first trailer from when the game.. Continue Reading »
News: Kinect-Powered Dance Evolution Arcade Game On the Way
Kinect leaves the living room
Next year Kinect will throw off its living room shackles and join the arcade scene, as Konami has announced it's working on an arcade version of Dance Evolution (or DanceMasters) for release in 2012. The game is currently on test at certain locations in Japan, with the sensor tucked away inside the arcade cabinet. Recently it was revealed the 114,000 Japanese have.. Continue Reading »
News: At Last, Australians Can Use Kinect Voice Commands
Say g'day!
It's been a long wait, but finally gamers in Australia can use Kinect's voice commands. We reported last year that Kinect couldn't understand Aussies, but now with the Xbox Live Dashboard update going live around the world today that injustice is about to be corrected. Here's what Microsoft Australia's director of consumer channels group, David McLean, had to say: We are unique in the.. Continue Reading »
News: Xbox Gets Voice Search With Tomorrow's Dashboard Update
All the details inside
The next big Xbox Live update starts rolling out tomorrow, taking the next big step to full voice control integration into the Xbox 360 dashboard. We've got a full run-down of what's available from tomorrow, with Xbox Bing search the biggest addition for Kinect owners. Are you as excited as we are? The Future of TV Begins Now on Xbox 360 Kinect for Xbox 360 brings voice.. Continue Reading »
News: 750,000 Kinect Sensors Sold in Thanksgiving Week
Wow
Selling 10 million sensors around the world in one year is an impressive achievement for Microsoft, but selling 750,000 in just one week in the United States is pretty impressive too. Major Nelson confirms that over 750,000 sensors were shifted during Black Friday week. That figure includes bundles and standalone sensors. It'll be interesting to see if the rush for Kinect has a positive effect.. Continue Reading »
News: Help Bodoink Get Made and Maybe Get a Steak Dinner
It'll make sense
Fed up of developers making Kinect games you have no interest in buying? Want to help someone create a game you actually might like? That's why Robomodo is asking for your help funding Bodoink, an Xbox Live Arcade game made just for Kinect. Using crowdfunding website Kickstarter, Robomodo is hoping to attract $35,000 by 28th December in order to finish the game and see it.. Continue Reading »
News: Just 114,000 Japanese Have Bought Kinect
Dismal
Xbox 360 isn't very popular in Japan, and the average Japanese home is very small. Surprise surprise, then, that Kinect has only mustered a pitiful 114,000 sales in the Land of the Rising Sun. Even combined, the three best-selling Kinect titles — excluding Kinect Adventures — only amount to a meagre 60,300 sales, barely even one sale for every two Kinect sensors. The top three titles.. Continue Reading »
Rumour: Kinect 2 Capable of Reading Lips and Emotions
Project Skynet commences
After last week's next Xbox rumours comes another set from Eurogamer, this time focusing on the upgraded Kinect said to come with every machine. Anonymous sources have apparently told Eurogamer Kinect 2 is capable of lip reading, and can detect emotion in the user's voice. Eurogamer also claims the next Kinect can "determine in which direction are facing," which.. Continue Reading »
News: Rare Talks Kinect's Past Problems and Future Promise
Where is it going?
No matter what you make of Kinect's current games line-up or its future potential, you can't argue the past 12 months have been anything but fascinating: watching developers create new concepts to fit a button-free body-tracking control system, with all the success and struggle that brings with it. One studio that's been integral to Kinect so far is UK developer Rare, and its.. Continue Reading »
News: Ubisoft: Microsoft Needs to Support Kinect Year-Round
Not just a holiday fad
Anyone who's glanced at the Kinect sales figures knows the sensor was quick out of the box, selling 8 million units in its first few months on sale, but the last update put the sensor at 10 million sold in its first year. With 80% of its lifetime sales in the first Christmas, it's clear Kinect hasn't yet achieved a solid year-round sales performance, something that worries.. Continue Reading »
Rumour: Next Xbox Split in Two Models for Kinect and Core
Which would you choose?
Xbox 360 has been around for six years now, and although regular Dashboard updates and the introduction of Kinect have kept things fresh, eyes are starting to turn towards the next machine in the Xbox line. The latest rumours, from technical wizards Digital Foundry (via Eurogamer), claim that the new machine will come in two distinctly different set-ups, both of which will.. Continue Reading »
News: Microsoft Creating Kinect Hardware Just for Windows
Ready for its close-up
Kinect's had as much use on PC as it has on Xbox 360, and after embracing the possibilities with an official software development kit earlier this year, Microsoft is now putting together a version of Kinect specifically for Windows users. New components and firmware mean the sensor will be able to focus on objects just 50cm from its cameras, greatly increasing its close-up.. Continue Reading »
News: Xbox Dashboard Gets Full Kinect Support on 6th December
Update revealed
The current Xbox Dashboard was never really built to take full advantage of Kinect, but the next revision of the system software will support the sensor in all areas instead of just a small boxed-in hub. The dashboard update will arrive on 6th December, granting all Xbox Live members new features such as Bing voice search and full Kinect gesture support over the entire dashboard.. Continue Reading »
News: Microsoft Offers $20,000 to Spark Kinect Creation
Interested? Read on
Microsoft's eagerness to spread The Kinect Effect continues apace with a brand new incentive for development studios. Called The Kinect Accelerator — exciting names obviously a key focus at Microsoft these days — the programme is offering $20,000 to "entrepreneurs, engineers and innovators" to help develop the next big Kinect breakthrough. If you're after more.. Continue Reading »
News: Lady Gaga Dance Central 2 DLC Reaches The Edge of Glory
New tracks in tomorrow
Dance Central 2's tracklisting is about to get an extra injection of the fame monster soon, as two more tracks from maverick popstar/serial show-off Lady Gaga are set to hit the game tomorrow. Marry the Night and The Edge of Glory will hit the Marketplace tomorrow for 240 Microsoft Points each, joining Bad Romance and Born This Way on the DC2 disc and Just Dance and Poker.. Continue Reading »
Feature: Kinect Holiday Gift Guide 2011
What's worth your money?
There are over 80 games available for Kinect now, and knowing exactly which one to pick up as a present can be a tough proposition. That's why we've put together our Kinect holiday game guide 2011 to let you know exactly what you should be looking for when picking a game this season. We've split this article into five categories for ease of use: Family Time, Party,.. Continue Reading »
Talking Point: What's Kinect Doing Right or Wrong?
One year on, how's it going?
Kinect has had a full 12 months to bed itself in, and arguably the standard of releases this Christmas is higher than what the sensor launched with last year, but the sensor still hasn't established itself as a home for quality games. In the past few days we've seen an encouragingly healthy discussion about the matter here at KINECTaku, so we wanted to give you a.. Continue Reading »
News: Kinect Star Wars Console Unboxed Before Your Eyes
See here
Back in July we exclusively revealed the limited edition Star Wars Xbox 360 console, and now the console's been unboxed and turned on by our good friends over at Eurogamer. The R2-D2-styled console has a blue LED for a power light and mimics the droid's whistling chatter when it's turned on or a disc is ejected. We haven't seen any of the limited edition Kinect that comes with the machine,.. Continue Reading »
News: Sesame Street UFO DLC Out Next Week
Tin foil hats at the ready
The rather nice Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster is about to get a little bit bigger, with the game's first downloadable content due to release next week. The extra pack — called "Unidentified Furry Objects" — will be on sale from 22nd November for 400 Microsoft Points, and introduces you to the brand new extra-terrestrial characters hinted at in the.. Continue Reading »
