With Xbox One, the all new Kinect is an essential and integrated part of the platform. By having Kinect as a consistent part of Xbox One, game and entertainment creators can build experiences that assume the availability of voice, gesture and natural sensing, leading to unrivaled simplicity, premium experiences and interactivity. In the two videos after the jump, Scott and Kareem show examples of how the “eyes, ears and brains” in the new Kinect are significantly advanced. [more…]
The “Eyes and Ears” video showcases features like 3D vision, the larger field of view and the magic of the 2D color camera. The 3D vision of the new Kinect sensor has three times the fidelity of the first generation Kinect, so you can see great details such as the wrinkles in your shirt, facial expressions, and the fingers on your hand. These improvements will enable game developers to create games with heightened natural interaction and engagement for more realistic gameplay. And more accurate interaction with Xbox One across all scenarios.
[youtube]http://youtu.be/7dSefGxnThc[/youtube]
Next, Scott shows us more details on the “brains” of Kinect in the second video. Through a rich combination of science – ranging from computer vision, machine learning, speech recognition, facial recognition, and digital signal processing – Microsoft has harnessed the science with creative energy from the Xbox and Microsoft Research teams to deliver the new generation of Kinect. The first looks at skeletal tracking and demonstrates the fidelity of the joints and anatomical correctness the new Kinect can display. Everything from your hip, spine and shoulder movements to the tips of your hand can be incorporated into gameplay with Xbox One. Kinect has advanced to a true human understanding and fidelity of expression as people move around. And, Kinect can now easily distinguish up to six players at the same time, in the same field of view. This demonstration shows how Kinect can accurately depict what is being done by the body, a further reflection of Kinect’s ability to recognize and reflect movement.
[youtube]http://youtu.be/bdviGrPaQDQ[/youtube]
Following Tuesday’s official unveiling of the Xbox One, we now get a closer look at the system. The Xbox One is described as, “a state-of-the art gaming console, a new generation TV and movie system and a whole lot more. Gone are the days of switching inputs on your TV to play a game or watch a movie. With Xbox One, you can quickly jump from TV to movies to music to a game. Just with the sound of your voice.” See all the specs HERE and hit the jump for more! [more…]
[youtube]http://youtu.be/TP_E6Bn6fWM[/youtube]
Introducing Xbox One, the all-in-one entertainment system. This is the unveil video for the Xbox One, showcasing the console, the new Kinect sensor and the new Xbox One controller, as well as the new experiences that will be coming with Xbox One, including the personal homescreen, cinematic gaming, Live TV and Skype. Welcome to a new generation of games and entertainment.
Microsoft has unveiled the new Xbox and it’s called Xbox One! The controller and Kinect unit are redesigned and Xbox promises that this console is a better-connected way of linking TV, games, and entertainment, but with more via commands like “Xbox, on” and more! Hit the jump to see all the specs and make sure you check out the full unveiling from this morning HERE. Enjoy and stay ready for more news coming from E3! [more…]
Below is an exert from Cnet on the Xbox One
Home entertainment
Microsoft promises that you’re “going to have a relationship with your TV.” The next Xbox tries to take on a living room that has become “too complex,” and make a system that knits games, TV, and entertainment.
So, how will that happen?
There are universal gestures such as grab and pan and swipe up: watching live TV will involve maximizing and minimizing the screen in a top corner. Live TV will be part of the Xbox One experience, via HDMI-in. Yes, cable TV looks like part of the package.
Specs
Under the hood, details so far include: an eight-core processor, 8GB of RAM, Blu-ray, USB 3, HDMI in/out, and a 500GB hard drive. Besides all of this, Microsoft is promising a new operating system fusing Xbox and Windows.
Xbox One architecture has “three operating systems in one”: Xbox, a kernel of Windows (perhaps like Windows RT), and a multitasking interface. The idea seems to be that this console will be a multitasker at heart.
New Kinect
A new Kinect comes with the Xbox One, with improved accuracy. There’s a 1080p camera, Skype connectivity, and understanding of rotational movement in a structure-like skeleton. Microsoft even claims the new Kinect can read your heartbeat. It can also recognize your controller, not just your hands — suggesting use cases that sound a little like the PlayStation Move’s wand.
New controller
The Xbox controller’s gotten a revamp with an integrated battery, improved ergonomics, a better D-pad, and improved-response triggers. It looks similar but has gotten a bunch of gamer-oriented tweaks.
SmartGlass
The tablet-based SmartGlass experience will be around on Xbox One, and will work as before with a variety of phones and tablets.
Xbox Live
Built on the existing service and usernames, the new Xbox Live promises 300,000 servers for Xbox One, a whopping number. Matchmaking services will work while doing other tasks like watching movies or Web-browsing, and bigger, faster-connecting matches are promised, too.
Games
Microsoft plans eight new franchises for the Xbox One in the first year, a hopeful sign for a platform that’s become too sequel-dependent. Of course, Forza 5 was shown off, but a new game called Quantum Break from the developers of Alan Wake looks like the sort of game we’re more used to seeing from PlayStation: a big-studio design and cinematic feel.
TV on Xbox
“Xbox is going to be the next water cooler.” That was said during the Xbox event to discuss the Xbox One’s role as a social TV platform. To that end, it sounds like Microsoft is developing TV shows and original programming for the Xbox One, making a greater leap into Netflix-like original programming. Steven Spielberg announced a new Halo TV series, and the NFL demonstrated some level of interaction with fantasy stats and Skyping with NFL broadcasts.
Availability
The Xbox One will be available “later this year,” so that means 2013 after all. Price and a specific date will have to wait…after all, E3 is just weeks away.
Are ready for the new Xbox? Microsoft is! The official plan is to unveil the next generation Xbox 360 next month. The company is holding the event May 21 and in their words this will “Mark the beginning of a new generation of games, TV and entertainment.” Rumors about the ‘Xbox 720′ so far are that it has a revamped design and a whole bunch of new features that haven’t been seen yet. Be sure to check back for more information as it comes.
