Kinect 2.0 Detailed

Much of the excitement surrounding the new Xbox can be directly attributed to the next-gen Kinect sensor. Building off what the original Kinect started this takes NUI (natural user interaction) to the next level. From natural speech recognition to more accurate facial recognition and more detailed body motion capture. Kinect has been improved so much it's almost unfair to compare with the original incarnation. In this article let's go over what we know.

The New Xbox Revealed

It’s been an exciting couple weeks for Xbox fans. The new console was announced dubbed the “Xbox One” and the next-generation Kinect was debuted and detailed. We’ll give a brief synopsis of the new system as well as more in depth analysis of the new Kinect sensor in a later piece.

Steel Battalion: Heavy Armor Gameplay Screenshots

After a new trailer last month, Capcom decided to demo Steel Battalion: Heavy Armor at this years Tokyo Game Show. Japan's biggest video game magazine Famitsu have had a chance to see the game in action, bringing us our first shots of gameplay.

Project Draco Revealed - Screens and Gameplay Details

After a gameplay demonstration at this years Tokyo Game Show, we bring you all of the latest screenshots and gameplay details from one of Kinect's most anticipated upcoming releases.

Just What Is Fable: The Journey? - A Closer Preview

We take a deeper look at Lionheads upcoming Kinect Fable title to find out just what the game actually is; Not on rails -- on reigns.

Grasshopper Manufacture Officially Reveal Diabolical Pitch -- Video Demonstration

Having been announced last year as Codename D, Grasshopper Manufacture officially reveal their upcoming Kinect game, Diabolical Pitch. Click for all of the gameplay details as well as a video preview!

Microsoft HoloLens Build 2015

Sunday, May 03, 2015 Paris - Journalist View Comments


Windows 10 may have been the focus at Build yesterday, but Microsoft’s HoloLens demonstration totally stole the show. Want to see what it’s like to live in Microsoft’s futuristic holographic world? Now you can, thanks to a custom camera rig Microsoft cooked up.
Presumably it was wired up the same way the HoloLens itself is — to overlay virtual elements delivered by a computer running Windows 10 atop live video from the stage (set up to look like a Microsoft employee’s actual apartment).
The HoloLens experience is powered by the same Universal Apps that will allow Windows 10 phones to act like desktop computers. Just like on a PC, tablet, or phone, HoloLens gives you access to a Start Menu to launch them. You can then pin them around to your environment — walls work nicely for flat apps while 3D widgets like virtual pets and weather dioramas sit well on tables.
Want to take your apps with you? Just say “follow me” and your app comes along for the ride. And since Universal Apps can scale to any screen — from budget Windows 10 Phones to Microsoft’s massive 80-inch touchscreen PCs — you can resize apps any time you want with a simple gesture. Just tap and drag, and you’ve got yourself a massive, virtual video wall.
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Slice Zombies Release Date Announced!

Tuesday, April 21, 2015 Paris - Journalist View Comments



Slice Zombies for Kinect for Xbox One lands on 8th May 2015
Stuttgart, Germany – April 24th 2015
Slice Zombies for Kinect for Xbox One, the humorous zombie slicing game developed by independent game developer MADE, will be available on 8th May 2015 exclusively on Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft via the ID@Xbox self-publishing program for USD 9.99.
Well, so the zombie apocalypse is long over and there are still thousands of zombies left. So what do we do with them now? It’s easy!
Step in front of your Kinect motion sensor and use your hands to cut, grab and shoot zombies into little pieces.
Unlock funny zombie types like exploding zombies or time travelling zombies or Evil Zevel, a zombie equipped with a rocket pack flying across your TV.
Slice coins to unlock new items, backgrounds and walking hands that come with powerful special abilities.
- Cut and shoot zombie ragdolls into little pieces
- Grab zombies with one hand and slice them with the other
- Game progression with 21 levels and a built-in shop give you tons of replay value
- Unlock all cool items like new ribbons, backgrounds and zombies
- Awesome zombies like the time travelling zombie, Evil Zevel or the zombie bunny
Slice Zombies for Kinect will be available on May 8th 2015 for USD 9.99 exclusively on Xbox One.

About MADE
MADE is a small team of two developers from Stuttgart/Germany, that’s Erhan and Manny. They have spent the past 16 months working on Slice Zombies for Kinect for Xbox One. The small team hand crafted every single part of the upcoming Xbox One game: from the game’s 3D engine to every image, model and sound effect – everything has been developed in-house.
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Xbox One & Windows Kinect 2 Consolidated Due To “Unprecedented Demand”

Friday, April 03, 2015 Paris - Journalist View Comments



Microsoft to consolidate the Kinect for Windows experience around a single sensor
At Microsoft, we are committed to providing more personal computing experiences. To support this, we recently extended Kinect’s value and announced the Kinect Adapter for Windows, enabling anyone with a Kinect for Xbox One to use it with their PCs and tablets. In an effort to simplify and create consistency for developers, we are focusing on that experience and, starting today, we will no longer be producing Kinect for Windows v2 sensors.
Over the past several months, we have seen unprecedented demand from the developer community for Kinect sensors and have experienced difficulty keeping up with requests in some markets. At the same time, we have seen the developer community respond positively to being able to use the Kinect for Xbox One sensor for Kinect for Windows app development, and we are happy to report that Kinect for Xbox One sensors and Kinect Adapter for Windows units are now readily available in most markets. You can purchase the Kinect for Xbox One sensor and Kinect Adapter for Windows in the Microsoft Store.
The Kinect Adapter enables you to connect a Kinect for Xbox One sensor to Windows 8.0 and 8.1 PCs and tablets in the same way as you would a Kinect for Windows v2 sensor. And because both Kinect for Xbox One and Kinect for Windows v2 sensors are functionally identical, our Kinect for Windows SDK 2.0 works exactly the same with either.
Microsoft remains committed to Kinect as a development platform on both Xbox and Windows. So while we are no longer producing the Kinect for Windows v2 sensor, we want to assure developers who are currently using it that our support for the Kinect for Windows v2 sensor remains unchanged and that they can continue to use their sensor.
We are excited to continue working with the developer community to create and deploy applications that allow users to interact naturally with computers through gestures and speech, and continue to see the Kinect sensor inspire vibrant and innovative commercial experiences in multiple industries, including retail, education, healthcare, education, and manufacturing. To see the latest ways that developers are using Kinect, we encourage you to explore other stories in the Kinect for Windows blog.
Michael Fry, Senior Technology Evangelist for Kinect for Windows, Microsoft
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Fruit Ninja Kinect 2 now available exclusively on Xbox One

Wednesday, March 18, 2015 Paris - Journalist View Comments

Legendary fruit-slicing game returns for its most awe-inspiring adventure yet

March 18th, Brisbane, Australia – The king of slice-’em-ups is back and better than ever, with Fruit Ninja Kinect 2 officially arriving today on Xbox One, Halfbrick has announced.
Fruit Ninja Kinect 2 boasts a smorgasbord of content for new and returning players, featuring nine distinct game modes, four-person multiplayer, exclusive mini games, and a new progression system.
With an increased focus on movement and dexterity, Fruit Ninja Kinect 2 is designed to get gamers off the couch and on their feet. Players can dodge shurikens, avoid spotlights, or strike a pose in comical mini games.
The new Kinect sensor plays a pivotal role, allowing developer Hibernum Créations to implement a number of features which were not previously possible. Party Mode is a prime example, giving up to four players the ability to jump in and out of the action as matches progress.
In a series first, all modes can be played co-operatively with a friend or family member. Those looking for a more serious challenge can up the ante in Battle Mode, where new power-ups like Bomb Attack and Fast Forward are used to hinder opponents in a tasty tug-of-war.
“The Kinect is an amazing peripheral with a wealth of untapped potential,” said Shainiel Deo, chief executive at Halfbrick. “We’re excited to show developers that, with the right team and the right idea, Kinect games have the ability to revolutionize the living room.”
“Our goal was to create the premier Kinect experience for entire families,” added Louis-René Auclair, Vice-President and Chief Brand Officer at Hibernum. “Whether you’re young, old, short or tall, this is a game that everyone will enjoy for months and years to come.”
Fruit Ninja Kinect 2 is rated “E for Everyone” by the ESRB, and is available now for $14.99 USD on theXbox Games Store.

About Halfbrick

Halfbrick is a professional game development studio based in Brisbane, Australia. Founded in 2001, it has developed many popular games across mobile and digital platforms including Fruit Ninja, Jetpack Joyride and Fish Out Of Water. For further information, please visit halfbrick.com and follow on Twitter,YouTube or Facebook.

About Hibernum Creations

Since 2005, Hibernum’s expertise in game development, animation and visual effects creation has enabled the company to develop cross-platform games alongside industry giants such as Amazon, Lego, Disney, Cartoon Network, Halfbrick, Mattel, DeNA and Wooga. Recent projects include a number of hits: Bruce Lee: Enter the Game©, Cupcake Carnival©, Saber’s Edge©, Globlins©, Calling All Mixels©, LEGO City: My City©, Disney Infinity: Action©, Jewel Quest© and Pearl’s Peril©. For further information, please visit hibernum.com and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
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Wal-mart now selling Xbox One Titanfall bundle for $449

Friday, March 21, 2014 Paris - Journalist View Comments



In a new move to garner sales from the release of Titanfall. Walmart has now dropped the price of the Xbox One bundle by $50. When you subtract $60 for the game you're essentially getting an Xbox One for $389. A phenomenal deal.

If you're interested in this deal please go here.

Keep in mind this promotion might not be around for long as the fine print states this is a Walmart initiative and not the suggested retail price:

Walmart has decided to offer this product to you at a price well below the manufacturer's minimum retail price. Because of this, the manufacturer requires that you take a couple additional steps before you can see this special low price.

There was a similar deal from Newegg on Ebay but those sold out in minutes.

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Purchase Xbox One recieve Forza or Titanfall Free

Thursday, March 06, 2014 Paris - Journalist View Comments




This my friends is why competition is a good thing. Microsoft has seen fit to not only offer the most anticipated Next-gen game, Titanfall, for free but they've also decided to offer a more family friendly option in Forza 5 as well. Both of these fantastic bundles will be available next week for the standard price of an Xbox One at $499. Just in time for the spectacle that will Titanfall's launch.
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MS: Ditch your PS3 for $100 towards an Xbox One

Thursday, January 30, 2014 Paris - Journalist View Comments



Well things are starting to really heat up now that the launch periods have cooled down. For a limited time Microsoft is giving $100 in trade-in credit for any PS3 to put towards an Xbox One. This deal is available at all MIcrosoft stores until March 2nd. Funnily enough although this applies to all versions of the PS3. Only the Xbox 360 S and Xbox 360 E qualify for this promotion. Leaving original Xbox 360 owners in the cold.

For more details go to www.microsoftstore.com
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