Categories
Related Links
This edition we finally have release date news officially from the developer’s mouth for Kinect Star Wars, a leak from Ubisoft Reflections hinting at a new Kinect title, blind people using the motion sensor to feel their way through obstacles, and the NFL Play 60 at the Super Bowl. All in this edition of Quick News.
There has been a lot of debate and rumor and all out venom for Kinect Star Wars. Their last trailer didn’t help. But there is good news today. We now have an official date for release from LucasArts and Microsoft and that is April 3, 2012. The title may still be just as bad as we think, but at least we’ll know for sure. The best part of the news is that the Star Wars Xbox 360/Kinect Bundle that was supposed to be out around Christmas time, with its cool R2-D2 look, white Kinect sensor, 320gb drive, gold C-3PO controller and the game of course, will also be released that day for $449. A statement promises the game will have a Duel of Fates mode where would-be Jedi and Sith can practice their skills, a Jedi Destiny mode, where you fight off hordes with your lightsaber and Force powers, podracing and speederbikes and the scary and ill advised Dance Off. Where, according to the release, players will be able to strut their stuff in competition with Darth Vader. Now if you’ve ever been to Disney’s Star Wars Weekends, you may have seen the Dark Lord dancing to Beat It. He’s not too bad actually, but is that the kind of face off we’d really want?
And this is how leaks happen or is it meant to be an early teaser? Joss Scouler, who is a lead artist at Ubisoft Reflections, left an entry on his LinkedIn page that said that he was now lead artist on a Kinect 360 project, but didn’t mention anything other than that. The company, which released Driver Wii and just came out with Driver: San Francisco, will be taking up the unannounced task, apparently as their next project, although they have yet to confirm or deny.
Another interesting use has surfaced for the Kinect and that is to help blind people navigate more efficiently without the need for a walking stick. Basically the device called the viSparsh Belt, which you can watch in a demonstration above, is connected to the wearer around their waist. As the person moves, it senses for objects that are nearby using the Kinect’s camera and analytical skills. To alert the wearer of a possible obstruction, it vibrates based on proximity from either the left, middle or right side, indicating which way the person should go. When it stops vibrating, the person knows it’s safe to go in that direction. The device is still in the development phase and there is no word of whether it will be released as a product for sale, but it is fascinating research and another great application for the sensor.
And finally this last Sunday, the NFL wanted to get kids involved and off the couch as part of the NFL’s Play 60 program. So at Super Bowl 46 in Indianapolis, football celeb Drew Brees invited a bunch of local kids over to try their luck against him in some track and field events on the Xbox 360/Kinect. But he found out that running in the video game isn’t quite the same as running down the field and was a little embarrassed when several of the youngsters manage to beat him in the 100m dash. Each participant than received their own Xbox 360 Kinect bundle, which was a pretty good deal. The idea as a whole is to get kids everywhere to play and exercise at least 60 minutes a day. The Kinect can help a child do that, indoors if it’s raining or snowing, so it’s the perfect fit for such a movement.
And that’s the news we have in this edition. Thanks for reading.
