Xbox 720 won’t turn on without Kinect connected
An old rumor around the Xbox 720 has been reignited again after a gaming news outlet received confirmation for sources with the device in hand. According to a source, every Xbox 720 unit will come with a Kinect camera standard. Apparently, the camera must be connected to the unit at all times.
According to Kotaku, the same source that attempted to sell his Xbox 720 dev unit on ebay before Microsoft stepped in has revealed to the publication that Kinect will be a vital component of the console. It is so vital that if the Kinect camera is not connected to the Xbox 720 the console will not turn on.
The camera will always be watching you even while the Xbox 720 is off, and detect when you want to turn it on. The next gen Kinect camera is said to be far superior over the current device and can recognize up to six people in the room. There are implications that through the Kinect device, the Xbox 720 will recognize and change various aspects of the dashboard such as theme and avatar to cater to each user.
The next gen Kinect will also be able to recognize your thumb (none of the other fingers yet) and also read facial expression, seeing whether you’re sad, angry or happy.
The Kinect camera has been improved in every aspect from a higher color resolution of 1080 and even has an active IR resolution. The reason Microsoft wants to make Kinect mandatory to even turn on the X box 720 is because developers are supposed to program games with it in mind.
The Xbox 720 will also feature the capability to run multiple apps at the same time, kind of like Android, iPhone and PS Vista. Gamers will be able to pause one game and launch another one while the other one is running in the background. It sounds like this feature will be limited to low overhead apps like Twitter and Facebook.
Many of Microsoft’s newly created studios are reported to be heavily in development on Kinect titles. It seems like Microsoft wants to push the Xbox 720 as a casual device like Nintendo and possibly succeed with a gimmick out of the gates.
What are your thoughts on Microsoft’s next gen plans?
17 Responses to “Xbox 720 won’t turn on without Kinect connected”
Leave a Reply:
You must be logged in to post a comment. Don't have an account? Register today!
February 12th, 2013
Um, what’s a “PS Vista”? Is that some baby that Sony and Microsoft made together behind closed doors?
I think the fact that the Kinect will always be on is kinda cool. Now we can all have nighttime dance parties with the lights off, jamming out to Rob Zombie with all the little infrared dots glowing on us, while a demon is stalking us and waiting to kill us all
February 12th, 2013
all these rumors about next gen consoles being bundled with other peripherals.
PS4: PS Eye 2 , OMLED Head-mounted display, Dualshock 3 with an LCD screen.
720: Kinect 2 (mandatory)
“Many of Microsoft’s newly created studios are reported to be heavily in development on Kinect titles. It seems like Microsoft wants to push the Xbox 720 as a casual device like Nintendo and possibly succeed with a gimmick out of the gates”
it seems that way…the next Xbox could be the next Wii (casual appeal, few decent exclusives along with many first party casual shovelware)
At the end of the day what matter is each console’s line up, both consoles will get all the the 3rd party game (with the exception that you will be able to play online and chat for free on PSN) but we all know that Sony will produce a much superior library of exclusves (this along with PS+ and Vita integration will be huge for Sony)
February 12th, 2013
For multimedia reasons, having a Kinect Ver. 2.0 in every box makes some sense. However, it will increase the cost of the most basic model of the Nextbox likely greater than that of the PS4.
My issue is though, that some of the best multimedia features that Kinect utilizes can be achieved with a headset anyway, but maybe this time around that won’t be included which each model….
You also fracture game development to some degree, kind of how Nintendo is doing with the Wii U. Some publishers will go out of their way to put extra functionality for the Kinect, like EA did with Mass Effect 3, and Dead Space 3, and Bethesda did with Skyrim, but most wont ever bother if voice commands aren’t standardized between PS4, and Nextbox. You also may get something but it will come in the form of a patch released a few months after the game comes out making it a poor selling point.
Now MS could force developers hands to make sure they add that functionality to distinguish the Nextbox from the PS4, but I doubt that if Nintendo can’t do it, MS will be hard pressed to do so either or risk games becoming PS4 exclusive by default.
I think what we’ll see here is, the few first party developers that MS has left using this with very sporadic third party use making it an unnecessary added expense for most of the userbase. Trying to rely on the casual audience too early on is a poor move when the machine is going to be pricey out of the gate. They traditionally wait until prices drop drastically. How many will really see the added benefit of using their thumbs when the dance games they’ve got now already provide enough?
February 12th, 2013
“The Xbox 720 will also feature the capability to run multiple apps at the same time, kind of like Android, iPhone and PS Vista. Gamers will be able to pause one game and launch another one while the other one is running in the background. It sounds like this feature will be limited to low overhead apps like Twitter and Facebook.”
Hmmm. For apps, this is a great idea. Gaming.. hit a button, and use the internet browser for the walkthrough..Amirite Carlb?
For games themselves I see a flaw here. Even if you can install the whole game to the system, you’re still likely to need the disc in the system to play it. So…what the point of being able to have two games running at the same time. Who does this cater to? Why eat into the memory footprint of the system for a function few people would use or care about?
Maybe this will work on digital game purchases only, but I still don’t see a large audience lining up or asking for this feature.
February 12th, 2013
Hate the prelaunch speculation. Happy to wait to the 20th.
February 12th, 2013
@CON
I agree with you 100%. I hate speculation because some people have no damn idea with what they are talking about. And there’s so much false information. People choke on their own words and beliefs because they are so eager.
It’s okay to get an idea of where things are going, but I don’t believe anything completely.
Except, I still stand in my place with Feb 20th, I don’t think it’s what people want to think it is.
But, I know that everyone can agree when I say that I believe that whatever happens on feb 20th will get the ball rolling. Amirite?
February 12th, 2013
February 17th, Bungie unveils Destiny. The 20th, Sony unveils PS4. If its not the PS4 there will be a lot of disappointed people expecting that let down. It sounds like a reveal to me.
I see no reason to argue over aspects that are speculations, but who’s doing that?
We’re here to talk about the gaming world and that’s what we do. Participate if you want to, or not if you don’t care to.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Microsoft wasnt behind some of these leaks to keep attention and news stories away from Sony at the moment.
I’d be very surprised if MS waited until E3 to release info. No reason to continue to allow Sony news time with no answer to it.
February 12th, 2013
Remember when sony first announced the ps3? They stripped it down before launch due to costs. Maybe this was done to put people off buying the xbox early but hopefully they don’t do that this time.
February 13th, 2013
LittleBigPlanet dev teases a new game ahead of Sony’s PlayStation 4 event
(MotorStorm studio also begins countdown)
The developers of PlayStation franchises LittleBigPlanet and MotorStorm have both teased new things ahead of Sony’s PlayStation event on 20th February.
The New York-based event is widely expected to star Sony’s next-generation console, PlayStation 4/Orbis.
LittleBigPlanet creator Media Molecule added a section for a new project (titled “?”) to its games page (separate to PlayStation Vita title Tearaway, also currently in development). It features a YouTube video of 1981 pop tune It’s A Mystery by Toyah Wilcox.
Media Molecule reportedly handed LittleBigPlanet 3 development to Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing studio Sumo Digital, freeing itself to work something else.
MotorStorm RC game director Paul Rustchynsky also teased the PlayStation event by beginning a countdown on his Twitter account over the weekend.
Evolution Studios produced five MotorStorm games since 2006. The latest, downloadable spin-off MotorStorm: RC, launched last year. But the LinkedIn profile of design director Simon Barlow mentioned a larger “AAA first-party exclusive” title. This project has been in development since 2011, when the series’ last major release MotorStorm: Apocalypse launched.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-02-11-littlebigplanet-dev-teases-a-new-game-ahead-of-sonys-playstation-4-event
February 13th, 2013
“Remember when sony first announced the ps3? They stripped it down before launch due to costs. Maybe this was done to put people off buying the xbox early but hopefully they don’t do that this time.”
And maybe they’ll be less arrogant this time around too by being humbled. The only thing I recall getting stripped down was the second HDMI port, and the ability to browse Internet while gaming. What else was there?
February 13th, 2013
As I recall the original was supposed to have 6 usb ports and a few other ports that never made the final cut.
I was mildly annoyed because their PR department did such a good job at bashing the xbox for being so inferior to only then go back on their claims. So even after the announcement I’ll still be a little sceptical this time.
That being said I’d really like to see what sony have up their sleeve!
February 13th, 2013
Yeah, the 60GB has 4, and the 20GB had 2 if I remember correctly.
In hindsight, I should have bought the 20GB instead of the 60GB, and upgraded the HDD myself (which I did anyway) to save some money, but Gamestop/EBgames, where only getting deliveries of the 60GB and the console was having shortages at launch.
February 13th, 2013
The 20GB didn’t have Wi-Fi
February 13th, 2013
I’ve always had mine hardwired anyway.
February 13th, 2013
Can we please strip the word “Orbis” from our vocabulary?? Its driving me nuts.
They arent going to change the whole fucking brand for one system.
Theres not going to change the website to “Orbis.us.Blog.com”
Just drop it already.
February 14th, 2013
It’s a codename MAK, how stupid are you?
February 15th, 2013
Ahh, straight to the name calling are we?