Microsoft’s much maligned Kinect peripheral has been ‘unfairly judged’, the head of Criterion has said as the camera accessory is pulled as a boxed accessory.
With Microsoft having striped Kinect from the Xbox One box earlier this month, reducing the console’s cost to a PS4 rivalling £349 in the processor, the motion-tracking add-on has failed to win much favour with gamers.
However, Criterion General Manager Matt Webster has suggested that this is not the hardware’s fault, stressing his belief that Kinect can still be used to enhance games in ‘innovative and imaginative ways’.
“I love Kinect and think it is brilliant but I think Kinect has had a really crap time,” Webster said speaking with TrustedReviews recently.
He added: “Personally speaking, I think that
With gamers continuing to bemoan the lack of AAA releases supporting Kinect in a meaningful way, Webster has looked to move the flack away from the hardware, implying that developers themselves might be at fault for the lack of Kinect success.
“It is there for us to use in innovative and imaginative ways. If games haven’t done that, it’s not the fault of the hardware,” he told us.
Looking at Criterion’s own use of Kinect, Webster hinted that the company’s E3 teased but currently untitled multi-vehicle racer could incorporate the peripheral.
“Can I see a way of us using Kinect in a really fun and interesting way? Yeah, definitely, just like we did with cameras in Burnout Paradise.”
Despite Microsoft having cut Kinect from the Xbox One box in a bid to boost sales of the console, the manufacturer has been keen to highlight its ongoing support for the peripheral.
“To be clear, as we introduce this new Xbox One console option, Kinect remains an important part of our vision,” Phil Spencer, Microsoft’s Head of Xbox said in unveiling the new, Kinect-free Xbox One recently.
“We will continue to offer a premium Xbox One with Kinect bundle to deliver voice and gesture controls, biometric sign-in, instant personalization, instant scanning of QR codes, and enhanced features only available with Kinect.”
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
