Xbox One Kinect Rivals will have optional controller support for exploring and menus

[AvalonX]

"When we started making games for Kinect there was a big focus on always using the hardware," he says. "But now it's in the box, we can use it when it makes sense and not when it doesn't."

A key example of this is in navigating the game's front-end. Rather than using a menu screen, the user-interface is a living, interactive depiction of the Kinect Sports island, where users can see all the events, who is playing them, and the best scores of their friends. It's neat, but the best part is, you can just explore the whole thing with a controller. You don't need to stand there and making swiping gestures like some deranged military despot.

"It just makes sense," says Woodroffe. "People want to sit down with a controller and tweak their appearance, change the outfit – you can do it via gesture, but we're not going to force it, it's fine to use the controller. That's quite a big step forward, policy-wise. It's definitely a good thing. We'll drop motion controls where it makes sense."

This is a pretty interesting shift. I actually prefer this than adding Kinect support in games just to add it. Let the devs play with this thing and do some creative things with it. Don't shove it down everyone's throat.

Source: The Guardian

 

[StingerNLG]

Just an FYI this is inaccurate. I asked Mike Yberra from Microsoft Game Studios about this and he said Kinect is required for the game itself. This may have been a misinterpretation of what Woodroffe was trying to say.

 

[KN1GHTMARE]

This is a pretty interesting shift. I actually prefer this than adding Kinect support in games just to add it. Let the devs play with this thing and do some creative things with it. Don't shove it down everyone's throat.

Source: The Guardian

This article doesn't say you can play with a controller, it says the island can be explored with a controller as well as tweaking settings. I'll have to edit the title.

 

[StingerNLG]

XboxP3: KSR is a Kinect game, not playable with a controller.


XboxP3: I see the confusion. The gameplay modes are Kinect. There is UI navigation you can do with controller.

 

[KN1GHTMARE]

XboxP3: @bosjbug KSR is a Kinect game, not playable with a controller.

The quote doesn't say you can play with controller, just that you can use t to explore the island (lobby) and to use settings menu. Which I think is a smart move since having to use motion for settings is bothersome.

 

[StingerNLG]

The quote doesn't say you can play with controller, just that you can use t to explore the island (lobby) and to use settings menu. Which I think is a smart move since having to use motion for settings is bothersome.

This is the part that caused the confusion in the article:

Indeed, in the game itself, it seems players can opt to use the Xbox One controller instead of movement for most inputs. The challenge for the team this time has been ensuring that Kinect remains a truly useful interface – the one most players will naturally prefer. "We test all of the games with a controller and if we can't do just as well with motion controls, we're not happy," assures Woodroffe.

 

[Sugarhill]

Yeah, I was wondering why KINECT Rivals would start using controllers, but once I read the thread, it makes sense. I think you can use a controller for some things in Kinect Adventures, but yeah, you need the controller for everything outside of the game. The games are usually so draining that you need all of your energy.