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Project Natal's New Name Is Kinect

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Microsoft finally officially names the Xbox 360's motion control device.

Microsoft's hands-free motion controller, which was once called Project Natal, now has an official name: Kinect.

Earlier this evening, USA Today confirmed rumors of the official branding in advance of Microsoft's Cirque Du Soleil event, which is due to air on MTV this Tuesday. As expected, the hardware publisher has since announced Kinect at the event and even demoed several of the games that will use the device.  
    
The games announced and shown thus far won't be unfamiliar to those with a Wii sitting in their entertainment center. Microsoft is set to publish a collection of sports-themed mini-games called Kinect Sports, a river-rafting title named Kinect Adventures, and a pet-training game called Kinectimals. 

Joy Ride, as rumored, is set to be a Kinect title and will eventually be joined by an MTV Games-developed dance game called Dance Central (which might be the rumored Harmonix-tied Kinect title). A Disney-developed and a LucasArts Star Wars game are also in the works.     
 
But most importantly, we'll be able to finally control the NXE Minority Report-style. According to USA Today, users with Kinect will be able to grab and intialize apps like Netflix with gestures. Freedom!
Filed under:
Kinect Support
E3 2010
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Posted by BradNicholson
Microsoft's hands-free motion controller, which was once called Project Natal, now has an official name: Kinect.

Earlier this evening, USA Today confirmed rumors of the official branding in advance of Microsoft's Cirque Du Soleil event, which is due to air on MTV this Tuesday. As expected, the hardware publisher has since announced Kinect at the event and even demoed several of the games that will use the device.  
    
The games announced and shown thus far won't be unfamiliar to those with a Wii sitting in their entertainment center. Microsoft is set to publish a collection of sports-themed mini-games called Kinect Sports, a river-rafting title named Kinect Adventures, and a pet-training game called Kinectimals. 

Joy Ride, as rumored, is set to be a Kinect title and will eventually be joined by an MTV Games-developed dance game called Dance Central (which might be the rumored Harmonix-tied Kinect title). A Disney-developed and a LucasArts Star Wars game are also in the works.     
 
But most importantly, we'll be able to finally control the NXE Minority Report-style. According to USA Today, users with Kinect will be able to grab and intialize apps like Netflix with gestures. Freedom!
Edited by Suxxorz

bam
 
The games sound rather eh, but the UI stuff sounds kinda cool.  Pricing might be an issue.

Posted by BurningStarIV

holy shit

Posted by DCFGS3

Yay for natal? I liked natal better

Posted by BagSquad

$190

Posted by Delorean

Kinectimals...god, really?

Posted by Molenator85

Man misspelling words to make them sound "hip"  really pisses me off.

Posted by BradNicholson

Just a bit of house-cleaning, guys.

Posted by viscous24601

meh, still better than wii

Edited by gunslingerNZ

Oh, so that was a real press image? I thought it was a dorky photoshop lol.
 
@ArkhamNights said:

" Kinectimals...god, really? "

Unfortunately yeah... They should really have just called the thing 'Kinetic' that sounds heaps better.
Posted by Blair

Bananas.  Kinect is a weak name that isn't catchy enough.  If it's $190 they're in trouble.

Posted by rargy

Are they driving or dancing?

Posted by TripMasterMunky

Man I hate video games.

Posted by TadThuggish

Nice to know we'll have another Eyetoy that may be fun to use for an hour or so at a drunken party, then put away to be forgotten about forever.

Posted by BigChief

Kinect? Because poor literacy is kewl!

Posted by bcjohnnie

Wow guys... I've been in a coma since 2006 and this idea of using motion control to play simplified versions of sports games and other shitty minigames sounds awesome!!! Where do I sign up?

Posted by JoelTGM
@Molenator85 said:
" Man misspelling words to make them sound "hip"  really pisses me off. "
I think it's pretty kool.
Posted by Diamond
@rargy said:
" Are they driving or dancing? "
Both
Posted by Dustpan

Natal was a way better name.

Posted by illmatic19

Yeah, I now have no excitement for Natal any more.

Posted by Poki3
Posted by CactusWolf

Terrible.

Edited by Dany

Fantastic.

Posted by Molenator85
@DOUBLESHOCK said:
" @Molenator85 said:
" Man misspelling words to make them sound "hip"  really pisses me off. "
I think it's pretty kool. "
Yeah, I mean I don't know what else they could call it, Kinect is family friendly enough I guess.
Posted by Fripplebubby

Daayum, what was wrong with Natal?

Posted by TooWalrus

Well. Fuckin' shit.

Posted by CoolDrMoney
@ArkhamNights said:
" Kinectimals...god, really? "
That's just about the dumbest name for anything ever
Posted by SSully
@viscous24601 said:
" meh, still better than wii "
 
How is it any different from the wii? The games listed sound like the same crappy casual mini games that the wii is all about.
Posted by Dany

I see two cameras....a sensor and a led light...

Posted by Ghostfish

I think it's some weird portmanteau of "kinetic" and "connect."

Posted by Xeiphyer

All I want is a K'NEX game for my Kinect.

Posted by TheMasterDS

That's worse than Natal. Still though, Kinect Adventure is its own game? Like, you have to pay 60 dollars for it? And it comes in a box? Sounds more like a Wii Sports minigame that's worth 2 dollars. Still, that's the magic of motion controls, aye? You can package a shitty minigame for 50 dollars.

Posted by Hughes

Meanwhile, the inventors of K'Nex are fuming.

Posted by glitznglam_style

I liked Natal. But nothing will make me spend $100+ to play these shitty games. Where's the killer app? Looks like a bunch of expected shovelware. Gee, thanks, Microsoft. 
 
Sure, the interface shit looks cool, but not $100+ cool. 
 
No thanks, you can keep this, Microsoft. And Sony can keep move, too. Here's to both failing miserably.
Posted by Siphillis

Kinectimals?  Makes me want to go back to AFRIKA BABY!!!

Posted by orchid413

The games sound like total ass...but hands free control for netflix and such sounds awesome. But is it really worth the price?!!! 
Posted by Bouz
@JustTheDoctor said:
" Natal was a way better name. "
It gets confused with pregnancy to often I bet. 
Posted by Damien

I'm kinda okay with this.  It's not like the name will have a lasting effect on the actual experience.  If that experience is good and fun, then the name is inconsequential.  I also have serious doubts Microsoft would send it out to die at $190.  I just can't see them having that be the price.

Edited by dudeglove

At least you could pity it initially because it had a baffingly stupid name beforehand. Now it's just a stupid name.

Posted by Dysnomia

POOR LITERACY IS KEWL

Posted by jonnyboy

Kinect? Of course that sounds less stupid than Natal.
 
When you think about how much the team was paid that is responsible for this shit, I could make a non-sense, vaguely European sounding word for half of what they charged.

Posted by Fortenium

*sigh* Why do companies always downgrade codenames? 
 
We went from Revolution to Wii. 
 
Now we are going from Natal (an original and interesting title) to Kinect.

Posted by freakin

That bodysuit demo on Jimmy Fallon awhile ago kinda killed any excitement I had for... hey what's this new Kinetic thing?

Posted by WiqidBritt

Kinect-only games aren't really the ones I'm interested in... though I am curious about the star wars game

Posted by MannAlive
@Molenator85 said:
" Man misspelling words to make them sound "hip"  really pisses me off. "
You can't misspell a name.  I can't accuse you of misspelling Molenator.  It's obviously a blend of the words "kinetic" and "connect" and after the way I got used to Wii after laughing at it, I say go ahead and name anything whatever you want.
 
Kinect is so much better than what it could have been and by making up a word they can stand out and trademark it and whatever.  I'm fine with this.  I might even like it.
Posted by rargy

Tomorrow they will announce that you can use your Kin phone as a controller!

Posted by FluxWaveZ
Online
Posted by Molenator85
@MannAlive said:
" @Molenator85 said:
" Man misspelling words to make them sound "hip"  really pisses me off. "
You can't misspell a name.  I can't accuse you of misspelling Molenator.  It's obviously a blend of the words "kinetic" and "connect" and after the way I got used to Wii after laughing at it, I say go ahead and name anything whatever you want.  Kinect is so much better than what it could have been and by making up a word they can stand out and trademark it and whatever.  I'm fine with this.  I might even like it. "
I guess, it just seems a little faceless to me. I didn't really understand the inspiration behind Natal, but it was pretty unique. Personally I would have went with Awesome Motion Box 500+!
Posted by HitmanAgent47

Not digging the new name, still whatever.

Posted by ashogo

I have a feeling this will bomb. Hard.
It's trying way too hard to emulate the wii.

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