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Giant Bomb News

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Rare Will Rebuild The Xbox 360 Avatar, It Has The Technology

If it adds a muscle slider, I'll be a happy man.

Microsoft's hands-free controller, Kinect, is the reason you'll see more lifelike avatars possibly as early as this November when the hardware hits.

In a brief chat, Rare told OXM digital that it will engineer a redesign of the Xbox 360 avatar. It's an overhaul that will make the cartoon-inspired avatar a more human, more proportional digital recreation for Kinect-supported games. The current avatar design doesn't work well with the device, as the goofy proportions of the avatars tend to cause havoc on the hand-to-eye coordination front. 
 

No Caption Provided

There's no solid word on when the redesign will happen, but there's little doubt a dashboard update is coming when Kinect hits later this year. That would theoretically be the perfect time to revamp the avatar in preparation for all the zany, avatar-centric mini-game collections sure to be flooding the market soon after.     

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BradNicholson

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Edited By BradNicholson
Microsoft's hands-free controller, Kinect, is the reason you'll see more lifelike avatars possibly as early as this November when the hardware hits.

In a brief chat, Raretold OXM digital that it will engineer a redesign of the Xbox 360 avatar. It's an overhaul that will make the cartoon-inspired avatar a more human, more proportional digital recreation for Kinect-supported games. The current avatar design doesn't work well with the device, as the goofy proportions of the avatars tend to cause havoc on the hand-to-eye coordination front. 
 

No Caption Provided

There's no solid word on when the redesign will happen, but there's little doubt a dashboard update is coming when Kinect hits later this year. That would theoretically be the perfect time to revamp the avatar in preparation for all the zany, avatar-centric mini-game collections sure to be flooding the market soon after.     
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Grissefar

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Edited By Grissefar

This is news.

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Akeldama

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Edited By Akeldama

This is news?

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Arker101

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Edited By Arker101

@Akeldama:
Because Avatar games are going to be awesome, of course

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CyleMoore

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Edited By CyleMoore

Sorry Rare, but you suck now.

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Raven10

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Edited By Raven10

Personally I like my avatar. Also, will we lose all our clothes/avatar rewards when this happens? That would suck.

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CylonAndrew

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Edited By CylonAndrew

My hippie...NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!
 
Atleast i did not buy anything!
 
=D

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mowgers

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Edited By mowgers

As soon as I read the article's subtitle, I knew this was a Brad Nicholson news story.
 
That is all.

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landon

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Edited By landon

Nintendo won't update their avatars, Microsoft wants me to pay ridiculous prices for new clothes that I can't even change the color on. Gee, these were a great idea.

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CharlesAlanRatliff

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Cool! I am interested in seeing what the new Avatars will look like. I also wonder how much they have to do to make the clothing and such that people have bought work properly; I guess it depends on how much they actually change.

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Cube

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Edited By Cube

Thanks Kotaku.

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Djeffers03

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Edited By Djeffers03

Hopefully I can still keep my sombrero wearing Joker.

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JarenFace

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Edited By JarenFace

I'm probably one of the few fans of the avatars. They're neat, plus every now and then you get some "free" items to use (way more games need avatar awards). 
 
I wonder if they'll sort of resemble the imported avatars in Guitar Hero 5? Sure they had big heads still, but body wise they seemed more normal.

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brydello

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Edited By brydello
@Cube: I hate you. :(
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toowalrus

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Edited By toowalrus

Super.

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buzz_killington

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Edited By buzz_killington

If they add a muscle slider, all you'll see is going to be a bunch of buffed up men.

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hockeymask27

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Edited By hockeymask27

As long as they all don't stand so weird its a win.

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TobyD81

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Edited By TobyD81

I hope they don't wind up looking too much like PS Home avatars. I'd like to keep things on the cartoony side.

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WhatTheDang

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Edited By WhatTheDang

See what happened because none of you bought Banjo Kazooie Nuts and Bolts?
 
Rare was put in Microsoft's bitch seat. 

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josephbarron

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Edited By josephbarron

This is going to piss off a lot of people if they don't also redesign clothes and other items so that they fit the new models. I wouldn't be at all surprised if all that old content just becomes useless.

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CL60

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Edited By CL60

Brad Nicholson haters need to shut the hell up already..you are all annoying. He does a fine job. Stop crying when he posts news that are video game related..

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MisterMouse

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Edited By MisterMouse

interesting... wonder how it will look

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Atom

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Edited By Atom

Never change, avatar. 

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karneh

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Edited By karneh

Kessler is gone, let's go kill Nicholson now.
 
You all should be ashamed.

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striderno9

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Edited By striderno9

Ugh, I liked the Avatars, they were a well done middle ground from Wiis and Sony's things.

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Sadisticham

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Edited By Sadisticham
@CL60:  I don't think they hate him. I think they hate these kotaku articles that are posted several hours later.
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meteora

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Edited By meteora

Cool.
 
Its a bit sad that Microsoft has been using Rare for these mundane tasks however. Talk about wasted potential.

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MAN_FLANNEL

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Edited By MAN_FLANNEL

I go to the gym 3 times a day after I'm done browsing Kotaku. 

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CL60

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Edited By CL60
@Sadisticham said:

" @CL60:  I don't think they hate him. I think they hate these kotaku articles that are posted several hours later. "

Who cares? I don't visit Kotaku, I don't visit any other gaming site. I still want news. So GiantBomb giving me news is a good thing. So stop complaining about something pointless. The people who constantly hate on Brad Nicholson (for doing his job) are just incredibly annoying. This a a website about video games, and you're crying about video game news being posted. Get the hell over it.
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PhilESkyline

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Edited By PhilESkyline

I just want them to get rid of that sissy stance. 
 

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MKHavoc

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Edited By MKHavoc

I guess this means no more bam, there it is.

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coaxmetal

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Edited By coaxmetal

Dear people who are hating on this because evidently Kotaku posted it first: 
 
I don't read Kotaku. Lots of people don't read Kotaku. But we still like video game news. And we read GiantBomb.com. So posting news on a video game website is fine, that's what it's about after all. You don't get upset when multiple newspapers cover the same events, do you? 

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Haze

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Edited By Haze

Microsoft are lurching around like a blind many armed giant trying to patch leaks in a giant metaphorical ship that isn't even sinking. Avatars! Camera! Weird back of head adverts! Different camera! Redesign Avatars because they don't work with different camera!  
 
What the heck are they going to try if Kinect fails?

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ch3burashka

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Edited By ch3burashka
@MKHavoc said:
" I guess this means no more bam, there it is. "
Bam, there it was...
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Sadisticham

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Edited By Sadisticham
@CL60 said:
" @Sadisticham said:

" @CL60:  I don't think they hate him. I think they hate these kotaku articles that are posted several hours later. "

Who cares? I don't visit Kotaku, I don't visit any other gaming site. I still want news. So GiantBomb giving me news is a good thing. So stop complaining about something pointless. The people who constantly hate on Brad Nicholson (for doing his job) are just incredibly annoying. This a a website about video games, and you're crying about video game news being posted. Get the hell over it. "
Few things:
1) It's either news or it's pointless. Which is it?
2) I'm not complaining. I was pointing out a fact.
3) I'm not crying.
 
Simply making an observation.
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CL60

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Edited By CL60
@Sadisticham said:

" @CL60 said:

" @Sadisticham said:

" @CL60:  I don't think they hate him. I think they hate these kotaku articles that are posted several hours later. "

Who cares? I don't visit Kotaku, I don't visit any other gaming site. I still want news. So GiantBomb giving me news is a good thing. So stop complaining about something pointless. The people who constantly hate on Brad Nicholson (for doing his job) are just incredibly annoying. This a a website about video games, and you're crying about video game news being posted. Get the hell over it. "
Few things: 1) It's either news or it's pointless. Which is it? 2) I'm not complaining. I was pointing out a fact. 3) I'm not crying.   Simply making an observation. "
Umm, I wasn't talking to you specifically. I was referring to the people who constantly cry about Brad Nicholsons news stories. And your first point doesn't even make any sense.
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Sadisticham

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Edited By Sadisticham
@CL60:  I think i love you.
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CL60

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Edited By CL60
@Sadisticham said:
" @CL60:  I think i love you. "
Okay?
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Sadisticham

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Edited By Sadisticham
@CL60:  That's it?
 
I declare my love for you. In front of potentially thousands of users all scratching at the door to read this article on avatars and all you have to say is okay? Are you not going to ask me out for a romantic meal? A moon lit walk even?
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Brackynews

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Edited By Brackynews
@Haze said:
"What the heck are they going to try if Kinect fails? "
The Xbox 720.
But if it does work, they get another 3+ years of product cycle out of a machine with only 512 megs of RAM.  That's planning for the future my friend.
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Stealthmaster86

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Edited By Stealthmaster86
@CH3BURASHKA:  I thought it was Whoop, There it is?
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CL60

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Edited By CL60

Somebody needs to grow up.

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FireBurger

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Edited By FireBurger

People, shut the fuck up already about the news stories. You people do realize that the core guys tell him to write these stories, right? He's doing exactly what they want and tell him to do. Or do you think he's just gone rogue and churning out "shitty" content for fun, totally unbeknown to the guys?
 
Holy shit, news! Make it stop! Grow up and pull your snobby "this is below GiantBomb" heads out of your asses.

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CL60

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Edited By CL60
@FireBurger said:
" People, shut the fuck up already about the news stories. You people do realize that the core guys tell him to write these stories, right? He's doing exactly what they want and tell him to do. Or do you think he's just gone rogue and churning out "shitty" content for fun, totally unbeknown to the guys?  Holy shit, news! Make it stop! Grow up and pull your snobby "this is below GiantBomb" heads out of your asses. "
This. I've been saying this ever since people started complaining about his news stories. It's getting ridiculous.
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Seraphim84

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Edited By Seraphim84

I hope they have some sorta import-like feature that can just take your current avatar and map it to the new system.  I'd rather not have to remake my fella if I can help it.

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tehsxe

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@WhatTheDang:  Ha.
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Ace829

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Edited By Ace829
@CL60 said:
" @FireBurger said:
" People, shut the fuck up already about the news stories. You people do realize that the core guys tell him to write these stories, right? He's doing exactly what they want and tell him to do. Or do you think he's just gone rogue and churning out "shitty" content for fun, totally unbeknown to the guys?  Holy shit, news! Make it stop! Grow up and pull your snobby "this is below GiantBomb" heads out of your asses. "
This. I've been saying this ever since people started complaining about his news stories. It's getting ridiculous. "
QFT
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hagridore

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Edited By hagridore
A lot of you guys need to get over the fact that there can be light news. And Giant Bomb can't assume you visit 6 other gaming blogs and are very concerned about seeing the same content. 
 
I am capable of skimming over light news. Why is this article so intolerable?
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MeierTheRed

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Edited By MeierTheRed

Avatars are redundant, personally i can't stand them. Whats worse than Avatars is the fact that by each news post regarding RARE, the chances of getting a KI3 is diminishing post, by post.