Report: Microsoft Dumbed Down Kinect, No Longer Reads Sign Language

91
Dan Webb

When news hit on Monday that the Microsoft patent for Kinect revealed that the device could read sign language, the mind boggled with the sort of possibilities that could open up.

Today, however, we're brought crashing back down to earth as sources told Kotaku that Kinect's camera had to go through a "dumbing down" in order to make it hit the intended $150 price point, which in turn meant removing the device's sign language capabilities.

The official line from Microsoft was disappointing as the console maker told the site, "We are excited about the potential of Kinect and its potential to impact gaming and entertainment. Microsoft files lots of patent applications to protect our intellectual property, not all of which are brought to market right away. Kinect that is shipping this holiday will not support sign language."

The truth beneath the surface though is a little more sinister, as sources close to Kinect told the site that the device was effectively dumbed down to make it cheaper, in case the device failed to sell at market.

The original plan was to ship Kinect with a resolution that was over twice of the one that will go to market, which could not only detect limbs, but fingers as well. Obviously, it seems that isn't the case anymore.

This won't be the first time you've heard reports regarding a potential "dumbing down" of the device, with sources revealing that they had removed an internal chip from it at the turn of the year.

It makes you wonder what sort of long-term implications this will hold for the device.

Comments
91
  • Oh well!
  • That was fast.
  • Right... "whos got the Big mouth" lol
  • Grrr. Not that I'm too interested anyway :)
  • lol. microsoft. and they still think £130 is cheap.
  • It seems to me that they really don't care about US they care nothing but their FINANCIALS... Whatever.
  • Release a basic version, sell tons, wait a year, maybe 2, release a NEW AND IMPROVED version for twice the price, sell them all over again. - Typical, but unfortunately intelligent move :(
  • Could they honestly dumb down Kinect any further anyways? Swing your arms around like a nut to pet a stupid tiger........well worth 130 quid
  • meh
  • Bah enough with everyone moaning about Kinect, I'm still getting it. :D
  • Oh microsoft :(
  • So I will not buy this because: - games for Kinect are not interesting for me - hardware way to expensive to give it a try - microsoft sells hardware without full potential (new on my list) My list gets longer every month...
  • :/
  • Well i wasn't going to get Kinect anyway. Waste of money. I'll stick with relaxing and chilled out gaming, thank you every much.
  • Thank CHRIST it's not going to be too awesome. Kinectimals is going to push boundaries far enough, thank you very much.
  • Oh, I was kind of excited about this since sign language is the main way I communicate...this is disappointing Webb. :(
  • @15. Oh ho hooo! It's funny because he's being sarcastic. But in all truth, his comment was funny. Anyway, I pre-ordered and put down a deposit and everything. But I'm going to get a refund on it tbh. Wait until Xmas to see if it's worth getting THEN maybe :).
  • well i hope they lose money with this shit device
  • Now this is gutting, and a real shame. Accessibility never seems to be at the fore in the world of gaming, and I was really pleased to hear this news initially. I wish they were more careful with their announcements... I can imagine that quite a few people would have been really glad to think that Kinect can sign-read. :(
  • fuckin hell what a let down. Im dont even think it did read sign language now, otherwise why take it out?
  • Who care, kinect is shit. Furthermore who cares about gamers with disabilities.
  • I'm sure they will add features to the software as time goes on, to a degree I can see the sense in not shipping a fuly realised one at the start - since developers will need time to figure out what to do with it. If they can add features via software then it's only realy the arly adopters that will suffer in the short time. If it's a hardware feature then perhaps they are just doing what Nintendo and Apple have done with their kit (look at the number of versions of the DS/iPhone that are available). I'm still interested in it, and think it could have applications other than gaming, but I won't be getting it at launch.
  • Well there was only one paticular sign that I was going to show Kinect and that would have used only one finger, so maybe it's not that much of a loss ...
  • @22 Yeah that is true but the whole thing is that they had already developed the software to work with sing language(apparently). They made an announcement about it saying it can read sing language and those who do communicate with sign language were probably very excited. Now Microsoft downgrades it, disappointing many..., again... like normal. Microsoft can be a real let down sometimes.
  • @ 12 - Didn't see it comin' eh? It's a waste of $150 like "hardcore Wii" owners. There's really only a select list of "awesome" games that utilize the full feature of the wii stick.
  • It is sad that it doesn't read sign language. That could have really made a difference to a lot of ppl that use sign language. I know several that would have been excited about it. Glad I didn't jump the gun and tell them. Also sign language teaching softare would have been an awesome application for it. I know my son's school teaches it. Not sure bout other schools but I think that it is something that is important to learn at some point.
  • And I was just starting to get interested -_- note: wasn't just getting interested, haven't been interested from the start.
  • @24 Microsoft didn't announce it. It was found by a 3rd party in a patent filing.
  • MS is really cutting it close to a scandal here. And this is supposed to attract gamers? Fuck off.
  • lol at kinect, i hope it's a total flop.
  • I really think that a sign language application would have pushed me over the line to buy it. Too bad. I've always wanted to learn sign language and that would have been a cool way to go about it.
  • Don't care, never planned on getting this piece of shit to begin with, I'm very happy playing my games the way I have been from day one on Atari 2600, with a controller.
  • I will honestly and literally punch any of my friends/relatives square in the face that buy Kinect. No sense no feeling eh?
  • @28 Ohh I see, okay well I still think they are letting us down still
  • #31. Me too. I am bummed about that. I am still getting this, but hearing it has lost sensitivity to detect motion is a big negative. We shall see.
  • This had potential but needed to live up to it's talk. The shitty gimmicky games to be released day one are enough to turn me off it forever
  • @21 YOU ARE A DICK!!!!!! I really hope somone you know get some type of disability so you know how it feels you asshole.
  • Thats too bad, I was looking forward to that function. Just imagine using hand signals in a game like COD or R6 to direct troops to another location. Oh well, like some have been saying, maybe they'll patch the ability into an update somehow.
  • Meh, £130 for a camera, no ty. Sony will be getting my money with Move. I dont want some shit game that involves waving my arms around so it hit virtual things on screen, if I did I'd go out and buy a PS2 with an Eyetoy. At least Move will be supported by a lot of currently released games, as well as with a lot of upcoming games. Yes even some of the PS Move games look cheap and tacky, but after comparing the pathetic Kinect Star Wars trailer with even the cheapest of PS Move implementations it is clear that Microsofts Eyetoy V2 is doomed from the start.
  • ok now i'm concerned, it seems MS wants to charge us for a dumied down version. can you say over priced now. no wonder it looks like the wii. it is the wii! i already own a wii. so we were gonna get fingers & all. i pre ordered this thinking it would revellutionise the gaming industry. well time to go cancel my pre order. this is going to go the way of the webcam now. maybe i should just get a ps3 where they care about their customers! on my 6th 360 & if it goes, i'm geoing ps3! very bad move holding this info back. if you're going to make something, make it the best or dont make it at all !
  • I'm still planning on getting it. Although, I won't be surprised if Kinect 2.0 is out for next Xmas. As for the Sony Move.....even if I had a PS3, why buy a glorified Wii-mote with slightly better hardware? I don't play the Wii I have as it is.
  • @21 You heartless wretch. I care about gamers with disabilities. Especially as I know a couple. Your ignorance makes me rage and tbh, one day, hopefully you'll revise that statement. Asshole.
  • PS3 move FTW!
  • What Mellizano said...
  • I knew it was too good to be true.
  • @ 39 and im going to laugh when you chuck your PS move contorlers at your TV just like the Wii owners. i still dont see whey people arnt hyped about this. Yes the games at the moment arnt that great( it is a work in progress you know) but this is hands free tech people ! no one else has this except in sc-fi movies and rich CEO's. People claim this is a HUGE rip/copy of the Wii. Yet no one really mentions the fact the Sony did copy of it.
  • Well they aren't exactly selling it to me... Especially not after the disaster that was the '2010 Microsoft E3 conference'.
  • @43 Fuck you, your a fag
  • So let me see if I get this: MS was worried it wouldn't sell, so they dumbed it down so it's less accurate which will entice less people to buy it. Maybe they should have treated it more like a console launch and just ate the extra cost of the device themselves so it would be better. Of course, maybe that's what they're already doing with the dumbed down version? AUGH I DON'T KNOW.
  • well shit, there goes their whole deaf person market. :P
  • Goes to show how much confidence MS has in their so-called revolutionary product.
  • This launch is shaping up to be a disaster. If they don't announce an AAA exclusive soon, kinect will go the way of the HDDVD player.
  • Glad I never planned on getting this .. although maybe if it drops down to 1/3 of the price I will
  • I got a chance to play it in Seattle yesterday and it was a lot of fun. Very responsive. If I see more games that look good for it I will definitely buy it.
  • I dont even know sign language and this breaks my heart...not really but that sucks for the people who were excited for that.
  • @8, it's still cheaper than a real Tiger for a pet. not nearly as fun though. Just ask Roy Horn.
  • Agree with #9.
  • Great. All that insulting each other on the last article for nothing.
  • I'm pretty sure this device has already failed before it has even hit the market. It's obvious Microsoft is marketing this to the more family friendly casual crowd, but the price point is steep enough to make people consider whether it's worth it and if it would be better to just get a Nintendo Wii instead. Why waste your money on Kinect that will be released with a bunch of shovelware games, when you can always by the Nintendo Wii. Which has a plethora of shovelware games and a handfull of great games.
  • Do you want to know why I'm not getting kinect? Main reason: we now have to spend £45 on joyride which was initially going to be a FREE ARCADE GAME! Asks questions, doesn't it?
  • WOW! This just REEEEEKS of: "Hey deaf kids/people! You want sign language support?? PAY EXTRA FOR IT. I am completely sick of MS. I have current 44 games for my 360. I have gone through 6 xboxes(4 pro consoles, 2 elites). The only reason i keep going is i have too much money already invested. Next gen however, MS is up paddle creek without shit. Cause I am NEVER buying another ms product
  • All this news does for me is scratches a preorder of it. going to wait for it to be on display at Best Buy or Gamestop so I can get a hands-on before I buy. Will still get it eventually, but my impressions in my hands-on will determine whether I wait for a price drop or not.
  • Well this makes sense, kinect is supposed to really be cutting edge technology, and I really think it is, however it is a serious risk because no one else is going there. PS3 is redoing what the Wii did 3yrs ago, which is LAME but safe and the Wii...well they probably won't change till next gen anyways. Its gunna be hard to see MS upgrading the hardware on kinect in ~2yrs for more money when already ppl are going to have this 1st model. I'm not getting kinect right away anyways, but if I do get the 1st model I won't be happy about seeing a 2nd, better, model later on, I'd much rather wait 2 more years and get the best thing out there for more money. But this is ALLLL speculation since kinect isn't out yet, and the masses haven't really tried it out. Who knows, maybe this first version will catch on like wildfire that it won't even matter. Besides, if it can do voice recognition why not be able to type with that :D.
  • £130 =/= $150, microsoft.
  • Also, sorry for double post, but I'm not getting this anyway. I have a wii. If it really wants to detect sign language, it'll be a single sign...middle finger.
  • to be honest who really cares lol kinect is ass... simple as that
  • this either guna be really good HORRIBLE because if they do it right they can make some good games but its microsoft i doubt there guna do that
  • Doesnt matter no way im paying 150 dollars to wave my body around. I if i wanted to do that i would go out and play baseball with my friends.
  • Kinect sounds gayer and gayer
  • Microsoft sucks major ass. The "camera had to go through a "dumbing down" in order to make it hit the intended $150 price point" Are you serious? That price is still to f*cking ridiculous for my liking.
  • I think they should cut the whole thing.
  • @21 heartless and stupid = you
  • Kinect is too expensive. It will be a fail and apparently it isn't very responsive. I would rather get things that I would use and will not fail.
  • Ahhh... Still would have bought it if it were more expensive.. They need to release two versions. A versions that could detect things as small as fingers would be amazingly responsive. I find it a little funny that microsoft has lowered the price because they didnt think it would sell, because people like most of you bitch about the price and what it is, and yet now most people are bitching that they took the stuff out...
  • I wonder how many people in this comments section, that are spending their whole time complaining know (or have any intention of) using sign language. I'd imagine it's very slim. Absolute cretins
  • leave 21 alone...at the end of the day i couldnt give a fuck about anyone except people i actually know so why the fuck would i care about a tiny percentage of the gaming community when i dont give a shit about the majority. 99% of people are cunts anyway. and sign language thing was only part of the patant made for kinect anyway...basic in product development...its just so they have room to develop the product in the future...why incorparate it now and make it even more expensive, they will want to see how well it sells first
  • My sources state that Kinect was not dumbed down to keep the price point (which is more than high enough as is) but is to allow M$ to release a upgraded version down the road. Makes sence from a business standpoint aswell, why give out something for free now when you can profit off it later. So the Kinect we will see soon will have limb reconigition, then a couple E3's from now they will showcase the "new" Kinect that can even recognise digits allowing the sign language aswell as be used in games that focus on small/exact movements. (Can see it now...Bomb Defusal 101, the collectors edition will have the "Im a bomb disposal tech, if you see me running, try and keep up" t-shirt) M$, your so market savvy.
  • I don't know sign language, so this really makes no difference in my desire to drop 150 dollars on this thing. Especially when they think its worthwhile to charge 50 dollars to pet a virtual f*&$ing animal. 200 dollars to pet a fake animal, when I could get Assassin's creed Brotherhood, Halo Reach, CoD Black Ops and the newly announced Double Fine title for 190-195. Until there is either a price drop or I get much dumber, I'll be buying regular old video games.
  • This only reinforces the fact that you should wait to get it, not only for when more games come out, but when Kinect has been upgraded.
  • @21 i hope that you are somehow dissabled in your lifetime, so then you can read a comment that someone leaves witch resembles the one that you left here. better yet, do us all a favor and just go and get hit by a bus. @43 i know of 17 people (18 including myself) who had bought a ps3 because it was SOOOO awsome! it just looks so damn good sitting on the shelf collecting dust. becomming worthless. MGS4 was the only reason i got one. i can't speak for the others, but after finshing the game i was stoked for sony to deliver another game for me to play on my ps3... i'm still waiting. they got NO GAMES! what good is a crazy console with no good games to play on it? out of the 18 of us, 5 including myself, still keep the piece of shit around. waiting for their next game. i just don't think they got another one comming. ps4 will be out befor the 360 dies. mabey i'll pick one of them up when it has sony's next title.
  • Seems like a perfectly reasonable business decision. Hell, $150 is too much for me, any more would be laughable.
  • @70 - Don't be poor. Maybe all of the achievement whores (including myself) will get up off thier couch or bed and actually lose weight while boosting Gamerscore? Think about your future. :) Haha.
  • I don't care if Microsoft comes up with a new controller that features 17 more buttons. I'm going to continue with pressing buttons and flicking sticks. Besides if you think about how buttons are added compared the original NES. I would not doubt with controllers get 17 more buttons by the time I see Grandkids running around.
  • So they remove a processing chip, lessen the resolution, and now remove sign language support. But now it's gonna be "just another" motion sensing device. Great going, Microsoft. Whoever makes these idiotic decisions should be fired. In an oven.
  • Now the sign language I couldn't really care about, but everything else... Dumbing it down just to make more money later is a really cheap move. Epic pun.
  • @21 You seriously need to be taught a lesson. It's people like you that make the world a living hell for those with disabilities. I bet you are/were a bully in school. @80 I agree with you 100%. He needs to get hit by a bus or something so that he can never walk or use his arms ever again. @76 OK CHRIS CROCKER. By the looks of your name, I'd say that you're his butt buddy. You're both assholes and need to know how it feels to be disabled.
  • And Kinect continues it's slide in to over-hyped and over-priced obscurity.
  • oh well
  • OH NOES!!! The expensive gimmicky piece of crap isn't worth the money anymore!* *Not that it ever was...
  • I wonder if it would have understood when I was flipping it the bird, that would've actually made me by the thing...
  • i've done some reading on this. as it stands, kinect will NOT have voice either! instead of posting what kinect wont do, why not post what it does. well MS i was really looking forward to this. i would have gladly paid more for a device that does what it was ment to do. but this reminds me of the 360 issues. it has no appeal now to older people like me,43yrs old. ya i like dance central but thats it. no wonder fable3 pulled out. you're gonna lose ALOT of customers. i cancelled my pre order now. when will MS actually deliver on their promises?
  • You need to register before being able to post comments

Game navigation