Xbox Addict

Hybrid Kinect Controller Games in Development

The Xbox 360’s Kinect motion control system is often discussed in zero-sum terms: there will either now be fully motion-controlled Kinect games on the 360, or "traditional" games that continue using the controller. But why can’t some games use both? According to Kinect developer Alex Kipman, not only will there be such titles, but Microsoft already has some in development.
"We love controller-free games, we love Kinect experiences and we’ll continue to grow our set of those as well. What we haven’t really talked about, but exist, are hybrid games," Kipmen explained to GamesIndustry.biz. "Games that are using the controller, which we know and love, and pieces, if not all, of the Kinect experiences to again make those experiences more immersive, more fun and more emotionally connected."

Conceptually, it really doesn’t sound very different from the tons of Wii games that use the Nunchuck for traditional controls and the Wiimote for added motion controls. "This is where I look at the world, and I know it’s easier to look at the world and talk about ’or,’ but I look at the world and I talk about ’and,’" Kipmen continued. "It’s about how we take all of these things and fuse all of them together to create unique experiences...It doesn’t always mean using the same colors, the same paintbrushes -- the stories you tell are about using the appropriate combinations of all of the colors and brushes to create something meaningful."