Xbox Addict

Kinect Software Update Reportedly Fixes Issues

Contrary to what you may have heard in the past, sitting down shouldn’t cause too many problems with the Xbox 360’s Kinect. According to developers familiar with the tech over at Blitz Games Studios, Microsoft’s upcoming motion-control solution recently had its software updated in order to better detect seated users.
"A few months ago they changed stuff around. A lot of developers were like, ’Oh my God! Everything’s broken,’ because all the nodes were moved," Blitz Games Studios chief technical officer Andrew Oliver told Eurogamer. "But then it was like, ’Oh, actually, this is more logical.’"

Oliver pointed out that the Kinect now detects the bottom of the neck as a player’s primary node. Prior to Microsoft’s update, the device was configured to pick up the lower portion of the spine as the base node. "It means," he explained, "that should the bottom of your torso get confused with the sofa, because your bum and your legs are enveloped inside the sofa, it doesn’t matter because your hands and arms are still working."

The Kinect sensor took its lumps earlier this summer when numerous developers claimed the device had trouble recognizing players in a seated position. Microsoft assured customers that this wouldn’t be an issue so long game makers created experiences "with sitting in mind," but many gamers have remained understandably skeptical.