Microsoft: Kinect and controller hybrid games coming

Does Kinect mean the end for controller-based gaming on the Xbox 360? It’s a silly question, but it seems a lot of folks are threatened by the new technology, wondering if more traditional experiences will fade into obscurity as Microsoft focuses on controller-free gaming. 

There’s been very little to indicate that would be the case, so everyone should probably settle down. More interesting, though, would be the marriage between the Kinect technology and standard controller gaming. According to Microsoft’s Alex Kipman, controller/Kinect hybrid titles are definitely in the works. 

“We’ll continue to have controller-only games,” he tells Games Industry, “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.” 

The concept has always appealed to me from when the hardware was first announced, pieces of a game that would allow gesture-based controls like navigating menus or manipulating items on a HUD. If anyone can make it work and compelling is another story, but it’ll be interesting to see the directions the creative minds of the industry will take it. 

Kipman: Hybrid control games on the way to Xbox 360 [Games Industry]

Does Kinect mean the end for controller-based gaming on the Xbox 360? It’s a silly question, but it seems a lot of folks are threatened by the new technology, wondering if more traditional experiences will fade into obscurity as Microsoft focuses on controller-free gaming. 

There’s been very little to indicate that would be the case, so everyone should probably settle down. More interesting, though, would be the marriage between the Kinect technology and standard controller gaming. According to Microsoft’s Alex Kipman, controller/Kinect hybrid titles are definitely in the works. 

“We’ll continue to have controller-only games,” he tells Games Industry, “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.” 

The concept has always appealed to me from when the hardware was first announced, pieces of a game that would allow gesture-based controls like navigating menus or manipulating items on a HUD. If anyone can make it work and compelling is another story, but it’ll be interesting to see the directions the creative minds of the industry will take it. 

Kipman: Hybrid control games on the way to Xbox 360 [Games Industry]