Xbox Video Chat Includes Camera, Remote Vibration

Thanks to Game Science for its post discussing the Japanese announcement of the Xbox Video Chat hardware/software bundle, which includes "camera, 12 months of Xbox Live service, chat disc and Live Starter Kit." Although the product is "being developed mainly in Japan", a release date in the West is likely, if currently unknown. However, with features including "up to 5 people video conferencing simultaneously... participation can be restricted to invite only... send vibrations to participants' controllers", the staid Brits at Eurogamer are naturally horrified: "Given the remote-rumble function and the fact the Xbox audience is 'adult'; well, our minds are boggling, frankly."

Comments

The first thing that came to mind

[Incoherent07]

was this article.

Like shooting fish in a barrel, it is.

Dear Japan.

[Photar]

Please stop experimenting with your sexuality, its freaking us out.

Re:Dear Japan.

[whathappenedtomonday]

wouldn't want to feed a troll, but this is kinda fundamental: this has nothing whatsoever to do with the japanese, but with people in general. works like spam: it's only there because there's a market / audience / recipient / customer for it. (would spam be dead if noone ever ordered one of those advertized penis enlargement products / "endurance pills" / mortgage solutions / whatever?)

Re:Dear Japan.

[Photar]

Stories like this are fundamentally Japanese. Its just like all the strange stuff that seems to uniquely come from Florida.

This won't end well

[Rie Beam]

Cybersex with combo moves...gawd...

Re:This won't end well

[Impotent_Emperor]

Well, it's not that weird if you consider that normal sex should already have combo moves such as combining a pelvic thrust with a nipple pinch.

Now I can buy girls a year to xbox live.

[schild]

We make jokes, but truth be told, Sex Sells. There's no two ways about it. For every 5 ubergeeks on slashdot that make fun of this, there are five girls or erhm...guys getting off in japan that don't care what lewd subtle jokes you may be making.

The video conferencing thing with people over xbox live is nice, though I worry it may be absolutely shitty quality. What is that? Four other people on the screen at once, in live video from four different places? That's a lot of throughput, unless the rez is like 60x40.

Re:Now I can buy girls a year to xbox live.

[MC Negro]

Very true that sex sells, but will it sell the Xbox/components? I'm skeptical. Microsoft has tried these shenanigans before without much success.

I know for sure

[88NoSoup4U88]

When i see my housemate buying this software/hardwrae when it comes out in Europe... i won't be touching his damn controller anymore . ;)

Maybe it's just me, but...

[Rie Beam]

I think SuperScopes are going to make a comeback...

A new market for cam whores

[BinaryOpty]

And you thought cam whores were all over before, now imagine Xbox-Cam Whores!

Coming Soon...

[Chris Acheson]

The new longer, ribbed X-Box controller.

quit

[paradesign]

Quit beating around the bush

FU-FME

Where'd they find those Xbox users for the pics?

[superultra]

4 people at a time eh? Microsoft could market it in Japan as, "Talk to half of all the Xbox users in Japan at one time!"

Re:Five bucks says

[Frobnicator]

(Though I wonder how the ESRB would handle rating this with the "shake" mode included....)

Simple, the same way they handle other games.

They'll put that the game is rated 'E', since video conferencing doesn't seem to meet any of the ratings elements, and keep the little warning that says "Game Experience May Change During Online Play"