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Skyrim Is Getting Kinect Support, Dragon Shouts Included
jjp9999 writes "Bethesda announced they're bringing Kinect support to Skyrim. It doesn't sound like this will include motion detection. Rather, it will be around voice commands — tons of voice commands. It supports dragon shouts, trading, navigation, switching weapons, and a whole lot of other features that usually require you to assign hotkeys or to sort through menus. They also gave a brief hint at new content, stating they've 'been hard at work on creating the first set of game add-ons that will be exclusive to the Xbox 360. This additional content will add new quests, locations, features, and much more to the world of Skyrim.'"
Instead of adding new stuff, please fix the bugs first.
Depending on what gets voice commands, you can have a lot of fun by walking up to someone playing this with a Kinect.
"Hi Bob, looks like that giant is geting a bit close... EQUIP FEEBLE DAGGER."
... I yell "LeRoy Jenkins!" ??
Why don't they add something similar to the PC version? If it's just for voice commands, then what is so special about Kinect? It sounds as if it's just acting as a mic input.
Since the speech-recognition algorithm probably runs on the CPU, and doesn't care much what kind of microphone recorded the speech, couldn't you do this with a normal (headset) microphone on PC?
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Especially considering the lack of actual motion controls, why should this be limited to the Xbox360 and Kinect? I know there is a reality distortion field of sorts around console gaming, but developers do realize that PC gamers have many ways to implement voice commands, right? Those Mumble, Teamspeak, Ventrilo, and other gaming-voice communication systems aren't all powered exclusively by Xbox360 headsets or Kinects and people seem to communicate just fine. Decades ago Dragon Naturally Speaking and many other open and/or proprietary voice recognition software allowed PC users to transcribe and certainly create voice-activated macros. Why not integrate one of those engines instead, especially those that can be used open and cross platform? Even more so "Quests, locations, features and much more" have no reason again to be exclusive to the X360. PC gamers with headsets would enjoy being able to FUS-RO-DAH their way to victory, plus all these resources and content could be expanded and utilized by the modders in the Steam Workshop, NexusMods, ModDB and elsewhere that have already shown to add so much to Bethesda developed and published games.
Did Microsoft just throw suitcases full of bills at Bethesda to make this happen? It surely doesn't seem like the best thing for the game and there is no technical reason to go with such a limited solution. Again it just seems like console manufacturers will not stop their campaign to make gaming into a proprietary, expensive, ill-conceived, platform-controlled solution that they can just endlessly turn the screws and watch money flow out.
Motion-based commands would be incredibly awkward for a game as complex as Skyrim. The game was not designed with a gesture metaphor in mind. It would just be incredibly tedious and flaky given current technology. Voice command is really where it's at for this game.
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Because Microsoft likely paid them a pile of money to add this feature.
Did you bother to read any other comments? They're using the Kinect API to do voice commands, they didn't roll their own voice recognition (as that is much more difficult). Furthermore, there is apparently a mod that allows you to do this on the PC. Not everything is some terrible thing Microsoft did to fuck you over.
Sheesh, where are my mod points when I need them.
Must have been either the arrow to the knee. Or maybe someone stole their sweet role!
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Actually, I should have been more specific in my elitist whining. I'm annoyed about the Xbox specific DLC - "They also gave a brief hint at new content, stating they've 'been hard at work on creating the first set of game add-ons that will be exclusive to the Xbox 360." I don't have any interest in the Kinect angle.
Still no support eh? If I yell "Equip sword and axe" what happens? BSOD?
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Looks pretty cool, though I think they shouldn't have the game character repeat the shout if you already shouted it.
To be honest, I wouldn't be able to remember the shout names. (I always relied on my bow. Yes, I play the archer-thief, don't like hack/slash. :P) I'm sure my 10-year old nephew, who's read the strategy guide and knows the name of all the characters and creatures and quests and artifacts and holds and..... would be able to though, heh.
"LYDIA"
"Yes, my thane."
"OFF WITH YOUR CLOTHES"
"I am sworn to carry your burdens."
is make you seem crazy to anyone that sees you play. I got in trouble with my wife for using voice commander back when UO was the big MMO to play. Yelling "Heal Pot" or "Bandage" really got on her nerves even when not in the room.
While I don't understand why they can't use the PC version of the Kinect for the PC version of the game, I am also more concerned with the new content they are making exclusive to the Xbox 360. What about the rest of us?
This additional content will add new quest
I'm sorry, I just started the game earlier this week, and I'm having trouble wading through the sheer number of side-quests between me and the big plot quest. I like the compact nature of the world. There's just enough annoying travel between points of interest. Which is not much. It makes for some silly bandit camps literally outside the king's window, but it works. But with this compact nature means that every three steps you get yet another slob with a problem and they want YOU to fix their shit. And it honestly sounds fun, so I'm up for it. Sure, I'll clean out those zombies, no problem. Happens all the time.
So I'm investigating an interesting hut on the side of the road while on a side-quest I got in the city that I got transported to as part of an ambushed-HAHA-YOU'RE-ON-A-QUEST-NOW sort of mission while on my way to the big plot. When I apparently hit a stack overflow on the number of tangents I was diverging onto, because that's when the thing bluescreened.
(It was actually when swapping some amulets, but I was certainly feeling the quest stack buildup)
tl;dr I'm feeling there's plenty of quests. At least around lvl 10.
Instead of getting features that are like hotkeys, can we just GET hotkeys? Awesome game, but wouldn't guess it because the UI is terrible.
They don't have an unholy pact.
Just a simple commercial agreement. 30 days, I believe it is.
I am also more worried about xbox exclusive content than kinect support. Why xbox only? Why not for ps3 too? What about PC gamers? It makes no sense to me for it to be exclusive for xbox UNLESS it's related directly to kinect, in which case.. uh... yeah, you probably can keep it for yourself. Let's just hope bethesda doesn't shoot itself in the foot with this exclusivity move.
I don't care if I'm wrong. I only care about everyone obtaining something from the discussion.
The simple answer is that they cannot use Kinect for Windows because you aren't allowed to make games with it. It's for actual practical applications as it says in the product description: "this is not a consumer product" and "this is a Kinect development product for Windows, intended for commercial clients and developers". Even more blunt: "Not for Gaming Use". There is no way Microsoft would permit Kinect to be integrated into a PC game as an advertised feature.
For a site about things like basic rights, Slashdot users sure do like to censor "dissent".
Not everything is some terrible thing Microsoft did to fuck you over.
Don't stress it, just give 'em some time and you'll see...
We put Kinect in your Skyrim so you can Fus Ro Dah while you Fus Ro Dah.