Kinect 2.0

Well, well well, it looks as if Microsoft has completely made a turning point on their new Xbox One. Now, not only can you use the Xbox without a constant internet connection, but we can now play the next gen Xbox console without the kinect entirely.

This change has come about after privacy concerns were made public due to the worry that Microsoft or a malicious third party could sneak in and watch your living room at any time.

Coupled with the always on internet, an always 'kinected' camera could only spell trouble in the eyes of those that take care of their own privacy, but luckily all of the DRM features have been removed, and now the Kinect always-connected rule has been removed.

Currently there still isn't an Xbox One with a Kinect not included and Microsoft still believe strongly in the success of the party peripheral, but perhaps we'll see a cheaper SKU without the Kinect 2.0 bundled in the future.

For those already interested in getting a PS4, if you

Whilst Microsoft may not be done with the Kinect, it is quite clear that for most the piece of tech is nothing more than a gimmick. It can be fun to wave yourself in front of the TV with a few mates or with the family, and talking to your Xbox can be quite entertaining at first, but it quickly looses any meaning except for a companion for it's Xbox friend.

Microsoft may be looking into something a lot better than the Kinect if their recent patent file is anything to go by. The patent shows information on what seems to be a pair of virtual reality glasses. Players will be able to wear the glasses and 'immerse' themselves in a game.

Recently we've seen things like the impressive Oculus Rift hit the world, and it's certainly left an impact, so perhaps Microsoft want to get there first.

If the Oculus Rift is anything to go by, using a high-tech virtual reality kit will allow players to really feel like they are in the game- the camera will move accurately to your head movements,

Although Kinect Sports Rivals was previously announced by Microsoft and RARE to be an Xbox One launch title, it has since been pushed back due to development issues and will now no longer be available at launch for the Xbox One.

The release date has now been pushed back to Spring 2014 for most of the world and Autumn 2014 for Australia.

Although it's a shame the game has been delayed, it will allow RARE to further polish and clean up the title, so we can expect an even more finished version early next year. According to RARE at E3, Kinect Sports Rivals "puts you in the game like never before, tracks your movements and expressions with incredible accuracy, and offers never-ending competition with your friends and competitors," according to Microsoft.

This is a bit of an odd decision by Microsoft though as Kinect Sports Rivals was previously designed to be the flagship launch title for the Xbox One and the Kinect meaning we will now have no Xbox

Although the Launch Edition of the Xbox One comes bundled with the Kinect 2.0, there wasn't an official confirmation whether the Xbox One would be released without the Kinect 2.0 or not within the future.

Microsoft has recently replied to concerns about the topic to state that "We have no plans to introduce an Xbox One without Kinect. We believe in Kinect and the value it brings to both games and entertainment, and believe $499 is a great value for what consumers receive with their Xbox One."

Rumors started to spread that Microsoft were going to release a console without the  Kinect 2.0 as a Microsoft representative stated that the Xbox One does not need the Kinect 2.0 to run. Since then it seems that Microsoft has called this out as a typo and Microsoft has since backtracked to the previous announcement that the Kinect 2.0 is needed to allow the Xbox One to work.

Because of the added costs of the Kinect 2.0, the Xbox One costs

If you've watched the E3 trailer for Dead Rising 3, you'll know that there is a lot to be excited about. For me, it would be one of the only games i'd want an Xbox One at launch for. The first two Dead Rising games were fun but the areas you roamed became a little dull after spending 10 odd hours within them.

It's good to know that Dead Rising 3 will have an open world that is capable of accommodating both the spaces within Dead Rising 1 and Dead Rising 2 combined. This also didn't account for the extra 'room to spare' on top of the space capable of accommodating the first two games Josh Bridge has talked about at this year's San Diego Comic Con.

Executive Produced of the series, Bridge also went on to discuss a few other things about Dead Rising 3 such as "an unmatched level of weapon and character customization, and immersive Xbox SmartGlass and Kinect integration, Dead Rising 3 delivers a heart-pounding experience unlike any other as players fight

If you don't want to spend extra money on a headset after buying the Xbox One, you'll be happy to know that the Kinect will also back up as an alternative to the microphone/headset.

There's no official word on the quality of the Kinect microphone, and you'll have to listen to players through your TV unless you have a pair of compatible headphones when using the Kinect for voice chat.

The Kinect does include a 'wide array' of microphones though, so it'd be surprising if the call quality received from the Kinect was poor.

The official Xbox One is always up for grabs for those that don't like the openness of the Kinect microphone and TV speaker combo, and there are also many alternatives for better audio quality including headset models from Turtle Beach specifically designed for the Xbox One.

Evil Controllers is currently brainstorming the best ideas for next generation hardware. What do our mods need when the new round of consoles come out? Should we modify the PS4 Controller touch pad? Should we look into modifying the Kinect 2.0 for rapid fire like gameplay mods? The new hardware is a playground for tons of new ideas, but what Evil does know, is that cosmetic upgrades for the next generation will match what you have come to expect from Evil Controllers.

Take a look at Evil's Flickr account to see all of the potential options that are likely to be available when the new controllers get added to our Controller Creator.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/evilcontrollers/

Here is a sneak peak at a Custom Xbox One Controller:

A lot of grumbles and groans have been directed at Microsoft for forcing users to buy the Kinect 2.0 sensor when buying an Xbox One. One reason for this is privacy- amongst talk about the NSA snooping data and Microsoft having an online connection, there's a reason to be concerned- but the other reason is much more consumer-based, and this comes down to price.

This is one of the reasons Shuhei Yoshida of Sony decided not to include their camera with the PS4, saying that "Rather than forcing every user to buy the camera, I think it's better to to allow a separate purchase just for those that will enjoy it. Selling the camera separately means that the main console can be more affordable."

Yoshida also believes that making the camera mandatory is a bad choice right now as it is a medium that many have yet to adapt to- "I believe, and this is personal opinion, that for a technology to gain universal acceptance a certain degree of maturity