The gaming industry is experiencing the first console cycle change-over to happen in the age of Twitter and other powerful social media outlets. Where in the past gamers had to wait for hardware manufacturers to announce upcoming console features, now they only have to wait for the leaks to occur.
Just this week, a Microsoft job posting implied that the next generation Xbox console will be released within 18 months. 18 months is just enough time for game developers to ready a respectable launch title, and there is no doubt that major game developers already have access to early software development kits for the next Xbox. And with developers receiving SDKs for next-gen consoles and accessories, leaks are bound to happen.
This week, Twitter user @superDaE posted a photo that is claimed to be a demonstration of what the next generation Kinect accessory will be capable of. Below is the original tweet and photo, which shows the demonstration taking place within an application called “Microsoft Xbox Studio for Durango.” Durango is a well-known code name for the next-generation Xbox console.
The picture is not interesting simply because it confirms that a new Kinect is on the way. A different leak months ago clued gamers into the fact that the new Kinect would be launched alongside the next-gen Xbox. What is fascinating about the picture is how much more precise it looks than the current Kinect. It appears to have a much greater ability to separate players from background noise, and the fidelity of the device looks good enough to pick up individual fingers. Sign language-type commands could make the next generation of Xbox gaming very interesting.
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