Derrik J. Lang, Entertainment Writer — Like a stubborn family member or insubordinate employee, Xbox One owners might need to tell their fancy new console what to do more than once.
In flashy commercials that began airing last week to promote Microsoft's upcoming video game system, an array of users verbally command their Xbox Ones to do stuff like answer a Skype call, fire up a "Titanfall" match or play the latest "Star Trek" film. The ads leave out one detail: They probably had to repeat themselves a couple of times for it to work.
At a demonstration of the Xbox One this week organized by Microsoft, the new version of the company's voice-and-motion-detecting Kinect sensor didn't work nearly as flawlessly in real life. The Xbox 360 successor, which is scheduled for release Nov. 22, required several commands to be repeated for the response to pop up on screen.
During a private 45-minute presentation showcasing the console's media and entertainment capabilities, about 10 of 45 voice commands issued had to be repeated by a Microsoft spokesman — some as many as four times. Kinect didn't immediately detect such orders as "Xbox, watch ESPN" and "Xbox, Bing movies with Sandra Bullock" during the demo.
"Everything you're seeing here is going to get better," promised Jose Pinero, senior director of marketing and public relations for Xbox, at the conclusion of Wednesday's demo. "Right now, we're still a couple of weeks away but voice, the more you use it and the more the system learns, the more accurate it becomes. We're still working on fit and finish."
When the company unveiled the Xbox One at its Redmond, Wash., headquarters last May, Microsoft hyped the machine not as a super-powered gaming console but as an all-in-one entertainment solution for living rooms that would allow users to easily switch between — and snap together — activities on a TV screen, without needing to mash buttons.
The previous Kinect sensor was equally billed as a game changer when it debuted in 2010 but was considered by many gamers to ultimately be a gimmick.
Unlike the last Kinect, Microsoft is including the new sensor with each Xbox One system, which will cost $499. The updated version of the camera has a field of vision that's 60 percent wider than Kinect for Xbox 360. It can also detect more bodies, as well as heart rates and facial expressions.
Sony Corp. will similarly release an updated PlayStation Camera when its PlayStation 4 debuts a week ahead of the Xbox One, but that sensor is optional for the PS4, which cost $100 less than the Xbox One.
"Microsoft got so intoxicated by the first generation of Kinect that I think they're just assuming people are still really excited about Kinect," said James McQuivey, Forrester Research analyst and author of "Digital Disruption: Unleashing the Next Wave of Innovation."
McQuivey said because Microsoft has turned its attention to other audiences besides just gamers, they could potentially sell half as many Xbox Ones as they did Xbox 360s over the next-gen console's lifetime, especially if the system doesn't work as advertised.
While the Xbox One's voice detection did not function properly during Wednesday's demo, other Xbox One features operated without fault. Graphically, the slick Xbox One interface was able to almost seamlessly switch between such features as playing "Forza Motorsport 5," watching a live episode of "Let's Make a Deal" and viewing a channel guide.
Microsoft calls its listings OneGuide, and users can curate which TV channels and media apps appear — and in what order. The Xbox One can play live TV and provide listings if hooked up to a TV receiver, but it can't act as a TV recording device, although the Xbox One can record and upload footage captured from games and with the Kinect sensor.
Microsoft announced Friday that streaming content apps like Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant Video, VUDU and Crackle would be among the first batch coming to the console before spring 2014. Others bringing apps to Xbox One include the networks ESPN, Univision, Fox, CW and HBO, as well as the NFL.
Britt Nolan Named CCO For McCann Worldgroup, North America
Britt Nolan has been hired as chief creative officer at McCann Worldgroup, North America. He will report to Javier Campopiano, global chief creative officer of McCann Worldgroup and McCann.
Nolan will work directly with the network’s creative leadership in the U.S. and Canada to lead the development of ideas that solve clients’ business challenges, guided by the creativity of the network’s founding philosophy of “Truth Well Told.” Key to this effort will be fostering collaboration across capabilities and agencies, leveraging the network’s talent and expertise in strategy, design, commerce, branding and production to bring its best-in-class offerings to bear for each client.
“Britt is without a doubt a leader and a point of reference for excellence in our industry,” said Campopiano. “He has led some of North America’s very best work in recent years with incredible range--creating eye-catching, smart, authentic, and funny ways of connecting brands with people. He has a rare track record of success across both creative and business, with a unique understanding of how they power each other. And most importantly, we share a common belief that brand-building is right now more important than it ever was, and the only way to do it is through radical creativity based on human truths. He embodies the very essence of our Truth Well Told philosophy.”
Most recently president and chief creative officer of Leo Burnett Chicago, Nolan comes to McCann Worldgroup with a track record of creative achievement and business impact, both for his clients and the agencies at which he’s worked. Over the years, his work has won Grand Prix or Best in Show at every major international award show, including over 50 Cannes Lions, as well as recognition... Read More