Kinect Sports
Encyclopedia
Kinect Sports is a sports video game developed by Rare and published by Microsoft Game Studios
for the Xbox 360
. The game utilises the Kinect motion-sensing peripheral and was released in North America, Europe, Australasia and Japan in November 2010 as a launch title for Kinect.
The game is a collection of six sports simulations and eight mini-games, designed to demonstrate the motion-sensing capabilities of Kinect. The six sports included are: Bowling
, Boxing
, Track & Field, Table Tennis
, Beach Volleyball
and Soccer (Football outside North America). Standing in front of the Kinect sensor, players compete by mimicking actions performed in real-life sports, such as throwing a javelin or kicking a football.
The game received generally positive reviews from critics and sold over three million units as of April 2011. A sequel to the game, Kinect Sports: Season Two
, developed by Rare and BigPark
, was released in October 2011.
Players are represented in-game by their Xbox 360 avatar. Using the Kinect sensor, the player’s physical gestures and body movements are tracked and translated into in-game actions without the need for a controller.
At the end of each event, players are shown a video compilation of their ‘best bits’ captured by the Kinect sensor. Clips can be uploaded to the KinectShare website where they can be downloaded, deleted or shared directly with Facebook
.
takes place at Neon Lanes. Players are required to reach to their left or right to take up a ball before swinging their arm forwards to bowl, exaggerating the arm motion to add spin if required. Single player, local multiplayer and online multiplayer game modes are available. Bowling mini games include One Bowl Roll, in which the player must clear as many pin setups as possible before running out of chances, and Pin Rush, where the player is challenged to knock over as many pins as possible within a time limit.
Boxing
takes place at Tornado Gardens. Players are encouraged to use their left and right arms to punch and block, both at head and body height. Single player, local multiplayer and online multiplayer game modes are available.
Track & Field is a collection of five separate events, all of which take place at Flame Stadium. The events are Sprint, Javelin
, Long Jump
, Discus
and Hurdles. Each event can be played individually (within the Mini Games area) or collectively as a pentathlon
. Players must jog on the spot to run, jump to clear hurdles or make a long jump, and perform the relevant arm motion to throw a javelin or discus. Single player, local multiplayer and online multiplayer game modes are available.
Table Tennis
takes place at the Blade Center. Players are required to reach to their left or right to pick up a paddle before serving, and can then incorporate topspin, backspin and smash shots. Single player, local multiplayer and online multiplayer game modes are available. Table Tennis mini games include Paddle Panic, in which the player must take up a paddle in each hand and return as many balls as possible within a fixed time limit, and Rally Tally, where the player is challenged to maintain a single rally for as long as possible.
Soccer takes place at Lotus Park. As an attacker, the player is required to kick the ball to pass or shoot. As a defender, the player is encouraged to move from side to side to block passes and use their full body to block shots. Single player, local multiplayer and online multiplayer game modes are available. Soccer mini games include Super Saver, which puts the player in goal trying to block the striker’s shots, and Target Kick, in which the player must beat the goalkeeper and launch the ball at goal-based targets.
Beach Volleyball
takes place at Waveside. Players serve by making an upward throwing motion with one hand and then a swinging motion with the other. The ball is passed or returned using bump, set and spike motions. Single player, local multiplayer and online multiplayer game modes are available. Beach Volleyball mini games include Bump Bash, in which the player must avoid as many thrown objects as possible, and Body Ball, where the player is required to return the ball using a specific body part.
-sponsored ‘Party Pack’ was made available for the game. The pack included six new mini games (one per sport: King of the Ring, Rapid Runner, Super Striker, Target Smash, Fruit Splatter and Pinvaders), and three new Party Play mascots.
On 26 April 2011 a ‘Calorie Challenge’ game add-on was released. It introduced the titular mode in which players compete in a series of events against food-themed mascots. Players are tasked with burning a specific number of calories within an allotted time limit to complete each challenge.
. It was also previewed at Microsoft's Cirque du Soleil
event and subsequently launched alongside the Kinect peripheral in North America
on 4 November 2010, in Europe
on 10 November 2010, and in Australia
on 18 November 2010.
Kinect Sports features a front end and Party Play voiceover recorded by Peter Dickson and a number of licensed music tracks from artists including Queen
, Robbie Williams
, MC Hammer
and Gwen Stefani
. Celebratory stings from these tracks are used throughout the game when players score a goal, achieve a strike, break a record or win an otherwise crucial point.
On 11 November 2010 a Kinect Sports Facebook
app was released which sorts times set in the Xbox 360
game into online leagues. Co-developed by Rare and web agency Nzime, the Facebook app uses an Xbox LIVE
gamertag to compare results with friends and other players in Kinect Sports, join or create leagues and watch video performances uploaded from the game.
On 23 April 2011 Kinect Sports players set a new Guinness World Record for the largest simultaneous 100m sprint with 10,539 participants.
, a 7.5/10 from GameSpot
, and a 4/5 from G4TV's X-Play
. Video game talk show Good Game
gave the game a 7 out of 10 which praised that it didn't feel like a Wii sports game and that you actually had to use your whole body to play it however stating that the soccer felt a bit brain dead. Overall they said "It's a solid sports collection to show off Kinect and it is presented well with lots of great licensed music." Kinect Sports was also awarded Best Family Game in the Game British Academy Video Game Awards in 2011.
and was nominated for 5 other awards, including the Golden Joystick Award for Best Sports Game Award of 2011
and Best New IP, Audio Accomplishment and Technical Innovation awards in the Develop Awards 2011.
Other nominations include an Award for Casual Game of the Year in 2011 Interactive Achievement Awards and the New Game Brand award in the MCV Industry Excellence Awards 2011.
Microsoft Game Studios
Microsoft Studios is the video game production wing for Microsoft, responsible for the development and publishing of games for the Xbox, Xbox 360, Games for Windows and Windows Phone platforms. They were established in 2002 as Microsoft Game Studios to coincide with the release of the Xbox, before...
for the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
. The game utilises the Kinect motion-sensing peripheral and was released in North America, Europe, Australasia and Japan in November 2010 as a launch title for Kinect.
The game is a collection of six sports simulations and eight mini-games, designed to demonstrate the motion-sensing capabilities of Kinect. The six sports included are: Bowling
Bowling
Bowling Bowling Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule...
, Boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
, Track & Field, Table Tennis
Table tennis
Table tennis, also known as ping-pong, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight, hollow ball back and forth using table tennis rackets. The game takes place on a hard table divided by a net...
, Beach Volleyball
Beach volleyball
Beach volleyball, or sand volleyball, is an Olympic team sport played by two teams of two players on a sand court divided by a net.Like volleyball, the object of the game is to send the ball over the net in order to ground it on the opponent’s court, and to prevent the same effort by the opponent....
and Soccer (Football outside North America). Standing in front of the Kinect sensor, players compete by mimicking actions performed in real-life sports, such as throwing a javelin or kicking a football.
The game received generally positive reviews from critics and sold over three million units as of April 2011. A sequel to the game, Kinect Sports: Season Two
Kinect Sports: Season Two
Kinect Sports: Season Two, also known as Kinect Sports 2, is a sequel to Kinect Sports co-developed by Rare and BigPark, and published by Microsoft Studios. It was unveiled at E3 2011's Microsoft Conference for Kinect and released in October 2011. The game adds six new sports and voice control...
, developed by Rare and BigPark
BigPark
BigPark is a Canadian video game developer owned by Microsoft Studios.-History:Microsoft acquired BigPark in 2009, a few months prior to the announcement of the Kinect sensor . Their first project was to be Joy Ride, a casual racing title which incorporated Xbox Live Avatars...
, was released in October 2011.
Gameplay
All six of the events in Kinect Sports support multiplayer both locally and online, with a mixture of competitive and cooperative play options. In addition, players can also take part in eight sport-based mini games, or join in the Party Play mode designed to accommodate a larger number of players amassed in the same room, divided into two teams.Players are represented in-game by their Xbox 360 avatar. Using the Kinect sensor, the player’s physical gestures and body movements are tracked and translated into in-game actions without the need for a controller.
At the end of each event, players are shown a video compilation of their ‘best bits’ captured by the Kinect sensor. Clips can be uploaded to the KinectShare website where they can be downloaded, deleted or shared directly with Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
.
Sports
BowlingBowling
Bowling Bowling Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule...
takes place at Neon Lanes. Players are required to reach to their left or right to take up a ball before swinging their arm forwards to bowl, exaggerating the arm motion to add spin if required. Single player, local multiplayer and online multiplayer game modes are available. Bowling mini games include One Bowl Roll, in which the player must clear as many pin setups as possible before running out of chances, and Pin Rush, where the player is challenged to knock over as many pins as possible within a time limit.
Boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
takes place at Tornado Gardens. Players are encouraged to use their left and right arms to punch and block, both at head and body height. Single player, local multiplayer and online multiplayer game modes are available.
Track & Field is a collection of five separate events, all of which take place at Flame Stadium. The events are Sprint, Javelin
Javelin
A Javelin is a light spear intended for throwing. It is commonly known from the modern athletic discipline, the Javelin throw.Javelin may also refer to:-Aviation:* ATG Javelin, an American-Israeli civil jet aircraft, under development...
, Long Jump
Long jump
The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength, and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a take off point...
, Discus
Discus
Discus, "disk" in Latin, may refer to:* Discus , a progressive rock band from Indonesia* Discus , a fictional character from the Marvel Comics Universe and enemy of Luke Cage* Discus , a freshwater fish popular with aquarium keepers...
and Hurdles. Each event can be played individually (within the Mini Games area) or collectively as a pentathlon
Pentathlon
A pentathlon is a contest featuring five different events. The name is derived from Greek: combining the words pente and -athlon . The first pentathlon was documented in Ancient Greece and was part of the Ancient Olympic Games...
. Players must jog on the spot to run, jump to clear hurdles or make a long jump, and perform the relevant arm motion to throw a javelin or discus. Single player, local multiplayer and online multiplayer game modes are available.
Table Tennis
Table tennis
Table tennis, also known as ping-pong, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight, hollow ball back and forth using table tennis rackets. The game takes place on a hard table divided by a net...
takes place at the Blade Center. Players are required to reach to their left or right to pick up a paddle before serving, and can then incorporate topspin, backspin and smash shots. Single player, local multiplayer and online multiplayer game modes are available. Table Tennis mini games include Paddle Panic, in which the player must take up a paddle in each hand and return as many balls as possible within a fixed time limit, and Rally Tally, where the player is challenged to maintain a single rally for as long as possible.
Soccer takes place at Lotus Park. As an attacker, the player is required to kick the ball to pass or shoot. As a defender, the player is encouraged to move from side to side to block passes and use their full body to block shots. Single player, local multiplayer and online multiplayer game modes are available. Soccer mini games include Super Saver, which puts the player in goal trying to block the striker’s shots, and Target Kick, in which the player must beat the goalkeeper and launch the ball at goal-based targets.
Beach Volleyball
Beach volleyball
Beach volleyball, or sand volleyball, is an Olympic team sport played by two teams of two players on a sand court divided by a net.Like volleyball, the object of the game is to send the ball over the net in order to ground it on the opponent’s court, and to prevent the same effort by the opponent....
takes place at Waveside. Players serve by making an upward throwing motion with one hand and then a swinging motion with the other. The ball is passed or returned using bump, set and spike motions. Single player, local multiplayer and online multiplayer game modes are available. Beach Volleyball mini games include Bump Bash, in which the player must avoid as many thrown objects as possible, and Body Ball, where the player is required to return the ball using a specific body part.
Downloadable content
On 14 December 2010 a free downloadable SamsungSamsung
The Samsung Group is a South Korean multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea...
-sponsored ‘Party Pack’ was made available for the game. The pack included six new mini games (one per sport: King of the Ring, Rapid Runner, Super Striker, Target Smash, Fruit Splatter and Pinvaders), and three new Party Play mascots.
On 26 April 2011 a ‘Calorie Challenge’ game add-on was released. It introduced the titular mode in which players compete in a series of events against food-themed mascots. Players are tasked with burning a specific number of calories within an allotted time limit to complete each challenge.
Development
Kinect Sports was first previewed at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in June 2010Electronic Entertainment Expo 2010
The Electronic Entertainment Expo 2010, commonly known as E3 2010, was the 16th Electronic Entertainment Expo held. The event took place on June 14–17 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. E3 is an annual trade show for the computer and video games industry presented by the Entertainment Software...
. It was also previewed at Microsoft's Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil , is a Canadian entertainment company, self-described as a "dramatic mix of circus arts and street entertainment." Based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul in 1984 by two former street performers, Guy...
event and subsequently launched alongside the Kinect peripheral in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
on 4 November 2010, in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
on 10 November 2010, and in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
on 18 November 2010.
Kinect Sports features a front end and Party Play voiceover recorded by Peter Dickson and a number of licensed music tracks from artists including Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
, Robbie Williams
Robbie Williams
Robert Peter "Robbie" Williams is an English singer-songwriter, vocal coach and occasional actor. He is a member of the pop group Take That. Williams rose to fame in the band's first run in the early- to mid-1990s. After many disagreements with the management and certain group members, Williams...
, MC Hammer
MC Hammer
Stanley Kirk Burrell , better known by his stage name MC Hammer , is an American rapper, entertainer, business entrepreneur, dancer and actor. He had his greatest commercial success and popularity from the late 1980s until the mid-1990s...
and Gwen Stefani
Gwen Stefani
Gwen Renée Stefani is an American singer-songwriter and fashion designer. Stefani is the lead vocalist for the rock and ska band No Doubt. Stefani recorded her first solo album Love. Angel. Music. Baby. in 2004. The album was inspired by music of the 1980s, and was a success with sales of over...
. Celebratory stings from these tracks are used throughout the game when players score a goal, achieve a strike, break a record or win an otherwise crucial point.
On 11 November 2010 a Kinect Sports Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
app was released which sorts times set in the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
game into online leagues. Co-developed by Rare and web agency Nzime, the Facebook app uses an Xbox LIVE
Xbox Live
Xbox Live is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft Corporation. It is currently the only online gaming service on consoles that charges users a fee to play multiplayer gaming. It was first made available to the Xbox system in 2002...
gamertag to compare results with friends and other players in Kinect Sports, join or create leagues and watch video performances uploaded from the game.
On 23 April 2011 Kinect Sports players set a new Guinness World Record for the largest simultaneous 100m sprint with 10,539 participants.
Reception
As of April 2011 Kinect Sports has sold over three million units and received generally positive reviews from critics, getting a rating of 8/10 from IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
, a 7.5/10 from GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
, and a 4/5 from G4TV's X-Play
X-Play
X-Play is a TV program about video games, known for its reviews and comedy skits...
. Video game talk show Good Game
Good Game
Good Game is an Australian video gaming talk show television programme created by Janet Carr and Jeremy Ray currently on ABC2. It premiered on ABC on 19 September 2006...
gave the game a 7 out of 10 which praised that it didn't feel like a Wii sports game and that you actually had to use your whole body to play it however stating that the soccer felt a bit brain dead. Overall they said "It's a solid sports collection to show off Kinect and it is presented well with lots of great licensed music." Kinect Sports was also awarded Best Family Game in the Game British Academy Video Game Awards in 2011.
Awards
Kinect Sports won an Award for the BAFTA Family Game of the Year7th British Academy Video Games Awards
The 7th British Academy Video Game Awards awarded by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, was an award ceremony held on 16 March 2011 in the London Hilton Hotel. The ceremony honoured achievement in video gaming in 2010 and was hosted by Dara Ó Briain...
and was nominated for 5 other awards, including the Golden Joystick Award for Best Sports Game Award of 2011
and Best New IP, Audio Accomplishment and Technical Innovation awards in the Develop Awards 2011.
Other nominations include an Award for Casual Game of the Year in 2011 Interactive Achievement Awards and the New Game Brand award in the MCV Industry Excellence Awards 2011.
See also
- Kinect Sports: Season TwoKinect Sports: Season TwoKinect Sports: Season Two, also known as Kinect Sports 2, is a sequel to Kinect Sports co-developed by Rare and BigPark, and published by Microsoft Studios. It was unveiled at E3 2011's Microsoft Conference for Kinect and released in October 2011. The game adds six new sports and voice control...
- Wii Sports ResortWii Sports ResortWii Sports Resort has received generally favorable reviews, with an average score on Metacritic of 80%. IGN gave it a 7.7 out of 10, citing the impressive fidelity of the controls and how the graphics, as compared to the majority of Wii games, were superb. GameTrailers gave an 8.6 out of 10....
- Sports ChampionsSports ChampionsSports Champions is a 2010 sports video game developed by San Diego Studio and Zindagi Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for PlayStation 3, which utilizes PlayStation Move. It was officially unveiled at the 2010 Game Developers Conference in San Francisco...