Microsoft has spent plenty of time hyping the new Kinect that comes bundled with each Xbox One, but up until now there really hasn't been any formidable evidence for how it'll enhance your gaming experience — outside of your typical voice command recognition. Leave it to Ubisoft, developers of Just Dance 2014, to be one of the first to actually explain just how the Kinect will improve gameplay.
"The new Kinect on Xbox One is actually what’s excited us the most. The new Kinect has better tracking of players and an improved camera, so we can track dance moves more accurately," said Ubisoft producer Sean Crooks. Speaking on Xbox Wire, Crooks revealed that the Kinect will track up to six players which is more than Ubisoft has ever been able to track previously.
"The 6 player support has allowed us to innovate with some fantastic acrobatic choreography (like Human Pyramids!) only available on Xbox One," he added.
"We know that Just Dance is a popular game in large groups with whole living rooms full of people joining in. We wanted to allow more of those people to join in and get scored in the game as well," he said, explaining why Ubisoft decided to expand the number of players to six. "It’s all about friendly completion! It’s important to note that each of the six players have unique choreography so no two players are always doing the same move at the same time."
Elsewhere in the interview, Crooks talks of how Xbox One SmartGlass allows non-dancers to enter the mix by controlling the dancing in the game. SmartGlass users can queue up playlists of songs without interrupting gameplay, and there's even a mode (Party Master) that allows person with the device to pick dance moves for those playing through the Kinect.
Will the Kinect's enhanced functionality persuade you into buying the Xbox One version of Just Dance 2014?
