Kinect

Microsoft's Xbox 360 successor will use Blu-ray discs and feature "some sort of anti-used game system," according to reports. Sources have claimed that Microsoft will catch up with Sony by using Blu-ray, which can store up to 50GB of a data on a single disc. No detail was given on how Microsoft intends to combat the pre-owned market. More >

Microsoft's Entertainment And Devices Division brought in $4.2 billion ($2.7 billion) in the three months to December 31, an increase of 15 per cent on the previous year. Across Microsoft as a whole, revenue rose five per cent to $20.89 billion (£13.5 billion), setting a new record for the company. Net income, however, fell from last year's $6.63 billion to $6.62 billion (£4.28 billion). More >

Microsoft has sold more than 66 million Xbox 360s, and over 18 million units of the Kinect motion sensor. The figures were revealed by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer during his keynote at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas last night. He also revealed that Xbox Live has more than 40 million users, but neglected to specify how many were paying Gold members. More >

Gore Verbinski's production company, Blind Wink, has penned a deal with Microsoft to develop an IP "across all Microsoft platforms" in which an XBLA Kinect game will be an "initial offering". More >

A pair of US high school students were yesterday awarded a $100,000 college scholarship for using Kinect to analyse human walking patterns in a project that could ultimately be used in the design of prosthetics for amputees. Ziyuan Liu and Cassee Cain, seniors at Oak Ridge High School in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, won the Team Prize at the Siemens Competition, an annual awards ceremony designed to promote the study of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). More >

Robomodo, developer of Tony Hawk: Ride, is seeking funding for development of its new project on crowdsourcing website Kickstarter. The developer's mobile wing, Robomite, is seeking $35,000 in funding for Bodoink, a Kinect game using Xbox Avatars for release on Xbox Live Arcade. Writing on Kickstarter, the team explains that its primary goal is to finish development of the game before finding a publisher, a necessary evil for the game to stand out on XBLA, enabling it to retain full control of the IP. More >

Microsoft intends to release an improved version of Xbox 360 motion sensor Kinect that is so accurate it can lip-read, according to reports. Sources close to Eurogamer claim that Kinect 2 will come bundled with future Xbox consoles. As well as lip-reading, the improved sensor will be able to detect players' emotional states by tracking facial expressions and the pitch and volume of their voices. More >

Microsoft has unveiled Kinect Accelerator, an program to support the creation of Kinect applications for use in the business world. The programme, which runs from March to May, is part of Microsoft's effort to expand the use of Kinect beyond the living room. It intends to launch a commercial version of the Windows Kinect SDK early next year. More >

Microsoft plans to launch a commercial version of its Kinect SDK early next year, giving businesses the opportunity to create their own software to make us of the device's unique capabilities. Microsoft product manager David Dennis told Gamasutra that over 200 brands across 25 countries have signed up for the program. While most are remaining anonymous for the time being to avoid tipping off competitors, Toyota and marketing agency Razorfish are among those confirmed to be involved. More >

Tim Schafer More >