Turns out Kinect isn't racist — it's just farsighted.
News Blips:
Consumer Reports debunks claims that Kinect can't identify the faces of darker-skinned players. Earlier this week, GameSpot reported having difficulty getting Kinect to recognize the faces of darker-skinned employees when trying to log the players in using the camera feature. Consumer Reports' Carol Magis said the problem was similar to complaints regarding an HP laptop's camera not tracking darker-skinned users, which was actually due to poor lighting conditions. "The log-in problem is related to low-level lighting and not directly to players' skin color. Like the HP webcam, the Kinect camera needs enough light and contrast to determine features in a person's face before it can perform software recognition and log someone into the game console automatically."
EA announces the next installment in the Battlefield series will be free to play. The aptly named Battlefield: Play4Free will feature 32-player online combat and use a more realistic visual style rather than Battlefield: Heroes' colorful aesthetic. Play4Free will combine maps from Battlefield 2 with Bad Company 2's weapons and classes, as well as some new additions. EA has scheduled the game for Spring 2011 but is offering a closed beta beginning November 30.
Sharp, the maker of the Nintendo 3DS' glasses-free 3D screen, reveals it is releasing a pair of Android phones bundled with 3D Capcom games. The Sharp Galapagos 003SH and 005SH are capable of glasses-free 3D displays that can stretch to 3.8 inches and 800 x 480 resolution. One of the bundles includes games from the Mega Man, Ghosts 'n Goblins, and Resident Evil series. Sharp plans on releasing the 003SH in Japan this December and the 005SH in February. [Engadget]
Video Games Live, a touring concert event dedicated entirely to video games, announces 42 new shows. The tour began yesterday in Detroit, but Video Games Live will be visiting dozens of other locations throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico, as well as Russia. The schedule runs through June of 2011, and Video Games Live is planning more shows for Europe, Asia, and South America in the second half of the year.
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