Kinect Dismisses Deaf

Despite early reports that Microsoft’s new motion-sensing hardware would be able to understand finger movements, including sign language, they have now decided to downgrade the camera going to retail to just 320x240 and as a result it will now be impossible to pick-up such subtleties.

      
                          Bend me, Shape me, Anyway you want me

The filing of a patent surrounding finger movement and sign language was something many got excited by, indicating the power that the device could potentially posses. However, the lower resolution, sensitivity and processing power is a result of cost-cutting measures that will drive down the price in an attempt to bring Kinect to a larger gamer-base.

In a statement released to Kotaku a Microsoft rep claims: “We are excited about the potential of Kinect and its potential to impact gaming and entertainment. Microsoft files lots of patent applications to protect our intellectual property, not all of which are brought to market right away. Kinect that is shipping this holiday will not support sign language.”

The statement indicates that they’re certainly not ruling out the possibility of upgrades in the future, depending on how well the peripheral sells.

Kinect will hit shelves this November.

Craig Bryan, NoobFeed