Electronic Arts Sports boss Andrew Wilson has confirmed with Eurogamer that FIFA 14 will not be utilizing the Xbox One’s Kinect this year.

Here is the full statement from Andrew Wilson regarding Kinect Motion Control intergration for FIFA 14 on Xbox One:

“We feel the evolution of that will do more for gamers this year [than motion]. We’re not quite at motion yet. We’re running some prototypes, but as yet we’re not seeing anything that universally enhances the core sports experience. Right now we’re still in a position where we see voice as the feature of Kinect that’s most relevant to FIFA. And that’s how you’ll see it this year.

“We did voice last year. There are new capabilities of voice recognition in the new Kinect the team is trying to utilize to make sure we take that to the next level and give you an even greater level of control through voice in the game.”

Many people have been worried that Micosoft would shove Kinect down developers throat, well thankfully that is not the case with EA Sports so far. Let’s see where the next-generation Kinect goes in the next few years.

Let us know what you think of this in the comments below.

Check back on GamingBolt for more updates.

“We are not interested in things that don’t make the game better. There are a lot of gimmicks – people throwing money at us – ‘can you implement support for this quirky control thing’. No, it doesn’t make the game better.”

“We are extremely open to innovation, but if it’s a gimmick, there’s no point unless it adds value to the player. Touch screens used to be a gimmick, because no-one could get it to work until iPhone came out and used it right.

“It adds to the experience, and now everyone is doing it. To us it’s the same with motion control and perceptual gaming in general; if it adds, great. If it’s a gimmick, ignore it.”

Battlefield 4 is expected to hit PS3, Xbox 360 and PC by 2013 end, with a rumoured release date of October 29th. Next generation console releases are still unconfirmed.

It was interesting because it suggests an alternative to all-out winners and losers. If anything, it showed the Reapers as individuals built on purpose, rather than existing for war. And where ever necessary, they will evolve rather than just die, all to ensure the future survival of all life.

As we see the closure of several development studios, the slow trickle of hardcore console exclusives from Microsoft and the push for new, indie-style games from Sony, the inclusion of motion control on every single console, the rise of mobile and “casual” gaming and gaming being an understatement rather than a privilege thanks to a new generation of powerful smartphones, does the much-fabled console war still have any legs left to it?

For the longest time, Sony and Microsoft (because Nintendo had already run away with success and the “mainstream” audience) were embroiled in a brutal battle to determine whose was the best console for the hardcore gamer. Did you prefer Kratos or Master Chief? That moron from Killzone or Marcus Fenix?

Truth be told, Sony had a leg up on its rival with more unique and exclusive IPs while Microsoft benefited from better versions of multiplatform titles (not to mention timed exclusive DLC). And the fanboys reacted accordingly, continuously baying for blood if you went to the right places.

But then something happened in the past year or two. Microsoft found success with the mainstream thanks to it’s motion sensing Kinect device, while Sony… well, Sony is still in pretty much the same spot as before, it’s Move device still targeted for hardcore gamers.

In fact, you could say it diverged a bit, since it also had the PlayStation Vita to worry about. Regardless, you’ll still get your off-beat titles to go with the next God of War.

However, while both are still trying to outdo each other, there’s no intense, neck-to-neck insanity like you’d see between, say, Samsung and Apple nowadays. There’s no more “stealing” of exclusives, as Microsoft had apparently done with Final Fantasy XIII and so many others. Many big-name PS3 exclusives like Final Fantasy Versus XIII, The Last Guardian and the long-rumoured Kingdom Hearts 3 have still failed to materialize. The top franchises these days are no longer God of War or Halo; they’re Call of Duty and Assassin’s Creed.

There are many reasons why we can perceive this to be the end of the console war. For one thing, in an age where it’s just not financially viable to develop for one console due to the massive amount of lay-offs and instability, to even neglect a platform like the Wii U would be bad business.

More and more developers are striving to create AAA blockbusters to take in the dollars, while we have more independent developers content to ply their trade on Steam. The middle-ground developers are quickly being phased out – Vigil Games, for instance, is in big trouble due to THQ suffering heavy losses from Darksiders 2’s disappointing sales.

Some developers like Square Enix, who’s always sided with Sony, have long since branched out to other consoles. Nowadays, they’re looking past their Japanese roots and increasingly publishing more Western titles to expand their profits. The same goes for Capcom, who decided to appeal to Western gamers and take a more Call of Duty like approach for Resident Evil 6 (didn’t work out so well).

You either go big or you go home these days – and you do it to appeal to the lowest common denominator.

How many games are starting to look more and more like their predecessors anyway? Just one look at the core gameplay of Assassin’s Creed, Watch Dogs and Remember Me is a dead enough giveaway.

With a mind-set of appealing more to living room entertainment, Microsoft even launched the new SmartGlass, which integrates several devices together, allowing them to communicate with each other. Heck, with the success they’ve had on Kinect, Microsoft has pretty much found a winning formula where brands like Kinect Sports and Kinectimals can receive sequels that will cost significantly less to develop compared to insuring the next Mass Effect stays platform-exclusive.

And though we’ll inevitably see a new wave of consoles coming soon, there’s no denying that’s it’s taken twice as long for the next generation to come calling as compared to, for example, the four year gap between Xbox and Xbox 360. Heck, it’s even allowed people to buy more than one console for their use.

Don’t be surprised then if each console has more in common with each other in the next generation, like motion control, more living-room centric features and maybe even cross-play across different devices (though the odd next generation version of a popular franchise is a given).

The future is uncertain and while we still have heaps of innovation in today’s age, it’s a given that more and more effort will be made to broaden the user base.

Either way, the days of companies totally dominating and retiring others, as what happened to Sega when it bowed out of the console business, are long past. And while a war may still be happening, it’s no longer with the voracious desire for domination as before.

Freddy Wong (Youtube star) and Insomniac Games have teamed up to create this incredible video that makes you wish you lived in an advanced world. You can still buy a sharpshooter and try it out for yourself though. Check out the video and tell us in the comments section how you feel.

Mind control is a concept previously thought impossible, but technology design company Emotiv claim to have designed the worlds first headset that allows you to communicate your thoughts onto a games.

The Emotiv Epoc consists of 14 sensors that read the electrical signals from billions of nerve cells – or neurons – in the brain, which are communicated wirelessly to a computer.

Similar technology has been designed before- electroencephalography (EEG) headsets are used by hospitals to diagnose epilepsy. However the Emotiv Epoc comes at a unique pricepoint, costing only $300. It can also be connected to almost any domestic computer.

The BBC were on hand at the TED Global (Technology Entertainment and Design) conference in Oxford to give the headset a run through.

Thousands of the headsets have already been sold since being released last year for universities and schools, where it has mostly been used for construction applications. However, Emotiv says that it won’t be long until we will be able to play Tetris with our mind.

More through the link.

BBC

Said Capcom exec David Reeves, ‘If you map it out the Xbox 360 is right up in the corner and it has certain types of games associated with it. And Microsoft knows that in ten years time they can’t be there, they have to be appealing to families,’ while explaining why he felt that Microsoft’s new found focus on the casuals would be beneficial in the long run.

He added: ‘ I reckon that strategically it’s absolutely the right move. It’s almost like two steps back and one step forward. They are right to separate Kinect from everything else. If you look at the industry over the past five years and ask yourself where has the money been made, it’s been made on Wii Fit, Brain Training, SingStar, even Guitar Hero. And then on the other side you’ve got the Activision and EA hardcore titles. They’re in a box. Publishers don’t want to give up their core values but they need to reach out to this wider market. They’ve got to do it to make that move before they bring out the new systems. I think long-term it’s the right move but they realise they’re going to upset a lot of users.’

While core gamers have largely derided Microsoft and Sony’s attempts to jump on the motion control bandwagon, the two mega corporations have stuck to their guns. However, a recent study by EEDAR has shown that the purchase intent for the two accessories is very low.

The Kinect launches later this year, and it will be priced at $149.

“The key to Kinect and to getting customers is obviously all about demonstration,” head of UK PR for Game, Neil Ashurst said.

“So at the moment our focus is looking at ways of doing that. Beyond that we don’t have any specific details at present.”

Microsft will also have Kinect on display in a select few US stores for the benefit of the public.

Keep checking GamingBolt for more news. And do tell us if you think you’ll look like noobs while playing with Kinect.

The TiltFX is a new accessory that promises to add motion controls to “all games” on the PSP. According to a press release, the device features a three-axis MEMS sensor and is able to replace the functions of the standard D-Pad and analog stick. Additionally, Datel is offering customized profiles for specific games, like WipEout, LocoRoco, and Super Monkey Ball.

The motion controls are said to be similar in design to the Apple iPhone’s tilt design. This only helps to solidify what Satoru Iwata said last month when he hinted at motion controls for the next iteration of the handheld console.

Since then, he has in fact retracted his statements, but it has piqued our interest.

According to CVG, one of the developers in reciept of the DS 2 development kit has said it is, “The best thing I think I’ve ever worked with”.