New to Shacknews? Signup for a Free Account

Already have an account?

Video Game Release Dates 2024Elden Ring strategy guideShacknews Direct: Introducing Bubbletron!Destiny 2 Complete Strategy Guide
Video Game Release Dates 2024
Elden Ring strategy guide
Shacknews Direct: Introducing Bubbletron!
Destiny 2 Complete Strategy Guide

Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim getting Kinect voice controls

Kinect-powered Dragon Shouts are officially coming to The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim in a free title update for Xbox 360, due later this month.
Alice O'Connor
11

Kinect-powered Dragon Shouts are officially coming to The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. The idea was originally whipped together during Bethesda's game jam week, but has been expanded to give voice control over everything from follower commands to quicksaves, and will be coming to Xbox 360 in a free title update later this month.

Skyrim will support over 200 Kinect voice commands in all. The full list is promised "in the coming weeks," but for now Bethesda's offering the following taster:

The Kinect for Xbox 360 integration offers Voice Commands throughout the game including Dragon Shouts, Hotkey Equipping, Follower Commands, and all Menus (Items, Magic, Map, Barter, Container, Favorites, and Skills). With Voice Commands, quickly create and load saves during gameplay and access menus and inventories. Skyrim's Kinect for Xbox 360 Support also adds new functionality including special map functions, additional hotkey options, and the ability to sort inventory items by name, weight, and value.

There's also a little tease of DLC, which is said "will add new quests, locations, features, and much more." Skyrim game director Todd Howard had hinted that some more of the game jam's ideas, which included goblins, spell combinations, and dragon mounts, could make it into DLC.

Here's a video introduction to the Kinect commands:

Filed Under
From The Chatty
Refresh Go To Thread
  • Shacknews legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
    reply
    April 12, 2012 8:45 AM

    Alice O'Connor posted a new article, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim getting Kinect voice controls.

    Kinect-powered Dragon Shouts are officially coming to The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim in a free title update for Xbox 360, due later this month.

    • surfrock22 legacy 10 years
      reply
      April 12, 2012 8:56 AM

      Dragon mounts.. yes.

    • HackedLife legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
      reply
      April 12, 2012 9:14 AM

      If those Kinect features had been available when Skyrim came out, I would have RAN to the store to buy one. After putting in 100+ hours though it is really not that interesting.

    • 0mar legacy 10 years
      reply
      April 12, 2012 9:16 AM

      sounds stupid

    • [deleted] 1124125937 legacy 10 years
      reply
      April 12, 2012 9:25 AM

      [deleted]

    • sogelegos legacy 10 years
      reply
      April 12, 2012 9:37 AM

      Ok, after watching the video, that stuff seems really cool.

    • moogle legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
      reply
      April 12, 2012 9:46 AM

      It's a shame that you have to spend $130 on Kinect for something that could be accomplished with a $5 microphone.

      • Degenerate moderator legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
        reply
        April 12, 2012 1:01 PM

        its much easier for them to implement this stuff using kinect because all of the voice recognition stuff is already there. they dont need to write it all themselves like they would without it.

        • Saldrin legacy 10 years
          reply
          April 12, 2012 4:11 PM

          Don't be a zealot. MS has had speech recognition since win 95. Its also a standard part of the directX api under managed direct sound application.

          MS wouldn't have to rewrite shit. A $5 mic would work fine.

    • ]aratex[ legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
      reply
      April 12, 2012 9:48 AM

      I think the things that most appeal to me are:

      1- Shout access. Any shout at any time as long as you remember the words. Yes.
      2- Equipment "hotkeys". Switch weapons without pausing.
      3- The map stuff! Scrolling around with the little cursor was annoying. Now you can just say the name of the town and the arrow pops over to it. If only there was a "fast travel" command..

    • dookiebot legacy 10 years
      reply
      April 12, 2012 11:43 AM

      I notice Lydia didn't say "I am sworn to carry your burdens" in the video. Looks like Bethesda did some modding of their own. lol

      • RomSteady legacy 10 years mercury ludicrous
        reply
        April 12, 2012 12:03 PM

        That line of dialogue needs to die a fiery death.

    • TastyWheat legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
      reply
      April 12, 2012 5:12 PM

      So what's the apparent difference between the 360 Kinect and the PC one that's coming out? If everyone is already using them on PCs, why bother buying another one?

    • Dr_Cube legacy 10 years
      reply
      April 12, 2012 5:22 PM

      Is there a technical reason that would prevent this from coming to the PC version? Is the Xbox 360 Kinect API different from the Windows API?

    • rtricoche legacy 10 years
      reply
      April 13, 2012 12:03 PM

      This seems more like a back alley deal than "features" added to an existing title.

      As you know patches cost money to release on Xbox. I read somewhere upwards of 40k, perhaps a deal was struck where if they (Bethesda) included this nonsense (Kinect compatibility), in the newest patch then M$ would released it for free.
      This is why perhaps PC users may not get this "update" its really meant to push sales of Kinect, kinda like the ill conceived Mass Effect 3 hoax.
      So its a win/win scenario.
      Bethesda gets to push their updates for free and M$ gets two things out of the deal. They can claim HARDCORE status with yet another title under the failed Kinect brand and one of the most popular games of last year can possibly help sell the failing hardware to-boot.

      Now all they have to do is spit and shake hands.

Hello, Meet Lola