Rare’s upcoming motion-sports game exclusively for the Xbox One is due to hit stores in early April, according to the official Xbox Wire service. The wave-race “Pre-Season” demo has been out since launch, and though there are a few games using the Kinect for motion controls, this looks to be Microsoft’s first one that showcases some of the new Kinect abilities.
Along with the release date and a new video titled “Become A Champion” which showcases the Kinect’s ability to create an avatar based on your own body and face, the article highlights several features:
Champions: Rare’s exclusive scanning technology plots 86 points on your face, scans your skin color and hair color to create your Champion, an awesome, stylized version of you, to use in-game. After your face and body are scanned, your Champion will appear on screen and you will have the opportunity to customize it to look even more like you or individualize it to express yourself in a unique way. [ … ]
Power-Ups: No self-respecting Champion would enter an event unarmed – every sport has a selection of equipment that bestows a variety of Power-Ups. Some magnify your abilities, some hinder your opponents, and others protect you from attack. Remember to choose your Power-Up wisely before entering each sport, as your choice will accompany your Champion when it appears in other players’ matches, even when you aren’t online.
Coins and Experience Points: The only way to gain coins is by competing in events, with a higher pay-out awarded based on your final position. Compete and earn coins to be able to purchase new equipment and kits from the in-game store. Additionally, you can earn Experience Points, or XP, in each sport. The more you please the crowd, the faster you’ll break through XP levels and gain access to more prestigious items. If you accumulate enough XP, you can unlock advanced challenges, like new wake racing circuits, climbing routes, and much more.
Level Up and Fans: Each of the six sports gives you the ability to level up and become an elite Champion for that sport. As you level up, you will gain access to unique outfits and equipment. The equipment gives you more impactful Power-Ups to give you the best advantage over your rivals. Every victory you have adds to your fame, which gives you more and more fans. The fans you win over in your living room will follow you as you go online to battle for ultimate Champion glory.
Much like Forza Motorsport 5’s Drivatars, apparently your champion will continue to play in other online games while you are offline. Kinect Sports Rivals launches April 8 in Australia, New Zealand, and North America, and April 11 for Europe.
Born and raised in Winnipeg, Canada, at a young age I was forced to decide whether the harsh northern winters were going to claim my fingers, or to turn to the safer pursuits of indoor activities. Little did I know that a little game called Ninja Gaiden would bring my digits more pain than frostbite ever could. Starting with Vectrex and C64 games and moving forward through the era of electronic entertainment, I sampled as much as I could in the different platforms, and began my interest in PC gaming from wrestling with DOS memory management.
While console games were a part of my earliest gaming memories and I certainly had played on most platforms including 3D0, all things Nintendo, PS1 and the like, truly the PC was my domain until the Xbox. As an old PC gamer, I ever chased the cutting edge technology. Eye of the beholder with CGA 4 colors was my first step down the the path of blowing thousands of dollars on PC upgrades over two decades. Ultima 7, with the Guardian talking to me through my monitor, still haunts my dreams and keeps me ever hoping for a decent Ultima 8 and 9. From the 3DFX SLI VooDoo2s and Aureal to today's GPU driven DirectX games, the new and shiny pictures seem to keep me going. My PC gaming has slowed down with the market shift though, and although I have choice games that will ever be on PC, I have found myself in console gaming with a bit of portable gaming in my life.
Back around the turn of the millenium (and long before fatherhood), I had fired off an email offering to help Ron with a little-known site called ConsoleGold. Little did I know it would be be a part of my life to this day. While I've seen my fair share of shovelware (thanks Ron!), I manage to try and find the fun in most games. Leaning towards sandbox and action titles, I've grown to love games for their potential to reach art. Console agnostic and excited for the progress of tomorrow, I fancy the latest and greatest, but still enjoy the good old classics ... as long as they've been revamped from their 8bit graphic roots.
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