14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has announced that at some point during the spring it will be releaseing a Software Development Kit for its Kinect motion tracking system that will allow the device to be used with PCs that use the Windows operating system from the company.
The news was delivered by Don Mattrick, who is the president of the Interactive Entertainment Business division and by Craig Mundie, who is the chief research and strategy officer at Microsoft.
The SDK will be offered as free download and is apparently aimed mainly at academic researchers and at enthusiasts that are interested in adapting the Kinect technology to new uses.
The SDK will allow those who use it to learn how to control the motion-tracking sensor, the system application programming interface and the integrated audio recognition technology.
Microsoft released a statement that says, “The possibilities are endless. Natural and intuitive technologies such as Kinect can be more than just a great platform for gaming and entertainment. They open up enormous opportunities across a wide variety of scenarios, including addressing societal issues in areas such as healthcare and education.”
Kinect was launched in early November of last year in the United States and has since managed to go over 8 million units sold, surpassing even the most optimistic projections from Microsoft.
The device allows gamers to control experiences exclusively through motions of their body, without the use of any physical controller.
Soon after the launch for the Xbox 360 enthusiasts have hacked the Kinect device to be used with PCs, adapting it to be used for playing World of Warcraft but also to control household appliances.
Having a Microsoft certified SDK for the Kinect will mean that all those interested in the device will be able to create more complex experiences.
PC game developers will probably also aim to adapt it for their own titles, although no official plans have yet been announced.