Skyrim Kinect

Skyrim Kinect is my latest PC game adapted to work with the Kinect. It allows for full character control using both gestures and voice.

Update: I've been reading your comments, and you guys have been very positive! There's always going to be debate over motion controls, so keep the discussion going. It sounds like you guys have really enjoyed the voice controls. Lucky for you, a new video is in the works, which includes Fus Ro Dah, and the ability to perform any shout you know, on the fly. Also, the new voice commands now include drinking potions and more spells. Video coming soon, so please subscribe! Cheers.

The gestures are simple and intuitive, yet allow for gameplay depth never before seen with the Kinect. Simply swing your right arm forward, up, left, or right, and your character will hack with his sword. Or, if you have a spell in your right arm, simply raise your hand or push it forward to cast. Use your left arm to control your character's view; if you have something equipped like a spell or shield, your left arm will control that as well.

Movement is also easy. Put your right foot just inches forward to run, and even further forward to sprint. Your left foot forward switches to a slow walk, while leaning left, right, or back moves your character in that direction.

Reach down with your left arm to draw or sheath your weapon, reach down with your right arm to activate objects. Crouch to sneak, and raise your right foot to jump.

This established gesture-based control scheme has worked well in my previous videos, but what is new in Skyrim Kinect is the use of voice controls:

Yes, this means Dragon Shouts!

Voice control also allows for much easier access to the menus and the 8 hotkeys. Each hotkey item has its own word or phrase, and the word 'double' before most hotkeys will equip it to both hands. Voice controls really do help create a seamless Kinect experience that would otherwise be burdened by accessing menu's using gestures.


Some features that are implemented, but not used in this video include:
- saying "Left hand" or "Right hand" to equip an item to a particular hand when in menu
- saying "Hello" to activate a conversation with a store owner or NPC
- saying "Journal" to access the journal
- saying "Skills" to access the skill trees
- saying "Switch View" to change between 1st and 3rd person perspectives.



So what kind of technology is behind the Skyrim Kinect video?

Well, gesture control is handled by the Kinect using a program called FAAST. FAAST, a middleware that operates using the OpenNI framework, converts user movements into keystrokes. Unfortunately, the openNI framework does not support voice control for the Kinect.

As a way around this, voice control in the Skyrim Kinect video is handled by a program called VAC (Voice Activated Commands). VAC allows you to pair spoken words with keystrokes.

Trying to avoid any type of controller, wires, or anything that might impede movement, I have used a RazorFish bluetooth headset to send voice commands to VAC. This device was relatively inexpensive, and probably accounts for some of the gameplay moments where a command is unrecognized.

I hope that you enjoy this Skyrim Kinect video. I look forward to suggestions about which PC games you feel should be Kinected in future videos.

FAAST: http://projects.ict.usc.edu/mxr/faast/
VAC: http://www.dwvac.com/
Music clips: Kevin MacLeod

• Category

  Gaming

[MrCatsforbrains]

Stop describing yourself

[James Cameron]

it works for me its not fake you fags

[liam pilcher]

hey it's Caster Troy, god i love that movie

[Halofire101]

then explain how lighting changes when he exits the map

[enchantedbananas]

can't wait to see what the Kinect 2 brings to the table on PC

[engels1978]

I started playing computer games, and a bit of programming (BASIC) with Atari 800 when I was 7 (programming about 10 )... then few years later with PC 386 SX and 2MB RAM, and a bit of Pascal, but I prefered Graphics than programming... 3D Studio, LightWave... :) So despite beeing Christian (even in Church we use MAC for displaying text with animations and PC for live streaming and recording of a ceremony ;) ) I am quite open for computer/technological things... ;)

[bazboyJZ]

It's fake lol you're the fag. Look after 3:30 U can see the screen change but he isn't... its totally edited so his moves fits the skyrim moves

[speider]

It isn't fake. But it's really hard going through the entire game like this. But watch the actions and pay attention.

Just because you only found the video by accident, that is a pretty crap argument. Download the XML and try for yourself with instructions, but please don't call something fake just because you don't understand it, or find it unusual. That's what religious people do.

[engels1978]

hope so... I agree that: "who have PC and Kinect AND have hooked their Kinects up to the PC AND are using it to play games, are a tiny minority"... And this I've found by accident, so it's is very hard for me to believe that is not fake... And I cannot check it by myself, as I prefer PS3 than XBox... :( Maybe I'll take and Install SkyRim on mine friends computer, who has got also XBox with kinect, but it will not be soon (I have small kid and not much time for such experiments :) )... Cheers! :)

[speider]

Oh dude, I wasn't trying to offend, or to make it sound like people in Poland didn't have access to stuff! What I was trying to point out was that the people in general (not only Poland) who have PC and Kinect AND have hooked their Kinects up to the PC AND are using it to play games, are a tiny minority.

That may be a reason for this mod not to be a widespread thing, in addition to the mod possibly not being complete :)

[engels1978]

please believie me, we are civilised in Poland and have even hot water in a tap ;) Quite a lot of people have got both PC and XBox, and I know some who has got PS3 to collection... :) And I suppose quite a lot of people play Skyrim, as I bought last copy in a big Store (Media Markt)! Of course there was new delivery, and I saw those copies were are bought... And there are at least two big Polish Forums about SkyRim...

[speider]

how many people in poland play skyrim and want to use kinect instead of mouse and keyboard, and have access to both?