Is a Kinect Enabled SSX In Development?

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Posted January 31st, 2011 at 9:00 am

Examining newly registered domain names usually leads nowhere however in some instances it has represented the first signs of unannounced projects. The existence and name of the upcoming SSX game was originally discovered through the registration of several domains by EA however so it remains something to monitor, it just is not always worth investing in what is found until there is more evidence found to support it.

It is now worth noting that Microsoft recently registered the domains ssxkinect.com and kinectssx.com which comes as EA Sports has yet address the subject of Kinect implementation. Theoretically that could indicate plans to either utilize Kinect in the upcoming SSX: Deadly Descents or a dedicated Kinect SSX branded title in the future.

The question though is why would Microsoft register a domain that relates to an EA game? Given that the use of Kinect is trademarked it could very well be that they are snatching up the domains for their own use, possibly for product pages, or are doing so just to prevent them from falling into the hands of URL squatters. If SSX had a Kinect element to it or its own separate version then it would seem to reason consumers would be finding their way to those URLs even if not the official name of the game.

With another year or longer until Deadly Descents is released it is not out of the realm of possibility that the development time will allow for Kinect to play a part. It could be better though to release a standalone Kinect snowboarding game rather than try to blend it together or just make it an optional scheme that isn’t a properly tailored experience.

Regardless there is sure to be a strong wave of new software coming for Kinect given that it has been such a huge success. Over eight million units have been sold at last tally and it has exceeded expectations not just there but in its perception amongst gamers. A snowboarding game would seem to be a good fit, though SSX’s over-the-top and style-heavy take would seem more difficult to pull off without the full reign of having a controller in hand.

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