developers will be able to use it with or without Azure
— Read on www.theverge.com/2019/2/25/18239860/microsoft-kinect-azure-dk-hands-on-mwc-2019

Microsoft has created a new Kinect sensor. During an invaluable conversation with artist Matthew Keff at the IEEE-GEM 2019 conference at Yale last week I learned about this re-introduction. The Kinect had been declared dead technology upon its notable absence a year ago at the 2018 E3 trade show.

We created a game, Sow/Reap, in the summer of 2013, that took advantage the Kinect for PC, an earlier model. That model was superceded by the model that accompanied the Xbox One which was effectively DOA. No new games used the new tech. Instead it was deemed an always on, always networked bit of spyware. Microsoft walked back from requiring Kinects be connected to Xbox One.

Now with the Hololens there is once again a use for depth-tracking/mapping for AR and VR. This is where the new Kinect fits into the Microsoft ecosystem.

I am curious if this new Kinect will be sufficiently open for us to remake/refresh/rethink Sow/Reap.

Information about Sow/Reap is available on http://sudor.org/

Matthew Keff is making wonderful work visible at http://matthewkeff.com/

IEEE Games, Entertainment, and Media conference program at http://ieee-gem.space/