Marathon Men
Of all the gaming world records out there, marathon play sessions are some of the most physically and psychologically taxing. Last weekend, the folks at community site StickTwiddlers attempted not one, but eight of these punishing feats across the likes of GTA IV, Halo: Reach and StarCraft II. This fundraising event, organised by Alan Teader and Ben Cordell, also attempted to break several of our standing Kinect Sports records.
We caught up with the lads once they’d had a chance to recover to find out how the event went down. Don’t try this at home folks, sleep deprivation can be seriously bad for you, and these guys were under expert supervision at all times.
Rare: Tell us a bit about StickTwiddlers, how long has the site been going and what is your community like?
Ben: StickTwiddlers launched October 10th last year so we’ve been going for a little over five months now. Alan and I wanted to create a gaming news and reviews site by gamers, for gamers, but also wanted StickTwiddlers to do things that a lot of other sites don’t do, the world record attempt being a prime example.
Mar 2011
Kinect Sports World Records for March
We like to think that this month’s Sports world records represent the kind of can-do spirit that separate Kinect gamers from the rest of the pack. It’s been in your homes for nearly five months now, but incredibly you’re still building new high scores on that hallowed ground of sporting heroism. And best of all, you don’t need any planning permission.
Not all of last month’s records have been demolished, with the Javelin and Rapid Runner scores still looking pretty bullet-proof. However, if you were responsible for the likes of our staggering new Paddle Panic score, you are officially a titan forged in the fires of space. Well done!
If you’re still in hot pursuit of one of these records, we recommend checking out our official Facebook App, which makes it easy to track all your best results in a couple of clicks. Good luck, Best of British, America the Brave, etc.
Mar 2011
Kinect Sports Game Guide – Football
Unless you’re Johan Cruyff and believe “Football is a game your play with your brain”, you’ll already know that to win at Football you need to move around and kick when appropriate. In this, the final Game Guide of our series, we’ll provide you with the skills you need to beat the game on Championship difficulty as well as imparting the knowledge needed to win a few games online.
As they say, “this post is a post of two halves”. Video guide first, further written advice after the jump.
Mar 2011
Twycross Makeover
With Kinect Sports proving a huge success worldwide, and also a BAFTA award-winning game, we thought it was about time that the look of our Twycross HQ reflected that. No, we didn’t try to make it look like a giant golden statue – we just plastered the place with cool Sports imagery, review quotes and paraphernalia.
Rare Sites Manager Lynne Jackson, who oversaw the look of our recently opened second facility at Birmingham’s Fazeley Studios, teamed with Assistant Art Manager Paul Cunningham to create the new-look Twycross lobby. The centrepiece is a striking Kinect Sports mural emblazoned across the interior wall. We’ve also created a special area for guests to play Sports and discover first-hand what Kinect is all about.
For your own virtual tour of the Twycross lobby area, try clicking on the large image above. This Photosynth viewer allows you to view the area from all angles, and zoom in on points of interest to your heart’s content. Look hard enough and you might also spot a couple of cheeky team members sneaking into view.
Mar 2011
Top 5 Kinect Sports YouTube Videos
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YouTube is only six years old, but it’s already hard to remember what life was like without it. In that dark age before the online video site launched, we’d never have been able to watch our friends fall over while doing the Long Jump or bowl a perfect game dressed as Spider-Man.
While Kinect Sports might not yet have found its Star Wars Kid or Tron Guy, there are still some brilliant replay videos out there, and this month we’re taking a look at five of the best.
TOP 5 KINECT SPORTS YOUTUBE VIDEOS
According to… Ben Talbot
1. Pin Rush to the Max
When we first downloaded the server stats to put together a high score list, we thought that the leading result for Pin Rush must have been a mistake. As it turns out, drpatazi’s score of 14,270 was totally legit and he’s just an absolute demon of the lanes. We’ve never seen a bowling style quite like it.
Mar 2011
Kinect Sports Game Guide – Bowling
If you’ve dreamed of toppling bowling giant Ernie McCracken or bowling a perfect game but don’t have enough in your tank to win it all, this guide should come in handy.
In the fifth of our Kinect Sports Game Guides, we walk you through all the different shots including a few not contained in any manual. This is Bowling. There are rules.
Now here are some words to help you on your way to becoming a better bowler.
Mar 2011
He’s Got the Motion
Table tennis star Andrew Baggaley is not only an Olympic Ambassador, a two-time Commonwealth champion and triple national champion – he’s also the man behind your avatar opponent in Kinect Sports.
Early last year, Andrew took time out of his training schedule to let us motion capture his movements for the game. You can see the process in this video, and it explains a lot about why Rally Tally and Paddle Panic are so lightning fast. We recently caught up with the young champion to find out what it was like starring in Sports and how his plans for the future are shaping up.
Rare: What’s it like to see your actions being played out in a videogame?
Andrew Baggaley: It’s absolutely amazing to see my personal playing techniques and characteristics on a Table Tennis videogame that is being marketed worldwide! It’s also a rather surreal experience to play against myself as I can clearly see parts of my playing style incorporated into the game.
Rare: Was doing the motion capture fun – and what did it involve?
AB: It was definitely fun, but did involve many ‘takes’ to get the exact techniques ideal for the game spot on! I had to wear a motion capture suit for an entire day’s shoot, which was extremely hot inside as you are covered from head to toe, but extremely rewarding when you see the finished product.
Mar 2011
This Season’s Colours
Ready to take your Kinect Sports dedication to the next level? We’ve unleashed three new additions to the Kinect Sports Collection on Avatar Marketplace and they’re haute couture (made to fit)!
There’s a new Black Kinect Sports Supporter Tee (80 Microsoft Points), a chic Rare Logo Tee (80 Microsoft Points) and a new-look Giant Foam Finger (160 Microsoft Points) – Marathon Mouse outfit sold separately. All Tees are available in both men’s and women’s styles, so now you can look even better while breaking those World Records.
Mar 2011
